Hang out in the woods right about now and that drip, drip, drip may just be the sound of New England’s first spring crop, maple syrup! To be precise it’s just the sap you hear, but sugar shacks all over the region are already busy boiling it down to sweet, sticky “makes everything taste better” maple syrup.

Here at Drumlin we’ve just tapped the trees, and we’ve tapped a few less this year than we normally do. This is to protect the health of our trees so that they can continue to produce for years to come. For more on the process of sugaring look here or here.

For those of you who want to know more, you can stop by the evaporator on Sunday afternoons (February 26, March 4, March 11) from 1:30-3:30 pm. We also offer programs about sugaring (and how you can do it on your own). And don’t forget, the Audubon Shop sells all the supplies you need! And how could I forget our very popular Sap to Syrup Farmer’s Breakfast? Sign up soon by calling 781-259-2218- tickets go fast!

Early morning visitors to Drumlin Farm

Watching them was pretty hilarious. Apparently they were trying to get from the new Farm Life Center into the woods behind Drumlin Underground. To accomplish this goal, they had to “hop” over a series of fences. Clearly they do this all the time, and yet each time it looks like they are just trying it out for the first time. If you’ve seen turkeys fly before you know what I mean. It took this turkey two tries to get up to the top of the fence.

Finally, up on the fence. Little does he/she know there’s still one more fence to get over!

Meanwhile our bovine friends were just headed out to enjoy the beautiful day. The calves are looking pretty big!

And the sheep? Well they were just concerned about eating.

I stood there for a good amount of time before anyone even noticed I was there!

And then, just as I was starting to feel how warm the sun is today, I spied this…

First bloom of the season, witch hazel - spring blooming species Hamamelis vernalis!

I take this as a sign that Ms. G was right, no matter what the Boston Globe says!

Happy weekend to all.

-Mia, Drumlin Farm Staff Member

Mostly because you predicted an early spring, but no really what a good sport!

Thanks to all who came out to join us for Ms. G’s annual weather forecast. It’s a nice chance to celebrate during this gloomy time of year, and learn a bit about our native wildlife!

For those of you who missed the forecast, links to some additional photos of the day.

- Boston Globe

- WBZ

- Lexington Patch

- MetroWest Daily News

A special thanks to Wayland Whole Foods for the snacks and warm drinks! And to Kathie, who made this beautiful painting of Ms. G for us.

Ok, we know, it really, really seems like it will be an early spring (or maybe I’ve just jinxed it) but since mother nature has a mind of her own it seems prudent to ask our woodchuck friend Ms. G to give us her official forecast.

We’ll do just that tomorrow, Thursday at 9:30 am. Come join us, it’s a great way to celebrate Groundhog Day! After the forecast we’ll have snacks and hot chocolate (thanks to our friends at Whole Foods Wayland), stories and crafts (all free). And if you’d like to stick around for the rest of the day we’ll have activities down on the farm (free with paid admission to the farm or Mass Audubon membership).

And for those of you who are loyal Ms. G fans who join us every year for this event a few little known facts:

- Ms. G supplements her diet of dry food and leafy greens with one of her favorite treats, raw sweet potatoes, which are good for her teeth!

- In our animal enrichment area Ms. G enjoys digging in the digging pit created by the wildlife care staff. This allows Ms. G to take part in an activity that mimics natural woodchuck behavior.  

- While they are generally vegetarian woodchucks do occasionally eat grasshoppers, snails, and grubs.

We look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow.

- Mia, Drumlin Farm Staff

Well, we finally got a bit of snow this week, though it looks like it will be gone before we know it. But at least it’s sunny!

Yesterday was a different story, cold and gray all day long. The best place to be? In the greenhouse, where it felt tropical by comparison, just look at the foggy camera lens!

Regardless of  the weather we are busy at the farm! Next weekend is our Winter Fun Day (cross your fingers for snow so we can create a snow sculpture).

The following week is Groundhog Day, and everyone’s favorite local groundhog, Ms. G will be making an appearance at 9:30 am to deliver her forecast. The nice folks at Whole Foods Wayland have donated some snacks and warm beverages (we’ll enjoy those in the Pond House immediately following the forecast). Ms. G loves a good audience so come join us! The forecast (and goodies, crafts & stories at 10 am) are all free. We’ll have additional events throughout the day that are free with paid admission (and free for members).

Looking ahead a bit we have an exciting new event Local Favorites: A Taste of Wine and Cheese, on March 2, from 5:30-7:30 pm.  Guests will taste local cheese, local wine, and hang out by a warm fire in the Nature Center. It should be a relaxing fun evening! To register please contact the registrar at 781-259-2206.

And for those of you dreaming of summer, it’s time to register for camp. All of Mass Audubon’s camps (18 day camps, and an overnight camp Wildwood) are now open for registration. Drumlin Farm camp sessions fill quickly, so download a registration form and mail it in!

Given the number of farmers’ markets popping up all over the state (the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers’ Markets is actually posing the question “Are there too many farmers’ markets?” at its annual meeting), it’s becoming easier to know and have conversations with the people who grow your food. This is an important (agri)cultural moment. You have the opportunity to ask a farmer how s/he prepares the hakurei turnips or broccoli raab you’re considering buying. You can also ask the farmer about his or her growing practices. But what exactly are you hoping to learn? What issues do you consider important in the production of the food you eat?

I think we can all agree that we’d prefer to eat foods that haven’t been treated with chemical pesticides, fungicides or fertilizers. It’s common sense: don’t put stuff that’s contacted stuff with skull and crossbones on the package in your mouth. And the organic label gives us some assurance that the foods we’re ingesting are clean in this way. But what if you’d like to know how the farm that produced your organic broccoli manages soil fertility, or where their irrigation water comes from, or what their position is on using plastics in the greenhouse or in the fields to suppress weeds. An article entitled “Organic Agriculture May be Outgrowing its Ideals” published this December in the New York Times describes the agricultural boom in the Mexican Baja peninsula where organic farmers are “planting the beach” and sucking ground water dry in order to keep up with the American demand for organic tomatoes, basil and peppers. These farms mono-crop, ship foods thousands of miles, and use energy in an unregulated manner to run greenhouses. So from the standpoint of sustainability or environmental common sense, what makes these products desirable aside from the fact that chemicals haven’t been applied to them?    

At Drumlin Farm, we try to pay attention to as many environmental factors as possible in growing the food we eat and sell to the public. We don’t irrigate because we don’t want to use fuel to pump water to irrigate crops. Instead, we build soil organic matter by resting fields two out of every seven growing seasons and by applying compost that we make at the farm from our own animal manures. Soils high in organic matter have a greater capacity to hold water and nourish crops even during dry conditions. The organic standard does not require farms to rest fields, or use compost, or control their use of water, or limit the amount of plastic they use to suppress weeds. If you’ve ever traveled south of Santa Cruz, you may have seen fields that stretch to the horizon covered in black plastic and planted to strawberries. These fields may or may not be certified organic, yet all that plastic will have to be thrown away at the end of each season. At Drumlin Farm, instead of using black plastic, we cultivate the soil in order to control weeds. We do this by hand with hoes or with implements that we pull behind a tractor. And yes, in doing this we burn diesel fuel and thereby emit greenhouse gases. We have room to further “green” our approach, and yet we are already leagues beyond what certifying agencies require of organic farms. We want to inspire our customers to think more deeply about sustainable farming practices, and we feel that the organic label begins and ends that conversation at an unacceptably basic level: this food is safe; it hasn’t been poisoned. But what other farming practices are behind that organic strawberry? We need to know the answer to this question in order to advocate for more sustainable farming practices and to make more responsible choices.

- Matt, Drumlin Farm Crops Manager

 How about a Christmas tree? Turns out an old Christmas tree is great fun for the fisher! 

By this time in the winter we really should have some nice snow photos, so when I saw flakes this morning I ran out to take a photo. This is about as deep as it got, and it really only stuck on the ice of the poultry pond.

Our new little calves are growing up quickly. This one has a coat with amazing texture.

Several of the other cows were quite interested in what the chickens were doing, and probably most interested in what they were eating.

After checking on the chickens, it was time to visit the sow and see what she was up to.

All in all a quiet day on the farm. We’re gearing up for a busy late winter with February and April school vacation week programs, Groundhog Day, Winter Fun Day, and the very popular Stew and Brew.

Until next week, wishing you wonderful outdoor experiences!

For your viewing pleasure, our 2011 year in review!

Play the slide show

People come to the farm to see the farm animals, the birds on Bird Hill, the animals in Drumlin Underground. They come to explore the trails and enjoy the fields. And often, as they leave, the thing they comment on is the turkeys. Sometimes people even tell us they love the turkey “display.” Since the turkeys can get wherever they want they are sometimes found behind fences giving the illusion that we have captive turkeys on display!

In reality the sanctuary is home to a large flock of wild turkeys. Staff members see the turkeys pretty much every day. Generally they are around first thing in the morning, and  later in the afternoon. In the early morning we see them in the trees roosting, and because they’re not so graceful we can often hear them coming down from their roost, or going up into them in the evening. They love to hang out around the welcome area, but they can be found all over the farm. And they definitely aren’t scared of people.

Did you know that the conical-shaped protrusion on the top of their head is called a snood?

And in recent news from our Wildlife Care Department, we now have a captive turkey that we are working with so that it can be taken out on programs! It’s a fantastic addition to our collection of native wildlife. This turkey was found abandoned and alone as a young poult, and came to Drumlin Farm from a wildlife rehabilitator.

Do you have turkeys in your yard? Have you had turkeys “attack” your car? What other wildlife sightings have you had recently?

There’s never a dull minute here on the farm. Between our new barn, and exciting new interactive exhibit in the learning garden, and the always entertaining antics of the critters it has been a busy week.

The new barn is looking fabulous. The crew was working on the cupola yesterday. I wonder what kind of weathervane it will have.

The new structure in our Learning Garden is taking shape.

The goal of this new exhibit is to help visitors get excited and about food and where it comes from. Kids will be able to “harvest” a three-foot beet, climb through an underground tunnel, drive the tractor to market, and follow a tomato from farm to fork.  It’s late in the season so the giant veggies that it will display may only make a brief appearance this season before they head to the root cellar, but come visit when it’s open and look for the giant earthworm!

There’s a beautiful trellis on the side of the structure. Look for it to be in full bloom next summer.

Out in the pasture the cows were enjoying the sun. Looks like someone’s the odd man out.

And right next door, the piglets. They never seem to all sleep facing one direction. It’s always some sort of odd arrangement like here, a group of one, a group of two, and then a group of three—all smushed together  for optimum comfort!

Today it sure feels like winter, but even when we think it’s dark and cold I found something growing, a little grass growing right out of a straw bale left in a sunny spot.

And a final parting thought. Not many visitors venture out to the fields this time of year, but it’s really beautiful, a wide open space to see the sky.

There’s also something about the dormancy of the fields that’s amazing – so much potential, and so peaceful.