Orla on the Farm

As the blog writer, I began thinking as I was creating this post today that this title could become a childrens' book series, "Orla On The Farm". It would go something like this. . .

When the cold winter was beginning to end- the days were getting longer and the sun a little closer, the snow melting in the open fields, Orla would light the woodstoves in the greenhouses. It was magical--to be out in the dark and quiet of night tearing shreds of paper and piling little sticks in the stove. Then the quiet would be broken by only the crackle of the fire and the darkness broken by the glow of the fire in the tiny stove cracks. You could almost hear the seeds sprouting. Orla liked the warmth, the smell of the moist soil and smoky fire.

One early morning, neighbor Bridget appeared to move the tender seedlings outside so they would adjust to the cooler temperatures and grow into hardy plants. Papa made sure the soil was fed with seaweed enriched water, Momma busily painted signs, William got the fields ready to plant some of the seedlings, and Orla got busy preparing a catalog of all the seedlings they were going to sell at the farm store.
to be continued**********

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT THE STORE

luscious backyard tomatoes from Skowhegan, Maine

locally harvester tender fiddleheads

asparagus, fresh and nutritious. delicious steamed, sautèed in a little sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds!

new to us this season, lovely pottery by Kelly Donohoe

have you had your first potato salad of the summer? chives is a key ingredient for mine, along with lots of fresh mint, organic potatoes (white and sweet!), fresh local eggs,  a dressing of garlic, olive oil, tarragon, brown mustard, and red wine vinegar. Optional: (add a little mayo, salt & pepper after stirring and more mustard to taste, purple onion, cuke). this is an adaption from my tattered, favorite cookbook, "The Cabbagetown Cafe".

Until next time, come visit Orla on The Farm and let her know what you've been up to during this incredible old fashion Maine winter! Or write us a note below!

asparagus, fiddleheads, rhubarb, asparagus, fiddleheads, rhubarb

Bridget. Consummate Mom, Storekeeper, Gardener, Cook. She has a bright smile on the dreariest days! If you're a regular visitor to the farm, you already know her. If not, you're missing out. Come by!

Yes, it's SPRING and our rhubarb, fiddleheads, and asparagus are as fresh as they get! Tender and delicious, packed with nutrition.

Yes, things look a little different at the Farm Store this spring. We do not have our normal multitude of seedlings. Fear not, we're growing them for the farm and we will still have great varieties for you to buy fresh. John was needed to drive truck for our sister company Farm Fresh Connection early this spring so we didn't get our normal quantity planted. We do have a lovely selection of annual flowers, seeds, and will have great veggies as they become available! 

We continue to have beautiful fresh eggs, locally made cheeses, Standard Baking bread and weekend croissants and sticky buns, whole milk, cream, butter, beef, pork, AND NEW THIS YEAR--FRESH ORGANIC CHICKEN every WEDNESDAY!!!

 BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND, Jennie's Toll House Cookies!  We have more Maine offerings too--oats, flour, maple syrup, honey, jams, beans, Putnam's Magic Cream, dog biscuits, and SURPRISES in store for you.

See you on the hill!

John, Martha, William, and Orla 

OPENING MOM'S DAY WEEKEND

Meet

ORLA ROSE SCHWENK, 

the beautiful addition to our farm family.

And we look forward to 

seeing you in person

when the farm store opens Mother's Day Weekend.

We will have hanging baskets along with other fresh flowers to shower your Mom with sPrInG !  

Welcome spring, welcome summer. William Owen is out playing in his sand box as we speak. The birds are calling, the trees are budding, the frogs are talking...

come on by the farm store,

come out after hibernation,

come share stories of your long, happy winter!

We'll look for you on May 10th!

We have some new treats in store for you!

UNTIL MAY...

WE SAY SO LONG.

We have decided to close the farm stand February 10th for the rest of the winter--

to welcome our new baby,

enjoy William Owen,

plant seeds to get ready for

OPENING again in May!

Stop by this week to get your chicken, sausage, beef, bacon for your freezer,

potatoes, tomatoes, turnip, garlic, milk, cheese...

And don't forget to think ahead to

Valentine's DAY; we have some special treats.

It's all about L O V E.

Thank you again for a great season!  We'll see you in May!

ESPRESS YOUR LOVE WITH CHOCOLATE COVERED ESPRESSO BEANS

how about a COUCH DATE with your honey... candlelight with beeswax candles is the sweetest!

perhaps a decadent chocolate to pair with the candlelight?

SpRiNg is just around the corner!  When you are getting your soil ready, we'll be ready with our hardy seedlings.  See you soon!

YULETIDE CHEER

There's something about balsam fir -- that delicious smell that wraps its arms around you with warm memories of Christmastime.  

Some tidbits from history.com. -- celebrate with greens...

Long before the advent of Christianity, plants and trees that remained green all year had a special meaning for people in the winter. Just as people today decorate their homes during the festive season with pine, spruce, and fir trees, ancient peoples hung evergreen boughs over their doors and windows. In many countries it was believed that evergreens would keep away witches, ghosts, evil spirits, and illness.

In the Northern hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night of the year falls on December 21 or December 22 and is called the winter solstice. Many ancient people believed that the sun was a god and that winter came every year because the sun god had become sick and weak. They celebrated the solstice because it meant that at last the sun god would begin to get well. Evergreen boughs reminded them of all the green plants that would grow again when the sun god was strong and summer would return.

FEASTING DURING THE WINTER MONTHS

We are going to remain open all year to provide you with healthy, local foods.  Currently, our bins are brimming with garlic, onions, squash, pumpkin, popcorn, apples, carrots (including our Chantenay--roast on high to caramelize), lettuce, mesclun, sweet, chef and Australean fingerling potatoes, beets, and more. 

If you’re baking – we have oats, flour, honey, maple sugar, eggs, and dairy!

GIFTS TOO-----------------------------------------------

--pamper yourself or give a nurturing present-

Putnam's Magic Cream is made right here at the farm by Martha using purely organic ingredients, including her own calendula.  William Owen will testify that it makes you feel good (and loved) all over!

--lovely essences that can lift your spirits--

tuck in a stocking, thank a host, suds up every morning to start your day!

--hand knit by a "county" friend--

stay warm and feel luxurious.  nothing can compare to building a snowman with hand knit mittens, hanging them by the stove to dry, and curling up with a cup of hot chocolate in your favorite chair.

--dogs deserve wholesome treats too--
 Our local Barkery Bakery next door in Brunswick knows how much we love our pets!

 --are you looking for the perfect elegant drink to serve on New Year's Eve?--
Featuring healthy Maine grown goodies in fun and festive cocktails.

 --our NEW addition to the cooler--
Swallowtail Farm yogurts and cheeses, heavenly just like their label!

--NEW to our store--

organic cashews, pecans, and walnuts and our own Freeport Coffee Roasters coffee

 --REMEMBER--

•OUR GREAT STANDARD BAKING BREADS, INCLUDING FRI, SAT, SUN CROISSANTS (chocolate and plain) AND THE INCREDIBLE STICKY BUNS.

•ALSO JENNIE'S GRANOLA, TOLL HOUSE COOKIES AND DUTCH CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

•HOME MADE JAMS & JELLIES

•AND IN THE FREEZER, OUR CHICKEN, PORK, BEEF, INCLUDING 

DELICIOUS BREAKFAST AND ITALIAN SAUSAGES

Wishing you a happy, healthy new year with thanks for supporting local food, family, and farms!

Martha+, John, William Owen, and Pako 

TURKEYS ON THE HILL

WILD TURKEYS TAKE FLIGHT

TIME TO GATHER, TIME TO GIVE THANKS, TIME TO ORDER YOUR TURKEY
fresh, natural, local
ORDER BY FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22, PICK UP TUES/WED NOV 26/27
12-15LBS • 16-20LBS * 20+LBS  $20.deposit

WE HAVE BULBS at the store!!  Paperwhites in time for your Thanksgiving table, tulips, daffodils, crocus to greet you next spring.

FRESH ORGANIC  ( b e a u t i f u l )  CRANBERRIES are here!  Remember to toss them in salads and more for a zing of flavor, crunch, and color too.  They are delicious (and pretty) chopped in guacamole, served chopped in your cranberry cosmopolitan, in your morning yogurt.  See the recipe below for salad!

Martha took you on a tour of the store last year and we pulled it up from the archives to show you again!  She did a fabulous job AND we have almost all the same offerings this year (except the turnip) so ENJOY!

NEW to the farm store, Martha's energy bars are packed with nutritious energy.  Martha (a different one) also lives in Freeport and believes in using the finest ingredients.  Eat well, eat local, stay energized!

When it gets dark at 4:30, the desire to bake is high at our house. We got some gorgeous pears at the store that are absolutely luscious in a pear tart with an almond crust.  mmmm 

It's always great to hear from customers about their creations from foods at the farm.  I received the photo above with the attached note from Katrina this week (it does look 'delish')!

"I decided that for supper I would make the frittata I had just seen @Smitten Kitchen on FB: potato and broccolini frittata. 

Stopped by Wealden on my way home and got broccoli, fingerling potatoes and eggs. Also made a salad with my lettuce and Wealden pears and last of the Wealden strawberries and a few other things. Delish".  

WREATHS can be inviting almost anytime of year!  We'll have greens, wreaths, trees a plenty soon and look forward to seeing you when you select your annual Christmas tree (or a purple cabbage).  

We are grateful for your business!

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KALE SALAD WITH CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE
fine cooking
1/2 cup cranberries
1 naval orange
2T red wine vinegar
1 T honey
4 T olive oill
2 t fresh ginger
5 C trimmed and coarsely chopped kale
salt & pepper
Finely chop cranberries. Dice the orange. Whisk vinegar and honey, slowly whisking in olive oil then Ginger. Toss kale, cranberries and orange in dressing. Let stand 15 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

FUN FAMILY FALL FESTIVE haLLoWeen FARM PARTY

THAT'S RIGHT, THE COZY FARMSTAND WILL BE FULL OF FUN ON HALLOWEEN!

3pm-6:30pm

Oct 31ST

hot cider, games for the kids, face painting, treats for the kids, parent's games, and 

fun fun fun !  

We look forward to seeing you on the hill.

APPLES! FRESH AND CRISP AND JUICY AND

we're sure to have your favorite kind 

for pies, sauce, crisp, bread, cake, pancakes, candied, bobbing... just to pick up and eat. mmmmm!   

This is it!  KALE TO LOVE!  

RED KALE (or any really)

chopped up with freshly diced garlic and some toasted sesame seeds.

mix fresh lemon juice with tamari sauce and olive oil 

and you have kale that you love

AND IT LOVES YOU BACK.

Have you noticed?  Neighbor Jennie has a new offering!  In addition to her famous toll house cookie and vanilla scented granola, she now has a "dutch chocolate brownie"-- not too caky, not pure fudge, the perfect in between.   And if you haven't experienced a dutch processed cocoa brownie, you are in for a  t r e a t .

OK, this isn't fair--showing you two sweets in one blog!  But this one is like having fall walk into your house.  The smell of pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg (*recipe http://wealdenfarm.blogspot.com/search?q=pumpkin+bread) wafting from the oven is so comforting.  Light a fire in the fireplace, get out your latest book or knitting or writing material, pour a cup of tea and wholeheartedly

WELCOME FALL!

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We hope to see you on the 31st right here on the hill!