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This Week at the Farmers’ Market: Farmers at the Firehouse

I was looking forward to this all week…when I got to wake up early on a Saturday morning and venture down to one of my favorite places in the Strip…Farmers at the Firehouse.  It’s located at 2216 Penn Avenue.  I got there a little before they opened at 9:00, but there were already customers milling about, eying their first purchases.  Recently this market was voted the Best Farmers’ Market in Pittsburgh in the contest in Edible Allegheny magazine.

I can easily see why.  It has all the essentials.  It’s an organic and certified naturally grown market with stringent rules for participation.  If any products are conventionally grown they are labeled as such.

When you enter the market from the left you’re greeted by beautiful $8.00 bouquets of flowers from the height of summer.  They are grown by Goose Creek Gardens, which also sells produce and lots of fresh herbs.  Next down the line is Next Life Farm out of Homer City, PA and owned by Ken and Beth Marshall.  They were very friendly and had the biggest assortment of tomatoes I’d seen this season.  I was so close to buying one of their very affordable bags of cherry tomatoes, or an intriguing lemon cucumber.  I decided to make the rounds first.

My next stop was at the Blackberry Meadows Farm table, which is a farm and CSA run by Jen Montgomery and Greg Boulos.

They always have a beautiful assortment of greens available, herbs and bunches of great, certified organic produce.  They had quail eggs and blueberries.  I bought a bag of delicious baby chard for $2.oo.  It’s so good sauteed with onions.

Then I came upon a booth I hadn’t seen before and one that made my mouth water for pancakes.  It was Hillegas Sugar Camp.  I introduced myself to two amiable guys, Brandon and Kyle, who proudly showed off their products; Pennsylvania Maple Syrup, maple candies and maple sugar.  It sounded so good and gave me an idea for zucchini bread with maple sugar…mmm.  They’ve been making maple syrup for about fifteen years now, but that was when they said they were using a big copper kettle.  In the past few years they have upgraded and have been producing more for commercial use…great news for us!

I walked to the next booth and was greeted by a woman named Karen, who was all smiles.  She was accompanied by her two sons who were helping her out with sales.  They were part of the family of Heilman’s Hog Wash Farms: Premium Pastured Pork from Sarver, PA.  As soon as I introduced myself as a representative of Penn State Extension she beamed, “My husband, Dave, and I are both Penn State Grads.”

As I stood there a couple came up inquiring after a pork liver.  They were in luck she had one left in the cooler.  The woman purchasing it insisted there was a delicious way of preparing it that she had in Italy.  However, after my last experience with beef liver I wasn’t convinced.  The next man that came up asked for a shoulder and then specifically asked if there were any organ meats left.  Again, it was his lucky day.  She had two hearts to sell him.  Their stuff must be good!

I continued my tour and met three young men, two of which are brothers, who recently started the Crested Duck Charcuterie.  A charcuterie is a French word for an artisanal meat market.  They use locally sourced meats to make patés, sausages, bacon and so much more!  This will be a must visit for those who love specialty meats.  They will be a vendor at the Pittsburgh Public Market when it opens in the Strip District over Labor Day weekend.  One of the founders, Kevin Costa, told me, “Penn State Extension’s Ag Map was incredibly useful in starting my business.  It would have been much harder to start the business without it.”

Backtracking a little bit I visited with David Chirico from West Liberty Farm.  He was selling his pastured chicken and he showed me pictures of the “houses” that get moved around the pasture for the chickens to feed.

After seriously considering buying some chicken, I wandered back over to the Paradise Gardens and Farm table.  The woman there was cheerful and had lots of samples out.  She had goat cheese, goat milk and goat yogurt available as well as cartons of eggs.  They were the first organic goat dairy established in Northwest Pennsylvania and their operation is 100% solar powered! 

As I stood there a family approached the table and a little boy exclaimed, “I like the goat milk!”  I had to agree with him.

Walking down the center of the market I started at the Mott Family Farm booth.  They’re a certified naturally grown farm that I have enjoyed all summer.  Shelley and Jeff, the owners, were there with their two sons.  It was so nice to see several farm families at the market.  They still had rhubarb, which I haven’t been able to resist every time I’ve come to this market.  It has never disappointed.  They have a beautiful selection of tomatoes, rare varieties of potatoes and some of the best peaches I’ve ever had.  I had big plans for peach cobbler, but chances were they wouldn’t make it long enough to be made into a cobbler…they’re just too good.  While I stood there a gentleman who had come to the market just to buy one of their peaches picked one out of the basket.  It made me smile.  When the stream of customers slowed down a little I had a great chat with Jeff about family farm policy.

The next booth was the Wild Alaskan Salmon Company.  They had other kinds of fish available as well, but I resisted the temptation to stop and talk because I remembered the salmon sitting patiently in my freezer.

The next person in line was the Allegheny Mountain Mushroom Man.  By the long line waiting to talk to him, it looked like he had a devoted following.  Recently he found a new spot for chanterelles, as he had a big box full of the divine yellow mushrooms.  He also forages for porcini mushrooms.  He grows the oyster mushrooms and also had shitakes, ports and criminis available.  Any of them would be sure to add some great flavor and flare to a summer grill-out.

Next to him were tables full of the stunning breads from Mediterra Bakehouse.  A few weeks ago I bought some of their bread and it was absolutely delicious.

In the front center isle, where a cooking demo is often set up, was Burgh Bees, our local urban beekeeping association.  They had a demonstration hive set up with glass windows for easy viewing of the bees.

There were also samples of different varieties of honey, some infused with spices, and a demonstration of honey infused yogurt with blackberries.  Delish!  There were even a couple local beekeepers there, ready to answer any questions people had about bees and honey.  It was a great, educational and lively addition to the market.

On the right side as you enter the market you will see one of the founding members of the market, Pucker Brush Farm from Shelocta, PA.  Often they have handspun yarns available and today there was a wide variety of produce available.  They even had one of my all-time favorite fruits, and rare in these parts…figs!

To their left was Najat’s cuisine with their usual, lovely spread of Lebanese foods.

Next door was the delightful woman from “The Farmer’s Wife” farm, and she was even wearing the cute apron to prove it.  We had a great chat and I bought some eggs and sweet corn for a cook-out I was going to later that day.  Since I’m a novice griller she told me to soak the ears in salt water for at least 30 minutes so the corn doesn’t dry out on the grill.  She also had a large variety of Soap Alchemy soaps available.  I was curious, so she gave me a little crash course in soap-making.  It was very interesting and she was obviously passionate about it, so I left there with a bar of Shea butter soap.  She said you can even use it as shampoo with an occasional switch-up with regular shampoo.

Before I left I made sure to speak with the Market Manager, Jenalee Schenk, who was very helpful.  They are open from 9:00-1:00 from Mother’s Day weekend through the weekend before Thanksgiving.  She also reminded me of their new status as Pittsburgh’s Best Farmers’ Market of 2010.  The market was packed, so she must be doing a good job, along with all the wonderful vendors.

While I still had some money in my wallet I had to tear myself away.  I highly recommend going down there as a first stop on a Saturday stroll through the Strip District.  Oh, and the grilled sweet corn turned out great!  I was quite proud, and of course thankful for the tip from the farmer.  I’ll be returning some Saturday soon.

Pittsburgh Blues Fest

From July 23-25 Yum and her sidekick attended the Pittsburgh Blues Festival at Hartwood Acres in partnership with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Student Conservation Association (SCA).

With this event we wanted to introduce people to extension and the regional food infrastructure work we do.  One of our goals was to explain the benefits of eating locally grown foods as well as where and how to find local products.

Over the three days approximately two hundred people came by our table.  There were several thousand attendees of the festival, but not everyone walked through the “Green Tent.”

The SCA organized an exposition of area environmental organizations to demonstrate sustainability projects in Western Pennsylvania.  There were many different organizations represented under the Green Tent and we were there to promote eating locally grown foods.  We organized a small farmers’ market as part of the effort to ‘green’ the festival.  The vendors that came were Frankferd Farms, The Purple Spoon, Mary Mac Bakehouse and Pittsburgh Sports Sauce.

YUM’s intern did a cooking demo and tasting in conjunction with the farmers’ market.  She made Tomato Bruschetta with locally sourced ingredients.  The garlic was from Blue Bird Farm in Cadiz, Ohio and the tomatoes were from Blue Goose Farm out of Nicktown, Pennsylvania.  The basil was picked from the North Park Demonstration Garden tended by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners.   It all combined to make a delicious summer appetizer.   Some of the other greening efforts of the festival were to compost and recycle as much of the festival waste as possible, including some compostable utensils and plates from vendors.  Some of the waste cooking oil was even collected and used to make biodiesel.  

Many new people learned about programs from Penn State Extension of Allegheny County and how to find locally produced foods.  They also learned about opportunities with 4-H, Master Gardeners, and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council.

Food and Water Watch Comes to Pittsburgh

Food & Water Watch is coming to Pittsburgh!

Tuesday, August 3rd

Braddock Farms is hosting a cooking demonstration with

Food & Water Watch’s Chef Rocky Barnette

2:30 to 4:00 PM

1129 Braddock Avenue | Braddock, PA 15104

Meet up with Food & Water Watch and other local

activists at the Quiet Storm Café

5:00 to 7:00 PM

The organization Food & Water Watch was founded in 2005 with the mission of protecting our planet’s essential resources. Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainably produced. Their organization understands the importance of sustainable food systems and local agriculture, thereby they consistently support small farmers. Food and Water Watch is calling for a revision of the Farm Bill in Congress in 2012 that will include measures to protect these farmers against the lack of competition caused by big agribusiness. Their Farm Bill campaign is just getting launched, so while organizers in their office are calling groups around the country to get their support, the Education and Outreach team is planning a road trip through America’s heartland to reach out directly to the people most affected by these issues.  They will be accompanied by celebrity chef and foodie activist Rocky Barnette who, as the face of their road trip, will be visiting farms, county fairs, farmers’ markets, and more to educate people on our campaign. They are also going to be collecting petition signatures at these events that they then plan to drop off at the respective Senators’ offices before they leave each state.

The organization is hoping to get the Braddock Youth Project to come out for a youth-oriented chef demonstration to teach young people the importance of local food, fresh produce, sustainability in our food systems, and more. Chef Rocky loves kids and is a really dynamic speaker.  He is really excited for the chance to show them easy ways to cook with fresh produce, and to talk about how this issue effects them more than they may know (for example, the Farm Bill determines public school food policy).

After the cooking demonstration, people will be invited to sample the food prepared that day and explore Braddock Farms.

‘TASTE OF THE FARM’ AT TRIPLE B FARMS

Food samples, hayrides, children’s activities set for Aug. 8, 2010

FORWARD TOWNSHIP, ALLEGHENY COUNTY – Triple B Farms will hold “Taste of the Farm” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 8.

Highlights will include the following:

· Food samples in the Country Market: Jams, jellies, salad dressings, dips and more.

• · Peach-themed refreshments: Peach smoothies, “funnel fries” with peach dipping sauce, peach shortcake, peach pie.
• · Hayrides around the farm.
• · Children’s attractions including the giant tube slides, Moonbounce obstacle course, playground and farm animals.

The farm bakery will feature peach muffins, peach breads and peach pies, along with other homemade treats.   Featured fudge flavors that day will include peach and peach-pecan.

Come on out and enjoy a delicious day on the farm!

For directions or more information, see our website at www.triplebfarms.com or call Carolyn or Suzanne Beinlich at 724-258-3557.

CSA Adventures: Haluski, Southeast Asian Sytle

Haluski, Southeast Asian Style

Summer is upon us, and the contents of the CSA box are starting to reflect the transition from spring to summer crops. It has been wonderful to have peaches from Dawson’s Orchards, for example.

Yum admits the arrival of cukes, beans and plums does not mean the back log of greens have been cleared from the fridge. Hardy greens like chard, collards and kale boast impressive nutritional profiles, and a long shelf life. But every situation has a moment of rekoning, the time had come.

A package of rice noodles provided inspiration. Yum LOVES Thai noodle dishes, and all good Pittsburgher’s love all things buttery and starchy from Eastern Europe, so the decision was made to  bastardize two much loved national dishes in one go: Haluski and Pad Thai. Knowing that the former is a classic marriage of cabbage and noodles and that the latter is a classic sweet, salty, sour and bitter flavors, yum brokered a diplomatic compromise. This lightened dish has much less fat that either original and can be used as a side dish or main course.

Haluski, Southeast Asian style:

1/3 pack of any type of rice noodles

2 candy onions (from Blue Goose Farms), chopped

1 garlic scape, (from Bill Foulk), chopped

1 lime, juiced

2 bunches seasonal greens (Beccari’s Farm, Clarion River Organics), rough chop

1/8 c. rice wine vinegar

2 T sugar

2 T ground or fresh ginger

1/8 c. soy sauce or fish sauce

1/4 c fresh herbs, any combo basil, cilantro, parsley chopped, Reserve 2 T for garnish.

1/4 ground peanuts

Chop all ingredients. Soak and drain rice noodles according to package instructions. In a small bowl or food processor combine sugar, soy sauce, herbs, ginger vinegar, set aside. Heat a bit of oil in a wok , add scapes and onions when hot. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add drained rice noodles with 1/4 of soy/ginger dressing. Stir fry until the noodles soak up the moisture, then repeat until all of the dressing has been used. (Note: if the noodles start scorching you can add a tablespoon of water at a time, or more oil). Add chopped greens and toss with noodle mixture, 3 -5 minutes. When greens are softened turn off hear, drizzle juice of lime and peanuts and toss again. Garnish with reserved herbs, peanuts and lime wedges.

Hey Bikers: Local Eats on the Great Allegheny Passage

What works up an appetite more than biking between all the cute little trail towns on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) this summer? This trail runs from just south of Pittsburgh the whole way through to Washington DC. Several towns have great farmers markets which feature seasonal produce, baked goods, local mustards, jams, and crafts. What a great way to spend a day biking, taking in the scenery, and refueling with a picnic of bread, cheeses, fruit and some Amish cookies! Read on for details:

On Saturdays there are markets in:
- Connellsville, Yough River Park, 8a.m – 1p.m, July 3 – Sept. 4
- Ohiopyle, Ohiopyle Borough, 2p.m – 6p.m, May 29 – Sept. 4

(These markets are part of a larger Fayette County Buy Local initiative, which also includes farmers’ markets in Uniontown (Thursdays, 4p.m – 7p.m) and Masontown (Fridays, 3p.m – 7p.m).)

- Cumberland (MD), Cumberland Downtown Pedestrian Mall, 9:30a.m – 12:30p.m, June 5 – Oct.

If you are a mid-week rider:
- Meyersdale, Fuller Playground, Wednesdays, 7:30a.m – 12:30p.m, May 26 – Sept. 8

- Cumberland (MD), Cumberland Downtown Pedestrian Mall, Thursdays, 9:30a.m – 2p.m, June 3 – Oct.

-Frostburg (MD), Main Street, Fridays, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30p.m, June 4 – Oct.

For more information on planning a ride:
Trail Towns
Great Allegheny Passage

Late Blight Update in Western PA

There have been no new reports of late blight in recent days thanks to the hot and dry weather that was prevalent across much of the state. However, keep in mind that the pathogen does not necessarily need free moisture on the leaf surface to infect. A relative humidity of 90% or greater within the crop canopy can be sufficient for infection to occur in the absence of leaf wetness. The pathogen will not die when the conditions become unfavorable but rather will become “dormant” as resume once more favorable conditions develop.

Regionally, the only new late blight reports have been on potato from Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, Canada.

To-date, late blight has been confirmed only on tomatoes in 7 counties in PA including Beaver, Allegheny, Indiana, Somerset, Blair, Cameron and another county in the Northwest region on PA. All the confirmed reports have been on either locally grown tomato transplants  or tomato plants growing in home gardens or community gardens. In cases where transplants were for sale, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture was involved. Earlier this spring PDA screened many tomato transplants destined for the retail and wholesale markets and all of those samples were negative for late blight. Late blight was also not reported on any tomato transplants sold in any big-box stores this spring in PA.

A new website is being developed to share current information on the spread of late blight.There will be information for both commercial growers and home owners with links to additional on-line resources and a photo gallery which will contain images of many tomato and potato diseases. When posted for the public, the web address will be http://extension.psu.edu/late-blight Yum will let you know when the site is live.

Please report any suspect cases of late blight bring or send a sample (overnight delivery) for confirmation to The Plant Disease Clinic, Department of Plant Pathology, 220 Buckhout Lab, University Park, PA 16802. Yum would like to thank Penn State Extension Pathologist Beth Gugino for this update.

This Week at the Farmers’ Market: South Side

Last week I ventured over to  the other side of the Mon River to cruise around the South Side Market…still on the hunt for some cooking ingredients to make it feel like summer.  The market takes place on Tuesdays from3:30-7:30, tucked in a neighborhood at the intersection of 20th and Sidney Street.

I arrived around 3:45 and the market was already busy.  There were a few familiar vendors so I decided to stop at one I didn’t recognize first.  There was no name posted for his business, but the very nice gentleman there was selling snow cones and hot sausages.  He also had some beautiful Italian treats called pizzelles.  They were round with a delicate lace pattern and flavored with anise oil.  I decided they would be a treat for down the road.  When I attempted to take a picture of the pizzelles I realized, sadly, that my camera battery was dead, so this post will unfortunately not have any pictures.   That just means YOU will have to go experience it for yourself!!!

Around the corner was Sito’s with their fresh and light, locally made Mediterranean-style dressings.  I heard the young man selling them say they’re made from a Syrian recipe.  They also had stuffed grape leaves and veggie-stuffed filo pastries.  Yum!  Next in line was Hastetler’s Amish Bakery with some great-looking, homemade breads and pastries that would be great for dessert or a special breakfast.

I turned around to find a lush stand filled with produce from Miller’s Farm in New Wilmington, PA.  They had tomatoes, lettuces, beans, cucumbers and lots more!   There were also a couple coolers with grass-fed lamb, pastured pork and all-natural, grass-fed cheeses.  Some of their unique products were soy candles, soaps and jams.

Upon a little more wandering I saw a friendly face and a table full of peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples, tomatoes, squash and basil.  It was a bounty of fruit that would be great for the makings of a summer dessert.  Mmm…my wheels were turning…peach compote on ice cream, or apricot tarts…I was brought back from my reverie when the woman behind the table engaged me in conversation.  She told me about how they had planted their crops later this year because of the rain, underscoring how the weather is always a major factor in farming.  I assured her that the produce looked wonderful, despite the late start.  Her farm is called Pleasant Hill and is located in Harmony, PA.

On the corner was King’s Farm from Valencia.  They were selling gorgeous bouquets of flowers with huge sunflowers.  Their selection included potatoes, tomatoes, beets, cucumbers and too much else to mention.

Right next door was a vendor that was new to me; Billy’s Country Smokehouse.  They sell old-fashioned, hickory smoked meats such as kolbassi, super-smoked salmon and fresh sausages.  I got to thinking the smoked salmon would be great on crackers as an appetizer…I filed it away as a party idea.

There were of course some of the the usual suspects, like the Fine Family Apiary, River View Dairy, Najat’s Cuisine and Clairon River Organics.  I couldn’t stop myself from visiting the Clarion River booth and this time they had some products I hadn’t noticed before.  They had maple syrup, organic strawberry jam, heirloom tomatoes and giant beets.

As I pulled myself away I was lured by the smell of onions and potatoes over to Gosia’s Pierogies.  They kindly let me taste a potato and cheese pierogie, and I can attest that it was delicious!  They had very affordable packages to go.  It would be the perfect addition to a family dinner, or a fun party food.

My next indulgence was at Vanilla Bean Small Batch Bakery, where the owner and baker, Deanna Soost, gave me a complimentary maple-walnut biscotti.  Yum!  She also had giant gingersnaps for sale, and among her many biscotti flavors were lemon, almond and orange-cranberry.  They all sounded good to me.  She uses olive oil whenever possible to make them a bit more healthy and informed me that the classic Italian cookies will keep well for two to three weeks if they’re sealed up tight.

My last stop was a refreshing one.  I met Erin, the Juice and Tea Lady.  The first thing I noticed was her organic and fair trade coffee.  She was extremely friendly and I needed a drink, so I paid her a dollar for a small cup of her Arnold Palmer iced tea with lemonade.  It was mild and refreshing.  The other drinks available were great for summertime too; organic tea with spearmint and chamomile, as well as strawberry/raspberry lemonade.  She grows all her own herbs and buys the fruit for her juices from the farmers at this market whenever she can.  What a great example of vendors supporting one another in their ventures!

It was the perfect end to my market stroll for the day.  I wasn’t feeling too inspired to go home and cook on this particular day, but I had certainly gotten some great ideas for next time I have a party.  If you’re planning on entertaining this summer, nothing beats the freshness of a farmers’ market and the food this season is plentiful!

City of Pittsburgh planning open space survey: take it!

The City of Pittsburgh, through the Department of City Planning, is beginning the process of creating an Open Space, Parks, and Recreation Plan. The Open Space, Parks, and Recreation Plan (OPENSPACEPGH) is one of the initial components of PLANPGH, the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

There are two surveys that have been posted on Open Space, Parks, and Recreation on the PLANPGH Exchange feature on the PLANPGH Website : one for adults, and one for youth. Share your opinion by filling out the survey by clicking here.

The survey will collect info on how Pittsburghers use and want to use Pittsburgh’s open space, park, and recreation resources (including what types of programs, facilities, and opportunities are important, where they should be located and how they should be maintained). You will help the City make informed decisions about future vacant land, open space, parks, and recreation efforts.

To be notified of development updates register, with the site. Registration is not necessary to fill out the survey, however. The survey is currently open, and will be open until August 31st.

This Week at the Farmers’ Market : East Liberty

Yum’s sidekick here with the second installment of, This Week at the Farmers’ Market.  Follow me each week as I continue on my quest for the perfect summer meal, fresh from the farmers’ market.

I hopped off the bus at the East Liberty station and made my way over to the lot across from Home Depot, where I thought the market was located, only to find a full parking lot.  A kind woman directed me a little further down the road on Penn Circle West.  As I walked and passed a few buildings that had been blocking the view, suddenly before me was the bustling East Liberty Farmers’ Market!

I was so overwhelmed with excitement that this market was teeming with people at 4:00 in the afternoon, that I almost didn’t know where to start.  Then I saw a familiar face and my favorite pita bread in town.  It was Henry from Najat’s Cuisine.  We did some catching up and I told him how I buy their pitas at the East End Food Co-op.  They make wonderful humus and he let me taste their new asparagus dip.  Yum!

Next door to him was Bluebird Farm with a stand filled to the brim with beautiful certified organic produce.  I spotted the first locally grown fava beans I’ve seen this season and my mouth started watering.  They are an essential ingredient in the perfect summer meal.  I decided to make the rounds and come back to buy some on my way out.

Then came one of my other favorite foods…salsa!  Cinco de Mayo Salsa can be found in the strip district and many markets around town selling their delicious varieties of salsa.  The owner is Arturo Vizzuett, but his nephew was at the market today.  After tasting it and confessing my salsa addiction I assured him I would buy a container on my next visit.  It would add the perfect zest to a summer party.

I walked by a few more stands with a variety of fresh products; Harvest Valley Farms from Valencia, Schramm Farms, Sand Hill Berries, Mish Farms, and more you’ll have to visit to see.  Everything looked so wonderful, I had to keep reminding myself not to let my eyes get bigger than my stomach.

It was great to see such a diverse mix of people at this market, and that it was so busy.

Walking around, observing market-goers and vendors prompted me to notice their interactions.  I noticed that a few vendors had little to no line, while others had many people waiting to make a purchase.  Often their selection of produce was similar.  This made me realize that the vendors who reached out to passersby, had a big smile on their face and had developed relationships with their customers had the most business.  They seemed approachable, and it looked like it was paying off.

I noticed this especially when I arrived at One Woman Farm’s booth, run by Margaret Schlass in Gibsonia, PA.  Her hair was done up playfully and she was having a conversation about zucchini blossoms with a devoted customer.

I also had a conversation with a young man from Woolf Farms out of East Rochester, Ohio.  He was also busily conversing with obviously repeat customers.  They had baskets of freshly-picked blueberries, apples and their own apple cider.  Mmmm!

To add some sweetness to my trip, honey, was my next stop.  The Fine Family Apiary out of Manongahela, PA had some fine-looking honey. The gentleman at the stand informed me they have about 75 colonies, and they had two varieties of honey available at the market.

I had just about made it around to where I’d started and decided to talk with the friendly folks at Spring Harvest Farms.  In Cochranton, PA they grow hydroponic tomatoes, cucumbers and soon will have beans available.  I was told that they will soon be on Facebook.

As I was wrapping up my time at the market I was impressed by the beautiful display of produce from Who Cooks For You Farm…named after the call of an owl.  They lived up to their name too because I heard them giving several customers cooking tips.  They had quite a spread, from kohlrabi and radishes, to sunflower sprouts and snap peas.  It was all organically grown and looked great.  Their farm is in New Bethlehem, PA and they offer a CSA, so check them out.

My second to last stop was Rose Ridge Farm, to learn a little about their organically raised beef.  They’re based in Waynesburg, Ohio and I was told that they have been using organic practices for many years.  You can also occasionally find them at the Mt. Lebanon farmers market on Wednesdays.  Their beef would surely be a great addition to a summer cook-out.  I would just have to plan ahead and enlist some grill-master friends.

On my way out I went back by Bluebird Farm, only to have my fava bean dreams dashed to pieces.  Alas, they were out, but I learned my lesson that the good stuff sells out fast.  I would have to wait another week to have any hope of adding them to the perfect summer meal.  See you next time, at a market around the ‘burgh!