Friday, November 28, 2008

Summertime Blues

"I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler about a workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar. Every time I call my baby, and ask to get a date my boss says, 'No dice son, you gotta work late'. Sometimes I wonder what I'm gonna do, but there ain't no cure for the summertime blues."

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.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Flowers

"Prince or pauper, beggar man or thing,Play the game with every flower you bring
Dandelion don’t tell no lies, Dandelion will make you wise, Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock, four o’clock chime
Dandelions don’t care about the time"

In addition to produce, Gravity Hill Farm grows flowers. Last season Farmer David grew a variety of flowers that he brought to market. In this endeavor Farmer David was greatly assisted by his friend Natalie who would arrive every Sunday morning at the Lawrenceville Market and make bouquets from the cut flowers. This season Farmer David again grew a variety of flowers. However, family farmer/owner Maria was primarily involved with the cutting and bunching of the flowers. In this endeavor Maria was aided by Pam and Susan. Pam has previously managed her own organic farm and as a friend of Maria was enlisted to provide her assistance and expertise. Susan was a friend who was recruited to provided her enthusiasm and assistance. A great time was had by all, except when it was raining. Ah well, the joys of farming. Not for the lazy or the weak of heart.

What follows are some of the flowers that were grown at the farm this year.





Van Gogh would be proud.If they weren't real you'd think they were paintings.

On Oct. 9, 2008 the NY Times Magazine had articles pertaining to food policy, farming, and organics. One of the articles was written by Michael Pollan, author of "Omnivore's Dilemma". It is a rather lengthy article, but if you are interested in issues pertaining to local, sustainable agriculture, organic or not, it would be worth your while to read the article. Click on the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?scp=6&sq=Michael%20Pollan&st=cse

Good health and good eating to all.