Appleton CSA Final Week of 2016 (Hiatus Week- 21)

Good morning shareholders,

For some the CSA season has now come to a close. For those of you who opted to take the voluntary hiatus, welcome to the final week of the CSA. Can't remember if you signed up for the hiatus week? Email appletonfarms@thetrustees.org to ask Susan or Ashley.

I'm pleased to be able to say that we will have a more extensive share this week than we would have been able to provide to all of you way back in the first week of August.  At the time it was a bit of a gamble but it paid off.  The structure of the CSA may be a little bit different this week.  Certain items that had been limited with the intention of making sure everyone had an equal chance at an equal share may have those limits relaxed.  Our game plan is and has been to distribute as much food as possible and our hope is that our cooler and all of our storage crops will be completely gone after our very last share room customer this week.  

Although there were certainly low times and high times we hope that your farewells to this season are fond ones and we hope to see you back in the spring.  Remember to renew your CSA membership online and give us a call or shoot us a message if you have any problems or concerns about renewal.  Be sure to check your email for a season wrap up in the coming weeks and to stay abreast of any updates from the CSA.  Stop by the farm to see us this winter for some farm programming fun or just stop by to say hi and grab a warm drink at the Farm Store.

The share:

Carrots
Potatoes
Turnips
Garlic
Scallions
Radishes
Beets
Cabbage
Kale/Collards
Greens
Broccoli
Kohlrabi 

As a reminder, we have come up with an alternative to the Appleton Thanksgiving share with the Three River FarmersAlliance share.  If you haven’t all ready grabbed a flyer from the desk in the share room, make sure to check it out!  You can sign up by filling out the form at the bottom of the flyer then either handing it in to Ashley or by writing “Appleton” on your form and mailing it to the address listed.  Don’t forget to include your payment along with your form.  Checks can be made out to Three River Farmers Alliance.   You can pick up your Thanksgiving share on Monday November 21^st between the hours of 1pm and 3pm in the Appleton CSA barn.

Renewals for the 2017 Appleton Farms CSA are now open for current CSA members.  Primary shareholders received an email containing a link for signups on Tuesday, October 18^th.  If your primary shareholder has not received this email please contact Susan, our CSA Coordinator, at appletonfarmsCSA@thetrustees.org or 978.356.5728 ext.  4110. 

Upcoming Programs:

Sweet as Pie Culinary Workshop  | Saturday, November 19^th - Two sessions- 10AM and 3PM

Its pie time and we have you covered for the Thanksgiving holiday. Join us in the farm kitchen as we learn all the basics for making delicious country-style pies including techniques on tender homemade pie crust, rolling & assembly, and proper baking.…..all while keeping it fun, simple, and stress-free. Workshop includes hands-on preparation of 3 different pies and each participant will take home one unbaked 9” deep dish pie (apple variety) to pop in the freezer and bake fresh for the holiday table! Warm pie will be enjoyed with coffee and tea at the end of the workshop. (recipes may include Rustic Caramel Apple Pie and Pear & Ginger Pie) BYOB or wine.

Farming in the First Period with PeterCook  | Sunday, November 20^th 4PM

Farming, together with fishing, was the lifeblood of the first settlers. They brought English seeds, animals and farming methods to the new colony, but had to adapt them to the environment. Peter Cook will compare English agriculture (plantings in long straight lines produced by plows) with the mound agriculture of Native Americans produced by hoes. He will illustrate the farm animals brought over, mainly cattle and pigs, and how they were kept, used and shared among the colonists. He will illustrate the different crops, the enclosures and fences. The agriculture of the First Period was distinctive then and is fascinating now.

Presented by the Ipswich Historical Commission with The Trustees as part of the annual Thanksgiving celebration, "Ipswich is First…Period."

Peter Cook is a nationally recognized expert on colonial agriculture. During his long career, Peter has served as chief curator of Plimoth Plantation, administrative director of Historic New England, and chief curator of the Bennington Museum. At Plimoth he established a program to breed early species of livestock. Today, Peter is a professor in the graduate program at Lesley University.

Appleton CSA Week 20 (October 24-28th)

Good morning shareholders,

We have lots to tell you about the share, field updates, and renewals so we will keep the farm news brief this week.  This Sunday, we'd love to see you at our final Down on the Farm: Fall Concert with Rust Never Sleeps.  There will be a pumpkin contest, trick or treating for kids, food trucks, beer and wine, and of course, great music.  The fun begins at 4pm and all the info can be found right here.

We are thrilled to announce that Liz Green has joined the Trustees Agriculture Team, stepping into the statewide Vegetable & CSA Program Manager role.  Liz has been farming since 2008, and has worked on a variety of vegetable farms in Eastern Massachusetts, including our own Powisset and Moraine Farms. She was most recently the Farm Manager at Three Sisters Farm in Ipswich, which she helped launch from scratch. Liz brings her deep knowledge about farming as well as a strong connection to the North Shore community.  She will be working with Ryan and all of our CSA Managers across the state to support the farms, farmers, and the CSA programs.  Liz will have her office at Appleton so you'll be sure to see her in the share room throughout the season.

The Share:

Kale/Collards

Chard

Beets

Turnips

Potatoes

Greens

Carrots

Radishes

Cabbage

Garlic

Field Updates:

As we mentioned in our mid week update, share renewals are now live for the 2017 CSA season.  If you are a primary shareholder you should have received an email with a link to our signup page at this point.  Please contact Susan in the office at 978.356.5728 ext. 4110 if you haven’t received the email yet or if you have any questions about the renewal process.  Although we are coming to the end of an extremely challenging season, we have done everything possible to build momentum in the share room over the last several weeks and I expect that next week, our final week of share for those who weren’t able to take the summer hiatus, will be one of our very best.  There is no denying that part of becoming a CSA member is assuming some share of the risk that comes with farming.  Over the years we have seen bumper crops and crop failures but this is the first season that we have seen crop failures on such a level.    Now that we are aware of how dicey things can get, it would be difficult not to perceive our shared risk more acutely than ever before.  I would not try to downplay this risk in order to convince our shareholders to sign on for another season, rather I would like focus on the steps we took to shield our members from the worst of the drought and how hard we worked to turn a tough situation around and end on a high note.  I can’t promise that next season will be perfect but I can promise that we will work just as hard and give everything we have to make next year as great as it possibly can be. Food for thought as you consider renewing.

In the fields we are chipping away at all the usual fall tasks: collecting various pieces of equipment and tools that have become dispersed around the fields, rounding up irrigation parts and frost clothe, removing drip tape and taking down trellising.  We are still very busy with the harvest and each week provides fewer and fewer daylight hours to work with but little by little the farm is being prepared for its winter slumber.  This week we began planting the garlic, a task I love dearly and have written about at length in years past.  It has been so warm that I’m a little nervous the garlic might put on too much top growth before winter sets in but this would only be a minor set back.  

Construction on a new greenhouse began today.  This is a project that has conceptually been in the works for at least 3 years but only became a reality in the last couple of months.  The new 30x60ft structure has been desperately needed to solve some work flow and space issues that have handicapped our greenhouse seeding efforts (especially in the early spring).  The most obvious benefit to the CSA that I can think to mention is that we will be able to seed, and therefore transplant and eventually harvest, our tomatoes much earlier than in the past few years.  I will probably write about this project at much greater length in the future but for now let me offer a deep and heartfelt thank you to Gerry Bouvier, the project manager, for bringing our greenhouse dreams to waking life.

As promised in last week’s blog post, we have come up with an alternative to the Appleton Thanksgiving share with the Three River FarmersAlliance share.  If you haven’t all ready grabbed a flyer from the desk in the share room, make sure to check it out!  You can sign up by filling out the form at the bottom of the flyer then either handing it in to Ashley or by writing “Appleton” on your form and mailing it to the address listed.  Don’t forget to include your payment along with your form.  Checks can be made out to Three River Farmers Alliance.   You can pick up your Thanksgiving share on Monday November 21^st between the hours of 1pm and 3pm in the Appleton CSA barn.

Upcoming Programs:

Thanksgiving on the Farm Culinary Workshop  | Sunday, November 13^th 4PM

Jazz up your traditional holiday table with updated classics and helpful tips for keeping this special holiday simple & stress-free.  We’ll talk turkey, covering tips on safe handling, roasting, stuffing, and carving while preparing a full menu including homemade stuffing and dishes such as Mushroom & Sourdough Stuffing, Apple-Roasted Vegetables with Pancetta & Thyme, Farm Potato & Celery Root Gratin and Spiced Pumpkin Trifle…..all sure to be a big hit with family and friends.  Our workshop ends with our very own Thanksgiving celebration in the farmhouse dining room.  Hands-on cooking, experienced chef instruction, & printed recipes included. BYOB or wine. Members: $72. Nonmembers: $90

Sweet as Pie Culinary Workshop  | Saturday, November 19^th - Two sessions- 10AM and 3PM

Its pie time and we have you covered for the Thanksgiving holiday. Join us in the farm kitchen as we learn all the basics for making delicious country-style pies including techniques on tender homemade pie crust, rolling & assembly, and proper baking.…..all while keeping it fun, simple, and stress-free. Workshop includes hands-on preparation of 3 different pies and each participant will take home one unbaked 9” deep dish pie (apple variety) to pop in the freezer and bake fresh for the holiday table! Warm pie will be enjoyed with coffee and tea at the end of the workshop. (recipes may include Rustic Caramel Apple Pie and Pear & Ginger Pie) BYOB or wine.

Farming in the First Period with PeterCook  | Sunday, November 20^th 4PM

Farming, together with fishing, was the lifeblood of the first settlers. They brought English seeds, animals and farming methods to the new colony, but had to adapt them to the environment. Peter Cook will compare English agriculture (plantings in long straight lines produced by plows) with the mound agriculture of Native Americans produced by hoes. He will illustrate the farm animals brought over, mainly cattle and pigs, and how they were kept, used and shared among the colonists. He will illustrate the different crops, the enclosures and fences. The agriculture of the First Period was distinctive then and is fascinating now.

Presented by the Ipswich Historical Commission with The Trustees as part of the annual Thanksgiving celebration, "Ipswich is First…Period."

Peter Cook is a nationally recognized expert on colonial agriculture. During his long career, Peter has served as chief curator of Plimoth Plantation, administrative director of Historic New England, and chief curator of the Bennington Museum. At Plimoth he established a program to breed early species of livestock. Today, Peter is a professor in the graduate program at Lesley University.

2017 CSA Renewals

Reserve your spot - Renew today!

Appleton Farms

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program

Renewals for the 2017 Appleton Farms CSA are now open for current CSA members.  Primary shareholders should receive an email containing a link for signups on Tuesday, October 18^th.  If your primary shareholder has not received this email please contact Susan, our CSA Coordinator, at appletonfarmsCSA@thetrustees.org or 978.356.5728 ext.  4110.

Each fall, we offer our current shareholders first priority for renewing their share. After that time, share offerings will be opened up to our waitlist.  Returning CSA shareholders who have not renewed by January 16, 2017 will not be guaranteed a spot for the 2017 CSA season.

The cost of the 2017 Appleton Farms CSA will remain at $650 for the season.  The CSA will run for 20 weeks, starting the week of June 12, 2017 and ending the week of October 23, 2017.

Continuing our policy of reduced paper waste, signups will only be available online this year.  Please check your email for the link.  If you require in person assistance with signups you may come to the farm office between 9 and 4 during the week or come to the CSA barn on November 21^st between the hours of 1pm and 3pm (during the Thanksgiving share pickup).  Susan is also available by phone at 978.356.5728 ext. 4110 to answer any questions you might have about the signup process.

Appleton CSA Week 19

The scheduled CSA season will end on OCTOBER 28th with the hiatus make up week immediately following.
The Share:

Bok Choi

Kale/Collards

Cabbage

Greens

Onions

Potatoes

Garlic

Carrots

Turnips

Beets

Peppers

Radishes

Updates

Usually at this time of the year we are in the middle of selling our Thanksgiving/fall shares but this year is a little different.  The Thanksgiving share has traditional been a way to supplement our late season revenue and to distribute any surplus we have left after the main season CSA has ended.  With such a challenging summer we began distributing many of our fall crops earlier than expected, leaving us with little expectation of a surplus.  It was a painful decision but we realized that there would not be a fair way to satisfy both our main season CSA customers and provide for the Thanksgiving share.  As such we have decided not to carry out our plans for an Appleton fall share this season.  For those of you who were really counting on and looking forward to the Thanksgiving share, I have been looking into alternative options which I hope to make available in the share room next week.  Be sure to speak with Ashley or one of the shopkeepers if you are interested in learning more.

In the fields our fall crops continue to mature at a snails pace.  We harvested the first of our fall broccoli today and got some absolutely gorgeous crowns but the vast majority of the field is still slowly sizing up.  With only two more weeks of the regularly scheduled season it is clear that not everything is going to reach the level of maturity that we might hope for.  Instead of giving up on these crops we are going to attempt harvesting many of them at “baby” size.  This way all our hard work planting and caring for these crops won’t be wasted and our members will get to enjoy exceptionally delicate and tender variations of their favorite veggies.  Look  for baby beets, baby carrots, baby fennel and many others in the share over the next couple weeks.

After narrowly avoiding two or three "killing" frosts we were finally hit with the big one in the early hours of Saturday morning.  We have been incredibly fortunate to have had such a long and productive season for tomatoes and peppers.  With each near miss killing frost we were given another chance to harvest absolutely everything we could from our tomatoes and peppers.  As a result we have a nice little stock pile of these crops for the CSA.  Even with out best efforts we were not able to get absolutely everything.  There are a few small green tomatoes still out on the vines with an even smaller numbers of red tomatoes mixed in.  As the farm crew slowly cleans up this field over the course of next week, CSA members are welcome to come and try to glean these remaining tomatoes.  I can't guarantee the conditions or quantity of the tomatoes out there but you are welcome to them.  Speak with Ashley in the share room for details if you are interested.

 Upcoming Farm Programs

Autumn is here, come enjoy the beauty of the season by joining us in some fun fall activities here at Appleton. Check out our programs, concerts, workshops and tours this October!

Fall Happenings at Appleton Farms

Rise & Shine: Little Farmers Saturday, October 22nd 9-10 am

Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of scraps? This Saturday morning program brings families behind the scenes of our working farm. You’ll meet our calves, goats, sheep, pigs & chickens when you help with the morning chores (don’t worry, we will go easy on you!) We learn as we go and take advantage of whatever lesson the day has to offer. We conclude our farm adventure with a seasonal farm story. Please note, you only need to register one ticket per family (six or more in a family should register for two families).
Weather: This program runs rain or shine so please dress appropriately as there is always an outdoor component. In the event of lighting, we will cancel. Feel free to bring a picnic lunch or stop by our Dairy Store to grab some goodies and spend your day on the farm. We have picnic tables, bathrooms, water, and plenty of stroller friendly walking paths for you to enjoy!

Down on the Farm: Fall Concert Series Sunday October 16th 4-7 pm

Join us for fall concerts in the Stone Paddock! This family-friendly concert will offer live music from Soul Rebel Project. Food will be available for purchase from Boston Burger Company and CopperDome Crust Pizza. Beer and Wine will be available for purchase from Ipswich Ale and Old Planters Brewing. Or bring your own picnic! Enjoy our lawn games, meet our animals, and enjoy a gorgeous fall evening on the farm. Gate opens at 4pm, concert begins at 5pm. Sorry no dogs or byob.
No pre-registration required. Cash accepted at the gate. Bring your own lawn chairs.

Pasture to Plate: Cheese Making Tour Saturday, October 22nd, 3:30-4:30 pm

This in-depth look at our dairy operation will take you from the pastures to the cheese kitchen viewing area – and everywhere in between – to learn about how we make our delicious farm fresh cheese. We’ll talk about our rotational grazing, see the milking in action, and get a glimpse of the cheese caves. Finish up with a sampling of some of our products.
This program meets at our Dairy Store and there is no need to pre-register.

From Cultures to Rinds: Cheese Making Funadamentals Saturday, October 22nd, 10am - 12pm

Our cheese making classes are back!  Join Appleton’s own cheese maker, Kristian Holbrook, for a hands-on cheese making class in our farm kitchen.  You’ll learn all the basics of cheese making, make your own mozzarella and ricotta to take home, and get a behind-the-scenes tour of our dairy operation and cheese cave.  Pre-registration required.
This event is part of the Appleton Cooks! program. For more information about Appleton Cooks! and similar events please click here.

Down on the Farm: Fall Concert Series with Pumpkin Contest and Children's Farmyard Trick or Treat Sunday, October 23rd, 4-7pm

The fall concert will take place among your creative pumpkin creations!  Bring your carved pumpkin and place it on the stone wall surrounding the concert. We will light all the pumpkins as the sun goes down for all to enjoy. Participants can vote for the "best of" in a number of categories and winners will be announced that evening.  Kids can wear their non-scary costumes and will receive candy during the farmyard costume parade.
This family-friendly concert will offer music by Rust Never Sleeps, a Neil Young Retrospetive.  Food will be available for purchase from Gabi's Smoke Shake and CopperDome Crust Pizza. Beer and Wine will be available for purchase from Ipswich Ale and Old Planters Brewing. Or bring your own picnic. Enjoy our lawn games, meet our animals, and enjoy a gorgeous fall evening on the farm. Gate opens at 4pm, concert begins at 5pm.Sorry no dogs or byob.
No pre-registration required. Cash accepted at the gate. Bring your own lawn chairs.

Appleton CSA Week 18 (October 10th-15th)

Good morning shareholders,

We had another slight frost on Thursday morning.  Everything came through it fine once again but each night the lows seem to dip a little closer to the danger zone.  Since the weather hasn’t exactly favored us this year we have taken all the precautions we can think of.  Today we began picking all of our peppers and tomatoes, red or green, to stock up in the event of a surprise cold snap.  Right now the weekend weather looks reasonably good but all it takes is one hard frost to completely finish our summer crops.  I have been anxiously surveying our broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi and spinach to see when these crops might be ready for harvest.  As the days grow shorter it is amazing how much crop maturation slows down.  The broccoli is hardly larger than it was at the beginning of the week.  Even fast growing spinach seems to be taking forever to reach a harvestable size.  I’m still optimistic that all of these crops will make it into the share over the next several weeks but I’m sure we all wish they would hurry up about it.

The last week of share pick up begins Monday, October 24th unless you signed up for the hiatus week, in which case, your last week of pick up will be the week of October 31st.  Not sure what you chose to do? Check in with Ashley in the share room this week.

We are open for Monday/Tuesday pick up on Columbus Day.


The Share:

Onions

Garlic

Squash

Potatoes

Turnips

Greens

Radishes

Carrots

Kale/Collards

Peppers

Tomatoes

PYO Gleaning

Upcoming Events and Programs:

Down on the Farm: Fall Concert Series:  Join us for our first fall concert series at Appleton Farms!  These family-friendly concerts will feature live music, food trucks, lawn games, and an opportunity to meet our dairy cows and farm animals.  The series kicks off on Sunday, October 9^th at 4pm.  Bring your own picnic or purchase food from a selection of food trucks.  Beer and wine will be available for purchase with Ipswich Ale, Old Planters Brewing, and Mill River Winery.  Gates open at 4pm and concert starts at 5pm.  Leaf-peeping and family photo opportunities among the foliage in our historic Stone Paddock a bonus!   Entry will be by the car, cash only.  No pre-purchase required.  Trustees Members: $20 per car.  Nonmembers: $30 per car.   We're also looking for volunteers to lend a hand with various event needs- volunteer and you and your family come for free.  Interested? Email Marc at mmahan@thetrustees.org

October 9th: will feature classic rock music by Decades of Rock and food by Gabi’s Smoke Shack BBQ truck.  (Weather isn't looking good, but a decision will be made by 9AM.  Check our facebook page @appletonfarms for weather cancellations)

October 16th: will feature reggae music by Soul Rebel Project and food by Copper Dome Crust (wood fired pizza) and Boston Burger. 

October 23rd: will feature folk-rock music by Rust Never Sleeps, a Neil Young inspired band, and Copper Dome Crust pizza truck and Gabi’s Smoke Shack.  Plus on October 23^rd, bring a carved pumpkin for our pumpkin contest and let the kids come in costumes to take part in the farmyard trick-or-treat!  Carved, glowing pumpkins will surround the event for a spectacular Halloween inspired show

Pumpkin and Squash: Crop to Kitchen Culinary Workshop: October 27th 6PM-9PM

Oct                  These popular crop-specific workshops highlight the foods & flavors of the season!  Kabocha, Sugar Dumplin, Buttercup, Spaghetti, Blue Hubbard and more….this workshop explores the many varieties of pumpkins and sweet winter squash and their unique textures & tastes for delicious results in the kitchen! Everything from roasting to stewing to safe knife skills, we’ll prepare a full menu including both savory and sweet dishes using the harvest from our own fields.  Recipes will include:

Roasted Delicata Salad with Warm Honey-Lemon Dressing

Porchetta with Cider, Shallots, & Red Kuri

Spaghetti Squash & Basil Gratin

Sugar Pumpkin Crème Brulee

Hands-on cooking, experienced farm chef instruction, printed recipes, and a fantastic dinner in the old farmhouse!  BYOB or wine. Members: $72. Nonmembers: $90

From Cultures to Rinds: Cheese Making Fundamentals: October 22nd  at 10AM.
Our cheese making classes are back!  Join Appleton’s own cheese maker, Kristian Holbrook, for a hands-on cheese making class in our farm kitchen.  You’ll learn all the basics of cheese making, make your own mozzarella and ricotta to take home, and get a behind-the-scenes tour of our dairy operation and cheese cave.  Pre-registration required. Members: $60. Nonmembers: $75. Register at www.thetrustees.org

Appleton CSA Week 17 (October 3rd-7th)

The farm continues to change with the shorter days and cooler temperatures. The livestock are enjoying some new sources of food- left over pumpkins from Family Farm Day for the pigs and the beds of the bolted summer field greens for the heifers.  

This week, we welcomed the cast and crew from Cooks County with America's Test Kitchen.  They set up their grilling scene behind the Old House and spent a few days shooting scenes for the upcoming season.  They will be back next week for another day of action and we'll certainly let you know when the show airs so you can see your familiar scenes, structures, and landscapes on TV.  

On Friday, we had a great time with a group of volunteers from Ernst & Young who were celebrating #eyconnectday - the day thousands of EY employees across the country head out to support the work of their local non-profits.  This fearless bunch contributed their time to painting the inside of the dairy barn. With a short window to clean and prep, paint, and let the paint dry between milkings, this was a perfect project for a large group.  As always, we are so grateful for the support of our volunteers!

The share

Tomatoes

Peppers

Greens

Kale and collards

Bok Choi

Potatoes

Onions

Garlic

Squash

Radishes

Updates from the Fields:

We had a little surprise frost on Monday morning but it didn't impact the higher fields where the tomatoes and peppers were planted. The forecast looks good for at least one more week of tomatoes (hopefully more) but the cooler nights and shorter days are definitely slowing production. Next week we will begin covering some of the more tender fall crops with frost cloth for added protection and to speed up their growth.  Now that the insanity of the summer months is winding down we are starting to think about the projects we didn't get to in the spring. The barn needs organizing, the fence line needs maintenance and we have a handful of carpentry projects to tackle.  October is also the month when we plant our garlic and there is still quite a bit of prep work to do to get the field and the garlic bulbs ready.  Things are slowing down but we still have more than enough to do to keep us busy all the hours of the day

Upcoming Events and Programs:

Down on the Farm: Fall Concert Series:  Join us for our first fall concert series at Appleton Farms!  These family-friendly concerts will feature live music, food trucks, lawn games, and an opportunity to meet our dairy cows and farm animals.  The series kicks off on Sunday, October 9^th at 4pm.  Bring your own picnic or purchase food from a selection of food trucks.  Beer and wine will be available for purchase with Ipswich Ale, Old Planters Brewing, and Mill River Winery.  Gates open at 4pm and concert starts at 5pm.  Leaf-peeping and family photo opportunities among the foliage in our historic Stone Paddock a bonus!   Entry will be by the car, cash only.  No pre-purchase required.  Trustees Members: $20 per car.  Nonmembers: $30 per car.   We're also looking for volunteers to lend a hand with various event needs- volunteer and you and your family come for free.  Interested? Email Marc at mmahan@thetrustees.org

October 9th: will feature classic rock music by Decades of Rock and food by Gabi’s Smoke Shack BBQ truck.

October 16th: will feature reggae music by Soul Rebel Project and food by Copper Dome Crust (wood fired pizza) and Boston Burger. 

October 23rd: will feature folk-rock music by Rust Never Sleeps, a Neil Young inspired band, and Copper Dome Crust pizza truck and Gabi’s Smoke Shack.  Plus on October 23^rd, bring a carved pumpkin for our pumpkin contest and let the kids come in costumes to take part in the farmyard trick-or-treat!  Carved, glowing pumpkins will surround the event for a spectacular Halloween inspired show

Oktoberfest Culinary Workshop: Saturday, October 15th at 6PM  
It’s October in New England and this special cooking workshop is inspired by the spirit and tradition of this German festival!  We’ll use the bounty of our farm harvest along with local beer to create signature recipes as Roasted Cauliflower, Cheddar, & Ale Soup, Beer-Braised Beef Brisket, German Spaetzle Dumplings, and Dutch Apple Kuchen.   

Workshop includes chef instruction of professional cooking methods & techniques, printed recipes, and a wonderful New England ‘Octoberfest’ supper at the end of the evening. BYOB or wine. Members: $72. Nonmembers: $90.  Register at www.thetrustees.org

From Cultures to Rinds: Cheese Making Fundamentals: October 22nd  at 10AM.
Our cheese making classes are back!  Join Appleton’s own cheese maker, Kristian Holbrook, for a hands-on cheese making class in our farm kitchen.  You’ll learn all the basics of cheese making, make your own mozzarella and ricotta to take home, and get a behind-the-scenes tour of our dairy operation and cheese cave.  Pre-registration required. Members: $60. Nonmembers: $75. Register at www.thetrustees.org

Appleton CSA- Week 16 (September 26th-30th)

Good morning shareholders,

We had a fabulous turnout for Family Farm Day despite the rainy forecast and want to give a public thank you to all who volunteered to paint faces, sell cider donuts, run the hay obstacle course, and so much more. Thanks to all who came to enjoy the day with us!

On Wednesday we are hosting our mid-season shareholders meeting.  As I mentioned in a previous post, this is an excellent chance to deliver your feedback directly to the folks with the ability to make decisions about the CSA’s direction and future.  We will be meeting on Wednesday September 28^th from 6-7:30pm in the CSA barn (note: location has changed).  We are planning to start the meeting with introductions, a brief review of the season so far and an overview of the mid-season survey results before opening the floor to questions and conversation with shareholders.  Please sign up to attend the meeting here!

Some fun news from the farm includes the arrival of America's Test Kitchen on Monday.  They will be using the porch of the Old House to film the intro scenes of their show Cook's County.  There will be a few days over the next two weeks where access to the Old House will be restricted so just keep an eye out for their signs.  We'll let you know when the show airs if you're interested.

As part of The Trustees Hike 125, we are offering our second Pinnacle to Pinnacle Walking Tour in September.  Led by two long-time volunteers, this hike will introduce you to the incredible story of Appleton Farms, the family members who called this farm home for 9 generations, and the origin of the Gore Hall Pinnacles that are part of this treasured landscape.  Join Susan and Katrina to visit the Prince of Wales and New House Pinnacles on Sunday, September 25th.  Walks are FREE to Members. $5 for Nonmembers.  This walk meets in front of the Old House at 10am.  

The Share

Greens

Bok Choi

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Peppers

Carrots

Squash

Garlic

Onions

Kale/Collards

PYO Cherry Tomatoes

Updates from the Fields:

We have finally reached “peak tomato” this week.  Like peak oil, peak tomato is the point at which we have reached the maximum rate of harvest for the season before yields begin to diminish.  This may sound like a negative occurrence but with context it is actually quite good news.  Tomato harvesting is a major consumer of  labor during this time of the year.  The entire farm crew probably spent 40% of this week just on tomato harvest.  Right now we are picking tomatoes faster than shareholders are using them and unfortunately we can’t just stop harvesting because this week’s ripe tomatoes become next weeks rotten mess if left out on the vine.  Still, in a year of austerity it does feel very nice to have something in excess.  Since we aren’t seeing many problems with blight (possibly the only advantage this drought has brought us) the tomatoes may well last until the first frost.  My hope and plan is that yields will diminish gradually over the next three weeks and we will have enough warning before the first frost to harvest absolutely everything that is left on the vine.  At this point it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope for tomatoes through the second week in October.  Keep your fingers crossed for moderate over night lows and we just might get there.

In the past week or so many shareholders have been struggling to make it to the share room during their regularly scheduled pickup block.  We understand that the changing season can bring chaos to our regular routines and sometimes things just come up.  For this reason we try to be as flexible as possible with our official policy of asking for advanced written notice if you plan to swap your pickup block.  In turn we ask that you let us know as soon as you can that you will need to switch pickup days.  For us, this isn’t just an overly formal courtesy.  We plan our work week around harvests and getting a dozen more or less shareholders than expected on a given day can interrupt the flow of our work or cause certain items to unexpectedly run out in the share room.  Thank you for doing your best to help us with this issue.  If you need to switch your pickup block for a single week or for the rest of the season please send an email to me at rwood@thetrustees.org or to Ashley at Achapman@thetrustees.org .   

Upcoming Events and Programs:

Down on the Farm: Fall Concert Series:  Join us for our first fall concert series at Appleton Farms!  These family-friendly concerts will feature live music, food trucks, lawn games, and an opportunity to meet our dairy cows and farm animals.  The series kicks off on Sunday, October 9^th at 4pm.  Bring your own picnic or purchase food from a selection of food trucks.  Beer and wine will be available for purchase with Ipswich Ale, Old Planters Brewing, and Mill River Winery.  Gates open at 4pm and concert starts at 5pm.  Leaf-peeping and family photo opportunities among the foliage in our historic Stone Paddock a bonus!   Entry will be by the car, cash only.  No pre-purchase required.  Trustees Members: $20 per car.  Nonmembers: $30 per car. 

October 9th will feature classic rock music by Decades of Rock and food by Gabi’s Smoke Shack BBQ      truck.

October 16th will feature reggae music by Soul Rebel Project and food by Copper Dome Crust (wood fired pizza) and Boston Burger. 

October 23rd will feature folk-rock music by Rust Never Sleeps, a Neil Young inspired band, and Copper Dome Crust pizza truck and Gabi’s Smoke Shack.  Plus on October 23^rd, bring a carved pumpkin for our pumpkin contest and let the kids come in costumes to take part in the farmyard trick-or-treat!  Carved, glowing pumpkins will surround the event for a spectacular Halloween inspired show

Fun in the Farmyard:  Sundays in the Carriage Barn from 10am-3pm.  FREE drop in program where you can meet the animals, make a farm craft, and learn all about Appleton Farms. 

Rise and Shine Little Farmers: Saturdays at 9AM.  Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of veggie scraps? This Saturday morning program brings families behind the scenes of our working farm.  Pre-register online here

Appleton CSA: Week 15 (September 19th-23rd)

Good morning shareholders,

This week we have been gearing up for Family Farm Day which takes place this Sunday from 10am-3pm, rain or shine.  Staff from all around the region came to lend a hand - we cleaned the barns, tidied up the Stone Paddock, built the hay obstacle course, shined up the tractors, decorated the farmstead with hay bales and mums, and so much more.  Hopefully no one gave up and tossed their raincoats and galoshes during the drought because we'll be celebrating the start to fall regardless of the weather. All the details can be found here: http://bit.ly/familyfarmday2016 

The Share

Potatoes

Squash

Tomatoes

Garlic

Peppers

Kale/Collards

Carrots

Leeks

PYO Cherry Tomatoes

From the Fields:

While many people consider Labor Day to be the unofficial end of summer, technically we have another week before the fall equinox which officially marks the passage of summer.  The trees are still green (or at least those that haven’t turned brown), the days are still warm and the mornings have only a hint of chill but something about the light does feel different.  The mid day sun is still hot but it has lost some of its blinding harshness and the mornings and evenings have become clear and pleasant in the fields.  Everywhere you can feel that a change is coming and it prods us to attend to our tasks with greater focus less we should end up like the lazy grasshopper from Aesop’s fable. 

We transplanted lettuce, spinach and bok choi this week: our very last planting for the season.  Next week we will seed the very last of the greens and radishes.  Thinning and weeding the watermelon radishes, beets and turnips have been keeping us busy as have several weeding projects.  One benefit of the shorter days and cooler nights has been that new weed pressure is minimized.  Bulk harvesting for the fall is in full swing right now with squash, onions, potatoes, carrots and many other root crops coming in.  This has been a little bit stressful since many of the bulk harvest crops, which we rely upon to fill out the share through the fall, suffered from the drought.  I alluded to this worry in last weeks post when I mentioned that we have been dipping into our storage crops to fill out our summer share.  The potatoes and carrots we ordered from Heron Pond farm and Picadilly farm mean that we will have a steady supply of these key crops.  Onions and squash yields are looking about as good as can be expected but, with careful distribution management, I’m optimistic that they will last for the next 5 or 6 weeks.  Add to this list some very promising brassicas along with the extra radishes, and direct seeded greens and the final third of this season looks to be in decent shape all things considered. We are at the doorstep of autumn and it seems the most difficult period is behind us.

At the most troubling times during the last month and a half, I worried that we would need to shut down the CSA, that we would be forced to lay off our farm crew and send out apprentices home early and that I would need to draft a letter of apology and explanation to send to all of you, our shareholders and supporters.  We were never so close to this dark possibility that the fate of the CSA was in imminent peril but the persistent, nagging dread that “maybe next week will be the week when our luck and fortitude abscond with the last of our high hopes” was enough to tie my guts into knots for days at a time.  I know that to a greater or lesser degree, all of the CSA staff has felt this way once or twice this summer.  During a moment like this an off hand comment from one or our shareholders might have crippled morale.  Instead we have received an unbelievable amount of patience, understanding and support.  I can’t say what impact this has had on the success of the CSA operations but for myself and my crew this has made the difference.  

Thank you, Ryan  

Upcoming Programs and Events:

Friday Farm Dinners: Every Friday through September in the Stone Paddock at 5:30PM.  Join us for a summer evening of farm fresh food, live music, and lawn games! Pre-register online here

Fun in the Farmyard: Every Sunday in the Carriage Barn from 10am-3pm.  FREE drop in program where you can meet the animals, make a farm craft, and learn all about Appleton Farms. 

Rise and Shine Little Farmers: Saturdays at 9AM.  Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of veggie scraps? This Saturday morning program brings families behind the scenes of our working farm.  Pre-register online here 

Appleton CSA Week 14 (September 12th-16th)

Good morning shareholders,

Thank you again to everyone who participated in our mid-season survey.  We heard from many of you that you miss the opportunity to sit down with the farm team to talk about the present and future of the CSA program.  The farm team at Appleton wants to give you a voice to help shape your community agriculture program so we will be hosting a mid season shareholders gathering on September 28^th  at 6PM in the Carriage Barn.  Please sign up by clicking on this Sign Up Genius link: Appleton Mid-Season Share Holder Meeting.  This will be an opportunity  to meet with Cathy Wirth, the Food Systems Director for the Trustees, Chris Ward, Acting Regional Director and former Appleton General Manger, Ashley Chapman, Shareroom Manager, and, of course, myself and the many  familiar faces from the farm team that you may normally only see out in the fields or in the share room.  You will be able to directly share your interests, ideas, and concerns with all of the staff involved in our CSA program.  Your words can help shape the direction of our farm so please sign up and speak up - Ryan

In other farm news, we have Family Farm Day coming up next Sunday, the 18th. There will be tractors to climb aboard, ponies to ride, goats to hug, and plenty of farm games to keep your little, middle, and big kids entertained.  We'll be offering our own 100% grass-fed burgers alongside Sal's Pizza, White Farm's Ice Cream, Kim Gregory's Pure Pastry, Mojo and more! Live music, the hay obstacle course, and potato sack races will provide a full day's fun.  All the day-of details and admission info can be found here: http://bit.ly/familyfarmday2016 

The Share

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Peppers

Chard

Beets

Squash

Garlic

Leeks

Bok Choi

PYO Cherry Tomatoes

PYO Hot Peppers

PYO Beans

PYO Flowers 

Updates from the Field:

As for the fields this week, a little more rain and some cooler weather have been very welcome.  The drought is still technically spreading.  In fact, the USDA declaring Essex county a drought disaster area last week but we have actually been able to take a short break from irrigating over the last couple of days.  The kohlrabi transplants, lately given up for dead, have made a miraculous recovery and the fall broccoli and kale are looking fresh and green but still several weeks from ready.  We are finally harvesting good size beets with healthy, attractive greens.  Overall I am pleased with the quality of the produce we have to offer, however I have been disappointed by the quantity and variety we have been able to put on display in the share.  With so many of our summer crops failing and our fall crops either stunted or delayed, a great deal of pressure has been placed on the items we do have available in the share.  We have been using up winter squash, leeks, carrots, potatoes, beets and lettuce at a rate faster than planned.  My hope was to fill the share in with sweet corn for the next couple of weeks but the official word is that Marini’s doesn’t have any more to spare.  The good news is that we will be getting fall carrots from Piccadilly in two weeks and some of our replacement plantings may begin coming in soon.  Until then we will be making the best of things in the share room.

P.S. We had some confusion last Saturday when the barn wasn't open in the morning.  We'll make sure the doors are open before heading to the Ipswich Farmer's Market with our cheese so you can read the limits board and grab pint and quart containers.  Sorry about that!

Volunteer Opportunities:

Family Farm Day!  Our biggest event of the year is coming up on Sunday, September 18th.  We need face painters, hay obstacle course time keepers, farm yard goat wranglers, and more!  Teens are welcome to volunteer and get service hours for school. Click Here for the Sign Up Genius.
 

Upcoming Programs and Events:

Friday Farm Dinners: Every Friday in the Stone Paddock at 5:30PM.  Join us for a summer evening of farm fresh food, live music, and lawn games! Pre-register online here

Fun in the Farmyard: Every Sunday in the Carriage Barn from 10am-3pm.  FREE drop in program where you can meet the animals, make a farm craft, and learn all about Appleton Farms. 

Rise and Shine Little Farmers: Saturdays at 9AM.  Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of veggie scraps? This Saturday morning program brings families behind the scenes of our working farm.  Pre-register online here

Appleton CSA Week 13 (September 5th-9th)

Good morning shareholders,

Happy Labor Day weekend! Its been a beautiful week on the farm. We hope you will come enjoy a walk through the farm and Grass Rides this weekend. Bring your camera to capture the views of the grazing cows, late summer sunsets, and tree-lined allees.  Even working here every day, the views never cease to inspire an appreciation for this beautiful farm.



Last weekend, our cheese maker Krisitan headed to the Boston Public Market for the Boston Fermentation Festival. Kristian sampled out his latest Appleton cheeses alongside Hopster Alley's sour beer.  A match made in food heaven. The market is open 7 days a week with farms and food producers from around New England- it is tons of fun, you'll learn a lot and meet great people.  They also offer events, programs, and themed days each month.  If you haven't been, check it out. If you have been, go again and see all the new additions since the market opened a year ago.  You can follow the market on Facebook and Instagram and make sure to follow our Appleton booth's Instagram page as well @appletonbpm

 As part of The Trustees Hike 125 challenge, we are offering two Pinnacle to Pinnacle Walking Tours in September.  Led by two long-time volunteers, these hikes will introduce you to the incredible story of Appleton Farms, the family members who called this farm home for 9 generations, and the origin of the Gore Hall Pinnacles that are part of this treasured landscape.  Join Susan and Katrina to visit the Round Point and Pigeon Hill Pinnacles on Saturday, September 11th and the Prince of Wales and New House Pinnacles on Sunday, September 25th.  Walks are FREE to Members. $5 for Nonmembers.  More info here.  

The Share
Potatoes

Tomatoes

Peppers

Lettuce

Leeks

Squash

Garlic

Chard

PYO Cherry Tomatoes

PYO Beans

PYO Hot Peppers

News from the Fields:

Another dry week but with the beginning of September relief may be in sight.  In the extended forecast we are seeing weather in the 70s and the possibility of a little rain early next week.  The humidity has seemed a little more bearable the last couple of days but the trade off has been a sharp increase in allergens floating around.  Half the farm crew has been sneezing their faces off.  Our summer squash and cucumbers seem to have given up at last but the tomatoes continue to pick up steam.

We managed to do some planting on Wednesday.  I thought the cooler, overcast days would preserve the delicate transplants a little better but by this afternoon they were looking mighty wilted.   Our well continues to be less reliable than we would like so we didn’t manage to water everything we had planned.  Over at Moraine farm they have been harvesting more winter squash and onions.  Thankfully the well over there has been very reliable and so the squash yields have been pretty decent.  Look forward to seeing a rainbow of winter squash in the share room for the next several weeks.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Family Farm Day!  Our biggest event of the year is coming up on Sunday, September 18th.  We need face painters, hay obstacle course time keepers, farm yard goat wranglers, and more!  Teens are welcome to volunteer and get service hours for school. Click Here for the Sign Up Genius.
 

Upcoming Programs and Events:

Family Farm Day- Sunday, September 18th from 10am-3pm

Grab your friends and family and join us at Appleton Farms for our annual Family Farm Day! Visit with our farm animals, climb aboard a tractor, paint your own pumpkin, learn about beekeeping, challenge your friends at the potato spoon relay or hay obstacle course, and make sure to enjoy a pony ride! Looking for more? There are old-fashioned games like tug-o-war, crafts, face-painting, farm tattoos, and live music by Ben Rudnick and Friends.
All the details here

Friday Farm Dinners: Every Friday in the Stone Paddock at 5:30PM.  Join us for a summer evening of farm fresh food, live music, and lawn games! Pre-register online here

Fun in the Farmyard: Every Sunday in the Carriage Barn from 10am-3pm.  FREE drop in program where you can meet the animals, make a farm craft, and learn all about Appleton Farms. 

Rise and Shine Little Farmers: Saturdays at 9AM.  Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of veggie scraps? This Saturday morning program brings families behind the scenes of our working farm.  Pre-register online here