Pennypack Pickings

Volume 13, Issue 10 | September 6, 2015

Localicious

Friday, September 25, 2015

Springmill Country Club, Ivyland, PA

Localicious is the annual PFEC celebration: delicious food and drinks, farm friends, a silent auction and more. We celebrate our farmers, our members, and the incredible harvest.

You can support the farm by attending the event, volunteering the day of the event, or donating an item for the silent auction.

Donate to the Silent Auction or Buy a Congratulatory Ad

The Localicious Silent Auction is full of unique items and gift certificates from local businesses. Get your company in front of like-minded farm friends by donating an item, service, or gift certificate.

This year, to highlight our honoree's, Margot Bradley, love of crafts, we are particularly seeking handmade items. Do you knit or crochet, quilt, paint, make pottery or something else? Donate a piece to raise money for the farm! It's simple: make an item and email pennypack.localicious@gmail.com for a donation form and more info.

BUY AN AD to thank your farmers, congratulate Margot, or advertise your business. We have many options, including ticket and ad combos to fit every budget. The program book is distributed to all CSA share members after the event - it's a great way to reach your target audience!

Purchase Tickets Today!

2016 Film Series Update

For the past 3 years, Brooke Marshall has been the primary volunteer force behind our annual Sustainable Film Series. She's selected trailers for consideration and secured the films, lined up sponsors, pulled together the panelists and worked with the Ambler Theater to make sure each event runs smoothly. Recently, Brooke has decided she needs to step back from the series. We are delighted that PFEC Board member Laura Briggs has offered to step in and learn the ins and outs of creating a successful film series. Laura and Brooke are already working together to ensure a smooth transition.

If you see Brooke in and around Ambler, please thank her for her tireless efforts! We will miss Brooke and wish her well in her future endeavors!

If you've been thinking about offering to help with the film series or if you have a film to suggest for the series, please contact Laura at lkbrhe@comcast.net.

Upcoming Classes

Backyard Composting

Let's Get Started!

Thursday, Sep. 17, 2015 -- 7 - 8pm

$10/person - Register Online

Join Diane Diffenderfer, Education Director at Pennypack Farm & Education Center, for a conversation about setting up and maintaining a compost system. Consider the basics before you start!

Fall Foraging Walk with

Wildman Steve Brill

Sunday, Oct. 4, 1 - 3 pm

$20/person Register onlne
Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust
America's go-to guy for foraging, Steve Brill will lead one of his world-famous foraging tours at Pennypack Ecological Trust in Huntingdon Valley, PA. This walking tour is sponsored by Pennypack Farm & Education Center.

Localicious to Honor Margot Bradley

This year, we honor Margot Bradley, a farm founder, volunteer, board member, and most recently, our administrative director.

Margot is a founding member of Pennypack Farm and Education Center (PFEC). She was the first Board President and recently retired as the farm's administrative director in July 2015. In addition to working at the farm, Margot is a nurse practitioner at Bryn Mawr College, United Cerebral Palsy Association, and an adjunct faculty member in Immaculata University's Nursing Department.

Margot is a retired nurse-midwife. For many years, she worked at The Birth Center in Bryn Mawr. She learned about the CSA concept from clients. After visiting the Kimberton CSA in the mid-nineties, she was determined to help found a CSA farm in eastern Montgomery County. She wanted children to grow up knowing who grew their food and how it was grown. It is thrilling for Margot to watch families return from the u-pick areas with baskets of berries and stained faces.

Help us to honor Margot's unwavering commitment to PFEC's mission to grow, give, and teach, by attending Localicious and/or sponsoring a congratulatory ad in the Localicious program book.

Volunteer at HARVESTFEST

Saturday, October 3, 2015

We need YOU to help make the Harvest Festival a success. Please come out on Saturday, Oct. 3, and enjoy a fun-filled day and fulfill those share duty hours. We have three shift times available to choose from. Act fast to get your favorite activity and time slot.

Shift 1: 10:45 - 1:15, Shift 2: 1:00 - 3:15 and Shift 3: 3:00 - 5:15.

Volunteer opportunities are available for the following stations:

Volunteer table

Ticket Sales Table

Food Sales Table

Hayride

Pumpkin Painting

Scarecrow Making

Face Painting

Eggcarton Caterpillars

Sprout a Seed

Bottle Composters

Parking Guides

Please contact Jocelyn at ppfharvestfest@gmail.com and indicate the SHIFT and STATION that you are interested in signing up for.

Calling all Musicians! Volunteer Musical Acts Needed for Harvestfest

Are you a musician who can entertain an audience for between 30 and 60

minutes? As in past years, we plan to have four and six small musical acts for Harvestfest. We are looking for verity of styles, especially kid friendly music. We prefer Pennypack members, and they 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.

The Other Side of the Fence

by Pam Myers, Horsham Summer Intern

My first time at Pennypack farm was in the summer of 2004; I was ten years old and a camper at the College Settlement Camp. The head farm manager at the time gave us a tour and let us try the various vegetables. I remember thinking how cool it must be to get to work outside all day with your hands and being surrounded by food. After that year, I spent four more summers attending CSC and every summer I had a tour of the farm. One would think I would have gotten bored of getting the same old tour, but that was never the case. I was fascinated every summer with watching the farmers work and getting to taste the fruit of their labor. After my time ended as a camper, I still spent my summers at the College Settlement Camp, but instead in the kitchen. After working in the kitchen for several years, I had a whole new appreciation for food and its preparation. I enjoyed my time working at the camp and everyone I worked with, but I also wanted to try something new. One day last summer, I was reminiscing of my time as a camper when I remembered the farm. Who would have thought that my "something new" would be right over the fence? That next week, I started volunteering and it was from volunteering that I learned about the internship program. After working in the fields harvesting the vegetables, I developed more of an appreciation for the work involved in producing food. If it was not for Pennypack's partnership with the College Settlement Camp, I would not have known about the farm, let alone have the opportunity to work here. For that, I am grateful for my times on both sides of the fence.

Share Duty Opportunities

In addition to volunteering at upcoming events, Localicious and Harvestfest, you can also fulfill you share duty hours by helping out at the farm.

HORSHAM: Every 1st & 3rd Saturdays, from 9am- 12pm, are share duty. Every weekday 8 - 4 is also available. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are harvest mornings, and are especially great time to fulfill share duty hours. The Horsham staff always appreciates if you give a heads up if you plan on coming! devin@pennypackfarm.org

HIGHLANDS: Every 2nd & 4th Saturday from 8 - 11 a.m. Every weekday 8 - 4 is also available. Monday and Thursday are harvest mornings, and are especially great time to fulfill share duty. Contact Ray with any questions: ray@pennypackfarm.org