Peaches & Plums!

McConnell's Farm - Peaches, Come & Get 'Em!

Don't say we didn't warn you!  McConnell's Farm says they won't be around much longer ...  LFLF stopped in this week to get sweet corn & peaches.  We ended up with peaches, plums, sweet corn, red cabbage, & a carton of Brunton Dairy chocolate ice cream!  

McConnell's Farm - Great Selection Of Plums

Sweet Corn At Schiefelbeins's Farm Market

Schiefelbein's Farm Market

LFLF made it a point to stop in at Schiefelbein's Farm Market yesterday to get some pictures.  You can see a lot of the produce growing in the fields right along Route 151.  We pass by and stop a couple of times a month, but never seem to have the camera in hand!  I didn't get any pictures of the sweet corn, but it was one of the best batches I've had all summer.

Schiefelbein's Farm Market Tables & Cooler

The tables were loaded with tomatoes front & center and surrounded by a colorful display of ornamental gourds, mini-pumpkins, & decorative corn.  Peppers filled the back side.  Click on the pictures to see what's in the cooler case - local milk from Brunton Dairy and fresh eggs from Seibel's Farm.


Decorative Corn & Mini-Pumpkins

In the background the tables are full of butternut & acorn squash, zucchini, cabbage, potatoes, beets, large pumpkins, and a good selection of local apples.  Along with the sweet corn we picked up a box of radishes, a cabbage, & some egg noodles.  You can also get PA maple syrup and local honey here.  The local beekeeper is J. Lee Miller - retired Beaver County Cooperative Extension Director ... aka "J-Lee-Bee-Glad" ... famous for his honey and prize winning gladiolus flowers!  :)

PA Maple Syrup & Honey From J. Lee Miller

Finally - how about this decorative cross-cut saw sign hanging over the canned goods & honey display?  Perfect for the fall season!

Schiefelbein's Farm Market Crosscut Saw Sign

New Apples

McConnells' Farm Driveway

The "goal" of the mid-week stop today at McConnells' Farm was to get some peppers & onions for a batch of stuffed peppers.  Mission accomplished.  We also added sweet corn, nectarines, Brunton Dairy ice cream, and apples to the cart.   "Golden Supreme" is an apple variety that was new to LFLF, but they looked great, so we grabbed a bag to try them out.

McConnells' Farm - Golden Supreme Apples

They are exactly what the sign says - crisp & firm fleshed.  Very tasty.  See the blue ribbon in the background?  That was from the Gala apple entry by McConnells' Farm at the local Hookstown Fair last week ...

McConnells' Farm - Blue Ribbon For Gala Apples!

What's Up At McConnells' Farm?

Following The Signs To McConnells' Farm !

LFLF hadn't been to McConnells' Farm for a couple of years ... due to a major bridge closing in the area, the detour home from work eliminated travel past this farm in season.   :( 
What a nice surprise when I visited on Saturday.  A relocated & restored barn is now the focal point of the farm market!   LFLF even got a chance to go upstairs to shoot a few pictures from the (as yet unopened) 2nd floor.  Thank you Mr. McConnell for recognizing a fellow barn enthusiast!

McConnells' Farm Customers Checking Out

McConnells' Farm - Apples, Peaches, & Nectarines

We circled the market and picked up sweet corn, a cantaloupe, tomatoes, nectarines, and a container of ice cream from Brunton Dairy, another local farm.

McConnells' Farm Market - Cukes, Green Tomatoes, & Zucchini

McConnells' Farm Market - Onions & Green Beans

McConnells' Farm Market - Peppers & Tomatoes

We also spotted some great handcrafted soaps ... loved the smell of the Clove Soap ... maybe on the next trip!  

Handcrafted Soap At McConnells' Farm Market

Our next post will show a bit of what's happening outside of the market ...

Stop At Schiefelbein's Farm Market!

A Nice Touch!

LFLF stopped in at this local "on farm" market for the first time this season.  Normally we would pass Schiefelbein's Farm Market every day on the way home from work.  This year the Ambridge/Aliquippa Bridge project means that we have to detour in the opposite direction ..... and to top it off, a "small" bridge re-building project is underway right next to the market!  It's one of those bridges that most people never notice as they drive over it.  There is a temporary traffic light installed about a hundred feet away from the market on Route 151.

Schiefelbein's Farm Market Customers

 Today we picked up yellow plums, broccoli, and yellow summer squash.  The refrigerated case holds  Brunton Dairy milk & Seibel's eggs.  Beaver Valley Honey from local beekeeper J. Lee Miller is also on the shelves.  Just check out the sign for some of the other home grown veggies that they have now. 

Farm Fields Stretching Across The Valley Bottom

Fields Along Rt 151 & Antique Equipment!

 This local family has been farming for quite some time and you can see their planting right along Route 151.  To satisfy the late season market, we saw sweet corn that's only 6" to 1' high right now ..... perfect for late September.

Found At Soergel Orchards

Soergel Orchards Country Market

One thing that we have to say about the staff at the Soergel Orchards Country Market ..... everywhere LFLF turned, there was a friendly, smiling staffer ready to help. 

We got to talk to Randy Soergel since LFLF likes to get permission to take pictures for this blog when we're in a local business.  He even went to the trouble to point out all of the local products like Brunton Dairy milk, Maple Valley Farms honey, and Soergel Orchard Certified Organic Homestyle Apple Butter Spread.   We haven't opened the jar yet, but it's sure to be good!
The market also has a feezer case stocked with local meats.  We've seen the Ron Gargasz Organic Farm beef there for years & it's a very popular item .... Ron is a local western PA organic farming pioneer.
We spotted another local beef in the case & we purchased a rib steak from Logan Family Farm to try out.  We will be grilling this steak in the next day or so & will report back!

How's this for local ???

Look at this local food treat that I was given yesterday from a friend in Lawrence County. IED ---- you know who you are! This is a Maple Syrup Walnut Conserve made right on their farm. The maple syrup is from trees that they tapped and the walnuts are from their own walnut grove planted on the farm a while back. A few years ago, we got walnut husks from these same trees for use as a natural dye.
We couldn't wait to pour this over vanilla ice cream from Brunton Dairy!
Hey - speaking of local maple syrup, here are some regional maple syrup festivals listed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to check out.
At the Beaver County Maple Syrup Festival, you also have an opportunity to buy cornmeal, buckwheat flour, & wheat flour ground on site by Beaver County Conservation District volunteers to take home with you.
Try out some recipes here and don't miss enjoying maple syrup season!

Foodie Blogging Etiquette?

OK, so now we've got to worry about snapping pictures as we log in material for our blogs ......!?! Ruh-roh! In the Sunday, February 22nd Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, restaurant critic China Millman delves into the subject of food photo policy.
You have to be utterly amazed at the number & variety of foodie blogs floating around out there. They all have their own complement of pictures. This blogster has learned to snap a few pictures and move on ....... It does take some getting used to and requires that you show respect for your fellow travelers!
The majority of photos taken here deal with farmers' markets and other public places, but occasionally pictures are taken in retail establishments. I've asked staff at most stores if it's alright to take display pictures for a "local food blog" and have been told "ok" so far. Looking back over the blog, you'd have to agree that we present a positive spin on local food and the sources that bring it to us. Unlike some of the people in the PG column, I've never been inclined to photograph food in a restaurant or large grocery chain. But of course, this blog is about LOCAL. Most "locals" are proud of their products & welcome the publicity!

Which brings us to a recent local experience. Last Monday, we visited The SpringHouse in Eighty-Four, PA. after delivering lambs to the Eighty-Four Auction. It's a great place to stop in to get lunch or sometimes just milk, cheese, baked goods, & their own deli/catering foods. You won't be disappointed. The great thing is that you can "come as you are", since plenty of farmers and livestock haulers run over for a meal when they're coming and going to the auction just across the road.
This is a great family run operation with the farm up on the hill behind the store/restaurant. On the way home, we stopped & picked up some Walnut Creek butter at The Kauffman Family Marketplace on Route 18 in Burgettstown. Stop in and stock up on a few items when you're going past here. They also carry local meats from Albert's Packing in Taylorstown,PA, more local foods from Holmes County, OH, as well as local honey & Brunton Dairy products.
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Back to the PG story for a second. Did you see the phrase "food porn" in the column? The first time that phrase popped up was quite disconcerting. It was in the sidebar of a foodie blog with the title " Vegan Food Porn 2008 ". Whoa ---- what hesitation clicking on that! But go ahead ..... it's nothing but a gorgeous collection of food pictures.

Tell me again ......

How do we define local? Grocery shopping today provided 2 examples. We've mentioned Brunton Dairy in the past. It's a local dairy farm that makes their own ice cream and still runs a home delivery route! So this is a prouct made within 5 miles of home. http://bruntondairy.com/brunton_about_us.php

Contrast that with Modern Mushroom Farms from the eastern side of Pennsylvania. This is the only ingredient that can be considered "local" in a salad that is being made to take to a PASA Potluck tomorrow in Cranberry Township, PA. Most states promote agricultural products grown & sold within their state as being a local product. So this brings us face-to-face with the dilemna that we face at this time of year. If you're really into local, you really have to prepare for the vegetable "off season". For those of you who have a stash of winter squash, check out the recipes in the Modern Musroom web-site. There's a sidedish that uses mushrooms and roasted winter vegetables. http://www.modernmush.com/index_consumer.asp

Footnote: Can't wait to see who turns up at the PASA event tommorrow ....... Hopefully we'll get some pics of your favorite local farmers, growers, and businesses that are interested in buying locally whenever possible.

100% Local Feast!

You're looking at the serving line for the 53rd Annual Beaver County Farm-City Banquet held at the Big Knob Grange on Wednesday night. Reservations were capped at 150 and it was a sell out! The Farm-City Banquet exclusively showcases Beaver County produced food from vegetables to beef to ice cream.
The Big Knob Grange, New Sewickley Kiwanis, & Penn State Cooperative Extension of Beaver County organize the dinner every year. The food is donated by the farmers' market members of the Beaver County Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association and other local farmers ...... this year, Rovidale Farm and Brunton Dairy helped support the dinner with beef, milk, and ice cream. Proceeds were donated to the Beaver County 4-H Foundation.

Local produce items on the menu included spiced beets, sweet corn, butternut squash with local honey & butter, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and that perennial favorite (where else could you get it?!?) roasted turnips being dished up below!
Follow that up with apple pie and ice cream and everyone left the tables feeling grateful for our local farmers ............

Local Farms Support the Fair!

Two of our local farms have been big supporters of the Hookstown Fair over the years. You can support these farms too and buy their products here in Beaver & Allegheny counties.

The first is Janoski's Farm in Clinton, PA. http://janoskis.com/ What a great display they had at the fair! There has to be a story behind that truck. If you visit their farm market & greenhouses on US Route 30, you'll see that they mark their own home grown veggies & fruit as "Our Own". They have also been big supporters of the 4H livestock aution over the years.

Another local farm with a nice display was Brunton Dairy. The cows were there too ..... http://bruntondairy.com/brunton_about_us.php Brunton Dairy still does home delivery in the Aliquippa area. You are likely to find their milk and ice cream in some of the local convenience stores. (I also saw their milk in the Kaufmann Family Marketplace on Rt 18 just outside of Burgettstown. http://www.kauffmanmarketplace.com/ <---- worth a stop for bulk foods and Amish meat & deli products from the Holmes County, Ohio area.)

Support our local farmers!