Category: Uncategorized
Red Clay Farm Chronicles
This is the first of what will be a series of weekly newsletters that will chronicle the story of Red Clay farm over the coming summer. Its our wish that the newsletters will deepen the connection with the farm and the food that we deliver to you. Its our mission to communicate a bit about the food production system of a small artisanal farm such as this.
After 2 months of work, the market garden is ready to begin production. The spring was a bit challenging, with a late freeze that froze many farmers out of certain crops. Red Clay is close the the water and we double covered everything during the cold, so all our squash and tomatoes were safe. Rain also has been challenging. We have had a series of 50 mm plus rain events that have kept the soil damp. Yet the gardens have been growing.
The head farmer this year is Seb Palmer.
Seb worked for a while at Halifax Seed and on a series of CSA farms and is one of the most knowledgeable organic farmers I know. Our market gardens use only organic methods. We don’t use chemicals. It makes the food production labour intensive, but with Seb’s experience, the quality of the produce will be amazing. Our goal is to try to deliver to you within 12 hours of picking as much as we can.
The first food box will have lots of salad ingredients. This is the usual thing for the first box and hopefully will satisfy your early season craving for fresh salad. All boxes will include:
Green onions
Kale
Salad mix and/or lettuce heads
Radishes
Plus a bit of fresh oregano and mint
In addition, boxes will also have some, if not all of the following:
Spinach
Arugula
Early season broccoli
Garlic scapes
Saute mix
Cilantro
Parrsboro delivery will be at the Ships Company Theatre on Monday at 6:00 PM. Halifax Delivery will be at 5548 Black St. (corner of Black Street and Northwood) at 6:00 PM. Pick-up will be in the back yard accessed from Northwood. If you are not a subscriber and want to order an individual box, please contact us (redclayforest@gmail.com). We also have a limited supply of farm fresh large brown eggs ($4/doz).
Between workshops and gardens, Red Clay has been busy this past month. On June 15th a “Tiny Building” workshop (with architect Corinna Mueller) was full and fun for everyone. One of the buildings that we started was a farm stand, still in the early stages of construction. Look for it when you pass Red Clay over the coming weeks.
CSA 17 / We made it / “La fin des haricots.”
Farmholders, (you can let go now)
Thank you for buying into the idea that we can sustain ourselves collectively. I hope this project has given you faith, it’s filled me right up to the tippy top. That said this is the end my friends. Last week, I learned the French idiom “the end of the beans” … all is lost … well, it’s not all lost… but it is done…. well done…. I hope you feel that way too:)
CSA 16 / Second to none, honey homespun
FARMY,
CSA 15 / give thanks before the storm (FRIDAY DROP)
THANKSGIVING WEEK FRIDAY PICK UP
CSA 14 / Blight and chilly nights
The apples are the new boon, though I worry bout how an early frost could cutting this whole project short…. we’ll just have to wait and see and becoming weather network junkies again.
CSA 13 / the circle of life is more like a straight line?




CSA 12 / Down by the Bay & Low Hanging Fruit

Down by the Bay…. Where the watermelons grow….. back to my home I dare not go…. for if I do the HRM official will say: ” I never saw a farmer blasting Sarah Harmer” …. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0fE4tm5VZk



CSA 11 / SALSA