All Posts including “”

How to Transplant Tomatoes Now for Great Harvests Later

It’s mid-May, which is peak time for “putting in the garden,” an old saying that means planting your frost-sensitive plants now that we are mostly past the risk of frost. (Although not completely, more on that later.)

Whether you started tomatoes from seed or bought the plants at your favorite garden center or farmer’s market, transplanting them the right way is very important.

Continue Reading: How to Transplant Tomatoes Now for Great Harvests Later

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening | tomatoes |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Pump Station in Boalsburg

Welcome to the Pump Station Cafe. One of the only free-standing cafes that we have visited, it stands out among the rest. It’s just past the only stoplight in the middle of Boalsburg, near the Pennsylvania Military Museum and the bronze statues of three ladies who founded Memorial Day in this historic small town.

While the Pump Station does not memorialize fallen soldiers like the historic attractions surrounding it, the cafe seems to memorialize the long-lost time of gathering by the gas station for a chat with neighbors and friends. This place has a happy sort of nostalgia. A little gas station/garage that used to shelter cars in need of repair now takes a turn as a place for human refueling, refreshing, and restoration. Massive windows encourage the sunlight to flood in, which we all know gives us necessary vitamin D and improves our moods!

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Pump Station in Boalsburg

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Vale Wood Farms: Local Dairy Farm Delivers

One of our new local partners at Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering is Vale Wood Farms. Located in the town of Loretto, PA, Vale Wood Farms is named for the farm’s location in “the valley by the woods.” This five generation family farm was first established in 1933 and began milk deliveries to local families and to the former Penn Cress Ice Cream Company in the local town of Cresson, PA. Vale Wood continues its tradition of home deliveries – you might see their trucks in your neighborhood early in the morning.

Continue Reading: Vale Wood Farms: Local Dairy Farm Delivers

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: dairy |

Save the Date: Summer Solstice Celebration is June 16th

Mark your calendar for the 2012 Summer Solstice Celebration on Saturday, June 16th from 1-4pm at Tait Farm in Centre Hall. Locavores, landscape art enthusiasts, and interested community members are invited to attend the second annual event to benefit the Centre County Farmland Trust (CCFT).

Continue Reading: Save the Date: Summer Solstice Celebration is June 16th

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: event | summersolstice |

Field Notes and Mesclun Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing

Farming is hardly ever a perfect world. It is often too wet or dry, too hot or cold—but then every once in a while along comes the perfect day.

Continue Reading: Field Notes and Mesclun Salad with Mango Chutney Dressing

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes | recipe | spring | greens |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Allegheny Creamery & Crepes in Hollidaysburg

Finding Allegheny Creamery & Crepes was unintentional. A fully-delicious-delectable accident that I am very grateful for! We had intended to check out another cafe in Hollidaysburg, but it wasn’t open when we thought it would be. Just imagine us, trudging slowly back to our vehicle, saddened, dejected, and desperately in need of the espresso/coffee/sugar-blended beverages that we regularly consume. Then I looked up, “Oh! Crepes! I love crepes!” I said to my husband “Maybe they would know of another coffee shop?”

So in we went.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Allegheny Creamery & Crepes in Hollidaysburg

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

The Zen of Weeding

You may think that spending some 20 hours hand weeding asparagus would be an onerous task, but only because you haven’t had to slog through grading a big stack of blue books or papers. I’d much prefer the weeding, though my knees and back provide a dissenting view.

Continue Reading: The Zen of Weeding

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farmdiary |

Mother’s Day Brunch

Don’t forget to spoil your mother this weekend! Here are a few recipe suggestions for an extra special Mother’s Day brunch.

Continue Reading: Mother’s Day Brunch

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipes | spring | holiday |

Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Serve this sweet and tart vinaigrette from Chef Harrison Schailey over mixed greens. Then toss with sunflower seeds or almonds and local strawberries for a satisfying spring salad. And don’t forget to share your favorite rhubarb recipe!

Continue Reading: Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | rhubarb |

The Great Coffee Adventure: The IngleBean Coffee House in Millheim

One of my favorite things about independent coffee shops is how they’re grafted into the fabric of a community. They’re more than shops or restaurants; they are gathering places. They’re not just another “Starbucks” (no offense to my dear Sbux, I’m going back for a mocha one-a-these-days!); they’re a snapshot of small-town life. And even if a local coffee shop has only been around, say “just over a year,” when things are done right, it feels like the place has been around forever.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: The IngleBean Coffee House in Millheim

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Ten Tips to Get Your Garden off to a Great Start

Despite some recent backsliding into winter, spring weather is mostly here to stay. If you are like me, you are steadily spending more and more time in the garden, getting things growing to start the season. A good start is very important for a successful gardening season, as your plants are very young and tender at this point.

Here are ten tips, in no particular order, to get your garden off and moving toward a big harvest.

Continue Reading: Ten Tips to Get Your Garden off to a Great Start

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Rhubarb Recipe Contest

Rhubarb stalks are typically boiled with fragrant spices or a squeeze of citrus, then combined with sweet fruit to make jam, or condensed into a sauce for pie filling. What is your favorite way to prepare this spring fruit? Share your recipe by Thursday, May 31st for a chance to win a pound of rhubarb from Jade Family Farm.

Continue Reading: Rhubarb Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | rhubarb |

Tequila Lime Chicken

Just in time for your Cinco de Mayo celebration: chicken marinated in a mixture of tequila, limes, garlic, jalapeno, and cilantro. Serve with scoop of guacamole and a side salad of corn, tomatoes, and black beans. And don’t forget about the sangria, or choose from a variety of margaritas at PBS Food.

¡Salud!

Continue Reading: Tequila Lime Chicken

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | chicken | holiday |

Field Notes and Stir-Fried Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms

This crazy spring just keeps on coming! Thankfully we are getting a bit of rain to settle the dust and take the dry edge off of everything.

The asparagus was starting to come on early last week, but rapidly retreated after a few cold days – so we have a just small amount for everyone. The early spring greens we planted in March are growing and this week we get to enjoy yukina savoy. Between the flea beetles and the extreme temperatures, it doesn’t look beautiful, but it still tastes good. This vegetable needs very little cooking, which makes it perfect in stir-fry, or as a late addition to Asian style soups.

Continue Reading: Field Notes and Stir-Fried Asparagus with Shiitake Mushrooms

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes | recipe | spring | asparagus | mushrooms |

Sangria for Cinco de Mayo

What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than with a pitcher of Sangria! This recipe has been adapted from Cook’s Illustrated and makes use of readily available ingredients. For the main ingredient—red wine!—I suggest a bottle of Mt. Nittany’s Rock Hill Red. It’s on sale now, two bottles for $20.

Continue Reading: Sangria for Cinco de Mayo

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | wine | holiday |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Callao Cafe in State College

Callao Cafe is the new kid on the block in State College. With a soft opening in November 2011, they’ve been open for about six months and going strong!

Tucked back in a little shopping center off West Aaron Drive on the North Atherton side of town (if you’re from State College, these directions are completely normal), Callao Cafe appears like a breath of fresh air. The place is not-too-big. Just enough room to grab a little table with a friend—for actual lunch or coffee and conversation. No solitary working here (no free wi-fi). I actually admire that move. Way to be counter-cultural, Callao Cafe!

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Callao Cafe in State College

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Winner of the Mushrooms Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Amy Grenoble of Sandy Ridge! Her recipe for vegetarian stuffed mushrooms is the winner of our April contest, and she is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Fasta Ravioli Company.

Continue reading for all recipe submissions and stay tuned for the start of our May recipe contest.

Continue Reading: Winner of the Mushrooms Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | recipe | mushrooms |

Roller Coaster Ride of Weather

Last week brought with it a roller coaster ride of weather events – one day sweating into the black plastic as we lay out the onion crop; the next day freezing in an arctic wind as we try to tack down row covers to protect tender seedlings from impending frost. 

And, of course, there was the freak snow storm that came and went like a gaff from presidential candidate. It was horrible at the time, but we were over it by the next day, having forgotten what all the fuss was about as we went on with the daily task of surviving in an uncertain world.

Continue Reading: Roller Coaster Ride of Weather

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm |

Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Mint

One of the best things about belonging to your local Community Supported Agriculture farm (CSA) is how quickly the season gears up — and how big your box of veggies gets. It starts small with bunches of asparagus, spinach, and rhubarb. And radishes, how I love the radishes — they are eaten the minute they get in the house.

You start to plan meals based on what needs to be used, rather than what you are in the mood for. But I find that it allows you to become much more creative in the kitchen — matching what you have with what sounds good. This dish is a perfect example.

Continue Reading: Spring Pasta Salad with Asparagus, Spinach, and Mint

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | asparagus | spinach | mint |

April Weather and Asparagus Salsa

Mid-April felt more like July. We had full irrigation running on the crops in the fields since the beginning of the month, as we took turns waiting for the next available hose to water a greenhouse. It was dry, dry, dry!

Continue Reading: April Weather and Asparagus Salsa

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | spring | recipe | asparagus |

Green Coconut Curry with Chick Peas

Curries fall into the category of totally flexible and easy and cheap weeknight meals. Lentils (or in this case, garbanzos) or Tofu are perfect for vegetarian options — but any kind of meat or seafood protein works equally well. Vegetables can be anything that you have on hand, provided that you have a nice amount of ginger and garlic. If you don’t have coconut milk and Thai curry paste (which take you in the Thai Curry direction), you can go the Indian Curry route and use a good quality Indian/Madras curry powder and garam masala with some broth or water. Serve it over rice if you like — or without rice and thick like a stew, or thinned out as a soup.

Continue Reading: Green Coconut Curry with Chick Peas

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | mushrooms | spinach | potatoes |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Standing Stone Coffee Company in Huntingdon

There is a “welcoming feeling” that permeates Standing Stone Coffee Company in Huntingdon. Like a bear hug you get from your big brother after being away all summer. It’s nice and warm and all-kinds-of-happy. It says “I’m glad you’re here! Sit down and stay awhile.”

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Standing Stone Coffee Company in Huntingdon

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Harrison’s Seasonal Spring Menu

Snow may be falling today, but it is April, and Harrison’s Wine and Grill is serving its seasonal spring menu.

The globally-inspired menu includes a few new partners that attended the PASA conference in February—Vale Wood Farms and Clover Creek Cheese Cellar, with several more in the works. Harrison’s now has over 25 local growers and purveyors. See the full list here.

Continue Reading: Harrison’s Seasonal Spring Menu

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: spring | restaurant |

Paper Pots Offer Cost-Effective, Environmentally Friendly Home for Seedlings

In my last post I talked about planting seeds indoors. And given that we are four to six weeks away from the last frost as I write this, you should have seedlings growing somewhere in your house.

Continue Reading: Paper Pots Offer Cost-Effective, Environmentally Friendly Home for Seedlings

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Pink Slime

Americans have turned up their noses at the hamburger additive officially known as Lean Finely Textured Beef, now infamously called Pink Slime. Technically it IS beef, just not what consumers generally think of as beef. A celebrity chef’s televised expose about the amonia-treated beef scraps set off consumer outcry, prompting supermarkets nationwide to stop selling the stuff. So, what’s all the fuss about?

WPSU’s Patty Satalia begins her audio report at the meat case in the State College Wegmans.

Continue Reading: Pink Slime

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: audio |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Saint’s Cafe in State College

When you talk to any State College resident about locally-owned coffee shops, Saint’s Cafe is without-a-doubt the first place they mention. And it’s no wonder; it’s been voted State College’s Best Gourmet Coffee for years!

My husband and I drive by Saint’s Cafe on our daily commute, and we’re always amazed at its popularity. People practically tumbling out the door all of the time. And so it would be Saint’s Cafe and their obvious success that determined our visiting time at 7:00 am on a Friday morning. We arrived before the place opened and were the first ones through the doors.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Saint’s Cafe in State College

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Why Organic? Part 5: GMOs

Two fundamental truths proved most useful to students in my environmental politics class—both from the field of ecology. The first is, “You can’t do just one thing.” The second explains why the first is true: “Everything is connected to everything else.”

Previous parts of this “Why Organic” series illustrate the usefulness of these two principles. A conventional farmer can’t just kill harmful insects or noxious weeds or boost crop growth with chemical fertilizers without doing other not so wonderful things. Not so wonderful things include killing pollinators and other beneficial insects, depleting the soil, reducing the nutritional content of food, and jeopardizing human health with pesticide and herbicide residues in food.

Continue Reading: Why Organic? Part 5: GMOs

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | organic |

Field Notes: An Unusual Start to Spring

Thank goodness the weather seems to be back to normal for this time of year. The past few weeks of warm weather had us moving around at warp speed trying to get fields prepared and planted.

In all my years at Tait Farm, I have never seen anything quite like this spring. We already have kales, chard, beets, Asian greens, and head lettuce seedlings planted out, as well as peas, carrots, and lettuce mix seeded in the fields.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: An Unusual Start to Spring

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes | farm |

Early Spring Pruning at Mount Nittany Vineyard

If you’ve been to the winery lately, you may have seen owners Joe and Betty Carroll out in the vineyard with their pruning shears. Assisted by winery staff, Jinx Proch, Jeff Proch, and Sandy Alexander, they are attempting to stay on top of the seasonal requirements for grape pruning that will set the stage for the quality and quantity of this year’s grape production. This task has been a challenging one thus far given the early warm weather, which led to an early bud break.

Continue Reading: Early Spring Pruning at Mount Nittany Vineyard

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: wine |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Cool Beans Coffee and Tea in Bellefonte

Cool Beans Coffee and Tea is located right in the middle of Bellefonte—my hometown—and is surrounded by the Victorian architecture the town is famous for. An imposing courthouse sits at its center, and Tallyrand Park—home of my favorite bridge and a million ducks—is on the other end.

Where Bellefonte Gathers.

That’s the motto of this little shop. And it’s so true. There’s such a melting pot of customers throughout this place. Businessmen, retirees, students, people on first-dates (I have both been this person and been a laptop worker overhearing the conversation of an obvious blind date!), teenagers, women just finished with exercising at the local YMCA, moms with little children, etc. People of all kinds and varied interests/ages gather here. For coffee. For conversation. For quiet. To get away from distractions at home. Or maybe to find some distractions.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Cool Beans Coffee and Tea in Bellefonte

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Why Organic? Part 4: The Biosphere

Parts 1 through 3 of the “Why Organic?” series explained that organically grown food is more nutritious—reason enough to eat (and produce) it—and contains far fewer pesticide residues, whose effects are not fully known. But if that isn’t enough to convince you to eat organic, perhaps contemplating the ecological damage caused by conventional agriculture will change your mind.

Continue Reading: Why Organic? Part 4: The Biosphere

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | organic |

Planting Cold-Hardy Veggies for Spring Crops

As you probably noticed, the weather in mid-March was more along the lines of early June. This caused some absolutely incredible early spring scenes as spring growth is about a month ahead of schedule—blossoming trees, daffodils in full display, and perennials peaking out of the dirt at a much earlier date than normal.

For us gardeners, it was so tempting to get out there and plant something. So I did. I planted several rows in my garden, knowing full well that they would need protection later from the inevitable cold snap. If you still haven’t planted, no worries—you still have lots of time to plant cold-hardy vegetables in your garden.

Continue Reading: Planting Cold-Hardy Veggies for Spring Crops

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Mushroom Recipe Contest and Shiitake Mushroom Bisque from Chef Harrison

Did you know that Pennsylvania is home to the mushroom capital of the world? (It’s in Kennett Square, near Philadelphia.) And there are plenty of foragers in the central part of our state, as well. So let’s celebrate mushrooms this month!

Tell us—do you like cremini, portobello, shiitake, chanterelles, or the very exotic truffles? Do you eat them raw or sauteed or roasted? Share your favorite recipe with the Local Food Journey by May 1st for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Fasta Ravioli Company. Find details and submit your recipe today.

Continue reading for Chef Harrison Schailey’s Shiitake Mushroom Bisque, which he serves at Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College.

Continue Reading: Mushroom Recipe Contest and Shiitake Mushroom Bisque from Chef Harrison

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | recipe | mushrooms |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Cafe Lemont

I’ve never been to Paris or any charming little French town, but I feel like Cafe Lemont should be there.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Cafe Lemont

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Winner of the Gift Certificate to Nature’s Pantry

Congratulations to Kristin of Millheim, winner of a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry! She can’t wait for the chives to come up this spring. Others are looking forward to peaches, strawberries, tomatoes, and peppers.

Thank you to all who participated in the contest. Stay tuned for details of upcoming opportunities to win gift certificates to your favorite local establishments.

Continue Reading: Winner of the Gift Certificate to Nature’s Pantry

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: |

Winner of the Radishes Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Jude Griswold of Mt. Jewett! She is the winner of our March radishes recipe contest and the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Mt. Nittany Winery.

Stay tuned for the start of our April recipe contest. Details to come!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Radishes Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: contest | radishes |

Farm Diary: Pruning in March

Most people know that pruning does not consist of attaching prunes to fruit trees and bushes, despite what Amelia Bedelia understood it to mean. But beyond that, I’ll wager that most folks who read Unpaid Field Hand only know that it involves some sort of cutting and thinning of fruit trees and canes.

Of course, you can learn all about it by going on the web and googling “fruit pruning.” But even after reading the 7,280,000 results available, you might be forgiven for still not knowing just how to do it. And for good reason. That’s because even the most knowledgeable experts sometimes give contradictory advice. Even Michael Phillips, whose book The Apple Grower is considered an authority to many apple cultivators, confesses that he hopes to know how to do it by the time he is eighty.

Continue Reading: Farm Diary: Pruning in March

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farmdiary |

Vignoles Cake

This weekend Mount Nittany Winery is concluding its month-long celebration of our local wine trail with a special desserts offering.

Continue Reading: Vignoles Cake

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: wine | dessert |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Avenue 209 Coffee House in Lock Haven

For our first stop on The Great Coffee Adventure, we elected to begin in Lock Haven, Pa. Home of Lock Haven University, this is a sleepy little college town with an incredibly unique and impressive coffee shop called Avenue 209 Coffee House.

Avenue 209 Coffee House is just straight-up COOL. They are industrial and artistic and thoroughly local. Like someone’s little brother who went to college as a scrawny 18-year-old kid and came back as a hipster musician with style.. and everybody raises their eyebrows. I don’t know what I was expecting, but Avenue 209 definitely went straight up and over those expectations and delivered the ambiance that I’ve been longing for in a local coffee shop.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Avenue 209 Coffee House in Lock Haven

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Food Safety Study

Pennsylvania supermarkets are increasingly requiring that local growers show proof of good agricultural practices. For local growers to maintain wholesale market opportunities, they will have to put forth substantial effort to comply with and verify their on-farm, food-safety practices.

Continue Reading: Food Safety Study

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: research |

Starting Seeds is Easy: How to Plant the Seeds

If you followed my last blog post, you should be ready to plant some seeds indoors. First things first, fill your cell flats with moistened potting soil or seed starting mix. You want it moist, not saturated.

Next, plant the seeds. This is by far one of the most important tasks of your gardening year, and you need to make sure you do it correctly because, well, you want them to germinate.

Continue Reading: Starting Seeds is Easy: How to Plant the Seeds

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Why Organic? Part 3: Pesticides

It’s confession time. I made a small mistake, so uncharacteristic of me, as I’m sure you will agree. You see, in Part 3 of my series “Why Organic?” I wanted to talk about how pesticides are bad for our health and the environment, and then do the same for GMOs.

I intended to make a few, short, simple points about the health effects of pesticides—like they aren’t good for us (especially children) and they aren’t adequately tested and regulated.

My mistake? I decided to do a little Google research for the health effects paragraph, anticipating my inquiring readers’ insistent demands for “evidence.” The more I found out, the clearer it became that just one paragraph wouldn’t do.

Continue Reading: Why Organic? Part 3: Pesticides

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: organic | fieldhand |

The Great Coffee Adventure: Introduction

Hello Local Food Journey fans! I’m Naomi Elle. I’m a local photographer enamored with the personalities and products of small-town Pennsylvania. While I have been a Pennsylvania resident for the majority of my life, my husband is a recent “transplant” from the Northern Virginia/Washington DC area.

And we both LOVE coffee.

Continue Reading: The Great Coffee Adventure: Introduction

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee |

Why Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

For over 25 years, the CSA movement has been gaining popularity with small to medium size farms across the country. In its simplest form, a group of individuals become paying members of a farm and in return, the farm grows fresh produce for the members. In this mutual partnership, the farm and the members share in both the abundance and short falls associated with farming.

Continue Reading: Why Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | csa |

Starting Seeds is Easy: How to Set Up

The weather has been warm lately, warm enough to start thinking about gardening. However, while the mild weather is great for daffodils, crocuses, and forsythia, it’s still too chilly to plant vegetables, especially frost-sensitive types like tomatoes and beans. You want to hold off planting those outside until early-mid May.

Continue Reading: Starting Seeds is Easy: How to Set Up

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Mediterranean Recipes from Mount Nittany Winery

As part of the celebration of our local wine trail, Mount Nittany Winery is offering special wine and food pairings during the month of March. This weekend we will feature local food products including cheese from Clover Creek Cheese Cellar, gourmet crackers from Rip Rap Bakery, and Cooke Tavern potato soup in honor of St. Patrick’s day!

Purchase your “Ticket to Good Taste and Adventure” at one of the ten participating wineries. Cost is $20 each or two for $35. For more information, visit: www.pawinetrail.com.

Continue reading to see recipes for the Mediterranean dishes that we served during last weekend’s pairings.

Continue Reading: Mediterranean Recipes from Mount Nittany Winery

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | wine |

Why are Dairy Farms in the Marcellus Shale Closing?

Is mighty Marcellus squeezing the milk industry? That’s the finding of a new Penn State study. The Allegheny Front’s Reid Frazier set out to find why dairy farms are folding amidst the gas boom.

Continue reading to hear Frazier’s audio story.

Continue Reading: Why are Dairy Farms in the Marcellus Shale Closing?

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: audio | farm |

Muddy Boots

Spring has established a strong foothold in spite of some chilly mornings. The distinct smell of thawing earth has brought on the irresistible urge to roll shamelessly in the grass – or at least to get my boots muddier.

Continue Reading: Muddy Boots

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm |

Win a Gift Certificate to Nature’s Pantry

Spring is just around the corner, which means that asparagus, cucumbers, and peaches are not far behind. What food are you most looking forward to eating as winter draws to a close? Sweet strawberries or watermelon? Heirloom tomatoes or green beans?

Simply leave a comment below with your favorite spring or summer food, and we’ll enter you in a random drawing for a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College. You may receive extra entries by following WPSU’s Local Food Journey on Facebook and Twitter. Just leave an additional comment letting us know that you’re a new follower.

Continue Reading: Win a Gift Certificate to Nature’s Pantry

Comments (16) | Permalink | Tags: contest |

Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail

During the month of March, take a trip along the Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail. The tour includes ten wineries, and the cost is $20 per person or $35 per couple.

Continue Reading: Susquehanna Heartland Wine Trail

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | wine |

Field Notes: Early March

The feel of early spring is already in the air. The smell of sleeping soil waking up, the reddening tips of the trees as the sap begins to flow upwards, and the songs of robins are just a few of the early harbingers of spring. We are continuing to stay busy seeding in the greenhouse, spreading compost on the fields, finishing up the new high tunnel and generally trying to get all the winter
work completed.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Early March

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes | farm |

Farm Diary: Seeding Fun in Late February

Seeding is a critical component of farming. No seed flats planted in February means no crops later. It is a laborious and painstaking, but oddly, satisfying task that I tackled two weeks ago. Here is how it works.

Continue Reading: Farm Diary: Seeding Fun in Late February

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farmdiary |

Farms and Customers Gather at Centre County CSA Fair

This is the time of year when many Community Supported Agriculture Farms, or “CSAs” are selling shares for the coming growing seasons. WPSU’s Kristine Allen visited a CSA Fair in State College last week to get the lowdown on this growing practice.

Continue Reading: Farms and Customers Gather at Centre County CSA Fair

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: csa | events |

Leek and Porcini Risotto

Good risotto is one of those things that is nearly impossible to get at a restaurant. Certainly, there are places that do it well. But if I order it, I am usually disappointed nine times out of ten. It just doesn’t lend itself well to advance prep and requires lots of stirring while cooking. And you would think that would make it family unfriendly — but I find it to be the exact opposite. It is a quick and simple meal (wonderful for a vegetarian night, too) that can be done in under an hour. And the actual cooking part really only takes about 30 minutes.

Continue Reading: Leek and Porcini Risotto

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | leeks | mushrooms |

Winner of the Parsnips Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Maureen Ittig of State College and her Parsnip Cake recipe, winner of our February contest! She is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods.

Thank you to everyone who participated. Continue reading to see Maureen’s Parsnip Cake and other recipe submissions. And stay tuned for the start of our March recipe contest. Details to come!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Parsnips Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | recipecontest | parsnips |

Farm Diary: Late Winter on the Farm

Every occupation has its rhythm. The rhythms of farming are special because they coincide with earth’s yearly swing around the sun. January and February provide an opportunity to contemplate the prospects of the upcoming growing season. So my unpaid field hand’s diary for 2012 begins with news from winter.

Continue Reading: Farm Diary: Late Winter on the Farm

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farmdiary |

CSA Fair in State College Today

Join the Centre County Chapter of Buy Fresh, Buy Local today from 3:30pm - 6:30pm at the Friends Meeting House in State College (611 E. Prospect Ave.). Mix and mingle with CSAs from Greenmore Gardens, Jade Family Farm, Tait Farm Foods, Healthy Harvest Farm, Village Acres, Plowshare Produce, Howards End Farm, and GroundWork Farms. Learn about price and size options, workshare programs, and product availability to find the CSA that will work best for you!

The Sustainable Kitchen will also be there with ready-to-eat food.

Continue Reading: CSA Fair in State College Today

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: event |

Early Signs of Spring

Signs of spring are appearing a little early this year, as can be seen from the picture above showing new garlic shoots poking through the soil. Garlic is always the first crop to make an appearance and has more credibility in predicting the beginning of spring than pampered rodents. 

Continue Reading: Early Signs of Spring

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farming |

Take a Jar of Summer off the Shelf

In my last post, I talked about the benefits of freezing vegetables to use in the winter. Now let’s look at another way of preserving your garden harvest—canning.

Canning for me brings back memories of my mother and grandmother, who both canned. They canned stuff like pears, green beans, tomatoes, etc. Pretty much straight up, old-fashioned canning.

Continue Reading: Take a Jar of Summer off the Shelf

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening | recipe | eggs |

Why Organic? Part 2: Nutrition

If, as I argued in Part 1, organically produced food is more nutritious, it makes sense to eat it. It may cost a little more, but you are getting more for your money.

Over the past 15 years, we’ve learned more about complex healthy soils. They are teaming with little critters, beetle grubs, earthworms, bacteria by the billions, and fungi. Together, they facilitate plants’ ability to obtain micro-nutrients and minerals essential to good health. Compost, manures, and other organic substances in the soil provide these organisms with what they need to do their thing.

Continue Reading: Why Organic? Part 2: Nutrition

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | organic |

Field Notes: Mild February

The mild February temperatures are allowing things to roll along pretty smoothly these days. We have made great progress on the new high tunnel and should have the ends completed, the roll-up sides installed and the plastic cover on within a couple weeks. Once this is complete, we will lay in compost and seed an early spring greens mix, which we plan to be eating come April!

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Mild February

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes | farm |

Muenster Chicken with Mushrooms

Here is a delicious winter recipe that we ate all the time growing up, and I have just updated it a bit. It’s a great casserole for a big group, kids love it, and it makes a great drop off dinner for your friend or neighbor who just had a baby.

Continue Reading: Muenster Chicken with Mushrooms

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | mushrooms |

Wine and Chocolate Pairings Event at Mt. Nittany Winery

You and your Valentine are invited to Mt. Nittany Winery in Centre Hall this weekend for a wine and chocolate pairings event. Treat yourself, your sweetheart, or a group of friends to Mt. Nittany’s wines paired with local sweets from Chocolate Madness.

Event hours are Saturday, Feb. 11th from 12-5pm and Sunday, Feb. 12th from 12:30-4pm. Cost is $4.50 per person, and reservations are required. Contact the winery at (814) 466-6373, 300 Houser Road in Centre Hall.

Continue reading for a chocolate truffles recipe from the winery.

Continue Reading: Wine and Chocolate Pairings Event at Mt. Nittany Winery

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holiday | events | wine | chocolate |

Pulling Summer from the Freezer when it’s Freezing Outside

During my garden harvest season, which stretches from summer through much of fall, I preserve a lot of what we get from our backyard in two ways—canning and freezing.

I like to do both because of cooking flexibility. You can do a lot of great things with canning: sauces, relishes, pickles, etc. But freezing for me tends to be about just the vegetable/fruit.

Continue Reading: Pulling Summer from the Freezer when it’s Freezing Outside

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening | recipes | kale | winter |

Rustic Italian Fare at Harrison’s

In addition to the regular local menu at Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College, the restaurant is also featuring the flavors of rustic Italy during the month of February. Beginning today, sample a salad of arugula, fresh pear, and Pecorino; veal ravioli with fresh sage brown butter; seared sea scallops with whipped potatoes; and polenta with berries. Download the full menu. 

Continue Reading: Rustic Italian Fare at Harrison’s

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: restaurant |

Parsnips Recipe Contest

Parsnips are root vegetables, similar to carrots, and are one of the few pieces of produce available locally in Pennsylvania during the winter. They are buttery and slightly spicy and get sweet when cooked. Parsnips are commonly broiled, roasted, or cooked in soups and stews. Let us know how you prepare parsnips by sharing your favorite recipe this month. Submit your recipe for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods.

Continue reading for some of our favorite parsnips recipes.

Continue Reading: Parsnips Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | parsnips |

Farming for the Future

The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture’s (PASA) 21st Annual Farming for the Future Conference begins today at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. Each year the conference gets bigger and better. Discover successful tomato growing techniques, take back the means of beekeeping, reclaim leftover landscapes, raise healthy chickens, and more. See the full workshop agenda and follow PASA on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the week.

Continue Reading: Farming for the Future

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: |

Roasted Potato Salad

Tomorrow is the last day to enter our potatoes recipe contest! How do you prepare Russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, and new potatoes? Share your recipe for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry.

Looking for inspiration? Continue reading for my favorite potato salad recipe.

Continue Reading: Roasted Potato Salad

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | potatoes |

Why Organic? Part 1: Introduction

My brother, a witty fellow indeed, never misses an opportunity to respond to my every utterance of the term “organic food” by saying that he much prefers it to inorganic food like rocks and plastic. His response follows a long tradition of cleverly tormenting his little brother, but it also revives my suspicion that many people don’t actually know what “organic food” is or why anyone would want to produce it or consume it. If this sounds like you (or even if it doesn’t), read on.

Continue Reading: Why Organic? Part 1: Introduction

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | organic |

Late January Greens

Green Heron Farm still has a nice supply of greens this week, but order early for those items – they fly off the shelf this time of year:

Baby Arugula
Baby Spinach
Baby Chard – Green, Red and Gold
Italian and Red Rib Dandelion

Continue Reading: Late January Greens

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farming |

Curried Chick Pea and Red Potato Hash

I love the challenge of taking very disparate items and somehow bringing them together into a coherent dish. Certainly some of the dishes turn out a lot better than others, but it is always a fun experiment. In this case, I had new potatoes, garlic scapes (the green flower shoot from the garlic), green onions, parsley, and lots of eggs. I settled on a “hash” sort of thing and I was not disappointed. I love putting a slight twist on a very traditional approach and it was a delicious vegetarian entree. I served it with sauteed snow peas and a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Continue Reading: Curried Chick Pea and Red Potato Hash

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | potatoes |

Don’t wait to make online seed orders for 2012 garden season!

We are in the heart of winter, so buying garden seeds may not be the first thing on your mind. However, if you are planning on ordering seeds online (you will more choices online than you will in a store), now is the time to do so.

Continue Reading: Don’t wait to make online seed orders for 2012 garden season!

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Mark Your Calendar: Fiesta de invierno with Chef Pati Jinich

Join Chef Pati Jinich of the new PBS series Pati’s Mexican Table for WPSU’s 20th Annual Connoisseur’s Dinner on Saturday, February 18th. Experience firsthand the adventurous cuisine found across Mexico with each dish serving as a point of departure into the country’s rich history and culture.

For more details, visit http://wpsu.org/events/conndinner2012.

Continue Reading: Mark Your Calendar: Fiesta de invierno with Chef Pati Jinich

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: event |

Year Round Good Eating and Gratin Recipe

Our local food partners are the stars behind the scenes at Harrison’s Wine Grill – we purchase from more than 20 local businesses during the growing season. During the winter, we focus more on the year-round products, especially locally produced cheese like our Goot Essa cheddar and Three Belle goat cheese, both from Millheim, Pa. We are working to bring more Pennsylvania artisanal cheeses onto our menu this year because our menu items designed around Goot Essa Sharp Cheddar have been so popular, especially the gratin recipe featured below.

Continue Reading: Year Round Good Eating and Gratin Recipe

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | potatoes | squash |

Potatoes Recipe Contest

Russet potatoes. Sweet potatoes. Fingerling potatoes. New potatoes. How do you eat this starchy vegetable? Share your favorite recipe this month for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College. Entries must be submitted by midnight on January 31st. See contest details. And good luck!

Continue Reading: Potatoes Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | potatoes |

Winner of the Cranberries Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Dee Saylor of State College! Her recipe for Cranberry Salsa Dip with Cream Cheese is the winner of the December recipe contest and the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks.

Continue reading for Dee’s salsa recipe, along with others for cranberry cookies, cakes, and muffins.

Continue Reading: Winner of the Cranberries Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | recipecontest | cranberries |

December Cookies: World Peace Cookies from Dorie Greenspan

Dorie Greenspan is an accomplished food writer and cookbook author, and her World Peace cookies are all over the Internet. (Find out how they got their name here.)

They are French shortbreads with a generous amount of bittersweet chocolate and a touch of fleur de sel (French finishing sea salt) to yield a really intense flavor. Find more of Dorie’s delectable dessert recipes in her book, BAKING: From My Home to Yours.

Continue Reading: December Cookies: World Peace Cookies from Dorie Greenspan

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holidays | cookies |

December Cookies: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

The combination of pumpkin puree and oatmeal makes these cookies nice and chewy. The white chocolate chips are sweet, and the dried cherries are sour. And the spices couldn’t be more festive.

Continue Reading: December Cookies: Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holidays | cookies |

December Cookies: Rum Balls

‘Tis the season to indulge! Enjoy favorite holiday cookies from Local Food Journey contributors this week and next. And feel free to share your own recipes in the comment section below.

First up: Rum Balls from Kristin Camplese of Cuizoo.

Continue Reading: December Cookies: Rum Balls

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | cookies |

Five Gift Ideas for the Gardener in Your Life

Looking to buy a holiday gift for that special gardener in your life? Here are five great suggestions:

Continue Reading: Five Gift Ideas for the Gardener in Your Life

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holidays | gifts |

Holiday Greetings from the Farm!

We are home to many local families’ holiday traditions and lasting memories. There is an honesty and simplicity that comes with the annual pilgrimage to Tait Farm. The ritual is predictable, as well as comforting—it often includes cutting a tree, chatting with friends, visiting the Bassets, sipping a cup of tea, and sampling our food products in the Harvest Shop. 

Continue Reading: Holiday Greetings from the Farm!

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holidays |

Weather Woes

For most people, the weather gives us something to talk about besides religion and politics. Bad weather can produce gloom, glorious days joy, rainy spells inconvenience. But really, we live indoors and travel mostly in enclosed spaces, so life pretty much goes on regardless of the weather. Not so for folks who work outdoors. Bad weather means no work for roofers and tree trimmers. Rain means less pleasant work for garbage men and traffic police.

But for farmers, the state of the weather has profound consequences that most people are not even aware of. So read on and improve your comprehension of just what a huge impact the weather has on folks who grow your food.

Continue Reading: Weather Woes

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand |

Orange Marsala Cranberry Sauce

‘Tis the season for cranberries! Share your favorite recipe this month for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks.

Continue reading to see Kristin’s recipe for Orange Marsala Cranberry Sauce.

Continue Reading: Orange Marsala Cranberry Sauce

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | cranberries |

Winner of the Pear Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Sarah Zappe of Port Matilda for her Cream Cheese and Pear Tart! She is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Fasta Ravioli Company.

Continue reading to see Sarah’s recipe, as well as Pamela’s Stewed Pears.

Continue Reading: Winner of the Pear Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | pears |

The Ten Dollar Solution

Pennsylvania Buy Fresh Buy Local has proposed an interesting Ten Dollar Solution that we would like to share and encourage all Local Food Journey readers to consider supporting.

Continue Reading: The Ten Dollar Solution

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: |

Turkey Croquettes

Most of us will admit that one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. Here is a favorite recipe for creating another delicious meal from the turkey that might be left on the platter at the end of your annual feast.

Continue Reading: Turkey Croquettes

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | turkey |

Turkey with Marsala Gravy over Rosemary Belgian Waffles

Looking for a tasty way to use those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers? This dish takes a savory, rosemary-infused Belgian Waffle and tops it with turkey stewed in marsala-laced and butter-rich gravy.

Continue Reading: Turkey with Marsala Gravy over Rosemary Belgian Waffles

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | turkey |

First National Thanksgiving and York County Filling

I grew up in York, PA. Christmas and Easter were at my grandma’s, but Thanksgiving was at my parents’ house. There was typically a crowd of 12-15 relatives, but it always felt to me, as a kid, like 50 people because my childhood home is pretty small.

Continue Reading: First National Thanksgiving and York County Filling

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: |

Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

This thick and creamy soup is full of some of the season’s best flavors and would make any Thanksgiving table a more festive one.

Continue Reading: Sweet Potato and Apple Soup

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | apples | sweetpotatoes |

Countdown to Thanksgiving

Less than a week to go until Thanksgiving Day—a holiday created for foodies! What do you plan to place on your table this year? Check back next week for some of our favorite recipes and ideas to take care of those turkey leftovers. Until then, take advantage of holiday specials offered by some of your favorite local shops.

Continue Reading: Countdown to Thanksgiving

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holidays |

Sowing the Seeds of a Great Marriage

Going to go a bit off-topic here, but I had to share this story with everyone who reads this blog. Gardening is something that often is done together by couples and who knows how many relationships are sparked at a plant sale or garden center. However, gardening is not really thought of something as romantic, per se.

Continue Reading: Sowing the Seeds of a Great Marriage

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Fall Garlic Fun on the Farm

It is now late fall on the farm, and the last vegetables have been harvested. Time to sit by the fire, do our nails, and dream of spring, right? Yes? Shows how much you know about life on an organic vegetable farm.

Now is the time to plant next year’s garlic. Notice the nifty planting grid our intrepid intern Hannah is using to make sure the cloves are properly spaced. If you squint and look at the front of the wooden form, you’ll discover both some intact garlic bulbs and some individual cloves ready to stick into the soil. 

Continue Reading: Fall Garlic Fun on the Farm

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farm | garlic |

Field Notes: Rainbow Carrots in November

I had never belonged to a CSA before I came to Tait Farm. I read about them, knew of some, and had friends and coworkers who picked up their shares weekly and absolutely loved being a part of it. We, however, were lucky enough to have a plot of land large enough to grow more than enough of our own produce.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Rainbow Carrots in November

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | csa |

Apple Muffins

Honeycrisp apples are crisp and sweet and ideal for fresh eating, as well as for cooking and baking. Our friends at Way Fruit Farm harvest Honeycrisp apples each year and may still have some left this season. For hours and directions to Way Fruit Farm, visit their website. Then enjoy this recipe for Apple Muffins. They can’t be beat served warm with a glass of milk.

Continue Reading: Apple Muffins

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | apples |

Field Notes - Early November

There is an impatient feeling in the chilly, Fall air here in the fields. The heavy, wet snow that came down on Saturday had us curiously waiting to see how all the crops carried the weight.

Continue Reading: Field Notes - Early November

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes | fall |

Winner of the Butternut Squash Recipe Contest

Thanks to everyone who participated in this month’s butternut squash recipe contest! Congratulations to Ashley of State College and her Butternut Squash Risotto recipe. She is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering

Continue reading to see all of the submitted recipes. Enjoy!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Butternut Squash Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: butternutsquash | recipe | recipecontest |

The Splendid Table Comes to WPSU-FM

We’re pleased to announce that starting November 6, the The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper will be joining the WPSU-FM line-up Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. (with The Thistle and Shamrock moving to Sundays at 8:00 p.m.).

Continue Reading: The Splendid Table Comes to WPSU-FM

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: wpsu |

Field Notes

This week as we are adding more fall greens to the selection of choices, we are embarking on a project that will provide us with the ability to extend the season and have even more greens!

Continue Reading: Field Notes

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening | hightunnels | fieldnotes |

Get your garden ready for a long winter’s nap

While we haven’t quite yet had a true killing frost, it’s inevitable - at some point, your 2011 garden will be covered in frost, and soon after, snow. The garden will go to sleep until it warms again, but there is some work yet to do on your garden that will make things easier next spring. Time to put it to bed.

Continue Reading: Get your garden ready for a long winter’s nap

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: winter | gardening |

Butternut Squash and Apple Muffins with Pumpkin Seed Streusel

With two hungry children, I am always trying to find healthful snacks that the kids perceive to be treats. A piece of fruit may be healthy, but every once in a while kids (and grown-ups alike) crave something more substantial.  In our house, anything freshly baked is usually a winner.  This recipe qualifies as both delicious and healthy—with whole wheat flour, butternut squash puree, fresh apples, and not too much sugar.  It’s your choice whether you call it breakfast, a snack, or dessert.

Continue Reading: Butternut Squash and Apple Muffins with Pumpkin Seed Streusel

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | butternutsquash | fall |

Bon AppeTait:  Spicy Autumn Salad

I love fall on the farm. It is the season of bold flavors and stunning natural beauty. The changing leaves are slowing winding their way up Tussey Mountain, creating a tapestry of subtle color. The fields abound with beautiful fall greens and root crops, still soaking up as much sun as they can before harvest. And after months of ripening in the fields (or drowning), the winter squash have been harvested. Our attention will now turn to getting the fields into cover crops for the long winter’s rest. And all the while, I will delight in the flavor of my first butternut squash soup, as well as the site of colorful, funky pumpkins and gourds that bring fall blessings to my home.

Continue Reading: Bon AppeTait:  Spicy Autumn Salad

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall |

Pumpkins - not just for pies and front stoops anymore

The humble pumpkin at one time was known for being just two things - a front porch decoration and a pie. Also, unless you lived in Pennsylvania Dutch country like I did as a kid and saw “neck pumpkins,” pumpkins were always orange and round.

Continue Reading: Pumpkins - not just for pies and front stoops anymore

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: pumpkins | fall |

The Market Bell

Have you ever been to a farmers market a little earlier than start time and were told that market sales cannot begin until a certain time? Has that ever knocked the wind out of your local food shopping sails (sales?) and caused you to be disappointed or confused?

Continue Reading: The Market Bell

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: market |

Field Notes

The approach of the Fall frost has us hustling around the fields, trying to get everything prepared for it. There is the first frost, which will knock out most of the common annuals such as peppers, summer squash, eggplants and if you still have ‘em, tomatoes.

Continue Reading: Field Notes

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fall | fieldnotes |

Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque from Harrison’s

For perfect fall flavors—the mild sweetness of butternut squash is perfectly offset with savory garlic and vegetables.  Using some local cream helps to make it rich and velvety – but minimizing cream and using vegetable stock and roasted garlic helps to keep the fats and calories down. This recipe has a lot of steps in it – and that’s what creates the complex and award-winning flavors. 

Stop in to Harrison’s for a bowl, or enjoy it from your own home.

Continue Reading: Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque from Harrison’s

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | butternutsquash |

Winner of the Eggplant Recipe Contest

Thanks to everyone who participated in this month’s eggplant recipe contest! Congratulations to Albert of State College and his Lavash Flatbread recipe. He is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Mount Nittany Winery in Centre Hall.

Continue reading to see all of the submitted recipes. Enjoy!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Eggplant Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | eggplant | recipecontest |

Frost looms in the garden, but that’s not always a bad thing

While the weather in recent days has been more like summer, the changing leaves are a definite sign that it is autumn and gardening season is coming to a close. While much of central Pennsylvania hasn’t seen the first frost as yet, that soon will change. It’s definitely frost season.

Continue Reading: Frost looms in the garden, but that’s not always a bad thing

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: |

Sweet and Sour Eggplant

It’s the final week to share your favorite eggplant recipe for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Mount Nittany Winery! Still looking for inspiration? Check out this sweet, sour, and slightly spicy recipe.

Continue Reading: Sweet and Sour Eggplant

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | eggplant |

Harvest Photo Contest for Mount Nittany Winery

There’s a lot happening at Mount Nittany Winery over the next several weeks ... picking, crushing, stomping ... and their first ever Harvest Photo Contest.

Continue Reading: Harvest Photo Contest for Mount Nittany Winery

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: wine |

Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

Your chances of identifying this mystery crop increase in direct proportion to how far south you grew up. These plants like really hot weather. In fact, they are not supposed to grow very well in central Pennsylvania. But that doesn’t stop my son, John.

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand |

Change is in the Air and a Recipe for Vegetable Soup

The unusually wet and cool weather of mid-September must be a prelude to a fabulous Indian Summer coming our way. Nature has its signals in every season, and the fall is no exception. The dizzying activity of insects and migrating birds, the prolific blooming of goldenrod and asters, and the breathtaking color transformation of the native Sumac all confirm the change that is in the air. And even though the tomatoes are slowly slipping away, the abundant greens, hearty squashes, pears and more, are ready to make their debut and step in where the others are leaving off. Oh, how lucky we are!

Continue Reading: Change is in the Air and a Recipe for Vegetable Soup

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | fall | soup | celery | onions | garlic | carrots | potatoes | greenbeans | tomatoes | corn |

Broaden Your Culinary Horizons

Just 20 years ago, the selection of produce was nothing like it is today. Iceberg lettuce, round red tomatoes, green bell peppers, regular orange carrots, and plain potatoes ruled the supermarket shelves.

However, today the expansion of the American palate is quite evident. Sushi is found in supermarkets. An imitation of a latte can be found at a convenience store. Ethnic restaurants such as Indian, Thai, Austrian, and Korean can be found in central Pennsylvania. And the broadening selections for the home chef have expanded culinary horizons, as well.

Continue Reading: Broaden Your Culinary Horizons

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

We have lots of customers who buy lettuce, onions, carrots, and beets. Then there are many who merely stroll by and say, “Everything looks beautiful.” True Fact: People who say, ”Everything looks beautiful” really mean, “I’m not going to buy a single thing.”

What is this wonderful, under-appreciated vegetable?

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farm |

How Floods Affect Farms

Last week’s flooding was an adventure—one that I would prefer not repeating once every 15 years or so. We got off easy by some accounts. Most of our crops are still in the ground, although about a third of our lane was redistributed to the entrance of our house.

Living on a slope has its advantages and as long as the water keeps flowing through the basement, we’re doing OK. Getting off the farm in a flood is the tough part.

Continue Reading: How Floods Affect Farms

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | farming |

Asian-Style Ratatouille with Eggplant

Eggplant is delicious hot or cold and can be enjoyed marinated, stuffed, roasted, grilled, fried, baked in a casserole or stewed. How do you like to prepare it? Share your favorite recipe this month for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Mount Nittany Winery.

Continue reading for a recipe from Steve Spanelli of Tait Farm.

Continue Reading: Asian-Style Ratatouille with Eggplant

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | fall | eggplant | squash | zucchini | tomatoes |

Saving Seeds from Tomatoes

Okay, you got some fantastic heirloom tomatoes, among the best you’ve ever had. You may have bought them at a farmers market or received them in a CSA box, or perhaps they were gifted to you by a friend. But you’re not sure of the variety so you can’t buy the seeds, right? No worries—saving tomato seeds is actually quite simple.

Continue Reading: Saving Seeds from Tomatoes

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: |

Turning Toward Fall

The season is tilting decidedly toward fall, and the crops are shifting toward soup ingredients and fall fruit.

Continue Reading: Turning Toward Fall

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farming | farm |

Unpaid Field Hand: Mystery Crop Update

I suspect that my faithful followers have been distracted from their routine activities wondering how the various “name this crop” vegetables are doing. Fear not! I have a few updates for you.

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Mystery Crop Update

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farm |

Winner of the Tomato Recipe Contest

Wow! We had a lot of submissions for this month’s tomato recipe contest. Thanks to everyone who participated! And congratulations to winner Mary Gage of State College for her Green Tomato Chutney. She is the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks in Millheim.

Continue reading to see all of the submitted recipes—from tomato cakes to tomato tarts to tomato bread pudding. Enjoy!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Tomato Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | tomatoes | recipecontest |

Cucumber-Tomato Salsa

Today is the final day to share your favorite tomato recipe! Submit it now for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks in Millheim. A winner will be randomly selected and announced by noon tomorrow. Good luck!

Continue reading for a seasonal salsa recipe from Steve Spanelli of Tait Farm.

Continue Reading: Cucumber-Tomato Salsa

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | tomatoes | cucumbers |

When Natural Disasters Strike

The week wouldn’t be complete without a natural disaster. Last week we hit the jackpot with two – an earthquake and a hurricane – although it was our eastern neighbors who were most affected.

Continue Reading: When Natural Disasters Strike

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farming | farm |

Mothersbaugh Farm in Spring Mills

Chuck Mothersbaugh is a staple at the Friday market in downtown State College. It’s easy to spot his buckets of beautiful sunflowers on Locust Lane. Of course, he also sells a wide variety of produce—from cucumbers to tomatoes to onions to squash. Watch this short video interview to learn more.

Continue Reading: Mothersbaugh Farm in Spring Mills

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: video | farm | market |

Garlicky Bread Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Sweet Corn

Tomatoes of all shapes and colors are still in abundance at the local markets. Pick up a box and let us know how you use them! Share your recipe by August 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks in Millheim.

Continue reading for one of Kristin’s favorite simple late summer recipes.

Continue Reading: Garlicky Bread Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes and Sweet Corn

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | tomatoes | corn | bread | garlic |

Useful Beauty

Home vegetable gardens are an ideal and super-local way to get fresh, delicious produce, but they can also be a beautiful addition to your yard. Many vegetable plants not only taste great, they look great, too—and not just on a plate.

Continue Reading: Useful Beauty

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

A Local Food Fantasy

Farm work can enrich your fantasy life. While weeding our new currant and gooseberry patch the other day, I let my mind wonder …

How close could we get to a truly local food system here in central Pennsylvania? Could we become one of the leading centers of the local food movement in the United States?

Continue Reading: A Local Food Fantasy

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand |

Plant Now for Garden-Fresh Fall Harvest

Please welcome Jamie Oberdick to the Local Food Journey! Jamie is an enthusiastic home gardener who grows a variety of plants from around the world in his Centre County backyard. Take it away, Jamie!

A lot of people think of vegetable gardening as a spring/summer thing, and you shut it down in the fall with the exception of the last pumpkins. Actually, there are plenty of different vegetables that thrive in the cooler conditions we have in fall in central Pennsylvania.

Continue Reading: Plant Now for Garden-Fresh Fall Harvest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: gardening |

Community at the Farmers Markets

Area farmers markets provide an opportunity for locals to directly support farmers and local food purveyors. Here at Harrison’s, many of those who sell at the local markets are the friends we welcome at our back door each week with delicious seasonal ingredients that we use throughout the year.

For the consumer, a farmers market is a chance to meet the person who grows the food you eat. Rather than the old adage, “matching a name with a face,” we think of it as “matching a food with a farmer!” 

Continue Reading: Community at the Farmers Markets

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: market |

Local Chefs Compete for the Golden Basket

You can always find farmers at the Boalsburg Farmers Market. And butchers and bakers and cheese makers. But there were a few new faces to see yesterday afternoon.

Chefs who typically work their magic behind the scenes of our favorite local restaurants sharpened their knives, packed their frying pans and portable stoves, and came out to compete in a cooking competition. Contestants included: Jamsion Steffan and Gus Aranguiz from The American Ale House, Mark Johnson from Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks, Harrison Schailey from Harrison’s Wine Grill, Sean Kelly from Kelly’s, Pete Herncane from Otto’s, and Andrew Monk from The Sustainable Kitchen. Their task was to prepare two dishes using ingredients found at the market. The dishes were then judged on creativity, taste, and presentation.

Continue Reading: Local Chefs Compete for the Golden Basket

Comments (2) | Permalink | Tags: market | event |

Local Chefs Compete Today in Boalsburg

Come out to the Boalsburg Farmers Market today and get more than a basket full of peaches, tomatoes, and eggplant. See some of your favorite local chefs compete in a cooking competition!

The competition begins at 2:30pm at the Military Museum in Boalsburg. Participating chefs from The American Ale House, Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks, Harrison’s, Kelly’s, Otto’s, and The Sustainable Kitchen will use ingredients from market vendors to create three courses. I will be joining a panel of four judges—including Patty Satalia of WPSU, State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, and State College’s Italian chef and cookbook author Grace Pilato—to determine the winning chef.

Continue Reading: Local Chefs Compete Today in Boalsburg

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: market | event |

Clan Stewart Farm in Huntingdon

Clan Stewart Farm is a 160-acre farm located in Huntingdon. The Stewart family came to Pennsylvania from Ireland in the 1700s and began farming the land in 1793. Now in its seventh generation, the family continues to work together to keep the farm alive.

Hear about their popular whole hog sausages—from andouille to spicy chorizo to mild Italian—in this video interview.

Find them at the Boalsburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays from 2-6pm and at the North Atherton Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10am-2pm.

Continue Reading: Clan Stewart Farm in Huntingdon

Comments (2) | Permalink | Tags: farm | market | video |

Greenmore Gardens CSA

Greenmore Gardens CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is located in Port Matilda. The farm uses sustainable practices and recently became certified organic. Find out what they have available this month—from kale and cabbage to hummingbird cakes made with vegetables and honey—in this video interview.

Visit them at the North Atherton Farmers Market on Saturdays from 10am-2pm.

Continue Reading: Greenmore Gardens CSA

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: video | farm | market | csa |

Field Notes and a Recipe for Pan-Fried Green Tomatoes

The rain has brought with it cooler temperatures, and I’ve heard several people expressing their excitement for the upcoming fall. I, however, really enjoy the heat and the beauty of the middle of summer.

Continue Reading: Field Notes and a Recipe for Pan-Fried Green Tomatoes

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | tomatoes |

Grilled Mexican Corn

Please welcome Kristin Camplese who will stop by occasionally to share recipes from her popular food blog, Cuizoo.com!

My family and I recently pledged to eat local sweet corn for the last 30 days of summer vacation. It is not a hard task given how delicious it is. And while most nights we could eat it simply slathered with butter and salt, this recipe is one of our favorites. It is really a meal in itself as it combines rich seasonings, garlicky mayonnaise, and lots of cheese. Finish with a sprinkling of cilantro and a
squeeze of lime juice, and you will be licking your fingers and buying another dozen ears for tomorrow.

Continue Reading: Grilled Mexican Corn

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | corn |

Heirloom Tomatoes

There is a general consensus among marketers that an adjective can mean the difference between making a sale and bringing home ingredients for a gourmet compost pile. Flat parsley does not have the same resonance as Italian parsley. Without the appellation “French,” shallots would just be small, pale red onions. Then there is Red Russian kale which is neither truly red nor Russian (at least according to the Russian customers I’ve talked to who think it’s just another Ukrainian conspiracy). But who wants to say purple-stemmed blue-green, flat kale? It just doesn’t slide off the tongue with the same romantic flare. You can practically hear the balalaikas playing in the background when the words Red Russian are invoked.

Continue Reading: Heirloom Tomatoes

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | tomatoes |

A Rainy Day on the Farm

Despite the rain, many community members came out on Saturday to support the 6th Annual Farm Tour sponsored by PASA and Buy Fresh Buy Local.

Student intern Katherine Grofic visited three farms on the soggy day and captured several photos from each. Continue reading to see the slideshow.

Continue Reading: A Rainy Day on the Farm

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farmtour | farm |

How to Plan a Day’s Work on a Vegetable Farm

For those of you who are having trouble falling asleep beset by curiosity over how farmers plan their workdays, this post is for you. Actually, it is a laughably simple two-step process. Step 1: List everything that absolutely must be done. Step 2: Rank the tasks in order of importance and do the work. Ready?

Continue Reading: How to Plan a Day’s Work on a Vegetable Farm

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farm |

6th Annual Central Pennsylvania Farm Tour

It’s Local Foods Week in central Pennsylvania! Celebrate the farms, markets, restaurants, and businesses that support our regional food system. Then wrap up the week with the 6th Annual Farm Tour sponsored by PASA and Buy Fresh Buy Local.

Pack your cooler, hop in your car (or on your bike), and explore our beautiful agrarian landscape this Saturday from 12:30pm-5:00pm. Continue reading for more details.

Continue Reading: 6th Annual Central Pennsylvania Farm Tour

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | farmtour |

Field Notes: Summer Garlic and a Recipe for Pepper Packets

It’s the middle of summer, and that means it’s time for garlic! From spring garlic to garlic scapes, and fresh garlic to stored bulbs… it’s one of our favorite year-round crops. And now is the time to hurry up and get it out of the ground and hang it to cure.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Summer Garlic and a Recipe for Pepper Packets

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | garlic | peppers | potatoes | fieldnotes |

Winner of the Sweet Corn Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Amanda Bachmann of State College and her recipe for Sweet Corn Ice Cream! She is the winner of the July contest and the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry.

Thank you to everyone who participated—continue reading to see all of the sweet corn recipe submissions!

And don’t forget to enter our August recipe contest. What’s your favorite way to prepare summer’s tasty tomatoes?

Continue Reading: Winner of the Sweet Corn Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | corn |

Grilled Corn Salsa

Stacks of sweet corn can still be found at many farmers markets. Are you picking some up for the weekend? If so, try this Grilled Corn Salsa from Steve Spanelli of Tait Farm.

Or make your own recipe and share it with the Local Food Journey for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College. Entries must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, July 31st, and the winner will be randomly selected and announced by noon on Monday, August 1st. Good luck!

Continue Reading: Grilled Corn Salsa

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | corn |

Preparing for Market Day

It’s vegetable high season, and farm stands are cropping up like weeds in a carrot patch. Corn squatters and cantaloupe hucksters have taken over every vacant space along the highways, and official farmers markets are swarming with customers hungry for the fruits of the farmers’ labor. This sudden appearance of bounty after months of impatient waiting for the first ripe tomato seems almost magical. From the outsider’s perspective it’s just another one of those immutable expressions of the natural world that most people accept, like the rising of the sun. Is it even conceivable to have summer without a farm stand overflowing with tomatoes, corn, squash, and peaches?

But farmers generally have a different perspective on the weekly event that keeps them swarming like wasps over a ripe melon patch – even though we are more than willing to encourage the illusion of our supernatural ability to make vegetables appear out of thin air. What really happens is more mundane and unexciting. It’s mostly the culmination of a steady, weekly routine that starts sometime in March and winds down at the end of November. This time of year we’re basically on autopilot.

Continue Reading: Preparing for Market Day

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: market |

Corn Salad with Sweet Chili Lime Vinaigrette

It’s no wonder that sweet corn is right up there with tomatoes as America’s favorite vegetable. Nothing beats the flavor of fresh picked corn. Whether you eat it on the cob, or turn it into delicious salad, the time to enjoy it is now!

Try this nice, light, and refreshing salad courtesy of Cindy Tait Law. And don’t forget to share your favorite sweet corn recipe before July 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College!

Continue Reading: Corn Salad with Sweet Chili Lime Vinaigrette

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | corn |

Chef Harrison’s Green Beans Gorgonzola

Eleven years ago, former Farmer Mark from Tait Farm had a bumper crop of freshly grown green beans and showed up at our back door with several large boxes of them. Chef Harrison created this recipe and officially and deliciously launched our local foods menu.

Over the years, Harrison’s Green Beans Gorgonzola has become a seasonal summer favorite. It is easy to make at home and is a great recipe for those beautiful farmers market green beans this summer. Enjoy!

Continue Reading: Chef Harrison’s Green Beans Gorgonzola

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: summer | recipe | greenbeans |

Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

Driving around central Pennsylvania, I typically see entire fields dedicated to neat rows of corn and soybean plants – all instantly recognizable. And photos from mega-agribusinesses show similarly uniform fields. Any media consultant smarter than a brick would advise a farmer client to only depict similarly pristine views of growing crops.

But what do you notice about the photo of this farm field?

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farm |

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

With temperatures predicted to reach record highs today and tomorrow, what better way to manage the heat than with a bowl of homemade ice cream? It is National Ice Cream Month, after all.

Continue Reading: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | icecream |

July is National Ice Cream Month

As luck would have it, July is National Ice Cream Month as established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. He also appointed the third Sunday of this month as National Ice Cream Day because an estimated 90% of the nation’s population consumes ice cream. 

Continue Reading: July is National Ice Cream Month

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: dairy | farm | icecream |

The Great Divide

Every once in a while I’ll get a question from someone who feels the need to engage me in agricultural discourse in order to spotlight my complete ignorance of farming. And quite honestly, I’m the first to admit that I don’t know everything about farming. That’s why I love this business – there’s something to learn every day. 

Continue Reading: The Great Divide

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farming | market |

Fruit Shrub from Tait Farm Foods

The fruit shrubs from Tait Farm Foods are a popular summertime drink. Tyler Kulp describes their origin and ingredients and offers cocktail suggestions in this video interview.

Continue Reading: Fruit Shrub from Tait Farm Foods

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: video | drinks |

NPR: How Industrial Farming “Destroyed” the Tasty Tomato

If you bite into a tomato between the months of October and June, chances are that tomato came from Florida. And it tastes dramatically different than the varieties you might grow in your backyard or pick up at your local farmers market during the summer.

Freelance food writer Barry Estabrook looks at the life of today’s mass-produced tomato — and the environmental and human costs of the tomato industry — in his book Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit.

Listen to his interview with Terry Gross for Fresh Air.

Continue Reading: NPR: How Industrial Farming “Destroyed” the Tasty Tomato

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: farming | tomatoes |

Unpaid Field Hand: Food Fear Part 1

Big hairy spiders, slithering snakes, white-faced hornets and yellow jackets—these are common fears among many people. They know they have them, and they are typically not shy about sharing them with others. I have recently realized, however, that there is one fear many people have that they do not admit to having. Indeed, they might not even know they have it. 

I’m talking about food fear, specifically the fear of tasting or cooking something new.

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Food Fear Part 1

Comments (3) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand |

Corn on the Cob with Basil-Parmesan Butter

Grilled corn on the cob is a popular item on the menus of backyard BBQs and picnics across the country. Try this version with an herb butter that makes the corn seasoned and succulent. It’s a perfect summer treat.

Continue Reading: Corn on the Cob with Basil-Parmesan Butter

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | summer | corn |

Field Notes: Beet Salad

Field production is running a bit behind schedule this year, but this seems to be the case for most farms in the area. The “schedule,” of course, is always just an ideal planting time, when really we fall to the mercy of the weather in the end. But better late than never is the case this summer, as we are just now harvesting our spring turnips and beets.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Beet Salad

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: summer | recipe | beets | fieldnotes |

Get It While You Can

Welcome to Laura Young, the newest contributor to the Local Food Journey blog! Laura is a goat farmer and horticulturist at Young American Growers in Centre Hall. She is also a vendor and organizer for the North Atherton Farmers Market. Welcome, Laura!

Many years ago, a dear friend gifted my husband and I the audio version of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle written by Barbara Kingsolver. I find that I never tire of listening to it. I always learn something new and am regularly surprised by something I forgot. It has become, for me, a one-stop shopping source for inspiration on the small steps we can continue to take on this local food journey of ours.

Continue Reading: Get It While You Can

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: movement |

Sweet Corn Recipe Contest

Sweet corn season is here! Do you grill it in its husks or boil it on the stove top? Do you eat it on the cob or off? What’s your favorite way to prepare this popular Pennsylvania treat?

Share your favorite corn recipe with the Local Food Journey blog for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Nature’s Pantry in State College.

Recipes must be submitted by midnight on Sunday, July 31st. Entries will be featured throughout the month, and a winner will be randomly selected and announced by noon on Monday, August 1st. Enter today. Good luck!

Continue Reading: Sweet Corn Recipe Contest

Comments (2) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | corn |

Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

If you are still reeling from failing to identify the asparagus plants in my first blog post, redemption can be yours. The very immature crop pictured above will produce (with some luck) one of the most sought after food items. What surprises me is that despite their popularity (even though they are pricey), they are not difficult to grow. Anyone reading this who has access to a mostly sunny patch can do it. In addition to being delicious, they contain significant amounts of polyphone antioxidants said to fight cancer and other diseases. One source indicates that one cup provides 69% of the daily requirement for vitamin C. 

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Name this Crop

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | raspberries |

Winner of the Strawberries Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Nancy Cord-Baran of State College! She is the winner of our June strawberries recipe contest and the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering.

Thank you to everyone who participated—continue reading to see all of the strawberries recipe submissions. And stay tuned for the start of our July recipe contest. Details to come!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Strawberries Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | strawberries |

Final Day of the Strawberries Recipe Contest

Strawberry season has sadly come to an end. What is the best thing you made this month with summer’s first berries? Share it today for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College. Today is the final day to enter the contest, so submit your recipe now!

Looking for inspiration?

Continue Reading: Final Day of the Strawberries Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | strawberries |

Garlic Harvest

There are several milestones during the year that mark dramatic shifts in the growing season. For me, it’s always the garlic harvest, which coincides with the first full week of summer. The harvest brings to a close the long wait for the king of alliums that started back in November when the final clove was tucked in the ground for the winter.

Garlic is a precise, no-nonsense crop that sticks to its preordained schedule whether you like it or not. It’s not going to wait around for a distracted farmer to fit it in to his daily planner. Wait a week too long and tough luck, it’s on to its next phase of development without so much as a by-your-leave.

Continue Reading: Garlic Harvest

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: garlic | farming |

Three Minute Gardener: How to Renovate a Strawberry Patch

After the June harvest of strawberries, patches should be renovated in preparation for the following year. Penn State Senior Extension Educator Kathy Demchak explains why these renovations are important and how to complete them.

Watch the video.

Continue Reading: Three Minute Gardener: How to Renovate a Strawberry Patch

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: strawberries | farming |

Welcome, Green Heron Farm!

Please welcome our newest contributor, Tony Ricci, of Green Heron Farm in southern Huntingdon County. Tony has been instrumental in bringing a year-round supply of local, organic produce to our area. He’s also the farmer who uses fryer oil to fuel his delivery truck.

Continue Reading: Welcome, Green Heron Farm!

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm |

Celebrate Local Food and Farms

The first annual Summer Solstice Celebration at Tait Farm was a success! Watch a video recap of the local event.

Continue Reading: Celebrate Local Food and Farms

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | summersolstice | video |

Farmland Preservation Artists

The farmland in Centre County provides wildlife habitat, helps to replenish the groundwater supply, generates tax revenue, and feeds local residents. But as the county’s population grows, more and more farmland is being lost to development. WPSU’s Kristine Allen gives an audio report on efforts to preserve farmland—notably, one that involves a group of local artists who gathered at Tait Farm last Saturday for the first annual Summer Solstice Celebration.

Continue Reading: Farmland Preservation Artists

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | summersolstice |

A Convivium of Local Support

Solstice…the word conjures up visions of kicking back, chilling out and enjoying a long, lazy summer day. But on Saturday, June 18th at Tait Farm in Centre Hall, the crowd at the first annual Summer Solstice Celebration to benefit the Centre County Farmland Trust was actively engaged in the pursuit of tasting locally produced fresh delights while supporting a local farm. In a word, it was happy. People were relaxed, cooperative and neighborly – grateful for the weather, the scenery, the fresh farm air, the flavors, the sense of community, and the shared mission of local foods and farms.

Continue Reading: A Convivium of Local Support

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | summersolstice |

Simple Strawberry Cake

Strawberry season is my favorite season; though it is a short one. Throughout the month of June, I enjoy strawberries on my morning cereal and swirled into yogurt, tossed with spinach salad, on top of shortcakes and waffles, and layered with vanilla cake and cream cheese frosting. We also currently have four quarts in the freezer just begging to be thawed and consumed.

Continue Reading: Simple Strawberry Cake

Comments (2) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | summer | strawberries |

Unpaid Field Hand: The Story of Peas

Last Tuesday night, Emily Wiley posted a picture of her dinner to the Boalsburg Farmers Market Facebook page. The caption said: “Dinner tonight courtesy of the Boalsburg Farmers Market. Pork chops from Cow-a-Hen Farm. Snap peas from Jade Family Farm. Bread from Gemelli Bakery with lemon-artichoke pesto from Fasta & Ravioli Co. And strawberries from Way Fruit Farm. Happiness on a plate.”

Emily knew the peas she bought were grown at Jade Family Farm, but how did the green pods find their way to our farm and then to the market? Well, this unpaid field hand decided to tackle that question.

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: The Story of Peas

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand | farm | peas |

Summer Solstice Celebration a Success!

Thank you to all who attended Saturday’s Summer Solstice Celebration at Tait Farm. The event was a huge success, and we were thrilled to meet so many local foodies!

We were proud to join partners from Elk Creek Cafe + Ale Works, Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering, Otto’s Pub & Brewery, and Mount Nittany Winery in support of the Centre County Farmland Trust.

Hopefully you left the event with a greater understanding of the importance of preserving Centre County farmland for food, natural resources, and future generations. Get more information and find out how to become a member on their website.

Continue Reading: Summer Solstice Celebration a Success!

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | summersolstice |

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Have you submitted your favorite strawberries recipe for the June contest? Share it today for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill in State College.

Enjoy this favorite from Tait Farm Foods.

Continue Reading: Strawberry Vinaigrette

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | summer | strawberries |

Howard’s End CSA Farm

Do you belong to a CSA? Community-supported agriculture (CSA) connects farmers and consumers and offers advantages to both parties. Consumers purchase a share at the beginning of the season and receive a weekly box of fresh-from-the-farm produce. And because farmers receive payment early, they are able to more effectively manage their cash flow and their crops.

Addison Hoffman from Howard’s End CSA Farm, located about 1/2 hour outside of State College, runs a CSA. They offer everything from chickens and ducks to berries to honey and yogurt. You can also find him at the State College Farmers Market on Tuesdays.

Watch a video interview with Addison and learn more about CSA farms.

Continue Reading: Howard’s End CSA Farm

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: farm | csa | video | market |

Field Notes: Mid-June Radishes and Berries

The soil in the fields has been through so many changes already this year. It has been pounded and compacted by torrential downpours in early spring and then dried to a hard-as-a-brick state after a few weeks of really dry, hot days. This constricted the root development of a lot of crops, which, unfortunately, leads to a poor yield when the roots of crops like radishes are what you are looking to reap.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Mid-June Radishes and Berries

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldnotes |

Moser’s Garden Produce from Centre Hall

Moser’s Garden in Centre Hall is a family operation. It began in 1976 as a half-acre garden with a few dozen fruit trees and grape vines. Today it has grown in both variety and acreage producing over 150 varieties of tomatoes, as well as berries, peppers, and sweet corn.

Watch a video interview with Barry Moser and find his produce at the State College Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Fridays and at the North Atherton Market on Saturdays.

Continue Reading: Moser’s Garden Produce from Centre Hall

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: video | farm | market |

Wet Spring Impacts Farmers

This year’s wet spring not only dampened your home gardening plans, it put farmers way behind schedule, too. Find out how this may impact yields and food prices in an audio interview with James Dunn, Penn State professor of agricultural economics.

Hear the interview conducted by WPSU’s Patty Satalia.

Continue Reading: Wet Spring Impacts Farmers

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: farm |

Unpaid Field Hand: Welcome to the Farm

Can you identify what vegetable growing is pictured? No, really, look carefully and give it try.

Why even ask, you might ask? Because much of the knowledge our grandparents had about the variety names of fruits and vegetables and how they grew has been lost, and I think that is too bad. They knew the names of many apple and tomato varieties, for example, and what each was good for. Part of our renewed interest in what we eat as we embark on a local food journey should involve regaining this knowledge. 

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Welcome to the Farm

Comments (5) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand |

From the Field to the Fryer and Back

Welcome to Kit Henshaw from Harrison’s Wine Grill, another new contributor to the Local Food Journey blog!

What do baby lettuces, garlic scapes, micro sunflower shoots, French sorrel, rhubarb, greens … and used fryer oil have in common? They’re all wrapped up in the partnership between Harrison’s Wine Grill and Green Heron Farm run by the talented Tony Ricci and Becky Smith.

Continue Reading: From the Field to the Fryer and Back

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | restaurant |

Field Notes: A Hopeful Start to Summer

It’s not that it’s been a bad year for farmers in our region, or that it’s going to be one, but it sure has been a rough spring. We’re still seeing the somewhat disappointing effects of it, but it will soon be behind us. And, fortunately, summer season is looking great!

Continue Reading: Field Notes: A Hopeful Start to Summer

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: strawberries | fieldnotes |

Pasta Primavera

What is better than crisp vegetables, creamy dressing, and fluffy pasta? Primavera means “the season of spring,” and this recipe uses fresh vegetables that are grown locally during this time of year. The delicate dressing and pasta really highlight the diverse tastes, textures, and colors of the seasonal vegetables.

Continue Reading: Pasta Primavera

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | asparagus | mushrooms | broccoli | onions | carrots | peppers |

Unpaid Field Hand: Welcome!

Please welcome our newest blogger, James Eisenstein, the “Unpaid Field Hand!”

Eisenstein taught American politics, public policy, environmental politics, and agricultural policy classes at Penn State for over 35 years. He left the university to embark on a new career as an unpaid field hand at his son’s certified organic vegetable (and fruit) farm: Jade Family Farm in Juniata County.

He joins the Local Food Journey to talk about where food comes from, along with the virtues of locally grown, fresh food. Check back later this week for Eisenstein’s first post when he asks how much we really know about life on a farm. 

Continue Reading: Unpaid Field Hand: Welcome!

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: fieldhand |

Field Notes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Dessert Bars

Tait Farm’s CSA, Community Harvest, kicked off its main season in mid-May with a bang! To see the excitement on our CSA members’ faces when they picked up their “share” of asparagus, Swiss chard, salad mix, and more was so gratifying. We work hard to produce this food, and people couldn’t wait to get home to eat it. Ideas spouted left and right for favorite green garlic recipes and grilled asparagus.

It’s a comforting bustle of people who love being a part of our CSA. Eating is something we all have to do everyday anyway, and when the ingredients are fresh, organic, and seasonal, it adds a whole other ingredient to the meal: contentment.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Strawberry-Rhubarb Dessert Bars

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | strawberries | rhubarb | fieldnotes |

Strawberries Recipe Contest

How do you like to eat strawberries? Tossed in a salad? Layered in a trifle? Dipped in chocolate? Or sprinkled with sugar and set on shortcakes?

Share your favorite strawberries recipe with the Local Food Journey blog for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering in State College.

Continue Reading: Strawberries Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | strawberries |

Winner of the Asparagus Recipe Contest

Congratulations to Destiny Aman of Pennsylvania Furnace! She is the winner of our May asparagus recipe contest and the recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods.

Thank you to everyone who participated—continue reading to see all of the asparagus recipe submissions. And stay tuned for the start of our June recipe contest. Details to come!

Continue Reading: Winner of the Asparagus Recipe Contest

Comments (3) | Permalink | Tags: recipecontest | asparagus |

Green Garlic Pesto

Green garlic is the early spring garlic that eventually turns into the normal bulbs of garlic that we all use day to day. Demand for green garlic is growing as more restaurants have added it to their menus and people have discovered its mild, but distinct, flavor. It is still primarily available at farmers markets and farm stands, but you may also spot it at gourmet markets. This pesto recipe is the perfect celebration of the arrival of green garlic. Serve it over pasta or spoon it onto grilled bread. Enjoy!

Continue Reading: Green Garlic Pesto

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | garlic |

Tuesday Farmers Market in State College

Spring has arrived, and summer is fast approaching, which means some of our favorite food items are now available at local farmers markets. Asparagus, arugula, radishes, and rhubarb are just a few of the items on stands this month. While tomatoes, berries, and sweet corn are on their way.

The State College Farmers Market opened on Locust Lane on May 6th, and the North Atherton Farmers Market set up in the Home Depot parking lot on May 14th.  The Tuesday Farmers Market in State College started just last week, and while it is the smallest of the three, it still attracts vendors and customers from across the region. 

Continue Reading: Tuesday Farmers Market in State College

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: market |

Caveman Steaks

Until a few months ago, I had never heard of Caveman Steaks, but then Grillmaster Steven Raichlen entered my life. He is the subject of the PBS cooking series Primal Grill and is the author of The Barbecue Bible and Planet Barbecue, and he was also the guest chef at WPSU-TV’s annual Connoisseur’s Dinner. During his visit, the station hosted a cooking demonstration for donors and friends at our studios.

Steven is a great guy—very knowledgeable and capable, yet very low-key. The featured course, to be prepared outdoors on a cold February day, was his signature dish. The process is so simple and so primitive as to be almost disarming, yet the result is to die for.

Continue Reading: Caveman Steaks

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: grilling | meat |

Summer Solstice Celebration on June 18th

The cool, rainy days of early May have finally given way to warmer temperatures here in Happy Valley. And with spring sunshine has come the opening of local farmers markets and stands stocked with vibrant green stalks of asparagus, spicy arugula, and crisp, colorful rhubarb.

There are many ways to celebrate the season—with backyard burgers and local brews or a picnic in the park. But, perhaps the best way to pay tribute to the pleasures of late spring is by fostering the farms that feed us.

Continue Reading: Summer Solstice Celebration on June 18th

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: events | summersolstice |

Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

Here’s another recipe utilizing spring asparagus from Tait Farm’s Steve Spanelli. Don’t forget to share your favorite asparagus recipe before Tuesday, May 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods!

Continue Reading: Asparagus and Bacon Quiche

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | asparagus |

“Taste of PA” at Way Fruit Farm this Saturday

Visit Way Fruit Farm on Saturday, May 14th and Saturday, May 21st from 10am - 3pm for a “Taste of PA.” The afternoon will feature free samples from local vendors like Goot Essa cheese, Wild Mountain Gourmet mustard, Galliker’s ice cream, and Hogs Galore. Way Fruit Farm will also have apples, applesauce, pie, donuts, and more.

Continue Reading: “Taste of PA” at Way Fruit Farm this Saturday

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | event |

Field Notes: Asparagus Season and Recipe for Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

There are two times during the asparagus season that I enjoy picking it: the first time and the last time. Don’t get me wrong; I love asparagus in every way, shape, and form on my dinner plate, but the tedious task of picking it twice a day can make a person jump for joy at the end of its season.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Asparagus Season and Recipe for Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | fieldnotes | recipe | spring | asparagus |

White Asparagus Salad with Warm Shitake Dressing

Have you tried white asparagus? It is slightly milder and more tender than green asparagus and is considered to be the more “gourmet” option of the two. The process for growing it, however, is quite easy.

Both green and white asparagus come from the same seed; white asparagus is simply deprived of sunlight. Dirt is piled on top of the plant, which eliminates chlorophyll production and prevents it from turning green.

Either white or green asparagus may be used in this salad recipe, though the white provides a nice color contrast to the arugula, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Don’t forget to share your own asparagus recipe before Tuesday, May 31st for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods!

Continue Reading: White Asparagus Salad with Warm Shitake Dressing

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | spring | asparagus | tomatoes | mushrooms |

Welcome, Kim Tait

We are pleased to welcome Kim Tait, co-founder of Tait Farm Foods and Tait Farm’s community supported agriculture program, Community Harvest to the Local Food Journey. What does Kim have to say about eating locally this growing season?

Continue Reading: Welcome, Kim Tait

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm |

Asparagus Recipe Contest

Asparagus season is here! Do you prefer to blanch it, roast it, grill it, or stir-fry it? Share your favorite asparagus recipe with the Local Food Journey blog for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Tait Farm Foods in Centre Hall.

Continue Reading: Asparagus Recipe Contest

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: contest | asparagus |

Flour Box Bakery

Want to add a personal touch to an upcoming wedding reception or baby shower? Searching for a dessert to serve at your next holiday party? Or just looking for a tasty treat for a special someone? Anne Yorks of Flour Box Bakery has hand-iced sugar cookies for every occasion.

Continue Reading: Flour Box Bakery

Comments (1) | Permalink | Tags: cookies |

Suzie Wong’s Egg Rolls

Chef Harrison Schailey and Kit Henshaw are the owners of Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering in State College, which currently supports more than 20 local food businesses. One such business is Suzie Wong’s Egg Rolls.

Continue Reading: Suzie Wong’s Egg Rolls

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: asian | restaurant |

McIntyre’s Candies in Altoona

This Sunday, children will hunt for Easter baskets filled with milk chocolate bunnies, colorful jellybeans, peanut butter eggs, and speckled malted milk balls. Some of those treats will come from McIntyre’s Candies, a central Pennsylvania shop that still hand-makes its confections.

Earlier this week, WPSU’s Emily Wiley discovered the sweet history of this Altoona landmark. Listen to audio and see photos from the candy shop.

Continue Reading: McIntyre’s Candies in Altoona

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: candy | holiday | easter | chocolate |

Easter Eggs

Nothing says Easter like a bowl full of brightly colored eggs! Whether you dip the eggs into blue or purple dye or paint them with pink polka dots and yellow stripes, consider buying local eggs this holiday season.

Continue Reading: Easter Eggs

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: holiday | easter | eggs | farm |

Easter Ham

Easter is just a few days away, and traditionally, most families feast on ham on this holiday. While the grocery store may seem like a convenient place to purchase your main course, those hams have probably been shipped across the country in plastic. Perhaps you should rethink your vendor this year.

Continue Reading: Easter Ham

Comments (2) | Permalink | Tags: farm | holiday | ham |

Field Notes: Cold, Wet Days

Erin McKinney is one of two full-time farmers at Tait Farm in Centre Hall who oversees the fieldwork for the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, Community Harvest. Find out from Erin what is “growing on” in the fields at Tait Farm this week.

Continue Reading: Field Notes: Cold, Wet Days

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: farm | fieldnotes | recipe | spring | springgreens | garlic |

Spring Farmers Markets

Anxious for your favorite farmers markets to re-open this spring? The wait is almost over! Check out our list of opening days across Centre County. And let us know if you have others to add!

Continue Reading: Spring Farmers Markets

Comments (2) | Permalink | Tags: market |

Asparagus and Artichoke Dip

Now that April is upon us, it means that asparagus is coming into season! This dip is a quick and easy way to utilize this versatile vegetable.

Continue Reading: Asparagus and Artichoke Dip

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipes | spring | asparagus |

East West Crossings in Lemont

East West Crossings in Lemont is home to teas, books, gifts, and art. Their mission is to build a peaceful environment to help customers relax and warm their spirits.

“We have created a place where people pause from their busy lives, relax alone or with a friend or two, and rejuvenate,” says Ruth Nissly, assistant at East West Crossings. Ruth looks forward to seeing regular customers and meeting local artists and musicians who have entertained or displayed work at the shop.

Continue Reading: East West Crossings in Lemont

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: cafe | restaurant |

Parsnip Soup

It’s almost April, and spring foods like green peas and asparagus are just around the corner. However, until the cold weather leaves for good, keep warm with a bowl of parsnip soup. This root vegetable is closely related to the carrot with a distinct sweet and butter flavor, which is ideal for this hearty soup.

Continue Reading: Parsnip Soup

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: recipe | winter | parsnips |

Café Lemont

In the small town of Lemont, just minutes outside of State College, sits an enchanting Victorian house that is home to Café Lemont. With its inviting front porch and charming exterior, Café Lemont had exceeded our expectations before we entered.

Continue Reading: Café Lemont

Comments (0) | Permalink | Tags: coffee | restaurant |