Photo by J. CarmellSpring is moving along on the farm. We turn our cows and sheep out to pasture this week (and a lone cattle egret has made its annual return)! The cool dry weather has held back the grass from growing as quickly as we'd like, but last weekend's rain and the warm temperatures forecast for this week should help push the pastures along. Seventy-five ewes have so far given birth to 140 lambs, and two pregnant ewes are still expecting. We're getting ready to send cows and lambs to the Children's Farmyard in time for opening day, so that you can meet, milk, brush, and learn about them! The dairy staff have also been busy with educational programs – Dairy Day, Future Farmers of America Convention, and school field trips!
-- Sam Dixon, Dairy Farm Manager
Photo by Holly Brough
At the Market Garden we’re transplanting starts from the greenhouses to our fields – peas, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, Brussels sprouts, napa cabbage and more. We’re also already harvesting greens, like kale, chard, spinach, and lettuce. Last week we made our first fresh veggie deliveries to the inn kitchen for lunches for our educational program. We’re looking forward to supplying food to the inn restaurant once it opens! Our strawberries are starting to ripen…
-- Josh Carter, Market Garden Manager
Market Gardener Josh Carter waters starts in the greenhouse (peas in the foreground).After a great sugaring season, we’ve pulled all the taps from the forest. Now we’re donning gloves to pull up tons of invasive garlic mustard from the woodlands. We’re also milling lumber that will help us repair our barns, become furniture, as well as be sold to help support our nonprofit. Lastly, we’re inoculating shiitake mushroom logs! It’ll take a year for the spawn to colonize the logs. The logs we inoculated last year are in the greenhouse soaking, getting ready to supply delicious organic mushrooms to salads, soups, and entrees at the restaurant.
-- Dana Bishop, Natural Resources and Assistant Woodlands Manager
