Welcome to the eighth season of the farm. I hope everyone has had a nice winter and spring. I’m sure a good few of you have noticed the lack of earlier Spring updates. Well, that’s because for the most part it’s just been operations as usual here on the farm, and I find it rather tedious to just keep repeating the same old thing over and over again. That said, it certainly is time that I let everyone know the opening date – Friday, June 16th – this season.

To provide the abridged version of goings-on:
– Seeds have been started in the greenhouses since early March.
– Nice weather in March allowed me to get an earlier than usual start on field work.
– April bad weather stopped most of the outdoor work.
– Availability and logistical issues with chickens (both layer and broiler) have been an ongoing problem

As far as the chickens go, I do have the Laying Hens who are already producing eggs. If you would like to purchase some before the farm stand opens, please text or call 518-728-9344 to arrange a time to come by.

Given the continuing frosts, fragile plants will not be going in the ground until after Memorial Day weekend, while others have or are already being planted. As is usual, even after I open the stand, in the beginning most items will be brought in from other farms, both Local and beyond.

That’s it for now. When I have more news, or in the immediate lead up to opening, I’ll be sure to get you all another update. Hope everyone has a great week.

It’s coming down to the wire now, with just this weekend to round out the season. It also looks like the leaves will be right around peak color for the weekend, at least in the Jewett valley. And the weather sure has gone from summer to late fall/early winter with the temps as low as they’ve been. Thankfully the forecast for the weekend was updated and is now no longer calling for possible snow showers on Saturday morning.

Please note that the farm stand will be OPEN on Monday 10/10 from 10-4. This is also the last day the stand will be open for the season.

In the field it’s now a matter of getting things ready for winter. The weather has made it virtually impossible to dig any additional Potatoes, though if I can get them out of the ground in a timely fashion I may pack them into 5 and 10 pound bags and send out an update, so be sure to check out the What’s Available page and keep an eye out for future updates. As had been the procedure for a number of years now, I will keep the What’s Available page updated until a little before Christmas, so if there is something you would like to get that I still have, please feel free to get in touch to arrange a time to come by the farm.

There will be Fresh and Frozen Chicken available this weekend, and this will be the last of the Fresh Chickens for the season. The Laying Chickens are doing great, and about half of them will be around on the farm until some time in December. The rest are being re-homed to a farm I’ve dealt with in the past, since they are looking for extra hens, and in December the others will join them at the other farm.

As of right now I have all the types of Preserves except Cranberry, and I don’t think I’ll have time to make it before the weekend. I was able to get the Strawberry-Rhubarb made last week, and it sold quite well. Many of the other Preserves are running low; so if you are looking to stock up, don’t wait. Again, after the stand closes, you can always check the What’s Available page to see if I have any what you may be looking for, and then get in touch with me.

That’s it for this week. I would like to thank all of you who have come by and helped support the operation of the farm. Have a great week, and if I am not going to be seeing you until next season, have a wonderful winter.

It’s coming down to the end of the season. Two more weekends left to go, and from what I’m seeing in the long-range forecast, it will be just in time. To be more specific, the last day the farm stand will be open for this season will be Monday, October 10th (Hours: 10 – 4), which is the Monday of Columbus Day weekend. As I’ve been doing for the last few years, I will continue to update the What’s Available page until right before Christmas, for those looking for Preserves, Eggs, or what frozen Chickens I may have left.

As was mentioned above, the current forecasts are showing temps cold enough not just for frost, but the serious possibility of a solid freeze over the next few nights. A heavy frost this time of year isn’t really surprising, given this is a mountaintop area, but a real freeze this early would be a little bit odd.

Given the forecast temps, I am doing what I can to get as much out of the field as I can. I’m still having some difficulty getting the Potatoes dug, because the ground is now so wet, but I’m hoping to be able to get even more dug out for this weekend and the next. The cold temps will also end almost everything else in the field, including the flowers, which have hung on far longer than I expected.

This week there are some different Apple varieties, with the appearance of regular season Macintosh Apples, plus Fuji, and Empire. I was also able to get some more Bartlett Pears, since they have been quite popular.

As of the time of the writing of this update, I have not yet been able to get the Strawberry-Rhubarb Preserves made, but I should be able to get them done before this weekend. Unfortunately, I will not have time to make any more Cranberry before the stand closes, though I may make some if there is any interest.

That’s it for this week. Please make note of the farm stand schedule and hours mentioned above. If you have any questions about product availability going forward, you can stop by, text, call, or email. Hope you all have a great week.

Just a shorter update this week, since I can’t really think of a whole lot to write about. The weather has most definitely moved toward fall, and what is forecast for this weekend should leave no doubt about that.

The crops in the field are all now winding down, and with the likelihood of a freeze in a day or so I’ll be working to get what I can out of the field. There’s not too much left at this point, though I am still trying to get Potatoes out of the ground. In what is a rather cruel twist of fate, I actually need it to be dry for about five days or so in order to get them dug out, and since the rain has restarted it just hasn’t been dry enough. Acorn, Butternut, and Spaghetti Squash are all being harvested, as are Pumpkins.

Fresh and frozen Broiler Chickens are available again this week. Last week’s Broilers were on the smaller side, with this batch looking to be 4 to 5.5lb.

Most types of Preserves are still available, but supplies are getting low. I’m currently out of Strawberry-Rhubarb, but plan to make more before the end of the season. If others run out between now and Columbus Day weekend, it is unlikely I will have time to get them made.

As a reminder, the last day the farm stand will be open for the 2022 season will be Monday, October 10th.

That’s it for now. Hope you all have a great week.

The weather overall doesn’t seem to know what it wants to do just yet, whether we’ll see a little more warmth, or if it’ll tip over and finally go into fall. I suppose it may just wind up being one of “those” kinds of fall and winter, but honestly, who knows.

I was able to get one last round of Peaches this week, but this is definitely the last of them. Local Blueberries have come to an end for the season.

A number of warmer weather crops in the field are winding down. Sadly, flowers are on that list. The colder mornings the last few days have affected them quite a bit, but as of now, they are still going. Surprisingly, it looks like there may even be a Gladiola or two.

Winter Squash are finally coming ready, though it appears that Acorn Squash did not fare as well as the Butternut and Spaghetti Squash. Pumpkins are already being picked, and I did also secure additional local ones, as I’m not sure I would have enough of my own.

The Laying Chickens are doing well and producing a good number of XL eggs, but still virtually no Jumbo eggs. I think I’m going to have to talk to a feed specialist about this to see what changes I can make for the future. Speaking of feed, and as I expected, the prices have started climbing again as this season’s grains begin to enter the supply chain.

The Broiler Chickens are all coming up to weight so I have begun processing again. There are smaller ones available this week and as we go forward they will be getting bigger each week.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Preserves are currently sold out, but it is on my list to make. The only other one running low right now is Cranberry. If you are thinking of stocking up on any quantity of preserves for the winter you may want to check with me soon.

I think that’s it for this week. Thanks so much to everyone who has come by and helped support the farm. Have a great week.

Labor Day has come and gone, so I guess this means the end of summer is truly here. Of course, as usual, this does not mean the end of the farm season is here, as crops like Potatoes, Winter Squash, Apples, and the anticipated fall crop of Pumpkins are just ramping up. According to my calendar, the farm stand will be open for five more weekends, with the last weekend for the season being Columbus Day weekend, and the last day being Monday, October 10th.

Before we get to the end, however, we still have a bit of time and a whole bunch of stuff to get out of the field. Additionally, there are still chickens to raise, slaughter, and process, and loads of eggs to collect and box.

Back to this week though, and the good news is PEACHES. Yes, the wonderful Peaches from PA are still available along with Nectarines from the same orchard. There will be Local Blueberries and new additions of Local Bartlett Pears and Local Golden Supreme Apples. I was also able to find some nice looking Mango at the market this week.

Unfortunately, the Broiler Chicken have not yet come up to a suitable size. I weighed quite a few to see if I could process even a few of them, but they are just not big enough yet. There is still frozen chicken available, though the birds I currently have are on the larger side.

After a number of weeks, and a considerable amount of damage done, woodchuck #6 has met its end. Dealing with all of them this year has been quite difficult and rather challenging. Hopefully, that will be the last of them for the season. Of course, having dealt with the woodchuck menace it was rather inevitable, at least as these things go, that the Coyotes would return. There are at least 2 packs that have recently reappeared in the areas to the West, which is the opposite side of the property from where the farm stand is located. There were “encounters” earlier this season, but given the dwindling rabbit populations, the Coyotes may once again become a handful, or even, as was the case a number of years ago, a serious danger to life and limb.

Lastly, the flowers are all rapidly approaching, but not quite at the end for the season. The Gladiola, with the possible exception of a few, are otherwise done for this season, The rest of the flowers took a bit of a beating from the much needed rain, but should be pickable for a little while, which realistically means either when a frost happens or a windstorm blows through the area.

I think that’s everything I needed to cover this week. My thanks to all those who have come by and helped keep the farm going. Your support is greatly appreciated. Hope you all have a great week.

I don’t know if it was a fast or a slow summer, but Labor Day weekend is upon us, so there’s not much point in being too concerned about it. Anyway, it’s not like this particular weekend will result in anything different about the work that has to be done on the farm. Still, I hope all of you have been able to have a nice, and if possible, relaxing summer.

The rain we had on Tuesday went a long way toward bringing the ground conditions back, closer to where they should be in regards to soil moisture levels. Of course, the weeds absolutely loved the rain, so there’s that. Most of the crops responded well, with the exception of the Cucumbers, which suffered a second round of whatever it was that affected them in late July. The only ones that look like they will be producing for the next few weeks will be the Persian and maybe some more Japanese Cucumbers.

It looks like there should be good amounts of Peppers and Eggplant this week, and the Winter Squash are coming along, but not quite ready. I’m not sure about Pumpkins yet, but have already made arrangements if I need to supplement my own supply from other local farms. Tomatoes continue to ripen very slowly, so I’ll be taking some actions in an attempt to kick the ripening into high gear.

Fruit fans can rest easy for another week, as there are still Peaches to be had. According to the broker at the market, Peaches should be available next week too, but that may be all for the season. It was pretty much the same news about Blueberries.

Flower lovers have been flocking to the field to snap pictures amongst the blossoms. So far, the flowers seem to be holding up well, but the Gladiolus will likely be finishing this weekend.

The Broiler Chickens are getting bigger, but are still too small for this weekend. Slaughter and processing will hopefully begin next week, and there will be Fresh Chicken available for the following three to four weeks. As a follow-up reminder, if anyone has interest in getting a number of Broiler Chickens for over the winter, please talk to me as soon as possible. As of now, I have only heard from a couple of people and will be setting aside birds from the current batch to meet the orders. If there is enough interest, I will get another round of Broiler Chickens for processing some time around mid-November.

That’s most all the news that directly concerns operations at the farm, but brings me to an issue that has come front and center due to the actions of New York State politicians. The New York State government has passed a law that severely impacts gun owners and all citizens of the state, and regardless of how you may feel about guns, this law could very easily affect you as well. The next time you come to the farm you will notice a new placard, MANDATED by NY state law, that clearly states that lawfully possessed firearms are allowed on the property. Failing to display this sign, but having anyone on the property, with or without my knowledge, carrying a concealed weapon, or firearms for hunting later in the season, would result in me being charged with a FELONY crime and subject to 9 years in jail. This law is blatantly unconstitutional as it clearly violates First, Second, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment Constitutional rights, but as of September 1st, 2022, will be enforced by police around the state. This post, and other changes to both the website and signage at the farm serve as notice that all LAWFULLY possessed firearms are permitted on the premises. I am making this statement UNDER DURESS (due to the active threat of state-enforced violence), and UNDER PROTEST (due to the clear violations of Constitutionally protected rights).

That’s it for this week. I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend, and my sincere thanks to all of you who have helped support the farm.

September is approaching quickly, and there are still some crops that are just taking their sweet time to produce anything. In addition, the availability of certain crops at the market seems to be getting a little worse, whether it be local crops or the ones from California. Regardless, I’ll do my best to keep as full a selection as I can. On the happier side, the rain we had on Tuesday was great, though we obviously need a whole lot more over time.

In the field, the Tomatoes are coming along, with Grape Tomatoes now starting to ripen in greater numbers. I’ve also been able to get some more Tomatoes harvested out of the greenhouse, though fewer than hoped. The Cucumbers, which suffered fairly severe damage to more than 90 percent of the plants, from something that blew in on the wind, are only now starting to re-grow and set new fruit flowers in greater numbers. The next planting of Lettuce is also now showing signs of better growth, but will still be at least a couple of weeks before it’s big enough to pick.

There is an additional variety of Local Apples this week. Gala Apples will be at the stand, along with Honeycrisp and Zestar. I was also told the Local Blueberries should be continuing, so long as the weather cooperates, for at least a few more weeks.

The chickens are generally doing well, with the Laying Hens are being their usual selves, by continuously demanding treats whenever I walk past the pen. Though this last week has been a little rough for the little Broiler Chickens, with a number of them suffering injury and health issues. Right now, it looks like it will be about 2 more weeks before the chickens will be big enough to process. As we move into fall, I figure I should probably ask if there is any interest in Broiler Chickens for over the winter. I’d need to get orders for at least 70 chickens for me to get one more batch. These late season Broilers would be ready some time around mid-November. If you’re interested, please either get in touch, or come by the stand and let me know at some point in the next couple of weeks.

That’ll be it for the update, so thanks for taking the time to check it out. Hope you all have a wonderful week.

Let’s start off with what is currently the most anticipated news – Local APPLES are now available. There are just two varieties for this week, but you have to start somewhere. The two types are Early Honeycrisp (a new, early producing version of the regular Honeycrisp) and Zestar (an early sweet/tart variety). While I’m sure the news of this season’s apples is welcome by many, there is also the realization that it must be getting closer to fall. Well, from the extended forecasts I’m seeing, it looks like we’re still going to be seeing summer for at least a while yet.

Overall things are doing pretty well on the farm, and yes, I literally knock on wood every time I say something like that. There are still issues with some crops (specifically Cucumbers and Lettuce), but nothing too major.

As of now, I am once again planning on trying to dig Potatoes this week. Events last week prevented me from being able to get to them. The Tomatoes are also coming along, albeit more slowly than preferred. I will likely have a few that can be picked for the weekend, so keep an eye out for them. There should also be some mini Eggplant as well as several different types of Peppers. Be sure to check the What’s Available page for the full listing for this week’s offerings.

The Local Blueberries are still coming in, but the berries are getting smaller, so I expect they will be finishing in a couple of weeks.

The Flowers are still producing wonderful blooms, so if you want to take any pictures of them this will probably be the week to do it. While Gladiola are also still blooming, they are approaching the end of their run. I’m also working on getting some bunches of Statice together for dried flower bouquets, which will be ready at some point after Labor Day.

Lastly, for those of you who are tracking events beyond the farm, please be sure to check out the latest farming news coming out of both Idaho and California.

That’s all for this week’s update. Many thanks to all those who have come by to help support and keep the farm going. Hope you all have a great week.