Friday, March 23, 2012

Notes from the Farm: Spring planting

You can also view this newsletter at our blog
 http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.blogspot.com/
 


Hello Friends of the Farm!
 

Happy Spring!  We are taking advantage of this glorious spring weather and have been able to get a head start on the season, as everyone else in Lancaster county has been, too.    We are so excited to be growing vegetables for you and your family! 

Scott planted the peas on Tuedsay and today's team project for the trainees is putting in the potatoes.  What a change from the cold, wet spring we had last year.  We are loving the warm weather and being able to get into the fields so early.  Even though it feels like May, we are keeping in mind that we are still in March and there could be another freeze in our future.  

Farmer Scott uses Big Orange to prepare the fields for spring planting with the chisel plow

Chisel Plow working in Field 


While most of the farm team was off site for the winter, Scott was busy planning for the new season.  He worked with our Development Team, Butch Bixler and Bob McClure, engineering ways to make our work  more effective and efficient.  We have a new hydrant serving the fields, new spouting near the distribution area to redirect rain fall, a fertilization system to work with our mulch layer and a harvest platform in the works.  Thank you Scott, Bob and Butch.  Everything is working great!!!    

The greenhouse is coming back to life with seedlings and in the field the garlic is bursting out of the ground with vigor.   We are pleased to have 10 Farmer Trainees returning for another season, and look forward to having some new folks out at the farm this year, too.  Mike, Cameron and Del have been working hard getting wood chips ready and Brad and Scott C are busy planting potatoes.  


Workshop at the Farm   
Thanks to Kim Stoltzfus for coordinating this!

 
Introduction to Beyond Organic: Methods of Susquehanna Farm School. Brandon and Abby, of Susquehanna Farm School, will share their experience homesteading along the banks of the Little Conestoga while specifically focusing in on their small scale and sustainable agricultural practices.    Presented by Brandon and Abby of Susquehanna Farm School Tuesday, April 17th, 6 - 8pm  Goodwill at Homefields Farm, Millersville  Class is free, donations accepted    www.SusquehannaFarmSchool.org
 

Shares available for the 2012 season  If you know anyone who might me interested, here is a link where they can sign up for a share:http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.csasignup.com/members

Looking forward to our first harvest, only a few short months away. Thank you for supporting our farm!

Your Farmers, 
Scott, Kim, Law Reh and Elizabeth