On Friday, I visited Glynwood Farm. One disclaimer: Glynwood Farm is actually just across the Westchester/Putnam border (I figured five minutes outside of Westchester could still qualify for my blog). I took my mom along with me because it was such a nice day and she was excited to see the farm also. The drive to Glynwood takes about an hour, but once you arrive at the farm (beware, the sign at the entrance is on the small side) you feel like you've walked into a stereotypical, almost painting, farm.
The farm is set on Fahnestock State Park land and is about 225 acres big--it feels really expansive and lush because there are ponds, streams, hills and valleys on the farm. It used to be much bigger when it was an old estate, but when the family sold the land a while ago, they decided to keep 225 acres of it as farmland. And what a farm it is.
Even aside from the beauty of it, the farm is certainly a working farm. They raise cows, 2 types of chicken, heritage pigs, goats, lambs, horses, and even a few donkeys!. They also have an apple orchard that grows small, tasty apples (they're not really in season yet) and a few greenhouses and gardens that grow all types of vegetables and herbs.
I toured the farm (along with six other visitors) with one of the head farmers, Ken, and he did a great job of telling us about the farm, its role in the community, and sustainable agriculture. The tour started with an introduction to the farm and then as we walked the lengths of the idyllic farm, we stopped at different places to talk about what was around us. First, Ken showed us the orchard and gardens. I was a little envious of the progress all of their vegetables and herbs have made (I still only have my spindly tomato plants). They were growing everything from red-leaf lettuce to rhubarb. Unfortunately for us, they do not sell produce to just anybody. You must be involved in their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) plan to be a recipient of these gorgeous veggies, herbs, and later, fruits. Their CSA has 55 families involved, with another 40 families on the wait list! For those of you who don't know what a CSA is, it is a group of people connected with a farm in an arrangement where the members pay the farm at the beginning of the season (about 200 dollars--it all depends on if you also want meat and eggs), and each week, the farm delivers whatever has been produced or harvested in the previous week. That means, some weeks CSA members will get a lot of tomatoes and other weeks they may get none. It all depends on what has actually grown on the farm in that week. It is a great idea for people who are interested in supporting local agriculture and receiving some great food in return!
My favorite parts of the tour were when I got to see all the animals on the farm. The farm raises two types of chickens--and as Ken declared when we first saw them, they are not your typical Purdue chickens in shrinkwrapped packages at the supermarket! These chickens, one type for meat and one for eggs, were beautiful and very different looking. The ones the farm raises for meat were small with dark brown feathers and bright red eyes. The strictly egg-laying chickens were larger and had bright white feathers. Ken told us that they move the chickens to new areas of the farm every 2 days! This, aside from taking a lot of work, allows the chickens to eat new grass before they destroy one patch of the farm, yields healthier, more active birds, and enables other animals to graze on their land before the chickens return (this can help prevent animals from getting parasites and as a result, the animals are rarely sick and rarely need antibiotics, which are given almost prophylactically through feed at industrial farms). Another interesting thing Ken explained about raising chickens is that the federal government's standards and requirements for farms to be able to call their chickens "free-range" is the presence of a small door (think one that would let a house pet enter and exit) at the end of the building where the chickens are kept. The chickens grown in industrial lots may have access to the door, but first they have to overcome a few big challenges. 1, they are so top heavy that they can barely move. 2, they are so crowded there is virtually no way for them to move. 3, they are raised not to use the door at the end, so they do not even know it exists. This is why I believe that it is so important to know where our food comes from. I'm sure all people, even some vegetarians!, would choose Ken's chickens over the industrial ones. Check out this article about an added bonus of raising chickens!
I especially loved seeing the GIANT hogs they had at the farm. They are called "heritage" breeds of pork and they are massive and really fun to watch as they mosey around in the mud and muck of a hog house. "Heritage" refers to the age of their breed. They are from older, unmodified breeds of hogs that will eat virtually anything--from human food scraps to corn to grass. They are like the behemoths of the farm; stinky and large, lumbering and constantly hungry, these pigs are certainly not related to Winnie the Pooh's friend Piglet, but they look they will make some pretty scrumptious bacon!
In addition to their farming, Glynwood offers a variety of classes for the public so they can learn more about farming and become better acquainted with Glynwood. There are two levels of classes, anybody can attend any of them, but some, like the one about backyard chicken slaughtering, are better suited for more experienced local foodies.
I loved being at the Glynwood Farm: the people were smart and nice (and passionate about what they do), the farm and air were beautiful and pure, and the work looked demanding but rewarding. One thing I learned from being there is that farming is not easy work, especially when it's done right, but it is satisfying and necessary.
When I got back home and reexamined my own plants, I realized that they are on their way, it will just take time. I have moved them outside and "thinned" some of the tomatoes. By thinning, I mean that I have pulled some of the weaker tomato plants out of the soil to allow the stronger ones more room and nutrients so they can grow better. Initially, I was confused about how best to plant my vegetables and herbs. So many seeds come in the seed packets and I figured the more I planted, the more likely some of them would grow. That is not necessarily the case, as my Aunt Andrea explained to me. She, along with the rest of her family, has a great garden (and even chickens!). She brought me some basil plants that she started and they look great...I can't wait until I can cook with homegrown basil! She also encouraged me to bring my plants outside (Mother's Day officially marks the end of the time when there could be a frost) and to move some of them to bigger containers. So I moved about 4 tomatoes into a huge terra cotta pot and another 2 into a smaller pot instead of crowding about 20 or 30 into the same small pot. Also, I moved some of my cucumbers into a very long, rectangular container that will really help them when vines start to grow. I have quite an assortment of containers on my patio, hopefully when they start to grow, they won't take over my small backyard!
