The New Year Comes to a New Farm

 

If you have taken a walk at Moose Hill Farm lately, you may have noticed some changes in the landscape here.  Most winters mean a time of rest for a farm, but not this year at Moose Hill Farm.  We have been very busy putting down the building blocks of this new farm.

 

First snowfall

 

 



Old loafing shed and chicken coop that were removed

It’s not all “out with the old and in with the new” in 2013 at Moose Hill Farm.  It’s a little bit of both and a bit in between.  Some of the older animal shelters had to be demolished here because of safety concerns but we also have been working on retrofitting the old milk pump house (the only remaining building from the original dairy farm) to house the pump tanks for the new well that was drilled.  That new well will supply water for the drip irrigation system (a very water-conserving method of irrigation) that will be installed sometime this spring.  The removal of trees is always bittersweet but we have ensured that we will be maximizing the amount of sunlight the new greenhouse receives and have cleared the way for visitors to view and access the vegetable fields much more easily.  Soil samples have been taken of those new fields and soil amendments like lime and compost will be applied to feed the soil – by far a farm’s most valuable resource.   We have leveled the land for the new greenhouse and will start its construction this week.



Leveling the land for the new greenhouse

 

Not all the building blocks we have put into place this fall and winter can be seen and touched, but they are just as important as all of the new infrastructure.  We have partnered with two local food pantries (Sharon/Stoughton and Canton) to work out the details of Moose Hill Farm’s hunger relief donations.  We have connected with two local youth programs in the area to come and volunteer on the farm on a regular basis – the City Harvest youth crew and the Norfolk Aggie High School.  We will also be partnering with the Sharon School System to stock the school’s cafeterias with fresh produce.  And some of the most important building blocks of all, the three new apprentices to join me this spring, will be hired by the end of January.

 

It has been my pleasure stopping to answer questions and chat with visitors the last couple of months.   We recommend coming to visit often this winter – so much is still to come!

 

Farmer Molly