It has occurred to me that I have so much to catch up on here! I've been posting pictures and making comments on Face Book for the most part and forgetting to post about the same topic over here on the blog. My apologies! Not everyone indulges in FB and I will attempt to make that up to you. :)Much earlier in the year, and for the first time for me, I bought a share in the Holcomb Farm in Granby, Ct. This basically means that for a price I get a share in everything they produce for the year. They also have different pick your own crops that you can have above and beyond that which you pay for. You just have to be willing to go pick it yourself and adhere to the amounts they indicate you can pick. This year they've had a variety of herbs; raspberries; strawberries; various flowers; peas; string beans and a host of other items available to pick. Being new to the whole process I haven't indulged in as much as I could have but I probably will next year.
The Holcomb Farm is not designated as an organic farm. That doesn't mean they aren't organic...for the most part they very much are. I'm told that the laws for being organic are extremely stringent and confining and many farms are opting not to get that designation not because they are using tons of chemicals that disqualify them but because they don't want to have to adhere to all the rules. Holcomb Farm practices organic sustainable farming. They even hand pick bugs when necessary. However if they feel a crop is going to be entirely lost to some pest, they will use the least harmful form of spray they know of to try to avoid the loss. They are very conscientious farmers and I like that. 
They raised two groups of pigs for pork this year. The pigs were raised on organic pig chow and left over organically grown produce from the farm. I went with Kaylee to feed them when they were little and still cute...which doesn't last very long. And I bought some of the hot sausage that they ended up being. This was a first for me too. I was concerned that I would think of them as 'friends' or that they would fall into that dangerous zone of 'pets' and I wouldn't be able to eat them. Nope...no problem. I didn't have enough interaction to befriend them and honestly when they get really big there is very little of the cute and cuddly thing happening anymore. The sausage was absolutely fantastic and hands down the best I've ever tasted. As long as I don't have to raise them I will certainly buy the pork from them again. 
This horse statue is on the front lawn at the main house. We don't really need to visit the main house and barn for anything but I really love this statue. All produce is available for selection (as part of our share) at one of the outer barns and pork; beef; cheese; yogurts; breads; honey; jams and eggs (which I've never been fortunate enough to get yet) are also available for purchase at that same barn. My experience with the farm share has been a good one overall. I've been disappointed a couple of times that there wasn't as much variety of veggies to choose from some weeks...but that was because we had a tough growing year with all the flooding from rain storms and Hurricane Irene. A couple of times they have skipped a week due to low picking volumes but they extended the weeks at the end when there will be more of everything. I've been very satisfied with my farm share and I intend to do it again next year. I'm trying different veggies that I've never had before and also able to spread the wealth around a bit to my family and friends. If you have the opportunity to participate in something like this you should really give it a try.
