Farm Happenings

Garlic Planting as The Farm At South Village gets ready for winter.

Members of the CSA and community helped farmer Mark Cannella plant garlic for next year's crop on Sunday, as activities on The Farm focus on getting ready for winter. The weather cooperated as several people showed up to help with this year's planting. Cover crops and manure stand ready to be tilled under to further enhance the soil for next year. The Farm at South Village donated a number of Blue Hubbard squash to a local church for their harvest supper, and remaining pumpkins are heading to local venues where they hope to make their way into some Thanksgiving pies. You can view pictures of the pumpkin harvest and garlic planting here. Autumn Farm slideshow

THE FARM AT SOUTH VILLAGE PUMPKIN SALE

The Farm at South Village finished its first year of organic vegetable farming with a grand PUMPKIN SALE at the South Village Community Green at the corner of Spear Street and Allen Rd. in South Burlington. Varied sizes were available along with some blue hubbard squash for your Thanksgiving dinner.

The Farm at South Village CSA began member pick up May 15 and is finishing October 16. Its 30 charter members had overflowing bags of freshly picked produce each week despite the summer of monsoons.

CSA farmer, Bobby Young, expects that CSA membership will double in 2010 and farm fields have been expanded this fall as well as a large berry patch. Bobby says, “We hope to create a food hub for our CSA by bringing in other local farm products to supplement the fresh veggies and fruit we produce on the Farm at South Village fields”.

Mark Cannella, the crop farmer at the Farm at South Village, has his first crop of fingerling potatoes for sale at Shelburne Supermarket and various Burlington restaurants. Mark suggests, “A little olive oil sprinkled on the top of the fingerlings, a little dried rosemary and then baked makes a dish worthy of any 3 star restaurant.”

For additional information about the Farm at South Village contact – David Miskell 425-3959 or thefarm@southvillage.com

The Farm CSA Finishes Strong

The Farm at South Village CSA has three more pickups to end our charter CSA year October 16th. Bobby Young, our CSA farmer, says “for the first year on new soil we did great, even with the challenges of a summer monsoon.” Fall veggie pickups (all from our gardens) include baby lettuce mix, asian greens, arugula, tomatoes that we nursed past the later blight scares, hot and sweet peppers, sweet beets and carrots, leeks, onions, fingerling potatoes, garlic and many herbs and flowers.

Compliments flowed from CSA members. From Craig Wells, “the sweet corn was so good! I can't begin to describe how sweet and tasty it was. Thank you for having corn for our shareholders. It's getting to the point where I can't wait to show up on Fridays to see what treats will be available. Thanks for all your hard work and for making us charter members so proud of our CSA”. Next year we expect to double the size of the CSA as well as add more local farm products. Sign up information will be posted on the South Village Web site.

Fall work in the gardens include bringing in many loads of rotted manure to expand the gardening area as well as begin to prepare for bush fruits and our orchard. Our crop farmer, Mark Cannella, has almost harvested the fingerling potatoes and they are being sold at the top area stores and restaurants this winter as well as Farm at South Village Garlic. The garlic gets replanted the end of October.

Other exciting news is the partnership between the Farm at South Village and Sugar Snap restaurant in Burlington. Winter greens are being grown in Miskell's greenhouses in Charlotte with Sugar Snap staff harvesting for their use in the deli and catering. We look forward to future opportunities we are working on with Sugarsnap to have their prepared meals (with FSV inputs) available to CSA and South Village residents. All is summed up by farm consultant, David Miskell, “We succeeded beyond my plans and next year is looking lots more exciting.”

Check out some of the slideshows in our Photo Galleries.

When you are visiting South Village Communities LLC do ask the sales agent to point you to the Farm at South Village gardens and the demo garden or email ahead for a farmer to give you a tour. . For additional information about the Farm at South Village contact: Farm consultant David Miskell misktome@gmavt.net or Kelly Fiske, 861-7600 or kf@SouthVillage.com