Walnut Hill Farm at Elm Springs, LLC

Walnut Hill Farm 2011 Chicken CSA

For the 2011 Farmer’s Market season, Walnut Hill Farm is offering a chicken CSA.CSA commonly stands for Community Supported Agriculture, where the farmer and consumer share the risk while providing the farmer some much needed start up cash.The Farm Market season is a 29 to 32 week season based on the Farmer’s Market you attend.

 Generally speaking the Market season will be from May 1, 2011 until November 19, 2011.Of course this will vary with each market.The chicken CSA will be available at the farm, Warrenton Farmer’s Market, Manassas Thursday Farmer’s Market and hopefully three others local markets which have not been approved at this time.

 As this is a new venture for Walnut Hill Farm the first year membership will be capped at 50 members.Members will be guaranteed ten chickens during the 30 week farmer’s market season.The cost of membership is $100.00 for a guarantee of 10 chickens.Multiple shares are available if you desire more that ten chickens.Unlike the 2010 year trial you can receive individual chickens as desired; you do not have to accept all 10 chickens at once.There is no weight guarantee on the chicken; you chose the one you want while at the market.Unlike the egg CSA, there is no guarantee of a chicken each week, we request you call ahead and reserve the number of chicken you wish to pick up that week. Your help is appreciated in making this a valuable planning tool for all of us!

 Enrollment is taking place now and is only available to the first 50 paid members.Payment is needed to be considered enrolled.

 As part of the CSA you are encouraged to notify us as to the number of chickens you want and the weeks you will want them.Walnut Hill will be using a punch card system to track the chickens, to determine when you reach your 10 chicken limit.There will not be a refund if you do not pick all the chickens in your CSA share.

 To enroll please complete the application below and return to Walnut Hill Farm along with your payment.Please remember this is open to the first 50 paid members only.Deadline to sign up for the 2011 Chicken CSA is March 15, 2011.After this date chickens can be purchased individually at $3.00 per pound.

 Walnut Hill Farm 2011 Chicken CSA

The New Year weekend was full of activity here on the farm. First the American Milking Devon’s were moved from the leased farm to the home farm for the winter.Now would be a great time to come by the farm to see some truly unique and rare heritage breed cows. There are approximately 1200 of these cows in the United States.

Secondly, the weather had warmed up enough compared to December that we were able to process 33 spent Barred Plymouth Rock hens and the remainder of the Freedom Rangers.The next group of chickens will be processed starting in May.

Fear not the chicken that was not sold this weekend was placed in the freezer. These chickens will be available while they last.

Many of the Barred Rocks are spoken for.Twenty of the hens are to be donated to “Journey Through Hallowed Ground” for the Edna Lewis fund raising diner.Celebrity chef Carla Hall will be preparing the diner.The chicken will be used for chicken & dumplings.The diner will be held in Manassas in February.This event is tied into Black History Month.Ginny and I are looking forward to attending this event.

The final event for the weekend was to move many of the sheep to the home farm in preparation for lambing. It is much easier to lamb at home than to lamb 12 miles from home.

 As a final note on January 15 we are scheduled to attend the North Carolina – Virginia Sheep Symposium in Verona, Virginia. Maybe we will see you there.