The Strawberry Update:

Berries continue to be scarce and of poor quality this year. Our growers are really struggling and the heavy rains and hail last week caused plenty of damage - bruises on the fruit and too much rain all at once caused swelling and poor shelf life.

The Monday harvest this week though isn't going to waste. These "#2" berries are being converted into tasty treats in our kitchen.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I am so glad pie season is here! We've been prepping pie shells, crumb topping, and the like, but haven't had the fruit to do anything with.

Pies should be pre-ordered online to ensure you get one.

Each pie is made with our signature lard-based pie crust recipe - lard rendered from our heritage hogs, then cut into organic flour from Stutzman farms for a flaky and flavorful crust. The filling is bursting with the sweet tart flavors of Ohio strawberries, fresh rhubarb, and a simply organic cane sugar. Each pie is finished with a buttery and crunchy crumb topping featuring organic oats and organic sugar.

Pies sold by the 6 inch (portion control size) or family friendly 9 inch size.

For lack of a better pun...

Last Thursday night's rain was much needed, but it came at a cost. I guess beggars can’t be choosers.

Across southern Wayne and northern Holmes County farmers got hammered with hail. Here is a photo from one of our growers on Harrison Road just south of Applecreek.

If you are staring at the photo wondering what that weed is, it’s not a weed. It was a healthy pepper plant that’s leaves were stripped completely by hail.

The farmer, Norman, estimates he lost his entire pepper crop for the year. His early cabbage is badly damaged by hail and can’t be sold. And lastly, he has 21,000 onion plants that are destroyed.

What can be done? I stopped over and we talked about options. This week’s onions came from Norman. They are about a week or two earlier than we were expecting, but he was able to cut the tops down and peel the onions some for a good presentation. These fresh onions aren’t “cured,” which means they naturally have a shorter shelf life. Enjoy the sweet flavors of these raw, sauteed, or even caramelized. 

Norman’s cabbage will be in our farm kitchen this Thursday being turned into sauerkraut. 

While the scenario isn’t ideal, we are glad that we can work with growers like Norman who can hold their head high after such a tragedy!  

below: Norman's 30 acres of produce in shambles after the storm. For those thinking insurance claim, think again. The Amish are "self insured" and don't carry commercial insurance. Norman will feel this one at the end of the year on his bottom line.

Today I sent one of our truck drivers to stop at Jonas' farm to check in on our potato crop. I was worried about it with the dry weather followed by the hail.

When he got there...literally minutes ago...Jonas was getting ready to send us a letter. I was just about to send this newsletter, so the timing was perfect.

Peas are ready early!

Zach asked him to start picking and he'll stop back in a few hours.

Sugar Snap Peas (Edible pod) are available in the online shop.

This week's supply is really limited, but next week we'll have quite a few more.

This week we have a two feature creameries and some promotions on their cheeses.

Old Forge: photo left

Rebecca and PJ are farming just outside of Kent, OH. Their small dairy is based off the milk of Ayrshire cows - a heritage breed prized for cheesemaking. They produce raw milk cheeses that are all aged on beechwood planks milled on the farm.

3 Feature Cheeses:

Alpine: Firm textured with buttery, big, rich flavors. Often a little tangy in the middle & savory & more nutty towards the rind. Aged at least 12 months.

Farmhouse: A whole milk tomme style cheese. Creamy and packed with flavor. It is tangy, with a cheddary bite. Typically aged around 9 months

Clothbound Cheddar: A traditional cheddar wrapped in cheesecloth and coated in lard to control moisture loss. The cheddar is pressed under nearly 2,000# of force and aged for 6 months for a mild taste and firm texture. This is not so aged that it crumbles yet. Lard and cheesecloth removed.

UrbanStead Creamery

Whereas farmstead means made on the farm where the cows are milked, urbanstead is a play on words to represent the relationship between an urban artisan and their farm partners.

Andrea and Scott of Urbanstead are our newest dairy partners. I won't take a lot of time telling their story as they do a great job on their website, photos included, here: Urbanstead.

What I will tell you though is that they make some INCREDIBLE CHEESES. The Street Ched is my new favorite and go to. I shovel every last crumb into my mouth!

Here is a quick recap of the cheeses we have to offer this week:

Street Ched: flaky, salty, and bold. This mature cheddar is a show stopper.

Gouda: aged 9 months for a sharp note on this creamy, buttery classic. The Jersey mlk adds extra depth and rich texture to a cheese already renowned for it's buttery and nutty notes.

One of the cornerstones of our product line is our exclusive Guernsey milk. Farmer Edward Keim of Wilmot has a small herd of about 30 Guernsey cows. The Guernsey cow is a smaller breed of dairy cow known for its rich, golden colored milk. The milk is high in protein and butterfat, making it also ideal for artisan cheese making (which is what our friends at Marchant Manor use).  

Edward grazes his cows on pasture all growing season and grows his own non-gmo corn, beans, and hay for winter feeds. In years past, we had offered farm tours and Edward's was a perennial stop. Those who attended likely milked these beautiful ladies and saw first-hand the care that Edward has for his cows. 

This article is a long one...so click here to read more on our website.

We want you to try the milk, and we encourage you to try the whole milk. It's great to drink and use in the kitchen. Makes great baked goods, gravy, and can be used in ice cream.

As our hens size up, we continue to have some small eggs. We grade the eggs so that the regular eggs are ~24 oz per dozen. Pullet eggs are those under that, so approx 20 oz per carton.

This week we have a deal - 1 half gallon of whole milk and 1 dozen pullet eggs for $6.75.

For more recipes, visit our archive at https://freshforkmarket.com/recipes/