Dropstone Farms » Bainbridge

Last call: chickens for pickup, Monday 9/26 at Day Road Farmstand

Lauren — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 03:53:19 +0000

We have about 30 chickens left to sell. They were processed today, so with the WSDA’s 48-hour pickup requirement, we can make them available for pickup on the farm at the Day Road Farmstand on Monday during the day. Six dollars per pound. They will be a mix of sizes, some small fryers and some larger big-family roasters, but mostly in the mid-4- to mid-5-lbs range; some have giblets and some do not. If you can, email us at farmers@dropstonefarms.com or text or call 206-855-5493. You can also just show up and see what you get … but that is first-come first-served, obviously.

More details are here.

This batch is nice-looking birds! You will not be sad …

This is the last batch of chickens this year, but if you want to be notified of our turkey orders for this November, and chickens for the future, please sign up on our mailing list for poultry notification and other news. The mailing list always gets first dibs.

Save the vines! Volunteers needed for a Bainbridge crop mob

Lauren — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:49:12 +0000

I grabbed this little flyer the other day at the market, and repost with Betsey’s permission:

Volunteers needed June 11 & 12!
Betsey Wittick needs your help to preserve 8 acres of Bainbridge Island wine grape vines!

Saturday 6/11 1:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday 6/12 9:00am-1:00pm
Sunday 6/12 1:00pm-5:00pm

To join the crop mob, contact Heather Burger at BILocavore@comcast.net.

I am volunteering/working for potatoes and learnings for Betsey a half day to a day a week, and last week she had me doing what the crop mob will be doing, which is thinning new growth on the grape vines so that they aren’t too crowded and the vines left behind will be able to thrive. It was totally easy and even with just me and one of her interns/apprentices in the field, it was fun and companionable, and nice to be out working and hanging out.

So — come to the farm this weekend! Bring your friends and family! The vineyard is struggling through this cold, wet spring, after just barely hanging on through last year’s cold, wet summer, and it could use your help!

Pigs

Lauren — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:08:00 +0000

While working from home this afternoon, I realized that since it’s dark when I get home on weeknights, today was my last chance to go meet our pig — they are scheduled to meet Farmer George, the butcher, sometime on Saturday. So we called up Rolling Bay Farm, got directions and went on by to scritch their backs. (I wanted to pat their heads but she said that was not a very good idea.)

They seemed happy and came up to the gate to say hi. We got a stick and scritched backs while they all jostled for places by the fence (including one or more who seemed to be trying to eat the fence). They wiggled their noses through the fence at us and I was surprised to note it was hard to restrain myself from touching them! I kept looking at their soft-looking pink noses and wanting to poke them, just a tiny bit, but then remembering how much I like having fingertips.

laurenipsum’s Pigs photoset
www.flickr.com

Next time I see these pigs they will be all cut and wrapped and ready for the freezer or smoker. Thanks, pigs! Thanks, farmers Adrienne and Mark!

Nuggets

Lauren — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:24:32 +0000

The chicks that were imminent in the last post are now here and huge and out on pasture and more than half of them are claimed already. Yay! So — if you want organic pastured chickens and you’re in the Seattle area and can come pick them up during the first week of November, learn more here, and order here.

We can has irrigation

Lauren — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:20:19 +0000

Folks who are local to us, come on out on Saturday to our new farm and help us install some irrigation! We’ll be there early in the morning on Saturday, so come on by anytime, and we’ll put you to work!

Johnson Farm is on the west side of Fletcher Bay Road, just south of where it meets High School Road. There is a stylish new red and white sign so you can find us more easily.

I appear to have committed us to growing hops

Lauren — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:29:14 +0000

We were recently interviewed for the newsletter of the Trust for Working Landscapes, the land trust that is leasing us some land. The article came out yesterday, and apparently we managed not to say anything too dumb!

“From Stacks to Starts” — A story of Dropstone Farms
By Christy Carr

After meeting in Library School and moving to Bainbridge Island in 2007, farmers Lauren Manes and Garth Highsmith are now about to use their professional background in new ways with their agrarian adventure at Johnson Farm. “Garden management is such a cool problem” says Garth, explaining that it works well with his interest in catalouging and categorization.

It’s not all about management though, stresses Lauren. “Deliciousness was the driver” in their evolving interest in farming. They started with small raised beds in a Seattle backyard, learning to cook and enjoying shopping at farmer’s markets. Next came the installation of a 2500 square foot garden at their new home on the island. This spring finds them hatching plans to farm a 1/2 acre field at the Johnson Farm, one of Bainbridge Island’s publicly owned farmlands.

Dropstone Farms plans to grow a variety of row crops and pastured poultry for egg production. They’re particularly interested in growing a few less-common island products like asparagus and hops. They intend to sell at the Bainbridge Farmers’ Market and may do limited on-farm sales. Farming is a new venture for these two, but they are firmly seated in their dedication to growing and eating delicious local food. Stop by Johnson Farm to say hello or check out their farm blog at www.dropstonefarms.com.

Hi, new TWL visitors! Garth wants to note that one thing that didn’t make it into the article was that we welcome feedback and ideas for what you want to see at the markets. Get in touch via the comments on this blog, or contact us both at farmers at dropstone farms dot com.