This year Village Roots will no longer be operating as a CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture). We will instead offer a Farm Stand at the
Orchard Hill Breadworks. The farmstand will be open Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday. We are also offering
a very limited number of working
shares or trades. Contact us to inquire.
This year will also be offering
limited Holiday shares. For
Thanksgiving this share will feature a heritage turkey, along with
winter squash, potato, onion, turnip, greens and Orchard Hill Breadworks
bread...and even lard for your pie crust (if you want). Now if you
want an authentic New England Thanksgiving, all you'll need is cod,
shellfish, water fowl and lots of venison.
We pulled in the few sap buckets that we had out April 9. The sap was flowing a little, but not too sweet at about 1.75% sugar, and
it seemed like a good time to transition with the warm nights coming.
Woodcocks have been whirling and honking in the orchard. Anton and Will
are wrapping up the pruning. Honey bees are out too. The boys (Boss and
Chez - our young working bovine friends) stood proud and steady in the
sugar bush lane with their new yoke on while we loaded their sled with
the last few pails of sap, as well as sap buckets and lids. No load
really for them. A certain load for us over this very muddy and rocky
lane.
Chez and Boss waiting while Farmers and Foragers participants gather sapThe greenhouse is growing nicely with arugula, spinach, kale,
kolbrabi, beets, radishes, chard, onions, lettuce greens and sunflower
sprouts growing in the beds, and our heated table is full of trays, many of
which are just germinating. Faith in a seed! We hope to have greens
on the farm stand starting in May.
Chicken and duck eggs and young arugula just came in today! Raspberries, strawberries,
hazelnuts, Asian pears, American pears, elderberries, blueberries,
dahlias, and gladiolas. Its like Christmas! Better start digging holes.
Don't
forget to check out the
Summer Camps of The Orchard School. Farm,
forest, food, arts, drumming, dancing, working and playing together...
www.theorchardschool.org
Marty grew his first potato when he was 12 year old on a worn out piece of ground behind his parents’ house. He’s been attracted to the idea of growing food ever since. He started growing seriously in 2001 with his wife Ellen’s guidance and has worked on several organic farms prior to moving to Orchard Hill. His passion is in integrating all aspects of the farm; the gardens, animals, buildings, water systems and so on. Marty has been raising heritage farm animals since 2003, and started training his young oxen Boss and Chez to do some of the farm work in the winter of 2012. Marty graduated from Antioch University New England with an MS in Environmental Studies and currently teaches Farmers & Foragers and summer camps at The Orchard School, as well as Permaculture Design Courses at Orchard Hill.
