Fall in the Air

The corn choppers are cruising the fields and we see new colors on the hillsides as reminders of the autumn season.  Our pumpkin and squash crops are bountiful so the Gardenworks Barn is surrounded with mounds of bright orange pumpkins and bushels of butternut, acorn and unusual squashes. The fall raspberries will continue to be sweet and delicious until we hit a cool night, about 27 degrees F. and they freeze.

As good as summer is, fall is the rewarding harvest season for us.  We literally gather the fruits of our labor.  Although Mother Nature put us through the paces this season with highs and lows, we have great bounty.

Once the harvest is in, we clean-up the fields and plant a cover crop.  Our attention moves inside the Barn and we start decorating for fall.  Colors range from bright orange to rich reds.  Decorative accessories include candles, napkins, wreaths and arrangements.  Temptations abound!

In the food marketplace, soup, cheese and fresh apples & cider taste so good.  Squashes become a “go to“  vegetables  for salads, stir frying and soups.  Slack Hollow Farm continues to provide fresh, crisp, organic salad greens as well as carrots, beets and kale! Arlene is baking pies and great bread in the farm kitchen. Bridget treats us to cider donuts every Saturday.

Farm events include 2 Farm to Table Dinners on Columbus Day Weekend and Harvestfest with recipes to share. We host dried flower workshops and the Down to Earth Art Showhighlighting the work of 7 local artists, continues until mid-October. 

There is always something brewing at Gardenworks and we invite you to greet the new season with us. 

Summer Arrives: Farm News and Tastes of Summer

The Black Creek Valley is lush and green as we welcome summer.  The clusters of berries will soon be turning blue and there will be delicious summer raspberries by mid-July.  We hope you’ll save time to pick!

The array of local vegetables continues to expand with great organic lettuce, beets and summer squashes.  Rob has the cheese coolers filled to the brim and he is hosting a Cheese Pairing on Saturday, July 13 at 11 a.m. and will continue to share the farm stories and his favorite cheeses.

On July 25, we will host a very special Book Workshop, Pop-up Heirloom Vegetables as part of a Book Arts Summer in Salem Event, Veggies, Bugs & Seeds. For more information, call 518-854-3406.

The new art show, Down to Earth, in the Barn Gallery highlights the art of 6 local artists. You may view rural landscapes, pastel barns, fuzzy sheep and chickens with personality.  Join us for the Artists’ Reception, Sunday, July 28 from 2-4 p.m. when you’ll meet the artists and enjoy complimentary refreshments.

Our Theater Farm to Table Dinners (July 20 & August 3 ) keep us testing recipes and featuring local food in season.  Rob loves the challenge and they are a perfect way to celebrate the summer harvest under the arbor followed by a wonderful show at The Fort Salem Theater.

For another very special summer event, attend The Al Fresco Dinner on Saturday, July 27 at The Salem Courthouse to feast on local foods and enjoy live music.  Call 518-854-7053 for ticket information. 

Then on September 1, the BIG RED BARN will be the site of an End of Summer BBQ!  Chef Dan Spitz will serve an amazing pork barbeque dinner at 5 p.m. and we hope you’ll get your cowboy boots & hat and join us for a delicious dinner with live music. Call 518-854-3250 for more information.

Of course, we’re dreaming of the Washington County Fair and the big, beautiful fall raspberry as summer fades!  We’re always looking ahead on the farm! And, we hope you’ll spend time with us this summer at Gardenworks!

  Download the 2013 Newsletter

Spring News

​2013 seems busy already with many new projects at Gardenworks and our first grandchild expected in May (we have baby bibbed overalls and a little wheelbarrow to share).  We hardly have time to reflect on last year’s banner blueberry season and the popular farm to table dinners. We’re eager to finish the spring pruning and help Nicole fill the greenhouse benches with tempting herbs and flowers. 

​California Cows

Rob is negotiating for more coolers for new cheeses after participating in a 3-day “boot camp” at Murray’s Cheese Shop in Manhattan and visiting several California creameries.  He continues to promote many artisan cheeses from nearby farms while expanding the selection of healthy groceries. Good local eating includes Slack Hollow Farm organic mesclun and spinach, Mack Brook Farm all natural beef and crusty bread from Murray Hollow Bakery.

​California Vineyard

For me, our California trip was a course in agricultural hospitality and production. I was impressed with many Sonoma and Napa Valley wineries welcoming visitors for wine tastings, educational tours and garden visits.

In Watsonville the strawberry and small fruit production impressed me, giving a whole new meaning to large farms with huge irrigation systems and BIG machinery! 

We’re proud to be an agricultural market place in a community bubbling with new farm based businesses. There is so much to learn & do!  We start with energy, hope and small seeds in spring, working diligently to grow quality food and flowers for your table.

Visit us for a new season of colors, temptations and flavors in the Gardenworks barn.

Download the 2013 Newsletter >​