Summer Bounty & Garlic Braids

Hello Friends,

Happy Summer! I hope this newsletter finds you well. The Farm Team has been so busy with the explosion of growth due to all of the rain we've been getting. Here are some of the things that we've been up to, and more things that are coming soon.

Our first Forest Farm Walk and Sound Bath to celebrate the Summer Solstice was a huge success. It was a peaceful way to end a busy week. We walked silently through the woods using all of our senses to be present and connect with nature. Then we enjoyed the healing vibrations of my antique Tibetan Singing bowls. It definitely felt like everyone floated back to their cars afterward. I think you can see the joy on their faces!

The lambs are getting so big, and we have begun our resiliency breeding program with our chicken flock. We are so grateful to you, our valued customers that our free range, soy free organic fed eggs are consistently sold out, and so we are working on adding to our flock as our older hens decrease the amount of eggs they lay.

Did you know that chickens' prime laying time only lasts until they are two years old? Our oldest hens are now four years old, and we have decided to send them to a mobile retirement community, aka tractor coop that moves daily through our silvopastures with the sheep. The chickens clean up after the sheep have moved through our rotational grazing paddocks to minimize the parasite load. We still get some eggs from them, but we are working on bringing new hens on board to replenish the big coop. Our first hatch is due later this month. It normally takes about 20 weeks for a hen to start laying. Farmers definitely need to be good planners.

Our 24 week CSA is well underway, and we kicked it off with a new product called Spun Honey. We received such great feedback that we had to add it to our online store. It can be used just like regular honey, but has a spreadable consistency. Keep the lid on and it is shelf stable, just like liquid honey. We love it on our morning muffins, toast, biscuits, in tea, and on our charcuterie board.

We are thankful for our bees who not only pollinate all of our flowers, fruit and veggies, but also give us this special gift. May and early June are swarm time for bees, and this year they were especially active. Sam and the team were able to capture six hives, but even more got away! We are happy that by next year if they do well we will have a lot more honey to sell.

https://www.maranatha.farm/products/spun-honey-12-oz?_pos=2&_sid=0ccaf98fd&_ss=r

Our new roadside flower stand is blooming with bouquets every Friday evening for the weekend ahead. It is best to swing by 75 Willow Avenue in Peapack starting around 5pm on Fridays because they go fast. Last week one customer even bought them all! Farmer Mary is very gifted and includes some really unique varieties that make for a great hostess gift, or gift yourself and brighten your home. I promise they will make you smile.

We are happy to announce a new workshop coming up on Friday, July 18th from 3-5pm. Please join us to make your own flower and herb garlic braid. We will also be discussing all things garlic, and how to preserve Summer's bounty so that you can enjoy it throughout the year. I will be demonstrating how to make pesto green beans, and we will taste pickled garlic scape-ricotta crostini. Everyone takes their garlic braid home to enjoy as both a decoration and delicious ingredients for meals to come.

https://www.maranatha.farm/products/garlic-braiding-workshop?_pos=1&_sid=a67a983db&_ss=r

Please mark your calendars for Saturday, July 19th, as we will be at the Bedminster Farmers Market. Our first market day there in June was really well received and we are excited to be back. In addition to our honey, tea, and maple syrup, we will have all of our delicious baked goods, including gluten free, dairy free options.

We received many inquiries about additional CSA shares. Please know that we are already working on how we can increase the number of shares we offer for 2026. In the meantime, as promised, we have extra fruit and veggies to share. It is even time for our raspberries and blueberries! Here's the link to see what's currently fresh and available:

https://www.maranatha.farm/collections/fruits-vegetables

It's been over a month since our last newsletter, so thank you for taking the time to read this longer one to the end. We are grateful for your interest and support of the work we are doing.

We wish you and your families a safe and wonderful Fourth of July. When the world seems to not make much sense, we remind ourselves just how fortunate we are to call the United States home. We are blessed to live in the land of the free.

Sincerely,

Michele and the Maranatha Farm Team