Ready or Not! May Farm Update
It’s finally May and the bitter chill has left the air in these parts and has been replaced with a humid warmth. The ground has come alive with spring rain and I watch the chickens run around the yard snacking on worms and fighting over frogs for dinner. Inside the greenhouse it is sometimes as warm as 90 degrees and I love being in there on these spring days. This is when the greenhouse comes alive. Miniature tomatoes, peppers, celery, salad, onions and more waiting patiently in their trays for the weather to break and allow them to burst forth into the job they were predestined for, growing and nourishing another generation.
The garden is partly planted to greens and onions but we are waiting a few more weeks to plant the majority of our summer crops when the soil warms to above 70 degrees consistently. This year we are focusing more on common economical crops and less on quirky culinary crops like dragon egg cucumbers and black tomatoes (although both will be available). I still feel this urgency to grow and feed our community in abundance. I don’t know what will happen to our food system over the next few years but we are not afraid, just prepared.
We just let the cows out onto fresh pasture after a long and cold winter. They look like thousand pound toddlers bucking and romping in the tall green grass. It was such a euphoric sight to behold. Spring pastures make lots of beta carotene in the milk, turning the cream into a rich dark yellow and the butter becomes more robust in flavor. Spring milk is my favorite milk!
Every other day Kelby brings home 20-30 (and sometimes more!) gallons of milk that we separate into cream and skim. We jug some cream and with the remaining I churn pounds of butter for our family and farm store. We have been using the skim to make cheese but also to feed the chickens and fertilize the garden. Its amazing to watch how everything jumps with the addition of the microbes that raw milk provides to nourish the soil.
Our Raw Milk CSAs are expanding and we are so thankful for all the members. So many have come out to visit us and shared their stories of how Raw Milk and local food has changed their lives for the better. May we all find healing on this journey together! The Jamestown NY and Farmersville NY CSAs are both starting next week. For more info please contact us.
I am so excited to see what this growing season will bring. Some new products and old favorites for sure. We are looking into processing some animals for veal as so many have requested. I see a need for sustainable and humanely raised veal beef and that is definitely within our means to provide. If you are interested in this please reach out and let us know.
As we juggle these many plates we are also getting better at finding moments of rest. Remembering this spring to stop and smell the lilacs, fixing cups of fresh herbed teas and savoring a thick slice of sourdough with a slab of spring butter on top! Ready or not spring is here and SUMMER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER so away we go. I'll leave you all with Kelby's favorite quote, “bloom where you are planted, rather than pull roots and wilt.” Happy May.