Food News- August 2014

We at the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance have decided to keep you informed more often!

Expect to see a twice-monthly compilation of local, regional, national, and global food-related news. For those of you subscribed to our mailing list, you will still be receiving a monthly newsletter rounding up what we've covered throughout the month in your email inbox. We've decided to devote our entire first edition to local news, due to the fact that it's been a productive summer in Bucks County for farmers, conservationists and food-lovers alike.

Farm to Hospital - A New Model in the Food Service Industry

St. Luke’s Hospital of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania has started their own organic farm, with the help of the Rodale Institute, in order to bring the freshest possible produce to their patients. The farm is expected to harvest 44,000 pounds of produce this year, providing crops such as broccoli, kale and potatoes to all six of the hospital’s campuses. The Rodale Institute hopes that hospitals and other institutions around the nation will follow suit. Read more about the details here.

Rice Joins the Ranks of Local Foods

Rice is a staple food in diets around the world. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, it’s generally sourced from origins far away. Rice is grown domestically, in places like Missouri, Mississippi and California, but nowhere near the Northeastern region of the United States. But no longer! Blue Moon Acres of Pennington New Jersey started with Arborio Rice in 2013 and this year has produced the first organic commercially grown Brown Rice in the history of New Jersey. Fresh brown rice is something many of us have no experience with – the folks at Blue Moon say to pay attention to the difference in the quality of flavor and expect that your palates will be pleased. Blue Moon Acres is located at 11 Willow Creek Drive, Pennington, NJ and has a second location at 2287 Durham Road, Buckingham, PA. For more information on the rice harvest and their other products, venture over to their website.

Bucks County Conservation District Dubs Barefoot Gardens of Doylestown Farmer of the Year

The Bucks County Conservation District, with the backing of the Penn State Cooperative Extension, opted to award the Groshen’s Farmer of the Year award to Eric Vander Hyde and Linda Shanahan of Barefoot Gardens at this year’s Middletown Grange Fair.  Barefoot Gardens was founded in 2007, after Linda and Eric searched Bucks County for three years for suitable land to become home to a small farm and CSA. They learned the ropes of small-scale farming (which turned out to be much different from the gardening that they knew) while both working other jobs. In the past seven years, they’ve sharpened their skills, and now have a thriving CSA that provides vegetables, flowers and herbs to a tight-knit community. Their commitment to land stewardship and conservation, as recognized by the Bucks County Conservation District, is evidenced by their biodynamic and organic farming methods: their farm consists of a series of miniature ecosystems that are complimentary to one another, benefiting the soil, plants, animals and humans alike. To learn more about Barefoot Gardens, please visit their website.

Blooming Glen Farms Granted Official Organic Certification from USDA

Blooming Glen Farms made public yesterday, Thursday, August 21, 2014, that they are now Certified Organic according to the rigorous standards of the United States Department of Agriculture. The scenic thirty-five acre farm located in Hilltown Township, Bucks County is farmed by Tom Murtha and Bucks native Tricia Borneman and produces over 75 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs. The farm sells its produce at farmers markets throughout the county, including the Bucks County Foodshed Alliance’s own Wrightstown Farmers Market, and also has a CSA program.  Visit their website to learn more.

Tussock Sedge Farms awarded the Clean Water Farm Award

Tussock Sedge Farms of Upper Bucks County was one of five Pennsylvania farms to be awarded the Clean Water Farm Award by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD). The honor is annually awarded to farmers who manage their daily farm operations in an environmentally conscious manner that helps to protect Pennsylvania’s water quality. Tussock Sedge farms, run by Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger, is a grass-fed beef farm committed to raising cattle without the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Tussock Sedge also plays host to Blooming Glen Farm, mentioned above. Learn more here.

Doylestown Fresh starts Business CSA

Doylestown Fresh, a hydroponic farm on the outskirts of Doylestown, has started a Business CSA program. Businesses who join can order the farm’s greens by the case and have them delivered weekly or monthly to their office doorstep. Contact kim@vegesystems or visit their website for more information.

Our next event: Fearless Food Preservation

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014

Time: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where:  Plumsteadville Grange; 5901 Old Easton Rd, Plumsteadville, PA 18949

Who:  Anyone wants to learn how to can, freeze and ferment the summer and fall bounty!

Cost: $25/non-member, $10 for BCFA, Doylestown Food Co-op, and Plumsteadville Grange Members

RSVP:  Maximum number of people for this hands-on class is 30.  Pay in advance on our website, or bring cash or a check to the door the day of. Click here to RSVP!