April is here!

The curious farmer…..

Until I can figure out how to post a video to my blog, head over to fb at the link below to see the cute video of the little farmer inspecting his new calf!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010689811909

This weeks veggies: Napa cabbage, lettuce, kale, carrots, radishes, and beets! So my mom took boiled beets and shredded them in her tuna salad and it was this amazing pink! Your kids will love that! I also love to slice them thin and lightly oil and salt them and bake so they taste like potato chips! The napa cabbage is great used as lettuce or cooked. Last week I posted a great recipe on facebook for a slaw type meal with it. We peeled and cut our carrots last night and put them in the instant pot with some honey and butter and cooked for 8 minutes. Then I sauteed them until the liquid was reduced. They tasted like candy! Enjoy!

We are enjoying this sunshine and we are busy planting potatoes, and onions and more greens! The first crop of squash, tomatoes and peppers is in the greenhouse and our first outdoor planting is almost ready to go outside! Spring is very busy around here! We got some new piglets yesterday and they don’t like us yet! Several of them escaped from our “training pen”. We have to teach them to stay in the electric fence so we can eventually graze them. Wow these guys were not quick learners, they just kept zapping themselves on the wire. Finally they calmed down when we offered them some straw to make into a bed. We have been sharing some milk with them so hopefully they will soon be friendly! And can go into their piggery and then onto pasture.

We decided to name Sapphire’s calf Opal, thanks for all the suggestions! She did go to a new farm the other day and will one day be their milk cow! But Rosemary’s calf still needs a name and the judges can’t decide, there are a lot of good ones! She will be down by the cabin in a few more days for visiting. In the mean time, she’s getting lots of snuggles from us. We will be keeping her so let’s find a great name, in the herb or spice family preferably!

We have been working on our schedule around here and hope our ideas can help you find a new normal in your altered routine. Animals, children and even adults thrive on schedules! The seasons dictate some of ours, but we find we really thrive when we know what is coming next. It helps when something like illness or the arrival of a new calf are not easy to predict. We have scheduled meal times so all the farmers can know when they are going to be fed again! Including snack time. We all have different things to do, but I try to make them align so we all eat each meal together. Then the homeschooling happens in the morning after all the animals are fed. We also schedule our family Bible time. We each have household chores that also happen at the same time each day. It really helps us to have structure and know when it’s work time and when it’s play time! I hope your days are filled with good food, learning new things and joy!

We had a different experience packing meat shares for people this week instead of enjoying watching you all choose your items. Although we did take time to pray for you while packing your shares, and thinking about your families and how you may be learning new things during this time. So different isn’t always bad, just different. Though we look forward to having you pack your own shares again, we were happy to pack for you with your meat share forms. If we are still having to do them next month, I’ll send a reminder, but we will need them the Tuesday before pick up in order to fill them. Meat pick up for May is actually going to be April 30th and May 2nd. We will also probably make some kind of veggie selection form once May comes if we still have restrictions. Let’s all take it a day at a time, though!

Blessings and be well,

The Bakers

Cute babies and New farm procedures

Well, the new calf (picture on FB) isn’t the only cute thing happening around here! We have so many cute bunnies, hoping to hop home with you soon! These Holland Lop babies are ready to go anytime or can be held until Easter. They will mature at about 4 pounds and make great pets. Sapphire’s baby girl is doing well and is almost named, so if you have any more suggestions please go to facebook to make an entry. We are still waiting for Rosemary to have her baby, like I said it’s usually a bull and a week late!

The veggies this week are: Kale, Lettuce, Napa Cabbage (great recipe posted on facebook), cabbage, white sweet potatoes and carrots. We love cooking our white sweet potatoes as mashed potatoes or baking them. I find they take a little longer to bake, but become so sweet and yummy! Enjoy! Anyway, now that you are smiling, let’s cover some details.

FARM SHARE MEMBERS:

MEAT PICK UP

We have a few changes to CSA this coming pick up. Meat pick ups will be, as usual, the first Thursday and Saturday of the month, April 2nd and 4th. Due to the current situation and keeping everyone safe, we have made a meat order form for you to fill out so we can have your custom meat share packed and ready for you. This eliminates folks touching all the packages, but still gives you your first choice in cuts. The sheets will have to be filled out by no later than MARCH 31st to allow us time to pack them for you. We appreciate your patience as we learn how to best serve you during this, and we look forward to resuming our normal systems!

FARM STORE PICK UP

We would like to ask that at this time you enter the farm store, one family at a time, to be courteous to others. We are doing our best to keep the cabin sanitized, but giving other’s their space would be appreciated. Please continue to visit the calves, rabbits, horses and pet chickens nearby the cabin. They love to be visited and it’s great for your spirits and your children’s! This is a busy time for us, so for your safety please note these are the areas you are permitted to visit on your own. We enjoy sharing these areas with you and appreciate you respecting our space as well. The gardens and greenhouses will be open for touring at some point(though the spring Farm Tour will probably be cancelled), but please do not enter these areas otherwise.

EGG CARTONS

Egg cartons are hard to come by right now. So please (if yous are clean) return them to us. We can only use our cartons, not ones from the store. We are doing a quarantine on the cartons before we reuse them to make sure they are safe. But the more we have to rotate the better. We appreciate your help!

Thank you for allowing us to help feed your family!

Blessings,

The Bakers

Blessed and Honored, Happy Spring!

Happy farmer boys feeding hay to animals and sipping elderberry shrub!

Friends we are blessed and honored to be your farmers! Thank you for your trust. We are trying to handle the influx of folks wanting a safe source of food so please bare with us as we process emails and prepare invoices. We want to serve as many of you as we can. This is just our biggest planting time so we aren’t as able to keep up with admin! If we have responded to your csa sign up then you will have a spot, we just might not get your invoice done for a week. Thanks for your patience.

We have made a few changes to the system to keep up with safety. We have discontinued the swap bin for trading veggies out in the cabin to eliminate folks from touching each others vegetables. I’ll be sending recipes so you don’t have to be scared of your beets (you know who you are :)! We are so glad to see folks visiting the animals still and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine when they are picking up at the farm! Please continue to do so.

Also for this coming month’s meat pick up we have made an online order form so we can pack your boxes with just what you want. If you want to come pick up during normal hours so we can all say hello and get some fresh air and sunshine together we are still welcoming that! We just want to minimize folks handling each others packages. You may also choose to have us deliver the package to you in your car (during those hours or by appointment). We all have different levels of comfort during this uncertain time, so we are here to serve you in whatever capacity works for you. Pick up dates are: April 2nd and 4th

We continue to maintain our normal safety practices while handling your precious food in addition to extra measures in cleaning the cabin frequently.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE:

We are really on baby watch over here with two cows about to give birth. We are going to be posting pictures as soon as it happens. We will also have a naming contest so get your kids thinking of names! One mom is named Rosemary and we usually name her babies herb names too, and one is named Sapphire and this is her first calf with us. Get your thinking caps on! Study some herbs and maybe gemstones with your children today for ideas! Let’s see who goes first! When I was due with our last 3 babies we also had a cow due around the same time. All three times the cow won and I was pregnant longer! Maybe this time I’ll be first (hint: yes the farm Mamma is due in August)!

Have a peaceful day enjoying something different than you expected, but it is a blessing to find joy in things.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 | KJV 

Blessings,

Your Farm Family

Last years babies are still worth smiling about!

Couple of facts

Remember soon, everything will be lush and green again :)

Hello Friends,

First we want to start with, we are praying for you all and our country. We will continue to use strict standards in our harvesting and packing procedures to ensure safe, clean food for you and your families. We are so thankful for local, organic food! We are cleaning the cabin door and handles frequently for everyone’s safety. Please let us know if you will not be picking up your share so we can donate it to someone who can use it while it’s still fresh. We will continue to operate as usual unless things change. Thank you for your trust and support.

FEW SPACES REMAIN IN THE SUMMER CSA! Please sign up asap for the few remaining spaces for CSA. Details on the website. We only grow a certain amount each year and will not have empty shelves! We will provide good food for you our members! But planting time is NOW and we need to know how many of you to plant for. We have farm pick up, and purcellville and broadlands delivery sites. Inquire for details.

We have been making really nourishing meals here to keep everyone healthy and cutting out all sugar (except honey and maple syrup of course)! Try this soup: 1 quart broth, 2 cups water, 1 large sweet potato (peeled and chopped small), 2 carrots sliced, 1 bag young kale (chopped) and 2 pounds day spring sausage browned. Even on the stove it took me 30 mins to have it ready and it felt so good to eat! Good food keeps your spirits up and your body running well!

Herbal shares for March were Elderberry gummies, Elderberry syrup (the last of it for now) and herbal tea. The herbal calcium is perfect for hormone health and as a daily vitamin! The gummies can be frozen (indefinitely) or fresh for about a week, but in these times….eat them up! Either one a day or the whole tub, your choice! The syrup should be refrigerated and taken a spoonful a day.

We are on baby watch still with two calves expected soon and the baby chicks in the brooder. We can’t wait to share pics! With kids at home from school feel free to let them say hello to the calf “Mercy”, the horses and the rabbits when you come for your shares. And grab some free sunshine while your here!

So please remember to slow down, smile, soak up some sunshine and remain calm. Whatever will come will not be a surprise for our Heavenly Father.

Psalm 9:10 ‘and they that know they name will put their trust in thee: for though, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.’ KJV

Blessings,

Your Farmers

Soak up the sunshine

Since the plants are happy, we are happy! The sunshine and nice weather makes us all want to sing and play out side! It’s also time to start getting into the dirt! We replant all during the year in the greenhouse but we have started planning when to get growing the in the field again! Something to be thankful for! So join us in getting our Vit. D and soak up some sun from your porch or better yet the swing set! Now we are just praying we don’t have a hard freeze since fruit trees are already budding out. We have at least a month until we are clear for that so remember to pray for your local fruit trees!

This week are are focusing on our greens! I am trying to make two meals a day that have greens. It doesn’t have to be tons, but each child is getting some greens twice a day. Especially some kraut for good immune function and digesting all these great foods. We are feasting on Sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, baby kale, mustard greens, and spinach. So eat up! Planning ahead this time of year is essential for me since we are entering the busy season on the farm. We try and think two days in advance for our meat so we can thaw it ahead of time. Cooking is so easy when you think ahead.

We are on baby watch again with two mama cows! The three in the barn are doing all they can to make sure you all get milk. So if you notice your jars are a tiny bit less full than usual, it’s because we share the wealth and share the lean times too! We have been able to fill everyone still, but just slightly under the normal fill line. Thanks for understanding we are not the grocery store! However when these two mamas give birth and have fed their calves for a week, they will then begin to produce more than their calves can drink so there will be plenty for the humans once again! Plus two new sweet babies to visit!

Speaking of visiting….Last week when we were off the farm picking up our pork from the butcher and some soil amendments we got a call from a farm member that our calf was loose. So she put her in the front yard for us until we got home. Well she must like getting out on Thursdays because this morning she met us at the door and when the girls opened it for her she ventured in for a tour!

It’s never dull here folks!

Please have a restful and healthy weekend!

Blessings,

The Bakers

Last chance for 2019 CSA pricing, CSA Day Celebration!

Hello friends,

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Though we have always raised all our food with beyond organic standards, we have had our vegetables and fruit CERTIFIED ORGANIC!

Today is National CSA Day, what a great way to celebrate offering last years pricing for a few more days! We will be advertising this weekend at the Loudoun Grown Expo in Purcellville, so come on by if you want to know more about how our CSA shares work. If you are already a member and want to sign up again for this Summer please let me know by Sunday to receive last years pricing! We love growing food for you! At the expo we will also have our herbal products available. Here at Day Spring we strive to eat our way to good health by consuming lots of whole foods, no soy, no GMO’s and no chemicals. When illness does strike we try and heal our selves with herbs and other natural support. We will have our last batch of the year of elderberry syrup and shrub at the expo and the cabin! OH and we will be giving away samples of elderberry gummies, while supplies last!

There is seriously so much excitement around the farm, it’s hard to keep up! We got our first batch of chicks this week, they are so cute and warm and cozy in their greenhouse! The children love them, it never gets old! We took some pigs to the processor yesterday and are always thankful for a safe trip and happy, healthy piggies!

Delivery update: We hope to have a drop site in Purcellville this season, so please let us know if you are interested in picking up there! We need 10 families to sign up to make it work. We will continue with our broadlands drop site as well. And farm pick up is Thursday and Saturday as usual!

IMPORTANT DATES: LAST CSA of Winter is April 16th for deliver and 18th for farm pick up. Then we take one week off and resume again April 30th and May 2nd with meat pick up both of those days. Also for the March meat pick up the meat won’t be back from the processor until Friday the 6th. If you would like more variety in pork please come Saturday instead. If you need to come Thursday please let us know and we’ll make an appointment to help you. You may also give us a list of desired items for this pick up and we will pack it and leave it the following Thursday. Sorry, scheduling the butcher isn’t always easy! But we can’t wait for our full line of sausages again! And Pork chops!

We hope you have had a great week and enjoyed some snow flurries today!

Blessings,

The Bakers

I think the one in the back is practicing flying!

CSA Sign up time!

Well folks, we have many great weeks left in our Winter CSA, but the time has come to start signing up for the Summer CSA! We always know when that time is, based on when we plant our peppers, eggplants and first batch of outdoor tomato seedlings! Why? Well because this week we planted them in faith that we would know how many families we would be feeding this summer. It takes a lot of planning and some good guessing! So if you are wanting to join us or stay on board with us this year for some great summer eats, click here to sign up. Or send me an email with questions or requests. We’d love to grow for you! We have already heard from some of you and you are on the list, thank you! Thank you for shopping locally and supporting a sustainable farm growing in harmony with nature!

We planted lots of snacking peppers, you know the orange and yellow ones that everyone loves? We also planted a few less eggplants than normal, HA HA! We planted a few more varieties, but decided to grow a few less this year. MOST of us love eggplants, and this time of year I am very hungry for some eggplant Parmesan, or ratatouille, but we found we had a few too many last year. That is how we plan for each year! We watch what you loved the year before and make notes about what to do more or less of. We did plant more tomatoes than normal.It seems each year the tomato crop is hit harder by bugs or disease so we planted more this year to make up for the losses. Planting summer veggies always makes me hungry for them! YUM!

We have had some wild adventures with the cows lately, if our night sounded exciting a few weeks ago, then you’ll have to ask Maddie next time your at the CSA tent about chasing the cows through the woods one evening! What happens is they are like a group of teenagers. The cows are that is. Right now we have both of our lead cows on maternity leave. Rosemary is always the boss and Fawn is second in command. They are both due this spring so are not making milk right now to prepare for their birth. The other gals don’t know who is in charge. Lolipop is a family favorite and she is a good girl as long as her older sister Fawn or good friend Rosemary is here to keep her inline. Since they are not, she has decided to boss the show and keeps leading the other girls on romps around the farm. NOT fun for the farmers, especially when the farmer boys are away and the girls have to chase them alone. Anyway, all is well that ends well!

This week shares have Beets, Carrots and White sweet potatoes, lettuce (those sunny days made some huge growth on the lettuce) and napa cabbage and mustards. Enjoy! We are roasting the roots all together for a delicious side dish. The mustards when great alongside our sloppy joes and mashed sweet potatoes. One little farmer said “can I put salad dressings on this?” and we said sure! I guess they like oil and vinegar on anything green! Even cooked greens!

Have a lovely week!

Your Farmers

What if this were snow?

Only three puppies available still! We are thrilled with the lovely homes they will be going to!

That is what farmer Sean always says when it rains a lot in the winter! Though I am not sure I would want to see how much snow this would equal, so I’ll just take the rain and mud. The animals don’t mind the rain, so I guess we shouldn’t either. We are happy to be harvesting out of the green house since it doesn’t rain in there! We have a lamb special announcement! Our friends at New Asbury Farm have wonderful, pasture raised lamb supplemented with non GMO grains. They are doing a box sale of lamb cuts. Here is an example box: 2 Leg steaks, 2 Stew meat, 1 hot Italian (links) Value $56, sale price is $50. For a list of what boxes are available just reply to this email! The boxes can be picked up in the cabin after you order them. We can also take special orders for Easter cuts. Just email your questions.

The pigs are looking huge and ready for harvest. We will be back in stock with all our great sausages from our favorite butcher for March. However, it won’t be ready for the Thursday pick up so if you have special sausage requests then please come Saturday instead next month. We will still do Thursday pick up and have the regular sausages available, but no chops or special sausage. Just thinking ahead, but we will remind you again closer to March.

We tried a new recipe this week and I hope you have some napa cabbage left (if not we will be harvesting it again soon). We just chopped and sauteed it with onions. Then I had left over sloppy joe that I placed into a greased pyrex with the cabbage and topped with left over mashed sweet potatoes and mozzarella cheese. It was like a shepherds pie! It was a huge hit! We love recreating our favorite dishes with the veggies we have on hand. Eating local takes a creative cook sometimes, but it’s awesome!

In your bags this week are cabbage, spinach, sweet and spicy lettuce mix, carrots, sweet potatoes and rutabaga! We love to roast the rutabagas like potatoes, chopped and rolled in lard with salt and herbs. Or use with carrots in a great pot roast with your beef roast or stew cubes. I just brown the meat, add some flour and a few cups of broth, then chopped veggies and put in the instant pot for about an hour. Yum!

We hope everyone has a happy Valentine’s Day, we will be taking the children ice skating! They are excited, they also went last week and are excited to practice again.

Blessings,

The Farmers