Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: October 16th Market Report

Apples from Branstool Orchards.

It's a classic fall day in Central Ohio and a great day to stop by the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market for some farm-fresh shopping. At our market, falling leaves are made of maple sugar! 

Morning showers are ushering in cooler temperatures, but so far, this afternoon looks to be cool (60s) and cloudy and without precipitation (with a slight chance of showers between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. - still, might want to pack a 'brella).

Home-grown. Home-made. All Ohio. Wednesdays, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ N. State and E. Home through October 30th.

This week's vendor line-up: Flying J Farm, Honey Health Farms, Hartzler Family Dairy, Ohio Farm Direct, Annabelle's Blooms, Sugar B Bakery, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Salsas and Sauces, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Blue Jacket Dairy, Dan the Baker, Pleiades Maple Products, Northridge Organic Farm, Branstool Orchards, Fox Hollow Farm, and Bird's Haven Farms.

We are waiting to hear from Dana Lee's Bakery and Malabar Peach & Apple Orchard. (Mike had possible Pirates post season plans (Sorry, Mike, but a good baseball season, still!) and isn't currently on this week's line-up card, but we may hear from him.)

Knowledge is power! A visit with this week's community partner, Westerville Electric Division, will brighten your day.

What can you find at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market? 

▪ In-season produce selections that include sweet potatoes, late season tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, squash varieties, potatoes, leeks, garlic, raw chestnuts, kale, apples, and pumpkins.

▪ Protein and dairy including pasture-raised and grass-fed beef, pork, lamb, and chicken, fresh eggs, cow's milk and goat's milk cheeses, milk, roll butter, and packaged ice cream.

▪ Artisan foods like fresh-baked breads, pastries, cookies, savory baked goods, biscotti, jam, raw honey, salsa, hot sauce, marinades, spreads, maple-coated puffed spelt, scones, tortilla chips, spice rubs, and maple syrups.

▪ Beautiful in-season cut flowers and bouquets.

Market artisan foods like jams, honey, maple syrup, sauces, confections, and salsas are perfect for gift baskets! (We've even had brides order market artisan foods for bridal party thank yous!)


Peppers from Flying J Farm.


Brioche Loaf from Angela Bowman's Sugar B Bakery.


Pumpkins from Bird's Haven Farms.


Maple sugar Maple Leaves from Pleiades Maple Products.


Fresh from the fields squash varieties from Bird's Haven Farms.


Pick some up for the holidays. Raw chestnuts from Northridge Organic Farm.


Fox Hollow Farms has fresh eggs from pasture raised hens.


Sweet potato varieties from Northridge Organic Farm.


Organic sourdough bread from Dan the Baker.


Taters! from Flying J Farm


Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Salsas and Sauces 
on the extra hot side salsa selection.
(Salsa heats range from sizzling to flavor-rich mild.)


Fresh-baked biscotti from Sweet Thing Gourmet.

See you at the market!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Good Eatin'... Good Advice


As Marshall Branstool of Branstool Orchards demonstrates: 
Never eat anything bigger than your head!
Whew, close call, Marshall!


Now, this is more like it. We've got apples from Branstool Orchards at Market Wednesday.

Variety Abounds! Bag your own. Mix or Match!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Helping a Family Farm


The Bird Family of Granville's Bird's Haven Farms is part of our family on Market Wednesday. The Birds have come up with a great idea to fund a much-needed deer fence for their farm - crowd funding!

The Bird Family has posted a crowd funding page on indiegogo.com:

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-the-local-veggies-bird-s-haven-farms-deer-fence-campaign

From the Birds:

So... What's Up?

Bird's Haven Farms has been a family farm committed to Licking County and the Greater Central Ohio local food community for over 17 years. We have been at  your dinner tables in some capacity since 1995.

After years of loosing 30+% of our annual crops to deer damage we can no longer make it financially viable to continue without a real, strong, 7', 3-D deer fence. Such loss of labor costs, seed, time, cultivation have begun to create a deficit in our business.  We had hoped to finance this project on our own but because of unforeseen circumstances in needed irrigation upgrades we cannot finance both.

We were working with USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services and their Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) for irrigation but because the 2012 Farm Bill was not passed programs are currently unfunded. Therefore, we will be working to finance both of these much needed upgrades by Spring planting.

While commodity crop insurance programs and many other Farm Bill programs will continue to be funded despite the failure of a Farm Bill passage one of the only parts of the Farm Bill that directly impacts small and diverser specialty crop farms such as us has gone unfunded... Therefore we are left with one option...

COMMUNITY!!!

And what a great community we are apart of!!

How Bad Can It Be?

Many of our customers have commented, "It is just deer?", "Can't you let hunters on the farm?" "I heard a great trick with human hair"

However, Licking County deer herd population is highest in the state and we live between almost 500 acres of non-farmed land... perfect for deer.

In just 2013, we lost:
- 18,000 strawberry plants
- 3 acres of sweet corn
- 15,000 squash plants
- 20,000 beets
- 1 acre of sugar snap peas
- and countless pumpkins, melons, flowers, and lettuce

We have worked to control the pest damage and population through less expensive means such as liquid fencing, netting, frost blankets, and noise irritants. However, all previous measures have been ineffective.

For Conservation:

Having this fence we would be able to cut our current planting by 40%. This would  allow for us to have fields in rest and better conservation practices.

Where Is The Money Going?

WE NEED TO RAISE $7,910.00

Where Is The Money Going?!

Our family is committed to supporting other local businesses in this venture and will be purchasing all our material from Eads Fence Company, Inc in Loveland, OH.

We are working to SAVE MONEY through our own labor costs. This saves $4,000 of labor expenses. Also, we will use existing tree lines and trees instead posts saving another $3,000!!

Current Estimate to Deer Fence 20-Acres:
▪ Deer Fence Standard - 7.5' X 330 X 13 Rolls  = $2,978.04
1 5/8" X 10 1/2 " Commerical Grade Post = $3,225.00
DD BLK 8 ga Monofilament Fence Wire 3000 ft = $468.00
DD Monofilament Sleeves 25 pk  = $13.90
DD Monofilament Crimper Rental   = $15.00
DD Hog Rings Heavy Duty 9/16in. 2500 pk = $225.00
Stanly Hog Ringer = $233.40
DD sod Staples Case = $208.30
DD #50 White Flags - 50 pk = $62.91
Sales Tax 6.5%  = $482..92

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand many won't be able to financially contribute. But that doesn't mean we don't appreciate your support.

Share the Story. Write about it on your social media websites.

Ask to share posters and postcards. We are happy to send you material.

Purchase produce and continue to support our family farm. 

If you have any questions or want to know more - stop by the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market each Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ N. State and E. Home through October 30th and check in with Bird's Haven Farms or contact Bird's Haven Farms @ farmfresh@birdshavenfarms.com

Visit Bird's Haven Farms online...

Click here to visit the website.

Click here to visit Bird's Haven Farms on facebook.

Click here to visit indiegogo.com



Photograph Thanks To Gary Chisolm at ChisolmStudios.com and Evelyn Frolking Author Of "Homegrown: Stories From The Farm"

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: October 9th Market Report


Northridge Organic Farm

The rain of this past weekend has given way to a series of beautiful, autumn days, and late season produce, including apples, is plentiful. Home-grown. Home-made. All Ohio. The Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market is open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each Wednesday @ N. State and E. Home through October 30th. 

This week's vendor line-up: Branstool Orchards, Northridge Organic Farm, Pleiades Maple Products, Dan the Baker, Blue Jacket Dairy, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Salsas and Sauces, Sugar B Bakery, Malabar Peach and Apple Orchard, Dana Lee's, Hartzler Family Dairy, Honey Health Farms, Flying J Farm, Bird's Haven Farms, Fox Hollow Farm.

This week, we also welcome community partner, Westerville Police Division. Stop by to visit Crime Prevention Specialists Pierre La Rose and Preston Tartt.

Annabelle's Blooms will be out this week. We are waiting to hear from Bridgman Farm and Ohio Farm Direct.


Angela Bowman's Sugar B Bakery - market favorite - Spinach Loaf.


Apples from Branstool Orchards


 Muffins from Dan the Baker.


Raw chestnuts from Northridge Organic Farm.


Hot peppers from Flying J Farm


Fruit Salsas from Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Salsas and Sauces


Bell peppers from Northridge Organic


Bird's Haven Farms' tomatoes


Potatoes from Flying J Farm


Sweet Thing Gourmet jams 


Pumpkins from Bird's Haven Farms


Sweet potato varieties from Northridge Organic Farm


Organic sourdough bread from Dan the Baker


Garlic from Northridge Organic Farm


Savory breads from Dana Lee's


Shopping at Pleiades Maple Products

See you at the market!

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: Fox Hollow Farm's Farmer's Table


Update 10.6: We just found out that the October 12th Farmer's Table Evening is fully booked. Look for future announcements from Fox Hollow Farm for the next Farmer's Table.

Fox Hollow Farm, near Fredericktown, presents a Farmer's Table Evening.

The inaugural Farmer's Table will be Saturday, October 12, 2013. The evening begins on Fox Hollow Farm at 4 p.m. and includes a canopied dining experience featuring a three-course, family-style feast made with local, fresh ingredents as well as apple picking for fresh-pressed apple cider (that you can help make), after-dinner tea, candlelight, and a view of the autumn sunset.

What's for dinner? Seasonal Salad, Slow-roasted Pork, and a farm-fresh vegetable side-dish (to be determined based on the freshest, in-season available vegetables).

(If you do not eat pork, future Farmers' Table dinners will uniquely feature lamb, chicken, and beef. Dates will be announced.)

Tickets are $45 and can be purchased online via Fox Hollow Farm's Square Up store, or when you shop @ Fox Hollow Farm at the Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market or Mount Vernon Farmers' Market. Space is limited to accommodate 15 diners and "party-of" reservations are limited to four.

Fox Hollow Farm's 411: 20060 Gilmore Rd., Fredericktown, Ohio 43019; Phone: 740.694.8528; e-mail:  foxhollowfarmerstable@gmail.com

Purchase Tickets Online:

Fox Hollow Farm Square Up Store

Learn more about Fox Hollow Farm online:

Fox Hollow Farm on facebook

Fox Hollow Farm's website

FAQs:

If you have a food allergy, let Fox Hollow Farm know ahead of time. Contact Chelsea at the foxhollowfarmerstable@gmail.com

If it rains, bring a rain coat if you want to help harvest apples, otherwise, dinner is served undercover. And, the cider will be served mulled.

You'll receive a confirmation email with directions and details after you sign up, then final details about a week before dinner.

Tickets are non-refundable, but if you can't make it, you can transfer you ticket to another Fox Hollow Farmer's Table event.

You can also pick up a meat order at the Farmers' Table event - place an order in advance by phone or online.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: October 2nd Market Report

Peppers from Bird's Haven Farms

Welcome October! The 2013 Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market season has just five weeks left!

Home-grown. Home-made. All Ohio. Market Wednesday is open for business each Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. @ N. State and E. Home Streets through October 30th.

This week's line up: Fox Hollow Farm, Branstool Orchards, Northridge Organic Farm, Pleiades Maple Products, Dan the Baker, Blue Jacket Dairy, Sweet Thing Gourmet, Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Salsas and Sauces, Sugar B Bakery, Annabelle's Blooms, Bridgman Farm, Hartzler Family Dairy, Honey Health Farms, Flying J Farm, Bird's Haven Farms..

Update 1: Dana Lee's Bakery is coming to market today. 

Update 2: Annabelle's Blooms will not be at market today - Anna had car trouble.

We are waiting to hear from Dana Lee's and Ohio Farm Direct.

Doran's Family Farm's season is now over. Thanks so much to Michele, Jim, Glen, Megan, and Renee for a great season. We'll see you in 2014.

Malabar Peach and Apple will be out this week. 


Apples from Branstool Orchards


Potatoes from Flying J Farm


Organic sourdough breads from Dan the Baker


 Hot peppers from Flying J Farm


Raw chestnuts from Pleiades Maple


Like little sculptures - gnarly, textured gourds from Bridgman Farm.


Peppers from Northridge Organic Farm


Kyla Touris' Signature jams at Sweet Thing Gourmet


Eggplant from Bridgman Farm


Sweet potatoes from Northridge Organic Farm


Tomatoes from Bird's Haven Farms


Fresh garlic from Northridge Organic Farm


Salsa from Chuck Evans' Montezuma Brand Salsas and Sauces


Fresh-baked Peasant Bread from Sugar B Bakery


Annabelle's Blooms 


Squash from Northridge Organic Farm


Pumpkins from Bird's Haven Farms

See you at the market!

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Uptown Westerville Farmers' Market: In the News


Hey, Market Wednesday and Bird's Haven Farms made the Metro Section in the Sunday Dispatch.

Photo by Fred Squillante of the Columbus Dispatch.