Hello Farm Family. I hope this Newsletter finds all of you safe and well. You will have to give us a little bit of grace as the start of this new year has been chaotic to say the least. Our daughter and son in law tested positive for Covid which resulted in us being full time Grandparents to a 5 month old and if that wasn’t enough my Mom suffered from a mini stoke and was hospitalized.
Talk about life getting flipped up side down….
Thankfully, none of us here got Covid, but since we were exposed we had to quarantine so that meant I could not go to the hospital and I could not help my Dad. It was heart wrenching at times, but I prayed, our family prayed, and our spiritual family did as well. Everyone is well now and my Mom is getting stronger everyday. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to take the time off from my full time work to help everyone, but as you can imagine I’m a little more than tired.
The good news is that when I’m not being a caregiver, I’m farming!
We’re gearing up for so many things to come and I’m really enjoying seeing the beauty of planting and watering while watching God make it grow.
I really DO love farming! 💚
I love growing food. I love learning about different plants and what works well in our soil. I love the science behind it. I love how items can be recycled and then provide life for others things to thrive and grow. I love helping others grow their own gardens and I love feeding our community.
There is more good news!
I am not the only one who feels this way! For many years, you’ve heard or read about our “sister farm,” Bain Home Gardens. Perhaps you have even purchased from them in our online store. Well now you can continue to support them because they now have their own online store as well! You can find it here.
It is my sincere hope that you will support them as they were the first farm in our area to be Certified Naturally Grown and we know and trust their growing practices. You will be able to find fresh produce, dried spices, even EGGS from chickens whose flock began here on our farm. So please congratulate and support them as they too love farming and want to continue to grow clean food for our community.
Over the next few weeks as the weather warms we will be welcoming all sorts of garden greens, onions, potatoes, just so much to the farm.
For those of you looking to grow your own gardens, we are bringing back our plant sale and compost too. Be on the lookout for the date to be being announced soon. There will be organic and chemical free tomatoes, peppers, and herbs as well.
If you’re on the spectrum where you’d like us to do the work for you well, guess what? I happen to know that Kith & Kin CSA still has a few spots open for the Spring season and we’d love to have you join. You can find the purchase page here.
Thank you for spending a few minutes with us this month. I hope to see you back here again soon. Until then…..
Hello Farm Family! I hope all of you and your families are and have been well. Time really has flown by this year and here we are at the very end of it. It feels like 2021 is going out just as fast as it came in and somewhere in there, we got a little lost.
When I take the time to reflect on all that has happened this year, it has been a challenging one to say the least…..hence the long periods of silence.
After many prayers and much reflection along with inquires, phone calls, text messages, advice, and offers of assistance from all of you, our farm family, we are happy to say that we are ready to start off 2022 with a new found joy and determination!
One thing I want to address right away is this: Many of you have sent emails, made phone calls, even texted asking if you can come out and visit our farm. We love the support and we thank you for wanting to visit, but the answer is no.
Although, we had a plan in place for the end of this year, our health and all of yours are so much bigger than a farm visit. You will find that we have already begun to post again regularly so we hope you will follow our farm journey through our social pages.
Everything is different about our world now. Covid has changed us and even though some people still don’t or won’t acknowledge it, it’s very true. I don’t go out in public without a mask…..honestly I don’t visit friends or family without a mask and everyone I am close to is fully vaccinated. So we will be keeping ourselves as safe as we can for as long as we need to do so.
Can you guys believe this weather? Brandon and I were out today and we had this entire conversation about how it’s December 31st and it was 81 degrees. Like woah!! We have lived here since the end of 2015 and I cannot recall the temps being so high at the end of the year. It’s a bit crazy…..but that’s global warming.
Our worry is that the bugs have yet to die off….as a matter of fact, it is quite the opposite as we found many eggs on the produce we do have growing. It looks like next week the temperatures will begin to drop, but not as much as we need them to. I have always said that the one thing we can’t control is the weather, but learning how to work with it can be challenging when it doesn’t act like it should.
The seasons are important when it comes to farming. Some plants need a certain amount of chill hours or cooler temps to produce well and when that doesn’t happen it could lead to crop failure and no one wants that! So we hope things will level out soon.
I know, I know….you are all used to these posts showcasing what’s growing and going on the farm, but not this one. This one will have no pretty pictures.
It is simply to say that we will soon be all settled in and ready to start the new ride we call farming in 2022! So yes there will be pictures, chickens, eggs, produce, and more. We can’t wait to share it all with you and we thank you for being so patient with us!
Hello Farm Family! It’s been quite a while since we chatted and I know in our last update I said that this Newsletter would not be quarterly, yet here we are. It’s been a whirlwind since March so let’s catch up.
Can you believe that we’re in the 7th month? Like it is actually July!! This year is flying by and now a days it seems like we’re literally fighting to stay afloat! Our mulberry tree produces fruit every year in early April and we have become accustomed to losing some of the fruit to the squirrels, wild birds, and the rain, but we did not expect that the rain would still be around this late in the year.
It’s not all bad news though as we did have a beautiful first here on the farm. One plant that has always alluded us has been cauliflower. We can get it to grow, but then it usually turns black before harvest time. This year though, we were finally able to successfully grow it back in April. The picture below shows just one plant, but there were several.
We added a new seasoning to our Herbal Blends line. We decided to call it Fish Seasoning, but really it can be used for fish and so much more! The base is dill, but it has other delicious herbs that were grown on the farm, dehydrated, and mixed in with sea salt. Brandon decided to sprinkle it on his popcorn and the whole family enjoyed it too.
Ground, smoked, and marinated turkey is what we decided to do with the last of the birds from the freezer. We were fortunate to find some freezer paper locally which we happily used to wrap some of our meats into.
Speaking of turkey, it’s that time of year when we accept deposits for that BIG meal later this year, so order yours quick as they go very fast!
The birds will enjoy a whole new space this year and we are excited and happy about the transition.
So far this year onions have stolen the vegetable show on the farm. Our Kith & Kin CSA members got to enjoy them in their Spring CSA, but we also were able to share with family, and store some away. Onions are one of those vegetables that we can’t get enough so we’re grateful to have grown them. Of course potatoes weren’t far behind, with carrots as the runner up.
Fall Season is now open for new members with an Earlybird Special running through 7/16. Not sure if a CSA is for you? Well how about a Seasonal Farm Box? Get the freshest vegetables delivered to your doorstep.
In May our farm was featured in Feast and Field! It was such an honor to have someone else want to tell our story. Here is a little look behind the scenes look, but you can find the full story here.
We recently harvested the most beautiful garlic. Before it was fully mature, we harvested the tops or “scapes” as they’re called. Think scallions, but in garlic form and there you have the most flavorful bites. The garlic is currently curing and as you can imagine we can’t wait to get our hands…..err teeth on it!
Saving seeds has helped us to become more sustainable over the years and this is something that we truly love. To see things start, grow, and then reproduce for the next season is a wonder that we’re so thankful to be a part of.
Just as this sunflower is on its way to opening up and beginning something beautiful, we hope to do the same very soon. Until next time…..
Hey Farm Family! I hope everyone is well! Did you notice the title of this one is “First Quarter?” Now don’t panic because this doesn’t mean that we will be sending our Newsletters quarterly. It only means that at the end of the day we will have finished 25 percent of 2021 and we have a lot to catch up on!
Sadly, so far this year has been a hard one for many families, including ours. Between December 29th of last year and today Brandon and I both lost our Grandmothers. I’ve lost two Uncles, an Aunt, and had a cousin who was a survivor, but a victim of gunfire. So needless to say it’s been a rough few months.
As I type this my Dad is sick. Thankfully, not from COVID, but sill sick. He’s been sick my whole life and when he’s down, he’s down. I talked to him yesterday and reminded him that even Superman takes breaks. Here’s hoping he listens.
Announcements:
As our state further loosens it’s mask mandates, I have to tell you that Brandon and I have discussed it and we don’t believe that it’s safe to open back up fully. We’ve been getting a lot of phone calls, messages, and emails about people wanting to come to the farm for various reasons and I have to remind everyone that we did not accept visitors before COVID.
We thank you. We truly appreciate the support and that people want to come out to the farm, but before the pandemic we were protecting our privacy, our neighbors, and the bio security of our animals. Now with the pandemic, we have to protect our family as well.
We love our farm family and we hope that we will be able to accept visitors in the future, but for right now this is our stance.
Purchase and Delivery:
Any purchases made from us are still contactless delivery only. We will not be resuming local pick up until we deem that it is safe. COVID is still very real and although there is a vaccine, it is not gone yet. We want to protect our family just as you do yours and we hope everyone will continue to understand.
Eggs:
The chickens came off their hiatus with a bang! I mean we have eggs coming out of our ears! The other day when Brandon went out to feed and collect eggs, he sent me a message that there were 98 eggs! 😱
This is our off week, but we have been anything but off as there is so much that needs to be done. The good news is that our surplus of eggs means that there is more than enough for everyone and we would like to move them quickly.
As a result of the hens killing it, we’ve placed our eggs on sale. Whether you buy one dozen or 5, you can take advantage of our egg sale on over our shop page.
Chickens:
In the Spring like many farmers we begin to grow our flock by selecting which breeds we would like to have more of on the farm. We then collect their eggs and get them ready for hatching.
We were planning to get started with hatching this month, but then the chickens began laying all over the place and we realized that we had plenty of time. So we are planning to start with hatching next month.
Over the weekend we found the cutest little farm store that gave us a good deal on some baby chicks and we added 15 babies to the flock. They are currently on quarantine, but will be released once we make sure they’re safe. About half of them had had pasty butt so guess who spent their afternoon cleaning them up? If you guessed Brandon, you’re wrong. LOL. It was all me.
For those of you who are new to chickens pasty butt is when poop has hardened on the birds backside and they’re unable to have a bowel movement. This is a usually a simple fix, but if left could lead to their death.
Out of the 15, there was one that didn’t make it, but there are always some losses. Our hope is to buy in about 10 more babies to round it out. Then hatch our own in April and possibly May.
As our farm grows, we will be separating flocks for breeding and to keep our bloodlines pure. We have plenty of roosters to go around and they are happily waiting for ALL the hens!
Meatbirds:
Brandon and I have been brainstorming and we would like to know if anyone is interested in chicken that would not be organic? We would still pasture raise them with a good quality feed, but it would not be an organic one. As you can imagine, the price of feed has increased right along with everything else and many of you have reached out to us for poultry.
So in trying to open up chicken to more people, this is what we came up with. Of course we would still continue to keep birds that are fed organically and offer both. We would love to get your feedback on this as we are here to service our community.
You can email us at info@hawkinshomesteadfarm.com or contact us directly at 334-595-5128.
Price Increase:
We have always said that we would not charge more for our meatbirds or our eggs unless the cost of feed went up. I’m sure that you have all have felt it and although we don’t wish to raise our prices, we are in business to support our farm and family.
Our initial thoughts are that we are going to try to grow more in order to supplement the higher feed costs and we have started this process.
We’ve seen prices go up over $1.00 per bag which may not seem like much, but when you have about 200 chickens at any given time, it can add up quick.
We’re committed to keeping our standards high, so our plan now is to see if supplementing keeps the birds laying just as well. If it doesn’t, we will have to go up on prices, by .50 cents per dozen for eggs and our organic birds will also go up by .50 cents per pound.
We are still working on the prices of non-organic birds. If we receive positive feedback on them, we will update everyone on that pricing.
Produce:
Many of you know that in the Spring and Fall we grow for our Kith & Kin CSA members. We are happy and thankful that we are going into our third season with our start in April and we could not be more excited about it. This year the biggest difference is that this is the first year that our farm is the sole grower for our CSA.
What that means for you is that we will have produce available as the season rolls in, but the quantities will be limited initially to care for our CSA members.
We have prayed and planted and if all goes well, we should be able to offer our Seasonal Farm Boxes in late April. You never can tell what the weather or the pests will be like from year to year, but just today I was out pruning some young tomato plants and found insect eggs on their leaves already. Additionally the forecast over the next few days is not a pretty one, so we will be working hard to get some plants covered and safe.
As membership closes for each season, we always have people who are interested that we have to turn away and this year was no different. We would absolutely love to be able to accommodate everyone, but we plan and plant specifically for our family and our members first. So we have to have a stopping point to ensure that everyone is taken care of.
The good news is that we are planning to offer our Kith & Kin Try It in the Summer for all of you thinking of joining us in the Fall. This is a great way to get your feet wet and see if our CSA membership is right for you.
Growing Now:
We have SO much growing here on the farm and our expansion to the new farm is coming along nicely. Last year we began to plant at our new location and things grew well. We are stoked about growing our farm and our offerings. We have literally run out of space at our home location and so we’re very thankful that we have more space available to continue to grow on.
Speaking of offerings….we will have a very limited plant sale this year that will consist of tomatoes, eggplants, and possibly a few cucumbers. We were going to release the plants mid March, but with the weather being so all over the place, we’re glad we didn’t. They are ready now and will be listed over on our shop page for purchase starting Friday April 2nd through sell out.
Right now on the farm you will find a mixture of Winter, Spring, and Summer growing. Today we pulled broccoli that has been flowering for quite some time. The chickens were fine with that and would love to get their beaks on our collards, kale, chard, and other greens.
Our salad lettuce is some of the most beautiful that I’ve seen and I promise it’s not because we’re biased.
By way of herbs, our basil was replanted as our initial plantings died with the freeze. We do have clilantro, parsley, and some that we’re keeping secret.
You guys should know by now that we have Spring onions and potatoes in the ground, but of course there is more there too.
Summer veggies are peppers, eggplants, and more.
Our perennial vegetable is asparagus and this is the first year that we’ve harvested more than a little bit. All I can say is OMG we can hardly wait for next year which will be our official third year on it.
Alright now, I believe that we are just about caught up. I say just about because we never did finish out the December Farm to Fork series. We do plan to finish it, but I will tell you now, that we almost made it until Brandon and Joshua snuck off to get pizza at the very end of the month. Then a few days later when we found out that Brandon’s Grandmother was sick, it was over. I have to check our pictures but I believe that the guys official day was December 22nd and mine was the 26th.
As always we thank all of you for being the best part of Hawkins Homestead Farm. We look forward to safe times, hugs, local pick ups, and farmers markets, but for now we will have to settle for virtual hugs, zoom chats, and contactless deliveries.
Yes…..We skipped the month of November and here we are in December with all types of news to talk to you about, but first let’s just say how happy we are that it’s officially December!! 🎉
Now of course that doesn’t mean that come January 1st, this pandemic is over and everything can go back to the way it was before COVID. We won’t all be tearing off our masks and be free to breathe in everyone else’s air around us, but at least this year will be over.
2020 has seen so much sadness. So many insecurities. So much craziness and so much damage that all we could do at times was pray and have faith that better times were ahead.
COVID Precautions
Now that Winter is upon us and it’s not only COVID season, but also flu season, we urge you all to pay attention to what’s happening around you. Wear your masks. Maintain your distance and if you or your loved ones become sick, stay home. Actual lives are at stake and people are losing their spouses, mothers, fathers, children……you get the point.
You guys know how much I love my Dad. I’m always talking about him and how much he does for our farm. Well do you know that when I visit with them, I seldom go in the house and I always keep my mask on. Why? Because it is that serious!
I recently shared a picture of our daughter who’s having a baby and we weren’t wearing masks for the picture only! As soon as the pictures were done, the masks were back on. Why? Because it’s that serious!
We have turned down so many invitations and said no to event after event because it’s not worth our family being sick or worse. A bit of struggle never killed anyone, but COVID has killed many. So please take care of yourselves. Use caution for you, your family, and those around you.
Our Experiment
We are planning 2021 to be our biggest year yet! At our new farm location we will soon began building our high tunnel. This is something that we’ve wanted to do for such a long time, and now we can see it within our grasp.
We feel strongly that now is the time to grow as much food as possible and to find ways to preserve it. 2020 has taught us that!
In fact since we purchased a half cow, took our pig to the butcher, and harvested both chickens and turkeys, we see that we could actually be our own food supply. So Brandon and I are conducting an experiment for the month of December….
We have decided not go to the grocery store for the entire month! Instead we are planning to eat solely from the farm! Now I’m going to be completely honest and say that we did have a shopping trip before the month started so we could ensure we had some staples that we’d be able to make meals with, but there will be no grocery runs.
I’m writing this in the late hours of December 1st, so technically it’s December 2nd now and we made it through day 1!
This morning I was up a little after 5 am planning the meals for today. I washed and chopped mushrooms and placed them in the freezer.
I also peeled, chopped, and froze bananas to use for smoothies and oatmeal. Tomorrow it will be more of the same because some things just won’t keep for 31 days.
Here is what we ate on day 1:
Breakfast: Beef bacon and scrambled eggs that included onions, green tomatoes, and ancho grande peppers that were harvested before the freeze, then topped with sour cream.
Lunch: Garden salad with beef bacon crumbles, cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, dried cranberries, apple slices, and feta cheese.
Dinner: Baked pork chops covered with green apple slices, rosemary and onion rice with broccoli, and the same salad from lunch with added tomatoes.
Every single meal included something grown on the farm. Brandon said I tried to be fancy with dinner, but I was told that pork and apples pair well together so I tried it.
It will be exciting to see if we can make this happen for us because we would love to try and continue to sustain our family by eating as much as possible from the farm.
Garden News
Yesterday we woke up to 28 degrees and many dead plants. We knew it was coming, but it was still sad to see. There were so many blooms on the eggplants. Even one we saw that had began to grow. The picture below was taken before the freeze.
One good thing is that we waited longer than usual to plant our garlic and then 2 days after we did, BOOM… Winter.
Also in the gardens we have beets, winter carrots, turnips, mustards, and of course collards. Additionally there is salad lettuce, arugula, and more.
By way of flowers, the last ones standing are marigolds. They have turned out to be the surprising winner on our farm this year.
Poultry News
The chickens are still in their Winter molt and although there are a few eggs here and there, what we’re getting can in no way sustain our family or any of yours right now. We will be soon introducing new layers into the flock as we do have quite a few hens that have come to the end of their laying cycle.
We processed most of the turkeys with the exception of 4. Brandon has yet to tell me if we will be keeping those or they will be fattening up for the next big meal in December, but if you’re interested in eating turkey this month, please let us know.
Our meat birds are small and they can’t tolerate the cold, so they are tucked away safely in the brooder pen for now.
Gifts
If you’re shopping this month no matter what the occasion is, we hope you will check out our handmade soaps, body butters, jams, jellies, and other prepared items.
It’s officially Fall! The cooler weather has arrived, the bugs are on their way out, and the greens are growing! We are so excited to be past the Summer months and ready for all that this season brings.
September was a whirlwind for us. Hurricane Sally came in with all her rain and flooded a good portion of our farm. Sadly when the water receded so did most of our newly planted crops, so we had to restart and rebuild. Farming has super highs, but at times it can also have super lows. Needless to say this was emotional for us, but we’re doing our best to keep pushing forward. We thank all of you for your kind words, patience, and understanding.
As October rolls in we will see many cold weather veggies come back. We recently dug up a great sweet potato harvest and it’s so nice to see some good news on the farm.
Fall staples like collards and kale we’re re-planted after Sally rolled out. Salad blends will be coming back, as well as spinach, and mustards too.
We will be pulling tomato plants to make room for garlic which will be planted this month. Peppers are hanging around as well as eggplants. Both of which are blossoming out of control right now.
In poultry news, the turkeys are on track for their harvest date in November. With all the rain we had moved them indoors, but now they’re on their way back outside to stay.
With the damages we suffered on the farm, we’re definitely behind with our chicken harvest. We thank you for your patience and will be contacting each family individually to set up delivery.
As the months turn cooler, remember to stay safe. If we’ve learned nothing else from this pandemic, I hope it’s the importance of keeping you and your family healthy. Things can change so quickly!
While we’re on the subject of staying healthy. We have to stress the importance of NOT ordering from us or expecting us to deliver to you if you’re sick, have the flu, showing signs of, or tested positive for Covid-19. Even if you’re asymptomatic and feeling ok, you could pass it to us and we or someone in our family may not be. As a local farm, we want to be here for the community, but we ask that you respect the safety and well-being of our family, as we do the same for you.
If you need us, we’ll be continuing to grow food for our family and yours! Be on the lookout for Seasonal Farm Boxes! They will come back towards the end of October.
Hope to see you back here next month. Until then…….
We’re one day away from September and this is the month that we welcome Fall. It’s usually around this time that our birds began their molt (explained below), and it also marks the ending of our CSA membership because the Fall Season starts on September 28th.
I know I stand with many others who farm in the Southeast when I say so long to Summer! The summers here, especially the month of August are BRUTAL on farmers! The heat seems unbearable at times. The monsoon like weather makes the weeds become the best “crops” on the farm, and the bugs make you want to scream and pull your hair out! We even got some new bugs this year!
Japanese Beetles
The good news is that today is the last day of August! So Congratulations to my fellow farmers! Congratulations to the gardeners! Even congratulations to all of you! Although the Summer isn’t over yet, the worst part of it is! We made it! 🎉
Molt…….
If you’re not familiar with chickens, the term “molt” may be new to you. Allow me to explain…each year the chickens ready themselves for Winter by shedding their old feathers and growing new ones. During this dormant phase, they lay very little to no eggs and it’s our job as farmers to help them by adding more protein to their diet. This is a process that the birds go through naturally. The chickens don’t know that our Winters are mild, so it’s out with the old and in with the new.
If you’ve been looking for eggs, you may have noticed that we’ve removed them from our shop page. Some hens are still laying, but it’s not enough to sustain the community. We do try take care of our regular customers and our family first. So please understand that eggs are a seasonal item too.
As mentioned above, today is the absolute last day that we will be accepting new members to our Kith & Kin CSA. In the Fall season our members get the best of both worlds because they get a variety of both Summer produce and the first of Fall. Fresh collards, turnips, and sweet potatoes just to name a few.
We invite you to become a member, but if you’re not ready to take the dive just yet you can always take advantage of our Seasonal Farm Boxes.
These will be available again beginning in October. So stay tuned!
If you reserved chickens, we’re giving them just a few more weeks to fatten up. Harvest date is set for the weekend of September 18th.
In turkey news, they’re growing so nicely! They’re happy and healthy and with just under 3 months go, they’re right on track.
Piggy is absolutely amazing! My Dad came by the other day and his exact words were “that’s going to be some good bacon!” I love that we can give back to him for all that he’s done and continues to do for us everyday. If you’re a Daddy’s girl, I’m sure you’ll understand how much I mean it when I say I have the BEST Daddy ever!
If you’re looking to start your own Fall garden, look no further than Bain Home Gardens! They are at it again with their own seedlings just for you. All Certified Naturally Grown and ready to go to their permanent homes.
This month on the farm everything is in motion! Transplants will go into the ground. Birds will be moved. There will be new plants started and those that have reached their end, pulled. There is SO much to do as we get closer to the start of our CSA. As always it’s exciting and scary at the same time!
If you’re looking for any of our prepared foods, try our Blueberry Island Bliss Jam. It’s brand new this year and from what I hear, it’s a keeper!
Thank you for being with us this month! We appreciate your continued support and look forward to chatting with you again soon. Until then…..
Hello there! Just dropping by with your monthly update from our farm. Things are a bit crazy around here, but crazy for us usually means busy so we will take it!
Both July and August are full on planting months for us. We keep a farm calendar and a poultry calendar year round to help us plan crops, farm chores, track pests, chart egg patterns, and harvests for both plants and animals.
Around this time of the year it’s a bit tricky because of all the heat so we’re up early and back out late. It’s like full time work with part time hours. Does that really exist? Yes it does and we’ve almost got it down. A typical day on the farm looks like this:
Up early before the heat sets in.
PRAYER!
Coffee and food if we didn’t press snooze too many times.
Head outside.
Seek and destroy any pests.
Prune what needs it.
Weed and fertilize beds according to schedule.
Harvest then irrigate if necessary.
Record, record, record.
Feed and water all animals.
Doesn’t sound too bad right? Well since we can only get maybe half of this list done before it gets hot, we usually go back out in the evening to finish. There are those times when we work in or through the heat, but that’s only when absolutely necessary.
Our priorities are harvesting and watering early along with caring for the animals. On those super hot days, the animals get water throughout the day so even if we finished our list early, someone has to go back out to make sure the animals are hydrated.
A goal of ours is have just about everything on automation during the hotter months if not year round. With the continued support of our community we hope to reach this goal. Farming can be very laborious at times so finding ways to be more efficient helps us to farm smart and continue to love what we do.
So what’s “growing on” in the month of August? Lots! We’re on our second round of Summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, okra, and more. Plus we’ve planted Winter squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage, just so many things for Fall. We have to feed ourselves, our Kith & Kin CSA members (which is filling up quick…join now) and many of you guys too.
In case you missed it, two GREAT things happened in the month of July! For starters our farm became Certified Naturally Grown (CNG)!!! We could not be more excited about being a part of this beautiful program.
If you’re unfamiliar with CNG and what this certification means the “quick and dirty” version is that we are committed to growing clean food, from true seeds. Food that is clean AND safe! Now you guys know us, and Hawkins Homestead Farm has ALWAYS farmed “clean,” but now we have another certification to back us up. Check out the link here to find out more. Along with Bain Home Gardens, we are proud to be the only two farms certified in our part of Alabama. Our hope is that more farms will join us as well. So if you have a favorite farmer, ask them about their growing practices, and invite them to stand proud as a CNG Farmer.
Ok onto the second GREAT thing. It’s so important to me to continue to grow in my knowledge. Plus I love sharing and teaching others how to grow their own gardens. Naturally this led me seek out others who are like minded and the result was that I joined the Master Gardener program for our state. I’m so happy to tell you guys that I achieved my certification as a Master Gardener for the state of Alabama!! It’s super exciting! The people I have met and the things I have learned already have opened my eyes wide and I look forward to gaining more insight on what works in our state. Of course, I’m no expert by any means, but I am so enjoying learning and I’m happy to help all that I can.
In chicken news, Farmer Brandon says that we’re about a month out from harvesting. Thank you everyone for your orders! We have been bulking up on chickens because well you just never know with how things are going in the world right now. So we have meat for our freezer and we’ve also been supporting and purchasing from other farmers too. We invite you to do the same. Local farmers feed Alabama! We’re here for you.
The turkeys have sprang up so quickly it seems and they have settled into their home nicely. Soon they’ll be old enough to get lots of garden goodies.
Last, but not least Piggy news is that he is truly a pig! He brings us so much laughter and as our farm grows, we are hoping to be able to add pigs as a permanent part of it.
Now I’m not saying that we will be offering pork, because we’re still in the learning phase, but last year I had a visit from a sweet little boy who came over with his boots on and everything and said “real farms have pigs.” He had fun with the chickens, but I think he was a little disappointed. Now that we’ve been raising Piggy I think understand exactly what he meant by that now! Pigs are a truly great animal to have on the farm!
Just like our chickens we want to raise heritage breeds from good stock and our research has shown that they’re not cheap by any means.
Brandon and I don’t eat pork, but we like to look at all meats in the store and if you can get pork chops for $2.00 a pound and there is a profit, that pig could not have had a good diet or a good quality of life. Just some things to think about because if the quality of your food didn’t matter to you, you wouldn’t be here right now.
Someone told me just today that “you get what you pay for” and that is so true. We applaud and support those farmers who are focused on the land and the quality of life their animals have. We know you do too. Thank you!
What you may have noticed about the segment this month is that there are no pictures. Why? Well because everything is in turn over mode and there isn’t that much to see!
Not to worry though, next month there will be pictures and updates galore. Please stay safe. Stay healthy. Follow the state mandated order and wear those masks. I’ll look forward to speaking with you again next month. Until then……
It’s Summer!! We made it to our longest season in Alabama and I couldn’t be more excited for all the fresh produce that comes in Summer. My most favorite would have to be basil! Yes. You read that right. Basil is such a versatile herb plus an excellent companion plant. It can be added to tea, lemonade, sweet, and savory dishes. Plus who doesn’t love basil pesto?!? I for one won’t raise my hand because pesto is a favorite around here. We actually had this for dinner last night! If you love pesto too, you can grab yourself a jar or two here. We make a lime version too!
CORN went into the ground super late….not just that, but then we had to transplant it! Yep, we did that….some work was getting done on our property and it was run over, but we couldn’t let it go to waste. Hence the transplanting…….we’ve been babying it in hopes that it would perk up and now it has!
Beans are growing in plenty on the farm and more have been started. The new ones will go to our land, but for now we’re enjoying watching these ones grow! This trellis was originally built for peas in the Winter, but these beans have found their way up it all on their own.
Did you know that both Hawkins Homestead Farm and Kith & Kin CSA are a part of Sweet Grown Alabama? Well you do now! This is a program that links what you’re looking for to a local farmer in your area. We love that this is available in our neck of the woods now!
Our go to green that survives the Summer heat is Asian Spinach. It’s doing very well, but the bugs absolutely love it. Flea beetles and worms are the absolute worse. So we keep it under cover from the time of planting.
Turkey deposits are NOW live! We know people want turkeys for their big feast, but the way things are going, get 2! We ground ours up each year along with marinating turkey parts for the freezer.
It was just announced that Dothan has made the National list for the top 50 cities with rising COVID-19 cases! This city is SO small, this can only be because people truly believe that the virus is over. It’s NOT! Please, please, take precautions! Brandon and I talk about the number of people who don’t have masks and it amazes me to think how something so simple could protect so many, but people won’t adhere to it. Dothan is number 48!
In addition to turkeys Kith & Kin CSA is now open for Fall membership. Secure your food and support local farmers who are concerned about growing food the way it should be! Now through 7/15 you’ll get a free jam or jelly with every order.
We are planting something almost every single day! Another run on the grocery store could mean disaster for SO many people and we want to be there for the community. Already we’ve seen a rise in prices of everyday items, plus beef is outrageous right now and apparently pork is next. I reached out to Working Cows Dairy to see what cuts of meat they have and we advise you to support them as well. They have ground beef and of course dairy products which can be frozen for later use. Of course we don’t know what will happen, but we all have to eat!
So I’ll close this month with asking everyone to please be safe! We know that some people will get sick, but if you’re able to, stay home! The beach will still be there. The mall isn’t going anywhere, and you don’t need to take your kids out to entertain them.
Wear a mask because you don’t know if you’re asymotomatic and could be carrying the virus. Protect yourself and those you love.
As a suggestion, when you go out for the essentials, grab some board games and a deck of cards. You’ll be surprised how this brings families together and it’s fun too!
I am not a TV watcher, but I do love a good show every now and then. So if you have something that you’re interested in, catch up on it.
Lastly, please don’t forget to get some form of exercise in. You can do this at home. In my neighborhood, I’ve watched this couple walk the length of their driveway for exercise and thought what a cool idea. Gym not needed!
Just throwing some ideas your way. My offer still stands for seeds for anyone who wants to plant a garden! We’ll talk again next month. Until then……
Hey guys! How are you? I guess this one could be called the late edition because I promise you that all this chaos in the world has my head spinning! Thank you to Shena at BHG for inquiring about this monthly article. If it had not been for her, I may have never written it! 😞 I am grateful that “everyday is a fresh start.” I surely needed it today!
So now that we’re into June I hope everyone is holding up well. It’s been a year hasn’t it?? Now the heatwave has begun and will probably be here until at least October. I read an article this week about record breaking temperatures in Siberia of all places! With so much happening it’s hard not to get lost in it all, but I try more and more to increase my prayers for everyone. This brings me peace of mind and allows me to focus on my own circle of crazy here!
With the heat it’s so important to stay hydrated. Not just you, but pets that are outside too. Consider dropping ice cubes in their water bowl. I promise they will thank you for it! Although they’re not pets, each year we do this in our chicken waterers. We’ve even prepared frozen treats for them and enjoyed watching as they pecked away to get to it. This keeps them from being bored and getting dehydrated too!
Coal is an expert at drinking water! He likes to stick almost his whole face in the bowl and then come and slobber all over you. 🤣😂. I guess that’s his way of saying thank you!
Here on the farm it’s the end of the season for some vegetables. We have said goodbye to beets, turnips, broccoli, and will soon say farewell to most greens too. After all it’s almost officially Summer so we’re happy to see those new veggies grow and thrive in their place.
Piggy is one happy camper! He has so much organic goodies going to him each day. Be sure to check out our social media for updated pictures of him.
We ate our first ripe tomatoes last week and I’m happy to report that more are ripening as we speak!
Tomatillos are harvested daily. These are special treats that grow inside a husk. They can be eaten fresh or used to make your favorite salsa. We’re growing a few different varieties here on the farm. Our CSA members get first dibs, but we anticipate there will be more for you as well.
Spring cabbages have grown so nicely this year and they will be listed on the site soon. If you’re into fermented foods, this is a great way to support local and enjoy something great! The one shown went out to one of our Fullshare CSA members yesterday.
Carrots are almost gone too! Spring carrots are the absolute best. We love just how sweet they are. Plus the smell of a fresh carrot is amazing! We use them in so many ways and they freeze well too!
Grab some soon to use now or later. The ones pictured below reminded me of how being quarantined (stuck together) has brought us and many others closer. From this we’ve grown into beautiful families. (We kept these for ourselves)
Since we won’t be participating in any Farmers Markets this season, the best way to get our products is direct. Our Seasonal Farm Boxes this month will include a variety of Spring and Summer vegetables like the ones listed above and more!
The poultry news is Fantastic! The new flock has started laying! We set up the boxes exactly 10 days before this first egg was laid. It’s always slow at first, but now that they’ve started it’s full speed ahead! We anticipate there will eggs added back to the site as of next month. For now if you’re in need, please contact us.
We give our CSA Eggshare members priority. Most of them patiently waited since last year for these eggs! Then we have regular weekly, biweekly, and monthly customers that we are providing for, in addition to our family. Hence the “party” for the new layers. Just think we started with only 6!
We have a few broody hens again this season and Farmer Brandon is contemplating hatching more. Seems like we hatch a lot of roosters, but I won’t complain. A successful hatch is a good one, no matter what they turn out to be! Plus we were very fortunate to pick up an incubator from Gaucho at their sell out, so we hope to use it well!
In other fantastic poultry news, we announced that we are now offering our chickens in bulk!
Here’s how it works: When you order a minimum 5 birds not only do you get the discounted rate of $5.00 per pound, but you save on the deposit as well at only $10.00 per bird. This is being offered by request to you as an alternative to the grocery store. You can find the listing and all its details here.
Turkey orders have been placed and invoices will be sent out at the end of this month for deposits. We always order extras for our family, but found this time that even the breeders we use were almost sold out. So thankful that we decided to look and book a bit earlier this year!
Thank you to everyone that has contacted us to reserve yours. What we have left for Turkey Day orders will go live first week in July until sell out. I will send out announcements on the website, by email, and on social media. Maybe you can still get one!
In past years we have not had any come November. We field a lot of contacts and turn down many, so if fresh, local, organically raised birds are on your menu, please grab one quick! Even if you’re ordering other items, pay for the turkey first!
There’s always more I could say, but I will end this month with an update on SeedFolks Family Farm. They are in the middle of a garden turnover, but should be back with more to offer soon.
We appreciate all of you and hope to see you next month, if not before……Until then!
