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
The first two plantings of broccoli are in the field on black plastic. The sugar snap peas are all up. The first two planting of red beets are in the ground and one batch of carrots planted. We have spread new compost on a couple of the fields this year. We are laying lots of black plastic now for sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and peppers. The first field lettuces has been planted as well as kale and chard. The sweet onions are in the ground too.
All the peaches, nectarines and most of the plums have been pruned. The red raspberries are being pruned and weeded now. We are adding mulch to them this year. We have not added any for a couple of years. The black raspberries will also get mulch this year.
The strawberries are in flower and they look beautiful. Can’t Wait! We are picking rhubarb and asparagus now.
The Tunnels
We are still selling kale, spinach, arugula, and lettuce. We some beets left and also radishes from the tunnels, but they do not look very nice anymore since they are the last ones. We have the white turnips coming up in the tunnels for spring sales. The tomatoes are looking great in the heated tunnel. We will hopefully have some tomatoes for sale by the end of May.
We cleaned out all the the chard and are now adding compost to tunnel one and planting cherry tomatoes. We still have about 150 plants to plant yet. Then we will be stinging them up in May.
Greenhouse Seeding
The greenhouse is full! We are potting up lots of flowers for plant sales in May plus planting field tomatoes, summer squash, watermelons, sugar cubes, and cucumbers. The peppers and eggplant are looking nice and we will be very happy to get them into the ground by May 15. After that date the greenhouse will have more room.
We will begin to sell plants at all the markets beginning this week. Gregg and Oliver will have all the flowers, vegetables, and tomato plants plus herbs on the tables beginning May 1.
CSA
Thank you to all who have signed up already for the CSA for 2025. Your early payments in the cold months really help us with buying and preparing fields, tunnels, buildings and vehicles for the spring plantings and the starting of the markets.
The first pickup dates for the CSA is June 5 and 7. That is not that far away! Let us know now if you want to sign up for the full season 24 weeks of fruits and vegetables for the full season price of $725. After April 30 you will have to sign up for the 12 week sessions individually at $395 each. I will be sending out an email for the CSA around the third week of May with instruction about the shares.
Canning, Gardening, Grilling and Preserving
We are eating asparagus! This is a lovely delicious spring vegetable. It comes early and is very good with garlic sauteed in butter or grilled. We are also eating a lot of spinach salads. We have a lot of spinach right now. This is another great vitamin rich leafy green. Wilted spinach with a bacon dressing and hard boiled eggs is so good especially in the spring time.
We pushed the season and had burgers on the grill two weeks ago, then it got cold again and this Saturday I cooked a ham hock and mixed the ham with green beans (canned from last year) and potatoes stored from last summer. That was a warming meal since it has gotten cold outside again.
I have been planting and dividing plants outside. I planted some sweet peas to climb on my trellis ladder. I planted more Johnny-jump- ups and some cat mint. I divided the bee balm. and planted some new plantings in odd places. The Vinca vines are lovely with their blue-purple flowers. The lilacs are in bloom and I have some of the most beautiful tulips that Gregg planted on the day before Christmas. We had just bought them on sale at a local garden center and he planted every one of them around the elderberries.
I am trying to get to all my plants in the yard, but I am torn because the raspberries need my attention and so do the young tomato plants in the tunnel. So…. spring time can be a very exciting time to see things coming back to life, but it can also be stressful wondering if I can get to everything.
I am now bringing tulips into the house for stress relief.
Farm Stands and Markets
The St Luke’s Farm Stand is open every Saturday from 8 – 1 pm. Come out and support the local farm on Saturdays!
The Belle View Condos Farm Stand will be opening on May 1 from 2 pm – 7 pm and every Thursday until November.
The East Columbia Library Farm Stand will be opening on May 1 from 12 noon until 6 pm and every Thursday until November.
The Fairfax Community Market will be opening on Saturday, May 10 from 8 – 1 pm.
Come out and support our farm at all the markets this spring get fresh greens and great asparagus!.
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!
