Working with animals on the farm

Earlier this year, I was fortunate to visit and do a soil test at Oxford Farm, a relatively new project (started in 2018!) begun by Theresa Cohen, someone who has for many years been studying and supporting cutting edge enterprises seeking to increase nutrition in foods and to help humans relate beneficially with the land … Continue reading Working with animals on the farm

Fabulous October Share starring 20 vegetables!

Grown by small family farms caring for their soil, our October share has 20 different vegetables at the peak of ripe, nutritious freshness--so much color and flavor emblematic of a spectacular harvest year!   Thanks to enough warmth and moisture at the right times, timely spring thawing and fall frost, and the expertise and care … Continue reading Fabulous October Share starring 20 vegetables!

Sweet and hardy after the frost! Late October Farm Share

Hard frost hit the Pioneer Valley this week spelling the end of summer crops, but the beginning of wonderful for many of our fall and winter foods which get their best flavor and storage quality after such cold temperatures.  The fields are getting tucked into bed with their cover crop covers now nicely green and … Continue reading Sweet and hardy after the frost! Late October Farm Share

Summer Shares starting first of June! May 31 early bird signup for winter shares

May has shown us a blast of summer and bit more winter, but the soil is warming and our farms are rolling along, with plants going in the field since mid-April-- "About four acres of crops are in the ground, including: just germinating spinach, carrot, beet, and radish seeds; greenhouse transplants of lettuce, scallions, kale, radicchio, … Continue reading Summer Shares starting first of June! May 31 early bird signup for winter shares

January Share Pickup, Fresh Spinach!, Menu for the Month

We're in the green for our share tomorrow!  With the relatively mild winter and moderate snow, Riverland's winter greens have been happy under their winter cover and are accessible to harvest right from the field today.  In case we get a February dump of snow like we did last year  when the harvest became impossible*, … Continue reading January Share Pickup, Fresh Spinach!, Menu for the Month

Last Deep Winter (February 7) Share Box

Brrr....It's a crazy windy day out there.  The upside might be that some of the snow from this past week will be blown off of the low tunnels at Riverland so that there aren't mountains to dig into come harvest day this week. Remember these photos from last month's share blog?  Well just imagine what … Continue reading Last Deep Winter (February 7) Share Box

First 2014 Winter Share Pickup Saturday in Arlington

Also check out shareholder Jackie Starr’s menu suggestions and recipe links, customized for this month's share! Share contents for Saturday, October 25, 2014: Use these within a week or so (or blanche or make a dish for freezing): Lettuce-1 head, from Riverland Bok Choy—1 head of large, from Riverland 2 broccoli or Romanesco, from Riverland … Continue reading First 2014 Winter Share Pickup Saturday in Arlington

Connecting the fall color in the landscape to the color on your plate

It is the time to drink in the New England growing season's fantastic finale of color--wow!  Our appreciation of color is so intrinsic to our biology:  bright colors on our plate signal nutrients and flavor and the brilliance of fall foliage keeps us moving outside and getting those essential rays of sun even as the … Continue reading Connecting the fall color in the landscape to the color on your plate

Apples, from Glenn’s home to yours

APPLES, part of your November share, come to you from the orchards of Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury. Open until Christmas this year, Cider Hill is worth a visit - fun for everyone, with hayrides, pumpkins big and small, endless cider doughnuts, and of course, several varieties of apples to taste and pick. On Friday, when … Continue reading Apples, from Glenn’s home to yours

Boston Local Food Festival: Thanks for coming out!

A week after the fifth annual (but Shared Harvest's first) Boston Local Food Festival, we have just about recovered from all of the madness: a chilly early set-up, doling out hundreds of samples of fresh Picadilly Farm sweet peppers and carrots with Crystal Brook Farm goat cheese, and having great conversations with all of the curious locavores  … Continue reading Boston Local Food Festival: Thanks for coming out!