Week #19 at Red Hill Farm, by Angela

Good Morning Red Hill Farm Members!

This is week #19 (five more weeks to go after this week!)

It is a Full Share and Bi-Weekly Tuesday pickup week. I will be in the share-room on Tuesday until 4 pm, and Molly will be in the share-room on Friday until 4 pm; then Joanne will close out the evenings of both Tuesday and Friday from 4 to 7 pm.

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTED FARM NOTES:

Harvest Fest--October 19th, 4 to 7 pm--Potluck style with family friendly games to celebrate our season together. Please see the flyer, below, for more information and mark your calendars for this fun afternoon on the farm.

Poster by Joanne

2014 Membership Forms--Below is the 2014 Membership Registration Form. Like this season we are offering the one- to three-payment options for Full Shares or Bi-Weekly Shares. You can download the form from our website here: http://www.osfphila.org/red/how

You may also share the form with others to welcome them to farm membership.

RHF Membership form: http://www.osfphila.org/red/how

We accept membership registration until all 120 spots are filled; the earlier the forms are returned, the better we can plan, financially, for the 2014 season. There are a limited number of workshare memberships selected at the farmer's discretion. Please let me know if this interests you, and I will send you more information on what that commitment entails as well as how to apply.

On a Personal Note: This winter I am moving to Monmouth County, New Jersey, to be closer to my boyfriend's family. This is my last season on Red Hill Farm. We are in the process of interviewing for a new farm manager to join the dynamic crew of Brendan, Molly, and Joanne for 2014. Red Hill Farm has carved a permanent home in my heart; I mean that not only as a place but also you who make up the farm. I am immensely grateful to have had the time here.

Notable Novice Days on the Farm, by Angela

Cooling off at the faucet

Last week hit 90 degrees for the first time since last September.  Blazing hot and blessed be, on those two days five novice Sisters and one of their director Sisters joined us in the field.

The whole crew weeding beets

We planted sweet corn, okra, eggplant, and peppers, along with hours of weeding crops that were swimming (rather, nearly drowning) in weeds.

Weeding peas

Thank you, Sisters, for all your hard work.

Having fun with hand tools

Shares Are Starting! By Angela

Our season is nearly upon us, with the first shares starting Tuesday, June 4th. I just want to highlight a couple things before we start:

• PAYMENTS--If you chose the two- or three-payment option, your second payment is due by Friday, June 7th. Failure to make payments on time will result in $10.00 per week late fees and forfeiture of your share until payment is made.
• START DATES--Full shares will all begin the first week of June. Tuesday Bi-Weekly shares begin June 4th.  Friday Bi-Weekly shares begin June 14th.
• FARM BLOG--The blog has replaced our former newsletter and is the best format for us to share detailed news about the farm and recipes with you. (http://fromthefurrows.blogspot.com/)

I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU to sign up to follow the blog by email if you have not done so already. At the very top of the right-hand column is the widget that says "Follow by Email." All you have to do is type your email address into the little white box there, click "Submit," then identify some squiggly writing in a box that pops up after you hit submit, and finally click on the bar that says "Complete Subscription Request."

If you do this, you'll be notified by email each time there's a new blog post, and you can either go to the blog directly or by clicking on the active link in the email.  Or, alternatively, you can just read the blog post in your email itself. Once you sign up to follow by email, there's no need to sign in on the blog page.

Harvesters, 15th-century manuscript

The farm is looking quite lush nowadays. Brendan, Josh, and I have had a planting extravaganza the last two days, emptying the greenhouse and further filling the fields. The raspberries that were planted last year look like a hedge already!  I can't wait to share this place and the bounty with all of you.  See you soon!

Visuals of the Open House & Plant Sale, by Angela

Below is beekeeper Warren Graham and his demonstration hive at the Open House

Vendors at the Open House and Plant Sale

Open House and Plant Sale, Beekeeper

Asparagus trenches--Brendan, Josh, & Angela dug ten roughly 100-foot long trenches for our nearly 1000 new asparagus plants. One-time planting with decades of reward.

Below, our first asparagus shoots

Our 420-gallon rainwater-harvesting tank

Take Part in the Interview with Angela, Monday May 13th, from 12:15 to 1:00!

Angela Kidder, w/ thanks to OSFPhila.org

In the interview with Angela, by Libby Mills, mentioned in the post just below (on the radio show "Libby's Luncheonette" out of West Chester), you can call in to ask questions or make comments!  Here's the info from Libby's Facebook page:  listen live on WCHE 1520 AM (click on the station address to link), and join the conversation via 610-701-9243!  The show runs 12:15 to 1:00 pm.

Angela's Radio Interview! Now on Monday, May 13th, 12:15-1:00!

Our Farm Manager, Angela Kidder, is being interviewed by Libby Mills, a nutritionist who teaches at Neumann University, on "Libby's Luncheonette" radio station, WCHE 1520 AM, out of West Chester, on Monday May 6th!  "Libby's Luncheonette" airs from noon till one each Monday.  Here's the website where you can tune in:  http://tunein.com/radio/Libbys-Luncheonette-p387682/, and here is Libby's Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Libbys-Luncheonette/188019507913016.


In the Kitchen, from Gode Cookery

Red Hill Farm Open House & Plant Sale, by Joanne

Flyer by Joanne

We're having our annual Open House and Plant Sale--all are welcome--on Saturday, May 11th, from 1 pm to 4, rain or shine!  This is your opportunity to become acquainted with all the aspects of the farm, as well as meet Farm Manager Angela and other farmers and staff (our beekeeper and our Purple Martin consultant), sample our off-farm products and meet the vendors, and discover the latest addition to our offerings, artisanal breads made from locally grown grains by Jerry Sheehan (see the post just above this one for more information on the breads and their maker).

We will have well marked parking areas for the event--just follow the signs on South Convent Road; you'll be parking across the street from the main convent, then walking from there over to the farm (not a long walk).

If you plan on attending (these are always a lot of fun!), please RSVP by calling or emailing Joanne Rosenbaum, our events coordinator (610-558-5396 or Jrosenbaum@osfphila.org).  See you there!  Buy a few organic plants (or a lot!) for your home garden, or as a nice Mother's Day gift!

Bloggin' for Your Noggin--Spring Growth & Additions, by Angela

The three inches of wet heavy snow on Monday, March 25th, was a big shocker this late in the year.  So happy am I, that we waited to put plants outside a little later this year. Nonetheless, our tender young seedlings were kept nice and warm in the regulated, 70-degree greenhouse. The first transplants will go out in the field next week.

Seedlings in the greenhouse with March snow outside!

The month of March was blessed with ten hard-working Neumann nursing students providing eight hours each of service-learning on the farm. With their help, the blackberries and all the raspberries got a good spring pruning as well as the beginnings of a new trellising system. The raspberry trellis will help provide air circulation to the berries as well as a bit more ease in harvest.

Black Raspberries' trellising

Brendan & Josh framing the coop

The chickens are due to arrive April 15th! We began the chicken coop construction in March and have really been plugging away now to be ready in time for our new feathered workers. Thanks to a wide variety of members, roadside pickups, and a big chunk of gratitude to Joanne Rosenbaum, for providing us with lumber from your garages for the construction. Most of this coop is built with reclaimed wood. My joy explodes with delight in re-purposing materials in this fashion. Our birds will be living in style!

Front of the chicken coop with reclaimed closet doors!