Ruby, ever vigilant.

 Sgt. Pepper, Esther, and Cleo.

 Baby broccoli.

 Last year's strawberries, looking healthy and growing fast.

 Strawberries-to-be.

 My little helper / the monkey on my back.

Clementine, never vigilant.

 Thundercloud Flowering Plum.

 Plot #1: broccoli, cauliflower, chard, kale, and cabbages.

 Cleo enjoying some water in the shade.

 Joined by Delilah and (Sgt.) Pepper.

 Pepper, most likely planning her escape.  She's gone rogue on more than one occasion.

Our temporary efforts to contain her.

Our very first egg!

More to come later on our new chickens...but in the meantime, take a look at this beautiful egg that Tim happened to find in the garden.  Two of the chickens went rogue yesterday and escaped from their yard so it was lucky that we found the egg at all.  Can't wait to crack it open...

Latest happenings...

 Some delicious eggs from new farmer friends just up the road at Bella Terra Family Farm.  I think we ate them three nights in a row for dinner.  Thanks, Shannon!

 The scene at the back door.  Farming is certainly a family affair.

 All but 4 of the sprout trays.  They are looking healthy and beautiful.

Last year's strawberries are popping back up.  We're planting 2 additional varieties in the coming weeks and we can't wait to share them with you!

Hope everyone is cracking a window where ever they may be today because it is just incredible out there.  I think Maisy and I will set up a play area on the back deck and soak it all in with some friends.

Things are sprouting up on the farm...and the greenhouse now has windows!

The Garden by Shel Silverstein

Ol' man Simon, planted a diamond,
Grew hisself a garden the likes of none.
Sprouts all growin', comin' up glowin',
Fruit of jewels all shinin' in the sun.
Colors of the rainbow,
See the sun and rain grow
Sapphires and rubieson ivory vines,
Grapes of jade, just
Ready for the squeezin' into green jade wine.
Pure gold corn there,
Blowin' in the warm air,
Ol' crow nibblin' on the amnythyst seeds.
In between the diamonds, ol' man Simon
Crawls about pullin' out platinum weeds.
Pink pearl berries,
All you can carry,
Put 'em in a bushel and
Haul 'em into town.
Up in the tree there's
Opal nuts and gold pears--
Hurry quick, grab a stick
And shake some down.
Take a silver tater,
Emerald tomater,
Fresh plump coral melons
Hangin' in reach.
Ol' man Simon,
Diggin' in his diamonds,
Stops and rests and dreams about
One...real...peach.

Introducing our very own farm.

Hello friends and family!

As many of you already know, Tim and I have spent the last few summers honing our vegetable growing skills where ever we could find a patch of earth in a sunny spot. When we bought this house in the country a year ago, we knew that its 2+ acres had the potential to someday become a little farm of our own. After planting a substantial garden last spring/summer/fall, we are finally ready (not to mention excited) to take the plunge into starting a small CSA. For those of you who may not be familiar with the term, it stands for community-supported agriculture—which is where you come in!

This is how it works: Just before the growing season begins, members buy a “share” of the upcoming harvest, enabling the farmers to buy the seeds and equipment they need upfront so that they can concentrate on growing the best fruits and veggies all season long. In return, members receive a box each week of delicious, healthy, sustainably grown local produce. You know your food is chemical free, where its coming from and the people growing it.

If you decide to become a member, you can expect to receive 20 weeks of produce, from May 19th to September 29th. The cost per share is $350, which figures out to be only $17.50/week! You can pick up your share here at the farm or at a to-be-decided location down county (depending on where our members live). We plan to grow the classic summertime favorites like cucumber, zucchini, and heirloom tomatoes, as well as several varieties that may be new to you such as watermelon radishes and bok choy. Herbs and cut flowers will also be part of the harvest. By the end of the summer, we hope to be able to provide fresh eggs for sale as well.

Here is a list of some of the other produce you can expect to see in your share:


Spring:

• cabbage
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• variety of lettuces
• kale 
• rainbow chard
• radicchio
• bok choy
• spinach
• green beans

Summer:

• strawberries
• 5 varieties of tomato
• peppers
• eggplant
• cucumber
• zucchini
• yellow squash
• watermelon
• honeydew
• snap peas

Fall:

• various squash
• pumpkin
• carrots
• potatoes
• onion
• beets
• garlic
• lettuce
• chard
• kale

We will be maintaining a website here at www.moonflowerfarmcsa.blogspot.com to keep friends and family updated on farm progress, photos, and recipes. We’re hoping to get 10-15 members for this first year so if you are interested, please let us know as soon as you are able by e-mailing us at moonflowerfarmcsa@gmail.com. Checks can be made out to Tim or Caitlin Robinson and are due by Monday, March 12th. We’ve already begun planting seeds indoors for the first cool weather crops and we look forward to sharing all of the season's bounty with you in one way or another.

Thanks so much for your time and we hope to hear from you soon!

Lots of Love,

The Robinsons 

Moonflower Farm 

20500 Beallsville Road 

Dickerson, MD 20842