Farm pick up to Wednesdays 3 – 7pm. We’ll have your order packed and set outside on the marble counter. Park across from the house, at the top of the land. Cross the lawn and look for the bag with your name. Frozen items will be in a white cooler.
IMPORTANT: Please make sure you place a minimum order of $30 for delivery.
Across from Frick Park Market in Point Breeze, this Saturday at 12:00 – 12:15 pm
Across from the Mayfly Market (Arch St) in Northside, this Saturday at 4:00 – 4:15 pm
Outside of Local Provisions in Fox Chapel – at the Plaza on Freeport Rd, this Saturday at 4:45 – 5:00 pm
Have you tried a pork steak yet? In all honesty – it’s even better than a pork chop. A pork steak is cut from the shoulder – so it’s more marbled than a chop (which usually has a fat cap), so it’s easier to cook without accidentally “over-cooking”. We just thaw out a steak our two, shake on some garlic salt and sear both sides on a hot cast iron pan (in a little bacon grease….why not?!). Then we turn down the heat to medium and let the steak cook through. So good with mashed potatoes and some roasted broccoli for dinner!
CSA sign up begins!
It’s time to start signing up for the 2024 CSA. I’ve opened up the Shares for FARM PICK UP (half and whole), SQUIRREL HILL (half and whole), and NORTHSIDE (half and whole). We applied to get into Ligonier Country Market – so we will be able to bring along CSA shares for that market too. We’ll let you know when we know!
Get fresh organic produce right off our farm. We harvest fresh for Wednesday, Friday and Sunday distributions.
Why do we have a CSA farm and not just a veggie stand?
There’s a few things that we like about having a CSA farm: First, we know we’re growing and distributing the freshest and most nutrient dense products possible. Our customers are excited to come to the farm (or to the markets) to pick up their weekly CSA shares, meats, and eggs, because they know they’re getting a great product that helps their family to be healthier.
Second, we love meeting you all, face-to-face. When you pick up your share at our farm, life slows down a bit. Stop and chat with us about how to prepare kohlrabi, or take a stroll out to the fields to check on the veggies (grab a handful of blackberries as you pass by!), let the kids swing on the tire swing, and then visit the pigs. We try to make the farm pick up more than just a “grab your food and go” event. We encourage you to slow down and experience the farm.
I once took a Safe Food Handling course and the teacher said that farmers need to do a better job with how they wash and pack produce (I agree 100%!). They even gave us strategies on how to minimize food born illnesses. Perfect!
Here’s what struck me. Less than 50 years ago, we all used to be just one generation removed from a farm. We’d visit grandparents, or aunts and uncles on their farm in the summer, harvest fresh produce from the fields, help bring in hay, or spend hours in the spring picking strawberries, and in the summer picking beans. All these “pop in” farm activities exposed people to the flora and fauna of farm life…. even down to the microscopic level. Now, almost no one has a relative who farms, and rarely does someone get a chance to just be on a farm, eat a fresh tomato right off of the vine, let alone get a little dirty!
Does exposure to farm life build immunity? Does it make a healthier body? I don’t have the time to research and provide peer reviewed journals over this – but coming from a long-time dirt aficionado …. I think so. If you google something like “how does exposure to dirt increase the health benefits in humans” you’ll find lots of fun links and articles.
When CSA season starts up and I see the kids running to the barnyard, or snacking on cherry tomatoes as they head to the car…. I think to myself “it’s working”. I’m helping to get the next generation of kids onto a farm and helping to make our community healthier. When I see you all chatting about recipes, finding out you’re neighbors, or sharing extra produce with each other …. I think to myself…. It’s working. We’re building community.
Thanks for being an important part of making it all happen! Thanks for being our community.
What if I want enough produce for a whole year?
CSA is a great first step to eating healthier, to supporting the local economy, and to being part of a farm, but it only provides so much produce each week. If you think you’re ready to upgrade your commitment to fresh food and healthy living… stay tuned for how you can become a member of our Farm Club. We’re opening up a few plots (30’x50′) of land in our fields to people who’d like to grow their own produce (for themselves or for a community group) along side us!
Here’s an article we published back in September about Farm Club. More thoughts to come, and we’ll post them here on the journal portion of our website. Please email jen@blackberrymeadows.com if you’d like to be at the top of the list when we iron out all the details and start assigning plots.
