Splendid days here at the farm.  The rainy day was welcome as we were able to spend a lot of time organizing the barn and greenhouse and tidying everything up that was overlooked during our spring planting spree.  Thank you Eric for making the van look like a new one! We're pleased to say that the crops are doing well.  We're planting thousands of cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower for fall harvest already.  We expect to be harvesting summer squash, cucumbers, scallions and beans this month.

Weekly Pickup:  whichever day suits you best from week to week.  
Thurs: 3-7pm
Fri:     11-7pm
Sat:    9-1pm     

Q & A:  What happens if I'll be away? 

 Please feel free to have a friend or neighbor pick up your share---this is how many people are introduced to the farm.  If a share is not picked up we will donate it to the food bank in Millersville to give local food to local people in need. 

Blueberry Announcement:

The blueberries are starting to ripen.  There will be blueberries across the next several weeks. There are few things as good as a ripe blueberry from here. Most blueberries are machine picked and shipped, so these are something special!

To ensure that everyone gets blueberries in their dark blue prime, not everyone should pick this week, and this why we have a season limit--instead of a weekly amount.  The season limit for blueberries is 1 pint for half shares and 2 pints for full shares.  If we are able to raise the limit later on, we will.  Please re-use your berry boxes to cut down on waste.

Purple potato plant flowers.  

Farm Forum on Facebook: 

Got recipes, tips or thoughts on vegetables?  Our facebook page is a great forum for sharing the farm experience together.  See what your farmers are up to: 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Goodwill-at-Homefields-Farm/121147947971207

Farmer Profiles: 

Thanks to Elizabeth, we'll be introducing each of the cast of characters here at the farm.  Somehow I drew the short straw, so here goes:

Spotlight on Scott Breneman

Position at the farm: Farm Manager
Number of years working for Goodwill: 11 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: watermelon
If he could trade places with someone for a day, it would be: David Fairchild, Plant Explorer, American Botanist and the man who brought the mango to the US
What he wanted to be when he grew up: inventor and farmer
Favorite place he has visited: Southern Louisiana Cajun Country (Scott discovered he loved this spot during a 6 week road trip across the US with his wife when they were newlyweds. They drove 10,000 miles, hit 37 states including Washington state and along the Gulf Coast, all in their little old blue car.
Favorite sport: is mushroom foraging a sport?
Scott’s family: Lorena, his lovely wife of almost 14 years, and their four children
Anna 10, Elizabeth 8, Naomi 6 and Isaiah 2
Pets: chickens and ducks
Something Scott can’t live without: a pocket knife
Scott speaks: Spanish, Russian and Japanese
If he could pass on a piece of advice: Follow God, love others and don’t give up
Favorite thing about being at the farm: Figuring out systems--how to make everything work together. He enjoys the rare moments he is able to stroll around the farm and take it all in.

Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:

Lettuce heads: great for salad, sandwiches, enough said :-) 
Garlic Scapes:  these green garlic necks are tender and can be used in lieu of bulb garlic in any recipe. 
 Chard: this green is a cousin of the beet and is good for salad and as a spinach substitute in lasnagna or elsewhere. Spanakopita anyone?
 Kale and Collards--a little butter or bacon fat or oil and sautee these well--very tasty side dish. My wife serves with eggs and sauteed onions and mushrooms--fabulous.
Bok Choy:  think of this as a crispy cabbage of Asian origin.  Also think of peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and onions as great companions with this vegetable. 
Napa cabbage: not familiar with this one?  It's like lettucey cabbage. It is used in kimchee, the fiery hot pickled cabbage of Korea, and can be used in recipes calling for cabbage.  Great to stir fry and use with garlic scapes, onions, ginger, soy sauce and sesame.  See recipe below

Looking for a way to keep your veggies fresh with reusable mesh bags? Check out:
http://www.gardeners.com/Produce-Bags/39-905,default,pd.html 

Kim Chee Recipe:

This Korean spicy "sauerkraut" of a sort is outstanding. It is enjoyed in Korea and Japan. I like to get it from the Viet My Asian grocery across from McCaskey High School--the brand they carry is Kimchee Pride from NYC and my favorite of the kimchee I've purchased.

1 large head Chinese (celery or Nappa) cabbage
Salt--non iodized is preferred
4 green onions (including tops)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 dried hot red chili (about 2" long), crushed
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1. Cut cabbage into pieces, 1-inch long and 1-inch wide.
2. Sprinkle 2 Tbs salt on cabbage, mix well, and let stand 15 minutes.
3. Cut green onions in 1-1/2 inch lengths, then cut lengthwise in thin slices. Wash salted cabbage three times with cold water. Add the onions,garlic, chili, ginger, 1 Tbs salt and enough water to cover. Mix well.Cover and let stand for a few days.
4. Taste mixture every day. When it is acidic enough, cover and refrigerateup to 2 weeks.

Makes about 1 quart. --from http://www.cheriestihler.com/recipes/kchee.html