View this email in your browser
Farm News from Orchard Country Produce
Gardners, PA
We are a two generation family farm in rural Cumberland County, PA. We own approximately 57 acres; some of it in woodland, some in pasture, some in hay, most in vegetables and fruit trees. We have four greenhouses. One for propagation and two are unheated high tunnels and one is heated. We raise hogs and broiler chickens for meat and layer chickens for eggs. Our family consisted of Gregg and Louise Keckler (old people) and Oliver and Lizzie Keckler with their four children – Isabelle, 7; Remington, 5; Cassidee, 2 and Travis.
This is a review of what has happened in the last month on our fields, in our greenhouses and tunnels and around the farm.
The Field Crops
July was busy, busy, busy. It was also hot, hot, hot and humid, humid, humid! I am sure you know all about it, too. All the crops that went into the fields had to have irrigation immediately since the sun was brutal. We have all the winter squash and pumpkins in the ground. All the cauliflower and most of the broccoli is also in for the fall as well.
We are harvesting lots of squash and zucchini and cucumbers. All the sweet onions have been pulled, set on tables in the storage shed with large fans blowing on them. We were also harvesting cabbages and broccoli. The broccoli is now finished until fall. We did have some crop failures. One is lettuce. It was too hot at seeding in the greenhouse, so there were none to put in the field in July, so we will not have lettuce for August. We now have green beans up and hopefully ready to pick soon. This is a very late year for them. The early cold weather in May and early June set them back by about one month. We are getting nice sweet corn and we have begun to harvest the first sugar cubes and sugar baby watermelons.
The raspberries have been rpuned and are waiting for the next wave by August 20. The blackberries have been plentiful. We are now picking free-stone Red Haven peaches. We also are getting white peaches and white and yellow nectarines. July was definitely a good plum month. We have tons of them and all kinds. They have been very big and very juicy this year.
The Tunnels
Tunnel one is full of cherry tomatoes. The cherry tomatoes are still looking very good. We are picking them every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We are now picking about 84 pints every other day. Thye are as high as they can go, but they still need pruned to get rid of excess green leaves. This gives them more air-flow. So far I have not seen a tomato horn worm! Yea!
Tunnel two is covered with ground cloth to kill weed seed.
Tunnel three is finished producing tomatoes so it will be cleaned out this week and be prepared for lettuce and spinach for the fall.
Greenhouse Seeding
The greenhouse is empty. There is just the last planting of zucchini and cucumbers in it. August first we will fill it with flats of seeded spinach and lettuce for planting in tunnel three.
CSA
The CSA is in the 9th week. It is hard to believe that the first 12 week season is almost finished. If anyone is interested in signing up for the fall, now would be the time to consider it. The cost is $395 for 12 week of fruits and vegetables beginning the week of August 25 – November 17. We will also pro-rate shares again this year if you would like to participate in the shares through September when we still have all the summer vegetables and fruits. Let me know via email if you would be interested in pro-rating. You can choose how many weeks you would like to get a share. We just need for them to be consecutive weeks.
I am amazed at how well the kiwis look this year. Not every year is a good year for them, but this year they must have liked the spring weather. They are prolific! So be looking for them in the shares in late September or early October.
Canning, Gardening, Grilling and Preserving
It has been so hot that we have been trying to avoid using the stove. (We do not have air-conditioning, by choice.) I grilled burgers, chicken, sausages and lots of vegetables and potatoes on the grill. We have also been eating kielbasa and sweet bologna for cold foods. We have deer bologna and kielbasa from the hogs. They are great summertime snack and sandwich material.
We have been eating lots of blueberries and peaches. Yesterday I made the first peach and blueberry pie for the year. It is very good. I confess I made a biscuit crust because I was too busy to make the real crusts, but I loaded the pie up with lots of peaches and blueberries. We have the first cracked sugar cube of the season. It is also very sweet.
I hope you are eating lots of fresh fruits and raw vegetables. Now is a good time for it when they are all fresh and local.
My flowers are looking very beautiful even in the heat. The bees and other little wasps and hummingbirds are enjoying the bee balm and butterfly weed and even the lobelias have bees on over them. My balloon flowers have a bee in almost every bloom. It is a good time of year to see all the good of things and giving thanks for His goodness!
Farm Stands and Markets
Tuesdays
The St Luke’s Tuesday Farm Stand will be opening on Tuesday, July 1 from 12 noon until 6 pm. This stand will be open until September 30.
Saturdays
The St Luke’s Farm Stand is open every Saturday from 8 – 1 pm.
The Fairfax Community Market is open on Saturdays from 8 – 1 pm.
Thursdays
The Belle View Condos Farm Stand is open from 2 pm – 7 pm every Thursday until November.
The East Columbia Library Farm Stand is open from 12 noon until 6 pm every Thursday until November.
Come out and support our farm and get some fresh sweet corn and peaches!.
Have a Great Day!
Louise
Orchard Country Produce and Fruit Farm, Inc
Gregg and Louise Keckler
Oliver and Lizzie Keckler with Isabelle, Remington and Cassidee, and Travis also.
Orchard Country Produce and Fruit Farm, Inc
1410 Goodyear Rd
Gardners, PA 17324
717-486-4653
www.orchardcountryproduce.com
Copyright © 2025 Orchard Country Produce, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you originally opted in at our website: www.orchardcountryproduce.com We have recently updated our email provider and had to resubscribe all users. Thank you for your business!
Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
