Farm News: Week of Saturday, January 28, 2012

On-the-farm
We’re managing to keep ourselves busy this winter; never really a problem. Our packing shed lighting, heating and electrical project — meant to take about a month — has now been almost two months, and we’re probably at the halfway point. Sam and I are both a little burnt out on the project, just because of the time spent, but I keep assuring myself that it’s worth it and we’ll really appreciate it when it’s done. The lights already make a big difference, and the heater guy is coming on Monday to hook up the gas. Then we continue with the outlets, switches, work station lamps, etc.

[PHOTO: The new ceiling and lights in the packing shed.]

21st Century technology comes to the farm
We now have DSL (after a 4-year wait) meaning about a 5-fold increase in speed over our old satellite connection. Considering that we run an internet business, that’s a pretty big deal for us (and it’s actually cheaper than the satellite!). As a little bit of icing on the cake, we went to Radio Shack last week and bought a cable to connect our computer to our stereo receiver and now we can stream radio and listen in the living room with good sound. (Also a big deal, as we get virtually no radio over the airwaves here.) COOL! So far we’re digging WXPN out of Philadelphia.

Our new membership limit policy (repeated from a separate email several days ago)

Accounts with no activity or communication in over 12 months will be closed.

AND NOW FOR WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT…

This week’s planned produce list

• Apples: Fuji, Golden Delicious, Pink Lady, Apple-a-Day mix and seconds.
• Greens: arugula, cabbage, chard, lettuce (SALE!), microgreens mix, pea shoots, salad mix, spinach, and stir fry mix.
• Veggies: beets (red & Chioggia), carrots (orange & multi-color), celeriac, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions (red & yellow), parsnips, potatoes (Gold & Kennebec), radishes (Black Spanish & watermelon), rutabaga, shallots, sweet potatoes, turnips (purple-top, sweet white, turnip soup pack).
• Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory.
• Mushrooms: crimini, portabella, shiitake, white.
• Other food items: eggs, butter, cheese (including several new ones: Havarti and Goat Gouda), preserves (including some awesome herb-infused jellies, great on crackers with goat cheese curd!).
• Firewood: kindling & logs.

Harvest Box contents
This week’s box contents are planned to be a half gallon of apple cider, bibb lettuce, small cabbage, carrots, small garlic, onions, sweet potatoes, tomato, basil, and JonaGold and Pink Lady apples.

Thanks much to all of you for your support,
Randy, Chris & all at Star Hollow Farm

General farm info: starhollowfarm.com.
CSA-specific info: starhollowfarm.com/csa.
Online store: store.starhollowfarm.com.

24 January Permalink

Farm News: Week of Saturday, January 14, 2012

On-the-farm
Each January we go over to Harrisburg for one long day at the Farm Show. The Farm Show is our state’s mid-winter equivalent of a state fair, but without the midway. I volunteer at the PA Vegetable Growers food stand and Chris at the PA Sustainable Ag info booth. Thousands of people come to check out the livestock exhibits, rodeo, square dancing, and a thousand other exhibits, including the 1000-lb. butter sculpture. We walked for several hours taking it in, then went to our respective jobs.

I was assigned this year to the strawberry smoothie station. I made about 50 pitchers of smoothies over a 6-hour shift (and drank a few cups myself, just to make sure the mixture was correct). All the proceeds from the food stand go to support ag research at Penn State.

Sam and I continue our work on renovating our packing shed. We have about half of the new metal ceiling up, and most of the ceiling wiring installed. Today we got the new fluorescent lights hooked up. Tomorrow we’re installing a ceiling fan (for next summer) and the following week a propane heater ( for now). Even having half the ceiling covered it is warmer and brighter.

Thank goodness the days are getting longer. On the winter solstice the sun dipped below our ridge to the west at 3:30 in the afternoon. Now we’re enjoying it up to 4:00. Progress!

[Photo: The hens are still laying a decent supply of eggs.]

Policy Reminders

• Missed boxes: If you order and for any reason don’t come to collect your order on Saturday, we bring it home, put it in our cooler, and automatically bring it back the next time we come (now two weeks later). Even after 2 weeks, the majority will be usable. About half those that don’t come to get their order the first time don’t come the next time either. If you can’t come, send a friend!
• Multiple orders: Often if folks forgot to order something, they think “hey, I’ll place a second order!” Please don’t. It can mess us up because we don’t know there are two, they may not get packed together, or you may only get one of the two when you come to pick up. We’re just not set up to do that. Thanks.

Schedule
Below are the specific dates we will be delivering this winter. You order the Wednesday (or early Thurs. morning) before. If you should forget to place an order, we do bring a small selection of items for sale there at the truck which you can just sign out for to have it come out of your account.

JAN: 14, 28. FEB: 11, 25. MAR: 10, 24. APR: 7, 21

This week’s planned produce list

• Apples: Fuji, Jonagold, Pink Lady, Stayman, Apple-a-Day mix.
• Greens: arugula, small cabbage, baby mixed chard, cress, lettuce (3 kinds), microgreens mix, pea shoots, salad mix, young spinach, stir fry mix, .
• Veggies: beets (red & Chioggia), carrots (orange & multi-color), celeriac, hothouse cucumber, garlic (green & cured bulbs), Jerusalem artichokes, leeks, onions (red & yellow), parsnips, potatoes (Gold, Kennebec & purple), radishes (watermelon), rutabaga, shallots, sweet potatoes, hothouse tomatoes, turnips (purple-top, sweet white, turnip soup pack), butternut squash.
• Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, rosemary, savory.
• Mushrooms: crimini, portabella, shiitake, royal trumpet, white.
• Other food items: eggs, butter, cheese, preserves.
• Firewood: kindling & logs.

Harvest Box contents
This week’s box contents are planned to be red leaf lettuce, carrots, garlic, ½ # Jerusalem artichokes, 2# onions, parsnips, Kennebec potatoes, 1/2# of mixed mushrooms, small portion of rosemary, 2 Pink Lady and 2 Fuji apples.

Thanks much to all of you for your support,
Randy, Chris & all at Star Hollow Farm

General farm info: starhollowfarm.com.
CSA-specific info: starhollowfarm.com/csa.
Online store: store.starhollowfarm.com.

10 January Permalink