Mad Hatter Farm News

Dear Mad Hatters,

What a hot and stormy summer it has been!  A normal Connecticut summer has an average of 18 days of 90+ temperatures.  We have already had 18 days of 90+ weather in July alone.  Pretty impressive.

Dear Mad Hatters,

Mad Hatter Farm is located in the beautiful town of Falls Village, Connecticut.  Our town has many good things to recommend it:  an historic library, a terrific breakfast and lunch joint (Toymaker's Cafe), and a big waterfall called The Great Falls.  We moved here by chance.  We had been looking for a property to farm and after 8 months of looking up and down New York and Connecticut, this property had the right combination for us of land and house.

Dear Mad Hatters,

The past 2 weeks have been a bountiful harvest with endless snap peas, head lettuces and early zucchini.  The weather has cooled off, and the sun is shining.

Now I think we may be heading into a saddle week.  The springtime vegetables are just about done, and the summer vegetables are almost ready, but we may have a week where there is a lull in the field and the plants sort of pause for a moment, and then start producing like crazy again.  We will be seeing cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes and peppers soon.

Dear Mad Hatters,

As I walked our dog Seve this morning, I was reminded of one of my favorite bits of writing by Carl Sagan from his book Cosmos.  As he discusses the evolution of human beings, he writes:

Dear Mad Hatters,

Today is opening day of the Ridgefield Farmers Market, located at 88 Danbury Road in Ridgefield, CT.  The market operates every Friday from now until October from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Please note new start time of 2:00 p.m.).

This week Mad Hatter Farm will have:

Chioggia Beets

Kohlrabi

Cherry Belle Radishes

Green Onions

Chives

Pac Choy

Red Russian Kale

Cardinale Lettuce

New Fire Lettuce

Rainbow Swiss Chard

Garlic Scapes

Dear Mad Hatters,

It is Hot Hot Hot here at Mad Hatter Farm, and your farmers are busy planting, weeding and watering in anticipation of a great harvest season.  Our CSA begins the week of June 7, and the first Ridgefield Farmers Market is Friday, June 11.  

Dear Mad Hatters,

Welcome to Spring!  We are busy at the farm prepping the fields, seeding the seeds and planning for an exciting season of fresh and delicious vegetables.

This is our first newsletter of the 2010 season and for those of you who are new to Mad Hatter Farm, a special welcome. 

Dear Mad Hatters,

We apologize for being out of touch.  One of us had the flu and the other one of us has one hand in a cast which slowed us down a bit.

Lots of interesting things going on these last few weeks.  I was shocked to hear that Conde Nast has pulled the plug on Gourmet Magazine.  The November 2009 issue is the last one, and Editor In Chief Ruth Reichl makes an interesting comment in her editorial,

Dear Mad Hatters,
 
The weather is changing as quickly as the leaves are falling and we are getting close to the end of our season.  But with one last pick-up left for our CSA members and a few more weeks of farmers markets, there is still lots of fresh food in Connecticut!

 

Dear Mad Hatters,