Repose & Rest

Happy New Year from Orchard Kitchen!

Reflection.

2025 was a whirlwind of a year that just flew by. We are grateful to work with such a dedicated, knowledgeable, and fun team, and we are grateful for all of you who care about the food we grow and make here.

All is now quiet on the farm and in the restaurant. Today, only two or three of us milled around, catching up on small projects and keeping to ourselves. There are a few more things to pull from the ground and plenty to keep an eye on, but for the most part, we are tucking ourselves in for the winter.

While our restaurant has been put to bed until St. Patrick’s Day, we are enjoying some family time, and projects are being planned, new visions are being refined, and we are looking forward to a great 2026 and beyond.

Dreaming of what will grow. 

Composting old stories.

Regeneration

Our flock of 30-plus hens is always a big part of our spring. This winter, we are working on re-homing them from the coop they have called home since we bought the property to a new, mobile chicken tractor. Our concept, based on Joel Salatin’s book Polyface Designs, will allow our girls to be easily moved around the farm while being kept safe from predators. They will be doing triple duty: eating bugs and other critters, aerating soils and directly fertilizing fallow fields, and, of course, producing the best farm-fresh, extremely free-range eggs for the kitchen.