Notes from Your Farm: Garlic, Hot Weather, & Fair Season

Hello from the Farm,   

   

Fair season is here!  One of my favorite times of the year is being able to go to the Lebanon Area Fair.  You are around people that have an interest in agriculture and to just eat fair food!  This year I was able to help out with the vegetable judging at the fair.  Gardner's are able to hand in their top-notch produce to see if they can win that blue ribbon.  I Definitely encourage you to go to your local fair to see what the 4-H and FFA students are presenting, and to see what your local farmers are showing!  The Lebanon Area Fair is going on till Saturday.    

The harvest this week is going to be filled with summer goodies.  Includes our flavorful Tomatoes, recently harvested Garlic, refreshing Cucumbers, tender Zucchini, colorful Swiss Chard, and our tasty Scallions.

Look at who is showing up in the PYO Field.  We love our pollinators!  Don't forget to check out the PYO Field.  It is filled with herbs, cherry tomatoes, hot peppers, basil, flowers, and more!  Everything is now ready in the PYO Field even if it does not have a white wooden sign in front of it.

   

What happened on the Farm this week?
This heat shows no mercy for us or the vegetables.  We have been taking multiple water and shade breaks throughout the day to make sure no one becomes dehydrated.  We are hoping that this heat spell breaks just for the plants sake.  Recently we have direct seeded cut lettuce into the fields to have some greens.  The cut lettuce seed did not appreciate the soil temperature, because it did not germinate.  It will be replanted once the temperature is lower!  

For the past couple of weeks the farm crew has been harvesting Garlic.  This Garlic was planted in the fall before the ground was frozen.  Garlic seed needs to have its "cold spell" by being in the ground during the winter months.  Very similar with Tulips and other bulb plants that are planted in the fall.  Once Garlic is harvested we let it cure for about two weeks.  Curing is done by putting the garlic in a dry and dark space (upstairs in the barn). This allows the moisture to the leave the bulb so it can be stored until the next garlic season comes around.  

Many tables filled with Garlic in the curing process

Field Good Yoga - Gentle Yoga with Farmer Elizabeth
A Homefields Event - Offered free to the farming community - On sight at Goodwill at Homefields Farm - Every weekend for 6 weeks - Classes will be on Friday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm & Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 9:30am

Dates for Classes:
          July 29&30
          Aug. 5&6, Aug. 12&13, Aug. 19&20, Aug. 26&27
          Sept. 2&3

Attend every weekend or just try out one class!  Classes will be held rain or shine, and class may be modified in the event of rain.  Bring a yoga mat, block, strap, and water bottle.  If you do not have yoga gear improvise with a beach towel or blanket, and a belt, necktie or bathrobe tie.

To reserve your spot or for any questions, please contact Talks@Homefields.org  

Want to share your Recipes?
Ever excited about how your vegetables turned out with a recipe you tried? From vegetable shakes, to salads, or creative combinations.  We want to see how you are preparing our vegetables!  Post a picture of your creation on our Facebook page and a short description on how it was prepared.  This will be a great way to share recipes with other shareholders.  If you have not liked our Facebook Page please click on the link below.
Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillatHomefieldsFarm/

Abendesson Bread
English Muffins  - sounds great for breakfast! -   $5 a half dozen    

Farm Shares - Sign up Now at Prorated Rate!

2016 Shares are still available!  For current shareholders and new shareholders please follow this link: http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.csasignup.com/members/types

Harvest List 

Tomatoes - slice them, dice them, or just bite them.  I personally just eat them like an apple.

Zucchini - bake with pastries, saute, or grill

Cucumbers - eat raw, put in salad, make cucumber and mint water

Eggplant - can be pan fried, grilled, or microwaved till tender

Garlic - bake, roast, boil, or eat it raw in salad.  Helps to prevent cancer, colds, and stabilizes cholesterol levels.

Kohlrabi - Once you peel off the tough outer shell of the bulb (with a vegetable peeler) you can add it to a soup, steam it, roast it, or eat it raw

Turnips - can be used the same way you use a potato.  Eat raw, cooked, put in sandwich, or a salad

Radishes - eat raw, put in salad, cook them, sauteed, chop the greens up nicely for a salad 

Green Garlic - have an onion flavor, good fresh or cooked, doesn't have to be peeled

Scallions - add for an onion flavoring

Swiss Chard - used as a side dish by being sauteed, made into a soup, or a pasta

Beans - eat raw, cooked, casserole, and throw them in many different recipes!

Hope to see you at Yoga, 

Your Farmers

Notes from Your Farm: Potatoes, Fall Crops, & Field Good Yoga

Hello from the Farm,   

   

Fingerling Potatoes!  This unique potato is our new crop for the week.  It has a flavor that makes it stand out from other potatoes.  Has been called "golden sticks of butter" because of its scrumptious taste.  For a simple recipe all you have to do is cook the potatoes in boiling water until they are tender enough to eat then they are ready!  Here is the link to the recipe for more details: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/perfect-fingerling-potatoes-recipe.html

Other vegetables that you will be picking up this week include our Cucumbers, Zucchini, Swiss chard, Scallions, and don't forget to explore the PYO Field.  It is filled with herbs, hot peppers, cherry tomatoes, and FLOWERS!
  


What happened on the Farm this week?
Fall crops are our main focus right now.  We have started seeding in the greenhouse, once again, for our cold crops.  This includes most of the crops that were harvested during our June pick up dates.  We are ordering seeds and filling the greenhouse with trays that will soon be holding vegetables!

Look at that concentration!  We do all of our seeding outside on the picnic tables because it is way too hot in the greenhouse!

   

Field Good Yoga - Gentle Yoga with Farmer Elizabeth

A Homefields Event - Offered free to the farming community - On sight at Goodwill at Homefields Farm - Every weekend for 6 weeks - Classes will be on Friday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm & Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 9:30am

Dates for Classes:

          July 29&30

          Aug. 5&6, Aug. 12&13, Aug. 19&20, Aug. 26&27

          Sept. 2&3

Attend every weekend or just try out one class!  Classes will be held rain or shine, and class may be modified in the event of rain.  Bring a yoga mat, block, strap, and water bottle.  If you do not have yoga gear improvise with a beach towel or blanket, and a belt, necktie or bathrobe tie.

To reserve your spot or for any questions, please contact Talks@Homefields.org  

Want to share your Recipes?
Ever excited about how your vegetables turned out with a recipe you tried? From vegetable shakes, to salads, or creative combinations.  We want to see how you are preparing our vegetables!  Post a picture of your creation on our Facebook page and a short description on how it was prepared.  This will be a great way to share recipes with other shareholders.  If you have not liked our Facebook Page please click on the link below.

Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillatHomefieldsFarm/

Abendesson Bread
Apple Strudel Sourdough - yumm! - $5 a loaf    

Farm Shares - Sign up Now at Prorated Rate!

2016 Shares are still available!  For current shareholders and new shareholders please follow this link: http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.csasignup.com/members/types

Harvest List

Potatoes - let the potatoes cook in boiling water until they are tender enough to eat.  

Zucchini - bake with pastries, saute, or grill

Cucumbers - eat raw, put in salad, make cucumber and mint water

Eggplant - can be pan fried, grilled, or microwaved till tender


Scallions - add for an onion flavoring

Swiss Chard - used as a side dish by being sauteed, made into a soup, or a pasta

Kohlrabi - Once you peel off the tough outer shell of the bulb (with a vegetable peeler) you can add it to a soup, steam it, roast it, or eat it raw

Turnips - can be used the same way you use a potato.  Eat raw, cooked, put in sandwich, or a salad

Radishes - eat raw, put in salad, cook them, sauteed, chop the greens up nicely for a salad 

Green Garlic - have an onion flavor, good fresh or cooked, doesn't have to be peeled

Beans - eat raw, cooked, casserole, and throw them in many different recipes!

Cut Lettuce - salads, sandwiches, steamed dishes, or soups

Stay Cool as a Cucumber this Weekend,

Your Farmers

Notes from Your Farm: Cucumbers, PYO Field, & Yoga this Saturday

Hello from the Farm,   

   

The summer crops are starting to come in heavy!  We are harvesting cucumbers and zucchini three times a week.  There will still be some Green Garlic, Swiss Chard, and Scallions this week.  It is truly exciting to see the fruit of our labor.  We started seeding summer crops in the greenhouse around the end of April and now we are harvesting vegetables from those plants!

At my families farm we grow around 60 acres of cucumbers.  Once the cucumbers are harvested they are sent to the barn to be washed and sorted. They are sorted by going through a Sizer, which is a machine that can separate the large cucumbers form the small cucumbers.  When they are sorted into the right size, then they are dropped onto the appropriate belt. My Dad, Uncles, cousins, sisters, hired help, and me are lined up along the belts ready to sort the cucumbers.  I was in control of the Large Line, which is the belt that had larger cucumbers.  This was my favorite thing to do on the farm, sort cucumbers!!!  We would sort the curved cucumbers into one box (called selects), then the perfectly straight cucumbers into another (called supers), and so on.  Then the boxes would be sent off to grocery stores and restaurants.  This is different from Goodwill at Homefields farm because we are on a lot smaller scale of farming.  There is no need for us to sort in such categories because all cucumbers are supers in our eyes!  Just a little taste of what happens on a Family Owned Farm and why I am excited to harvest my first crop of cucumbers here.  :)    

There will be a photo posted on Goodwill at Homefields Farm Facebook page of us sorting cucumbers at my families farm.

Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillatHomefieldsFarm/






PYO Field is Open!   

PYO field is open for shareholders to pick certain flowers, herbs, and peppers.  The ones that are available for picking will have a white wooden sign that has the name of the plant on it.  If you are new to the farm the PYO Field is on the other side of our two greenhouses. There is also a sign that indicates you are in the PYO Field.  

Ever wonder how to properly cut flowers?  It is similar to Basil except you do not want to remove as much from the flowering plants.  When cutting your stem make sure you are not removing buds that have not already bloomed. You want to cut your stem where it meets the main stem or to where there is a stem branching off.  Once you take your stems home make sure you cut the bottom of the stems at a 45 degree angle.  This makes it easier for the stems to drink water and makes them last longer.



   
Talks in the Field - Intro to Yoga with Farmer Elizabeth

This Saturday - 7/16 - 10am till 11am 

Beginners are welcome to this gentle yoga class, and it will give a taste of what's to come in the Field Good Yoga Series starting July 29 & 30.

This is a Homefields event.  Class will be held rain or shine, and class may be modified in the event of rain.  Bring a yoga mat, block, strap, and water bottle.  If you do not have yoga gear improvise with a beach towel or blanket and belt, necktie or bathrobe tie.  To reserve your spot or for any questions, please email Talks@Homefields.org 

Want to share your Recipes?
Ever excited about how your vegetables turned out with a recipe you tried? From vegetable shakes, to salads, or creative combinations.  We want to see how you are preparing our vegetables!  Post a picture of your creation on our Facebook page and a short description on how it was prepared.  This will be a great way to share recipes with other shareholders.  If you have not liked our Facebook Page please click on the link below.

Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillatHomefieldsFarm/

Abendesson Bread
Pretzel Rolls week!  Will be sold at $4 per half dozen.    

Farm Shares - Sign up Now at Prorated Rate!

2016 Shares are still available!  For current shareholders and new shareholders please follow this link: http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.csasignup.com/members/types

Harvest List

Beans - eat raw, cooked, casserole, and throw them in many different recipes!

Zucchini - bake with pastries, saute, or grill

Cucumbers - eat raw, put in salad, make cucumber and mint water

Eggplant - can be pan fried, grilled, or microwaved till tender

Kohlrabi - Once you peel off the tough outer shell of the bulb (with a vegetable peeler) you can add it to a soup, steam it, roast it, or eat it raw

Turnips - can be used the same way you use a potato.  Eat raw, cooked, put in sandwich, or a salad

Radishes - eat raw, put in salad, cook them, sauteed, chop the greens up nicely for a salad 

Green Garlic - have an onion flavor, good fresh or cooked, doesn't have to be peeled

Scallions - add for an onion flavoring

Swiss Chard - used as a side dish by being sauteed, made into a soup, or a pasta

Eat your Veggies, 

Your Farmers

 

 

Notes from Your Farm: New Distribution Hostess & Yoga with Farmer Elizabeth

Hello from the Farm,   

   

The 4th of July is over already?!? Hoping everyone had a fun time celebrating our countries independence this past weekend!  Even if you saw fireworks on Tuesday night instead of Monday because of the rain.  The fireworks at the Lebanon Valley Mall were spectacular on Tuesday night.


The Harvest this week is going to be filled with the exotic Kohlrabi, fresh Swiss Chard, crispy Scallions, flavorful Radishes and Turnips, and some tasty Green Garlic.  Summer Heat is coming and is bringing in the flowers in the PYO Field.  There will only be certain parts of the PYO Field that will be open for picking this week.  The sections that are open will have a white wooden sign with the name of the plant on it.  If it does not have the white wooden sign in front of the section, please do not pick them!  Also, please be responsible with the amounts that you pick.  There are other shareholders that want to enjoy the PYO Field too. 





Meet Rachel!   

You might of saw a new face working the distribution area last week.  Her name is Rachel and she is our new Distribution Hostess for the season! Here is a short blurb from Rachel herself:

"My name is Rachel Divet and I'll be a senior in high school this year.  After high school, I plan to attend college to become a nurse.  I'm the new produce hostess at Homefields Farm, and I'm excited for the opportunity to be apart of something that can help benefit people with disabilities."

Rachel told me she enjoyed talking to shareholders last week and is excited about this position.  Please help welcome her to the farm this week!

Field Good Yoga - Gentle Yoga with Farmer Elizabeth

Offered free to the farming community - On sight at Goodwill at Homefields Farm - Every weekend for 6 weeks - Classes will be on Friday evenings from 6:30pm to 7:30pm & Saturday mornings from 8:30am to 9:30am

Dates for Classes:

          July 29&30

          Aug. 5&6, Aug. 12&13, Aug. 19&20, Aug. 26&27

          Sept. 2&3

Attend every weekend or just try out one class!  Classes will be held rain or shine, and class may be modified in the event of rain.  Bring a yoga mat, block, strap, and water bottle.  If you do not have yoga gear improvise with a beach towel or blanket, and a belt, necktie or bathrobe tie.

To reserve your spot or for any questions, please contact Elizabeth at eswope@yourgoodwill.org 

Want to share your Recipes?
Ever excited about how your vegetables turned out with a recipe you tried? From vegetable shakes, to salads, or creative combinations.  We want to see how you are preparing our vegetables!  Post a picture of your creation on our Facebook page and a short description on how it was prepared.  This will be a great way to share recipes with other shareholders.  If you have not liked our Facebook Page please click on the link below.

Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillatHomefieldsFarm/

Abendesson Bread
This week Stephanie will be baking Tomato Basil Sourdough for $5 a loaf.

Farm Shares - Sign Up NOW for the 2016 Season!

2016 Shares are still available!  For current shareholders and new shareholders please follow this link: http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.csasignup.com/members/types

Harvest List

Kohlrabi - Once you peel off the tough outer shell of the bulb (with a vegetable peeler) you can add it to a soup, steam it, roast it, or eat it raw

Turnips - can be used the same way you use a potato.  Eat raw, cooked, put in sandwich, or a salad

Radishes - eat raw, put in salad, cook them, sauteed, chop the greens up nicely for a salad 

Green Garlic - have an onion flavor, good fresh or cooked, doesn't have to be peeled

Garlic Scapes - put as a flavoring in soups, stews, salads

Scallions - add for an onion flavoring

Kale - Kale chips are delicious and easily done.  Just put some olive oil and salt on the raw kale.  Next they will stay in the oven on a cookie sheet until the edges are brown.  They can also be made into a smoothie

Swiss Chard - used as a side dish by being sauteed, made into a soup, or a pasta

Cut Lettuce - salads, sandwiches, steamed dishes, or soups

Stay Hydrated, 

Your Farmers