Thursday, July 14, 2011

A little farm tour!

The store, with the bakery on the right.

Walking in to the store

Lovely gooseberries and pink currants for sale!
I have shared many pictures of the garden, the crops growing, and the beautiful 64 acres which we are blesses to call home. However, I have never posted pictures of our store! The store was built in 2005, and it has allowed us to greatly expand our operation. Prior to that, we only sold u-pick fruit, and a few crates to other stores to resell. Now, we not only have u-picks, but we can sell fruit already picked, produce we have grown, and a few antiques. In 2009, we added a certified kitchen, and now we have added the farmer's delicious baked goods to the mix! He makes the best pies I have ever tasted, and some pretty delicious scones as well. 2009 was such a hard year, losing my father, his brother, my aunt, and his grandmother in a three week span in April. The building project and the excitement of our dream of having a certified kitchen coming to fruition gave us something positive to work towards during those dark days! The gooseberries and currants have been a fun addition for us. We have a lot of Russian customers, and they love the currants, especially the black ones. People get so excited about finding them, because not many people grow them. I have done some fun experimenting with  them, including making a delicious raspberry-red currant jam. The cassis I made (black currants with red wine, sugar, and vodka) was less than delicious, but my customers assure me it makes a wonderful health tonic, high in iron and anti-oxidants. They tell me it helps them feel good all winter, but I have a hard time getting it down!

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing this... it helps round out the 'picture' of what you do. What a dream, to own and operate such a wonderful family operation. Some day I'm going to pop in for some of that gorgeous produce (and pie). Wish you were closer to the Portland area. I get THERE now and then to visit daughter and friends. Maybe someday... :)

    Blessings, Debbie

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  2. Your store is the kind of place we like to shop in - here in southern Pennsylvania. We have a tiny garden of summer veggies. Much of our produce is grown by Amish farmers and picked up at roadside stands - and we fill our baskets at the Grower's Market each Saturday May-Oct.

    I like to use dried currants, in place of raisons, in recipes, frequently. I've never tasted a fresh currant. They look pretty next to the gooseberries.
    Karen A.

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