Whats Happening At the Farm
Being a member of a local organic CSA farm means that, together, we have begun to reclaim a certain degree of responsibility which is severely lacking in modern society. No longer passive consumers (at least for part of the year) of commodified, transported food, our bodies now have a direct, tangible connection to the land. We are encouraged, through an awareness of this connection, to actively take part in a sustainable, mindful stewardship of our environment, our community, and ourselves. We are even motivated to be imaginative with the creation of our meals. In every respect, it is a matter of regaining a bit of control and conscientiousness in our lives, of becoming a bit more connected to the processes we sometimes take for granted and, ultimately, a matter of being more creative, more interactive… and yes, having more fun (a garlic festival with your neighbors will always trump the standard supermarket shopping experience). That’s what a CSA should provide…through an insight into the interconnectedness of the health of the environment, the social well-being of the community, the living vibrancy of the food we ingest, and the physical health of individuals.
In short, we are working towards an environmentally sustainable lifestyle while simultaneously improving our own health. Food just picked and in its natural state is what our bodies evolved to ingest. Take for example the fact that the mineral Silica is severely lacking in the diets of most people today, simply because it is almost non-existent in processed foods. Essential for healthy skin and nails, Silica is mainly found on the skins of certain foods (beets, cucumbers, etc). Eating food in its natural state, and freshly enough that it hasn’t lost the compounds that make it so healthy, is in itself, a fundamental system of wellness. This food, raised on the energy and mindfulness of the farmers, really does act as a sort of medicine. In the end, the responsibility belongs only to us to cultivate our own well-being. As part of this endeavor, this year, we at the HOG have expanded our experiments with growing medicinal herbs, plants which serve little nutritional need, but which have active compounds which produce a specific physiological response. We have been harvesting these herbs, drying them, and making tinctures. And hopefully, by the end of this month, we will have some tinctures bottled and ready to be sold at the pick-ups. So far, we have individual tinctures of Echinacea, Feverfew, St Johns Wort, Yellow Dock, Nettles, Milk Thistle, Skullcap, Chamomile, Valerian, Elecampane and Calendula. We will also have compound tinctures for specific complaints, including tinctures for Relaxation, for Stomach Upsets, for Allergies, Colds, Sleep, Detoxifying, Anxiety, Headaches, and so on. For a complete list of what we’re making, feel free to email us, or stop by the farm and ask. Otherwise, we should have some tinctures at the pickups in the next few weeks.
Brian for Jill, Sean, Adam, Ezra, Bryan and Steve
In Season Now
Lettuce
Edamame
Beets
Eggplant
Peppers
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Garlic
Red Onions
Basil
On The Way
Green Beans
Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Basil—no limit, pinch the tops off to pick please! Have mercy on the first plants in the bed and walk further down the bed to the less picked-on plants please. Pick a lot and freeze some pesto!
Cilantro-no limit
Chives-no limit
Mint-no limit
Oregano-no limit
Thyme-no limit
Parsley-5 stalk limit, only pick 1-2 stalks per plant please!
Flowers-25 stem limit zinnias, snapdragons, amaranth, sunflowers, strawflowers, rudbeckia, etc
HOG Farm Calendar
Board meetings are at 9am the third Saturday of every month at the Red Barn in the summer
