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Pennypack Pickings
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October 9, 2012
Volume 10, Issue 30
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Still Need to Fulfill your Share Duty?
Share Duty opportunities for the rest of the season:
Saturday, November 3, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday, November 10, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Monday - Friday 8:00 am- 4:00 pm
We are coming to the close of our 2012 CSA season. As a member, you are only eligible to renew next year if you have either completed 4 hours of share duty, or buy out at $15 an hour. If you split a share, it is a total of 4 hours for the whole share.
I encourage members to fulfill the hours. Share duty is a chance for you to see the farm from a different perspective, such as how many hours go into weeding strawberries, the thought that goes into trying to make even bunches of turnips, the process of sorting and assessing storage crops, or all the steps to clean up from our summer season and the preparations made to grow throughout the winter. We also have tasks that accommodate a range of physical abilities.
Come join us at the farm!
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Notes from the Edible Classroom 
October in the garden is a mixed bag. From a macro perspective, I see lots of dried seed heads and pods, withering vines, yellowing fig and grape leaves, but also lots of dark green, leafy cole crops. Some plants will shortly be moved to the compost heap while others will soon be headed for the grill, oven or eaten out of hand. This past week one of our young CSA members wanted to plant something, so we picked out a few remaining transplants, grabbed a trowel, found a likely spot and planted half-a-dozen kale and broccoli plants. After planting, Lily asked about a snack! We found fresh snackables two beds over - the broccoli is ripe for plucking and Lily and I each had a few florettes. They were crisp, sweet and delicious. Lily had to eat and run so I resumed weeding the swamp milkweed.It's there I was reminded of the micro perspective. Sometimes the only way to see what's going on in the garden is to get down on all fours, or as close to all fours as one can manage. The swamp milkweed is a compact perennial with slender, dark green leaves and brilliant orange blooms in the summer. As a member of the milkweed family, it also sports milkweed pods. The swamp milkweed pods, like their leaves, are slender and this time of year, have mostly released their feathery seeds.
Had I not been on my knees, I could have missed a batch of Small  Milkweed Bug (or Swamp Milkweed Bug) nymphs amassed in an empty pod. These nymphs suck the liquid from the young seeds, killing the seed and thereby reducing next year's crop. Because the swamp milkweed is a favorite among the pollinators, gardeners generally like to encourage its growth. I snapped this photo of the young nymphs, and lone adult, and then removed them from the garden. Please check out this link if you'd like a bit more info on the Milkweed Bug (make sure to scroll down to see the Milkweed Bug info).This week I'm going to take out the cherry tomatoes. They've had great run, given us countless snacks and, for just 11 plants, really filled the bed. The vines will end up along the tree line, away from the fields to avoid cross contamination. I'll cover their side of the bed with the straw left over from the Harvest Fest scarecrow-making activity. By the  way, GREAT Harvest Fest!! I'm already thinking about next year's HF. If you have any ideas for kids activities, please let me know.On a final note, last week I mentioned I keep a tally of EC visitors and the numbers are in. On average, I'm very happy to let you know about 100 people a month (June - September) visited the EC!! For me, that translates to lots of happy kids exploring the EC, getting their hands dirty and learning how some of their food is grown.Have a good week and please stop by when you pick up your fresh veggies.Diane
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Fall Calendar
 Little Seeds - Ages 3-4, 10:00am - 11:00am Little Sprouts - Ages 5-6, 11:30am - 12:30pm
10/23 Fall Garden Project
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
 Ferment Your Food Tuesday, October 23, 7:30pm, $20 Fermented food is more nutritious than fresh food, it is full of beneficial pro-biotics and it tastes good! What else are you going to do with all that cabbage this winter? Prepare your own sauerkraut and ginger carrots to take home. Cabbage and carrots will be provided. Register Here  Cooking Fall Greens with Patti Lombardi Thursday, November 15, 7:00pm, $15
Learn practical techniques for using turnip greens, collards, kale and other late season dark, green leafy greens - the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. Patti Lombardi is a local nutritionist, counselor and mother of four. Patti is a graduate of T. Colin Campbell Foundation's Plant-Based Nutrition Program through Cornell University and the former Healthy Eating Specialist of Whole Foods Market. Patti's practical teaching focuses on the how-to's of healthy, sustainable, shopping, cooking and eating. Click here for her website.
Register Here
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Hosted by the College Settlement of Philadelphia
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