Fall CSA Week #3

Fall CSA Week #3

To nurture and rebuild soil and soil nutrients we aim to cover crop in all locations on the farm even the greenhouses. In the back of Greenhouse #1 where we have had basil, cucumbers, greens, scallions and more over the years, we gave the section a rest from cash crops and planted oats and peas. Before going to seed, Evrald broke out the weed trimmer and laid the cover crop down. WE then tarped for the winter, setting us up for a good place to plant come spring.

A final harvest of the older spinach we have in GH3 and GH4 took place. These side beds were then prepped for over wintered Paper Pot Scallions. You can learn more about the paper pot planting system in the Summer CSA week #11 newsletter. Spinach and Scallions don’t do much growing in the winter, however go dormant and with row cover often survive the cold temperatures, waking back up when sunny days return in March.

New and improved baseboard GH9

Inside view GH9 baseboard

Jaime moved some swiss chard from Garden 3 into greenhouse 10 for a bit more winter protection

Pole beans are flourishing in GH3, finally producing some beans!

With colder weather arriving, we have been moving storage crops to our root cellar. We have a section for squash and potatoes and another colder section for carrots and cabbage. We have a third room that will soon be home to onions.

We share 809 Brook Road with Woodland Community School. CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN CSA PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

Pickup
Come anytime between 3 pm and 6 pm on Thursday.

Please bring your own bags or box to gather your choices.

 Remember to contact us in advance if you will be unable to pick up on Thursday, so that we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh. You can email or call us to let us know. Thank you to all of those who have already arranged another time to pickup!

Here's what you will find in this weeks share:

When you arrive at the farm, look for the CSA sign straight ahead and to the left.

Jaime will check you in and help you gather your share.

The Fall CSA is a set share chosen by your MSF Farmers. You will receive everything on the “basket” list. We will have a trade box available if you would like to trade one (1) of your items!

Your Farmer, Sam (For Tim, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Evrald, Shawn, Jav, Colin, Jaime, Franconia, Jennings, and Ridge)

Fall CSA Week #2

Fall CSA Week #2

“Extending the Seasons” both in the spring and the fall enables us to successfully grow in the north country. Over the last week a couple of projects on the long term to-do list have made it to the top of the list and are being worked on.

A simple overlap where the roll up sides of a greenhouse meets the baseboard definitly makes an impact holding heat in and noticeably keeping crops that much more protected throughout the shoulder seasons. GH3 and GH4 were completed a few years ago, and Ridge has taken on the project with GH10 where cherry tomatoes still reside. Many seasons of crops will benefit from this Greenhouse upgrade.

GH9 plastic going on: winter 2019

In the Fall of 2018 and winter of 2019 Greenhouse 9 was erected out by the blueberries. We set it up to roll (another way to extend the seasons…check our MSF tour “moveable greenhouses video” to learn more) although due to the levelness of the two other GH9 locations, we have never rolled the greenhouse. The decision was made to treat this house as though it can’t move. Over the last week the rotting baseboards were replaced, it was leveled and sealed up where it rests on the ground.

New and improved baseboard GH9

Inside view GH9 baseboard

GH9 south section got a layer of compost before being tarped for planting next spring. Spring radishes and turnips and season long scallion successions were grown here this season.

Another project on the fall list is to extend GH11. The back wall in the picture below will be removed along with the greenhouse plastic and we will over double the length of the greenhouse. Keep an eye out for updates as we move through the CSA season.

Addison helped make sure her mom Mikaela was getting every bit of basil out of the greenhouse as another greenhouse was cleaned up.

Ridge did a thorough job of cleaning out the silver bullet composter. Tim has been developing a farm potting soil that we are planning on using in our seed room again this season.

Could have used Addisons’ help with this job!

Can’t resist an updated photo of the spinach in GH8, also out by the blueberries. Check out the wheels on this greenhouse!

We share 809 Brook Road with Woodland Community School. CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN CSA PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

Pickup
Come anytime between 3 pm and 6 pm on Thursday.

Please bring your own bags or box to gather your choices.

 Remember to contact us in advance if you will be unable to pick up on Thursday, so that we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh. You can email or call us to let us know. Thank you to all of those who have already arranged another time to pickup!

Here's what you will find in this weeks share:

When you arrive at the farm, look for the CSA sign straight ahead and to the left.

Jaime will check you in and help you gather your share.

The Fall CSA is a set share chosen by your MSF Farmers. You will receive everything on the “basket” list. We will have a trade box available if you would like to trade one (1) of your items!

Your Farmer, Sam (For Tim, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Evrald, Shawn, Jav, Colin, Jaime, Franconia, Jennings, and Ridge)

Fall CSA Week #1

Fall CSA Week #1

Joining us for the fall CSA is one of the ways to support what we do and help us continue to grow…in all the ways! Thank you!

Incredible how the weather changed completely literally labor day weekend when school started fall also arrived. We have busily been transforming gardens from summer to fall, removing summer crops and either prepping and planting for a fall/winter crop or prepping for next season. With colder nighttime temperatures we have turned on the heat in a few greenhouses and pulled out row cover to protect thriving sensitive crops such as: green beans, cucumbers, peppers, and newly planted greens in our gardens.

Farmers on the move!

We have had a phenomenal team this season making it all happen.

Garden 4 (G4) peppers getting tucked in for the night. WE have had an incredible crop of snacking sweet peppers this season. The harvest continues, another 70 pounds made it into the washroom on Sunday.

Greenhouse 2 went from the home of farm seedlings in the spring to Cucumbers and basil for the summer and now lettuce going into the fall and winter.

Jennings planting Greenhouse 2 Salanova head lettuce. We cut these heads at full size 2-ish inches above the base and add the greens to our loose lettuce mix. They are a cut and regrow variety. Hooped with row cover within a greenhouse will hopefully enable us to have lettuce through to December.

We started planting greens in G5 back in May

G5 on the first day of fall with beets and carrots

After a vibrant, productive series of greens successions in Garden 5 (G5), we mowed the greens, reset the beds and seeded a late planting of beets and carrots. Typically we grow both of these over at the fields we lease a few miles from the farm as the rows are 400 feet long, flat and straight, however this season we have been doing some smaller plantings of both right here. We have baby beets for you this week from G5.

Summer Cucumbers to Spinach: GH8 spinach is coming along. For those in our summer CSA, you are familiar with the work that went into transforming this space for a fall/winter crop of spinach, for those unfamiliar, check out week 13 summer csa newsletter

Mature Salanova in Garden 6 will hopefully sustain our Jester’s Lettuce harvest through the fall. Over 100 pounds of lettuce will be harvested Thursday some for the annual Littleton Coop Harvest Sale and our Fall CSA members.

We share 809 Brook Road with Woodland Community School. CHILDREN AND PARENTS MAY BE STILL IN AND AROUND THE DRIVEWAY WHEN CSA PICKUP BEGINS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL NAVIGATING THE PARKING LOT.

Pickup
Come anytime between 3 pm and 6 pm on Thursday.

Please bring your own bags or box to gather your choices.

 Remember to contact us in advance if you will be unable to pick up on Thursday, so that we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh. You can email or call us to let us know. Thank you to all of those who have already arranged another time to pickup!

Here's what you will find in this weeks share:

When you arrive at the farm, look for the CSA sign straight ahead and to the left.

Jaime will check you in and help you gather your share.

The Fall CSA is a set share chosen by your MSF Farmers. You will receive everything on the “basket” list. We will have a trade box available if you would like to trade one (1) of your items!

Early European settlers quickly adopted it for its rich flavor and ability to store well through the winter. By the 1800s, acorn squash was a familiar sight in U.S. gardens and seed catalogs, its ridged, acorn-like shape making it instantly recognizable.

Today it remains a beloved heirloom variety, often roasted or stuffed, and a staple of autumn harvest tables. Check out: Stuffed Acorn Squash (vegan)

Your Farmer, Sam (For Tim, Mikaela, Jeannie, Jim, Evrald, Shawn, Jav, Colin, Jaime, Franconia, Jennings, Cole, Ridge, and Pam)

Fall CSA Welcome

Fall CSA Welcome

Spanning for most of the Fall season, this CSA will provide you with fresh fall hardy crops and storage crops that will bring farm flavors into the holiday season.

We have already been busy the last few weeks bulk harvesting storage crops: Onions, carrots, cabbage, and soon winter squash. In anticipation of a frost, we make protecting these crops crucial as the days shorten and the weather begins to get colder. Fall is upon us! With the flavors and weather of fall also comes the Fall CSA. We are excited to welcome you all here at the farm in a few weeks.

The first Fall CSA Pickup is:

Thursday September 24th from 3 - 6 pm

Expect the first Fall CSA Newsletter to arrive sometime at the beginning of the first pickup week.

When you come for pickup, look for the CSA sign by the shed roof ahead and on the left once you drive into the farm. Jaime will be present each week to help you gather your share.

If you have been with us this summer as a Summer CSA member, please remember for the fall there are no add-ons, and the basket is pre-determined by Meadowstone Farmers.

Remember please contact us in advance if you will be unable to pickup at the designated time on Thursdays, that way we can store your share in our walk-in refrigerator to keep it fresh for you to come and pickup at a convenient time. Also remember: Pickup is at the farm between 3:00 and 6:00 pm on Thursdays for 9 weeks from September 24th until November 19th.

Enjoy! Thank you for supporting local agriculture!