Welcome to Spring at New Leaf Organic Farm!
Farmstand opens April 30th!
Well, its all up to Mother Nature once again, to determine what kind of season we are to have. I think most of us around here would agree that we are due for a good one after the last couple wacky summers we've had. So, we are back at it, and planning for a great Summer and bountiful harvest. So far the big adjustment has been adding Ada, our new little one, to the picture. I'd forgotten how consuming it is to take care of an infant, let alone, try to get farm work done. So, certainly it will be a season of re-learning patience for me as a farmer. I feel very lucky, so far, to have such a mellow little lady who seems fairly at home in the greenhouse environment. Now that we are moving plants and seeds outside is when things are sure to get exciting for us.
We decided to cut back this year, thank goodness, so no CSA program this season. That feels like a huge change in my Spring planning and planting schedules and takes a little pressure off how quickly we get things going around here. Our farm stand is due to open in a couple weeks and we are overflowing with plants ready to go. We've tried a bunch of new varieties of flowers and herbs and it's been great seeing them all come into their own. Sarah and Abe have been working hard to pick up my slack when they are here and we should all be stretching our legs and backs this week with our first round of big transplants. We've got a few large projects looming ahead for the season. The first one on the list is rebuilding the greenhouses that were trashed by the wind in December. Skimmer, my husband, is taking it on as a personal challenge to take the mangled remains of the two greenhouses and turn them into one moveable greenhouse. Being able to move the greenhouse back and forth between two locations will allow us to really double the amount of plant coverage it can give us and help to prevent some of the disease and pest pressure that comes from having to grow the same crop mix in the same spots year after year. Our goal is to be able to use it in about a month, so we'll see how that goes. At any rate, it is a bit of a scramble to not have those two greenhouses for tomatoes this Spring. Otherwise, we are getting excited about doing the new Saturday Bristol Farmers Market and also trying out Richmond market this year. Changing our focus to farmers markets a bit will hopefully keep us improving and figuring out what we'd like to do in the future for our marketing plan.
We've had a couple classes visit us in the greenhouses so far this season and that has been great. We are looking forward to having our Farm to School class from Robinson elementary in Starksboro coming out soon. There energy and enthusiasm has been awesome! We are hoping it will help us power through this Spring....... Have a good one.
Jill, Skimmer, Ruby, Ada, Sarah, and Abe
- From our Family to Yours!
OUR MISSION FOR THE FARM:
-to grow high quality, deliciously fresh organic vegetables
-to maintain and build on the health of our soil and water
-to keep this land open and in agricultural production
-to bring community members together in appreciation of good food and eating with the seasons
-to help all our kids learn where food really comes from
-to be a healthy and joyous place for kids to roam and discover
-to provide a positive and meaningful place to work for our employees and ourselves
Come and visit!
New Leaf is located on the Monkton/Bristol Road (also called North or Silver Streets) just on the town line. Look for the Yellow farm stand building and lots of signs. The farmstand is open for the season and our greenhouses will be filled to the brim with flowering plants, hanging baskets, veggie starts, and lots more.
New Leaf Organics is managed by Jill Kopel with the help of many hands throughout the season.
What is a CSA?- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a system in which consumers support a local farm by paying in advance for agricultural products. Throughout the growing season, CSA members receive a portion of the farm's harvest each week.
- Read more here.
School Groups Welcome
It can be a very enriching experience for kids to become familiar with a local farm. Growing more farmers in our communities entails exposing more kids to the joys and challenges of farming on a small-scale. We are happy to talk with you about scheduling a visit with your class to our farm and can often tailor your visit to a specific area of study. We are also interested in connecting with more classes for harvest gleaning in the Fall.