Crop Mob Approaching!!!

Remember to sign up for the APRIL 28th Crop Mob 

(9-12am with lunch- FREE) and/or the Nathaniel Whitmore medicinal and edible plant walk (2-4pm cost is $25)

Crop Mob 2018

Crop Mob

• Crop Mob is a half-day of volunteer work on the farm followed by lunch supplied by Junto Restaurant.
• There are two dates to sign up and participate: 
• March 31st and April 28th 2018 
• 9:00am – 12:00pm
• Sign-up for one or both via email to: siwveggies@gmail.com
• All ages are welcome! 
• No rain dates

Dear Friends and Veggie Lovers

Friends and Veggie Lovers,

     2017 was a year to remember in a lot of ways. We had a hundred year flood (the second in twelve years), corn and tomatoes until Oct 30th and some exciting new products. However, we made some changes at the end of the year and in early 2018 we hope will improve your experience at SIW. Farming vegetables on a small scale(<50 acres) continues to be a challenge. We continue to grow our barn dinners to compliment our efforts and vertically integrate some of our products.

     In mid July we had 8.5 inches of rain that knocked our stone wall out on to Creek Road in one 100+ft piece. We had to break the wall into pieces to push it off the road. We will be building it back in some fashion to allow for water to pass through while maintaining the look my Grandfather created.

     The growing season was pretty typical with too much of this and not enough of that. Tomatoes were a challenge, corn held on until the end of the season with the warmest October in forever. It was a banner year for figs as the warm weather late in the year extended the season nicely. We picked figs on November 2nd! I’m not sure how they will survive the brutal cold we had in January. Also, we added the much sought after rice to our list of things to try with huge success. We harvested 3 varieties and over 20 pounds!! Everyone who has tried it (3 people) say it is very good indeed. This coming year we will up our acreage (to 1/10 of an acre) and hope to provide a little to our CSA members and the general population. I would say it was an above average season taking all 50+crops into account.

     As previously mentioned, small scale farming continues to be a challenge. One of the many factors is providing products at prices that we cannot compete with. We hope the quality you can get from us sets us apart and is worth it to you. We know we pick our stuff fresher AND riper than most. With the added costs of handling such perishable items as a result of our attention to flavor and nutrition our prices are higher. If you think they are too high, pay what you think is fair.

     You will see new faces at our produce stand as some of our employees have moved on to greener pastures. Please use these people to ask questions about whatever you want, they are there to serve you. If you cannot get the answer you desire feel free to call me at any time (610-715-7688).

     Our barn dinners are going to continue to add to the whole farm experience and we have added some new chefs from far and wide to mix it up a little. We are expanding the usable space (a mega-spring cleaning) to provide for more guests. We will spruce it up a little to bring it in to the next century.

     Our CSA and SIW bucks programs will be the same as before. Our CSA is $725 for a full share and $375 for a half share. With SIW Bucks you pay $400 and get instant credit for $440. Then you just work against that until you are out and then do it again and again and again…….


Any questions call or email me.

Thank you for supporting us,

HG

Email: siwveggies@gmail.com
Phone: 610-715-7688

Isn't the snow wonderfull? All of the background on the blog is snow. That is how hard it was snowing on March 7th 2018!

The Time is Near!!!

Our corn will be here by late June at the stand!

BICOLOR and WHITE!!!!

CSA example Week #6 2018

Field to Fork Dinners are starting to fill up.

Come to the Stand After we open, mail a check purchase tix Online at siwvegetables@blogspot.com and sav-or your spot now!

($75.00pp due at the time of reservation- check or cash, Credit card purchases are available on line but there is a 4% convenience fee)

The Moment You Have All Been Waiting For.....

Ready Tomorrow (Saturday, July 1)

We Hope to see everyone there!

Huge Success!

We had a great time this weekend with wonderful people!

Huge thank you to everyone who came out!!

Teamwork makes the dreamwork! 

Gotta love farming!

Successful Crop Mob!!

We had an excellent group of people come out and help us prepare for the fast approaching season

We prepared the high tunnel by laying down compost to get ready to plant tomatoes!

Once the work was done, we sat down for lunch outside of the barn and had wonderful conversations under the blue skies.

Exciting Progressions in the Greenhouse!

14 varieties of bell and hot peppers. Will become 55 flats many for the Wilmington flower market

As of today: The additions to the greenhouse are 2800 tomatoes for second planting. Sunflowers. First basil. Profusion zinnias for the stand. About 130 flats at this point

Things are rolling in!

The weather has been lovely and this means the crops are bursting and coming along nicely. HG and the crew are busy tending the fields and checking on the progress of each and every crop. It looks like this week we'll have more great things on the farm stand so keep your eyes peeled for cucumbers, squash and green beans.

These beautiful snow peas are part of the CSA share this week

The share this week is pretty well rounded. You'll get some delicious fresh veggies and beautiful sunflowers to get you through the week!

CSA Week 1 Contents

We also have Styer's Peonies at the stand. You don't want to miss these beauties so stop by and grab some while we still have them!

Styer's Peonies

We're crossing our fingers for green beans to come in sooner, they're about a week from being ready to harvest. The blackberries are close, so close we can already taste them! Blackberries have a short season around here, usually lasting 5-6 weeks. Since it's a short burst, one of our favorite things to do (aside from eating blackberries fresh) is make blackberry jam! One of the easiest recipes to follow is Marissa at Food in Jars recipe for Blackberry Jam.

Blackberry Jam | Food in Jars

Don't forget to check the events calendar for upcoming events on the farm. We have the Farm Tour on June 16th, our Wild Edibles Walk on June 23rd and the Field to Fork Dinners are fast approaching. We hope to see you at the farm stand!

We're officially open for the season!

The crops on the farm are coming along slowly but surely. A few things are a little behind from the late cold, 2 week stretch of rain and then the crazy burst of heat. The weather seems to be balancing out now so we are well on our way.

Tomatoes have some good size, just waiting on them to ripen!

View of the tomatoes staked in the field

We have a lot of growth and green in the fields. We're patiently awaiting everything to ripen to be harvested. HG and the crew haven't harvested much just yet. CSA members please be patient, the good stuff is coming! This week we have garlic scapes.

Squash in the fields! A few more DAYS and it'll be the perfect size for picking!

A peek at the corn!

June begins a lot of happenings on the farm! We have the Farm Tour, Wild Edibles Walk, and then the Field to Fork Dinners begin in July! We're extremely excited to see everyone this summer!!

A scare with the cold...

An unexpected cold snap in May!

Last night called for frost and that put everyone on edge at the farm. So many varieties of vegetables have been planted in the fields already this season. HG and the team have planted tomatoes, eggplant, peas, squash, green beans and corn in the fields thus far this season.

Young pea plants in the field

A frost could mean significant lose due to frost damage. It doesn't take much cold to kill a plant depending on it's hardiness. Most of the early vegetables that we've planted aren't hardy plants. They're also still young so don't have much strength to fight against the cold. It isn't so much the cold temperatures but frost that causes the most irreversible damage. Frost is actually what can damage the plants. A light frost, like we had last night, doesn't cause as much detrimental damage as a hard frost. HG and the team took to protecting the precious vegetables in the fields. Last night they were out covering the crops with row cover to help insulate and keep the plants warmer then the outside air temp. A few degrees could make or break the harvest potential of the crops. The row cover helps keep the temperature up a few degrees to protect the plants.

Row covers on the plants in the field to protect them

Since we're talking about all these delicious vegetables, we might as well mention the CSA as well. We are still accepting enrollments in the CSA until June 1st! The CSA is a great way to plan your meals around the surprises in your share of the week. Email us at siwveggies@gmail.com for more information!

Tomato plants with blossoms

23 days...

We're getting closer and closer to opening day and we couldn't be more excited!

Opening Day is June 1st!

Opening day is June 1st and we're well on our way getting things ready around the farm. The greenhouse has been busy and bursting at the seams (see those updates here and here).

Tomatoes that were started in the greenhouse

Some of our favorite veggies are in the fields and coming along nicely. We can't wait to taste those delicious tomatoes, have a fresh ear of corn or enjoy some delicious peas! We're so excited we're already contemplating our summer dinner menus.

Peas in the field with morning dew glistening in the sun

With opening day fast approaching, we're getting excited about all the upcoming events on the farm. Don't forget to check the calendar for our Field to Fork Dinners. We also have the Annual Farm Tour coming up on June 16th. Don't forget we also are hosting a Wild Edibles Walk with Nathaniel Whitmore, you can read more about that here.

What are you excited for this summer?

That's a wrap!

We wrapped up our second Crop Mob of the 2016 season on Saturday, April 30. We weren't sure of the weather at the the start of the morning but the sun came out and warmed us up. It turned out to be a wonderful day!

Volunteers arrive for a morning of helping at SIW!

A few tasks were added to the to do list of the day. The volunteers were split into groups and sent on their way into the fields. The first task on the list was to clean up the raspberries! The raspberry canes were trimmed and all the leftover debris needed to be removed from the rows of canes. Did you know that a raspberry plant is called a cane? 

Removing trimmings and debris from the raspberries

Another group of volunteers were sent over to the corn that had previously been planted in the field. The corn has been in the ground for a bit now. You can see the corn under it's big blanket on our Instagram feed when it was first planted. Good news, the blanket did it's job! The corn sprouted and began touching the "blanket". This means the hoops needed to be added to the rows to lift the row cover off the crops. The corn is still young yet so still needs the protection of the row cover. The volunteers did a great job of adding the hoops and recovering the corn!

The hoops are in and the cover goes back on the corn!

The last task on the list of the morning was to plant more sweet onions! The sweet onions have been in the ground for a few weeks now. Sometimes the seedlings don't take and need to be replanted. The volunteers went down the rows of onions looking for any empty holes to place a new seedling. 

Planting more Candy Onions

The tasks of the morning definitely give us an appreciation for the hard work that goes into providing the food for our tables! The tasks were completed just in time for lunch! We gathered for a group photo and then dived into a delicious lunch made by Talula's Table! A HUGE thank you to the Delaware Center for Horticulture and the volunteers that helped us!

It's almost time!

The warmer temperatures are reminding us that it's getting close to opening day!

There's been a lot happening on the farm in the last couple weeks. Fingers crossed we won't have any sudden cold snaps like we did with the freak snow day a little while back. The green house is bursting with growth, which means things are starting to be transplanted into the fields. 

Tomatoes being transplanted into the field

Another exciting happening is the first sweet corn has been planted in the fields! We all LOVE HG's sweet corn. This is a good sign that the stand will be opening soon. The corn has been planted and covered with what looks like a large blanket, and in theory, it is just that! This large cover helps heat the soil which aids in germination and emergence of the corn.

First Sweet Corn of the season in the fields

All this talk of tomatoes and sweet corn is making us ready for summer! The stand will open on June 1st! We also have a few events on the calendar for everyone to check out.  The Field to Fork dinners have been announced and we can't wait! We also have a volunteer opportunity on Saturday, April 30th for our Crop Mob with the DCH. If you'd like to volunteer, email us at siwveggies@gmail.com no later then Wednesday, April 27th to let us know.

Dr. Martin Lima Bean Succotash | 2015 Field to Fork Dinner

We're excited to get the 2016 season rolling and share all the delicious fruits and vegetables with you and your families!

Snow in April?!

The "onion snow" came and went...

The whacky weather over the past week has been interesting. A late snow like we got on this past Saturday can be known as an "onion snow". This is a term specific to Pennsylvania originating from the Pennsylvania Dutch. It refers to snowfall that occurs after the spring onions have been planted, and comes right as they are sprouting. 

(Snow covered Barn)

The forecast for this week is looking much better with lots of sunshine, warmer temps and some rain. We're going to keep trucking along with production in the greenhouse and hope the warm weather sticks around. 

(Seedlings in greenhouse)

We have a few exciting things coming up for SIW. Our next Crop Mob with the Delaware Center for Horticulture is on April 30th. If you're interested in joining the fun please email siwveggies@gmail.com. Once the work is done, we'll have lunch from Talula's Table! The dates for our Field to Fork dinners have been posted. You can find the dates, chefs, chefs and pricing here. We're also extremely excited that we're inching closer to opening day on June 1st as well as our annual Farm Tour on June 16th! If you would like to attend any of the upcoming SIW event's please email us at siwveggies@gmail.com. 

(Fields of SIW at Spring)

One last note, we still are taking sign ups for our CSA. If you are interested please email us at siwveggies@gmail.com. Enrollment will be open for a short time longer so don't miss out!

Garlic, Onions, Sweet Corn & Crop Mob?

Spring is upon us at the Farm...

Although, the first day of Spring brought us some rain and cooler temps (even some snowflakes!) we're seeing green on the farm. The birds are chirping, the resident farm cats are on the prowl, and the fields are being prepped for the upcoming season.

The garlic that was planted in November is beginning to sprout and is well on its way. Although, it still has a while to go before it'll be harvested. Things are moving right along; peas will be planted this week, onions will go in soon and in the next three weeks the first sweet corn will be planted.

We're gearing up for our first Crop Mob of the season. SIW will be holding its 6th annual Crop Mob with the Delaware Center for Horticulture on March 26th and April 30th from 9-12 am . This is a chance for participants to learn about some of the processes on the farm such as; "why onions are grown in plastic". Once the "work" is complete we all enjoy lunch from Talula's Table in Kennett Square. It has been a huge success in past years so we are excited to get to work this year! Spots fill up fast, if you are interested in helping us out on March 26th please email us at siwveggies@gmail.com no later then Wednesday, March 23rd, this will guarantee you get a delicious lunch!

Spring is on the way!

With the warm weather we are having this week we've seen a lot of growth in the greenhouse...

The tomatoes are coming along well in the greenhouse. In just a few short weeks they'll be moved outside next to the greenhouse to go through a process that is called hardening off. The process of hardening off is to prepare plants that have been started indoors (the greenhouse) for the change in environmental conditions they will encounter when permanently moved outdoors. This strengthens the plants to be able to withstand any dips in temperature since we are having some pretty unpredictable weather these last couple days. 

Soon enough the greenhouse will be full of trays of tomato seedlings that will be transplanted outside to begin producing those HG tomatoes we all love! Stay tuned to see how they're progressing.

In fact HG is in the high tunnel preparing for the tomatoes right now...

The first glimmers of what’s to come…

We are just seeing the first tomato sprouts poke their heads up from the soil. You know all those HG tomatoes everyone loves? Well this is the beginning sign of them. This is where the magic starts to happen! We grow over 100 varieties throughout the summer here at SIW.

The tomatoes journey is well on its way. In a few short weeks they’ll begin to look like the tomato plants we all recognize. We will keep you updated on their progress here on the blog so you can see what we’re up to on the farm. Soon it will look like a green forest of tomato plants in the greenhouse. We’ll let you know where the tomatoes are headed after their time in the greenhouse so be sure to check back.

This is an exciting time around the farm because it signifies the start of the growing season for us. New life is emerging and that means spring is right around the corner!

And the Year is on...........

2016

The days were cold and nights were long,

But now the days have come along,

To bear the warmth to make things grow,

And here's our story for all to know.......

The weather is still cold with bursts of warm air here and there but we still have the lingering chance of snow. The farm may seem sleepy from the outside but the fun is just beginning for us. 

The greenhouse is where it all starts, literally.   Jamie has begun the very first seeds to go in soil, tomatoes. Right now the seeds have been carefully placed in soil in trays.  Each variety has been labeled with care and watered thoroughly.  The seeds like to be kept between 75-80° at this stage in order to germinate.  As soon as seeds begin germinating and stems start to show above the soil, it's critical to provide a strong light source once germination begins. The greenhouse does just that!

In order for the greenhouse to provide the proper shelter and environment for the seeds some care needs to be taken. Ernesto and Dan are hard at work replacing the plastic on the greenhouse. All of the plastic including the flooring is carefully removed revealing the frame of the greenhouse. 

They then begin lying the new flooring and move to covering the outside frame. This process is completed every 3-5 years. The plastic breaks down over time and can develop tears, holes, and weak spots, which let in the outside elements. New plastic will allow more control to provide the best chance for successful seedlings. 

Ernesto, Dan and Jamie are getting the greenhouse in tiptop shape for the upcoming growing season. They even have some help from the resident farm cats…  

Stay tuned to see the progression of the seedlings and what else is in the works...