First Week of June

Welcome to the first harvest of the season! We are excited to be harvesting, the culmination of seeding and planting begun in early March. Some of the crops you can look forward to in these first few weeks are: strawberries, lettuce mix, spinach, kale and cilantro among others. As the season progresses, look for blueberries and the "hot crops" like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and eggplant in July, melons in August and cool weather crops like pumpkins, winter squash, beets, broccoli, cabbage in Sept-Nov.

Ok, so how does this work?

• Come up to the barn and sign in on the sheet
• Proceed down the half share or full share list on the wall
• Count or weigh out your veggies and box or bag them. If you have a reusable bag or box that would be great! We will have bags here if you need them.
• You may check out the PYO (pick your own) board to see if there are flowers or herbs listed that you would like to harvest. The PYO field is located just beyond the greenhouses. Herb beds are here by the barn.
• Pick up a newsletter, recipes or other information from the sign-in table if desired.
• Enjoy the farm and the fresh food!

What's new this year?

• Five youths are joining us through the Arbor youth program to work and explore the world of organic farming and receive job training.
• Look for interesting bamboo creations both practical and aesthetic around the farm.
• There is a walking trail around the perimeter of the farm behind the white fence ribbon--it starts at the end of the strawberry field and ends near the PYO field.
• We have a new higher visibility sign up by the road.
• The chickens are laying eggs-they will be for sale on a very limited basis since we only have 3 hens currently.

About some of this week’s goodies:

• Garlic Scapes: use the succulent “neck” of the scape in salads or stir-fries or anywhere you would enjoy either garlic or onions.
• Kale: a super-nutritious green that can be added to salads, or sautéed and added to casseroles, soups, or omelets. The ribs are generally not used unless it is baby kale.
• Strawberries and Harvesting: mmm…strawberries. These strawberries are so good. Nothing signals early summer like a fresh-picked sun-warmed strawberry from the farm. *If you would like to pick your strawberries earlier in the week, please feel free to come by the farm weekdays 5-7:30pm for self-serve harvesting*. One strawberry harvest per shareholder per week please to ensure a harvest for everyone. Full shares-2 boxes per week, Half shares-1 box per week.

Volunteers Wanted this Week and Upcoming Events

First Harvest & Ambassadors: For our new shareholders, keep your eyes open for a Farm Ambassador this week during pick-up hours, to help you along and answer any questions you might have. Also, be sure to bring the kids! They can have their photos taken on the farm 'tractor,' aka Gator, plant seeds to take home and grow, and do some farm coloring!

For our seasoned shareholders (pun intended), we’re looking for a few people to serve as Farm Ambassadors for the opening weekend at Homefields. If you’re interested, please contact Heather at lawgirl924@hotmail.com (please put HOMEFIELDS in the subject line) or at 717-808-7060.

A look ahead: Spring cleaning, down at the Farm! Thursday June 18 to Saturday, June 20, during regular share pick-up hours. Clean out your closets! Tackle your attic! Gather up your garage! Bring your clean clothing, household goods, and small housewares to the Goodwill truck at Homefields! Please respect Goodwill's donation policy, "Give to Goodwill what you would give to a friend." For more information, click here or call toll free 1-800-432-4483. **Receipts will be available for tax purposes**

Thank you for being a part of this farm. Because of you, people with disabilities have an opportunity to learn and work here, people in the community benefit from fresh nutrient-packed food, and a local small farm flourishes. Looking forward to a great season of food and fun.

Scott Breneman
Farm Manager