Don't wait to order your apples!!

Down on the Farm We hope everyone is staying warm with this unexpected blast from the north! I don't think our wood stoves have been this cranked this early ever! Let's hope this is a freakish happening and not the start of a brutal winter. Some of you have asked whether we were going to make another apple and cider run to Oyler's Organic Orchard in Pa. before Thanksgiving. Since we went through our cider in approximately 3 minutes, we have decided to make another run. HOWEVER!!!!!! TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!! WE NEED YOUR ORDERS BY MIDNIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT 11/21! Available: York, Enterprise and Gold Rush apples at $2.75 per pound The best cider in the world at $9.50 a gallon or $6 a half gallon. For the new folks who have just signed up for our news letter there is more information on the apples and cider on our last web site post at www.rousedalefarm.com Apples are all organic, as is the cider. The cider is not pasteurized, so it has a use by date on it. However it freezes very well. We will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for you to pick up and pay. Credit card, cash or check. Stay warm.

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve

Last Week of the Season

Down on the Farm This will be the last week that our market will be open. Sunday will be the last day for 2014. It's been a blast and thank you all for choosing us to be your farmer! Apples and cider are here, so if you ordered, please pick up during business hours through Sunday. A couple of things since we will be closing at the end of business Sunday. 1...We will go back to self serve for eggs and honey. Eggs and honey will be available everyday of the week. The eggs will be in the normal egg cooler and the honey will be in the small refrigerator next to the egg cooler. We will have honey bears and jars of honey in various sizes with the price marked on them. The cash box will be located on the front of the display table. If the egg sign is not up on our road sign we are out of eggs. You can always call. 2...To purchase chicken or to pick up your chicken CSA chicken, please call or email to set up a time. 3...I will still send you emails to let you know when the fresh chicken is in etc. In the market this week: Winterbor Kale (curly) Red Russian Kale Toscano Kale Watermelon Radishes White Turnips Arugula Red Beets Golden Beets Salad Mix Green Peppers Hot Wax Peppers Jalapenos Carrots Broccoli (by the weekend) Cauliflower (by the weekend)\ Boston Marrow Squash (great for punkin pies) Eggs Honey 8 dollar t-shirts Thanks again for a wonderful 2014..down on the farm.

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve

Farm Update

Down on the Farm It's Apple time again! Last year we took orders for apples and cider from Oyler's Organic Farms in Biglersville, PA. and we're doing it again. We will make the run to Oyler's if we get enough orders. A couple things I need to say before we get started..these are 100% organic apples which means they haven't been sprayed with the poison insecticides, fungicides and pesticides normal apples are sprayed with. They are not dipped in wax like most conventional apples are to keep them pretty. Thus these will not be the best looking apples you have ever seen, but they will be some of the best tasting apples you have ever eaten. We also will be bringing back cider. This is not pasteurized, so it won't last forever in your fridge. We froze a bunch last year and that is the way to keep it. This was probably the best tasting cider I've ever had. Only two apple varieties to choose from this year, York and Enterprise. York has a tart yet sweet taste and keeps well. The York taste gets sweeter and mellower over time and can store up to six months. The York is good for baking, cooking, apple sauce, cider, preserves, jams, dried apple slices and juice, as well as eating fresh. The York or York Imperial is one of the few apples that has survived for 180 years. That's what we call an heirloom! The Enterprise was developed in 1994. It's ancestors are the McIntosh, Rome Beauty and Golden Delicious. It's very disease resistant which makes it good for organic growing. It's quite tart but mellows with age. Will keep for up to 6 months and is good for eating fresh and cooking. The skin will be a little thicker than the York. The apples are $2.75 per pound and the cider is $9.50 a gallon or $6.00 a half gallon. Worth every penny. We need to have your order no later than Sunday 10/26. Remember 1 pound of apples is probably two, maybe three apples. We will have pick up at the farm next week Wednesday through Sunday. Just email your order and you can pay when you pick up. steve@rousedalefarm.com Enough of the Apple Story. In the market this week: Cabbage Broccoli Carrots Green Beans Winterbor Kale (curly) Red Russian Kale (more like a salad Kale) Toscano Kale (between the other two) Tomatoes (very few left) Red Beets Golden Beets Red Radishes Watermelon Radishes Green Peppers Hot Wax Peppers Jalapeno Peppers I Giant Boston Marrow Squash left Salad Mix Arugula White Turnips A few Butternut Squashes left Eggs Honey Chicken Rousedale Farm T-shirts are at end of season clearance just $8 each. Wow, what a great gift idea!!!! See you down on the farm!

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve

Farm Update

Down on the Farm Could the Tomatoes really be coming to an end? Could it be? I have to sadly say that I believe this will be the last week for those luscious round, red, orbs for another year. Please don't be to depressed, we still have plenty for this week and lots more stuff! In the market this week: Tomatoes Boston Marrow Squash Red Bell Peppers Green Bell Peppers Almost all Yellow Bell Peppers Jalapenos Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers Arugula Lettuce Spinach Red Beets Golden Beets Red Radishes Watermelon Radishes Red Russian Kale Toscano (Dinosaur) Kale Winterbor Curly Kale Green Beans Butternut Squash White Turnips Carrots Honey Eggs We would love to see you this week!

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve

Farm Update

Down on the Farm Vicky and I were gone last week.  Our thanks to Ginny and Harvey for taking care of the farm and the market.  Where did Vicky and I go??  A very tropical, beautiful spot called Ocean City. Have you heard of it?  It's a great time of year to hit OC.  If you luck out with nice weather, which we did, you have the beach to yourself practically, which we did, no waiting at restaurants, which we had, and a very relaxing time was had by all. It was a great time.  Vicky had oysters with practically every meal...enough said. From the "Everything's not always fun and games at the farm" department...We purchased 100 new layer hens to boost our egg numbers up a bit.  The new hens were sick on arrival.  We called in the Maryland Dept. of Ag and then a poultry vet to see what was happening.  The chickens had a virus that is extremely contagious to other chickens.  We had three choices: 1..Depopulate (kill) all the laying hens 2..Vaccinate all our layers and then feed them antibiotics 3..Let nature take it's course.. We decided on number three.  Obviously our whole point of having eggs is to have them natural without any antibiotics or medicated in any way.  The virus doesn't affect the eggs, although most of the sick chickens aren't laying anyway.  This is going to affect the amount of eggs we will be getting, but we felt this was the way to go for us.  Just wanted to let you know. We have been in contact with our friends at Oyler's Organic Orchard in P.A. to find out about getting apples, like we did last year.  They will let us know what varieties will be available in another couple of weeks.  We will let you know when we are ready to take your orders for apples and cider. In the market this week: Tomatoes Boston Marrow Squash Green Bell Peppers Red Bell Peppers Yellow Bell Peppers Jalapenos Hot Wax Peppers Arugula Lettuce Spinach Red Beets Golden Beets Red Radishes Watermelon Radishes Red Russian Kale Toscano Kale Winterbor Curly Kale Butternut Squash Japanese Eggplant Honey Eggs Chicken White Turnips Carrots If you don't see what you're looking for, please ask.  As the market isn't as busy now we are not harvesting a lot all at one time, rather a little as we go.  We probably have what you want, but may have to run out quickly and cut, pull or pick while you wait.

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve

Farm Update

Down on the Farm The Fox 45 piece on the farm was shown on Monday night 9/15.  I thought it came out pretty good.  If you didn't see it and want to, you can go to our Facebook page and there is a link you can click on.  You can get to our Facebook page simply by clicking on "Rousedale farm on Facebook" icon on this page.  Wow!!!I just read what I just typed.  We go to pages, we click on icons, we set up links so you can click some more...10 years ago, I would have had to send out post cards to let you all know where to find the TV story about the farm! We have received 2 inches of rain in the last 18 hours. The farm really needed it bad.  I could almost hear the Fall plants moaning and groaning as I walked through the field.  In the next couple of days they all will be standing straight and have a happy look about them.  (oh my God, I need a break) Vicky has decided she wants to take over the bee keeping on the farm.  She's very focused when she takes something on.  She's been calling Cybil Preston with questions.  Cybil is a certified master bee keeper and the Maryland state bee inspector. We have Cybil's honey in our market.  Cybil is also a friend.  I'm hoping she remains one.  Vicky is reading every book I have on beekeeping.  She is taking even more books out of the library.  And she's learning through doing.  She has been feeding our bees sugar water to build up their stores of honey for the winter.  Those are the jars you see on the front of hives sometimes.  Well, if you take the jars out of their holders before the sugar water is totally gone, there will usually be a lot of bees clinging to the bottom of the jar.  This was the case two days ago and when she shook the bees off the jar, they turned on her. (it was a cold windy day, they are not happy to begin with in those conditions)  I looked out the window at just the right moment to see her sprinting across the front yard stripping her clothes off as she ran. She later explained that bees had gotten inside her hoodie and her pants.  By the time she reached the market she was down to her underwear.  I had a dollar bill ready to stick in the elastic of her underpants.  She said that it wasn't funny.  She was thankful there were no customers here at the time. In the market: Green Peppers Red Peppers Red Beets Golden Beets Red Russian Kale Curly Kale Turnips Radishes Tomatoes Sweet Corn Arugula Salad Mix Spinach(Sat & Sun ) Butternut Squash Red Mini Bell Peppers Jalapenos Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers See you soon!

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve

Farm Update

Down on the Farm As we begin to prepare for fall here on the farm, many of the summer veggies are slowing down or done completely. Tomatoes are slowing down, onions are done completely. The winter squash is slowing down, zucchini is done completely. Corn is slowing down, garlic is done completely. I am slowing down, but I'm not done completely. We still have Fall broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, lettuce, broccoli raab, and spinach still to come. Our fall planting of potatoes failed to sprout, so unfortunately we will have no more potatoes I still have no idea what happened to the TV piece Fox 45 shot here. I have left messages and emails to no avail. There are a few reasons they may not have run it: 1..The reporter got chicken poop on her high priced shoe and was mortified 2..The producers may have felt my close up shots would scare small children 3..My description of our cucumbers may have been to graphic 4..The glare from the top of my head could have ruined all the shots 5..Every time the reporter said the word Rousedale, I took a drink. In the market: Butternut Squash Spaghetti Squash Acorn Squash Green Peppers Red Mini Bell Peppers Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers Jalapeno Peppers Salad Mix Arugula Sweet Corn Tomatoes Okra Beets Honey Eggs Radishes Sweet Potatoes Remember if you want to can or freeze any corn this year, let us know a few days in advance how much you'll need and we will have it for you. Also we will be doing our organic apple buying trip soon and will be letting you know in the next few weeks what will be available and pricing. See you soon!

Locally Yours, Vicky and Steve