May 1st Farm Update!

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

 

 

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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.

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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.

 

 

 

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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.

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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!

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2014 CSA Information

March is here, and that means that Spring is right around the corner. The greenhouse is already toasty warm and filling up with green plants. We're savoring these first moments of warmth and growing things! In July we'll look back and wonder where the time went.

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And now for the news you've been waiting for!  The CSA Store is open and ready to accept your membership for the 2014 season.

Prices are posted on our website (here), along with updated FAQs.

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Registration Deadlines

Early Sign Up Bonus: 

All members that register and whose first payments are received by April 1st, will get an early sign up bonus.This year the bonus is your choice of a six pack of annuals. Any six pack we grow - so you can choose flowers, vegetables or herbs! Paying online with your credit card is the easiest way to make sure your payment is received by April 1st (a little more reliable then the mail) but if you would like to send a check, please mail it early enough to be sure we receive it in time.

Regular registration deadline is May 1st. 

(You can still join later in the year if we have space, but a $20 processing fee will be added for all late registrations.)

 

Autumn's Chill

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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.

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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.

Fresh homegrown Swiss Chard

 

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!

 

Strawberry Season!

If there's one thing a rainy Spring is good for, it's nice big strawberries. 

strwberries
strwberries

As of this Thursday, June 20th, you can come by the market to pick your own. Bring your own containers or buy a few baskets from us, and spend an hour or two in our strawberry patch picking berries. It's a great way to save a little money on this delicious fruit, and a great way to relax. Our berry patch is full of nice thick straw to kneel on and it's looking pretty weed free so far (good job Farmer Tim)! We recommend coming in the morning, just to avoid the heat of mid-day.

If you'd rather enjoy some delicious strawberries without having to work for it, you can buy them by the quart and flat in the market.

We also have homegrown beets, lettuce, zucchini, edible pod peas, swiss chard, and garlic scapes.

For an even sweeter treat, grab a fresh cookie, turnover or scone. They come in every Tuesday and Friday from Greg'ry's Bakery in Bergen.

Field Update, May 31st

So far the weather has set us up for a pretty average Spring as far as timing goes. Patches of hot weather got things started, alternating with those cold snaps that slowed everything right back down. The rain we had earlier this week was very much appreciated by the plants, fueling the burst of bloom in our strawberry and pea fields. Read on for more details!

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Spinach! Now filling a basket on our produce table, it's freshly pulled from a field behind the market and rinsed in clean, cold water. We only have one planting so it will be here for just a short time... but it WILL be back in the fall! Homegrown spinach is so tender and delicious. And full of nutrients of course!

 

 

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Next up: Peas! The very first blossom showed up one week ago today. We expect to pick about three weeks after the first bloom, so look for peas around June 14th.



Our strawberries began to bloom right before the coldest weather hit in May. Even with the added protection of a row cover (light-weight fabric that provides a layer of insulati0n) our very first strawberries were killed by the cold. We were sad to lose what is always the biggest berries of the season, but the hundreds of blossoms in our field right now makes us feel a lot better! The strawberries out there right now are already getting some pretty good size to them. We should be picking in about two weeks if Mother Nature continues to be kind.

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The quilt of lettuce growing in the greenhouse has been planted in neat rows in the field. When you drive by, you might notice two rows of white plastic next to rows and rows of black plastic. That's the lettuce! White plastic will prevent the tender leaves from burning. Black plastic absorbs heat, which can be great to get plants going in the Spring, but it's just too hot for lettuce. Lettuce will be ready for sale around June 14th as well.

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Broccoli is the undertaking of the year! Every week for eighteen weeks, our Captain of Seeding, Ron, is planting 15,000 broccoli plants. This photo shows you just a small percentage of what is soon to be acres of glorious broccoli. We'll start picking around July 1st.

March on the Farm

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grasses

Even though the ground is still frozen (and no doubt snow will be flying before March is done) we're already seeing the first signs of Spring. With the mild winter we've had this year, green things are popping up pretty early. Have you noticed the daffodils poking through the ground? Maybe a patch of snowdrops or helleborus blooming? At Kirby's, it always gets green long before the rest of WNY thaws out completely. In our greenhouse, the first batch of hanging baskets has been planted. Happy little annuals are growing vigorously on the benches, gaining some size before we hang them up.

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14 trays of onions were seeded this morning. Onions are a first for us! Farmer Tim was inspired  by our CSA program to add a few new crops. He's excited about the idea of giving our CSA members as much variety as we can throughout the season. There will be more plantings of lettuce and spinach too. Our regular customers will benefit as well, when that amazing homegrown lettuce stays around for a few weeks longer then usual, and homegrown green onions and beans show up on our market tables.

Soon there will be trays of tomato, cauliflower, broccoli, and pepper seedlings growing in the greenhouse. And before you know it, we'll be out in the fields harvesting delicious produce for your table!

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2colorbskt
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chenile

2012 CSA Season! Highlights and Signup

If you're new to our CSA program, please go to our FAQ page for more, in-depth information.

Sign-up Deadlines

  • Early Sign-up by April 1st
  • Regular Sign-up by May 22nd
  • We will accept late members (as shares are available), with a $20 late processing fee.

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Click here for a CSA Membership Form!

Send completed form and payment by mail to 9739 Ridge Rd, Brockport, NY 14420 or email to info@kirbysfm.com. You can also bring your application and payment to the market as of May 1st, during regular hours.

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2012 CSA Highlights

>> 100 shares available for the 2012 season! We've doubled the number of shares we offer after a very successful first season.

>> New Produce! At this very moment, Farmer Tim is ordering seeds for the coming growing season. He's planning to grow a greater variety of greens throughout the year with spinach and lettuce in the Spring, and collards, swiss chard, and kale in the Fall and Winter. I've also heard mention of fennel, green beans, yellow beans, celery, cilantro, basil, celeriac, parsley, and onions. We'll also have more plantings of peas and pickles to create a longer, continuous season.

>> Days and times are staying the same for market pick-ups:  Tuesday or Saturday, 1pm-7pm.

>> Minimal price increase of $22 (short season)  and $26 (long season). Why did our prices go up? We upgraded our CSA box. Instead of reusing cardboard boxes, shares will be packed in a sterilized plastic crate. They're sturdy, fold up for easy storage, and minimize the risk of cross contamination. More info on the new containers coming soon!

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In Progress: Satelite Pickup Locations

Have you been wanting to sign up for our CSA, but you live too far away? We're asked about other pick up locations all of the time. We're very interested in expanding our distribution, and figuring out a way to bring our weekly boxes of fresh, Kirbygrown fruits and vegetables to you!

We will set up pickup locations within about 30 miles of Brockport, for a minimum of 25 members per location. This is a great opportunity for companies interested in helping their employees live a healthy lifestyle!

If you have a group of interested people, contact us to receive an information packet and schedule a meeting or presentation. Phone: (585)637-2600   Email: info@kirbysfm.com

End of the Season Produce

The end of the season is nearly here! Stock up on produce while these quality homegrown fruits and vegetables are still available.

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TREE

APPLE UPDATE:

  • We'll have Jonagold, Empire, McIntosh, Macoun, Cortland and Twenty Ounce apples until we close on December 24th.
  • Varities we're getting low on: Red Delicious, Crispin, and Northern Spy.

To store apples for a long period of time, it's important to keep them around 33-35 degrees F. Because of their sugar content, apples won't freeze at 32 degrees. If freezing does occur, it will have an affect on the quality so be sure to keep them from temperatures below 30 degrees.

You could also enjoy the flavor and nutrition of apples throughout the winter, preserved as applesauce, dried apples, apple butter or apple juice. Click here for safe, simple recipes from the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Over the years our customers have told us about storing their apples in large coolers, like the kind you would take to a picnic or on a camping trip. Storing apples in an insulated container like a cooler will help to maintain an even temperature, and keep the apples from freezing. In a cooler, your apples could be kept in a place where they might freeze otherwise, (in a garage, shed, or on a porch). I've also heard of people wrapping each apple in newspaper to keep them from bruising or spreading rot. It is important to make sure all of your apples are free of rot, because it will eventually spread in long term storage.

Fresh picked Romanesco, the perfect Christmas vegetable!
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VEGETABLE UPDATE

With the mild weather we've had this December, cold season vegetables have lasted quite awhile. As temperatures finally drop into the appropriate December range, crops are experiencing one freeze too many. What we have now is it for fresh vegetables!

As of December 17th, we have a good stock of Romanesco, Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale and Brussel Sprouts, Butternut and Acorn Squash.

To enjoy these healthy veggies throughout the winter, check out the website of the National Center for Food Preservation. They have some great articles on freezing vegetables (like broccoli) and the proper way to blanch.

Locally grown potatoes are another great item to stock up on at this time of year. Right now we have seven 50 lb bags of red potatoes, as well as one 50lb bag and two 10lb bags of white. potatoes.  To properly store potatoes, keep them in a well ventilated, dark place

While your here, be sure to check out our selection of locally made gifts, stocking stuffers, and unusual gift-giving ideas! It's always worth a stroll through the greenhouse to enjoy some holiday color from the poinsettias too.

Cool Weather Vegetables Part 1 : Cauliflower

Delicious Cruciferous!

Members of the highly nutritious cruciferous family include broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, collards, kale, swiss chard, cauliflower and romanesco. Each one contains unique nutrients to keep you and your loved ones healthy, and the entire family has well known health benefits.

Orange Cauliflower

This unique vegetable contains 25 times the level of Vitmain A of white varieties. This trait came from a natural mutation found in a cauliflower field in Canada in the seventies. Scientists have since used the same strain of mutation to develop more nutritious foods (with increased beta carotene) such as golden rice.

Purple Cauliflower

The beautiful purple color is caused by the antioxidant group anthocyanin, which can also be found in red cabbage and red wine. Thousands of years ago, some of the very first cauliflower ever eaten was purple!

This morning as we were packing the CSA boxes, the truck pulled up to the back of the market with the rest of the produce for the CSA shares. It was full of vegetables that had been harvested minutes before the truck left our farm in Albion:  beets with dirt still clinging to the roots and leaves; dewy heads of  cauliflower crowned with crisp leaves cropped short, brilliant purple, orange and soft white peeking through.

There's nothing like standing by the truck as the back door slides up and your faced with giant mounds of perfect vegetables. You immediately want to photograph them, (maybe paint their portrait,) and then cook them up into a number of dishes good enough to pay tribute to their perfection. Here are a few suggestions...

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head medium Cauliflower

2Tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Salt, or to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced

Break the cauliflower up into one to two inch pieces. Toss the florets with the olive oil, salt, and garlic. Spread on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 450 for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and golden brown.

 

An alternative method from Orangette, a food blog.

From NPR:  spice up your cauliflower with a recipe from Melissa Clark. And read a Cauliflower love story from Nicole Spirifakis, with the added bonus of an intriguing recipe.

And if you really want to dress up your cauliflower, this Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart from Smitten Kitchen looks phenomenal!

The Peak of Harvest Season!

Below is a listing of everything available from the fields and orchards at Kirby's Farm Market for the end of September and early October! Call to place orders for large quantities (585)637-2600.

Decorate for Fall: Little white and orange Pumpkins, Gourds, Pie Pumpkins, tons of beautiful Mums, and Straw Bales. Soon to come: cornstalks and a fun variety of big pumpkins!

Kirbygrown Vegetables: Acorn Squash, Delicata Squash, Swiss Chard, Kale, Garlic, Sweet Corn(done by Sept 30th),  Eggplant, Cucumbers, Green Peppers, Red Peppers, Sweet Hungarian Peppers, Hot Peppers

Kirbygrown Fruit (done by early October): Tomatoes, Peaches, Nectarines, Prunes, Pluots

Kirbygrown Apples: Honeycrisp, McIntosh, Cortland, Gingergold   (Coming soon, dates are Approximate: Twenty Ounce 9/23, Empire 10/03, Golden Delicious 10/05, Macoun 10/05, Red Delicious 10/08, Jonagold 10/10, Crispin 10/15, Northern Spy 10/15)

Locally Grown Produce: Potatoes, Onions, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots

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It's Canning Season!

The weather right now couldn't be better for canning. Spend a few hours in a steamy kitchen with baskets of gorgeous fruits and vegetables, putting them up for the coming winter, and you will relish every cool breeze. But you'll relish the satisfaction of putting up your own fruits and vegetables for a delicious and healthy winter even more!

Some of the most popular things to put up this time of year: stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, canned peaches, canned pears, peach jam, applesauce, and apple butter. Every family has their own traditions. Last week the Kirby family canned tomatoes and peaches, this week we're making salsa! What preserving traditions do you have?

Freezing produce instead of canning is a great alternative. Quick, easy and definitely less steamy! You can freeze just about anything, but peaches, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, and sauces work wonderfully.

Follow this link to read tons of great information on preserving, canning and freezing fruits and vegetables form the experts at Cornell Cooperative Extension. They have fantastically comprehensive lists that will inspire you to make the most of the fresh fruits and vegetables so unique to WNY!

 

Late Summer Salad

Celebrate these last sunny days of summer with a beautiful, healthy salad!

I love using raw beets and carrots together. The color is amazing: magenta and orange layered with vibrant green lettuce and brightened by slices of apple and a sprinkling of feta. You know you're going to get a whole range of important vitamins and nutrients with all of that brilliant color! And we didn't even start talking about flavor yet... Earthy, sweet, tart, crisp and salty. A delicious assortment of tastes and textures.

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KIRBY'S LATE SUMMER SALAD

This will make one big dinner salad, or five side salads. Crisp, mild and sweet, Gingergold is the perfect apple variety for salads. You can find most of these ingredients at Kirby's!

1 local Carrot, coarsely grated

1 Kirbygrown Beet, coarsely grated

3 cups of local Leaf Lettuce, loosely packed

5 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar

1/5 tsp Salt (a good pinch)

1 Kirbygrown Gingergold Apple, diced, with several slices reserved as garnish

1 ounce Feta Cheese, crumbled

1 Tablespoon of Crunchies (sunflower or pumpkin seeds, chopped raw almonds or walnuts) optional

Method: Whisk together vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Place lettuce on a large plate or in a bowl. Arrange heaps of grated beet and carrot on lettuce. Drizzle with vinegar solution.

Add apples, sprinkle with feta and seeds or nuts. Enjoy!

Note: My default salad dressing is Cider Vinegar and Salt, and it works perfectly for this salad, in my opinion. Incredibly simple and refreshing, it brightens up a bowl full of veggies without overwhelming their individual flavors. If this isn't your kinda thing, have your favorite bottle of vinaigrette handy as a backup.

 

August Snapshots

August is a beautiful month at the market.  Produce, perennials, and great food! Mouse over for captions, click for larger images, and enjoy!

 

Helenium "Copelia"

Hot peppers, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and sweet pepper combine for a beautiful palette of summer color!

Gentian "True Blue" and Heuchera "Obsidian" are a beautiful summer perennial pairing for your garden!Ratatouille, ready to go in the oven! Eggplant slices alternate with zucchini, tossed with garlic, olive oil and sea salt.Every year we grow a a rainbow of gladiolas in the field. They are usually available right up to Fall!Fresh, Kirbygrown sweetcorn, a summertime essential.Another planting of homegrown beets are here.Sungold yellow cherry tomatoes and Sweet 100's cherry tomato are like a little bowl of sunshine!Rudebekia triloba, an adorable little black eyed susan, frames the entry next to a stationary display.Gladiolas are one of the best flowers we can grow for arrangements. Every bud will open, even the tightest one. Just keep trimming from the bottom as the older blooms die, and keep the water fresh.

A reminder that Fall is right around the corner! Every tree in our orchards is loaded with apples, some of them nearly ready for picking!

Does this cool weather make you think about Fall? It will be here before you know it! Make sure you take full advantage of the wonderful summer produce filling the market throughout August and September!

Delicious Days of June: Field Update & Recipe

Things are really picking up speed on the farm! You can practically watch the crops grow with the sunshine and warm temperatures we've been enjoying.

Kirbygrown produce available in the market right now:

  • Strawberries
  • Edible Pod (Sugar Snap) Peas
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Asparagus
  • Rhubarb
  • Peppers (field grown in our high tunnel)
  • MacIntosh, Empire and Crispin Apples (last years, from CA storage)

We also have locally grown gourmet mixed field greens (that's a delicious mouth full!),  and hothouse tomatoes.

We are expecting regular peas to be here by the weekend in about ten days if the temperatures stay above seventy, and we'll start Pick Your Own peas and strawberries in the next week or so. If you're interested in pick your own, give us a call at (585)637-2600 to check on picking conditions.

 

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Last week, Betty, one of our market salespeople, brought this salad in for us to try. It features two of our favorite early summer ingredients, and was so refreshing that we had to share it with you!

For the Salad

  • 1 lb fresh, washed Spinach
  • 2 cups sliced Strawberries
  • ¼ cup slivered Almonds

For the Dressing

  • ½ cup Miracle Whip
  • ½ cup Orange Juice concentrate
  • 1 Tbsp Honey

Preparation:

Combine Miracle Whip, honey, and orange juice in a small bowl. Set aside.

Tear the spinach into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl or on individual salad plates. Arrange strawberries on top of spinach. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with Almonds. Enjoy!

Rhubarb, a Last Taste of Spring

Definitely one of the lesser known vegetables, rhubarb is tart, tart, tart. Just about any rhubarb recipe you encounter will also have a good amount of sugar in the ingredients list. Next time you pick some up, try a bite of it raw and you'll know why. Although rhubarb is most often found in pies and crisps, sometimes in breads, and occasionally as a sauce (my favorite), I've also heard of plenty of people eating it raw dipped in sugar. For those that favor this method, there's usually a story about hiding in grandmother's garden among the tall rhubarb leaves, with the sugar bowl.

History and Nutrition:

Wikipedia tells us that rhubarb has been enjoyed for thousands of years in China and Russia. As an import, it's value topped expensive spices like cinnamon in medieval Europe, but it didn't appear in the states until the early eighteen hundreds. Rhubarb's biggest nutritional contribution is Vitamin K (45% of your daily allowance) and Vitamin C (16%). It also tallies up a notable amount of Calcium (10%), Potassium(10%), andManganese (12%), among other nutrients. The leaves are, in fact, poisonous. That's why you will never see them for sale, we always chop them off first.

Recipe: Rhubarb Sauce

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New to the flavors of rhubarb? I definitely recommend trying this recipe for Rhubarb Sauce. It's incredibly simple, you get to put it on vanilla ice cream, and it would be impossible to feature the flavor of this unique vegetable to a higher degree.

  • 1 Cup Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 2 lbs Kirbygrown Rhubarb, trimmed, washed, and cut into small chunks.

Preparation: In a saucepan simmer sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Add rhubarb and simmer for 15 minutes,  stirring occasionally. Adjust sugar to taste.

Set aside to cool for about twenty minutes, then serve warm over vanilla (or strawberry!) ice cream, or simply in a cup by itself. It's also a great breakfast chilled, with vanilla yogurt.

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sauce

Variations: Stir in 1tsp vanilla extract before serving to balance out the rhubarb with some mellow sweetness. For another delicious variation, add 1 cup of fresh, chopped Kirbygrown strawberries or whole raspberries right after you take the sauce off the stove.

If you've tried all of the the usual rhubarb options and you're looking for something new, check out some of the ideas at epicurious. The sweet/sour/savory chutney paired with a pork tenderloin is definitely on my to-do list! Have any favorite uses for rhubarb, or stories of grandma's garden? Let us know, we'd love to hear about it!