Cover Crops

There are many things we must get done before we head into winter.  The fields that once grew the produce that you found in your shares this season must be readied for the freezing and the upcoming season.

The plastic that was placed on the fields to keep the soil moist and warm is removed. We use an implement called a bed ripper.

After the plastic is removed from the soil we need to disk up the soil to smooth it out and cut any leftover plant matter so that it can biodegrade faster.

This creates a fresh bed for the cover crops.  

We plant in late fall after the harvest is over. We usually have all of our cover crops planted by mid-November.

The purpose of a cover crop is to:

•  to ensure soil fertility
• to prevent soil erosion by precipitation and wind. 
• to break disease cycles and reduce populations of bacterial and fungal diseases

We primarily plant rye but other examples of cover crops include wheat, barley, and oats.

We use rye because, in general, it is cheaper and we can cut and bale it as straw for animal bedding and to cover our strawberries and keep them warm for the winter. 

2014 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention

As with many other professions, the field of agriculture requires us to keep learning and evolving with the times.

Each year we attend the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hersey, Pennsylvania at the Hersey Lodge.

Yum!

This convention brings growers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The convention gives farmers a chance to browse the latest trends, technologies, and produce varieties and even offers farms to network and share ideas from their farms.  

Dale III, Carol, Dale IV, Brandt, and I (Kaitlyn) arrived a the convention on Tuesday and stayed until Wednesday evening.

Lectures & Workshops

We got a chance to attend workshops and seminars from everything from Tree Fruit to Marketing. We all split up to gather information and bring it back to sift through and digest the ideas.

There were many different workshops to choose from!

Steven Wiley from The Lincoln Leadership Institute gave a brilliant presentation on leadership.

Caleb Torrice from Tabora Farm & Orchard in Chalfont, PA gave a presentation on store display and signage.

Carla Snyder & Brian Moyer from Penn State Extension gave a great lecture and workshop on signage and display as well.

Busting the Myths: The Truth about Genetically Engineered Food was presented by Gregory Jaffe from CSPI (The Center for Science in the Public Interest) in Washington DC

CSPI is a food and nutrition consumer organization. They are often referred to as the "Food Police".

They receive no funding from industry or the government.  Their aim to provide awareness for consumer about issues with food safety and nutrition. 

He often referred to GMO's as Biotechnology or "Biotech". 

There are over 420 million acres of GM crops in the world. GM crops have been growing commercially since 1996. 

These are the only commercially grown GM crops available at this time:

• corn
• soybeans
• cotton
• canola
• sugar beets
• alfalfa
• squash
• papaya

I could go on and on but please check out CSPI's Report on GMO's for some great information! 

*Do you your own research and make sure that your sources are credible. FYI: All Seralini research and documents have been discredited!

Some other lectures that we attended and enjoyed included:

• New Asparagus Varieities by Carl Cantaluppi from North Carolina Extension
• Basil Downy Mildew by Dr. Margaret McGrath from Cornell University
• Growing Greenhouse Tomatoes by Dr. Richard Snyder from Mississippi State University
• Farm to Workplace by Lindsay Gilmour and Molly Johnston Heck from Common Market
• Food Safety Aspects in Irrigation Water by Dr. Luke Laborde from Penn State University
• and many others!

Trade Show

The trade show allowed us the opportunity so speak with box and bag companies to see their new product for the upcoming season.

We also looked at some new bins for our apples.

There are many new varieties of apples coming out every year. The trade show gives exhibitors a chance to present their product to potential growers.

Brandt and Dale III check out some new apple varieties

All-in-all we had an educational and fun experience at the convention. We are coming home with some valuable tools that will help improve many aspects of our farm.

We look forward to attending again next year!

Follow us!

Hello All!

Want to see what we are up to here on the farm?

Follow us on:

Facebook:

We are always updating our Facebook page with farm updates, events, fun facts, photos and even links to coupons!

Instagram:

Follow us in Instagram for beautiful photos of flowers and seedlings in our greenhouse, vegetables growing in our fields, and other scenes from around the farm.

Pinterest:

Pinterest is one of our favorite resources for our customers. We pin a TON of recipes using our fruits and veggies and even care and storage tips.

2013 Photo Contest Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered our photo contest this year. Here are the results:

 John Pfaff is the winner this season with a total of 23 likes on Facebook!

Found in the Stony Hill cabbage patch! 7 month old Alex, son of Betsy and Erich Regber of Long Valley, is happy to be part of the CSA program. His first vegetable was Stony Hill's green beans. CSA members (and grandparents) are John and Beth Pfaff of Chester.

A special thank you to all other participants. We love hearing about your experience and welcome any photos you would like to send our way!

 "Thank you for all the wonderful food you provide. I never buy at the supermarket anymore!"-Jonathan McKune

 Omelette with plum tomatoes, onion, and red leaf lettuce- Tanya Meronk

"We love kale chips!"-Teresa Jandziol

November 14 & 16 CSA Update

Good Morning CSA Members,

Here is an update on your shares for this week.

Your apples are:

 Granny Smith: very tart with a crisp skin. Great for cooking or baking.

Melrose: Crispy, sweet-tart and juicy.

Sun Crisp: Tender, sweet apple. It doesn't have a long shelf life so enjoy this one first :)

Full shares members are receiving delicata squash. It is a cross between a sweet potato and a butternut squash. Prepare the same as any winter squash but you do not need to cook it quite as long as its flesh is much more tender.  The flesh is also edible!

Thank You from Chester Food Pantry

Here on the farm we hate to see anything to waste. Last year, Stony Hill Farms teamed up with Chester Food Pantry to donate any shares that were left at the end of each CSA pick-up day to families in need.

You as members have been incredibly generous with you gifts of fresh produce to families that would otherwise go without.

Here is a message from the Chester Food Pantry to our CSA Members:

Dear Stony Hill CSA Member,

 

I would like to, once again, thank the members of the Stony Hill CSA for their generous support of the Chester Food Pantry this season.  I hope that the knowledge that your CSA’s did not go to waste but, instead, were used to help those in need is something that is meaningful to you.  You have no idea how precious that fresh produce is to the people that the Chester Food Pantry assists.  This year we were able to distribute close to 200 boxes to very appreciative families in Chester and Mendham.  Many times the doors would fly open as we approached the homes and young children would tear open the boxes.   Several people shared that they were able to make things for themselves and their families that they never would have been able to if not for the CSA. 

 

We take for granted the fresh produce that we are able to obtain and we don’t always realize how important it is to those that cannot afford it especially the seniors and children.  Thank you for helping us to make our neighbors’ lives a little easier.

Apple & Raisin Stuffed Acorn Squash

 Ingredients

• 1 Acorn Squash (halved and seeded)
• 2 Tbsp, Butter
• 1 Granny Smith Apple (seeded and chopped)
• 1/4 cup, Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp, Pumpkin Spice
• 1/2 cup, Raisins

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash onto a baking pan cut side down. Fill the baking pan with 1/4 inch of water.
   Note: it is easier to make the finished squash sit up straight if you cut a flat spot on the back of each half.
2. Bake the squash in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Drain off any remaining water in the baking sheet and turn squash cut side up.
3. While the squash is baking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the apple in the butter about 15 minutes. Stir the raisins, brown sugar, and Pumpkin spice into the mixture.
4. Fill the acorn squash with the apple mixture. Return the squash to the oven and bake until the filling is hot (about 15 minutes).

Recipe from:Savings Lifestyle