Whether it is Farmer David, or his merry band of workers and volunteers, working on a farm is hard work. Whether it is working in 100 degree heat, or rain, or wind, or when it is dark to the point of not being able to see what you are doing, or come the late fall in freezing temperatures, the work needs to get done. To persevere requires commitment and dedication. To persevere requires more than just a sense of professionalism and a sense of obligation to completion of task. To be a farmer requires a love for what you are doing. The proof of Farmer David's love for what he does reflects the notion of the expression, the proof is in the pudding. The pudding in this case are the people who come to both the Lawrenceville Farmers' Market and the New Hope Market. Week in and week out people consistently compliment Farmer David for both the beauty and the quality of the produce he brings to market. The following pictures are a sample of the produce that was brought to market over the course of the 2008 farm season.
This shows the set up at the Lawrenceville Market. All the produce that is sold at market is grown at the farm.
Fennel, and chard, and beets, and turnips, and basil; Oh My!
Beans, beans, good for your heart. The more you eat the more you.... Oh. Not these beans. Great to eat raw. When cooked the purple is cooked out.
You say tomato, I say tomatoe. Farmer David grew 51 varieties of tomatoes this year. For a full listing go to www.gravityhillfarm.com and click on the produce link. You will then see a link to the tomatoes that were grown.
Yes, it really is a blue potato.
The bounty of the harvest. Purple scallions? You betcha.
These are Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. People would often buy two so they could eat one on the way home and still have one to share. They are candy on a vine.
The salad mix and the arugula are big favorites.
Over the course of the season Farmer David grew 13 varieties of lettuce. For a full listing you are again encouraged to go to the Gravity Hill Farm website, click on the produce link and then the lettuce list link. Lettuce is not particularly fond of warm weather. Despite this, with only a couple of exceptions, Farmer David was able to bring lettuce to market throughout the entire summer. This was very labor intensive, but Farmer David felt it was well worth the effort.
Nope. Not beets. Nope. Not radishes. These are scarlet turnips.
That's it for now. Hope you enjoyed the overview of produce. To be able to bring this type of bounty to markets week in and week out requires a labor of love. Happy and healthy eating to all. Support local, sustainable, organic agriculture.
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