September update!

Hello!

We have been working on projects, directly related to our farm and indirectly related as well. At the same time, we have been harvesting, processing, planting, moving pens and paddocks, getting to market and a few planning meetings.

One of Homer's ideas, the house that can be built by you and your pals, continues to evolve. Homer speaks with experts, tweaks his design and scale model, allows time for changes, refines, tweaks some more. The latest is the guest bed in the living room...usually exists as a couch, but rolls out to a full size bed when needed, while living under the staircase when not needed. Remember the table in our kitchen? A larger version of that!

It looks like another of his ideas will get a partner and a bit of funding, along with scientific monitoring of the results. More on that later, but it is exciting to be recognized as an innovative, low tech designer.

We were recognized by the York Conservation District for our farm practices. Read more about that here. It was a lovely ceremony, where Homer stood up and spoke about every child has a right to skinny dip in clean water. We think every kid should have access to clean water to do so!

Buy Fresh Buy Local York's Scavenger Hunt was a great success this year! If you missed it, make certain you get on board next year: 30+ locations participated this year, kicked off with a Taste Of York, ending at John Wright Restaurant with a ton of prizes given out to participants. More info here.

A couple of conferences are negotiating with us for over the winter presentations on several things: Homer's pen design, our low tech approach to business model, and also the hoophouse water use. These talks look like they will happen in the dead of winter when only the laying hens miss us. And maybe the dogs too.

This week we deliver 2 pigs and 40 chickens for a wedding. We have grown out the pigs for the last 10 months, and they are now the perfect size for a big party this weekend. Fun! And we get to attend the wedding of a dear family friend this weekend, so even farmers get to party! After all is delivered this week, farmers markets attended, CSA deliveries made, vegetables picked, eggs gathered and packed, pens moved, you know, the usual.

I'm continuing to have conversations with people about cleaning up the tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. My meetings in DC earlier this summer have my brain working on new ways to make things happen, input from anyone who cares about the health of the watershed are welcome. I've had preliminary conversations with many experts and many people who are concerned, and every conversation is enlightening. Please get in touch if you have thoughts or ideas.

Our CSA shares of vegetables, chickens and eggs will continue until early November. Seeds continue to be planted, as we expect to also have a few things through the winter, all those weather resistant goodies.

Available each week are chickens and eggs. We have them at market and on farm. We are also taking payment on sides of beef: about 100 pounds of grass fed beef is $600. About half are paid for now, and the rest are available until we run out. Also, Thanksgiving turkey: $6 per pound, $40 deposit, pickup fresh just before Thanksgiving.

For a limited time we have pork sausage available. In about a weeks time we had 600+ pounds of pork delivered from here, we now have less than 100 pounds of sausage left. $9 per pound, available until it is gone.

This week we welcome 150 day old peeps to the farm. These will grow up to be laying hens, it takes these little things about 6 months before they start to lay eggs, so next March we anticipate the tiny maiden eggs. In March of this year we brought about 60 new day old egg layers to be on the farm. They spent a while in the brooder and now are in a field pen all their own. No eggs from them yet, but it will start anytime in the next few weeks. We had eggs all winter last year and expect to do so again this year. Remember us for your winter time eggs!

We will have whole chickens available for end of season buys if you should need them. We added a rescue dog (he's over 60 pounds!) to the farm, and as a result we are no longer losing penfuls of chickens each night. If you would like some birds to stock your freezer before things get really cold and dark, let me know. We will be able to provide!

In September we are expecting visitors from Australia, as well as members of a writing group to travel here. We are working on other exciting things too, but have to wait before we can tell more.

To follow along with us daily, go to the blog: www.sunnysidedru.com

Thanks for your support. We are so delighted to be your farmers!

Dru & Homer

Sunnyside Farm

www.sunny-side-farm.com

www.sunnysidedru.com