A Day at Market

Every Saturday from the first of April until the end of October Wings of Dawn Farm sets up our local, seasonal, chemical-free produce for sale between 8 a.m. and noon at the Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market.  The market is in its 2nd year offering to the community the opportunity to purchase food grown by the farmers at the market as well as products e.g. baked goods and soaps made by those selling them.  Such a market is called a "producers' market" because each vendor has produced the items for sale at their tent. Through this post you can join us for a virtual tour.  If you live in the Burlington area, come see us some Saturday and experience all that the market has to offer.

Saturday was a beautiful day at Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market and a pleasant change from some of the windy, wet weather we've had.  We were able to offer our customers some of the first cucumbers and green beans of the season!  We also had lots of our delicious eggs created by happy hens living on pasture and eating organic feed free of antibiotics, medications, or genetically modified grains.    

It was an exciting morning as we watched the preparations for Company Shops Market's 2nd anniversary celebration going on near us.  

As part of the anniversary celebration, a sign painter worked all morning to complete the sign on the back of the building.  We had a direct view of this work as it progressed.

Our market manager set up a display about the Farmers' Market.

Eddie, Allison and Bronwyn from Asgard Farm sold soaps made from their Nubian goats' milk
as well as whole broilers and eggs from their pastured chickens.

Ellen from Boywood Farm stands behind piles of chard, cabbage, summer squash, potatoes, beets and beautiful cutting boards made by Gary (who's off visiting T5).

Carnivorous Plants offers Venus Fly Traps and Pitcher Plants
propagated by Victor and Melissa.

Noah and his grandpa Arwood are manning the table at T5 today and enjoying a visit from Gary who wandered over from Boywood.  T5 has a variety of vegetables, chicken, eggs, pork and beef for sale each week.

We had a special treat on Saturday when a family of musicians
came to market to play Bluegrass during an Open Jam session.  

Glen Marie Vineyards & Winery sells wine and a lot of good veggies.

You can even get a massage at Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market. 

Some vendors were not at market today, including Be Happy Bakery, Yardbird Kitchen and Bluebird Sun Farm.  We have a couple new vendors arriving soon also.  Each week is exciting and new as the offerings change with the seasonal availability of the produce.  Be in touch with the harmony of the natural order and shop at a "producers only" Farmers' Market near you where you can purchase fresh, local food, supporting your health and the health of your community.

Checking on the bees

Bees require a fair amount of attention.  Lloyd Lee opened the hives to assure the bees were settling into their new homes and building the honeycomb needed for the hives survival.

Happy beekeeper!

The bees are doing their job.  Each capped honeycomb represents an egg deposited by the queen and developing into a bee.  The expression "busy as a bee" takes on new meaning when one sees bees in action.

And where is the bee suit, Lloyd Lee?

Back into the hive to continue their work.

Bees!

The bees arrived two days ago and they are adjusting to their new hives.  They have a lot of work to do!  In the picture below you can see the sugar water solution in the quart jar.  It is there to assist them with nourishment so they do not have to forage so far from the hive to find nectar.  Right now the focus of their energy needs to be on building honeycomb so their queen will begin laying eggs.  The sugar water allows them to expend less energy finding food during these initial days.  Even bees have housekeeping to do when they first move into a new home!

The bees are the small dark specks against the white of the hive.  

Bee Prepared

We are getting ready for the arrival of bees.  They will be pollinators for our crops and, in time, producers of honey for our table and for market.

First, Lloyd Lee mowed a portion of the pasture to prepare a bee yard.

Bee hives in place.

Available for immediate occupancy.

Ready for bees.  Any takers?

Pollinators

Bee on squash flower

On a farm there can never be enough pollinators! Pollination for many of our plants relies on the bees moving pollen from one plant to another which allows the flowers to become the produce on the plant.  Soon we'll be acquiring bees (and hives) for the farm to assist with the pollination of our crops.

Stay tuned for news and pictures when the new arrivals actually show up to begin working.  Won't be long!

A Day on the Farm

On a recent, beautiful Spring day, there was a lot of activity on the farm. . .

In pasture one, Charlie was removing "deer guards" from young fruit trees and
Jason was spreading lime on a newly plowed field.

Lloyd Lee was assisting Mike with the renovation of an old metal wagon into the produce wagon for the farm store.

Susan was at work in the greenhouse planting seeds in flats.

The garlic was growing.

And the peach trees were peacefully blooming.

Meanwhile, Jan was simply walking around taking pictures and listening to the hens celebrate the many eggs they were laying.

Opening Day of Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market

Today was the "season opener" for Burlington Downtown Farmers' Market.  Wings of Dawn Farm was in the starting line-up and the team of vendors pulled out a winner thanks to the support of lots of fans who came to see, to learn, to shop and to eat.  Thank you!

After these photos were taken some real excitement began--the first "Food Truck Rodeo" held in Burlington, hosted by the market, was held in the parking lot behind our tables.  Here are some of the trucks arriving:

Six different food trucks, members of the Central Carolina Food Truck Alliance, came and the lines of customers were long!  The atmosphere was very festive.  The sense of community was obvious as children licked ice cream cones and adults chowed down on foods such as tacos, jambalaya and BBQ.  Cooperative weather added the finishing touch to a great day!