Indian Creek Farm

Strawberries, Raspberries, and 100 Crops That Taste Like Rocks.

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

KIND OF SOGGY in farm town this week. Strawberries get squooshed if you pick them in the rain, but you’ll do okay if you pick them after a few hours of sun. The “get muddy” experience is free at Indian Creek, and a chance to test your Mucks or Wellies.

The strawberry crop is thin. But these sweeties were picked in the time it took to sing 2 lines of “We All Live in a Yellow Submarine.”

Raspberries! We hope that next week’s crop alert will sound the start of raspberry picking. They are “sugaring up” now.

Everything else is growing nicely. We planted more vegetables than ever before. Tomatoes are coming round, and it’s only June.

Eggplant will be coming out your ears this year. Start thinking about how you are going to use them: grilling, frying, pickling…

You will find a plethora of peppers. Hots and sweets. Poblanos, Italians, habaneros, jalapeños, green, red, you name it.

Everyone is asking when peaches will be ready to pick. Peaches are an August thing. Right now they taste like rocks.

Nectarines are the fuzzless cousins. They taste even more like rocks. Soon enough we will announce nectarine season.

Pears. They taste good in late August and early September. Right now they taste like, you guessed it, rocks.

You can see the apples are off to a great start. There are a few August varieties, followed by about 60 other types in high season!

Pumpkins are invisible in June. They taste like air. In a couple months they will taste like rocks. Then pumpkins in October.

Finally sprouts in November. All told you will find over 100 crops that ripen at different times. Stay with us as the fun gets funner in the coming weeks. You’ll start to see lots more action at the stand soon.

Farm Buzz

{ Side News. }

And now for a point of order: Please do not pick, or otherwise mess with, the soy beans in the big field next to us. It’s not ours.

And your farm trivia for the week: This invaluable contraption is called a “spinning jenny.” True story.

Last but not least, we have 2 freshly minted Doctors of Philosophy here at the farm. An economist and a Latinist. They will be giving free expert advice at the farm stand all summer. Come pick fruit and get schooled. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged apples, crops, Farm Life, Food Art, Food Writing, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food, small farm, strawberries, u-pick, vegetables | Leave a comment

Our Inspiring Underdog of a Strawberry Patch Has Outlasted the Spanish World Cup Team.

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

DEAR FARM FANS, these strawberry fields are not forever. They get picked clean before noon each day. Indeed the crop is thin, but it has lasted deeper into June than the reigning soccer champs, and lucky pickers have been surprised by the plucky berries’ pizzazz.

Taking cues from Neymar, Messi, and other world football stars, a few prominent berries are using their fame for good.

Just look beneath the leaves. You might run into a celebri-berry. There are 9,942 plants here. Bound to find a few.

We don’t want sad faces, so we are posting reality updates on Facebook, the chalkboards, and the phone: (607) 227-8248.

We recommend happy faces, because the rest of the crops look promising. Raspberries are next, in a few weeks.

Then peaches will arrive. Everybody cries when peach season is over, so save your tears til then, and be of good cheer meanwhile.

Vegetables should be a big deal this year. We went coo-coo and planted tons. When the tomato sign is level, the crops are ripe.

Apples are the biggest deal of all. Some are already blushing in anticipation of the love you will show them.

Farm Buzz

{ Side News. }

The lads are building a trellis. It will hold new raspberry plants for years. We use strawberries to measure the chainsaw cuts.

Maybe you are bummed about the strawberry crop. For consolation, we are offering all the weeds you can pick. Free.

If anyone left a comb, sorry, we are using it to rake the basil patch. Kinda weird, kinda perfect.

Everyone is weird and perfect in their own way. “FARMALL” means the farm is open to all.

Yes, everyone is welcome here. Even the green tomatoes are joining the movement. 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 Farms, strawberries | Leave a comment

Light Strawberry Picking Begins; Mornings Are Your Best Shot.

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

“The sun will come out tomorrow,” sang the apple-cheeked orphan diva. Great old song. But Ithacans have about as much faith in that promise as they do in Reaganomics. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow… it’ll be gray.

It has been a soggy week on the farm — not much sun to bring out the strawberries. But there ARE berries. A few anyway.

We’re trying to decide what message to post on the sign. There ARE berries, but the crop is light. Bitter winter packed a wallop.

What does that mean for you? Well, a diligent young lady came out Wednesday morning and picked 3 boxes like this.

It is simply not like last year, when so many of you were finding your thrill on strawberry hill. This year, it’s hit and miss.

Mornings are your best shot. Pick before everyone else! Best of all is after a sunny day. See Facebook for daily status.

Get boxes and brochures at the stand, then wander up to the berry patch with modest expectations.

At the very least you’ll get a sweeping vista of the squishy countryside. See the farm before it’s all spruced for summer.

Meanwhile, we’re setting up shop and posting signs… and cheering USA in the World Cup! (Impossible odds.)

Clearly this sign is not ready yet. That is NOT the road to the tomatoes. Do not believe everything you read.

But this IS a real peach! Although the strawberry crop is small, raspberries, peaches, and apples look pretty good.

We’re pruning the peach rows, finishing vegetables, and fixing stuff.

We have 3 baseball hats on this project. Guaranteed fix.

Finally, in dog news, Balto is almost rested from a busy winter. He was quite the publicity hound – featured on the official Twitter page of Purina.

That’s it for this week. Come hunt for berries. You might find a few. Or just hike around to start off the year. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

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

Are the Strawberries Chirping Yet? When Can You Pick Them?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

HELLO, FARM FANS. Happy June. Been busy this spring. Planted more vegetables than ever. You can pat us on the back. Thanks, that felt good. But we know you really want a report on the strawberries.

Picking is slated to open NEXT WEEK. It will be a SOFT LAUNCH and we will send a crop alert WHEN READY. (Get it by email.)

We are seeing lots of green ones. They look like this. Like strawberries without their summer makeup.

And today, June 5, we are starting to see red ones mixed in. Not tons and tons, but some.

But, the wicked cold winter put a hurting on the crop. The haul will be smaller than last year. So, stay tuned to the crop alerts… Don’t miss the berry train! Next week we’ll send out a crop alert email.

On the bright side, the apple crop seems to have wintered okay. Let’s get primed for a good season with this poem by a true sprout at Enfield Elementary, who submitted this to the I Heart NY Agriculture Contest.

“Indian Creek Farm”
by Reese Olivia Mount
Age 9

On a quiet countryside,
Where the sky is clear and blue,
The love of Mother Nature there,
Is very strong and true.

While the plants are swaying,
In the light summer breeze,
The apples are swaying on big apple trees.

The sun is shining so brightly,
And for so ever warm,
It seems like there never has been a single storm.

The place I am referring to,
The place I’ve talked about,
Is Indian Creek Farm,
Made of beauty, joy and sprouts.

Beauty, joy, and sprouts… Got tears yet? The poet reportedly enjoys digging for minerals, gems, and stones. She hopes to be a geologist someday. “Rock” on, Reese! Hope to see you all at The ‘Creek.

Posted in Crop Alerts & Farm Buzz | Tagged apples, country life, crops, Fruits and Vegetables, Local Food, Small Farms, strawberries | Leave a comment

Plant Your Own Backyard Orchard with Trees from Our Sister.

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

DID YOU KNOW that Indian Creek Farm has a sister? A sister business. Her name is Cummins Nursery. She is… us!

Wearing our Cummins Nursery hats, we grow the fruit trees that get planted here on the farm—and all around the country.

Each year, we ship thousands of baby fruit trees to enthusiasts nationwide. Big orchards and back yards, alike.

The 2014 shipping season has just about wrapped, but there are a few APPLE and PEAR trees left. Now is your chance!

Plant your own orchard with APPLE and PEAR trees grown here on the farm. Time to order and time to plant!

See our online inventory of APPLE and PEAR trees, then email us your wishlist at cumminsnursery@gmail.com.

But before you order, check out our SECRET STASH OF SMALL TREES in these 2 PDF files: APPLE PDF | PEAR PDF. These files list all the trees remaining as of May 7, 2014—including the smallest grade called 5/16. If all this tree mumbo-jumbo has you confused, call us at (607) 592-2801.

For about $20 per tree you can start a family tradition of caring for a fruit tree in your yard—and snacking year after year.

Trees can be shipped to you or picked up at Indian Creek by arrangement over the phone or email. You can also sign up for the Cummins Nursery newsletter. See the May 2014 newsletter here.

In other farm news, the stand will be closed for a few weeks as we prep the summer crops. Stay tuned and 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, Photos, small farm | Leave a comment

Last Call for Spring Cider and Apples, and a New Page for News.

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

FARM FANS, your loyal shopping over the winter allowed us to stretch the season longer than ever. The Cidermeister estimates that apples and cider will be sold out within 2 weeks. This is LAST CALLLLL!

You can tell things are wrapping up. We made our last delivery of Mutsus to our friends at Greenstar Coop this week.

And we pressed one last donation of cider for Loaves and Fishes. Being served with lunch for a few days.

You can still get fresh-pressed cider on sale here, just 5 bucks a gallon. When it’s gone… it’s gone til next apple harvest.

Same story with Rome Beauties. Load up on local apples at 50¢ a pound. Get 10 pounds and a gallon of cider for $10!

That will be all she wrote. The farm stand will be quiet for a month while we tend the berry patches. Strawberries in June!

Thanks for being locavores this winter and spring. We’ll send a quick note when everything is sold out. Meanwhile, visit our new web page, The News from The ‘Creek. It puts all the latest crop alerts in one place so you can check during the picking season. You can also stroll down memory lane to 2013, 2012, and 2011—every newsletter we ever sent! More web stuff coming soon. 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, small farm | Leave a comment

$3 Cider Jugs and Apples for 50¢ a Pound: More Spring Sale Stuff!

Posted on March 29, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

THIS IS LIKE one of those circulars you get in the mail with crazy prices that go BAM! Usually you toss them right into your kindling pile, but please have a look at this one. It is our 1st Annual Spring Cider & Apple Clearance Sale.

The deep discounts will amaze you this week. Mustus are just 50¢ per pound… Boo frickin’ yah! Available in prepacked totes.

Rome Beauties, same deal. That means 10 pounds for 5 bucks, 4 pounds for 2 bucks, you get the idea. Share with friends.

The Cidermeister is pressing again this morning. Stop by and see. Half-gallons are only $3, gallons are $5. Doggone cheap.

The ‘Meister has gone insane with price-slashing. Get your carboy filled for only $4 per gallon! Call (607) 793-3560.

Help us clear out for a new season. Berry time is round the corner! But who can make promises with this year’s nutso weather?

Speaking of cider love and wild weather, one of our biggest Ambrosia fans is going to march 2,000 miles to raise awareness of global climate change. Ithaca College student Faith Meckley is joining the Great March for Climate Action. Here’s her blog and fundraising site. Good luck, Faith, and thanks for supporting local food.

Meanwhile, the great northern beast called Zorro will be raising awareness of climate change by lolling about as much as possible. He is conserving energy. We are giving him extra free time for this noble endeavor. 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, small farm | Leave a comment

Big Spring Sale: 10 Pounds of Apples and a Gallon of Cider for $10!

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

IN CASE YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN what civilized weather looks like, this Crayola masterpiece by a local kid will jog your memory.

Doesn’t matter whether you are a good or bad apple—everyone is welcome at our SPRING CIDER & APPLE SALE. Starting now!

You can get MUTSU AND ROME BEAUTY apples for just 50¢ PER POUND while supplies last! Which won’t be long!

That means 10 POUNDS AND A GALLON OF CIDER for only $10! Cider is on sale for $5/gallon and $3/half.

HONEYCRISP is on sale, too! Grab 5-pound totes of utilities for $5. That’s a BUCK A POUND for you math-o-phobes.

Spring sale prices are in effect UNTIL WE ARE SOLD OUT. Don’t be late, or you gotta wait… a loooong time.

These are our LAST LOCAL APPLES. Help us clear out the coolers for the new season! Call ahead for carboys, (607) 793-3560.

Heartfelt thanks to the LOCAL KIDS of the 4-H Urban Outreach (“SIFE”) program at Belle Sherman Elementary School. And to all you farm fans after a wicked winter, 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, Small Farms | Leave a comment

Guess What, Chicken Butt! The Apple Show Must Go On.

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

WHILE YOU FARM FANS have been cozy in your winter hideouts, we farmers have been breaking showbiz records.

For the first time ever, we have kept the show going through February. And guess what—We’ll be open through March!

The show runs 7 days a week. Come inside and you will see the stars: Premium LOCAL APPLES and FRESH CIDER.

Let’s start with Honeycrisp, the current darling of the apple world. You can get 5# totes of utility-grade Honeycrisps for only $5.

Next we meet Spigold, the spritely cultivar that was released in 1962, the same year that Bob Dylan’s debut failed to make the charts.

The Holiday apple variety was introduced in 1964, just as The Beatles were invading America and wanting to hold your hand.

Mutsu is a perennial Indian Creek favorite. You can get 5 pounds for 5 bucks, then bake a pie, and deliver it warm to us.

Like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Sir Prize appeared in 1975. It is a cross between Golden Delicious and the suspiciously named PRI 14-152.

Rome Beauty is a pretty apple that goes all the way back to Ohio, 1816. Pretty much the high point of Ohio history.

The Orchard Social.

{ Face-bock-bock, etc. }

If even ONE of you visits the farm Facebook page and clicks “LIKE,” we will have 1000 likers. Ready… Go!

This is our most “liked” photo of the new year. It is called, Farm Dog: Profile View. Happy Winter and hope to woof 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, small farm | 2 Comments

$50 Booty, 50 Years Fruity, and the Story of Two Appleseeds.

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Indian Creek Farm

SINCE THE 1890s, fruit breeders up in Geneva, New York, have been tirelessly studying apples. These days, Cornell scientists there operate the most extensive apple-breeding program in North America.

The science has exploded over the years, but the geniuses of Geneva have always maintained order: each seed and sapling has been carefully accounted for.

Except one. One special appleseed—let’s call him “Stephen”—came on the scene 50 years ago this week, promising to be the pride of Geneva’s orchards.

He was a good specimen, mechanically sound, but in the haze of the 80s, Stephen Appleseed was plucked up in a finch’s beak and carried off the compound.

He bounced hither and thither until taking root, as luck would have it, right here at Indian Creek Farm… where he has blossomed into a real apple of a farmer.

He has even achieved some modest fame along the way. You can find his name on page 63 of Frank Browning’s fascinating book, Apples.

And very soon, in celebration of Farmer Stephen’s 50th birthday, we will award $50 in gift certificates for the best poems about Indian Creek Farm. Write about the fruit, the dogs, the chickens, whatever you want. Rhyme or don’t rhyme! Send your pieces to indiancreekit@gmail.com by Friday, February 14.

All ages welcome. The top three contestants will win gift certificates worth $25, $15, and $10, respectively, which can be redeemed for fresh food at the farm this coming season. And your work will be read by thousands of people who get our crop alerts!

The Buzz Don’t Stop There.

{ Owen Appleseed. }

And now for the story of another appleseed. Let’s call him “Owen.” You’ve probably seen him around The ‘Creek. Or at least you’ve seen his beard.

There comes a time in every appleseed’s life when he must decide, “Do I want to toil out here in the country, or do I want to SERVE my country?”

“Do I play the Navy SEAL game on X-Box, or do I just go FRICKIN’ TRY OUT FOR THE UNITED STATES NAVY SEALs?”

That’s right, our Owen Appleseed is leaving the farm. The young feller who brought us the wonderful phrase “crap-ton”—the only bad word we ever heard him say—is going for extreme training in sailor talk.

We will miss Owen Appleseed and we thank him for his hardworking and easygoing manner. We sing “Anchors Aweigh” and bid him fair winds and following seas.

What’s Fresh?

{ Orchard Ambrosia. }

We are still open daily with fresh-pressed cider and 10+ varieties of premium apples. The cider is unpasteurized and contains no junk—just apples and pears. Cold-filtered on a cold-ass day. Hope to see you at The ‘Creek.

(Pictured in the very top photo: Dr. James Cummins, dad of Stephen Appleseed and grandfather of Owen Appleseed, at the Cornell University Geneva Experiment Station back in the day. You can read more Indian Creek family kind of stuff by scrolling down on our About page.)

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

Indian Creek Farm

Strawberries, Raspberries, and 100 Crops That Taste Like Rocks.

Farm Buzz

{ Side News. }

Our Inspiring Underdog of a Strawberry Patch Has Outlasted the Spanish World Cup Team.

Farm Buzz

{ Side News. }

Light Strawberry Picking Begins; Mornings Are Your Best Shot.

Are the Strawberries Chirping Yet? When Can You Pick Them?

Plant Your Own Backyard Orchard with Trees from Our Sister.

Last Call for Spring Cider and Apples, and a New Page for News.

$3 Cider Jugs and Apples for 50¢ a Pound: More Spring Sale Stuff!

Big Spring Sale: 10 Pounds of Apples and a Gallon of Cider for $10!

Guess What, Chicken Butt! The Apple Show Must Go On.

The Orchard Social.

{ Face-bock-bock, etc. }

$50 Booty, 50 Years Fruity, and the Story of Two Appleseeds.

The Buzz Don’t Stop There.

{ Owen Appleseed. }

What’s Fresh?

{ Orchard Ambrosia. }

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