We now are accepting PAY PAL....

Pay for your produce subscriptions
or buy a gift certificate through Pay Pal
from our website.

Free CD.....

Call us or contact us by e-mail to receive your free copy of this CD on nutrient dense foods. We will be using the High Brix method this season.

Gift Certificates now available.....

We are happy to announce that we now have gift certificates available for both the greenhouse and our produce subscriptions! What a better Christmas gift then to give the gift of homegrown vegetables or a hanging basket, container or flats of flowers or vegetable transplants for your gardening friends or family. It is a gift that will continue to give all summer.

Call me at 440-669-4013 for more details.

Paw Paw, Peaches and Mulberrys...Oh My!

Sunday turned out to be the perfect day to get our new fruit trees planted. Don't worry Cheryl I've found Ohio hardy Figs!!! They should ship in March for spring planting.

Thanks to all our shareholders in 2009....

It's sad to see the season end. We have missed our weekly visits with our shareholders. It's been a great season, minus a few weather problems but that's farming. We loved being your farmers and watching you dig into your boxes, like one shareholder said it was like Christmas every week. We are already looking forward to next years season. We are buzy pulling the plants from the field, spreading compost, picking newly emerged rocks from the field, planting cover crops, weeding the brambles and getting the greenhouses ready for winter production. Judy and I are attending seminars for growers during the winter months to learn all that we can learn to be better growers. Seed catalogs are already starting to arrive. We will be posting information joining for the 2010 season both on the website and our blog shortly. We have decided to add a limited amount of new shares for the next season. If anyone knows of anyone that would like to join please have them contact us as soon as possible, for we have already filled half on the spots that we have opened up. We are excited to announce that we will be adding HONEY to our CSA offerings in 2010 at no extra cost to our shareholders. We are also looking into adding eggs. That will bring back allot of memories.....for that was one of my jobs growing up feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs!
We are also thinking about having a Spring Blessings of the Fields.
Thanks to all of you for returning your surveys, they will help us serve you better in the coming season.

Adding composted manure to the field for winter....

Thanks Elton for all the cow manure for our fields! It should add alot of organic matter to the field after sitting there for the winter.

Learning the ropes...

Judy and I just got back from our seminars on growing fruits and berries in Columbus. It was a great learning tool along with meeting alot of new growers from Ohio.

John getting the field ready to plant cover crop...

The veggies are just about done. Carrots, spinach, kholarbi, Swiss Chard, Cauliflower, Kale and Broccoli are still out there.

Who's making Judy a cake today?

Don't try counting the candles! Earl where are you? For those who don't know this birthday girl....aka the "Judy Doll" on her birthday last year!

Happy Birthday Judy.....

Happy birthday sister....thank you for all your devotion and hard work on the farm and markets this summer....could not of done it without you!

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The Bee's are here......

We have added bees to the field for better pollination of the crops in the spring. We will also have natural honey for sale and shares also. Thanks to Richards Bee Products of Solon, Ohio.

Aunt Judy has a new helper....

Kaylee is learning to help pack the CSA boxes early Sunday morning.

Midnight Express arrived last night......

When Matt heard that the pond was drying up and we were unable to water the field crops he took matters into his own hands....and responded by bringing us 15,000 gallons of water!

Thanks again Matt for filling the ponds!

Recipe for Sweet and Sour Wilted Cabbage Slaw

This recipe comes from CSA subscriber Joan Thompson. Thank you!

1 ½ cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 ½ cups finely shredded red cabbage
1 small carrot, finely shredded
½ small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon celery seed, crushed

In a small bowl, stir together vinegar, sugar, and celery seed until sugar dissolves. In a large non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking oil, sauté onion until softened. Add cabbage and carrot and cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until just tender. Add vinegar mixture and salt and pepper to taste.

From the Eating for IBS cookbook by
Heather Van Vorous

Shareholder's boxes waiting to picked up....

Peppers, cukes, tomato's, tomatillos, cabbage, sweet corn, squash and french zucchini are all included in today's pick-up.

Enjoying my annuals from Rock Valley Run

Look at this basket! Unbelievable! All of the flowers are still so beautiful, especially the non-stop begonias! My 10" impatiens baskets is huge too. Never have seen such beautiful flowers!

Great job Dave!

Dave having almost 20 years working in the tree falling business was a big plus for us on Sunday.....he was able to put the two locust trees down in his prepicked target spot perfectly! I guess I don't have to worry about them falling on the barn anymore!

Thanks again Dave to a job well done!

Recipes from CSA Subscriber Cheryl Torsney

Thanks Cheryl!
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Borscht (Russian Beet Soup)

What to do with beets and cabbage? Can't beat the national soup of Russia. (I grew up on it.)

Start with a beef broth: can be from a can or using beef bones so you have some nice leftovers for the canine children. (Remove the marrow after boiling and before giving them to the pups; otherwise, the bones are way too rich for their digestive systems.)

Add 1 chopped onion. A cup or so of shredded cabbage. Four cooked beets, julienned. (You can probably throw in chopped beet greens, too, but I'd already used mine in a stir-fry.) A tsp. or so of lemon juice. (I also added grated lemon zest.) A tsp. of sugar. Bring to a boil. Simmer for five minutes. Adjust seasonings by adding salt and pepper.

Beet and cabbage borscht may be eaten hot or cold. I recommend the latter, especially on a summer day, served with a dollop of sour cream. (In winter, you can add some previously cooked stew beef.)

As you can see, my recipes aren't very exact. Folks should adjust for their own tastes.


Pesto
Pesto is a summer wonder, to be eaten on pasta, as a spread on a hearty bread (sourdough, wheat, French country -- that kind of thing). You can also put it in an omelet. Use your imagination..

Take a few handfuls of clean basil. (Pull the leafs off the woody stems.) Put 'em into a food processor and process. Add cloves of garlic to your taste. (We like garlic. I add four.) You can also add chopped garlic scapes at this point if you've got 'em fresh. Add olive oil as the basil and garlic are processing. (Sorry, I don't measure very well. It might be a third of a cup or a bit more.) Then I add two handfuls of shelled pumpkin seeds (1/2-3/4 of a cup?) sometimes called pepitos (available at natural food stores). They're WAY less expensive than pine nuts, which is what traditional pesto recipes call for. At this point I might add more olive oil, depending on the consistency. Process until mixed well. Then grate fresh parmegiano-regiano and romano-pecorino. About a 1/2 c. each. Add to the basil-garlic-oil-pumpkin seed mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you're low on basil, you can add some parsley.

We serve it over pasta, either alone or with a red sauce.

This mixture freezes well. In the depths of winter, it becomes a memory of summers past and a promise of summer to come.
 

This week's veggie pickup includes...

7/16/09
Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bunching onions, snap peas, kale, garlic, parsley, and some cherry tomatoes!



Here's a great traditional cole slaw recipe that will keep for one week in the fridge:

Harvey House Slaw
What could be more perfect than a head of cabbage chopped into a nice summer slaw! Refreshing on a hot summer's day! This cold recipe will pair well with any main meal, or any fresh raw veggie!

* 1 large head of cabbage
* 2 large onions
* 2 carrots
* 1 green pepper
* 2 teaspoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon celery seed
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup white vinegar
* 3/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil

Directions

1. Shred cabbage, onion, pepper and carrots; mix well.
2. Layer cabbage mixture, sprinkling each layer with sugar in 13x9-inch glass dish.
3. Mix celery seed, dry mustard, salt, vinegar, and oil in sauce pan.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Pour over cabbage mixture.
6. Refrigerate for a day, stirring occasionally.


Scalloped Cabbage (Joy of Cooking)
Love those scalloped potatoes? Then you'll love this creamy cabbage dish!

Preheat oven to 375

Chop then cook:
1 Med size head of cabbage

Drain it well, prepare cream sauce.

Cream sauce:
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup liquid (chicken broth works well)

2 Tbsp. chopped green pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped pimento (optional)
6 slices bacon (saute & mince)
2 Tbsp butter or bacon fat
1/2 C. bread crumbs
1 C. grated cheese

Brown breadcrumbs in the butter or bacon fat. In a greased casserole dish, layer cabbage, bacon, peppers and add cheese in between. Top dish with sauteed bread crumbs. Bake for 10 mins to melt cheese.

Setting up the market.....

Judy is setting up last Saturday morning at Geauga Fresh Farm Market. Next week she will have perennials along with produce, annuals, herbs and succulents.

Pick-up day.....

Our shareholders are great....they all brought back their wax boxes for recycling for next week's pick-up. Things are going great with the produce. Aunt Judy even got John to help sort and pack this morning along with running the veggies up to the barn so I could keep cutting them.

Tremont Farm Market

Nicole is learning the ropes of selling at the farm markets with me. She is our new helper here at the farm from Geauga Youth L.E.A.D. Good job Nicole!

Thanks Aunt Judy....

Sister Judy has been instrumental in getting Rock Valley Run off and running. Thanks for taking care of getting all the signs ordered and up along the highways to direct people to the farm. Numerous people have said that is how they found us!

All Natural Affair pic's

We want to thank all our speakers and participants at the Open House. The response from the community was great and we appreciate their support to our new CSA Farm and greenhouse.

Crops are ready for pick-up....

The kale is ready for cutting...the herb garden is filling up!

Ready for opening day.....

Opening day went great! The response from the community for the CSA was beyond what we expected. They made us feel that all our hard work has been worth it! I want to thank all those that attended and all those that helped in getting us where we are.

Two peas in a pod.....

no it's two sisters in a field! Peg home from Florida just roped into planting. Judy is fast becoming a master planter and supervisor. Don't know what I would do without her! Thanks sisters!

A big thanks to Ross.....

for letting us borrow his mulch layer. I don't know what we would have done without it!

Where's Pooper when you need him.....

Pooper must have been sleeping this morning....
a pair of geese are making themselves at home on the pond.
I can't believe Pooper didn't chase them off.
I think I'm firing him as the farm dog!

Birdhouses by "Cullen"....

Aren't these the best! I think they are going to be a big hit with the customers. Thanks again Cullen! Great Job!

Great job Brian

leveling the soil around the pond and fields.

The pond is 90% full........

in just 5 days the natural spring has filled the pond....better get the overflow finished today!

Our crops will be irrigated with natural spring fed water....a big plus for the veggies!

Moving the stumps.....

The guys moved all the stumps from the pine grove to make way for a pond....we are going to catch the natural spring water we ran into to irrigate the crops.

Conner taste testing....

the potting soil....I don't think he was impressed with it!

Cold frame is up and running.....

Cliff is reshaping the driveway to have access to the fields

Trenching the field.....

Cliff broke into a natural spring while digging the trench to drain the the low spots in the field.

Cullen & his "SON" .....

hard at work leveling the field.

Joey supervising Uncle Cliff

Joey is making sure he is doing everything up to his specifications on building the roads through the vegetable fields.

What do you think they are discussing....

while transplanting? Looks like something pretty serious!

With a little help from our friends.....

alot of transplanting got done. Rachel & Jessica helping plant the plugs.

Kaylee learning the ropes......

She had a ball helping Mom fill flats.....

The Greenhouse Fairies were here

while I was at work on Saturday...or should I say the mud fairies! Matt and crew got most the trees down and Uncle Cliff made sure the frame got up.

Thanks to all that helped!

The first tree is down....

John started to drop the trees tonight to get ready for Cullen and his "son" to level the spot for the new cold frame.