Where Did the Summer Go!!

I had great intensions with keeping up my blog, but honestly, I have been using Facebook more regularly. We had a very good CSA season in spite of the late spring rains which caused me great distress with the weed problems. Looking back now, it was a good year.
Each year, we continue to learn about what, when and where to plant our various crops. Frank and I had 22 weeks of CSA basket deliveries and never missed a week due to low crop yield which we are very thankful.
Some of the highlights we had in the season are a wonderful crop of fruits and the flowers were pretty great too. I believe in my 2012 gardening plan, I will be planting many more varieties of flowers so my arrangements that I offer can be varied throughout May to October.
This year we opened up our house and farm to a few new adventures. One event was a Windmill Farm Tour/Tea/Spa day where we provided a tour of our 1930 year old farmhouse, our yard and fields. We served various desserts using our farm produce and herbs; and the yard was set up as a day spa with herbal infused feet soaks. There were personal hand and arm rubs for refreshing and revitalizing skin and circulation provided by Estheticians Meredith and Kathy. The setting of the spa was around the water fountain and under our 100 year old walnut tree which provided a relaxing and refreshing afternoon for those that attended in spite of the warm day.
In September, we provided some fruit and vegetable canning classes which have been well received and lots of fun. Having a group of ladies around our large work table in the sorting shed all chatting and making canned tomatoes was quite inspiring. There is a renewed interest in not only growing your own food but in canning it, to enjoy throughout the winter months and it was so wonderful to have women of all ages learning how to preserve food. They were able to go home with a booklet of information, the hands on canning experience and several jars of the
completed tomatoes.
Coming up in November, we will be providing two classes. One class will be an applesauce canning class using the fall harvest apples. Another set of classes are quite different. My daughter, Celli and I will be putting together a fabulous class teaching people how to make their own laundry soap and fabric softener using only natural products. And the participants will be able to select their own herbal scents and take home their completed project. The cost savings for making your own cleaning products will really be a surprise plus you will have full control over knowing
what is exactly in your products. After this class we will continue this theme and teach you how to make your own fabric starch and even room fresheners. I don’t know about you, but I spend a great deal of money on all of these products and we can show you how to make them yourselves, even busy working Moms, will see how easy and inexpensive it will be.

We hope you will come back to our blog to find out more about these future get togethers at Windmill Farm. See you next time.