How in the world is it the end of January already?!?! I promise you that the year just started and tomorrow it will be February. It’s almost like I blinked and the whole month flew by.

There is SO much going and “growing” on with us in the new year. We’ve had an influx of new followers to our site, so I want to take out some time and introduce myself to you, our family, and our farm. This is not something we normally do, but as our farm grows, we still want to keep that personal touch so here goes….

My name is Rachel and Hawkins Homestead Farm is owned and operated by myself and my husband, Brandon. We have 2 boys at home and they help as well with day to day operations. Although we live in Kinsey now, we’re original New Yorkers having moved here in late 2015.

I believe in all things organic! Not necessarily USDA organic, but more like created by God. Like found in nature or naturally occurring. This carries on through the food we eat and what we put on our bodies. This belief has guided our farm practices here and so we grow and produce vegetables, eggs, fruit, and poultry that is always chemical free. 

We don’t have an agricultural background, so everything we’ve learned has been through prayer, research, planning, preparation, and of course trial and error.

We are avid supporters of local farms and small businesses. Especially those owned by women and people of color!

We try our best to know our customers by their names. This is important to us. We want you to know your farmers and your farmers want to know you! If you’ve been around for a while then you know that you can always text, call, or email. Text is best though!

Ok so now that we’re formally introduced or maybe refreshed, let’s get into the growing portion……

As we usher in February we get into Spring mode! Of course it’s not Spring yet, but we are definitely planting for it. Last year we had our very first plant sale and I’m happy to tell you that our “Spring Starts” will be available this year again as well. We have found that many of you like to grow your own food and since our area has very little to offer by way of organic and heirloom plants, we’ve got you covered. The dates will be announced soon.

In the coming month we are also gearing up for our Kith & Kin CSA Spring season. Speaking of, did you know that Kith & Kin now has its very own website?!? Well now you do! We invite you to check it out here. All future updates for the CSA will happen over there so if you’re interested, we ask that you follow us on that page as well. Kith & Kin is also offering a “try it” session that starts on February 6th. All the details for it are here.

By way of poultry news, the chickens will continue to be harvested in February to fulfill orders. At each harvest we are also harvesting a few extra for those of you who need a last minute chicken. These are available through our shop page. Here is one that we seasoned and prepared to be roasted. The seasoning is a mixture of organic rosemary from our farm and one of our favorites from 2 The Olive Fruit. If you visit there, tell Louis you want Rachel’s favorite seasoning. He’ll know which one it is!

If you’re looking for eggs, they’ve been taken down from the shop page temporarily. Our birds are finally taking a break with the colder temps and rain and since we always let them, the eggs have been removed from the site while they are on hiatus. We still have eggs, just not as many. If you need some, please contact me and I will update you on what we have. This is something that happens every year, usually in the Fall but since it was still so warm, some laid right through it. Not to mention the birds that hatched in the Spring, are still laying even now.

In veggie news, so much is growing in the farm. Some of our mustards and Asian cabbages were lost in the big freeze, but we still have plenty of other greens growing. What was lost will be replanted this weekend.

Peas started showing up in January and they will be listed soon. Broccoli has also shown up with these beautiful florets that look like individual baby bouquets. It’s just so pretty.

There’s kohlrabi, kale, beets, radishes, and carrots. We are growing in plenty. We are even growing a special request that we’ll tell you more about later.

As always we thank you for taking time out to read about our family farm and we look forward to welcoming you back next month. Until then…..