Healthy Eating To Improve You and Your family’s health January 20, 2018

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Connie

Continuing a Family Farm into the future

Yellow Stonehouse Farm is an Organic Farm and CSA located on the Westfield-Southampton border, which is part of the Eastern Farms section of Westfield, MA. Historically a Dairy Farm operated by my husband John’s family (the Hutkoski’s) and their predecessors back to the early 1800’s, John and I took over the farm in 2009 and opened the CSA in 2012. Today, we have a thriving USDA certified Organic CSA whose members enjoy the farm’s fresh vegetables, herbs, & flowers from June – February.

What is a CSA

A CSA is a way for consumers to buy local, seasonal produce directly from a farmer in their community in the form of a “farm share”. Yellow Stonehouse Farm offers a limited number of “shares” to the public so that they may share in the bounty grown on the farm’s cultivated fields. CSA members buy a share of the farm – and in exchange, during the growing season, members receive abundant shares of local, fresh, and seasonal produce directly from the farm at an affordable price.

A Commitment to Health

When John and I first took over the farm in 2009, we spent a lot of time on a Farm Plan that would allow us to continue the farm as an agricultural enterprise – keeping the farm a farm for the long term – as well as selecting the best way for us as a couple to take on the work of the farm in a way that kept us happy, healthy and able to support the farm.

Healthy Living was one of our most important goals – and from the very start we decided we weren’t going to use any unwholesome pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. We both grew up in family farm-based and chemical free agricultural communities and felt that doing so led to our overall good health, which we didn’t want to squander using chemically dependent farming practices. Besides, we both loved wildlife and didn’t want to hurt any of the other residents on our land such as the birds and bees, beavers, bobcats – and turtles! Happily, we found the CSA model of farming and were able to complete the USDA approved Organic Certification process in 2015 to become Hampden Counties’ first, and to this day – only, USDA Certified Organic Vegetable Farm and CSA.

Healthy Eating Movement

As we’ve became more involved in Yellow Stonehouse Farm we have pursued many educational opportunities – I completed an eight-month farming program and we’ve both attended seminars and classes offered by NOFA – the Northeast Organic Farming Association and MDAR – the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. I feel lucky to be able to pursue my life-long interest in growing and using flowers and herbs for both culinary and medicinal use, which help me to develop the healthy and delicious recipes that go together with the the CSA shares each week.

What is more interesting, however, is how popular Healthy Eating has become throughout our local community, the Pioneer Valley. Of course, Western Massachusetts has been a leader of the Organic Food and CSA movement since the 1960’s – and we are blessed to be part of today’s healthy eating movement in Hamden County, contributing to our communities’ well-being.

We are committed to providing a healthy start to our communities’ children and families. Research shows that eating Healthy Nutritious food contributes to the positive physical and cognitive development of children and prevents the onset of disease – both in childhood and adulthood. Research and our experience has been that children who are exposed to the farm and farming practices, learn where their food comes from, how it grows, end up eating and enjoying vegetables earlier and then for the rest of their lives. Plus having children enjoying the farm is a great joy and keeps us young too!

What’s so Healthy about Organic Local Vegetables

Fresh local produce is better for you – because nutritional value is at its’ peak when food is freshest. Much of the food in your local grocery store has travelled for days before reaching store shelves and thus lacks freshness.
Organic produce doesn’t have any of the toxic chemicals of industrialized foods that researchers suggest may be contributing to today’s chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease plus a broad spectrum of modern childhood maladies such as allergies, asthma, ADHD and Autism.
Organic food really is healthier for you – and more delicious. This is because the soil used in Organic Farming includes more microbes and minerals, which become part of the vegetables that grow in that soil. These microbes and minerals contribute to immune system, gastrointestinal, and cellular health. There is also some research that suggests that these same microbes and minerals add flavor and depth to the taste of organic vegetables making them more delicious.
Preparing meals at home allows you, the cook, to use healthier, chemical-free ingredient and preparation choices – decreasing salt & sugar, using healthy food preparation techniques such as roasting and baking instead of frying, and increasing healthy food choices to include more plant based foods. It also makes a goal of eating the five servings of plant based foods easier to accomplish.
Increasing the amount of whole plant based foods in your diet is recommended for everyone – with corresponding decreases in animal based products, processed foods high in sugar, salt, fat and chemical additives and less healthy forms of plant based foods such as fruit juices. Most Americans do NOT get enough of many vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber – which can be addressed by adding dark, leafy greens, legumes and other nutrient rich vegetables and lean proteins to the diet.

Upcoming Blogs

Over the next few months, Yellow Stonehouse Farm will be writing and posting our Blog – Farming Matters – on our Website – www.yellowstonehousefarmcsa.com/ and also on our Facebook Page of the same name . We may also link to other Community Facebook pages. Please feel free to share with your own Facebook Community and to respond with questions and comments. We’d like to start a dialogue on Healthy Eating and Living with the community here in Western MA and would appreciate your input. I’ll be posting about our CSA and other ideas we think are important regarding Healthy Eating and Organic Farming but would like your suggestions on topics you are interested in.

For more information on Yellow Stonehouse Farm and our CSA memberships go to www.yellowstnehousefarmcsa.com/ or call the farm at 413-562-2164.

Open Farm Day & Spring deluges

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Connie

First an announcement – Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s Open Farm Day is this Saturday, May 20^th from 10:00 till 2 pm. Everyone is invited to come, both members and those who are just curious about the farm. Come see us, pick up some asparagus or rhubarb and maybe a few wild greens.

Be careful what you wish for, is a saying my parents would send my way whenever I said I wanted something. Here’s another – When it rains it pours – usually referring to a deluge of problems not actual rain. Well – this Spring, it seems we are experiencing both an actual deluge, as well as problems, caused by way too much rain but also the end of the drought.

The pendulum swings: in 2016 we wished for rain; in 2017, not so much. Wish fulfillment is tricky. So, I am going to be careful, and not wish for an end to the rain – just a little decrease.

So – as you can see – we’ve been blessed with an over-abundance of rain this Spring and its causing a few issues with getting our crops in the ground. When It’s muddy like this we can’t plow, or get the beds ready or even walk around in the fields much.

During the bird walk last Sunday, our birders had to deal with 16 inches of water in the back pastures – making it difficult to get to certain bird habitats. The peas we planted in March are having a hard time, and we suspect that many of the seeds have rotted – which we will rectify this week by reseeding. Even picking the asparagus can be a bit tricky – I’ve lost a boot or two to the mud, resulting in very wet feet.

CSA pick-ups are still on schedule for an early June start through October, however.

Also – as a reminder, of the extra 27 spots we added, there are only a few remaining. We encourage everyone who is going to sign up for a share, to do so as soon as possible. We are planning and planting for the summer right now, and we need to know how many members we will have, to do so efficiently.

That’s the deal with a CSA – the farmer knows how many shareholders to plant for and can thus be as efficient as possible in how many seeds to order and grow and plant. It’s a win-win: for the member, who gets all sorts of wonderful produce and the farmer, who knows how much to grow due to a reliable customer base.

Though we still have a few organic CSA shares available, some pick-up days are filling up fast. Call us at 413-562-2164 or email us at the farm at yellowstonehousefarmcsa@gmail.com for more information or come visit during our Open Farm day this Saturday, May 20th between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm.

Happy Easter with thoughts on Spring, farming and open space

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Connie

Happy Easter! What a difference two weeks makes. The last Farming Matters blog was March 21^st when there was over a foot of snow on the ground. Now it’s Spring, 80 degrees and flowers are starting to bloom everywhere – just in time for Easter!

It is a lovely time of year; early Spring bulbs like crocuses and daffodils refresh one’s entire being – as well as providing winter lazy bodies incentive to get out there and begin tending the flower, vegetable and herb beds.

Prepping the vegetable fields is late this Spring due to the snow and rain accumulating in the fields and surrounding meadows. Check out this picture of the flooding we experienced when a blockage on the nearby ponds was removed, causing a rush of water to roar into Brick Yard Brook and our meadows. Amazing what a big effect the actions of another can have on someone else’s water and land. A good reason for cooperation among citizens and neighbors to safeguard natural resources.

Protecting the natural resources of our farm is one the reason Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s organic CSA was established – it was a way to continue as a working farm and maintain the open space for agricultural use. Did you know that our farm and just a few others are all that are left of Westfield many farms? Farming was a huge part of Westfield’s history – in fact, our section of town is called East Farm’s because it was basically all farms at one time.

Sustaining farms and open space are important for our community. These few remaining swaths of farm land not only protect the flora and fauna but maintains the recharge area for the aquifers which supply us with clean water – lately a big issue in Westfield. Farm’s and open space need protection to safeguard natural resources such as our air and water so they are there for future generations.

Membership in Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s organic CSA is a way to support open space and farming in Westfield – while enjoying delicious certified organic vegetables and field fruits. We also offer community members free activities such as the guided bird walk coming up on May 7th for those who want to explore the property and see the array of birds and other wildlife resident on the farm. Other activities available to members include hiking, pick-your-own vegetable and flower picking, and member gatherings like potlucks.

There are still a few organic CSA shares available – though some pick-up days are filling up fast. Call us at 413-562-2164 or email us at the farm at yellowstonehousefarmcsa@gmail.com for more information or come visit during our Open Farm day this Saturday, April 15^th between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Hope to see you then and Happy Easter!

Looking forward to farm fresh vegetables on a snowy morning

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Connie

Looking out the window in the middle of March 2017 – this is what we see … a beautiful snowy day at the farm.

But it’s almost Spring, the days are lasting longer and we are dreaming of warmer days and the farm’s first early vegetables – asparagus, peas, young lettuces and tender radishes.

After the carb fest called Saint Patrick’s day (so tasty as our bodies crave carbs this time of year) we yearn for fresh vegetables and are frustrated; they aren’t especially fresh having been trucked in from Florida and Georgia and then sitting on grocery shelves a little too long. We’re hoping those of you who were members last year, managed to get a few items in your freezer to remind you of the deliciousness of farm fresh organic produce. I know when John and I open a container of my homemade garlic scape pesto or squash, pepper and tomato soup base we are transported back to the warmth & sunshine of last summer.

Healthy eating is a big benefit of CSA membership in our USDA certified organic farm and a primary reason for the creation of our CSA five years ago. We wanted to share farm fresh organic food with the local community. CSA means Community Supported Agriculture. Shareholders join before the start of the season so farmers can plan what & how much to grow – ordering seeds is a big project as there are many choices, and it helps with the cost of seeds and labor to get the season started. CSA members are later rewarded with the fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers of our labor. Our CSA is set up to run for 20 weeks beginning the week of June 7, 2017 (weather permitting) and ending in October. Two options are available – an Every Week Share for $650 and an Every Other Week Share for $450.00.

Members pick up their share at the on-farm market style distribution area, where that week’s produce, picked fresh for them at the peak of ripeness, is arrayed in bins for shareholders to select from. Each week’s produce is accompanied by recipes, nutritional information and preparation suggestions customized to that week’s unique share. An added bonus are Pick-Your-Own crops such as peas, cherry tomatoes and beans not to mention the beautiful flowers and aromatic herbs included with every CSA membership.

We carefully balance each weekly share to provide a variety of vegetables and field fruits to support a healthy diet for you and your family. You’ll receive coveted items such as asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb, corn, garlic scapes, delicate lettuces, juicy melons and a myriad of tomatoes. If you receive too much in one week, you can always freeze or can it for that distant winter day when you’re craving a summer treat.

Here are the specifics for Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s Spring/Summer CSA 2017

New shareholders are being accepted until the program is filled
Season runs from early June through October 2017
You select your preferred pick-up date: Wed., Thurs., or Friday from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm or Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
You can elect to “share” a share with another family. See details on shareholder application.
If you cannot pick up your share, you can make arrangements to pick up at another time or have someone else pick up for you — if you send us an email a few days in advance.

Stay warm and Happy Spring. I know that’s a contradiction … do enjoy this picture of Spring daffodils.

Best,

Connie

Looking foward to Spring

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Connie

Farming Matters March 11, 2017 Looking forward to Spring

A blog by Connie Adams – co-owner, with husband John, of Yellow Stonehouse Farm, an USDA Certified Organic Vegetable CSA located in Westfield, MA.

I hope this picture of our farm from last May helps ward off the persistant winter chill we are experiencing in New England this March. It’s unsatisfactory after the warm weather teased in February. It’s true what they say about New England weather – the only thing you can count on is it’s unpredicatability.

Thankfully, most farm activities this time of year happen in-doors. We’re getting ready for the growing season, deciding what to plant, laying out the rows and deciding where we are going to grow the different crops, figuring out how much of any one thing to grow, and studying dozens of catalogs to pick new and different, as well as tried and true, varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs. We are even starting seeds for plants that have a long propogation time – like leeks and kohlrabi.

This is also the time of year for members to sign up for our Spring/Summer CSA. CSA members are the ones we are planting for, and we try very hard to make sure that we have enough variety to satisfy the most adventuresome of eaters. If there is a vegetable (or flower or herb) you would like us to grow for you as part of your membership, please email us to let us know.

Regarding Yellow Stonehouse Farm CSA memberships – we are delighted to welcome a number of new CSA members! Welcome all, we are very happy to have your join our farm family. We look forward to sharing the bounty of our harvest and the beauty of our farm with you and yours.

Many of these new CSA shareholders were referred to us by our present members – thanks to all for being so supportive. Providing the best experience possible to our members is our primary mission – and your recommendations validate our efforts.

For those considering 2017 CSA membership in our farm, we urge you to sign up soon. Some popular pick-up days (Wednesday and Saturday) are fast becoming fully subscribed, and we only have a fixed number of shares available.

Providing fresh, local, and USDA certified organic vegetables to the local community is something that John and I are both committed to – but it’s the CSA community that we’ve become a part of that makes the work so rewarding for us and our members. We look forward to expanding our farm family to include many more neighbors and friends from Westfield, Southampton, the Hill Towns and surrounding area during the upcoming 2017 season.

For more information call the farm at 413-562-2164 or email us at yellowstonehousefarmcsa@gmail.com. You can also get membership information and applciations at our website at www.yellowstonehousefarmcsa.com/

Answering your questions – why join Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s organic CSA

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Connie

1. CSAs connect consumers to local farmers and fresh food CSAs or Consumer Supported Agriculture, is a model for connecting consumers to local farms, originally started in nearby Great Barrington, MA in the 1980’s. CSAs offer consumers the opportunity to become shareholders in their local farm; in turn, the farm provides fresh, locally grown – and in Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s case – organic vegetables, in exchange for your membership.

2. CSAs are thrifty Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s CSA is a very good value. For about the price of dinner for two, or $33 a week, you receive a generous amount of organic produce of the highest quality, nutrition, and freshest flavor. Buying directly from the farm, instead of the grocer, skips the middleman, and gets you a better deal.

Yellow Stonehouse Farm is also an all-inclusive CSA – your membership entitles you a vegetable share plus access to the farm’s extensive cutting gardens, popular pick-your-own vegetable patches plus access to the back acreages extensive walking trails and picnic areas.

3. CSAs are healthy Joining a CSA improves your health by adding vegetable nutrition to your family’s diet on a consistent basis – plus cooking fresh vegetables eliminates many of the additives and extra ingredients of processed food. Locally grown vegetables are fresher and retain their nutrients versus produce transported thousands of miles. Organic farmers don’t use pesticides and chemical fertilizers, not to mention organic food tastes better and has more nutrients since they are grown in healthy soils.

4. CSAs are friendly Perhaps one of the best things about joining a CSA is the wonderful community you become a member of – sharing a love of food, nature, and cooking. Belonging to Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s CSA is fun! We encourage everyone to engage with the farm by picking vegetables and flowers and experiencing the beauty of nature; we have community events such as potlucks and harvest celebrations; we have members who are photographers, bird watchers, herbalists and walkers; experienced cooks and those who are just learning. You’ll get delicious recipes to prepare your vegetables and you’ll get to know your farmer’s face to face, who are happy to see you and to answer any questions you may have.

5. CSAs are green Community supported agriculture encourages non-polluting farming practices such as organic growing methods. This type of farming also minimizes food waste by producing just the amount of food members need, with minimal unused surplus – and any surplus we have is donated to charitable food pantries and kitchens. Supporting your local farm also helps to conserve the land, agricultural heritage and beautiful natural resources of a historic farming legacy in Westfield.

6. CSAs are a win-win For both CSA members and farmers! As a shareholder, members are entitled to a wide variety of nutritious, freshly picked vegetables over an extended season (June – October) at an affordable price. For the farmer, knowing how many people to grow for permits efficient planning, seed ordering and harvest scheduling. All of this helps sustain the farm as an agricultural enterprise so that future generations will also be able to enjoy fresh, locally grown food!

Farm 2017 goals & pledges

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Connie

John and I just finished the first 2017 share distribution consisting of many root vegetables plus several recipes. A Yellow Stonehouse Farm CSA member, Melissa, made my coq aux vin recipe & posted a terrific picture of the dish on our Facebook page – see picture left. We are lucky – our CSA has many supporters & involved members – which brings me to our farm goals for 2017.

The foundation of our farm goals for 2017 is gratitude – which we will express by showing gratitude and returning kindness to members and supporters. We have much to be thankful for and will keep this top of mind in 2017 – and demonstrate by doubling down on appreciation for our members! So – Melissa, thank you for making the recipe and sharing it with us.

We also are excited and thankful to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAP) for awarding us a matching enterprise grant of $10,000 for barn repairs and improvements. Not only are they helping us repair our 1840’s timber built barn, they are providing us with technical farm planning assistance.

Food trends are important to us so we were fascinated to see 2017 being touted as “vegetable-centric” and featured by many chefs, restaurants and cookbooks. Multi-colored vegetables are a big trend, with radishes usurping kale as the new favorite and squashes becoming the new favorite staple! All reasons for us to feel rather smug as last summer we anticipated these trends by growing many radishes, lots of colored vegetables and many types of squash – which we plan to duplicate in 2017!

Two more 2017 themes are Nourish and Nurture — realized through recipes encouraging health & wellness through food & herbalism. This is a labor of love, combining many interests and simultaneously enhancing the membership experience for the farm’s shareholders. We’re going to provide seasonal herbs as well along with information on health benefits and daily use as part of a healthy diet.

As an organic farm, we’re environmentally focused, and realize 2016’s drought was partly a result of the changing climate. In response, we have decided to become advocates for the protection of a scarce and precious resource – water. We are fortunate to have ample and accessible water – however, this can change anytime – so we’ll assert ourselves as stewards of these vulnerable resources. Westfield’s own water troubles are a red flag and we will be vigilant to protect the farm against contamination, pollution and climate impacts.

New research shows that organic farming – through crop diversity, cover cropping and low till practices – is one of the best ways agriculture can counter lack of rainfall versus monoculture’s susceptibility to drought. We will continue learning best practices to ensure our crops stay bountiful, delicious and healthy – despite droughts and other adverse conditions. And because we take our job of providing local organic food to our neighbors and members seriously, we plan to implement new ways of providing vegetables to more CSA members in 2017.

Finally, we pledge to share our farm – and the chance to relax and enjoy the lovely fields, hills and dales, smell the newly turned soil and mowed grass, watch the bees, birds & butterflies, revel in the beauty of the flowers, grasses and trees, and taste a freshly picked tomato or snap pea. We invite you to slow down and be mindful of the miracle of our planet, the farm’s place on it and how wonderfully amazing nature is.

Practicing mindfulness – being aware of your thoughts, emotions, & experiences on a moment-to-moment basis – is something you can do anywhere, but we invite you to do so here, at Yellow Stonehouse Farm.

Thanksgiving Thoughts & Thanks

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Connie

Farming Matters Blog November 22, 2016

Thanksgiving thoughts & thanks from the farm

John and I just finished distributing this year’s Thanksgiving Feast. It’s such fun to hand out tons of produce and watch a member’s face light up she sees her favorite squash or root vegetable in the bins. This year we were very fortunate to be able to provide 18 different items – everything from acorn squash, apples, yellow & boiling onions (gotta love those creamed onions), HUGE butternut squash, Brussel’s sprouts, carrots, cranberries, garlic, horseradish, parsnips, shallots, sweet potatoes and turnips!

We also sold Thanksgiving feast baskets to a few new farm friends – who seemed very happy with their basket’s variety & amount of vegetables as well as the special touches like YSF’s special Thanksgiving book of twelve recipes, YSF’s custom poultry seasoning, and the heirloom Howe’s cranberries.

Here’s a picture of the basket we gave out.

We have a lot to be thankful for at the Yellow Stonehouse farm:

We are thankful to farm beautiful, fertile land blessed with abundant water. We are thankful we could successfully sow & reap an abundance of vegetables this summer despite the drought.
We are thankful that John’s family were such great stewards of the farm. They made sure the farm continued as an agricultural enterprise and not developed, a practice we are privileged to continue today.
We are thankful for the children who come to the farm – it is a delight to positively impact the next generation. We love the adorable antics of babies & children, which is surely helping to keep us young.
We are thankful to have settled full-time on the farm – where we are engaged & productive; continuously learning new things while giving back to our community – all things that give meaning to our lives.
We are thankful to have so many wonderful members of the farm, who share their pleasure in the farm with us and make our work so rewarding. Your membership is what makes this all work.

Happy Thanksgiving to all from your organic farm & CSA – Yellow Stonehouse Farm and your farmers – John & Connie

Dressing up as a farmer

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Connie

Dressing up as a farmer for Halloween

Today is Halloween – amazing what a big event it’s become.

It’s a great excuse to dress up as your favorite character – whether it’s a super hero or future vocation. I expect we’ll see a few of each tonight – superman, wonder woman, fireman, ballerina, various celebrities and sports figures. And it’s not just the kids who get into dressing up – as I can attest to after attending a costume party last weekend and dressing up as a 1920’s flapper – great fun!

What I don’t expect to see is a child dressed up as a farmer – much to my sorrow. I don’t know many kids today who want to be a farmer when they grow up – or parents who chose farming as a career for their children. This is a problem for us all – especially in New England where we are losing our family farms at an alarming rate. If the farms disappear and there aren’t any new, young farmers who want to get into the business – who is going to grow our food in the future?

One of the major barriers to entering farming, is the cost of acquiring the farm. Very low commodity prices also make it hard to earn a decent living to support a family on farms less than 1000 acres. Not to mention the physical hard work farming requires – not attractive to many nowadays – though our physical health might benefit. A more recent problem is the industrialization of farming dependent on expensive chemicals and GMO seed that lock farmers into methods of farming susceptible to plant diseases and invasive insects. Changing weather patterns make our lovely temperate New England climate dryer and hotter – increasing the risk and cost of farming even more, and pushing more farmers out of business.

A positive farming trend is the growth of CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) which connects community members and local farms. Community members buy shares in their local farm for a set price and then enjoy the bounty of the farm for a season: The Summer Share from June to October and/or the Winter Share from November to February. CSA’s work by providing the farmer with a reasonable & reliable income source and the ability to plan how much to grow based on the number of members, and in turn provides shareholders with reasonably priced, delicious, abundant, fresh, and in our case, certified organic produce. Yellow Stonehouse Farm is Hamden County’s only USDA Certified organic CSA and has a growing membership in Westfield and the surrounding area in the Pioneer Valley.

An organic CSA is our way to keep Yellow Stonehouse Farm an agricultural property so we don’t have to cash it in for commercial development. We also are more resistant to drought, pests, and diseases and importantly, we aren’t afraid of poisoning ourselves, the local flora and fauna, or our shareholders with pesticides and harmful chemicals. Kids picking cherry tomatoes can sample them off the vine in the field without worry!

There are other less tangible benefits of CSAs. First, many of our shareholders have children and we are exposing those children to the farm, our joy in sustainable farming, and the glories of nature. Maybe we can inspire a child or two to consider farming as a future career. Second, we are working hard to establish the farm as a self-sustaining business. Capable of earning enough income to support a farm family – so that someday, we can sell the farm to a new farm family and make sure the farm stays a farm.

In the meantime, maybe one of our trick-or-treaters will come dressed up as a farmer.

If you’d like to get your own Winter CSA Share so you can enjoy our certified organic produce, we have a few remaining winter shares available. Check out our website at www.yellowstonehousefarmcsa.com/ Call us at 413-562-2164 or email us at yellowstonehousefarmcsa@yahoo.com

Farm history and cycles

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Connie

Our farm has a rich history as part of the East Farms section of Westfield, originally settled by the Root Family, (thus the name of our street – Root Road). We can’t wait to research the farm’s history, which dates back to the 1840’s, during our winter break. Did you know that Westfield started out as a purely Agricultural community? Amazing how few farms are left in Westfield considering that it was first settled because of its rich agricultural soils. For its’ next 150 years almost the entire town was devoted to farming! Agriculture is an essential part of Westfield’s heritage that shouldn’t be lost, and we consider keeping that history alive part of the farm’s mission. Some projects we are thinking about are to get the farm and barns historically registered and another is to get East Farms recognized as a unique and special agricultural part of Westfield.

Historical research is hard to pursue during the growing season. There’s just so much to do when the vegetables are producing – in addition to the picking, we have to weed, cultivate, plant, man the CSA market, and this year due to the drought, we had to irrigate. Our days last from dawn to dusk and it’s fortunate fresh vegetables are easy to cook (thank you tomato mozzarella salad) or we’d be too tired to make dinner some days.

Farming is relentless – you can’t decide to not pick the tomatoes or postpone the weeding, skip watering or neglect planting. It’s even harder if you have livestock – that’s a year-round, day-in day-out commitment to feed, water, and in the case of dairy, milk the cows every day!

It’s one reason why we chose to grow vegetables – there’s an annual cycle which includes a much needed break during winter. Though the advent of high tunnels has enabled us to extend the growing season enough to offer a Winter CSA share November through February, we still get a break before the cycle begins again in Spring.

If you’d like to get your own Winter CSA Share so you can enjoy our certified organic produce, we have a few remaining winter shares available. Check out our website or come see us in person – the farm market is open to the public Wednesday to Fridays from 3 – 6:30 pm & Saturday’s from 9 am – 2 pm until October 22nd.

Yellow Stonehouse Farm CSA

Coexisting Harmoniously with the Native Wildlife

Author Archives: Connie

Happy Easter with thoughts on Spring, farming and open space

Thanksgiving Thoughts & Thanks

Dressing up as a farmer

Farm history and cycles