A Busy Winter on the Farm

A note from Farmer Andrew: 

People always ask me what a vegetable farmer does all winter. It probably seems like we just vacation for three months, but that isn’t the case! Winter is a busy time in the office planning next year’s harvest, ordering seeds and other supplies, working out budgets, updating policy, and researching best practices for the farm.

Morning fog over a field of dormant cover crops

Cover crop crimson clover, growing underneath 

winter-killed oats

A large part of our efforts this winter have been spent learning the guidelines outlined in the Produce Safety rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act, which went into effect last month. We have always taken food safety very seriously at Appleton Farms and we have several protocols in place to prevent food-borne illness. But the new regulations have compelled us to dive into the science behind the standards and to update our protocols for the safe growing and handling of our vegetables. The new law has also facilitated an upgrade to our washing area, which we had outgrown in recent years and is something we’re very excited about!  

We have opened signups to people on the waitlist but there’s still space for current members interested in renewing if you haven't done so already. If you need the link for online renewals, feel free to contact us at appletonCSA@thetrustees.org.

  UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE FARM    

Simple Cooking: 5 Ingredients or Less

Thursday, March 1st 6-9pm
This workshop is all about keeping it simple in the kitchen!  No lengthy recipes or special shopping list needed……we’ll prepare delicious, creative dishes using only a handful of seasonal ingredients and culinary techniques for simple success in your home kitchen.

Click HERE for more information or to sign up

Sugar Shack Saturdays
Sat, Feb 24th, March 3rd & 10th
10-11:30am & 1:30-3pm

Spring is coming and the sap is running! Experience the time-honored tradition of maple sugaring with Sugar Shack Saturdays at Appleton Farms. Spend the morning with us and see how we turn sap into sweet syrup. Start by getting creative with some maple themed crafts in the Appleton Old House then get outside and explore our very own sugar shack! Learn how we tap our trees every spring, see the evaporator in action, and taste the freshly made syrup.  We will end back inside with a farm snack, including Appleton Farms cheese, apple slices, and homemade maple ice cream while we read a story about maple sugaring!

Recommended for ages 8 and under but everyone is welcome! Space is limited. Registration is by the family- if you have 5 or more in your family, please register 2 families.  Crafts and snacks included and we want to have enough for all.

Maple Happy Hour

Saturday, March 3rd, 5-7pm
Grab your friends and start your Saturday evening off with a unique and delicious maple experience! Join us for Happy Hour at the Sugar Shack and experience how we turn our sweet sap into tasty syrup before sampling local beers that highlight the flavors of winter. We’ll start with a tour of our sugaring operation where we will collect sap and bring it back to the sugar house for boiling. Learn the process of filtering the sap, stoking the fire and boiling the syrup to perfection. Taste our finished product before sampling a variety of local beers or roasting marshmallows in our earth oven. Light refreshments and beer samples provided. Full beers available for cash purchase. Ticket includes one beer flight and sample of our syrup to take home!

Part of this program is in our unheated sugar shack so please dress for the weather. Must be 21+ please.

Click HERE to register for our Maple Sugaring events.  See you on the farm!

Boiling down the sap

  IN THE FARM STORE   

Spring is in the air at Appleton Farms!  We are excited to welcome our spring customers back to the farm, and our farm store shopkeepers are ready to meet your needs for local &

Everyone loves the goats at Appleton! [photo: Kate Crawford]

specialty food & gifts. Shop local and supplement your weekly groceries with Appleton Farms grass-fed beef, Jersey cow milk, Trustees eggs from Moose Hill farm, & artisanal cheeses made on the farm by cheesemaker, Kristian Holbrook. Our aged hard cheeses, Goodhue and Pinnacle, are always in stock (now available in handy pre-cut and packaged cubes!) 

As we wait longingly for the return of our soft cheeses, Sunset Hill & Round Point (back in stock within the next few weeks), Kristian brings us a delicious treat with a limited edition rum cheese, Privateer, an aged hard cheese infused with Privateer amber rum (Ipswich, MA), as well as a limited supply of our famous Broad Meadow, aged over 3 years in our cheese caves.  The staff is hard at work boiling sap, and we can’t wait for the return of Appleton Farms maple syrup (available for retail sale in the coming weeks).

Over 50% of the Appleton Farms store inventory is sourced from Essex county small businesses, and our inventory selection keeps growing.  Best sellers include: Sidehill Farm yogurt (Hawley, MA); Harbor Sweets (Salem, MA); Lark cookies (Essex, MA); High Haven Honey (Gloucester, MA);  A & J King bread & pastries (Salem, MA); Kim Gregory Pure Pastry gluten-free treats (Beverly, MA); the Inn at Castle Hill granola (Ipswich, MA); Pigeon Cove Ferments (Gloucester, MA); Jaju Pierogis (Gloucester, MA); Grey Barn Organic Eidolon cheese (Martha’s Vineyard, MA); Goldthread Herbal Tonics (Greenfield, MA); Aqua ViTea kombucha (Middlebury, VT); McCrea's caramels (Boston, MA); & so much more!

Check out our new kid's corner, filled with thoughtfully selected, farm-related toys for all the kiddos in your life.  Recent additions include Maple Landmark (Vermont) all wooden rattles, teethers & toys plus farm & train playsets from Green Toys (made in USA from recycled plastic milk jugs). 

March Madness at the farm means crazy deals! Join, renew or buy a Trustees membership for a friend before prices go up in April.  Between 3/1-3/31/2018, purchase an individual membership in-store and receive: a ½ lb wedge of Appleton Farms cheese; a Trustees “Hike” reusable shopping bag; a one-time 20% off coupon for your in-store purchases; plus 10% off every day purchases in our farm store throughout the year. Join at the family level or higher and we will give you a full pound of Appleton Farms cheeses plus an Appleton Farms canvas tote bag to haul all your goodies, in addition to the one-time 20% off coupon for your in-store purchases & 10% off every day purchases in our farm store throughout the year.  

Gift certificates & tickets for upcoming classes & workshops on the farm are always available for purchase in-store.

Finally, be sure to check out Appleton Farms at the Drink Craft Beer & Cheese Fest on Friday, March 9th and Saturday, March 10th at the Boston Cyclorama! Tickets available HERE.