Hello from the farm,

The sky is dark
there blows a storm
the ground is parched
the farmers are warm
let it rain...

Yeah! The sky grew dark this morning and we watched, hopes high, for the rain to fall, and indeed it did. This week we are continuing to irrigate, pull and dry ornamental corn, harvest vegetables for the Dining in the Fields event on Sunday, dig another near miraculous round of potates (wow, what a potato year), enjoy an article about Homefields in the paper, and struggle to get a huge limestone boulder out of the middle of the field (no luck yet, will probably need a backhoe to remove it).


A multi-hued medley of potato varieties for Chef Steve for the Dining in the Fields Dinner


Some tickets are available for Dining in the Fields, Sept 15th

Homefields (www.homefields.org), which founded and owns this farm and land is putting together an amazing menu and dining experience right here on the farm featuring the food that we have grown, as well as Northstar Orchard fruit, Hillacres Farm cheese, Abendessen bread and much more.
CSA memberships fund the Goodwill Industries operated farm program, so your vegetable share price funds the farm program (Goodwill) and not Homefields. In other words, Homefields is a kind landlord who allows us to operate on their land.
Your support of Homefields through Dining in the Fields goes to preserve the 14 acres that Homefields had the vision and opportunity to pursue when it went up for auction.

Sunday, September 15, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Drop in whenever, parking starts at 10:30, Rain date is  9/22
Parking is on the new land--you'll get to see it firsthand.
Chef Steve and Sous Chef Barb from Miller's Smorgasbord present local, organic foods to feed your soul and please your palate. You’ll find old favorites and new twists on vegetables from Homefields, as well as:
Beef from Ironstone Spring Farm. Wine from Twin Brook Winery. Vegetables and fruit from Homefields. Fruits from North Star Orchard. Breads from Abendessen Bread. Cheese from Hill Acres Pride. Oils and vinegars from Seasons Taproom. Ice cream from Carmen and David's Creamery. Music by Indian Summer Jars. Kids' crafts from Lancaster Creative Reuse. And more!
Get more information and see the full menu here or go to www.homefields.org


Adults, $50: Youth, 13-17, $10: Children under 12, free.
Please order ahead if possible--a limited of tickets will be available "at the door" on the 15th. To get tickets go to www.homefields.org

Ornamental corn gets a ride home in a shareholder basket

The Arugula returns for fall

Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:


Arugula: yes the arugula is back, cheers from all corners. This spicy green's nutty flavor jazzes up a salad or sandwich really well! Use sparingly.

Corn meal/Indian corn/Ornamental Corn: a sign of fall--the corn is beautiful this year, the best we've had in fourteen seasons if our memory serves us well. Decorate with it for a while and let it dry additionally, and then shell it and bring it back to grind in the flour mill that we will have here in distribution area if you are interested.

Sweet Peppers: notice we didn't say bell peppers. There are other shapes that are sweet too. Diced sweet pepper is great on a salad, or pepper strips on a relish are sweet and tasty too. They also freeze well in strips or dices after core and seeds are removed.

Onions: The Sterling white onions are good storage onions
Potatoes: We dug some Yukon Gold potatoes this week--they are the farm favorite for french fry making hands down.  Potatoes are a wonderful source of nutrients, versatile to cook with, and very satisfying to the eater--they even help you sleep well at night. (Potatoes not Prozac book)
Eggplants: Asian eggplants are mild and sweet, dark Italian types are probably what you grew up with. Slice and put on the grill rubbed with oil, soy sauce, and miso paste. Tasty and easy to use.

Beets: I have fond childhood memories of eating these still warm from being blanched, prior to them being turned into pickled red beets. great roasted with olive oil, grilled with oil and balsamic vinegar, or grated in salads.
Chard: remove the lower portion of the stalk as it is usually tough. Sautee leaves in butter, olive or coconut oil, add salt, and red pepper, top with Paresan cheese.

Greens: the greens are growing great guns and you will be seeing kale and company soon.

Cilantro: coming soon.
Turnips: coming soon.


Goodbyes

Carrots: it was a great carrot year, not the best one ever, but we are pleased with how long we had carrots. Carrots and weeds are difficult soilmates, and the pairing caused your farmers considerable consternation, but they pulled it off.
Watermelon: these did better than expected, but not as well as hoped for. A friend from Lancaster South Rotary told me that watermelon growers in Delaware lost 3/4 of their melons. June was cool and cloudy and the honeybees slept in and did not pollinate the watermelon's morning access-only flowers.
Cantaloupes: We hope to have enough for everyone to get some across two or three week's time. A super great taste of summer. Try eating with a just a bit of freshly ground black pepper.
Cucumbers: The crop was really good this year--now finished Cabbage: We'll keep finding a few of these over the next couple of weeks. Cut into wedges and serve with a sprinkle of salt, make sauerkraut Summer squash/Zucchini: these are finished as well (some people cheer) stir fry, grate and use for zucchini bread or freeze for later.
Beans: The beans did well, and there is a chance we will have fall beans as well!
Scallions: goodbye until next year.
Broccoli: an awesome broccoli crop this year--will be back in the Fall.
Bok choi and Napa: these have run their course and we will see them again in October and November--a great time to make kimchee with the cool weather.


Enjoy the harvest!


your farmers