DAYLIGHT
Did you know we are losing over 2 minutes of daylight every day? It's subtle, but it's happening, and compounded over days and weeks, we soon realize the days are shorter and winter will soon arrive. Fall equinox is coming soon too, which means the hours of night and day become equal. This change in daylight dramatically affects life on a farm. Spending so much time outdoors, we are always noticing these daylight changes and it affects how we plan our days and set priorities.
In the spring when day length is increasing, plants and animals respond by growing more quickly. But the one critter most affected on the farm by daylight changes are the laying hens. Hens are extremely light sensitive with too much light causing them severe stress and too little light causing them to stop laying eggs entirely. Hens have a Pineal gland in their brains which controls their reactions to light, and chickens reproductive cycle is triggered by the light-dark cycle - with at least 12 hours per day needed to continue laying eggs. As we head into fall, we begin to be concerned with the hens rate of lay. With daylight decreasing, so does their egg production and there quickly becomes a time when the birds lay so few eggs that they become a drain on the farms resources. So, our job is to keep them laying - which is not easy when they are still living out on pasture! We do this by providing a solar powered lighting system in the mobile hen coops...these lights turn on early in the morning when it's still dark to wake the birds up and keep their production going just a bit longer. These lighting systems are not perfect but it's the best we can do until we bring the birds home in November where they will spend winter in the greenhouse...with a better lighting system.
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ONE MORE WEEK...
BULK BEEF BONES AND CHICKEN BACK SALE!
As we quickly head towards fall it's time to start thinking about making broth and stock. To that end we are making BULK SALES of our grass-fed beef bones and pasture-raised chicken backs available at a reduced price to get you all healthy and strong !
Beef Bones - SALE PRICE: $1.99 lb -for 20 lbs or more!
Chicken Backs - SALE PRICE: $1.99- for 10 lbs or more!
To order:
e-mail Pete@codmanfarm.org
to coordinate order and pickup!
 
FRESH CHICKEN
THIS WEEKEND!!
Starting at 2pm Friday
we will have fresh Freedom Rangers and Cornish birds
~ Chicken Parts too!!~
September 25-27 (turkeys too)
October 9-12 (turkeys too)
October 23-26 (capons & turkeys)
TURKEY TIME. part quatre !!
Reminder to once again ORDER YOUR TURKEY for Thanksgiving NOW!
Photo by Eli Newell
TURKEY SURVEY
If you have or plan on purchasing a turkey from us this season...please complete this 3 question survey so we can grow the perfect sized turkey for you this season.
FRESH PRODUCE- THIS WEEK
Each week availability of produce and fruit shifts a bit. Some of these items are grown by us using organic growing methods (We are not certified organic), most of the other veggies we buy in from local farms ARE certified organic and most fruit is NOT certified organic, but IPM (which means low spray or low use of chemicals, when possible).
Available this week
Sept 4-11th
FRUIT
Last week for Blueberries!, Peaches,
& Kanner Family orchard in Lincoln brings us Zestar Apples and Pears
VEGETABLES
Codman farm cherry and slicing tomatoes,
Codman farm radishes and beets and Green Beans
LOCAL organic loose carrots, fresh onions, garlic
chard, kale, lettuce mix, eggplant, cucumbers, shiitake mushrooms
and sweet corn
TONS of cherry and slicer tomatoes this week!
PIG HARVEST BEGINS
Fall is pig harvest time! This week we sent in 15 pigs for harvest and over the next couple of months we will continue to expand our pork offerings in the store. Our pigs can be seen on the corner of Codman Road and 126 here in Lincoln and in a field at Minuteman National Park behind Carty Barn on Lexington Road. We only grow heritage pigs including old spot, large black and tamworth crosses which are hearty pigs which thrive in the outdoors.
U-Pick FLOWERS...get them while you can!
Tons of flowers out there....come and u-pick them before our first frost.
FARM STORE DELIVERY and SCHEDULE
As we get into more of a routine we wanted to share what to expect each week as far as product arrivals and days to expect certain items...here goes!
MONDAY
High Lawn Farm (early morning)
Fresh milk, butter, cheese, ice cream deliveries
Myers Distributor (early afternoon)
Our local distributor from Massachusetts grown farms -
Local and Certified Organic fresh veggies, fruit, cider, donuts, flowers, and other items
TUESDAY
Bread Obsession (by 11 am)
Fresh bread baked in Waltham; baguettes, whole wheat slicing loaf, durum levain, sourdough, multigrain
WEDNESDAY
Bread Obsession (by 11 am)
Fresh bread baked in Waltham; baguettes, whole wheat slicing loaf, durum levain, sourdough, multigrain
Cape Ann Fresh Catch
Fresh local fish usually including haddock, scallops, salmon, swordfish, grey sole, and catch of the day
12:30-2:30ish
THURSDAY
High Lawn Farm (early morning)
Fresh milk, butter, cheese, ice cream deliveries
Myers Distributor (early afternoon)
Our local distributor from Massachusetts grown farms -
Local and Certified Organic fresh veggies, fruit, cider, donuts, flowers, and other items
FRIDAY
Bread Obsession (by 11 am)
Fresh bread baked in Waltham; baguettes, whole wheat slicing loaf, durum levain, sourdough, multigrain
Mi Tierra Tortillas (by 11 am)
Fresh, local, organic corn tortillas
Sweet Tahini
Fresh, gluten free breads, and Israeli inspired sweets made with no processed sugars
Local Veggies
We will be harvesting our own veggies and buying seasonally available produce from local farms, as available
SATURDAY
Bread Obsession (by 11 am)
Fresh bread baked in Waltham; baguettes, whole wheat slicing loaf, durum levain, sourdough, multigrain
C&C Fresh Lobster and Fish
Fresh fish and lobster
10am- 12pm
MISC INFO...
1. We remain OPEN 24/7, so if you want to avoid contact with others, visit in the wee hours of the night!
2. MANDATORY MASKS: Please wear MASKS in all public places so be sure to have one on when you visit the store. They are a pain for sure but JUST DO IT! ;-)
3. THANKS: Farm store sales remain brisk and we appreciate your support!
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please contact pete@codmanfarm.org.
WEEKLY PICS by Pete
Andy with the chicken parade...they know who's boss!
Frog pond at Codman Estate is teaming with froggies!
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Check out our bi-weekly blog for updates about what's happening on the farm! We cover the flow of the seasons, the movements of our animals, the different projects coming up and more.
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Want to spend a day on the farm? Itching to get some dirt beneath your nails? Looking for a group service project? Volunteers are welcome at Codman. Click below to read more about volunteering.
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Our community depends on our dedicated members to keep farming alive and well in Lincoln. Your support allows us to use the most sutainable practices and produce the highest quality proteins.
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