It has been so fine on the farm this week. The garden is flourishing with the warm days and cool nights. The chickens are spending most of their day on the pasture picking out the tender alfalfa leaves. Our broiler/fryer chicks are now big enough that we have moved them into their pens on the pasture as well. They are growing so fast! The first planting of radishes have come and gone, soon the sweet corn will be all harvested, yet at the same time I am seeing green beans and cucumbers just about ready to pick. I am constantly amazed at all of the abundance!

    This week on the farm we have also added two new baby pigs. I dare say they are adorable! By the end of this week we will receive the last of our baby chicks, anticipating lots of blue, green eggs next spring. I always buy baby pullets from the hatchery each year, but I also like to let a few of our hens sit on some of their eggs as well. You have to have the right kind of hens that have not had this instinct bred out of them, and even then some hens will sit and others won’t. I love to see the mother hens care for their little brood. It is one of my favorite things to witness.

    New in your basket this week is beet greens. We have been thinning the beets to give the roots room to spread out and develop. As tasty as fresh beets are, the beet greens are my favorite. You can cut them up and add to your salads, or you can sauté them in some olive oil and garlic. My favorite way to prepare them is just to simply wash them, cut off the stems and place them wet into a hot pan. This is called “wilting” the greens. Serve them warm with at little bit of good balsamic vinegar drizzled on top.

    I hope that you are enjoying the lettuce mix. We should be having plenty of it to last throughout the season. Tonight I am cooking up my butternut squash and serving a large salad. I am hungry just thinking of it.

    We are looking forward to our potluck gathering this Friday. For those of you who are planning to attend, please RSVP with how many will be coming with you. You can reach me via email at: quailhollowfarm@mvdsl.com or phone (702) 397-2021

See you Friday!
Laura