Sunday, December 18, 2011

Jesse and Hannah update

Those of you who picked up the Thanksgiving basket were probably aware that Jesse and Hannah got engaged in their last moments at Bugtussle. What you may not know is that they've got a wonderful blog of their own. Oh, and that they're getting married this week! You can get all the details and follow their story on their Rough Draft Farmstead blog. Congratulations, Jesse and Hannah!

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Week #2 for the Winter

December 17, 2011

This week's harvest
:
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Kale
Spinach
Lettuce
Daikon Radish
Salad Turnips

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, this is the last trip we'll be making to Nashville for the year! We want to wish everyone a lovely holiday season surrounded by warmth, good food, and those you love! We'll probably try to come back this way with veggies and eggs in mid-January, but we'll see what the weather has in store for us! So, if we don't make it out of Bugtussle until spring, have a superb winter! And don't forget to take advantage of our "early bird" share prices for next season's shares from now until February 15! Peace to you all!

20 week summer season share:
small share
(1/4 bushel)
before Feb. 15 - $375
after Feb. 15 - $400
medium share (1/2 bushel)
before Feb. 15 - $625
after Feb. 15 - $675
large share (1 bushel)
before Feb. 15 - $1175
after Feb. 15 - $1250

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Week #1 of the Winter

December 10, 2011

This week's harvest:

Spinach
Kale
Lettuce
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Daikon Radish
Salad Turnips
Garlic

This week's farm news:

Well, here we are... nearly mid-December already! Seed catalogs are beginning to arrive in our mailbox. As much as we love to fantasize about our future gardens and the coming spring, we aren't quite ready to dive into these catalogs... not just yet. They are being tucked away in our seed catalog drawer for later. Right now we are doing our best to take a little respite, to take some deep breaths, and to have some time of reflection & renewal. We're also busy keeping the family and fires well fed, crafting and tucking away surprises for the coming holidays, playing games, and reading lots of stories. Our version of hibernation. It's actually such a short window of "down time" for us. Practically as soon as the day length starts to once again increase, so does the bustling energy of farm life. We love that and loook forward to it, but over these past ten years of farming and homesteading we have really come to value and honor these December days. Blessings to all of you!!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Veggies this Saturday!

PLEASE let us know if you want a basket before Friday morning. Payment is upon pickup. Veggies are available to anyone, shareholder or not. Prices are below.

We will be bringing veggies and eggs this Saturday December 10th to the LOVE building which is the winter indoor spot for our Farmers Market. We will be there from 10am until noon. The LOVE building is very close to the park where we normally are. Turn onto 47th Ave. right across from the park near McDonalds and then just a block or two back on the corner of Alabama Ave. you will find it. It's painted green. Address is 4611 Alabama Ave. I'm sorry we can't control the hours. I hope it can work for you somehow.

Here's what we plan to bring:
Lettuce, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Spinach or Swiss Chard, maybe some Arugula, Collards, and/or Mustard Greens, Salad Turnips, Daikon Radish.
Basket Prices: $25 small, $40 medium, $55 family size. Cash or check upon pickup.
We need to know how much to harvest so please let us know before 8am Fri.

Eggs! We actually have a fair number. The grass is still green so the yolks are still deep orange. Same price: $4.50/dozen. 3 dozen limit. And Ira has 3 and a half dozen duck eggs at $7/dozen, $4/half dozen, $1 each. Eggs are first come first serve. Place your order, cross your fingers, and come early.

Thanks and we are excited to see you all! Miss you!!
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, and Olivia

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Special Thanksgiving Basket

November 19, 2011

This week's harvest:

Spinach
Lettuce
Kale
Green choice: Arugula, Green Mustard, Collards
Carrots
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Salad Turnips
Daikon Radish - free choice

This week's farm news:

It was a mostly quiet week here on the farm, aside from a small birthday party for little Miss Opal. It was especially quiet without Jesse and Hannah here. Boy, we sure miss them!

...And speaking of those two dears... They stopped by the farm on their way north to pick up the remainder of their things. We all had a lovely visit. Apparently, as they were leaving the farm they stopped by the gardens one last time to pick some veggies and, well, they also got engaged!!! Wow! Isn't that just the sweetest news! What a grand finale to their internships!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Thanksgiving Baskets

Here's a reminder that we are offering a Thanksgiving basket this Saturday November 19th. We will be at the West Nashville Farmers Market from 9am-12noon (if you need to come earlier we will be setting up at 8am). You can pay for your basket when you pick it up. $25 for small, $40 medium, $55 for the new "family basket" (equals a small plus a medium). NOTICE we will not be coming for 3 weeks after this (December 10th) so do consider a larger than usual basket.

Here's what you may find in your Thanksgiving basket:
Kale, Arugula, Lettuce, Sweet Potatoes, Red Potatoes, Garlic, Butternut Squash, Salad Turnips, Carrots, Collards or Mustard Greens, and maybe Spinach.

If you're interested, PLEASE let us know what size basket you want by calling us at 270-457-2847.

Thanks and see you Saturday!
Eric

Saturday, November 12, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 8

November 12, 2011

This week's harvest:

Butternut Squash
"Confection" Winter Squash
Sweet Potatoes
Garlic
Lettuce
Chinese Cabbage
Parsley
Salad Turnips
Daikon Radish
Greens Choice: Kale, Green Mustard, Red Mustard, Arugula (small shares pick 1, medium shares pick 2)

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, today wraps up this season's fall share! Thanks to all of you who participated!! We'll be back again next Saturday for a special "Thanksgiving Basket". Please let us know if you are interested... either by putting your name on our list at the market or by responding to the email that we'll be sending out early next week. The cost will be: $25/small, $40/medium, or $55/family-size. We would feel so honored for our veggies to be part of your Thanksgiving feasts!

We enjoyed our last week with our dear interns, Jesse and Hannah, here on the farm. We cannot thank them enough for such a wonderful season and all of their hard work and commitment! They have especially touched the lives of our children (and, I think, have equally been touched by our children!) We are so grateful and thankful and we wish them many, many blessings!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 7

November 5, 2011

This week's harvest:

Bok Choi
Lettuce
Kale
Parsley
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Salad Turnips
Greens Choice: Red Lettuce, Red Mustard, Arugula, Green Mustard, Collards (small shares pick one, medium shares pick two)

This week's farm news:

So, folks, believe it or not, but next Saturday is our final fall share basket! That went by fast! We were planning to take Saturdays the 19th & 26th off, and then begin bringing winter veggies Dec. 3rd. However, Eric has just agreed to give a talk at the local food summit at Lipscomb U. that first weekend in December. So we are changing our plans and will be offering a "Thanksgiving Basket" for Saturday, November 19. We will then begin bringing winter veggies Sat. Dec. 10. The Thanksgiving Basket, as well as all winter baskets, will be on a pay-by-the-week basis. The cost will be $25/small, $40 medium, and $55/family-size. We still have so much growing in the garden, we would love to get you stocked up for Thanksgiving! We sure hope you will make plans to join us on the 19th.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 6

October 29, 2011

This week's harvest:

Peanuts
Lettuce
Kale
Parsley
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Pumpkins
Garlic
Ornamental Gourds

This week's farm news:

**Reminder** Next Saturday this market will be on the other side of the library - between the library and the playground. See you there!

So, this week the garden received its final planting of the season - a crimson clover and rye cover crop on about 1/3 acre.

Our entire crew went to visit our dear friends at Hill and Hollow Farm for a tour (as part of the C.R.A.F.T. - Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training - program that we participate in). It was a gorgeous day and so enlivening and inspiring. It's always so good to visit with our farming peers - to connect and help remind each other why we're doing all that we do. Ya know - pats-on-the-back kind of thing! Here in Bugtussle, we are beginning to wind down with the season. With some rainy days and lessening daylength, we can certainly see the shift from outdoor to indoor activities happening. More stories with the children, more knitting for mama, more reading for papa, and all sorts of unfinished house projects are resurfacing and begging for a little bit of long-overdue attention!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 5

October 22, 2011

This week's harvest:

Tatsoi
Kale
Greens Choice: Collard Greens, Red Mustard, Green Mustard, and/or Arugula
Beets & Greens
Daikon Radish
Salad Turnips
Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Pumpkins
Garlic
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant - medium shares only
Sweet Potatoes

This week's farm news:

We kept our woodstoves burning a little bit more this week while enjoying some lovely, blustery fall weather. A few extra cups of tea were also in order! The change in the landscape is so rapid right now. The trees are really letting loose of their leaves and the sky is beginning to seem that much bigger!

The kiddos and I made a trip up to Fox Hollow Farm, just outside of Louisville, to visit a friend and to bring home the newest additions to our farmstead: four very fluffy Angora bunnies! We plan to utilize their wool for making warm woolen garments for the winter months.

The crew did a little more grubbing in the soil this week (the sweet potato harvest just didn't give them their fill! ha!) to harvest our peanut crop. Yes! Peanuts grow underground and you'll get to see what they look like on the plant when we give them to you next week!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 4

October 15, 2011

This week's harvest:

Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Garlic
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Bok Choi
Salad Turnips
Lettuce (medium shares only)
Choose between: Arugula, Thick-Stemmed Mustard, Red Mustard, Mizuna, Kale

This week's farm news:

The week started out in full-steam-ahead fashion as we hustled to get all of the sweet potatoes out of the ground before rain. With a lot of perserverance and tiresome grubbing in the ground, we were successful in completing the task! We estimate just under 4,000 pounds of our winter staple was lifted from the garden. Our winter's food supply is looking secure!

After that big project, we slowed down our pace and took things a bit easier for a few days, enjoying some rain and relaxation. Jesse and Hannah took a few days off from the farm to celebrate Jesse's birthday and to look at some land/living prospects for the next stage of their life journey...life after Bugtussle. (Boo Hooo Hooo Hooo! We are so going to miss them when they do go!) They have a few options with great potential and lots of wonderful family support! We are so happy for them!

This week we also transplanted some kale into the high tunnel pretty much filling up the last remaining space in there! The high tunnel crops are looking great! More winter bounty to come!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 3

October 8, 2011

This week's harvest:

Cut Salad Mix
Salad Turnips with Greens
Kale
Acorn Squash
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Eggplant - medium shares only
and a choice between Arugula, Mizuna, &/or Red Mustard

This week's farm news:

It was nice to get back to the farm after our family vacation. The gardens all look so beautiful. The cover and forage crops are growing and getting lush. The forest is beginning to be kissed with the colors of autumn. Ahhhh! As much as we relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed our time at the beach, we were all ready to come home. We are so, so, so grateful to Jesse and Hannah for taking such good care of the farm - even when faced with some challenges during their second week on the farm by themselves! (And for being champions and dealing so expertly with those challenges and not calling us at the beach and worrying us! The means a great deal to us!)

Now that we are back, we are ready to tackle one of our final big garden projects for the season - digging the sweet potatoes! Next week you'll have some in your baskets!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week 2

October 1, 2011

This week's harvest:

Arugula
Kale
Salad Turnips and Greens
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Acorn Squash
Butternut Squash
Basil
Garlic

This week's farm news:

Well, we survived! (At least so far!) A whole week went by, and the farm didn't burn down, the animals are all accounted for, and we even made it to market with your veggies! Actually, it was a very calm week. We've had some cooler temperatures and some rain, but the big news is that we started digging SWEET POTATOES! We were eager to get them out of the ground, since they need to undergo a curing process before they are fully ready to show up in your baskets. So GET EXCITED!

Although we have definitely enjoyed the peace and quiet on the farm this week, it is just not quite the same without the family. They are an essential part of what makes Bugtussle BUGTUSSLE - and so are YOU! Meeting all of you and connecting with your lives and your families is a huge motivation to us for starting our own farm someday. This was an absolute LIFE-CHANGING year for us both, and we cannot thank you enough for being part of it.

~ Jesse and Hannah

Saturday, September 24, 2011

2011 Fall Season, Week One

September 24, 2011

This week's harvest:

Butternut Squash
Acorn Squash
Kale
Salad Turnips
Arugula
Garlic
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

Happy autumn everyone! Well, last weekend's push to get the garlic crop in the ground was a success. It's all planted now - about nine thousand cloves of it - and the crew even got it mulched before the rain set in! Awesome! The crew also set transplants into our high tunnel for our winter harvests and Eric finished planting his forage crop into a garden that we are converting back to pasture for a few years in order to re-generate the soil's fertility. (To do this required first yanking our main tomato crop - about two hundred plants/cages/& stakes!)

This week, also, our five pigs were advanced into their forest paddocks so that they can begin to eat all of the scrumptious acorns that are now falling. We were pushing to get lots of these projects done this week because today, following market, the Smith family is heading South for our annual family vacation to the beach! We wanted to leave the farm feeling good about things! Superheroes Jesse and Hannah will be holding down the fort - their ultimate test to see if they really want to start their own farm!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

2011 Season, Week 20

September 17, 2011

This week's harvest:

Butternut Squash
Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Garlic
Onions
Salad Turnips with Greens
Basil
Potatoes

This week's farm news:

Well, folks, this week wraps up our "Main" season vegetable share for 2011! Many thanks to all of you that participated... Thanks for sharing your recipes, stories, and including us in your lives! Your involvement in our CSA nourishes us. In turn, we hope that our food has equally nourished you and your families! Blessings to you all!

So next Saturday, the 24th, will be the start of the fall season. There are lots of goodies in store for you! (There are also still shares available, if you haven't signed up yet and would still like to.) So, fall share folks, we'll see you next Saturday!

Saturday, September 10, 2011

2011 Season, Week 19

September 10, 2011

This week's harvest:

Pumpkins
Arugula
Basil
Garlic
Potatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Tomatoes
Onions
Sage
Eggplant - medium shares

This week's farm news:

Clearly, the big news of the week is that we had rain! Not just any old rain either, but a gloriously gentle rain that lasted for days and drenched the farm with nearly four inches. And, the entire rain event was so gentle that every drop soaked in! And then the cooler temperatures... well! That left us feeling soooo refreshed - like we were transported from the desert Southwest to misty Northern Ireland... just like that! We are so grateful!

So, remarkably, next Saturday wraps up the "Main Season" vegetable share! The summer just marched right on past, huh? Thanks so much to all of you who participated. We hope you enjoyed it! If you are not planning to continue on with the fall season, we ask that you please bring your basket back to us (as well as a bag for next week's goodies). Thanks!

If you are still interested in signing up for a fall share but have not yet done so, we still have plenty of space available. Just let us know! And now that it has finally rained, the fall share should be that much better!

Sunday, September 4, 2011

2011 Season, Week 18

September 3, 2011

This week's harvest:

Potatoes
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet & Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
Eggplant
Okra
Arugula
Onions

This week's farm news:

Ohhhh... It's so dry here! And so hot, too. Not a good combination when we're already so far behind on the season's rainfall! Lots of our summer crops are shutting down - mostly the peppers and eggplant. (For this reason, this week your eggplant is hard and should be roasted and then scooped out of the skin, which we suspect might be bitter.) Even though your farmers' instinct right now is to also "shut down," we've got to keep rolling along as if all is normal... We've got to get the remainder of the fall crops in the ground, assess what's still alive and re-plant where necessary, and get empty fields sown to cover crops. There is such a good chance for rain this weekend, and next week so much cooler that this could prove to be our last planting frenzy for the season! Who knows, it could start raining and not stop until December! Ultimately, we've got to sieze the opportunities where we can, take a deep breath, and hope for the best!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

2011 Season, Week 17

August 27, 2011

This week's harvest:

Arugula
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Okra

This week's farm news:

There was a good chance of rain last weekend, so when we got home from market last Saturday, we set out a bunch of fall transplants and sowed another row of arugula. It's always a bit of a gamble setting transplants this time of year, since rain can be so spotty. Well, on this occasion, we gambled and won! We had a really nice rain shower on Sunday morning that settled in the transplants. The arugula was germinating in just a few days! Later in the week, however, when there was another decent call for rain, Hannah and Jesse set out some more transplants and this time we weren't so lucky. The rain never came and was instead very hot and dry! So, unless it rains again really soon, we are going to need to water-in the transplants ourselves. Oh well, you can't win them all!

The Smith family took a little excursion off the farm for a day to celebrate Cher's birthday. We went to Mammoth Cave and took a couple of tours and camped overnight. The cave was awesome (I've not been there before) and also very educational for our home-schooled kiddos. When we got home, Eric and crew jumped right into butternut harvest.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

2011 Season, Week 16

August 20, 2011

This week's harvest:

Sweet Peppers
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Hot Peppers
Garlic
Basil
"Drought" Cilantro
Watermelons - medium shares
Okra
Cucumbers &/or Yellow Squash - small shares
Eggplant

This week's farm news:

We are pushing 40 days without a real rain. We've only had about 3/10" total rainfall since July 12, our last rain event. We've longingly watched storms pass by the farm in all directions, leaving us all the more thirsty for rain. Storms have missed us so many times that Eric is convinced that "They are not just missing us, they are avoiding us!" There are moments of feeling a little desperate and grumpy, especially when seeing garden plants wilty and suffering, but we know in our bones that, yes, sometime again it will rain. Who knows maybe even today? (Trying hard to be hopeful!) The term "isolated thunderstorms" really has a whole new meaning for me now when in Nashville, just 70 miles away (and even in places a lot closer than that) rain has been plentiful!

Well, would you believe it? Just after writing this letter into Bugtussle rolls the thunder, lightening, and rain. Ahhhh! Yes, rain!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

2011 Season, Week 15

August 13, 2011

This week's harvest:

Tomatoes and Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Corn
Eggplant
Sweet and Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Garlic
Basil
Melons - "Sorbet Swirl"
Lettuce - medium shares only
Choose between Cucumbers, Okra, & Squash

This week's farm news:

First off, we celebrated Farmer Eric's big birthday #40 this week. The Smith family took a couple of days off from life on the farm to do some things we seldom ever do... Like going out to dinner, staying in a hotel (with a pool of course), and taking the kiddos to nearby "Dinosaur World". It was a nice, much needed family getaway. Big thanks to our superhero interns, Jesse & Hannah, for taking care of the farm while we were gone!

Next, we'd like to announce this year's fall share. It will be an eight-week season beginning Saturday, September 24 and ending Saturday, November 12. The price will be $175/small shares, $275/medium shares, and $375 for the "new" family-sized share (which is the equivalent of a small share plus a medium share.) We aren't absolutely certain about all the vegetables it will include yet, as they are still germinating in the field and in the shade house, but your baskets will be bountiful nonetheless! We do know that we'll have lots of sweet potatoes and winter squash (these are our family's winter staples, so we grow lots!) We'll begin our fall share sign-up next Saturday! We truly hope you'll join us for the extended season!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

2011 Season, Week 14

August 6, 2011

This week's harvest:

Sweet Corn
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Melons - assorted
Sweet Peppers
Hot Peppers
Onions
Garlic
Eggplant
Basil
Red Potatoes
Cucumbers
Dill
Choose between: Okra, Summer Squash, Zucchini

This week's farm news:

First of all, we would love to thank all of you that made it to the farm for the swimming party and potluck! What a success! We love sharing this beautiful farm with you and love when y'all get even more connected with where your food is coming from. Thank you, thank you!

It was another intensely hot week. We had about 1/10" of rain last Saturday but otherwise all of the storms keep creeping right past us. All of the fall crops that Eric sowed this week - carrots, beets, salad turnips, kale & Tuscan kale - could sure use a good rain to get them off to a good start!

We had another calf born this week. It's another heifer, too! That makes 4 out of 4 girls! Remarkable! The mama cow is doing a great job but her udder was really distended (too full of milk) so the calf was having a hard time nursing. Eric has been giving the calf our home-made electrolytes as a preventative since it's been so blasted hot, but also needs to make sure the calf is able to nurse... So in between trying to milk the cow's very sore udder and holding the calf up to its mama to nurse he got a swift kick in the leg! Ouch!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

2011 Season, Week 13

July 30, 2011

This week's harvest:

Melons!!!
* Watermelons - "Peace"
* Muskmelons - "Halona"
Sweet Corn
Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Onions
Garlic
Basil
Cucumbers
Yellow Squash
Peppers - Hot
Choose between Sweet Peppers, Okra, & Eggplant

This week's farm news:

**DON'T FORGET**
Tomorrow, July 31, picnic and swimming at the farm. Come around 2pm.
Directions here.
Please join us!!!

The heat this week was unrelenting. We didn't have any rain either, so the gardens are getting dry. Eric prepared some more ground for fall crops and planted some cover crop seeds. Other than that and keeping up with all of the harvesting and chores, not a whole lot was accomplished in the garden this week! We sometimes get nervous about investing in a bunch of planting with no real prospects of rain in the forecast. But that's summertime for you! When the sky turns dark and there's thunder around you can just about bet we'll be putting seeds in the ground! This week we did begin our annual tomato canning project. So far we've canned about 35 quarts. I normally like to put up at least 100 quarts for our winter stash, so we're off to a good start!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

2011 Season, Week 12

July 23, 2011

This week's harvest:

Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes
Green & Yellow Beans
Basil
Lettuce
Yellow Squash
Cucumbers
Garlic
Onions
Zucchini and/or Red Peppers
Hot Peppers
Eggplant - small shares
Assorted Melons - medium shares
Potatoes

This week's farm news:

First of all, we would like to invite all of you up to the farm for our annual swimming party and potluck picnic. It will be next Sunday, July 31. Come around two or so... Don't fret if you are running "late", just come when you can. Bring a potluck dish to share and we'll spend the day swimming at the creek and enjoying this beautiful farm. Please join us! Directions can be found on our website.

On Wednesday we hosted a bunch of folks (we never did an exact head count but we think there were at least 60 in attendence) from farms around the region for our annual "C-R-A-F-T" (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) event. Even though it was an extremely hot day, everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy seeing what Bugtussle Farm is all about! The title of our event was "Attempting the Impossible: Creating a Farm, Family, and Future with no off-farm income while paying for the land." This pretty much sums it all up!!!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

2011 Season, Week 11

July 16, 2011

This week's harvest:

Lettuce
Basil
Green and Yellow Beans
Tomatoes
Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes
Eggplant (medium shares)
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Cucumbers
Garlic and Onions

This week's farm news:

This crazy summer is just flying by! Here we are already entering the second half of the "main" vegetable season. And, boy, are we about to hit a serious summer glut! Hooray! Finally! We are just days away from our first taste of melon. We've been enjoying tomatoes - and from the estimated 468 plants in the garden an insane amount are coming your way from now until our first frost of the autumn. Sweet corn is about ready, too! Oh, the delicious tastes of summertime!

The crew pulled all of the remaining onions from the garden this week and now they are all laid out in our greenhouse on screen tables and bread trays to dry. They were pretty moist upon harvest so we have our fingers crossed that they do, in fact, dry and not rot! Onions are pretty tricky to store in this humid climate.

We had another broody hen hatch out a clutch of abandoned turkey eggs this week! This time Jesse took the hen and poults out from the big flock and is keeping them in the barn so he can keep an eye on them. Ira has now been inspired by all of these broody hen success stories... so this morning he took about a dozen of his duck eggs up to the chicken compound and placed them under yet another broody hen! We'll see in about a month what happens!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

2011 Season, Week 10

July 9, 2011

This week's harvest:

Potatoes
Garlic
Onion
Yellow Squash
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Basil
Yellow Beans

This week's farm news:

The heifer calf that was born last week, "Peanut Butter Pie," had to be nursed back to health this week after getting severely dehydrated in the intense heat we had early in the week. The calf's mama wasn't moving her to the shade very well, so several times daily Eric would make a trip to the animals, move the calf to the shade, and give her some homemade electrolytes. Eric's efforts seem to have paid off as the calf is back on her feet and nursing from her Mama. Whew!

The intense heat also kicked us in the pants to get our "shade house" back in action for the season. We use this for starting all of our late summer & fall crops (that we don't direct seed in the field.) Up until now this season we've started everything in the greenhouses... But this week proved to be too hot for crops that we are trying to germinate right now - like leeks!

We ate our first cherry tomatoes this week (a bit later than usual!) so you all have those to look forward to very soon!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

2011 Season, Week Nine

July 2, 2011

This week's harvest:

Potatoes - "Kennebec"
Lettuce
Basil
Parsley
Red Cabbage
Garlic
Onions - mini sweet Walla Walla
Cucumbers
Choose between Yellow Beans, Yellow Squash, Broccoli

This week's farm news:

In the wee hours of the morning on Sunday we had two intense storms roll through the farm, leaving us with around two inches of rain. It rained hard, too... So that means another round of cultivation is necessary to "cut off the wick" and preserve that moisture in the soil. By Thursday it was dry enough to start cultivation and that's just what we did. When the sun was shining this week it was pretty intense - UV index of 11 on a scale of 1-10! - which left us farmers a little more tired at the day's end. Earlier in the week while the garden soil was wet, we started some fall (yes, fall!) crops in soil blocks - leeks, brussels sprouts, & winter squash.

We had a new calf born on the farm this week. She is the third (of three) heifer calf born this spring. We are calling her "Peanut Butter Pie". The other two are named "Bella Marshmella" and "Cookie Face"... three sweet girls.

Have a lovely weekend!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

2011 Season, Week Eight

June 25, 2011

This week's harvest:

Lettuce
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Garlic
Broccoli (the last taste until fall...)
Yellow Squash
Cucumbers (medium shares this week)

This week's farm news:

The week started out stormy and wet. The garden is plenty saturated at this point. The remainder of the week was intermittantly stormy but no storms yielded that much rain and by Friday the gardens were ready to be cultivated - which is an enormous task right now because there are so many young plantings and most of our cultivation is done by hand.

On Monday (conveniently when the farm was saturated!) the crew took a field trip to Emerald Glen Farm in Munfordville, KY for a farm tour. It's a beautiful, well-managed farm which produces a variety of pasture-raised meats. (These are available at the Metro Farmers Market every other Saturday.) Good folks to support if you're in the market for some high-quality meat from a small producer.

We harvested our garlic crop this week. We clipped all of the stalks from the bulbs and placed the bulbs into baskets to then be hauled up into the barn loft. Next we'll spread them all out so they have ample ventilation while curing. So, this week's garlic in your basket is super fresh and juicy. Enjoy it and our amusing story of the week...

About a month ago the crew inadvertantly scared a turkey hen off of her nest while moving the animals. We happened to have a relentlessly broody hen so Jesse thought he would give her a project. He set those eggs under her about a month ago and lo and behold, this week four of them actually hatched!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

2011 Season, Week Seven

June 18, 2011

This week's harvest:

Carrots
Lettuce
Broccoli
Swiss Chard
Garlic
Shelling Peas
Summer Squash

This week's farm news:

We enjoyed a few days of cooler weather this week interspersed with brief rain showers. Altogether we received a little less than one inch, but it was all so gentle and slow that the crops were able to take full advantage of every drop. Good thing, too, because the gardens were getting dry. All the young crops received a cultivation and now look fantastic! In the garden, we set out our 4th planting of tomatoes for fall harvest. We seeded pumpkins, blue Indian corn, cucumbers, gourds, and a buckwheat cover crop anywhere that we intend to plant fall crops. We also started a late crop of basil, dill, and more lettuce. Our garlic crop is nearly ready to be harvested, which almost always coincides with the summer solstice, so my guess is next week the smell of garlic will be wafting through the air here in Bugtussle! Yum yum!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

2011 Season, Week Six

June 11, 2011

This week's harvest:

Broccoli
Lettuce
Shelling Peas (medium shares)
Summer Squash (small shares)
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes

This week's farm news:

Other than a brief rain shower last Sunday, the week was hot and dry. The crew endured the heat and had another productive week of planting and garden work. The sweet potato crop is in the ground, the tomato patch is mulched, and many, many more seeds and transplants were planted. Now, we would be so grateful to get a nice rain to settle everything into the soil... At least we can dream, right?

We want to thank all of you that have already voiced your opinion to the powers-that-be about today's farmer's market location and we strongly encourage everyone to let your opinion be heard to the farmer's market organizers (who are working so hard to make this market enjoyable!) to help them to make their case to the Parks Commission. We hope that next week we will be back in our nicely shaded market location!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

2011 Season, Week 5

June 4, 2011

This week's harvest:

Lettuce
Cilantro
Swiss Chard
Beet Greens
Garlic Scapes ("pigtails")
Red Russian Kale

This week's farm news:

We had sunshine every day this week. And, boy, was it hot! Quite a stark contrast from last week. So the pendulum swings again and your farmers worked their tails off because of it! Thousands of transplants were set out in the garden - lettuces, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, watermelons, muskmelons, tomatillos, & fennel. Thousands of seeds were sown also - peanuts, sweet corn, butternut squash, etc.

Eric spent hours on the tractor taking advantage of the (finally) dry soil conditions. We have lots more ground ready and awaiting more planting in the coming days... That's why farmer Eric stayed home from Nashville today. There's just so much on his plate and the time to get it done is now!

Also this week we welcomed our third intern, Lena. She jumped right in with the crew, worked hard, got sun-burned, and basically embraced life in Bugtussle!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

2011 Season, Week Four

May 28, 2011

This week's harvest:

A few varieties of lettuce
Cilantro
Garlic Scapes
Swiss Chard
Beets & Greens

This week's farm news:

It was another gray, wet, & sometimes stormy week here in Bugtussle. The crew & I held down the fort while Eric was away at an animal grazing seminar in Pennsylvania. The timing of Eric's absence worked out well because, once again, the garden was too wet to do much work. The potato patch got a nice blanket of hay mulch but otherwise the week's work focused mostly on animal chores & maintenance. Whew, this spring has been a challenging one! We just can't get into the garden when it's so wet. It's very easy to get caught up in the springtime rush to get crops in the ground but working the soil when it's too wet can do long-term damage to the soil's structure - which can take years to recover. And that just isn't part of our holistic goal. So lovely, supportive vegetable eaters, despite the fact that your baskets aren't overflowing yet, you can rest assured that we are being good stewards of this land. May your bodies not only be nourished by the vegetables that you do eat, but also by the love & care that we put into growing them.

Thank you for supporting environmentally reponsible farming!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

2011 Season, Week Three

May 21, 2011

This week's harvest:

Swiss Chard
Red Russian Kale
Green Garlic (use like a green onion)
Tatsoi
Beets
Strawberries
A sprig of mint

This week's farm news:

Well, we burned firewood this week like it was the middle of March. The week was remarkably gray & cool! If I didn't know better, and if the trees & pastures weren't so green, I could have easily convinced myself that it actually was March!

Early in the week not much happened in the garden because of the cool wet weather. That was OK, though, because we had plenty to do welcoming all sorts of new arrivals on the farm. On Monday we set up a beehive to house a new (package) swarm of Russian honeybees. We installed them on Monday evening & so far they seem to have accepted their new home in Bugtussle. On Tuesday our new bull, a Red Devon, arrived on the farm - from Virginia! Eric purchased him about a month ago but has had to wait for a cattle hauler to be available to bring him here. Once he arrived, Eric was very anxious to get the poor traveller back on the grass and integrated with our herd. You never know quite what to expect, especially with a bull, but all seems good so far. On Wednesday we went to a farm just outside Carthage, TN to purchase about 30 young pullets (to make up for all the ones a wily fox has been snagging - Eric even witnessed an attack in broad daylight while working in the garden!) They were raised by a 12 year old boy much in the same manner we raise our own chickens. We were pleased to help support & encourage a young entrepreneur.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

2011 Season, Week Two

May 14, 2011

This week's harvest:

Strawberries
Lettuce
Swiss Chard
Beet with Beet Greens
Radishes
Tatsoi
Arugula - small shares this week
Sage Flowers

This week's farm news:

This week was a week full of strawberries! We harvested berries left and right. We had them in some form for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Strawberry pie, cobbler, and shortcake. Strawberry viniagrette on salads. Strawberries & cream, and just plain ole strawberries by the handful! We froze a bunch, too, and we still couldn't keep up with all of the berries. Rough life, huh? It's been several years since we've had such an abundance of strawberries so we feel pretty blessed. We hope you enjoy them, too.

The crew accomplished an insane amount in the garden this week. They spread over 10 tons of compost, worked up 1.5 acres of ground, cultivated all of the crops that were already in the garden, transplanted lettuce, summer squash, basil, parsley, cucumbers, and our main season tomato crop, and direct seeded yellow bush beans and zucchini. Eric was on the tractor just finishing the ground work for our sweet potato patch as the rain started pouring down on his head. We knew rain was coming and it was finally dry enough after a very wet spring to get some major work done. That's just the way it goes, little windows of opportunity. Always be prepared! Now we can envision very bountiful summer harvests because of this one short window of very serious work. Yeah! The harvests over the next few weeks, though, are probably going to be skimpier than we would like...that's just the way it can go. Especially when the spring was wet and wet and wet! There's a lot of crops in the ground that are so close... Thanks for your patience. There's so much goodness just around the corner!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

2011 Season, Week One

May 7, 2011

This week's harvest:

Lettuce (Cracoviensis & Deer Tongue)
Swiss Chard
Strawberries!
Tatsoi
Arugula - medium shares only this week
Radishes
Lemon Balm
Sage with Edible Flowers

This week's farm news:

Well, hello again! Welcome to another season with Bugtussle CSA! This is our tenth season of bringing home-grown goodies to you all in Nashville - some of you folks have been with us for all those years. Wow! What a commitment! Some of you are just beginning your journey with Bugtussle! Thanks for your involvement & we hope you all enjoy the season!

We have two excellent interns with us on the farm currently. One more is due to arrive toward the end of the month. Jesse, who was a shining star for us last year is back for another season! (How did we get so lucky?) A big project for him this year is leading the development of a mid-week CSA pick-up in Gallatin at the new farmer's market there. Then there's Hannah, the sweet & quiet artist. She's originally from a small town in Kentucky but then moved to the big city of Chicago after college. Now she's decided the agrarian lifestyle of Bugtussle suits her more than life in the city. She is a welcome addition to our farm crew...if we can just keep our gregarious children from driving her insane.

The spring weather thus far has been wet, wet, wet. It's pretty challenging to stay on top of things with such short windows of opportunity for working in the garden. When it does dry up, your farmers will be busy!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

2010/2011 Winter Share, Basket #6

March 12, 2011 newsletter

This week's basket:
Parsnips
Sweet Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Kale

This week's farm news:

Happy almost spring y'all! It's been a very wet couple of weeks since we were last here. We have had flood after flood after flood - fortunately no major ones though!

Spring seems to be springing just a wee bit early this year. The grass is greening up, daffodils are blooming all over the place, the red maples are in full bloom. However, we are still hesitant to proceed in the gardens as it is is actually spring! Our instincts are telling us that we're going to have at least one more round of cold - winter's last hoorah! So, we've not done much actual work out in the garden yet (plus, it's been too wet to do anything even if we wanted to!) But our greenhouse is quickly filling up with little plants... Lettuce, spinach, broccoli, beets, Swiss chard, even a round of early tomatoes which we're going to experiment with planting in our high tunnel! That should be fun & exciting! Our first intern will be arriving on the farm in just 8 days! So things are rolling right along here. We'll be back with y'all in about a month with lots of eggs and asparagus! Until then, happy spring!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Veggies and eggs this Saturday!

Hello everyone! We are planning on coming to the Nashville Friends Meeting House this Saturday March 12th. For anyone new the address is 530 26th Ave.N. We will be there from 9am-11am. (This is a pay when you come basket and not part of the main season which starts in May.)
Small baskets are just $15 and mediums $25 and no larges available. Here is what we will have: Kale, Swiss Chard, Sweet Potatoes, and Parsnips. This will likely be our last "winter" basket(keep posted about an April "Asparagus" basket.) Please let us know by Friday what size basket you want and any egg order.
Eggs: We have a LOT of eggs so it's time once again for our annual bulk-buying discount. It's time to eat eggs!! $4.50/dz. or 5 or more dozen for $4.00/dz. These are the best quality eggs anywhere around!

Thanks and let us know by(ideally before)Friday what you want,

Eric and the Bugtussle Family

Thursday, March 3, 2011

No Saturday delivery

Hello everyone,

With the forecast calling for heavy rain again on Saturday and the fact that we have a lot to do, we have decided to not come with veggies this Saturday the 5th. Sorry to dissappoint! We will aim for the following Sat. the 12th.

You are ALWAYS WELCOME to come directly to the farm to get what you need.

Thanks for understanding and we'll be in touch.

Cher, Eric, and ninos

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Veggies and eggs this Saturday!

Hi Y'all,

We're coming to Nashville this Saturday the 19th with veggies and eggs. We'll be at the Nashville Friends Meeting House from 9am-11am.

Veggies will be by the basket, small $23 and medium $36. Here's what we plan on bringing: spinach, kale, swiss chard, parsnips, sweet potatoes. (No butternuts, they froze and rotted in storage...) Please let us know your basket size by Friday.
We have lots of eggs at $4.50/dz. for shareholders and $5/dz. for anyone else.
Please let us know your order by Friday!!!

Thank you,
Eric & Cher

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Early Bird Share Discount until February 15

Hello Everyone,

Please find attached this year's share reservation form. We're celebrating our TENTH CSA season this year! Let's all hope for a great year! Remember, if you sign-up before February 15 (with full payment) you receive our discounted early bird prices:
Small shares - $375;
Medium shares - $625;
Large shares - $1175.

Otherwise, our main season prices will remain the same as last year:
S - $400
M - $675
L - $1275

Please join us for our 10th season!

Peace, health and warmth to you all,
Eric, Cher, and the Bugtussle family

Sunday, January 30, 2011

2010/2011 Winter Share, Basket 4

January 29, 2011

This week's harvest:
Parsnips
Spinach
Kale
Salad Turnips
Sweet Potatoes
Butternut Squash
Peanuts

This week's farm news:

Hi again lovely vegetable eaters! We've finally made the trip to Nashville after several attempts! Boy, the timing of this winter's inclimate weather had been precisely at the wrong time for us to be able to harvest and make the journey to town. We hope that by now your appetites are hankering for some Bugtussle goodness!

Even though the winter has provided us with lots of "weather," we've been enjoying ourselves! We've got sugar maple trees tapped and are actively cooking down the sap into delicous maple syrup, we have hickory-smoked (and are enjoying immensely) the bacon from last year's hogs, we have hosted/interviewed (on the farm) three potential interns for next season, one of which is definitely joining the Bugtussle crew(!), and we've placed the biggest portion of our seed order and can feel springtime's pull even though it's still the middle of winter!!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Veggies and eggs this Saturday!

Hello everyone,

Sat. Jan. 29th delivery planned. 9am-11am at the Friends Meeting House. 530 26th Ave. N

Even though it is snowing again the weather forecast looks O.K. for Friday harvest and Saturday delivery. So we're saying let's go for it! It's been too long!! So please let us know if you want a basket and what size. Smalls are $23, mediums $36, no larges offered. Kale, spinach (which is amazing!), maybe chard, parsnips (our new love-SO SWEET!), peanuts, sweet potatoes, butternut squash. And we have lots of eggs at $4.50/dz.

Please let us know your order before Friday at noon.

Thank you and we are eager to get going again!
Eric, Cher, Ira, Opal, Olivia

Sunday, January 16, 2011

2011 Registration

Unfortunately our farmers weren't able to make it to Nashville this weekend due to snow on their hill, but that can't stop us from signing up for the regular 2011 season. Please let me know if you have any problems printing from the form below. Thanks!