A cold and quiet week has passed at the farm. Entering numbers into
computer programs and trying my best to decipher employment tax forms,
finally getting to a field plan for next season’s vegetables and
putting in a potato order (a seed crop that is in drastically short
supply this year due to floods and disease). James has largely been
tackling the chilly outdoor projects, packing up the butchering
supplies (since we have just completed the last of the year’s work!)
and skating around the barnyard delivering feed to the animal groups.

We spent Saturday afternoon at the Grange Hall listening to a lecture
on the future of the Adirondacks, relating to the changing climate and
the national rural exodus among other factors. Despite the often dour
and uncertain message the event left me feeling extremely grateful for
all of the community members who have supported our local farming
movement: bringing in and keeping (comparatively) young people in the
area, putting your money into the local rural economy and supporting
us through floods, high wind, and heavy snowstorms. I could look over
the balcony rail and literally point out the people in the room who
were personally responsible for James and I having jobs and the
ability to restore a piece of property in our town.

Many hands have been hard at work on the Grange Hall in the last few
years bringing it back to life as a community gathering place, forum
for discussion and performance and now Community Kitchen! The
amazingly modernized and newly outfitted kitchen has just been
certified as a commercial kitchen which means that it can be used to
produce salable food for any food entrepreneurs out there. The space
can also be used for catered events in the hall, food preservation and
community meals. The kitchen committee is now looking for people who
want to get involved–as a user themselves or to help plan and generate
ideas for events in the upcoming season (group tomato canning? cooking
classes?) Email Jori if you are interested or have questions at
joriwekin@gmail.com.

In the veggie share: parsnips, leeks, carrots, beets, cabbage, winter
squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, shallots, garlic, kohlrabi,
rutabaga, radish, black, white and red cattle beans. I’ll unveil the
next big blue hubbard squash tonight.

In the meat share: If you did not take two weeks worth last week the
freezers are loaded up with pork, beef and chicken.

See you tonight between 4 and 6, I’ll definitely have the fire burning
on this chilly evening.
Sara Kurak
Full and By Farm

Related articles

• Facing the Future: A Two-Part Discussion Series (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)