Ready , Set, GO! CSA week 1

This week your shares will include:  strawberries, apples (stored from last year), spring onions, lettuce mix, rhubarb, asparagus, and jam
 
The jam will keep indefinietely until opened.  We keep the opened jar on the counter with the lid on it.  It will be easier to spread.
    When eating your fruits and vegetables always eat the most perishable things first.  Lettuce mix and strawberries will fade first, so eat these quickly. Even if the onions get limp they are still fine to eat.  Be sure to use the tops for salads and stir fries.    If the lettuce looks limp when you get it home, fluff it up and put it in the frig for a few hours.  If it gets too limp for salad - use it in smoothies or make a wilted lettuce salad with bacon dressing.  Delicious!
    Always try to get the most use out of your items.  The rhubarb will freeze excellently - chop up in small pieces and freeze until needed.  Place asparagus in a pitcher with ends in an inch of watder.  Put it in the frig.  Before using chop about an inch off the bottoms.  Keep apples in frig until ready to eat.
  I hope this will help you get the most use and nutrients out of your share. 

You can order extras from the list at any time to de delivered with the next share. 

  WEDNESDAY DELIVERIES:  Please be patient this first week as we figure out what order works best and how much time the deliveries will take.  Check the previous email for approximate delivery times.

  If you have any questions or concerns, let us know. 

Enjoy the spring friuts and vegetables!  Eat well and live better!   
Gregg and Louise Keckler - Orchard Country Produce



Extras List:

CHEESE

$9.99/lb                                                              $11.99/lb                                                       $14.99/lb
Farmers                                                               Smoked Cheddar                                           mild Goat Gouda
Cheddar                                                               Smoked Jalapeño
Baby Swiss                                                          Sharp Cheddar
Dill and Bacon
Tomato and Basil


BEEF

 $4.50/lb                                                              $6.99/lb                                                        $7.99/lb
Lean Ground Beef (1 lb pack)                                 Round Steak                                                 Flank Steak

$11.99/lb                                                              $13.99/lb                                                      $15.99/lb
New York Strip (2 steaks/pk)                                 Flat Iron (2 steaks/pk)                            Filet Mignon (2 st/pk)
Sirloin Steak                                                          Delmonico (2 steaks/pk)  
Sirloin Tip (2 steaks/pk)

JAMS                                                                    EGGS                                                              BUTTER
$4.50/half pint jar                                                 $4.00/doz                                                     $3.50/half pound
Red Heart Plum
Strawberry
Raspberry
Black Cherry                                                          HONEY
Grape                                                                      $5.00/half pint jar
Orange Marmalade
Blackberry
Pink Lady and Pomegranate

Dear Folks,
   We are off to a good start - the asparagus, lettuce, spinach, radishes, and spring onions are doing great and tasting delicious.  We have been eating spinach and asparagus is almost every imagineable way.  The grilled asparagus is still the hit around here.  Last week I made a soup with chicken, dry lima beans and spinach as the main ingredients and it went over well, usually my family prefers spinach raw in salald or blended in smoothies.
 The strawberries started out wet, but this week they are delicious.  It's all in the weather!

   Oliver and Gregg have planted out all the tomatoes and they started some more seed to get some late tomatoes and Romas.
  This week everyone has been tilling and mowing.  This cooler weather is a bit of relief.  So far so good with the stink bug watch.  Gregg is carefully watching the young peach trees for stink bug damage.  it is not too bad yet, but he is keeping a close watch.  We don't want to lose the trees.

  If you haven't signed up for the CSA for summer or fall and would like to now is the time.  We are collecting subscriptions for both now.  If you can get a group of at least 6 shares we will deliver to the DC SW district, Mount Vernon Area, Alexandria, Arlington, Bethesda, and any point along the 270 corridor on Fridays.  Let us know if you would be interested. 

Gregg and Louise Keckletr - POrchard Country Produce

Please forward this to any list serves in the Bethesda Area.  Thanks!

This week at the Farm Stand

Good, SWEET strawberries.  This week was sunny and warm so the strawberries are ten times better than last week. 

What goes well with strawberries - Rhubarb!  We have it!  But not for long, get it now!

Since it was very warm this week, the spinach is almost over.  Get it now!.  We should have asparagus for another 2 weeks.

We should have the first SNOW PEAS and SUGAR SNAP PEAS this weekend.  Delicious with spring onions!

We will have salad mixes, fresh herbs, tea, baby French radishes, and spring onions.

Don't write off the apples because they are stored from last year.  They are still very crisp, especially the Fuji,  Braeburn and Pink Lady.  Cameo is sweet, but softer.   We also have stored Eva potatoes - A good all purpose potato

We have the beef!  Buy grass fed hormone free beef for your cookouts! 
       ground beef, round steak, flank steak, sirloin and sirloin tip steaks, Delmonico steaks, fillet mignon,      New York Strip

 Also hormone-free cheeses - including dill/bacon, cheddar, smoked cheddar, sharp cheddar, smoked jalapeño, farmers, baby Swiss, tomato/basil and goat Gouda

Free range eggs

Our own beef sweet bologna

We have our own pies, sweet breads, honey and jams.
 
Come out on Saturday morning 9 AM- 1 PM.
 
We are located in the upper parking lot of the UU Church   9601 Cedar La, Bethesda.  Check us out!

Gregg and Louise Keckler -Orchard Country Produce
 Gardners, PA

Please forward this to any list serves in the Bethesda Area.  Thanks!

New for Memorial Day weekend!  STRAWBERRIES

Yes, we have our own strawberries fresh from Pennsylvania!

Rhubarb and Strawberries go together in many desserts and salads.  We have rhubarb!


Don't forget to buy fresh salad mixes and spinach for the weekend.  We have asparagus, spring onions, baby French radishes, fresh mint tea.

We still have a good supply of crisp apples (Fuji, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Cameo) and potatoes.

Even though everyone may be getting tired of asparagus, remember in one month it will be gone for another year.  So enjoy the spring vegetables while they are here.  Eating them fresh will give your body the most nutrients.  Eating with the seasons is fun and helps us appreciate the abundance of the fresh vegetables.  So, EAT YOUR GREENS!  Get them now before the summer heat drives us on to beans and tomatoes.

Grow your own tomatoes and peppers!  We have bedding plants - lots of heirloom tomatoes, hot peppers, herbs - basil, dill, cilantro.


FLOWERS!  Buy one get one free on all flower bedding plants!  impatiens, dianthus, balsam, tall impatiens and petunias.

We have the beef!  Buy grass fed hormone free beef for your cookouts!  Also hormone-free cheeses eggs, and  bologna.  We have our own pies, sweet breads, honey and jams.
 
Come out on Saturday morning 9 AM- 1 PM.
 
We are located in the upper parking lot of the UU Church   9601 Cedar La, Bethesda.  Check us out!

Gregg and Louise Keckler -Orchard Country Produce
 Gardners, PA

Dear Folks,

     If you are getting this email we assume you are expecting to get a CSA share beginning the week of June 6.    Market pick up begins on Tuesday June 7 at DOT 8:00-2:00PM
Thursday June 9 at East Columbia Library 2-6-pm
Saturday June 11 at Westminster Farmer's Market 8-12 noon 
Saturday at  The Farm Stand at UU Church 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda from 9-1:00PM. 

Come to the stands and we will have either a cooler or a box with your name on it.  Pick up and go.  Please bring the box or cooler back the next week and exchange for a full one.
  Note:  Do not discard any cardboard cartons,  rubber bands or jars, etc.  We reuse these.  It cuts down on our overhead costs.  Just put all the stuff into the empty box and return.
   If you get any fruit or vegetables that you do not know how to use send us an email and we will help you.

     Extras:  You may purchase extras at any time.  Send us an email with your order at least one day before pick up and we will include it in your share.  You can pay for it at the stand when you pick up if the bill is $`15.00 or more you can use VISA or Master card.  We also accept checks.
  
   Each week you will get an email detailing what to expect in your share.  This price list will be included each week for your convenience.


Now a little about Extras:

Cheese - From Ed Breckenbill - Whispering Brook Farm in Chambersburg.  Ed has his own grass-fed cows and goats.  He uses unpasteurized milk, vegetable enzymes and sea salt.  He uses his own herbs for all his cheeses.  Compare these cheeses to store bought.  The taste is amazing.  Order cheese by the pack - poundage varies.  Refrigerated

Beef - Our own.  We raise our beef the slow way - on pasture and hay only so the beef is lean.  The steaks are great grilled or pan fried.  Round steaks, sirloin and some flank steaks are large.  When you order steaks order by the pack - not the pound.  Poundage per pack varies.  Frozen

Eggs - Our own free-range eggs.  If we run low we supplement with free-range eggs from Apple Valley Creamery in East Berlin.  Refrigerated

Butter - From Apple Valley Creamery   Sold by the half pound.  Apple Valley butter is from pastured dairy cows.  The milk is pasteurized, but not homogenized and no additives.  Check out their website www.applevalleycreamery.com  Frozen

Honey - Our own fresh honey.  We will include honey at least once during the 21 week CSA season.

Jam - Our own - made with our own fruit.  All jams have whole fruit, sugar and sure jell.  Jellies are clear-made from juices.  We will include jam at least 3 times throughout the year.  Sealed and will keep indefinitely

Looking forward to a great year!  Let us know if you have any questions.  Gregg and Louise Keckler - Orchard Country Produce



Extras List:

CHEESE

$9.99/lb                                                              $11.99/lb                                                       $14.99/lb
Farmers                                                               Smoked Cheddar                                           mild Goat Gouda
Cheddar                                                               Smoked Jalapeno
Baby Swiss                                                          Sharp Cheddar
Dill and Bacon
Tomato and Basil


BEEF

 $4.50/lb                                                              $6.99/lb                                                        $7.99/lb
Lean Gound Beef (1 lb pack)                                 Round Steak                                                 Flank Steak

$11.99/lb                                                              $13.99/lb                                                      $15.99/lb
New York Strip (2 steaks/pk)                                 Flat Iron (2 steaks/pk)                            Filet Mignon (2 st/pk)
Sirloin Steak                                                          Delmonico (2 steaks/pk)  
Sirloin Tip (2 steaks/pk)

JAMS                                                                    EGGS                                                              BUTTER
$4.50/half pint jar                                                 $4.00/doz                                                     $3.50/half pound
Red Heart Plum
Strawberry
Raspberry
Black Cherry                                                          HONEY
Grape                                                                      $5.00/half pint jar
Orange Marmalade
Blackberry
Pink Lady and Pomegranate

This week at Orchard Counrty Produce's Farm Stand  located in the upper parking lot of the Unitarian Universalist Church at 9601 Cedar Lane:

Fresh asparagus, lettuce mix and spinach, mint tea, RADISHES, spring onions, rhubarb,

Stored apples (Fuji, Braeburn, Pink Lady and Cameo) and potatoes

Strawberry and Strawberry/Rhubarb pies, banana and pumpkin breads, jellies, jam, and honey

Pasture raised ground beef and steaks, hormone-free cheeses, and eggs

Hours: 9am-1pm

Come out and stock up on fresh local produce and baked goods.

Hello,
       I wish that you would send this email to folks on your email lists.  Thanks, Louise Keckler - Orchard Country Produce

Orchard Country Produce is Back!

The Bethesda Market opens on Saturday May 7 frrom 9am -1 pm.  We will start the season with fresh asparagus, lettuce mix, spinach, radishes, spring onions, rhubarb and tea.  We will also have our delicious apples and potatoes. 

We have pasture-raised beef - steaks and ground beef, also bologna and free range eggs.  We have our fresh strawberry and strawberry/rhubarb pies (perfect for Mother's Day), banana bread, pumpkin bread, fresh white bread, cimmamon bread, and honey oatmeal bread.

We will again have cheeses from Whispering Brook Farm - made with the best pasture-raised unpasturized milk, sea salt and vegetable enymes.  Hormone free!
 
This year we have bedding plants including flowers, cabbage, heirloom tomato plants, peppers.

We are located in the upper parking lot of the Universalist Unitarian Church at 9601 Cedar Lane, Bethesda.  Come out for a look and buy a few healthy local vegetables for dinner!

Dear Folks,

     Greetings from the farm!  Thanks to those who came on Saturday to help plant.  We were able to get two nasty jobs out of the way - transplanting raspberries and putting rodent guards on all the young trees.  Many thanks!  Today Gregg and Oliver are transplanting strawberry plants.  We are daily cutting asparagus, lettuce, spinach,  and pulling spring onions and radishes.  May 15 is the BIG day.  After that date we can plant out cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash without danger of frost.

   We are gearing up for the spring CSA starting  June 6.  Those of you who are signed up for spring, I will be sending you an email about pickup details.  I will also send an email about ordering extras, paying for them and other necessary details.  Look for these two emails around May 20.
  
    If you are interested in signing up for the summer session  the deadline is July 15.

    Everything is looking good here.  The torrential rains in April did a number on garden # 1 and we had to replant radishes and find (under the mud) some of the spinach and relocate it, but everything else fared well.  Hopefully the old saying is true  - April showers bring May flowers, not more rains!

    If you get a chance - come out to the markets in May for asparagus, lettuce, spinach, radishes, rhubarb, tea, spring onions, apples, potatoes, bedding plants (tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, flowers).  We will also have our honey, jams, breads, pies (strawberry and strawberry/rhubarb), cookies, eggs, beef, bologna, and Ed's cheeses.

DOT                                                                                                 Tuesdays - 10-2
East Columbia Library                                                                     Thursdays - 2-6
Bethesda  Cedar Lane Universalist Unitarian Church                      Saturdays -  9-1
Westminster  beginning May 14                                                     Saturdays -  8-noon

Let us know if you have any questions.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!  
Gregg and Louise Keckler - Orchard Country Produce 

Dear Folks,

    Markets start this week.  If you are near one of these market, please stop in.

    -DOT on New Jersey Ave SE starts tomorrow TUESDAY May 3 from 10 am -2 pm

    -East Columbia Library on CradleRock Way in Columbia, MD starts THURSDAY May 5 from 2-6-pm

    -Bethesda located at the Cedar Lane UU Church  upper parking lot on Cedar Lane starts SATURDAY May 7 from  9 am-1 pm

Come out and get fresh spring produce including asparagus, lettuce, spinach, radishes, tea, spring onions, and rhubarb.  We will have our stored sweet apples and potatoes. 

We will have an array of baked goods made by our daughters including cookies, breads, and fresh baked strawberry and strawberry-rhubarb pies plus homemade dog biscuits.

We will also have black walnuts, applesauce, jellies and jams, and HONEY.   We will have our pasture-raised  beef and our own eggs.

At DOT and Bethesda we will have bedding plants (flowers, tomatoes, peppers, etc).  Also at DOT and Bethesda we will again offer Ed Breckinbill's excellent cheeses.  These are cheeses made with unpasturized pasture produced milk and vegetable enzmes.  (No Additives)

Come out to visit and support local farmers.  Looking forward to seeing you again this year.  If you have never been to the market before come and introduce yourself.  Look for Orchard Country Produce.  See everyone this week. 

Gregg and Louise Keckler - Orchard Country Produce