Thanksgiving Shares

We had a little ‘barn party’ on Tuesday for the 25 or so people who came to pick up their Thanksgiving share.  We spent two days harvesting – two rainy days of course… reminiscent of the summer – and filled the barn with root vegetables, greens, and more.  The turkeys went off for harvest Tuesday morning and were back to the farm by 3:00 – the largest weighing in at 40 pounds!!  Next year, we’ll get them later and maybe feed them less.  Leftovers are always good, but 40 pounds?

The share was made up of 1 pac choi, 2 big bunches of carrots, a half pound bag of arugula and a half pound bag of mixed lettuce, 2 heads of cabbage, 4 garlic, 2 pounds of leeks, 3 pounds of turnips, 1 bunch of kale or mustard greens, 10 pounds of potatoes, 6 pounds of squash and 1 dozen eggs!  Much of this will keep if you didn’t manage to use it all for your Thanksgiving feast.

We have one more field harvest to go – for the December market, and then no more field work!  We’ve been lucky with the mild November.  Looking at the field you’d think it’s late September.  But digging carrots, leeks and turnips, and cutting and washing arugula and lettuce on a cold rainy day is not the best part of farming.  Thanks so much to the many volunteers who helped harvest and to my Aunt Lynn for helping set up and manage the pick-up.  We hope you all enjoy the bounty!

 

 

A Harvest Market

Thanksgiving in historic Plymouth, MA will be rich this year with local vegetables, pies, and other carefully prepared food made with ingredients from surrounding towns.  In addition to the parade held every year the weekend before Thanksgiving, this year offered the very first Harvest Market, supported by our very own Plymouth market manager, Barbara Anglin, and sponsored by CSA members Edible South Shore.

Unfortunately, I was off at school this weekend, so I was unable to attend, take pictures, and tell the story.  But Dave was kind enough, after a weekend of hard labor, to bring the camera and take a few shots.

Turnout was excellent!  And he said 5 or 6 CSA members showed up to visit and pick up some veggies.  We were rich in potatoes, leeks, eggs, carrots, turnip, arugula, squash, and honey and I hear the tent was packed!  This was the first market of our first season of winter markets.  The rest will be held the third Thursday of every month at Plimoth Plantation, followed by a movie and drinks.  Check out the Plymouth Farmers’ Market website for more information.

Thanks giving

We had dinner at a friends a few of weeks ago.  Before we ate, she asked her 5-year old if he wanted to “say it”.  He shyly shook his head and said “no mama… you”.  Our friend proceeded with “thank you pig.  thank you cow.  thank you farmer for the hard work.  for the delicious meal we’re going to share with friends and family”.  These were our pig, cow, and farmer.  And I was moved by the thanks.  Not the thanks to “my farmer”, as little Tyler refers to him, but to the animals.  And I try to remember to do the same now as we sit down to enjoy the work of the summer.  We try to give our pigs, cows, chickens, lambs and turkeys good lives, and not only do we enjoy the nourishment they provide, but also the joy they bring during their life on the farm.  So thank you pig. Thank you cow.  Thank you chicken.  Thank you lamb. And thank you Turkey.

Another season draws to a close

This beautiful fall day – 60, sunny, and still – marks the official end to our farming season.  As Farmer Dave and a group of CSA volunteers enjoy the weather out in Soule field while planting the remaining  garlic, I sit in front of the computer and try to sum up 20 weeks of hard-work, delicious food, community, variable weather, new friends, animals come and gone, and much more.

The ’season’ in fact starts for Dave well before June, when the first market opens and the first CSA members arrive at Plato’s Harvest to discover what’s in harvest and wander the farm, feeding the animals and taking a break from their day.  And it also goes well beyond today as Dave must still clean up and prepare the fields for the cold weather, move animals to their winter homes, care for the cows until December, and take care of everything he didn’t have time for since April.  But the bulk of value in what we do takes place in the 20 weeks spanning June to October.  It is during these months that we share our harvest, Plato’s Harvest, with friends, members, market-goers, and visitors to our home.

The spring, summer, and early fall are marked by a weekly routine beginning on Monday with volunteer visits from “the moms”, field work, and prep for Tuesday.  Tuesday starts early as we rush to harvest everything for the Cambridge market and be on the road by 10:15, not returning until after 8:00.  Wednesday flows right into our first CSA pickup, with more harvesting and washing, mixed in with field work and community.  Thursday, we begin again the market routine, this time bringing our wares to Steven’s Field in Plymouth.  Friday follows, looking much like Wednesday, with our second CSA pickup and more time (for me anyway) playing with the children that visit the farm.  The weekend is a chance to slow down – just a bit – but is still full with animal care, field work, and planning for the following week.  And Monday it begins again.

In truth, I cannot even say the end is bittersweet – although I feel I should.  I truly enjoyed the time spent with our CSA members and the games played with their kids, and I looked forward to spending a day in Harvard Square, chatting with our regular customers, and sharing in their joy of the food they would take home. I loved our days in Plymouth, surrounded by friends, set to a background of blue ocean and live music.  But I am ready for the change, not in small part because I miss my husband and want to see him rest.

“Talk to me in November” is a commonly heard utterance from April through October, as during this time he has barely time to think.  Time away, excursions to the city or the Cape, visiting friends, are all wonderful but very rare occasions. Dave’s schedule is relentless and often follows him to his sleep, leading him to rise before dawn to still the constant concerns invading his dreams and nudging him to wake up early and get started.  It is all he can do to hang on this last week, and get up the drive to prep for market.  It’s like, what for me, is the end of a run.  Where I see the end ahead and its all I can do to not stop 20, 40, 100 feet short of the mark.

And so, today, the routine ends.  The work continues, and in fact we’ll be participating at a once-monthly winter market in Plymouth, but the days will shift to more of what some would see as a lazy summer.  Waking with the sun, never before dawn, taking time in the morning with breakfast, catching up on emails, finding time to read, and choosing when to head to the farm to care for the animals and finish up field-work, versus having the routine choose for us.

Now I must be clear – as my husband does access this site, and is probably already laughing in his head or thinking sarcastic thoughts – that the bulk of this applies to him.  I help with the CSA and the market, I occasionally contribute in the field, and I keep up this website, but never have I, nor could I, match the stamina and commitment that Dave displays.  Since I left my job in May, I try my hardest to get up AFTER the sun rises.  I am home by dark when he is not.  I visit family and friends on an occasional weekend or weekday, where he has no time to do the same.  And so, as I said, my contentment with the end to ‘the season’ comes in large part on behalf of my partner and hero.

We want to thank all of you for your participation in the farm and the bounty of the harvest.  That is why Dave does this.  Yes, we like to eat, but could satisfy ourselves with a small garden.  It is because he wants to share the joy and richness of healthy fresh food with others like himself.  We take great joy in the time people spend on the farm, and the access the children have to the animals and the notion of where their food comes from.  The thanks we receive, and the appreciation of the effort we put in, never goes unnoticed.  Those kind words keep Dave going on the toughest of days.  So thank you!

Farmer Dave and Sasha

The fruits (or meats and vegetables) of our labor

Sunday night was a feast at our house.  One of the downsides of farming is that you’re always so busy during the food season and you don’t get to cook every night.  But the upside is, when you do, it’s incredible!  Our meal consisted of one of the lamb loin roasts (actually mutton and we weren’t sure how it would be but it was DELICIOUS!), our JUST popped out of the log elm mushrooms mixed with some of our onions caramelized, butternut squash cut into cubes, drizzled with our honey and roasted, some of our fingerling potatoes roasted with garlic, fresh kale – also cooked with garlic – and mashed turnip and carrot.  A wonderful meal!  pictures below…

Making the best of a cold and rainy day!

Yesterday was our third-to-last Farmers’ Market and Plymouth.  And it was not a beautiful day.  We knew it would be cold but hadn’t counted on the rain.  What could have made for a very long and miserable afternoon turned into somewhat of a vendor celebration of food and community!

Market Manager Barbara and her husband and Market Traffic Manager Dean supplied us with a deep grill filled with smoky wood chips.  Dave came prepared with a ham (our own) that we’d slow-cooked in apple cider the night before.  We placed it on the grill with squash, potatoes, peppers, and eggplant and before you knew it, we had donations of local fresh breads from Jenny’s bread, Artisan Kitchen and Blue Blinds Bakery, a delicious mushroom mix from “mushroom lady”, pork sausage from Stillman’s, Corn from Frietas Farm, Cranberry Sauce from Edible Yard, Sweet and Sassy Barbecue sauce from Walter’s Specialty food, and more.  Everyone ’stopped by’ our stand to eat and chat, and after some wine from ‘the shed’, Dave swung me out to dance in the rain to the beautiful harp version of The Sting.

Cable comes to Plato’s Harvest

We are lucky to have a CSA member also creating her own local cable show – Healthy Living.  Tracy Renee Miller lives just down the street and asked to feature our organic farm and CSA as her first segment (we’ll post more info when we know airing times).  She joined us during Wednesday’s CSA to film Dave talking about the farm and animals and why and how he manages everything organically.

He talked about the importance, and heart of organic farming, which is protecting and enhancing the soil through natural fertilizers such as compost (thanks chickens, goats, lambs and cows!) and cover crops and the importance of crop timing, rotation, and row cover as methods of protecting against pests – although not perfect, as some of you may notice some holes in your pak choi leaves!  We entered the “animal farm” where the turkeys did their best to get their few moments of fame, and Dave discussed the health values of raising the animals naturally and feeding them foods they were born to eat.

We had several CSA members willing to say a few words on camera about why they participate in and appreciate the CSA so thanks to Joe, Laurie, Wendy, Jason, and Lisa!  A few pictures below.  As always, more on the flickr link to the right.

Wednesday’s Share and the Frost

Next week is the last week of the CSA!  So folks got lots of squash and potatoes which they can keep into winter and pull out when they’re missing their weekly visits to the farm.  Wednesday’s share also included mizuna, arugula, pak choi, garlic, sweet peppers, turnips and carrots as well as pick-your-own beans.  Members also helped themselves to leftover eggplant and hot peppers.  Some folks even managed to find some of the few remaining flowers…

The frost has come and so the flowers are on their way out. We also will no longer have peppers and eggplants.  Dave covered the beans with row-cover which protects them from the frost, which is why they’re still good for the picking.  The arugula, and also mizuna, kale, collards, mustard and tatsoi – which you get in your saute mix – are all hearty brassicas so will continue to grow for a couple more months.  The carrots, turnip and radish are also somewhat immune to the cold.  If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to pull some leeks next week, but sadly the cabbage hasn’t yet formed, so that may not come in until after the CSA.  Obviously the potatoes, squash and garlic are in good shape, as they were already digged, picked and pulled and fare well in a cellar or dark corner.

basket compliments of Wendy Hale – flowers from Laurie Hepworth…

A Perfect Garlic Day

Sunday was take one of garlic day (take two is next weekend assuming good weather).  Just like last year, the day was perfect!  Mid-60’s and sunny.  We had a great, if rolling, turnout.  We started the morning around 10:30 breaking up the Russian Red while we snacked on bagels and muffins.  The Red filled one bed.  We then did the Music and then broke for a delicious lunch of ham from the grill we dragged out to the field, lentil soup (or more like lentil stew), and a great salad with our mixed greens, wheat berries, and lots of other good stuff – plus some Mayflower Pale Ale from the Plymouth Brewery.  Some left, some showed up and we finished the 3500 cloves with some German Extra Hearty.  We then moved on to dig a row of potatoes, finish off some red wine, and then pick all the peppers and eggplant before the frost.

It was a great day and we thank everyone for their help and company!

Lambs to market

On Friday, Dave took the rest of the lambs off “to market”.  Managing transport of the animals is always a challenge.  This Monday Dave attempted to bring the remaining 5 pigs off to their destiny.  He cleverly enticed them onto the trailer with food and the five jumped up happily.   He then covered the trailer thoroughly (he thought) as the last time a pig had jumped out.  Next, he laid down the fence and backed his truck up to the trailer, and as he was hooking it up, one pig found the slight hole through which he could fit, and pigs flew!  3 of them jumped out and with no more fence around the yard, ran free.  Although I wasn’t there, it is easy for me to imagine the sounds the pigs were making as well as Dave himself.  He had lined this appointment up months in advance due to the tight schedule of the “pig market”.  He had a full day ahead of him and had started early because of that.  Although he managed to get the three pigs back into a fenced area, there was no getting them back in the trailer, and he went off with the two he had.  For the rest of the day he believed he’d have to now keep the 3 until January – trudging twice daily through the snow and ice at Soule Homestead – but Tuesday he confirmed he could use a different “pig market” and so will try again next week.

The lamb event was much smoother and Dave devised a new and simple way to load them into the truck.  When they were all in their barn he closed the door and then backed the truck right up to it – as the turkeys barked and gobbled and surrounded the vehicle sniffing it with curiosity.  He then opened the back and I blocked one side.  He lifted the first and then second lamb onto the truck and the rest just jumped right on.  It was the smoothest animal event yet.

As Dave drove off, I struggled, yet again, with this part of the process.  Earlier in the season the time came for three of the lambs and I offered to take them to Groton to save Dave the trip.  I had to flip up the rear view mirror so I couldn’t see the lambs in the back during the drive, and after dropping them off, it was all I could do to fill out the paper work quickly and get back in the truck before bursting into tears – some farmer’s wife I am!  As Dave drove off this time, the emotions weren’t quite as strong, but I dove into washing arugula trying to focus all my attention on removing every bit of organic dirt so that my thoughts didn’t stray.

I feel very good about what we do and how we raise and care for our animals.  At least for every pig, cow, and chicken purchased from us, that’s one less being raised in a feedlot.  The lambs graze peacefully on earth that has not been covered with fertilizers or pesticides and the people that purchase our meat care about buying their food locally and helping to support sustainable agriculture.    And when we sit down for an incredible meal of leg-of-lamb, potatoes, kale and other food we’ve raised, I am happy.  I respect and admire how hard Dave works and am filled by the thanks our members and customers share with us at the CSA and market.   But I still find myself struggling with those moment where we transition the animals from the quaint farm scene to the delicious meal.  I feel somewhat hypocritical in that and wonder how much of it is due to the fact that until now, I’ve been disconnected from the most real and necessary component of life which is growing, harvesting, and raising our food – something that, once upon a time – the majority of us participated in.