Hello from the farm, 




The showers and storms continue to bless us with helpful amounts of rain here and there, not what you'd expect for this typically parched stretch of summer on the farm.  It's been another full week here, finishing up the record potato harvest,  working on several organizing and improvement projects in the shop and barn, renovation of the pepper plot--wow, nice job farmers,  a visit from the Goodwill Keystone Foundation Board yesterday, and the beginning of the Homefields campaign for the new land.  




You have a stake in the future of Homefields and our community: 







As you may know, developers have attempted several times over the past decade to turn the farmland outlined in yellow into a medium density housing development.  When this land to our east side came up for auction, Homefields responded quickly with a bid and is now looking for donations to secure the future of this new land.  The new land will allow the farm program to expand our vegetable growing, improve our soil, and have more trainees in the program.  


Homefields is the grassroots nonprofit that began this vision and owns the land. Your donation extends that vision to this new farmland and creates a green and fertile future for it. 


To donate and for more information or to ask questions, go to: http://homefields.org/






Spotlight on Patrick R.

Position at the farm: Farm CrewNumber of years working for Goodwill: 17 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: Indian Corn
Where he wanted to work when he grew up:  Stauffer’s of Kissel Hill
Favorite thing about the farm:  the paycheck
Two of his favorite places he has been: are Atlanta, GA and sleeping out in the 

Poconos

Favorite sport to watch: soccer
Pat’s family includes: his mom and dad, a sister in Philadelphia and a brother in 

Atlanta, GA

His pets are: a cat named Butterscotch and a dog named Tony
Pat is a world traveler: and has been to Israel, Germany, Switzerland and Canada
Foreign languages he speaks : Spanish, German and Hebrew
Pat’s hobbies include: bicycling, hiking and canoeing, including overnight trips on the river and on the Appalachian Trail. 

Here come the tomatoes!

Question: How does the swap board work? 

If you decide to not take an item for you share this week, you may write it on the swap board and take something else that's listed there. Erase the item that you take from the board. 

Suggestions for the Harvest:


Watermelon: yep, it's watermelon time. Check out the tasty sweet Orangeglo watermelon, it's our favorite here. 
Cantaloupe/Muskmelon:  nothing says summer like melons!  Try with fresh ground black pepper on your cantaloupe.
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are keepers. Great for burgers or whatever. 
Sweet Onions: carmelize in a fry pan with lots of butter...tasty! Not a storage onion-use within a week or two.
Sweet Peppers: great for salads or fried with onions and garlic.
Potatoes: this fresh new potatoes are excellent!  One has a red interior. They are all good. My favorite summer treatment is a Lebanese style potato salad with just olive oil and herbs.
Carrots: these fresh carrots are like candy, just to pop in your mouth and eat raw or add to salad, etc. 
Eggplant: coat with oil and soysauce and grill, or bread them and fry.
Chard: use in lieu of spinach in babaganoush, salads,
Scallions: these mild onions are great anywhere onion is needed
Cucumber:the cukes had a great run and are fading away now. 

Thanks for being a part of the farm, 


your farmers