Agricultural Updates:
We are seeding crops every week and transplanting into the first greenhouse. The majority of seeding is onions, leeks and shallots this week. Next we'll be germinating herbs like - rosemary & oregano and greens like - spinach & boc choi. The second greenhouse has just been finished and is serving as temporary winter housing for our laying hens during the move.
See the list of what we grow and our new produce availability chart for more details.
Pictured below: swiss chard, boc choi, spinach, parsley, and salad mix in the greenhouse!
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We are also grafting our tomato and eggplant seedlings so that we can have early greenhouse varieties ready in June! See some photos of the starts below.
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Livestock Updates:
The pigs have been moved to the Raynham farm and are extremely happy with their new home. We hope our three gilts are pregnant and will have many healthy piglets this Spring. Chickens also just got moved and are now roosting and laying eggs in Massachusetts! We will have a few new additions to our farm livestock later this Spring including: guinea hens, turkeys, and cows.
We think they are all going to love the new farm and we are excited for new chicks and piglets to be born there later this spring.
Pictured below: Our three gilts and boar having their afternoon meal outside of their new home in Raynham. Hens in the second greenhouse enjoying the warmth till their coop arrives in Raynham.
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Recipes from the Field:
Have you tried celeriac yet? A favorite of ours, there are many ways to prepare it. Celeriac might be the most intimidating vegetable on the farm visually, but it has such an amazing flavor and ability to transform any dish.
Here are a few basic ideas on how to use it:
*Add thinly sliced celeriac raw to a sandwich.
*Mashed celeriac, cook it like or with mashed potatoes.
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Celeriac can grace any winter soup, but here are a few recipes where it is the star:
Another idea is to roast celeriac either simply with other root vegetables or below are recipes for celeriac fries:
*Preparation tip: Before using celeriac be sure to remove the skin (outside layer) and any dirt.
**Cooking tip: Use celeriac as you would celery to flavor dishes.
For more seasonal cooking ideas see the recipes page of our website.
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CSA Updates:
Welcome to new CSA members and hello to all current members! We are still selling shares for next year 2014-2015 shares, so please spread the word about Freedom Food Farm's CSA Program!
Friendly Reminder: Summer CSA payments were due March 15th.
Also, we have extended the CSA sign up deadline for Summer until the end of March.
We will have a farm stand built and ready at Raynham for Spring CSA share pick ups. See the list of current farmers' markets and CSA pickup sites for information on where to get Freedom Food this Spring.
Also please check out our new farm brochure and 2014 CSA sign-up sheet for updates on the program, if you haven't already!
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Farm Stand Construction Update:
A very big thank you to Chuck's Uncle Martin and Cousin Derek, who turned unwanted pine logs into a farm stand in just two days! Check out the pictures below of the beautiful craftsmanship and wood. Soon it will be fully functional and ready to serve many of you!
Speaking of craftsmanship, Martin also builds wood fired pizza ovens and masonry heaters, in addition to offering custom milled lumber! Check out his website at: stonecomfort.com.
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Farm Move Updates:
The farm move is still in process. We are finishing up the physical move and will hopefully be done in the next week. We also have started building infrastructure and setting up everything in Raynham. It might be a little while till we are fully set up and the current tenant is out (we are hoping by the end of May). However, we haven't stopped any seasonal growing and farming activities, so hopefully our customers and CSA members will be minimally impacted by all the upheaval.
Pictured Below: New farm sign at Raynham // Danny power washing the barn // Chuck and Lauren moving in a seeding table // landlord's cows happily munching on their breakfast as we move in and set up the farm.
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Our First Raynham Seed Planting Event:
Our first event in MA was a seed planting family event at the Raynham Public Library. We had such a great time meeting some of the Raynham community, and planting seeds, reading stories and singing songs with the kids! See photos of the event below and more on flickr. Many thanks to Raynham Public Library for hosting the event!
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