Fall Schedule:

CLOSED FRIDAYS,

with reduced hours on the remaining open days:

FALL PYO & Farmstand Hours:

Tuesday & Thursday: 2 - 5:30 PM

Saturday: 9 am - 12:30 pm

Last Farmstand Day: Nov. 25

Online ordering begins: Nov. 29

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FARM NEWS ~ September 30, 2025

Late October on the farm always brings with it a sense of closure. We have by no means wrapped up the season – we’re still planting in a greenhouse this week, in fact – but the gut-punch of the first hard frost is behind us, and we feel reasonably prepared for what comes next. With hoops and row cover by our side, we are pretty sure we are going to survive the earth’s orbit away from the sun.

Faye gets a hold of the new sprouting broccoli from Greenhouse 3 (lovingly nicknamed "Spro Bro" on the farm).

Having the sweet potatoes and winter squash binned and toasty warm in the greenhouse is a weight off our minds. Potatoes are mostly in; while our main blue potato ‘Magic Molly ‘was a bust this year, we’ll be able to bring out the shockingly indigo ‘Blackberry’ variety next week. Carrots are the focus for bulk harvesting over the next 10 days. Some years bring us a fall carrot crop failure, but this season we are celebrating with large, crisp carrots, sweetened up just right by the cool temps. Our job is to squeeze in digging 4 beds of carrots between the week’s regular tasks of harvesting, packing and markets. If temperatures drop to the low 20s, carrots then become an “at risk” crop.

Tony cleans up the purple radish, which are actually glowing this morning!

Aiden and Abi have their work cut out for them in the carrots. Don't worry, we'll send in the reinforcements!

The crew is moving through these fall harvests in good spirits, despite the chilly mornings in less than comfortable working conditions. Paul and I are grateful for the crew’s cohesion and their shared momentum in bringing in the harvest and getting the job done, whatever it may be. Lucky for us, having like-minded folks to work with is one of the things that keeps many working on small farm like ours.

We hope you enjoy the farm, 

Rebecca, Paul, and the Fort Hill Farm crew



Murasaki Japanese Sweet Potatoes: Another marvel of nature … these are simply delectable. Their burgundy skin belies creamy toned flesh underneath, which turns golden when cooked. The flesh is both dry and creamy - that is, dry in a good sense; it stands up to roasting and crisps up better than the orange sweet potatoes we know and (also) love. And the sweetness …. yum! Try them out in the recipe below.

Brussels sprouts greens: We break the tops off our Brussels sprouts to encourage the sprouts to swell, and lucky for us, they taste something like Brussels’ sprout-meets-tender baby collard greens. Many folks have become fast devotees and look forward to this time of year for this unique crop. These are great used in place of kale or collards. The possibilities are endless, but we often simply braise them with garlic to enjoy their unique Brussel-y flavor and satisfying meaty texture.

Also available:

Head lettuce; spinach; salad mix; arugula; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; red, purple, and French Breakfast radish; cilantro, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage; red beets; chioggia beets; gold beets; baby bok choy; carrots; leeks; celeriac; radicchio; dandelion greens; escarole; fennel; sprouting broccoli; romanesco (limited); Beefsteak and heirloom slicing tomatoes (limited); Savoy and red cabbage; German Extra Hardy garlic; jalapeño, shishito, cayenne, poblano, and cherry hot peppers (limited); green bell peppers, sweet red and yellow Italian peppers, sweet orange snacking peppers; eggplant: classic Italian Graffiti, Rosa Bianca, and a bit of two Asian types; red and yellow storage onions; Satina Gold, Dark Red Norland, LaRatte and Pinto Gold fingerling and Kennebec potatoes; zucchini; spaghetti squash; acorn squash; Jester delicata squash; Honeynut squash; Butternut squash; Koginut squash; Sugar pie pumpkins, Jack 'o lantern pumpkins; collard greens; sweet potatoes; fresh ginger; plus choice apple varieties from Hidden Gem Orchard, Maple Bank Farm, and Averill Farm!

Coming soon:

Blackberry potatoes

Pick Your Own:

Flowers- Yes, the dahlias are still going! – Don't miss out on the experience!

Please pick up a flower ring at the barn to get the right size bouquet.

Perennial Herbs: oregano, sage, thyme

Please pick up an herb ring at the barn to get the right size bunch.

Recipes:

Suggested by Rebecca Batchie

– Not into this particular recipe? For more recipes arranged by crop, check out the Fort Hill Farm Recipe Database.

Sweet Potato Bake

ByNagi Maehashi

Ingredients

• 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb 4 -5 sweet potatoes (each 6cm / 2.5" wide, 20cm / 8" long, as evenly shaped as possible); finely sliced, skin on; (Note 1)
• 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil , plus a little extra for brushing the skillet
• 3/4 tsp kosher / cooking salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped , plus more for garnish / serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Brush skillet base and sides with a little olive oil.
• Slice potatoes: Slice potatoes 3-4mm thick. A mandoline will make short work of this.
• Toss: Place in large bowl, pour in all butter plus 1 tbsp olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss well with hands, separating the slices so they are all coated with oil.
• Layer in skillet: Layer potato in skillet in a circular pattern, overlapping the slices. (See post for details)
• Bake covered 30 minutes: Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes until potato is quite soft (almost fully cooked). 
• Brush with oil: Remove from oven, turn up to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan). Remove foil, brush potato with remaining 1 tbsp oil. 
• Bake uncovered 20 minutes: Bake 20 minutes until tops are golden and slightly crisp, and potato is cooked through (check with a knife or skewer).
• Serve: Scatter with more rosemary leaves, a whole sprig of rosemary and pinch of sea salt flakes if desired. Serve immediately! Sweet potato loses crispiness as it cools.

Notes

1. Sweet potatoes – To fill a 26cm / 11.5" cast iron skillet as pictured in post, you will need 1kg / 2lb of potato slices. Recipe calls for 1.25kg / 2.5lb to factor in peeling and trimming. For a neat spiral, we want to use rounds that are as similar size as possible.

FARMSTAND & PYO FALL SCHEDULE:

Tuesday & Thursday: 2 - 5:30 PM

Saturday: 9am - 12:30 pm

Last Farmstand Day: Nov. 25

Online ordering begins: Nov. 29

FARMERS' MARKETS

Come see us on Thursdays from 10-2 at the Westport Farmers' Market

50 Imperial Ave, Westport

~Goes inside at Gilbertie' Greenhouses

November 20

and on the Green at the

New Milford Market,

Saturdays from 9 - Noon

~Last market November 22