We have been having baby ducks hatching out.  They are just so cute, especially when they get in their water bowl and take a bath.  They are like two year olds splashing around in a bathtub.  We have three types of ducks Kakie Cambells, Welsh Harlequins and Anacondas.   We have all kinda of poultry on the farm but I love my ducks and geese best of all.

I have a favor to ask of all of you.  We have applied for a grant at Raising Organic Family Farms.  It is seed money to help us complete our walk in cooler and a wide bed seeder.  Who ever gets the most votes gets the grant money plus an additional $500.00.  All you have to do is go to this website. 

raisingorganicfamilyfarms.com/michellewagstaffs-story/ 

  A picture of my grandson Tyler will come up along with the story I wrote.  Up at the top of the story there is three boxes the one that is red with a thumbs up you click on that box and that cast your vote.  I hope you can all have time to do this it would really help our farm if you could tell all you family and friends to also vote. 

We are adding a new dimension to our farm this year.  We will be offering vegetable plants, herb plants and flowers off our farm.  We are also, adding a produce stand, in it we will offer our vegetables, fresh herbs, eggs and all our farmer added products, Hiltys jams, jellies, raw honeys, flavored honeys, pickled items, Organic wheat flour, wheat berries, goat milk soap. 

 We have had a lot of interest in our local community for our produe.  So rather than go to a farmers market and set up, this lets us stay at the farm.  So if you are out in the Silex area please stop by we would love to see all of you.  The stand will be open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Times will be from 10am to 6:30pm. Look for our new farm sign.  (We will be putting it up in the next few weeks). I will let all of you know when we plan to open it but I think it will be sometime in April.

Well, that is it for now.  Hope you all will cast a vote for our farm and we hope to see you all this summer at the produce stand.

Now a little about Mark & Michelle. I grew up on a 10 acre farm in St. Paul, MO with my 3 sisters, parents and grandparents.  We raised hogs, Black Angus Cattle, a few chickens and a very large garden.  My Grandfather was a great gardener, he new the importance of feeding the soil. I worked with him in the garden. hand picking off potatoe beetles.staking tomatoes, planting seedlings. I also helped with the livestock.  My Grandmother was a wonderful cook and seamstress.  She got me up to the stove at an early age.  She taught me how to cook, can and preserve food.  So  it was enevitable that I ended up as a Chef cooking professionally.  But all through Mark and My life together whether we lived on acreage or in town. I was always growing vegetables, herbs and flowers in a small garden plot and in pots.  Mark was raised in town, but he lived in several cities in the mid west and in upstate New York, where he worked for a truck farmer at the age of twelve picking vegetables in the summer.  Marks father always had a garden in their back yard.  He loved to raise vegetables, raspberries, blackberries and flowers. Then one day Mark went over to a construction site and fell in love with building things, that launched his career as a carpenter and eventually he started his own Home Maintenace Company which he had until 2008 when we finally were able to make a living off our farm. 

We have two children Leah and Luke, between them they have given us 4 wonderful grandchildren, Sierra, Tyler, Ellie and Alexa. They love coming out to Grandpa & Grandma's farm it is such an adventure.

This year 2011 we add a new chapter to our farm. I lost my husband  Mark he passed away in March from pneumonia. I will miss him dearly.  He had such passion for our farm and the tireless hours he devoted to delivering our members shares.   But we have dedicated this year in his memory.  Our daughter Leah, Frankie her husband and our two grandchildren Sierra and Tyler, moved in with me to continue Mark and Mine dream for our farm business. They are going to make it there own.  So in Marks memory we are planning to have the best season ever.

Mark Picking Raspberries for our members share.

 In basic terms, CSA consists of a pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.  Members or shareholders of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary.  In return, they receive shares in the farm throughout the growing season as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land.  (USDA definition)

Our CSA

We operate and run a 22 week per year CSA, from May through October.  A share of 6 to 8 fresh picked vegetables, seasonal fruit, assorted herbs, and a dozen eggs are provided each week.  Also, during the season we will make available other small farm products from our River Hills Farmers Alliance for you to purchase and be delivered with your share each week.  We will have Free Range, Antibiotic free, humane raised Chickens, Antibiotic Free,  Pork, Beef Packages, Goat Milk Cheese Varieties, Amish Jams, Jellies, Pickled items, and raw honey.  We will also have Organic Grain Products, Wheat berries and flour. We have a line of Goat Milk Soap available that is wonderful. We hope to have other products to offer when they become available. All these products come from small local farmers.  We offer these products to you to help our local small farmers work towards their sustainablilty. 

We try to provide a wide variety of seasonal fruit included with your share, such as Strawberries, Cherries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Grapes, Peaches, Apples, Pears, and Plums. (What we are able to provide is based on the weather.) All these products plus your vegetables, herbs, seasonal fruits and a dozen eggs are delivered to your home or business in an ice pack/cooler. This helps keep your vegetables fresh and preserve their nutritional quality. Also, with your weekly share you will receive either by paper or email our weekly newsletter.  It contains what is happening on the farm, vegetable storage tips, Herbal uses, Recipes and other farm information.

This year we will be offering a twice a month winter CSA delivery.  For the months of November and December for 4 deliveries. It will have such items as Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Onions, Winter Squashes, Beets, Turnips, Carrots, Radishes, Daikons, Cabbage, Seasonal Greens, Eggs, and our Alliance Farmers items. (This is separate from your 22 week season share)

We will this year have our on farm function sometime in October.  We want to show off how we grow your vegetables, visit with some of your other farmers and spend an enjoyable day in the country.

Our program price is $55.00 per week for 22 weeks and that includes delivery to your home.  For a total of $1,260.00 ($50.00 one time membership fee is included) Our half share is delivered every other week for 11 deliveries at $55.00 per week for a total (with membership fee) $605.00.  Your half share will contain as much as the full share, you just get it every other week.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the farm, at 573-384-5859 or email at drydocfarm@windstream.net 

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving.  I am writing this from Florida.  Some of you may know that my Uncle died and I came down to help my 92 year old Aunt with things.  I have extended my stay till the 21st of December.  I have been keeping up with the happenings on the farm, while I have been here.  Leah and Frankie are putting up the winter protection for the garden beds that will grow thru the winter on Friday.  That involves putting up hoops over the beds and covering it first with the row cover material and then with plastic.  We will be able to harvest through the winter and most of the greens will survive the winter and be the first things to harvest in the spring.

They will be planting some onion sets for green onions  and transplanting some Swiss Chard and Kale into the hoophouse to grow thru the winter.  The carrots that are growing in there now are getting bigger and we hope to have some for your last winter delivery.

For those of you that have been receiving your winter shares I hope you have been enjoying them.  It looks like you have really been getting the greens.  I am glad we are able to provide them since this summer they were in such short supply.

There is a great local produce market here that has a great selection of organic vegetables.  So I am enjoying some great local veggies. Then right next door is a fish/meat market that has a great variety of fish and seafood. 

I guess that's it for now.  Take Care and Happy Holidays.

Michelle 

Hi Everyone,

 Here's what was in the cooler for week #20.

Sweet Potatoes, Butternut squash, Pepper Mix, Zucchini, Yellow squash, Red potatoes, Eggplant; Daikon radishes, Cucumbers, Or Green Beans; Spinach, Cabbage Leafs, or Asian Greens; Garlic Chives, Apples, and Dozen Eggs.

WK #19 Produce:  Pepper Medley, Zucchini, Asian Greens or Mustard Greens, Cucumbers, Red Potatoes, Dikon Radishes or Purple top Turnips, Carrots or Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Corn or Spagetti Squash, Eggplant, Apples, Eggs, and Garlic.

Asian Greens, Eggplant, Swwet Onion, Pepper Medley, Acorn Squash, German Giant Radishes, Carrots, Red Potatoes, Yellow Squash, Garlic Chives, Apples, and Eggs.

    We are now accepting sign-up's for the 2012 CSA Program.  We deliver your share in a cooler with an icepack directly to your home for 22 weeks, May-October. The weekly share will consist of 6-8 vegetable varieties, a dozen Farm Fresh eggs, Herbs, and seasonal fruit.

    The cost of the 2012 CSA program is $55.00 a week with a $50.00 one time membership fee (this price includes delivery to your home). We offer full shares and half shares. Full shares are delivered every week, half shares are delivered everyother week.

    We are now offering early sign-up discount. If you sign up before October 1st, 2011 you will recieve a $5.00 a week discount for a total savings of $110.00 for the season. 

    We also still have a few Winter Shares available for the 2011 Winter CSA. If interested please email.

 Thank you for your interest in our farm.

Michelle, Leah, Frankie, Sierra, and Tyler

"We grow with nature, not against it"

   Well it's that time of year again and we are starting to take Winter CSA sign ups for 2011. 

   It will consist of 4 deliveries, 2 in November and 2 in December.

        (Time and Date to be determined)

The cost of the share is $55.00 a week.  For a total of $220.00.

    It will include:

  Storage Crops                                     Hoophouse Crops

Sweet Potatoes                                       Asian Greens

Kennebec Potatoes                                  Chinese Napa Cabbage

Cooking Onions                                        Kale

Butternut Squash                                     Swiss Chard

Acorn Squash                                          Spinach

Turnips                                                    Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage                                                 Lettuce(head and Leaf)

Diakon Radishes                                      Green Onions

    Others

Apples

Eggs

  To sign up please contact us by email or phone 1-573-384-5859, and forms will be emailed to fill out and return. We have a limited number of spaces available, so sign up early.  We appreciate you all for supporting our farm.  Thank you.

Michelle, Leah, Frankie, Sierra, and Tyler

"We grow with nature, not against it"