Grow Your Veggies on a Local Farm

By Master Gardener Marianne McNeil

Fresh vegetables from your garden, especially tomatoes, often taste better than the ones you buy in a grocery store.  There is some evidence that vegetables that do not sit on a supermarket shelf and are eaten sooner, direct from a garden, have higher nutritional value.  Also, knowing how your vegetables have been grown and where they come from is important to all of us.  Many of us have started home vegetable gardens to have fresh produce right at our fingertips.

As a gardener, I recognize that there are some difficulties in growing your own vegetables in your backyard. First and foremost is having the space necessary. If you want to feed a family of four, the Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests that a well-planned garden should be about 10 feet x 16 feet.  If you live in the city, backyard space is at a premium. You may need your backyard space for your children or for your dog. Penn State Extension recommends that your vegetable garden should have at least 6 hours per day of sunlight, with 8 to 10 hours, being ideal so if you have some large shade trees then your yard might not be right for growing. Another limitation is having the time in your busy life to devote to growing vegetables, and gardening also requires expensive tools that may not be available to you. Your knowledge of correct garden practices and pest management may also be a factor in your decision to start a garden (Of course, your extension office can provide support here).  Finally, you may have physical limitations that prevent you from gardening.  All these factors may prevent you from growing enough vegetables for you and your family in your backyard. However, there are alternatives.

One alternative to backyard gardening that will provide you and your family with fresh vegetables (and sometimes fruit, meats and cheeses) all year and help our local farmers is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.  In a previous blog, our Master Gardener Coordinator, Erin Fredrick, described CSA programs.  These programs are becoming popular in our area. Now is a great time to investigate them and find out if they would be a good fit for you and your family. Winter is the time when many programs are calling for new members.

In a CSA program, you will contract with a local farmer to grow the nutritious vegetables that you love!  You do this by purchasing “shares” in the program. The planning takes place in the winter before the farmer orders seeds or starts seedlings in a greenhouse. The farmer can plan in advance how much of each vegetable is needed for the members of the CSA.  The farmer’s risk is reduced because you are providing the “capital” or money upfront for growing the vegetables. You are also accepting some risk if a certain crop is greatly affected by local growing conditions, pests or disease. However, when you plant a backyard garden, you are also putting in money upfront and you have the same risks.  Local farmers are more experienced in planning and dealing with garden problems, and vegetables produced locally do not include the costly price of shipping.  In the long run, a CSA may be a less costly option for you, and you will also connect with a fine local farmer!

Our local CSA programs vary greatly. Some CSA farmers only grow certain types of produce. Others provide a host of vegetables and some fruit choices. Some local CSAs provide certified organic produce while others use integrated pest management to reduce their use of chemical herbicides and pesticides.  It can be expensive to obtain full organic certification so many small farms do grow their produce chemical-free and sustainably without this expense.  Since local farms are family owned, they are careful about the chemicals they use. Remember, their family is eating the same produce! Some local farms have spring, summer, fall and even winter CSA programs. Others only focus on one or two growing seasons.

Here is a list of questions that you might ask the local farmer before committing to a CSA:

·         What do you grow? Do you specialize?

·         How do you grow your produce? 

·         What is your growing period or season? Start and end dates?

·         Is the produce delivered? If not, what is the location and time for pick-up?

·         How much produce? Is there a minimum amount for the program? Is there a fixed amount?

·         How is payment handled? All upfront? Quarterly? Seasonally?

·         How do you resolve problems if produce is not as expected?

Want to find a CSA near you?   Penn State Extension has created Google Map of CSAs in Pennsylvania.  Click here and enter your address to find a nearby farm.

So if you do not have the inclination to grow vegetables in your backyard, try joining a CSA. You and your family will learn more about local agriculture and eat nutritious and tasty vegetables!

Sources:

Local Food Systems, Economic Report from the USDA:

http://agmarketing.extension.psu.edu/ComFarmMkt/PDFs/local_food_system.pdf

What is a CSA?

http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/local-agriculture/2013/07/what_is_a_csa.html

Planning a Vegetable Garden:

http://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden-planning-for-beginners

http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs115.pdf

Pruning: Winter in the fruit orchard

By Master Gardener Susan Kowalchuk

Given the record cold temperatures we have had this winter, it is hard to imagine doing any garden task beyond perusing seed catalogs. The winter however, is a prime time to prune fruit trees.  During their dormant state, the shape of the trees and the areas needing pruning are clearly visible, and the tree can use its stored energy to heal and harden off the cut. This enables it to devote needed energy to growth once the warm weather arrives.

Pruning fruit trees has many advantages. It enhances production and improves fruit quality by maximizing light penetration and bud growth.  A properly pruned tree is also less susceptible to disease and infection.  The timing of pruning is important. The general rule is to prune the latest flowering trees first, such as the apple, and the earliest flowering trees such as the peach, last. To minimize damage, pruning is typically done the later part of the winter.

Dead, damaged, diseased and crossed branches are usually the most obvious and easiest to prune. The tricky part is determining what parts of the healthy tree need to be cut.  The type of tree usually dictates the approach. Apple and pear trees have a upright habit and are usually pruned so that there is a central leader or one main trunk.   Peach and nectarine trees have a spreading habit and are pruned using an open center approach. These trees are pruned to establish 3-5 main branches.

The main type of pruning cuts utilized are the thinning cut and the heading cut.  The thinning cut removes an entire shoot. The heading cut removes only part of the terminal, or end of the shoot.  Common pruning tools are bypass pruners, pole pruners, loppers and saws.

We are fortunate to have quite a few orchards in the Lehigh Valley. If you happen to drive by, take a look at the trees and see if you can guess what type are being grown by their shape.  If you are lucky, you may even see the farmers hard at work preparing the trees for the summer and fall crops. Although robins won’t be around for awhile, think of winter pruning as an earlier sign that spring will indeed be here.

Support Your Farmer:

Local Orchards

Pappy’s Orchard – Coopersburg -  www.pappysorchard.com

County Line Orchard - Kempton - www.clorchard.com

Gulick’s – Bangor – www.gulickorchard.com

Strawberry Acres – Coplay – www.strawberryacres.com

Ontelaunee Orchards - Leesport - http://www.twin-o.com/

Sources:

Extension.psu.edu

Clemson.edu

Extension.wsu.edu

Extension.missouri.edu

Wreaths for the Holidays

By Master Gardener Amy Weis

Every December when my family makes its annual trek to the local Christmas tree farms to pick out our tree, I usually wander around looking at the wreaths. A local, handmade wreath not only smells great, but also last a long time. I usually take mine down around March.

The use of evergreens predates Christianity. Ancient Persians used evergreens for victory crowns. The Greeks made laurel wreaths as awards for Olympic athletes as far back as 776 BC.  In ancient Rome, military heroes wore evergreen crowns.

Ancient Germanic people used evergreens as a symbol of life and survival during their Winter Solstice celebrations. The evergreen was a reminder of life and renewal.

Today we enjoy the wonderful scent and symbolism of evergreen wreaths around the holidays.  And, more people are discovering the benefits of locally made, fresh evergreen wreaths made at nearby Christmas tree farms. 

This year I set out to find out a little more about the local craft of   fresh Christmas wreath making. I decided to start by checking the PA Christmas Tree Grower’s web site for its 2013 Pennsylvania wreath winners. My first stop was with first place winner, for the undecorated category, Ruth Sitko, of Sitko Christmas Tree Farm in Pottstown, PA.

Ruth explained that an award-winning wreath is typically made from high quality, fresh, healthy evergreens (partially determined by number of needles per branch) and that symmetry and proportion are also very important.

There are several different methods of making an evergreen wreath. Ruth uses a clamp machine and a form. She gathers small evergreen boughs and clamps them to the form. She then puts wire hooks on the back of the form and decorates with a bow, berries, pine cones or other season appropriate items.   Her wreath turned out perfectly symmetrical with a full, lush look. I can only say mine looked “rustic”.

There are other methods of wreath making as well. Most of them utilize a wire wreath frame.  Typically small (approximately 6 inch) pieces of evergreen branches are wired together, usually three to a bunch. Then the bunch is wired to the form. These steps are continued until the form is completely filled out. It is important that the needles be faced in the same direction.  Several of the farms had wreaths made from multiple types of evergreens.  These wreaths tended to look a little more informal. They may have included boxwood, pine, arborvitae, blueberries juniper, holly or Frasier fir. Some even added a pinch of rosemary for added aroma.

It’s fun knowing that the beautiful wreath now hanging on my front door was made at a local farm and should easily outlast the cold and snow!

Support Your Farmer:

Sitko Farms is a three generation Christmas tree farm located in Pottstown.  They offer choose-and-cut for scotch pine, douglas fir, balsam fir, and concolor fir. They also offer precuts for scotch pine, douglas fir, balsam fir, and fraser fir, as well as a great selection of custom wreaths and other decorations..

O Tannenbaum - Going to the Farm

By Master Gardener Susan Kowalchuk

One off my favorite Christmas holiday traditions is going to a Christmas tree farm and choosing a tree. In addition to the beauty of having a fresh aromatic tree in our home, these trips to the farms have provided our family with many holiday memories.  The month of December can get pretty frenetic. The trip to select a tree is a respite, and depending on what farm you go to, a mini outdoor family adventure, which ends with a sense of accomplishment and hopefully a large cup of hot chocolate.

According to the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Association, there are over 1,200 Christmas tree farms, producing at least 1.2 million cut trees a year on 35,000 acres. There are many different types of evergreen trees to choose from. The following is a list of trees most commonly found on Pennsylvania Christmas tree farms:

Balsam Fir – this was the first plantation grown tree in the Northeast. It is a fragrant tree with short needles with a blueish/silver cast.  It has good needle retention, making a great choice for those who like to put their tree up in November. A variety of the balsam is the canann.

Douglas Fir  - soft, delicate blue/green needles with flexible branches.  It has good needle retention.

Concolor Fir – long soft neeedles that have a silver/blue hue. Branches have a delicate/airy appearance.  This evergreen gives off a citrusy scent and has good needle retention. It is also known as a white fir.

Fraser Fir  - short, dark green stiff needles. The tree has a pyramidal shape, with branches growing upward, giving it a more formal/traditional  appearance.

Colorado Blue Spruce – this tree has a distinctive appearance, with short, three-sided dark green/blue needles and stiff branches. Its strong branches make it a good choice if you have heavy ornaments.

Eastern White Pine-  has large, soft, blue/green needles.  Tree has a good fragrance, excellent needle retention, and an airy, more informal appearance.

Norway Spruce – is dark green with a conical shape. Needles are 4-sided and point forward. The branches are strong and hang down in a pendulous fashion.  Compared to other evergreens, needle retention is poor. Nonetheless, the Norway Spruce is often chosen for the White House and Rockefeller Center.  

   
The type of experiences available at Christmas tree farms can vary; hayrides, cut and haul your own, pick a tree and have them cut and haul it to the car for you, acres devoted to several types of trees in the country, smaller farms in less rural areas, shops that have ornaments, wreaths, food, the list goes on and on.  Decide what you would like for your family tradition and call ahead to see what types of trees and experiences the farm offers.  

Once your bring your tree home, it is recommended that you cut no more than one inch from the trunk and place it in a stand that holds at least a gallon of plain water. You shouldn’t place your tree next to a heat source and use only indoor lights on the tree. Don’t forget to turn off the lights before leaving home or going to sleep!

Support Your Farmer: 

http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/PAxmastrees.php - link to Christmas Tree Farms, hayrides, tree lots and other related activities in your area

www.christmastrees.org - Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association –  another resource for farms within driving distance of your home.  It also offers information on other types of evergreens.

http://www.realchristmastrees.org - National Christmas Tree Growers Association 

It's Turkey Time!

Photo by Jeff Zehr

Tomorrow approximately 45 million turkeys will be eaten in the United States as families gather to celebrate Thanksgiving.  As the center piece of the feast, I thought it was appropriate to highlight some facts about the bird that will be feeding so many:

•  Turkeys are native to North America.  The common turkey – Meleagris gallapavo – was hunted by Native Americans as early as 1000 A.D. and was probably first domesticated by native Mexicans. 

• Tame turkeys were taken to Spain in 1519, spreading throughout Europe and reaching England in 1524, where they became a customary Christmas dish.  English colonists later re-introduced their European-bred turkeys back to North America. 

• Until 1935, turkeys were primarily bred for their colorful plumage – not their meat.

• Turkey eggs are twice as large as ordinary chicken eggs.

• Turkeys hatch after incubating for 28 days.

• A male turkey is called a tom and a female turkey is called a hen. 

• Only adult males make the “gobble gobble” sound.  Adult males also have a bumpy head that is normally bright red – it changes to white overlaid with bright blue when they’re excited.  Female heads are less bumpy. 

• Turkeys have a long red fleshy ornament that drapes over their beak that’s called a snood.  The fleshy pouch-like structure below their beak by their throat is called a wattle.

•  Turkeys also grow fast!  A male wild turkey on average weighs less than 22 pounds, with females weighing less than 11 pounds.  Male turkeys on the farm can weigh up to 40 pounds and females up to 24 pounds in only 20 weeks’ time!

Sources:

http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/livestock/poultry-and-game-birds/small-flock-turkey-production

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/turkey/turkey_facts.cfm

Support Your Farmer:  Koch’s Turkey Farm, a three generation family farm located in Lewiston Valley, raises Certified Humane, antibiotic free turkeys.  The turkeys also have access to free range outdoor areas.   Their turkeys can be found at Whole Foods and other retailers. 

Keeping Your Harvest

By Master Gardener Marianne McNiel

As gardens produce the last of their late fall bounty, you may want to think of ways to store some of your root vegetables and squash from your own garden or from your local farmers’ market. That way you will have some fresh vegetables for much of the winter. So what types of root vegetables or squash can be stored for late fall and early winter consumption? There are many! Some call them “keeper” crops.

Winter Squash

Winter squash is harvested when there is a corking of the stem and loss of rind surface sheen. There is also dieback of tendrils and leaves closest to the fruit. Leave the stem on the squash for storage because this will reduce disease. All squash should be harvested for storage well before our first frost. Temperatures below about 50^oF will cause squash to experience chilling injury.  If your winter squash has experienced many days below 50^oF, you may want to wait until next year for storing it for later consumption.

Winter squash can be stored until January, February or March. Butternut squash may last even longer. Select squash that are disease free and have few blemishes. They should be stored in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place with a relative humidity of 50-70%. Highly humid and moist environments may cause the squash to develop fungal or bacterial organisms that will hasten their decay. A very dry environment will cause the squash to dehydrate. If you have a basement, it may serve as the best place to store winter squash. If you have a dehumidifier in your basement you can set it to around 50% humidity.  Winter squash is best stored off the ground. Some gardeners store them on wooden trays or racks that can be stacked.

Root Vegetables

When storing root vegetables, you should keep them away from apples, pears or tomatoes. These fruits produce ethylene gas and can make the taste of some root vegetables bitter. Also, do not store onions and winter squash with potatoes since the moisture and gases released from the potatoes will hasten their decay.

Carrots, Beets, Parsnips and Winter Radishes

When you are planning to store your root crops, you may want to leave them in the ground until the first frost. Root vegetables for late fall or winter storage should be harvested when fully mature and they should be free of blemishes and disease.

Harvest carrots when the roots are an acceptable size usually about ¾ to 1 inch in diameter. Beets are harvested when they are between 1 to 2 inches in size.  Parsnips can be harvested directly from the ground all winter since they are winter hardy. However, it will be difficult to dig them once the ground is fully frozen.  Radishes mature very quickly and should be pulled from the ground once mature for best flavor.

Ideally, these root vegetables are best stored at slightly above 32^oF and a relative humidity of 95%. This is quite a damp, cold environment, but when stored properly, they will last for most of the winter.

Other root vegetables like turnips, rutabagas and spring radishes also do best stored at low temperatures, slightly above 32^oF and high humidity.  Turnips and rutabagas will only last about a month and spring radishes will only last about one week.

Potatoes

Potatoes are harvested after the vines have fully died. When growing potatoes, you can check for maturity by digging up one hill to determine if the skin remains fully attached to the tuber when rubbed.  Potatoes store best when the skins are at this level of maturity. You should be careful not to damage tubers at harvest. Any damaged potatoes should be eaten or discarded and are not suitable for long term storage.

The ideal temperature for storing potatoes is between 45 and 50^oF. Below 40^oF, the starch in the potatoes will turn to sugar and they will develop a sweet taste. Above 50^oF, the potatoes will sprout.   Potatoes also require a high relativity humidity of 90 to 95% for proper storage. Like root vegetables, potatoes prefer this cold, damp environment.

Garlic and Onion

There is only a 10 to 14 day window for optimum garlic harvest. Garlic is also best harvested in cool weather for optimal taste. When the leaves start to brown, pull a sample to determine its progress. If you dig the garlic too early, the garlic will not be segmented into cloves. If you dig the garlic too late, the cloves will have grown and expanded and the outer sheath will be split. The bulb should not be split and should have a tight skin for best storage. Onions should be dug when the tops are completely brown at full maturity.

Allow onions and garlic to dry in a well-ventilated area about 70 to 75^oF that is protected from sunlight. Sunlight will hasten their decay and cause color changes. A warmer temperature may cause the onions and garlic to caramelize.  After drying, trim the roots and tops 1 inch from the bulb. Breakdown in storage may result if the tops are cut too close to the bulb and the neck is not thoroughly dried. Close cutting allows decay organisms to have easy access to the bulb.

Onions and garlic are best stored between 35 to 40^oF and a much lower humidity than potatoes or root vegetables. These vegetables are best stored in a dry, dark, well ventilated place; not in the refrigerator.  A basement with adequate ventilation will work well for this purpose. Avoid storing onions and garlic where they will be exposed to moisture and high humidity.

A Final Word

Do low storage temperatures mean you need a root cellar? Maybe. But there are other options.  Some folks dig a trench and store root vegetables there. Below, there is a link to a Penn State Extension article about storing root vegetables in a trench. Some gardeners store in a separate refrigerator set to the temperature and humidity required. Of course, this requires running an extra refrigerator and this may not be possible for many homeowners. Onions and winter squash can be safely stored in a cool basement or garage that is insulated so the temperature does not fall below freezing. For optimal storage, potatoes and other root vegetables need colder storage and that is where a root cellar comes in handy. If you are in a Co-Op or a Community Agricultural Support (CSA) program, you may already have access to a root cellar. In an upcoming blog I will discuss more about farms that participate in CSA programs and some newly formed Co-Ops.

Just remember, if you are planning to store vegetables for late fall or winter, they should be harvested when fully mature and they should be free of blemishes and disease.

Sources

A link to a Penn State extension article about harvesting and storing winter squash and pumpkins:

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/vegetable-fruit/news/2013/pumpkin-and-winter-squash-harvest-and-storage

A link to a PSU extension guide about growing root vegetables:

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/vegetable-fruit/production-guides/vegetable-gardening/Root-Vegetables.pdf/view

A link to information from PSU extension about storing potatoes:

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/master-gardener/counties/montgomery/news/2011/storing-potatoes

A link to a PSU extension guide for growing bulb vegetables:

http://extension.psu.edu/plants/vegetable-fruit/production-guides/vegetable-gardening/Bulb-Vegetables.pdf/view

Storing root crops in a trench:

http://extension.psu.edu/juniata/news/2011/harvesting-and-storing-root-crops-in-a-trench

Support Your Farmer

Great Bend Farm, located in Port Clinton, offers a Winter CSA starting in late November and runs through April.  Their shares contain onions, squash, potatoes, herbs, greens, root vegetables and more!

Winter Squash – thinking beyond the pumpkin

By Master Gardener Susan Kowalchuk

Winter squash, pumpkins, ornamental gourds, and summer squash are all members of the cucurbitaceae genus. Perhaps the most well known is the common pumpkin used as a fall decoration.  Available in various sizes and colors, (for example; the white “ghost" pumpkin), it is the right choice if you want to make a jack o lantern or a decorative soup tureen. But if it is eating that you are interested in, there are a multitude of winter squashes with a wide range of colors, shapes, and flavors to choose from.

Unlike summer squash, winter squash is harvested in the fall when the skin of the fruit is hard and the seeds inside the plant have matured.  This hardening of the exterior skin of the fruit enables it to be stored for several months in a cool dry environment. Winter squash is a terrific source of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A.  It contains potassium, niacin, vitamin C ,and fiber, has no fat or cholesterol, and is low in calories. Plus, it is easy to prepare, and delicious when roasted at a high heat because the natural sugars caramelize.

There are hundreds of different types and varieties of winter squash. Not only do they vary in sweetness, but the color of the flesh can range from light yellow to deep red/orange, and the texture from fibrous, to smooth and creamy. I find one of the most appealing characteristics of the winter squash is the varied colors and appearance: yellows, blues, oranges, greens, stripes, bumps, knobs, ridges, round oblong, tapered, the list goes on and on.  In addition to the more “traditional” squashes such as butternut and acorn, there are also many new varieties and heirlooms that have become available during the past few years. Listed below are some winter squashes you can look for at your local farmer’s market, store, or farm stand.

Butternut – one of the most available and versatile of the winter squashes. It has a smooth texture and mild, sweet taste, making it amenable to using a variety of spices, and flavorings. Many consider this to be the best squash for pumpkin pie and soup. It is hard to peel and cut, but well worth the effort. 

            

Delicata -  small, oblong heirloom squash with mild sweet flavor similar to a sweet potato, and light orange flesh.  The skin is thin and can be eaten, but it cannot be stored as long as other squashes. It can be baked or roasted, and is good for stuffing. 

Blue Hokkaido pumpkin – has a sweet and nutty flavor and cool blue/grey color.  Can vary in size, from small to a few pounds.

Red Kuri pumpkin – is a hubbard-like squash that can have a teardrop or a small pumpkin shape. It has smooth, creamy flesh, and a mild nutty flavor.  Its small size also makes it easy for cutting in half and roasting. 

Hubbard Squash – one of the largest, with a thick skin that helps it store well, but make it difficult to cut. Medium sweet, with yellow flesh, it is best roasted. 

Rouge Vif d’Etampes – bright red/ orange exterior and flesh. This is an old French heirloom, also known as the Cinderella pumpkin, as it resembles the pumpkin used by the fairy godmother to create a carriage.  It has a sweet smooth flesh, and is another variety good for pies.

Kobacha – a green, round Japanese squash, round with a dense, sweet flesh and a smooth texture. 

Carnival – is a hybrid of sweet dumpling and acorn squash. Flesh is pale orange, and can be a bit stringy. Best roasted, baked or stuffed. 

Red Warty Thing – large heirloom with smooth, sweet flesh. Its large, warty appearing bumps make it useful as a decoration (prior to eating)

Blue Turban squash – an heirloom with a fine textured, deep golden flesh.  The fruit is usually large with a thicker skin that stores well.

Turk’s Turban –  a buttercup type  heirloom; also called Aladdin’s Turban. Distinctive white turban makes it attractive as a fall decoration. It is not as flavorful as other squashes and it usually best baked or stuffed 

Most local farmer’s markets and farm stands will remain open through Thanksgiving. Look for the winter squashes, and consider bringing a few different ones home to try. Remember that most store quite well. If you find some varieties you like, purchase several and store them in a cool dry place to enjoy throughout the winter. If you are uncertain how to prepare the squash, a quick Internet search will yield numerous recipes. And, don’t scoop those seeds into the garbage or compost bin! Rinse them, toss with some oil and seasonings, and roast for an additional treat.

Support Your Farmer

To find the nearest farmer’s market or farm stand near you, check out the websites below:

www.buylocalpa.org 

www.pafarm.com 

www.agmap.psu.edu