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Pennypack Pickings
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August 26, 2012
Volume 10, Issue 24
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Harvest Festival
Saturday
October 6, 2012
11am - 5pm
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Music
Food
Hayrides
Vendors
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Calling all Musicians
| Musical Acts Needed for Harvestfest
Saturday, October 6
Are you a musician who can
entertain an audience for
between 30 and 60 minutes? As in past years, we plan to have between four and six small musical acts for Harvestfest.
We are looking for variety of styles, especially kid friendly music. We prefer Pennypack members, and you will receive volunteer credit. We will also need non-member musicians, so please pass the message along.
If you're interested or
just have questions, please contact Dave Lazarus at
DaveLazarus@comcast.net
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Winter Shares
Winter Share Sales begin September 1
Watch your email on Sept 1 for an application
Enrollment is open to all: current members and those on the waitlist
First come first served - Only 110 shares are available
Last year they sold out in 2 weeks
Shares begin after the summer season ends
First pickup will be on November 14th and end May 22
Wednesday pickup days only
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Notes from the Edible Classroom 
Vacation called, I answered! I've been away this week and am looking forward to Monday so I can see what's been going on in the EC during my absence. Before leaving last week, I gave the newly transplanted fall crops a good soaking and then piled about 4 - 6 inches of straw around the tender plants. Applying mulch is a great way to retain soil moisture and reduce weed growth. Personally, I like the "look" of a straw or salt hay mulch, but mulch means different things to different people. Years ago, I had a few plots in a community garden where mulching was clearly an art form. Gardeners are, by nature, an innovative group and my fellow gardeners were no exception. I remember walking through the plots and noticing all the different forms of mulch -- used newspapers, black plastic, hay, straw, cardboard, rags and, my all time favorite -- carpet! That's right, carpet. Many a garden path was lined, bed-to-bed, with carpet. Small pieces of carpet were also cut to allow the veggies full growth. From an ecological perspective, a gardener could do better than carpet, a petroleum based product. But, it sure did keep the soil moist and it provided very good weed control. As colorful as it was, I still prefer straw or salt hay. A quick word about straw vs hay. In general, straw is the better choice because it does not contain the weed seeds that come with hay. Salt hay is also an excellent choice and is free of weed seeds but is not always readily available. Click here and check out this short piece for Pennsylvania Gardner on mulch basics.You may have noticed that the strawberry bed is no more. Turns out the plants were about 7 ½ years old, well past their prime and in fact, we had only a handful of small berries this year. Later in the fall, I will plant a cover crop in this, and a few other beds. The cover crop will provide nutrients and organic matter for the soil as well as help to reduce erosion. I've been chatting with Farmer Katie about the best options for the EC and may end up using a few different crops so I can see how each crop performs. Right now I'm leaning toward using oats, field peas and crimson clover. Here is a nice piece on PA cover crops. If you're interested in participating in some of our kids classes, held at Meadowbrook Farm, please check our website for upcoming options. Have a good week and please stop by the EC next time you're at the farm to pick up your CSA share!Diane
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Oven Roasted Golden Beets
from tinyurbankitchen.com"The beauty of the golden beets is that you can peel and chop them up before roasting without staining your hands."
2-3 golden beets2-3 T vegetable oilsalt and pepper to tastePeel and chop into cubes golden beets. Toss with vegetable oil and put in a baking sheet or tray, making sure the beets are in a single layer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until beets are soft and have golden brown edges.Serve immediately.
Romesco Sauce for Crostini, Pasta, or as a vegetable dipper from Maraquita Farms 4 large roasted yellow, orange, and or red peppers
1/2 cup toasted almonds
2 cloves garlic
1 ripe tomato
1 tsp salt
2 thick slices from a baguette
1 tsp paprika
½ cup or less olive oil
Fresh basil leaves if available
2-4 Tablespoons sherry vinegar Whirl everything in a food processor. Serve with vegetables such as carrot sticks, lightly steamed broccoli and caulifower florets, etc. Bread and crackers work well too. |
Fall Calendar
 Little Seeds - Ages 3-4, 10:00am - 11:00am Little Sprouts - Ages 5-6, 11:30am - 12:30pm Children and their favorite grownup learn about vegetables and what makes the garden grow best. A themed story, craft and hands on activity in the garden make this an enjoyable afternoon outdoors. Siblings 2 and under are welcome to tag along free of charge. Register Here
9/4 Seed's Life
9/18 Worm Bin
10/9 Hens
10/23 Fall Garden Project
 "Wildman" Steve - Hunt for Shaggy Mane Mushrooms at Pennypack Ecological Trust Saturday, October 6, 1pm, $20/adult $10/child
On Saturday, October 6, America's go-to guy for foraging, "Wildman" Steve Brill will lead one of his world-famous foraging tours of the Pennypack Trust in Huntingdon Valley, PA, a walking tour sponsored by Pennypack Farm. Register here |
Hosted by the College Settlement of Philadelphia
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