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Finally, frozen ground!  For the past several weeks our animals
have been slogging through mud, destroying pastures, and getting filthy
dirty.  Around every water tank,
mineral feeder, and feed trough there has been a quagmire that threatens to
steal your boots if you walk into it. 
But this cold snap has brought an end to that, and the snow which now
blankets the farm looks so beautiful and clean.  I spent some time yesterday walking
around the barnyard while the water tanks filled. 
Despite the temperature, everyone was out enjoying the sun, playing in
the snow.  I almost forgot how many
animals we have since I rarely see them all out at once. 
Usually, the dairy cows are in the barn, the horses are in their stalls
and the pigs and chickens are hiding out in their respective places. 
But seeing them all at once was such a treat. 
Pat and Pearl looked especially striking, their black coats set against
the snow.  We’ve been keeping Pat
and Pearl together in one field and have put Tim’s team, a young, tall pair of
dappled grey Percheron geldings, in another.


Nelly, one of our new Brown
Swiss cows, is due any day now.  We
have her bedded down in a nice pen in the barn at night, and each morning when I
walk into the barn for milking I hope to see a little figure beside her.  Nothing yet, but soon hopefully.  I don’t blame her though if she wants
to hold out for a warmer stretch of weather.   


I’ll be driving down to
Marathon, NY on Wednesday morning to pick up yet another cow. 
Like Cal, she’s a Brown Swiss-Jersey cross. 
 Her current owners named
her Mule.  When I asked them why,
they said, “Because her mom’s name was Mule.”  Fair enough. 
Mule is supposed to calve around the end of February, which means that we
should have quite a bit of milk come March. 



Laura Philipp and Robby
Caplan, two of our favorite summer volunteers, were here this past week.  Laura left on Saturday to head back to
Notre Dame for her last semester (good luck, Laura!) and Robby is with us until
  Wednesday.  After that he’ll be
home in NYC for a short while and then back to college at Wesleyan. 
Gillian Goldberg will be joining the crew on April 1 (!!!!!) which makes
us a solid team of 5 full-time employees, and if we find the right person we’ll
have one more to add to the ranks, a knowledgeable and hardworking dairy
manager.  That’s a big group
compared to last year at this time when it was just Jeff and I full-time.  



I’ll be sending out another
email in the next few days with more details about the 2012-2013 CSA so be on
the look-out.  If, after reading
it, you have any questions or would like to come visit the farm, feel free to
give me a call at 484-888-6254 or email me.  Also, keep in mind that our Friday farm
stand is a great alternative if our CSA is not quite right for you or your
family.  We’ll continue to have the
farm stand every Friday from 2pm until 5pm.  Enjoy the winter weather! 
Until next time…   

It seems appropriate to send out a farm update
today, on the first day of a new year. 
It’s probably true for most people that this time of year is full of
emotions, and I’m certainly no exception. 
I’m excited about the coming year, all the possibilities that it holds,
all the new adventures, all the new friends and new animals that will be a part
of it.  I’m also worried, worried
about unforeseen challenges, worried about the weather, worried about making a
living on this farm.  But beyond
feeling worried or excited, I feel thankful.  The list of people that I’ve had the
pleasure of working with, eating with, and spending time with is long and I’m
very grateful for that.  At the
risk of offending others I’m going to single out one person though, a member of
this year’s farm crew who I can’t thank enough for all his hard work, his fine
cooking, and his friendship.  Jeff
moved here at the beginning of last year in the midst of one of the snowiest
winters on record.  He didn’t waste
any time getting to work.  During
those cold, blustery months, we built our butcher shop where Jeff would spend
countless hours breaking down carcasses, grinding meat and making sausage.  In the summer Jeff moved pastures for
our animals, made sure they had water and feed, and cooked for the ever-changing
  cast of farmers, friends and volunteers that filled the cramped little farm
  house.  In the fall, Jeff
continued to take care of the animals, feed the farm crew and also volunteered
as a JV football coach at Caz high school.   Someone asked me a few weeks ago
if I thought that Jeff and I are better friends now than we were before Jeff
moved to the farm. I said that I
didn’t think that we were; Jeff has been one of my best friends since we met in
high school and to say that we are better friends now seems to somehow belittle
our friendship before.  I did say
that it will be a lot of fun in twenty years to look back and remember
everything that we went through this first year.  So thanks, Jeff, and thank you to
everyone who has been part of this last year—customers, friends, family,
  volunteers, farmers.  It’s been a
good one.


As for 2012, I’m sure it will be just as crazy, just as
  stressful, just as amazing and tiring as 2011. Hopefully we’ll have more farmers--Luke
and Melissa are still here, Tim will be here on Tuesday, Sam will be here on
February 13, and we’ll see who else shows up!--more food, more happy customers,
and even more things to celebrate at year’s end. 



We will be accepting members for the 2012-2013 CSA
starting on February 20th, 2012.  That is earlier
than most other CSAs and here’s why: along with purchasing seeds to grow the
vegetables for our CSA members , we also need to make sure that we have enough
meat, milk, and eggs, which for the next year or two means buying more
  animals.  And buying animals takes
  time!   So, if you’d like to
sign up for the 2012-2013 season please mark your calendars! 
I’ll be sure to send out another email before sign up starts but I just
wanted to give you time to plan ahead. 
We will accept members on a first come, first serve basis, i.e. whoever
submits payment to me first will be entitled to a share. 
Please check out our website for more info, including prices. 
Feel free to call or email me will questions,
comments, concerns. 



Thanks again for all your support, your kind words, your meals
dropped off at the farm house.  And
  here’s to a happy, healthy 2012!

It’s official—we’re looking for another dairy cow.  Despite our little herd’s best efforts, we’re having a hard time satisfying the demand for our milk.  Ideally, I’d love to buy another Brown Swiss, but there are a few reasons that are making me consider some of the other breeds.  First, our cows are raised almost exclusively on pasture in the summer and hay in the winter.  Many other dairies rely much more heavily on grain and silage to feed their animals.  The stress of moving from one farm to another along with the change in diet isn’t great for a cow and her production often suffers.  So, if you can, it’s best to buy a cow from a farm that’s similar to your own in the way that they feed and handle their animals.  Unfortunately, that’s not so easy for us since we are a bit…different.  Second, there just aren’t that many Brown Swiss cows around, at least not compared to the other breeds.  So finding a Brown Swiss that is fed on grass and is close enough for us to take a look at is a challenge.  There are some great dairies in the area though, organic dairies that are milking Jerseys or Jersey-Holstein crosses or Guernseys.  So we might end up with a new cow that isn’t a Brown Swiss but I’m sure she’ll be great. 

New piglets arrived on Saturday.  I drove down to Delhi to pick up a group of nine—six feeders, two gilts (a gilt is a young female), and a boar.  The feeder pigs’ time here is limited, but the gilts, including the three we already have, and the boar will hopefully reside at the farm for years to come and provide us with many happy, healthy litters of wriggling, little piggies.  I’m hoping that next year all five gilts will have litters of at least six piglets.  More mature sows (those are females that have already had a litter) can often have litters of twelve or fourteen, but six piglets for a first time mom is a reasonable amount.  Because the price of piglets, especially organic piglets, has increased dramatically in the last few years, this will be a huge savings to the farm, not to mention tons of fun.  Little piglets are just about the cutest things in the world. 

Speaking of pigs, we have more pigs than we need for the CSA and will be selling whole or half pigs to any one that is interested.  You don’t have to be a CSA member or milk customer.  If you are interested please call or email me.   The pork will be sold for $8.00/lb. and the total price will be based upon the hanging weight of the pig.  Our pigs typically hang around 200 lbs.  We are not able to sell pork by the cut at this time but you can purchase a whole or half pig along with others and divide up the pig as you see fit.  If you are interested in purchasing a whole or half pig along with others you may also call or email me and I can try to connect you with others that may be interested. 

We’ll be back on the usual schedule this week: CSA pick up on Thursday from 4pm to 7pm and farm stand on Friday from 2pm to 6pm.  Hope you’re all enjoying the warm weather! 

There is snow in the forecast this week.  It’s hard to believe that winter is going to be here again so soon.  I have mixed feelings about the colder weather this year.  This time last year I remember being filled with terror every time I saw snow and freezing temperatures in the forecast.  I was certain pipes were going to freeze, animals were going to freeze, I was going to freeze.  As it turned out, everyone made it through the winter a-ok.  And so this year, though I still feel that momentary panic at the sight of snowflakes in the forecast, I also feel another feeling, a stronger and opposing feeling of longing--longing for shorter days and time spent inside.  I’m actually looking forward to sitting down at my desk and reviewing this past year.  I’m excited to make plans for next year and dream about all the possibilities. 

There is still plenty of work to be done before the winter really sets in though.  Sam Ehrenfeld has been with us for the last two weeks and fixed one of our hay wagons and also rebuilt the decking for an old bobsled that Kaye had tucked away in one of the barns.  We hope to us the sled to bring hay to our beef cattle during the winter and also for the simple joy of driving the horses in the snow.  We also received a shipment of horse equipment from Tim Biello who will be working here next year.  We cleared out the southern-most building, what Kaye calls the “truck barn,” and moved both Tim’s and my horse equipment in for the winter.  We also put together a new walk in cooler which we will use to store crops both during the winter and in the warmer summer months.  Walk in coolers are not cheap and we would not have been able to afford this one if it were not for the generous gift of an anonymous donor back in July.  So a huge thanks you to you, anonymous donor! 

The milking machine is now in use and after my initial frustration with the awkwardness of handling and cleaning it I’m actually starting to like it.  I will definitely miss hand milking and the relationship that you have with the cow when you milk her every day, twice a day with your hands, but there is no question that this machine will make growing our herd and producing more milk much more manageable.   And the timing couldn’t be better.  We’ve had a huge demand for milk recently and we’re trying our best to keep up.  I apologize if you’ve found yourself in front of our empty fridge recently.  I’m planning to look at a few cows on Tuesday and hope to have more milk soon. 

                Before I finish I’d like to make a quick plug for the Friday Farmstand!  Because of the great response we’ve received from customers we’ve decided to continue to have the farmstand every Friday for the rest of the year.  However, we will be setting up inside the barn so we don’t have to sit out in the wind/rain/snow/sleet.  So, every Friday from 2pm to 6pm swing by the farm and pick up your milk, eggs, and veggies.  We’ll also be selling a few items like honey, sunflower oil, apples, and mushrooms from other local producers.  That’s it for now.  Until next time…

Fall has arrived.  Somehow with all the bustle about the farm I almost missed the transition.  But this weekend I took some time to appreciate the changes that are taking place on the farm—the colors of the leaves, the coolness of the soil, the greenness of the grass.  The farm is perhaps at its most picturesque right now and there is a part of me that wishes it could stay like this forever, but I know that all of nature is a constant movement, an endless cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth, and that to wish it were any other way would be to miss the beauty of the bigger drama.  This fall season is beautiful but it would not be so if it were not for all the hard work of summer and the frenzy of the spring before it.  And I would not desire for it to stay nearly so long if I did not know that the end of fall means the beginning of winter.   But even winter has its own beauty and I’m looking forward to the slower pace that the winter naturally brings.      There are many other changes that are taking place on the farm.  Last week I purchased a single cow milking machine.  When it arrives, the small unit will allow one of us to milk all three cows and will also allow us to buy more cows without having to worry about wearing out our hands.  I started to work on a new band saw for the butcher shop and hope to have it ready in the next few days.  If the rain ever quits, we will plow one more field, a nice section of ground at the bottom of the big hill on the west side of East Lake Road.  The field will be about 3 acres and will be home to the vegetables for the 2012 season.   Next year’s cast of farmers is taking shape: Luke Targos will be arriving from Colorado to begin work on the farm in late October/early November; Sam Ehrenfeld will be here for a few weeks in October and will join the crew full-time early next year; and  Tim Biello will be here in November for a couple weeks and will begin full-time in January.            Thanks to everyone who has visited us on Fridays for the farm stand.   If you haven’t made it out yet, stop by sometime soon.   We have the farm stand every Friday from 2pm to 6pm at the farm.  We have an abundance of tomatoes right now so if you are in need please let us know.  My guess is that we'll have them for another week or two before we get a frost.   Also, I’ll be sending information out soon regarding a fall tour date.  That’s all for now.  Until next time…

On Saturday, my dad and I brought our onion crop in from the field—eleven rows in all, each two hundred feet long, plus two additional rows of shallots.  We had already pulled a few rows out of the field to dry in the old hay mow of the barn.  I had planned to let the remaining onions dry in the field but I was worried the heavy rains forecasted for Sunday would ruin them.  So, for several hours my father and I loaded bushel boxes and bread trays, hauled them to the barn, and heaved them one by one into the hay loft.   I’m not sure whose back was more tired by the end of the day but I know we both slept like babies that night.

     On Sunday, the crew gathered mid-morning to top the dried onions—the ones that had already dried in the barn- and to lay out the new onions, the ones we had just brought in from the field.  It’s amazing how quickly you can get things done when you have a few people to help.  Me, Steven, Melissa, my mom and dad, and a potential farmer for next year, Lissa Goldstein, packed the dried onions in burlap sacks and arranged all the new onions in just a few hours.  I’m hoping that in another week or two the new onions will be dried and we can bag them and put them in the root cellar for the winter. 

     We accepted a few more CSA members on this week.  Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in joining.   I wish we could have let everyone join but I we will definitely have more spots available next year.  In the meantime stop by our Friday farmstand between 2pm and 6pm to pick up milk and veggies (and eggs if we have them).  Also, if you have milk jars please return them ASAP!!!  We’ve been running low on bottles and can’t afford to keep buying new ones each week.  We want to keep the price reasonable so please bring back your jars as soon as you can.  Thanks so much.  Until next time…

 Every time I sit down to write one of these updates I have such a hard time remembering exactly what has happened since the last update.  It’s not because there isn’t much going on.  In fact, it’s the opposite.  There is so much going on, so much that needs to be done, that I rarely take the time to actually stop and think about what has already been done. 

     We harvested our garlic two weeks ago and the first of our onions this past week.  The garlic looks great.  We hung the big, aromatic bulbs from one of the lofty rafters in the old hay mow to dry.  It shouldn’t take long; the papery wrappers that surround the cloves were practically dry when we pulled them out of the dirt.  The onions are curing on makeshift shelving that Steven put together last week.  We processed another batch of chickens on Tuesday, which brings the total for the year to about 600 birds.  This batch was smaller than we’d like due to some issues with our feed.  We had been feeding them a ration with increasing amounts of ground sunflower seeds but they started to get picky and stopped eating it.  So we’ve switched up the ration and expect to have bigger birds next time around.  We still have plenty of birds available this month.  They taste great even if they are a bit small.  If you’d like to try one send me an email or stop by the farm. 

     Robby Caplan arrived about a week ago.  Robby was born and raised in NYC but is trying his hand at farming for a week.  He’s been a big help so far and we’ve all enjoyed his company.  Robby and I pulled an old, horse-drawn potato digger out of the barn and spent an afternoon cleaning and tuning it up.  I’m hoping to give it a test run this week to see how well it works.  The date on the frame says 1906!  We’ve also started putting together the sickle-bar mower that I picked up when I lived in Vermont.   I’m hoping to get it back into working shape before the season ends but Robby and I have learned that PPBD: Patience Pays Big Dividends.    

     We’re bracing ourselves for the departure of Liz and Laura.   They plan to leave this coming Friday.   Along with being incredibly hard workers, Liz and Laura are just great people.  Our vegetable field wouldn’t look nearly as nice and weed-free if it weren’t for the two of them (although we might have had more snap peas) and the last two months wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun.  Liz will be heading back to Florida where she teaches  art.   Laura will return to Notre Dame for her senior year of college.   We’re going to miss them both immensely but we hope they will come back next summer.   

     There are several projects that we’ll be starting at the farm in the next few weeks.  We need to build a mobile hen house for our laying flock, two walk-in coolers for our storage vegetables, and a new wagon.  If anyone has experience with any of these or would like to help out send me an email, call my phone, or just show up at the farm.  Hope you are all enjoying the rain.  Until next time…

On Thursdays the farm crew wakes up early to harvest vegetables.  Usually, we get up at five o'clock and at this time of year there's light enough to get around without a head lamp.  But at four o'clock is dark, and the head lamp is a necessity.  I bring a list of the crops we need to harvest with me to the field and give everyone their assignments and a knife as they arrive.  "Jeff, two bushels of kale...Liz, two bushels of chard...Laura, scallions...Steven, you've got cabbage...Melissa, cilantro and dill..."  We each head off to a different row of field and begin our work silenty, while its still cool and dark.  It's a beautiful sight to see at four in the morning, these scattered points of light, like stars drawn to the earth, slowly moving across the vegetables.  I usually watch for at least a few seconds because I know that so few people have ever seen or will ever see what I get to see every Thursday morning.

My good friends Sam Ehrenfeld and Tim Biello came to visit this weekend.  Tim and I spent a few hours plowing with the horses and it was great to have another teamster around to talk with.  Sam took a look at our new meat slicer, gave us some help getting it clean and sharp, and also set up quick-connect fittings for our livestock water tanks.  Liz and Laura took a hard-earned and much deserved break this weekend.  They traveled down to Pennsylvania to stay at their family camp.  This coming Saturday we will be participating in Madison County's Open Farm Day.  If you haven't already, come check out the farm and see what we're all about.  There will be a bunch of other farms who will also be participating in Open Farm Day.  You can find more info on the Madison County Ag. website--www.madisoncountyagriculture.com.  Hope you all enjoyed the weather this weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed for some rain--our veggies need it.  Until next time...      

I’m determined to write a farm update today.  I’ve tried several times in the past few weeks but have had little time and even less energy at the end of the day to sit down and write.   But I think it’s important for me to do this.  It’s almost like journaling but I send it out to all of you at the end.  Anyway, I’ll try to get back into the habit of letting you all know what’s going on at Greyrock. 

May and June are always the busiest months, especially June.   Everything seems to converge during  those few weeks—planting, weeding, harvesting, making hay, moving fences—and there’s no time to do anything but eat, sleep, and work.  Around the third week of June I remember looking around the table at breakfast and realizing how tired we all were.  No one was talking.  I could barely keep my head off the table.  Everyone looked like they just wanted to be back in bed. 

But it’s July now and everything is different in July.  The first cutting of hay is in the barn so we know the horses and cows won’t starve this winter.  The vegetable field is planted except for a few remaining rows at the very end of the field.  It’s incredibly beautiful to walk out there and see the same field that was buried under snow just a few months ago now covered with row after row of vibrant green and red and yellow.  The animals are thriving too.  The young steers that we bought early in the spring have filled out and the three calves are growing strong on all the fresh grass.  Minnie is still pumping out milk.  Lola had her calf in mid-June.  We lost the calf due to complications with the birthing but Lola is just fine and has been producing wonderful milk.  Minnie’s calf, May, is now out in the field with Minnie and Lola and seems content except when we bring Minnie and Lola in for milking.   She bawls after them, wanting to follow, but she’ll have to wait until she’s a bit older.  Pat and Pearl have been wonderful.  I don’t get to work them as much as I would like, but whenever I get them in harness they behave as if they’d been hitched every day. 

Liz and Laura Philipp joined the crew in early June and have had a huge impact on the farm.  They are incredibly hard workers, are always smiling, and have made some pretty amazing meals too.  Melissa has decided to continue to work at the farm for the foreseeable future which is great news and Jeff and Steven are still solid as rocks.  Empire Brewery started buying chickens from us a few weeks back and they have been using them for their Thursday Jerk Chicken special.  Try it out if you can.  And support Empire because they’re good people.  Thanks to everyone who helped us through the tumult of May and June.  Can’t thank you enough.  Until next week…