Spring is in full swing here at In Good Heart Farm, and the past few weeks have been packed with planting, pruning, and plenty of problem-solving. As the days lengthen, so does our to-do list, but there’s something energizing about the rhythm of the season.
Spring Planting Party & Potluck One of the highlights of the season so far was our Spring Planting Party & Potluck. It was such a lovely time getting to know new members and celebrating our community while working together to plant potatoes and onions. We even got to celebrate community member Rosemary’s birthday with a song! The kids played so nicely together, and Aby even led a kid farm tour—it was so sweet to see. The other kids were genuinely interested in Aby’s tour and all the information she shared. They even tried purple dead nettle flowers! We hope to see more of you face-to-face as spring continues; the days are perfect for time spent outside in community. Let us know if there’s anything going on that you’d like us to share with our CSA membership or more broadly.
What’s in the Ground? We’ve been busy planting a wide array of crops to keep our CSA shares diverse and abundant. In the past few weeks, we’ve put lettuce, arugula, frisée, dandelion, kale, chard, fennel, kohlrabi, bok choy, radishes, turnips, cilantro, dill, parsley, carrots, spinach, cherry tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, beets, onions, and potatoes (at the planting party!) into the ground. For a touch of beauty and herbal goodness, we’ve also sown calendula and chamomile.
Pruning and Tree Care Winter’s careful pruning is paying off as our fruit trees and bushes wake up for the season. We’ve been pruning apples, blueberries, figs, and peach trees—giving them the structure they need for healthy growth and abundant fruit. Ben even took his skills off the farm to prune the apple trees at the Hewitts’.
Weeding and Cultivating With all this new growth, there’s plenty of cultivating and weeding to do. We’ve been tending to kale, chard, fennel, and beets, making sure they have the space and nutrients they need to thrive.
A Battle with the Deer Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones excited about fresh spring greens—the deer have been finding weak spots in our fences and helping themselves to the buffet. We’ve been patching up gaps and reinforcing our defenses to keep our crops safe.
Fixing, Mending, and Maintaining Farm life always comes with a good dose of repair work. We’ve been filling in potholes on our farm road and tackling a major restoration of our manure spreader, a true relic from the 1940s. This project included replacing its wooden floor and repairing the chain, which even called for some blacksmithing and welding.
Meanwhile, our tractors are getting some much-needed TLC—oil changes, hydraulic fluid checks, and fresh grease to keep everything running smoothly.
Welcoming a New Apprentice We’re excited to have Emily, our new CEFS apprentice, joining us this season. Training new farmers is one of the best parts of what we do, and we’re grateful to have her energy and enthusiasm on the farm.
Chatham County AgFest We also attended the Chatham County AgFest, where we mingled with locals interested in agriculture. We met lots of cool new folks and were so happy to reconnect with old friends, too. This is one of our favorite events of the year—the kids even chose to skip their DnD session at the library in favor of AgFest! If you didn’t make it this year, be sure to keep an eye out for it next year. It’s so much fun!
As always, we’re thankful for our CSA members and farm community who keep us going. The work is constant, but so is the joy of growing food for you. Thanks for being part of the season with us!
In Good Heart Farm 