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Tessa DeMaster

Your farmer went to Africa! + VIDEO

Published over 1 year ago • 4 min read

Hi Reader,

Really! He went to Tanzania twice, actually!

Not knowing what he would find in the farming villages at the base of Kilamanjaro, farmer Reuben went hoping that his experience as an organic farmer would be helpful. His two trips to Tanzania were project assignments through the Farmer to Farmer program operated by Catholic Relief Services in 2015 & 2017.

Taking soil test kits in his luggage, the local farmers were fascinated by learning the fertility of their soil and what they could do to improve it. One of the skills he taught was the art of composting plant matter.

Why was this new to them? Unfortunately, as western fertilizer sales reps traveled through Africa in the last 6 decades they spread the message that it was easier and better to grow crops using synthetic fertilizers and abandoning generational farming methods.

The most amazing experience on his return trip in 2017 was a visit to a Masai village - traveling for hours in the wilderness after dark and waking up to a village feast as the honored guest. He learned about their farming challenges as his guide wanted to show him his family's farm. You can read a little more about his official project, see a picture of the family he visited, and even see our old farm newsletter here.

A surprise phone call this week led to us inviting a Tanzanian couple to visit our farm while they are here visiting for a couple weeks. They wanted to see farming here. I learned they have huge challenges in their remote and very dry location. Most of the people in their area rely on grazing their animals for milk to eat with the grains they buy in bulk when they travel to a market.

They were really interested in seeing everything and I don't think the heat bothered them one bit. It is often in the 90s in Tanzania because it is so close to the Equator. Watching Vince make bread was fascinating and Esther loved the flowers Annika gave her.

Farmer Reuben says the farm is in a "lull" which happens when the spring veggies are ending but the summer veggies aren't quite ready. Cucumbers and beans are just starting but peppers eggplant and tomatoes are a couple weeks away.

Popping the very first cherry tomato into his mouth today was a pleasure and surprise. "I've never had tomatoes ripen on July 1 before!

A little tast for our guest too!

Oops. I missed that when I visited the tomatoes in my video just a few hours before this. I could have eaten the first tomato of the season!

Here is how we prepare train the tomatoes to grow tall.

Want to see my customized farm food delivery this week? I put one of everything in so I could show you the variety of what we are harvesting this week. From top left: Scallions, cinnamon basil, beets, green and yellow summer squash, Italian basil, dill, swiss chard, pickling cucumbers and green beans. (The amount of some items is more but we remove some for a nicer picture.)

Blueberry yogurt smoothies were extra items I added this week for the kids to enjoy. If you are not a member yet, you'll be surprised how much really great food we have available to fill your weekly market box.

my farm food delivery this week

We hope you are enjoying the bounty of produce each week in your farm food deliveries. This coming week you will see fresh herbs, green garlic, and Farmer Reuben is giving you a choice of green or yellow squash this time.

Green garlic is fresh garlic just pulled out of the field. Later picking of the garlic will be "cured" so that it develops the papery covering and can be stored for months. Enjoy the fresh, green garlic in the next couple weeks and store in the refrigerator.

Farmer Reuben also wants to be sure that you know about our very own chicken that was Pasture-raised here on the farm.

IN STOCK- Legs, Wings, Thighs, Breasts (bone in/skin on), Soup Chickens, and lots of backs/necks to make broth.

You will want to grab it while you can!

Calling all bakers- we now have chemical-free, Non GMO flours, oats, and rye & wheat berries available for you.

Our friend, Farmer Teena Bailey, was so helpful when we first started farming in 2009. Her Red Cat Farm, not far from us in Germansville, grows heritage grains and wheats. These are old-standing strains that have not been hybridized or much altered for mass market production. We are pleased to now offer their products to you. Take a look and add some to your cart this week.

Don't forget to check out all the other farm-fresh extras that you can add to your box each week. We are always adding more!

This week: Delmonico Steak, Various Coffees from Local Roasters, Walnut Bread, and Chocolate Bars are in stock.

We've started our season but there are many weeks to come for fresh farm grown goodness.

Thank you for supporting your local farm.

We'll keep farming for you!

Reuben and Tessa DeMaster
Willow Haven Farm
Directions to the farm

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Are you new? More info about our farm:

The Next and LAST Pizza Night is Saturday, August 20. Reserve your table HERE.

SUMMER MARKET BOX: Get all the details on our website before you make your purchase. See the Market Box options here.

WHAT'S IN A MARKET BOX? Yep. I get it. You need to know what comes in a box. What's available? What's in season and when? Find out if our MARKET BOX deliveries of local farm food will fit your life and your goals. YES! SEND ME THE GUIDE.

FARM STORY VIDEOS: The Willow Haven Farm YouTube channel has fun, informative, and educational videos of our farm life and what organic farming looks like here. Check out it out here >>> VIDEOS!


Thinking of unsubscribing? current CSA members need to stay connected to our emails but you can limit them to just vital information about your membership by clicking here.

Tessa DeMaster

Growing up on my family's farm in Pennsylvania, I never would have pictured the life I live at Willow Haven farm. As a kid I spent summers in our large family garden we called, “The Truck Patch”. I helped mom every summer, picking beans, weeding, and cutting fruit and vegetables for the hundreds of jars of canned and frozen produce we put up. Now I spends less time out in the field and more time in the kitchen doing the same preserving for my own farm family. Farmer Reuben values my many hours doing much of the behind the scenes marketing, writing emails to cultivate customers and capturing the farm story each week. I'm always learning along the way in my quest to improve the farm experience for each of her current and future farm members in our 500+ member, year-round customized farm box delivery program. Reading our stories will connect you with your food in a way you never experienced before. Someday soon you will want to fit local food into your life and we'll be here to help you.

Read more from Tessa DeMaster

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