Farm Happenings at Four Beat Farm
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Farm Happenings for Week of September 30, 2020

Posted on September 26th, 2020 by Naomi Martz

Breaking news: Early bird sign up for 2021 Harvest Shares is around the corner.  We will be offering a limited number of spaces, and a bonus to returning members who show their support for our farm by signing up early. Keep an eye on your email for a farm update for how to take advantage of this.

More details to come, but in case you're wondering "Why the rush?", know that jumping on this offer means not only getting a sweet bonus, but also getting to support the farm going into the winter months, and you'll get the security of knowing we will be growing your food for you going forward (which means a supply of local organic food to keep you healthy, weekly kitchen inspiration and goofy veggie snacks, and maybe even a few less grocery store line-ups amidst our current climate of uncertainty).

On that note, time sure flies on the farm, and we are nearly into October.  Wild!  We are so grateful for this week of sunshine after the stormy rains, as there is plenty to harvest in the field and it's a joy to do it without sinking into the mud too much ;)  We are still waiting on our first frost, but the colder nights have started sweetening up crops such as the brussel sprouts and turnips, so look for those in the coming weeks. 

We've had plenty of wildlife hanging around the farm recently, including a coyote, some deer, and an adorable bear that Keisha has been chasing away multiple times per day.  Hopefully the bear moves along soon, but it is interesting to see that Sally the cat does not seem too bothered by when it comes close.  Sally has been amusing our farm crew with all kinds of antics recently, including lazing around on a shelf next to the cooler, jumping onto laps while we are having lunch, and sneaking up on visiting dogs just for fun.  Never a boring day on the farm.

The corn stalks have been cut down to feed to the horses (a great composting system), and we've started on our carrot harvest.  The carrots and beets for fall were planted in a less nutrient-rich part of the field with sandier soil, so they have been slow to size up and are on the smaller side than we had hoped for.  That said, they are delicious and we are excited to share them with you.  The parsnips should be ready in time for Thanskgiving, and we've got some russet-style potatoes slotted for next week as well.  We are renovating the hoophouses this week to get some greens planted, with the hope of having some fresh salads to offer in our winter shares for November and December.  The kales in the field are looking strong, and the rainbow chard plants are even having a final heyday before some proper cold weather rolls in.

We've got a few big harvest weeks ahead of us, and can't wait to share the bounty with you.

Sincerely,

Your farmers.