Meet Your Farmer | Sadie Morris
July 18, 2023
By Sadie Morris
I am excited to introduce myself and give you some updates about the happenings around the farm. Farming is a return for me to a childhood in my parent’s small-scale livestock operation complete with Summers oscillating between Crocs and bare feet all the better for jumping in the nearest body of water. To me, food is the most intuitive gateway to community and my time at Quail Hill Farm is quickly adding one more anecdote of evidence to the sentiment. From placing the seed in the soil to weeding out the fledgling plant’s competitors, and finally, to the harvest of beautiful food, it brings me joy to be a part of a system of agriculture that strives to make the food we consume everyday good for people and the planet.
As July enters its second week, it has truly begun to feel like Summer on the Farm. It astonishes me to look out over the fields and see the incredible abundance present and on the verge of ripeness. Summer squash is appearing in its full bountiful glory. We wish you luck in finding all the best ways to eat this ever-giving veggie. It inspired a zucchini cake–replete with cream cheese frosting and edible flowers– for Farm Manager Madison’s birthday this week. We also welcomed our first cucumbers. These fresh cucurbits are perfect for a fresh salad with the minimal addition of apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper.
While wheels have continued to turn at the Farm, we have had some mechanical difficulties the past few weeks including with the irrigation on Birch Hill. It all should be up and running this weekend just in time for the rain.
In a true marking of the progression of the season, the first beds of now fully harvested produce are being turned over for the next succession of crops. This comes just as the final over-wintered fields are being tilled to introduce crops. Many of these fields are for the bulk storage crops such as winter squash that will keep us satiated through the Winter months.
And if you haven’t gotten enough squash, we remain on the lookout for the Colorado Potato Beetle that are in need of a good squashing.
Hope to see you in the fields (and at the beach)!