Early Autumn at Kirby's

We love Autumn at Kirby's! The colors, the smells, and the delicious flavors of Fall, are all filling our market right now.

Our first planting of Mums is in full bloom! Keep the color going all season with later varieties that bloom through October.

In Season

Homegrown: Apples, Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Broccoli, Beets, Kale, Turnips, Cabbage, Garlic, Tomatoes (Plum, Canning, Regular, Heirloom, Cherry, Grape), Pumpkins, Gourds, and Apple Cider

Locally Grown: Parsnips, Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, Shiitake Mushrooms, Pears

Pumpkins!

Big and small, warty or smooth, yellow, orange, red, or white... create a beautiful pumpkin display with stacks, piles and rows of these amazing vegetables. Add perennial foliage plants for more texture and color.

Asters give the perfect pop of purple color to contrast with the warm tones of pumpkins and mums.

Apples!

 Honeycrisp, Autumn Crisp, Cortland, Macintosh, Gala, Blondee, Jonamac, and Gingergold

We have three different kinds of beets: Golden, which had a very mild, sweet flavor; Candy Cane, with beautiful red and white stripes; and regular Red Beets. Pickup a peck or half bushel to put up some beets today!

Candy Cane Beets

Find what you need at Kirby's to create an Autumn feast, or a simple dinner. Beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and turnips  - choose a few or all of the above and fill a pan for roasted fall vegetables. 

The end of September is the very peak of growing season, as the last remnants of summer overlap the beginnings of Fall. So much is ready now! Enjoy some lingering flavors of summer with Roasted Red Peppers and Roasted Tomatoes.  Browse our Recipe Index for more seasonal recipes.

Bartlett Pears, ready to eat!

Winter Squash Varieties: Acorn, Butternut, Buttercup, Delicata, Sweet Dumpling, and Pie Pumpkins.

Happy Fall! Hope to see you soon!

September Color

This is such a beautiful and exciting time of year! Summer and Fall merge, in a glorious display of color.

You can find pumpkins, strawbales, gourds, apples, and apple cider at Kirby's. A great start to the Fall season!

 We love growing a variety of pumpkins and gourds...

This giant gourd variety grows into some very interesting shapes and colors.

Little orange and white pumpkins are adorable, in just as many shapes and sizes.

---

Our large Mums are exploding with color!

And there are a lot of colors to choose from. Complement your mums with some interesting foliage plants from our perennial area. Perennials are all 25% off!

Produce Update

Tomatoes are at their peak, while peaches are beginning to come to a close. Right now we have Cresthaven peaches, which are a freestone variety that's excellent for baking, eating, freezing, and canning. We also Babygold, a clingstone variety that is our personal favorite for canning. They have excellent flavor, you don't have to peel them, and their firm flesh holds up well in a jar.

applecrates

Apple Varieties Available now:

Honeycrisp, Autumn Crisp, Gingergold, McIntosh, Paula Red, and Jonamac

Other homegrown produce in season:

Sweet and Hot Peppers, Eggplant, Lettuce, Kale, Beets, Broccoli, Garlic, Cauliflower, Plums, Pluots, and Nectarines.

Locally grown produce in season:

Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips, and Shiitake Mushrooms

Field Update: Spring Growth, May to June

beets

In mid-May, we were planting every single day. Peas, then lettuce, pickles, squash, beets, beans, broccoli, and more broccoli. As soon as the weather was warm enough and the soil was dry enough, we had to move as fast as we could.

peachbloom

The well-drained soil that we have on our Brockport farm is very important to us at this time of year. All of that Spring rain soaking the soil and slowing us down on our Albion farm, just drained away to the south, through the sandy soil here in Brockport.

In May the apricots bloomed, then cherries, followed by peaches, plums, and finally apples. Such a beautiful time of year.

Now it's June! This Spring season started out cold and wet, slowing us down a little. We're very thankful for the warm temperatures that the end of May brought us, and it's amazing how much things have grown. It means that we're packing fresh peas, CA apples, rhubarb, lettuce, and basil in our very first CSA share of the season.

Take a look at what can happen in three weeks!

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - -

Peas

From bushy little pea plants, to taller bushes with lots of bloom supported by string...  and now we have peas! (See if you can find the pea in the photos.) Edible Pod Peas are for sale in the market as of June 8th and we'll have them for weeks.

peashoot

peaplant

tendrils

apea

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - -

Lettuce

Lettuce came out of the greenhouse three inches high, and now look! It doesn't take long for lettuce to be ready for harvest. We have heads of this incredibly tender lettuce for sale in the market, right now!

lettuces

le

lets

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - -

Strawberries

According to Farmer Tim, our strawberries have the best bloom he's ever seen! The weather has cooperated so far and we haven't lost any to frost this season. Picking should start in 7-10 days, we're looking forward to an amazing strawberry harvest!

sblossom1

strawberry1

greensberry

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - -

 Pickles

Pickles were planted while the weather was still cold, so they were covered with a row cover. Row cover is a very large sheet of light weight fabric that insulates the plants from damaging temperatures.  From small pickle plants tucked under the row cover with just a few true leaves, and now they're starting to look like vines! In the third photo, you can see our "control group" on the left, that was not covered by row cover. The plants weren't burnt by the cold, but you can definitely see the difference in size.

pickle

rowcover

pickleplant

compare

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - -

Squash

It's incredible what can happen in a few weeks. We'll have squash on our table in about a week!

squash

squash2

quish

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - -

Beans

We'll start out with green beans this year. Yellow beans are in the second planting, along with more green! We started growing beans just three years ago, and we all really enjoy the difference you get in homegrown, handpicked beans. They're the sweetest, most tender beans you'll ever eat!

beans

bigbeans

Can you tell we've been working hard?

hardatwork

May 1st Farm Update!

 

On a drive around the farm today, beautiful signs of Spring were everywhere. The apricot trees are the first to flower!

 

 

Peas

We had a cold start to the season this year and there will be a slight delay because of it. Even for cool weather crops like peas, you have to wait for the soil to warm up enough before you can put seeds in the ground.

For the past two years, peas were planted in the first week of April, but for 2014 they weren't in the ground until the third week. Although this is closer to normal, it does mean that we'll have to wait a little longer for those delicious green pods to make an appearance.

 

Strawberries

When the forsythia blooms, we know it's time to rake the insulating layer of straw off of the strawberry plants. The sooner their green leaves can bask in the warm Spring sunshine, the sooner we can bite into a sweet, red, strawberry.

 

Broccoli

This is the earliest broccoli has ever been planted at Kirby's. Thousands and thousands of plants were seeded. Starting in June, broccoli will be harvested every week until cold temperatures kill the plants. We're in for another epic year of broccoli!

Peaches

Last year we all enjoyed a phenomenal peach crop - we just about had more peaches then we knew what to do with! Unfortunately, it looks like this year we'll be lucky to find a peck basket in the entire orchard. It’s sad news for us, and our customers. Luckily many of our other stone fruits weren’t hit as hard; it looks like the plums, prunes, and apricots will be bearing a normal crop!

 You might remember a few days this past winter, when the temperature dropped to -11F.  That was too cold for the tender young growth of the peach trees to survive. The trees themselves weathered the winter, but those young buds are the source of this season's peaches.

barn

If you're wondering how we can predict the yield for a crop that won't fruit for months, there is a simple way to find out if your blossoms will turn into fruit.

Sometime in April when the buds on the trees are just beginning to break out, Tim Kirby cuts a handful of small branches. He sticks them in a bucket or jar and keeps them in a warm place. The buds will open enough to reveal the flower. With the help of a magnifying glass and a small knife, you can see whether the inside of the pistil is black or green. A black heart is a sure sign that the fruit doesn't have a chance.

---

​ Thanks for reading! We know our customers like to stay informed of how the weather is effecting the crops, and how the season is coming along. For the rest of the year, we 'll  post a Field Update on the first and third week of the month. See you soon!

-

Kirby's Winter Apple Pick-up

Have you heard? You can get great apples from Kirby's this winter. Even while the snow is piling up, and that last Mac in your fridge is too soft to eat, we're pulling bins of crunchy apples out of CA storage each month! We think that if you live in WNY, you should be able to get your hands on a good apple when you want one.

empire

We're opening the market for one afternoon in January, February, March, and April, just for apple pickups. If you missed the January pick-up, don't worry, February 18th will be here before you know it.

Be sure to place your order one week prior to the pickup date.

To Order: Send us an email with the name of the person picking up, your phone number, and your order.

Pay for your order when you pick up, cash or charge. Prices, pick up days and times  are listed here.

The first time apples have ever been sold at Kirby's in January! I'm pretty excited.  You can get decent apples at the grocery store, but they're so expensive. And even though they're good, they're still not as good as CA (Controlled Atmosphere) apples. The high quality apples that come out of Controlled Atmosphere storage rooms are the reason we decided to try this venture. After the room is sealed, all of the oxygen is removed, keeping the apples from deteriorating. When you take a bite, they're juicy and crisp as the day they were put away in storage. Pretty amazing!

In February we'll both Cortland and Empire available. Cortland are great for pies, sauce, baking, and they're pretty good for eating fresh too! I'm looking forward to a nice warm apple crisp, yum.

(If you did order apples in January, you'll notice our ordering process is a little different. We discovered a few hang-ups with the online software we were using, so we decided to go with email and good old fashioned cash!)

Autumn's Chill

cortland

The produce on our tables is always a reflection of the changing seasons. Right now we have: Brussel Sprouts; Winter Squash;  Romanesco;  Cauliflower; Cabbage; Apples; Broccoli; Swiss Chard; Kale; and Pumpkins.  We also have Local Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Grapes, and Pears. It has been a particularly long season for tomatoes and peppers. Plum tomatoes were hanging in there for a while, but no doubt the hard frost last night put an end to them as well.

Field Update: September at Kirby's

Here's a collection  of snapshots from the farm market yesterday. So many beautiful Fall colors to enjoy! Click the thumbnails to enjoy the full image.

Summer is blending into Autumn, as you can see on our produce tables! Sweet corn is coming to a close soon, and peaches are almost done. We have tons of prunes and tomatoes right now, but we're coming up on the last week of pickles. Sweet peppers are going strong, we just started our last planting of beets (they're beautiful!), our yard is filling with pumpkins and we're getting more squash and gourds every day! Stop by to enjoy those last tastes of Summer. Before you know it, they'll be gone until next year!

In-Season Update, End of August

Our list has stayed mostly the same since last week, with the addition of prunes & apples! We have Jerseymac, Paula Red, and Zestar in the market right now. Zestar is a relatively new variety, developed to beat other early varieties with crispness and flavor. It's a delicious, sweet, juicy apple.

• Tomatoes
• Peaches
• Prunes
• Plums
• Eggplant
• Watermelon

• Cantaloupe (big & small)
• Pickles
• Sweet Corn
• Red Peppers
• Green Peppers

• Hot Peppers
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Locally Grown Potatoes
• Locally Grown Blueberries

This is canning season, right through most of September! The time of year for putting all of this fresh produce up in jars or in freezer bags. Drying, jamming, pickling, stewing, and saucing! Call us at 637-2600 to place an order for pecks, 1/2 bushels, or bushels.

Eggplant, ready for parmesean, baba ghanoush, or eggplant lasagna!

Peaches are beautiful this year - large, sweet, and juicy!

Fresh prunes are delicious eaten as a snack, stewed, roasted, or baked into desserts.

Dill pickles, sweet pickles, relishes, salad..... yum!

Tim and Linda Kirby discuss the harvest of the day.

Crates of Zestar and Paula Red arrived yesterday, August 22nd.

August Field Update

Castleton Prunes (a type of plum) will be ready to harvest in about a week.

This is the peak of summer, and our farm market is filled with an amazing variety of Kirbygrown fresh fruits and vegetables! 

A bin full of green peppers waits in the shade.

• Tomatoes
• Peaches
• Apricots
• Plums
• Eggplant
• Cantaloupe

Gingergold apples are one of the first varieties we pick. In just a few more days they'll be ready!

• Pickles
• Green Beans
• Sweet Corn
• Red Peppers
• Green Peppers
• Watermelon

• Hot Peppers
• Broccoli
• Beets
• Locally Grown Potatoes
• Locally Grown Blueberries

Peaches: Red Haven peaches came in on Saturday. Available by the quart, four quart, peck, or bushel, they're great for baking, eating, and freezing.

Cantaloupe: The first variety of cantaloupe in our market is a small, single-serving variety. It's supers sweet, and so delicious!

Watermelon: It's been a while since we grew watermelon, but it was worth the wait! We have smaller yellow watermelons, and traditional red, both with seeds. They're incredibly flavorful, crisp, and juicy.

Tomatoes: Coming on slowly because of the cool weather, we're hoping to have tomatoes by the bushel by 8/22.

Apples: Jerseymac is our first variety, and Gingergold are close behind.

A full load of apples for the 2013 harvest.

60 bushels of fresh green peppers wait to be taken to our short-term storage facility.

Fruit harvests are shaping up to be fantastic this year!

The weight of ripe fruit will often stress or break a small tree.

Peaches are always picked tree-ripened: firm to the touch but fully colored.

Meanwhile, in our Garden Center, our beautiful Mums are just beginning to show color. We have dozens of varieties to chose from!

All of our Perennials are still 25% off! Find some amazing deals on clearance.

Bring Your Own Fork!

I have two questions.

#1. DO YOU LIKE TO BAKE?

For the bakers out there with a little bit of competitiveness in 'em, we have a contest for you... KIRBY'S HOMEGROWN DESSERT CONTEST! With every season that comes around, we love hearing about the creations you make with the produce we grow.  Pies, Cobblers, Cakes, Muffins.... so many wonderful things! We decided it was time to gather it all together in one place and discover the dessert that rises to the top. So use your creativity, your ingenuity! Pull out your rolling pin and show us what you've got!( Click HERE to read more, including rules, dates and times.)

There are PRIZES!

All entries that receive 4 or more stars win a place in our new cookbook. 1st Prize - $25 Gift Certificate to Kirby's and a Festival Tshirt

2nd Prize - $15 Gift Certificate to Kirby's and a Festival Tshirt

3rd Prize - $10 Gift Certificate to Kirby's and a Festival Tshirt

__________________________________________________________________________________________

#2. DO YOU LIKE TO EAT?

Now, for the eaters! This is a contest, and we need judges. That means you. If you're like me, and you always go for a "sampler plate" at the holiday dessert tables (how can you take just one thing, when everything looks good???) this is your day. The first 50 customers that come to our Kirbygrown Dessert Contest tasting area promptly at 2pm will be designated "Official Tasters" and it will be up to you to pick the best desserts. We use a five star rating system, so don't worry you don't have to be super critical. Just let us know what excited your tastebuds!

Baked Apples

At our first CSA picnic, CSA member Deborah Fister brought this recipe. Simple and pretty healthy for a dessert, it was also delicious!

½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
3 Tbsp frozen unsalted butter
6-8 cored apples
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup raisins
½ cup cider

Whisk dry ingredients and cut the butter into flour (a food processor or grater works). Add nuts and raisins. Spoon into apples. Add ½ cup cider to bottom of pan.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.