Brrrr......a serious cold front has blown through and we are all shivering with the wind, damp and cool, cool temps.  We know it's a bit incongruous to be handing out watermelon today, but they are finally ripe and luscious.  We are tracking the weather closely now as frost warnings and hail storms threaten.  We are pleased though, that it looks as if the weather shifts for Sunday, which is our HARVEST PARTY!!!!!   We hear that mid 60's and sun are in store and we are hoping that this is so.  If it does rain, we will cancel the event and look to another date.  We are feeling optimistic though, and hope to see you then.  Come after 3:30, and join in the harvest fun.  Bring a HEARTY dish to pass, your own table service and a few chairs if you can.  We will be pressing cider and serving local beer and wine.  There will be u-pick pumpkins, u-cut flowers(please BYOB, that is bring your own bucket/container for flower bouquets) and as much basil as your heart desires,  as well as games for kids of all ages.  Dinner will be at 5:30.  Please make sure that you bring warm clothes!  It is often cooler here than in other places, especially under our old trees.  We look forward to seeing you, to sharing the farm with you and sharing food together.  Coming together to celebrate this amazing community of people and plants is an awesome way to prepare yourself for the turning of the wheel into autumn.  Please contact us if you need directions at 256-6980 or meadowlarks4@yahoo.com.  See you Sunday!

          Boxes today include:  salad mix, onions, garlic, leeks, Nicola yellow potatoes(is it potato leek soup time yet?),kale, watermelon of mystery hue(yellow, pink or orange), sweet red peppers, carrots, tomatoes galore and concord grapes for fruit shares. A new variety of cilantro is the herb.  It's called "delfino" and is finely toothed and delicious.  Egg shares please read below.

          For the past 4 days, a migrating red tailed hawk has been "casing out" the chicken coop.  He/she has been hanging around nearby, watching and waiting for his chance for a meal.  As a result, the chickens have been scared witless.  They stay inside, quietly, no clucking allowed waiting for the predator to leave.  The young hens are all crowded into the cage that housed them in their babyhood, piled on top of each other, nervous.  This hawk is awe inspiring.  He is a beautiful thing and fearless.  We are on the watch and scare him off when we see him, but he keeps coming back.  Our first sighting was on one of the compost piles, his majestic throne.  He let me get within 10 feet of him, coolly glaring my way.  I talked to him and thought that would be enough to scare him away, but finally had to shout and clap.  He didn't fly far, and then circled and landed in the maple right outside the coop.  We haven't seen any casualties yet, but the hens are barely laying.  To compensate the egg shares, please enjoy some grapes and an apple. 

          We hope to see you Sunday.