Farm Happenings for 9/22/2020: Notes, if you didn't see last week's Happenings & Update from Common Wealth Farm

The threat of frost this weekend has all the farmers hopping to get vulnerable crops harvested or covered in the fields! For shares the week of September 22, we've got a delicious mix of veggies for boxes, watermelon radishes - if you've never tried one they're amazing - they look just like their name! Plenty of Extras available too so you can stock up!

Let us know if you need to make adjustments to your schedule as everyone transitions into their fall schedules, email farmers@daybreakgrowersalliance.com.

For those who didn't have a share or see these notes from last week, please read . . .

Notes About Farm Share Pick Up

Our drop site hosts have generously allowed us to drop your Farm Shares at their location for pick up on the DESIGNATED day and time only. Thank you, to everyone who regularly picks up on time. We do not have arrangements for drop locations to store shares that are not picked up or to remind members to come pick up their shares. Please set a calendar reminder of the day and time of your share pick up. If you will be out of town you can put your share on hold in advance or reschedule for another date, email farmers@daybreakgrowersalliance.com if you’d like assistance. If you are unable to make it during the pick up time and still want your share YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for making your own arrangements to get your share, if you send a family member or friend be sure to let them know exactly what they are picking up. If you have an emergency, let us know. Shares not picked up during the designated time are considered forfeited and will be donated. In some areas we have a few pick up locations, if one currently isn’t working for you another might be a better fit, we’re happy to help you figure this out if you reach out. Thank you to all of our hosts and members for making this all work!

About our Farm Share

When customers sign up for a Share with Daybreak they are signing up for a Share of the Harvest. Unlike a traditional CSA, the ability that Harvie gives us to customize shares and have specific crops in a share helps to get our shareholders a variety of produce that they can more specifically choose. That being said we still have to work within the availability of what our farmers have in season, and sometimes substitutions have to be made when farms don’t have as much of a crop as they expected or have crop failures due to weather or pests. This is the difference between signing up for a share of local food vs. shopping at the grocery store where items come in from all over the country. Daybreak and all our partnering farms really appreciate the support and dedication that our shareholders are making to our farms.

Update from Common Wealth Farm

Fall may be closing in on us, but we have never been busier. Every two weeks from March until the end of September we have 500 chicks delivered. After about four weeks in brooders, they move onto pasture in "chicken tractors" that get moved every day to fresh grass. Between seven and eight weeks, the birds are ready for processing. This is done on site in our state-licensed facility. They air chill overnight, and we cut and package them the next day for delivery to farmers' markets and wholesale accounts. We raise a small batch of turkeys the same way.

Our layer chickens and ducks are free-ranging and have a non-GMO supplemental diet. We also raise quail for a few months for meat and eggs. In summer months, our bees produce wildflower honey.

Owners are Charles and Jackie Wilson. Farm Manager Tim Wilson and a wonderful crew of three help produce some of the highest quality and most humanely treated chicken and associated products in Central Maine. Thank you for your support!

We are a collection of small Maine farmers who believe that we are stronger and more resilient working together to provide our communities with local organic food. We are passionate about growing a vibrant Maine food economy and getting more local food onto Maine families tables.

Our farms are located in the rich agricultural landscape of Waldo and Kennebec counties, all offering our unique contributions to Daybreak’s Farm Box Subscription to create a well balanced and nutritious array in your families farm box each week. All our vegetables are from farms Certified Organic by MOFGA, and we offer a variety of Local and Organic options for Meat, Fruit, Dairy, Bread and Flower Add-ons. Our subscription is offered year round in two season sign up periods (Jun-Dec & Jan-May) to allow you to tailor the needs of your family to our subscription seasons and pay as you go throughout the year.

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