Hi, December! The Latest News from Farm & Larder and Bella Luna Farms

As we transition from our wet, but surprisingly mild, November into the first days of December, we have been enjoying the crisp, sunny weather of the last week, using the pleasant days to catch up on chores to ready the farm for the official start of winter later this month.

Unaware of everything going on beyond the gates of Bella Luna, the resident goats, donkey and the chickens go about their daily routine of eating, ruminating, and sleeping—what a life! The goats did get to meet a new friend this last week: Our most recent addition to the farm is a darling white St. Croix and Katahdin cross ewe named Windy. The goats don’t know exactly what to make of this new friend, having determined that she is not caprine, but Windy is ready to join the herd. It will take the girls a little getting used to having a new “lawn mower” on board, but the pasture will be well manicured from now on!

A hush has fallen around the hives in the apiary as the bees are now in their winter clusters, huddling around the queen to keep everyone warm and fed. The last of the leaves have fallen, and the bounty of the summer and fall has been stored away—the apples and pears have been harvested and the tomatoes have been canned to enjoy throughout the upcoming winter. We harvested carrots and beets this past week, and moved the Meyer lemon trees into the hoophouse for the winter.

We have been busy putting the ornamental flower gardens to bed and also adding heavy straw mulch to the vegetable plots, which will remain fallow over the winter to protect the soil and keep weeds at bay. In other areas of the vegetable garden and in our cut flower field, we planted cover crops which will be tilled in during the spring to help add nutrients to the soil before planting. We are busy digging and storing dahlia tubers, and the first seed catalog has just arrived in the mail!

As the holiday shopping season commences, look no further than the farm. We have a little something for everyone on your list, with subscriptions to Farm & Larder’s weekly delivery service, gift cards or gift baskets all available for purchase. We’re bringing back our classic Nonna Pat’s Sunday Supper basket for the holiday season, which includes such Italian provisions as hand-crafted pasta, dipping oil and our own marinara sauce crafted from a treasured family recipe. We would love to put together a custom gift basket or flower arrangement for you—please let us know how we can help!

On a scheduling note, there will be no F&L delivery on Christmas Eve (December 24th) and then we will pick back up again per usual in the New Year—we will keep you posted on dates and details here in the next few weeks so you can mark your calendars. From all of us here at the farm, we wish you and yours a merry holiday season and a Happy New Year!