Signs of the Season: May on the Farm

A member of the Reed's Farm team, harvesting flowers for summer bouquets.

The Start of Summer at Reed's

There’s a moment every year when the farm really starts to feel alive again. May is that moment. 

The fields are filling in, the greenhouses are busy, and you can feel the shift from spring into something warmer and more steady. With Memorial Day marking the start of summer down the Jersey shore, the season ahead is starting to come into focus. 

And yes, that means our famous blueberry pies will make their triumphant return on May 23rd - just in time for the perfect Memorial Day picnic. Made with fresh, ripe blueberries bursting with flavor, they’re the farm market favorite people ask about all year. Those who have been eagerly awaiting this moment: rejoice! 

A New Partnership in EHT

But May has brought more than the first taste of summer - it has also brought exciting momentum for our food access work.

Reed’s Farm recently connected with Egg Harbor Township School District, which received a $7,000 Farm-to-School grant to purchase local produce. Through this opportunity, we will begin providing produce to the district, starting with fresh veggies for the high school salad bar.

Students will be able to identify where their food is coming from through signage highlighting Reed’s Farm. It’s a simple but meaningful step: fresh, locally-grown food will make its way into school meals, while students learn more about the farms in their own community.

This connection may also open the door to future partnerships with other Atlantic County schools. For us, that is especially exciting. The more we connect local food, schools, and community partners, the more robust our regional food system gets.

The Season Taking Shape

Out in the fields, our work begins with the everyday rhythm of the farm. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and other summer crops are being planted, tended, and watched closely as they grow. What was recently bare soil is becoming rows of young plants that will carry us through the months ahead.

Truly, May is when the farm starts to feel like a place you can linger again.

Families are walking the grounds, kids are stopping to watch the animals, and regular visitors are settling back into the rhythm of the season. Longer days are welcomed, as are the energies of everything beginning to grow.

If you haven’t been out in a while, this is a good time to visit and see what’s changed. Come by for a blueberry pie, take a walk through the farm, and see what’s growing as we step into summer together.