Farm-to-Table Dinner!

Tickets are going fast for Pennypack Farm's first annual farm-to-table dinner!

Let's Eat Local!

Next Potluck, Thursday, July 18

Summer is Here

by Farmer Katie Endicott, Highlands Apprentice

Last week's Summer Solstice has officially announced the start of true summer. This seasonal change has brought along with it our first stretch of very hot and humid weather on the farm. While high temperatures and humidity are to be expected in our region, there are many things we must do to accommodate for them. The first of which is taking care of our bodies and avoiding the peak of the heat as best as possible. At the Highlands, we have chosen the earliest morning start as possible to beat the heat and get the most out of the day when the forecast calls for extreme temperatures. Starting at 5 am before the birds start singing is a beautifully serene way to work with the rising sun while adapting to the heat. Another priority now is watering, watering, watering the plants and ourselves. We're using a combination of drip irrigation and an overhead water wheel sprinkler to water the entirety of the farm when the sky doesn't do it for us. Consistent watering along with all the other farm labor will keep the Highlands in an abundance of summer produce even amidst the high heat.

Recipe:
Simple Cooling Salad:

• Chop cabbage, tatsoi, lettuce, and baby bok choi into chiffonade strips
• Grate salad turnips and radish
• Add salt and pepper
• Mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, chopped garlic and whatever available herbs for an easy dressing (the flavor is better if you make this in advance)

Toss and enjoy!!

 

It has been a very busy, productive week inside the greenhouse this week. We are at full capacity for transplant seedlings! This is the part of the year that the vegetable starts are the most diverse in there... we began our fall brassicas (kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage) right next to our last succession of cucumbers. We also have leeks, scallions, chard and lettuces that have all germinated wonderfully, while the parsley and celery are taking their sweet time coming up. As you all know, we grow lots of wonderful greens and brassicas in the spring and fall. How do we plan for what goes in the ground and what you all get to enjoy each week? It's quite a delicate balance of analyzing previous year plans, farmer to farmer insight, variety changes, input from members, assessing last years harvest lists for each pick up, and much more math then I was anticipating. Here are some of the most interesting production notes, in my opinion: It seems like generally, people really enjoy the lacinato (or dino) kale so we planted more of it. We also started the brussel sprouts 2 weeks earlier because I would love to see big, full stalks ready for Thanksgiving. There are also several new varieties of storage cabbages that were seeded in this first succession, because they take the longest to mature. So there are all of the hopes and dreams of a super productive fall! With good weather, a little luck, and lots of hard work those little plants should produce some pretty good food for us all.