Some lovely morning and pre-storm picture taken by Brian Yorck.....Thank you!

In many of these photos you see the dramatic skies...but the drama is really happening below the surface of all of these wonderful cover crops.  

Cover crops are typically a grain or legume that are grown between high value crops (vegetables in our case).   These diverse crops break cycles of pests and disease that can build up over many years of growing vegetables. They also cover the soil keeping erosion at bay during heavy storms.  They keep nutrients in place with their roots as well as by absorbing them into their plant material.   Legume cover crops work with microbes in the soil to fix nitrogen from the air bringing it into the soil!!!  

So as you enjoy these dramatic skies...ponder the complexities of the natural world and the richness that diversity gives to our soils and our lives.

from the road

Fields of barley

Mixed barley, oats, rye and peas

The road to ?????

More mixed cover crops

This is the Rye & very colorful Vetch!

Waving in the breeze.

Making Hay

We all headed out to the fields during the last dry spell...that does seem like awhile ago!

Kids, dogs, cousins, and all of our employees.

We do not always have that many folks helping, but the dry window was closing fast...it was due to rain momentarily!

The bales could have used a few more hours of blazing sun...they were heavy!!!

But as the saying goes many hands make little work and into the barn it all went.

We put it single layer on pallets to ensure it could dry a little more.

We are two weeks out from that day and the hays is stacked and dry,ready for the winter!

Planting Planting Planting.....

Its cold, it's hot it's cold, it's hot... spring is unpredictable by nature.  Since we do many plantings of many different crops we are considerably more protected from these fluctuations than farmers who grow only a few crops.  Below is a quick sampling of what is in (and out of) the greenhouse right now.  

 Sweet corn waiting to be planted.  We have some great sweet varieties for this season!

 Lettuce in many colors and textures from tender boston to crisp romaine...salad is a staple all season long!!!

 Lots of different summer squashes and zucchinis this year...middle eastern types, striped, golden, yellow and scalloped ones as well.

 Behind these squashes you can see the cucumbers....we will have both pickling and slicers again this year....nothing like a cool cucumber salad on a hot summer day!

Here are the many peppers, tomatoes and eggplants that we have been planting...too many varieties to name.  We will be doing four plantings of tomatoes this year and are hoping for another great tomato season!!!!

What we did this winter...

Our blogging has taken a back seat to life...but we would like you to see what we spent our winter months doing...we were busy!  We tended many fires...daily...sometimes all day! and into the night!!!

 The steam was amazing...we worried the neighbors would think we were burning the place down....it was only steam though...no smoke...promise!

 Our friend and neighbor Pam helped us out on more than one occasion....here she is testing the sugar density of the syrup with the hydrometer.

 Our new sugar shack...built into a corner of our pole barn.  We look forward to the evolution of this new enterprise.

 And of course the end product is very good, very sweet and leaves you wanting more.  We hope to be crafting a CSA sugar share for the future!

2013 Plant Sale

The Farm at Miller's Crossing’s

8^th Annual Spring Plant Sale

Saturday May 25th

9am – 2pm

Certified Organic Plants

Vegetables

Heirloom Tomatoes

Peppers of all colors and temperatures

Salad and Cooking Greens

Flowers

Exotic and ever blooming annuals to make your gardens and containers bright from spring until frost

Hanging Baskets & Containers

Easy carefree color anywhere you like

 

 

Bring your family and enjoy our 200 acre farm

For More Information Call  Katie or Chris (518) 851 – 2331

From route 9 head east on route 23 from the light in Claverack, +/- one mile take a left onto route 217, +/- one mile take your first right onto Roxbury Road West End.  The farm is 1/8^th of a mile on left.

From the Taconic State pkwy take Philmont/Harlemville exit.  Go west on route 217 through Philmont and Mellenville, past the old Taconic Hills High School on your right and take next left onto Roxbury Road West End (approx. 5 miles). The farm is 1/8^th of a mile on left.

farmatmillerscrossing.com

Oh the Color!!!!

  Just harvested!!!! D"Avingnon Radishes

 I love this purple...with the dark center.

 This is a favorite for the season, Etain violet...a perennial with the most delicate colors.

 Another favorite Osteospurnum.

 Our trailers are filled with amazing colors right now.  All survived the frost last night and are hardier for it!

 We are getting ready for plant sale season...Trade Secrets on the 18th, Our Farm sale on the 25th....and then at the end of June the Hidden Gardens Tour in Spencertown June 22nd...every weekend at the Hudson Farmers Market and on farm by appointment.

Get ready to plant!

CSA Share--Week of July 9
The share looks even better than this picture--which is beautiful!  Thanks Victor!