The Barn
and the blueberries…
The hives that Kate started in 2021 are thriving and have started producing enough delicious honey to sell during the 2024 holiday season and throughout the year. The money from honey sales has been reinvested into more bee boxes and hive equipment for 2025. We have also invested in a new electric honey extractor which makes the process much more efficient. Tim repurposed an old unused outhouse building into a bee supply shed for Kate and it’s quite adorable.
The Barn.
The Barn building project is moving ahead with excavation and construction scheduled for spring of this year. The new barn will fulfill the four sisters’ vision for a healthier watershed by moving the animals further from the creek. It will be the new agricultural heart of the farm, housing hay for all our needs as well as opening up space for artistic and educational endeavors.
Kate and Emily are heading up the design and project management with input from Lala, Susan, Lucy and Tim. We have cut and milled over 100 red pines from the farm. They are stacked, stickered and drying out until we are ready to start building in the spring. The excavation team at Heron Land & Stone Works is ready to go for winter 2025 to prepare the site for building. We are busy putting together an experienced building team for the raising. Below are some photos from our work so far.
SOLAR.
Very exciting news: Spring Hills Farm is going solar. Solar panels will be installed on the south-facing roof of the barn creating enough electricity to power the entire farm! Sachu has generously donated the funds to cover this in full. We will be working with Electric City Solar and they will install the panels as soon as the roof is up for the barn.
FUNDRAISING.
The Foundation, with fundraising help from Lala & Tim, has secured almost $60,000, about a quarter way to our goal! The Foundation is pursuing other possible grants including matching grants. Generous individuals as well as State and Federal Grants will match up to 75% of some aspects of our projects. Please spread the word and know that any dollar donated will be of great value to the future of the farm.
Art Workshop Scholarships.
We are delighted to let you know that the Maslow Foundation has gifted us with a grant to offer scholarships for people to take our art workshops. We will be posting an art scholarship application page on our website in February. Click here to learn more about Spring Hills Farm Art programs.
New Farm Store Products.
Lala headed up the tree sales again this year, shearing, preparing the sales barn and keeping this wonderful community tradition alive. Along with the trees, wool, robust syrup sales and Pagus gifts from Ghana we had some exciting new farm products on the shelves. People came from far and wide to buy these lovingly created family goods.
Granola.
Susan’s addictive maple syrup granola was a big success during the holiday season. Could this be a new farm business? We say yes.
Blueberry Fruit Leather.
Mirah spent many hours picking blueberries this summer and then created a recipe for fruit leather with a little added organic apple. They sold out within days during the holiday season. Delicious, convenient and so healthy for you.
Wool Hats.
Kate & Emily started making hats with the wool that Lala had gotten processed last year. They are for sale and can be made to order with any or all of the three natural colors from our sweet Jacob Sheep, dark brown, white and grey.
Please spread the word.
And know that any dollar donated will be of great value to the work of the foundation.
And here.
Is the adorable bee supply shed.
THE NEXT NEWSLETER will feature educational programming that is continuing to develop…
Thank you from Spring Hills Farm & Foundation.