A much-welcomed rainy day affords time for the computer, so I bring you all the next episode of snippets of life on North Branch Farm.
One of the many treasures we inherited with the farm is a 1989 Woodmizer LT28, which is a sawmill not so very different from the one we borrowed last summer to mill up wood for Seth’s and my (then) cabin. Tyler and Seth have been working persistently on getting this one up in running condition, and just a couple days ago, the final replacement parts we needed came in the mail and we fired up the old machine! The sawlogs we’re working with in the pictures are from the red pine and balsam fir that we had to cut down to make room for our new driveway, and are a little on the small size. However, the red pine is already coming in handy; Elsie is custom making us a set of wooden CSA boxes to carry our vegetables safely to the homes of our brave CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members. The boxes are beautiful, functional, and made by us and our farm!
Two too sweet brothers!
Tuesday was our first CSA pick-up day, and I was thrilled to send off a fine mix of farm treasures: head lettuce grown by Lucretia, spinach, Egyptian walking onions, garlic scapes, curly parsley, and soft cheese with garlic and herbs made by Elsie. I have worked on CSAs before, harvested on many an early morning and packed many a box, but I have never run one of my own. It brings an interesting mix of responsibility, obligation, solidarity, and adventure–I have a captive audience, and I want them to be caught absolutely breathless by the beauty and quality of the food when they open their box. Can I do it, week after week, for twenty weeks in a row? I hope so.
May the soft rains be followed by warm sun in your gardens and on your faces.
Until next time.
