Hello from the farm,

Crisp cool mornings here at the farm conceal the fact that it is very hot and dry.  Taking soil temperatures yesterday showed ninety degrees in the arid soil.  Most vegetable seeds are highly reluctant to germinate at 85 degrees or warmer, so we began watering yesterday with the water buggy both to cool the soil and to aid the seeds in sprouting.

Fall is a glorious time to be farming and it brings the opportunity to wipe the slate clean of all the crops that are finished, and the unruly accompanying weeds and start anew with either fall vegetables or winter cover crops. We always relish making a good slaw out of the overgrown pigweed and lambsquarter! There are many fall crops on the horizon including more edamame, arugula, spaghetti squash, butternuts, to name a few.

Spotlight on Elizabeth Swope

Position at the farm: Assistant Farm Manager
Number of years working for Goodwill:   8 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: winter squash and sunflowers
The animal she most connects with is: the slug
What she wanted to be when she grew up: a ballerina
Favorite thing about the farm:  our amazing staff and crew
Someday she would like to visit: every continent
Elizabeth’s family includes: her mom, dad and sister
Something Elizabeth can’t live without is:  yoga
Elizabeth enjoys: cooking, reading and getting outside

Q.  Are all of the things you grow ripe, they are different colors than what is in the grocery store? 
A.  Yes, everything we grow is picked ripe. We grow some heirlooms and international varieties that might surprise you with their color or shape, to bring you great food and flavors. We love to talk about what we are growing, just ask us and see if you can stump us. (easier some days than others :-)


Answer to the Farm Riddle:  It is a flame weeder that uses fire to make ice, although we use it for heating tiny weed seedlings to wilt them ahead of the carrots or other crops popping up through the soil.  Hats off to Peter Emerson, Farm Manager Emeritus, for coming up with the right answer.

Raising Funds for Homefields:
Non-profit Homefields has launched a campaign to raise $250,000 to pay for the farmland which adjoins us on the east side.  Giving to Homefields has direct and tangible results that you will be able to see and watch over the decades to come.  Would you consider giving to Homefields now?-- or if you are working on estate planning, it's a great project and organization to support.  Talk to us when you pick up your veggies, or email info@homefields.org for how to give or for more information, or go to www.homefields.org.    

Suggestions for the harvest:

Edamame: this green soybean is tasty and nutritious to boot. Boil in salted water for about 7 minutes in the pod.  Drain, salt lightly, and eat by squeezing the beans into your moth.
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  Great for burgers or whatever.
Sweet Peppers: The long red Carmen peppers are outstanding--sweet and flavorful.  great for salads or fried with onions and garlic.
Potatoes: We have many different varieties. Yukon Golds make the best fries according to your farmers.
Carrots: may be the last week.
Eggplant: coat with oil and soy sauce and grill, or bread them and fry.
Chard: use in lieu of spinach in babaganoush, salads,
Scallions: these are finished.
Cucumber and Zucchini: all done for the season

Thanks for being

Easy to view format at the farm blog:http://goodwillathomefieldsfarm.blogspot.com/

Hello from the farm,

It's a glorious week here in the fields, the warm sunshine and the cool air are worth reveling in. It's been a full week as we have been planting all sorts of crops for the fall--got the dill, spinach, and lettuce seeded, also planted the cultish black radishes and mild watermelon radishes, sweet turnips, all kinds of Asian greens, collards, kale, beets, carrots and others.  The soil conditions are ideal for getting these crops started, now if we can just keep those crows from eating the tender seedlings as they emerge, as they love to do!

The sweet peppers are doing exceedingly well again this year, the flavor and sweetness of the long red Carmen pepper is without equal and that's why it is our favorite year after year.

The big new arrival this week is edamame, aka green soybeans, which we're very excited about.



Spotlight on Matt M.

Position at the farm: Farm Crew
Number of years working for Goodwill: 3 years
Favorite thing to grow at the farm: pumpkins
The animal he most connects with is: the porcupine
Favorite kind of music: rap
Favorite thing about the farm: the vegetables, especially the beans
One of his favorite places is: Wildwood, NJ
Favorite sport to watch: baseball
Matt’s family includes: his mom, dad, brother, sister, 3 nieces and his Grandma
Matt’s enjoys: collecting crazy hats, working out, and is always game for a party
Favorite Superheroes:  Captain America and Iron Man
Matt’s nickname: Mattmo

Farm riddle:  that which uses fire makes the ice...
Any guesses?  send me an email.

Eager for Edamame

Green soybeans are very tasty and nutritious as well. They are a mainstay in Japan and are used as an appetizer, side dish, after meal palate cleanser, or to accompany your frosty beverage, hence the variety named "beer friend."

How to prepare:  you will see a heaping table of edamame on the table when you pick up your share.  We recommend that you remove the beans while you are here, unless you want to take the stalks home with you to compost.  Take your beans home, put unshelled pods into salted boiling water for about 7 minutes or until tender.  Scoop out with slotted spoon, colander, or what have you, and drain a bit, sprinkle with salt.
Now pick up pods and squeeze the beans directly into your mouth.  Kind of like sunflower seeds, but without that level of labor :-)  Enjoy!!

Here's what you'll find in a half-cup serving of shelled edamame (or 1 1/8 cup edamame in the pods):

• 120 calories
• 9 grams fiber
• 2.5 grams fat
• 1.5 grams polyunsaturated fat (0.3 grams plant omega-3 fatty acids)
• 0.5 gram monounsaturated fat
• 11 grams protein
• 13 grams carbohydrate
• 15 mg sodium
• 10% of the Daily Value for vitamin C
• 10% Daily Value for iron
• 8% Daily Value for vitamin A
• 4% Daily Value for calcium

As you can see, that little serving of edamame gives you a bunch of fiber: 9 grams, about the same amount you'll find in 4 slices of whole-wheat bread or 4 cups of steamed zucchini. It has almost as much protein as it does carbohydrate. It contains around 10% of the Daily Value for two key antioxidants; vitamins C and A. And for a plant food, it's quite high in iron; it has about as much as a 4-ounce roasted chicken breast.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-secret-of-edamame

Suggestions for the Harvest:

Edamame: this green soybean is tasty and nutritious to boot.
Watermelon: we may have some, this will be the final week for them.
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  Great for burgers or whatever.
Sweet Peppers: great for salads or fried with onions and garlic.
Potatoes: Slice for chips and fry in peanut oil or cut for fries. Super tasty. My favorite summer treatment is a Lebanese style potato salad with just olive oil and herbs.
Carrots: soon coming to an end, maybe one more week of harvest.
Eggplant: coat with oil and soysauce and grill, or bread them and fry.
Chard: use in lieu of spinach in babaganoush, salads,
Scallions: these are finished.
Cucumber and Zucchini: we may have a few this week as they fade away.

PYO:
husk tomatoes:  peel the paper off and pop in your mouth for a pineappley treat.
hot peppers:  pick green or wait for the ripe red color with more fruitiness.  Slice in half and fill with cream cheese and bacon bits, add grated cheese.
Stevia: try this non-glycemic sweet leaf in lieu of sugar.  one small leaf sweetens a cup of coffee.
Lemon grass: cut a few leaves for your Thai style cooking
Sungold cherry tomatoes: these fruity acetylene orange bites are ripe when deep orange

Hello from the farm,

Your farmers have been both dodging and working in the rain this week, often using the rainy times to work on preparing onions, garlic and tomatoes, and readying seed garlic for October planting.  This week is different as we are working without the cheerful capability of Elizabeth, who is taking a week off the farm after the long spring and summer farming marathon.  One of the trainees said this morning "this the last day that I have to work without Elizabeth being here," so her return is anticipated.

Sweet potato roots attached to their long morning glory-like vine.  They are in the same Ipomea family 

We've also been working on weeds, our perpetual antagonist, and taking up the layer of mulch film that allowed us to grow such nice onions once again.  We managed to get some arugula seeded before the rain made the soil too gooey once again. For all of you sweet potato lovers, a preliminary check indicates that we might be looking at a good harvest this fall--we are due for one.

Fox 43 featured one of farmers, Brian, in a Day in the Life spotlight on Sunday evening.  You can see this online at: http://www.fox43.com/news/features/    Thank you to shareholder Bill Speakman of Fox 43 for contacting us and doing such a nice job of capturing what goes on here.


Homefields Wants Your Help with the New Land

Homefields, which hosts both the CSG and residential programs on its land, is looking for funds and pledges for its fundraiser for the new land.  They need  to raise $250,000 to be able to hold onto this land which represents the future of the farm program.  Can you pledge 250,000?  Most likely not, but as many hands make light work, would you consider pledging 40 dollars a month for three years?  If each shareholder family would pledge 40 dollars per month for three years, that would raise the entire amount needed.  For more information go to www.homefields.org  or email info@homefields.org

There are some neat varieties of hot peppers down in the pick your own field.  They can be used green or at their ripe color. The heat index in ascending order:

Jalapeno
Cayenne
Hot Paper Lantern (Habanero)
Tabasco (not pictured, not ripe yet)

Use gloves when processing hot peppers--I learned the hard way a few years ago with spicy hot contact lens in my eyes and pepper-burned hands.

Q:  When I purchase a farm share does that go to Homefields? 

A:  No, the farm program is operated by Goodwill and the farm share money goes for seeds, supplies, trainee and staff wages and operating costs.  Homefields is a benevolent non-profit land owner that invites both Goodwill and CSG (residential program) to operate here. 

Suggestions for the Harvest:

Watermelon: watermelon time. Both the orange flesh Orangeglo and Red fleshed Sangria are sweet, flavorful and refreshing.
Cantaloupe/Muskmelon:  we may have some more of these this week, we spotted a pocket with some more ripe ones.
Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  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: Slice for chips and fry in peanut oil or cut for fries. Super tasty. My favorite summer treatment is a Lebanese style potato salad with just olive oil and herbs.
Carrots: soon coming to an end.
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.  Scallion season is soon finished.
Cucumber and Zucchini: we may have a few this week as they fade away.

PYO:
husk tomatoes:  peel the paper off and pop in your mouth for a pineappley treat.
hot peppers:  pick green or wait for the ripe red color with more fruitiness.  Slice in half and fill with cream cheese and bacon bits, add grated cheese.
Stevia: try this non-glycemic sweet leaf in lieu of sugar.  one small leaf sweetens a cup of coffee.
Lemon grass: cut a few leaves for your Thai style cooking
Sungold cherry tomatoes: these fruity acetylene orange bites are ripe when deep orange

Habanero Pepper Jelly

Ingredients

• 8 half pint canning jars with lids and rings
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
• 15 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 (3 ounce) pouches liquid pectin

Directions

1. Stir the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the carrot and red bell pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the habanero peppers and simmer 5 minutes longer. Pour in the pectin, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim and discard any foam from the jelly.
2. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pour the jelly into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
3. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all).

from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/habanero-pepper-jelly/

Hope you are enjoying the harvest, thanks for being a part of this farm, 

Your farm crew 

Hello from the farm,

August, a time when your farmers come up for air, take a look around, see weeds, and then proclaim that they're not sure if they are going to do this ever again, and then they go plant some more crops for the fall.  Is this farming thing addictive?  Could be..

Your farmers are crazy about carrots. Thank you to shareholder Matthew Lester of Matthew Lester Photography! 

So the spring and early summer crops are finished up, the the hot weather crops are at their peak and we will soon enter a bit of lull until the fall crops come along.  What to expect for fall?  Cilantro will be back as well as baby carrots, arugula and beets, butternut squash, pumpkins, acorn squash, cabbage, broccoli, Napa cabbage, bok choi, sweet potatoes, dill, lettuce, corn for corn meal and decoration, and a host of other things.

Olympic hopefuls, team GWHFstrive for gold in the 4 meter melon toss 

This week we've been working on hoeing and weeding, Fox 43 is doing a story which follows the work day of Brian, one of the trainees here, Matthew Lester, a shareholder is doing a photo shoot of your farmers, onion, garlic, and potato preparation continues,  I finished making an air lift pump in the shop to simplify how we get our liquid fish emulsion out of the barrel, and Bob finished the sign post showing locations around the farm.

North Star Orchard's fruit share is beautiful!  This is what last week's share looked like.  If you would like to begin a pro-rated share next week, email or call Lisa via www.northstarorchard.com.  North Star delivers the shares here each week for you.

Spotlight on Del M. 

Position at the farm: Farm Crew

Number of years working for Goodwill: 3 years 

Favorite thing to grow at the farm: string beans

What we call him: The Delman 

His nickname for Scott Breneman: Wabbit

What he wanted to be when he grew up: famous

One of Del’s favorite places is: Hershey park

Favorite sport to watch: baseball, he's possibly the Barnstormers number one fan. 

If he could trade places with someone for a day: George Washington

Del’s family includes: his mom, dad and three brothers

Words of advice he would like to share: try hard 

Favorite thing about the farm: picking beans, he picks circles around all of us 

Part Time Independent Contractor Sought

Millersville based Non-Profit organization seeks a part-time independent contractor to assist with onsite management of correspondence, financial reporting and billing, and oversight of website and printed materials.  This is approximately a 7-12 hr/week commitment and requires a self-motivated person who is capable of working independently.  Schedule is flexible with some work completed remotely.  Candidates must be available the last Tuesday evening of each month January – November to attend board meetings, other hours are flexible.  Position requires medium to advanced skills in Microsoft word, excel, database management, quickbooks, website template maintenance, PowerPoint, and troubleshooting computer hardware and software problems, excellent writing and communication skills, experience in business caliber correspondence and accounting procedures and reporting and excellent organizational skills.  Reimbursement rate is $10.00 - $12.00 per hour depending on experience.  Please submit all resumes to info@homefields.org .

Suggestions for the Harvest:

Watermelon: watermelon time. Both the orange flesh Orangeglo and Red fleshed Sangria are sweet, flavorful and refreshing. 

Cantaloupe/Muskmelon:  these are almost done now, enjoy this last week.  Try with fresh ground black pepper on your cantaloupe.

Storage Onions:  the red and white onions are storage onions for the pantry.  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: Slice for chips and fry in peanut oil or cut for fries. Super tasty. My favorite summer treatment is a Lebanese style potato salad with just olive oil and herbs.

Carrots: carrot harvest is coming to a close probably next week.  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.  Scallion season is soon finished. 

Cucumber and Zucchini: we may have a few this week as they fade away. 

PYO:  

husk tomatoes:  peel the paper off and pop in your mouth for a pineappley treat. 

hot peppers:  pick green or wait for the ripe red color with more fruitiness.  Slice in half and fill with cream cheese and bacon bits, add grated cheese. 

Stevia: try this non-glycemic sweet leaf in lieu of sugar.  one small leaf sweetens a cup of coffee. 

Lemon grass: cut a few leaves for your Thai style cooking

Sungold cherry tomatoes: these fruity acetylene orange bites are ripe when deep orange 

Now we know where we're going!   Thanks to Bob McClure

Watermelon Feta Salad

Yield: Serves 6-8

ingredients:

6 cups cubed watermelon
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
Balsamic vinegar-optional

directions:

1. In a large bowl combine watermelon, red onion, feta, and mint. Stir until ingredients are well combined.

2. Serve chilled.

Inspired by Real Simple

from :http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/watermelon-feta-salad/


Enjoy the summer bounty! 

Scott 

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