What’s been going on!

We had a good visit last Friday when Josh Volk the farmer/author of Compact Farms, his new book from Storey Publishing that we are honored to be included in, stopped by the farm.  Focusing on farms under 5 acres in production it is an interesting look at how these small operations are putting it all together in different parts of the country.  There is a mix of young farms and old established ones.

As you walk around the Farmers’ Market, with many of the booths filled with the same kinds of produce, it is hard to know how things are done on each farm and how it looks out there.  That is part of the reason we have written this newsletter for 14 years is to give you a peek at what daily/weekly farm life is like.

There is always change in the farm community and it is particularly evident in the newer small farms coming along.  When we developed our systems we had to invent the wheel in some ways as small scale tools were not really available, similarly there was little information on how to farm sustainably.  Now there is a plethora of information, sources and inputs that we could only dream about.

In all businesses there is a tension between sustainability and profits, especially so on a farm where we are managing a natural resource.  We have always tended toward the former to ensure some of the latter.  Newer farms, under pressure to generate dollars to pay for loans and improvements, tend to use more disposable plastics and rely on convenient bagged fertility sources or commercial compost that really were not available to us decades ago.

While we tweak our systems all the time we are happy with how we have put our pieces together and have been successful in building a sustainable operation which, we think, is why we are still in business after all these years and have been able to bring Jennie on as a partner to carry those ideals forward.  As my good southern Mother used to say “there is more than one way to skin a cat(fish)”, we like to think our way is best.

Picture of the Week

Spring flowers in a nutshell, delphinium and campanula on the way, poppies on the wane

What’s going to be at the market?

For Mother’s Day and Graduation- Crepe paper like Poppies still with us.  A world of fragrant Stock in pink, purple and white.  Betsy’s beautiful Bouquets as always!

A bit of a gap in lettuces this week with red Summer Crisp, the nice little Salanova Salad mix heads and some Green Boston holding the slot.  Big Escarole.  Radicchio for the grilling season.  Still lots of Spinach.  The most beautiful Lacinato Kale Dinosaur Kale, Cavalo Nero…) we have ever grown.  A ton of Broccoli Raab!

Sugar Snap Peas!  More Cucumbers and Basil too.  Spring Carrots.  Beets in all colors. Red, Golden and Italian striped Chioggia.  Plenty of Red Radishes.  Turnips are back for a bit.  Cilantro and Dill.

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.  Just so you know, sometimes not everything listed will be at the Wednesday market.

Hope to see you all at the market!

Alex, Betsy and Jennie

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