This Week at the Farm: Pottery Sale, Pumpkin Seeds, Pick Your Own

Peak foliage has been beautiful this year and, besides a few rainy days, the fall weather has been too; last weekend was no exception for our 17th Annual Pumpkin Festival. Thank you to everyone who was able to come out and celebrate the season with us!

Now that our biggest event of the year is over, it’s back to work harvesting, cleaning, and preparing for the end of the season. We have loads of fresh, gorgeous broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and greens coming out of the fields, and we’re also harvesting storage vegetables like carrots, parsnips, beets, and celeriac. These veggies will last for the rest of the season, so we’re carefully cleaning and processing before packing them up to store for the next couple of months.

Pick Your Own Pumpkins

Our pick-your-own pumpkin patch is open daily through the end of the month. If you missed the festival, come by this weekend to pick your pumpkins for fall and Halloween—it looks like it’s going to be another beautiful weekend!

PYO pumpkin info →

Middle School Cooking

Signups are open for the next session of our Cooking for Middle Schoolers class, starting November 11. All of the cooking projects will be gluten free, and students will also learn how to cook for a variety of dietary restrictions throughout the session.

Sign up →

Farmer Molly’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Little Farmers is a one-hour $5 drop-in class here at the farm on Tuesday mornings for kids ages 2–5 and their parents or guardians. There are only two sessions left this season—the last class of the season is on October 29!

Molly, one of our educators, recently shared this pumpkin seed recipe with the Little Farmers group. The kids loved them! Here’s the recipe for you to try at home:

• seeds from from one large pumpkin (or other winter squash)
• 2T olive oil (or other vegetable oil)
• 1tsp salt
• other seasoning ideas: pepper, sugar, cinnamon, tamari, cumin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate seeds from the pulp and do not rinse. Toss seeds with oil, salt, and other seasonings. Spread them out on a cookie sheet and roast for about 10 minutes. Check for a change in color and look for seeds that are light brown and crispy—watch them closely. Enjoy!

Sales!

Stop by this weekend and take advantage of current sales in the farmstand:

• 30% off soil amendments, tools, pottery this weekend only
• 15% off olive oils and vinegars through October 31
• 30% off winter squash when you buy 30 pounds or more, through Sunday, October 20
• 30% off onions when you buy 20 pounds or more, through Sunday, October 20

Vegetable of the Week: Celeriac

Celeriac is 10% off through Monday, October 21. Try it mashed on its own or with potatoes or another root vegetable or grate it for a salad! Click here for more ideas, storage tips, and a recipe.

Local Meat from Back Beyond Farm

Thanksgiving is just under 6 weeks away, and Back Beyond Farm is taking sign-ups for fresh, organic pastured turkeys. Reserve one (or more) in the farmstand, then pick it up and pay at our farmstand on Tuesday, November 25 between 12–3pm. Please note that there a limited number available!

We’re also selling cases of Back Beyond’s ground beef (55 pounds) at $6.50/lb on three separate days in November and December. Sign up or ask for more information in the farmstand.

The days are getting shorter, the nights are colder, and our hours will be changing soon. The Hello Café is closing for the season on October 31. Starting November 1, the farmstand will be open on Fridays 12:00-6:00 and Saturdays and Sundays 10:00-3:00.

Our Friday Night Dinner Share starts on November 1, and we have a few shares still available. Signups close on October 25 or when the spots are filled. Don’t miss out—sign up now.

See you at the farm—there are 8 weeks left in the season!

Upcoming

October 19: Norwich Farmers’ Market, 9–1.
October 20: Knife sharpening at the farmstand, 10–2.
October 22: Little Farmers drop-in class for children ages 2 to 5, $5, 10–11 am.
October 23: Homeschool Farm Science, 1–3 pm.
November 1: Fall hours begin.
November 11: Cooking for Middle Schoolers begins, 3:30–5:15 pm. [Register]