$30 order minimum for delivery into Pittsburgh
Where to find us?!
The Farm – WEDNESDAY (11 – 7). We’ll set your order out, you come pick it up. We’re putting orders out on the counter under the red awning. Park at the top of the hill in front of the house.
Northside – Wednesday 12:30 – 1:00 at the parking lot on Union Place by Allegheny Commons. Ask about delivery options.
Click here to shop our web-store!
It’s not too late to join the CSA! Sign up now!
The Warm Fuzzies.
Greg and I had a stressful day off the farm – with meetings downtown, city errands and classic Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, we were ready to be back on the farm! When we got home, we found two big boxes of brand-new purple egg cartons on our front porch! An anonymous farm fan has heard our call and gifted us with a good supply of egg cartons that should keep us happy for long while. It was truly heartwarming and affirming to come home to a gift like that! We’re grateful for all the help, love and encouragement you all send our way. Things like used/new egg cartons, spare gloves, a good word about us to your friends, an old shovel or a few hours of weeding…. we get filled up on that stuff. Farming is such a mercurial profession and so much is out of our control. With tenacity, we need to know how to manage and handle a multitude of situations…. When surprises that make our lives a little easier show up… we cherish them! Thanks for the warm fuzzies.
There’s a couple dozen white eggs up on our web-store, for those looking to dye eggs. No limit on Eggs!… seriously guys… we’ve got a lot of eggs!
Garden Share – April 20th
Garden shares go out on the 3rd Wednesday of the month – so be prepared to pick up your seedlings at the farm, or at the Northside drop off location (see above for location specifics) on the 20th. I’ll send out a list of what you should expect that week.
If the Garden Share is too much – check out the Seedling Form:
Fill out this form to give your preference on what seedlings we start for summer sales. Fill out the form this week, and seedlings will be grown for pick-up the week of Mother’s Day. Survey Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7lIuuzzzP1TMw5IbHp1PbeEUvXSYw-YqmahvVpcZCk0HkIQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Pork Sampler:
$120 of pork + bag for $100. Includes riblets $18, ham slice $8, bacon x2 kinds $22, sausage x3 $30, shoulder steak $8, pork chops x2 $20, 2# ground $14+ bag.
Hiring grill cook!
We’re hiring! Specifically, we need someone who’s looking for a part-time job – Friday thru Monday. Our farmer’s markets run for 4 days, over the weekend. We need someone who can run the grill while one of us runs the rest of the market stand. We grill up our pork patties for the Nortorious P.I.G. sandwiches, hot dogs, kielbasa, and polenta. It’s often a fast paced and detail oriented task, where each meal is made to order. We have quite a following at market, and our customers are always supportive and eager to eat good food. A good Cook at market is well received! A valid driver’s license and a good driving record is a must! Reach out to info@blackberrymeadows.com if you’re interested and want to know more.
Field Notes – from Annie
Jen was able to till before the rain came this week. The Little Homesteaders got to see what a big difference tilling makes. While Jen and I talk about moving away from tilling, systems need to be established to take its place. So far we have one section of field planted with a cover crop, and a few more to be planted through the season. Cover crops are one of a number of ways to build soil that would help us move away from tilling.
Animal Updates
We’re about ready to get in our second batch of chicks for the season. The first round of birds are ready to move out to the fields and live in the “chicken tractor” for a few more weeks. Here, they enjoy the fresh air, green grass, bugs and sun (and some rain, though they do have a tarped area for protection). Although they are contained, they do get the benefits of being outside without the risk of predators attacking!
On a less sanguine note…. pig feed has gone up $40/pallet (about $1 a bag) in this last month. The prices keep creeping up!
All Aboard!
We’re ready for folks to start coming out on Tuesdays to help on the farm. There’s lots of tasks that with many hands, will make work easier! We’re getting a load of compost from AgRecyle sometime this week and will be putting it onto the fields, one bed at a time. Weeds to pull, rocks to pick, fences to mend…. the list is mounting!
