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Pennypack Pickings
| July 17, 2010
Volume 8, Issue 15
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Weekly Harvest
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Squash/Zucchini
Lettuce
Cabbage
Carrots
Basil
Cucumber
Onions
Swiss Chard
U-pick
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Beans
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Thank You!
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A giant thank you to
PJ McGarvey
for repairing the farm's computers. They are all working again!
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Pennypack CSA
Yahoo Group
| This group is for members of the Pennypack Farm CSA community to share recipes and other tips for using the bountiful harvest of our CSA, as well as thoughts about community-supported and sustainable agriculture. Note that this Yahoo group is not authorized by the Pennypack Farm Education Center, and any opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Pennypack Farm.
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Did you Know..?
This spring the Pennypack farmers began to prepare the back
5 acres for food production. These 5 acres have been planted in warm season
grasses until recently but are now fenced and planted in different varieties of
squash. The advantage to opening up these fields is two-fold:
The first one is obvious - more land means greater food
production. These additional acres will allow Pennypack Farm to gradually
increase its farm membership by 50-100 people over the next 5 years. These
additional acres will also allow the farm to expand its offerings of vegetables
and fruits- more variety for you and me!
The second advantage may be less obvious - by having new
farm fields in production, the farmers can take some of the rows that are
currently growing vegetables out of production. This process rests the soil and
helps its fertility by avoiding excessive depletion of soil nutrients by the
crops. Simply put, soil is one
of the most diverse ecosystems on earth, containing millions of living organisms.
When the soil rests, the FBI (that's
Fungus, Bacteria and Invertebrates) can flourish and nourish the soil,
preparing it to once again, grow food for us!
Of course, the
additional 5 acres means an additional work-load for our farm staff. These
fields require planting, weeding, watering and harvesting. All of these tasks
put extra demands on Pennypack Farm's resources, both human and machine. In the weeks to come you will hear about
the challenges that face our farm and learn how you can help. In the meantime,
the next time you pick up your share, take the time to walk down the main farm
road, admire the tomatoes ripening on the vine, listen to the bees buzzing, and
consider what it takes to bring the farm's harvest to you.
Kristy Gregory
President, PFEC
Board of Directors
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Notes from the Edible Classroom
 Stop by the edible classroom during your pick-up and check out the snails that have found their way to our little pond! The cucumbers are climbing their way up the sunflower stalks, and the corn is reaching new heights. Everything is growing full and lush after this week's rainstorms, even the blackberries!
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The Dirt on Education
For information on all upcoming classes for children and adults click here.
 Summer Campfire
Wednesday July 21st 6pm to 9pm
Bring the family out to enjoy an evening at the farm. Make
S'mores, catch fireflies and catch up with friends.
 Papermaking
Friday July 23rd 10am to 11am
NEW! LOWER PRICE & ADULTS WELCOME
$15/person - children and adults
Register Here!
Come and make some beautiful paper this summer! Learn about
the paper that we use every day. Learn how paper is made, and what we can do to
reduce our use of paper. Make several colorful sheets of craft paper to take
home. The pulp we use is made from post consumer paper from either home or a
local recycling bucket. Get ideas for making your own paper at your own home
from your own recycling waste.
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Pennypack Farm Seeks Additional Land
Help us find and lease additional property. Farming another property would allow more local families from our waitlist to receive food shares, and may allow additional programs (such as the Local Foods Market and or additional food cupboards) depending on the on-site facilities available.
First, we ask residents of Whitemarsh Township to identify your selves. We will contact you about your interest/capacity in being an ally to our Land Search Committee. We especially desire to lease the Hope Lodge property from Whitemarsh Township if they buy it from the state.
Anyone who has an interest and/or connections, kindly and immediately, contact Susan Curry, 215-591-1551, suscurry@comcast.net.
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Medicinal Herbs Study Group
Thursday, July 22, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Let's face it: stomach problems affect most of us sometimes!
Want to learn about medicinal remedies that might help?
Come to the farm on Thursday July 22 from 6:30 - 8:30 to learn more and make some remedies to take home. We will make a liver tonic, some beverages and smelling sachets that will help to alleviate symptoms of nausea, indigestion and other digestive ailments. Please email Aspirited@aol.com if you plan to attend, so we know the amount of supplies to bring and can notify you if the location changes due to inclement weather. Cost will be dependent upon how many attend-somewhere in the range of $5-$7.
Study group meets on the 4th Thursday each month.
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Hosted by the College Settlement of Philadelphia
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