Layin' Plastic

Scott has been working hard lately to finish the plastic layer that he built. Tonight we took it out for a test run and things went smoothly.

 We have several vegetables growing  and Scott planted a 2nd round of green beans today. Back at it tomorrow!

05.14.11

Today after the market we spent some time moving flats of flowers from the old greenhouse to cold frame. This will give us some more room in the old greenhouse to work on getting our pumpkin seeds started.

Moving things around in the new cold frame

Here are some pictures of the new cold frame coming together that we put up recently that I hadn't posted yet.

The Farmer's Market has started!

Last Saturday was the first day of the Rensselaer Farmer's Market. Several customers were out shopping for Mother's Day and flowers are always a great choice for any mom!!

Setting up for the market. Flowers and a Bench planter Scott made

Today, even though a bit chilly, there were still customers coming up to the market ready to plant some flowers.

05.14.11

Spring!

We have been busy preparing for the the first farmer's market in town. The first weekend is this Saturday downtown Rensselaer from 7:30 to 11:30AM. We will be there with a variety of annual flowers and several hanging baskets. We will also have some garden furniture pieces that Scott has built and some craft items that I have made. For this weekend, Mother's Day, we will also have a assortment of annual baskets like the ones show below. Come out to the first farmer's market of the season in Rensselaer and to get one of these baskets for your mom this Mother's Day. Each basket contains annual flowers that are displayed in a beautiful presentation that your mom can display for the day. She can then use the flowers to plant in her own garden or landscape to brighten her home. Show her how much you care this Mother's Day and visit Walker Farms at the Rensselaer Farmer's Market.
Later I will post some craft items that I take to the market and some pictures of Scott's furniture pieces.

Busy Busy Busy

We have been very busy working in the greenhouse the past few weeks. We have gotten flower plugs in and are transplanting them into flats to continue to grow. We also have several vegetables started in the greenhouse. Our CSA membership is still open through the end of March. It is a great way to support your local vegetable producers. You will receive fresh produce that is picked either the day before or on the morning that you will receive it. The "travel time" is much less than the produce bought in the grocery stores. We have 2 kinds of CSA options available, the Harvest Basket CSA, where you receive a box of produce each week, or the Garden Dollars CSA, where you receive market credit to use at the Farmer's Market at your convenience. Choose which fits your family needs best. If interested give us a call or email and feel free to spread the word :)

Here's what you might find in your CSA baskets
Summer  - Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Green Beans, Eggplant, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Peppers, Green Onions
 Fall -  Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes, Lettuce, Radish, Squash, Spinach, Beets, and Sugar Snap Peas

2011 CSA Membership

Our CSA membership for 2011 is open now until March 31st. CSA programs are a great way to support your local vegetable producer. You can choose a full share, half share, or to purchase Garden Dollars (market credit) to use throughout the season.  If you are interested in becoming a member, email us at sswalkerfarms@yahoo.com and we can get your our program information through email or mail.

What is a CSA??

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)Programs have become a popular way for consumers to buy produce directly from local farmers. By taking part in a CSA program, the farm gets the benefit of an advanced working capital and has the ability to prepare for materials needed for production early in the year, such as seed and equipment. The members pay for their membership early in the year, which buys the member a basket share each week, either full or half basket of 6 to 10 different vegetables each week as they are in season. These basket shares are available June to mid-Sept (15 weeks). We also have an option that the member can purchase Garden Dollars or market credit to be used at their convenience at the market. CSA membership is a partnership with the farm, sharing both the bounty of the farm's harvest and some of the risks that may involved with production. In return for your membership, you will receive high quality produce and plants throughout the growing season of May to October, which has been grown locally on our farm.

A little history...gearing up for Spring

 We decided to start up a blog to share what is going on at Walker Farms. But first I will share a brief history. We both have always had an interest in agriculture/horticulture as we both grew up on farms in Rensselaer. In 2005 we sold some corn shocks for Fall decoration. This sparked our interest in growing pumpkins, gourds, and other Fall decor. After that, we decided we would like to grow produce for the local farmer's market the following year. So in 2006, Walker Farms was started. That first year we started out small and since then we have grown our business at a steady pace to offer more variety of produce that we offer at the market. Last year was our first year to offer flowering annuals as we had a few open house weekends in the Spring. 2010 was also the first year we offered a CSA membership program and Fall Harvest Weekends with pumpkin and other fall sales from the end of September to Halloween. We are very excited for this year and have things underway.

We are very ready for Spring! This week we are working in the greenhouse and planting seeds for our Spring vegetables. I can not wait to have fresh salads!! We also got in the first of our flower plugs, so we will be working to get those potted up in pots and in flats. Very excited to have these warmer temperatures!