If you would like to receive periodic newsletters via email, along with a few notices of crop development and ripening (for example, PYO raspberries) please contact me at maplespringsfarm@yahoo.com. I will be glad to add your name to our email newsletter list. Your contact information is never shared with anyone.

Mark

You may notice some minor changes in the Planting Plans document, reflecting our intentions to make effective use of the new high tunnel (which will be discussed in more detail in the soon-to-be-completed December Newsletter). In the CSA Agreement you will see that, in response to requests, we have added a “starter membership share” at a lower level. And we have formalized the availability of work-shares for 1/3 of your membership. We hope these changes will help our memberships better fit your needs.

Most of the program, however, remains the same. We still offer beautiful farm products, grown with thoughtful, environmentally sensitive methods. We still offer a huge range of crops, including flowering plants, vegetable seedling, vegetables and PYO raspberries. We still allow you to choose what you want, when you want it, in the quantities you want. All while saving 10 – 15% over regular farm prices.

As many of you know, I am something of a Luddite and have had difficulty uploading the new files. Therefore we are extending the early-subscription-discount offer to January 20.

I hope our CSA suits your interests and that you will join us for 2012. I will, of course, be happy to answer questions at any time.

Happy Winter Solstice: which means only 40 days until we plant lettuce in the high tunnel!

Beginning Monday, September 19, we will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 – 5:30 for the remainder of the season. At this time, however,  we do not know when our fall crops will be finished and we will need to close. (Watch for a new post detailing current and coming crops, as well as some discussion of plans for next season.)

We will, however, be continuing to attend the Portland Farmers’ Markets on Wednesday (Monument Square)  and Saturday (Deering Oaks Park) until further notice, bringing summer and fall produce, gourds and MUMS. See you there!

However, we do have a small problem. The hurricane knocked out power at the farm and it has still not been restored. This means that we cannot store the remaining peaches in our coolers with any great success, since we can run them on generator power only intermittently. We need to move the last few boxes while they are still in prime condition.

Even worse,  we do not have an answering machine available to take reservations, nor can we receive emails: this post is being composed at the Harrison Village Library. So we have no choice but to offer the remaining four boxes of peaches on a first-come, first-served basis. I’m sorry that this may mean some make a fruitless (pun intended) trip but there are no alternatives.

Thanks for your support and, now, for your understanding of these awkward circumstances.

Secondly, the fall raspberries have begun to ripen. However, it appears the dry summer has reduced the vigor of the canes and hence the likely yield. If you are at the farm for other purposes (the great corn, the wonderful tomatoes, the variety of squashes, potatoes not commonly available, etc.) it is surely worth a walk to the berry patch for a look-see. Perhaps after the rain does its magic it will be worth a whole trip for berries.

We have some wild blueberries today, and they are so good! Small, bursting with flavor, and absolutely clean, these will be the last blues of the season here at the Farm. A friend of ours says that the Blueberry Lemonade from the Portland Press Herald is astonishing; click here for the recipe, which is posted on our Recipes page as a PDF. You will need one and one-quarter cups of blueberries and one-half cup of lemon juice.

Raspberries really are finished for the time being. However, fruit is set for our second crop, which should be ready for you at the end of the month or early September.

We have delicious summer squashes and zucchini, cherry and standard tomatoes, cucumbers, fabulous garlics and onions, gorgeous rainbow chard, and some potatoes. We also offer farm fresh brown eggs and maple syrup, which we are lucky enough to get from our neighbour.

And don’t forget flowers for your tables and bureaux. We have a lovely choice of cut-your-own flowers that bring the brilliance of high summer color into your home.

Finally, the summer produce is starting to come in, and we have the best available. Visit us often here at the Farm any day except Tuesday, between 9 and 5.30, and take an armload of fresh, delicious local produce home for dinner.

Our blueberries are truly wild berries, raked by our neighbors from their wild bushes and then meticulously cleaned. You won’t find cleaner, more delicious berries anywhere.

We have corn from the same farm that provided last year’s sensational bounty, and we’re hoping for another long season this year.

Blueberries are $5.75 the pint.
Corn is 50¢ an ear, or $6 for a baker’s dozen.

We expect both blueberries and corn to move fast, so we recommend coming early. The Farm is open every day except Tuesday from 9 to 5.30.

* A reminder that Mark will be in Monument Square tomorrow from 7 to 2 (Wednesday, 3 August : Portland Farmers’ Market). He will have some blueberries with him, though no corn.

However! the black and purple raspberries are still producing fruit, and you can fill your baskets pretty quickly with those varieties.

A reminder that our canes are beginning to flower for the late-summer crop, which should be ready for you around Labor Day. The late crop will produce fruit until the second hard frost of late autumn.

Do plan us into your day as you think about produce for your luncheons, dinners, and picnics. We are picking lettuces, summer squashes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and rainbow chard. We are pulling stunning garlic this year, as well as beautiful onions. We also have cut-your-own flowers and farm-fresh eggs.

We’re open every day except Tuesday from 9 to 5.30.

P.S. : Don’t forget that corn season will soon be upon us! If you remember that utterly divine corn we offered last year, you will want to check our recorded update as August draws near.

We are now picking all three colors of raspberries, and there are enough berries to make a special trip to the Farm very much worth your time. Come pick our juicy and deliciously sweet raspberries (red, black, and golden) to eat out of hand or to make into a brilliantly glowing shortcake topping over your best biscuits. Pie à la mode would be a fine summer treat, too!

Our PYO price is still only $4.00 the pint … come early, come often!

Open every day except Tuesday, 9 am to 5.30 pm.

Raspberries : While there are not enough red raspberries to warrant a special trip, it’s certainly worth your time to visit the raspberry field when you’re here at the Farm for other produce. The black raspberries are showing their first color, so we should be picking them in about a week, depending upon the weather.

Garlic : We have those wonderful garlic scapes that bring to your cooking a delicate garlic flavor. They are sensational for making pesto, in addition to being a welcome addition to many other recipes you may have in your repertoire. We also have NY White garlic, which is small but tasty, and Pearl, which is very large, milder, and good for baking. Our customer favorite, Russian Red, will be available soon. It’s powerful yet nearly sweet, with no burn.

Greens : We have a variety of lettuces, chards, and kales to enhance your salads, soups, fritattas, and quiches. Chinese cabbages (Napa) will make a nice contribution to your stir-fries and spring rolls, as well as your salads. We have broccoli, too, which is marvelous when sautéed with garlic. Or steamed and dressed simply with a touch of butter, a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a light scattering of fresh Parmesan.

Eggs : Brown, of course, and raised just down the road. These are wonderful eggs, as those of you who bought many dozens last summer already know.

PYO Flowers : Currently in bloom are brown-eyed susans, wild daisies, white and pink cosmos, and coreopsis. Come cut to your heart’s content … our flowers will add a lovely casual gracenote to your hallways, living rooms, bedrooms, and dining areas. Don’t forget flowers for your picnics!

Harrison Old Home Days | Saturday, 9 July, 8 am to 2 pm : Maple Springs Farm will be represented at the Harrison Grange with a booth that showcases our gorgeous vegetables and flowers. The Harrison Grange is located at the intersection of Main and Lincoln Streets, on the lake side of Main next to The Village Tie-Up.

We have great planters (flowers or lettuces or herbs), vibrant hanging baskets (flowers or tomatoes), fabulous seedlings (flowers and vegetables), and a whole new look. The greenhouses have been entirely re-outfitted, and the new tables are heavy with early summer beauty.

We are pulling tender rhubarb* and cutting Napa cabbage, and we have nicely started lettuces and cabbages, a large selection of vegetables, as well as more than 50 varieties of tomatoes for you to plant.

We’re open from 9.00 am until 5.30 pm every day except Tuesday, so come see what we can do for your porches and your flower and vegetable gardens this year!

Looking forward to see you here at the Farm soon.

- – -

* I’m trying a new recipe for Rhubarb Sour Cherry Crisp tonight. If it’s good, i’ll post to our Recipes page tomorrow. -k.

Update : The Rhubarb Sour Cherry Crisp was wonderful! Give it a try! -k.