Welcome to Winter at New Leaf Organic Farm!
Well, it has not been a Winter without event here. Though our weather has been relatively mild, recently we've begun to really feel Winter and all the changes it can bring. In an exciting wind storm a couple weeks ago, where some gusts at the top of our hill were clocked at over 80mph, our greenhouses didn't quite make it through unscathed. The plastic on both houses was shredded and then scattered up in the hills, probably about 100 feet in the air into all the surrounding trees. The remay, covering our spinach crop was equally as devastated. The endwalls on one of the houses was completely knocked over and ripped out of the ground. Very impressive display indeed.
Luckily, so far our spinach crop is surviving and i was able to pick it several times since for our Winter CSA customers. My husband, who has always wanted to move those greenhouses off of the hill, is secretly very happy to get his way. This Summer we will now definitely be moving those houses, hopefully to a better and less exposed place.
Otherwise, we are busy ordering supplies and gearing up for another season, our tenth! This year will be a different one as we are expecting a new baby anytime. We are still planning on filling our greenhouses with plants starting this March but we will be growing a lot less in the fields. Right now we are just enjoying the pace of Winter and getting out in the snow as much as we can. Happy New Year!
See you soon.
Jill, Skimmer, and Ruby
- From our Family to Yours!
OUR MISSION FOR THE FARM:
-to grow high quality, deliciously fresh organic vegetables
-to maintain and build on the health of our soil and water
-to keep this land open and in agricultural production
-to bring community members together in appreciation of good food and eating with the seasons
-to help all our kids learn where food really comes from
-to be a healthy and joyous place for kids to roam and discover
-to provide a positive and meaningful place to work for our employees and ourselves
Come and visit!
New Leaf is located on the Monkton/Bristol Road (also called North or Silver Streets) just on the town line. Look for the Yellow farm stand building and lots of signs. The farmstand is open for the season and our greenhouses will be filled to the brim with flowering plants, hanging baskets, veggie starts, and lots more.
New Leaf Organics is managed by Jill Kopel with the help of many hands throughout the season.
What is a CSA?- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a system in which consumers support a local farm by paying in advance for agricultural products. Throughout the growing season, CSA members receive a portion of the farm's harvest each week.
- Read more here.
School Groups Welcome
It can be a very enriching experience for kids to become familiar with a local farm. Growing more farmers in our communities entails exposing more kids to the joys and challenges of farming on a small-scale. We are happy to talk with you about scheduling a visit with your class to our farm and can often tailor your visit to a specific area of study. We are also interested in connecting with more classes for harvest gleaning in the Fall.