Field Notes:
We know it is peak summer on the College Farm when we have sweat literally dripping down our faces, even while working in the shade. When the humidity and temperature are up, the crops and livestock don’t wait for the cooler weather, so we keep plugging away. Staying hydrated, wearing hats and light clothing, and after-work trips to the swimming hole are our chosen survival strategies. Watermelon breaks are another favorite. Lucky for us, the farm produced a bumper crop of these tasty fruits this season. Somehow they are cool inside even when harvested from the hot field, but after a few days in refrigeration they become extra refreshing. When wearing farm work clothes - which are naturally a bit stained - there is nothing to fear when one dives face first into a thick dripping slice of sweet red melon. Even Baya the farm dog is on the program. She will patiently hang around whenever a watermelon is cracked open, waiting to be hand-fed cool morsels of flavorful fruit. We hope you are enjoying plenty of watermelon and cantaloupe in your CSA shares. If you desire more please just ask, as packing house manager Jenn Wolf will be more than happy to load you up with extras! Besides eating them by the slice, I also enjoy packing cubes of watermelon, cantaloupe and cucumber on bamboo skewers, then sprinkling them with salt, chili powder and fresh lime juice – it’s a great combo I learned in Mexico. Or make watermelon limeade: puree watermelon cubes (seeds and all, no rind) in your blender, strain into a pitcher, and add lime juice (about two limes per 4 cups melon) and sugar or simple syrup to taste – serve over ice!
Other summer milestones are also upon us. The farm walk-in coolers are packed to the ceiling with red and yellow peppers, potatoes, and an ever-rotating array of cucumbers, beets, carrots, sweet corn and more. The upper barn is loaded with curing garlic, and the packing house is full of tomatoes that must be sorted and distributed to you, sold to the cafeteria, or made into sauce before they go to mush. Now would be a great time to put up some tomato products in jars or freezer bags – if interested just talk to one of the Jenns.
The cattle and sheep are getting fat on lush pastures and we are watching lambs and calves grow from babyhood into young, hungry stock. Sometimes these hungry stock aren’t willing to wait for us to move them to new paddocks and so take matters into their own hooves, like Friday morning when all 80 of our sheep took a self guided tour around the vegetable farm. Luckily they were mostly just passing through and left your CSA crops intact! If you would like to eat some of this (very) free range animal protein, we have plenty of delicious beef and mutton for sale, as well as a few nice cuts of lamb, with much more to come this fall. You can buy these retail at the farm CSA pickup, or online through http://blogs.dickinson.edu/farm/meatsales.
We wrapped up last week with our CSA summer picnic. We were thrilled that so many members and families came out to enjoy a rare cool August evening at the farm. Jenn Halpin, Henry and I grilled up some mouth-watering veggies and mutton, paired with a big salad and bowls of cut melons prepped by the masterful knife of Jenn Wolf. Several members brought wonderful contributions to the potluck supper to round out the meal. The evening started with short farm tours led by our students farmers and wrapped up with a fun round of farm Olympics for kids of all ages. From tug-of-war to a hands-free melon eating contest and culminating in a brutal farm-themed obstacle course relay there were smiles all around.
Thanks for reading and for being a part of our farm! We hope you stay cool and enjoy the magical bounty of late summer.
Cheers,
Matt Steiman
Announcements:
Now Taking Reservations for Our GATHER Dinner on September 21st!
We are excited to share with you our line-up of talented chefs for the upcoming fall semester. We hope that you will consider joining farm staff and students for a unique dining experience that highlights regional ingredients and local culinary talent.
Our first dinner of the fall season will take place on Saturday, September 21st in the Stern Center Great Room on campus with Scott Robinson, Executive Chef of the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs.
To learn more about GATHER and Chef Robinson plus the September menu and to make a reservation please click here.
Bulk TOMATOES, Beets, Cucumbers and More For Sale!
Bargain-basement pricing for orders over 10 lbs. Please contact Jenn Halpin for more details and to place an order (halpinj@dickinson.edu).
Pick-Your-Own Flowers Are STILL in Season!
We invite you to peruse our cut flower garden located adjacent to the main parking area at the farm. Enjoy!
