6 a.m. May 31st, 2013

The photos above record an hour or so of this morning's adventure. The crew and Prentice have been erecting the ribs of this hoop house all week. This morning's weather was warm and still, so we all got to it bright and early. The boys trickled out one by one as they woke, with Big Brother Joseph shepherding them from pillow to worksite.

Seems that many people ask us "Do your kids help out on the farm?"
And we answer, "Yes and no."

We seldom ask them to show up while we hustle through a project or double-check an order heading to town. . . That approach has proved very difficult for all. But a nice and easy "many hands on deck" job like this one, good weather, no bugs.  . .Yes. Harvesting pumpkins? Washing many cases of cucumbers? Yes. These are all good jobs to involve the children.

We want our children to enjoy the farm. It is about all we do from March to November!! So at their ages, we encourage but do not demand participation in the work around the place. We don't expect any of them to grow up and take VF over but if one, two or all three of them like this farming life enough to continue it . . . great,. They will have a good piece of land and a bunch of infrastructure like the hoophouse "skinned" this morning to work with.

Top of the mornin' to you.
Polly and co.

Cowboys, Cowgirls and Sheriffs

Warm greetings from Village Farm!
"Field and Forest Report": (To quote our beloved WERU commentator Rob McCall's Awanadjo Almanac) Apple blossom season is right before and overlaps with lilac season. Apple blossoms follow plum blossoms. Dandelions' blooms are waning. Getting ready to pop with their floaty seeds. The cows are finally and gleefully out to pasture. Hannah is hoping to get a hive of bees going this summer. We are hoping she does!

Barnyard Report: Abe and Ben have caught the entrepreneurial bug and have both opened barnyard "stores." Ben sells "Seaglass, Rocks and Things" and as you can see here, Abe sells whatever I will let him take from the kitchen. Most often apples and raisins. Come on by, pardners, if you need some grub.
(Note to Kathy and Aunt Ewe: Excuse my misspelling of SHERIFF. . .you can see by the scratch-out that I did struggle to find the right letters!)
And you can see the splatters on the wall from a long ago art project? The patina of this house is definitely growing with these three boys and their non-stop exuberance!

Garden Report: All the rain of late has slowed down the planting fury and has afforded the crew the time to start erecting a new hoophouse that will make a 100 footer out of a formerly 50 footer.
We watch the weeds grow in rainy weather but do not tread in the gardens for fear of compacting (damaging) the soil structure. It looks like later this week is going to heat right up in time for our June 1st Seedling Sale (10 am to 2 pm--come on by!!!) and in time for a lot of weeding and cultivating.

The summer CSA begins in 3 weeks! We are going to have gorgeous kale, bok choi, salad greens, herbs and lettuce heads for you members. And we will not forget the micro greens for that first pick up.


We send our best and many thanks for supporting our Village Farm.
Polly and co.

Looking around

Warm greetings from Village Farm!

With the CSA beginning in a month, I figured I best be getting in blogging shape again.
Actually, blogging and jogging have a bit more than "ogging" in common. Best to start slow. Take deep breaths. Look around.

With so much going on here,  I find it a challenge to narrow the story to something coherent.
Pictures help.
We have had a lovely and talented photographer here from time to time over the past month or so. Collin Powell is a student at the Maine Photographic Workshop in Rockport and is doing her final project on farm apprentices. She has captured some wonderful images. Here are a few of my favorites.

 

These capture small moments of farm life at Village Farm. . .and thousands of such moments/visions make up every day and every week. Seeing these photos does help us pause the next time as we take in the mat of green babies in the greenhouse, the big sky, the brown earth and morning mist, and the good company of a calm dairy cow.

We have the first of our two on-farm Seedling Sales this Saturday, May 18 from 10am-2pm. June 1st is the next one: same time, same place. Should be fun and festive and we have everything you need for a very prolific garden this summer. I say make a day of it--get your garden seedlings, stop by the most awesome general store, Freedom General, walk around and peep in the Mill's windows and take a walk through our woodlot down to Freedom Pond. The loons are busy these days. We hear them all day and all night long!

So much planting going on. Seeds going in, tubers going in, trees going in, transplants going in. 

Planting gets all the glory but of course, it is preceded by hours of plowing, spreading compost and amendments, tilling and bed-forming. . .and followed by watering, weeding, mulching and thinning. The crops are going into some well cared for soil, that is for sure. They will be well cared for, that is for sure. They will be delicious and nutritious. We can count on that, as well.

From all of us at Village Farm, 

We are grateful for your support for the work we are engaged in, 

Polly and co.