DEAREST ‘CREEKNIKS:  First, we bring you a “first” – a brand new crop.  It’s called corn.  You’ve probably heard of it, but it’s new to us.  We’re growing our own sweet corn for the first time thanks to The Dusky.  Which is nothing like The Donald.

Here’s The Dusky.  He started a little sweet corn field behind the farm stand.  It will be open for u-pick soon, but you can find fresh-picked ears at the stand starting Saturday morning.

Demand will outstrip supply.  It’s good enough to eat right off the stalk.  Dusky ate 3 ears during trials today.  Gives you a gentler high than high fructose corn syrup and spares you the deleterious metabolic ructions.

Yes, demand will outstrip supply – as it does with peaches, too.  Here’s the peach status.  There are some peaches to pick.  People are picking them right now.  There’s no telling what you’ll find when you get here – except that we will have the stand stocked with New York peaches at the u-pick price, so nobody has to go home peachless.

Not everybody wins the peach picking sweepstakes.  But somebodies always do!  Behold this homemade peach galette made by @fauselimagery after an outing last week.

And look at this berry creation by @basepaired.  Most of you will find that raspberries are pretty much done, while strawberries are scattered around.  Just have to hunt.

Demand for garlic outstripped supply, too!  Total destruction at the harvest party last Sunday.  In a good way.  You Farmketeers are nothing if not thorough.  You picked the field clean.  One gentleman picked 200 bulbs to produce his homemade garlic powder.  Mama mía.

Meet the Kemmerers.  Farmketeers of the Week.  For years they traveled from Brooklyn on a week’s vacation at Taughannock, and they would always stop at The ‘Creek.  Recently they moved upstate – just up the road!  So they hit last week’s Garlic Party hard, launching their careers as regular pickers and real locavores!  Welcome, you guys!

Real locavores don’t wait til September to pick apples.  Ya pick ’em when they’re ripe.  Which is now.  Even if you are not emotionally ready for apples, they are ready for you.  Please pick the Pristines.  Easy work in the Dwarf Orchard.

This week a fellow complained that there was “nothing to pick” and we were “out of everything.”  Farmer Steve, always a good one for a quality retort with an appropriate blend of snark and resignation, offered the following off the record:  “Maybe he can go pick-your-own at W-gmans.  They never run out.”  Or perhaps we could pave paradise and put up a grocery store.  Except this farmland is protected forever by an agricultural conservation easement.  So we’re stuck with actual trees and fruit hanging off.  (But free stickerssss!)

Everyone is asking about tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.  Tomatoes will be ready when X=0.  The sign will hang straight and we’ll shout about tomatoes from the hilltops.  Soon.  Peppers same deal.  Eggplants are ready now for first wave action.  You can pick classics, Japanese, fairy tale… just please DON’T PICK THE BABIES!  Let ’em size up another week or two.  Plenty for everyone.

We have worked our way to the moral of the story.  The truth about these Fresh Crop Alerts.  As you are reading this, somebody is already picking your dream peach.  By the time our weekly update gets to you, crafty pickers and devoted regulars are already taking first crack at the good stuff.  They pick on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday morning – BEFORE the newsletter hits thousands of local inboxes.  We do our best to forecast what you’ll find when you get here, but the Fresh Crop Alert fills the parking lot with ravenous hordes in the early hours after sounding.  It’s a powerful public address system.  And with power comes disappointment.  Just ask The Donald.

A donut for your trouble?  Please come explore.  Find what you find.  If you don’t find a peach to pick, you can pick flowers, herbs, apples, and the first vegetables of the year.  Every week is different.  And every weekend you will find donuts – Saturday and Sunday 10 AM.  Playground is always open.  Glad you’re with us on this seasonal journey of local food.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.