PICADILLY FARM OPEN HOUSE AND SPRING PLANTING DAY
Saturday, May 31, 10am-noon  Join us for a morning of farm walks and exploration. Plant some seeds with us in the greenhouse, or seedlings in the field. all ages and abilities are welcome. The sand pile is ready for all young diggers! 

STRAWBERRY CONCERT WITH THE FAMILY FOLK CHORALE, Saturday, June 21, 1pm,   Come breathe in the fresh air, enjoy the big sky, take a dip in the river nearby or a hike on nearby Mt. Pisgah.  But most of all, join us for fresh-picked strawberry shortcake and sing along with the Family Folk Chorale in Concert (singing an eclectic mix of folk tunes, including originals by our talented professional band members, and also Alastair Moock, John Fogerty, REM, some trads, etc.).  We usually also have hay rides and farm tours, too, so come see your veggies reaching for the sky.  This is a great time to visit the farm!

both events will be at Picadilly Farm, 264 South Parrish Road, Winchester NH (3 minutes from Northfield MA).

Spring farm news from Jenny at Picadilly:

Dear Shareholders,

A few days ago, I puttered out of the barn on our little Allis Chalmers G tractor, circa 1950. As I headed to the far southwestern corner of our cleverly-named “Field Two”, I passed Adelina planting zucchini seeds in the greenhouse, and Keith and Anna hoeing lettuce. Alex and Willie were tacking down row covers over tender brassica greens, to exclude the voracious flea beetles. Antonio was maneuvering the transplanter, with Allegra, Iver and Heather on the seats, plunking scallion seedlings into the moist soil. Our neighbor, using no fewer than four pieces of heavy equipment, was carving out a new waterway across our big field, an erosion-control practice designed and supported by the Natural Resource Conservation Service of USDA. Harold was likely out buying parts for the new walk-in cooler that he’s building singlehandedly in the barn. And Bruce was sorting out how to deal with the seized engine on our old Massey tillage tractor. In the glorious sunshine, I sowed about a third of an acre of spinach, arugula, radishes and lettuce, plus a carrot trial with varieties named “Jeannette”, “Romance”, “Resistafly” and “Yaya” (I’m pulling for “Romance”). Let there be no doubt: spring is in full swing on the farm.

And what a spring it has been! Overall cool temperatures have kept humans and plants alike hungry for warm sun. Rain has been plentiful enough, without any surprising deluges. All of our crops are coming along fine, perhaps a week or so “behind schedule”.  With great weather in the forecast – will we be so lucky as to skirt through the rest of May without more frost?
Our big thanks to you for joining us for this season. Your support has carried us through the spring, and right to the height of our planting season. Over the next two weeks, we’ll set out tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, watermelon, cantaloupe, basil, sweet potatoes, flowers and much more. Our spring expenses can be high with the expected (crew, seeds, fertilizer) and the unexpected (that seized tractor engine? The replacement 126-horsepower Kubota tractor arrived on the farm yesterday, and we parted with an absurd amount of money). Your financial support, coupled with your enthusiasm for nutritious food and regional economy, keep Picadilly rolling. We’ll do our best all season to field the curve balls and deliver our high quality, certified organic produce to you. We have high hopes for the harvest.

Jenny (for Bruce, Allegra and the crew)