Although it’s not looking much like spring currently, the calendar insists that April has begun. We survived the snowy winter without any serious problems, and I was very thankful that we don’t have any livestock to keep fed and watered in the cold depths (and it was deep) of winter. But that’s all behind us now—I trust. Now each day will beguile us with swelling buds, unfolding leaves, warm sunshine, newly turned soil, gentle rain, and ultimately, the first (and succeeding) fruits of summer. Of course all that is quite theoretical at this point, though our greenhouses are rapidly filling with hypothetical fruits and vegetables, eager to bask and bathe in the sun and rains that, after all, will come, and thereby (with a lot of work besides) be translated from potential into actual—the good food of summer for which we impatiently wait the rest of the year.
We don’t have to wait any longer for that first gift of spring— overwintered parsnips, incomparably tender and sweet. They are available now on the porch, self-serve, and presumably will be around for a couple weeks. In short order they will be joined by a wide and ever-growing variety of vegetable and herb plants for gardeners. Those of you who have ordered plants from us in the past may be disappointed to learn that we won’t be filling orders this season—we will, however, have a similar wide variety of plants. A list of most of the varieties we will have available and when they will be ready can be found in .pdf form at our website www.hutchinsfarm.com. In addition, you can find bagged compost and potting soil available now on the porch.
By late May, we should begin to see the earliest lettuce and other greens, and with the arrival of June and the miraculous transformation of hypothetical strawberries into delicious, ripe reality, we will open our doors for another season. Once again, we will be attending three farmer’s market each week: Cambridge/Central Square on Mondays, Belmont on Thursdays, and Somerville/Union Square on Saturdays. For complete times and dates, see our website.
We hope all of you came through the winter as sweet as the parsnips and we’re looking forward to seeing all of you again soon. Look for more frequent updates to our website and Facebook page as the capable Liza Bemis increases her involvement with the farm this season. The newlyweds Taylor and Andrea Bemis, who worked with us last season (in sin), have returned as well to bring their considerable combined energies and enthusiasms to bear on our common goal—to provide you with the freshest, finest food you can find anywhere.
Hope to see you all soon,
Brian Cramer