Hey farm family! It’s June and our apologies because this Newsletter is a bit late. There is just SO much happening both on and off the farm right now. Life has been a bit crazy and we have a lot to catch up on. Even our social pages have been quiet over the last few weeks, but let’s start by getting caught up here.

Bad news first…Some of you may already know this, but I injured my back and that definitely put a strain on things. The good news is that my guys stepped up to the plate and did what needed to be done to keep our home and the farm rolling. Thank you both SO much!!

This season we’re very thankful because over this past month the farm has been very fruitful! We literally harvested hundreds of onions and potatoes. Yes, we do grow these crops every year, but this abundance allowed us to tuck away a little extra for ourselves, our family, and friends…all of which are very important to us! Plus with the rising costs of everything….having food that we grew definitely helps!

The whole reason we began to farm was to feed our family clean food and every year through prayer and hard work we get better at it. We couldn’t be more grateful!

Right now in both our home and farm gardens we have loads of tomatoes in all shapes, sizes, and colors. This is a win for us because it’s literally the most tomatoes that we’ve ever grown. Even the tomato trials are looking very promising. What is a trial, you ask? Well we love adding new items to the farm and running trials is how we see what will grow well in both our soil and in our area.

Sadly, when you have an abundance there is usually a failure somewhere and this season it was eggplants. Last year we took a cross country trip in the Summer and ended up with way too many eggplants that we could not sell. So we decided to cut back. That decision looks like we won’t have very many eggplants to offer, but farming has so many factors and sometimes the best thing you can do is just simply try again.

We planted a late crop of corn in our home garden and so far it’s doing well. We ended up having to fence around it because someone in the area has a rouge chicken who thinks she can come over to eat. We think we know where she came from and have attempted to catch her, but she is a fast one. For now, we’ll just keep shooing her away.

In poultry news, our flock is getting a much needed refresh. This means new chicks are on the way and there will be eggs in abundance just in time for Spring of next year. I know you must be thinking that is so far away, but hens take between 4-6 months to mature and began laying. Since that puts us right in Winter, the abundance of eggs will be here in the Spring.

Coming up next month we will begin to order and advertise our Turkey Day Birds. These go quick and we have customers who reserve more than one. We order based off of what we can handle and what our family will need so they are very limited. If you would like to support our farm and have a delicious pasture raised turkey for your big meal, be on the look out on our social pages and here as well. Then order early!

In addition to turkeys, we will be welcoming back our pasture raised meat birds as well. Our next harvest is due in the Fall and we will open up pre-orders for those in July as well.

Did you know that Kith & Kin Fall Season dates have been announced and membership is open? Well now you do! This really is the best way to eat local and fresh by having the farm brought to you.

Last month we mentioned that we would be setting up at The Enterprise Farmers Market and I want to give you an update and say that is still in the plans, but we are trying to figure out dates while I heal. So stay tuned.

We did get to go and support Bain Home Gardens this past weekend at the local Market in Dothan. They have been cooking up some new items and have just recently became Certified Naturally Grown for their chickens too! It’s only right that since they were the first farm in our area to become certified for their produce that they were for their flock as well. We applaud them and will continue to support them. We hope you will too!

Alright, now that we are all caught up as always I want to thank you for being the best part of Hawkins Homestead Farm and we hope to see you soon. Until then…..