Farm Happenings for September 17, 2019

New this Week: High Bush Cranberries! Red Russian Kale and Radishes are back this week. Acorn squash from Clarion River Organics continues as well.

If you are a biweekly member, you may have missed the Farm Happening from last week, in which we introduced one of our farm partners, Tait Farm Foods, located in central PA. Check them out here: https://www.taitfarmfoods.com/

We have a selection of Tait's products available in our Farm Market & Cafe in Burgettstown, and we've added a few products to our farm share "Extras" offerings. Order one or more of these products as an extra for delivery with your share this week. The Raspberry Shrub and Alyssa's Berry Sauce are absolutely delicious!

This Past Week on Our Farm...

Ugh...where did this hot weather come from? We thought we were done with 90 degree heat, but we had three scorchers this last week! Please do a rain dance for the farm...it is getting very dry out there!

Today, we began harvesting the beautiful high bush cranberries, which we'll be offering through farm share this coming week. If you are not familiar with this very tart berry, it makes a very tasty cranberry jam, jelly, or sauce. Easy recipes can be found online, like the one here:

https://www.ediblewildfood.com/highbush-cranberry-sauce.aspx

In the fields this week, we planted the last of the Brassica family crops as well as some late leeks. Primarily though, we are harvesting a lot of cut flowers and herbs for drying. We were also prepping for our vendor exhibit this weekend at the Mother Earth News Fair at Seven Springs. Won't you come out and see us? If you do, please introduce yourself to Jodi or Allie.

https://www.motherearthnewsfair.com/pennsylvania/

And last, but not least, we continue our farm share member appreciation gifts this week! If you are a biweekly customer receiving delivery this week, you will receive a free lip balm with your share. Just a small way for us to say thanks for being a farm share member this season! Enjoy!

Jodi, Allie, Katie, Emily, and Annie

The CVO Growing 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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