I am being quite challenged, and sometimes exhilarated, by a book that I am reading right now, titled Arete. One of Friday’s messages struck me and stuck. The author was commenting that when building one story buildings, builders put in a relatively shallow foundation. But when building a skyscraper, a very deep foundation is needed. He then made the obvious comparison to humans who want to maximize their potential. Our family of 6 have been engaged in some very interesting family therapy since November, and my goodness, we are starting to dig deep! It is hard work becoming a human being of integrity! No time like the New Year, however, to get out the iron bars and get rid of those boulders and ledge that make it hard to fortify that strong foundation.

Expressing Gratitude this Week

I want to thank the horn players, Lucy, Margaret and Cailan, and the Circle of Song folks, Cailan, Janet, Pat, Minnie, Joan, Marcia, Dan, Bob, Nancy, Anne, and Gwen who put in extra time and spent their Sunday with us to help us celebrate our Book Signing. I marvel at the deep fabric of our music community that I have been so lucky to be part of for these past 4 decades. And the behind the scenes folks from Barre Players – Anthony, Jay, Meg and Phil, and of course Dan, Lew and Jennifer.

Videos

Clare on pruning

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Randy (sideways, sorry), talking about the barn woodshed job

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Young Layers for Pre-order

Young layers on the hoof were quite popular last year. We sell 8-week-old young Novogen brown layers.
https://www.freedomrangerhatchery.com/shop/product/novogen-layer/ at $25 each. They will be ready for pick up on July 1. They spend their first month in the brooder house and the second one on pasture. They eat certified organic grain as their base feed with pasture as a supplement once they move outside. Place your order with Julie.

All right, so Alexandria is holding a baby turkey, but you get the picture!

Join Next Year’s CSA

We have set prices for 2024 and are ready to receive your subscriptions for our summer CSA – running 22 weeks from June 3 – November 1. The fall CSA runs from November 4 – November 25.

Summer CSA:

Large – $775 – $875; SNAP – $725
Medium – $575-$675; SNAP – $525
Small – $450 – $550; SNAP – $425

Fall CSA:

Large only, $170; SNAP $160

We have a $161,000 budget for 2024. Half of the in part of the budget – $80,191- comes in through the CSA. Interestingly, the staff budget comes to $81,059. So half of our farm revolves around raising the CSA income and spending it back out on the staff. I would like to involve you intimately in our drive to raise the money for the CSA this year. So, I think I will give you a weekly update on CSA sales so you can experience the filling out of it with us.

On January 12 we have raised $2675! Goal – $80,191.

Julie talks about the history of the CSA

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Good Podcast coming via Jack

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/bret-weinstein-covid-response-profits-power/?utm_source=luminate&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=defender&utm_id=20240108 – Brave New World, anyone? Bret Weinstein with Tucker Carlson about Covid and other topics

Come Sing with us

Last call for Circle of Song. Here is our program. We especially need basses right now!

Walk Together, Children
Tumbalalaika
Stars in My Crown
Besame Mucho
I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
Mack the Knife
What Was I Made For?
Good Night, Dear Heart – Dan Forrest
Come Away, Sweet Love – Thomas Greaves
Phantom of the Opera

Circle of Song starts up again on Thursday, January 11. We meet on Thursdays from 7:00 – 8:30pm at the Barre Town Hall, 2 Exchange Street. We sing in 4-part harmony and we sing good stuff. Our next concert is Saturday, May 18. Contact Julie at julie@mhof.net. Next week I will publish the list of songs that we will be working on.

Volunteering at MHOF

Be in touch, we love volunteers – M, T, F – 8-noon with lunch. Breakfast at 7:00 if you come early.

Marcia talks about being a working shareholder

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Emails from Subscribers

Hi Julie
I look forward to your Monday newsletter and so thankful I found your community. This week’s doings are chock full!!

A CSA farm thermometer is a fun idea! The pole beans were one of my favorite to watch last season but anything chosen is wonderful.

Your thoughts on aging are inspiring. I try and live each day with intention and the grace for the day. It’s always amazed me we can have beauty and pain all mixed up in one, all the time.
Some days I struggle a lot and other days it’s easier and notice all the little nuggets:)

I’m going to try Jennifer’s recipe later today.

Lastly, I appreciate your update re: corn/Mexico and continue to be baffled at the state of food with gmo’s, pesticides and non food choices. I grew up in the city (near Dorchester) and my grandfather had a beautiful garden. My mom cooked all meals from scratch. We even picked the dandelion greens for our salad.
I had good examples!

Thanks, Donnamaire,

You are among my mentors for how to live a life fully and in gratitude. Keep up the good work. I like the pole bean idea!

Julie
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Do you ever sleep?
I love what you said about aging
I’m with you. I don’t feel that I am old just a little bit older. Should I say, “seasoned”
See you Thursday.
Love
Joan

I hope to be as well seasoned when I am 85, Joan. Love, Julie
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I am so glad I got this newsletter !!

Thank you for such dedication. I also hope to NOT grow old to be strong and beautiful like you. Thanks to Jack for the Corn dispute update and hopefully Mexico can win this dispute, so sad our government is still subsidizing this poison. I am excited to see you on Sunday and looking forward to volunteer with yall again this year.

Love and Abundance,
Michael

You are one of my most abundant friends, Michael, you will grow older very gracefully, I am sure.
Love, Julie
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Hi Julie,

Love your not growing old!!!

Best for the New Year!

xoLinda

And to you, too, Linda!
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well said, Julie, my philosophy as well,,, I especially like “surrounding myself with people who are challenging their limits”.

I’m with you !!!

Thank you, Terry, it is great, isn’t it, to know that others are working on the same life challenges. Happy New Year to you.

Julie

Hi Julie,
As always, I very much enjoyed your e newsletter!
Thank you so much for taking the time to chronicle the very important work on the farm and to share your
insights and wisdom.

As far as a MHOF CSA Revenue tracker, my vote would be an ear of corn with kernels assigned a certain value, (i.e., either the cost of a CSA share, or an even $500)
with each kernel to be filled in when that revenue value was achieved…. with the goal of filling in the entire ear of corn!

I appreciate you, Jack, your shared vision and lifes’ mission -actualized as “the farm” (my loving term of endearment for MHOF) and
so often send/have sent conscious intentions/prayers for continued health and prosperity.

Whatever the revenue tracking symbol you use, I will be spreading the word and rooting for you!
Love, Kim

Jennifer’s Recipe of the Week

Soft Boiled Egg with Veggies & Bacon Crumbles

I’m grateful to be able to cook with MHOF’s amazing eggs, bacon and greens through the winter. This is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Hearty yet light. Enjoy!

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Farm Doin’s

We started the week under a lot of snow. We booked it through all of our wood chips and the farm is now chipped! This week it was to finish the fruit tree mulching, all of our small fruits and we ended the job covering the rhubarb that we transplanted last fall.

Elenore in her badass shades

Marcia, Holly and Jennifer enjoying the chip spreading job

Randy and Malvina spreading chips

Clare’s tractor driving school

Quinn becoming an expert pruner

The carpenters finished the wood shed, except for the back half wall of the wood shed portion. They raftered it, roofed it and got the tarpaper in place for final shingling on Monday (today).

Afternoons were spent on seed ordering.