Quail Hill Farm News: May 2014

Note from Scott: 
 
As Spring comes winging in ... My impulse to write, and to care for plants, is, again, born out of the same impulse in the blackbird's throat-to bring the thing into being, whether it be a call or response, a comment, a question, or a celebration ... 

 

We celebrated last week, after our significant Winter, as the temperature zoomed up into the 60's (imagine that, even before the arrival of June!). And judging from the spirited trills of the blackbirds, they too have chosen to celebrate Spring. We listened to the Deep Lane chorus as we planted the first potatoes and peas, followed by the first seedings of radish, arugula, Hakurei turnips and tatsoi. Next: kale, chard, lettuce and scallions found their way into our Birch Hill field, before the heavy rain of the last few days. On the wet days the crew sheltered in the farmshop, completing a second seeding of tomatoes, a third seeding of lettuce, more peppers and flowers. The greenhouses are full-with plants yearning to reach a home in the warming soil.

 

If you have not done so, please send in your Share Form for the 2014 season. We have    opened the registration to the entire community earlier this year; it is likely we will reach the limit of Shares by late Spring. Join us for this, our 25th year of community farming in the fertile fields of Amagansett. Our first Harvest Day will be Saturday, June 7, though you are most welcome to visit us throughout the month of May.

 

What we have accomplished here, together, over the past decades, is really informed by the language encoded in seeds. Seeds, like words, "behave like capricious and autonomous beings," so if we give them space to perform, perhaps we stand a chance to inherit their intelligence. This seems like a wiser choice to me, rather than to force our intelligence upon them.

 

We have given seeds, and plants and people, space to perform here. Thank you for being part of a lovely experiment, one with roots that flourish in the fertile silt loam of this seaside place.

 
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Thank You: Our Annual Seeding
Workshop Was a Great Success!

 

Thanks to nearly 20 volunteers who joined us at the farm shop on Saturday, March 29, for our annual seeding workshop. The greenhouse is filled with newly seeded trays of swiss chard, spinach, leeks, and fennel!  And when some of the greenhouse-grown seedlings
are moved outdoors, there will be room for more trays, so let Layton know if you have time to help get things growing.
 
Please mark your calendar for May 17: we'll be transplanting seedlings into the fields, and many hands will make light work. The program will be from 10 am to noon. To register, contact Robin Harris at 631.283.3195 ext. 19 or email to [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you in the fields.

Interested in composting and missed the seeding workshop? We'll be hosting composting workshops at the Agricultural Center at Charnews Farm in Southold on Saturday, May 10 and at Bridge Gardens in Bridgehampton on Saturday May 17.  More information, visit the Trust's online calendar. 
    

Summer Shares for 2014: Join Today!



There are still share spaces available for our 2014 Summer Season! The Quail Hill Farm summer season begins in early June and runs through the end of October.

We are very excited to announce that we will be offering limited -- only 25 -- shares to Dock-to-Dish CSF (community supported fishery) to Quail Hill Farm members. The CSF share will be picked up at our QHF Stand, on Saturdays throughout the season. If you are interested, contact Layton at [email protected].

If you are new to the CSF concept, check out this recent video on the program: http://foodcurated.com/2013/12/dock-to-dish-a-full-circle-of-awesome/

Quail Hill Farm cultivates over 30 acres in Amagansett, and our crop list contains over 500 varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers, including herbs of every type, 50 or so varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, leafy greens, garlic, cabbage, zucchini, onions, beans, peas, squash, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beets . . . the list goes on and on. For those of you new to the  farm, shareholders have the opportunity to visit the farm stand and pick from designated fields on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 8:00 am - 5:30 pm. Greeters -- long-standing farm members -- and apprentices will be on hand during Harvest days to answer questions.

Shares are available for families as well as for single-person households.

For more information and a shareholder form, contact Robin Harris at 631.283.3195 ext. 19 or [email protected]. For information about crops, compost, and poetic cadence, contact Scott at 631.267.8492.


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Wish List
 

Farm pick-up truck: unfortunately, the trusty silver Tacoma has been retired.  We will accept any old or new pick-up truck that is ready for steady employment in our fields.       

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Coming Up:


Saturday, May 10: 
Scott Chaskey will be on a panel at Edible Institute 2014 in NYC.
The panel:
Farming: Farm-based food chain restoration for pollinators and people, moderated by Gary Paul Nabhan, with Scott Chaskey (Quail Hill Farm), Ken Greene (Hudson Valley Seed Library), Jack Algiere (Stone Barns), Chuck Eggert (Pacific Foods).


Sunday, May 25: 
Scott will be reading from his book Seedtime at the Comstock, Ferre & Co. Heirloom Festival in Old Wethersfield, CT.

End of May: Scott will be recording an episode of "The Song Is You" with Bonnie Grice, which will be aired later in the season on WPPB (locally, 88.3 fm or online at peconicpublicbroadcasting.org.

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Farmers' Markets


Quail Hill Farm will be participating in the Sag Harbor and the Springs farmers' markets this year. If joining us as a member of the farm doesn't work for you, please visit us at the markets -- Saturday mornings, 9-1, beginning May 17th.


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Plein Air Peconic: Open Spaces IV  

Ashawagh Hall:  May 9 through 11 

Reception with the Artists on Saturday, May 10 from 5 to 8 pm.  

 

  

 

Join us at the famed Ashawagh Hall in Springs for an exhibition of works by the artists of Plein Air Peconic. Participating artists: Casey Chalem Anderson, Susan D'Alessio, Aubrey Grainger, Keith Mantell, Michele Margit, Gordon Matheson, Tom Steele and Kathryn Szoka. All work is for sale and a percentage of sales will be donated to the Trust by the artists in support of our conservation work. For more information about the collaboration between the Peconic Land Trust and the artists of Plein Air Peconic visit www.PeconicLandTrust.org/pleinair.  

Ashawagh Hall: 780 Springs Fireplace Road, Springs, NY    

 

 

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Quail Hill Farm is a stewardship project of the Peconic Land Trust.
For information concerning Quail Hill Farm, please contact Robin Harris at 631-283-3195  
or by email, or visit us online at www.PeconicLandTrust.org/quail_hill_farm 
 

The Peconic Land Trust conserves Long Island's working farms, natural lands,
and heritage for our communities, now and in the future.

For more information concerning the Trust, call us at 631.283.3195
or visit us online at www.PeconicLandTrust.org.


Financial Disclosure Statement: A copy of the last financial report filed with the New York State Attorney General may be obtained in writing to: New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau, Attn: FOIL Officer, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271 or Peconic Land Trust, PO Box 1776, Southampton, NY 11969.