Brightwood Farm Blog

Time to Get Blogging Again :)

2011-05-08T17:40:00.000-04:00

The Brightwood Farm Blog has been pretty spotty over the last year, although there are always lots of neat things going on at the farm that are worth telling folks about through our blog. The problem is that we never seem to have time to sit down and do the work of writing the blog and getting it online.

I'll start with a look back at the winter just passed- it was mild and un-snowy compared to the winter of 2009- 2010. Practically no shoveling this winter, but practically no cross country skiing either! I have been going on walks in the woods each morning with Cara, our English shepherd. It gives me a great opportunity to observe as the trees and woods plants respond to the changing seasons. Here are a few pictures I took on walks this past winter.

We finished work on our two new moveable greenhouses (actually unheated hoophouses) on Christmas Day and started harvesting salad greens from them about a month later. We also grew microgreens in trays all winter in our small lean-to greenhouse, attached to our house. It proved to be an enjoyable wintertime enterprise, and although the microgreens took a little over a month to get to marketable size, we were able to grow them all winter with minimal additional heat. As I write this in the beginning of May, the microgreens are ready to market after only a week and a half or two weeks- it is amazing what a difference more heat and light makes!

Market Central Farm Tour

2010-09-23T06:46:00.003-04:00

We all enjoyed all the visitors that came to the farm during Market Central's 2nd Annual Farm Tour this past Labor Day. We estimate that about 300 people visited during the day. The weather was perfect; warm and sunny. We offered hourly 'Meet the Animals' tours led by our interns as well as mini courses on planting a fall salad garden, composting and herbs.

In case you missed the Market Central tour and would like to visit the farm this fall, we will be holding our 10th (I think!) annual Open House/ Field Day the afternoons of October 30th and 31st. More details later.

Goat kid videos

2010-05-09T22:23:00.002-04:00

We are just past half way with this year's goat kidding. 15 does and 27 kids.

Caitlin, Erin, Samantha and the New Ducklings

2010-05-09T21:50:00.005-04:00

Its hard not to smile looking at a baby duckling. Ask Erin, Samantha and Caitlin.

New Ducklings

2010-05-09T21:30:00.003-04:00

The new ducklings are really cute. The lighter colored are runner ducks and khaki campbell. The darker are rouen. They were shipped to us as day old chicks in the US Postal Service. The postmaster calls early the day they arrive at the central distribution center and we pick them up. We bought them from McMurray Hatchery.

Hermes

2010-05-07T21:49:00.004-04:00

Sad day on the farm. One of our Great Pyrenees guard dogs Hermes went to his rest today from advanced bone cancer that had spread rapidly.

He was a great work dog, watching over his goats from the day as a puppy when he climbed out of his pen in the barn to lie with them in the field. He has been their steadfast guardian ever since through all seasons and hundreds of goat kids. The goats miss him, as do we.

Construction

2010-05-05T22:29:00.002-04:00

The new tent platform

is under construction.

More Goat Kids

2010-05-05T21:36:00.003-04:00

Our goat does Lydia, Aurea and Tortilla and others have had their kids.

New Goat Kids Started Arriving Today!

2010-04-29T20:17:00.004-04:00

Blanca and Flying Ears were our first two does to have their kids (twins for Blanca and a single for Flying Ears). We have 25 expectant moms, and twins are typical for Spanish Meat Goats, so there will be lots more kids to come. Spanish Meat Goats are known for their excellent mothering skills and generally trouble free deliveries; characteristics that we appreciate during kidding season. April is a lovely time of year for kidding- not too warm or cold, lots of new, green, nutritious grass, and very few flies. Our first new additions were trying out their new legs this afternoon and will probably be learning how to jump tomorrow!

The Most Beautiful Place on Earth

2010-04-28T20:51:00.006-04:00

I am frequently reminded of a conversation I had a couple of years ago with my neighbor, Thomas Ford. Thomas was sitting on his front porch, as he often did, looking at the world go by, which happens slowly on a country road like ours. He mostly had a view of our farm; the donkeys, chickens and goats on the hillside, the surrounding woods, and a broad sweep of the sky. Thomas was almost 90 and had lived his entire life within 3 miles of our farm. On this particular day, I stopped by to say hello and chat a bit. I don't remember much of the conversation, except for the part where he smiled and said, "You know, this is the most beautiful place on earth!" And he meant it. I have come to appreciate the beauty around us here at the farm every day. It is a privilege to be able to take a mini-break during the work day and enjoy the beautiful scenery around me. I think of Thomas often, when I take a minute to appreciate our little piece of the earth. Here are a few pictures I took on an early morning walk recently...What a beautiful place!

Thousands of Tulips in Brightwood!

2010-04-04T21:19:00.003-04:00

We enjoyed an Easter Day walk among the tulips at our smaller farm here in Brightwood. Our good friends, Jeroen and Keriann Koeman, owners of EcoTulips are growing 40,000 beautiful organic tulips there. About a third of them are open now; next weekend they should be gorgeous! I was surprised by the intensity of the colors; especially the maroons, reds and purples. You can come and enjoy the flowers (and cut some to take home, too) from now through at least the middle of the month, depending, of course on the weather. After such a snowy winter, we are all enjoying Spring all around!

More information at www.organictulipfestival.com

Coming Soon!

2010-04-01T14:46:00.000-04:00

Current news from the farm.