Saturday, October 29, 2011

BUT NOT ON THE TOMATOES, PEPPERS ,SQUASH, CUCUMBERS!!!

We saved the day for the CSA! The frost snuck in during the wee hours of the morning, but thankfully we were waiting will all barrels loaded, or in our case all rows covered. The Farmer and his Son, diligently covered what we wanted to protect with everything we could find. If you drove by the farm you would have seen the crops covered with tarps, bedsheets, plastic wrap, old coveralls, gunny sacks, garbage sacks, it looked like remnants of a tornado that dropped its contents in our fields. For their efforts, we should have produce for the CSA another couple of weeks, at least. Autumn is here, a bit of a chill is in the air and the farm is bustling. The breeding season is nearly over, the new pullets( young hens) are settling in, Ms. Dewey the duck has found the nesting box for her egg that she lays every day. We have a new foundling, a heifer calf with only three feet. She has found some playmates, lulu's calf Maizey May, and the boys, Rosco and Bosco. They are very patient with her,  they seem to sense her disability, as they let her eat first and make sure she is not left alone in the field. Animals are beyond amazing! Looking forward to those attending the Family Farm Picnic, looks like the weather is going to be fine. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

A BIT OF FROST ON THE PUMPKIN!!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

FALL FAMILY PICNIC APPROACHES!!!

Preparations are starting for the Fall Family Picnic on Saturday, Nov 5. Those that have made reservations, we are looking forward to your visit! The picnic will start at 12:00 noon with lunch  being served until 1:30.  Come at your leisure, as we will continue the event until around 3:00 pm. Everything for the meal will be provided, but all are asked to bring a blanket or covering to spread on the grass for your family to sit on to eat. Camp chairs are also welcome. During that time, tours will be given around the farm introducing our farm family members( Lulu is anxiously awaiting your visit.) You will get an  insight as to what farmers do to be farmers. A wagon ride will be available to see how the watermelons, strawberries, pumpkins, and all of the fall crops are faring. Some top knotch entertainment will be performing for your enjoyment. We suggest that all dress for the occasion. This is a farm with plenty of dirt and poop. Closed toed shoes, long pants,( hay is stickly) and a jacket if it is chilly. Spiked heels will only be good for aerating our soil! Plenty of parking will be available. Tickets will be available at the welcome table.... $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for children. This will be a very casual event. Folks around here don't get in too much of a hurry, or make a whole lot of fuss. It will be an afternoon of family and fun, with a little education in the mix. We request that those that come, respect that this is a working farm and part of our livlihood. Children are the responsibility of their parents. Parts of the farm are not available to be toured, as we do not want any mishaps. Our bull is sweet, but we are not going to take visitors into his domain to pet him. The picnic is contingent on the weather. Since this is an outdoor event, we will postpone it if the weather is bad. An announcement will be posted early that morning on the blog and a message will be on the answering machine, 903-429-2319, if we have to change the date.....again.   The market will still be open for regular customers. MARKET HOURS: Fri and Sat from noon until 4 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

FINALLY, SOME COW MILK!!!

Snickers is letting us have some of his nummy, and Lulu is giving us her all!  Finally some cow milk. Soon we should have enough to remove the cream, and hopefully, churn a little butter. It still would be a good idea to call ahead and reserve what you need, to make sure it will be available, as we have a waiting list. From our farmstead to your table thank you for all of your support!!!

Monday, October 10, 2011

AUTUMN UPDATES!!!

What a difference a week makes!! We have had rain, we have had a new baby calf, our barn is full of hay, and we have orange pumpkins! Best of all I can drag out the sweat shirts to hide those extra pounds that I did not quite work off this summer. First order of business is the fall CSA is going to start next Thurs. Oct. 20.  We will probably go for 5 weeks, unless there is a freak killing frost that shuts us down. Due to the fact our delivery person (Chris the # 3 son) is fulfilling another commitment through November, we are going to have all of the baskets picked up at the farm on Thursdays. When we begin the Spring CSA in 2012, we will resume the deliveries to Provident Village and Sherman. To participate in the CSA program, call or e-mail to reserve your share. Membership is not required for this fall. Reservations must be made by Tues. for pickup the following Thurs. We do have a limited amount of shares available so call early to assure there will be one for your family. Price per share is $30. This includes fresh produce picked from our farm, or a local farm that we barter with. Recipes and extras needed for those recipes ( herbs, spices, etc) may be included in your share. These items may not come from our farm, but are included for your convenience. Because raising crops is not an exact science, we reserve the right to include in your share other items from our farm if the weekly harvest is a little slight, to make sure you are receiving a sufficient amount for your investment. There may be honey, eggs, ground beef, preserves, or maybe some homemade bread or granola included in your basket.  Payment can be made when share is picked up, between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. The following weeks share can be reserved at that time. The first share will probably include the following: Watermelon, cantaloupe, yellow squash, zuccinni, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mixed salad greens, garlic, pears. Tomatoes, beets and peppers are coming along. Next on the list is the Fall Family Picnic scheduled for, weather permitting, November 5 from noon until 3:00 pm. There are a few spots still available, so call and reserve for your family. Later this week more picnic information will be posted . Godiva had her calf and Maizy May is headed across the street to hang out with Bosco and Rosco. There are going to be a few noisy, sleepless nights, as Lulu adjusts to an "empty nest". Long story short, we are going to have cow milk in a few days. Market hours are: Friday and Saturday from noon until 4:00 pm. From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Monday, October 3, 2011

OUR VERY OWN!!!


                                                                                                                                                               Lots of different shapes and sizes, a fall rainbow of assorted colors,and our guaranty that they are our own home grown, by the gird of our loins and the sweat of our brows, PUMPKINS!!! It is like a treasure hunt walking through the lush folage of the patch. A lot of the bigger ones have a week or two until they are ready, so come to the farm, and we will go  pick you a fresh, never passed the through the doors of Wal-Mart pumpkin. This year, we are not going to do a formal pumpkin patch, as we were not sure of our pumpkin growing prowess, so we did a test run. And WOW!! Underneath the wide green leaves are oodles of the fall fruit. The only hitch is the timing, we may be having a special on Christmas centerpieces featuring pumpkins and holly! Next year, we will have a pumpkin patch, a maze, hay rides...... the whole kit' n kaboodle. We will have some pumpkins picked for the market starting this weekend. Besides the standard varieties we have grown some unique varieties for fall decorating. The price will  be $2.00 and up depending upon the size. There will be plenty of larger ones for decorating,or carving starting the 14th. Remember that a carved pumpkin will last about a week before going south, so don't get in too big of a hurry. Market hours Fri. and Sat. from noon until 4:00 PM. The Fall Family Picnic on Nov. 5 has a few spots left. Call and make your reservation for your family. More information is posted on the blog under Big Announcement. We will post updates as the date nears.  From our farmstead to your table, thank you for all of your support!!