Farm Happenings for June 26, 2020

Welcome to the Cherry Valley Organics Farm Share season!

For our biweekly and every four week members who may just be joining us for the first time this week, you will want to check out the Farm Happenings from prior weeks to stay in the loop on all of the activity going on at the farm!

New this Week: Barese Swiss Chard, Sage, and Summer Squash!

This Week at the Farm:

Last week, our farm had "San Diego-like" weather. It was cool in the mornings, and warm, but not humid, in the afternoons. Perfect weather for outdoor work! Except for one thing...rain. The storms missed us at the end of last week so now we'll need everyone to start doing a little rain dance for us. It's getting pretty dry out there! Luckily, there is some rain in the forecast for this coming week.

Overall, the crops continue to do well. The sugar snap peas are at their peak. Get them while you can since the peas will be over for the year in just a few short weeks. Pea season is never as long as we would like! We did get all of the rest of our field peppers, ground cherries, and the next round of lettuces in last week. We're excited to plant our first crop ever of sweet potatoes this coming week!

New Crop Introduction:

This week, we introduce you to Barese Swiss chard. This cute little chard looks more like bok choy than actual Swiss chard. It has dark green glossy leaves with thick white stems, and it is harvested as a whole plant. Enjoy!

Barese

Member Appreciation Event Continues this Week!

Throughout the season, we periodically have member appreciation events and we will have one again this week for those of you on a biweekly or every four week schedule. Given the difficulties faced by our country and the world this year, we figure that everyone could use a bit of cheer these days so we are giving each of our members a potted flower this week. If you do not have a place to grow your flower, please pay it forward, and gift it to someone you know!

If you have any questions, please reach out to jodi@cherryvalleyorganics.com or to support@harvie.farm at any time. We're looking forward to a great season! And, thank you for being a farm share member this year!

Jodi, Emily, Annie, Allie, Heather, Bo, Meghan, Nicole, and Vanessa

The CVO Team

Cherry Valley Organics began in 2001 as a USDA certified organic farm, producing a high diversity of agricultural products, including vegetables, herbs, cut flowers, and potted plants. Since those early years, we have grown into an organic lifestyle company, producing a wide diversity of products that support a clean, organic lifestyle, including our herbal teas and herbal body care products, all of which are grown or hand-made at our farm.

At Cherry Valley Organics, we believe in…

*Living the healthiest life possible (full of organics!)
*Fair, livable wages for our team members
*USDA certified organic growing and production practices
*Minimizing our carbon footprint and ecological impact
*Supporting our local community

Cherry Valley Organics is a collaboration. Unlike traditional family farms, we come from diverse geographical, family, and professional backgrounds. We are growers, scientists, food & health enthusiasts, teachers, caretakers, chefs, and nutritionists. We are all farmers. And, all of us here at Cherry Valley Organics are committed to growing and producing high quality certified organic products for our community. We would never compromise on organics. Ever.

Cherry Valley Organics, founded by Jodi Danyo, began as a one-third-acre “urban farm” in the Pittsburgh suburb of Crafton, Cherry Valley Organics now encompasses approximately 36 acres in nearby Cherry Valley, Washington County, PA. Despite this expansion, the footprint of the operation is still quite small with farming operations encompassing less than 8 acres. The farm was built, quite literally, from the ground up!

Our Farm Share Growers, Emily Kramer, Vanessa Davis, Lindsay Henry, Alexis Williams, and Alliy Gundlach, love producing high quality organic products for our local Pittsburgh communities. You can find our products at the Sewickley Farmer’s Market on Saturdays (April through November), and also at local florists and specialty shops. In 2018, we opened a Farm Market & Cafe along the Panhandle Trail in Burgettstown, PA.

What makes our Farm Share unique?

*We wash the produce. Thoroughly. You are unlikely to get any mud in your CVO Farm Share bag. We still recommend that you wash our veggies, but many items will be ready to eat (and may make for excellent snacking in the car on the way home from the pick-up location).

*High diversity of veggie crops. We grow over 150 varieties of vegetables and herbs per season, on average.

*Specialty crops, like microgreens. It's a bit unusual to see this high value crop in farm share programs. They are a bit tricky to grow, but wow do they pack a nutritional punch! Despite their small size, they are the most nutritious veggie in the share!

*We believe in minimizing our environmental impact, and we use biodegradable and compostable packaging wherever possible. And we have a variety of new packaging products in the works for 2021.

*Specialty cut flowers are a niche crop for us. We grow many of the hard-to-grow flower varieties like Ranunculus, Bells of Ireland, Delphinium, and more. Many more. Nearly 300 varieties! Our flowers are not your run of the mill market flowers. Our bouquets are carefully crafted, and absolutely gorgeous!

*We have extensive partnerships with other local businesses and farms, including Primrose Farm (pasture-raised eggs), Paul Family Farms (maple syrup), Tait Farm (jams, butters, shrubs), Weatherbury Farm (flours, milled products), Big Bob's Honey (honey), Clarion River Organics (potatoes, sweet potatoes, melons, winter squash), Woolf Family Farms (blueberries, apples, peaches), Cherish Creamery (cheese), Emerald Valley Artisans (cheese), Steel Cup Coffee Roasters (organic, fair-trade coffee), Conover Family Farm (pickles, hot sauce) and more! A selection of these items is available on a weekly basis and can be added onto your Veggie Farm Share in any quantity you choose. We believe in the value of small business and keeping dollars in our Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

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