Farm Happenings

Our chickens and roosters can’t wait for spring!

While we are still growing our produce the old-fashioned way, we are hard at work modernizing our methods for selling and advertising our products. We have put the finishing touches on our updated website, our ‘Online Farmstand” Is up and running and Google Forms is helping us put together our CSA membership list. We continue to be active on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Despite all this modernization, we will still be offering the same great, fresh produce and introducing new varieties of produce in our expanded fields. Looking forward to another great growing season with our farm community!

Please fill out this form to register for our CSA. Contact our Farm Manager at 860-284-8239 to arrange a payment schedule. You can pay in person, by check or by credit card by phone or through our online store. Please note that, to keep our costs down, there is a 5% charge for online or credit card payments.

Sign-up before March 31st and receive 4% off of your share!

The ground is covered in red, yellow and gold while many leaves are hanging on to the branches. The farm is beautiful in the fall, usually characterized by cool, crisp mornings but this past week has had us stripping off the heavy  jackets and pulling on our shorts!  Here on the farm the return of warmer weather has made planting this year’s garlic crop an absolute pleasure. We are down to some new Softneck Organic varieties – if you’d like to join us in the field, we’d be glad to have you help us finish planting and prepping the beds before the return of the colder weather. If you would like to join us on Saturday 11/14 from 9:30AM to 3:30PM, call Karin at: 860-284-8239.

We are also looking for an experienced field worker to help Allen and Karin finish off 2020 and prepare for 2021. If anyone knows someone who may be interested, please have them contact Karin at the number above.

CSA News

This year’s CSA swelled to 45+ members! A big thank you to our new and returning members for a wonderful season. The CSA model helps make our small farm sustainable, builds community, and supports a tradition that has existed here since 1955. The town of Bristol has invited us back to participate in their “Thanksgiving Farmer’s Market” Saturday,  November 21st, so we’ll be bringing selections from the Farmstand and our winter squashes on the road one last time this year. Our last CSA distribution will be the Sunday before Thanksgiving – 11/22. If you ordered holiday baked goods, you can pick them up with your share on Wednesday the 23rd if you wish.  We have learned so much this year and will definitely be applying “Lessons Learned” for 2021. Be on the lookout for an end of year survey so we can get your feedback as we plan for the 2021 season.

Farmstand News

Our stand will officially close the Sunday after Thanksgiving 11/29.  But, fear not…we should have our online store open by then and you will be able to order farm fresh eggs, seasonings, jams, jellies, holiday baskets, our dried herbs, veggies and much more!  We will offer shipping, local delivery, or weekly pick-up at Karin’s Farm Office, just a short distance down the driveway on the right. 

Karin moving some firewood!

This year Eaton Farm has decided to introduce holiday gift baskets, stocking stuffers, and hostess or family farm tokens which you can have us ship or have ready for you to pick-up.  Place your order for one of our 4 standard baskets, or create your own by selecting items from our unique offerings.  If you’d like to personally make your holiday gift yourself,  and are looking for an “open-air” way to enjoy time with family, friends, or co-worker’s, gather a group & pick a date to “Build a Farm Basket” in our Greenhouse. Groups of 6-18 will easily fit around our long tables where you’ll be able to choose baskets (or bring your own) and create 1 or more personalized baskets to bring with you when you leave. As always, contact Karin for more information at 860-284-8239. 

As we transition to colder weather and prepare for the holidays, we are looking back at a great year, despite the challenges of covid-19 and a couple of crop failures, and are filled with gratitude for your support of our family farm. Have a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving – we will see you in the fields soon!

Eat Well Today, delivering the very best fresh flash frozen, all-natural, portion-controlled foods, will be visiting Eaton Farm on Sunday, November 1st from 9:30AM -1:30PM. They have put together 4 sample ‘kits’ (including a vegetarian selection) ranging from $44-$64. These are top-of-the-line, sustainable, organic, ABF, gluten-free, GMO-free products. Seafood, poultry, game, beef, pork and vegetarian selections, all packed for convenience. They also carry prepared foods like chicken pot pie, chicken Cordon Bleu and other seasonal options.

Come find out more about Eat Well Today, purchase a sample package specially prepared for Eaton Farm supporters. They will also have black bean burgers, California burgers, NY strips, dry diver scallops and more! Visit us on Sunday to see what Eat Well Today is all about and take advantage of this collaboration that links our CSA shareholders and customers to healthy, chemical-free food options!

Eaton Farm’s Roosters Getting Ready for Fall

Pumpkins have started to arrive…some good for baking and many for decorating even giant ones that will last the entire month after carving! We have our Fall veggies and Garlic galore in many different shapes, sizes, colors and tastes.

Pumpkin Roll Lady drops off pumpkin cake rolled around cream cheese frosting and is accepting household orders at the Farm from now until December 15th.

It’s all about Fall planning and Crafty Karen’s bringing in the Fall butter…Pink Banana Squash Butter, Applesauce, Hot Chocolate and more. For those of you who stopped at the Garlic Bar this year…pig candy will be available as of October 10th in a minimum of 3 flavors.
It’s getting cooler now, so Allen is delivering our Firewood. Call to reserve quickly as we expect to run out this season. Our Fresh Eggs from Burlington arrive weekly, so stop by and pick up this all natural goodness! We are bringing in different types of Apples for everyone to enjoy and cannot wait to finish our Sweet Potato harvesting.

We begin planting 2021 veggies and herbs including old favorites and new flavors of our Garlic and adding french red shallot bulbs too.

2021 is expected to begin early on the Farm as we are planting early turnip and carrots, bunching onions, beets and other tasty vegetables that enjoy cold and quickly sprout in the Spring.
Our Farmstand has lights, so it may be getting dark early, but we’re still open until 7:30pm most nights!

This months CSA will be abundant with many different winter squash varieties, magic string beans, Garlic, of course, and apples too!

We are welcoming Home School students from 4th Grade thru 12th Grade at the Farm. Students and parents will participate in our “Introduction to Agriculture ” program where they will begin learning about Organic soil preparation, Fall produce planting and over wintering methods for early spring harvests of Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Onions, Turnips, Parsnips, Radishes, Broad Beans, Peas, Kale… as well as sampling the different tastes, and recording yields, when planted Fall vs Spring & Summer. October will include planting the Garlic and Shallots for late Spring & early Summer harvests.

We still have 8 slots left in our Home School Introduction to Agriculture Fall Course. Contact our Farm Manager Karin, at 860-284-8239 for details and scheduling.

We still have 7 slots open for our Garlic & Shallot Planting/Harvesting Barter Program. If you’d like a unique Date Day experience, family outing, or friend gathering outside, adheres to all Social Distancing protocols come play in the field at Eaton Farm.  Your Fall labor &/or love for Garlic/Shallots will earn a % of the Harvest. Make an event out of it by bringing friends and family together along with your favorite..snacks, drinks etc. You’ll learn about planting & raising what you plant and if you’d like to try some at your place, you’ll be able to purchase some seed garlic from us as well.  Contact Farm Manager, Karin @ 860-284-8239 for details & to schedule your groups slot.

And finally, this is the month to reseed lawns, so pick up your straw and topsoil from us or have us deliver it!

Karin

Just a reminder that our Garlic Bar is happening again this weekend! We are, however, changing this weekend’s event to Saturday instead of Sunday due to expected rainy weather. We will be showing off the 8+ varieties of garlic grown on the farm as well as:

• Jams, jellies (Roasted Onion and Garlic, for one!) and other canned products supplied by CT entrepreneur “Crafty Karen“
• Cocoa, and Donuts in the morning and Roasted Garlic Cornmeal, Garlic Salts and more from Saltbox Seasonings, featuring our own garlic!
• Hot dogs, Brats and Roasted Corn will be sold by I Want Pig Candy (Facebook) and they will be creating Crazy Garlic Pig Candy using our garlic
• Infused oils, pre-orders for fall Pumpkin Rolls from The Pumpkin Roll Lady
• and much more!

Join us for this celebration of Garlic on:

• Saturday, September 12 from 10:00AM-2:00PM
  and
• Sunday, September 20 from 10:00AM – 2:00PM

We hope to see you there!