Roots

Farmers have roots, too. 

I had the chance to cook brunch for some of my oldest farming mentors this weekend.  What an incredible feeling to be surrounded by those that love and believe in small-scale organic farming so much that they take apprentices under their wings each year to pass on the tradition.  And then to walk the fields with them here at Moose Hill Farm; encouraging me that the vegetables will push through the trauma of being in standing water for two weeks, that we should be proud of what has already been accomplished just since October, to carry on the traditions of what I was taught to my apprentices. 

It made me go back and think of the names of all the farms that I have worked on and learned from: Dilmun Hill Student Farm, Brookside Berry Farm, Natick Community Organic Farm, Drumlin Farm, Powisset Farm, The Belmont CSA, Stucker Quarter Horse Ranch, Everett Family Farm, Yellow Wall Farm, The Neighborhood Farm.  I worked, learned and eventually taught the longest at Powisset Farm.  Powisset is one of Moose Hill Farm's sister farms (also owned by The Trustees of Reservations) in Dover, MA.  This week you will be receiving Powisset's garlic scapes in your share.  The scape is essentially the flower of a garlic plant.  Lots of farmers snap these off the plant so that the root (the garlic bulb) grows bigger instead.  Since garlic needs to be planted the year before you harvest it, Moose Hill Farm does not have any garlic scapes this year, so Powisset is sharing thiers with us.  I helped Powisset plant some of their garlic last fall so I feel very connected to it.  In fact, I have planted garlic every year that Powisset has been a farm.  In a sense, you will be enjoying some of my farming roots this week.

Also in the share this week is cabbage, radicchio, carrots, blue spice basil, lettuce, beets, broccoli, and kohlrabi.  There are lots of snow peas for you to pick out in the fields!

Farmer Molly and the crew