Renaissance Farm

Our list of yummy canned goods!  Come in for a sample!!

Hi

Happy belated Easter!  What a glorious day.  We were extremely busy at the retail greenhouse (thank you all for your support this past weekend--from killing frost to snow to golly it's hot) , but still managed to get some planting done.  We have a line of zinnias and snapdragons along the fence line.  Finally we will have happy zinnias in full sun!! This will be a very exciting week... We will have another full house by the end of the week, celebrating our 3rd anniversary (don't forget to stop by to enter the drawings) and Backes power will be opening this upcoming weekend.  The grills will be going and food all around.  Please stop by and wish John & Annie and their staff well on this new endeavor. 

We have added dressings and vinaigrettes to complement our greens and house blend.  The dressings and vinaigrettes are marvelous!!.  We love them! They will make you want to have a salad just to consume the dressings.  

Beautiful hanging baskets will be arriving this week, and now is the time to plant your cool loving vegetables, (yes they can tolerate this weather) we have peas, chards, radishes, beets, lettuces and many more for your to put in your gardens.

Any questions give us a call at the retail front.  Have a great week!  Hope to see you this weekend.

Hello!

We are so confused..is it still winter? is it spring, is it summer?  Friday was flip flops, sunscreen and straw hats, Saturday was winter parkas and propane heaters, today, was clothes on/clothes off.  Oh happy spring!!

The great news is the green house is exploding with plants and color!! We have vegetable plants that YES, you can plant now. Lettuces, spinach, radishes, collards, broccoli, swiss chard, beets, just to name a few.  Still a bit early for the tomatoes, peppers and other heat lovers, but by all means get some cool loving crops in now. 

This week before Easter, we will be filling the benches with lilies, hydrangeas, hibiscus, passion vines, mandavillas, oleanders, fresh bouquets.  Call the retail house for availability and pricing. We sell out quickly of the Holiday plants, please do not delay.

We are pleased and proud to introduce our newest addition to our product line up.  Our Organic Granolas!!  They are wonderfully delicious!  We love them in our salads instead of croutons.  Of course you know granola can be eaten with milk as cereal, with yogurt (my favorite), with ice cream and of course in your salad.  The granolas are  available at the retail house and through the weekly availability list.

We hope you have saved the date of the weekend of April 29th, we will be celebrating our 3rd season and we will have refreshments, food samples.  We will have a raffle of a basket of goodies, planter, hanging basket and fresh flower bouquet. You must come into the green house to enter.  You may enter each day for each drawing. In addition, this will be the opening weekend of our new neighbors and friends at Backes Power Equipment.  Lots of goings on in our little town center and you are invited and encouraged to a part of it all!!

We have been busy planting, planting planting.  If there is any thing we can grow for you just let us know.

As always, thank you so much for your support, you keep us growing.

Most sincerely,

Andy, Linda. Priscilla, Betsey, Jillie, et al

Renaissance Farm

Happy Springgggggg!!

Yes, we really believe that spring is finally here!! We have heard the peepers, seen the blossoms and dug the worms!  The Blue birds are everywhere at the retail house, if you have not seen a blue bird, feel free to come by and be treated by this marvelous sight. We have a new neighbor, Backus Power is renovating the building next to us and planning their grand opening at the end of this month, we will keep you posted.  Very exciting!!

The crops are growing very well.   Winter garlic is sticking it head out of the soil, early herbs are also appearing and the peas are climbing. We have attached a picture of the Flavored vinegars.. the rosemary/orange mixed with EVOO for bread dipping is addictive!! (I really like it can you tell?)

By Wednesday of this week we will have early vegetable plants, perennials, herbs and specialties flowers available for you.  Most all of these can be planted outside (just watch the evening temperatures and cover should it fall below 40)

As always, thank you for your continued support, you truly Keep us Growing

Warmest regards

Andy, Linda and new crew (Jillie, Betsey, Priscilla & Linda 2)    

Hi

A huge thanks to all of you that came by the retail front this past weekend to share some refreshments and wish us well on our Opening Weekend!! The start of our 3rd year and all thanks to you and your continued support.  It seems like saying Thank you, just does not show our true appreciation of your kindness, support and most of all your friendships.  We believe we are all building the community we once had. We will continue with the offering of coffee and tea (and maybe some goodies), for when you come by.  

This week we are offering beautiful hand tied flower bouquets.  A burst of spring for you!! We also have 4" Rannunculus, primrose and pansies.  In addition, the Martha Washington Geraniums are Spectacular and selling quickly.  Yes it is a bit early to put the tenders outside, but once they are sold, I can not guarantee that I can get more.

The Greens are delicious, and plentiful this week.  

We have also added pansy blossoms .  Add them to your salads, sugar them and top your cakes and cup cakes. They make wonderful Mother's Day and First Communion Treats!

Unless specified the colors will be mixed.

Sorry to say, we ran short on Sausage this week, and sausage will not be available until Saturday. 

For new members, I ask that you give me a day's notice for your order, and pick up will be at the retail front.

Thank you for your continued support, You keep us Growing

Warmest regards

Andy & Linda 

We gave attached a couple of recipes for your greens this week.

Hi

We can't believe there are freeze warnings out this time of year.  Temps in the 30s are to be expected, but the teens?  Enough now.  Andy and I have been busy putting the finishing touches at the retail front.  We will be opening Friday, April 1st and invite you to stop in and have some refreshments.  For our new members, we carry  full lines of annuals, perennials,  herbs, fruits, ornamentals, tropicals, edibles and hard-goods. All this in addition to our produce programs.

We will also be offering container gardens this year.  We will have special fun gardens for children, herb gardens, salad gardens, potted tomatoes to name a few. In addition, we are offering raised bed kits.  The kits are made from rough cut local pine boards (which we mill on our sawmill).  Standard beds are 3'x6'  We have been planting in our pine beds at our home for 4 years now. Never, Never use pressure treated lumber for growing edibles.   If you are looking for something special, let us know and we will do our best to grow it for you. 

Produce customers please note that starting friday, pick ups will be at the retail house.  Pick ups are Monday thru Thursday during normal business hours. 

This weekend we will have pansies, Martha Washington Geraniums, Hanging baskets, primrose, rannunculus, and early spring combo planters.  SPRING HAS SPRUNG!! YIPPEE!!

As always, thank you for your support, you keep us growing

Warmest regards

Andy & Linda

P.S. This weeks facebook posters will be entered to win a Martha Washington!!

Hi!

We are suffering from Spring Fever really, really bad.  The warm weather last week and the bright sun has put everything in overdrive!  The greens have sprung back to life, the swiss chard, lettuce and turnip greens made for a wonderful salad at lunch today.  Carrot seedlings are well on their way to transplanting. We have had many inquiries as to what is in the house blend.  We mix all the greens for you.  Kale, spinach, white swiss chard, lettuce, turnip greens, radish roots and greens, garlic greens, lemon thyme, golden oregano, and cilantro will make up the house blend this week.  Now that the day light has intensified the chickens are laying like crazy!! please remember to order eggs when you order your greens and canned goods (you are really helping other local farms when you do :)  Spring clean up is underway at the retail front.  We will be open for business April 1st. We look forward to seeing you again. (We will have some wonderful early hanging baskets, primrose, geraniums, ornamentals and lots, lots more!

Thank you for all the flower orders last week, you really know how to keep me busy!! I am glad you love the arrangements and look forward to creating beautiful arrangements for you through out the season.  

Please save the date:  July 23 & 24 Renaissance Farm and sister farm Lavender Meadow Herbs are proud to announce the First annual  "Herb and Artisan Ensemble" this event will be hosted at Lavender Meadow Herbs, Maple Ave, Bristol.  We are planning so many fun activities for all ages, you will not be disappointed.  Plus you will be able to meet "Aunt Mildred" in person!  We will keep you posted, this will be a great event!

As always, thank you so very much for your continued support, you really do "Keep us Growing"

Warmest regards to you

Andy & Linda

P.S, Pictures are posted on Renaissance Farm-Local Organic Farm @ face book, and the winner of last weeks arrangement for posting is Betsey Southward Dreher.

We will once again enter everyone who posts into a drawing for an arrangement this week.  Good luck

Hi..

Are we all on time today?  Not us. The daylight is intensifying and the crops (all but the baby lettuce) are rebounding quite nicely after the freeze.  I am amazed at how strong and beautiful the cilantro looks.  The swiss chard is flushing nicely and there are baby radishes we are putting in the house blend.  We even have some nasturtiums popping out of the soil here and there!!.  We are busy planning for the opening at the retail front.  A soft opening April 1st. Please stop by, let's catch up, have a cup of coffee, or tea (byoc--Andy says bring your own cup).  Lots of exciting news at the retail front this year!! For all of our gardening friends, if there are plants, or hard goods you may need let us know and we will do our best to fill your need in the upcoming growing season.  

Our floral department has been on overload this week. We have been posting some pictures on the facebook page, as it is so much easier and faster.  If you have any floral needs, please consider us. 

Also, we have posted a video of Andy milling a cherry burl.  Quite a task but well worth the effort.

Kristen Manning is the winner if the Spring bouquet.  And we will extend this drawing again this week. Each person who posts on the face book page, we will enter for a drawing of the weekly bouquet--this week it has hydrangeas and roses!!

We have put the post hole digger on the backhoe and will be planting peas this week!! (we hope).

Best wishes to you for a glorious week!

As always thank you for your continued support, "You keep us growing"

Warmest regards

Andy & Linda  

Hello,

What a wild, wild week!  The conference in Sturbridge was Wonderful. Mildred, Priscilla and I not only had a great time together, we learned so much and enjoyed being able to spend time with each other.  For our new members, Priscilla and Mildred own and operate our sister farm--Lavender Meadow Herbs in Bristol. I regret that I did not get photos of Mildred attending the seminar on social media and frantically writing notes on face book! (Mildred is 86) We will be featuring these two lovely ladies in the future along with all the other wonderful souls that make up Renaissance Farm.  We also would like to feature you, our members.  Please let me know if you are willing, and we can work out the details (pictures, interests etc).

When I arrived home from the last day of the conference on Thursday at 4 in the afternoon, I noticed that the temperature was a balmy 10 degrees.  Not to bad until I noticed that the green house doors were open!!!  Yup, you guessed it FREEZE.  Pictures are posted on our face book page.  We grow all winter long, the temps would dip below zero and no problems.  Now in March, when everything is prime and ready to be plucked, BOOM.......We get frozen out.  The Swiss chard, lettuce, Kale, beets, all the radishes and asian greens not to mention the turnips.  MUSH, MUSH, MUSH.

We can't cry about it, so we ripped it all out, and replanted.  We ask that you bear with us and please be patient as the new crops mature.  We are so sorry.  We know the delays this causes.  We have attached the availability, for we do have other offerings. 

As always, we thank you sincerely for your continued support,  "You keep us Growing"

Warmest regards,

Andy & Linda

Attached is the weekly availability.  We realize that pictures can take so long to load that we are trying something new.  We are posting weekly features to our Renaissance Farm facebook page.  We encourage you to check it out, become a fan, post a comment.  For this week, everyone who posts, joins, comments will be entered in a drawing to win a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Our way of saying thank you for being a supporter, and to brighten your day on this long and final stretch to spring.