Well, well - 2021 is already starting out to be a heck of a year. I think everyone is thinking about the chaos of the other day and are still processing what the heck just happened. I'll leave that debacle for others to dissect, it's above my pay grade anyway. Instead, I'll ruminate on the image below.
I captured this image the other day as I was wandering around the laying hen pasture. What do you see? Chicken feet, arrows, maybe something else? Well, we are on a farm, so I guess the most obvious answer is that they are chicken footprints - but in the same instance I noticed the patterns - it also immediately dawned on me that they looked like arrows pointing in different directions. When I showed the photo to Jen, she blurted out, "chicken feet". It's funny how a shift in perspective can yield a totally different image. And the "chicken arrows" pointing in every different direction made me think of the current state of affairs in our country and also of life on the farm. How different ideologies can alter your perspective and thus perception of events and result in different actions being taken.
As a farmer, the image made me think how each and every day we have an endless amount of things to do, all sometimes pointing in different directions. The daily tasks on a farm are endless and it's my job to make sense of the chaos and chart a clear path forward. The farms and businesses that find success tend to be the ones that are best able to stay pointed in one direction, stay true to their core principles, and be disciplined to achieve their goals.
At Codman, we are currently on such a path. With the sudden increase in visibility due to the pandemic, Codman Farm has become more of a resource to our community than ever. This has made us take measure of where we are, and consider more carefully where we are headed as a non-profit farm in the community of Lincoln. Why are we here, what is our purpose, how can we best care for our land and for the community in which we live. These are some of the many questions we are asking ourselves both now, and in the weeks to come.
I invite you to share what Codman means to you, how YOU see our role as a non-profit in the community and HOW we can best carry out our core mission of keeping the lands of Lincoln open, in production agriculture, and educating others about farming and the impact it has in our society in so many different ways.
As we begin planning for the 2021 season we are also beginning our recruiting efforts for additional farm staff. The farm will be expanding next year and we need additional staff to help manage it all! We are currently accepting applications for:
SEASONAL FARM ASSISTANTS to begin work in early April of 2021 - we are hiring seasonal farm assistants to help carry out daily chores,
tend the livestock, collect eggs, work in the gardens...and more.
Click the link above for more information.
FARM STORE ASSOCIATES NEW positions to help us keep the farm stocked and beautiful for 2021.
In the last newsletter, we talked about why buying local, organic (when possible), and within our region is important and the role it plays in building a more resilient food system that benefits us all. Our partnership with High Lawn Farm in Lee, MA is one such connection we are so very excited about!
High Lawn Farm is a 100 plus-year-old dairy farm located in Lee, Ma, and one of the pioneering farms in developing Jersey cow genetics. They manage 1600 acres of land with 600 acres in production agriculture and the remaining land protected for flora and fauna diversity. High Lawn grazes their Jersey cows on pasture during the warmer months and in winter feed the cows their own hay and high protein silage. High Lawn uses cow manure as fertilizer for their hayfields and uses minimal additional fertilizers in order to create a more holistic farming system that relies less on outside inputs and more on their own natural resources which enhances the farm's resiliency. Jersey cattle are "the most efficient breed in converting feed to milk-producing 17% more milk and 20% more protein per unit of feed than do average cows".
In 2015 High Lawn invested heavily in new state of the art infrastructure including robotic milkers for the cows so they can virtually milk themselves whenever they feel the urge! They also invested in new milk processing and bottling equipment to ensure the staff and farm run efficiently while reducing labor-intensive tasks. This has led to quality of life improvements for the livestock and for the 26 employees of the farm - the less stress on farmers and their livestock the better! In addition to milk products High Lawn now makes a wide variety of soft and hard cheeses from their milk and are constantly experimenting with new and innovative dairy products.
Codman began the partnership with High Lawn in early 2020 due to the local demand for local, fresh milk in the Farm Store. High Lawn was suffering from low sales due to the pandemic and we had a ready and willing community who wanted access to products just like High Lawn offers, so it's a great match for us both. We have since begun carrying their cheeses and ghee and this past month partnered with their farm manager in finding a market for their aging dairy cows which they previously sold off to auction for low prices. Codman agreed to pay 25% above market rate for their retiring cows, providing High Lawn with thousands of dollars in additional income to support their business - and we are now making this beef available for the first time in our Farm Store. A win-win! The naturally high-fat content of Jersey cattle, combined with the excellent care the cows receive makes for excellent, highly marbled, and deeply flavorful beef. In the coming months, we plan to continue this partnership and perhaps even bring some Jersey cattle to our own pastures for summer grazing! High Lawn is now beginning to think about entering the beef market and we will continue our conversations with them as they enter this new market opportunity and assist them in any way we can.
High Lawn and CCF both value maintaining and improving the land in which they manage and strive to provide healthy, sustainably raised proteins for their community. We believe creating and improving relations with other growers lies at the core of CCF's mission to improve the art and science of farming so together we all thrive.
CAPE ANN FRESH CATCH
Sign up now for a new season of local, fresh fish from our friends at Cape Ann Fresh Catch. This season has open enrollment and goes until February 26th. They will have fish shares, salmon fillets, scallops, haddock, Jonah Crab, and smoked fish items.
Did you know that Cape Ann is a non-profit, created in 2008 by the Gloucester Fisherman Wives Association to support the local fisherman in New England? Did you also know that Gloucester is the oldest fishing port in the nation . . . help keep this industry alive and thriving in a sustainable way by supporting Cape Ann. We believe in their mission and allow them to distribute their fish on Wednesdays in our barns free of charge - in order to encourage and expand local access to their great products.
CSF (community supported fishery) pickup is every Wednesday evening in the Codman barn from 4-6pm and fresh a la carte fish can be picked up on Wednesdays from 12:30-2:30. The fish really is great!
