Notes from Your Farm: Pawpaws, Swallowtails, & Farmer John

Hello from the Farm,   

Shareholder Pick-Up Times
Thursday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm

  
Another fall crop that is making an appearance at the farm are Pawpaws. This unique fruit is native to the U.S. east coast and found in some mid-west states.  Lewis and Clark lived off of pawpaws for months while on their journey across America.  In the 1800's they were a popular dessert item sold at farmer markets during the fall season.  Now pawpaws are known as the "Lost Fruit of America" because many people do not understand they are are native and are not appreciated anymore.  Support Pawpaws by buying them locally, finding them near a creek, or grow one in your backyard!  


Here is an article about Pawpaws found on Lancaster Online: http://lancasteronline.com/features/food/pawpaws-where-to-find-this-unusual-fruit-in-lancaster-county/article_3309c0a0-84e1-11e6-9952-bbe97ce91c20.html



Homefields
Thanks to everyone that came out to support Homefields this past weekend!  Perfect weather, food, and an amazing group of people :)

Look at what some of our shareholder friends found! This was found on the farm in the PYO Field.  It is a Swallowtail caterpillar which will eventually turn into a Swallowtail butterfly!  



Fall Harvest Evening - Coming Soon! 
Friday, Oct. 21 - 4pm-7pm drop in at anytime - at Goodwill at Homefields Farm - There will be Fall activities for all ages, refreshments, and a campfire.  More details will be coming!  

Meet your Farmers

Farmer John

  

Farmer John is a huge help at the farm on Tuesdays.  He helps with hand weeding, hoeing, greenhouse seeding, transplanting, and many other tasks.  One of his favorite tasks is to fill the greenhouse trays with soil.  This is a big job in the spring time when we are starting our growing season. Outside of work John "chills" with his family and does some artwork.     

What is your favorite thing to do on the farm?
Harvest zucchini, garlic, and peppers.

If you could be any vegetable what would you be and why?
Cauliflower because we pick it and put it in a bucket.  I like to eat cauliflower but not broccoli.

What type of activities do you do outside of work?
Art.  My favorite colors to paint with are orange, yellow, and brown.  (John also paints at Friendship Heart Gallery, like Patrick.  You can look at John's artwork by clicking on this website: http://www.friendshipart.net/artists/john/ )

Abendesson Bread
Apple Strudel Sourdough - Apples are from North Star Orchard! - $5 a loaf



Harvest List
Pumpkins - Here is a website that gives 5 great examples of how you can cook a pumpkin: http://www.thekitchn.com/five-ways-to-eat-pumpkin-99617 

Potatoes - cut them in small pieces, add to boiling water until soft, smash them, add some herbs, and now you have mashed potatoes! yumm!
Lettuce - salads, sandwiches, steamed dishes, or soups
Pawpaws - cut the pawpaw in half, scoop our the soft fruit inside, do not eat the seeds or skin.
Asian Pears - this fruit is basically a mix between an apple and a pear.
Onions - great to add to cooked potatoes, salad, or any other meal
Carrots - roast them, caramelize, carrot macaroni, or carrot cake! 
Tomatoes - slice them, dice them, or just bite them.  I personally just eat them like an apple.
Peppers - eat raw, put in salads, sauteed, or stuff the peppers with hamburger and rice, delicious!
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.


Trying to stay dry,
Your Farmers

Notes from Your Farm: Pumpkins, 9N, PitF, & Farmer Brian

Hello from the Farm,   

Shareholder Pick-Up Times
Thursday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm

  
Pumpkins are finally here with the first day of Fall!  Doesn't feel like Fall weather but the cold days are just around the corner (this weekend).  The colder temperatures will help our Fall Crops mature faster and your Farmers will have an easier time working.

Want a nice photo shoot here at the Farm?  Well try one out on our 1939 Ford 9N! This model is the first to use the three-point hitch hook up that most tractors have today.  It was the most popular farm tractor in North America because of the power and how affordable it was back in the day.




This weekend Homefields will be holding their two largest events - Picnic in the Fields (on 9/25) and the Golf Tournament (on 9/23).  Preparations will be made for the Picnic in the Fields on Saturday (9/24) during shareholder pick up hours.  A large tent will be placed in the main parking area in the stone lot.  This will start happening at 11:00am on Saturday.  Please park in front of the greenhouses or in front of the compost pile at this time on Saturday.       

Homefield Events this Weekend!
Support Homefields and their mission by attending one or both of their events this weekend.

Picnic in the Fields - Sunday, Sept. 25 - Drop in between 11am & 2pm - Adults $25 or $30 at the door - 13-17 $10 - Under 12 Free - At Homefields
Find tickets and see menu at www.homefields.org

Homefields 20th Annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament - Friday, Sept. 23 - 7am till 2pm - At Crossgates Golf Club
Get tickets at www.homefields.org  

Picnic in the Fields Tickets Available Here 
Homefields Board members and PitF Committee members will be on hand during selected shareholder pick up days this week to talk about the event, and we will be able to sell tickets on site.  Accepting credit cards, cash, check or money order.

Meet your Farmers
Farmer Brian

  

Farmer Brian works hard on mowing the PYO field pathways for the shareholders so you have an easy walk to pick your flowers.  On Fridays Brian interacts with the shareholders that he knows and greets every shareholder with a warm welcome.  Outside of work Brian volunteers, likes working in his tool shop, and going on vacations with his family.   

What is your favorite thing to do on the farm?
Mondays mowing the Pick Your Own field.  Watering the greenhouse on Mondays.  Helping shareholders when they have questions.  I am always wearing a Goodwill at Homefields Farm shirt so they know that I work here.

If you could be any vegetable what would you be and why?
Carrot, love to eat carrots.  (When Brian finds a carrot that splits into two carrots he calls that type of carrot a "married couple".)

Where do you volunteer and what do you do?
Blue Rock Fire Department.  Help with training, on the committee for fundraising, go to meetings twice a month.

What else do you want the shareholders to know about you?
I make birdhouses with my dad.  He cuts the wood and I help put them together.



Grapes
Grape season continues here at the farm.  We will be having a limit on how many grapes can be picked throughout the season.

Full Share - 2 clusters
Half Share - 1 cluster

A cluster of grapes is when they are all bunched together on the same stem. Please only take a cluster and do not pick single grapes off the vine as your share.  The grapes are located in between the main section of the PYO Field and smaller section of the PYO Field. Our concord grapes do have seeds!


Abendesson Bread
Dark Honey Wheat - My Favorite! - $5 a loaf

Harvest List
Pumpkins - Here is a website that gives 5 great examples of how you can cook a pumpkin: http://www.thekitchn.com/five-ways-to-eat-pumpkin-99617 

Potatoes - cut them in small pieces, add to boiling water until soft, smash them, add some herbs, and now you have mashed potatoes! yumm!

Lettuce - salads, sandwiches, steamed dishes, or soups

Onions - great to add to cooked potatoes, salad, or any other meal

Carrots - roast them, caramelize, carrot macaroni, or carrot cake! 

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

Peppers - eat raw, put in salads, sauteed, or stuff the peppers with hamburger and rice, delicious!

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.

Fall is here!,

Your Farmers

Notes from the Farm: Farmer Terry and Picnic Tickets

Hello from the Farm,   

Shareholder Pick-Up Times
Thursday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm

We are irrigating this week on the farm, continuing to harvest the late summer crops and hopeful that the hottest days are behind us.  The farm crew has been enthusiastically weeding the fall crops.  We were lucky enough to have 2 new farmers try out the farm this week and they were surprised to find out they might just like farming.   

Farmer Taryn is getting a little R&R this week.  It is hard to believe it has been a full year that Taryn has been on board as our farm manager.  I commend her on stepping up to this challenging role with courage and confidence, with a desire to learn and to have fun, and a willingness to collaborate with the whole farm community.  I have been so impressed with her leadership and we all feel lucky to be on her team.  Congratulations Taryn on your first year!  We look forward to continuing to grow with you.


Thank you United Way Day of Caring

We are definitely feeling cared for after Homefields hosted many volunteers for the United Way Day of Caring.  What a difference they made!   We are getting more and more excited for Picnic in the Fields on Sunday September 25 as all the preparations start to come together.

Look for a new crop of sunflowers that are blooming in our B-3 field

Picnic Tickets available here 
Homefields Board members and PitF Committee members will be on hand during selected shareholder pick up days this week and next week to talk about the event, and we will be able to sell tickets on site.  Accepting credit cards, cash, check or money order.

Meet your Farmers  

 Farmer Terry 

Terry is one of our newest Farmers here at Goodwill at Homefields Farm. He has an interest in agriculture because of his past work experience working at another farm. He has been asking many questions about different farming techniques and tells us about ones that he practiced at the farm he worked on. Terry is very involved with the work at the farm and willing to do the physical labor that is needed.

What is your favorite thing to do on the farm so far?
Transplanting and push mowing. (Terry quickly learned how to transplant properly and enjoyed completing this task.)

If you could be any vegetable what would you be and why?
Orange Watermelon because I like oranges and I like to eat watermelon. Blue is my favorite color but I like orange and red too. Or a Jalapeno Red Pepper.

What is your farming background?
I've done tilling, working with fun people on the farm, and we used this burlap bag material as ground cover to keep the weeds down. 

What else do you want the shareholders to know about you?
I listen to Metallica. I watch Bones, Castle, American Dad, Family Guy, and Channel 8 News.  
 --Interview by Taryn Hogeland

Grapes
Grape season continues here at the farm.  We will be having a limit on how many grapes can be picked throughout the season.
Full Share - 2 clusters
Half Share - 1 cluster
A cluster of grapes is when they are all bunched together on the same stem. Please only take a cluster and do not pick single grapes off the vine as your share.  The grapes are located inbetween the main section of the PYO Field and smaller section of the PYO Field.  Our concord grapes do have seeds!

Homefields Events in September
Picnic in the Fields - Sunday, September 25 - Drop in between 11am & 2pm - Adults $25 or $30 at the door - 13-17 $10 - Under 12 Free -               At Homefields
Get tickets and see menu at www.homefields.org
Homefields 20th Annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament - Friday, September 23 - 7am till 2pm - At Crossgates Golf Club
Get tickets at www.homefields.org

Harvest List 

Potatoes - cut them in small pieces, add to boiling water until soft, smash them, add some herbs, and now you have mashed potatoes! yumm!
Onions - great to add to cooked potatoes, salad, or any other meal
Carrots - roast them, caramelize, carrot macaroni, or carrot cake! 
Tomatoes - slice them, dice them, or just bite them.  I personally just eat them like an apple.
Peppers - eat raw, put in salads, sauteed, or stuff the peppers with hamburger and rice, delicious!
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.

Joyfully playing in the dirt,

 Your Farmers

 

Queued Newsletters

Notes from Your Farm: Fall Crops & Grapes

Hello from the Farm,   

Shareholder Pick-Up Times
Thursday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm
   

Melons were our main crop during the month of August but now they have come to a complete stop in September.  It is sad to see them end with the last days of summer.  We also got a lot of feedback from you on what varieties you really liked and new ideas.  If you were not able to tell us your opinion about the melons please put it on the end of the season survey that will be handed out in November.  Oh, and I see seedless watermelons in your future!

Your Farmers finished transplanting the fall crops this week.  Can't wait for them to be mature enough to harvest!


United Way Day of Caring this Saturday
A heads up to the shareholders who pick up on Saturdays.  This Saturday Homefields will be having their United Day of Caring during pick up hours.  All this means is that you will see volunteers using machinery prepping the landscape here at Homefields.  This day is always a couple weeks before Homefields event Picnic in the Fields, which is perfect for making the landscape picnic ready.  Picnic in the Fields will be happening on Sunday, Sept. 25 (see more information below).  Come out and support Homefields!


Grapes
Grape season has started here at the farm.  We will be having a limit on how many grapes can be picked throughout the season.

Full Share - 2 clusters
Half Share - 1 cluster

A cluster of grapes is when they are all bunched together on the same stem. Please only take a cluster and do not pick single grapes off the vine as your share.  The grapes are located in between the main section of the PYO Field and smaller section of the PYO Field. Our concord grapes do have seeds!


Meet your Farmers  
There will be no interview posted this week but there are more Farmers to know about!  An interview will be posted next week on 9/15.
  

Abendesson Bread

Sun-dried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Sourdough - $5 a loaf 

Homefields Events in September
Picnic in the Fields - Sunday, September 25 - Drop in between 11am & 2pm - Adults $25 or $30 at the door - 13-17 $10 - Under 12 Free -               At Homefields
Get tickets and see menu at www.homefields.org

Homefields 20th Annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament - Friday, September 23 - 7am till 2pm - At Crossgates Golf Club
Get tickets at www.homefields.org



Field Good Yoga   
"Thank you to everyone for coming out and supporting Field Good Yoga!  I had so much fun leading these classes and practicing with everyone at the farm.  Hopefully we will see more yoga next season."  - Elizabeth 

Harvest List 

Potatoes - cut them in small pieces, add to boiling water until soft, smash them, add some herbs, and now you have mashed potatoes! yumm!

Onions - great to add to cooked potatoes, salad, or any other meal

Carrots - roast them, caramelize, carrot macaroni, or carrot cake! 

Edamame - you want to eat the seeds that are inside of the edamame pods. Garnish the seeds with spices and eat! 

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

Peppers - eat raw, put in salads, sauteed, or stuff the peppers with hamburger and rice, delicious!

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.

Dreaming of Fall Weather,


Your Farmers

Notes from Your Farm: Farmer Brad, Butterflies, & Last Weekend of Yoga

Hello from the Farm,   

Shareholder Pick-Up Times
Thursday 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Friday 11:00am - 7:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 1:00pm
   

Out on the Farm
Yea for rain!  Rain has finally come to Goodwill at Homefields.  In much of Pennsylvania there has not been a lot of rain for farmers.  For my Families farm they have been irrigating majority of the summer just to keep the crops alive.  Here in Millersville we have been lucky enough to have rain showers off and on throughout the summer.  These showers have given us the luxury of not making irrigation one of our main tasks this summer.

Recently we have started transplanting our cold crops for the fall season! Much of these crops include what we have grown during the spring.  Asian greens, collards, KALE, root crops, and more.  This rain will definitely give them the boost they need to become stabilized out in the fields.

Look at what Farmer Brian brought in!  Butterflies are definitely taking over the farm this summer including Monarchs!   We are so happy to be a temporary home to the Monarchs and seeing them enjoy the PYO Field. As for the butterfly on Farmer Brian's hat I have identified it to be a Red Spotted Purple Butterfly.  Correct me if I am wrong!  



Meet your Farmer's  

Farmer Brad

Farmer Brad is one of our harvest team members on Thursdays and Fridays. He harvests the vegetables at a great pace so they are harvested on time for the shareholders.  Brad also mows the pathways in between the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and around the Asian pear trees!  He also has awesome power washing skills that make the distribution area floors really clean. Outside of work Brad has an athletic side and also likes to volunteer.               
Q: What is your favorite thing to do on the Farm?  A: Harvesting peppers and washing potatoes.

Q: If you could be a vegetable what would you be and why? A: Carrot because their orange color is bright.  Favorite to eat.

Q: Do you volunteer?  Where and what do you do?  A: Walk dogs for the humane society.  
Clean the farm on Wednesdays.  On Wednesdays Brad volunteers with Excentia at the Humane Society and here at the Farm.  At the Farm Brad cleans up the distribution area and Homefields office.  

Q:  Do you play any sports?  A: Bocce, started a couple of months ago and is my favorite.  
Basketball.  Brad also competes in the Special Olympics with Bocce.   Bocce is a sport that started during the ancient Roman times.  The main point to the game is to throw your teams ball closer to the Jack (a white ball that is thrown at the beginning of the game) then the other team.  Here is a video link that describes Bocce: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hhN6S-1urM

Abendesson Bread

Hamburger Rolls - Perfect for your picnic on Monday! - $5 a half dozen 

Homefields Events in September
Picnic in the Fields - Sunday, September 25 - Drop in between 11am & 2pm - Adults $25 or $30 at the door - 13-17 $10 - Under 12 Free - At Homefields
Get tickets and see menu at www.homefields.org

Homefields 20th Annual Fall Classic Golf Tournament - Friday, September 23 - 7am till 2pm - At Crossgates Golf Club
Get tickets at www.homefields.org

Final Weekend for Field Good Yoga with Elizabeth Swope- Relax into your holiday weekend-  

9/2 Fri eve 6:30pm-7:30pm & 9/3 Sat morn 8:30am-9:30am  

Class here at Goodwill at Homefields Farm, rain or shine.  Bring a yoga mat, block, strap, and water bottle, or borrow yoga gear from the farm collection.  Class is free and no advance sign up is needed - for any questions, please contact Talks@Homefields.org   

Harvest List 

Potatoes - cut them in small pieces, at to boiling water until soft, smash them, add some herbs, and now you have mashed potatoes! yumm!

Onions - great to add to cooked potatoes, salad, or any other meal

Carrots - roast them, caramelize, carrot macaroni, or carrot cake! 

Edamame - you want to eat the seeds that are inside of the edamame pods. Garnish the seeds with spices and eat!

Melons - wash under running water, let dry, let sit for a couple of days, and keep in a refrigerator.   

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

Peppers - eat raw, put in salads, sauteed, or stuff the peppers with hamburger and rice, delicious!

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.

Scallions - add for an onion flavoring

Happy Labor Day,


Your Farmers