WEATHER ALERT
Sunday - June 13, 2021
Looks like thunderstorms on Tuesday folks, keep those umbrellas handy!

Troy, Jona, Jonathan, and Navi planting brassica seedlings
​
We're thankful that the temperatures dropped significantly this weekend. Not only were we racing against time to plant, maintain, irrigate, and harvest crops, we were battling personal dehydration and heat exhaustion. Several of our crew were definitely feeling the affects.

With the temperature change of course we received lots and lots of rain, just about 4" total to be exact. We're still bailing out parts of the farm believe it or not. It was a lot of precipitation to fall in a short amount of time. On the plus side the heat and rainfall REALLY moved our crops along, so there were some benefits. One other disadvantage of the heat and rain are WEEDS and lots of them. In farming you are always fighting something and this will be the new battle moving forward.

Enjoy Week 3 and all it has to offer folks!

Owner Harrison Bardwell

Garlic Scape Pesto
YouTube | Food Wishes
A quick and easy recipe to make a really tasty dish!

​more recipes:

• How to Cook with Garlic Scapes - Epicurious
• 7 Ways to Cook with Garlic Scapes - The Spruce Eats
• Dinosaur Kale with Baby Potatoes - Simply Recipes
• The Most Awesome Sauteed Kale - My Nourished Home
• Roasted Baby Beets - Recipe Girl
• Beet, Arugula & Goat Cheese Grilled Cheese - BS' In the Kitchen 
• Grilled Romaine Lettuce - Simply Recipes
• Classic Caesar Salad - Bon Appetit

​WHATS GOING ON AT THE FARM

​CAN'T MAKE YOUR PICKUP DAY?

• If you cannot make your pickup day a friend or family member can pick it up for you or for themselves
• Reminder: pickup days cannot be changed, the day that was chosen on the enrollment form will be your day for the 20 weeks of the program

Brassicas are looking great!

We want to thank all of our farm share members for an exceptional first week! It was wonderful meeting new friends and catching up with old ones. Your excitement and enthusiasm is inspiring :)

The heat wave we've been experiencing has been a blessing and a curse. It certainly has sped the crops along, but some of them so much so that they are beginning to grow too fast and bolt. We'll also have to irrigate crops if we don't get the rain they are calling for, all eyes are on the weather forecast right now.

Staying hydrated and eating right has been a priority for the crew. It's brutal working in direct sun as well as the high tunnels and greenhouse. We're constantly monitoring and keeping each other safe.

The high tunnel tomatoes love this heat and have taken off, almost doubled in size, and we're already starting to see baseball size fruit! Nothing says summer like a juicy well-ripened heirloom tomato. We can't wait to share these with you!

While we're on the subject of hot weather, we've added all kinds of new frozen treats to www.online-farm-store.com, goodies like Barts Ice Cream, Dove and Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Bars, and Crooked Stick Pops. If you need a cool down you can always order ahead and we'll have them ready when you pick up your share or stop by the stand anytime between 10am and 6pm!

Here's to Week 2 everyone, see you soon :)

Owner Harrison Bardwell

WHAT TO USE FIRST

• Asparagus - 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, cut ends and place in large mason jar filled with a cup of water
• Kale - 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, do not wash or process until you are ready to use, place them in an open plastic bag
• Rhubarb - 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, up to 12 months in the freezer
• Lettuce - 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, do not wash or process until you are ready to use
• Salad Mix & Arugula - 10 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, do not wash or process until you are ready to use, wrap leaves in a paper towel and place them in an open plastic bag
• Radishes - 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator, trim greens, place in a container with a cup of water

​DID YOU KNOW...
The redder the stalk of rhubarb, the sweeter the flavor! Green rhubarb can also be eaten, and is just a different variety. All rhubarb is quite bitter in taste and therefore a great substitute for cranberries, and a good match with a sweeter fruit like strawberries and apples.

Cities & Towns: Happy birthday, Hatfield
By Sabato Visconti | Daily Hampshire Gazette | May 31, 2021

HATFIELD — The town on Sunday celebrated its 350th anniversary with a parade featuring a number of divisions that showcased all aspects of its long history.
The event was delayed a year by the pandemic, but as at least one official noted, the parade still took place one day before the town’s 351st birthday on Monday, Memorial Day.

"til' dark day"

Welcome to Week 1 all, it's finally here! Are you excited? Your food adventure is about to begin!

There are a so many things going on at the farm on any given day of the week. This is where we will keep you updated about all of these things including the progress of our shared 2021 investment.

The fields are prepped and planted! We laid miles of biodegradable plastic and planted thousands of seedlings and seeds. We had many cold winter days of planning and when the snow and rains stopped, we got out in the fields as early as we could and stayed out there as long as we could. There were so many "til' dark" days with more yet to come. We have a well-rounded crop plan this year and can't wait to show you the fruits of our labor.

Just a short week ago we would have asked you to do a little rain dance, but we were blessed this weekend with much-needed rainfall. Things were really dry out there but our prayers were answered. The early warm weather has really helped pushed some of our crops along though and we're all going to enjoy the benefits!

The long and short of it? It's going to be a busy summer!

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions what-so-ever about the CSA or your share, call (413) 800-5583 or email us at bardwellfarm@gmail.com.

Thank you again for investing in our farm and we'll be seeing you soon!

Owner Harrison Bardwell

WHAT TO USE FIRST

• Bok Choy - 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, store in a plastic bag, do not wash or process until you are ready to use
• Asparagus - 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, cut ends and place in large mason jar filled with a cup of water
• Lettuce - 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, do not wash or process until you are ready to use
• Bunching Onions - 7 to 14 days in the refrigerator, store in a plastic bag
• Radishes - 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator, trim greens, place in a container with a cup of water
• Spring Parsnips - 4 to 6 months in the refrigerator, wrap in paper towels and store in a plastic bag

​
​DID YOU KNOW...
that before harvesting, asparagus spends up to three years in the ground for the crowns to mature?

HOW TO COOK ASPARAGUS
YouTube | Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen
Asparagus is a crispy, earthy, woody vegetable that starts growing in spring. Chef Gordon Ramsay prefers to sautee them raw, which intensifies the asparagus flavor. He leaves the savory skin on, then he blisters them in a hot cast-iron pan skillet.
​
more recipes:

• Asparagus Pickles - Food & Wine
• Asparagus Frittata - All Recipes
  
• Apple Bok Choy Salad - Epicurious
• Stir-Fried Sesame Baby Bok Choy - Epicurious
  
• New Potatoes with Spring Onions & Bacon - BBC Good Food
  
• Cheese & Onion Quiche - Olive
• Roasted Radishes & Radish Greens - Food & Wine
• Easy Pickled Radishes - All Recipes

7 DAY SUPPORT
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions, need assistance or want to provide constructive criticism. Also, don’t be afraid to talk with your Bardwell Farm Representative in-person during a pick-up day. You can always contact us by using the links below. 
​
(413) 800-5583
bardwellfarm@gmail.com

HARD DEADLINE | CSA FARM SHARE PAYMENT
For those who have completed the enrollment form but have not paid, payment must be received no later than Thursday - May 27th in order to pick up your first weeks share. Non-payment will be considered a forfeiture of enrollment.

To make payment please click here or if you need help call (413) 800-5583

PLEASE SHARE THE L♥︎VE
Please tell your friends and neighbors about us. By spreading the word our program will grow and that’s good for everyone!

Thank you again for investing in our farm. We can’t wait for you to enjoy our fresh produce this season.

Owner Harrison Bardwell

7 DAY SUPPORT
Please stay in touch. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions, need assistance or want to provide constructive criticism. Also, when the program starts, don’t be afraid to talk with your Bardwell Farm Representative in-person during  pick-up day. You can always contact us by using the links below. 

(413) 800-5583
bardwellfarm@gmail.com 

Valley Bounty: Stretching growing season brings winter greens
By Jacob Nelson | Daily Hampshire Gazette | April 16, 2021

It’s been months since the last winter squash were brought in from the field, and traditional early spring crops like asparagus are just beginning to poke through the soil. But local farms are still bringing produce to market — storage crops including potatoes, beets and carrots, along with freshly harvested spinach, lettuce, kale and radishes.

Farmers in the Valley have long experimented with strategies for year-round growing. Spring-dug parsnips are left to overwinter in the ground, emerging sweeter after a late March thaw (look for these now). Alliums like garlic and onions are planted in the fall, slumber under protective coverings, then shoot up when the weather warms. Recently, greenhouse-grown greens have become more common.

Year-round growing is good for farm businesses and the local economy, diversifying farm income and adding year-round jobs. It also stabilizes community access to healthy local produce around the year. Though hardly new, it represents a fast-growing sector of local farming.

Still, total production remains small and best practices are rarely standardized, as many farmers find their own way through trial and error. Meanwhile, many food buyers aren’t aware of local farms’ success in expanding what’s in season.

“I don’t think there’s enough education about this kind of farming,” says Harrison Bardwell, head farmer and owner of Bardwell Farm. “We want people to understand that this is possible — that fresh greens are around in January and onions in May, all grown here in the Valley.” His 25-acre diversified vegetable farm in Hatfield will supply both this year.

“We’ve been growing in high tunnels during the summer for three years,” Bardwell says, referencing the large metal-framed, plastic-skinned greenhouses now common on local farms. “This year was the first year we used them for winter production.”

Bardwell’s motivation for growing year-round is threefold. First, given the investment in building high tunnels, it makes sense to maximize their use.


“We also wanted to expand what we could sell, and keep on more employees through the slower months,” he says.

By all accounts, their pilot year went well. “We’re getting to the end now,” Bardwell says. “But we’re still harvesting arugula we reseeded a month ago, and we’re on our third cutting of the original spinach and chard crops we planted in the fall.”

Though they grew only in two unheated 70-by-30-foot tunnels, the farm was able to retain more staff than previous winters and sales were great, especially for leafy greens such as chard, lettuce and the spinach Bardwell Farm is known for.

“When selling local produce in the winter, anything green is a big draw,” says Troy Asher, the farm’s operations manager. Especially in spring when enthusiasm for storage crops is waning, “offering greens — or anything that’s a staple in peoples’ kitchens — helps boost sales,” he says.

Winter production brings new challenges. Yes, there’s the cold to deal with, but the length of daylight is an equally big factor.

Most plants stop growing considerably when there’s less than 10 hours of daylight, Bardwell explains. With that in mind, crops must be planted in time to reach near-maturity by early November, when that magic daylight line is crossed.

“We start winter crop seedlings in August,” Bardwell says, “and by September we’re transplanting and transitioning our high tunnels to winter production.” This conflicts with using them to extend summer production, but it’s a calculated trade-off.

During the colder, darker period between November and February, plant metabolism slows way down, and on really cold nights, workers drape remay cloth over the plants inside for added insulation. But while growth is minimal, there are advantages.

In the summer heat, many leafy greens are triggered to ‘bolt’ and go to seed, growing tall and becoming bitter. “But if they grow slowly over two months in the winter, you can continually harvest from them without that happening,” Bardwell says.

Plus, with plants respiring less, watering needs are minimal. “I don’t think I watered at all from the last week of December until February, when things started ‘waking up’ again,” he says.

​Outside the high tunnels, Bardwell Farm has half an acre of over-wintered onions nearing harvest.

“These are specific long-season onions that we also started in the greenhouse in August,” Bardwell explains. “In September we planted them in the field, and they established their roots during the last few months of warmth and longer daylight.”

They do need some protection from the winter elements. “We decided to grow ours in low tunnels,” he says. These look like long, skinny greenhouses extended over the length of a bed.

“What’s really neat about these onions,” Bardwell says, “is they’re full-sized bunching onions that we’ll harvest in late May or June, where most local onions are harvested in late summer.”

Customers can find greens, onions (when they’re ready) and more from Bardwell Farm at their farm stand, now open Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 49 Main St. in Hatfield. Online ordering for curbside pickup is also available by visiting bardwellfarm.com/online-farm-store. Enrollment remains open for their CSA program, with info available at the farm stand or online.

As Bardwell Farm and hundreds of other local farms push the boundaries of year-round growing, the availability of local produce should only keep expanding to new seasons. Peaches in December? Maybe not. But strawberries? Well, UNH Cooperative Extension has been doing some research …

Jacob Nelson is communications coordinator for Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA).