Hello Friends,
Happy Thursday! We hope that this newsletter finds you well, and settling nicely into the new year. We have been busy around the farm doing our normal winter chores which include woody invasive plant removal, gearing up for maple and walnut sugaring to make syrup, and reflecting on what worked for us last year, as well as planning for what we will grow this year. Here's a photo of the chickens coming to remind us to get their end of the day chicken scratch. Did you know that eating vegetables like corn helps the chickens generate heat overnight while they digest? For the winter we install clear plastic panels to the run part of the chicken coop to create a wind break to keep them warmer. The clear panels also create a greenhouse effect during the day when the sun is shining to help them stay toasty after foraging outside.
2024 was our first year in production, and was a year of so much learning. It's our goal to take this new found knowledge and continue to expand upon it to continue to offer great products from the farm, and further engage with our community.
The chickens are still stingy with the number of eggs we are getting until the sunshine increases as the Winter progresses, but when we open the nesting boxes and see them, it's like a gift that we can't help feeling grateful for. We do have limited amounts, so if you are looking for our pasture raised, soy free/organic chicken or duck eggs, please email Martha at farmproductionsteward@maranatha.farm
We have just added our pre-paid options for vegetables and flowers to our online store. We know that it's early in the year to be thinking about vegetables, fruits and flowers, but as we plan, we can't help look forward to it, and we hope that you will too, and consider supporting the farm. As always, all vegetables and fruits on the farm are grown without the use of pesticides using regenerative practices. There is a limited number of shares, and they sell out quickly. If we sell out and you are still interested, please email Michele@maranatha.farm to be added to our waitlist.
We are offering two different vegetable/fruit CSAs this year:
A Spring Harvest CSA, which will run for four weeks from May 7th until May 28th. This will include items like greens, lettuces, mushrooms, eggs and herbs, and is enough for 2-3 people.
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Our longer seasonal CSA begins June 4th, and runs until November 12th, for a total of 24 weeks. This share for two to three people will include a wide variety of vegetables, mushrooms and fresh fruit when available including berries and apples, pears and peaches. It may occasionally include a value-added product from the farm, such as honey, jam, or tea. We are happy to donate your share if you are away on vacation, alternatively you can gift your share to a friend. We just ask that you give us prior notice the week before pickup.
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As for flowers, we are offering two different options this year. Customer feedback has shown that customers loved providing their own vases and picking up a new arrangement every week with our regeneratively grown flowers.
April/May/June Flower Subscription: This subscription provides all of the beautiful tulips, daffodils, hydrangeas, peonies, ranunculus and more.
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July/August/September Subscription: This subscription includes Summer and early fall's best flowers including sunflowers, dahlias, and zinnias to name a few.
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If you are unable to pickup your flowers, we are happy to donate them to a local nursing home, or you can also gift them to a friend.
We are also excited to share that we will be offering some pre-order baked goods for upcoming Holidays (including Gluten Free versions):
Valentine's Day
For all of the chocoholics in your life
Pre-order by February 5th for pickup or delivery on Wednesday, February 12th.
Double Chocolate Cherry Muffins
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Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cherry Muffins
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Chocolate Dipped Salted Rosemary Thyme shortbread
Farm Offering
$12.00
Chocolate Dipped Salted Gluten Free Rosemary Thyme shortbread
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Chocolate Dipped Salted Rye Chocolate Chip Walnut cookies
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St. Patrick's Day
Pre-order by March 12th for pick-up or delivery on March 17th.
Irish Soda Bread Muffins
Farm Offering
$4.00
Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Muffins
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Easter
Pre-order by April 11th for pick-up on April 18th.
Carrot Cake muffins
Gluten Free Carrot Cake Muffins
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The sheep are getting settled in around the barn and happy eating hay for the Winter. They did try and bust into the small tractor coop that houses the five chickens who are part of our rotational grazing plan with the sheep. Chicken feed and sheep feed aren't that much different apparently!
It's a bit like playing where's Waldo (or Where's Basil) sometimes when it snows. It's gets difficult to spot him since he's fluffy and white too!
I should also mention that we are offering FREE DELIVERY WITHIN 10 miles of the farm until our farm store opens for the season on April 9th. Please choose local pickup and add a note to your order that you would like delivery. We are happy to bring the farm to you on these chilly days.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend friends. January is half-way finished and the longest shortest month of the year is coming quickly, aka February. We are working on a potential local pop-up market, so we will keep you posted!
God bless you and your families today and always.
Sincerely,
Michele & the Maranatha Farm Team