CHOCOLATE!!

We were in Hershey Pennsylvania this week for the Mid Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference. (1/31/12-2/2/12).

Our growers' association is one of the sponsors for the convention. Besides Pennsylvania growers from New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia and other states were present.

This beeswax and parafin sculpture was in one of the resturants at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

The weather was very mild and certainly different from last year. High temperature on Tuesday of 60. Becky and Phil took advantage of this to go on some lunchtime walks on the beautiful grounds.

Besides meetings covering all sorts of items of interest to vegetable and fruit growers there was a trade show with over 150 vendors. Everthing from equipment to chemicals to containers to farm groups to supplies to seeds and plants. This was with a seed company's display.

Oh, there was food also! Becky took this picture for the flowers but Phil liked the the food on the table.

So we learned some things, saw some friends, even went in the pool and hot tub one evening. Mostly got some ideas to try this year and our enthusiasm cranked up a little for a new season. Spring will be here soon!!

Snow...finally!

Seven inches of snow blanketed the farm on Saturday morning (1/21/2012).  Phil put the heater on the diesel tractor while we shoveled porches and paths.  Then he plowed the driveways.  We took a walk through the snowy woods on Sunday.  Temperatures soared to the 50s on Monday and the snow melted.

Douds Floyd Farm made another winter squash delivery to the food pantry on Tuesday.  Would you like to freeze some squash?  Would you like to feed a crowd with squash soup?  All remaining squashes are BIG (10 pounds)...OR HUGE(15-20pounds)... OR ENORMOUS(more than 20 pounds)!  Go to "Happy New Year" Jan. 4 post to see what you'd be preparing.  Contact us if you'd like to try one.

Visitors!  On Friday, about 3 dozen wild turkeys wandered up to our kitchen window.  They were pecking bugs from the soggy ground.

January 23...NATIONAL PIE DAY

Apple pie is our dessert of choice!  I made two with Melrose apples...one for a neighbor's birthday,

 and this one is ours!

Next week Douds Floyd Farm will be at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable Growers Convention.

Latest news....sort of

On January 3rd we reduced our stash of winter squash by about 100 spaghetti squash with a donation to the West Hills Food Pantry. We are planning another donation soon, so if you want any squash it would be best to call.

On January 13th and 14th Phil and Becky volunteered at the PA Farm Show, helping with the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers' Association food booth. This was our view of the farm show:

We left Friday (1/13/2012), 8:30 AM, snow squalls until through the Allegheny Mountain tunnel, arrived in Harrisburg about 1 PM and waited (in traffic, for the shuttle bus, in traffic again) to finally get into the Farm Show complex at 2:45 just in time for our 3 to 9 PM shift. On Sat. we volunteered 8 AM til 3:30 PM, got something to eat and drove home. There may have been something to do with farming at the show but all we saw was soup, pies, salads, Strawberry Surprise and CROWDS!!

Actually we were glad to volunteer for the PVGA. It is a statewide association of vegetable growers we belong to. The money raised at the Farm Show and Ag Progress Days in August is used to support vegetable research and provide scholarships to ag students.

If you can't get to the Farm Show next year you can watch it live on the Pennsylvania Cable Network or check out this website for highlights of this year:

www.farmshow.state.pa.us

That's how we found out what went on.

Happy New Year

Along with a new year we got a new computer, a Toshiba Satellite P755-S5390 laptop. Thanks Kate! Perhaps with this faster and portable computer we will be updating this blog more, (another New Years resolution).

Part of our winter squash stash.

Happy Halloween!

Someone pre-emptively carved the pumpkins!

Fruits of their labor

Dad tried lots of several new types of melons this year. This is a crenshaw, variety called Lily. Since that's also the name of his granddaughter, he knew it would be sweet.

Another "exotic" melon, this one is a canary melon.

Mom made supper with some fresh tomatoes and basil.

Enjoying the fruits of their labor. Roasted red and yellow grape tomatoes tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, seasoning, and toasted bread. Cool breezes from the hurricane made it tolerable to turn on the oven.

New Veggies for 2010

Seeds have been inventoried. Orders for the 2010 growing season have already arrived. We pour over catalogs and review customer requests. Here are some new varieties we plan to plant.

Summer Savory, Satureja hortensis, is a peppery herb.

Shiso, Perilla frutescens, adds a distinct cinnamon/clove flavor and aroma to oriental cooking.

Hansel, Solanum melongena, is a 3-4" long, dark purple eggplant, which will replace Little Fingers. This 2008 AAS (All-American Selection) winner is non-bitter and perfect for grilling or slicing thin onto pizza.

Orient Express is another eggplant, slender, 8-10", and glossy black. It sets fruit in cool weather as well as under heat stress.

Comet, Mormordica charantia, is an edible gourd. This 8" long, cucumber-shaped fruit has a light green, pebbly skin. Its bitter flavor is prized in various Asian cuisines. Other names are bitter melon (US), balsam pear (England), Ku Gwa (China), Kerala (India), Ampalaya (Philipines).

Honey Bear, Cucurbita pepo, is a small acorn squash, the perfect size for single servings when halved. This 2009 AAS winner was bred for taste and disease resistance by Dr. Brent Loy at the University of New Hampshire.

Fairytale, Cucurbita moschata, is a beautiful as well as delicious French heirloom. This squash has deep orange, nearly red flesh covered with beige, heavily ridged skin.

Galeaux d'Eysines, Cucurbita maxima, has a pink skin covered with beige peanut-like bumps. "Peanut" squash makes a unique fall decoration. Its sweet, moist, orange flesh will make tasty pies, soups, etc.

Caraflex, Brassica oleracea (capitata group), is a pointed mini cabbage. Popular in Europe, it can be used like lettuce in summer salads.

Romanesco, Brassica oleracea (botrytis group), is a lime green cauliflower with pointed, spiraled pinnacles. Graffiti is a true cauliflower with brilliant purple heads. Cheddar is a beautiful golden cauliflower that becomes an even brighter orange when lightly cooked.