Author: Bryan Housel

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 17, 2014

Hi Folks, As most of you know, and with the kind support of many loyal members who prepaid for the 2014 season, I was able to buy a beautiful 80 acre property in Andover last November. The property has been known as Circle Brook Farm and I have chosen to keep this moniker. Starbrite Farm has now become Circle Brook Farm. I have formed an LLC and have opened a bank account with this name. I will be continuing to rent land from the adjacent property-Good Hand Farm, as I transition the additional 50 or so tillable acres to organic. I hope to soon begin establishing an orchard and planting a variety of berry and other small fruits. Very soon we will begin hosting regular farm visit events and I hope that many of you will have the chance to visit and enjoy this beautiful place and learn about how your food is grown. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 10, 2014

Hello Everyone, So I think we’ve been doing fairly well so far with the share quantities and quality. Especially considering the late start we had with planting. Now it will really start to get good. We have beautiful broccoli coming in heavy right now. There was not quite enough for all groups last week, so those who did not receive any broccoli last week will definitely have it this time. We also have some lovely small heads of Napa cabbage and cauliflower is beginning to make heads. Sugarsnap peas are still abundant as well as some snow peas. We will certainly have enough for this week and I am hoping to continue for one more week with the peas. We will also be sending some sweet, gorgeous carrots in the share for this week. And there is some very nice basil as this week’s herb. Radicchio and fennel are almost ready and will be in next week’s share. Peppers and eggplant should begin in a couple more weeks and tomatoes shortly thereafter. (more…)

Apples

Sign up this week for Fruit Shares!

We will once again offer a fruit share for the 2014 season! We will soon begin planting a variety of fruit trees, bushes and brambles. In coming years I expect to produce most, if not all the crops for a fruit share. But for now, most of the fruit we distribute will come from an organic farm in the Hudson Valley, NY. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 3, 2014

Hi Folks, We received .6″ of rain this past week. I was hoping for more but we’ll take what we can get. As we head into July we typically experience a dry spell until sometime in August. There are scattered and isolated storms predicted for most of the week so hopefully some of these will drop some rain on us. In the meantime we are busy moving the sprinklers around to help germinate recently planted seeds and to give the brassica, carrot, and beet crops the moisture they require. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – June 26, 2014

Hello Everyone, summer has officially arrived and with it our first heat wave of the season. The hot weather was beneficial for the summer crops like tomatoes and peppers but a bit stressful for the cool weather plants. Cool weather crops like lettuce, radicchio, spinach, and the mustards (arugula, tatsoi, mizuna etc.) react to this stress by bolting. This is the reproductive mode of the plant whereby it stretches out and sends up a flower stalk. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – June 19, 2014

Hello Everyone, it was a rainy week. We received almost three inches of precipitation, creating muddy conditions and making it a challenge to get the harvesting done and continue with the planting. We were almost caught up with the spring planting schedule and are now a bit behind again. It is mostly with direct seeding of crops, specifically the beans, that I feel the most urgency. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – June 12, 2014

Hi Folks, Well here we go! The first week of deliveries has arrived. As previously mentioned we got a late start on planting due to the long winter, so the first couple of weeks won’t be as bountiful as in previous years. I expect that we will make up for this as we go through the season. (more…)