Indian Creek Farm

New This Week: Order Apple Gift Boxes Online! We’re Still Open for Apple Picking, Cider & Donuts!

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

WHEN YOU GO into the drug store to buy toothpaste and gummy bears, you are pursuing a course of action which is classically referred to as “a complete waste of time.” The toothpaste and gummy bears cancel out exactly.
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Things are different at the farm. No two products cancel out. They all add up to a higher life score. Allow Professor Zorro, Ph.D., to demonstrate with a few examples.

“When you pick APPLES and a jug of CIDER, you get apples plus apples plus a dollop of pear. All local, all good.”

“When you lop SPROUTS and grab SQUASH, it is nutritious plus delicious which equals bravissimo.”

“When you carry your dream PUMPKIN home and carve it up, you create a caloric deficit that fresh DONUTS will not erase. After all, your short-term happiness counts for something in the arithmetic of the universe. Woof!”
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Do the math, Farm Fans! There are plenty of reasons to keep the season going. Sure, the weather is getting ickier and ickier. Darkness comes earlier each day. But we will be here rain or shine, 9 AM – 5 PM, every day.

You can still pick apples and sprouts; drink fresh cider; get last-minute pumpkins; and, eat donuts. (Last day for donuts is, Sunday, November 1, 11AM – 4PM!) You can also hit the playground with friends… of all ages.

– APPLE GIFT BOXES –

New this week! Order Apple Gift Boxes for shipping or pickup. These are the best way to share a piece of The ‘Creek with your loved ones. Each box contains 14 beautiful apples grown on the farm. Learn more.

ORDER HERE ONLINE

The Heirloom Harvest Apple Box is one of 4 great options. It allows you to share antique and exotic varieties that you won’t find in a grocery store. Apple Gift Boxes are ready now, fresh from the harvest. If supplies last, we will offer boxes closer to Thanksgiving; but, now you get first dibs.

“But, but, but, it’s not gift giving season.“ Says who?! Are you a secret agent for Hallmark, Inc.? It is harvest season, and locavores know what that means: Time to share. If you send an Apple Gift Box right now, you’ll be right on time.

– WE’RE NOT GIVING UP –

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Lovely to see so many of you at the farm this year. Our best year ever. We’re not giving up on the season yet. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Leave a comment

Last Week of Prime Apple Picking; 99¢ Special on Famous Pie Apples; Pumpkins Going Fast!

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

DO YOU REMEMBER that time Grandpa kicked everybody’s butt at picking Mutsu apples? We caught it on tape.

Watch the crew get schooled by the gentleman in the nifty brown hat. He appears at 8 seconds. By 54 seconds, you can tell he’s going to rescue more apples from the freeze than anyone else. He has seen more days than 3 of the crew members combined. Three cheers for the Greatest Generation.

All ages can pick Mutsu apples. Bring the family. The weather is cool and the picking is easy. It is prime time for these awesome, versatile, giant apples. Great stuff.

Last week’s heroes: Folks who came from Whitney Point to pick 100 pounds of Mutsus in the blowing snow! Turns out the orchard survived the frost in perfect shape for picking. Please pick them NOW, we don’t have space to store them.

New this week: 99¢ sale on famous pie apples. For baking pies, there is no better apple in the world than Northern Spy. You can get them for 99¢ a pound. We stripped the trees and set aside the #2 specimens for your yummy bakings. The apples are big and blemished and perfect.

The sprouts are speaking to you. We have tons of Brussels sprouts that you can lop yourself. Get loppers at the stand. These make wonderful gifts because they are cheap and weird.

Last chance for dream pumpkins. Two years running, we’ve run out of pumpkins before Halloween, and this year we’re on target for a threepeat! The race is on. Pick yours at the playground or farm stand.

The fresh cider has been getting great reviews. You can get gallons and half-gallons at the stand. We are pressing fresh every week. Get your baggies of cider donuts on Saturday and Sunday 11 AM – 4 PM. Hot mulled cider, too.

Our neighbor’s daughter tends the bees. You can get their local honey right here at the stand.

Weekday shoppers take note: “Picking for Puppies” is next week, Mon-Thu. Come pick Mutsu apples and we will donate to the Tompkins County SPCA. It is a 4-day benefit, rain or shine! Join the Facebook event and invite friends. All you have to do is pick apples. You keep the fruit. We write a check. SPCA cares for the animals.

More heroes from last week: Shane and Taylor. Cold, blustery day. Gray skies. Only a few customers around. These two went picking then chilled out on the swing and sipped hot cider. Unfazed by October gloom. Nice work.

Well, Farmketeers, the season is winding down. The next week or so is your last chance for easy apple picking. Get out here for a fun fall weekend. We are open every day til dark, rain or shine. Or snow. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged country life, crops, Farm Life, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food, Photos, small farm, Small Farms | Leave a comment

Do You Mutsu? Famous Giant Apples are Ready; You Can Dream Big and Pick Bigger.

Posted on October 16, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

IN YOUR DREAMS, do you jump like Lebron?

Or do you get higher with a little help from your friends?

In your dreams, bundled warm against an autumn drizzle, do you pick apples as big as pumpkins?

You do? Farmketeers, you are in luck. Here at The ‘Creek, we are in the Dreams Business. Big or small, modest or outrageous, your dreams can get a good start on the farm. Let this Mutsu apple represent your most cherished dream. As you can see, it has already outgrown its nest! It is ready to fly unfettered into your future!

Mutsus are giant, delicious apples. They are a rare flash of late October green. They are sweet eaters and famous bakers. In England, Mutsus are called “Oven Busters.” You stick a Mutsu in the oven, then eat it with a spoon. Split it with a friend as you share your dreams.

All orchards are now open — Vintage, Dwarf, Mutsu. You will have to scavenge in some areas; other trees are heavy with fruit. Cold is in the forecast and our crew is actively stripping trees; so, the situation is fluid. Get out here and clear the orchards! Only 1-2 weeks left in apple season! There are lots of fresh-picked varieties at the farm stand.

Fresh-pressed cider! Take home some cider to serve with Apple Potato Bacon Hash. You can also splurge on cider donuts, served 11 AM to 4 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Don’t wait til last minute to get your pumpkins! We always run out before Halloween, and a small army of kids scored their dream pumpkins last weekend.

Picking for Puppies, Part Poo, er, Two! We’re going to send another check to a local animal shelter. This time, you can pick Mutsu apples FOR 4 DAYS and we will donate to the Tompkins SPCA. Save the date!

Zorro will help!

We are here by the wood stove every day til dark. Come say hi. Don’t be a stranger just because the weather is going to stink! Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged apples, Farm Life, Food Photography, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food, Photos | 2 Comments

Cheap Honeycrisp Apples, Plentiful Pumpkins, and More Fun Reasons to Visit The ‘Creek This Week.

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

THIS WEEK WE CELEBRATE the apple harvest with a leap into agricultural hyperspace… also known as Instagram. All photos are therefore square.

Yes, Courageous Creek-O-Nauts! Time to embrace the future of farming on your phone, @indiancreekfarmithaca.

You can pick 14 kinds of apples this week! Jonagold, Spartan, Autumn Gala, Snowsweet, Empire, Macoun, Early Fuji, Sir Prize, Fortune, Spigold, Prairie Spy, Nova Spy, Mac, and Cortland. Mix and match, try new things.

Save up to 75¢ a pound on Honeycrisp! Our everyday price of $2.25 a pound is way below the leading grocery stores. You can save $7.50 on a 10-pound bag compared to the price we saw at one place. Another supermarket was selling Honeycrisp at FOUR DOLLARS A POUND just a few miles from the farm! Sheesh.

You can save even more on the Honeycrisp value bags: $6 (half-peck) and $10 (peck). That’s about a BUCK A POUND! These are apples with surface blemishes, still great for eating and Honeycrisp recipes. First come, first git!

Get Bartlett pears for only 99¢/lb! These are “Number 2” pears perfect for cooking, canning, poaching, and snacking. Also get Vintage Value bags of McIntosh apples for only $5. They are picked and packed and ready.

Pick your dream pumpkins from the wiggly, shifting piles at the playground! No messing with loppers or clomping through mud. Hop off the swings, claim a gourd.

We always seem to run out well before Halloween. So pick your pumpkins now! (Plus we planted an ungourdly mess of them and we need your help giving them good homes. Nobody cares about pumpkins on October 32nd.)

First sprouts of the year! Lop your own! Fresh Brussels sprouts are just plain awesome. They make a wacky, nutritional gift for friends or coworkers. Most people have never seen a sprout on the stalk. Easy cooking!

We’re pressing fresh sweet cider every week. Get your Orchard Ambrosia now at the height of apple season. The cider donut machine will be running Saturday and Sunday 11 til 4.

The playground is always free. There are swings for kids and grownups, a giant sandbox, Apple Mountain, and a real farm tractor that little kids love. Last chance to wander the Sunflower Maze. It is leaning over and wilty.

What a joy to meet so many farm fanatics down at the Apple Harvest Festival. Thanks to the Happy Ladlers, our far-flung friends who helped us scoop hot cider for 30 hours. And welcome to new fans who are reading their first “Fresh Crop Alert” after signing up on the Commons.

A round of applause for our Brazilian-Canadian orchard yoga team: Daniel (danielrama.com), Jess, Yann, and Bilyana. They sure lit a spark for passing pickers. Well, Farmies, there are only a few weeks left. It is high harvest season. Come share the local bounty. We are here every day til dark. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged country life, Farm Life, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Writing, Local Food, Photos, Small Farms | 1 Comment

October Fun: Superpumpkins, Sunflower Maze, and the Apple of the Apocalypse.

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

WHEN 4.2 BILLION PEOPLE went outdoors Sunday night to stare at the sky, they spoke in mystical tones about the Blood Moon, the Supermoon, and the apocalyptic lunar tetrad.

Farm Fans were different. You instantly recognized the celestial Superpumpkin through your farm-colored glasses. Yes, Loyal Farmketeers, that is why we love you so.

We heart you! Yes we do! Just for you, we have already lopped a love-ton of pumpkins off the vine and set them right by the playground. Ithaca is gourdgeous! Pick yours now.

We are an educational outfit. We always encourage farm fans to use their heads. To wit, here is the pricing system.

New this week: 14 kinds of apples to pick! Jonagold, Spartan, Autumn Gala, Snowsweet, Empire, Macoun, Early Fuji, Sir Prize, Fortune, Spigold, Prairie Spy, Nova Spy, Mac, and Cortland. You can also get Honeycrisp Apples at the stand for only $2.25 a pound!

Grab your $5 Vintage Value bags and save about 50% on McIntosh apples! The Mac was first propagated back in the 1820s. Our trees have been producing Macs for almost 100 years. Vintageous value.

Get “Number 2” Macs and Bartletts for only 99¢/lb! These are good fruits that simply didn’t make display grade for aesthetic reasons such as blemishes. Perfect for canning, cooking, saucing, snacking, and more.

‘Tis the Season of the Sauce! Apple sauce! A notably healthful customer who runs marathons made this great stuff from Indian Creek apples picked by her kids. No sugar added. (But truthfully it needed a little more cinnamon. Oh well, you can’t win ’em all, Champ!)

What is the sound of farming in the rain? Squish, squash, squish, squash. New this week, the first winter squash: delicata, sweet dumpling, and acorn. Also get mini-pumpkins and “ghost” mini-pumpkins (white).

The playground and sunflower maze are still here. Please come wander around. Then hang out at the stand with fresh-pressed cider and donuts!

Rain or shine, should be a fun weekend at the farm. You’ve pretty much kicked the veggies, but there are apples galore, pumpkins a-plenty, cider, donuts, and fresh air. If you happen to be downtown this weekend, find us at the Apple Festival. Otherwise, hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged country life, crops, Farm Life, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food | 1 Comment

10 Reasons to Visit the Farm Now, Including Free Brain Massages While Supplies Last.

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

You KNOW what Mother is about to say. You can cover your ears, close your eyes, stomp your feet, and hold your breath. But she is still gonna say it.

Mother Nature is about to say, “Later, ‘maters!” Yesterday was the autumnal equinox, and tomatoes will soon fly south. There are beefsteaks to pick, but Romas, cherries, and heirlooms are scarce. So there’s one reason to get out here: Last chance to pick beefsteaks on weekdays for 75¢/lb!

Yes, Farmketeers, this is your last chance to savor the flavors of summer. You can pick 6 kinds of peppers: poblano, serrano, habanero, jalapeño, cayenne, Thai chili and bell. Same with eggplant. Hurry if you want some.

You can pick 7 kinds of apples: Early Fuji, Macoun, Sir Prize, Empire, Sweet 16, McIntosh, and Cortland. Cortlands are magic. They don’t brown fast after you cut them. (Why not?) Perfect for school lunches and fruit salads.

Grab your $5 Vintage Value bags and save about 50% on McIntosh apples! The Mac is a classic eater and saucer with a simple, sweet, and refreshing taste. It was introduced back in the 1820s. Our trees have been producing Macs for close to 100 years. Vintage!

Get “Number 2” Macs and Bartletts for only 99¢/lb! These are good fruits that simply didn’t make display grade for aesthetic reasons such as blemishes. They are not Barbie-perfect, but they are perfect for your fruity purposes. Perfect for canning, saucing, and snacking.

Free brain massages. At the entrance to the sunflower maze, claim your free brain massage by saying the coupon code: IAMHERENOW. The invisible therapist will begin her work. You can pick Cortland apples while you’re in session.

Fresh apple cider. We press apples with an R2-D2 unit. R2 pumps the Orchard Ambrosia into jugs. Nothing but fruit. It’s unpasteurized and delicious. Freezes great like Han Solo.

Your new Cidergarden. Kind of like a European biergarten, except with sweet cider. And it’s in America. And there’s only 3 tables. But you get the drift. A place to sit.

Teachable moments. Kids can learn anything. Bring them to Farm School for fruit appreciation. Here, our model student uses the official 2-handed technique for apple picking.

Enjoy the free playground with Apple Mountain, swingset, sandbox, and tractor thingy. Kids go apesh-t tumbling up and down Apple Mountain, but they know to leave the laundry fun for you. Very thoughtful.

We love seeing people picking at the farm. We also love when local businesses create local supply chains. Eva of Business is Bloomin’ cuts flowers at the farm all the time. Cool!

Come find us at the Apple Harvest Festival, Oct 2-4. And stay tuned to Facebook for breaking pumpkin news. Meantime, hope to see you in the sunflowers at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged apples, country life, crops, Farm Life, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food | Leave a comment

Sunflower Maze, Apple Mountain, $5 Value Bags, Your New Cidergarden, and 7 Kinds of Apples to Pick!

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

OH, THE APPLE DOES TEMPT. Does it not? Hardly matters whether you are an Original Sin subscriber or Fossil Record fanboy, the luscious apple entices all the same.

But you dare not bite this one! It is a Cortland apple and not quite ready. (Or perhaps YOU are not ready for the unsweet wisdom it will impart!) There are 7 other varieties to pick this week. Ask at the stand, we will mark your map.

Even though the Cortlands are not ripe, we invite you to enter the Cortland section of the Vintage Orchard, where you can wander the Sunflower Maze. It is quite the exercise in resisting temptation! Don’t pick those apples!

And it’s a good place to ramble. Suitable activities include looking, listening, and daydreaming. See if you can turn off your phone for 12 minutes. If not, try again.

When you are ready to pick apples, step into the McIntosh block, where you will find big old trees with orange ribbons. Pick away. You can also get $5 “Vintage Value” bags at the stand starting today! We picked those Macs for you last night.

Next you can go to the Dwarf Orchard, where the trees are short and the apples hang at grab-me level. We’ll mark your map for Dayton, Jonamac, Autumn Crisp, Empire (pictured), Gala, and Sweet 16. Some of you have asked about Honeycrisp: Get them at the stand now!

Sweet 16 is known for having flavors of licorice, cherry, and bourbon. The official tasting notes say, “tastes like Cherry Twizzler” and it’s true! A real candy apple.

In the veggie fields, you’ll find plentiful tomatoes. Weekday special: 75¢ per pound u-pick Beefsteaks. One of our Facebook fans picked 126 pounds this week! Others filled their freezers and pantries with sauces and stews.

Also in the veggie field, you can pick abundant eggplant and peppers: cayenne, jalapeño, habanero, poblano, serrano, Thai chili, bells. Many are turning RED = HOT!

After you munch a few habaneros, you can wash them down with cold, crisp apple cider. Pressed fresh every week into jugs to take home. Unpasteurized. Nothing but fruit.

New this week! You can take a load off at the Cidergarden under the front porch. Three picnic tables in the shade near the cider cooler, donut machine, and herb gardens.

Also new this week! Apple Mountain! Truth is, it is a pile of dirt. But as you can see in the video, it takes the playground to a whole ‘nother level for kids. Be sure to wear white.

Finally this week, we have great news. You raised over $600 to help local animal shelters in need! You picked Macs all day in the rain at “Picking for Puppies,” and we’re writing the check today! Many thanks to you brave pickers. And thanks to our collaborators at the Shelter Medicine Club of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, including Kiko, Argos, and Georgia (1st row, L to R).

So, Local Food Lovers, you have done well. You picked all the peaches; you cleared out the pears; and, you made a puppy’s day. Your next assignment: To kick off apple season good and proper! We have our biggest apple crop EVER and we need you here! Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged apples, country life, crops, Farm Life, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food | Leave a comment

Huge Tomato Sale, Last Chance on Peaches and Pears, and Breaking News on 3 Big Events.

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

DEAR FARM FANATICS and bargain hunters: A pressing report on the hottest crop sales and harvest opportunities. Then we jump into major news about 3 farm events.

WEEKDAY TOMATO SALE, ONLY 75¢ PER POUND: Pick your own Beefsteak and Roma TOMATOES on weekdays for only 75¢ per pound — that’s a saving of 50%! The plants are loaded and the season will disappear very soon. This is your alert. This is your call to action: Pick pounds of juicy red tomatoes NOW. Tick tock! Thousands of farm fans got this tomato alert on Facebook 2 days ago. Follow the Facebook page to get burning hot midweek updates.

PEACHES, PEARS, and APPLES: Last chance to pick juicy and delicious summer PEACHES. We’ve had a great year with peaches, but that will be no consolation when they’re all gone. Pick yours now! Last chance for PEARS, too. Pick Bartletts for only 75¢ per pound! In the APPLE orchards, you can pick McIntosh, Dayton, Jonamac, and Autumn Crisp. Apple season is really starting now. Crisp cider is available every day; fresh cider donuts on Saturday and Sunday 11-4.

VEGGIES and FLOWERS: Tons of EGGPLANT to pick. Tons of PEPPERS. And the lavish LILY sale continues: Only $2/stem, a savings of 33%! You don’t need us to tell you that these things are summer things. Oops, just did! Get these beautiful, local creations while they last.

Picking for Puppies — Saturday, September 12 — You guys pick McIntosh apples, and we’ll donate 50% of the proceeds to benefit local animal shelters. It’s a collaboration with the Shelter Medicine Club of the Cornell Vet School (see cool videos on that page). It could be a very busy day. It’s rain or shine. If you don’t like crowds of good people doing things to help puppies and kittens, you can come on Sunday.

Pigs-n-Apples Party — FALL 2016 — That’s right, Farm Fans, no Pigs-n-Apples Party this year. We’ve had 3 years of great times. The party grew and grew and we hosted well over 1,000 people last year. Not bad for a free party thrown by a bunch of farmers. Last year, we had a clear field for handling traffic and parking hundreds of cars, but that land is being prepared for new orchards which are the future of the farm. We need to take a year off to finish farm projects and work on the fall harvest—our biggest apple crop ever—in hopes of bringing the Party back next year. We know that many of you will be sad. We are telling everyone that our rivals, Those Nutty Pigs, need a year to get in better condition for the tug-of-war. They lost to the Apples 3 years in a row and we started feeling bad about it. So, we hope you understand. By the way, kids, we have some new stuff coming to the playground! That stuff will be available for you every day, even if party day isn’t til next year. So, no moping! Come out and play.

Apple Harvest Festival — October 2-4 — For the first time in memory, Indian Creek will be at the 33rd Annual Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival downtown. You can find us in the madding crowd with our cider, apples, and nervous smiles. (Those are pears you’re looking at, but the Apple Festival isn’t just for apples. You can come, too.) We don’t leave the farm very often, but we’ll be in the thick of downtown. Say hi! Til then, hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | 1 Comment

Save 50% on Pears; Big $2 Lily Sale; Pick Last Wave of Peaches; 50% Off Eggplant; Plentiful Tomatoes.

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

OKAY, FARM FANS, you deserve a holiday break. So, we’re knocking off our typical newsletter nonsense—and knocking off some prices! Here’s a pile of sales, deals, discounts, pitches, and bargains. And a SAVE-THE-DATE for next weekend, Saturday, September, 12!

Pick Bartlett pears for only 75¢ a pound! That’s 50% off! Pick now, not later! Pear season will be frizzling out soon.

Come pick the last wave of peaches. Peach season will go poof soon, too! A few days ago, we made a Facebook post about peaches and over 8,000 people saw it! Gonna be a race to pick the peaches. Follow us on Facebook to get those breaking midweek alerts that can’t wait til Friday.

If you get beat to the peach punch, we have a sale on pre-picked pecks: $18/peck, or $16/peck when you buy 2, or $15/peck when you buy 3. Cobbler time! Canners, come forth!

Absurd sale on stunning lilies! Only $2/stem and they MUST GO THIS WEEKEND. We have to make room in the cooler for apple season. Please rescue these beauties!

Your apple duty this week: Pick the Ginger Gold trees clean. That is your prime directive as local fruit lovers.

Pick Italian eggplant for only 75¢ per pound! That’s 50% off! (Italian only; not dwarf.) Parm it up, people!

There are lots of Beefsteak and Roma tomatoes to pick fresh off the vine. If you want cherries or heirlooms, ask Allie at the stand. (She has a secret field. Password: toMMMato.)

Fresh apple cider and donuts! You can’t make the latter without the former. Donuts will be served 11 AM – 4 PM on Saturday and Sunday. Cider is always available. Always fresh, never frozen… but it freezes great at home.

SAVE THE DATE: Next Saturday, September 12, please come pick McIntosh apples. The farm will donate 50% of the proceeds to benefit local animal shelters. All you have to do is pick Macs at the regular price (or get discounts when you pick volume). We’ll do the rest in collaboration with the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. You will be helping local farms, local animals, and your own local snack habit. Bring friends and go “Picking for Puppies” (and Cats and Wabbits and Boids and whatnot.) Hope to see you at the ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | 1 Comment

Fashion Forward Farm Outing: Pick Pears for Only 99¢/lb, and Pick Fresh Peaches, Apples, Tomatoes.

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Indian Creek Farm

PEAR-SHAPED LADS AND LADIES, now is your time to shine. You look great. All of you Bartlett Botticellis will please take center stage on the runway as we unveil our ravishing late August collection.

Ravissante! When peaches enter their final weeks and apples start percolating, pears hit their prime time—NOW!

This is the time of year when we all cross “Bartlett Bridge” from Peachtown into Appleville. Some of you will only go kicking and screaming, but stop kicking your sister or NO DONUTS when we get there! Come pick pears for only 99¢ per pound—a farmalicious savings of exactly 34.00000%!

This is also a teachable moment: You don’t let pears ripen on the tree. You pick them just before they’re ripe. Pears ripen from the inside out, and they will rot on the branch if you miss the moment. Comedian Eddie Izzard has cried in frustration: “Pears can -BLEEP- off, too, because they’re gorgeous little beasts but they’re ripe for half an hour…” (Alert: language)

So here’s what you do: Pick the pears on our signal—READY, GO! Put them in your fridge for 1 to 2 days, then ripen them at room temperature for a couple days. You can also kickstart things with the old brown bag trick. Learn about ripening pears to perfection on this page and this page.

Summer’s not gone! A new wave of peaches is ready for you. So delicious. Ask at the stand which rows.

You can also get whole pecks of peaches at the farm stand for only $18. Rev up your snack supply.

Pick tomatoes, too! Some Grumpy Grumperson complained recently that there were no tomatoes. Farmer Allie went up to the field to investigate. She picked 75 pounds in 25 minutes from 1 quarter of 1 side of 1 row. Moral of the story: Beautiful candy-red Beefsteaks and Romas for good-tempered pickers in the 2 back rows. Thanks to 112 of you who gave us a Facebook rah-rah on this matter.

Sansa, Zestar, and Gingergold apples. These are quality early apples with a sweet-tart zest for living.

Fresh apple cider! Don’t wait til October to enjoy Orchard Ambrosia. Taste the changes each week as different seasonal apples are brought into the press. Simple foodie magic.

Donuts. Get them fresh—made from Orchard Ambrosia—on Saturday and Sunday 11ish to 4ish.

Still a babillion flowers to pick. Farmer Alice totally blew it up this year. Cut your own as you wander round.

Folks, we’re going shirtless. Won’t you scoop up the last of our t-shirt inventory? They’re stupid cute on kids and hand-drawn. Just 10 bucks a pop. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged apples, country life, crops, Food Art, Food Photography, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food | Leave a comment