See You at the Markets!

Good morning friends of local farms!

I appreciate your loyalty and support , this Saturday begins the first of our outdoor markets that we will attend! Saturday in Cumberland at the town hall from 10-1 and Wednesday in Falmouth behind Walmart from 10-2... farmers’ markets are a great way to shop for even more diverse products where you can meet and chat up the vendors, learn about our locally produced foods and crafts, and meet some great hardworking dedicated folks. I have participated in farmers markets for more than 20 years , customer interactions and relationships with market goers is as important to me as selling our farm products. Stop by our markets, or attend one of the many in our state. You will be surprised at the variety, abundance and genuine enthusiasm our farmers and crafters will greet you with!

Our list this week will feature the addition of bunches of baby carrots with greens on! Fiddleheads are still in abundance , ramps are slowing down, arugula is tender and delicious, rhubarb is awesome, and asparagus.....what to say about asparagus..... So good and tender...excellent on the grill tossed with olive oil, sea salt and finished with lemon. If I have an extra second (ha!)I will pickle some, and pickle some fiddleheads too for fall and winter eating. I tried to dig dandelion greens for those of you that asked about them, but they had already begun to flower up and when that happens they get so very bitter... I will keep my eyes open for some younger greens this week.

Some items will be dropping out of the list, russet potatoes are finished for this season, zucchini and most of the winter squashes have been offered to the sheep and pigs. However, it will not be many weeks and we will get into the full swing of cucumbers and so many other foods that we dream of during the colder months. As the weather improves and more of us are being fully vaccinated , I have been meeting many of you for the very first time in more than than a year of deliveries! How nice to finally meet and greet ! And I know that I have said this before but I am grateful to be on the providing end of our food system for you and your family and friends. So, for now enjoy the sunshine and the gorgeous blooming trees and shrubs all around us....glorious spring in Maine Grateful to be so blessed, Kath

Oh Fiddleheads!

Good morning All!

Heading at a rapid pace into spring, I am fielding calls everyday from foragers trying to find a buyer for their fiddleheads.. it appears to be a bumper crop this year! They are so beautiful this time of year, and delicious too. Please note that my chef has offered up fiddlehead grill packs this week...his grill pack features fiddleheads ,seasoning and butter in a foil pouch ready to pop onto your grill or oven, heat to steaming (about 15-20minutes) and enjoy! Such a short season, authentic taste of Maine. In the coming weeks we will pickle fiddleheads and make pestos with them too!

The rhubarb is growing ,growing, growing, an amazing mound of stems and foliage, seems like I can pick every day and we till have more the next morning.. we will be making jelly ,jam and freezing it too in the weeks ahead!

Asparagus, what can I say about this spring veg that has not been said before? Well, truth be told, not much, but we have PLENTY, and it is so tasty sprayed with a light coat of olive oil, dusted with sea salt and grilled in a cast iron spider (frying pan) . I like to finish it with lemon.

Making my mouth water just thinking of it....

We continue to have a good supply of winter storage vegetables, apples are still in good supply BUT.....BUT..... not as crunchy as they were even a month back....

Just after sending out this email, I will head out to the fields to walk with my very big puppies and harvest dandelion greens for salads and cooked greens, all my “old timey “friends from when I lived on Cliff Island would call me right about now and ask for me to pick them a mess of greens. They loved to eat them drizzled with vinegar as a spring tonic.

Spring in Maine....... what is there not to love?

Thankyou all for your enduring and wonderful support for excellent small maine farms and our produce and fresh foods, I am delighted to be able to bring this bounty to you and your family, and please remember orders for prepared foods, dairy and spices should be to me by 5 pm Wednesday, all other orders by 5 pm Thursday!

Kath

New babies on the farm!

March 15 2021

We travelled to Scranton Pa over the weekend to pick up our 2 newest additions to our farm flocks! Anatolian shepherds are big, commanding livestock guardian dogs that have been bred, raised and relied upon for centuries in Turkey and other European countries.

These two big guys (named Kip and Lio) will spend their days and nights with our sheep , beef critters, chickens and pigs keeping a watchful eye out for fox, bobcat, coy dogs and coyotes that search for easy pickings on farms.

Anatolians are bred to be independent thinkers, using their wits and bulk to keep “their” charges safe. Our two boys are 10 weeks old and weigh in at just about 30 pounds. They were born on Christmas Day in farm fields in Ohio among a flock of goats, so they are well on their way to being excellent protectors of the Valley. view farm Critters.

Mature weight of 150 pounds is not uncommon , large healthy litters of pups and a lifespan of 12-15 years mean that these guys will be on the job for a good long time.. Medium to high energy, alert to changes, responsive to “their “ people and a drive to do their job will make them valuable additions to the farm and excellent companions in my rambles around the farm and fields....