Skunk Cabbage TrioApril Farm News

Happy Spring! I am writing this on the first seasonally cool rainy day this week. The air is fresh and clean and all the green plants seems to just be glowing out there under the cloud cover and April drizzle. It really is lovely. Not that I minded the sunny hot days at the beginning of the week, but this feels like a relief!

I am wildly transplanting hundreds of wonderful kales and brassica plants today. These cold-hardy plants really love this cool damp weather. I'm getting them ready for our Cold-Hardy Variety Pre-Sale, which we are arranging to accomodate their serious gardener Skunk Cabbage Pairand farmer friends, who want to plant in stages. The Pre-sale will feature the Alliums, Brassicas, etc. (Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Scallions, Leeks, Parsley, etc.) that do best when planted in the cooler weather of late April. Our Pre-Sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 24th from 9am to 12 noon. We will have the Brassicas and Alliums available at the big regular sales, but these cold-hardy plants do best if planted earlier. Stay for our 12:30 Workshop on that same day on Themed Container Gardening! The warm-weather vegetables and herbs like Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, and Squash will be available with all the rest at our Regular Big Mid-May Sales.

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Single Skunk Cabbage
And we are proud to announce that our 2010 Plant and Seedling Listing of the Herbs, Heirloom Variety Vegetables, Cut Flowers, and Perennial Plants is now ready! You can download it on our website:
www.midsummerfarm.com

By the way, these fabulous things in the photos here are Skunk Cabbage Sprouts!
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We are very happy to offer our
CSA-Style Egg Share
again this year.
First pick up is April 21st!
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eggsOur Egg CSA shares are now available - but we are making a couple changes from last year:

We are changing the timing as we had a decrease in egg production toward the mid-end of the summer last year. Our egg share will run 16 weeks at $125.00 as it did last year, but we will start the pick ups earlier - on April 21st and run until August 4th.

Pick-ups will be on Wednesdays
. We will also have some extra dozens available if you need extra eggs that week. We may also have other extra veggies and greens available for sale on the pick up day. As a share-holder, you will receive 1 dozen eggs per week. You can pick up two dozens every two weeks if that is more convenient for you. Our eggs are super fresh - usually gathered a day before you get them - they will easily last for over a month in your fridge.

Please download a registration form HERE.

You can send in the registration form with your check to:
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990

Eggs can be picked up by appointment as well without joining the CSA program.They are $8 per dozen. Just send me a quick email at [email protected] and we'll arrange a pick up! Our Eggs can also be purchased at the Hungry Hollow Co-Op in Chestnut Ridge, NY (they just launched a beautiful new website) and at Harvest Moon Health Food store right in West Milford, NJ.

In case you are new to our eggs, they are indeed, from fulfilled and truly happy hens living in a naturally sustainable environment:

The hens that do such a wonderful job laying eggs at Midsummer Farm are treated as family members. They are respected as living, feeling beings and thus enjoy spending the entire day ranging in about 3 acres of pasture, woods, wild meadow, & riparian areas all of which are organically maintained. They are only cooped up at night for their protection; the coop is maintained using a deep-bedding method where composting starts in the bedding itself. The manure is treasured for the wonderful compost it makes and is used on the farm to grow our vegetables. Our flock is a paradigm of good health; we have never had to use antibiotics or chemicals. This is all a part of how we ensure the circularity and sustainability of our farm and land.

The flock itself is made up of heritage breeds of chickens including Ameraucana, Black Australorp, Speckled Sussex, Welsummer, Cuckoo Marans, Barred Plymouth Rock, Partridge Rock, Barnevelder, Buff Orpington, and Silver-Laced Wynadotte poultry. By nurturing these special breeds, we are adding to the artisanal quality and diversity of our farm, and we are able to put together gorgeous combinations of various shades of white, green, pink, and brown eggs! This coming year we are starting a breeding program of pure-bred high quality French Cuckoo Marans, Salmon Favarolle, Cubalaya, Orpington, Plymouth and Partridge Rock, and Speckled Sussex chickens along with a great mixed array of our Ameraucana green-tinted egg layers.

Our chickens, as well as the land that they range on is Certified USDA Organic and Certified Naturally Grown. We are dedicated to making sure that our birds get to experience all the things that make birds feel fulfilled. Their ranging territory is diverse providing interest and the ability to truly forage for what they need. We allow hens to become broody, set their own eggs, and care for their own chicks. We have a variety of ages on the ground, young pullets mixing with the mature hens, being able to establish relationships and hierarchies normal to chickens. We never cull older non-laying hens. Part of the egg price you are paying for with these eggs is to help feed the older non-producing birds, who deserve to live out their lives naturally and in peace.

Also, besides being USDA Certified Organicand Certified Naturally Grown, our eggs and flock are certified under the Animal Welfare Approvedlabel. We felt that the other two certifications didn't demand the level of humane animal care that we believe in. Animal Welfare Approved has the strictest standards for humane animal care in the country, and we want to support them and be a part of their organization.

Beyond the natural diet of insects and diverse vegetation our hens get while ranging, the grain we feed our birds is always certified organic, local, and never genetically modified. This high-quality food insures that the eggs will also be of high quality. These eggs have extremely dense yellow yolks. They are not only naturally high in Omega-3 fatty acids and a bounty of other nutrients, but they are also the epitome of the goodness of fulfilled and happy hens. Enjoy!

And don't forget, we always encourage people to start their own Backyard Organic Flock of Laying Hens - we're here to support you with our workshops as well as help you out in any way we can!

Our next Backyard Organic Chicken Workshop is Sunday, April 25th, 10-12.
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Focus on KALE
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kale
I sent this blurb with the last newsletter, but some people said they didn't get it - so I added to it and I'm resending it. I get really excited about Kale!

I know, many of you are thinking "oh Kale, typical health-food addict going on and on about kale and quinoa."

But seriously, Kale is really good! If you don't like it, you're not cooking it right or you're using that horrible leather-like kale from the grocery store!

Fresh Kale, picked from your own garden - is delicious and tender. After a cold spell or light frost, it is sweet. If your kale plants make it through the winter and start growing in the spring, they are super sweet! The different varieties have different coloring, flavor, and texture. They get quite addictive actually!

The one big rule for preparing kale is to chop it up fine. I think most people find kale offensive when they end up with a big tough piece in their mouth and find themselves chewing and chewing. De-stem the leaves and rip them up into little easily-manageable pieces. Use the kale leaves as an addition to almost any stir fry, pasta sauce, soup ... I throw kale leaves into sausage and peppers, linguini with clam sauce, chicken soup, shrimp stir-fries, etc. The kale adds color and deepens the flavor of the meal. You can put the kale in early and really cook it down, or later so it stays brighter green and crisper. If I don't have kale in my kitchen, I feel like my meals are missing something.  

Why worry about getting kale into our diet? Because it is the ultimate dark leafy green, and I believe that dark leafy greens may be the number 1 missing ingredient in today's diet. Kale is potent - it is full of life-force giving nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, and micro-nutrients. Eating kale is the best way to strengthen bones and support bone health.

Kale grows well in this area - it is less picky than other greens about temperature fluctuations. You can pretty much depend on it to provide you with dark leafy greens all season long. We are offering 6 different varieties of kale at our plant sale this year.

Definitely pick one up and plant it in your garden or even a pot next to your kitchen door so you can grab a leaf or two as you cook up a meal - I promise you will really love it. Plant a parsley next to it - almost everything I throw kale into can also use some fresh parsley leaves!

Right now, we are transplanting the following varieties of Kale:
White Russian
Red Russian
Pentland Brig
Nero de Toscana (Dinosaur or Black)
Ruffles
Kale Seedlings
Kale Seedlings 1
Blue Curled Scotch
Spigarielle Liscia
Siberian
Tyfon-Holland

We'll also pack some in our new 6-pack format - so you can get 6 different kales to taste-test and try out to find your favorite.

The search for our favorite kale - a couple years ago, we found our Favorite Kale; it is in the photo at the top of this section. I usually keep my seed packets and write the dates I planted, etc. on them even if they're empty to keep track, but for some reason, I seem to have lost the packet, and I couldn't figure out which was our Favorite Kale. That is one of the reasons why we have so many varieties of Kale this year; I basically bought every single different variety I could find - one has to be the Favorite!
More Kale Seedlings
Kale Seedlings 3

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Umbellifers!
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Crown of DIll
Crown of Dill
We have been planting and planting! I just transplanted the parley and chervil and lovage. I love this whole family of plants called the Umbellifers, as the flower/seeds are borne in umbrella-like shapes. Think Queen Anne's Lace, which is non-edible member of the family, but which has the archetypal umbrella flower shape, a more flamboyant version of Queen Anne's Lace is Ammi - a popular cut flower. We're growing some Ammi that retains a green coloring in the flower, which should be dramatic additions to early summer bouquets. All umbellifer flowers tend to have that same umbrella-shape and shimmering feel. Pollinators love these plants - they actually go by two family names, Umbelliferae and Apiaceae. Apiaceae refers to their symbiotic relationship to pollinators, specifically, honey bees, latin name Apis, a group of hives being an Apiary! And these plants also tend to attract beneficial insects like lady bugs by providing extra nourishment and protection. You'll see lady bugs and other beneficials all over the umbellifer plants.

They are also some of the most dramatically flavored herbs. Parsley, anise, fennel, chervil, celery, lovage, sweet cicely, carrot, angelica, etc. are all members of this dynamic family. Such a huge range of flavors for one group! Any salad or pasta dish is just made more wonderful with the addition of fresh cut umbellifer flowers! Most are also wonderful companion plants for vegetables, bringing in pollinators and beneficials and providing cover and support. I always plant dill around my brassica/cabbage family plants. You can also plan salads and meals while gardening; grow chervil and parsley and chives interspersed around your cucumbers.  
 
For more ideas on growing a Beneficial-Bug-Friendly Garden -
Take our Gardening For Bugs Workshop on Sun 5/16/10, 12:30-2:30 pm
(after the Sunday Plant Sale!)

Gardening For Bugs Workshop
Sun 5/16/10, 12:30-2:30 pm
This is one of our passions - we love bugs. The focus of this workshop is to garden for your good bugs - provide them what they need (and maybe a little extra) and regain balance in your garden to prevent the bad bugs from damaging your harvest. We'll get into native pollinators, honey bees, butterflies, predatory bugs and mites, etc. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/13/10.
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Compost 2010
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Compost Up CloseWe have had a tremendous increase in interest in our Compost, which is crafted biodynamically and made using our chicken manure and kitchen and garden waste.

We have subsequently sold out for the spring. But we have retained enough to make up Compost-Starter Packs for people wanting to start their own compost piles. We cannot stress enough how important and effective this practice is for overall sustainability and planetary health and well being. Even the smallest yard can host a compost pile. Compost piles do NOT smell. They don't attract unwanted wildlife if handled properly. And they look rustic and ethical, especially with some straw strewn about and pitch fork - I find it to be an attractive accent to the yard.

There are many books out there on composting and we are writing a small instruction sheet on how to best use our Compost-Starter. The Compost-Starter can also be used to start worm bins, as it is teaming with worms.
Chickens Love Compost too!
Limes and Lemons


Our Compost-Starter packs are 3.5 pounds each and cost $12.00 each. They will be available at our Plant and Seedling Sales, or email me, and we'll arrange a pick up time. [email protected]

We suggest that you plan to use the starter immediately upon getting it as it is teaming with life, worms to micro-organisms, and so you can't keep them bagged up very long. Do not put the starter on top of the soil under plants; you want to mix this into a large pot or compost pile.

We just updated our Compost Page on our website: check it out! And we're planning to add our Composting Workshop to our Spring line up of workshops as per popular demand. Composting really is a artform - and it is so fulfilling to put a big shovel of the perfect black compost into your garden bed that you made yourself utilizing your kitchen and garden scraps. It makes so much sense rather than putting that trash into plastic bags for trucks to come and take to dumps and then have to go and spend money on brand-name composts packed again in more plastic bags that end up again in the dump. Sometimes the world just seems crazy. Anyway - compost away! It's healthy for the mind and soul!
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SPRING 2010 Farm Schedule

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April
Allium/Brassica Pre-Sale Plant Sale!
Cold Weather Seedlings
Cold Weather Seedlings

Saturday 4/24/10,  9am-noon
We will have a pre-selection of cold weather seedlings and plants for sale!

Mostly Brassicas and Alliums: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Scallions, Chives, Onions, Leeks, Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Mustards, Lettuce, Mint, Parsley, Cilantro, Sorrel, our famous Chicories, and more!
We planned this to accommodate our serious gardener and farmer friends, who want to plant in stages.

Plants that will be available at the Pre-Sale are marked in our 2010 Plant and Seedling listing (can be found at www.midsummerfarm.com) with a tag "A/B Pre-Sale!" A/B Pre-Sale plants will also be available as usual at our regular Plant Sales and there is still time to get them in the ground, but you can get a head start by planting these crops earlier. Stay afterwards for our 12:30 Workshop on Themed Container Gardening!


Themed Container Garden Workshop
Saturday, after the Pre-Sale
4/24/10, 12:30-2:30 pm
Whether you only have a small patio to work with or acres of growing fields, themed container gardens are so useful and alluring. We'll go through the basics of setting them up, and discuss some creative themes like container garden for: flavored-waters, various salad options, pesto, bean salad, dark leafy greens, evening tea, salsa, mini-moon, etc. Bring ideas with you, we'll go over what you need and how to organize the plants for top efficiency and health. Cost is $36 | registration closes 4/22/10

Posing leghorn  chick
Chick Pick-Up!

Saturday, April 24th 2010, 9 am - 12 noon
Official pick up day and time for your pre-ordered Heritage Breed chicks! Please call ahead to reserve your chicks. If you can't make it on this day/time, we'll schedule a different pick up time. Also, you can pick up chicks after the April 25th workshop.
See below for Official Feathered-Pullet Pick Up Date!



Backyard Organic Chickens Workshop
Sunday, 4/25/10, 10-12 noon

For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Cost is $36 | registration closes 4/22/10.
For an outline of our workshop: click here!

May

Big Annual Organic Plant and Seedling Sale (WEEKEND 1)
Sat and Sun 5/15, 5/16/10, 9am - 2pm
Every year we add more and more varieties and types of organic plants and seedlings. We will have a huge variety of organic heirloom vegetables (over 30 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes and peppers!), over 100 types of herbs (culinary and medicinal), annual and perennial cut flowers, as well as an unusual and very cool variety of natives, perennials, and rare medicinals. We strive to have everything you need to start your garden this season - organic fertilizer, soil, books, seeds, beneficial insects, biodynamic herbs, foliar tea mixes, and more. A festive spring event!

wagon of plantsGardening For Bugs Workshop
Sunday 5/16, 12:30-2:30 pm
(after the Sunday Plant Sale!)

This is one of our passions - we love bugs. The focus of this workshop is to garden for your good bugs - provide them what they need (and maybe a little extra) and regain balance in your garden to prevent the bad bugs from damaging your harvest. We'll get into native pollinators, honey bees, butterflies, predatory bugs and mites, etc. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/13/10

Annual Plant and Seedling Sale

(WEEKEND 2)

Sat and Sun 5/22, 5/23/10, 9am - 2pm

Please see above description for Weekend One.

Backyard Organic Chickens Workshop
Sunday 5/30/10: 10-12

For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/27/10. For an outline of our workshop: click here!

Feathered Pullet Pick Up!
Feathered Pullets


Sunday, May 30th, 12:30 pm
Official pick up day and time for your pre-ordered Heritage Breed feathered pullets! Please call ahead to reserve your birds. If you can't make it on this day/time, we'll schedule a different pick up time.

June
Risotto and Polenta Gardening Workshop
Sat. 6/5/10, 10-12 noon

If you are worrying that you're not sure how to fully use all the great herbs and vegetables and greens you want to grow in your garden, this workshop is for you. We'll be out in the greenhouse and pick and cook up a selection of risotto and polenta dishes! Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged | Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/2/10

Cooking from Your Spring Herb Garden

Saturday 6/12/10, 11am - 1pm

If you've said to yourself, " I have more herbs than I know what to do with!" take this workshop! Herbs are easy to grow and beautiful, and fresh herbs are pretty much impossible to get in supermarkets. So take the fullest advantage of your herb garden this year - cook away! Herbs are also full of important phytonutrients you can get no where else. You'll get tons of recipes and we'll go through various processes of recipe building, storing, etc that you can apply to any herb at any time. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged | Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/10/10

Backyard Organic Chickens Workshop

Sat. 6/26/10, 10-12 noon

For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years.  Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/24/10. For an outline of our workshop: click here!

mezza lunaPestos and Salsas Workshop

Saturday 6/26/10, 12:30-2:30 pm

Creating Pesto and Salsa Verde is truly an art in the artisanal kitchen. And although we'll do a great traditional Basil pesto, we also have a whole range of absolutely wonderful and creative mixtures using arugula, parsley, cilantro, lovage, chervil, dandelion, unusual heirloom Italian chicories, and more. All the Pestos and Salsa Verdes we will be making will also be fully balanced using nuts and seeds and can be thought of as the main course as well as the appetizers. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged | Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/24/10

July
Too Many Zucchini! Workshop
Saturday 7/10/10, 10-12 noon

By popular request - I'm doing a workshop on what to do with all your summer squash. I also used to feel overwhelmed and even bored by summer squash, but now I can't wait to get my hands on as many as possible! I have a wide range of truly delicious recipes that I am thrilled to share with you so you too can fully enjoy all those zucchini you're pulling out of your garden this time of year! As with my other cooking workshops, you'll take home a variety of recipes and building outlines for creatively designing your own meals. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged | $36.00 | registration closes 7/7/10

WORKSHOP DETAILS AND INFO:
Please see our website for updates and current schedules. All workshops take place on the farm, are 2 hours long, and cost $36. Please register in advance. Farm is located at 156 east Ridge Road, Warwick, NY 10990 . Call 845-986-9699 or email [email protected] to register or with any questions.

Classes are taught from a strictly Holistic and Organic standpoint. Class size is kept small to ensure individual attention. Fees include all materials and supplies needed. Children are welcome; children under 5 are free. If more than one person from a single household is taking the workshop together, the second person may deduct $5 from the cost of the workshop. Many classes take place outside in the gardens and are weather-permitting. Participants must register in advance. Cooking classes are hands-on and tasting is encouraged.

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Midsummer Farm Contact Info:
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
[email protected]

Holistic Health Counseling Contact Info:
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
[email protected]

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