FARM NEWS ~ September 16, 2025

The weather has been so repetitively pleasant lately that I feel I am in some kind of bizarro version of the movie “Groundhog Day”, only instead of repeating the same gray February day in Punxatawny, Pennsylvania we are repeating a bright sunny day somewhere in California.   The moisture provided by the storm that swept through over a week ago is long gone so we are back to full on irrigation.  It’s dry enough that we are finding we need to water in the cover crops of oats and peas we planted into the fields that are done producing vegetables for the season.  The cover crops will use the last growing days of the season to send roots into the ground to feed the soil microorganisms and leafy tops to form a protective blanket over the fields for winter.

The gang descends upon the North 4 section to harvest the day's crops.

The harvest season continues to be good to us.  The “La Ratte” fingerling potatoes are a bumper crop this year, a new planting of broccoli continues to give us quality heads (a tall order in normally wet New England), and Mother Nature gifted us some fine looking carving and pie pumpkins.   The winter squash harvest continues, this week we are bringing in the yellow and green striped little footballs from the variety “Jester”.  We started growing this a few years ago on the suggestion of our friends at Waldingfield Farm.  Jester is sweet right off the vine and has a slightly dry texture and nutty flavor.  Butternut and related squashes aren’t at their best right out of the field, so we let them stay on the vine to grab every last drop of sugar, and then we will bin them up and put them in a warm greenhouse to really flavor up.  They should be ready to go in early October. Many other crops are in abundance and on sale, as Rebecca describes in the Featured section below. Even the tomatoes have made a comeback, such that the beefsteak tomatoes will be on sale this week. Enjoy them while they last!

Faye captured a behind the scenes shot of Dana supervising the congested harvest board.

At the farmstand, we’ve been working with our orchard partners to offer some tasty local apples and pears.  We work with Maple Bank Farm (Roxbury), Hidden Gem Orchard (Southbury), and Averill Farm (Washington).  They offer interesting varieties, or unique strains of varieties you see in the grocery store.    It’s very difficult to reliably grow organic tree fruit in the northeast, so please note that all the fruit we have at the farm stand is conventionally grown. 

We hope you enjoy the farm,

Paul, Rebecca, and the Fort Hill Farm crew

Featured this week:

Jester Delicata squash: This Delicata squash is one of our new favorite squashes in the household because of its superb flavor and sweetness. It also has a thicker-than-usual skin for a Delicata, which means it stores better than the Delicata from days of yore. Store in at room temperature. Like all winter squash, prepare by cutting in half, scooping out the seeds, oiling the cut edges, and putting face down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375F until a fork slides in easily (or see the fun recipe below).

Basil:  I think we can declare it is officially an excellent basil year, and we are putting it on sale! One can never have too much basil, and given the challenge Basil Downy Mildew has posed for us for the last 10 plus years, we are celebrating the beauty and longevity of this crop. Break out the cuisinart and make some pesto or enjoy in a tomato and mozzarella salad. You can also omit the cheese from a pesto recipe (add it later) and freeze it for a mid-winter reminder of the farm. Store in a cool place in a slightly dampened towel or glass of water our of direct light. Basil doesn’t like to be put in a fridge.

Zucchini: I know, we don't usually feature 3 crops, and I know, we already featured zucchini and basil this season! But some things are just too beautiful to pass by without highlighting them with a GOLD STAR for 2025. These glossy beauties are from shiny new greenhouse 8 and they are growing to the beat of their own drum in there. We have them on sale this week; enjoy them while you can!

Also available:

Head lettuce; spinach; salad mix; arugula; pea shoots; curly and lacinato kale; rainbow chard; red, purple, and French Breakfast radish; basil (on sale); cilantro, dill, parsley, oregano, chives, thyme, sage; red beets; chioggia beets; gold beets; baby bok choy (limited); carrots; scallions; leeks; celeriac; radicchio; dandelion greens; broccoli; sprouting broccoli; artisanal, red and Sungold cherry tomatoes (limited), Beefsteak (ON SALE) and heirloom slicing tomatoes; Chinese cabbage; Savoy cabbage; Asian cucumbers; garlic; jalapeño, shishito, cayenne, poblano, and cherry (last 2 are limited) hot peppers, red and green bell peppers, sweet Italian peppers, sweet orange snacking peppers; eggplant returns: classic Italian, Graffiti, Rosa Bianca, and a bit of two Asian types ; red and yellow storage onions; Satina Gold, Dark Red Norland, LaRatte fingerling and Kennebec potatoes; the most beautiful zucchini from the greenhouse, plus the tail end of Zephyr and Patty Pan squash; sweet corn; spaghetti squash; acorn squash ...

Coming soon:

Pinto Gold potatoes

Pick Your Own:

SUNFLOWERS -there are still some late-comers out there

Flowers- The dahlias are coming into their own – ON SALE NOW!

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

Perennial Herbs: oregano, sage, thyme, and chives

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.

Basil Pesto Farro with Roasted Acorn Squash

Recipe courtesy of Double Thyme

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the squash:

• 1 medium acorn squash
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the pesto (this will make about 1 cup, so you won’t use it all in the farro):

• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• freshly cracked black pepper

For the farro:

• 1 cup raw farro
• 1/4 cup homemade pesto
• 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 bunch radish bulbs, thinly sliced (or sub with other veggies, such as celery)
• 1 small apple, diced
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• tablespoon of toasted pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

For the squash:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

1. Cut the acorn squash into 1/2-inch rings, then remove the seeded center with a large metal spoon. Discard the center.
2. Drizzle the rings with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place them on a sheet pan.
3. Roast the squash for about 10 minutes, flip them over, then roast for 5 minutes more, until golden brown and tender. Transfer to a serving platter.

For the pesto:

1. In a food processor, combine the pine nuts and garlic. Pulse a few times.
2. Add the basil, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil; process until very fine.
3. Gradually add the rest of the oil to taste — you may not need it all. Pulse until smooth.

For the farro:

1. Cook the faro according to package instructions.
2. In a bowl, combine the farro, 1/4 cup pesto, feta cheese, radishes or celery, and apples. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
3. Spoon the farro into the squash rings, and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, if desired.

FARMSTAND & PYO SUMMER SCHEDULE:

Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 2 - 6:30 PM

Saturday: 8am - 12:30 pm

FARMERS' MARKETS

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

50 Imperial Ave, Westport

and on the Green at the

New Milford Market,

Saturdays from 9 - Noon