Please Watch this Space

April 7, 2020

I know the farm has not posted anything in quite a while, but we are still here, still planning for the upcoming season, and already working in the greenhouses and High Tunnel.

And now I am starting to work on giving you a picture of our plans for the upcoming 2020 season. Clearly this is going to be a challenge for us and for you. But my intention is to figure out, with you, how to survive it together.

In the next couple of days I will have enough information posted here for you to begin to see a picture emerging. And then you’ll be able to see what we’re confident we can do and I’ll invite your feedback for how best to shape our efforts for your benefit.

Vegetable seedlings, interesting young perennial plants, herbs, flowering plants, succulents and other house plants are already on site. And we are beginning to harvest edible crops such as pea shoots, beet greens and baby chard, with radishes following soon.

Our next decisions involve which other edible crops you would like to get from us and that we will be able to grow, and for what length of season.

Thanks for visiting. Please come back soon.

And take care.

 

One More Day at the Farmstand

September 20, 2019

WE DO STILL HAVE A SMALL QUANTITY OF THE CT PEACHES and so we will be open on Sunday, Sept 22, from 9 until 4.

The peaches are still in excellent condition  — thanks to the walk-in cooler we built a few years ago — and should be throughly pleasurable. But quantities are limited, so we will have to limit each purchase to no more than 5 lbs.

This week we have some of our own unsprayed Bartlett pears which are sometimes ugly and misshapen but taste great.

In addition, we still have excellent slicing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers and 6 varieties of garlic for eating and/or planting.

Finally, this week I am also going to be selling the remaining succulents that make wonderful houseplants but in many cases will not survive outside over the winter. (The Hens and Chicks varieties, though, are fully hardy and available at a very low price 🙂 .)

Come see what we have and say “auf wiedersehen” for the winter.

PEACHES 2 SUCCESSFUL

September 13, 2019

The trip to pick up the peaches, pears and Gala apples has been successfully completed as scheduled.

The fruit will be available at the farm on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 — both days from 8 – 4:30.

If you did not pre-order a whole box, smaller quantities will be available on a walk-in basis.

We will also have cherry tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, ripe sweet peppers, several kind of hot peppers (siome are just barely warm) and 6 kinds of garlic.

Thanks for your support and we look forward to seeing you soon.

2019: PEACHES 2 — AND MORE

Connecticut peaches, apples and Bartlett pears will be available again.

THEREFORE I will go to Connecticut to pick up the fruit on September 13, unless unforeseen problems arise.

If you wish to order a whole box of peaches (approximately 24 lbs) YOU MAY ORDER ONE BOX. For this second shipment the price will be the same as for the first: $41 for a 24-lb. box. We expect supplies of peaches to be good, so you may invite friends to order their own box.

In addition, we will also be offering boxes of Bartlett pears (approximately 40 lbs) for $45 and Macintosh or Gala apples (approximately 40 lbs) for $60. Supplies for these fruits are limited so we may be able to accept only the earliest orders. You will be notified if we cannot get what you ordered.

As in previous years, advance payment is not necessary. We trust you to purchase what you have ordered.

If you do not wish to order a whole box of a fruit, you may purchase FROM ONE PIECE OF FRUIT UP TO ONE PECK (10-12 LBS) at the farm on a walk-in basis, until they are gone.

PLEASE HELP US SERVE YOU BETTER BY ALSO INDICATING THE QUANTITIES OF THESE FRUITS YOU EXPECT TO PURCHASE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS SOME.

The price list for these purchases is as follows:

2019 PRICES FOR CT FRUIT
APPLES
	LOOSE	$1.89/LB
	1/4 PK	$5.50
	1/2 PK	$10.00
	1 PK	$16.50
	1 BOX	$60.00
PEACHES
	LOOSE	$2.29 / LB
	1/4 PK	$7.50
	1/2 PK	$12.00
	1 PK	$19.00
	1 BOX	$41.00
PEARS
	LOOSE	$1.59/LB
	1/4 PK	$4.50
	1/2 PK	$8.00
	1 PK	$14.00
	1 BOX	$45.00

An email to the farm is the safest way to order: see the Contact Us link on the right side of this page. Or you may leave a phone message at the farm phone. also listed on the Contact Us page. Please speak slowly and clearly and leave your name and contact information.

ALL ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 6 PM ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9.

I expect the fruit to be available at the farm beginning Saturday morning, September 14; we will open early at 8 AM and stay open until 4:30 AND  WE WILL BE OPEN FOR THE SAME HOURS on Sunday, September 15.

Check this website or call our recorded farm message line (207-583-4698) to verify fruit arrival.

OUR COLD STORAGE SPACE IS  LIMITED, so for best fruit quality you should plan to pick it up during these two days.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

2019: Peaches 2 –And More

I just spoke with the orchard.

Peaches will be available for the weekend of Sept 14-15. There will be some Bartlett pears and some apples, probably Macs and Galas. (Look up Gala apples if you’re not familiar with them !).

I hope to post the details of that conversation — what I believe i can get for us and the terms/prices — on the phone message and website tonight or tomorrow morning, and get emails out tomorrow. (I still have to work out some of the details.)

Notice I said “hope” (i.e. “plan, not “promise”).

Thanks!

Peach Project a Success

August 27, 2019

This year’s Peach Project was a great and pleasurable success, thanks to your enthusiastic participation!

In conversation with many folks, there appears to be considerable interest (appetite?) for a second helping of fruit pleasure.

It seems that it may well be possible to get more peaches, and  — as in other years — also Bartlett pears and several kinds of apples. These would be apple varieties not yet generally ripe up here, or varieties not commonly grown here, perhaps for climate reasons.

I hope to confirm the availability of these fruits by mid week after Labor Day. I plan to be able to identify which fruits can be obtained and establish package sizes and prices. Then I will announce the results here, on the phone line, and via email fto people for whom I have valid email addresses.

I would expect that I would need firm orders by Monday, September 9 with fruits available beginning Saturday, Sept 14.

Thanks for your interest and support.

PEACHES ARE HERE :)

The peaches from CT have arrived safely at the farm this afternoon.

Therefore we will be open and the peaches available for pickup on Saturday and Sunday, August 24 and 25.

If you did not pre-order a whole box, peaches will also be available in smaller quantities — anything from a single peach to a 1/2 peck bag (about 9-10 lbs).

We will also have available for sale our i-pint cherry tomatoes mix of 8-10 varieties, slicing tomatoes of about a dozen varieties, slicing cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, and sweet peppers; tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers are sold by the pound.

Thanks for your support.

See you tomorrow or Sunday.

2019 — AND PEACHES

DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL we have had to make several changes to our operation this season. We are still growing excellent plants and vegetables but have had to change how and where we sell them. This has meant that our farmstand has operated only informally and irregularly this year. If we’re here working, we are glad to wait on you and make available what we have; the choices and our availablilty naturally vary from day to day. You’re welcome to stop in if you’re in the neighborhood.

 

BUT it gives me great pleasure to announce that we will once again make available the great CT peaches we have sold for many years.

This year’s arrangements are essentially the same as last year:

1. You may pre-order one or more 24-lb boxes of firm-ripe peaches;
2. The price is once again $41 per box;
3. Orders for boxes must be received by noon, MONDAY, AUGUST 19. I suggest you email your order to maplespringsfarm@yahoo.com; you may also leave a message on the farm phone-line: 207-583-4698. Please be precise about the names of all customers who will be picking up the peaches you are ordering.
4. Smaller quantities, up to 1/2 peck (about 11 lbs)  will be available on a first-come first-served basis while supplies last;
5. The peaches will be available at the farm beginning at 8 AM on Saturday, August 24;
6. We have only limited refrigerated storage space so you will be happier if you pick up your peaches as soon as possible;
7. Questions? Please send an email.

Season Has Ended

October 3, 2018

We have now closed our farm stand for the season.

We will, however, continue to supply our commercial customers, and to attend the Portland Farmers Market on Saturdays, while crops last. Watch this space for updates.

And, as an alert, we will NOT attend for one week only, on Saturday, October 13.

And, to old friends and new acquaintances, thanks for your support this season.

We wish you a healthy, safe and happy winter.

Field Crops Slowing Down

Updated September 23, 2018

Our field crops are definitely slowing down.

We are now picking reduced quantities of some crops as the plants age, and some crops have finished completely. On the other hand, fall crops like leeks, red and white sweet onions, storage onions and winter squash (buttercup, butternut, acorn, delicate and spaghetti) and pumpkins are in good supply.

SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS from 11-4 and MONDAYS, WDNESDAYS and FRIDAYS from 10:00 – 3:00.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 30 WILL BE OUR LAST DAY. WE WILL CLOSE THE FARMSTAND FOR THE SEASON AT 4 PM.

SENIOR FARM SHARE MEMBERS NEED TO COMPLETE THEIR PURCHASES BY THAT TIME.

For a listing of our current produce and plants please see our Available Now page.

And we still have fruit from our second shipment of CT peaches and Bartlett pears. For a current update see this page.

Thanks for your support and I look forward to seeing you soon.