Berry Time!
Trying to Beat the Birds
Everywhere I look there are berries. Blueberries abound. Raspberries are starting to ripen. It will be a race with the birds again this year to see who gets to the elderberries first (spoiler alert – the birds). It seems when nature takes something - like peaches, we have no peaches this year due to a late frost – it gives you something else in return. We have a catbird that is addicted to our raspberries. When he sees me coming instead of flying away, he hides among the bushes. I have also discovered that the birds that get trapped in the blueberry netting are just fine with that. We check regularly enough that to them it feels like an exclusive all you can eat blueberry festival. I have already made three blueberry buckles this year. This recipe is super easy and a winner with everyone. Also, it is not too sweet - goes great with ice cream.
Where did Summer Go?
Can you believe it is almost August already? It has been a while since the last newsletter, and I must confess to a bit of writer’s block. There is a quiet rhythm to the farm, and we have found our rhythm. Not a lot seems new and yet is it all amazing. This is the time of year for markets, making maple cream, and mowing, lots of mowing. We have cut and split a ton of wood with still more to go. And yet we are always learning too. We have discovered that 3 years is a long as you can ignore brushy brambly growth in woods and that is a job for fall. Both flower and vegetable gardens are doing well with all the rain, but all that rain sure makes for a stinky Kodi!
We turned logs into shorter logs this spring. We are hoping that they split themselves.
Rooster Tales
There has been some drama in the hen house this summer. We had two roosters, Liberace and his son, Red Rooster. Liberace, by all accounts, was a jerk. Despite being rescued from being someone’s next meal, he never really thought he needed to pay back that favor. That rooster hated people, especially me. To be fair though, Liberace was not a jerk to his son. You could accuse him of benign neglect - they co-existed. Interestingly, Red Rooster had no issues with people, but boy did he not like his dad. As soon as he knew he could whoop Liberace, he did. Liberace started sleeping outside this spring and some of the girls joined him. We all love a good camp out, but bobcats and other assorted critters are a real thing, so we moved Liberace and 3 hens into the “uptown” hen house. My Gram had a summer and winter hen house, we have uptown and downtown! As I said, critters are a real thing and when critters have little critters to feed the chickens look more and more like dinner. We don’t always see or know who the culprit is but along with a hen or two, Red Rooster disappeared. Liberace and the hens (good rock group name) moved back downtown and yes, he was still a jerk! But jerks get there due – Liberace went missing a few weeks ago. It's never fun to lose chickens, even the jerky ones, but it is the circle of life on the farm. Which means, the chicks are here!
Is Kodi protecting the chicks or does he look hungry?
Come See Us
We will be at the Blueberry Festival in Old Austerlitz, NY on Sunday, July 30. The historical society holds a blueberry pancake breakfast with our maple syrup to celebrate this very berry time of year.
You can come see us every Saturday at the Amherst and Great Barrington Farmers Markets until mid November. Check out our website for where to find us.