HAPPY (Snowy!) HALLOWEEN!
As if life wasn't fun enough these days, the early arrival of snow most likely will not lift many spirits..except perhaps the spooky kind that are present on Halloween! The early snow is a reminder of how quickly life can change and how we all must roll with and adapt to all that is thrown our way. On the farm, we have been scrambling all week to finish up our greenhouse project, batten down a few hatches, and just hope for the best. We still have pigs, cattle, and laying hens on pasture and unfortunately, we didn't have the ability to relocate these critters before the rain and snow. We are checking on all of them throughout the day, ensuring their feeders are full, water is flowing and fencing is secure. How many days until spring?
In the coming weeks, we will continue to prepare the farm and critters for winter. The cattle will be returned to the home farm within a week (we hope) and of the 40 pigs at Minuteman National Park, about 35 of them will be harvested. The boar and his "friends" will return to the farm to continue their fun until the weather turns much colder...at which point we will move them to cozy straw-laden quarters under the barn. We are also in the process of removing the tomatoes from our hoop house so the laying hens can return to their winter HQ. Keep an eye out for an email soliciting volunteers to catch our 1200 hens on pasture...it's a fun year-end event that we simply cannot do without volunteers!
That's it for the week. Lots of projects but no exciting, treacherous story to report, thankfully, but knowing our luck, one is brewing right about now...
 
FARM STORE OPEN ALL WINTER
While the fresh chicken harvests have ended we continue to have lots of whole chickens in stock, plenty of eggs, and we are continuing to harvest pork and beef heading into winter. As the weather gets colder we will slowly reduce the footprint in the barn but we plan to continue carrying local produce, apples, bread, and all the other items folks have enjoyed all season. 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
Construction has officially begun! If you have been by the farm lately you may have seen workers coming and going as they work on demolishing the old kitchen. The kitchen will be rebuilt from the ground up including all new plumbing and floor drains, spray foam insulation, electrical, windows, doors, commercial ventilation hood, and all new appliances! It's an exciting project made possible by the many generous donations from the community. Our hope is that the project will be completed by the end of December. We will post photos of the progress weekly!
Due to unforeseen issues during construction, we already know we will go over the budget for this project. Donations continue to be welcome and can be made here. All donations are tax-deductible!
GREENHOUSE PROGRESS UPDATE
It has taken a while but we are oh so close to project completion! The electrical and network lines have been installed and the propane installation will be completed today! On Sunday Jared and I braved the light breeze and "skinned" the house (put the plastic on) without too much difficulty. When you drive or walk by the greenhouse you might notice a smooth look to the plastic. A small fan continually pumps air between the two layers of plastic creating a pocket of air that adds insulation and helps snow shed off the house more easily (just in time!). Our next steps to completion are to smooth out the soil floor, lay weed barrier, begin building greenhouse tables, and complete the outside grading.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PIG ROAST
Last weekend the farm held a low-key pig roast to thank the many volunteers who have helped out on the farm this year. Several board members camped out overnight to tend the fire and keep the pig toasty throughout the evening - and we all enjoyed some very tasty socially distanced pulled pork the next day. It all felt, oh so...normal! We wish we could have had a big pig roast bash this year for the community - as we did in 2019 - but there is always next year!
Board member Jon Ferris wrote up this tasty and amusing recipt for "Codman Farm to Table Pork Ramen...enjoy!
Step 1: Pasture raise cows and pigs. Give them lots of love, rotate them on the lands for optimal land usage, care for them in times of need
Step 2: At Harvest time, pick up a bag of beef bones. Add in some chicken feet if the spirit moves you. If you own an instant pot (essential for bone broth IMO), throw in 1-2 lbs of beef bones and assorted veggie scraps. Pressure cook for 1-2 hours after braising the bones (braising adds richness and color). If no instant pot, sub a very long boil--i am talking about nearly a Steve Hoenig length maple syrup boil
Step 3: Prepare pig 2 days in advance. Put on jazz-funk tunes on the boom box. It may feel a bit Reservoir Dogs weird, but have fun. Split the pig with your favorite saw and shower with loads of Salt and Pepper. Just when you think you have done enough, keep going
Step 4: Light up the wood fire for coals and slow roast the pig for 18 hours. This is a good opportunity to have a pop up party. If you are lucky, sometime near midnight a man from town, famous for his open mic night appearances, will appear with a guitar and ask if he can play for you. You may question your sobriety, but others will confirm in the morning it actually happened. Flip the pig once at some point and keep the grill warm; you really can't mess it up.
Step 5: Pull the pork. Add nothing, it is that good. Teach the children helping that you are allowed to reserve special bites and especially encouraged to comment about how special each special bite tastes. This moment happens once per year, it cannot be appreciated enough.
Step 6: Find your favorite veggies from the farm store, really whatever makes you happy. Saute some onion, garlic, ginger, and your favorite veggies. Add the bone broth, your favorite ramen noodle, and a healthy portion of pulled pork. Add soy sauce and your favorite spicy condiment to taste. As a finishing touch, place a perfectly soft-boiled egg from your backyard or Pete and Jen's.
Step 7: Smell often and savor each bite.
  
SURPRISE DONATION
Over the past year-plus an entrepreneurial group of Lincoln kids has spent their precious summer days selling lemonade and other items in support of Codman Farm. This past week a heavy bag of coins and cash was delivered to the farm by Lila, Josie, and Beatricie Stevenson (photo below). The donation represents the culmination of work by Samantha and Ryan Donaldson, Alex and Anastasia Taylor, and Cadence and Montana Mitchell. Thanks to all for the donation!
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
October 30-November 6th
FRUIT
Apples (honeycrisp, mac, macoun, fuji, gala, cortland)
VEGETABLES
Codman farm cherry and slicing tomatoes (the last of the greenhouse tomatoes),
chard, kale
LOCAL organic loose carrots, beets, fresh onions, garlic, fresh ginger,
lettuce mix, spinach, winter squash, and pie pumpkins, potatoes (gold, russet, purple),
sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, celery, broccoli, cauliflower 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
Old spot pig enjoying the cool soil
Jen, Abe and myself doing a bit of harvesting on a Sunday afternoon
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