Seasons of Growth: Looking Back on Spring, Ahead to Summer

Blueberry pie, a special summer treat from Reed's Farm

A Busy Spring Season

Spring brought steady momentum to the farm, with each week building on the last. From new plantings to new team members, the work we’ve done these past few months is already shaping what’s ahead - and there’s plenty to look forward to.

We started the season by planting crops that will return year after year. Strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, and rhubarb now have dedicated spaces of their own, intentionally set aside to support our growing perennial systems. These early plantings represent a long-term investment in the farm’s future abundance.

Several new areas across the property were seeded with cover crop this spring, including our future alley cropping fields, food forest, and chestnut grove. While they may look simple now, these green blankets are doing important work - restoring nutrients, protecting the soil, and preparing the land for trees that will take root later in the year.

We also opened up a brand-new vegetable field. Rows of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, tomatoes, and peppers will soak up the summer sun there, and we’re looking forward to sharing the harvest with you.

In another step forward, we began working with a soil scientist to better understand what’s going on with the life beneath our feet. By studying the biology of our soil, we can strengthen its foundation and help everything growing here - now and in the future - thrive a little more.

Our team grew in a meaningful way, too. This spring we welcomed Kirsti Snyder, our new Animal Systems Manager, who’s helping us develop a silvopasture plan. Silvopasture is a regenerative practice that weaves together trees, pasture, and rotational grazing - bringing shade, shelter, and soil-building benefits to the animals and the land. We’ve already started adjusting fencing and moving animals to support this system in motion.

We also began our tree nursery. Among the first trees planted were Shademaster Honeylocusts - chosen not just for their resilience, but for the canopy they’ll provide as the nursery grows. It’s a small grove now, but it holds big potential.

And if you’ve wandered the farm recently, you may have spotted new signs in a few key areas. These mark the future food forest, pollinator garden, u-pick blueberry fields, and silvopasture zones. Each sign has a QR code you can scan to learn more about what’s taking shape - because even if things seem quiet, there’s a lot happening just below the surface.

Looking Ahead to Summer

The weeks ahead will bring the thrill of first harvests - watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydews, heirloom and cherry tomatoes, peppers, eggplants - all ripening in the sun and growing fuller by the day. We can’t wait to bring this abundance to our market and our community.

We’re also getting ready for a major fall milestone: planting trees across the food forest, chestnut grove, and alley cropping fields. These plantings are part of a larger vision that’s rooted in care, and growing stronger with each season.

What's Next for Reed's Farm

.As summer unfolds, we’re stepping into a season shaped by intention and care. The groundwork has been laid, and what comes next will bring color and flavor to everything we’ve set in motion. We’re excited for what’s ahead, and even more so to share it with you