Week 4 News and Update

Week 4

The summer starts become a blur starting about now. Harvests are

larger and one day seems to blend into the next. The days become more predictable. Greens harvest, followed by head lettuce, then bunches. We try to spend the last couple of hours each day working on projects like staking tomatoes or hand weeding carrots.

By this point in the season, the crew can recite my pep talks about setting goals and staying focused. But always in good fun, with jokes and laughter and singing. Amidst the bustle of daily operation, it’s easy to take for granted the beauty that surrounds us here on the farm. So today I stopped for a few

moments to take it in!

Please note:  CSA pickups will take place on July 4^th.  The store will be closed.

The share for week 4 will include:

Arugula

Baby kale

Mizuna

Tot soi

Baby lettuce mix

Head lettuce

Radishes

Beets

Scallions

Bok choi

Broccoli

Napa cabbage

Kohl rabi

Green curly kale

Rainbow chard

Summer squash

Zucchini

Peas (PYO)

Herbs (PYO)

Flowers (PYO)

Please remember to bring your tote bags! Also note: the shareroom hours are:

Monday & Thursday 2-7pm, Tuesday & Friday 12-5pm.

The u-pick field is open on Saturday 8-noon, but there is no share pickup. If you are not able to make it to pick up your share, you can always send someone to pick it up on your behalf. 

From the Creamery:

We are excited to announce our new Cheese Share starting July 10^th. 

Get 2 cheeses selected by our Cheesemaker on a biweekly basis.The share is open to all Trustees members and includes 10 weeks of cheese over 20 weeks (every other week).   You can get details and sign up at the store. Cost is $150 (retail value is $200). A Cheese Share also makes a great gift!
Sign up now at the store!  




Watch for our new cheese... coming soon.   Our resident Cheesemaker has created Round Point , a soft, full-flavored cheese.   It will be part of the Cheese Share! 

Upcoming Programs and Events: 

Friday Night Dinners are HERE! 

Join us for dinner by Chive and music in the Stone Paddock.

The family-friendly dinners feature food grown or raised on our farms (as well as other local area farms.)  Dining on the farm is one of the best ways to enjoy the flavors of the season! Each Trustees farm offers a unique dining experience accompanied by music, games, and scenic views. Menus are created a few weeks in advance and are posted on the website. Ticket prices include full dinner buffet, non-alcoholic beverages, and dessert. Beer and wine is available for purchase. 

Sign up now! 

Saturday Hay Bale Hangout:
Every Saturday  10AM-2PM 

Member Child: $5 Nonmember Child: $10

Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast sheep will run for their morning helping of grain? Join us for our NEW weekend Hay Bale Hangout and spend the day at Appleton Farms. Stop by anytime between 10AM – 1:30PM for fantastic farmyard meet and greets! Hands on activities start at 10AM and run every half 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!  Once you’ve paid, stay for an hour or all day! Cash only please. No additional cost for adults. 

Camp Update

We are excited for the start of camp on Monday!  

We are still enrolling for Farm Camp!  Openings in one week sessions! 

                                       

Friday Farm Dinners! Join us this Friday to kick off the season

Appleton's Friday Farm Dinners with Chive Events

Each Friday Appleton Farms and Chive Events invites you to join us for dinner. Relax under the setting sun and enjoy a truly unique farm to table experience. From fresh vegetables and fruits, to local pasture raised meats and sustainable seafood, Chive Events will prepare each meal using the best ingredients available from our own and other local farms. Watch the season change with each meal and bring the whole family to enjoy the weekly harvests. A casual dinner set overlooking the Great Pasture will remind you to slow down and breathe in the summer's air. Enjoy a cold beverage from our friends at Ipswich Ale while you play old-fashioned lawn games and listen to live music. Ticket price includes the full dinner, non-alcoholic beverages (beer and wine will be available for purchase), dessert, games, music and all the fun you can handle!


Tickets available for this Friday!  Register here: http://bit.ly/2tueR9Q


Dinners are held in our Carriage Barn in the case of rain or in our Stone Paddock if the sun is shining.

Buffet Menu

Rhubarb BBQ Braised Local Pork - Gluten Free

Shaved Vegetable Salad with Citrus Dijon Vinaigrette - Gluten Free

Goodhue Cheese Biscuits 

Something Sweet

Taza Chocolate Brownies with Strawberry Swirl

Chive Events is known for their commitment to sourcing locally year round and for creating beautiful events that leave no trace. Visit them at www.chiveevents.com and on their social media platforms @chiveevents to learn more about the events they do and what's going on with them when they're not at the farm! You can also enjoy Chive’s prepared meals in your own home throughout the week by visiting www.chiveevents.com/preparedmeals/ as well as catering and full service events for any occasion.


Our partnership is a celebration of Appleton and Chive’s dedication to honoring food, the land, and a true sense of community.


Check out this Vimeo by Gigi & Mac to get a feel for our dinners: https://vimeo.com/132889856


This event is part of the Appleton Cooks! program. For more information about Appleton Cooks! and similar events please click here.

Week 2 News and Updates

Good morning shareholders,


Things are heating up at Appleton Farms and so is the CSA share! We’re adding a few crops to the harvest for week two, including garlic scapes! These are simply flower buds, which we remove to encourage the bulbs to size up. They can be used in recipes just like garlic and make nice additions to flower arrangements. To our delight, the pick your own (PYO) strawberries are coming in nicely. 

Here’s the full harvest list for week two: 

   

Arugula

Tot soi

Baby kale

Baby bok choi

Spinach

Head lettuce

Baby lettuce mix

Radishes

Salad turnips

Garlic scapes

PYO strawberries

Are you wondering what the white stuff is on the squash plants you see in the fields? Young squash plants are vulnerable to striped cucumber beetle damage when transplanted out with just a couple leaves. We dip the plants in a (kaolin) clay slurry before we put them out, which deters the bugs from eating them up. The clay residue, which washes away with one hard rain protects the plants until they are large enough to fend for themselves.

This awesome crew makes it all happen! If you see them, make sure to thank them for all the hard work they put in!

From the Creamery:

We are excited to announce our new Cheese Share starting July 10^th.   

Get 2 cheeses selected by our Cheesemaker on a biweekly basis.    The share is open to all Trustees members and includes 10 weeks of cheese over 20 weeks (every other week).   You can get details and sign up at the store. Cost is $150 (retail value is $200). Sign up now at the store!  

Upcoming Programs and Events:

Father's Day Bluegrass BBQ is SOLD OUT

Saturday Hay Bale Hangout:

Every Saturday  10AM-2PM (SAT. June 17th this program will run from 10am-12noon)

Member Child: $5 Nonmember Child: $10

Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast sheep will run for their morning helping of grain? Join us for our NEW weekend Hay Bale Hangout and spend the day at Appleton Farms. Stop by anytime between 10AM – 1:30PM for fantastic farmyard meet and greets! Hands on activities start at 10AM and run every half 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!  Once you’ve paid, stay for an hour or all day! Cash only please. No additional cost for adults. 

Pasture to Plate Cheese Making Tour

Saturdays in June 3:30-4:30PM

This in-depth look at our dairy operation will take you from the pastures to the cheese kitchen – and everywhere in between – to learn about how we make our delicious farm fresh cheese. Well talk about our rotational grazing, see the milking in action, and get a glimpse of the creamery. Finish up with a sampling of some of our products. This program meets at our Farm Store and there is no need to pre-register. Become a Trustees member at the farm on the day of the tour and come for free! Best for adults and children ages 10 and up. Members: $12. Nonmembers: $20

P.S. We are still enrolling for Farm Camp!

                                       

Your 2017 CSA season starts next week!

Good morning shareholders,

CSA share pickups start June 12!

Live from the fields on.... Friday afternoon!

The first CSA pickup of the season happens this Monday, June 12! It will usher warmer weather and sunshine and what feels like the start of summer! It’s a welcome shift from the cool, wet trend over the past month, which has made for a slow start to the season. Everything in the field is looking good but crops are maturing slower than expected because of the recent early spring like weather. This first share of the season may feel light but I assure you there’s much more to come! 

Week one of the share will include:

Baby kale

Arugula

Mustard greens

Head lettuce

Lettuce mix

Bok choy

Overwintered onions

PYO strawberries

Don’t forget, we will be handing out Appleton Farms CSA canvas tote bags to each shareholder to use to pick up your share this season! In an effort to cut down on waste, we are hoping you will use these canvas bags to pick up your share each week. One other change is that we no longer need you to tell us if you want to switch CSA pickup days. That means if you have a schedule conflict, you can come come on any pickup day that week without notifying us of the change. 

Also remember that pickup hours are slightly different this year: 

2-7pm on Mondays and Thursdays, 12-5pm on Tuesday and Fridays.

Harvest season is here, the crew is anxious to get moving and we’re all excited to have you back here on the farm! We look forward to seeing you.

Fathers Day Bluegrass BBQ and June Programs at Appleton Farms

Fathers Day Bluegrass BBQ, Sunday, June 18^th  4PM-8PM

Grab a picnic blanket and load up the kids for a summer evening on the farm to celebrate the special fathers in your life. Enjoy dinner from Fat Belly BBQ, A&B Burger, 15 Walnut and CopperDome Crust and beer and wine from Ipswich Ale and Old Planters Brewing.  With live bluegrass from Old Cold Tater!  Your family ticket pays for parking, lawn games, a visit with the farm animals, and live music from 5pm-7pm. Dinner from the food trucks and beer and wine, sold on site, are on you. The summer sunset over the farm fields, warm summer breeze (we hope!), and the memories you’ll make with friends and family are free!

Make sure to pre-register, these tickets will go quickly. Food and beverages are purchased directly from our vendors. Any proceeds help support our farm education programs. Rainy? Well still hold the event under our tent and in the Carriage Barn. Just bring an umbrella for your walk over from the parking area. Sorry, no BYOB, coolers, or dogs allowed. 

Tickets and more information at: http://bit.ly/2mPcD3D  Trustees Member Family: $24. Nonmember Family: $30

Saturday Hay Bale Hangout:

Every Saturday  10AM-2PM

Member Child: $5 Nonmember Child: $10

Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop or seen how fast sheep will run for their morning helping of grain? Join us for our NEW weekend Hay Bale Hangout and spend the day at Appleton Farms. Stop by anytime between 10AM – 1:30PM for fantastic farmyard meet and greets! Hands on activities start at 10AM and run every half 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!  Once you’ve paid, stay for an hour or all day! Cash only please. No additional cost for adults. 

Activities may change depending on what’s happening at the farm, but a typical schedule will include:

10:00: Feed the sheep & brush the goats

10:30: Spin wool bracelets

11:00: Collect chicken eggs

11:30: Farm story time (feel free to bring a snack from home!)

12:00: Explore the milking barn & Dairy tools

12:30: Cow dress up and meet a calf

1:00: Collect chicken eggs

1:30: Brush the goats

Pasture to Plate Cheese Making Tour

Saturdays in June 3:30-4:30PM

This in-depth look at our dairy operation will take you from the pastures to the cheese kitchen – and everywhere in between – to learn about how we make our delicious farm fresh cheese. Well talk about our rotational grazing, see the milking in action, and get a glimpse of the creamery. Finish up with a sampling of some of our products. This program meets at our Farm Store and there is no need to pre-register. Become a Trustees member at the farm on the day of the tour and come for free! Best for adults and children ages 10 and up. Members: $12. Nonmembers: $20

Sweet and Savory Strawberry Culinary Workshop

Sunday, June 11th 2pm-5pm

Members: $72 Nonmembers: $90

These sweet, juicy red berries are back in season and what better way to celebrate this favorite than in the farm kitchen?   Well create a fantastic menu of sweet & savory recipes featuring sun-kissed field strawberries as the star ingredient. Strawberry, Basil, & Goat Cheese Flatbread, Grilled Pork & Field Berry Salad with Hazelnuts, and delicious country-style Summer Strawberry Cake are just some of the dishes that will appear on this very special strawberry crop menu!  This hands-on workshop includes instruction by professional chef Carolyn Grieco, printed recipe booklet and a full meal. BYOB beer and wine is allowed. Tickets at: http://bit.ly/2mPcD3D  

                                          P.S. We are still enrolling for Farm Camp!