Hello from the farm, 

The steady moisture and mild temperatures are making for a great harvest of fall crops. This week we are planting garlic for next year's harvest, and are pleased that the garlic did so well this year, that we have enough saved to plant our entire crop. The garlic bulb is broken apart into cloves, and each clove is planted basal side down in October or November before the ground freezes.  During the winter it puts down roots and exhibits a bit of top growth, and then takes off running in the spring in order to mature for a late June/early July harvest. 

Millersville Parade Detour:  The Millersville parade is this Saturday. Getting to the farm: you can use 999 to Blue Rock Rd to South Duke if coming from Lancaster, or go to New Danville and use Long Lane, then Stehman Rd to bypass Milllersville altogether, or, if coming from north or west, use Donnerville Rd to Letort Rd. 

Final Harvest Days for this Season: Nov 10, 11, 12

Farm Program Gift Boxes for Your Staff, Clients or Family:
As our growing season winds down, we will be making gift boxes again for Christmas time. Filled with local tasty treats like Wilbur Buds, College Coffee Roasters coffee, peanut butter pretzels, and apple butter from Kauffman's fruit farm, they are a great gift and a support to the farm program. 
The small box is 17.50 and the large, which has 1/2lb of coffee and also pear butter is  24.95. For more details see: http://www.yourgoodwill.org/farm/homefields_giftboxes.php  
To order, send an email to sbreneman@yourgoodwill.org or call 871-3110
Order Deadline Dec 9th
Gift Box Pickup at Barn Dec 14,15,16


Survey Says:  We appreciate your feedback on this growing season
Elizabeth set up a great and easy to use survey at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KHJM8HG   Please let us know how you experienced this season, your input will help shape next season's crops and amounts.
Thank you for helping us to improve each year. 

Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:

 Bok Choi: this is great in stir fries, goes well with rice, peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and other Asian seasonings. Napa Cabbage: this mild Asian cabbage is preferred by many to regular cabbage. It can be sauteed, used in salads, or made into kimchee or coleslaw. See recipe below. Salad turnips: if you turned up your nose at old Purpletop as a kid, try out the white salad turnips--they are best raw--sweet and mild. Thumbs up! The visually stunning Scarlet ones are great too, also milder than the traditional turnip. 
Asian greens: tatsoi, mizuna, senposai, they are all good in salad or stir fry.Arugula: this ist  great in salads with apples and pears, and nutsPopcorn: using peanut oil or other hi-temp veg. oil preheat oil on HIGH with 3 test kernels--when they pop, put in the rest of your corn, cover, shake the pan until popping slows considerably. 

Indian Corn: These are beauiful for decorating with and make an outstanding cornmeal, or put them out for the creatures to enjoy in your back yard. We have a grain grinder here if you want to shell your corn and bring it in for making excellent corn bread.
Sweet peppers: these are fading away, enjoy. so many shapes and colors when ripe. They are easy to freeze, halve, core and freeze on a baking tray, then put into freezer bags.
eggplant: almost finished. Italian or Asian type, they are the same in use and taste and come in stunning colors. great on the grill with soy sauce and oil brushed on.
Red storage onions: these store well, yummy--salads, burgers, cuke and tomato salad, carmelized.
garlic: great in everything--except cake and ice cream, and even then.... ;-) 
cilantro: excellent on a ham sandwich, salsa, salad, liverwurst sandwich and on and on. 

Enjoy the last few weeks of fall harvests.  Self-harvest will follow. 

Your farmers

Hello from the farm,

What's a five letter word that starts with the letter F? If you said frost, that is what we are thinking about this time of year. Typically the first frost is October 15th at the farm, but last year it was late September and this year it hasn't ocurred yet. Frost signals an end to summer crops like peppers, eggplants, basil, beans, cucumbers, squash and melons. However, the fall crops like radishes, bok choi, napa, cabbages and most greens just keep on growing happily and actually prefer the cooler weather and become sweeter!

Our chickens and coop will be taking a ride to a womens' shelter this afternoon. The head of the program shared how tending animals and being with them has brightened the lives of those who have been battered and abused and we are glad that our coop and chickens will be a good fit with their program year round.

A place to share recipes, cooking ideas and socialize. The Goodwill at Homefields Farm Facebook Page is a click away. If you have any pictures from the potluck or farm or recipes feel free to share:

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

cloth gloves covered with plastic gloves keep us warm while preparing the harvest.  The water is cold this time of year!

Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:

Bok Choi: this is great in stir fries, goes well with rice, peanut butter, soy sauce etc.

Napa Cabbage: this mild Asian cabbage is preferred by many to regular cabbage. It can be sauteed, used in salads, or made into kimchee or coleslaw. See recipe below.
Salad turnips: if you turned up your nose at old Purpletop as a kid, try out the white salad turnips--they are best raw--sweet and mild. Thumbs up! The visually stunning Scarlet ones are great too, also milder than the traditional turnip.
Asian greens: tatsoi, mizuna, senposai, they are all good in salad or stir fry.  See greens recipe below.
Arugula: this is great in salads with apples and pears, and nuts
Popcorn: using peanut oil or other hi-temp veg. oil preheat oil on HIGH with 3 test kernels--when they pop, put in the rest of your corn, cover, shake the pan until popping slows considerably.
Indian Corn: These are beauiful for decorating with and make an outstanding cornmeal, or put them out for the creatures to enjoy in your back yard. We have a grain grinder here if you want to shell your corn and bring it in for making excellent corn bread.
Sweet peppers: these are fading away, enjoy. so many shapes and colors when ripe. They are easy to freeze, halve, core and freeze on a baking tray, then put into freezer bags.
eggplant: almost finished. Italian or Asian type, they are the same in use and taste and come in stunning colors. great on the grill with soy sauce and oil brushed on.
Red storage onions: these store well, yummy--salads, burgers, cuke and tomato salad, carmelized.
garlic: great in everything--except cake and ice cream, and even then.... ;-)
cilantro: excellent on a ham sandwich, salsa, salad, liverwurst sandwich and on and on. See recipe below

Cilantro Chutney,

from Yoga Journal

Great added to beans and rice, or mashed up with avocado. Adds fresh zest to anything!

1 bunch fresh cilantro

¼ c fresh lemon juice

¼ c purified water

¼ c unsweetened dry coconut

2 Tbsp fresh ginger root, chopped

1 tsp. raw honey

1 tsp. sea salt

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Blend lemon juice, water, and fresh coriander until the coriander until the herb is coarsely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it is the consistency of pesto. 2.@ Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Warm Greens with Citrus Dressing and Pomegranate

From Clean Food, by@ Terry Walters

Ingredients

2 bunches greens (try bok choy, kale or collard greens)
1 bunch watercress
Seeds from half of a large pomegranate

Ingredients for Dressing

Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preparation

In small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Prepare greens by trimming and discarding dried ends. Cut leaves into bite-size pieces. Keeping watercress aside, place all other greens in large sauté pan. Add citrus dressing and sauté 2 minutes or until bright green and tender. Fold in watercress and cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and serve topped with pomegranate seeds.

Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

Your Farmers

Hello from autumn acres,


It's with great satisfaction that we listened to the rain falling, knowing that the cover crops we planted yesterday are getting watered in and that they will be off to a good start.


Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:

Napa Cabbage:  this mild Asian cabbage is preferred by many to regular cabbage.  It can be sauteed, used in salads, or made into kimchee or coleslaw.  See recipe below.
Salad turnips: if you turned up your nose at old Purpletop as a kid, try out the white salad turnips--they are best raw--sweet and mild. Thumbs up!  The visually stunning Scarlet ones are great too, also milder than the traditional turnip.
Asian greens: tatsoi, mizuna, senposai, they are all good in salad or stir fry
Arugula: this is great in salads with apples and pears, and nuts
Indian Corn: These are beauiful for decorating with and make an outstanding cornmeal, or put them out for the creatures to enjoy in your back yard.  We have a grain grinder here if you want to shell your corn and bring it in for making excellent corn bread.
Sweet peppers:  these are fading away, enjoy.  so many shapes and colors when ripe.  They are easy to freeze, halve, core and freeze on a baking tray, then put into freezer bags.
Eggplant: almost finished. Italian or Asian type, they are the same in use and taste and come in stunning colors.  great on the grill with soy sauce and oil brushed on.
Red storage onions: these store well, yummy--salads, burgers, cuke and tomato salad, carmelized.
Garlic: great in everything--except cake and ice cream, and even then.... ;-) 
cilantro: excellent on a ham sandwich, salsa, salad, liverwurst sandwich and on and on.

Law Reh rolling the cover crop seeds for good soil-seed contact. Let it Rain! 

QUICK KIMCHI RECIPE --spicy and delicious pro-biotic peppery Napa cabbage 
1 head Chinese cabbage, 2 ½ - 3lbs. (also known as Napa cabbage)
1 medium Asian radish
¼ cup coarse sea salt
4 scallions (cut into 1" pieces)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger (minced)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 Teaspoon sesame seeds (optional - a personal preference)
Water
To prepare:
1 - Dissolve salt in 1 cup water/set aside.
2 - Thoroughly wash the cabbage/then cut into 2 inch lengths/peel Asian radish and halve it lengthwise, then halve lengthwise again - then slice thinly into ½" squares.
3 - Place cabbage and radish in a large bowl and pour salt water over them.
4 - Let soak overnight or at least 5 hours.
5 - After soaking drain vegetables BUT RETAIN SALTED WATER.
6 - Add scallions, garlic, ginger, chili powder (and optional sesame seeds).
7 - Mix all vegetables, thoroughly, by hand
(using gloves as chili powder may sting)
Pack all in a large jar (about 2 quart size)/pour the salted water over the mixture.
Leave an inch of space at the top of the jar.
Cover tightly.
Let sit for 2-3 days depending on how fermented you like your kimchi.
Refrigerate after opening.

Share and Enjoy!

from:  http://bkcreative.hubpages.com/hub/Easy-Korean-Kimchi


Thank you 
Thank you Rose Charles for preparing the fairy crowns for the potluck. We missed you in last week's thanks.  Thank you farm crew for making the harvest go so smoothly. Everyone is in such a great rhythmn by this time of the season. 

Enjoy! 

Scott 

Hello from the farm,


It's a cool, crisp morning with a warming sun as we are harvesting arugula and peppers.  These are the glory days of fall, and we revel in them, knowing that the remaining weeks of harvest will likely not mimic today.

We weighed our largest pumpkins and they topped out at 45 pounds, which we are happy with. If you want to see truly gargantuan pumpkins, check out the 1,810 pounder here: http://pumpkinnook.com/giants/giantpumpkins.htm.  That's correct--one thousand eight hundred and ten pounds, almost a literal ton.   We'll see if we can break 100lbs next year.

The potluck went well despite the less than ideal weather. The greenhouses make for a reasonable backup plan in unpleasant weather.  Thank you Kim and Elizabeth for great work on potluck preparations




Grill Master Bob grilling the grass-fed beef donated by Ironstone Spring Farm.  Excellent burgers Bob, and thank you Liz Martin for providing the beef.


Face painting in the greenhouse.

Thank You

Michael and Elizabeth Wampler--set up 

Jim and Connie Fehr--setup and can cooker cooking
Jenna Thorne--set up and gnome hat maker 

Mary Schroeder--hula hoop magic  

Elizabeth Swope--planning, setup and much more 

Kim and Jesse Stoltzfus--planning, setup, and much more. Photography

Farm Trainees--setting up the barn, greenhouse and outdoors
Bob McClure--grilling to perfection

Butch Bixler--exterior lighting
Bill Skibinski--setup, food prep, seriously good chili
Robin Beasley--setup and labeling of food 

Bon Accord--great music! 

Homefieleds Board members: Tom Strauss, Deb Deberdine, Suzanne Ollar, setup, support, photos

the rain--for keeping us flexible
Ironstone Spring Farm--grass fed beef for grilling 

How to Popcorn that isn't in a little foil baggie
 it's not hard, but here are a few tips to guide you.  Growing up we had a copper pot or partly copper anyway, that was nice for this, but any heavy bottomed pot will do.  

What You Need

Ingredients
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or other vegetable oil that tolerates high heat)
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
Equipment
Heavy-bottomed pot with lid

Instructions

1. Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat.
2. Add three kernels.
3. When one or more of the kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels and cover.
4. Gently shake the pot over the heat source to prevent the kernels from burning.
5. Continue shaking until most kernels have popped and you can't hear many moving against the bottom of the pan.
6. Turn off the heat and continue to shake - a few stragglers will pop. Hold the lid over the pot for a few seconds in case of a last minute pop (which will send many more popped kernels flying across your kitchen).
7. Remove lid and enjoy!
Additional Notes:
• Use an oil that will withstand high heat such as peanut or vegetable oil
• If your popcorn tastes chewy try keeping the lid slightly ajar
• Keeping the heat too low will drag the cooking time
• Dress the finished product while it's still warm so the popcorn will better absorb butter, oil, and spices

from:  http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/how-to/how-to-pop-popcorn-on-the-stove-139240



Enjoy!

Your farmers