May 2024 Newsletter: Opening Day at the Farmstand

Day to day, acres of ground are turned and tilled, for a moment an empty, earthy, rippling brown canvas, just as quickly filled with evenly spaced ranks of plants, newly released from their trays, desperate to spread their roots in the welcoming soil and catch the late spring sunshine. At their feet, a carpet of impertinent weeds appears, undaunted by these lanky, soft greenhouse specimens, on whose behalf we intercede with our arsenal of tractors and hoes, propane torches and hands, trying to roll back the green carpet and once again reveal the pristine soil beneath. Our efforts are only ever partially successful—the wily weeds, in their millions, are persistent and indomitable, crafty and opportunistic. Our only hope is to beat them back temporarily until our crops are able to fend for themselves. A wet, mild winter set the stage for a wet, cool spring. A few lingering frost scares are now well past (we hope) as we confidently uncover our tender rows of tomatoes, cucumbers and basil, leaving them to the whims of the weather. Early bounties of spinach, rhubarb and herbs have been joined by lettuce, radish and arugula, with kale leaves and garlic scapes growing apace. The spectacle of apple bloom has passed, and the tiny fruit that set is swallowed by the unfurling foliage, difficult to discern until they swell and blush, announcing their presence as the summer proceeds. Strawberry bloom is past peak, with sprays of low growing green fruit nodding at the ends of their long green stems—they should begin to color and sweeten in the next week or so. Despite some difficulties with fields remaining wet this spring, we have managed to keep up with our schedules, more or less. Our new greenhouse (just finished last spring) has given our plant production a much-needed consistency and boost in volume, as our many gardening customers have observed. Our cut flower program, so ably managed by Huey-Harn Chen, has undergone expansion and promises a welcome and beautiful complement to our vegetable and fruit offerings. Another season begins in earnest—soon our doors will open! The farmstand will open with limited hours this upcoming weekend: on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (May 31, June 1, and June 2) we will be open 11am-3pm. We will still be open for self-serve the rest of this week, as well as outside the staffed farmstand hours. Our regular farmstand hours of Tuesdays-Saturdays 11am-6pm, and Sundays 11am-5pm will begin on Tuesday June 4th. Two of our farmers markets have already started for the season (Saturdays at Union Square in Somerville, and Mondays at Central Square in Cambridge) but next Thursday, June 6th, our Thursday afternoon market in Belmont Center will also begin for the season. As our crop roster grows, we hope to see you soon at either the farmstand or at one of our farmers markets! As always, please check the “whats at the stand” tab on our website for the latest crop and seedling information – we try (as much as we possibly can!) to keep that page updated. Happy Spring! -Brian Cramer, Liza Bemis, and the rest of the Hutchins Farm crew