The cows are in the Niwot fields! This is exciting news and here's why.... *A brief rundown of what to expect in upcoming Fall shares below.* Cows are arguably the BEST thing for soil! What cows do is the definition of Regenerative Agriculture and an essential part of the Biodynamic approach to farming. Farmer Jason calls them "Fertility ladies" because their manure creates superior fertility in the soil. They eat only pasture, hay, and farm crop. Above you can see that they are thrilled with the remnants of our mediocre squash crop this year- maybe it was a successful crop after all! They are not fed grain which is partly the source of methane trouble. The shape of their hooves and the way they move slowly around the field creates the perfect aeration in the soil. Though we have been hauling Farm-made biodynamic compost from the Hygiene Farm over to the Niwot fields year after year, this is our first time being able to bring the cows there. Much appreciation goes out to Boulder County Open Space who provided a perimeter fence to our county-leased land there. This is a testament to years of good relationship building with Boulder County Open Space (and years of persistent requesting). In the spirit of extended land conservation, this parcel of county land will now have the ability to host livestock rotation for years to come, even beyond Aspen Moon. That is always our goal- Leave the land better than we found it! Good fencing is key to keeping livestock responsibly. We also have electric fencing within the perimeter fence in order to graze the cows in proper sections and to ensure they are kept safely separated from the nearby neighborhood and industrial area. As Farmers, we will still need to check on them daily, as none of us live there at the Niwot acreage. check out the video of them doing their good hard work on our instagram- it's super cute.
Good fertile soil with an active biological life is what produces the most vibrant nutritious vegetables for our community. This is the Biodynamic way. This is what we are committed to for YOU! Words of wisdom by John Kempf, pioneer and activist of the Regenerative Agriculture movement, "We as farmers are responsible for the health profile of this nation. As farmers we can do more to keep people healthy than all the doctors and hospitals combined. Human health is agricultural."- from one of our favorite books, Cows Save the Planet by Judith Schwartz
Here is a tentative rough plan of what to look forward to in the weeks to come in Fall CSA. Please remember that we are continually working WITH Nature so these are subject to change :). These numbers are for weeks 3-7 (so it is after this week). Some items may be limited and some may be in abundance...
Heirloom Acorn Squash 1 time
Carrots- 3 times
Beets 2 times
Onions 3-4 times
Leeks 1 time
Shallots 1 time
Garlic 3 times
Potatoes 2 times (4lbs planned for Thanksgiving week)
Purple Top Turnips 1 time
Rutabaga 1 time- limited
Parsnips 3 times
Hakurei 1 time- limited
Celeriac 2 times
Daikon 1 time
Black Spanish Radish 1 time
Watermelon Radish 1 time
Fennel 1 time- limited
Cabbage 1 time
Tatsoi 1 time- limited
Napa 2 times
Radicchio 1 time
Spinach 2 times
Beans 1 time
Heirloom Cornmeal 1 time in Thanksgiving share
Arugula/ Spicy Greens 2-4 times- It is growing in our Hoop Houses for December shares
Kale/Chard/other baby greens- 1-2 times
Butternut 2 times (from Full Circle Organic Farm)
Kabocha 1 time (from Full Circle Organic Farm)
Heirloom Popcorn available for swapping or purchase as soon as we get it ready
Thank you so much for reading this Farm blog! This truly helps get your the best information to enjoy your CSA share.
