Since the farmers of Western PA won't be able to grow it, we went to look for it: organic citrus (pictured left to right: organic Rio Red grapefruit, Meyer lemon, and Mars oranges). Tree-ripened, hand-picked, culinary varieties, organically managed by a family-owned farm. As with most farm sourced organic fruit, that may mean it looks a bit different than the waxy versions in the grocery store. But in an apt paraphrase of Joni Mitchell, Give spots on my citrus, but leave me the birds and the bees. :)
Here is a quick bio of our new farm friends from south Texas (btw, they both spent an earlier chapter of their lives in eastern Ohio, not more than 2 hours from Pittsburgh).
Norm and Anna grow certified organic sweet Texas citrus at NorAnna Rio Vista Orchards outside MacAllen, Texas. The Rio Grande Valley has dark soil with a higher PH level which is why Norm claims Texas citrus is much sweeter than the more popular citrus grown by his neighbors to the east. He also adds that the better the soil gets, the less problems they have with pests and diseases.
Years in business: 9. It was cheaper to buy an orchard than to buy a house so they bought their first orchard in 2011.
Favorite Crop & Recipe: Sweet Texas Grapefruit & Grapefruit Pie. Cook it just like you would a strawberry pie, but with grapefruit with the membrane peeled off, covered in whipped cream.
Best part of the job: “We only have to work hard three days a week. That means we still got four days a week to goof off, go across the border and party, go to the beach and party.” Norm has worked for himself for the last 48 years and has no intention of slowing down. “You gotta be in your 90’s to be old in this valley. I’ll be in my 80’s when I harvest the first fruit from my youngest orange trees.
Butcher Box Schedule As mentioned in an email to butcher box members, the customization window for those orders the next two weeks will be moved forward 24 hours. The cutoff is temporarily 8am on Thursdays so that our farmers can have off for the holidays.
Coffee Share La Prima Espresso Co. Sumatra, Fair Trade & Organic. Medium Roast w/ Syrupy Body & notes of Cinnamon, Orange Blossom, and Chocolate. Whole Bean.
Bread Share The flagship bread of Mediterra Bakehouse, the Mt. Athos Fire Bread is made using a germ-restored wheat sourdough, which gives the bread its dark color. This chewy, dense bread is great as a table loaf accompanied by olive oil or cheese, but it’s distinct crust also makes it an excellent choice for breakfast toast, or sliced and used for sandwiches.
How to do Harvie With all of the new products we are adding, you may want to go back and check your product preferences. Set your preferences ahead of time and your box will be filled with your favorites: https://www.harvie.farm/member/preferences
Please customize your farm share or purchase extras using the link in your email. You will have until Friday at 8am to customize your butcher box and/or 1pm to customize your farm box. At that point we'll send your orders to our farmers and artisans, and they will begin to pick and pack your delivery for the following week! Please check your address and if there are any special directions for how we should deliver let us know here: https://www.harvie.farm/member/profile/edit
Packaging Return Instructions We know there is a lot of packaging that goes into delivering your farm fresh goodies which is why we encourage you to return your packaging to us for reuse! Follow the steps below to help us reduce waste. Thanks for helping reduce our environmental footprint!
- Remove and retain clear plastic bag of local farm products.
- Break down cardboard box.
- Stack shiny liner and ice packs on box.
- Place flattened box, liner, and ice packs in your delivery location on delivery day.
- Please try to keep the box, liner and ice packs clean and dry when possible.
We thrive and grow on referrals. If you love your Harvie Farms box, please tell your friends. Both you and your friend will receive $25 in credit. You can use these credits for extras purchases to add on to your future boxes. Find your personal referral link here: https://www.harvie.farm/member/refer-a-friend
Stay safe and eat well,
Neil Stauffer, on behalf of the Harvie Farms crew
