Is it Summer Already?

CROSSROADS FARM'S APRIL, MAY AND JUNE BLOG

Is it summer already? Months have passed since we have written a blog post. We hope it feels like meeting an old friend after a long while and diving right back in as if no time had passed. On one hand it feels like a void that needs to be filled, on the other, it feels that we share our lives with each of you almost every day here at the farm, enjoying each other’s company in so many ways. Whether we are listening to local musicians with you on Friday nights at our Food Truck Rodeos, chatting with you about what’s in season at our Farm Store, working alongside you and your children in one of our education programs, or catching up with you during one of our events, we feel constantly supported by our growing community.

Crossroads Farm has been very busy this past Spring season.

We have several new educators who bring a wealth and diversity of experience to our programs. With over 1,000 students of all ages both on and off site this spring, we are grateful to our community of families, schools, girl scout troops, mentoring groups and hospitals who rely on us to provide inspiring, hands-on learning opportunities for their students.
We have expanded our Farm Store to accommodate all the fresh organic produce we’ve harvested as the season has progressed. Local farms are flourishing along with us, with some of their produce highlighted in the store as well. You’ll see the familiar faces of our retail staff and new ones as our apprentices and farmers spend time chatting and educating our customers on all things Crossroads Farm.
This year we launched a new apprentice program and welcomed six local recent high school and college graduates with passion for agriculture. Their energy and enthusiasm for working outdoors and learning hands-on have brought a renewed excitement to the farm!
We are thrilled to share that our new high tunnel is already making a big impact at Crossroads Farm! With tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini thriving inside, this structure is helping us extend our growing season well into the colder months. It means more bountiful harvests, greater food security, and fresh produce for our community even as winter sets in. We feel incredibly blessed to have this new addition supporting our mission.
Our Herb Circle has had a beautiful face lift and our Magic Garden found a new home this spring. While the it is a work in progress, as all seasonal farm things go, it now sports a new fire pit and pergola providing focal points to garden beds filling with native perennials, dye plants, and gourds. A sunflower framed meditative space for our littlest students should be ready by late summer and our new mud kitchen area will be loads of fun. Next time you stop by the farm, make sure you check out the progress and enjoy how it transforms with the passing season. Our new compost bins built by our Spring Young Farmers are a special treat to see as well!

It has been a team effort since our blog was introduced in January, 2024 with seven unique voices contributing. We hope the sharing of our voices through our monthly musings has been something that you look forward to. It certainly has been fun for us learning more about our colleagues through their prose. Wishing you all a wonderful summer!

Until next time,

Your friends at Crossroads Farm