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Spring Farm Tour Information

March 30, 2005

Spring Turkey Hunt

Last weekend Noah, Freeman, Jan (our 19 year old guest from Germany) and I
enjoyed the successful harvest of one of the farm's wild turkeys. We have a very healthy flock of turkeys that lives along the creek and earns their living by foraging for sprouts, bugs and seeds in our fields. This in combination with the opening of the spring turkey season provided an excellent outing with brothers. We left the house in the mid morning, walked down to look at the tomatoes and then walked along the creek towards the huge oak tree that we refer to as the “Mother Oak.” Noah named the tree several years ago, the name is quite appropriate because standing under the tree one feels protected and taken care of by something that knows much more than you. In the alfalfa field next to the Mother Oak was a small flock of turkeys, the Toms (male turkeys) had their plumes of feathers out as they strutted around their hens as pompous as could be - competing for this spring's mates.

The situation was good for us; wind in our face and turkeys not yet aware of our presence. The plan was to station Noah and Jan behind some brush while Freeman and I went out of sight from the turkeys to get on the other side of them and scare them towards Noah and Jan. When hunting, generally nothing ever goes as planned, but this time it worked. Two of the Toms headed right for Noah and Jan, when they were in range the shotgun boomed and the main course for our next turkey feed was harvested.

Our first planting of tomatoes looks quite nice now. Right after tomatoes transplant from the greenhouse into the field the plants spend a period of time adjusting to their new climate. While this is happening the tomatoes will lay on the ground and exhibit a dull green color - in general they don't look very happy. At this point the roots of the transplants have grown beyond the small plug of soil they were transplanted from and have begun to take root into the earth's soil. The plants are standing up, their color is a more lush green and a few of the plants are already beginning to push new leaves. Watching plants make the transition from the greenhouse to the field could be compared to a person recovering from surgery - slowly, with pain sometimes, but ultimately becoming much stronger.

This week our Mother, Kathleen Barsotti, the founder of this farm and Farm Fresh to You, would have turned 56. Mom ended her nine-year battle with
breast cancer July of 2000 - after raising four loving sons and building a farm
and produce distribution service that will continue to nourish its customers with healthy produce for lifetimes to come. As a young man I am amazed at how the time passes and thoughts of mom's life humbly remind me how precious time on this earth with our loved ones is.

I hope everyone is enjoying the transition to spring and the produce associated
with this season.

Thaddeus

Farm Tour Update
Our spring Farm Tour will be on Sunday, May 15

There will be two separate tours during the day, with other activities planned during the afternoon. Please plan on bringing a picnic lunch, and we will provide drinks, fruit and snacks.

The first tour will begin at 11 am, followed by lunch at noon. At 1 pm we will have a transplanting session for the kids, and they will each get to take home a baby vegetable plant that they have potted. At 2 pm, we will gather amongst the grapevines for a thinning and training demonstration with Chris Simas, our farm manager. When 3 pm rolls around, we will offer another farm tour.

Please plan on arriving either just before 11 am, or between 12-1 pm during lunch, so as not to miss the afternoon activities.

Please email: noah@farmfreshtoyou.com to
reserve space for you, family and friends.