Holy Moly….it seems one is waiting for the pasture grasses to be ready for livestock and then before you know it, hay is being cut, the grass is above your waist and it is full on SUMMER!
We’ve had some VERY busy weeks, so busy, our next visit to the Northfield Farmers Market is already upon us!! Great NEWS – we’ll be on the green this Tuesday, June 11th with a wide range of our farm fresh goodness AND we will be doing a demo/tasting/discussion about Vermont Farm Fresh Ramen! Yep — perfect for every season! Join us on the Northfield Common 3-6 pm on Tuesday!
** Bonus — you can pre-order (EVERY WEEK) through the online Northfield Farmers Market — orders close at 10pm on Sunday!
Here is some of what we’ve been up to….
First cut of Hay! Huge thanks to Charlie at Farmor Farm for being a critical partner when Walt’s/our baler wasn’t yet fixed. Gorgeous first cut — tucked away for the sheep! Thanks Diane for your committment to keeping this gorgeous piece of land productive in active Ag!
Young Freedom Rangers & Turkeys out on pasture. They look great & are enjoying pasture….but Risør’s been working overtime as our local Ravens seem to have a penchant for organic, pasture raised poultry. Risør, the red wing blackbirds & the farmers seem to have things under control — only 1 loss to the Ravens. Birds seem to be just about big enough to deter the Ravens now.
Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, onions, squash, herbs and more all planted & being tended.
Winter bedded pack out of the barns & starting to make great compost. And that in a newly prepped location thanks to the advice of Composting Association of Vermont and the work of Gary & Ex (the Excavator)…oh and of course Brad’s skill with a chainsaw & Amy’s reliable persistence & gumption!
Which….also led to some additional tree clearing to open up some pasture zones and make way for the Vermont ripsower.
Welcoming Teton, our new young Boar from Hogwash Farm….he is happily busy meeting our gilts & working on the next generation of piglets!
Setting fence, moving animals, picking up fence. Repeat — keeping everyone moving through the fields!
Trying to keep up with the needs of the orchard! The blossoms were gorgeous & pollinators were SO busy. Now to keep those trees & bushes with the nutrition they need to bring us a great fruit year!
Some chervil digging too…of course. Though thrilled that is now mostly a small piece of our work to keep it from taking over our fields….though we had to do a good hit at the hay field as well.
Launching our new easy Square Screen check out at the farmstand. Yep, Farmstand is stocked and open Wednesdays – Sundays 10am to 7 pm.
Weeding…yep, plenty of that too! and getting some cover crops rolling.
Hydration… for humans, plants, animals… those hot dry spells aren’t easy. Thankful for Blue Goose Farm milk & Brookfield Bees Maple Syrup. Maple Milk (aka Farm Gatorade) saves the day!
We’ve fit in some learning too…well, everyday on the farm is a learning day, no doubt. But some deep off-site learning with VT Grassfarmers and Christine Jones on soil health and deep dives on orchard care with the good folks at Lost Nation Orchard.
We think (hope/need to make it so?) we are about to that point in the season where the list is still long, but a little less frantic & pressing that always comes in May & early June in our short growing season locale. Time to pause & enjoy this verdant, abundant season.
We have been enjoying the blossoms, pollinators, birds & frogs who are back in abundance, and also very busy!
We’ve been fueling ourselves with all the delights from our farm, Field Stone Farm, Blue Goose Farm & Lightfoot Farm and hope you are too!
On farm events coming in July & August!