Sunday, May 19, 2013

No Such Thing as Slim Pickins at Browder's Fresh Pickins

 
You can see the cherry tomatoes growing along with the onions, and squash.
 

 
You can never have too many Red Hot Pokers.
 
 
Supercool!

 
The lettuce is going strong.  It loves this cool, rainy weather. 






 
We cut the scapes on the elephant garlic.  The scape is the flower head of the garlic.  Once you cut them off the garlic begins to "head up" and should be ready for harvest in 6 or 8 more weeks. 
 
From the Hearth Pizza will be using the scapes to make a delicious garlic pesto topping for their pizzas.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. 
 
 
Notice the visual difference between the elephant garlic and onions.  Elephant garlic is actually in the leek family and not in the garlic family (even though it looks like garlic.)  It has a mild garlic flavor and would be great sliced and sauteed as slivers on anything. 
 
 
The 13,000 onions we planted are rocking and rolling.  They should be ready within 2 months.


Our grafted Big Beef tomato plants in the high tunnel are doing great!  We should have ripe tomatoes in the next 2 weeks.  We'll keep you posted.

 
We've begun to harvest zucchini!

 
Thanks to everyone who supported us by purchasing plants this growing season!  We have sold an entire greenhouse full of hanging baskets, bedding plants, and vegetable transplants and couldn't have done it without you.  Now that there is more room in the high tunnel we have planted more rows of tomatoes and cantaloupes to increase our productivity and availability for you.

 
Lucy's own personal strawberry patch. 

 
We jive with chives.


Fantastic Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Some special friends shared this absolutely delicious cheese stuffed squash blossoms recipe with us so we decided to share it with you. 
 
 
Start with squash blossoms or flowers.  You can get those from the ends of your newly formed squash or from us.  Be gentle as they are fragile and quickly perishable.  Lightly rinse. 
 
 
Chop fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, to begin releasing their essential oils and eventually garnish.
 
 
Mix Italian cheeses, chopped onions, some herbs, and ricotta cheese together to form the stuffing.
 
 
Next stuff them individually and gently twist the end closed.
 

 
 Roll in flour mixed with salt and pepper.  Next you can sautee them in oil for a couple of minutes until crispy.  Finally sprinkle with fresh herbs and relish your delicious and gorgeous creation.

 
I'm a picky eater and these stuffed squash blossoms blew my mind.
 
 
 


 

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Blooming!

Belleconia Begonia Hanging Baskets

Belleconia Begonia Hanging Baskets

Saturday Morning at the Smithfield Farmer's Market

Oh Snap!

Farmer's Market - Every Saturday 'til Halloween


Monday, March 25, 2013

200 Grafted Tomatoes and 13,000 Onions

  The above pictured tomato plant is actually 2 different tomato varieties that were spliced together.  Grafted tomatoes increase vigor and decrease pest problems such as nematodes.
 
We have already planted 200 grafted tomatoes in the greenhouse.  Maybe there will be beefsteak tomatoes by Memorial Day. 

That's where they got planted.
 
Lucy Approves

Just some of the 13,000 onions. 
Special thanks to Luke and Alexandra.

We've planted about
2,200 'Superstar' white onions,
4,400 'Red Candy Apple' red onions,
& 6,600 'Walla Walla' and 'Candy' sweet onions.   
(Should be ready by 4th of July)

Happy Easter! Lettuce Make Your Garden Grow

We've got a variety of lettuce transplants.

The greenhouse is nearly full.

Harvest fresh herbs in your kitchen with our "Italiano Herb Bowls" 


Thank You Virginia Tech Department of Horticulture

 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

The Future of Browder's Fresh Pickins

All in a days work!
Virginia State University supports small farms and families and I would like to sincerely thank them for their support.  Without Clif Slade and Virginia State University our plastic would not have been laid and our business would have suffered.  They are truly business incubators. 


This year we decided to try aluminized plastic which is extremely reflective.  Blinding in fact.  Because of this insects such as thrips become disoriented and cause fewer problems.  
 
Can you see yourself at Browder's Fresh Pickins?  Get it?