WELCOME TO HEAVEN on earth!

    This Holland Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey farm is historic and beautiful.  It is part of the original “Hawk Farm” purchased by Joseph Hawk in 1819 for $3,420, a tidy sum in those days.  This date is as far back as county title records take us.  The stone farmhouse dates to this period, and there is a one-bedroom stone “Spring House” on the property that dates to the Revolutionary War. 
    The current owners acquired the property in 2004 and meticulously restored and renovated these two stone buildings in 2005-2006.  The month of acquisition housed a blue moon, hence the farm’s name.  A lovely stream meanders throughout the acreage, and natural springs abound.

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Winter Update 2009-2010

The days compress and the intensity of daily chores subsides.  The layers’ production decreases with the reduction in daylight, but the eggs are as fresh as ever.  The tractors are still, except to push snow.  Their engines enjoy a work out once a week to stay in shape, just like we resolve to do each New Year.  There is always something to maintain or repair.

The plethora of rain in 2009 created difficult growing conditions for garden produce, especially tomatoes.  The springs which abound beneath our acreage gurgle through the surface in inconvenient places and create treacherous ice when the temperature drops.  Just as it starts to melt it freezes again as more water pushes upward.  There is always ice to traverse here in the winter months, especially when feeding and watering chickens.

Seed catalogues and poultry supply magazines now arrive almost daily.  Lancaster Farming arrives weekly, with repetitive ads seeking our attention and money.  From some articles, we sense that the tension between large commercial farmers and strident environmentalists runs high.  Their disagreements fortunately do not implicate us.  We are small, healthy, and green.

For us, spring is not a distant memory or at the faint edge of the horizon.  It is just around the corner and will soon be thrust upon us like day old heritage Bourbon Red turkeys, baby chicks for eggs and meat, mushrooms, fresh garden produce, heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, and garlic.

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    Historically, the property was utilized as a dairy and poultry farm.  Like many family farms from a bygone era, the property was self-sufficient with multiple cisterns for drinking water, crops for humans and animals, barns and a silo, a windmill to generate power to deliver fresh water to the barns and farmhouse, and orchards throughout.  The 42° fresh spring water flowing constantly through the Spring House kept dairy products cool for use in the farmhouse as milk, butter, and cheese.  Acres of dense timber stands provided firewood and construction material.  
    By the eve of the millennium, the farm had fallen into decline and the buildings were abandoned.  The current owners rescued the property and cleared years of neglect and acres of overgrowth.  They hope to re-establish its nobility and original mission.  New fencing is installed in places and chickens have the run of the yard when not laying or roosting in their beige hen house.  Farm fresh free-range brown eggs are available for a reasonable price.  Lean healthy heritage breed broilers raised humanely with constant access to fresh air and sunshine are available seasonally, along with fresh produce, hand crafted natural shea butter soap, and seasoned firewood.