I am encouraged that some of you are getting antsy for opening day and wanting to know just how this comes off.
The distribution is from 3 to 6:30 on Friday. There are a few folks wanting to pick up their shares on Tuesdays, which will work in the future, but as I mentioned some of our crops are behind schedule (and some just didn’t do) so I will be getting things for you from other organic farms in the area on Thursday. From our fields I expect to give you Chinese (napa) cabbage, really nice looking head lettuce if the deer and woodchuck don’t get too much of it, garlic scapes, carrots, and maybe swiss chard (another deer and woodchuck favorite). Those Tuesday folks who can’t come Friday can pick up their shares over the weekend or early next week. We will keep them in a cooler and arrange to have them available for you at your convenience.
The distribution will take place at our field on Route 9. For you GPS folks the address of the south driveway is 3071 Route 9. There is a map on our website at http://rhomestead.com/markets.html. We have two driveways. The plan is for folks to drive in the north drive, park at an angle facing the road, and exit forward and out the south driveway. That way we won’t worry about folks backing up while others are walking by. For those coming from the north, it is about 9/10ths of a mile south of Bear Swamp (I hope to drive it to be accurate with the new north driveway and take a photo). Pass Caristrap Road, a small hay field, a recently clear cut field, then there is a large tree on the boundary and our north drive. Coming from the south, cross the Carpenter’s Flats bridge, pass Jabez Allen Rd., pass two driveways to houses, our field and south driveway, to the north driveway. The parking area is grass and dirt, so don’t bring your Porsche.
Bring bags/boxes for your produce. We have 50 memberships, so we will try to take photos of you (or you can email us photos ahead). That should help me put names and faces together more quickly.
We will have eggs in a cooler for those who want to purchase them ($3.50/dozen). Fresh broilers will become available in early July.
I got a lot of lettuce, squash, and broccoli transplanted before the welcome rain, and 1000 sweet potato plants. Also worked at staying ahead of the weeds. Our third batch of Muscovy ducklings hatched today. Had a little scare the other morning – I went out to put feed down and found a nearly dead new gosling upside down in the grass. I brought her in and we warmed her up, but didn’t know who she belonged to. None of the setting geese had new goslings. Later in the day one of the geese hatched a second gosling and accepted the abandoned one back with eagerness. The other geese tend to lure/herd the new babies away from momma, and apparently then just left it when it got upside down. I am glad that I got up extra early that morning to do chores and found it in time. We blocked off the shelter she was in to keep the babes with her. Today I let them out four times, and rescued them three times. By evening they seemed to holding their own against the goose mob, but momma welcomed the protection of her shelter for the night. They do pretty well until the 9 teenage geese get into the mix, and then they get pretty agitated.
I am looking forward to meeting the new members next week and catching up with last year’s returning members. Have a good week.
