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STRAWBERRIES ARE COMING JUNE 2021.

Due to my current work schedule, I may only open the road stand in late Summer 2020....TBD. For sure it will be a limited selection of produce as I had very little time to get plants in the ground with all of the other projects I was trying to finish. The good news, the greenhouse cover went on quick and easy, only took three years to get there, but is totally a game changer allowing me to work on rainy days.

Spring 2021, I plan on changing a few things trying to favor greens, lettuces, spinach, and herbs in flower boxes outside the stand. I am still working on getting the hydroponic strawberry system running. Initial testing seemed to work great, even though we have had very little sunshine this summer, battling rain every day for weeks.

Garlic is sold as single bulbs
or HALF pound bags: $2.50/half pound (August 2020)

10 SHADES OF GARLIC

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Strawberries are sold as $4.00/quart. COMING SPRING 2020 (JUNE)

STRAWBERRIES

Also new to the stand this year is the Georgia Candy Roaster. Excellent flavor, light sweet like a butternut, and fluffy like a mashed potato. Can grow very LARGE, and very LONG. 01AUG18

Lotion and Spray assortment is new this year thanks to Michelle, who has also been helping maintain the gardens. $6.00 each.

Miss Stephanie is the host of these hand painted glasses. She does wonderful work. Also featured at the state line Wine and Fine Liquors store, just down the road. Price as marked.

Creativity at its best, Michelle and her long time friend have combined forces to create some hand crafted items made with love. Thanks again Michelle, you are really the spice of life, and as practical as salt. Pictured here is a small selection of hand painted rocks and plates, corn bags, stress dolls, shopping bag caddies, pot holders, and wash cloths. Again made with LOVE, price as marked.

FALL 2018

Now taking Spring Honey orders for $8 for 1.5 pound containers.

10 varieties of garlic make up this delicious garlic zing, great in soups and stews. $5 each.

SUMMER 2018

The roadside stand....Just an FYI for those thinking this sign is not BIG ENOUGH.....the local speed limit is set to ONLY 45mph.

Location:
on the Berwick TRNPK
in Ridgebury, PA

Spring/Summer 2017

This is the start of the BEAR CAGE, hopefully a possible deterrent for bear?? A TEN-mile solar electric fence zapper and ten-foot high fence....might keep the neighbors out.....not sure yet about what a bear will do?? Weed fabric and three truck loads of pea-gravel set to keep the weeds down in front of the shed. Poison-free weed control thanks to the gravel pit and Hurd's delivery service. 01AUG17

7.5 gallons of Spring harvest 2020. 07JUL2020

This is the first of the honey harvest, totaling nearly 8 gallons of honey. Spring/Summer harvest gives it a nice golden caramel color. Fall harvest will be late October for the darker, richer honey. 13AUG17

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2020-Good news finally, 5 of the 6 hives survived the winter and we were able to split two of them to make 7 hives again. Hopefully looking like a drier Summer so that we do not get back in to a wet wet Fall season, like the past 2 years. I am hoping to split these again, mid-summer.

2019-Ongoing bad news..no colonies survived this last wet Fall/winter. I reordered SIX new European mixed breeds. After adding the additional hives, end of summer 2019 we ended up combining 2 weak hives, to end the Fall with 6 hives.

2018-Unfortunate news that of the SIX hives I installed in 2017, FIVE did not survive the winter. I reordered SIX new BUCKFAST colonies, and with the ONE survivor, currently have SEVEN colonies. I did get a chance to install the FOUR additional hive boxes that I purchased over winter, so that I could split the survivors from last year. I will have to wait and see what Mother Nature has in store for us this winter. Hope for the best.

2017-We became proud sponsors of SIX new Slovenian AZ beehives which will be the home to ITALIAN bees, brought in from Nature's Way farms. New to the area, the Slovenian style of bee keeping allows easy access to inspecting the entire bee population from the back side of the hive. The entire process of keeping bees is made simpler, and hopefully allows for a more forgiving winter storage medium, as the bee shed offers a larger heat mass for the many fluctuations in temperature and humidity in Northeastern winters.

Received and installed 6 nucs, suffering ONE sting, not bad for FIRST time. 13MAY17

I have been working on my HONEY label, something to look for at the roadside stand. Spring harvest has given us many gallons of honey so far this year. Nothing better than fresh honey from the farm. I can honestly say, these bees have earned their keep. And as a first timer, it really has been interesting interacting with them all.....yes, there are thousands. Available soon, two options for purchasing honey: 16oz (1.5 lbs) and 32oz (3 lb.). 06AUG17

Pictured is Basil, but this setup works well for many items with a very small footprint for 188 plants.

HYDROPONICS LINK

Part of the FALL 2017 plan is to start transitioning the strawberries to a hydroponic system, to eliminate crawling around on the ground hunting for strawberries. I found this really great system on the web, and am going to try and MASS produce the strawberry fields. Photo above shows the start of my system. It seems to be working well for me with Strawberries. These were started on 28JUN18, lots of new growth and many double runners.

Corn-Beans-Squash.

What is the concept of THREE SISTERS planting?

The ancient Native American technique of growing Corn, Beans, and Squash together in an arrangement called the Three Sisters is the ultimate in companion planting and helps increase harvests, naturally!

Corn acts as a support for climbing bean vines, the beans fix nitrogen in the soil for the high feeding requirements of corn and squash, and the squash provides mulch and root protection for the corn and beans! After cooperating beautifully in the garden, corn and beans form a complete protein when eaten together!

The Three Sisters are all easy to direct sow in the garden and are a great project for children, teaching them about the beauty of natural harmony while providing a fast-growing reward for their efforts.

Make the best possible use of your garden space this season, and try growing the Three Sisters! Just follow the easy steps listed below, fertilize well, plant other companions like herbs to assist with pest control, and you’ll be harvesting your best crop in no time!
The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or “Our Sustainers”. The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of “green” corn on the cob. By retelling the stories and performing annual rituals, Native Americans passed down the knowledge of growing, using and preserving the Three Sisters through generations.

Planting instructions
In May or June when soil has warmed:

Shape a flat-topped circular mound of soil about a foot high and 2 feet across at the top, sloping outward toward the base. Plant a circle of Corn seeds on top, about 5 or 6, and water them in well, tamping down your soil mound firmly so it doesn’t wash away in the first rain. Space the mounds 3 or 4 feet apart in the garden. Since all corn grows on sturdy, dependable stalks, the variety you choose depends on the flavor, disease resistance, and holding ability you want.

About two weeks later:
When your corn reaches about 5 or 6 inches high, plant Bean seeds (6 to 8 of them) around the edges of the flat top or about halfway down the sloping sides of the circular mound. Push the seeds down deep into the soil and, if you’re planting on the slope, make sure the soil is nice and firm. Add a bit of Nature’s Aid at planting time to help the Beans fix nitrogen.
To get your Beans to climb up the cornstalks, choose Pole rather than Bush varieties.

One week or so after that:
Plant Squash seeds around the base of the mound, on flat ground. You can make them radiate around the mound, or just go in the direction you have available space! 6 to 8 seeds in a ring around the base of the mound is usually plenty.
The traditional Squash family member for this Sister is Pumpkin, with its all-American flavor and long growing season.

When everything begins growing . . .
Thin the plantings to 2 or 3 Corn stalks, each with no more than 2 Bean plants winding around it. (You’ll need to help the Beans get started growing up the stalks). The Squash is going to vine along the ground, so the number of plants you need depends on how far apart your mounds of corn and beans are, how long the vines get, and how much walking space you need in the garden.

I have finally covered the belly of the whale, pictured below. Updated pictures coming as the greenhouse starts filling up and out. I am really excited to add a longer growing and harvest season to the small family farm. I have completed a third of the next greenhouse, with a desire to keep growing more and more later in to the Fall season. No more worrying about that late frost in June....and that super early frost in the beginning of September. Please note: we had a hard frost in the second week in June 2020.