And then there’s the sky.

IMG_9997Working outside everyday I often forget the forest for the trees. The daily list of tasks and the infinite adaptations often needed to get them done is all-consuming to the point that I tend to hit my head on things a lot, focused on the task at hand and not the branch overhead.  Lately for some reason I have been looking up and finding some amazing things above. The sky has been particularly dramatic this year with color and clouds. Watching cold fronts blow in as solid lines of rolling grey or the heat of the morning sun evaporate away the fog, it’s been a good year. Hopefully I can continue to keep my head up, at least to avoid the branches.

Upic

This is the official opening week of our Upic field with snow and peas as well as a few flowers. We are asking that you limit your pea picking to 1 pint this week to ensure that everyone can enjoy this crop. This does not include the peas you will eat along the way to sustain your picking 🙂 We will have pint boxes in the field. If you are new to the CSA and the upic field here’s how it works…

We prepare, plant, and weed this one acre plot just for you, the members of the farm. Growing there you will find green beans, herbs, flowers, and most notably this week, peas. These are crops that are particularly rewarding to harvest and can add a lot of value to your share as they often are great accompaniments to the “field crops” we harvest and wash for you each week.

The important thing to understand about this field is that it belongs to everyone who has a share in the farm. There are 275 shares this year and we try very hard to plan each planting so that everyone will be able to enjoy every crop. The idea is that all of these crops are compliments to the field crops and not necessarily staples in and of themselves. While we would love to be able to plant enough Upic basil for everyone to make pesto for the winter or sow enough beans to share with your neighbors, it’s just not possible in the space we have to work with. Those of you that split shares, we ask that you be aware of your picking quantities.

With the exception of these first couple weeks we will not suggest amounts for you to take from the upic field. The idea is that we all take our share and consciously leave behind enough for everyone else. The upic field has always been our grand experiment in community spirit and we have never been disappointed.

 

What’s in the Share this week?

Chard/Kale

Arugula

Scallions

Lettuce

Baby Cabbage

Summer Squash

What’s in Upic?

Snow Peas

Snap Peas

Strawberries (in the vegetable fields)

Farm-Raised Chicken?

Kristin and Tom, our super-star farm hands are raising pastured chickens for sale here at the farm. These birds are fed fresh grass, organic grain, and Crystal Spring water.  Roasted or grilled there is nothing like a farm-raised bird. Pre-order birds for your freezer starting this week. A $5 deposit per bird will reserve your order. Finished price will be $4.50/lb. +3.50 for slaughter and packaging.