Hello from the Farm,
Hours for Pick Up:
Thursday - 3:00pm till 7:00pm
Friday - 11:00am till 7:00pm
Saturday - 9:00am till 1:00pm
The 4th of July weekend/week is already here! This year we are keeping our pick up hours the same as every week. They are listed above. We can check off June, our first month, for vegetable pick up. Still have four and a half months to go! Soon we will be getting into summer crops which include eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers.
Don't forget about your Pick Your Own options listed below!
Blueberry Season
Our Blueberry Season started on June 22 and will go until July 1. The blueberry season might run three weeks but this depends on the weather and bird pressure. In the blueberry patch you will see dark blue berries, blue berries with some red, and green berries. The dark ones are the ripest, ones with red are almost ripe and will ripe on your counter at home, and the green berries should not be picked until they turn blue.
Make sure to get your blueberry picking in this week. The bird pressure is rising because they are not scared by Gumby Jr. or the the bird calls anymore. These techniques generally last only a few weeks.
The blueberry patch does have poison ivy running on the ground. We have been working hard by keeping the poison ivy back by mowing and weed wacking but we still need to take precaution. Shareholders and members of their families must wear sneakers/boots while harvesting blueberries or you run the risk of getting poison ivy. We also prefer that you wear long pants. Only walk through the grass pathways do not walk in between blueberry bushes. At the sign in table we will have a bottle of Poison Ivy Preventative for you to apply to exposed skin (arms/legs/hands) to use before going into the blueberry patch. Please be cautious about this while harvesting!
We will have a season limit for blueberries, which means you can only harvest the given limit throughout the whole season.
Season Limit
Half Shares - 2 pints
Full Shares - 4 pints
You may harvest blueberries during pick up hours. Below is a map that will show you where the blueberries are located on the farm. Gumby Jr. is dancing in the blueberry patch to help guide you to the right spot. At the distribution area we will have green pint baskets for you to use while harvesting blueberries. Please return when you are done using them.
Snap Pea Season
Our Snap Pea Season has ended but there is still more out there! We will let the snap pea patch up for another week or two. This will give you enough time to harvest more snap peas for the 4th of July weekend and for next week.
Map for Blueberry & Snap Pea Season
Any questions contact Taryn by phone: 717-871-3110 or email: thogeland@yourgoodwill.org
Whats been happening on the farm?
Temperatures are getting warmer during the day and night. This is the time of year that many pests start showing up on our crops. We try to keep track of them by scouting in the fields on a regular basis. Scouting includes looking at animal tracks, underneath leaves for bugs, and the bugs that are flying right above the field. Here are some examples of pests that we are finding lately.
Colorado Potato Beetle: loves eating potato leaves (hence its name) and eggplant leaves.
Cucumber Beetle: likes to chew on crops in the Cucurbit family. There are two types the one with spots and the other with stripes.
Aphids: they have a slender mouth part that they stick into plants to suck out fluids on a leaf or stem. Normally finding them on tomato plants right now.
All of these pests go from one field to the next with the high possibility of spreading diseases to each plant. This is why it is important to take control of their populations with organic materials.
Our Pollinator Garden is blooming throughout the whole season as of now. In the garden Blackeyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are blooming with their bright yellow petals and dark center. This flower is native to Pennsylvania that creates a habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects. Some of the beneficial insects eat the pests listed above. Your could plant these flowers in your own garden at home to create pollinator habitats!
Blackeyed Susans
Homefields Event - Glow in the Dark Golf
Friday, July 14 - 8:00pm - Happening at Crossgates Golf Club
More Info & Register at: www.homefields.org
Homefields - Recruiting
Homefields is seeking volunteer board and committee members to help grow the mission and manage projects. Opportunities to serve include ongoing roles, like board membership; or project oriented roles, like committee work or event staffing. Contact tracy@homefields.org
Homefields sponsors an annual fundraising event called "Picnic in the Fields." This years' event will be held on Sunday, September 24th at Homefields. We need volunteers to help with set up, event staffing and break down. Service opportunities range from 3 hours to all day (10 hours). Drinks and food included. It's a fun day and a great way to give back to the farm. Contact: tracy@homefields.org
2017 Season Sign Ups!!!
There is still room for you! Just sign up by following this link: http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.csasignup.com/members/types
Abendessen Bread
Hamburger Rolls - Perfect timing for the 4th of July Weekend! - $5 a half dozen bag
Harvest List
- Snap Peas - storage: keep in plastic bag in refrigerator
{can be used in kale recipe}
Garlic Snap Pea Recipe
Ingredients: 2 cups snap peas, 2 tsp. vegetable oil, 1/8 tsp. salt, pinch black pepper, 2 cloves of garlic minced (just use your garlic scapes instead!)
Directions: cut off tips on snap peas, preheat oil on medium/high heat. Sautee peas with salt and pepper for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes tossing often until beans are cooked an crispy. Add minced garlic toss a bit and then pour out onto serving pan. Don't cook too long because garlic can become bitter. No longer then 10 seconds.
Recipe can be found at: http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/PF-Changs-Garlic-Snap-Peas-Copycat-Recipe.html
- Blueberries - storage: cover and keep refrigerated.
Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe
Ingredients / {Directions}: 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. salt {combine in a large mixing bowl} 1 1/2 cups blueberries, 1 tsp. lemon peel {gently fold in} 1 egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup butter melted {whisk together in small bowl. add to flour mixture and stir carefully. batter will be very stiff. spread into greased 8x8inch pan.} 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup whole wheat flour, 1/3 cup walnuts of other nuts, 2 Tbsp. butter, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon {mix together until crumbly and sprinkle over batter}
Bake in preheated oven at 425F until top is lightly golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp.
Recipe from: "Simply in Season"
- Lettuce - storage: if in a plastic bag make sure you poke holes throughout the bag and keep in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator. Or invest in a Produce Keeper that can be found on Amazon, they work very well.
How to use Lettuce
Create a fun and delicious salad with the produce that comes from the farm! Use your lettuce greens and kale for the base of the salad by chopping them up into bite size pieces and removing stems/tough parts. Slice up turnips and radishes into small pieces for a tasty addition. If you want a sweet addition add snap peas or blueberries to your greens. Could add some Dill or Cilantro for an herb. Maybe add some goat cheese or your favorite nut to the salad.
Note: have fun and make it your own!
Recipe from: Your Imagination!
- Kale - storage: same as lettuce
Kale Recipe: Three Pea Stir-Fry
Ingredients/{Directions}: 1 large clove garlic (could use garlic scapes), 1 Tbsp. ginger root, 1/8-1/4 tsp. crushed hot chilies {Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large frypan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add ingredients and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.} 1 1/2 cup snap peas {Add and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.} 2 1/2 cups of kale (or more if needed){Add and stir-fry until hot about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.} 1 tsp. soy sauce, 1 tsp. sesame seed oil {Stir in. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and salt to taste. Serve immediately.}
Recipe from: "Simply in Season"
- Broccoli - storage: best used in a couple of days. Store unwashed in perforated plastic bag in drawer of refrigerator, it will keep for 2-3 days. For long term storage, broccoli freezes well.
Broccoli Recipe: Broccoli Salad
Ingredients / {Directions}: 3 cups broccoli, 1 cup raisins, 10 slices bacon, 1/2 cup red onion, 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup cheese {mix together in a large bowl. set aside.} 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 3/4 cup plain yogurt or mayonnaise {combine sugar and vinegar and stir to dissolve. stir in yogurt until well blended. pour over the broccoli mixture and stir together.
- Radishes - storage: keep in refrigerator wrapped in plastic bag or damp towel. Keep greens separate and stored like lettuce.
Radish Recipe: Marinated Radish Salad
Ingredients: 5 Radishes, 5 green onions, 1/4 cup of Dill, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper to taste, 6 ounces of Swiss cheese.
Directions: stir together, pour over radish mixture, and toss lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 4. Remove 30 minutes before serving. Stir. Sprinkle Swiss cheese on top.
Recipe from: "Simply in Season" located at our sign in table
- Turnips - storage: same as radishes
How to use Turnips
Leave the skins on for maximum nutrition. Mix with other root vegetables for roasting, or substitute one turnip for one potato in soup recipes. Try the white turnip raw, or dipped in your favorite veggie dip. Turnip greens can be cooked the same way you would use arugula, chard or spinach.
- Garlic Scapes - storage: keep in a plastic bag in refrigerator
Garlic Scape Pesto - Vegan Style
Ingredients: 8 garlic scapes coarsely chopped, 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro, 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup pine nuts, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. sea salt.
Directions: place chopped scapes in food processor and pulse to mince. Add all other pesto ingredients and process until consistent and smooth. Serve or store in airtight container in refrigerator or freezer.
Additional Comment: freeze a batch of this pesto for the middle of winter!
Recipe from: "Eat Clean Live Well" By: Terry Walters
- Dill - storage: same as lettuce
{can also be used in broccoli recipe & radishes recipe}
Dill Recipe: Garlic and Dill Muffins
Ingredients: 1 cup cake flour, 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 Tbsp. minced fresh dill, 4 cloves garlic minced (just use scapes), 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream, 3 egg whites, 1 1/2 cup nonfat milk, 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese.
Directions: Preheat oven 400 degrees F. Fill 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Mix flours, baking powder, salt and pepper together; stir in dill and garlic. Whisk sour cream, egg whites, and milk together, and stir into dry ingredients just till dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of batter. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 12 servings.
- Most of the storage ideas were found in our Goodwill at Homefields Farm "A Mostly Vegetarian Cookbook". Which can be found at our sign in desk at the distribution center.
Below are the products that you can buy from another location but pick up at our location once the season starts. Take a look they are great products from local businesses!
North Star Orchard Fruit Share - Must be signed up by 7/1!
Would you like to pick up a CSA Fruit Share when you come to get your CSA vegetables? It’s time to sign up now with North Star Orchard for their weekly Fruit Share, which is available for pickup for 15 weeks starting in August.
CSA Members have been enjoying the Fruit Share for years, and we encourage you to take a look at what the share has to offer here.
(Link to http://northstarorchard.com/fruit-share )
This is not ordinary fruit, but unique and heritage varieties which are full of flavor: plums with pizazz, perfect peaches, amazing Asian pears, great (seedless) grapes, astounding apples, and a sprinkling of heritage pear varieties.Sign up directly with North Star on their website (link again to https://northstarorchard.com/fruit-share ), or if you need to reach them directly, email Lisa@northstarorchard.com
And for a quick view of North Star Orchard itself, enjoy this 90-second bird's eye view (link to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izdj6VIWyao )
Hillacres Pride Cheese Share
Goodwill at Homefields farm will be a pickup location for Hillacres Pride Cheese share once again for the 2017 Season.
The share will usually start with the first pick-up at your veggie share location and run every other week for 11 pickups, which usually encompasses June-Oct. A share contains 2 cheese items with each delivery.
They will range from cheddars and colbys to artisan cheeses, such as our Susquehanna and Cave Aged Arcadia; to fresh cheeses like ricotta and our signature flavored fresh cheeses. It is always fun for us to select the share items and we hear it is a fun surprise for the customers. We offer a bit of information about the cheeses and are hoping to incorporate recipes this year as well.
11 bi-weekly deliveries $125.00
Signup by following this link:
http://hillacrespride.com/?q=content/csa-sign-form
Village Crest Farm Mushroom Share
Village Crest Farm is a fourth-generation family farm near Strasburg that grows a variety of gourmet mushrooms for fine restaurants and your table, using chemical-free practices. We are pleased to announce that Goodwill at Homefields Farm will be a pick up site for the Village Crest Farm mushroom share during their regular vegetable share season.
Offerings: Choose either 12 or 24 weeks of delicious seasonal mushrooms. We grow a beautiful variety of oyster mushrooms including elm, golden, brown, blue, and pink oysters rotating from week to week depending on season and temperature. Other species such as lion's mane and chestnut mushrooms may make guest appearances during the season as we continue to develop new varieties.
June through November (24 week) share = 1 lb fresh gourmet mushrooms weekly - $360
OR
June through August (12 week) share = 1 lb fresh gourmet mushrooms weekly - $180
To reserve your mushroom share, please contact:
Scott Breneman
Scott Breneman
717-786-2801
Happy 4th of July,
Your Farmers
