April Farm Update: COVID, Farmer's Market, Farm Stand and more!

Hello Folks, 

Wow, it's been a crazy month. We hope you are staying healthy - mentally and physically - and adjusting to the new "normal" of life. Please bear with us through this long email - we have a lot of important info to share.

First of all, thank you to all that have purchased a farm share. Your support during this time means so much to us. We believe eating fresh, local, nutrient dense and naturally grown produce will help encourage a strong immune system and good health in our community. Your support has been steady and very encouraging.

We are now SOLD OUT of our Summer Farm Shares but we do have some Winter Farm Shares still available. Click here to purchase.
      
We’ve been working full throttle on all fronts here at Native Hill, from the greenhouse, to the fields, to the pack house, to the Farm Stand and a new high tunnel, among other projects. To date, we have planted over 100,000 plants in the greenhouse alone, which will be headed out to the field over the next couple weeks. We started planting peas, salad, arugula, radish, turnips, carrots, beets, onions, etc. in the fields. We are in the final phase of bringing the new pack house into operation.  The new Farm Stand is looking really great and I am convinced you all will love the new space.

The month of May will be even busier as we continue with all the activities above AND begin harvesting your food. Add in some Colorado spring weather (3 degree record low to 14 inches of snow and almost 90 degrees this week) and we are always kept on on our toes here at the Farm.  
 
Again, thank you all for your support. It is an honor to grow food for you and your family.

Our bigger, better Farm Stand in her new home! Opening end of May - 7 days a week, 10am-6pm, at Native Hill Farm.

Farming in the time of COVID

As this pandemic continues to unfold, we've been working to develop a plan for safely distributing our food to the community. Here are some reminders & updates:

1) We always practice stringent health and safety protocols at Native Hill Farm. We will continue these practices and continue monitoring local, state and CDC recommendations for COVID-19. Fortunately, locally grown food has a much shorter supply chain with far fewer touches.

2) With the addition of our new pack house, we are now more prepared than ever to efficiently and very safely grow, wash and store your food before it gets to your family.

3) No farm tours, events or gatherings are permitted at the farm. Only farm staff are allowed on the farm during this time.

4) We will be trialing a “Weekly Harvest” bag to enable safe pick-up of our CSA shares without the need to shop and bag your purchases. The “Weekly Harvest” will be a pre-bagged set of each week’s harvest, determined by the Farm, and will be available for pick-up at the Farm Stand and the Farmer's Market.

5) We are looking to implement Farm Stand hours for vulnerable customers. We will update you on these hours as we know more.
 

Summer Farm Share Season Update

We plan to be at the first Larimer County Farmer's Market on May 23rd , 9am-1pm, at the Larimer County Courthouse parking lot (200 W. Oak St.) in Old Town Fort Collins. We also hope to open the Farm Stand right around that Saturday.

Flexibility, patience, and good communication will be key this year as we all navigate how to safely get you produce.
 
This season, members will still have two options to get their veggies: the Farm Stand or the Farmers’ Market.

Farmers Market:
The Farmers Market is scheduled to start May 23, 9am-1pm, but with a number of changes. All produce vendors will be in one area due to social distancing requirements. They will also be implementing a number of other protocols, such as limiting the number of people that can be in the market area at one time. Click here to learn more about what to expect while shopping at the Farmer's Market. 

As of now we are going to go to market, but if this proves to be too burdensome and ineffective we may stop attending. If this happens, the farm stand will be the go to place to get your veggies this Summer!

Farm Stand:
This season we will likely staff the Farm Stand as opposed to years past where it was run on an honor system.

The Farm Stand is located at the Native Hill Farm - 2100 CR 54G Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. The Farm Stand will open towards the end of May, with hours planned for 10am to 6pm, 7 days a week. Hours of operation may change as needed.

As this situation continues to evolve, we will be in touch with updates. We appreciate your understanding and patience. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Until then, thank you for supporting your local farmers. We are working hard to grow high-quality, nutrient dense food to nourish your family and our community. 

Eat local and be well,

Nic + The Native Hill Farm Family

"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival."

- Wendell Berry