Spring at Native Hill Farm

Native Hill Farm working members are the heart and soul of our farm. (Photo by Claire Burnett)

Hello Folks!

Even though we are still a month away from the first day of summer, I think it ok to say that spring has been tremendous here in Northern Colorado.  The flowers around town have exploded and the temperatures have been down right pleasant (kinda rare for this area).  This week on the farm has been a bit of a slog...mud pie has been the field to fork special.  The good news is that spring greens LOVE this weather and we hope to have lots of delicious eats coming off the farm over the next few weeks.  We will be putting in many of our summer crops soon including field peppers, eggplants, and beans and the seasonal battle with the weeds has already begun.  

Early morning arugula harvest at Native Hill Farm. (Photo by Farmer Grace)

The salad menu continues this week as we work our way through the leaf, root, and fruit movements of the farm.  My favorite salad this time of year is arugula with goat cheese and some sort of dried fruit.  Figs happen to be my fruit of choice these days as they pair well with bacon which I will also add to my salad if we are living high on the hog so to speak.  Need more substance?  Try it on a pizza or flat bread.  Olive oil and green garlic  base, sliced dried figs, mozzarella, goat cheese, and a big pile of arugula at the end (oh and the bacon).  Italians might give me the stink eye, but I love to add pea greens to my pasta carbonara. Pea greens a little different than pea shoots as they have more substance to them and maybe best for cooking.  Try them in a stir fry with some green garlic and radishes.  Spring called and said dust off your bike. Chive and pea green fritatta with fresh herbs and a side salad makes for a romantic picnic.

Warmly,
Katie

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This Week's Harvest

Salad Mix
Arugula
Pea Greens
Radishes
Green Garlic
Chives
Oregano
Thyme 

Larimer County Farmers' Market Opens Saturday!

Photo by Claire Burnett

The Larimer County Farmers’ Market, started in 1975, is the oldest Farmers’ Market in Northern Colorado. Located in beautiful Old Town Fort Collins, the Market is run by Colorado State University Master Gardeners who volunteer their time to oversee market operations. 

Native Hill Farm is proud to be a vendor at the Market. We hope to see you on opening day, this Saturday, May 14, from 8am-12pm. Join us for fresh veggies and smiling farmers!

For more information please visit www.larimercountyfarmersmarket.org

You're Invited! Nose to Tail Hog Dinner

To learn more please visit www.poudrevalleycommunityfarms.com/

All Signs Point to Spring

Photo credit: Claire Burnett

The birds are chirping, the soil is moist and the wind socks all point to spring on the farm this week.  Not sure if we are past all the winter storms yet, but according to Nolan Doskin, the state climatologist, a strong El Nino year often produces "normal" seasons for our area.  I suppose normal is up to interpretation here, but it is time to move forward on the spring projects until mother nature tells us different.  There are thousands of seedlings to start, compost to spread, soil to work, and greens galore to get out of the tunnels before we start prepping them for warm weather crops.

As we head into the last month of CSA, the boxes will be getting lighter!  Not necessarily because we won't have as much food, but the food is just changing.  We design the boxes based on storage-ability of certain crops and our ability to grow greens during certain times of the year. The fall and early winter are dedicated to squash, cabbage, onions, and garlic as those items do not store as well over time.  We try to hold off on things like kohlrabi until it gets closer to spring because those are the foods that store extremely well and had gotten our ancestors through the "hunger moon" of April.  Lucky for us, we have tunnels that will help us from getting board on the home stretch of the winter to spring transition and there are still lots of delicious things to eat right now.  

An abundance of veggies at the Fort Collins Winter Market. (Photo credit: Claire Burnett)

Spring is the time that I really start to incorporate dry beans, dried fruit, and nutrient dense grains in with my root veggies and greens.  There are almost a million ways to do this and most of them start with roasting, steaming, or sauteing those roots.  This week we caught up on our carrot consumption with a healthy quinoa salad with carrots, raisins, and spinach.  Root vegetable hash is a great way to use a multitude of roots in the morning (or for dinner!).  Skillet hash is easy on the stove and pairs well with a poached egg, something else that is abundant this time of year! 

- Katie

Happy CSA Sign-Up Day!

Happy CSA Sign-Up Day! CSA farmers across the country – including us – need your support for a successful future harvest. Buy a share today and help us grow! 

As you might already know, community supported agriculture is the business model for direct-marketing farmers in which individuals and families commit to buy from one farm for an entire season. CSA Day celebrates this model and all that small farmers do to strengthen local agriculture, connect communities, and nourish families.

Tell your friends and family why you support community supported agriculture. Use the tag #CSAday to spread the word and help us strengthen the local food movement in Northern Colorado!

To learn more about Native Hill's unique CSA model click here. Thank you for your support!