New Years at Stone Coop

The DeBruhl family was extremely pleased to be able to move from the trailer into their new home at the farm two days before Christmas.  It was the BEST Christmas present ever!  We were warm and cozy before the big snows and cold temperatures hit. The snow and clouds have allowed us some time to relax (and unpack) and let the plants in the hoop houses be dormant for a few weeks. I never thought I would be happy for clouds, but but I have finally had a chance to sit on the couch, drink hot tea, watch a movie, and relax.

We covered the chicken coop with a huge blue tarp to keep out some of the wind and keep the heat from the heat lamps in.  Troy, Reid and I got several chuckles watching the chickens take their first steps into the snow. They were not happy to find out that snow is cold and that they sink in it when they finally risked stepping outside the coop. Several were lifting their wings, like stepping into cold water, so their wings would not touch the snow.  Eventually they got used to it, but they are spending a lot more time in the coop avoiding the cold winds and the snow. 

I will start working on the crop plan next week for the 2013 season.  Soon we will also be offering shares for 2013 so keep an eye out for the details by the end of January. 

THANK YOU all for a wonderful year in 2012 and we look forward to our new adventures in 2013.  Have a fantastic New Year's!!!

-Joannee

Moving on to Winter at the Farm

Here at the farm we're wrapping things up for the winter. The fields are cleared of drip tape and being tilled under and planted with cover crop, the chickens have been moved to their winter location, the hoop houses are planted full of delicious winter greens, and the root cellar is loaded with storage crops for winter and early spring sales. We have been thankful to make it through the season. It was a hard one, what with a hot, dry summer that caused many of our crops to produce poorly. As we look back on the busy months, we are grateful for all the folks who supported us and encouraged us along the way. We couldn't have done it without you! Now, just as the land around us is sighing as it takes to rest for the season, so do we let out a sigh of relief to be able to take some time for reflection and rest. Though work on the farm is never done, the tasks have diminished for the time being, leaving us with a chance to take a breath and prepare our bodies and minds for the spring.

Bringing in the kossack kohlrabi harvest.

Plowing up potatoes.

Potato harvesters!

Hoop house planted for the winter.

Fall Shares and Online Sales

FALL SHARES and ONLINE SALES for the end of the 2012 Season

I hope you have all enjoyed the spring and summer produce we have offered in 2012. It has been another season for Shannon and me to better understand the art and science of farming. So much to learn! That is one of the aspects we both love about it. We have had a bountiful harvest of storage crops (potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash, and pumpkins), and we are planting salad greens, lettuce heads, spinach, arugula, kale, chard, radishes, and turnips in the hoop houses for fresh produce this fall and winter.

We have decided to offer a 4 week FALL SHARE this November. We will have 15 shares available on a first come first serve basis. We will also be offering ONLINE SALES like we did last winter so Market Share members will have more opportunities to use the rest of your balances before the end of the year when they expire. We are also moving the pickups for the Fall Share and Online Sales to the farm on Musch Rd. I have included details about the Fall Shares and Online Sales below.

Here is how the FALL SHARE will be structured:

Cost: $100

Payment Deadline: $50 when you sign up, and the remaining $50 due by October 31^st.

Pick Up Dates: Wednesdays – November 7^th, 14^th, 21^st, 28^th

Time: 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Location: Stone Coop Farm – 9615 Musch Rd., Brighton, MI 48116

Number of Shares available: 15

What will be in the share? Here’s the items that may be provided each week. You will get 5 items, one from each category, and it will be at least $25 in value.

1. Root Crops – carrots, radishes, turnips, rutabaga, or beets

2. Potatoes or sweet potatoes

3. Pumpkin or Winter Squash

4. Leafy Greens – salad mix, spinach, kale, chard or lettuce head

5. Miscellaneous veggies – kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, onions, cabbage, celery or frozen tomatoes (from our wonderful abundance of tasty tomatoes this summer).

Here is how we will be offering the ONLINE SALES:
On Fridays we will send out an email listing the produce we have to offer and the price for each item. You will place your order via email by MONDAY at noon. Orders are filled by first come first served. We will harvest the produce and send you an email by the end of the day on Tuesday letting you know which items on your order we can provide and the total cost. You pick up your order on Wednesday at the farm on Musch Rd.

Location: Stone Coop Farm – 9615 Musch Rd., Brighton, MI 48116When: Wednesdays – November 7^th, 14^th, 21^st, 28^th

Pick Up Time: 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

We may have some December online sales, but it will be weather dependent.

No need to sign up for the Online Sales, just let us know you want to be on our weekly email and you can pick and choose which weeks you want to purchase something.

If you are interested in purchasing a Fall Share, or are not yet on our email list and wish to be, please email me, joannee@stonecoopfarm.com, with your request. Thank you!

-Joannee