Spring Sale at Inverbrook

It is my pleasure to announce that we will once again be celebrating the  talent of our local craft, art, food and plant community with a Spring Sale on Saturday, April 20th from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.  Many of the diverse and creative artisans from the Holiday Sale will be returning with their spring inspired wares. 

In honor of Earth Day and the spring season we will be adding a mini-plant sale out on the porch.  I am particularly please that  native plant guru Dale Hendricks and his latest enterprise Green Light Plants will be joining the line up. Dale's new company truly embodies the spirit of Earth Day, click here to read all about his guiding pricipals.  If you would like to "pre-order" plants from Green Light Plants you can contact them directly and they will bring your order to the sale on April 20th.

To round out the mini-plant sale, I will be selling potting soil from Organic Mechanics Soil Company and whatever products Happy Cat Farm still has left after the much anticipated 2013 Philly Farm and Food Festival.  Flower CSA Three Birds Bouquet will also be keeping me company out on the porch.  We will both be selling CSA shares for Inverbrook Farm Vegetable CSA and the Three Bird Bouquet Flower CSA.  Three Birds will also be selling potted plants. 

I will be writing more about the other amazing participants during the coming week.  In the meantime check out the complete line up below.

Celebrate the coming of spring and Earth Day with Inverbrook Farm at our Spring Sale on Saturday, April 20th from 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.  

 * Arden & James 

 * Ardeinheim Clayworks Studio: Dan Ody & Pam Lau

 * Bessie Handmade: Aprons, Bags, and Accessories

 

* Chansonette Flowers & Art

 

* Green Light Plants 

 * Happy Cat Farm

* Heirloom Jewelry & Accessories (also featuring the folk carvings of Gordon Swenarton)

* Inverbrook Farm CSA

* Kennett Brewing Company 
* Logical Living

* Dan McShane

* Nomadic Pies

* Organic Mechanic Soil Company

* Philabucks

* Talula's Table

* Three Birds Bouquet

* U Bee Well

* Vidalia's Vintage

Writing for Town Dish-An exciting new opportunity

I realize its been a while since I last updated my blog.  Two factors have been keeping me from regular blog posting.  First, my farming duties.  Despite the cold dreary weather, I have been starting seeds.  The second factor, equally as exciting, is that I have started writing for the Town Dish, a great resource for local food and drink news.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to share my locavore themed stories with the Dish readers.  My two first articles are all about the upcoming Philly Farm and Food Fest.  You can read all about the Fest and its newly added Local Libations Lounge in the two articles below. 

-Philly Farm & Food Fest: Preparing for a Second Year of Success

-Local Libations Lounge to be Added to Philly Farm and Food Fest

-Philly Farm and Food Fest Fosters the Farmer in All of Us

Click here to view a facebook album from last year's Philly Farm and Food Fest.

Take Up Your Spade-links for aspiring farmers

 

February marks my yearly pilgrimage to the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture's (PASA) Farming for the Future Conference.  The conference is always an inspiration and I will blog more about this amazing event in the near future. What struck me this year, is the number of first timers to the conference, which is an encouraging fact.  We need more people joining the good food movement. 

 

If you have an interest in farming I want to urge you to begin it now or at least start exploring the idea.  As Becky Krestschmann, one of the winners of Sustainable Ag Leadership Award given at this year's PASA conference, said in her acceptance speech (Becky and her husband Don have a very large CSA outside of Pittsburgh, PA)

 

"You can not think your way into a new way of living, you must live your way into a new way of thinking"

 

The amount of information and resources that is now available to aspiring farmers is yet another hopeful sign.  The movement is growing and support is growing, to quote the Sara Watkin's song from the video above "take up your spade and break ground."

 

Below I have listed a number of links that new and want-to-be farmers might find helpful:  

 

• Penn State Extension Start Farming News
• Exploring the Small Farm Dream Course
• ATTRA
• PASA's Farm-Based Education
• The Rodale Institute
• Tri-State CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training)
• CRAFT Beginning Farmer Resource Page
• Farm Lease Connection (facebook page)

and for those who just want to start a backyard garden or increase their homesteading skills:

Greener Partners Lost Arts Series

Good Food Neighborhood Sustainability School Schedule

One Day Backyard Permaculture Class at Longwood Gardens (early April 2013)

Take Up Your Spade
 

Sun is up, a new day is before you

Sun is up, wake your sleepy soul

Sun is up, hold on to what is home

Take up your spade and break ground

 

Shake off your shoes, leave yesterday behind you

Shake off your shoes, but forget not where you've been

Shake off your shoes, forgive and be forgiven

Take up your spade and break ground

 

Give thanks for all that you've been given

Give thanks for who you can become

Give thanks for each moment and every crumb

Take up your spade and break ground

 

Break ground

Break ground

Break ground



Fighting the Late Winter Blues-Freesia and Citrus

I have to admit this time of year can be a little frustrating--stuck between winter and the knowledge that Spring is just around the corner, I get antsy.  I long for warm weather and spring, however I know it will bring with it a lot of hard work and an end to my winter socializing.  Its hard to find balance and contentment during this transition time.  The days are getting longer, bulbs are popping through the semi-frozen ground; yet it is still a little too early to be doing much outdoor garden preparation.  The drab landscape can seem a little depressing and the weather can be positively schizophrenic.  

 

There is however a very bright, colorful and wonderful smelling up side to mid-February--the magnificent Freesias from Barnard's Orchards (click here to view facebook album of freesia).    In fact this is my favorite time to visit the area orchard stores like Glenn Willow and Barnard's Orchard.  Their shelves are stocked with autumn harvested apples, flowers from local greenhouse like Rosazza's and delicious citrus.  Obviously the citrus is not grown locally, however our local orchard managers seem particular skilled at picking out the most delicious varieties.  Winter is the season for citrus and below are a number of links to citrus recipes and information. Like the bright pastels of freesia, the citrus can provide the same sort of antedote to the winter dolmdrums--some much needed excitement, the culinary balance to the visual beauty of the winter greenhouse flowers.  Sweet, juicy and full of vitamin C; what could be a better late winter pick me up. Enjoy our local orchards, winter flowers and the magic of winter citrus.

Food52 Down and Dirty Citrus

 

Food52 Down and Dirty Tiny Citrus

Everybody loves the Sunshine Citrus Salad

 

12 Citrus Inspired Dinners from Food Republic

 

Food In Jars Air Dried Lemon Peel

More Food In Jars Links to Citrus (and chiles and winter soups)

 

 

  

 

 

Cheese, Flowers and Fruit-Additional Share Options at Inverbrook

For the last couple of years we have been pleased to offer a number of CSA (community supported agriculture) options from nearby farms in addition to our own vegetable CSA.  These options include cheese from HillacresPride, fruit from North Star Orchard and flowers from Three Bird Bouquets.  If you want to increase your consumption of local food and flowers, I strongly suggest you check out the links to the various farms and CSA options.  By the time mid-summer rolls around you can fill your kitchen with local vegetables, herbs, fruit, cheeses and flowers with just one simple visit to Inverbrook Farm each week.  Plus you will be supporting four local family farms with just one trip.  If you are looking for the perfect Valentines or birthday present for the locavore in your life, consider one or all of these options.  Not only will you be giving the gift of delicious cheese, fruit and beautiful flowers, you will be contributing to a strong local agricultural community.

 

You do NOT have to be an Inverbrook CSA member to pick up any of the various CSA options, although they complement each other very well.  These farms all make their deliveries on Wednesdays (the flowers are also delivered on Mondays and the cheese can last through until Monday) throughout the season; however the frequency, start and end dates are all different for each of the farms represented.  I encourage you to explore the links below and learn about the diverse and delicious CSA choices:

• Three Bird Bouquets Flower Share

• Hillacres Pride Cheese Share  

• North Star Orchard Fruit Share  

I want to do a little extra push for the delicious Hillacres Pride cheese shares because we need a minimum of 15 shares to make their delivery to the farm worth while.  Here are two links/reviews about Hillacres: 

Madame Formage Blog posting on Puddle Creek Cheese

Harvest Market Natural Foods Blog

I hope you will consider joining one or more of these farm options.  When late summer arrives and you are able to pair that amazing tasting apple from North Star Orchard with an aged cheddar from Hillacres Pride all made more enjoyable with the presence of a beautiful Three Bird Bouquet filled with sunflowers, zinnias and fragrant tuber roses--you we be happy that you took advantage of this opportunity.

A Fresh New Start-A Simple Path to Logical Living

Photo by Kelly G

With the first month of the New Year coming to a close, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share a number of interesting links about starting fresh as it pertains to cooking, diet and the importance of the food you eat.  From detoxing your body to decluttering your kitchen; my recent news feed roaming has unearthed a wealth of useful advice.  A pathway to health, happiness and sustainability through simple lifestyle changes.  I hope these links will inspire positive action.  There are still a few days left to sign up for the 2013 CSA season and receive a $50 early bird discount (if you sign up before the end of the month).  To quote Oprah Winfrey “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

SIMPLE DETOXING:

A great link from one of my favorite new blogs My NewRoots.  This is blog author Sarah B’scontribution to Martha Stuart’s Whole Living Magazine

NPR link on adding detoxifying food to your diet

ORGANIZING YOUR KITCHEN:

Great series from Food52

Decluttering your Kitchen

Whipping your Kitchen Back to Shape Part 1

Whipping your Kitchen Back to Shape Part 2 (includes knife sharpening, proper cleaning of an iron skillet and a few more useful videos and tutorials)

On a related note, a great piece on streamlining your time in the kitchen with the use of tools and meal planning from the blog Keeper of the Home.

SIMPLE CHANGES:

In my blog wanderings I came across Healthy Green Kitchen and a series on simple steps one can take to improve one's life called "One Simple Change". I like this concept of little steps that can add up to make a big difference.  The most recent issue of Fine Cooking Magazine included an article on the addition of vegetable purees to favorites like macaroni and cheese, breads, etc.. This simple step can greatly reduce the calorie count and increase the nutritional value of these dishes without compromising the taste.  Good health can be delicious.

If you are reading the farm blog, you probably already have made some sort of commitment toward increasing your consumption of local food, and you should feel great about the change.  The pledge to “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” can have a big impact, you can read all about it here on the FoodRoutes Website.

Speaking of making a positive impact, a veteran Inverbrook Farm CSA member has started a new web-based project Logical Living.  You can go to this site and complete a free online lifestyle assessment by answering a simple set of questions about your lifestyle habits.  Based on your answers, Logical Living will make recommendations related to small steps that you can make to “green” your life. Click here to read a recent article about being a member of Inverbrook Farm CSA.

Enjoy the links and the fresh start. 

Kennett Winterfest-Beer Drinking for the Hearty

I feel like I dedicate a large proportion of my blog posts to waxing poetic about the spirited small town of Kennett Square.  How can I NOT feature this charming little borough with its vibrant downtown, home to the much acclaimed Talula’s Table.  A town whose international claim to fame is being the mushroom capital of the world AND, drum roll please… hosts not one, but two Brewfests.  That is right, February 2013 marks the inaugural run of the winter brew festival a.k.a. The First Annual Kennett Winterfest February 23rd from 12:30-4PM.   Modeled after the highly successful fall Brewfest, this beer drinking extravaganza for only the most passionate beer lovers, will be a much more intimate and potentially colder experience.  This outdoor beer festival with over 25 brewers and just 800 available tickets, is sure to sell out.  In fact there are only about 200 tickets left, so get them while you can—click here for ticket information.  For a complete list of participating breweries and the beers they are bringing along check out the Brewfest Blog-with all the latest festival information. 

Along with the alcohol content of many of the Winterfest beers (make sure you have a designated driver lined up), the Winterfest organizers have come up with several ways to keep you warm and happy.   The ticket price includes a delicious hearty meal from the aforementioned much acclaimed Talula's Table.  You can also groove your way to warmth with the fun and recognizable tunes of the Shady Groove Trio. 

Band member Matt Kresge sent me this bio regarding his band:

The Shady Groove Trio came about in 2009 when 3 musicians, tired of hearing the same hackneyed rock tunes played nightly by mediocre bands in various bars, went on a mission to bring good quality music back to the local bar and club scene. Bassist/Vocalist Bernie Gillespie, Guitarist/Vocalist Matt Kresge, and Drummer/Vocalist Mark Swartley strive to play the classic tunes we've all grown to love, yet have unfortunately been left behind by the repetitiveness and predictability of today's radio. The likes of Chuck Berry, Paul Simon, The Who, The Police, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Hall & Oates, Johnny Cash, and even classic surf instrumentals are all fair game at a Shady Groove Trio show. In addition to their vast repertoire, it is the trio's musicianship that sets them apart from other local acts.

Drummer Mark Swartley has played professionally for years and continues to be sought out by some of Philadelphia's finest live acts, including an extensive touring resume with rockabilly favorites, The Razorbacks. Guitarist Matt Kresge continues to impress audiences with his diverse and energetic playing that won him 'Best Guitarist' at the 2005 Emergenza Festival held in Philadelphia. Backed with Gillespie's impressive vocal range and driving bass, The Shady Groove Trio is guaranteed to get your feet moving!

Although the lighting and the background noise leaves a bit to be desired, you can get a sense of Shady Groove's talent in this youtube video cover of "She's So Cold".

So there you have it-great beer, music, food and people--what better way to spend a winter afternoon. Best of all the festival is a fundraiser for Historic Kennett Square and its programs like the Kennett Farmers Market. Hope to see you at Winterfest.