Only 3 more weeks until your first pick up and the First CSA Open House BBQ!!

Well everyone, the long winter has passed and the  hills are alive with leaves, daffodils and peepers. That means that the 2009 growing season is officially under way at farms all across the state!! My favorite time of the year! I’m still fascinated that one little seed turns in to something beautiful and delicious. I look forward to this time every year.

Anyway, enough of me jibber jabbering. I’m sure you are all wondering about the pick up/ drop off days and times. Well…ask and you shall receive.

Montpelier Members:

Every Friday evening 4:30 -5:30 in the VT College parking lot (the same one for the winter market)

Farm Picker-Uppers:

(like last year), Every Sunday afternoon 12:00- 2:00

Important Note:

If you cannot make the pickup that week, please notify me 24-48 hours in advance. This saves me harvesting food that does not need to be harvested, only to sit lonely in the baskets…just wishing for a home.

FIRST PICK UP:

Sunday, June 7, 1:00 pm

CSA Open House BBQ and a chance to see the farm and meet everyone! Please RSVP by 5/30

The Seeds… they are a’ sprouting!!!

First, www.pebblebrookfarmvt.com is under construction but due to launch soon. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

Second, The first and NEW PBF Farm Stand is due to open any day now. It will be parked at the corner of Cox Brook Road and McGibbons Road (about 3 miles from Rte 12 and the Falls General Store)..That’s right…. I said parked. Will Eberle, Owner of Will Eberle Carpentry, designed and built this unique “farm stand” out of the old hay wagon. It resembles a small barn and the wood from the current barn standing on the farm was used….a must see for sure!

Third, Pebble Brook Farm can now also be found at the Waterbury Farmers Market on Thursday 3-7pm in addition to our hometown market in Northfield, Tuesdays 3-6.

Fourth If anyone is interested in veggie starters for your own gardens, please let me know. I have many varieties of Tomatoes, Broccoli, Lettuce, Basil, Cucumbers, Peppers and much more for sale. For CSA members, there is a 10% discount on starters.

ALSO:

There are only 5 more CSA spots open…. Tell your friends…. The deadline is June 1^st.

Pick –Your-Own:

(new this year):

-Snap Peas, Edamame

RADISH TOP SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced
• 4 cups raw radish greens
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 5 radishes, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and saute until tender. Mix in the potatoes and radish greens, coating them with the butter. Pour in chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
2. Allow the soup mixture to cool slightly, and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Mix in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until well blended. Serve with radish slices.

The latest addition to the Pebble Brook family… hatched on Mother’s Day!!

The deepest gratitude and thanks need to go to my extremely skilled and unbelievably generous friends for all of their help with construction of the greenhouse, farmstand and other fun inventions around the farm: Colby Pekarski , Will Eberle, and Forrest Twombly. I can’t thank them enough!! All are so very talented and highly recommended.

Thanks and Welcome to new and returning members!!!

First off, let me start by thanking all of you for not only supporting your local economy and agriculture, but for supporting me, your small farmer. It’s people like all of you who will (and do) help the country make that leap to eating more locally and seasonally, small step by small step.

Also, without the support of all of the shareholders, I would have a very difficult time getting all the supplies, repairs and seeds needed to grow the farm each year. Pebble Brook Farm is a small farm with a vision of becoming 100% closed loop and self sufficient. This being the second growing season, we’ve got a long way to go and it could not be done without each of you, your trust and support.

So with that said, take that as my written pledge to you that I will strive to grow you the best tasting and diverse season of organic produce that I can. Mother Nature can be finicky, especially here in VT, but I promise you that whatever she throws at me, I will do everything in my power to make sure you have goodies to enjoy each week!!
Thanks again for your support! I look forward to a great season of feeding you and yours. —Farmer Chip

The Seeds… they are a’ sprouting!!!

This is where I’d like to keep you all in the know as to some of the happenings here on the farm. This year there quite a bit of things going on that you, as shareholders, should certainly know about.

First, is this newsletter. Last year I did not offer one, but as the farm grows, so does my creativity …haha. So you can all expect to get one each month and sometimes more, depending on what is going on around the farm.

Second, is the NOFA Organic Certification. PBF is and always has produced organic veggies and herbs, by the strictest standards to say the least, but, this year I applied to get the actual ORGANIC label on the farm. This will help me get my produce in certain stores and such.

Third… a nice new (well used) 28’Wx48’L Greenhouse!!! Jack Manix of Walker Farm in Putney heard me on VPR and decided to donate a greehouse to me for the farm. The old 22 footer is now being used for early starts this March and April here at my house until the new GH is put up (by mid-april).

Fourth is the new addition to the farm staff. Liva, who is from Santa Cruz originally, but has lived in Colorado for the past few years with her boyfriend and friend of mine from the high school years. She now lives in Roxbury and also works part time with Foodworks, one of PBF’s  supporters!! So welcome her to the farm when you see her working the fields.

Coming next issue

• For all of you “Coming to the Farm Picker-Uppers”, The day and time of the pick up will be dialed in and confirmed.
• For all of you “Capital City Picker-Uppers” the delivery/pick-up day and time will be confirmed as well.
• The first recipe for the up coming spring bounty.
• The full details of what to expect for your season of “farming”
• The list of the newly added Pick-Your-Own crops
• More detail on purchasing   grassfed, happy beef from Flint Brook Farm in Roxbury

And much more….

As always, since this whole newsletter thing is a new work in progress, please feel free to add your recipe ideas or any other tips or ideas for future newsletters. Let’s make this a farm forum…. Of sorts!

Think Sunny Days and good thoughts for our Honey Bee’s and Bats…. We need them!!