Between the high winds and the rain it’s been a roller-coaster of a week on the farm, but with the sun out today the crew is transplanting kale, broccoli and cabbage and we’re getting back on track! One of our hoophouses pulled out of the ground last Thursday in the high winds, but we were able to tie it down to the tractor until the winds died down, and now we’ve got extra long posts holding it into the ground.  

We know that many members missed the egg CSA option this year, but it proved difficult to find a local egg producer that raises eggs in a way we both felt good about and who had sufficient supply for our members.  Then we met the family that farms at Rooster Ridge Farm in Waldoboro.  They’re a homeschooling family with quite a livestock operation – pigs, ducks, chicken, goats, rabbits and more, all raised with integrity and love in some seriously comfortable digs.  They’re excited about the chance to provide products to our members, and though they don’t have the quantities of chicken eggs right now, they do have free range duck eggs!  These duck eggs are a range of colors and are prized for their nutritional qualities and large size, in addition to adding great fluffiness and richness to baking. Even if you’ve already signed up for a CSA share you can go back into the online sign-up program (http://hatchetcovefarm.csasignup.com/) and add a duck egg share or two (for a bi-weekly delivery along with your veggies during the CSA season).

We’re considering offering meat birds to our members from Rooster Ridge, as well, and will keep you posted with that option.  And if all goes well, hopefully Rooster Ridge can raise pigs for our members in 2015!  We’re excited about this new partnership and can’t wait for you all to try their products.  So far, we’re impressed.    

Other big news on the farm:  for the fifth year in a row we’ve received a grant that will cover 50% of the veggie CSA price for members who pay with EBT (Food Stamps).  In addition to this being great for those members, it also opens up our financial aid resources to assist other families. So if you’re concerned about making payments, or know of someone who could use a hand in affording the CSA, please get in touch.  There are still about forty spots left in the CSA but they’ll fill up fast!

To add a Duck Egg CSA share or another share option:      http://hatchetcovefarm.csasignup.com/members/updatemembership

or if it’s been at least a month since you’ve made a CSA payment:  http://hatchetcovefarm.csasignup.com/members/pay

Thanks, please let me know if you have any questions, and we’ll be in touch again soon!

Reba