Forkful: September 2021 - Week 15

WHAT'S IN MY SHARE?

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Broccolini
• Winter Squash
• Garlic
• Apples

PICKUP LOCATIONS & TIMES
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​Hatfield Area Members 
​Bardwell Farm
49 Main Street - Hatfield, MA 01038

• Tuesdays & Fridays
• 3pm to 6pm
• Choice selected, curbside pickup & delivery

Center Fresh Chicopee Members
Center Fresh Chicopee Farmers Market
31 Springfield St - Chicopee, MA 01013

• Thursdays
• ​1pm to 6pm
• Pre-prepared tote pickup

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WEATHER ALERT
Monday - September 6, 2021
The weather this week is looking pretty good, but keep those umbrellas handy toward the end of the week.

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FIELD NOTES

Deere trouble

Thank the maker we have 4-wheel drive in the John Deere. Luckily, it got me out of this mess. This is proof the fields are still way too wet for heavy equipment. Everything needs to dry out quickly, we need to get in there and farm hard for fall. There is still so much to do.

We've been trying really hard to get our fall settings of spinach in the ground for over month now. It's either been too hot with no rain and the sprouts burnt up or it was all-out rain-ma-geddon and the seeds drowned and rotted in the soil. We're hoping this is the week. 

With all of the weather related things going on we've been a little down but our spirits were lifted this past weekend when we added mums and sugar pumpkins to the farm stand. The cooler weather felt good and we had that "fall" feeling. There's something cheery about it, I love this time of year :)

Owner Harrison Bardwell

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WHAT TO USE FIRST​

• Tomatoes - ripe, 1 to 5 days pantry and 5 to 7 refrigerator
• Apples - best stored in fridge crisper drawer, counter up to week, best flavor eaten within 2 to 3 days
• Lettuce - wash, dry, place in a container with a paper towel on the top and bottom, refrigerate in crisper, 5 to 10 days shelf life
• Broccolini - 7 to 14 days, completely dry, plastic bag or air tight container, refrigerator crisper drawer
• Winter Squash - store in a cool dry place for up to 1 month 
• Garlic -  dry cool space up to 3 to 5 months, individual unpeeled up to 7 to 10 days 

DID YOU KNOW: Apples

• Apple trees take 4-5 years to produce their first fruit. A standard size apple tree starts bearing fruit 8-10 years after it is planted. A dwarf tree starts bearing fruit in 3-5 years
• Apples will ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated
• It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider
• There are more than 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States, and they come in all shades of red, green and yellow
• The science of apple growing is called pomology

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LETS GET COOKING

HOW TO COOK BROCCOLINI
Perfection Fresh Australia | YouTube
Learn all the ways your favorite green veg Broccolini can be cooked!

more recipes:

• Easy 10-Minute Garlic Broccolini - Kitchn
• White Pizza & Broccolini - Food Network
• Mom's Applesauce Pancakes - Allrecipes 
• Slow-Cooker German Bratwurst - Taste of Home
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Cider Vinaigrette - Country Living
  
• Focaccia with Roasted Winter Squash - Country Living
  

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​WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE FARM

With all of the rain we received our pumpkin crop isn't doing so well :(

Our brussels sprouts so far have made through back to back hurricanes!

We had a mini vegetable display set up on an old scale at the fair this past weekend, thanks John!

You know fall is coming when we add potatoes to the farm stand!

We have mums!

It's beginning to #fally around here!

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CAN'T MAKE YOUR PICKUP DAY?
If you cannot make your pickup day a friend or family member can pick it up for you or for themselves.

Reminder: pickup days cannot be changed, the day that was chosen on the enrollment form will be your day for the 20 weeks of the program

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7 DAY SUPPORT
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions, need assistance or want to provide constructive criticism. Also, don’t be afraid to talk with your Bardwell Farm Representative in-person during a pick-up day. You can always contact us by using the links below. 
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(413) 800-5583
[email protected]