Welcome to the New Harmony Farm CSA. We are still accepting membership applications for the 2012 Summer Harvest Season.

Erin and friends at New Harmony Farm, 77 Bridge St., West Newbury, MA

New Harmony Farm 2012 Summer CSA Share Application

To join on-line please go to the membership page.

Teen chicks in their new digs

Although I have raised chicks before, raising a motley crew of 37 chicks with so many different varieties has been a new experience. It has been fascinating to see them grow from day old chicks into 6 week old teens. For the most part they have been getting along well in spite of the increasing discrepancy in size as they grow into their genetic destiny. The Buff Orpingtons, and Black Austrolorps tower over the little White Silkie that was a bonus “exotic chick” that came in our chick delivery from MacMurray’s Hatchery. Though a third of the size of some of her peers this little Silkie holds her own and is often the aggressor to make sure no-one gets an idea to pick on her.

I now understand the origins of “pecking order” as a description of social hierarchy. These birds often will give each other a little peck to determine dominance and this has been mostly benign for our growing chicks. Last week however, this hierarchical jostling went to the dark side when some of the birds started attacking the weakest chicken and were drawing blood. If I had not been there to rescue and isolate the hapless Buff Laced Polish Rooster it would have been quickly killed and partially eaten. Yes! It certainly takes teenage social angst to a new level when your friends are cannibals! Happily after a few days in chicken rehab our little rooster was reintegrated into the flock and is doing fine.

Erin's first ride on her new tractor- Woo Hoo!

Thanks go to Gary Van Geyte, my farm partner at New Hampshire CSA who went with me to buy my used bush hog, Jay Gore the mechanical wizard who adjusted and tweaked by bush hog and tiller, Ethan Grundberg (formally the farm technician at New Entry Farming and now back to be a farmer himself) who drove out early on his day off from work to give me a 3 hour tractor lesson, and finally to Gus Harrington my machine mentor and knight with a socket wrench who is determined to make me comfortable and capable with maintaining my tractor and all its attachments. Gus has helped me when I needed to change my tractor attachments and figured out the springs that needed to be adjusted when one of my clutches started burning–to name just a few of his generous actions. I’m naming my first tomato after him.

So for the rest of March and through early April, when you drive by the farm you will have a good chance of seeing me riding Elvira (Old Gothic for alert, trustworthy) as I continue to till and then shape the raised beds in preparation for planting time.

The beloved and essential honey bee is under serious threat and with colony collapse disorder raging through our nation’s bee hives almost 1/2 of all honey  bee colonies die each year. Though this is a challenge there is hope. My friend and best man at our wedding Taggart Siegal (director and writer of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John) has created an incredibly beautiful and inspiring documentary on the honey bee called “Queen of the Sun”. As our official launch of New Harmony’s educational program, New Harmony is collaborating with New Eden Collaborative of First Parish Church and Transition Newburyport to co-sponsor a fundraiser for New Eden Collaborative’s organic bee program on Sunday, February 12 at 4:30 Pm at First Parish Church Newbury,20 High Rd. Newbury. After the film New Hampshire-based Bio-dynamic beekeeper, Amy Robinson, will hold a discussion and Q&A session on organic and bio-dynamic beekeeping. Suggested donation is $10 to help support organic bees.

To give opportunity to further discussion and deepen community there will be a “Local Flavor” potluck downstairs in Holton Hall following the discussion.

More about “Queen of the Sun”

 “ The feel-good advocacy movie of the year. ”
- Box Office Magazine

“A remarkable documentary that’s also one of the most beautiful nature films I’ve seen.”
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian scientist, philosopher & social innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years honeybees would collapse. Now, beekeepers around the United States and around the world are reporting an incredible loss of honeybees, a phenomenon deemed “Colony Collapse Disorder.” This “pandemic” is indicated by bees disappearing in mass numbers from their hives with no clear single explanation. The queen is there, honey is there, but the bees are gone.
For the first time, in an alarming inquiry into the insights behind Steiner’s prediction QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? investigates the long-term causes behind the dire global bee crisis through the eyes of biodynamic beekeepers, commercial beekeepers, scientists and philosophers. QUEEN OF THE SUN features world renowned biodynamic beekeeper Gunther Hauk, New York Times bestselling-author Michael Pollan, Indian Activist Vandana Shiva, and a compelling cast of characters from around the world. Together they take us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and into the mysterious world of the beehive. The film unveils 10,000 years of beekeeping, illuminating the deep link between humans and bees and how that historic and sacred relationship has been lost due to highly mechanized industrial practices. Beekeeper Gunther Hauk calls the crisis, “More important even than global warming. We could call it Colony Collapse of the human being too.”
Bees are the engines that keep the earth in bloom. QUEEN OF THE SUN presents the bee crisis as a global wake-up call and illuminates a growing movement of beekeepers, community activists and scientists who are committed to renewing a culture in balance with nature.

Amy Robinson’s Bio:

Amy Robinson has a vegetable farm and apiary in Brentwood, NH. She has been keeping bees for eleven years and studied with Gunther Hauk at the Pfeiffer Center in Chestnut Ridge, NY to learn biodynamic beekeeping. Amy was president of the Seacoast Beekeepers Association for five years and teaches beekeeping there and at other clubs.

Answering the call to become a farmer at the not so tender year of 52 last July was nearly a spontaneous leap of faith. Those who choose to follow me on my sojourn through my first year of starting an organic permaculture farm shall bear witness to my trials, tribulations, and revelations (and may learn a few growing tips along the way).

New Harmony on a frozen January day

Frozen Beginning:

Although this winter has been unusually warm ( or perhaps a harbinger of the new normal with Global Warming) the ground has finally frozen. I am able to walk my back field for the first time that was too wet and dense with foliage to easily traverse before. Although the soil and ice below my feet feels as hard as steel, I sense not death but slumbering potential waiting for the sun to come back closer to the earth. New worlds and new possibilities for the farm arise before my eyes and my imagination.

After much anticipation (on my part anyway), I’m delighted to report that I have now recieved my certification from Bay State Organic Certifiers that states that all produce grown at New Harmony Farm is 100% organic!

Bull's Blood Beet Greens getting ready to be sent to the Natural Grocer in Newburyport

Stay tuned to this blog to learn more about New Harmony’s earth friendly growing practices and permaculture designs for our farm.

Thanks to the diligence and techno savvy of my husband and web wizard Michael, You are now able to give immediate gratification to your enthusiasm to become part of our New Harmony CSA by being able to join on line.
To join our 2012 Summer CSA on line click here.