farm update – Camps Road Farm

May Farm Update

chickens in chicken tractors — We have birds out on pasture and the chicken CSA starts on June 6th this year. Things are going well and the birds are as good as ever! This batch started on the South of the farm and is working its’ way North.

For information on our Chicken CSA click here.

red rangers in chicken tractors — In addition to the white birds called “cornish cross” we are trying a new breed of meat chicken out on farm this year. They are called red rangers. They take longer to raise but they spend that time developing flavor. The meat will be a little darker on this birds. They are a “more heritage” variety than the white ones.

chicken mobile — Then of course there are our lovely ladies who are producing eggs for us. They are certainly happy that summer is now here. They have been cruising around pasture in their custom built chicken-mobile and loving every second of it.

pastured eggs — Our eggs are delicious! Well, at least I know I love them. They are also getting more rare as we scaled back the size of laying flock a bit. You can still get them at the New MIlford Farmers’ Market and on farm.

pastured sheep — And who can forget our sheep? They spent some time cleaning up the hop yard this spring before heading out on to pasture rotating before the birds. Porter, Boch, and Stout invite you to the farm any time to come and say hello!

farmers — Look at this cast of characters! Betsy, James, and I have been working very hard to get the farm where it needs to be this year. It is no small feat and they have been a great addition to the farm. More on them in future posts.

kent falls — It is ok to work hard for something, but you also have to take time to slow down and enjoy life. Here Kate, Mabel, and I went to Kent Falls to check out the namesake for the brewery. It was stunning and I recommend going if you have not yet. We had a wonderful day and were proud to come home and drink a beer from Kent Falls Brewing Company!

For a map of EVERYWHERE we currently have beer click here.

baby fire fighter — There have been a ton of projects on farm with a lot to get done every day. The list of to dos never seems to get shorter. Thank goodness we have a professional fire-fighter on staff to put out fires when we need!

Winter 2015 at the Farm

chicken tractors in winter — Our chicken tractors rest in tehsnow drifts dreaming of warmer days.

winter greenhouse — Outside the greenhouse the farm is under alot of snow. There has been much plowing and shoveling to be had. However, inside the greenhouses is a different story.

claitonia — Claitonia or “miner’s lettuce” grows very well in the winter. We have a limited amount but it is delicious. This is an area of the farm we hope to expand next year. It can be very tricky growing food throughout the winter, but the pay-off is well worth the effort.

winter arugula — Winter arugula has a nice spicy taste while maintaining a hearty yet tender texture. Needless to say we’ve been eating like kings.

katahdin — Our three katahdin ewes have been faring really well in the winter. They have a nice warm coat and we keep them well fed on hay from a local farmer in Washington Depot. This is “Porter” everyone’s favorite.

barred rock chicken — It’s time for your close-up! Our hens have been laying phenomenally. Our eggs are available on the farm 7 days a week if you can make it here. We are also joining the Litchfield Winter Farmers’ Market starting February 7th from 10-1.

winter chickens — Always looking to get on camera our chickens flock around me as I take some pictures in the second greenhouse. The birds have been doing great and I am really proud of how well they are laying considering the weather and the time of year.

kent falls brewery — From left to right our friend Dan, our Brewery Manager Barry, and our Head Brewer Derek are currently brewing a water batch. I took this photo on 2/3/15 and came inside to write this blog post. The brew house is up and running and they are running hot water through it to test all the connections and buttons before brewing their first batch this Friday. Click on the photo to go to the brewery website and learn more. So excited!!!

farm baby — Always end in Mabel! I seriously cannot get enough of this kid. She did this all by herself, sat down, pulled the blanket around herself, and started reading books. She’s not big onteh cold weather and is pretty eager for spring. She does love going in with the chickens though.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read the blog. I enjoy posting pictures and I hope you enjoy looking at them. Community is a large part of why I farm and supporting that community is a large part of why Camps Road Farm is in business.

Cheers!

Farmer John

October at Camps Road Farm

October is my favorite time of year on farm. The intensity of the work load is slowing down, the days are cooler, the fall colors are beautiful, and most importantly there’s no snow yet! It is a time of year to get big projects done before winter and sit back and enjoy a fall beer.

Here’s a quick over-view of what the farm is like in October:

pastured sheep — Our sheep have been rotating our pastures doing some mowing and fertilizing for us. They’ve really enjoyed the cooler weather. They are perfectly suited for the temperature change and their coats have been getting thicker as the temperatures drop.

frost on pasture — We have already had a couple of frosts on the property. The field crops are done at this point and we are busy planting the greenhouse for winter. That’s right, salad greens all winter.

chicken in green house — Speaking of greenhouses, our chickens are going to spend the winter in our greenhouse. Instead of bringing the chickens to the pasture we’re going to bring the pasture to the chickens. They will have a safe and warm home in greenhouse #2 with an outdoor run to get out and stretch their legs. We will give them a deep bedding system of pine shavings with a thick layer of hay on top.

orchard stakes — To prepare the orchard for winter we upgraded them to steel stakes. Not an easy task for the arms pounding all the stakes in, but the trees are very secure now.

rodent guards — To keep the young trees safe from hungry rodents we installed rodent guards. This keeps the pests out and the trees safe.

preparing garden beds — Our brewery is close to being in production. Knowing beer is coming it is time to start growing more than hops. We have been preparing ground for next year where we will have a brewer’s garden. Here Farmer Alan roto-tills the new ground.

catching chickens — Speaking of brewers, everyone pitches in to help out on the farm. Here Derek and Barry help me catch up the last batch of broilers for the season. Aside from being pro-chicken-wranglers they are great brewers.

Get the latest and greatest of where the brewery progress is at their Facebook Page Here.

farm baby — What is a farm blog post without a picture of the farm baby? Here Mabel is decked out in her fall farm attire eating kale right from the plant. She’s got some great ideas for what we’re going to grow in 2015 and is looking forward to all the possibilities and potential that the farm has.