Farm Happenings for November 4, 2020

New this Week: Herb-Infused Vinegars, CRO Stripetti Squash, Broccoli Raab, Pie Pumpkins, and Baby Watermelon Radishes!

This Week at the Farm:

It's the last week of the regular farm share season and it's always a bittersweet time for us. We are very tired (some might say exhausted), and we definitely need a break from all the physical work at the farm. We'll be happy for a slower pace this winter so we can rest and recharge for next season. On the other hand, we will miss our farm share weekly routine, connections made with our members, and growing those delicious veggies for you all (and let's not forget about eating the veggies too!).

We like to take a minute here on the last week of the season to do a brief retrospective of our crop highs and lows this year. As you all know, the weather was rough, likely the most difficult season for western PA farmers in a number of years. A very cold spring, and snow in mid-May prevented early plantings of warm season crops, getting everything off to a late start. Starting in June, record highs in the 90s and extended drought through most of the growing season presented challenges that we have not faced in recent years.

Despite these weather challenges, we had great success with many crops this season. July cucumbers were bountiful, and delicious! Early season summer squash got off to a slow start, but sugar snap peas, head lettuce, garlic, onions, and the cucumbers carried us through the early part of the season. Cherry tomatoes, the second planting of summer squash, chard, perpetual spinach, eggplants, and watermelons were awesome through the summer months. Unfortunately, our field heirloom tomatoes and late summer cucumbers were disappointing due to the drought, and in short supply through most of the summer season. Sweet peppers only kicked in during this fall after temps dropped consistently below 90 degrees, and the plants resumed fruit set. Summer salad mix and lettuce were not be had in the intense heat. This fall, our head lettuce has been amazing, along with the radishes, turnips, kales, collards, mustard greens and arugula (despite some late season flea beetle issues). Winter squash has also been plentiful, but a challenge too, as the slowness of ripening has delayed our ability to distribute in recent weeks.

Since our weather conditions are ever-changing, crops that do well in one season, may not do well the next. The beauty of diversified vegetable production is that no matter what weather adventures we have, we can typically celebrate the success of a variety of crops. We hope you have enjoyed being a part of our 2020 Farm Share program!

If you missed our big announcement last week...

Holiday Farm Shares will be available in November and December!

In our Holiday Farm Shares, we have gathered veggies, cheeses, coffee, jams, and other holiday goodies from many of our farm partners. And, of course, the shares will include CVO greens, herbs, squashes, and more! We will have a limited number of shares available so you'll want to get yours before they sell out! Sign-ups are open now! Sign-up here: https://www.harvie.farm/signup/cherry-valley-organics

Value-Added Products:

This week, we reintroduce our herb-infused organic vinegars! We have some amazing, unique flavors like Rosemary & Garlic Cider Vinegar, Herbs de Province White Wine Vinegar, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Balsamic Vinegar, and more!

We are so excited to bring these products back into the CVO line-up that we are offering our herb-infused vinegars, along with our dried herbs, as veggie swaps this week! So, if you are overstocked on lettuce this week, swap any veggie item for dried herbs or herb-infused vinegars to stock your pantry for the winter! These products also make great stocking stuffers, and are available for purchase in the Extras!

From all of us here at CVO, thank you for being farm share members this season. And, we hope to see you back next season! Stay tuned for more details as we launch our 2021 season sign-ups in the next few weeks!

Jodi, Emily, Annie, Allie, Meghan, Nicole, Hannah, 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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