Happy Easter!!!

Hi Friends!

Happy Easter! Hoping this email finds everyone healthy and happy.

Finally, the folks who run the big, yellow bed and breakfast on the hill in Danville decided to let Joan come back to the farm. Yahoooooo! Feeling much better. Working on breathing and even that is coming around. Still a ways to go until we get back to where we were, but a real blessing to be home. Thank you to all for the support!

So, farm news includes hawks, foxes, tractor work, seeding peas and planting scallions. I can always tell when spring is close as the chickens get harranged by hawks (lost 2) and foxes (lost one). This has become a spring ritual as wildlife is hungry and our chickens make a nice easy meal. And, now that Mother Nature has let up a bit, tractor work can happen! Cool! Needed a new battery though to get going. I guess 10yrs of original battery isn't bad. I was able to work up the first 4 beds this week and today we seeded peas! Yea! Mr. Big (shelling pea) and Oregon Sugar Pod (snow pea) made the trip from cooler to ground! A great feeling. Snap peas will be right behind. Also today, scallions are going in right behind the garlic where the deer can eye them up but won't eat. Deer are out there big time. Around 18 in the bottom field the other night when I came home from the hospital. No good. Now we plant and seed, plant and seed, plant and seed. Ken is back for another year and has been a big help already. Looks like Stacy will be back Monday and our college friend, Annie, will be around to help also! We might have a work crew after all. Time to move on.

Buying club should open next week. Down this week for the Easter holiday. So, we hope everyone has a nice Easter filled with happiness and health. Be well, and thanks again for the support.

Farmer Don

News and Buying Club

Hi Friends,

This newsletter is coming to you from Geisinger Hospital, Room 209. We've temporarily moved the farm over to here. Been here for a week now going on two. My brave wife Joan endured a tough procedure today and came out the other side beat up but ready to move forward. We count our blessings and thank everyone for the well wishes and support we have received. We know many, many folks are in tougher shape than us and for them we send our thoughts and prayers. We're looking forward to being home soon and moving the farm back to the Toy Factory.

The farm. The weather? Spring? Fourth Noreaster? What's up? The minute I think I can get out into the fields along comes 4 inches of snow. The boss (Joan) says just plant the stuff, so it looks like scallions, salad lettuce, and spinach will go in the tunnel this week, along with an early crop of radishes. I do have the irrigation water up and running so that makes things a lot easier. The pea seeds are in just need some compost and a little kelp meal to add to the soil and we'll be off and running. Thankfully we are going into late March and the sun is really nice right now. I'll be doing another season with a big push on soil health. I really believe in the value of rich, healthy soil to give us those nutrient rich crops. My rototiller has become the tool of last resort. Many correlations between soil health and our health. We have to nurture both!

So, since I feel we are moving back to the farm this week, the buying club will open for sales this weekend. Lots of chicken and eggs to go with the last of the storage crops. Pork is still available, but some cuts are selling out. Raw milk, salmon, beet kavas and sauerkraut are all still available also.

And 2018 CSA shares are selling quick, but still available, let your friends know.

Be well!

farmer Don

Hi Friends,

First time writing on blog with out Joan pasting my email. So, here we go.
Cold night out there, fires every night are the priority after dinner. Early dinner is now the norm, then late chores, tonight Jorma Kaukoen and Quah on the stereo. Music is therapy. Drop the TV.

March; In like a lion

Hi Friends,

Sorry for the delay getting farm news out. Just life in the way as many of you know!

Well, this year, March is in like a Lion! Another year of delayed planting. I guess I jinxed us with the last email, raving over the sun and warm temps. This email I'll try to temper the excitement. Be a little more realistic. Yup, most years March is a winter month, so I shouldn't be surprised. Still moving forward though as I feel much more prepared for early spring cold weather. Two wood stoves going each night and a heated germination chamber providing warm, moist heat. That is if the power is on. We went just about 5 days with no power. I really feel for the folks over to our east, with much more snow and still many trees down and no power. Thankfully for us we had no snow while we had no power. Actually, farmer Phil and farmer Don made it off the farm to do a buying club delivery last Saturday. And, a big thanks to those friends who made it out despite the weather to pick up orders and offer support to the farm. We are very grateful for your support.

Back to the farm. A little snow this morning, no big deal. Had Rosie making snow angels, hopefully no chicken mcnuggets under the snow. Both Joan and I believe something stinky was under the snow. Oh well, nice to get the dogs out and running. In the seed houses we have close to 15,000 transplants in various stages of growth. Really happy with the progress there. Gotta thank our former intern, Lydia, for stopping by to help seed. Extra hands on the farm are always a big help!

So, with the wheel of time moving on, we can't slow down. Nurturing Joan back to health. I was able to harvest a couple days of spinach salad to go along with some tasty steaks to build up those red blood counts. Thanks to Forks Farm for providing the meat. Today is ham and bean soup, while cooking a beef brisket for Saturday dinner. I'm working real hard to get greens to go out on the buying club soon. Just stay in touch there and you'll know when the harvest will be.

Time to move on. Your thoughts and prayers are still being felt each and every day. Support like that is huge. Also, let me know if you have any questions about the farm, 2018 CSA, your accounts or anything. I am very behind updating accounts so hang with us and updates will come soon. Right now life is a day at a time.

Be well friends!

Farmer Don