What’s been going on!
5:38 this morning the phone rings, jolting us out of the last stages of sleep. I say “just pick it up and then hang up” as Betsy reaches for the phone “No wait! It might be the Post Office calling to tell us the turkeys are here!”. Indeed the case and we are off and running, Betsy driving to Graham to pick up the box filled with little chirpers and me across the field to finish up the brooder preparations. By 7:00 they are all installed, eating, drinking and running around.
You may remember this newsletter from June when I was debating if we would raise turkeys this year and the specific hurdles to doing so. Well those hurdles have mostly been cleared. The feed plant problems have been solved, the availability of poults later than normal worked out and a processing date has been secured the week before Thanksgiving allowing us to have fresh birds and avoid the freezer plant issues. One more time around the block.
A fun event coming up a week from today The Crop Hop at the Barn in Fearrington Village is a fundraiser for the Farm Sustainability Programs at the Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI). Live music, square dancing if you are so inclined, microbrews and some deserts all for just $10-20. We will be there as I am on the Board of RAFI, one of the oldest and most important of all the sustainable agriculture organizations in the country. They do great work in many areas of agriculture but this night we will be focusing on the work they do to help save family farms from going out of business. Come on out for an enjoyable evening and support sustainable farms.
Once again we have made it through July and it is time for our annual August break so no newsletter for the next two weeks. After market this Saturday, Betsy and I will be laying low for two weeks, taking short road trips, going out to eat and just taking it easy. The exciting party (really) is we are going to focus on moving into the new workshop, building a work bench, putting up shelves, sorting and organizing all the tools and supplies that are strewn across five buildings; Betsy has been waiting for this for years! Jennie and Liz will be working next week and expect to see them at market, maybe both Wednesday and Saturday. They will both then have a week off and we will not be at Market at all on the 17th. When we come back it will be full pepper season and roasting should begin on the 24th.
Picture of the Week
This little turkey is saying “here we go again”
What’s going to be at the market?
Limelight hydrangeas are back and really big and beautiful from all the water they received. Of course it is now full blown Celosia season with colorful and astounding shapes. Beautiful Bouquets of course.
Tomatoes the party is over, part of the reason we can take a summer break. A small supply of red Big Beefs. Just a smattering of all the heirlooms. A good amount of Roma sauce tomatoes and just a few Italian Oxhearts. Fair amount of Sungolds, Blushes and SunMix cherries.
Sweet Red Onions and the Long Red of Tropea Italian cooking onion. Basil for the tomatoes! More peppers each week with Shishitos and Padrons for appetizers; Serranos, Jalapenos, Passillas, great Anaheims and maybe the first Poblanos in hots. Sweet peppers represented with Purple Bells, Cubanelles and the first of the Corno di Toros. A few more Italian heirloom Eggplant.
As a reminder if there is anything that you would like for us to hold for you at market just let us know by e-mail, by the evening before, and we will be glad to put it aside for you.
Hope to see you all at the market!
Alex and Betsy
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Peregrine Farm 