Farm Blog 1: Dreaming in Seeds

Nature journaling students pretending to be goats on the stone wall

70 degrees yesterday but now it is snowing. Welcome to New England my friends. Unfortunately, while we humans LOVE the occasional warm gift in the middle of winter, it is not great for all the wild and domesticated critters that we care for here at the farm. They do best with gradual shifts in temperature. Yesterday the bees, who had been quiet and dormant all winter, hiding in their hive and protecting and warming their queen, woke up and started trying to forage…with ne’er a flower in sight. They left the hive, expending critical energy in a fruitless search. We found a lot of them buzzing at the maple sap as it flows from the trees, but it isn’t really enough to give them a boost. Similarly, the goats were reveling in the warmth, and started shedding all that cashmere from their coats, when they still need it for another couple of weeks.

So, what are we farmers doing right now? Trying to get the word out about CSA shares, of course!!! We need you to help with that by coming and grabbing some flyers from our new office at #5 (right across the driveway from the CSA barn), and posting them in the breakroom, at your gym, or anywhere else you think folks who want to eat more delicious healthy veggies from the farm might be. You can also email me and request a digital copy so that you can email it in turn to your friends, family and colleagues!!!  A little tip- get your shares bought soon and save on annual membership costs which will be going up on April 1^st! 

SIGN UP HERE-- Chestnut Hill Farm CSA!!!!!!!

We are expanding our box share program!!! If you think that your company, school, gym, etc might be interested in being a box share pick-up location, please let us know and we will be in touch to talk about details. Email ddubois@thetrustees.org

We spend most of our time dreaming in seeds! My desk is covered in brightly colored catalogs, each variety description more tempting than the last. My favorites are the charts that tell you whether one TASTES better than another…because that is the best part of CSA, right? The food is super fresh and delicious and we aim to make it the best there is by choosing varieties for their flavor first (and then disease resistance and looks). Having been at this for a long time, I have my favorites, but seed companies and farmers alike are always looking to make the old favorites a little better. Also, some varieties are better for certain times in the growing season and so we have to order multiples to cover the whole season whenever we can (hence the vast number of lettuces). We are also a diverse society and because of that beauty, seed companies are adding more and more amazing veggies from across the globe. Niche veggies from tiny areas of Italy, Pakistan, Argentina are all making their exciting way into our lexicon of foods (I mean, I never ate bok choy or arugula as a child, but they are a favorite now!) and also why I am growing 4 full beds of OKRA for all you lovers of this mucilaginous veggie be you from Greece, Portugal, Brazil, Asia, India or the deep American South (and this is just a few, I had NO idea that okra was so sought after worldwide).  Every year we try a couple of new things to see how they will do in our soils, and sometimes they are hits or misses. Coming up this year is a summer sprouting broccolini from Italy that is super mild and usually bunched/cooked with both sprouts and leaves. Since our summer head broccoli plantings have failed in the heat, we thought to try this instead to fill that brassica gap between July and September. My current seed order is 15 pages of tiny print long…about 365 separate varieties of (and I almost forgot the husk cherries!!!) although a lot of those are flowers.

A sample of the different varieties of each family of veggie we grow:

• ·         Carrots: 9
• ·         Tomatoes: 31
• ·         Sweet Peppers: 11
• ·         Lettuce: 20
• ·         Summer squash: 8
• ·         Winter squash: 12
• 
  

Farm News:

We acquired the additional 39 acres of land across the street from the farm and will be adding trails, fencing and cropland to it in the coming year! The farm is now 170 acres and we are so excited! We have already started tapping the row of maple trees in anticipation of our upcoming MapleFest: the Magic of Maple. This also means that we farmers have moved our farm office into the house at #5, so if you need to find us, you can check there first. We are still working on signage for that, but just come and knock on the door facing the CSA barn (especially if you want to pick up flyers and postcards about the CSA to hang up). Someone is usually around most days, if we aren’t working in one of the other barns/greenhouses/outbuildings, etc.

We have 
been working on a new hoop-barn for the goats (and the sheep!!!) And while the weather has made it a little slower going, with mud harder to work in than the cold, we should be done before the goats start to have their babies!

Construction on the new orchard pavilion is going to be a little bit delayed as they try and work out the details for the septic plan for the public restrooms that are a big part of the design. So, instead of a March start, we might not see it start until April. This means a lot more construction during CSA time, but we will make it safe for all our customers to park and pick up their shares and PYO.  

Upcoming Engagement and Education Events- Register

A snowy owl made its way to Chestnut Hill Farm at the end of January

It might be cold outside and winter may still be frosting the trees with ice and occasionally softening the landscape with white, but there is a lot of fun activities on still happening on the farm during late winter and spring seasons.

Barnyard Brew Hike
Thursday, March 1 | 7-8:30PM
Member: $12; Nonmember: $20

Celebrate the full moon each month with a night hike guided by lunar light, topped off with local brews! We'll be hiking the farm's most beautiful trails and wrapping up at the farmstead barn for brews, bites, and a blazing fire. Each month will feature samples of local beers paired with perfect post-hike snacks and a social session with your fellow trekkers. 21+ and registration required. In the event of snow, snowshoes can be provided upon request for an additional $5.
Sign up now!

The Magic of Maple:CANCELLED
Sunday, March 25 | 11AM-2PM
Member Child: $5; Nonmember Child: $10 (kids under 5 are FREE)

Come enjoy all things Maple at our winter festival! We'll be processing some of the maple sap we've gathered since our Tap-a-thon and sample delicious syrups, candies, and other treats. We'll also have crafts and games to keep everyone nice and warm and snacks and demos from our friends at Culinary Underground! Feeling inspired by this treat from the trees? Submit something tasty to our Maple Competition. A panel of judges will award winners for Best Use of Maple in both savory and sweet creations.

Sign up now! 

Egg-ventures on the Farm:CANCELLED
Saturday, March 31 | 11AM-1PM
Member Child: $5; Nonmember Child: $7

Join us for an egg hunt, egg roll, kids crafts, and a visit with our resident bunnies to celebrate spring! There will be three separate egg hunts based on age: Under 5, 5-9, and 10 and up for the more advanced egg hunt participants. All egg hunts will begin in separate areas promptly at 11:30am. The egg roll will start at 12:30pm. If you have 5 or more in your family please register for 2 family tickets so we have enough supplies for everyone. Preregistration is not required but is encouraged to help us prepare.

Sign up now!

Farmstand:

We are taking a little break from the farmstand, although Jesse is here running Meat CSA every other Tuesday for the next few months. You can buy meats from the freezer, including Sockeye Salmon from Papa’s Catch and delicious, ‘no gamey taste at all’, super- tender chevon (that’s the fancy goat) including chorizo sausage. You can also buy maple syrup, our tomato puree, and honey!

·         Farmstand times: Tuesdays from 2-6pm

o    February 27^th

o   March 13^th

o   March 27^th

Recipe of the Week

Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa

This was what my son Morgan requested for his 15^th birthday dinner. I used Papa’s Catch Wild Sockeye Salmon from the freezer and grilled it on the stovetop. RIGHT NOW the avocados are coming in perfect!!!!! EAT THEM NOW folks, they aren’t as good later on (and if you are on a budget- these are one of the Clean 15 veggies, which means that they aren’t doused in tons of pesticides and chemicals to make them stay beautiful so you don’t need to buy them organic if you are watching the bills). I’m not a huge cilantro fan, but just a little makes these sing (or sub fresh parsley). This is one of the freshest, most yumtastic meals I’ve made in a long time (it being usually a heavy, comfort food type of winter meal style for us). Just mild spice, so if you like it hot, you will need to have some hot sauce or cayenne to hand. From cookingclassy.com

Grilled Salmon Tacos with Avocado Salsa

Yield: About 8 tacos

Ingredients

Salmon

·         1 1/2 lbs boneless salmon , skinned and sliced into 3 equal portions

·         1 Tbsp olive oil , plus more for grill

·         1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

·         1 tsp ancho chili powder

·         3/4 tsp ground cumin

·         3/4 tsp onion powder

·         1/2 tsp paprika

·         1/2 tsp ground coriander

·         1/2 tsp salt , then more to taste

·         1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Avocado Salsa

·         2 medium avocados (ripe but semi-firm), peeled, cored and diced

·         1/3 cup small diced red onion , run under cool water to remove harsh bite and drain

·         3 Tbsp chopped cilantro

·         1 jalapeno , seeded and minced

·         1 clove garlic , minced

·         2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

·         1 Tbsp olive oil

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving

·         8 6- inch corn tortillas , warmed

·         2 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage

·         1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese

Instructions

1.    For the salmon:

2.    Preheat a gas grill over medium-high heat. In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lime juice, ancho chili powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, coriander, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Evenly rub mixture over both sides of salmon (I placed the first one on the plate then began to stack the rest over it so the rub didn't all just end up left behind on the plate). Brush grill lightly with oil, place salmon on grill and cook, rotating once halfway through cooking, until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, prepare avocado salsa.

3.    For the avocado salsa:

4.    In a mixing bowl gently toss together diced avocado, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, and olive oil while seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

5.    To assemble tacos:

6.    Break salmon into small portions and layer over center of tacos, add cabbage, avocado salsa and Cotija cheese. Serve warm.

one of the new maple collection 'bags' we are using!