Summer is certainly here with the weather we’re currently experiencing. On the farm, work continues mostly normally. Yesterday’s power outage caused a bit of chaos, and a quick scramble to get the generator hooked up for the chickens. Thankfully it was relatively short-lived and work resumed in the evening.

The laying hens are doing well and have been enjoying their Kale snacks and any Lettuce that has started to bolt to flower. They do love their greens and go after them like a bunch of piranha. I have also made a slight tweak to their feed, in hopes of being able to have them lay a greater proportion of XL and Jumbo eggs. It’ll take a week or so to see the results, and I don’t want to change their food too radically.

The broiler chicken slaughter and processing begins this week, so be on the lookout for fresh birds. I’m planning to sell them as both whole and halves, at least for the first round of processing. I should be processing each week for at least 3 weeks. The next round of broiler chickens is due to arrive on the farm as day-old on August 1st.

The veggies in the field are generally doing well. It does appear that my Sweet Corn is not growing properly this year. The only thing I can attribute it to is the colder than usual spring overnights, with temps down to 36F. These colder temps are also what has slowed down my Tomato, Pepper, and Eggplant. At this point we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I’ll be picking Zucchini, String Beans, and Snap Peas along with any Cucumber I can find out there.

PENNSYLVANIA PEACHES ARE HERE!

The first of the PA Peaches are here, and the word from the orchard is they are looking at a nice harvest this year. Additionally, I was able to get both LOCAL BLUEBERRIES and LOCAL SWEET CHERRIES. The blueberries have just begun and will be available (weather permitting) for some time. The sweet cherries are about the last for the season, so get them while you can. Canadian Strawberries will be available this week, as will Local Sweet Corn and Local Tomatoes. Please check out the full list for this week on the What’s Available page.

Lastly, as those of you who have come by the farm already know, I have instituted a policy of adding a $1 “processing fee” to all electronic payments under $35. This policy is to help offset the increasing fees the banks and processors are charging for those types of transactions. I opted to add a fee as opposed to simply raising all the prices, as I do not feel that people who pay cash should have to shoulder the burden of the extra costs. Given the way food prices are going, I felt this was the most equitable way to handle the increased fees and costs. So if you would like to avoid the processing fee, please pay in cash.

Thanks to everyone who came by, you support of the farm is greatly appreciated. Hope you all have a great week.