Greetings
from Dancing Hen Farm!
We have
finally made some decisions concerning our 2021 growing season. Farmer Don has been writing this newsletter
for over a week, but his life is quite busy right now, so I thought I would
take over the task.
So, first
for our CSA. We will be offering a CSA
to our customers again this season. We
will continue to be a full choice CSA.
You will again be able to sign into our website and choose the items you
want in your box each week. We are
hoping to start deliveries sometime in June and end regular deliveries in
October. Deliveries will again be on
Wednesdays. We will be making some
changes to our CSA. We will be
eliminating our chicken shares from the CSA.
If you already purchased a chicken share for this season, we will touch
base with you on an individual basis.
In an effort to be more sustainable and cut our fuel and delivery costs,
we will not be offering home deliveries this summer. Again, if you already sent in payment for
your 2021 CSA to include home delivery, we will contact you individually. Farmer Don is very optimistic about this
year's growing season. He is feeling
well and is ready to get growing for us and for our community. Thanks to everyone for your continued support
of our CSA. It is hard to believe this
is our 14th season! If you have
questions about the 2021 CSA or our farm, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
The 2021 CSA
is now officially open for registration.
Like last year, we are limiting number of members. Shares will be reserved in order in which
payment is received. At this time we
take cash (in person) or check. We are
not set up to take plastic. Please visit
our website to register and sign up for a share.
As we
celebrate the spring equinox and the first day of spring, I do believe we are
making the turn from winter into spring.
The sun is getting higher in the sky and we are starting to get some
warmer days. The snow seems to have
finally melted. I know we can still get
some snow storms, but it is so nice to feel this rebirth we call Spring. Here on farm the crocus are blooming and the
other spring bulbs are pushing up from the soil. Animals and birds are slowing returning and
waking from their winter slumber. We
have seen robins, groundhogs, chipmunks and skunks. If you see Farmer Don you will have to ask
him about the skunk. The other week he
had a minor and very much unwanted encounter with the wrong end of a skunk! His story gets more and more animated with
each telling. I am convinced soon he will
be telling everyone he fought the skunk off with flaming arrows!
Dilly,
Dilly, Dilly; yes, Dilly is still ruling the farm and the house. She is a very active pup! She is busy learning what does and doesn't
belong on farm. Farmer Don is convinced
she will be a good varmint dog. Only
time will tell, she does seem very interested in our farm enemies, but she has
yet to have a one on one encounter with any.
Shady also was a good varmint dog until she had a run in with a
groundhog and after that she watched things from a safe distance. I don't think Dilly has seen the chipmunk
yet, but she is very interested in the groundhog and the rodents in the
barn. And, of course, the barn
cats. We are very thankful Dilly was in
the house when Farmer Don was doing battle with the skunk! Dilly is also our resident kleptomaniac. She is the ultimate counter and table surfer,
stealing whatever she feels is of high value.
She chews her finds and then hides them under the couch! Yesterday this was a pen. She brought the rubber finger grip to me in
the bedroom. It took me awhile to
determine what she had and where she got it.
When I went looking for my pen, I realized what Dill had and then
panicked that it had exploded and ink was seeping into the rug. Luckily the pen seemed to be fairly Dilly
proof. It sustained enough chewing it
became trash, but thankfully no leaking ink.
Several
weeks ago Dilly was spayed and needed to wear the collar of shame, only she
didn't seem to mind the collar. Any
other dog I have ever owned or been around has tried to remove this big collar
as soon as it is put on, but not Dilly.
She even learned how to manipulate it to get into small places and even
was still be able to steal off the table.
It was so cute to see her jogging around outside with this big plastic
cone on. Secretly, I think she may have
actually liked the collar! The vet was
amazed that all her stitches were still intact when we took her back for the
follow up appointment.
On farm we
are busy planning and planning for this upcoming season. We have lined up some help for the
summer. Farmer Don will be working some
off farm, so we have arranged for our neighbor Paul to stop by and water plants
and animals. He has also agreed to allow
Dilly to run while he is here. I am sure
he will become one of her best friends!
We also are welcoming Jason back to help up on Saturdays. Rumor has it he will be bringing his boys
around as well to help with chores and projects. We are also planning on our friend John
assisting Farmer Phil with deliveries this year. I am sure there will be more people added to
this list as the season moves along.
We hope
everyone is weathering the COVID pandemic well.
Hard to believe it has been over a year now of masks and social distancing. On farm we are thankful toilet paper is
again available at our local grocery store and that for the most past we have
remained untouched by the virus and the pandemic. We very much feel getting vaccinated is a
personal choice. Farmer Don decided he
would feel safer, being off farm if he were vaccinated, so he spent a bit of
time this morning at the Benton Fire Hall getting his first of the series of
two COVID vaccines. Hopefully his second
shot will be available when he needs to receive it. I am waiting to get the vaccine until I can
feel confident it will not aggravate any of my pre-existing health concerns. Please, everyone, stay safe out there.
Ok, this is
getting long! Time to print and have
Farmer Don read and review this newsletter before I send it out to
everyone.
