Fresh Local Corn Sighting

I know I’ve said it before, but it’s really here. Summer, that is. The first local corn is coming in (none of that Su’thun stuff). I know for sure you can get some at None Such Farm Market. Be on the look-out at your local farms and stores, and let me know where it pops up and how good it is.

And while we’re “sighting,” the first peaches are here too! We just had some from Fairview Farm, on Pineville Road (just down the road from the Pineville Tavern) this weekend and they were delicious (thanks, Sharon). Manoff Market Gardens on Comfort Road in Solebury also has peaches now, but Manoff reminds that these are “eating” peaches as opposed to the kind used for canning and jamming (not “freestone”). Those come in August. The Manoffs have a great blog too. Check it out.

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Tips On Pick-Your-Own Strawberries

It’s a little soggy right now out in our local strawberry fields but the next week or so may be your last chance to eat these wonderful strawberries so get out there as soon as the sun pops back out.

We stopped by Shady Brook Farm on Sunday and I picked up their flyer, “Tips on how to pick-your-own strawberries.” Here’s a few of the good ones:

• Pick only plump, red berries. Berries will not ripen once they are picked. The smaller berries are often the most flavorful.
• Pick them gently. Strawberries are tender and bruise easily if they are squeezed so pick them gently. Grasp the stem just above the berry and twist gently to remove the berry.
• Don’t overfill your container. Heaping strawberries more than 5 inches deep will damage the lower berries.
• After rain, pick only berries you plan to eat soon. Strawberries rot quickly if the weather is rainy so, after it rains, only pick berries you plan to eat immediately.
• Cool your berries as soon as possible. Strawberries picked during the heat of the day will not keep as well as berries picked early in the morning or on cooler days.
• Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Washing will make them more prone to spoiling. Fresh picked strawberries may last only two or three days in the refrigerator so freeze any unused berries to enjoy later.

There are many places in Bucks that you can pick-your-own strawberries. Here’s a few but for a complete list, see the the Penn State Extension website or the PickYourOwn website. Call or check the farm’s website for times and availability (check to see if the rain has affected harvesting).

• Brumbaugh’s Farm, 2575 County Line Rd, Telford,
  215-723-3508
• Center Farm, 2224 Forest Grove Rd, Furlong,
  215-794-7702
• Hellerick Farm, Doylestown
• None Such Farms, Buckingham (update: no PYO strawberries as of 6/16/09; check later if the sun comes out!)
• Shady Brook Farm, Yardley
• Snipes Farm, Morrisville
• Solly Brothers Farm Market, Ivyland
• Traugers Farm Market, Kintersville

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More Than A Farm Market

Here’s a test. Where can you find all these items?

• All natural bakery items (no preservatives or hydrogenated oils), baked on the premises
• Hormone- and antibiotic-free beef, poultry and pork, raised locally, and sold at a butcher counter
• Fresh organic produce
• Fresh flowers, grown across the street
• Boars Head Meat and Cheeses, including deli sandwiches
• Prepared foods, made on the premises, including entrees, sides, salads and dips
• Local eggs and organic milk, and a full line of other dairy items (yogurt, cream, soy milk, butter, goat milk and fresh mozzarella)
• Nelson’s, Ben & Jerry’s, and Ciao Bella ice cream
• Baked goods from J.Scones
• Superior Pasta from Philadelphia
• Martin’s chicken and turkey sausages (fresh on Fridays and no preservatives)
• Naturally-processed, fair trade coffee roasted in Bucks County by The Coffee Scoop
• Max & Me Smoked Salmon
• A whole host of great grocery items

To be honest, I was a bit surprised to find all these things at None Such Farm Market, in Buckingham, on Route 263 (York Road). I’ve been living around here for eighteen years, and have shopped from time to time at None Such. It wasn’t until I sat down with Carol Routier, one of the managers at the market, that I began to appreciate what is going on at None Such. It’s not just a farm market anymore.

None Such Farm Market is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, sitting on land that has been farmed by the Yerkes family for over seventy years. Now in the hands of the third generation, the market is being co-managed by Rhonda and Karen Yerkes, wives of Scott and Jon Yerkes (learn more about their history).

There have been some changes, all for the best as you can see from the list above. The market has stuck to its roots – providing fresh, locally grown produce, flowers and plants – and then some. As you reach for the front door, notice the dry erase board directly to the right. It lists what’s fresh and new in the store. Then grab a basket or cart and just wander around.

The Yerkes and their staff have been listening to what Bucks County customers want – all natural products, a variety of interesting gourmet and everyday items, as well as “I just need to pick something up for dinner,” type stuff.

"What's growing" sign

Another great addition is the big blackboard at the cash registers. It lists what’s going on at the farm across the street, including what’s being planted, growing and harvested.

As we’ve mentioned before, Mark and I are carnivores, so if you’re not, you might want to skip this paragraph. While all natural meat products have become more common, we’re very fortunate here in Bucks to have all natural meat raised locally. None Such’s cattle is raised on pasture and long grains, and sold fresh at the market. Take home the 6 oz. hamburger patties – they are wonderful, and they don’t shrink on the grill. The pork and poultry are also local, and are hormone- and antibiotic-free, something not always easy to find in central Bucks (especially in pork products).

Herbs and plants

There is so much more – catering services, great bedding plants and hanging baskets, a fresh flower fridge as you walk in to the right – that you’ll just have to check it out yourself. And now’s a great time since None Such Farm’s strawberries have just arrived. They are available for purchase in the market or you can pick your own (Monday – Sunday, 8 am to 12 pm; Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 5 – 8 pm). Nothing against California strawberries, but they’ve come a long way and they tend to be bland. Stop by None Such Market, buy some, and remember what strawberries are supposed to taste like.

The market is open Monday – Friday, 8 am to 6:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 8 am to 6 pm, Route 263, 4458 York Rd., Buckingham, 215.794.5201, www.nonesuchfarms.com

For more photos of the market and its products…

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‘Tis the Season

Bucks County Taste has moved! See this post on our new server.  

Nope, not talking about Christmas. Throughout Bucks County, May and June will be filled with the opening of seasonal farm markets. Here’s our rundown.

Weekly markets:

• Springtown: Wednesdays from 3  to 6 pm, Springtown Firehouse, 1030 Main Street/Route 212 (begins May 6th)
• New Hope: Thursdays from 3:30  to 7 pm, New Hope-Solebury High School, 180 W. Bridge Street (begins May 7th)
• Lower Makefield: Thursdays from 3:30 to  6:30 pm, Edgewood & Heacock Rds (begins June 4th)
• Linden Hill: Fridays from 3:30 to 7:30 pm, Linden Hill Gardens, 8230 Easton Rd in Ottsville (begins May 29th)
• Wrightstown: Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm, 2203 Second St Pike (near the township bldg.) (begins May 23rd)
• Doylestown: Saturdays from 7 am to 12 pm, W. State & Hamilton Streets (already in full swing!)
• Plumsteadville Grange Market: Saturdays from 9 am to 12 pm, Route 611, just north of Stump Rd (begins June 6th)

Check our calendar for more details and directions.

Here’s a listing of year-round markets,  roadside and “pick your own” farms that you might want to check out. This is not a comprehensive list. I “cherry-picked” (no pun intended!) ones opening in May/June. Please see the Penn State Cooperative Extension, Bucks County for more information.

Active Acres Farm: Specialty plants, bedding plants, perennials, hanging baskets, hay & straw, strawberries, peaches, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, cucumbers, melons, onions, cornstalks, ornamental corn, mums, gourds, rides to the pumpkin patch*, barnyard animals, educational school tours, Sleepy Hollow Haunted Hayride. *Pick-your-own: May-October Every day
881 Highland Road, Newtown 18940
215-968-2192

Bechdolts Orchard, Inc.: Peaches, pears, apples, plums, nectarines, tomatoes, peppers.
2209 Leithsville Rd/Route 412, Hellertown 18055
610-838-8522
Spring & fall hours – 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Summer hours – 9:00 am-6:00 pm

Bolton’s Farm Market: Turkey: parts, sausage, ground, cutlets; chickens, beef, berries, sweet corn, cantaloupes, tomatoes, peaches, other fruits and vegetables, milk in glass bottles. No hormones or drugs used on animal products. Phone orders taken.
Route 113, Silverdale 18962
215-257-6047
Market: Year round, Monday – Saturday.

Brumbaugh’s Farm: Strawberries*, raspberries, peas*, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, herbs, lettuce, melons, cucumbers, cut flowers, asparagus, mums, pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn, hanging baskets, bedding plants, Christmas wreaths. *Pick-your-own
2575 County Line Road, Telford 18969
215-723-3508
Market: April – December, Monday-Saturday

Carousel Farm Lavender: Lavender plants, flowers, Lavender products-soaps, candles, creams, essential oils. Organic.
5966 Mechanicsville Road, Mechanicsville 18934
917-837-6903
Open from May to December; call for hours

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Greens in Winter

Sitting around the kitchen table, nibbling away on Super Bowl Sunday, a friend shared her desire for fresh, local produce… in winter. “Now?” we said, glancing out the window at the frozen snow. “In Bucks County?”

Not so many years ago, you couldn’t get decent produce in winter. Then they started shipping stuff from Chile and other parts of South America. And we got spoiled. Avocados in January? Why not? Cheap asparagus in December? Of course! Most Americans don’t even know the origin of their produce, be it domestic or international. It’s just there. If it’s not, we get annoyed.

I know container shipping has gotten more sophisticated – vacuum-packing, temperature-controlled, yada, yada. But, yes, wouldn’t it be better to eat something locally produced? Two miles versus two thousand?

It’s happening here in Bucks County. In a small way, to be sure, but it’s happening. We’ve mentioned Blue Moon Acres in Buckingham and their excellent micro greens. And now Maximuck’s Farm, on the outskirts of Doylestown, is growing greens hydroponically. Over the past year, they’ve built a state-of-the-art greenhouse and began selling a variety of salad greens in their market on Long Lane. In case you don’t know Maximuck’s, this family-owned and operated farm sells its own produce, hormone-free beef, hormone-free milk, bedding plants, flowers, bird feed and more, year-round.

As I walked into the bright, sunny greenhouse last week, I was blown away. I spent the first five minutes taking photos of the greens. Then Matt Maximuck, Jr., and I spoke about the new venture.

First off, why would a traditional farm go into hydroponics?

“We’re running out of farm ground,” explains Matt. “This way we can grow a lot more in a little amount of space. It’s also the best way to grow stuff. Plants get more nutrients and it goes right to the roots. The plants don’t have to spend time (energy) searching for nutrients, as they would in the soil.” It also conserves water, since the water is re-circulated.

Right now, Maximuck’s is concentrating on growing lettuces and greens: romaine, butterhead (Boston), red and green leaf lettuce, spinach and even bok choy. “We’re starting to grow some mesculin mixes. And trying some heirloom lettuces too,” says Matt.

What about the future?

“Eventually we want to be able to grow everything, all your normal vegetables, so people have fresh vegetables all year round,” Matt  says. “But not everything that will grow outside will grow in a greenhouse” or be economically feasible. You may also find these greens showing up on local restaurant tables as Maximuck’s increases its wholesale business.

For now, you can purchase the greens at the Maximuck Farm Market at 5793 Long Lane, near Street Road in Doylestown/Buckingham. The market is open Tuesday through Saturday (winter hours may vary). Phone: (215) 297-9894

Update: You may see Maximuck’s greens at your local farm market under the name, “White Star Growers Inc.” Markets carrying them include: Tanner Bros. , Altomonte’s and Del Val Farm Market by Shady Brook.

See more pics at Photo Gallery: Maximuck’s Farm

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Photo Gallery: Maximuck’s Farm

Red and green leaf lettuce

Romaine lettuce

Salad greens growing

More salad greens growing

Butterhead lettuce

Greens growing

Barn at Maximuck’s Farm

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