Pennypack Pickings 08/29/2009

Pennypack Pickings
Volume 7, Issue 21
August 29, 2009

P
Pennypack Farm & Education Center
685 Mann Road, Horsham, PA 19044
Hosted by the College Settlement of Philadelphia

NO Pickup on Labor Day

NO PICKUP ON LABOR DAY, MONDAY, SEP. 7
There will be a make-up pickup for Monday shareholders on Tuesday, September 8.

Winter Shares Now Available

We are now accepting applications for winter shares via our web site, www.pennypackfarm.org.

Winter is a time of simplifying in nature, and our winter harvest reflects this. Gone are the fruits of summer, but the leaves and roots will be sweetened by frost. And as a bonus, the spring greens are topped off with the earliest strawberries.

We use a variety of techniques to keep the produce coming through the frozen season, including fabric blankets on field crops, unheated greenhouse production, and root crops that are either harvested in the fall and stored, or are dug in the spring.

This year the winter share will run November 20 through May 21. All shares are 6 units, and cost $350. The pick up days will be Fridays only, and some Fridays will be skipped. There will be 14 or 15 pick ups total, including two "double" pick ups for Thanksgiving and Christmas. More specifics are included with the application form.

There are about 40 shares still available, so act soon!

Save the Dates

Adults Only Campfire
September 4th, 7:30pm.
Bring your own beverages and munchies, smore's will be provided.
Music Needed!

Potluck Dinner ~ September 13th, 5:30pm
Bring a dish to share, your fork/knife/spoon/plate/cup. Also a chair or blanket if you have one. Water is available or you can bring your own beverage.

Family Campfire ~ September 18th, 7:30pm
Bring your own blanket and stick, smores provided!

Seeking Employees of Prudential Financial

Our October Harvest Festival was sponsored by Prudential Financial the last two years because there was an employee willing to gather a few Prudential volunteers to help out. A couple of hours on Oct. 3 in the morning or afternoon will count. We need to identify employees ASAP. Please call Susan Curry: 215-591-1551, if you are one or know someone. This year's Harvest Festival income will join a grant received from the John Bickford Foundation to erect a deer fence around 7 more acres --"in the far field" -- for expanded food production next year.

Seeking Companies that Sponsor Community Service Activities

The company where you work may hold employee volunteer days, like Prudential. If they do, Pennypack Farm would be delighted to arrange an annual volunteer work day activity. Kindly, call Susan Curry: 215-591-1551, leaver your name, phone, company name, and what time of year your company has a volunteer day. Thank you.

Pennypack Harvest Festival

Saturday, October 3 ~ 1pm - 5pm
Come out for a day of fun & fresh air.

Food, Live Music, Pumpkin Painting, Hayrides, Scarecrow Making, Vendors, Used Book Sale,
Kids Activities & More

Help is needed with many activities. Please contact Jocelyn Crosby if you can help with any of these opportunities - ppfharvestfest@gmail.com.

Start Rounding Up Those Books
This year's Harvest Festival will once again feature a Used Book Sale. Start gathering up your gently used fiction and newer non-fiction books. This is a great time to clean out those bookcases. Drop off bins will be available starting the last week of September.

Vegan Goodies Needed for Harvest Festival
We are in need of a volunteer or two to help make some vegan goodies for the harvest festival. Many people were asking for dairy free baked goods at last years festival. Let us know if you are able to help bake or have some tried and true recipes you would like to share.

Scarecrow Clothes Needed
Long sleeved shirts and pants are needed to dress this year's scarecrow crop. Bonus points go to those who find some overalls hidden deep in the recesses of your closet to donate. Items to dress up the scarecrows such as hats and old sunglasses are also needed. There will
be a bin in the Harvest House for you to place your donated clothes starting 9/18.

Locavore Club

Do you make an attempt to eat local? Are you wishing you could figure out how to incorporate more local foods into your diet? Are you an ardent locavore but feel like you need a little support sometimes?

Farm members are organizing an informal 'Locavore Club' at Pennypack. Join us! Email your interest to janice.blades@gmail.com. Once we get a list of interested folks (you don't have to be a farm member to join the club) we will set a time and date for our meeting.
Don't forget our Farmer Andy Hour topic for September, 'The 100 Mile Diet'. Come find out how Andy did it!

In This Issue

Save the Dates!

Seeking Prudential Employees

Corporate Community Service

Harvest Festival 10/3

Locavore Club

Dirt on Education

Native Plants - 9/19

Farmer Andy Hour - 9/24

NEW - Little Sprouts

Bring your group to the Farm

B'day Parties

NEW! Local Foods Market

Weekly Harvest

lettuce
beets
basil
parsley
onions
leeks
peppers
kale
eggplant
cabbage
cucumber
squash
tomatoes

upick
beans
cherry tomatoes
berries
tomatillos

Samson's New Home

Samson is now living in Maple Glen in a house that backs up to Robbins Park Nature Preserve. His humans include a 15 year boy and a 13 year old girl. The family just lost their beloved cat of 16 years to cancer. Samson is a welcome addition to the family and fitting in perfectly.

Announcing Exciting
Committee Changes!

The CSA and Education Committees have merged into one larger 'Community Education Committee', co-chaired by Kristy Gregory and Janice Blades. The new committee will be fulfilling the same purposes but will be concentrating on integrating education and community activities together. We hope this will make all programs and events at the farm more exciting, and educational! If you are interested in joining (or re-joining) the newly energized group please email janice.blades@gmail.com

Next Meeting
Thurs., Sep 10, 7pm
at the farm.

Resurrection Lutheran
Church Invitations

Come out and support one of PFEC's partners.

Lawn Concert
Sep. 19, 2pm - 4pm
bring a picnic, enjoy the music

Blessing of Pets
Oct. 3, 3pm
(same day as our Harvest Festival)

Wildman Steve Brill

"Wildman" Steve Brill held a foraging tour through Pennypack Farm on August 18. Three dozen people were led through the farm learning about native, wild edible plants.

Click here to read the Philly Inquirer article.

The Dirt on Education

Pennypack Farm offers a diverse selection of classes and workshops throughout the season and we hope you have an opportunity to participate. Please remember the following when registering for any programs.

Pre-registration and pre-payment is required
To register, send an email to education@pennypackfarm.org
or call 215-646-3943 x3
Please provide the following info when registering:

Names of all attendees, including children
Ages of children
Contact name, email and phone

Native Plants: The Benefits and the Beauty
Saturday, September 19 ~ 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.