WHAT A WEEK!?
What a difference a week makes! Last week I wrote about a very snowy Halloween with temps in the 20's, and this week we are basking in the warm sunny glow of temps in the 70s. I prefer this week to last - in a heartbeat! This week has also been tremendously different than last week for another reason..hmm, I'll let folks unpack that for themselves but let's just say this week could certainly usher in much broader changes for us all in the coming year(s). And once again, I prefer this week to last on that front as well!
The dramatic and unpredictable weather patterns this time of year remind me that we continue to head towards winter. While we love these beautiful days on the farm, we cannot become complacent, as there is much still to do as we wind down the season. The last of the cattle were brought home this week, but we still have over 40 pigs at Minuteman National Park to care for, and our flock of over 1000 laying hens are still on pasture at Farm Meadow field. The biggest change for the farm and our staff are when the laying hens return to the farm. The laying hens are the first to leave the farm in the spring and are usually the last livestock to return. We like to have the birds on pasture as long as possible - since they enjoy ranging so much and are constantly scratching and pecking the soils impacting the land quite heavily. We also like to leave them on pasture since it's their consumption of grasses are what makes our eggs so wonderful and nutritious. But at some point, we risk intense cold weather snaps and snowstorms and it's not worth the risk to leave them on pasture too far into November. SO, NEXT SATURDAY...On November 14th, after dark, we will be catching the birds and bringing them home in their mobile coops. Once they return, it is a clear signal for farm staff that winter is coming! Tending to the birds on pasture every day, which includes collecting eggs, moving the birds forward, refilling feed and water, resetting portable fencing, and visiting with Andy the guardian dog take a tremendous amount of time each week and so for the farm staff, it means one less HUGE chore we don't have to do each day. Instead, once the birds are home, we can just saunter out to the high tunnel, collect eggs, top off their water, give Andy some love and food, and head on back to the barn to weigh the days catch and wash and pack them for sale. So keep an eye out for the hens to return to the farm next Sunday, I'm sure they will appreciate visitors.
drone pic of farm as of Saturday 11/7/2020 - note Farm Meadow field (hens) in upper right
REMINDER . . .
FARM STORE IS . . .
OPEN ALL WINTER
For the next several weeks we will keep reminding folks that the Farm Store is OPEN, continuing on the Self Serve model...and will remain so ALL WINTER! While many local farm stands are shutting down for the winter...we stay open! And as we mentioned last week....as the weather gets colder we will slowly reduce the footprint in the barn but for now, the barn is chock full of local produce, apples, bread, and all the other items folks have enjoyed all season. On cold nights and days the door to the Farm Store will be shut to keep the heat in so please continue to shop in the Farm Store itself but be mindful of others as the store is small (maybe we will fix that next year! ;-0). Any questions about the Farm Store can be sent to me at pete@codmanfarm.org.
KITCHEN CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
While construction has officially begun, this week things slowed quite a bit as we encountered some unexpected issues and delays concerning plumbing. We are working on resolving the problems and will resume the work this coming week. The plan is to finish the floor drains so we can backfill the floor, pour concrete to patch the floor then begin insulating the entire space with spray foam. New windows and doors have been ordered as well!
Once again we are gently encouraging folks to donate towards this project as we have had some unforeseen issues during construction, and we will go over the budget for this project. Donations continue to be welcome and can be made here. All donations are tax-deductible!
MDAR CLIMATE SMART GRANT
Congrats to us, we were awarded a grant this week! This spring we applied for a Climate Smart Grant with MDAR (Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources) for several pieces of equipment to assist the farm in adapting to climate change. The purpose of the grant program is to "assist farms in the implementation of practices that address the agricultural sector's vulnerability to climate change, mitigate climate change in agriculture, and improve economic resiliency." We are grateful to the state for developing these programs and providing funds to assist farms like ours in our efforts to improve and protect our soils and grow better crops and healthier livestock. With the funds provided, we will be purchasing a No-Till grain drill which will allow us to directly sow seeds into our fields and pastures without turning over the soil. This is a HUGE deal for us as it will allow us to become much more innovative in how we grow forage for our livestock and how we reseed pastures. We will discuss this in-depth in a future story! But for now, know that we are extremely excited to plan for all the creative ways we will be able to improve our pastures next season!
ADOPTION COMPLETE
As seen previously in our weekly update...livestock lovers Cadence and Montana Mitchell make the news once again! This week they officially adopted the three goats that have been living behind Barn D all summer. Tic, Tac, and Toe became best buds with the girls this year, and while most everyone who visits the farm knows that we are no longer a petting zoo and most critters head off for harvest...Cadence and Montana were adamant about adopting this trio of goats as their very own. With a jar full of money in hand to reimburse the farm for our purchase of the goats earlier this year, the girls officially took possession of the goats at their home in Lincoln this week. It's a dream come true for the girls (though maybe not so much for their supportive but slightly reluctant parents!). Best of luck !
 
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
November 7th - 13th
FRUIT
Apples (honeycrisp, mac, macoun, fuji, gala, pink lade)
VEGETABLES
LOCAL organic loose carrots, beets, fresh onions, fresh ginger,
lettuce mix, spinach, kale, collards, winter squash, potatoes (gold, russet, red),
sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, celery, herbs, and more
MOST ALL THE PRODUCE WE BUY FROM LOCAL FARMS IS CERTIFIED ORGANIC
THIS WEEK WE PURCHASED ORGANIC PRODUCE FROM:
New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, Beverly
Fat Moon Farm, Westford
Red Fire Farm, Granby
Picadilly Farm, Winchester NH
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 bread, 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
Upper pasture looking down towards the barns
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