DEAR FARMKETEERS:  One acre of New York farmland provides an average of 1,000 meals each year.  But since the 1980s, New York has lost half a million acres of farmland to development.  Those lands could have produced 500 million local meals this year alone.  Half a billion meals.

Such sobering facts, from the American Farmland Trust, have us feeling thankful for two things:  For all you locavores who keep The ‘Creek humming with your visits, and for conservation organizations, such as our hometown Finger Lakes Land Trust, who make it their business – day in, day out, year after year – to save land forever.  Not easy work.

Those two ideas – Farmketeers and farmland forever – coalesced beautifully this week.  You raised $500 for the Land Trust by picking Brussels sprouts!  Indian Creek Farm is protected forever by a conservation easement, and we want to see other prime agricultural lands saved.  Some of you asked if you could donate directly to the Land Trust.  You can become a member and see their map of nature preserves where you can go exploring free.

You can pick more sprouts this week.  Another week or so and the crop will be gone.  Come lop your own stalks in the field by piano #3.  Many of you have never seen a stalk of sprouts.  First you strip off the leaves, then you lop, then pop the sprouts off the stalk for cooking.  Fry them with bacon or roast and drizzle with balsamic reduction.  Singe the tips a little.

Donuts continue.  In this classic Middle-East-meets-West pairing, Brussels sprouts give the foodie a deeper appreciation of donut kebabs.  Served Saturday and Sunday (off the skewer) 10 AM to 6 PM til we shutter the Donut Hole for the season… which will be soon when you’ve cleared the farm of crops.

Cider and slushees continue.  This is fresh pressed Orchard Ambrosia.  Unpasteurized.  We squeeze the fruit.  You drink the nectar.  Important announcement:  When we run out of apples, we can’t make cider.  This will happen soon.  Some of you really loveeeeee it.  Stock up if you do.  It freezes beautifully.

Drop off your carboys now.  Do not wait.  When apples are gone, no more juice for booze.  Leave your bottles at the farm stand inside the double doors that say “Do Not Enter, Employees Only.”  Write your name and phone on the bottle.  We will call you after next pressing.  Price is $8/gal which drops to $7/gal when you order more than 5 gallons.

Gala apple sale!  95¢ a pound!  These are the LAST APPLES OF THE YEAR.   Y’all picked everything else.  We picked these.  You can go into the orchard and pick Gala apples – just not off a tree!  You will find them in crates around the orchard and also at the farm stand.  Galas were the stars of the show in our caramel apples at Apple Fest.  These are delicious dessert apples.  Last chance for a year.

Empire apple sale!  95¢ a pound!  These are the LAST APPLES OF THE YEAR.  Same deal as Gala, you can find them in crates around the orchard and also at the farm stand.   A cross between Mac and Delicious.  A shiny red lunchbox apple that does not bruise easily.

Pumpkins are kaput.  Picked clean.  Oh you might be one of the lucky few to find a pumpkin hiding somewhere on the farm.  But your fellow Farmketeers hoovered up the thousands that once were here and now are gone.

Farmketeers of the Week:  Erin and Devin McCauley.They clearly came dressed to impress!  Erin knitted her apple cap expressly for their trip to The ‘Creek, finishing just minutes before they arrived.  Committed and knitted!

We will be at Wizarding Weekend a.k.a. Potter Party. Find us in the middle of the magic.  We’ll have bubble, bubble, toil, and trouble in our copper cauldron.  Potions and elixirs.

Hooray, ‘Creekniks, you did it!  You showed your MUSCLES by picking BRUSSELS!  You raised $500 for the Finger Lakes Land Trust.  Thank you!  And thanks to Hannah at the Land Trust for picking sprouts then throwing herself a sprout-themed birthday party.  Whatever it takes to save land forever!  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.