Friends of the farm

12.12.2017

We have a small number of young chickens for sale.  They are 11 weeks old now and will start laying in about another 9 weeks. 

This week (10-16 Dec) they are $12.50 each. Cost increases with $1 per week after this.  For more info or to order contact Josje on 022 0958479.

Breed: Hyline.

This 2016/2017 growing season we are opening the gates of our Tauherenikau property, so you can see for your self what we are all about. 

Every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the months September 2016 through to April 2017 we will be hosting regular guided Farm Tours at our Tauherenikau farm. Tours start 1 pm. 

$20.00 pp or CSA members half price (children under 15 free). Book your ticket for your tour by following this link a few days in advance so we know if or who is coming and can plan the day accordingly.

We are a working farm, so there are a few rules:

• Please sign in on arrival and stay in the group. For more up to date info on health & safety on our farm check with your farm guide.
• Please bring suitable footwear.

Earlier this year we had the privilege of hosting young lass Mariarosaria for a week as part of her research project on CSA's in New Zealand. It was a great experience for all of us on the farm as growers, packers, consumers, and lovers of life, to show and discuss our ideas and beliefs with her.  What moves us, through thick and thin, to keep us wanting to grow this concept, but also, what does make you as our CSA member tick?  Last week Mariarosaria shared with us her "first reflections" on her journey down under.  Here it is.  

Frank is back!

It has been a little while since frank last spoke at the New Zealand Annual Biodynamic Conference.  Last Sunday morning the family got up before sunrise and piled into the car, and I really mean piled!  The little ones insisted on bringing pillows and blankets.  This year the BD Conference was in Palmerston North, so we had a bit of driving to do. The speeches started at 8.40 and frank followed on from a Rachel Schneider from America speaking about CSA's over there; a great intro into the ideology of a CSA.  

At Home, Frank and I had prepared a talk and slideshow (which we have posted here below), but after hearing Rachel talk about her CSA, the 10 principles of CSA, and the CSA situation in the US (around 13,000 CSA are operating over there!?!?), Frank ended up giving a very passionate and personal presentation that is still booming in my head.  Watch the video here!

I am sure you will feel inspired too!  So here we have filmed Franks Speech as is was:

Exciting times are ahead of us, with artisan bread, cheese, low intervention wine and raw milk being added or coming soon to our web shop.  This coming week will be the last week for the eggs over winter, but also here we plan to come back a bit bigger and more efficient so we can better keep up with the demand for our wonderful eggs! To order some extra items on a week to week basis, go to the webstore and click on "select some extra items". From there you will be able to choose the products you are interested in.  These extra orders need to be in by Monday evening so we have enough time to organise.

Days of heavy rain followed by a few amazing days with sunshine and warmth – it has been all over the place lately. In the Netherlands we have a saying “April doet wat hij wil”, meaning that indeed the month of April just does whatever it feels like, and although its spring on the other side of the world, it has been the same kind of unreliable weather here. Leaves are colouring up and starting to fall of the trees and it the sunny autumn days are bringing warmth and kindness to everyone. 

The heavy downpours from last week had their effects on some of the crops of the field – we lost a whole plot of Asian greens which were just ready for harvest and we have now given up on more tomatoes.  The chestnuts were harvested in the rain and should be left out to dry a bit. Any mould can be easily wiped off; with a thick skin the mould cannot enter the nut (unless it is cracked) and is safe to eat.

Money & Food ...Otherwise!

Last Sunday’s CSA event on Savings pools was most enjoyable and successful. Some 20-odd people from different walks of life, from both the Wairarapa and Wellington, listened to Peter Luiten from Living Economies explaining how savings pools can help communities use money positively to build their own lives and the community at the same time.  To me it was very inspirational; we have become so accustomed to using credit cards and borrowing money for every small and large thing we think we need/want right now!

Some interesting points I learned about savings pools:

April again!  Middle of autumn and still summer weather galore. Great to warm up our soul and our soil as long as we keep both hydrated enough – which is getting a bit problematic for the latter as we can bring on the water only so fast!  (picture: funny shaped tomato).