Indian Creek Farm

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– FRESH CROP ALERT –

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U-Picking

Pumpkins • Cortland, Ashmeads, Red Spy, Northern Spy, Prairie Spy, Spigold, Mutsu, and more apples • Brussels Sprouts • Tomatoes • Eggplant • Peppers • Last Chance Flowers & Herbs

Shopping

 Fresh donuts Thu-Sun 11:00 to 5:00 • Hot Cider • Cold Cider • Pumpkins • Apples • Pears • Winter Squash • Peppers • Eggplant • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted Fruit Trees

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

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– FULL STORY – 

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DEAR FARMKETEERS: There’s gold in them thar’ hills, and not just the moribund foliage that brings piles of rubbernecking leafpeepers to the Finger Lakes. We’re talking about apples, GOLDEN apples.

ANGLOPHILES & ADVENTURERS, come pick your own Ashmead’s Kernel apples, the intensely flavored English heirlooms prized by connoisseurs and cider makers. These are the golden apples of which we speak. At first blush, a ‘Creeknik might retort, “Golden?! Humbug! Looks like a bumpy old tater!” Well you are right about it being old: Ashmead’s Kernel is reputed to have been first cultivated in Gloucester, England, in the early 1700s by the lawyer William Ashmead. And you are right about the tatery skin: a honey-green sheen that ripens to an orange blush under the russet. Biting into an Ashmead’s reveals a dense, nutty flesh bursting with honeyed zing. The flavor is intense and complex, high in both sugar and acid. Ashmead’s mellows with age, and an October harvest is well stored for eating around Christmas, when notes of pear, spice, and orange blossom will emerge! This extraordinary and versatile apple has recently enjoyed renewed popularity among apple aficionados and is one of our best sellers.

U-PICK APPLES! 7 KINDS OR MORE! Come pick your own Ashmead’s, Cortland, Red Spy, Northern Spy, Prairie Spy, Spigold, Mutsu, and more! Ask at the farm stand and we will direct you to the day’s bounty. Thanks to @mearamcquain for the fun photo!

U-PICK CORTLAND APPLES. These are the famous “lunchbox apples” that stay white after they’ve been sliced. Perfect for eating fresh and fruit salads as they present beautifully without oxidizing. Look for yellow ribbons in the Vintage Orchard.

U-PICK “SPY” APPLES. It is high season for some of the very best – and very sneakiest – apples on the farm: Prairie Spy, Northern Spy, Spigold. Come pick your favorite members of the Spy family in the Dwarf Orchard. These October apples are prized by pie makers and lovers of old-fashioned American apples. Great for fresh eating, baking, and putting up. They are beloved “winter” apples. Also find their cousin Red Spy on the big trees in the Vintage Orchard. Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the family tree.

U-PICK MUTSU APPLES! The Million Dollar Apple from Japan. Also known as Crispin. They get as big as pumpkins. Dad planted the Mutsu orchard back in ’84. We could rhapsodize about the Mutsus for several minutes. The British call them “oven busters” since a couple of old orchard ladies could pick one giant Mutsu and bake it in the oven and split it as dessert for their afternoon stitch-n-bitch. But – as we have opined before – boys can do that, too. Ovens and stitching and b*tching aren’t just for girls. Same with dessert. And feelings. And sharing. All welcome at The ‘Creek. Come as you are.

U-PICK PUMPKINS! You can pick your own or find some at the farm stand. Last season, we sold out of pumpkins several weeks before Halloween. Come soon.

U-PICK BRUSSELS SPROUTS = OPEN! These massively nutritious spheroids of cruciferous craving are your ticket to a happy moment of plant appreciation. We call them BROUTS for short because they are just so darn broutish! Cut a fresh stalk in the field, pop off the sprouts in the kitchen, chop in half, stir fry with bacon or fakin’. ALERT: Cut the whole stalk; don’t pick individual sprouts since that wrecks the plant. Do not be a plant wrecker. Be a sprout lover! Be a brout!

HEFTY SQUASH HAUL! You can shop at the farm stand for Butternut, Blue Hubbard, Carnival, and Delicata! A great crop this year and we picked them for you!

FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Bolster your locavore credentials by getting jugs each week – the flavor profile evolves as new varieties enter the apple harvest. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going boom. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With ever more vim and verve and vigor as October rolls on, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

U-PICK TOMATOES, EGGPLANT, PEPPERS: It’s the final stretch of harvest for summer veggies. Come see what you can score for your winter pantry.

FALL FEELS & FINAL FLOWERS! @mearamcquain says: All the fall feels at @indiancreekfarmithaca. Raspberry and apple picking, flower bouquet making, and apple cider donut eating 🥰 (U-pick flowers are still here but winding down.)

GROUP U-PICK! Farm fans @icnatureclub write: Our field trip to Indian Creek Farm was so much fun! We enjoyed picking apples, pumpkins, and other crops, not to mention seeing many cool critters and beautiful flowers! Peak fall farm aesthetic @indiancreekfarmithaca 🍂 🍁 🌾🌼

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

THIS YEAR’S CROP YIELD IS FABULOUS! BUT! GO SLOWLY ON YOUR U-PICK ADVENTURE! We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Pumpkins • Empire, Macoun, Spartan, Cortland, Early Fuji, Jonagold, Ashmead’s Kernel, and more apples • Brussels Sprouts • Tomatoes • Eggplant • Peppers • Flowers • Herbs

Shopping

  Fresh donuts Thu-Sun 11:00 to 5:00 AND Monday October 10 Holiday • Hot Cider • Cold Cider • Pumpkins • Apples • Pears • Winter Squash • Peppers • Eggplant • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted Fruit Trees

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

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LOYAL FARMKETEERS:Back in 1883, a mere generation before our Vintage Orchard was planted, the Right Honourable Thomas Henry Huxley, famed British biologist and comparative anatomist, declared that “all the great sea fisheries are inexhaustible.” Darwin’s Bulldog got many things right, but that was a blustery blunder of biblical proportions.

LET US LEARN FROM THE DEAD. While this year’s pumpkin crop is bigger than ever – inspiring comparisons among ‘Creekniks to the “great fisheries of old” and “a bottomless bowl of breadsticks” – it is not inexhaustible. It will disappear. The pumpkins will be picked. The hammer will drop. The crop will be kaput. And it might not be long. Therefore be advised: Please come pick your dream pumpkin forthwith, sans delay, avec haste!

U-PICK PUMPKINS! You can pick your own or find some at the farm stand. Last season, we sold out of pumpkins several weeks before Halloween. Come soon.

U-PICK APPLES!  7 KINDS OR MORE! Close followers of the autumnal apple succession know that Honeycrisp has come and gone for the season. But if you are just tuning in, do not despair!  October brings apples upon apples to pick – and many of them are classic, dignified, even regal varieties compared to the gauche noveau riche thing that farmers see in Honeycrisp. Come pick your own Empire, Macoun, Spartan, Cortland, Early Fuji, Jonagold, Ashmead’s Kernel and more.

T.H. HUXLEY, with his slightly embarrassing wealth of society titles (PC, FRS, HonFRSE, FLS, etc.) and his evident love of species and specimens, was very likely a connoisseur of fine things, and probably adored Ashmead’s Kernel, the intensely flavored heirloom apple originating in 1700s England and prized by connoisseurs and cider makers. (“I daresay the flavor is inexhaustible! But doesn’t it look rather like a tater?”)

U-PICK BRUSSELS SPROUTS = OPEN!  These massively nutritious spheroids of cruciferous craving are your ticket to a happy moment of plant appreciation. We call them BROUTS for short because they are just so darn broutish! Cut a fresh stalk in the field, pop off the sprouts in the kitchen, chop in half, stir fry with bacon or fakin’. ALERT: Cut the whole stalk; don’t pick individual sprouts since that wrecks the plant. Do not be a plant wrecker. Be a sprout lover! Be a brout!

FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Bolster your locavore credentials by getting jugs each week – the flavor profile evolves as new varieties enter the apple harvest. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going boom. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM and the Monday, October 10, holiday. With ever more vim and verve and vigor, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

U-PICK TOMATOES, EGGPLANT, PEPPERS: It’s the final stretch of harvest for summer veggies. Come see what you can score for your winter pantry.

FRESH COFFEE! Get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No latte! No spice! No venti! No ice! Just a simple cup for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the Donut Hole. New tumblers are great – they keep stuff hot or cold for hours and hours!

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

THIS YEAR’S CROP YIELD IS FABULOUS! BUT! GO SLOWLY ON YOUR U-PICK ADVENTURE! We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Empire, McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Autumn Crisp, Early Fuji, Spartan apples • Pumpkins • Brussels Sprouts • Tomatoes • Eggplant • Peppers • Flowers • Herbs

Shopping

 Fresh donuts (Thu-Sun 11:00 to 5:00) • Hot Cider • Cold Cider • Pumpkins • Apples • Pears • Winter Squash • Peppers • Eggplant • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted fruit trees

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

LOYAL FARMKETEERS: Today’s Fresh Crop Alert offers our final reflection on the royal succession.  Don’t worry, this brief observation will bring us directly to your questions about the weekend’s fruit forecast.

DID YOU KNOW that the Sovereign Formerly Known As Prince Charles was born Charles Philip Arthur George, and that therefore according to the laws of succession, His Royal Highness could have chosen the title “King Arthur” – as in, Arthur, King of the Britons?!  His Majesty’s choice to be known merely as Charles III thus could be one of the great missed opportunities in the history of really rich people.  Well, the coming days offer you a chance at richness of another kind, a bounty of u-pick apples, pumpkins, and sprouts, and we don’t want you to miss your opportunity.  So please read on, and come soon!  We’ll even supply British weather.  Free!

U-PICK APPLES!  7 KINDS OR MORE!  Close followers of the autumnal apple succession know that Honeycrisp has come and gone for the season.  But if you are just tuning in, do not despair!  October brings apples upon apples to pick – and many of them are classic, dignified, even regal varieties compared to the gauche noveau riche thing that farmers see in Honeycrisp.  Come pick your own Empire, McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, Autumn Crisp, Early Fuji, Spartan, and more.  McIntosh was identified in the early 1800s, and has outlived the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian periods, and will likely persist after the House of Windsor has succumbed to scandal and ignominy!

U-PICK PUMPKINS! You can pick your own now. The crop is big and beautiful. BUT! Remember that we sold out of pumpkins several WEEKS before Halloween last season. So don’t delay. You can find them in the field or at the stand.

U-PICK BRUSSELS SPROUTS = OPEN!  These massively nutritious spheroids of cruciferous craving are your ticket to a happy moment of plant appreciation. We call them BROUTS for short because they are just so broutish. Cut a fresh stalk in the field, pop off the sprouts in the kitchen, chop in half, stir fry with bacon or fakin’. ALERT:  Cut the whole stalk; don’t pick individual sprouts since that wrecks the plant. Do not be a plant wrecker.  Be a sprout lover!

FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Bolster your locavore credentials by getting jugs each week – the flavor profile evolves as new varieties enter the apple harvest. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going boom. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With ever more vim and verve and vigor as October arrives, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

U-PICK EGGPLANT: Thank you for letting them size up instead of picking the babies. Time to eat the grownups!

U-PICK PEPPERS: Come browse the pepper patch for a Capsicum smorgasbord. Sweets and hots!

FRESH COFFEE! Get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No latte! No spice! No venti! No ice! Just a simple cup for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the Donut Hole. New tumblers are great – they keep stuff hot or cold for hours and hours!

NEW – BULK CIDER GALLONS. This year we are offering volume discounts on gallon jugs of cider instead of filling carboys. The bulk cider will be between 1 and 2 weeks old, still fresh and not yet turning. Prices are $8/gallon (5-9 gallons), $6/gallon (10-49 gallons), and $4.50/gallon (50+ gallons). Call the stand for availability before you come over, 607-227-8248.

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

DRIVE SLOWWWLY ON YOUR U-PICK ADVENTURE! We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Cortland, Pixie Crunch, Sweet 16, Spartan, Autumn Crisp apples • Pumpkins • Eggplant • Peppers • Tomatoes (a few) • Flowers • Herbs

Shopping

  Fresh donuts (Thu-Sun 11:00 to 5:00) • Peach peck sale while supplies last • Cider • Apples • Pears • Peppers • Eggplant • Flowers • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted fruit trees • Pumpkins will be at stand by Saturday morning

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

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– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAREST FARMKETEERS: Things continue to shade rather darkly in the world these days. But on the bright side for one particular fellow, Charles R., he is finally king! “Charles Rex,” in the old-timey lingo. So he doesn’t have to cry “PICK ME!” anymore. Meanwhile, here across the pond, thousands of apples and pumpkins – and an unexpected throng of eggplants – are all crying, “PICK MEEEEE ASAP!”

LAST CHANCE U-PICK HONEYCRISP! The big and beautiful Honeycrisp crop was the star of last weekend when literally thousands of you came to pick. Now it’s winding down – come immediately if you want to pick your own Honeycrisp! Ask at the stand where to find them, since there are multiple Honeycrisp locations in the orchards. Get ready for your outing with our Farm School tutorial, How to Pick An Apple.

BACK THIS WEEK: U-PICK MCINTOSH APPLES. America’s versatile, vinous mainstay since the 19th century, and a vintage counterpoint to the newfangled Honeycrisp. Pick them off the big trees in the Vintage Orchard. Wander and look for orange ribbons!

NEW THIS WEEK: U-PICK CORTLAND APPLES! These are the famous “lunchbox apples” that stay white after they’ve been sliced. Perfect for eating fresh and fruit salads as they present beautifully without oxidizing. Look for yellow ribbons in the Vintage Orchard.

NEW: PIXIE CRUNCH APPLES. A sweet little jewel of an apple that children love!

NEW: SPARTAN APPLES. The firm, crisp, and finely-grained texture makes it an excellent dessert apple, and the kids will love the simple, aromatic, sweet-tart flavor.

NEW: AUTUMN CRISP APPLES. Named “NYS 674” at birth, this apple has adopted a much better royal title! May your Autumn be Crisp!

NEW: SWEET SIXTEEN APPLES. Tastes like Cherry Twizzlers! Srsly!

U-PICK PUMPKINS! You can pick your own now. The crop is big and beautiful. BUT! Remember that we sold out of pumpkins several WEEKS before Halloween last season. So don’t delay. We will have the farm stand stocked with pumpkins by Saturday morning, 9/24. But you can pick your dream pumpkin in the u-pick field now!

GIANT PEACH SALE: Only $26/peck for peaches that we have picked for you. This is the last of summer’s peaches! Load up now for cobblers and winter creations. Could be sold out by the weekend!

PUTTIN’ UP PEACHES! Farm fan Sheri, our newest ‘Creeknik of the Weeknik, posted her haul of peaches that is now “up” for the winter! Bravo!

U-PICK EGGPLANT (TONS!): Lots to pick now. Thank you for letting them size up. Time to eat them!

U-PICK PEPPERS: Come browse the pepper patch for a Capsicum smorgasbord. Sweets and hots!

FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Bolster your locavore credentials by getting jugs each week – the flavor profile will evolve as new varieties enter the apple harvest. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going kaplooey. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With ever more vim and verve and vigor as autumn approaches, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

FRESH COFFEE! Get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No latte! No spice! No venti! No ice! Just a simple cup for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the Donut Hole. New tumblers are great – they keep stuff hot or cold for hours and hours!

NEW – BULK CIDER GALLONS. This year we are offering volume discounts on gallon jugs of cider instead of filling carboys. The bulk cider will be between 1 and 2 weeks old, still fresh and not yet turning. Prices are $8/gallon (5-9 gallons), $6/gallon (10-49 gallons), and $4.50/gallon (50+ gallons). Call the stand for availability before you come over, 607-227-8248.

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

DRIVE SLOWWWLY ON YOUR U-PICK ADVENTURE! We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Honeycrisp apples • McIntosh apples • Pumpkins • Pears • Tomatoes • Eggplant • Peppers • Grapes • Flowers • Herbs • Peaches (there is a small crop of peaches left for u-pick)

Shopping

  Peach peck sale ($26) • Fresh donuts (Thu-Sun 11 to 5) • Cider • Apples • Pumpkins • Peaches • Pears • Tomatoes • Peppers • Flowers • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted fruit trees

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAREST FARMKETEERS: Despite drought, inflation, and a passel of portents of the apocalypse, we are blessed with a bumper crop of apples, and we encourage you to come help with the harvest forthwith. Also, there are tomatoes to pick in large numbers. And some of you might be interested in a giant peach peck sale for the last week of summer. Please read on.

U-PICK HONEYCRISP! Now is high harvest for Honeycrisp. The crop is big and beautiful. Come immediately if you want to pick your own Honeycrisp this year! Ask at the stand where to find them, since there are multiple Honeycrisp locations in the orchards. Get ready for your outing with our Farm School tutorial, How to Pick An Apple.

U-PICK MCINTOSH: America’s versatile, vinous mainstay since the 19th century, and a vintage counterpoint to the newfangled Honeycrisp. Pick them off the big trees in the Vintage Orchard. Wander and look for orange ribbons!

U-PICK PEARS: New varieties of European pears are ready to pick this week. Ask at the stand and we will direct you to the far end of the Dwarf Orchard! It’s a lovely mix to explore.

U-PICK TOMATOES! The tomato harvest peaks this week. Tons of beefsteak and paste tomatoes to pick. Some heirlooms, romas, and others to find, too. Happy hunting.

U-PICK GRAPES: Sweet, fun, and easy! Find them across from the upper Honeycrisp orchard on your way to the playground. Simply add grapes to your picking box along with apples, pears, and veggies.

GIANT PEACH SALE: Only $26/peck for peaches that we have picked for you. This is the last of summer’s peaches! Load up now for cobblers and winter creations.

HOW TO USE ALL THOSE PEACHES? Look how ‘Creeknik @teresa_padavona used their bounty! “Mozzarella, made this morning with @trinityvalleydairy milk, and peaches picked at @indiancreekfarmithaca, came together for this amazing caprese for dinner. So grateful for awesome local farms that inspire my cooking.”

AND PEACH GALETTE! Farm Fan Tamarynde Cacciotti writes: “Thank you for all that you do! My son and I made this galette from your peaches and I’ve been stewing and freezing your wonderful tomatoes.“

U-PICK EGGPLANT: Tons to pick now. Thank you for letting them size up. Now it’s time to eat!

U-PICK PEPPERS: Come browse the pepper patch for a Capsicum smorgasbord. Mostly hots at this point in the year.

U-PICK FLOWERS: The field looks great. It is right next to the farm stand and parking lot! Use scissors instead of ripping and tearing at flowers with your bare hands. Thank you!

FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Bolster your locavore credentials by getting jugs each week – the flavor profile will evolve as new varieties enter the apple harvest. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going kaplooey. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With ever more vim and verve and vigor as autumn approaches, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

FRESH COFFEE! Get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No latte! No spice! No venti! No ice! Just a simple cup for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the Donut Hole. New tumblers are great – they keep stuff hot or cold for hours and hours!

NEW – BULK CIDER GALLONS. This year we are offering volume discounts on gallon jugs of cider instead of filling carboys. The bulk cider will be between 1 and 2 weeks old, still fresh and not yet turning. Prices are $8/gallon (5-9 gallons), $6/gallon (10-49 gallons), and $4.50/gallon (50+ gallons). Call the stand for availability before you come over, 607-227-8248.

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

DRIVE SLOWWWLY ON YOUR HONEYCRISP HUNT! We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Honeycrisp apples • McIntosh apples • Peaches • Pears • Tomatoes • Peppers • Flowers • Herbs

Shopping

  Beefsteak tomato peck sale ($16) • Fresh-pressed cider • Apples • Peaches • Pears • Tomatoes • Peppers • Flowers • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted fruit trees

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAR FARMKETEERS: And now for the news that 95% of you have been waiting for since 2021. You can pick your own Honeycrisp apples starting today. That’s the top story in this week’s “Fresh Crop Alert,” followed by 10 other reasons to come help with the harvest at your very earliest convenience.

(1) U-PICK HONEYCRISP! Come now, they’re big and beautiful. They’re the most popular apple since Granny Smith retired to Kazakhstan. Also see How to Pick An Apple.

(2) U-PICK MCINTOSH: The versatile, vinous mainstay since the 19th century. Pick them off the big trees in the Vintage Orchard. Flagged with orange ribbons!

(3) U-PICK PEARS: New varieties of European pears are ready to pick this week. Ask at the stand and we will direct you to the far end of the Dwarf Orchard!

(4) U-PICK PEACHES: Another good week for peach picking. Won’t go too far into September, so now is your chance! Please ask at the stand and we’ll direct you to the booty.

(5) U-PICK TOMATOES! Big-time tomato harvest including beefsteak, cherry, heirloom, roma, San Marzanos, and more. What you find each day will vary with as the crowds that came before you. Load up and put up for the off-season. You can also get a peck of beefsteaks at the farmstand for only $16 while supplies last! These are “field run” tomatoes meaning there will be some blemishes, perfect for your DIY culinary productions.

(6) U-PICK PEPPERS. Come browse the pepper patch. Sweets and hots, many varieties, a veritable capsicum smorgasbord.

(7) U-PICK FLOWERS. The u-pick field is right next to the farm stand and parking lot! Use scissors instead of ripping and tearing at flowers with your bare hands. Thank you!

(8) FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Earn your locavore credentials by starting with a jug this week and following with jugs over the coming weeks of apple harvest – the flavor will evolve as the varieties change each week. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going kaboom. 

(9) FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. With ever more verve and vigor as autumn approaches, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

(10) FRESH COFFEE! Get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No latte, no spice, no venti, no ice. Just a simple cup for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the Donut Hole. New tumblers are great – they keep stuff hot or cold for hours and hours!

(11) NEW! BULK CIDER GALLONS. This year we are offering volume discounts on gallon jugs of cider instead of filling carboys. The bulk cider will be between 1 and 2 weeks old, still fresh and not yet turning. Prices are $8/gallon (5-9 gallons), $6/gallon (10-49 gallons), and $4.50/gallon (50+ gallons). Call the stand for availability before you come over, 607-227-8248.

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

DRIVE SLOWWWLY ON YOUR HONEYCRISP HUNT! We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Peaches • Asian pears • Bartlett Pears • Elstar apples • Jefferies apples • St. Edmund’s Russet Apples • Tomatoes • Peppers • Flowers • Herbs

Shopping

   Beefsteak tomato peck sale ($16) • Peach peck sale ($26) • Fresh cider • Apples • Peaches • Asian Pears • Tomatoes • Peppers • Flowers • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted fruit trees • Fresh donuts Thursday-Sunday (and Labor Day Monday) 11 AM to 5 PM

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAR FARMKETEERS: You’ve often heard us say, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” But how about a clock that tocks 11 different times at once? That’s the ‘Creek Clock. The Crop Clock. The Clockety Clock. Yes, our jankety old farm chronometer is bonging out 11 readings: Peach O’Clock! Tomato Time! Apple Hour! Pear P.M.! And a lot more besides. All at this very minute!

U-PICK PEACHES: Round peaches (classic style) are in, flat peaches (donut style) are out. Overall it is a smaller crop this year, but this is a good week for peach picking. Please ask at the stand and we’ll direct you to the beautiful bountiful booty. You can also get a peck of peaches at the farmstand for only $26 while supplies last! That can actually equal or beat the u-pick price per pound.

U-PICK ASIAN PEARS! Surely you’ve tasted these before, right? They are more of an apple-shaped pear than a pear-flavored apple, but they’re not a cross of European fruits – they’ve been grown in China and Japan for over 3,000 years. They are wildly popular and the harvest flies by. This is your chance. The orchard is behind the playground, but ask at the stand so we can point you to the stuff that’s ready.

U-PICK APPLES: Now picking are the first of the “fall” harvest apples, Elstar (shown), Jefferies, and St. Edmunds Russet. Technically it is still summer but please come pick these autumn beauties in the back-to-school spirit, just after you read our Farm School tutorial, How to Pick An Apple. The apple lineup will change each week as our 75+ varieties ripen in waves. This week is your warmup.

U-PICK BARTLETT PEARS: On your hike up to the Asian pears, start with Bartletts on the old trees by the main road. Ask at the stand for a map. These are delicious classics. Remember that pears ripen from the inside out, so you can’t really tell by squeezing them – and don’t do that! They might feel firm, but trust us, they are ready to pick. You just give them a day in a paper bag on the kitchen counter to reach perfect sweetness. Try them poached with a balsamic drizzle? 

U-PICK TOMATOES! Now is the true tomato harvest, with nice loads of beefsteak, cherry, heirloom, roma, San Marzanos, and more. What you find each day will vary with as the crowds that came before you. Load up and put up! They are so easy to chop and cook down and put into freezer bags for the off-season. You can also get a peck of beefsteaks at the farmstand for only $16 while supplies last! These are “field run” tomatoes meaning there will be some blemishes, perfect for your DIY culinary productions.

U-PICK PEPPERS. Come browse the pepper patch. Sweets and hots, many varieties, a veritable capsicum smorgasbord.

U-PICK FLOWERS. The u-pick field is right next to the farm stand and parking lot! Use scissors instead of ripping and tearing at flowers with your bare hands. Thank you!

FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Earn your locavore credentials by starting with a jug this week and following with jugs over the coming weeks of apple harvest – the flavor will evolve as the varieties change each week. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going kaboom. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday (and Labor Day Monday) 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Yes, with ever increasing verve and vigor as autumn approaches, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday (except Labor Day Monday), Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

U-PICK COFFEE! First time ever, you can get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No latte, no spice, no venti, no ice. Just a simple cup for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the hole-in-the-wall donut shoppe. (New tumblers keep stuff hot or cold forever!)

HOW TO PICK AN APPLE. The main harvest is imminent. Time to read our Farm School tutorial, How to Pick An Apple. And teach your youngsters!

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

ONCE IN A WHILE, A MAGNET FALLS OFF THE FRIDGE RIGHT INTO A BOWL OF PRODUCE. And it tells you how to be. Please drive slowly. We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Round peaches • Asian pears • Tomatoes • Peppers • Flowers • Herbs

Shopping

  Beefsteak tomato peck sale ($16) • Peach peck sale ($26) • Apples • Peaches • Asian Pears • Tomatoes • Peppers • Fresh cider • Flowers • Garlic • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted fruit trees • Fresh donuts Thursday-Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAR FARMKETEERS: When pigs fly! When doves cry! When heck freezes over. Even freshman Farmketeers know what these old phrases mean. But only veteran ‘Creekniks know what it means when the Pickin’ Chicken tickles the ivories…

IT MEANS FARM SEASON PROPER! Yes, despite epic drought and widespread dread, late August has brought a lovely u-pick bounty for locavores including this week’s headline crops: peaches (classic round), tomatoes (especially juicy beefsteaks), and Asian pears (a fan flavorite!). We need you all picking ASAP. Please commence bumrush. There’s no need to read further. But! An unsubstantiated fact worth digesting: This is the most viewed piano-playing chicken of any small farm in the 12-county Finger Lakes region. Assorted other probable facts follow. But! Things change fast on a small farm.

U-PICK PEACHES: Round peaches (classic style) are in, flat peaches (donut style) are out. Overall it is a smaller crop this year, but this is peak week for peach picking. Please ask at the stand and we’ll direct you to the beautiful bountiful booty. You can also get a peck of peaches at the farmstand for only $26 while supplies last! That can actually equal or beat the u-pick price per pound.

NEW THIS WEEK: U-PICK TOMATOES! Technically there have been bits-n-bobs for a couple weeks, but now is the true tomato harvest. Especially BEEFSTEAKS! Load up and put up! They are so easy to chop and cook down and put into freezer bags for the off-season. There are also cherries and heirlooms. Romas are getting going, but not in full swing yet. You can also get a peck of beefsteaks at the farmstand for only $16 while supplies last! These are “field run” tomatoes meaning there will be some blemishes – perfect for your DIY culinary productions.

NEW THIS WEEK: U-PICK ASIAN PEARS! Surely you’ve tasted these before, right? They are more of an apple-shaped pear than a pear-flavored apple, but they’re not a cross of European fruits – they’ve been grown in China and Japan for over 3,000 years. They are wildly popular and the harvest flies by. This is your chance. The orchard is behind the playground, but ask at the stand so we can point you to the stuff that’s ready.

NEW THIS WEEK: FRESH CIDER! At the farmstand you can get the year’s first jugs of “Orchard Ambrosia” – that’s 100% unsweetened, unpasteurized juice of apples and sometimes a few pears. Nothing added. It’s like the old days. Earn your locavore credentials by starting with a jug this week and following with jugs over the coming weeks of apple harvest – the flavor will evolve as the varieties change each week. Freezes great, just pour a little off the top before freezing to keep it from going kaboom. 

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Yes, with ever increasing verve and vigor as autumn approaches, the Mark 2 Donut Robot churns out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A SPRINKLE OF SIN, SUGAR,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen and hallelujah.

U-PICK PEPPERS. Come browse the pepper patch. Sweets and hots, many varieties, a veritable capsicum smorgasbord.

U-PICK FLOWERS. The u-pick field is right next to the farm stand and parking lot! Use scissors instead of ripping and tearing at flowers with your bare hands. Thank you!

U-SERVE COFFEE! First time ever, you can get a cup at the farmstand. We are brewing from hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No lattes, no pumpkin spice, no ice. Just a simple cuppa for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the hole-in-the-wall donut shoppe. (New tumblers keep stuff hot or cold forever!)

HOW TO PICK AN APPLE. Apples are not quite ready to pick, but the harvest is imminent. This would be a good time to read our Farm School tutorial, How to Pick An Apple. And teach your rugrats. Respect les pommes!

& SO MUCH MORE. Please come help us harvest the best of summer crops now! Hurry! But! Don’t rush…

THIS IS THE MYSTICAL MAGICAL UNICORN OF SLOW DRIVING. Please drive slowly. We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwwwly when you are on the farm! Here is a free driver’s education reminder.

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK! You can take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Round peaches • Flat peaches (last chance) • Sansa apples • Flowers • Herbs • Peppers • Some eggplant, tomatoes

Shopping

Huge Peach Peck Sale, only $26/peck while supplies last • Apples • Eggplant • Peppers • Flowers • Garlic • Scapes • Blueberries • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lip balm • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted herbs • Potted fruit trees • Fresh donuts Thursday-Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAR FARMKETEERS: Please let this peach rise like a Sunday sun over your personal planet. Kind greetings to ‘Creekniks and would-be Farm Fans worldwide!

U-PICK ROUND PEACHES: There is another flurry to pick this weekend, and by flurry we mean neither wave nor surge nor blast nor gush nor onslaught nor stampede – and definitely not bumrush – but just a modest sprinkle ‘n’ twinkle of peaches for the picking. It’s a smaller crop this year, and first come, first get. Please ask at the stand and we’ll direct you to the booty.

U-PICK DONUT PEACHES = LAST CHANCE IN 2022. Y’all ‘Creekniks went loopy on the main crop over the past couple weeks. Bravo and hallelujah. A few lucky and/or assiduous pickers will get donut peaches this weekend. There is one partial row to pick. There is no more after those are gone. We do not have a secret stash at Mar-a-Lago or anywhere else.

ROUND PEACH PECK SALE: ONLY $26/PECK for PREPICKED PEACHES AT THE STAND. That works out to only 13 two-dollar bills per box, or about 2 dollars per pound, i.e., cheaper than the u-pick price for a peck! All the drool, none of the labor. Note that the weight of pecks will vary a little, but they’re full up and ready to take home. A peck is something like 2 dry gallons or 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints. The sale is while supplies last. That would seem to go without saying but inevitably someone will show up and, upon hearing that we are out of peach pecks, demand a peck of peaches that physically does not exist. Reportedly this metaphysical quandary is not unique to Indian Creek. A fellow New York farmer replied to last week’s newsletter citing the same behavior from their customers – I want the nonexistent vegetables! Give me the invisible rhubarb! Produce more tomatoes suddenly now! This apparent repudiation of science/facts could be rich fodder for a social science Ph.D. thesis investigating cultural norms of the @)@@ zeitgeist. That’s “2022” with the shift key held down. Doctoral level symbology, deep conspiracy stuff.

U-PICK SANSA APPLES. One of the best early apples, sweet and nice. Also known as Morioka #42. Sansa marks the beginning of “real” apple season. Sure, we’ve picked the Pristines and eaten one or two William’s Prides, but Sansa is the first really fun apple of the year. The apples have a tropical coloring, bright red – almost pink and almost orange – and they are lightly flecked with a gold russet. The creamy white flesh has the simple sweetness of a Gala (one of its parents) balanced by the acidity of Akane (the other parent). The flesh is firm, almost woody, and it’s nothing like the trendy expolsiveness of a Honeycrisp, but it is, nevertheless, deeply satisfying. These apples are for fresh eating; they do not store for more than one month. Sansa was the result of a collaboration of researchers in Japan and New Zealand. In 1969, a team of Japanese researchers in Morioka sent the pollen of an Akane tree to Dr. Don McKenzie in Havelock North, New Zealand. This pollen was used to fertilize a Gala, and the seeds of the offspring were sent back to Japan, where the new variety was evaluated for almost 20 years before its release in 1988. If only all international relations had such happy outcomes. And no scurrilous diplomatic cables!

HOW TO PICK AN APPLE. This would be a good time to read our Farm School tutorial, How to Pick An Apple. Prime time is right round the corner.

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Yes, with increasing verve and vigor and zeal as autumn approaches, the Mark 2 Donut Robot is churning out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A sprinkle of sin, sugar,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen.

U-PICK FLOWERS. The u-pick field is right next to the farm stand and parking lot! Use scissors instead of ripping and tearing at flowers with your bare hands. Thank you!

U-PICK SWEET PEPPERS AND HOT PEPPERS. Come browse the pepper patch. Currently ready are sweet peppers and the first of the hot peppers – jalapeños and Hungarians and more. Other hots will be ripening in the weeks ahead. Also get yours at the farm stand.

SCATTERED U-PICK TOMATOES. A few beefsteak, heirloom, cherry, roma, and randoms to pick. Not enough u-pick tomatoes for bulk picking. Just come explore.

COFFEE! First time ever, you can get a cup of coffee at the farmstand. We are brewing from hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No lattes, no pumpkin spice, no ice. Just a simple cuppa for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the hole-in-the-wall donut shoppe. (New tumblers keep stuff hot or cold forever!)

NEW BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK!  Take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

DRIVE SAFELY!  We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Please approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwLY when you are on the farm!

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

---

– FRESH CROP ALERT –

---

U-Picking

Donut peaches • Round peaches (small crop) • Flowers • Herbs • Some eggplant, peppers • Limited tomatoes

Shopping

Huge Peach Peck Sale, only $26/peck while supplies last • Apples • Eggplant • Peppers • Flowers • Garlic • Scapes • Blueberries • Slushies • Coffee • Mugs • Honey • Lip balm • Lotion • Beeswax • Syrup • Pottery • Potted herbs • Potted fruit trees • Fresh donuts Thursday-Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM

Business

See current hours on home page
See map & tips & safety in 2022 Farm Guide
Drive extra carefully on highway & farm
Thank you for being kind & nice

---

– FULL STORY – 

---

DEAR FARMKETEERS:  The donut peach, also called pan tao, peento, saucer, Saturn – or toroidalpeach if you are an armchair topologist and differential geometer – might soon become your favorite fruit. Though new to many Americans, the pan tao peach has been known in China since at least the 12th century B.C.E. (That’s over 2,000 years and one-third the age of Planet Earth depending your personal brand of science!) Read more about these venerable tree fruits, and come pick yours as soon as you can. Note that we call them flat peaches sometimes, just to further confound matters with a ‘Creeknik nickname.

U-PICK DONUT PEACHES: Come now. Beat the weekend rush on Thursday and Friday. If you come on Saturday or Sunday, come early and pick fast! Farming is a fast song!

ROUND PEACH PECK SALE: ONLY $26/PECK for PREPICKED PEACHES AT THE STAND. That works out to about $2/pound, cheaper than the u-pick price for a peck! All the drool, none of the work. Note that the weight of pecks will vary a little, but they’re full and ready to take home. A peck is something like 2 dry gallons or 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints. Sale while supplies last. That would seem to go without saying but inevitably someone will show up and, upon hearing that we are out of peach pecks, demand a peck of peaches that physically does not exist. A metaphysical quandary for the modern farmer.

ROUND PEACH U-PICK? Yes there is a small flurry of round peaches to pick, though they could get gotten quickly. It is a smaller crop than last year’s bumper, and the drought means our cup does not runneth over this year.

U-PICK FLOWERS. Ask at the stand, for there are two fields of beautiful flowers this year. One is right next to the farm stand and parking lot. Use scissors instead of ripping and tearing at flowers with your bare hands. Thanks!

FRESH DONUTS! Served Thursday through Sunday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Yes, with ever more zeal, the Mark 2 Donut Robot is churning out fresh fried rings of fructotic splendor – sprinkled, if you like, with cinnamon sugar. “A sprinkle of sin, sugar,” is all you have to say. No donuts served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, when the Mark 2 Donut Robot observes its lavish Cyborg Sabbath. Amen.

U-PICK SWEET PEPPERS AND HOT PEPPERS. Come browse the pepper patch. Currently ready are sweet peppers and the first of the hot peppers – jalapeños and Hungarians and more. Other hots will be ripening in the weeks ahead. Also get yours at the farm stand.

LIMITED U-PICK TOMATOES. A few beefsteak, heirloom, cherry to pick. Not enough u-pick tomatoes for bulk picking.

COFFEE! First time ever, you can get a cup of coffee at the farmstand. We are brewing from hometown roaster, Ithaca Coffee Company, and you can serve yourself. No lattes, no pumpkin spice, no ice. Just a simple cuppa for your agritourism adventure. Self-serve kiosk next to the hole-in-the-wall donut shoppe. (New tumblers keep stuff hot or cold forever!)

NEW BUS STOP = INDIAN CREEK!  Take your public transportation right to your u-pick destination. TCAT has moved the bus stop to directly in front of the farm, so anyone can take the #21 from town to our doorstep. You want to avoid using the #14, which ends at the hospital requiring a walk on the highway. Be safe!

DRIVE SAFELY!  We have witnessed several terrible, high-speed collisions on Route 96 by the farm in recent years. Please approach the farm carefully, exit the farm carefully, and drive SLOWwwLY when you are on the farm!

A Drivers Education
REMINDER

Entering from Ithaca

Indian Creek Farm is 1/2 mile north of the Cayuga Medical Center traffic light. We are on the left, just after the Dubois Road intersection, as you come over the rise. The farm entrance comes up quickly. There is no need to increase speed to 55 MPH. Stay slow to keep the cars behind you slow. Use your TURN SIGNAL well before the turn. We have watched people stop to turn into the farm without using their signal.

While on Farm

Please drive slowly. There is no hurry. You are on vacation while on the farm. There are kids and folks of all ages walking around the farm. Take it easy.

Exiting

Do not pull out if you can even see a car coming. Assume the car is speeding and that you will get hit.

Be patient, an opening will come.

Love to y’all.  Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.