Happy Fourth of July!

Hello Friends,

Well, we just harvested our red, white and blue potatoes and are ready to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States.

It sure has been challenging here on the farm with the extreme heat we've been experiencing. Yesterday it registered 112 degrees when I got in the car to do afternoon flock chores. The plants, people and animals feel like they're melting!

People have asked what we do for our livestock when the heat is so unbearable. We add electrolytes and freeze buckets of water for Everyone to add to their drinking water. We give frozen peas to the ducks and geese. We also turn on the fans in the coops and sheep barn. Farmer Martha just learned about a technique they use on farms in Arizona for their chickens. You take a large metal sheet pan and add bricks that you pour cold water over. The chickens stand on the bricks to cool down. The bricks stay cold. It really works!

Farmer Katie and the Team have been harvesting so many crops in the field this past week before they bolt in the heat, or just plain old flop. Our blueberries are just starting to come in, and we also harvested more than one thousand heads of garlic. These photos show how we cure them for a few weeks before offering them for sale and use them for our Garlic Braiding Workshop.

If you love garlic and want to enjoy a fun afternoon learning more and making your own garlic braid with flowers and herbs, please click on the link below:

https://www.maranatha.farm/products/garlic-braiding-workshop?_pos=3&_psq=garlic&_ss=e&_v=1.0&Title=Default+Title

We have begun incubating 42 eggs for year two of our Resiliency Breeding program. We noticed that we only had one chocolate brown colored egg to hatch, so we ordered five Black Copper Marans chicks. They look like little penguins! Our new hatch should arrive a week from Monday. We breed our nicest roosters to our healthiest hens to strengthen our flock overall.

We have several new products launching in our online store. We have a few finishing salts: Basil, Chive Blossom, and Garlic Scape. We use our valued partner's Syracuse Salt Company's fine salt and blend it with delicious things from the farm. Did you know that sea salt potentially has microplastics in it?

Back in the 1800's Syracuse was known as "Salt City". A father and daughter team have revived that practice by using brine harvested from a 300-foot-deep well in the city, a nod to the 19th-century "Salt City" legacy. The water is from the finger lakes region, so microplastics aren't a concern. We think it tastes very clean and delicious, and our blends elevate it even more. Add any of them to salad, vegetables, chicken and fish to bring the flavor of Summer to your table.

We also have some other new things coming soon: Farmhouse Seasoning Salt, Garden Onion Dressing and Dip blend (including our scallions and garlic scapes), and Italian Herb Dressing and Marinade blend. Check the store often for updated offerings like these.

We also update the online store on Tuesdays for vegetables that are available for pickup the following week, so please plan to order ahead. This way, the farmers can harvest the CSA shares and orders all at once so they are super fresh for you. Our order deadline for the current week is Monday at Noon. Thanks so much for your understanding and cooperation.

We leave you with this image of our beautiful purple cauliflower. If you've ever wondered about our growing practices, or wanted to learn more about Permaculture and our Forest Farm, we encourage you to sign up for our next monthly tour on Friday, July 10th. We promise it will be fun and informative. There's a lot of walking, so you can also skip the gym that day!

https://www.maranatha.farm/products/maranatha-regenerative-farm-tour-1?_pos=2&_psq=farm+tour&_ss=e&_v=1.0&Title=Default+Title

Wishing you and your families a safe and Happy Fourth of July. May God bless America, you and your family too. Today and Always.

Sincerely,

Michele & the Maranatha Farm Team