Visit To VanPelt's Farm Market

VanPelt's Farm Market

LFLF made a trip into Ohio yesterday and we made a stop at VanPelt's Farm Market on the way home. This is a busy market and there were a couple of folks who were picking up bushel quantities of tomatoes, beans, & peppers to do their home canning.

Van Pelt's Egg Noodles

The market is stocked with local meats, cheeses, noodles, baked goods, eggs, milk, etc! We got a bag of granola & 2 different cheeses. Then it was on to the sweet corn, a melon, and some peaches.
The apples are starting to come in too with several varieties available.  Ginger Gold is a favorite of ours.

VanPelt's Ginger Gold & Gala Apples

VanPelt's Zeststar & Paula Red Apples

I have to admit, I've never seen the apple variety Zeststar before ... have you?

Brisk Market At Beaver

Beaver Farmers' Market Customers Bundled Up!

Saturday was probably the first of the really cool days to come.  It got up to 45 degrees, but coming off of 70 degrees a week ago, it seems bone chilling!  That and a little rain still didn't keep the customers at home yesterday. 

Picking Out A Cabbage From Oak Spring Farm

It does change what people are buying though.  Big bags of leafy greens and leeks, cabbage, potatoes, and apples were the order of the day.  We got a bag of one of our hard to find favorites - Melrose apples.
In our previous post, LFLF mentioned Thanksgiving decorations ... that proved to be a prophetic comment.  Look at the great display of winter sqaushes that can be used for decoration and then cooked up later ...

Douds-Floyd Farm Centerpiece Squashes!
 

Breads, baked goods, & apple cider were also being snapped up off of the tables ..

Colorful Halloween Cookies At Pat's Pastries

Shopping For Apples



Cider's In Season At McConnells' Farm!

McConnells' Farm - "Antique" Cider Sign!

LFLF had a chance to run out to McConnells' Farm to pick up some sweet corn.  When we arrived, the sign on the counter said that apple cider was ready.  It's the first of the season for us ... yea!   We noticed the old cider sign on the building as we backed out to leave ...

But ... this is the beautiful fall display that greeted us on the front porch of the barn!

McConnells' Farm - Pumpkins & Hardy Mums

Lots of apples are ready now and we decided on an old favorite, Cortland.  This has been the apple of choice in the past when the family made applebutter .... 7 bushels of apples cooks down to about 70 - 75 quarts of applebutter!  I just settled for a small basket today.  :)

Cortland Apples At McConnells' Farm

Cider Cooler Behind The Big Table Of Apples

We also picked up fresh green beans to go along with the sweet corn.  We'll be back for some squash and peppers another day.

McConnells' Farm - Peppers & Potatoes



Canfield Fair Orchard Display

Canfield Fair Orchard Display

If you're over the PA border near Salem or Lisbon, Ohio, these would be great farms to visit!
Click on the picture for location details ... this is one of our favorite competition displays at the Canfield Fair.
See Building 26 - Fruit, Hay, & Grain.    Beautiful apples!  Tradition also says that you have to try the cold apple cider for sale near the display.  
This same building also has the honey & beeswax competition (with local honey/products for sale), wine competion, and new this year, a "home brew" competition ...

McConnells' Farm Apples Are Starting

McConnells' Farm - Apple Crates & Pickers' Bag

Here's a little of what's going on outside of the market at McConnells' Farm.  The early apples have started and right now there are McIntosh apples for sale in the market.  The cool rainy weather we're having makes a nice apple dessert sound good!

Starting To Pick Apples

If you haven't seen anyone picking apples before, note the tripod style fruit picking ladder.  It makes it possible to get closer to the trees to pick and it provides a sturdier base.

McConnells' Farm Apple Tree

How about the fruit on this apple tree?  These were along the driveway & LFLF can't "name that apple", but I bet a McConnell family member would know by just glancing at them!  :)

McConnells' Farm Social Media Info!

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 ...

Local Grower Gets Ready For Spring!

Pansies & Violas At Janoski's Farm Market & Greenhouse

LFLF found this sure sign of spring at Janoski's today ... the flats and baskets are outside under roof next to the greenhouse.  A couple of shoppers were taking their favorites into the greenhouse to pay for them.

Janoski's Onions, Lettuce, & Cole Crop Plants

Both of them mentioned that they were buying plants now for containers that they could keep covered if needed.  Isn't it so tempting to buy these great looking plants & take a chance?

Janoski's Lettuce Flats

 Here are a couple of other items for sale.  Fresh from local Seibel's Farm - small eggs anyone? 


You Can Still Get Potatoes, Apples, & Cabbage!

Fall at the Market

What a beautiful day last Saturday at the Beaver Farmers' Market!  The trick-or-treaters were running all around the streets and parks of Beaver getting goodies from the businesses & merchants.   Meanwhile, LFLF headed to the market for our goodies.  Peanut butter cookies from Pat's Pastries were a good start for the day.  Then we picked up apples, onions, sweet peppers for stuffing, apple cider, and potatoes. 
We even picked up a Rosemary plant for our winter windowsill pot.  Our 3 year old plant just suddenly "up and died" this summer, so we needed a new one. 
We forgot to pick up our fence post mini pumpkins, so it looks like we'll have to get them this week.  After Halloween, interest in pumpkins falls off until just before Thanksgiving.  We definitely need to get our decorative gourds and Indian corn soon! 

Deep Dish Apple Pie

Deep dish apple pie brought to you courtesy of Oak Spring Farm apples .... pot holder brought to you courtesy of a party grab bag <--- we did not pay for it!

Your Roving Reporter in the Field ....

There'll be a little more here than the usual pictures of great local food from the Beaver Farmers' Market. The market is LOADED with great produce right now! The peppers & tomatoes are really colorful ...... we got a beautiful multi-colored selection of peppers to stuff from Doud-Floyd Farm. Each week brings new varieties of apples. We picked up Cortlands this time for a change. This is the apple that LFLF uses for making applebutter every few years --- of course, that family project takes about 7 bushels!

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LFLF arrived at market around 12:15 PM, which is a little later than usual. The market is located in the Beaver County Courthouse rear parking lot. While parking, about 30 people were noted out in front of the courthouse and other people were trickling in to the area. One truck had a Lycoming County decorative plate on the front bumper. Yes, we arrived at the same time as folks were setting up for a Tea Party at 1:00 PM in front of the courthouse. Not one to miss out on a photo op and a nice crowd (after loading down the market bag), your local blogster joined the group out front as it gathered and snapped a few pictures. Seemed to be more than 200 people out there. Lots of homemade signs and a big "tea-stained" American flag in crowd. Kids, senior citizens, bikers, some folks in wheelchairs, etc. Looked like a pretty average crowd on the steps and the lawn ..... didn't see any astro-turf. The first shot is the group bowing their heads in memory of the victims of 9/11. After that are a couple of the signs. Double click for close-ups.

Just in Time!

Whoa ....... almost missed it. Here are the remains of the Dutch Apple Pie baked for Thanksgiving dinner. The Melrose apples were perfect and I still have most of them left! I'll have to come up with another apple dish or two over the weekend & then freeze the rest. Or how about making applesauce for a change?

In the background is my old favorite reference cookbook, the Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook - 1976 Edition! "With hundreds of pictures, tested recipes, and practical advice, the new Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook tells everything you want to know about buying, proper care, preparation, and serving of foods of all kinds." ---- so says the book jacket. The chapters on Game & Variety Meats are keepers. For all of you local food advocates, this is the ultimate resource in preparing foraged meals. For example, we find that "The opossum is a very fat animal with a peculiarly flavored meat. It is dressed much as one would dress a suckling pig." We are encouraged to "stuff the opossum with opossum stuffing". Yes, among recipes for sage stuffing, raisin stuffing, oyster stuffing, etc., we find a specific opossum stuffing recipe that includes "1 hard cooked egg chopped fine" & a "dash of Worchestershire sauce" as key ingredients. Did Michael Pollan mention this dilemma? ;~) Anyway, I use this cookbook for good basic recipes and to logic check new recipes .....

Now, what is that antique in the picture? It's a pie lifter ..... one side of the wire is "fixed" and the opposite side is loose. Hold the handle over the hot pie dish, hook the loose side over and around the rim, grab the opposite side of the rim with the fixed wire, lift the handle up slowly, and the wires close to grip the pie plate. Off you go with your hot pie, steaming from the oven. Hmmmm ...... seems easier to use a pair of pot holders.

A Bit Nippy Today

My singular purpose for going to the farmers' market today was to get apples ....... I am on tap to bring the pies for the family Thanksgiving dinner and I decided to make an apple pie as well as the obligatory pumpkin pies. Oak Spring Farm recommended the Melrose apples from the varieties that they had available. Here's a link to selecting & using the apples that are so plentiful locally now: http://www.thenewhomemaker.com/apples
I'll make the crusts from scratch, the apples will be local, but "Ms. Libby" will provide the pumpkin! Have you ever made a pumpkin pie from pumpkins or squash? I like them, but their paler color and extra texture (read fiber) make people think that there's something funny about them. The traditional Thanksgiving meal is not the time to introduce new (old!) ideas to the less adventurous conventional eaters. Too strenuous after all of the turkey ......

Well, it was cold today with about half an inch of snow on the ground around the Beaver Farmers' Market. That made it the perfect setting for the holiday greens & wreaths that the Volkar family sells every year. I didn't have my camera with me today for whatever reason, but next week I'll have pictures of their wonderful wreaths & swags. They will be at Beaver Farmers' Market until December 13th so get your local holiday decorations from the farmers' market! We also got the red onions from the Volkars, and of course a tray of cookies from Pat's Pastries. Have you noticed that the cow kitchen timer keeps angling into the picture? Yes, the cow "moos" the alarm. How now, black & white cow?

Hey - it's dark out here!

Yes, we (one of my friends from work) went to the Ambridge Farmers' Market yesterday. But with the time change, we had to move around quickly before it got too dark. I didn't bother to pull out the camera, but I did buy Winesap apples, red potatoes, and peanut butter cookies. Among other things, my friend got a loaf of French Bread from the Wood Street Bread Company. They always have a nice selection of breads at the Ambridge market as well as at the farmers' market in Beaver on Saturday morning. http://www.woodstreetbread.com/. In fact, if you look at the picture just below this post from last weeks entry, the white tent with the red table is the Wood Street tent.

Running Late Tonight ......

I dashed over to the Ambridge Farmers' Market a little late tonight after work, and ended up watching folks tearing down their stalls by the time I left. You've got to hand it to these farmers ..... when you do this several times a week, you get pretty good at it. Just look at how neatly & efficiently Oak Spring Farm has their trucks packed up. Everyone has their own system depending on what they sell.

I did get what I wanted today - red potatoes & Winesap apples. Check out your farmers' market and orchard stands for the uncommon varieties of apples that you can't find in the supermarkets. You're hearing from someone who hasn't has a Red Delicious (<---- yes, I did that on purpose) in the house for 20 years!

Even a little pile of salad tomatoes made it home, maybe the last ones we get our hands on for the season. :~( We've had a couple of frosts in Beaver County during the last week, so most of the tomatoes have been picked.

Beaver County Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association update:

The Ambridge Market will start at 3:30pm once the time changes so that you still have time to get over while it's still light. I also understand that their last market of the season in Ambridge is the TUESDAY immediately before Thanksgiving. Perfect timing for your Thanksgiving dinner!

More on Pittsburgh area farmers' markets:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08297/922008-34.stm

Food & food for the soul!

What a great market this afternoon in Ambridge! The weather was fantastic. I arrived around 5:45 today and the tables were still overflowing with a great variety of baked goods, veggies, flowers, and fruit. I also spotted the first apple cider of the season.

As I walked through the market, I saw several people picking up large quantities of tomatoes and peppers for canning & freezing from the farmers. Keep in mind that many of the farmers will accept orders for large quantities of produce if you're into preserving. The heirloom tomatoes in the bottom picture are "Hillbilly" & "Mortgage Lifter" from May-Malone Farm.

Need ideas on how to use tons of tomatoes? Here's a link to check out. http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/can3_tomato.html

The peppers pictured above are from Douds-Floyd Farm. I bought 6 bell peppers for stuffed peppers this weekend. Two baskets of hot peppers disappeared in front of me as I tried to take the pictures ........ If you like hot peppers, now is the time to hit the market!

Finally - food for the soul. Check out the gorgeous magenta colored Celosia (aka cockscomb) from Ridgemont Farm. I picked up the 2 large stems to dry for a winter arrangement. Several of the cut flower arrangements contained flowers that could be dried. Why not ask for a custom bouquet of flowers to make a dried arrangement?

Here's more info on dried flowers ----> http://www.dried-flowers-galore.com/

Packed Market ver2.0

I have a few more shots of the Ambridge Farmers' Market from Thursday to share. A note for those with limited mobility ...... the market is level and parking is available next to the vendors. You don't have to cross a street or climb any steps. There are always folks with walkers & scooters in the mix here. Also plenty of baby strollers, so come on down.

First, a little info on my "take" from the market. I only buy watermelon in season, so I'm going to try this "Y4" melon from the Volkars. "Y4", for the uninitiated, means that it's a $4 yellow fleshed melon. I'll crack this open on the weekend. The Ginger Gold apples http://www.produceoasis.com/Items_folder/Fruits/ginger-gold-apple.asp came from Woodward's Orchard. There's a picture of some of their peppers and tomatoes. If you like to visit farms, check out their annual event beginning on the 3rd weekend of September, "Fall Fun for Y'all". Here's a link for contact infomation & directions. http://agmap.psu.edu/Businesses/1591

Also ---- there's still time to buy potted herbs to transplant for your windowsill garden! I always have a rosemary plant on our south facing kitchen windowsill to clip when I'm making a beef or chicken roast in the winter. Everyone can fit in a potted plant or two ........

Finally, I seemed to keep bumping into this gentleman mystery shopper ..... he was buying up all of the tiniest new potatoes at the market.