We were thrilled to host the NOFA VT(Northeast Organic Food Association) board of directors meeting this week. We know the convenience of our central location is a key
Pasture-Raised Wings!
decision factor for groups hosting state-wide meetings. We feel lucky to serve such great organizations. And it is as fun to have the farm feed good work as it is to feed good people! I wish I had the group autograph the snack menu – our righteous wings (the secret is in the grass!) with farm-made hot sauces and pickle platter followed by farm meringues and maple sodas.
A while back I remember worrying about a group retreating in the barn while a doe gave birth. I wondered if the distraction was going to interfere with their work. Just the opposite was reported. They reported gaining focus and making breakthroughs grounded by the intimacy, pain and miracle of newborn kids and the universality of the cycle of life.
I keep being surprised at who the farm touches. I have a distinct memory of dispensing lattes on the hoof at a farm supper. In the milking barn a seasoned Vermonter, himself a former dairy farmer was giddy over his latte on the hoof. Moments later a young, snappy-dressed musician recently written up in the New York Times dissolved into giggles from the “rush” of the experience.
Enid, NOFA-VT's Executive Director, also a goat whisperer
And now this week, there were our heroes from NOFA. They’ve seen it all, yet there they were lapping up the goat kids, soaking in the essence of the farm, generating plans and in their breaks, refilling their personal wells.
The farm is still fully snowed in! But the wind and downpours of Monday’s rambunctious thunder and lightning storm shrunk the snow-pack significantly. It was the coldest March on record in much of Vermont. Penelope has been a total code monkey, cranking away on the Floating Bridge Food and Farm Cooperative’s new website –more on this next week. Andrew has harvested sweet spinach and temperatures have finally allowed him to plant out the Spring greens, hijacked by the late season arctic clippers and polar vortices. Penelope and Laura have nursed Annapurna’s eye back to good health. And a huge thanks to one of our Veterinarians, Alison Cornwall, who made a serum from Annapurna’s own blood as part of the treatment plan. Alison called us with directions on how to administer on the way to the hospital to deliver her daughter Soli. We wish them well.
We are grateful for all those who work hard every day to support farmers and the food system and hope more of our heroes book meetings at the farm soon!
Our Barn Event Space can be set for a party or meeting