The growing season is much like a marathon.  We prepare for the season all winter -- tweeking crop plans, ordering seeds, fixing ailing equipment, installing irrigation systems and resting for the race to come.  Making it through August is similar to getting past Heartbreak Hill.  While there is still a long way to go in the season, we are physically exhausted by the crazy pace of fast summer growth.  That squeeky wheel might just get a few squirts of grease to bandaid the bearing that we will replace in the winter; that growing weed might not get pulled as the coming frost will take it out before it becomes a problem.  The shorter days only serve to speed us up to complete the day's work in fewer hours of daylight.

Yet, in an odd way, seeing the leaves begin to change colors, and seeing a glimpse of the finish line ahead, almost opens the farmer's eyes wider to the beauty that surrounds our world and our lives.

With rougher hands and wider smiles,

Farmer Dave 

Over the part few years, we have gone from growing a quarter acre to a full acre of garlic on the farm so that we can provide more garlic to our members.  Instead of being reproduced into the next season by prolific see, garlic is planted by the clove.  Our hardneck garlic produces an average of five cloves per bulb.  This means that, under perfect conditions, we need to save 20% of the garlic crop to have the same size planting next year.

We plant the garlic in November, and hope that wild fluctuations in winter temperatures do not damage the garlic before it emerges the next spring.  If the growing season does not go perfectly, we sometimes need to save more than half of the garlic crop to allow for the possibility of an abudant harvest the next year.

So even though Farmer Dave grows more garlic every year, the actual amount available for harvest is extremely variable. This is why there are fewer and fewer garlic farmers in America and even fewer that grow without the use of chemicals. 

Clockwise from top left: Cortland, McIntosh, Gala

McIntosh Apple

 

The apple originated in central Asia and over the past few hundred years, its cultivation has spread around the world.  Our local John Chapman, of Johnny Appleseed fame, was well known for spreading apple trees from New England through other parts of America.  Back then, before refrigeration, the focus of apples was how long they would store into the winter.  Apples provided the only fruit via cider in the long winter months.  With the arrival of refrigeration, apple flavors became the main focus in choosing apple varieties.

In the mid-20th century, the McIntosh was THE apple in New England.  The McIntosh apple was introduced in the early 1800s by John McIntosh in Ontario, Canada.  The Mac is characterized by deep red or crimson skin and creamy white flesh.  It's best eaten fresh, used for applesauce or apple butter, and for juice.  Leaving the skin on while cooking will give your applesauce a distinct pink color.  McIntosh apples are not recommended for pies or baking because the delicate flesh doesn't hold it's shape well.  The crispness and flavor of the McIntosh deteriorate rapidly making these best when consumed soon after picking.

McIntosh Recipes:

Applesauce

Slice up a McIntosh, smear with peanut butter and enjoy!

Cortland Apple

 
A cross between a Ben Davis and a McIntosh, the Cortland was developed in the early 1900s in New York State.  It has the crimson skin of the McIntosh on a background of lime green and creamy white flesh.  The versatile Cortland has all of the flavor of a McIntosh and is able to be cooked!  It's great for pies, applesauce, apple butter, juice and eating fresh.  Like the Mac, it's also best when used soon after picking.

Cortland Recipes:

Classic Apple Pie

Honey-Mustard Chicken with Apples

Gala Apple

The Gala apple is second only to the Red Delicious in the United States but did you know that it was actually developed in New Zealand?  Gala apples are small, upright apples with pale red skin and yellow vertical stripes. Their firm crisp flesh and mild flavor make it a great all purpose apple.  They bake and cook well, make excellent apple sauce and hold up exceptionally well in storage.

Gala Recipes:

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Almond Cheesecake Apple Bars

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From Kendra, "Very sneaky trying to get our secret recipes!"

• Cooking extra food, with extra produce we'll supply 
• Face painting!
• Photographing the event.
• Clean up crew!

Email Ginger at farm@farmerdaves.net if you'd like to help out with any of these items or if there's some other talent that you have that would enhance the day!  

To learn more about the program, click here.

Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2012!