Weekly newsletters

CSA Week 3

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June 15, 2019

Green onions, you can use the whole plant

CSA Week 3 – June 17, 19, 21

CSA Week 22 – final week – October 28, 30 and November 1

Fall share runs the month of November

 

 

 

Dear friends,

Sorry not to be in touch last week, but we are slammed with June, the month where everything has to be done yesterday, or even last week! And no let up in sight until maybe July 15, if we are fast enough and diligent enough to make it happen.

Of note in the past week, Dan finished making the first round of hay. We are working as fast as we can to get it on weeded and mulched beds. We accomplished the potatoes, collards, one bed of the six chards, and the hoop houses, after we turned them over from spring crops and planted some of our tomatoes and melons there. We still have plenty of hay on the ground in the field, but hope to get it in and on deck for mulching our planted crops

We accomplished the planting of our tomatoes in the field, the tomatillos and half of the celery (after recycling a green onion bed, along with 2 big beds of lettuce (following the spinach which has gone to seed). We also turned over 5 of our mesclun lettuce, spinach, and arugula beds, and drip taped that ¼ acre where we are growing cutting greens.

In the weeding department we took care of 4 chard beds, 3 collards, got the short term plantings of Chinese cabbage and lettuce out of danger.

Hay for mulching

Our pigs get moved into a new section of woods every two weeks which we did on Friday and Monday we move the baby meat birds out to the hay field.

I admit to feeling just a tad overwhelmed right now – but this is the month of June when such is life on the farm!

 

 

 

This Week’s share

  • Kale
  • Chard
  • Beets – the last from the hoop house – it will be a bit of a wait after this – just a few this week
  • Chinese cabbage
  • Lettuce
  • Cilantro – new and beautiful from the field
  • Radishes – also from the field
  • Peppermint
  • Green onions
  • Mesclun lettuce – from time to time we will cut for you this restaurant sale item to keep the supply the right size and give you a salad treat

From our members – this is just one of the many very thoughtful emails that have come our way. Thank you so much for these – they are very much appreciated.

Dear Julie,

 I picked up my first ever organic CSA share from MHOF on Monday. The produce was so beautiful…we are so impressed. Not only was it photo worthy, it was so delicious. We have enjoyed oven roasted root vegetables, sauteed garlicky beet greens and chard, salad made with fresh lettuce, fresh kale salad, pesto made with chives and oregano, and eggs with chives and oregano. We have used our mint with watermelon and in our glasses of water. 

 Thank you for providing such high quality CSA food. We really appreciate it.  

 Sincerely,

 Teresa Mead

Still taking members

After next week the price will go down each week (by $30 for larges and $20 for mediums), and it will be updated on the website – www.mhof.net/csa.

Week of June 17

larges – $590

mediums – $385

delivery – $40

Check out our Facebook at this address https://www.facebook.com/manyhandsorganicfarm  You can like us, refer us and also write a review if you enjoy what you are receiving. That all helps get the word out for our farm. Thanks for what many of you have already done to help us get the word out.

We are also on Instagram @manyhandsorganic. Clare and Lisa post pictures there all of the time.

We will be using our recyclable bags this year for the eighth year. Yours will have your name on it, the size of your share (medium or large) and where you pick up. Each week, please bring back your bag and leave it in the designated location at your pick up site when you pick up your new bag. There will be a banana box with our name on it into which you can deposit your bag. We have 2 bags for Barre folks and 3 for those of you who pick up off site, so if you return the most recent bag each time we will always have a new one for you. But you get only the specified number of bags. If you don’t bring your bag back each week, we will end up here with no bags for you and will revert to a paper bag (labeled the “paper bag of shame” by one CSAer) for you.

Recycle your paper and plastic grocery-size bags with us. You can leave them in your CSA bags. We also like rubber bands, but no longer need yogurt containers.

Things to remember –

  • Pick up your food during the time noted for your site
  • Next week – bring your bag back to your delivery location and leave it in the box; we like rubber bands, plastic grocery size bags, paper grocery size bags, egg cartons – you can put them right in your bag when you bring it back
  • If vegetables are not in a plastic bag, be sure to put them in one before you pack your food in your fridge – it will keep the produce fresh

Happy Father’s Day all you dads!

Julie

Still Possible to Join the 2019 Summer CSA

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Join the 2019 Many Hands Organic Farm CSA

Please print this page (either before or after you fill it out) and mail it with your payment to the address below (make checks out to MHOF). Contact us for a payment plan as needed.

Summer Shares, June 3 to November 1.

Reserve me one Large Summer Produce Share. Total cost is $650.

Week 2 of June 10. Total cost is $620.

Week 3 of June 17. Total cost is $590

Week 4 of June 24. Total cost is $560

Week 5 of July 1. Total cost is $530.

Week 6 of July 8. Total cost is $500.

 

Reserve me one Medium Summer Produce Share. Total cost is $425.

Week 2 of June 10 Total cost is $405.

 Week 3 of June 17. Total cost is $385.

 Week 4 of June 24 Total cost is $365.

 Week 5 of July 1 Total cost is $345.

 Week 6 of July 8 Total cost is $325.

 

Barre Pickups:

Monday Wednesday Friday

Worcester and Holden Pickups:

Monday in:

Worcester ($44 extra enclosed)

Wednesday in:

Holden ($44 extra enclosed)

Friday in:

Holden ($44 extra enclosed)

Price for delivery goes down by $2 each week as the season progresses

 

 Total Enclosed: ___________

Late Fall Shares – This Share Runs only on Mondays

Reserve me one Late Fall Produce Share. Cost for 4 weeks is $120. The share will run on Monday November 4,11,18, and 25.

­­$ _____ enclosed

Barre Pickups:

Monday

 

Worcester and Holden Pickups:

The price for delivery is $8 total for the 4 week season

Monday in:

Worcester ($____ extra enclosed)

Monday in:

Holden ($_____ extra enclosed)

 

Please add 1 dozen eggs to my share each week @$7/week – $28

Eggs ( ______ extra enclosed)

Total Enclosed: ___________

Address Information

Full Name:

Address:

Town:

State:

Zip Code:

Telephone:

Email Address:

Comments, Suggestions?

What brought you to Many Hands Organic Farm?

Send printed form (with check) to:

Many Hands Organic Farm
411 Sheldon Road
Barre, MA 01005

April 3 News

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Dear Friends,

 

April 1 is my birthday and also seems to me to be the real beginning of the farming season here in this part of the world. We are finishing up our fruit tree pruning – about 2/3 of the way there, and will have to get the grapes, blueberries, red and black raspberries and blackberries done by the end of April.

 

We moved the chickens out onto pasture and cleaned out the chicken house. The grapes were the lucky recipients of the chicken bedding (first we put down cardboard). We are still doing some card boarding and haying of our established perennials – the berries above. Our goal each winter is to get all of our perennials pruned and tucked in early on because the annual plants take so much of our attention during the main growing season.

 

Clare is the queen of the seedling operation. Under her guidance we have started in the house attached greenhouse and quickly moved out to the in ground unheated high tunnel the following crops – lettuce, onion, leeks, kale, beets and chard. We are very happy with our open tray seedling process where we start seeds a little on the late side and then move them right outside as soon as they are germinated. Our attached greenhouse doesn’t get full sun, so if we leave things there too long, the plants get leggy. We use our favorite potting soil – Ideal, from our friend Mkie Lombard in Peterborough, NH. Then we spike it with a bunch of Advancing Eco Agriculture products – biologicals, micro-nutrients and sea products. The seedlings come up green and strong and get off to a phenomenal start.

 

Today is Brent’s last day. He has been with us off and on for 3 or 4 years and has become an important part of family, along with being a super farmer, planner, builder, mechanic and designer. We wish him well as he goes to a landscaping job in Chicopee that is ten minutes from his home as opposed to our hour and ten commute one way each day.

 

And we are happy to announce that we have hired Ingrid, who, amazingly, lives down the street from us. Ingrid will work close to full time for us and we are enthusiastic to have her with us. Besides me and Clare, we will be filling in with some working shareholders, some paid folks who will work one day and some summer teen help.

 

In case you were aware that we got a new dog on Saturday and that he immediately took off. Many thanks to the amazing community of folks who help find lost dogs. He was found on Dana Road last night and was brought back home to us. Special thanks to Deb Bachrach, the animal control officer from Petersham, and Ellen Anderson, who drove all over Petersham, Barre and Hardwick putting up posters, setting cameras and much more. We feel so fortunate that so many people will step in to help when there is a crisis – no matter how small.

 

The Summer CSA starts in just 2 short months. I can tell you without the least amount of hesitation that the food that you will receive from our CSA will be the tastiest, most vibrant food around. With our advancing no till methods, mineral and biological nutrition, cover cropping mulching, animal integration, we are constantly developing our agricultural system to make our food more abundant and nutritious. You can sign up on our website at https://mhof.net/home/.

 

And we still have a lot of wonderful food in our freezer for sale – beef, pork, chicken, and 4 kinds of stock, including the above and also turkey stock. Give us a call to set up a time to come over and shop. 978-355-2853 or email at julie@mhof.net.

 

And enjoy spring! Julie

Join the 2019 CSA

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Dear MHOF Friends,

We enthusiastically invite you to consider joining the Many Hands Organic Farm CSA this year. 2019 will be our 28th year offering a broad array of vegetables and fruits to customers over a 26 week (1/2 year) season. Here are some great comments from last year’s customers.

“I just wanted to take this moment to thank all of you for what you do. I agree that organic farming is HARD work with little return. I think it must be in your blood. Regardless, we LOVE our share and that we are assured that out produce is 100% ORGANIC for 6 months of the year. Your hard work and care doesn’t go unnoticed. I will continue to tell others about the farm.” Karen

 

“Thank you for another amazing week of produce. We actually took our share with us when we went away last week and ate tons of delicious veggies the whole time.” Emily

 

“Absolutely beautiful!  Getting this CSA share has been one of our best decisions along with getting the fresh eggs.  Thanks for all that you do.” Rich

 

“I’ve totally changed my diet to clean eating and can’t wait to enjoy more this summer.”  Caroline

 

“Wow we are enjoying the produce.  The chard was both beautiful and tasty.” Linda

 

“Thank you so much Julie! It was so beautiful this week’s share. The produce was amazing and fresh.  Thank you so much for everything.”  Alma

 

“Your produce is delicious, and I feel very healthy after I eat it, especially since I’m getting a lot of kale this year! Thanks for all that you’re doing at Many Hands Organic Farm.”  Cathie

As we continue to hone our no till practices (which allow the microbial underground partners to really flourish and improve the foraging job that they do for all of the micronutrients and minerals in the plant rhizosphere) the food gets tastier and more nutritious. In 2018 we improved our fertility protocols to involve more targeted use of biostimulants like seaweed extracts and biological inoculants to boost rapid root development of the crops. We continue on this path and right now are joyously cardboarding and covering with hay large swaths of our growing beds where the worms will party all winter and the soil will be free of perennial plants in the spring to make planting easier. Additionally we have put in for a grant with the state for a no till ripper to put on the tractor tool bar to make bed prep more efficient and only open up the soil right where the plants will go.

Rolling hay over cardboard

Last year a large share received on average 12 lbs. of food each week, and mediums 7.5 lbs. The price remains the same at $650 for large shares and $425 for mediums. And the shares run from June through November. Read all the details here. mhof-printable-csa-form-2019. Early sign ups help us with cash flow, so joining now is very much appreciated. We continue to have pick ups here at the farm in Barre, in two locations in Holden and 1 in Worcester. And we especially invite SNAP participants to participate in our CSA. Almost every week you will receive a newsletter with all sorts of ideas for how to prepare your food and lots of news from the farm.

We are looking for working shareholders this year. Join the farm team and get your share in exchange for your work. Our expectation is that you work from 8-12 on either a Monday, Wednesday or Friday and you are invited to lunch. It is a great way to learn farming, make friends, get exercise and otherwise have a great time. And there are opportunities to make a little extra money delivering shares to Holden or Worcester each week also. Please call 978-355-2853 or email farm@mhof.net to find out more.

Enjoy this quiet end of the year where we all have the opportunity to contemplate and rejuvenate and celebrate the good things that life brings us.

Julie

Holiday Shopping at MHOF

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December 17, 2018

Dear MHOF Farm friends and customers,

Do your Christmas shopping with us this year! We have a nice supply of the highest quality frozen meats and stocks that make great gifts for folks who enjoy cooking and eating delicious, healthy, locally-grown food.

Not only can you get some good value for your friends and family, but you can help narrow the gap for us to break even on the farm this year. Another story for another day . . . .

We are offering gift certificates for you to order and pay for with Paypal. Once we get your payment we email you within 24 hours an attractive gift certificate.  You can present this to the recipient and they redeem here at the farm. Log into your Paypal account, type in the amount of your gift certificate, and make a payment to the account of Many Hands Organic Farm at julie@mhof.net. Please select ‘send to a friend’.

Below are step by step instructions to using PayPal.
1. Log into your PayPal account.
2. Choose ‘Send and Request’ on blue bar across the top
3. Send money to julie@mhof.net and click next
4. Type in the dollar amount of your gift certificate.
5. Below the amount, select ‘Change’ and choose ‘Sending to a Friend’ then ‘Continue’ to payment.

And of course we have all sorts of things for your Christmas or New Year’s dinner and/or your freezer – while supplies last. See below, and just email or call to set up a time to come over and shop. Julie@mhof.net; 978-355-2853.

Meat Products/Frozen

Chicken

  • Frozen meat chickens at $7.00/lb.
  • Frozen old layers at $10 each
  • Chicken Feet – $5 for 12 feet
  • Chicken Stock quarts – $7.50/qt.

Beef

  • Ground beef, stew, and kebab meat – $10/lb.
  • Short ribs- $10/lb.
  • Chuck roast and brisket – $11/lb.
  • Sirloin strip steak – $13/lb.
  • Bone-in NY sirloin – $15/lb.
  • Standing Rib roast – $15/lb.
  • Tenderloin – $20/lb.
  • Tallow – $20/qt.
  • Beef Stock – $7.50/qt.

Pork

  • Breakfast sausage, ground pork, pork chops, country style ribs; regular ribs, roasts – $10.00/lb.
  • Hot dogs – $12/lb.
  • Lard – $20/qt.
  • Pork Stock – $7.50/qt.

Certified Organic locally raised fat for your cooking needs

Turkey

  • Turkey Stock – $7.50/qt.

Other Items

  • Lavender and Peppermint Soap – $6/5 oz. bar
  • Comfrey salve – $8/2 oz. jar
  • Garlic powder – $9.50/1.9 oz. jar
  • Yellow dock and dandelion tinctures- $8/1 oz.
  • Eggs – $7/dozen

Gifts and Stocking-stuffers- eggs, soaps, salve, garlic powder

And have a great Solstice and end of year. What a wonderful time to rest and reflect and spend time with all of those folks we love.

 

Julie and Jack