Pennypack Pickings

Volume 14, Issue 5 | July 19, 2016

Meet the 2016 Interns

Our Summer Interns started in mid-May and you have probably seen them around the farm. Please meet Jon, Elizabeth and Lindsey - Each brings a wealth of experience and excitement to the farm. When you have a chance, check in with each of them and say hello - they'll be here until the beginning of August.

CSA Sunday Supper

August 7, 5:30-7:30pm

A board member will be hosting a Sunday Supper Potluck at her Maple Glen residence on Sunday, July 10 at 5:30pm. RSVP to Julie@pennypackfarm.org to receive the address by email.

Upcoming Classes

Kombucha Brewing

Tuesday, July 26, 7pm

$15 - Register online

Kombucha is an ancient Chinese and Japanese tea, fermented with yeast and other living organisms. The class will cover the complete 3 step fermentation process, as well as how to flavor your kombucha, an optional step, but a very tasty one.

Foraging Walks

$20 per person - Register online

"Wildman" Steve Brill will be back again this year, leading 3 foraging walks at Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

Walk dates are:

Sunday, August 7

Sunday, October 2

Walks begin at 1pm and leave from the Main Parking Lot at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust in Huntingdon Valley.

Tomato Canning

Thursday, August 11, 7pm

$10 - Register online

In this class, you will learn how to prepare tomatoes, and safely process them using either a pressure cooker or a boiling water canner.

Save the Date

LOCALICIOUS

Friday, September 23, 2016

Ledamete Grass Farm

Pre-order today!
Order deadline - Wed, July 20

Order pastured meats from Ledamete Grass Farm for pickup at Pennypack Farm on Monday, July 25.

Pre-orders only - No day-of sales

100% Grass Fed Beef
Pasture & Forest Raised Pork
Pastured Chicken

Click here to learn more about Ledamete's farming practices.

ORDER BY MIDNIGHT, JULY 20

Notes from the Edible Classroom

by Diane Diffenderfer, Education Director

It's great to be back at Horsham! Don't get me wrong, I loved spending time at The Highlands', but Horsham feels like home and am happy to be walking the farm lane on a regular basis.

This year I thought we'd try something a little different with our EC veggies. Not everyone has a ready garden (or even a spot to carve out a garden), so, in addition to growing directly in the soil, we set up some alternative growing options. Over the winter, I was fortunate to receive many reclaimed, burlap, coffee bean bags.

The bags, filled with a mixture of compost and soil, were planted with a variety of veggies, including potatoes, tomatoes, hyacinth beans, kalettes, carrots and pumpkins. So far, the plants appear to be thriving and the potatoes were just mounded (more soil added to the bags so just the tops are exposed) to maximize production.

In addition, during a recent work day at the farm, sections of gutter were removed from the wash station. Those gutters have a new life in the EC and have been seeded w beets and dill. The burlap grow bags and reclaimed gutters are just 2 of many alternative "container" gardening options. Check out this link, container gardening images for enough ideas to last a lifetime! Why not try a few at home?

Over the course of the next few weeks, Michael G. will be constructing 2 raised bed planters in the EC as part of his Eagle Scout Program. If you see him, please stop by and say hello!

Have a good week.

PFEC in the News

Pennypack Farm and Education Center is honored to be the featured article in the Jun/Jul 2016 edition of the Montgomery County Women's Journal.

Read all about it here

Pennypack Farm & Education Center

Hosted by the College Settlement of Philadelphia

685 Mann Road, Horsham, PA 19044

215-646-3943 | info@pennypackfarm.org | www.pennypackfarm.org