Welcome to the start of the fall season!  We’re looking forward to four weeks of extended season crops including crisp orange carrots,  rutabagas you can roast to golden-brown  perfection, and salad greens that will soon be only a memory as we head into winter.  With the help of hoophouses, row covers, and careful planning, we look forward to enjoying as wide a variety of fall crops as possible.  We love everything about fall on the farm:  the weather, the crops, and because the pace has slowed down enough that we’re able to enjoy the farm and the food a little more ourselves, too.

It was  a lovely time at the cider-pressing, garlic-popping potluck at the farm on Saturday.  We popped over a hundred pounds of garlic cloves out of their bulbs, thanks to the help of members who will undoubtedly be smelling garlic on their hands for the rest of the day.  One highlight of the

A scene from Saturday’s potluck at the farm: the little girls carefully inspecting the chicken tractor for eggs.

afternoon was the band of little girls who roamed the farm together, inspecting the chickens and exploring every possible inch of the field.  And it’s always good for Bill and I to see our kids take pride in showing off the farm, since they usually view it as an inconvenient intrusion into what they suspect would otherwise be total domination of their parents.  Of course, the food was amazing.  Thanks to all who contributed.

As part of the upcoming Juice Conference in Camden, I’ll be presenting at a PechaKucha  at the Camden Opera House on November 4th at 7pm.  PechaKucha is a presentation format where ten members of the “creative economy” (in this case) will each present 20 slides, with 20 seconds to speak about each slide.  Other presenters on the 4th will include Elisabeth Tove Bailey, the author of The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, who I am excited to hear speak.  If you’re interested in life on the farm but haven’t been able to make it out to the farm in person this season, hopefully you can come and have these slides give you a bit of a sense of life at HCF.

Have a great week, please contact me with any questions or concerns, and enjoy your meals!

Reba and the HCF crew

Week 1 (of 4):  Pie Pumpkin, Onion, Mesclun Mix, Rutabaga, Potatoes, Carrots, Collards, and just for fun…Decorative Gourds (don’t try to eat the gourds!)

This week’s recipes:  “You Won’t Believe These” Brown-Roasted Rutabaga Wedges, Collard Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing