August 26, 2013
Things have been busy around the farm in August. With some drier weather earlier in the month, we finally got a first cut of hay on our field. We had time to get plastic on the new high tunnel, despite the wind.
We are harvesting lots of cucumbers, greens, summer squash and herbs. We put a dozen
ducks in the freezer last week and 50 more broilers started. We are looking to
harvest wheat tomorrow...help permitting and before more rain. There's work to do to break
down from The Orchard School summer camps as well.
Our oxen, Boss and Chez strutted their stuff in the Alstead
250th Anniversary parade on Saturday. It was their first time on a trailer with
other cattle. There was a big crowd and lots of distraction. They also spent time in a pen at Millot Green where activities were held for the anniversary. We were all very proud
of them.
Late summer night sounds are all around...cicadas, crickets, young roosters getting their voices, coyotes, and occasional bull frogs. There are big happenings around Orchard Hill including Orchard School renovations, a pizza night pavilion
project at Orchard Hill Breadworks as well as an indiegogo fundraiser to support the effort, designing the frame for our barn, harvesting and processing, and a big family wedding.
Orchard Hill Breadworks Pizza Night
The pizza oven collapsed this summer. The Pizza Pavilion Project hopes to raise money to build a larger,
stronger oven and a spacious pavilion that will be able to serve great
pizza in all weather (and with shorter lines!).
The new venue will make
possible a wide range of benefit events from spring through autumn.Coming up on September Village Roots and Steve Whitman of Low Energy Future will be sponsoring an Introduction to Permaculture course at Orchard Hill. Stay tuned for more information.
Marty grew his first potato when he was 12 year old on a worn out piece of ground behind his parents’ house. He’s been attracted to the idea of growing food ever since. He started growing seriously in 2001 with his wife Ellen’s guidance and has worked on several organic farms prior to moving to Orchard Hill. His passion is in integrating all aspects of the farm; the gardens, animals, buildings, water systems and so on. Marty has been raising heritage farm animals since 2003, and started training his young oxen Boss and Chez to do some of the farm work in the winter of 2012. Marty graduated from Antioch University New England with an MS in Environmental Studies and currently teaches Farmers & Foragers and summer camps at The Orchard School, as well as Permaculture Design Courses at Orchard Hill.
