Bales of Summer

If I were to ever daydream about an “image” of myself as a farmer (which I NEVER would do, of course) it would most likely include hay. Tossing a bale on to a truck, out in the field mowing a great crop, feeding a bale to some critters. My whole perception of and reality of farming is tied intricately to hay. Thinking about it, cutting it, drying it, watching the weather for it, the equipment for it, feeding it, the feeling of getting a bunch “put up”, and yes…. rolling in it. It is just an absolutely essential aspect of my life and our brand of farming.

Notice the clover blossom in the upper left....summer

I have been especially mindful of that lately as I start to fret about the never ending question. “Will we make it through the winter with what we have…. ???? I can say with certainty that we will not, I have known that since the day we started feeding hay… but I can’t help myself.

Maybe we will make it. My math could be wrong. We could get green grass in late April. Maybe what we have will just , just, just, just, be enough?

It is not all romance, let me tell you. There is a good deal of stress that goes along with hay making… True Story: I know a farmer in Vermont, awesome guy, a real throw back. He is our source for our dark faced sheep, the Clun Forests. He talks about this awesome pocket watch he has, you know the one, on a chain and it slips out of the pocket each time he needs to know the time. A beautiful piece of machinery. A gift. Well, he started to notice that each year around haying time his watch stopped working.. he took it in… nothing wrong with it… “Come to find out” the intense changes in his body’s “electric charge” around the haying stress and anxiety would STOP his watch. Now that is stress.

See what I mean?

Anyway, the whole point of this post was to describe the little moments you get deep in the winter. The moments when you crack open a beautiful bale of hay and you can literally smell summer… the air, the grass, the fields… its like right there. Amazing to be in touch with that in late February.

Buns In The Oven

This gallery contains 10 photos.

Lambs are due any day now… Friday was the “anytime now” day of record for this year. That is the day that falls 145 days from the moment when we put the ram in with the ewes in the fall. … Continue reading →

Time

When I was teaching full time I used to long for the freedom to set my own schedule, to craft my own days as I saw fit. Appointments… no problem. Chores…. not problem. Spend time with the kids…. no problem. Part of my determination to end the madness that was my “full time teacher running a small farm business” life was focused on this nirvana of freedom.

No more schedule driving me like some incarcerated chain-ganger, no more pressure to beat the minute hand to school… to my next class…  to some pesky 10 minute appointment that takes on the magnitude of the hajj. So it has been some sort of revelation to find myself beating feet this winter to stay ahead of that minute hand.

I just don’t know where the time goes. We plan, we schedule, we communicate, we parent, we cook, we clean, and then we look at the clock each and every day and go…. “How did it get to be 4:30? We JUST had lunch!” It kills me.

Here Comes 2012!!

As I write it would appear that Winter is still undecided about a long term visit this year. The last  four or five days have been almost spring like in their temperature and lack of snow cover. What it will all mean in the months to come is anyone’s guess, for now I will simply try to enjoy! Aside from periodic ruminations about the weather, we are settled into a routine of chores and planning for the year ahead. We continue to be encouraged and honored by the support and encouragement of our customers and community. Thanks to everyone for helping us make 2011 such a great year…. on now to 2012!

These Days Will Soon Return

As many of you know, I (Joe) am not teaching full time this year. While I miss the kids and my colleagues I do not miss the level of commotion that accompanied a full time job in the midst of running a small farm business. We are working to take full advantage of the change and do some work here at home on the vision and direction for the farm and our future. We will go into 2012 with a very similar structure as last year, however I will point out some changes and we also will be asking for some feedback on your experience with the farm and our food.

Our structure and offerings this year will be very similar to last year. Lambing season is right around the corner, our new batch of steers arrived on January 18th, and we will be placing our bird orders in the coming weeks. Our hens are enjoying a very cozy winter so far and the new group began laying right after Christmas. We are averaging about 125 eggs a day at the moment so we feel safe in declaring the egg shortage over! So, as hard as it may be to imagine at the moment, those wonderful pasture grasses will be under foot and hoof again in no time. For us that means its time to plan out the 2012 pasture season!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model that relies on relationship and communication. The more we know about what our customers want from us in the season ahead, the better able we are to plan and prepare to raise that food. Getting your orders and deposits lets us take advantage of the winter months as we plan our use of fields, our processing schedule, and our farm’s orders for chicken and turkey chicks.

Lone Coyote

In the pages that follow you will find some news and notes about the farm and the year ahead. You will also find an explanation of some small changes we are making as we tinker with our business plan and structure. If you have been to the farm to visit or you have purchased a share from us or something from our store please take a minute to complete our survey so we can gather some data on our customer’s experiences. Finally, you will find attached the ordering info for 2012. Getting your order and deposit by April 1, 2012 would be a huge help as we gear up for another fantastic growing season.

So thanks again for your business and support in 2011. We hope you are satisfied with your food and we certainly want to continue farming for you. Believe me when I say it is NEVER a problem for you to call (especially Joe’s cell: 207-400-7999), email, or stop by the farm. Take advantage of us for your questions, concerns, ideas, or feedback. Take advantage too of the farm for walks, visits with kids or grandkids, or a place to access Casco Bay and comb the shore. We want to put the “C” in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

We hope to hear from you soon,

Joe, Laura, Yvette, Muriel, and JoePye

2012 Winter Newsletter

2012 Order Form

Share Packages 2012