Crop Talk, October 31
Open 10am-5pm November 1-22, 2016


Pumpkin Chunkin' 
November 5 -- 8

    Bring your spent Jack-o-lantern to the farm and enjoy one of our exciting smashing opportunities!

   We are again selling Lucky Ducks as a fund-raising effort for Boulder Crest Retreat. The Lucky Ducks are numbered and will be placed in our pond for the  giant pumpkin drop  at 2:00 on Sunday, November 6. The pumpkin will splash the duckies out of the water and onto Prize Spots, which will feature prizes from businesses and groups supporting this fund raising effort. Duckies are available for purchase online or at the farm for $5.00 each. Buy as many as you like! 

Turkeys and Spinach

   We're selling pasture-rasied turkeys from Whiffletree Farm this year. Available for pick-up between November 10 and November 22. Give us a call or click here to place an order.And we still have spinach to pick. Watch for other you-pick items over the next three weeks.

Halloween’s Agricultural Roots

By Andrew Amelinckx on October 31, 2016. From Modern Farmer

   You dress up in a scary costume each October 31, hand out candy to the ghosts and ghouls who come to your door, and have even bobbed for apples at a Halloween party. But did you know you were actually celebrating the importance of agriculture with those activities? That’s right, Halloween has farming roots.

   It’s believed the Halloween’s origins lie in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), which was celebrated from October 31 into November 1, marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

   It was a time of the year for the Celtic peoples of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, northern France, and Brittany to bring their cattle from summer pasture—to slaughter livestock that was unlikely to make it through the long, cold winter and to hold celebratory feasts to consume the meat and other foods that easily spoiled in an age before refrigeration. It was also a time for fairs, regional markets, and assemblies—and the brewing of mead and beer following the harvesting of grains.

   Our modern conception of Halloween is based on the Celtic belief that Samhain was a time when the boundaries between our world and the Otherworld, a place inhabited by the dead and supernatural creatures like fairies, monsters, demons, and the like, were lowered. The inhabitants of the Otherworld could make their way to our world and unsuspecting humans could find themselves in the Otherworld by accident or trickery. Villagers would dress in frightening outfits to try to fool these dark and dangerous creatures thought to be roaming around that night.

   Read more here.

Join Cornucopia’s Cofounder on Facebook Live, Tuesday at 1:00 PM Eastern.

   Whether you’re a farmer invested in the fight to Keep The Soil In Organic, or a consumer who hasn’t heard the term “hydroponics” yet, join Cornucopia’s cofounder Mark Kastel on a Facebook Live video to learn about how you can get involved in the fight happening right now for the soul of organics.

   Growing “organic” food in sealed greenhouses or industrial buildings, under artificial lighting, without soil, is illegal in the U.S., Europe and most major organic countries — but the USDA is allowing that to happen right now in America!

   Go to Cornucopia’s Facebook Page on Tuesday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. to watch the live video with Kastel. It’s easy to view the video -- it will begin playing right on Cornucopia’s Facebook page as soon as they are live. You can type comments or questions into the comment box below the video.

Read more here.

Meet a Baby-Boomer Couple Farming in Shipping Containers

By Brian Barth on November 27, 2015. From Modern Farmer

   Freight Farms, the Boston ag-tech start-up that sells fully outfitted hydroponic shipping container farms for around $75,000 a pop, put out a new promo video earlier this year that should make any Gen Z teeny bopper want to be a farmer when they grow up. When the twentysomething star suddenly starts transplanting lettuce seedlings, you may feel a surge of optimism about our planet’s future—a bright, wholesome future, with an abundance of organic vegetables.

   The company’s Leafy Green Machine, as they call their upcycled 40-foot shipping containers, comes with its own computerized brain that allows you to monitor the temperature, moisture, humidity, and nutrient levels of the hydroponic system remotely with a smartphone. Pink-hued LED light strips hang in front of each of the vertical grow towers, giving a party vibe to the whole operation. Bluetooth-connected speakers embedded in the ceiling make it easy to rock out to your favorite playlist while you work. Aesthetically, it’s a highly curated experience: equal parts Apple-inspired and post-industrial chic.

   Read more here.

Great Country Farms | 540-554-2073 | CSA@GreatCountryFarms.com | www.GreatCountryFarms.com