One of the first things we learned about our farm, was its’ designations as a National Heritage Landscape, which means it’s specially acknowledged as a historically productive farm.   Additionally, it is also a recognized habitat for the protected eastern painted turtle, along with many native species of birds, insects, amphibians and animals.  Also thrilling was learning there was a special turtle nesting area.  Several years later, the farm was awarded a grant to rehabilitate the turtle nesting site.  To protect the turtles, we raise mower blades to avoid turtles in the fields, and always keep watch for turtles and relocate them if necessary.

This is one example of living alongside the wildlife on the farm.  Usually, (don’t mention the deer and bear eating our corn this year) we manage to live in harmony with the creatures we share the land with.

For instance, there are large brown bats in our barn and correspondingly few mosquitoes in the areas around the barn. This year we noticed that as the bat population declined slightly (they suffered from white nose syndrome like most Massachusetts bats) the mosquito population has increased.  Luckily, a state naturalist told us the bat population should rebound stronger than ever with bats more resistant to the disease.  Good news for us, bad news for the mosquitoes.

One of the most beautiful residents of our farm are the butterflies.  They are useful pollinators and there are many species present: swallowtails – both yellow and black, Melissa blues, coppers, sulphurs, and of course Monarchs.  Monarchs, sadly, have declined in recent years.  Five years ago there were hundreds of Monarch butterflies in the fields, but last year, the summer of 2015, we were lucky to see a half dozen.  This year it’s thrilling to see many dozens of Monarchs all over the farm.  We think our diligence in preserving their host plant milkweed, planting lots of flowers – plus the lack of any pesticide use – help keep many creatures thriving in addition to the Monarchs such as bees, dragon flies, frogs, toads, praying mantises, and many species of birds.

If you’d like to join our farm community, experience our beautiful landscape and enjoy our certified organic produce, we have harvest and 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.

This past weekend, Yellow Stonehouse Farm hosted a potluck dinner for members and friends of the farm.  We invited everyone to bring a dish to share plus a chair.  We provided the venue in the farm’s courtyard and set up the food in the barn along with the Western Mass band called Axis Mundi.  We hoped to schedule it so the evening would be a little cooler and the tomatoes would be at their peak.  We got one of the two right!

Despite the heat – and boy, was it hot and sticky – everyone had a great time! Members met other members, shared recipes (did I mention how yummy everything was) and traded stories.  It was an experience in community and fellowship that I feel is often missing in today’s fast paced world.

Fellowship and sharing is what Community Supported Agriculture is all about – individuals coming together to support their local farm and farmers, and share in and celebrate the bounty of the harvest.  John and I couldn’t run the farm without the support of our members!

Not to mention that our members are really fun and witty, so nice and very talented.  Did I mention the band, Axis Mundi, played throughout the party with only a brief stop for dinner?  They played everything from Pure Prairie League to the Grateful Dead – with much singing along and bobbing of heads – and a grand time was had by all.  A special thank you to our member Brett for helping with the arrangements including his guitar playing!

A key aspect of CSA membership is that our farm is directly supported by the local community.  One of the key goals of sustainable agriculture is to support locally grown food.  Yellow Stonehouse farm’s food is fresher (often harvested the same day), healthier (organic growing practices contribute to soil health which translates to healthier vegetables), with a smaller carbon footprint (the food isn’t travelling far), and if you know the farmer – you know their cultivation practices, i.e. whether they are certified organic, using pesticides or GMO seeds, and respecting the land they grow their food on.

If you’d like to join our farm community, we have harvest and winter shares available.  Learn about us on our website or come see our beautiful certified organic vegetables and flowers in person – the farm market is open to the public Wednesday to Fridays from 3 – 6:30 pm and Saturday’s from 9 am – 2 pm.

Something most of us don’t think about is how dependent on weather we are.  Our inattention is likely caused by the protection of our heated and cooled homes.  Human built landscapes do cut us off from nature.

Perhaps one reason some people don’t believe in climate change is this buffer … it allows us to ignore the elements, forget there is a climate out there.  Until nature throws a punch or two, that is.  As I observe the worsening weather, it seems as if the earth is trying to get our attention, telling us we are hurting it and its environment. The more we ignore the stresses to the planet the more violently the planet signasls us.  Think of the recent floods in Texas, the extreme weather in the forms of tornadoes in the mid-west and the severe wild fires in the parched west – not to mention our local drought.

New England is temperate, normally green and well-watered.  While our farms may not be the size of mid-west factory farms, our land is exceptionally fertile and yields bountiful crops of fruit and vegetables. To grow vegetables to their full potential, the ideal is to receive one inch of rain per week.  Without rainfall, plants become stunted, the fruit may dry up, or sometimes plants don’t grow at all.

This year, nature has been a little off.  The winter was warm – without the freezing temperatures that reduce pest populations such as mice, chipmunks, voles and rabbits not to mention voracious plant eating insects.  The Spring was cold and overlong – delaying the planting and germination of seeds and crops – and the amount of rainfall has been non-existent.  Western Massachusetts is experiencing a significant drought – ranked from extreme to moderate with rain deficits in excess of 10 inches.

Yellow Stonehouse Farm is lucky.  We have water from wells originally dug to provide for 100 head of dairy cows.  We’ve been able to irrigate our fields since June to keep the crops going until it rained.  Which, Glory Alleluia – it did this past weekend.  The rain we received – just under an inch – was enough to make our crops pop!  Now that it’s rained, we have an abundance of produce.  Come see our beautiful certified organic vegetables and flowers – the farm market is open to the public Wednesday through Fridays from 3 – 6:30 pm and on Saturday’s from 9 am till 3 pm.

A cool Spring may delay the planting of some crops and interfere with perennial crops such as Asparagus. This Spring, we’ve had to discard frost burned asparagus spears due to freezing temperatures at night!  On the other hand, there are other crops that just love this weather – think peas & lettuce!  To ensure we have plenty of vegetables for all our CSA members, we schedule several plantings of a lot of different crops so if something doesn’t produce, we have back-up.

It’s amazing how many variables factor into creating a single perfect eggplant or squash.  It is one of nature’s miracles that a single tiny seed can generate a bushel of succulent tomatoes in just a few months.  Each Spring, we plant thousands of seeds in trays of organic growing medium at the required depth, making sure to provide the right amount of light, or not – as some plants germinate in the dark.  The moisture must also be just so: not too wet or you get “damping off” which kills the seedlings and also not so dry that they shrivel up and – again – die.  Germination temperature is also key, some plants need 50 degrees and others 75 degrees to sprout.

Once sprouted, we provide a proper environment for “growing-on” which may be cool or warm, bright or shaded.  We also have to make sure that we label everything so we know what all the transplants are and then we must “harden” off the young plants, so they can go into a variety of growing environments including two greenhouses or outside to get large enough to plant in the fields.

We do this to have a predictable vegetable harvest.  We want to eliminate the risks of seed failure, improper sowing, and harsh weather we would incur if we direct sowed seed into the fields.  By planting young plants, we give each vegetable bed a head start in producing the highest yield possible.

We are hosting an Open Farm day this Saturday, May 14^th from 10:00 am till 3:00 pm.  Come see the farm and what we have growing – our perennial and early Spring vegetables in the field, plus all the transplants we have growing that will later become the delicious organic produce our CSA members enjoy   during our 20-week season. We still have a few CSA memberships available for local Westfield area residents – contact us if you are interested.

Hello All – we are trying to cover all our bases in getting the word out on our Spring Open House.  Here is the info:

What:  Yellow Stonehouse Farm Spring Open House.  Tour the farm, meet the farmers Connie and John, see our market, check out the fields and flowers, the greenhouses and our latest farm projects; sample early Spring vegetables (if available), tour the back 50 and see beaver dams, vernal pools, turtle nesting areas, the Manhan River and a ton of birds.

When:  May 14, 2016  10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Where:  Yellow Stonehouse Farm, 354 Root Road, Westfield, MA  01085

Telephone:  413-562-2164

How:  Check out our Facebook page where we have created an event and let us know you are coming.

Hope to see you there!

Connie and John