Spring Farm Tour
Crop Talk: May 12, 2014
The Newsletter of Great Country Farms
Sunflower Logo
U-Pick, U-Play, U-Grow
Word From Your Farmer
Half a Million Pollinators
A lot of the food we pack in CSA boxes depends on the
Bill Bundy checks our smallest workers.
concerted effort of a workforce most of us know very little about: honey bees. Hundreds of thousands of them. Those small, industrious creatures make a natural ambrosia rich in nutritional and healing properties, and like many home-grown products, raw local honey is entirely different from the industrial version. But the role bees play in pollination may be even more important that their honey-producing function.
 
To optimize pollination, bee keeper Bill Bundy maintains eight bee colonies here at Great Country, plus twelve more in our fields at Holy Cross Monastery across the river, a total of 24 hives, each of which is home to 60,000 bees. This Saturday, May 17, Bundy will be on the farm demonstrating honey extraction techniques and talking about the complexities of bee-keeping. Come and sample some local honey and learn about our smallest workers. Check Barn Talk, our new farm blog, for more information about Bundy and his craft.

Spring Farm Tour
This weekend, May 17 and 18, Great Country Farms and Red Gate Farm, which is operated by our beekeeper Bill Bundy and his wife, will join 42 other Loudoun farms opening their doors for the 2014 Spring Farm Tour. This self-guided event provides an introduction to the Loudoun County growing season and to the many products farmers cultivate in region. An interactive map showing sites on the tour -- including sites that are open to the public only during this event --  is available at the Loudoun Farms website. 

Elsewhere this weekend, Annie Winkler will be representing Great Country Farm by demonstrating aspects of her monarch way station project at the first annual Kidz Fest event in Old Town Winchester. The celebration will feature arts, crafts, interactive educational exhibits, and musical performances for kids of all ages.
  
Farm News
Upcoming Events
May 17 & 18

May 24 & 25 and May 31 & June 1
at Great Country Farms

May 24
If you join the group site hosted by Leesburg Chiropractic, Dr. Sampson will thank you with a chiropractic wellness assessment followed by a 60-minute massage therapy session at a discount rate of just $78 -- that's half price!
Learn How Your Business can Earn Points for Loudoun's Healthy Business Challenge!
The Healthy Business Challenge was created to recognize and honor businesses that have implemented innovative programs and policies to promote the wellness and productivity of their employees. Click Here to learn more about the challenge.

You can earn 3 points by having your business host a CSA group site! Contact us today to learn more about it.
Contact Us
Great Country Farms
540-554-2073
18780 Foggy Bottom Rd.,
Bluemont, VA 20135
csa@greatcountryfarms.com
www.greatcountryfarms.com
Know someone who is not a member but would like U-pick Availability Alerts?
Send them here.

INOVA Blood Drive at the Farm
On May 24 from 11:00 until 3:00, INOVA's bloodmobile will visit Great  Country Farms as part of its ongoing effort to maintain a safe, adequate blood supply in northern Virginia. To make an appointment to donate, visit www.inova.org/donateblood, click on the link that says Donate Blood, and enter the sponsor 8066. Walk-ins are welcome as well. INOVA requires that donors bring a photo ID to their appointment. The donation process takes about an hour. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. A full list of restrictions and requirements is available at inova.org.

Get Your Picking Fingers Ready
This year's Strawberry Jubilee is a two-weekend extravaganza featuring a tart toss, a pie eating contest, live music, and a lot of strawberries! 
With a little bit of warmth and sunshine, we anticipate that the fields will open for picking at 9:15 on Saturday, May 24 and May 31. Remember that weather and picking volume will determine how long the fields remain open each day (last year we closed the fields at 11:30am on Saturday), so plan to come early or on a weekday for a less crowded picking experience. To keep up with field conditions, follow us on Twitter at  Twitter @TheFarmerSays  and at facebook/greatcountryfarms for up to the minute news.

 

 

 


 
Be sure to like our facebook and follow us on  Twitter  @TheFarmerSay and @ElmerThePig for the lastest news of the farm.  We appreciate it when you share our link on your page showing your friends how you support local. It helps keep our CSA running strong.

Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.