Wherein we answer the question:
When can I get a deal on this?
Local productions follow the natural seasons. This brochure is a list of our best guesses about when we expect to have various items in the greatest supply. This does NOT list the seasons we will have items available. Rather, it is when we will give the best deals for making bulk purchases for pickling, canning, preserving, storing, drying, etc. Prices may vary from year to year and with the season, but we print the price whenver we are pretty sure what it will be. We also indicate what our bulk unit is for each item.
These are the best times to make your bulk purchases. Occasionally the season for an item may extend a week before or beyond what is listed, but it usually doesnt.
For more info call, email, or see us at market. Leave your name and phone number with us if you'd like to be contacted when your favorite item is available in bulk.
CARROTS: Unwashed for storing, or washed for immediate processing, in 25 lb. poly bags. Mid September to late October, and often later.
BEET GREENS: Mid June thru mid July. By the ½ or 1 bushel.
CHARD: Early July to mid October. Bushel boxes.
GARLIC: Second week of August to end of the year. 5 lb. bags for $20.
GREEN OR WAX BEANS: Last week of July thru August. 5 lb bags, ½ or 1 bushel.
KALE: Mid July thru end of October. ½ bushel boxes.
ONIONS: Late August thru late October. 25 lb. bags.
POTATOES: We do not always have a large amount of potatoes, but the best time for them is late September to mid October.
PICKLING CUKES: Last week of July & first three weeks of August. By the peck or bushel.
SLICING CUKES: Last week of July thru end of August. 22 cukes for $5 or by the bushel.
RHUBARB: Late May, first two weeks of June. 10 lbs. or more at 80¢ lb.
SPINACH: First half of June, and again in early October. In ½ or 1 bushel.
TOMATOES: First quality, mid August to mid October in 5 lb. bags or 25 lb. boxes.
Canners: Last week of August & first three weeks of September, in ½ bushel boxes for $6.
Green tomatoes: late August to late September. 20 lb. boxes.
WINTER SQUASH: Buttercup, Butternut, Acorn, Red Kuri or Delicata. By the bushel crate. Mid September to late October.
ZUCCHINI: Mid July to end of August. 22 of any available size for $5.
Summer is the time for gathering fresh herbs for drying for teas and cullnary use for fall, winter and spring enjoyment. Dry your herbs in a convection or microwave oven or home dehydrator, then store in tightly closed jars out of direct sunlight. Herbs dried to a flakey leaf stage will keep for well over a year. For longer storage, put jar in freezer.
BASIL: Broadleaved Genovese for pesto. One l pound bags from mid August to frost, for $8.
CILANTRO: Mid July to end of September, intermittently. 1 lb. bags for $8.
DILL: Mid July to end of September, intermittently. 1 lb. bags for $8.
OREGANO: Fresh in 1 lb. or 5 lb. bags. Mid July thru early September.
PARSLEY: Fresh in 1 lb. or 5 lb. bags. Mid July thru mid October.
PEPPERMINT: Mid June to mid September. 1 lb. bags for $8.
SAGE: Mid July thru late September. 1 lb. bags for $5.
SUMMER SAVORY: Mid August to mid September. Fresh in 1 lb. bags.
WINTER SAVORY: Mid June to mid September. Fresh in 1 lb. bags for $8.
Roots: Roots like to be stored in high humidity and cold temperatures. They do best from 3035 degrees F. Beets, carrots, daikon, sunchokes, gobo, celeriac, and rutabagas store well in plastic bag lined boxes. Poke several holes in the bag with a pencil to avoid condensation from collecting on the inside of the bag. Do not mix different vegetables in the same bag in storage! The average home refrigerator holds the temperature at 4245 degrees F., far too warm for storage for longer than a month or so. Growth of tops and root hairs indicate the storage is too warm. Cracks in carrots indicate they have been frozen solid; use them imediately. Roots will keep into the following summer, but beware of warming April root cellars!
Potatoes: Not true roots, these tubers like 3540 degrees F. and humid, but not wet, conditions. Store in a paper bag or unlined wooden box - plastic bags are for short term storage only. Potatoes MUST be kept in the dark; two or three days of even dim light will turn the tubers green and bitter (still good for planting, though!). Sprouts indicate too warm conditions. Since potatoes will not sprout until after completing a 40 day dormancy after harvest, they may be briefly stored in warmer conditions early in the storage season. Shriveling indicates too dry. Potatoes will keep into the following summer. Sprouts may be broken off before eating the potato, or sprouted potatoes may be saved for planting in the garden in early May (leave sprouts on for planting).
Winter Squash: Maintain winter squashes at low humidity and cool, but not cold, temperatures. Dry, airy, and 55 degrees F. will help most of your squashes last well into the winter, or even later. Squashes actually deteriorate much more quickly if kept too cold, or if kept where temperature fluctuations allow condensation to accumulate on their skin. Buttercups keep into December; delicatas, kuri and butternut keep into winter. Individual squashes may keep longer. Look over your squashes once a week or so; use any that have developed a small soft spot. May be cooked and frozen for yearround use.
Onions: like to be kept dry and cold (just above freezing) for the longest storage. Root growth indicates too moist conditions; top growth indicates too warm. Hanging in a mesh bag assures plenty of air circulation. Spanish types keep only into December. All others keep well into winter, some keeping into summer.
General Storage Tips:
· A small inexpensive thermometer placed right with your stored vegetables will remove the guesswork from estimating the temperature. Covering your stored vegetabeles with a blanket or insulating material will minimize temperature fluctuations (but beware of rodents!). Make sure condensation is not occurring under the blanket.
· Roots and onions will begin to freeze after a few hours at temperatures below 30 degrees F. They will not freeze at 32 degrees F. Slow thawing at proper storage temperatures will often prevent most damage and may completely rescue them. Potatoes do not recover from freezing at all.
· Advice for storing your roots in sand, leaves or sawdust is from the era before plastic bags, when that was the best way of retaining moisture in the roots during the storage season. While the roots-in-sand method works as well as ever, today storing roots loose in a plastic bag serves the same function, but with easier retrieval and less before and after maintenance.
· Wiping your squashes with a cloth dipped in vinegar will prevent mold from growing during storage on any slight nicks in the squash skin.
To get to our farm. We are in Pittsfield on the Snakeroot Road, which runs between the Weeks Road and Route 100. We are 1/2 mile from the Weeks Road end, just before the road dips and passes a small frogpond on the north side. You cant see our farm from the road. Our driveway is on the right side, opposite the first house on the left. Looking down our driveway, you can see our signsaying Snakeroot Organic Farm. Call ahead and we will have your order ready.
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