Driving onto the farm each morning is a bit like putting on sunglasses with green lenses; the pastures, trees, fields, and forests are lush with new growth and getting greener by the minute. Our dairy herd will be headed out to enjoy the green pasture grass after spending the winter lounging in their comfy barn, coming and going from the milking parlor twice a day. If you're available this Sunday, come by at 10am to watch the girls head out for their first day - it is a celebratory day for all and often includes dancing, leaping, and a whole lot of moo-ing. Meet in the Stone Paddock at 10am and staff will direct you where to stand (and most importantly...where not to!). 
Next weekend we're celebrating Mother's Day on the farm. If you haven't made plans yet, consider bringing Mom to one of our popular culinary classes on Saturday where Chef Carolyn Grieco will lead the class through a full menu of brunch recipes including Country Ham & Sourdough Rarebit, Blackberry-Stuffed Maple Scones, Smoked Salmon & Sweet Potato Hash, and Asparagus & Farm Egg Frittata. If you're looking for something fun to do with the family, join us on Sunday for our Beatrix Potter themed event Bunny Tales: Mother's Day at Appleton Farms for an adventure with the classic characters like Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs. Tiggy Winkle and more! Registration and more information can always be found on our website.From the Fields:
The field crew members are the unsung heroes of the CSA. They do ALL
the work, through rain or shine, good days or bad. Our crew has almost a month
under their belts already and they’re quickly learning the ropes. They’re a
happy and engaged group. Every day they show up with a smile on their face,
ready to work and eager to learn. THEY are the ones that grow the food for the
Appleton Farms CSA. To truly “know your farmer,” you need to know the field workers
making it happen. And so I’d like to introduce this year’s crew, in their
words. (Left to Right: Nate, Trey, Ross, and Emily)
Emily Fenton
Emily is an Ipswich native and spent most of her childhood
outside. She graduated from culinary school and fell in love with the slow food
movement. Last year was her first year on the farm as a part time worker. She
loved it so much that she came back as an apprentice this season. She is
excited for the CSA season to start and can’t wait to grow your food!
Nate Harlan
Nate is excited for his first season as an apprentice at
Appleton Farms. He realized his interest in farming while participating in
WWOOf volunteering on the west coast. Originally from the city of brotherly
love (Philadelphia), Nate has been enjoying his forays into country life in the
last couple years. He enjoys music, hiking, and giant amounts of food.
Ross MacGregor
This is Ross’s third season at Appleton Farms and his second
as an apprentice. He is a North Shore native but he has also lived in New York
City, California, and Boston, working on various farms and kitchens. He’s an
avid sports and music fan, and he’s excited for the farm season this year!
Peace and love.
Trey Snow
Originally from South Carolina, Trey spent many hours of his
childhood harvesting tomatoes and cucumbers in his grandfather's garden. Before
coming to the North Shore, he farmed on CSAs and community gardens near
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. In his free time Trey enjoys reading, good food,
bagging peaks and spontaneously breaking into monologue.
You’ll have an opportunity to meet this season’s farm crew and CSA
managers at our
CSA Open House, Seedling
Sale & Meet the Farmers Event!
Join us Friday, June 2nd, from 4-7pm at the CSA Barn. Our
whole farm crew will be there - Andrew, new CSA manager; Leah, assistant
manager; and 4 apprentices: Ross, Emily, Trey, and Nate.
We’ll also have our own organically-grown seedlings for sale
- flowers, herbs, and veggies for your patio pots, window boxes, or home
garden. Look forward to seeing all of you on the farm! - Andrew, Leah, and crew
Upcoming Programs and Events:
Beekeeping
Basics with the Essex County Beekeepers Association- YES there is still room! Walk-ins welcome. Saturday, May 6th
10am-1pm. Registration can be found at: http://bit.ly/2pemcsc
Friday,
May 12th or Friday May 26th 11AM-4PM
Spend the afternoon alongside Kristian and
observe his process of turning 200 gallons of our Jersey milk into our rich and
creamy farmstead cheese.
Sunday,
May 14th from 10am-12pm
Join us this Mother’s Day for an
adventure with the classic characters from Beatrix Potter! Bring the whole
family to enjoy a morning with the mischievous Peter Rabbit and his friends! Attendees will explore the farm and meet some
of the classic characters such as; Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, Johnny Town
Mouse, Tom Kitten and more! Visit Mr. McGregor’s garden, Mrs. Tiggy
Winkle’s kitchen, Jemima Puddle Duck’s nest and Hunca Munca’s doll house.
After your adventure, join us in the Carriage Barn for light refreshments
and meet our farm animals in the barnyard. Kids will also make a beautiful potted
lettuce garden inspired by Peter Rabbit as a gift for mom. FREE for moms! Please register all other adults and
children.
Our friends from The Book Shop of Beverly Farms will be selling Beatrix Potter favorites
during the event and photographer
Maureen Cotton of Inner Life Portraits
will be setting up an outdoor “photo booth" so that Mom can finally be in
the picture too!
Saturday, May 13th Food is love and what better way to celebrate Mom than spending time together in the farm kitchen? Together we’ll prepare a very special Mother’s Day Brunch menu highlighting our farm foods and vibrant spring flavors, all while learning culinary tips & techniques in good company. Our menu may include dishes such as Country Ham & Sourdough Rarebit, Blackberry-Stuffed Maple Scones, Smoked Salmon & Sweet Potato Hash, and Asparagus & Farm Egg Frittata. Hands-on cooking with professional chef instruction, printed recipes, and a wonderful Mother’s Day Brunch with celebration mimosas in the farmhouse dining room. Two sessions: 9am or 2pm. Trustees Members: $72. Nonmembers: $90. Pre-register online.
Saturdays starting May 20th from 10am-2pm. Runs weekly on Saturdays though
summer.
Hands on activities start at 10AM and run every ½ hour. Greet our goats, make a wool bracelet, cuddle a calf, farm story time, collect chicken eggs and more! In between activities hang out in the Carriage Barn and explore our all-day learning stations or picnic outside in the Stone Paddock!
Hands on activities start at 10AM and run every ½ hour. Greet our goats, make a wool bracelet, cuddle a calf, farm story time, collect chicken eggs and more! In between activities hang out in the Carriage Barn and explore our all-day learning stations or picnic outside in the Stone Paddock!
Appleton Farms Volunteer Opportunities:
We're always looking for helping hands. We love to welcome volunteers into all of our operations. Handy with a hammer or love to pull weeds? We would love to hear from you and have you join our volunteer team. Upcoming this month, we're looking for volunteers to help at our Mother's Day event, Hay Bale Hangout (introducing families to our animals), planting our Learning Garden, carpentry volunteers who are on call for various projects, bottle feeding our baby goats in the evening, and more. Email Marc at mmahan@thetrustees.org to be connected with one of these or other projects.
