Father's Day Bluegrass BBQ - June 21st!

CSA members, we hope you will join us to celebrate Father’s Day at the Appleton Farms’ Bluegrass BBQ.

Register at www.thetrustees.org/dadsdaybbq

Bring a picnic blanket and the kids for a summer evening on the farm. We’ll have the Heritage Food Truck offering homemade BBQ and Saigon Alley with their tasty Asian Fusion meals for dinner, local beer from our friends at Ipswich Ale, and live music from Old Cold Tater. To top it off, ice cream from Down River and treats at the 4H bake sale.  A recipe for a super time if we have ever heard one! 

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 from Ipswich Ale (and Mill River Winery) 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. Please note that entry to the event is per family. 1 ticket covers 1 family. Food and beverages are purchased directly from our vendors. What exactly do we mean by family? Can Grandpa come along? What about my brother-in-law who is in town? We assume you will make the honest choice and register appropriately. Have two kids and grandma is coming- register for 1 family. Bringing the extended family of 12? Register for two families. Any proceeds after expenses help support our farm education programs. 

Rainy? We’ll 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.

Admission price: Member family: $20. Nonmember family: $30

Strawberries

Just a taste. Photo by Yaiza D. Marca

In the interest of leading with the information most relevant to you who read these words I am thrilled to announce that strawberry season is now open.  Overnight we have gone from a few ripe berries to a field of ripe berries.  FOR THIS WEEK ONLY WE WILL HOLD ADJUSTED PICK YOUR OWN HOURS.  PICK YOUR OWN HOURS WILL RETURN TO NORMAL NEXT WEEK WHEN SHARE DISTRIBUTION BEGINS.  PYO HOURS FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 8^TH WILL BE AS FOLLOWS  

Tuesday-Friday, 11am-4pm

Saturday, 8am-Noon

This week’s limit will be ONE QUART of strawberries per share.  Quart containers will be available in the Dairy Store.

Next week, the week of June 15^th, the share will open in earnest.  Although it is a little too early to make a totally accurate prediction of what will be in the share next week, here’s a little preview of what we are likely to have.

Lettuce, greens, kale, chard, radishes, salad turnips, beets, kohlrabi, scallion, and perhaps a few surprises

A quick note on the conditions in the fields

Putting the irrigation away after the rain

After our long wet winter we were caught by surprise by such a dry spring.  Within a month we went from fields patchy with snow and lakes of thaw to needing to irrigate daily.  While irrigation may help our crops to survive a dry spell it cannot substitute for a good soaking rain.  Many crops have remained shorter and stockier than expected while their roots have (hopefully) grown strong in search of moisture.  On the bright side the dry conditions have been hard on the weeds as well.  We have tried to capitalize on this by cultivating regularly.  Our hope is that now that we have finally received some rain we will see some explosive growth this week and the weeds will be both literally and metaphorically left in the dust.

A note from the Education team: Happy Dairy Month to our Jersey girls!

June is National Dairy Month and we wouldn't miss an opportunity to celebrate our Jersey girls.  Join us for one of our upcoming events, weekend tours, culinary workshops, or education programs.  At every program we will teach you about our well-loved dairy herd and thank them for the creamy milk, beautiful cheeses, and fresh farm yogurt that we enjoy.  Happy Dairy Month girls!

For children and families:

Mini Moos Tour　 |　 Every Saturday　 3-4PM

Member Family: $10 Nonmember Family: $15

On this special program designed especially for our young farm friends, we’ll enjoy calf close encounters, a cow story and costume, a tour of the milking barn and more! For ages 2-7 with an accompanying adult.

Rise and Shine Little Farmers　　 |　 Saturdays 10-11:30AM

Member Family: $20. Nonmember Family: $30

Join us for a morning of farm fun.　 Have you ever collected warm eggs from the chicken coop? Or seen how fast pigs will run for their morning helping of veggie scraps?　 You'll meet our calves, goats, and pigs when you help with the morning chores (don't worry, we will go easy on you!), followed by fun and games in the grassy Stone Paddock.　 We learn as we go and take advantage of whatever lesson the day has to offer.　 We conclude our farm adventure with a seasonal story in our Carriage Barn.　

Families in the Farm Kitchen: Butter Making　 |　 Saturdays 1-2PM

Member Family: $20. Nonmember Family: $30

In celebration of National Dairy Month, we are rolling up our sleeves and shaking it!　 Cooking together and having fun in the kitchen makes our farm family happy and we want to share that enthusiasm for cooking with you.　 Join us to make homemade butter with the rich cream from our Jersey cows and enjoy it on hot rolls from the farm kitchen. We will learn about how our cows turn green grass to creamy, nutritious milk, then enjoy the sweet fruits of our labor together.　

Events and Farm Dinners:

Flavors of the Farm: A Culinary Tour and Tasting  |　 June 13^th, 3-5:30 PM

Members: $60. Nonmembers: $75

This event provides an opportunity for guests to meet our farmers and tour the farm operations to learn first hand how their work directly affects the flavors of the food that we put on our tables. Our professional farm chef will lead a culinary demonstration using the farms’ products and pair each recipe with tastings of wine from local vineyards. 　You will learn new tips and techniques so that you can easily capture the season's fresh flavors in your own kitchen. All guests will be given generous tastings of each seasonal dish as well as wine to compliment and printed recipes.

Father's Day Bluegrass BBQ　 |　 Sunday, June 21, 2015 at 4PM

Member adult $20. Nonmember adult $30.

Kick off the Summer Solstice AND celebrate Father's Day at the Appleton Farms' Bluegrass Picnic!

Bring a blanket, some beach chairs, and the kids for a summer evening on the farm.　 We'll have food trucks for dinner, tasty brews from our friends at Ipswich Ale, ice cream from Down River, and live music from local band Old Cold Tater.  Lawn games, meet the farmyard animals, and a 4H bake sale too.  A recipe for a super time if we have ever heard one!

Register online at www.thetrustees.org/dadsdaybbq

Friday Farm Dinners

Friday, June 26, 2015, Friday, July 10, 2015, Friday, July 24, 2015, Friday, August 07, 2015, Friday, August 21, 2015, | 5:30-8:30PM

Member Adults: $35. Nonmember Adults: $45. All Children: $15 each

Bring your family and some friends for a relaxing evening watching the sunset over the Great Pasture and munching on fresh-from-the-farm food. Dinner will feature a seasonal menu grown or raised at Appleton and other local farms.　 A typical menu might include pizza from our earth oven or our own grass-fed burgers, seasonal fresh salads, and homemade ice cream. Enjoy a cold beverage from our friends at Mercury Brewing Company while you play old-fashioned lawn games and listen to live music. Ticket price includes the full dinner buffet, non-alcoholic beverages (beer and wine will be available for purchase), dessert, games, music and all the fun you can handle! Dinners are held rain or shine.

For Foodies:

Pasture to Plate Cheese Making Tours　 | Every Sunday　 2:00-3:30 PM

Member Adults: $15. Nonmember Adults: $20　 All children under 12 are $5 each.

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. Finish up with a sampling of some of our products!

From the Fields: Cooking with Herbs and Greens　 |　 Thursday, June 18, 2015 | 6-9PM

Member $75. Nonmember $90

Join us as we celebrate the arrival of summer and onset of the growing season!　 We will begin the class with a visit to our kitchen garden to talk about growing your own fresh herbs and greens. After harvesting some fresh herbs, we will head to the farmhouse kitchen to learn about the distinctive culinary qualities and uses of each.　 We’ll cover preparation tips and techniques along with creative and vibrant recipes that will promise to help you think creatively about your summer eating. This three hour, hands-on class concludes with a full meal to be enjoyed by all.

From the Fields: Strawberry Preserves

Thursday, June 25, 2015 & Tuesday, June 30th, 2015 | 2:30-4PM & 4:30-6PM

Members: $35. Nonmembers: $50

After this long winter, let's make sure not one juicy red strawberry goes to waste at Appleton Farms this season! Join us for a field walk through our strawberry patch, learning how to grow, harvest, and tend strawberry plants.　 We will then stroll over to the farm kitchen where our chef instructor, Carolyn Grieco will demonstrate how to make strawberry preserves.　 You will learn the art of preserves, helpful tips and techniques, and of course sample the harvest.　 Take home a jar of Carolyn's Farm Kitchen Strawberry Preserves and then pick up your CSA share or stop by your local PYO farm to gather your own strawberry harvest.　

For more information, program fees, and registration information, please visit www.thetrustees.org. To contact the farm regarding programs please email bzschau@ttor.org or call at 978.356.5728.

Share Renewal Updates

As I huddle beside the wood stove these snowy days my mind is full of verdant day dreams; of crisp spring peas and juicy tomatoes and greens of every shade and description.  I'm sure many of you feel the same way.  The good news is that an answer to these winter cravings is on the way.

As many of you all ready know, CSA renewals are underway.  All of our members from last season have been emailed a link to the renewal page.  If you haven't seen an email from us yet, please double check your spam folder.  You can contact membership@ttor.org if you have any question regarding your online renewal.

We are hoping that most of our current members will take advantage of the online renewal process but for those who would rather sign up with pen and paper we will also be mailing out a hard copy renewal form.

Keep dreaming green and we hope to see you soon!

CSA Renewals will begin in mid January

As many of you have probably already noticed we're getting a very late start on renewals this year.  This is because we wanted to launch the online sign up page prior to opening the CSA for renewals.  Going paperless and streamlining the renewal process has been a major goal of ours this year and I'm pleased to say that we're on track to launch the site in mid January.  Once the online renewal site goes live we will be contacting all of our current members with further instructions on how to use the site. Although it's been a little tricky working out the logistics on our end, I feel confident that this new process will make signing up for and renewing your share much faster and easier in the future.  Thank you for your patients with us as we attempt move into the 21st century.

Farm Nisse-Friday December 12th from 4-6pm

Appleton Farms has its own "Nisse"- an elf-like creature who lives in our barn and protects our farmers, animals and crops.  Each holiday season our Farm Nisse appears for his special porridge. Join us as we kindly thank our Nisse for bringing luck to the farm, offer him porridge, and listen to his tales of mischief!  Share in holiday goodies, crafts, and caroling in our carriage barn.

Please Register at www.thetrustees.org or 978.356.5728 x18
Members: FREE. Nona-Member Family $10

Looking for the perfect gift? Look no more! New this holiday season at Appleton Farms: a Holiday Cheese Sampler, fresh from our farm.
The Cheese Sampler includes wedges of Sunset Hill Triple Cream, Pinnacle, and Broad Meadow cheeses. Hand-packaged with care and presented in rustic, wood boxes crowned with a signature Appleton label and cheese descriptions. The Holiday Cheese Sampler makes a perfect holiday present. Have one on hand as a hostess gift or for impromptu festivities at your own house. The cost for the Holiday Cheese Sampler is $50.
ABOUT OUR FARMSTEAD CHEESES
Sunset Hill Triple Cream
A silky-smooth, brie-style cheese with a snow-white bloomy rind, this cheese oozes flavor. It is sweet and buttery when young; bold and peppery with age.
Pinnacle
The “pinnacle” of our cheeses, this semi-hard cheese has a pleasant, grassy tang. A classic farmhouse table, tomme-style cheese. You can really taste the lush grass that our Jersey cows feed on. Fun fact: it's named after the granite spires or “pinnacles” located throughout the farm in memoriam to Appleton family members. Aged 3 months.
Broad Meadow
Earthy, nutty, smooth, and semi-hard can best describe this signature cheese that has become a farm favorite. This cheese is named for the expanse of fields rich with seasonal butterflies and grassland birds that welcome you onto our 1000-acre farm. Aged 6 months.
THREE SIMPLE WAYS TO PRE-ORDER
1. Place order directly at our dairy store (Monday–Friday, 11AM–6PM, Saturday & Sunday, 10AM–4PM); stop by or call 978.356.3825.
2. Email your order with number or samplers and pick-up dates toafwholesale@ttor.org.
3. Order online until December 20. Just select your pick-up date and click the "Add to Cart" button.  www.thetrustees.org/saycheese