-Beets
-Turnips
-Butternut
-Onions
-Leeks
-Bunched Broccoli Leaves (with small broccoli)
-Brussels Sprouts
-Carrots
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
In the Bag: November 13
-Honey Bear Acorn Squash
-Butternut Squash
-Onions
-Beets
-Turnips
-Red Savoy Cabbage
-Collards
-Butternut Squash
-Onions
-Beets
-Turnips
-Red Savoy Cabbage
-Collards
Monday, November 8, 2010
Porter Farm Happenings November 6, 2010
Farm Hands
During the summer and fall of 2008, Tom Rivers, a reporter for The Daily News in Batavia, wrote a series of newspaper articles entitled Farm Hands: Hard work and hard lessons from Western New York fields. This series of articles has since been published into a book.
This book chronicles his 20 days spent at area farms working full shifts. His experiences ranged from milking cows, to harvesting cabbage, to helping out at our farm harvesting and packing vegetables for our CSA members. His experiences gave readers a glimpse of how difficult farm work is and how important this work is for Western New York.
We were very fortunate to have Tom help out at our farm for two days during the summer of 2008. We are happy to say that Tom will be at our farm on the morning of November 13 (8-11) to sell his book while members are picking up their vegetables.
If you are looking for a great holiday gift, please consider this local author’s book. Tom’s work at the various farms helped bring to attention how tough farm work is, how many people do not want to do it, and how much respect agricultural employers have for their workers.
For more information about Farm Hands, check out www.farmhandsbook.com!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Green Bell Peppers
• Poblano Peppers
• Leeks
• Delicata Squash
• Green Cabbage
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Onions
• Dinosaur Kale
Farm News
We finally had our first killing frost this past week, and are sad to see our pepper season come to an end. We hope you enjoyed them!
This week we worked on figuring out our inventory of winter squash, beets, turnips, and other vegetables. We will divide this up throughout our remaining weeks, and of course will continue to supply you with greens and onions. We are also hoping that our broccoli will be ready before our last week. We have about 30,000 broccoli plants in the field right now that are the size of quarters! With the warm temperatures that are expected next week, hopefully they will grow!
Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans, Greens & Sage
Ingredients
- 2 Delicata squash, halved and seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups greens, washed, dried and chopped (kale, chard, collard or mustard greens)
- 2 cups cooked white beans
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
- ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place the squash halves cut side up on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the squash and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until tender, about 1 hour.
2. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
3. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the greens and sauté until wilted. Add the beans and continue cooking the mixture until heated through. Stir in the chopped fresh sage, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
4. Heat the oven to 425°. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir half of the breadcrumb mixture into the greens and spoon the filling into the cooked squash halves, mounding it in each.
5. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the top of the filled squash halves. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of each squash half. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serves 4.
SOURCE: Edible Finger Lakes magazine, Fall 2010
During the summer and fall of 2008, Tom Rivers, a reporter for The Daily News in Batavia, wrote a series of newspaper articles entitled Farm Hands: Hard work and hard lessons from Western New York fields. This series of articles has since been published into a book.
This book chronicles his 20 days spent at area farms working full shifts. His experiences ranged from milking cows, to harvesting cabbage, to helping out at our farm harvesting and packing vegetables for our CSA members. His experiences gave readers a glimpse of how difficult farm work is and how important this work is for Western New York.
We were very fortunate to have Tom help out at our farm for two days during the summer of 2008. We are happy to say that Tom will be at our farm on the morning of November 13 (8-11) to sell his book while members are picking up their vegetables.
If you are looking for a great holiday gift, please consider this local author’s book. Tom’s work at the various farms helped bring to attention how tough farm work is, how many people do not want to do it, and how much respect agricultural employers have for their workers.
For more information about Farm Hands, check out www.farmhandsbook.com!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Green Bell Peppers
• Poblano Peppers
• Leeks
• Delicata Squash
• Green Cabbage
• Swiss Chard
• Turnips
• Onions
• Dinosaur Kale
Farm News
We finally had our first killing frost this past week, and are sad to see our pepper season come to an end. We hope you enjoyed them!
This week we worked on figuring out our inventory of winter squash, beets, turnips, and other vegetables. We will divide this up throughout our remaining weeks, and of course will continue to supply you with greens and onions. We are also hoping that our broccoli will be ready before our last week. We have about 30,000 broccoli plants in the field right now that are the size of quarters! With the warm temperatures that are expected next week, hopefully they will grow!
Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans, Greens & Sage
Ingredients
- 2 Delicata squash, halved and seeds removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 4 cups greens, washed, dried and chopped (kale, chard, collard or mustard greens)
- 2 cups cooked white beans
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
- ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place the squash halves cut side up on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the squash and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until tender, about 1 hour.
2. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
3. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the greens and sauté until wilted. Add the beans and continue cooking the mixture until heated through. Stir in the chopped fresh sage, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.
4. Heat the oven to 425°. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir half of the breadcrumb mixture into the greens and spoon the filling into the cooked squash halves, mounding it in each.
5. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the top of the filled squash halves. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of each squash half. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serves 4.
SOURCE: Edible Finger Lakes magazine, Fall 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
In the Bag: November 6
-Green Bell Peppers
-Poblano Peppers
-Leeks
-Delicata Squash
-Green Cabbage
-Swiss Chard
-Turnips
-Onions
-Dinosaur Kale
-Poblano Peppers
-Leeks
-Delicata Squash
-Green Cabbage
-Swiss Chard
-Turnips
-Onions
-Dinosaur Kale
Thursday, October 28, 2010
In the Bag: October 30
-Collards
-Kohlrabi
-Bunched Beets
-Green Peppers
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Honey Bear Acorn Squash
-Delicata Squash
-Sweet Dumpling Squash
-Onions
-Turnips
-Kohlrabi
-Bunched Beets
-Green Peppers
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Honey Bear Acorn Squash
-Delicata Squash
-Sweet Dumpling Squash
-Onions
-Turnips
Thursday, October 21, 2010
In the Bag: October 23
-Assorted Peppers
-Spinach
-Bok Choy
-Green Kale
-Onions
-Honey Bear Acorn Squash
-Butternut Squash
-Red Curry or Delicata Squash
-Spinach
-Bok Choy
-Green Kale
-Onions
-Honey Bear Acorn Squash
-Butternut Squash
-Red Curry or Delicata Squash
Thursday, October 14, 2010
In the Bag: October 16
-Butternut Squash
-Delicata Squash
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Poblano Peppers
-Green Bell Peppers
-Leeks
-Swiss Chard
-Onions
-Delicata Squash
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Poblano Peppers
-Green Bell Peppers
-Leeks
-Swiss Chard
-Onions
Monday, October 11, 2010
CSA Updates: October 2010
Thank you to everyone who came to the Fall Festival yesterday! We couldn't have asked for a nicer day!
We have created a local business facebook page to spread the word about our CSA. Pictures from the Fall Festival and this past summer have been posted. Please "like" this page and tell your friends about us!
As always, we would like to thank you for your continued support!
We have created a local business facebook page to spread the word about our CSA. Pictures from the Fall Festival and this past summer have been posted. Please "like" this page and tell your friends about us!
As always, we would like to thank you for your continued support!
Friday, October 8, 2010
In the Bag: October 9, 2010
-Honey Bear Acorn Squash
-Scarlet Kabocha Squash
-Sweet Dumpling Squash
-Mixed Red Peppers
-Poblano Peppers
-Green Bell Peppers
-Dinosaur Kale
-Beets with greens
-Onions
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE FESTIVAL TOMORROW!
-Scarlet Kabocha Squash
-Sweet Dumpling Squash
-Mixed Red Peppers
-Poblano Peppers
-Green Bell Peppers
-Dinosaur Kale
-Beets with greens
-Onions
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT THE FESTIVAL TOMORROW!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
In the Bag: October 2, 2010
-carrots
-spinach
-turnips with greens
-assorted red peppers
-green bell peppers
-onions
-honey bear acorn squash
-butternut squash
-spinach
-turnips with greens
-assorted red peppers
-green bell peppers
-onions
-honey bear acorn squash
-butternut squash
Friday, September 24, 2010
Porter Farm Happenings-September 18, 2010
Winter Squash
We did not want to say anything before and jinx it (like with our tomatoes), but it looks like we will have a good crop of winter squash this year! This is something we have not had in the past few years. Last year we lost our entire sweet dumpling crop to the deer and flooding.
This year our winter squash is planted at the Buchholtz farm in Elba. The Buchholtz’s are close family friends of ours, and Katie Buchholtz Karas and her husband Chris are members in our CSA! We grow winter squash there every 3-4 years depending on our rotation cycle. There is a lot of deer pressure at this farm, but the squash always seems to do really well.
This year we planted many varieties of winter squash, including red curry, butternut, spaghetti, honey bear acorn, delicata, sweet dumpling, and red kabocha. We have not grown spaghetti in a few years, and are happy to be able to give you some this week.
As we continue to harvest the winter squash we will try to put recipes in the newsletter that incorporate squash and other vegetables that are ready. If you are looking for additional ways to use the vegetables, Deb has found that the Whole Foods website has some great recipes. Also, if you have a recipe that you would like to share, please email it to us!
Farm News
This week we spent a lot of time harvesting vegetables. We are still a little short of help, so had to plan our week accordingly because we knew it was going to rain all day on Thursday.
All of our harvesting is done by hand, and harvesting green beans is a very time consuming job. It took ten hours for six people (sixty man hours) to pick all of the beans for this week. Again, we would like to thank our dedicated crew for all of their hard work this week!
Just a reminder…
Our annual Fall Festival will be held on Sunday, October 10. We ask that members who plan on attending please RSVP by September 30 so that we can plan accordingly. Remember, we will have a potluck lunch, so please bring a dish to pass. Please bring a notecard to place in front of the
Every year, one of our favorite crafts to do with the kids is to make scarecrows. If you would like to make a scarecrow this year, please bring clothes with you! We will have plenty of straw to stuff them and twine to tie it off!
Help us Recycle
If you have any extra plastic or paper grocery bags at your house, please consider bringing them out to the farm. We would be glad to use them!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Spaghetti Squash
• Sweet Dumpling
• Red Carmen Peppers
• Green Bell Peppers
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Green Beans
• Green Kale
• Onions
Spaghetti Squash with Pine Nuts, Sage, and Romano
Ingredients
-1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
-1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
-1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
-2 teaspoons butter, melted
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking dish.
3. Bake the squash in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
4. Scrape flesh of squash from the rind using a fork and place in a bowl. Add the pine nuts, cheese, sage, butter, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Squash-with-Pine-Nuts-Sage-and-Romano/Detail.aspx
We did not want to say anything before and jinx it (like with our tomatoes), but it looks like we will have a good crop of winter squash this year! This is something we have not had in the past few years. Last year we lost our entire sweet dumpling crop to the deer and flooding.
This year our winter squash is planted at the Buchholtz farm in Elba. The Buchholtz’s are close family friends of ours, and Katie Buchholtz Karas and her husband Chris are members in our CSA! We grow winter squash there every 3-4 years depending on our rotation cycle. There is a lot of deer pressure at this farm, but the squash always seems to do really well.
This year we planted many varieties of winter squash, including red curry, butternut, spaghetti, honey bear acorn, delicata, sweet dumpling, and red kabocha. We have not grown spaghetti in a few years, and are happy to be able to give you some this week.
As we continue to harvest the winter squash we will try to put recipes in the newsletter that incorporate squash and other vegetables that are ready. If you are looking for additional ways to use the vegetables, Deb has found that the Whole Foods website has some great recipes. Also, if you have a recipe that you would like to share, please email it to us!
Farm News
This week we spent a lot of time harvesting vegetables. We are still a little short of help, so had to plan our week accordingly because we knew it was going to rain all day on Thursday.
All of our harvesting is done by hand, and harvesting green beans is a very time consuming job. It took ten hours for six people (sixty man hours) to pick all of the beans for this week. Again, we would like to thank our dedicated crew for all of their hard work this week!
Just a reminder…
Our annual Fall Festival will be held on Sunday, October 10. We ask that members who plan on attending please RSVP by September 30 so that we can plan accordingly. Remember, we will have a potluck lunch, so please bring a dish to pass. Please bring a notecard to place in front of the
Every year, one of our favorite crafts to do with the kids is to make scarecrows. If you would like to make a scarecrow this year, please bring clothes with you! We will have plenty of straw to stuff them and twine to tie it off!
Help us Recycle
If you have any extra plastic or paper grocery bags at your house, please consider bringing them out to the farm. We would be glad to use them!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Spaghetti Squash
• Sweet Dumpling
• Red Carmen Peppers
• Green Bell Peppers
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Green Beans
• Green Kale
• Onions
Spaghetti Squash with Pine Nuts, Sage, and Romano
Ingredients
-1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
-1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
-1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
-2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
-2 teaspoons butter, melted
-salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking dish.
3. Bake the squash in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
4. Scrape flesh of squash from the rind using a fork and place in a bowl. Add the pine nuts, cheese, sage, butter, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Squash-with-Pine-Nuts-Sage-and-Romano/Detail.aspx
Thursday, September 23, 2010
In the Bag: September 25, 2010
-Zucchini and/or Yellow Squash
-Kohlrabi
-Onions
-Collard Greens
-Carmen Pepper
-Bell Peppers
-Delicata Squash
-Leeks
-Scarlet Kabocha Squash
-Kohlrabi
-Onions
-Collard Greens
-Carmen Pepper
-Bell Peppers
-Delicata Squash
-Leeks
-Scarlet Kabocha Squash
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
In the Bag: September 18, 2010
-Spaghetti Squash
-Sweet Dumpling Squash
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Green Bell Peppers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Green Beans
-Green Kale
-Onions
-Sweet Dumpling Squash
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Green Bell Peppers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Green Beans
-Green Kale
-Onions
Thursday, September 9, 2010
In the Bag: September 11, 2010
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Swiss Chard
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Poblano Pepper
-Green Bell Peppers
-Light Green Bell Pepper
-Red Cabbage
-Yellow Squash
-Swiss Chard
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Poblano Pepper
-Green Bell Peppers
-Light Green Bell Pepper
-Red Cabbage
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Red Savoy Cabbage
Some members have been wondering why they received two green savoy cabbages and no red. Please take a second to compare the two heads of cabbage. On one of them you will notice some purple on the outside leaves. This is the red savoy. The green savoy is all green with no purple on it.
Here is a link to Johnny's Selected Seeds, which is where we purchased the seed. It has a picture that shows the difference between the two varieties.
Please let us know what you think of the red savoy cabbage. This is the first time we have grown it.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-330-savoy.aspx
Here is a link to Johnny's Selected Seeds, which is where we purchased the seed. It has a picture that shows the difference between the two varieties.
Please let us know what you think of the red savoy cabbage. This is the first time we have grown it.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/c-330-savoy.aspx
Thursday, September 2, 2010
In the Bag: September 4, 2010
-Watermelon (last week of them)
-Tomato Berries (last week of them)
-Beets
-Onions
-Red Kale
-Red Savoy Cabbage
-Green Savoy Cabbage
-Bell Peppers
-Red Carmen Peppers
-Tomato Berries (last week of them)
-Beets
-Onions
-Red Kale
-Red Savoy Cabbage
-Green Savoy Cabbage
-Bell Peppers
-Red Carmen Peppers
Porter Farm Happenings-August 28, 2010
In last week’s newsletter, we mentioned that we had been short of help at the farm. On Tuesday, The Daily News, which is the daily newspaper for Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties, also discussed a major farmworker shortage in this area.
Many farms in the surrounding area depend on something called the “H2A Program”, which allows United States farmers to employ temporary legal workers. These workers are provided housing and a guaranteed set rate of pay. Many of these workers are Jamaican citizens that travel each season to harvest cabbage and apples in Western New York. However, this year, the United States government is refusing to certify workers from Jamaica because the Jamaican government takes a percentage of the workers paychecks.
Jamaican workers are very important to local farmers as they depend on their labor for the harvest. If this issue is not resolved, many farmers may be left short and could potentially go bankrupt.
We are hoping that this issue is resolved quickly before the fall harvest season begins!
Tomato Update
Some of you may have noticed that some of your tomatoes are not holding up well. We have even noticed that our grape tomatoes, which are usually the hardiest, are not holding up as well as they have in the past. Many members have contacted us about purchasing extra tomatoes for canning or making sauce, and we want to let you know that we will not have any available. What good tomatoes we do have in the field will be picked for our members.
This season we planted well over 20,000 tomato plants, which is the most we have ever done. We are disappointed that for the second season in a row we will not have the yield we were hoping for. We are looking forward to next years planting and are formulating ideas on how we can change the way that we grow them. Hopefully we will have a better crop next year!
Farm News
It was a cool, wet week at the farm. Three inches of rain fell over the weekend and into Monday, leaving us with many puddles and weeds. We were not able to get any fieldwork done on Monday because of the rain, so we had to spend the remainder of the week weeding and harvesting the vegetables.
All of our vegetables are handpicked, which is very time consuming. Each week our crew does a great job of picking the best vegetables in the field for you to enjoy. This year has been especially difficult to harvest the vegetables because they must battle through the weeds to get to the crops. When you cannot spray weeds to control their growth, they can only be hand weeded or cultivated. Since the fields have been so wet, our tractors have not been able to get in the fields to cultivate, and our workers cannot keep up with the fast growth of the weeds. This year we have an especially great crew, and we would like to thank them for all of their hard work!
Onions
Some of our members may be wondering where the onions are this season. In order to store onions in our barn, we first must pull each onion in the field and let them dry on the ground. Once they are dry, we bring them all into the barn. If they are not dried completely, they cannot be hand cleaned to remove dirt and may grow sprouts.
We pulled some of our onions a few weeks ago, hoping that we would have onions available for you in late August. However, every time that we think we will be able to bring them into the barn, it rains and we have to begin the drying process again. Once we are able to bring our onions to the barn, you can expect them in your bags almost every week!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Watermelon
• Assorted Grape Tomatoes
• Tomatoes
• Green Bell Peppers
• Cubanelle or Light Green Bell Pepper
• Leeks
• Swiss Chard or Leaf Lettuce
Baked Leeks
Ingredients
-2 tablespoons butter
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1 ½ cups skim milk
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-salt and pepper to taste
-4 medium leeks, halved lengthwise
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x12 inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk and cheese until cheese is melted. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Arrange the leeks in a single layer in the prepared pan and cover with the cheese sauce.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until leeks are tender and sauce is bubbly.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Leeks/Detail.aspx
Many farms in the surrounding area depend on something called the “H2A Program”, which allows United States farmers to employ temporary legal workers. These workers are provided housing and a guaranteed set rate of pay. Many of these workers are Jamaican citizens that travel each season to harvest cabbage and apples in Western New York. However, this year, the United States government is refusing to certify workers from Jamaica because the Jamaican government takes a percentage of the workers paychecks.
Jamaican workers are very important to local farmers as they depend on their labor for the harvest. If this issue is not resolved, many farmers may be left short and could potentially go bankrupt.
We are hoping that this issue is resolved quickly before the fall harvest season begins!
Tomato Update
Some of you may have noticed that some of your tomatoes are not holding up well. We have even noticed that our grape tomatoes, which are usually the hardiest, are not holding up as well as they have in the past. Many members have contacted us about purchasing extra tomatoes for canning or making sauce, and we want to let you know that we will not have any available. What good tomatoes we do have in the field will be picked for our members.
This season we planted well over 20,000 tomato plants, which is the most we have ever done. We are disappointed that for the second season in a row we will not have the yield we were hoping for. We are looking forward to next years planting and are formulating ideas on how we can change the way that we grow them. Hopefully we will have a better crop next year!
Farm News
It was a cool, wet week at the farm. Three inches of rain fell over the weekend and into Monday, leaving us with many puddles and weeds. We were not able to get any fieldwork done on Monday because of the rain, so we had to spend the remainder of the week weeding and harvesting the vegetables.
All of our vegetables are handpicked, which is very time consuming. Each week our crew does a great job of picking the best vegetables in the field for you to enjoy. This year has been especially difficult to harvest the vegetables because they must battle through the weeds to get to the crops. When you cannot spray weeds to control their growth, they can only be hand weeded or cultivated. Since the fields have been so wet, our tractors have not been able to get in the fields to cultivate, and our workers cannot keep up with the fast growth of the weeds. This year we have an especially great crew, and we would like to thank them for all of their hard work!
Onions
Some of our members may be wondering where the onions are this season. In order to store onions in our barn, we first must pull each onion in the field and let them dry on the ground. Once they are dry, we bring them all into the barn. If they are not dried completely, they cannot be hand cleaned to remove dirt and may grow sprouts.
We pulled some of our onions a few weeks ago, hoping that we would have onions available for you in late August. However, every time that we think we will be able to bring them into the barn, it rains and we have to begin the drying process again. Once we are able to bring our onions to the barn, you can expect them in your bags almost every week!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Watermelon
• Assorted Grape Tomatoes
• Tomatoes
• Green Bell Peppers
• Cubanelle or Light Green Bell Pepper
• Leeks
• Swiss Chard or Leaf Lettuce
Baked Leeks
Ingredients
-2 tablespoons butter
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1 ½ cups skim milk
-1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
-salt and pepper to taste
-4 medium leeks, halved lengthwise
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x12 inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk and cheese until cheese is melted. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat. Arrange the leeks in a single layer in the prepared pan and cover with the cheese sauce.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until leeks are tender and sauce is bubbly.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Leeks/Detail.aspx
Thursday, August 26, 2010
In the Bag: August 28
-Watermelon
-Tomatoes
-Assorted Grape Tomatoes
-Green Bell Peppers
-Cubanelle or LIght Green Bell Pepper
-Leeks
-Swiss Chard or Lettuce
-Tomatoes
-Assorted Grape Tomatoes
-Green Bell Peppers
-Cubanelle or LIght Green Bell Pepper
-Leeks
-Swiss Chard or Lettuce
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Porter Farm Happenings-August 21, 2010
Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, and posted on our blog about the tomatoes! Close to 200 members responded to our question, with an overwhelming majority voting yes to harvesting. Thanks for understanding that vegetables do not need to look perfect to taste great!
We would also like to thank some members who have spent time at the farm helping us on Saturday mornings as we pack your produce bags. Every Saturday, Richard Beatty and Rae Ann Engler of Batavia are at the farm bright and early working alongside our crew. They have been weekly contributors for the past few years, and we cannot express how thankful we are for all of their help. We also had two additional helpers last Saturday, Jeannette Kreher and Jan Grzedzicki, who are co-coordinators of our new Cheektowaga group. Jeannette and Jan also were at the farm before the sun came up and caught on to our packing routine quick. It was great to have four extra hands as we packed the really heavy bags last week!
If anyone would be interested in helping pack bags on Saturday mornings, please give us a call. We have been short of workers this week, and any additional help on Saturday mornings would be greatly appreciated! We begin packing at 5am and are usually done by 8am.
Safe Travels, Zoe!
On Friday, Zoe, Bess, and Eric took a trip to New York City to move Zoe into her dorm room at Hunter College. Bea and Julie will be traveling to NYC as well to meet up with the Johnson’s and do a little school shopping with Zoe. We wish Zoe all the best as she begins her college career!
Tomato Update
The dry weather this week helped keep the tomato disease from spreading rapidly. We were going to rip some diseased plants out of the ground and burn them, but decided against it. When you rip plants out and move them through the rows, the diseased plants can touch disease free plants and spread their spores. We left the diseased plants in the field and are hoping that the weather forecast continues to stay relatively rain and humidity free.
The Pestminder newsletter this week discussed the diseases in the tomatoes, and mentioned that early blight could also be a found around here. We are still not sure which disease or diseases has found it’s way to our tomatoes, but we are happy to say that our tomatoes are not totally ruined like they were last year.
Many members have contacted us about purchasing extra tomatoes for canning and making sauce. At this point we cannot say if extras will be available. Our first priority is making sure that we have enough to distribute to our CSA members. We will continue to update you!
Farm News
We were very happy to have a dry, low humidity week at the farm. One inch of rain fell on Sunday night, but it dried up quickly. This drier weather is key to keeping the disease from spreading in the tomatoes.
This week we were finally able to transplant the last of the broccoli and kohlrabi. We also direct seeded more Swiss chard. Our early broccoli plants went right to seed due to high temperatures, but we have more plantings that look ok. Summer broccoli is always tricky because of the heat, but we will have a lot in the fall.
Orchard Update
Since planting the raspberries and orchard trees, our main project in the orchard has been battling the weeds. It seems that this is a never-ending battle in every field!
This orchard is a learning experience for us, and it is going to take us quite a few years to get everything just the way that we want it. We have one third of the space left, and are leaning toward adding a lot more berries to the space. It will take a couple of years before we see any of the fruits of our labor in there, but are excited that we will eventually be able to incorporate fruit into our CSA in some way. We have another question for members: What do you think about u-pick raspberries for CSA members only? Please email or post a comment on our blog!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Sugar Baby Watermelon
• Yellow Watermelon
• Red Tomato Berries
• Yellow Grape Tomatoes
• Assorted Large Tomatoes
• White or Purple Kohlrabi
• Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce
• Red Beets
• Green Bell Peppers
• Light Green Bell Pepper
Cherry Tomato Bites
Ingredients
-1 pint cherry tomatoes (tomato berries!)
-Fresh mozzarella, cubed
-Olive oil
-Salt
-Fresh Ground Pepper
-Basil, julienned
Directions
1. Cut a small slice off the end of each tomato so that they sit level. (Make sure not to cut too big of a slice or else the cup won't have a bottom.)
2. Make another slice on the opposite side of the tomato and scoop out the pulp inside using a mellon baller or small spoon. Be careful not to puncture the skin on the bottom. (Don't worry about what it looks like because it will soon be stuffed.)
3. Season the tomato cups with salt and pepper. Place a cube of mozerella in each cup.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed tomatoes. Garnish each bite with a bit of basil. Transfer the bites onto a serving platter and chill until ready to serve.
Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/hors-doeuvres/recipe-cherry-tomato-bites-124738
Thank you to everyone who called, emailed, and posted on our blog about the tomatoes! Close to 200 members responded to our question, with an overwhelming majority voting yes to harvesting. Thanks for understanding that vegetables do not need to look perfect to taste great!
We would also like to thank some members who have spent time at the farm helping us on Saturday mornings as we pack your produce bags. Every Saturday, Richard Beatty and Rae Ann Engler of Batavia are at the farm bright and early working alongside our crew. They have been weekly contributors for the past few years, and we cannot express how thankful we are for all of their help. We also had two additional helpers last Saturday, Jeannette Kreher and Jan Grzedzicki, who are co-coordinators of our new Cheektowaga group. Jeannette and Jan also were at the farm before the sun came up and caught on to our packing routine quick. It was great to have four extra hands as we packed the really heavy bags last week!
If anyone would be interested in helping pack bags on Saturday mornings, please give us a call. We have been short of workers this week, and any additional help on Saturday mornings would be greatly appreciated! We begin packing at 5am and are usually done by 8am.
Safe Travels, Zoe!
On Friday, Zoe, Bess, and Eric took a trip to New York City to move Zoe into her dorm room at Hunter College. Bea and Julie will be traveling to NYC as well to meet up with the Johnson’s and do a little school shopping with Zoe. We wish Zoe all the best as she begins her college career!
Tomato Update
The dry weather this week helped keep the tomato disease from spreading rapidly. We were going to rip some diseased plants out of the ground and burn them, but decided against it. When you rip plants out and move them through the rows, the diseased plants can touch disease free plants and spread their spores. We left the diseased plants in the field and are hoping that the weather forecast continues to stay relatively rain and humidity free.
The Pestminder newsletter this week discussed the diseases in the tomatoes, and mentioned that early blight could also be a found around here. We are still not sure which disease or diseases has found it’s way to our tomatoes, but we are happy to say that our tomatoes are not totally ruined like they were last year.
Many members have contacted us about purchasing extra tomatoes for canning and making sauce. At this point we cannot say if extras will be available. Our first priority is making sure that we have enough to distribute to our CSA members. We will continue to update you!
Farm News
We were very happy to have a dry, low humidity week at the farm. One inch of rain fell on Sunday night, but it dried up quickly. This drier weather is key to keeping the disease from spreading in the tomatoes.
This week we were finally able to transplant the last of the broccoli and kohlrabi. We also direct seeded more Swiss chard. Our early broccoli plants went right to seed due to high temperatures, but we have more plantings that look ok. Summer broccoli is always tricky because of the heat, but we will have a lot in the fall.
Orchard Update
Since planting the raspberries and orchard trees, our main project in the orchard has been battling the weeds. It seems that this is a never-ending battle in every field!
This orchard is a learning experience for us, and it is going to take us quite a few years to get everything just the way that we want it. We have one third of the space left, and are leaning toward adding a lot more berries to the space. It will take a couple of years before we see any of the fruits of our labor in there, but are excited that we will eventually be able to incorporate fruit into our CSA in some way. We have another question for members: What do you think about u-pick raspberries for CSA members only? Please email or post a comment on our blog!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Sugar Baby Watermelon
• Yellow Watermelon
• Red Tomato Berries
• Yellow Grape Tomatoes
• Assorted Large Tomatoes
• White or Purple Kohlrabi
• Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce
• Red Beets
• Green Bell Peppers
• Light Green Bell Pepper
Cherry Tomato Bites
Ingredients
-1 pint cherry tomatoes (tomato berries!)
-Fresh mozzarella, cubed
-Olive oil
-Salt
-Fresh Ground Pepper
-Basil, julienned
Directions
1. Cut a small slice off the end of each tomato so that they sit level. (Make sure not to cut too big of a slice or else the cup won't have a bottom.)
2. Make another slice on the opposite side of the tomato and scoop out the pulp inside using a mellon baller or small spoon. Be careful not to puncture the skin on the bottom. (Don't worry about what it looks like because it will soon be stuffed.)
3. Season the tomato cups with salt and pepper. Place a cube of mozerella in each cup.
4. Drizzle olive oil over the stuffed tomatoes. Garnish each bite with a bit of basil. Transfer the bites onto a serving platter and chill until ready to serve.
Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/hors-doeuvres/recipe-cherry-tomato-bites-124738
Thursday, August 19, 2010
In the Bag: August 21
-Watermelons (Not sure which kind--will be harvested Friday)
-Red Tomato Berries
-Yellow Grape Tomatoes
-Assorted Tomato
-Beets
-Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce
-Green Bell Peppers
-Light Green Bell Pepper
-Kohlrabi
-Red Tomato Berries
-Yellow Grape Tomatoes
-Assorted Tomato
-Beets
-Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce
-Green Bell Peppers
-Light Green Bell Pepper
-Kohlrabi
Monday, August 16, 2010
Porter Farm Happenings-August 14, 2010
Every week throughout the growing season, the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program writes a weekly publication called the PestMinder. This newsletter is mailed to area subscriber farmers throughout Western and Central New York, and provides information about crop development, pests, weather conditions, and crop diseases. It also contains pesticide recommendations for battling various diseases and pests, as well as a small organic farming section.
After looking through the PestMinder this week, we read about some new diseases that we think may be in our vine crops and tomatoes. A vegetable specialist with Cornell University wrote a section about a new race of cucurbit powdery mildew. This mildew was observed in Athena cantaloupes in upstate New York. These cantaloupes are resistant to the other two races of powdery mildew, but not this new race.
This week’s publication also spent a great deal outlining various diseases that have been found in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in the area. Last year, a fungal disease called Late Blight wiped out our tomato crop. This disease has been confirmed in tomatoes on a farm in Erie County and a farm in Norfolk County, Ontario. Norfolk County is located across Lake Erie from the Erie, Pennsylvania area.
This week we found signs of disease in our tomatoes. They were fine on Monday, but by Wednesday morning they weren’t. We thought that we would be able to give everyone 4 to 5 yellow tomatoes, but when we went out to harvest them, we had to overlook many because of disease spots and rot. We received 2 inches of rain on Monday, and think that the disease may have come in with the rain. Fungal diseases are air born and rain helps deposit their spores. However, what may look like late blight in our tomatoes may actually be another disease that was outlined in the publication this week. A disease called Zonate Leaf Spot, which occurs sporadically in this area, produces lesions on fruits as well.
We are not sure which disease has hit our tomatoes, but as organic farmers, there is nothing that we can do to combat it. It has been another damp growing season, which is the ideal condition for many of these diseases to flourish. Next year we are going to make more changes in the way that we grow our tomatoes, because for the third time in five years, we have had a lot of disease problems with them. Our heirloom tomatoes are always a favorite with our CSA, but unfortunately these tomatoes get diseases first. This season we planted over 10,000 heirloom tomato plants and are hoping there will be some salvageable. Next year we are going to try using double the amount of space for the same number of tomato plants. With more space between tomato rows, more air will be able to flow through the plants and keep the moisture out of them.
We have often thought about putting high tunnel greenhouses in at our farm. These greenhouses give farmers tomatoes earlier in the season, but unfortunately, researchers are starting to see that the same troubles that hit tomatoes in the field are also present in the tunnels later in the growing season.
Please enjoy the tomatoes in your bag this week. Some tomatoes are showing signs of disease quick. If you see a spot on your tomato, it may be the disease showing up after we had already picked it. Mike has been eating them all week, and just cuts around the spot if he sees one. He says they still taste good, especially after no tomatoes last year!
As the disease moves through the tomato plants, we may start to see more spots on them. We have a question for you: would you mind eating a tomato with a small spot on it that could be cut out, or would you rather us not bother harvesting these tomatoes? We would like this to be a member decision, so please let us know by either sending an email, commenting on our blog, or leaving a message on the farm answering machine by Wednesday night. After this time, we will go with the majority and make our decision.
*Look for an orchard update next week!*
Farm News
With all of the rain that has been falling at the farm (another 2 inches fell on Monday), it seems like we are always trying to keep up with the fast growth of the weeds. We also spent time this week baling straw. This straw came from the harvested barley crop. Once the barley is harvested using a combine, the stems of the barley are baled and used for livestock bedding.
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini or Yellow Squash
• Tomato Berries
• Tomato
• Green Bell Pepper
• Cubanelle Pepper (Sweet, frying pepper)
• Yellow/Light Green Bell Pepper
• Savoy Cabbage
• Leeks
• Green Beans
• Sugar Baby Watermelon
• Yellow Watermelon
Balsamic Salad of Roasted Leeks and Peppers
Ingredients
-4 leeks
-2 peppers, cut into chunks
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
-generous sprigs fresh oregano and thyme
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-generous sprinkling ground sea salt and black pepper
-1 oz. pine nuts
-1 oz. parmesan cheese
-handful of arugula
Directions
1. Place prepared vegetables and seasonings in a roasting pan along with the olive oil and balsamic.
2. Cover with wetted baking paper and scrunch over vegetables to seal.
3. Oven roast for 30 minutes until tender and just starting to brown.
4. Combine with the remaining ingredients and serve.
Source: http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/leek-recipe-10.php
After looking through the PestMinder this week, we read about some new diseases that we think may be in our vine crops and tomatoes. A vegetable specialist with Cornell University wrote a section about a new race of cucurbit powdery mildew. This mildew was observed in Athena cantaloupes in upstate New York. These cantaloupes are resistant to the other two races of powdery mildew, but not this new race.
This week’s publication also spent a great deal outlining various diseases that have been found in tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in the area. Last year, a fungal disease called Late Blight wiped out our tomato crop. This disease has been confirmed in tomatoes on a farm in Erie County and a farm in Norfolk County, Ontario. Norfolk County is located across Lake Erie from the Erie, Pennsylvania area.
This week we found signs of disease in our tomatoes. They were fine on Monday, but by Wednesday morning they weren’t. We thought that we would be able to give everyone 4 to 5 yellow tomatoes, but when we went out to harvest them, we had to overlook many because of disease spots and rot. We received 2 inches of rain on Monday, and think that the disease may have come in with the rain. Fungal diseases are air born and rain helps deposit their spores. However, what may look like late blight in our tomatoes may actually be another disease that was outlined in the publication this week. A disease called Zonate Leaf Spot, which occurs sporadically in this area, produces lesions on fruits as well.
We are not sure which disease has hit our tomatoes, but as organic farmers, there is nothing that we can do to combat it. It has been another damp growing season, which is the ideal condition for many of these diseases to flourish. Next year we are going to make more changes in the way that we grow our tomatoes, because for the third time in five years, we have had a lot of disease problems with them. Our heirloom tomatoes are always a favorite with our CSA, but unfortunately these tomatoes get diseases first. This season we planted over 10,000 heirloom tomato plants and are hoping there will be some salvageable. Next year we are going to try using double the amount of space for the same number of tomato plants. With more space between tomato rows, more air will be able to flow through the plants and keep the moisture out of them.
We have often thought about putting high tunnel greenhouses in at our farm. These greenhouses give farmers tomatoes earlier in the season, but unfortunately, researchers are starting to see that the same troubles that hit tomatoes in the field are also present in the tunnels later in the growing season.
Please enjoy the tomatoes in your bag this week. Some tomatoes are showing signs of disease quick. If you see a spot on your tomato, it may be the disease showing up after we had already picked it. Mike has been eating them all week, and just cuts around the spot if he sees one. He says they still taste good, especially after no tomatoes last year!
As the disease moves through the tomato plants, we may start to see more spots on them. We have a question for you: would you mind eating a tomato with a small spot on it that could be cut out, or would you rather us not bother harvesting these tomatoes? We would like this to be a member decision, so please let us know by either sending an email, commenting on our blog, or leaving a message on the farm answering machine by Wednesday night. After this time, we will go with the majority and make our decision.
*Look for an orchard update next week!*
Farm News
With all of the rain that has been falling at the farm (another 2 inches fell on Monday), it seems like we are always trying to keep up with the fast growth of the weeds. We also spent time this week baling straw. This straw came from the harvested barley crop. Once the barley is harvested using a combine, the stems of the barley are baled and used for livestock bedding.
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini or Yellow Squash
• Tomato Berries
• Tomato
• Green Bell Pepper
• Cubanelle Pepper (Sweet, frying pepper)
• Yellow/Light Green Bell Pepper
• Savoy Cabbage
• Leeks
• Green Beans
• Sugar Baby Watermelon
• Yellow Watermelon
Balsamic Salad of Roasted Leeks and Peppers
Ingredients
-4 leeks
-2 peppers, cut into chunks
-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
-generous sprigs fresh oregano and thyme
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-generous sprinkling ground sea salt and black pepper
-1 oz. pine nuts
-1 oz. parmesan cheese
-handful of arugula
Directions
1. Place prepared vegetables and seasonings in a roasting pan along with the olive oil and balsamic.
2. Cover with wetted baking paper and scrunch over vegetables to seal.
3. Oven roast for 30 minutes until tender and just starting to brown.
4. Combine with the remaining ingredients and serve.
Source: http://www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/leek-recipe-10.php
Thursday, August 12, 2010
In the Bag: August 14
-Red Tomato Berries
-Tomatoes (not sure what kind yet, will be harvested Friday morning)
-Watermelon (Not sure what kind yet, will be harvested Friday morning)
-Bell Peppers
-Cubanelle Pepper
-Leeks
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Green Beans
-Savoy Cabbage
-Tomatoes (not sure what kind yet, will be harvested Friday morning)
-Watermelon (Not sure what kind yet, will be harvested Friday morning)
-Bell Peppers
-Cubanelle Pepper
-Leeks
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Green Beans
-Savoy Cabbage
Monday, August 9, 2010
Porter Farm Happenings-August 7, 2010
This past week one of our members asked us if we sold our vegetables to a supermarket. We would like to address this and make sure that it is clear to all of our members that you are our first priority when it comes to our vegetables. We do not sell to any supermarkets, but we do sell very small orders to the Lexington Cooperative Market, and two Feel Rite Markets in Buffalo when extra produce is available.
For the first time in seven years, we were able to sell cucumbers for wholesale. Cucumbers used to be a major crop of ours, but due to downy mildew, we have drastically cut down our acreage. 100 half bushels of cucumbers were sold a few weeks ago to Tuscarora Organic Growers. We only sold these cucumbers because you were receiving seven cucumbers in your bag and we did not want to overload you.
Each year we do grow onions and cabbage in volume for Whole Foods Market. Starting in late fall and into the spring we will ship these vegetables to a warehouse where they will later become available in stores in Manhattan and Boston. Our CSA members are not short changed when it comes to onions and cabbage either; as most returning members know, you will receive a lot of these crops this fall!
Farm News
Two weeks ago we direct seeded spinach into the field. After the eight inches of rain last week, the small seeds were washed out or buried under silt. This week we once again direct seeded spinach, and also beets and turnips. The light rain that we received earlier this week was beneficial to get these seeds started. We also transplanted the last of the zucchini and yellow squash.
This week we also harvested 60 acres of barley. This year’s crop was average—we brought in 60 bushels for every acre harvested. We also continued baling hay in various fields.
Guest Bags
We will continue to offer guest bags to prospective members throughout the season. Please call the farm by Wednesday of the week you would like to order one to ensure its delivery for that week. Thanks for spreading the word!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cucumber
• Swiss Chard
• Purple Kohlrabi (tops off)
• Green Bell Pepper
• Sweet Frying Pepper
• Red or Green Leaf Lettuce
• Caraflex Cabbage
• Eggplant**
**Only some members will be receiving eggplant this week. We were able to find some large eggplant in our field, that if left until next week, it would become too big and split. Therefore, we harvested all that was out there and will distribute it to some groups on Saturday. Whoever does not get eggplant this week will get it in the following weeks. There are many more small eggplant out there!
Please note--even though we planted three times as many eggplant as last year, high heat makes the eggplant blossoms fall off, thus decreasing vegetable production. We planted WAY more than is needed for all of our members, but once again, this shows how large of a factor the weather plays in what vegetables you receive in your bags from week to week.
Super Stuffed Tortillas
Ingredients
-1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
-1 large onion
-1 green pepper
-2 cups corn
-1 small-medium zucchini (sliced)
-1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
-2 cups black beans
-1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
-6 tablespoons salsa
-flour or corn tortillas
-cheddar cheese, feta, or queso blanco (shredded or crumbled)
-green onions or chives, salt, pepper, fresh cilantro to taste
Directions
1. Sauté garlic in 2 teaspoons oil for 1 minute. Add onion and pepper and sauté until crisp-tender.
2. Add corn, zucchini, and ground cumin and continue to sauté until all vegetables are tender but not browned.
3. Add black beans, broth, and salsa. Cook until there is no excess moisture. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, sliced green onions or chives, and chopped fresh cilantro to taste.
4. Preheat a frypan with a bit of oil and place a tortilla n a pan. Add cheese in center of tortilla and add ¼-1/2 cup vegetable filling. When the tortilla is crispy, remove, and fold in half. Or place a second tortilla on top, flip, and fry crisp.
Source: Simply in Season
For the first time in seven years, we were able to sell cucumbers for wholesale. Cucumbers used to be a major crop of ours, but due to downy mildew, we have drastically cut down our acreage. 100 half bushels of cucumbers were sold a few weeks ago to Tuscarora Organic Growers. We only sold these cucumbers because you were receiving seven cucumbers in your bag and we did not want to overload you.
Each year we do grow onions and cabbage in volume for Whole Foods Market. Starting in late fall and into the spring we will ship these vegetables to a warehouse where they will later become available in stores in Manhattan and Boston. Our CSA members are not short changed when it comes to onions and cabbage either; as most returning members know, you will receive a lot of these crops this fall!
Farm News
Two weeks ago we direct seeded spinach into the field. After the eight inches of rain last week, the small seeds were washed out or buried under silt. This week we once again direct seeded spinach, and also beets and turnips. The light rain that we received earlier this week was beneficial to get these seeds started. We also transplanted the last of the zucchini and yellow squash.
This week we also harvested 60 acres of barley. This year’s crop was average—we brought in 60 bushels for every acre harvested. We also continued baling hay in various fields.
Guest Bags
We will continue to offer guest bags to prospective members throughout the season. Please call the farm by Wednesday of the week you would like to order one to ensure its delivery for that week. Thanks for spreading the word!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cucumber
• Swiss Chard
• Purple Kohlrabi (tops off)
• Green Bell Pepper
• Sweet Frying Pepper
• Red or Green Leaf Lettuce
• Caraflex Cabbage
• Eggplant**
**Only some members will be receiving eggplant this week. We were able to find some large eggplant in our field, that if left until next week, it would become too big and split. Therefore, we harvested all that was out there and will distribute it to some groups on Saturday. Whoever does not get eggplant this week will get it in the following weeks. There are many more small eggplant out there!
Please note--even though we planted three times as many eggplant as last year, high heat makes the eggplant blossoms fall off, thus decreasing vegetable production. We planted WAY more than is needed for all of our members, but once again, this shows how large of a factor the weather plays in what vegetables you receive in your bags from week to week.
Super Stuffed Tortillas
Ingredients
-1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
-1 large onion
-1 green pepper
-2 cups corn
-1 small-medium zucchini (sliced)
-1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
-2 cups black beans
-1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
-6 tablespoons salsa
-flour or corn tortillas
-cheddar cheese, feta, or queso blanco (shredded or crumbled)
-green onions or chives, salt, pepper, fresh cilantro to taste
Directions
1. Sauté garlic in 2 teaspoons oil for 1 minute. Add onion and pepper and sauté until crisp-tender.
2. Add corn, zucchini, and ground cumin and continue to sauté until all vegetables are tender but not browned.
3. Add black beans, broth, and salsa. Cook until there is no excess moisture. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, sliced green onions or chives, and chopped fresh cilantro to taste.
4. Preheat a frypan with a bit of oil and place a tortilla n a pan. Add cheese in center of tortilla and add ¼-1/2 cup vegetable filling. When the tortilla is crispy, remove, and fold in half. Or place a second tortilla on top, flip, and fry crisp.
Source: Simply in Season
Guest Bags
Someone called the farm on Sunday afternoon to request a guest bag, but they did not leave their name, pick up location, or a phone number to contact them. If this was you, please give us a call back so that we can set you up with a guest bag!
Please remember, if you would like to order a guest bag, please call or email us by Wednesday of that week! Include your name, phone number, and the location you would like the guest bag sent to.
Please remember, if you would like to order a guest bag, please call or email us by Wednesday of that week! Include your name, phone number, and the location you would like the guest bag sent to.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
In the Bag: August 7
-Caraflex Cabbage
-Swiss Chard
-Sweet Frying Pepper
-Green Bell Pepper
-Last of the cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Purple Kohlrabi
-Red or Green Leaf Lettuce
-Eggplant**
**Only some members will be receiving eggplant this week. We were able to find some large eggplant in our field, and if we leave it until next week, it would become too big and split. Therefore, we harvested all that was out there and will distribute it to some groups on Saturday. Whoever does not get eggplant this week, will get it in the following weeks. There are many more small eggplant out there!
Please note--even though we planted 3 times as much eggplant as last year, high heat makes the eggplant blossoms fall off. We planted WAY more than is needed for all of our members, but once again, this shows how large of a factor the weather plays in what vegetables you receive in your bags from week to week.
-Swiss Chard
-Sweet Frying Pepper
-Green Bell Pepper
-Last of the cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Purple Kohlrabi
-Red or Green Leaf Lettuce
-Eggplant**
**Only some members will be receiving eggplant this week. We were able to find some large eggplant in our field, and if we leave it until next week, it would become too big and split. Therefore, we harvested all that was out there and will distribute it to some groups on Saturday. Whoever does not get eggplant this week, will get it in the following weeks. There are many more small eggplant out there!
Please note--even though we planted 3 times as much eggplant as last year, high heat makes the eggplant blossoms fall off. We planted WAY more than is needed for all of our members, but once again, this shows how large of a factor the weather plays in what vegetables you receive in your bags from week to week.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Porter Farm Happenings-July 31, 2010
Downy Mildew
In a little over a week we have received over 8 inches of rain at the farm! The effects of this rain can be seen all over--those of you driving down the driveway this week, take a look at the large pond that has developed by the Porter Farms sign! This water has been sitting there for ten days already! Check out the pictures that were posted on our blog!
Last week we mentioned that even though we have received a lot of rain, our vegetables were still disease free. It seems that we spoke too soon! Last Saturday morning Mike went out to inspect our cucumbers and discovered downy mildew in the plants! Downy mildew is a fungus that is easily carried by wind, and is most aggressive when heavy dews and frequent rains occur. Although it does not overwinter beyond the southernmost region of the United States, the spores are easily blown northward during the summer months.
When this disease hits, it can wipe out and kill a plant in a matter of two to three days! Symptoms first appear as pale green areas on the upper leaf surfaces, which soon change to yellow spots. A fine whitish growth will quickly appear on the lower leaf surface as well. The infected area later spreads outward, causing defoliation and poor fruit development, and later plant death (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/downymildew.html).
This disease, which infects vine crops, is most aggressive in cucumbers. Our cucumbers were the first to become infected, but were quickly followed by our cantaloupes. The cantaloupes looked picture perfect last week, but now are displaying yellow and dried up leaves. The zucchini and yellow squash are also beginning to display some symptoms of downy mildew, but so far our watermelon still look great! There are mini watermelons in the field right now, so hopefully the disease will stay away for a few more weeks while they develop and ripen! Pictures have been posted on our blog of the cucumbers, cantaloupes, and watermelon.
Conventional farmers down the road from us have been trying to keep this disease at bay in their fields as well. They were spraying chemicals all week to slow down the spread of the fungus, but even these strong chemicals will not kill the fungus completely. As organic farmers, there is literally nothing we can do once this disease hits! We may try a new variety, a burpless cucumber, next year. These cucumbers are more tolerant of downy mildew. We will continue researching this and will give you updates!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cucumbers
• Beets
• Green Cabbage
• Caraflex Cabbage
• Romaine Lettuce
*You may notice small spots on the yellow squash and zucchini. These spots are from the hail that fell during the strong thunderstorm last Wednesday. They may not look great, but they still taste good!
Farm News
This week we continued to assess the damage from the rain. The thunderstorm last week beat up our barley that will be harvested for livestock feed. We also lost some lettuce to flooding.
Our crew spent a lot of time this week weeding the fields. The field where our earliest beets were planted became overgrown with weeds. Therefore, we decided to harvest all of the beets in this field! We hope you enjoy them!
Be on the lookout for peppers in your bags soon!
Citrus-Ginger Roasted Beets and Carrots
Ingredients
-4 beets, peeled and sliced
-3 large carrots, peeled and quartered
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-1/3 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon honey
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
-1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Set aside ½ cup each of the beets and carrots for the dressing. Place the remaining beets and carrots in a 9x13 inch baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the sea salt, and toss to coat. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
3. Bake the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the reserved beets and carrots into a blender. Add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, ginger, soy sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Blend until smooth. After the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, stir in the citrus sauce, then recover and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes more.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Citrus-Ginger-Roasted-Beets-and-Carrots/Detail.aspx
In a little over a week we have received over 8 inches of rain at the farm! The effects of this rain can be seen all over--those of you driving down the driveway this week, take a look at the large pond that has developed by the Porter Farms sign! This water has been sitting there for ten days already! Check out the pictures that were posted on our blog!
Last week we mentioned that even though we have received a lot of rain, our vegetables were still disease free. It seems that we spoke too soon! Last Saturday morning Mike went out to inspect our cucumbers and discovered downy mildew in the plants! Downy mildew is a fungus that is easily carried by wind, and is most aggressive when heavy dews and frequent rains occur. Although it does not overwinter beyond the southernmost region of the United States, the spores are easily blown northward during the summer months.
When this disease hits, it can wipe out and kill a plant in a matter of two to three days! Symptoms first appear as pale green areas on the upper leaf surfaces, which soon change to yellow spots. A fine whitish growth will quickly appear on the lower leaf surface as well. The infected area later spreads outward, causing defoliation and poor fruit development, and later plant death (http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/downymildew.html).
This disease, which infects vine crops, is most aggressive in cucumbers. Our cucumbers were the first to become infected, but were quickly followed by our cantaloupes. The cantaloupes looked picture perfect last week, but now are displaying yellow and dried up leaves. The zucchini and yellow squash are also beginning to display some symptoms of downy mildew, but so far our watermelon still look great! There are mini watermelons in the field right now, so hopefully the disease will stay away for a few more weeks while they develop and ripen! Pictures have been posted on our blog of the cucumbers, cantaloupes, and watermelon.
Conventional farmers down the road from us have been trying to keep this disease at bay in their fields as well. They were spraying chemicals all week to slow down the spread of the fungus, but even these strong chemicals will not kill the fungus completely. As organic farmers, there is literally nothing we can do once this disease hits! We may try a new variety, a burpless cucumber, next year. These cucumbers are more tolerant of downy mildew. We will continue researching this and will give you updates!
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cucumbers
• Beets
• Green Cabbage
• Caraflex Cabbage
• Romaine Lettuce
*You may notice small spots on the yellow squash and zucchini. These spots are from the hail that fell during the strong thunderstorm last Wednesday. They may not look great, but they still taste good!
Farm News
This week we continued to assess the damage from the rain. The thunderstorm last week beat up our barley that will be harvested for livestock feed. We also lost some lettuce to flooding.
Our crew spent a lot of time this week weeding the fields. The field where our earliest beets were planted became overgrown with weeds. Therefore, we decided to harvest all of the beets in this field! We hope you enjoy them!
Be on the lookout for peppers in your bags soon!
Citrus-Ginger Roasted Beets and Carrots
Ingredients
-4 beets, peeled and sliced
-3 large carrots, peeled and quartered
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-1/3 cup fresh pink grapefruit juice
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon honey
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
-1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Set aside ½ cup each of the beets and carrots for the dressing. Place the remaining beets and carrots in a 9x13 inch baking dish, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with the sea salt, and toss to coat. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
3. Bake the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place the reserved beets and carrots into a blender. Add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, ginger, soy sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Blend until smooth. After the vegetables have roasted for 15 minutes, stir in the citrus sauce, then recover and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes more.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Citrus-Ginger-Roasted-Beets-and-Carrots/Detail.aspx
Friday, July 30, 2010
Downy Mildew
This picture shows the downy mildew that has been found in the cucumbers. Once it hits, there is nothing that we can do to prevent it spreading. Cucumbers are the most susceptible to the disease.
This picture shows our cantaloupe plants that are also infected with downy mildew. These plants looked picture perfect a week ago with many blossoms, but now have the same distinctive yellowish lesions on their leaves.
So far downy mildew has not made it to our watermelons!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
In the Bag: July 31
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Cucumbers
-Beets
-Green Cabbage
-Caraflex Cabbage
-Romaine Lettuce
-Yellow Squash
-Cucumbers
-Beets
-Green Cabbage
-Caraflex Cabbage
-Romaine Lettuce
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Picture of Flooding
Here is a picture that shows how much rain we have received here at the farm! We have received over 6 inches in the last 7 days.
Porter Farm Happenings-July 24,2010
Pick Up Times
Each Saturday morning we begin our CSA work at 4am! We move all of the harvested vegetables out of the cooler and into our packing barn. By 5am our crew of 8 to 10 workers is ready to begin packing the produce bags. Although we are usually done by 8, there are some weeks where it takes us longer to pack because of the amount going into the bags or the number of people that are working that day. We ask that you please do not pick up your produce before 8:30 to ensure that we have everything ready when you arrive.
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cucumbers
• Red Leaf Lettuce
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Bunched Beets
• Kohlrabi
Guest Bags
We will continue to offer guest bags to prospective members throughout the season. Please call the farm by Wednesday of the week you would like to order one to ensure its delivery for that week. Thanks for spreading the word!
Kohlrabi!
Kohlrabi is a crisp, lightly sweet vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. According to our seed catalog, the taste is similar to a turnip with a texture like a water chestnut. A personal favorite here at the farm is to eat it sliced like carrot sticks! Kohlrabi leaves can also be eaten like cabbage or kale.
This is our second year growing this vegetable, and we received many positive comments about it from our members last year. We love receiving feedback, so please let us know what you think about it!
Farm News
It was a wet week here at the farm! Large thunderstorms passed through the area on Wednesday, bringing high winds, hail, and over three inches of rain! We are lucky that we did not receive the worst of the storm--farms to the north of us received 6+ inches! After the storm passed, we went out to assess the damage around the farm. We were worried that the hail might have damaged the growing tomatoes, but luckily they seem to be ok. Our lettuce and peppers (which you may remember us saying were under water back in June) became flooded again. We are glad that we decided to leave the drainage trenches in that we dug back in June, as it looks like these are helping to get the standing water out once again. Finally, our horses received quite a surprise when part of the roof of their small barn was ripped off!
To add to the rain totals, two more inches fell on Friday morning. As we write this newsletter, we're waiting for the rain to stop so that we can begin repairing some of the damages from Wednesday's storm.
Although we have received a lot of rain this season, we actually have accumulated more "Growing Degree Days" than last year. A growing degree day is a measure of heat accumulation that farmers use to predict how far along a crop is toward maturity. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension, at this time in the season last year we had only accumulated 809 growing degree days, while we are currently at 1,407 this year. This means that even though we have received a lot of rain, we have received the heat that is needed to keep our vegetables growing.
During seasons of significant moisture, farmers often worry of the threat of various diseases moving into their crops. As an organic farm, there is little that we can do to combat these diseases once they hit. Diseases such as blight and downy mildew have been found in the region, but so far our vegetables look disease free!
During the dry days here at the farm, we spent some time harvesting and cultivating. We were not able to finish all of the cultivating before the rain hit, and will need to finish this next week. We also direct seeded green beans and spinach, and transplanted broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. Hopefully the rain did not flood out the green beans and spinach!
Disappearing Zucchini Orzo
Ingredients
¾ lb orzo pasta
1 chopped onion
garlic, to taste
3 large zucchini (yellow squash can be substituted)
olive oil for sauté
thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated Parmesan or any hard yellow cheese
Directions
1. Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta.
2. Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini; sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.
3. Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
4. Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or room temperature.
Source: “Animal, Vegetable Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolv
Each Saturday morning we begin our CSA work at 4am! We move all of the harvested vegetables out of the cooler and into our packing barn. By 5am our crew of 8 to 10 workers is ready to begin packing the produce bags. Although we are usually done by 8, there are some weeks where it takes us longer to pack because of the amount going into the bags or the number of people that are working that day. We ask that you please do not pick up your produce before 8:30 to ensure that we have everything ready when you arrive.
What’s in this week’s bag??
• Zucchini
• Yellow Squash
• Cucumbers
• Red Leaf Lettuce
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Bunched Beets
• Kohlrabi
Guest Bags
We will continue to offer guest bags to prospective members throughout the season. Please call the farm by Wednesday of the week you would like to order one to ensure its delivery for that week. Thanks for spreading the word!
Kohlrabi!
Kohlrabi is a crisp, lightly sweet vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. According to our seed catalog, the taste is similar to a turnip with a texture like a water chestnut. A personal favorite here at the farm is to eat it sliced like carrot sticks! Kohlrabi leaves can also be eaten like cabbage or kale.
This is our second year growing this vegetable, and we received many positive comments about it from our members last year. We love receiving feedback, so please let us know what you think about it!
Farm News
It was a wet week here at the farm! Large thunderstorms passed through the area on Wednesday, bringing high winds, hail, and over three inches of rain! We are lucky that we did not receive the worst of the storm--farms to the north of us received 6+ inches! After the storm passed, we went out to assess the damage around the farm. We were worried that the hail might have damaged the growing tomatoes, but luckily they seem to be ok. Our lettuce and peppers (which you may remember us saying were under water back in June) became flooded again. We are glad that we decided to leave the drainage trenches in that we dug back in June, as it looks like these are helping to get the standing water out once again. Finally, our horses received quite a surprise when part of the roof of their small barn was ripped off!
To add to the rain totals, two more inches fell on Friday morning. As we write this newsletter, we're waiting for the rain to stop so that we can begin repairing some of the damages from Wednesday's storm.
Although we have received a lot of rain this season, we actually have accumulated more "Growing Degree Days" than last year. A growing degree day is a measure of heat accumulation that farmers use to predict how far along a crop is toward maturity. According to Cornell Cooperative Extension, at this time in the season last year we had only accumulated 809 growing degree days, while we are currently at 1,407 this year. This means that even though we have received a lot of rain, we have received the heat that is needed to keep our vegetables growing.
During seasons of significant moisture, farmers often worry of the threat of various diseases moving into their crops. As an organic farm, there is little that we can do to combat these diseases once they hit. Diseases such as blight and downy mildew have been found in the region, but so far our vegetables look disease free!
During the dry days here at the farm, we spent some time harvesting and cultivating. We were not able to finish all of the cultivating before the rain hit, and will need to finish this next week. We also direct seeded green beans and spinach, and transplanted broccoli, zucchini, and yellow squash. Hopefully the rain did not flood out the green beans and spinach!
Disappearing Zucchini Orzo
Ingredients
¾ lb orzo pasta
1 chopped onion
garlic, to taste
3 large zucchini (yellow squash can be substituted)
olive oil for sauté
thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated Parmesan or any hard yellow cheese
Directions
1. Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta.
2. Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini; sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.
3. Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.
4. Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or room temperature.
Source: “Animal, Vegetable Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolv
Friday, July 23, 2010
In the Bag: July 24
Sorry for the slow post! We had a computer crash at the farm yesterday so are just able to use it again...
-Cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Green Leaf Lettuce
-Red Leaf Lettuce
-Kohlrabi
-Bunched Beets
-Cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Green Leaf Lettuce
-Red Leaf Lettuce
-Kohlrabi
-Bunched Beets
Thursday, July 15, 2010
In the Bag: July 17
-Cucumbers
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Caraflex Cabbage (Pointed Cabbage)
-Swiss Chard
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Caraflex Cabbage (Pointed Cabbage)
-Swiss Chard
Thursday, July 8, 2010
In the Bag: July 10
-Green Leaf Lettuce
-Red Leaf Lettuce
-Green Onions
-Gold or Chiogga Beets
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Red Leaf Lettuce
-Green Onions
-Gold or Chiogga Beets
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
Thursday, July 1, 2010
In the Bag: July 3
-Swiss Chard
-Red Fire Lettuce
-Red Summer Crisp Lettuce
-Green Onions
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
-Red Fire Lettuce
-Red Summer Crisp Lettuce
-Green Onions
-Zucchini
-Yellow Squash
Friday, June 25, 2010
In the Bag: June 26, 2010
-Red Fire Lettuce
-Red Summer Crisp Lettuce
-Swiss Chard
-Gold or Chiogga Beets
-Spinach
-Red Summer Crisp Lettuce
-Swiss Chard
-Gold or Chiogga Beets
-Spinach
Monday, June 14, 2010
2010 SEASON BEGINS JUNE 26!
Our 2010 season will begin on Saturday, June 26. We will be mailing postcards tomorrow. These postcards will tell you the starting date as well as the contact information for your site!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
MAY 2010 UPDATES
WE DO NOT YET KNOW WHEN WE WILL BE STARTING OUR 2010 PROGRAM! When we do know, YOU WILL RECEIVE a postcard in the mail from us!!
We always aim to start the third Saturday in June. However, the weather does affect when we will be starting. After a beautiful end of April, our vegetable growth slowed during the beginning of May due to the cooler temperatures. With the high heat over the past week, they seem to be catching up nicely.
We also had some unexpected events happen at the farm this past spring which set us further behind. Hopefully the beautiful, warm weather will get us up to where we should be!
This week we planted our onions and leeks, and began planting the zucchini and yellow squash outside. The swiss chard that we direct seeded in early May is coming along nicely, however our lettuce growth has been slow.
We always aim to start the third Saturday in June. However, the weather does affect when we will be starting. After a beautiful end of April, our vegetable growth slowed during the beginning of May due to the cooler temperatures. With the high heat over the past week, they seem to be catching up nicely.
We also had some unexpected events happen at the farm this past spring which set us further behind. Hopefully the beautiful, warm weather will get us up to where we should be!
This week we planted our onions and leeks, and began planting the zucchini and yellow squash outside. The swiss chard that we direct seeded in early May is coming along nicely, however our lettuce growth has been slow.
Monday, April 5, 2010
April updates!
What a beautiful spring so far! Today, we were able to start direct seeding some beets, swiss chard, and spinach in the field! At this time last year it was still snowing, so things are off to a good start.
We are still accepting memberships for our 2010 season. We will be offering our Early Bird discount until April 15. MAIL MUST BE POSTMARKED BY THIS DATE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE DISCOUNT!
We are still accepting memberships for our 2010 season. We will be offering our Early Bird discount until April 15. MAIL MUST BE POSTMARKED BY THIS DATE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE DISCOUNT!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Pricing for 2010
Buffalo Members: $320
Rochester Members: $350
Please remember that we offer an "Early Bird Discount". If you sign up before April 15, $20 is deducted off of the total share price.
Rochester Members: $350
Please remember that we offer an "Early Bird Discount". If you sign up before April 15, $20 is deducted off of the total share price.
Friday, February 26, 2010
2010 Season!
We are looking forward to starting our 2010 season in June! Last week we mailed out our yearly letter to members. If you would like to receive this letter, which has information in it about signing up for our 2010 season, please email us your mailing address!
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