Category: News

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 25, 2023

Hi Everyone! Oh, Ophelia!  What more do I need to say?  As Dylan wrote – “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows”. We are doing the best we can for you, despite all the challenges raining down on us.  We continue to slog through the mud to bring in the crops. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 18, 2023

Hello Folks! We had four rain-free days last week and by Sunday it had dried out enough for me to plant some seeds. It is coming to the end of the season for planting – even for crops that tolerate the cold, they just grow too slowly. This is especially true of spinach – it likes cool weather, but it grows much better in the spring as the days are getting longer. This is why I planted a quarter of an acre of spinach in late August. It germinated nicely, but it was almost all killed by the wet soil conditions. If this last planting fares better, it will be ready in November! I will continue to plant radishes, arugula and other mustard greens for another two weeks. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 11, 2023

Hi Everyone! I just checked the rain gauge and today’s deluge brought us to nearly 5 inches for the week! Believe it or not, I don’t enjoy complaining, but seriously all this water is hurting the crops. I’d like to cry, but the ground can’t soak up any more water! (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – September 4, 2023

Hi Folks, Happy Labor Day! It is the unofficial end of summer, but the summer heat is back with a vengeance this week. It’s okay though, we still have a lot of heat loving crops in the field. It has been so cool at night that I have been fretting about an early frost. We usually don’t get hit with a freeze until Mid-October, but it has happened in September, and it is not pretty. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 28, 2023

Howdy Y’all! About 2 inches of rain fell last Thursday night into Friday, ensuring that the puddles stay full, and the fields remain muddy. There have been short windows of opportunity to get some seeds sown and beds prepared for transplanting. We are coming to the end of our brassica planting for the fall and are nearly through with the direct seeded crops. I have been planting arugula, tatsoi, daikon, salad turnips and spinach. I will be sowing these crops, as well as cilantro, dill, radishes, and mustard greens every week for the next month. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 21, 2023

Hi Everyone! We continue to be blessed with decent weather – mild temperatures and moderate rainfall. The rainy stretch has taken a toll on our tomato crop though, especially the heirlooms, but we have some later plantings that are still looking okay. There are many ripe tomatoes on the vines that will not be picked because they are too ripe to sell or distribute to the members. They are good for making tomato juice that can be used as a soup base. We also have a lot of plum tomatoes that are ripening en masse. Over the next 2 weeks we will offer members the chance to buy bulk tomatoes. We will also invite members to come out to the farm and pick their own. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 14, 2023

Hello Folks! It continues to rain frequently here on the farm, but we have not had any extreme weather during the past week. The moisture is beneficial to most of the crops, not so much the tomatoes and the melons, both of which are highly susceptible to fungal diseases – blights and mildews. The challenge is getting seed sown when the ground is constantly saturated. We have small windows of opportunity in between the storms when conditions permit us to prepare beds for planting. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – August 7, 2023

Hi Folks! We have been scrambling today to get a lot of harvesting done and to batten down the hatches for the strong storms moving through the area. What was likely the strongest front just passed through and, while we received an inch of rain, we did not sustain any damage from wind or hail. Hallelujah! (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 31, 2023

Hello Everyone!  I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather as much as we are here on the farm. It is a real treat to have such mild temperatures, cool nights, and lower humidity in early August!

We have peppers for you this week and the tomatoes are coming in heavy now. We will have sweet corn for as many groups as the supply allows and take care of the rest next week. The first planting of summer squash is in decline and the second is just getting started. We are in a similar situation with the beans. We will make sure everyone gets both over the next 2 weeks. The beets will be arriving topless – I hope that’s not too shocking for you lol. (more…)

Circle Brook Farm

Farm News – July 24, 2023

Hello Folks! There are no major meteorological complaints to be lodged for this past week – the excessive rainfall has abated, at least for now. There will be some scorching hot days this week, but nothing like what the southern and western US has seen in recent days. The fields have dried out enough to allow us to move ahead with our planting. I am direct seeding beans and herbs, and my crew have been busy planting more cucumbers and summer squash as well as thousands of brassica family plants for the fall harvest. (more…)