Garlic & Farm Update

So, the farmers here at Wells Tavern Farm are all great fans of garlic.  We spend a lot of money each year at farmer’s markets buying pounds of beautiful cloves of pungent garlic. We enjoy sampling the wares from each of our fellow farmer’s who sell at the markets we attend. We ask lots of questions and marvel at the little papery bulbs.

All that said, I have put off planting the three pounds of garlic that I procured, until today.  It just really can’t wait much longer. If one “researches” how to plant garlic properly on the internet, there are websites that say to plant it an inch deep, other websites that say to plant it four inches deep, and some say any number of things in between.  Who knows how deep we actually ended up planting the hundred or so cloves we planted, as there were so many rocks in the plot we planted, we ended up with meandering rows, picking at least a hundred pounds of rocks, and leaving the really heavy ones where they were.  When my back began really, really hurting, I called it a day, and Myles and I vowed to continue planting the remaining eighty or hundred cloves another day.

What if the majority of them actually come up?  Well, it is far easier to imagine a world where they don’t.  It could be too damp or cold or warm a winter. On the other hand, they do have plenty of manure and beautiful soil to try to flourish in.  Oh, to be burdened by a world of too much garlic.  I am not sure that could happen.  We’ll have to get to planting the rest of the cloves, and then wait and see.

For a farm update: All of the animals are doing well, and are happy.  The sheep are still stubbornly trying to graze a little bit each day, even though we feed them beautiful local second cutting hay. The Jersey milking cows are still milking, and are confirmed pregnant – between five months and three months, each — though they may be slightly further along in their gestation, and it is always better to figure on err on an earlier date than to be caught off guard with a “surprise” calf in a stall or pasture. The piglets are venturing outside of their home, exploring the outdoors and demonstrating their independence. We discovered that the goats have managed to either kill or seriously maim a historic dark purple lilac that used to have bark from the ground up to about five feet high.  The geese are happy and healthy. And the pullets are maturing nicely — they should be ready to lay in February. Meat chickens are scheduled to arrive next week.

Almost time for Chicks!

We loved seeing neighbors, meeting new friends and old, from Shelburne, at the Autumn Market held yesterday in Shelburne Falls. Our Maple Syrup Cured Hickory Smoked Heritage Breed Bacon flew out of the freezer so fast that I had to make an emergency restocking trip home (all of four and a half miles) to get more, halfway through the afternoon!

The good news is that we still have Maple Syrup Cured Hickory Smoked Ham Steaks, more of the Maple Syrup Cured Hickory Smoked Bacon, more Fresh Kielbasa, more Garlic Parmesan Sausage, and Sweet Italian bulk sausage, and chops… you get the idea.

If you need a refill, just give us a phone call or send me an email, and we’ll make arrangements to get the product to you.  [carrie(ampersat aka “at sign”)wellstavernfarm.com]

After many conversations about freezing waterers, the cost of electricity to run heat lamps to keep healthy, happy and warm chicks, and many other down and dirty farmer topics, we have decided to raise meat birds through the winter this year, and have 60 day old chicks (total) scheduled to arrive the first week of December!

I ordered our favorites: 35 of the White Cornish (Rock) Giant Gray Meat Bird: An alternative to the fast growing white broilers. These are extremely hardy birds–not a hybrid – which finishes out exceptionally well. Large drumsticks & thighs, and the birds are covered with white feathering and have yellow feet. And I ordered 25 of the Kosher Kings for a customer who likes the darker meat that they produce. This type of bird was developed for a heavier meatier bird with lots of stamina. Very popular with ethnic markets & growers for color & tasty meat qualities. Feathering resembles a Barred Rock; a large body size and yellow feet.

So, if all goes to schedule, we should have roasting chicken back in stock by mid-February.  Also by mid-February, 2012 Turkey reservations will be closing.  Please see our website at www.wellstavernfarm.com for the details.