It’s Nicole, Lisa’s daughter, guest blogging today. I am very excited to have the opportunity to write this post! As I type this, I am snacking on a carrot, which does not sound very exciting, but it is a Jersey fresh, organic carrot, from Fernbrook Farms CSA in Bordentown, New Jersey. A CSA farm, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture is one that is shared with the community. At the beginning of the season, you can buy a share, which then gives you a cut of the farm’s harvested fruits, veggies, flowers, and herbs every week.
Today, my mom and I went to the farm, and picked up our share. The way it works is that first, you go inside the farm store, and fill plastic bags with the designated amount of already picked vegetables for the week. Then, after that, you check out the U-Pick board, and can go outside and pick your own herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
In the farm store we got summer squash, cucumbers, zucchini, fresh garlic (by the stalk!), red butter, kale, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and fennel. There were also turnips, beets, bokchoy, and collard greens available. The carrots are smaller than normal carrots, and they look absolutely adorable. My dog, Whitney, is a huge fan of carrots, so I am sure she will enjoy these as a treat! You also have the option to buy additional vegetables, for a great price, in bulk. However, we received so many vegetables today we were content, and didn’t need anymore!
We then headed outside to check the u-pick board. It was filled with all sorts of herbs. There is a bounty of delicious types of basil… such as the cinnamon basil that I never even knew existed until today! In addition to cinnamon, there was purple basil, lemon basil, and Italian basil. There are many other herbs, such as oregano, sorrel, lemon balm, chamomile, and catnip-just to name a few-that you can pick yourself. I am experimenting with making my own chamomile salve, for cuticles and lips, and its cooling down right now. In addition to the herbs, there was also snow peas and snap peas. I am extremely excited for next week, which is going to feature u-pick beans and flowers! As we picked herbs, we got a sneak peak of some flowers beginning to bloom, and they are gorgeous!
In addition to fruit, veggies, flowers, and herbs, the farm also has some other great features. The farm has hiking trails, an education center, pigs, and beehives. It is an awesome place to come spend some time on a Saturday morning. With this constant supply of fresh Jersey produce, I hope you are ready to see what type of recipes Jersey Girl Cooks will be sending your way these upcoming months from our Fernbrook Farms CSA share!
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