Katchkie Farm is Hiring!

Katchkie Farm is hiring for a new Katchkie Farm Project Coordinator to work at the offices of Great Performances in New York City.

About the Position:

Katchkie Farm Project Coordinator acts as the key liaison between the Farm (New York’s Hudson Valley) and the Great Performances operation (New York City) as well as an ambassador for the Farm’s mission and brand. During the winter months, the Coordinator spends most of the work-week in the office developing sales and marketing (CSA members and product customers and printed collateral, website and social media, etc.) During the harvest season (May – November), the Coordinator spends 25-35% of the work-week dedicated to operations outside the office (at farmers’ markets, CSA distributions, etc.) In addition to managing the Farm’s sales, marketing, and NYC operations, the Coordinator will be a spokesperson for Katchkie Farm and Great Performances, representing the Farm and the greater company in various settings (in corporate offices; in the field of the sustainable food community; in the fields of Katchkie; with clients, customers and co-workers).

Key responsibilities include:

-Farmers Markets

-Manage and staff all farmers’ markets (i.e., Greenmarket and New Amsterdam Market)
-Oversee weekly produce deliveries and track inventory for farmers’ markets
-Place orders, set up, sell and break down at farmers’ markets
-Track all sales at farmers’ markets and submit weekly reports to management team

-CSA Programs

-Oversee weekly produce deliveries and track inventory for CSA programs
-Work with Volunteer Core Team to set up community- based CSA programs (i.e., 92YTribeca)  -Collaborate with company representatives to establish Corporate CSA programs (i.e., NBCUniversal)
-Cultivate relationships and manage communications with CSA members from all sites
-Create and publish all content for CSA newsletters (weekly during harvest season)

-Artisanal Product Line
-Oversee development of all aspects of products – recipes, ingredients, label design and production, jars/lids, co- packaging, distribution, etc.
-Work with GP chefs and co-packer to improve existing products and create new products
-Act as sales representative for products to all wholesale accounts—build strong database of  existing and potential customers and pursue actively
-Track all retail and wholesale sales
-Create all marketing collateral and packets for products

-Sales Outreach/Marketing

-Manage Katchkie Farm website and integration with overall Great Performances marketing
-Collaborate with GP marketing team to grow the Katchkie Farm brand and maximize opportunities for cross- pollination among Great Performances sales and marketing and The Sylvia Center)
-Train and teach GP co-workers (office, venues and catering service staff) about the Farm’s activities and model
-Oversee Katchkie Farm’s Facebook and Twitter accounts
-Create and publish content for website and blogs
-Manage recipe database for farmers’ market customers and CSA members
-Help coordinate special events on the Farm, including Spring Planting Day, Fall Harvest Festival and Farm to Table Dinners

Required Skills:
The ideal candidate will have a unique set of skills, passions, and capabilities in representing the Katchkie Farm in New York City and growing the Katchkie Farm brand.

-BA and 1-3 years work experience preferred
-Highly organized, detail-oriented, strong independent worker
-Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with customers, clients, and co-workers (office, venue and catering service staff)
-Sales experience (and enthusiasm) a plus, desire to expand CSA membership and artisanal product sales
-Passionate about integrating business and sustainability
-Entrepreneurial working style, excited and driven to pursue new initiatives
-Generally tech savvy (Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, WordPress, Social Media)
-Cooking skills a plus
-Flexibility with 40+ hour work-weeks and some working weekends

Other:
Full-time, salaried, exempt position based in New York City at the offices of Great Performances.

To Apply:
Please send a cover letter and résumé to Angela.Perez@greatperformances.com
Preferred start date: mid-February 2012

Come the time when we have to start thinking about the farm going into hibernation, the tomato trellises are long gone and storage crops like celeriac, onions, cabbages, and root vegetables are piling high in the walk-in coolers.  There are subtle changes to be noticed on the farm, like the slow disappearance of greenhouse seedlings that are normally ready to be transplanted out into the fields; and there are other signs that are hard to miss, like a foot of snow in October.  The shorter days, almost nightly frosts, and the fact that the chickens sleep in on cold mornings, are more of the gentle reminders to our still summer-crazed minds that it’s getting to be that time of year again:  time to shift into a lower gear, time for us to buckle down and tuck in the farm for winter.

I think this is different for everyone involved with farming, but for me, the start of the whole process is marked by the blanketing of the strawberry plants with row cover (a light fabric that helps protect the plants from damage by the cold).  Then a rhythm begins: bed after bed the fields are stripped of weed barrier fabric, irrigation lines are taken up, and any remaining rough plant material is removed and brought to the compost pile.  The hoses and water pumps, mowers and tillers, are all brought in under the cover of the field house.

In The Sylvia Center Children’s Garden–the slice of the farm devoted to farm, food, and culinary education for kids–the asparagus, raspberries, and rhubarb are given their last feeding of nutrient-rich compost and surrounded with straw mulch to protect the soil.  Perennial herbs that need a little extra protection over the winter are potted up and brought inside the greenhouse.  Winter greens like lettuces, salad mix, and spinach are seeded and transplanted into the greenhouses. The chicken coop will be moved closer to the barn to avoid daily treks through snow-drifted fields to do chicken chores.  The scuffle hoes, spades, hay forks, garden rakes, and other hand tools are given their annual spa treatment of rust removal, sharpening, and conditioning.

The farm’s soil gets a spa treatment too.  Out in the fields and in the Children’s Garden, the soil may get spread with compost or seeded with a cover crop.  Winter hardy cover crops such as rye, wheat, and vetch are planted with no intent to harvest their biomass, but to instead let them grow and keep the soil ecosystem active during the off-season.  Turning that biomass back into the soil next season will replenish soil nutrients, increase organic matter, and improve the overall health and quality of the soil.  We’ve asked a lot of the soil since the springtime and as we put the farm to rest in the fall, we get to give back.

 
As fall makes room for winter to settle in, our to-do lists guide our time and energy toward end of the season reports, greenhouse work, farm “fix-its” and improvement projects, and planning for the next turning of the seasons.  Meanwhile, we continue to cheat the northeastern cold as the starter greenhouse pumps out microgreens – mustards, cilantro, basil, and mizuna, while the other 6,000 sq ft of protected growing space gives us gorgeous greens.  A little bit of the summer, all winter long.

-Julie Cerny, Farm Education Director for The Sylvia Center

Visit the Katchkie Farm General Store to purchase a 2012 Veggie Calendar for your favorite cook.

At only $5, this mini-calendar (5″ by 5″) is the perfect gift for any locavore.

There is no doubting that food based television shows have influenced the way we eat and think about food and chefs. And perhaps no show has been more influential than Iron Chef in our culinary cultural consciousness.

Last week, one of our workplace CSAs, WSP Flack and Kurtz, an engineering firm in Midtown Manhattan hosted their very own CSA Cooking Showdown competition. The mystery ingredient? Everything in that week’s CSA share from Katchkie Farm.

The rules were set out from the beginning. After receiving the unknown contents of the bag, each of the three competing “chefs” (engineers by day, CSA chefs by night) were given 15 minutes to wash their produce, 15 minutes to prep their stations and 30 minutes to cook up a meal in front of three high-ranking judges and an audience of their peers.

Chefs were allowed to bring any tools they needed (ingredients and appliances) from their home kitchens, so cuisinarts and blenders were visible on almost every station. Of course, they were working within the confines of an office kitchen, limiting their ability to work with stoves or ovens. From the XL cubicle–lovingly referred to as “Pantry Stadium” for the duration of the cooking showdown competition–chefs could run into the kitchen nearby to use the microwave. Otherwise all foods were raw.

Chefs Lauren, Cheryl and John performed admirably in their allotted time, particularly considering the mini-paparazzi that formed around them and “Chairman” Dennis who was narrating their performance over a speaker system. Nearly 70 of their coworkers surrounded all sides of the cubicle, forming an ad-hoc audience for the show. The judges sat within pantry stadium, interviewed by the announcer while the chefs chopped, blended and stirred away.

After 30 minutes, the chefs came up for air and had three gorgeous dishes to show. Chef Lauren made a salad with a spiced beet slaw on top. Chef John prepared a cucumber (which he brought from home) gazpacho, with jalapeno and greens from the farm. Chef Cheryl put together a trifecta of salads—a warmed (microwaved) kale salad with bacon, a carrot-beet-apple slaw, and a classic green salad. Chef Cheryl’s trifecta, or perhaps her bacon, won the hearts of the judges, and she was pronounced winner shortly after the dishes were presented.

It seems to be the year of the Habanero for many of our CSA members. If you can’t handle the heat, try making the recipe for Habanero jelly and gift it to your spice-loving friends come the Holidays. This is a great way to harness the spice.

When slicing and seeding the peppers, we recommend wearing protection (rubber gloves should do the trick). Although the bright peppers may seem innocent, they can leave the skin burning for hours once they’ve been handled.

The recipe at left follows many of the same steps as others we’ve provided for canning. If it’s your first time, I recommend consulting other sources (online or real life books) about the processes to ensure you don’t contaminate your food.

• 8 half pint canning jars with lids and rings
• 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
• 6 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
• 15 habanero or serrano peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 (3 ounce) pouches liquid pectin

1. Stir the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved, then stir in the carrot and red bell pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the habanero peppers and simmer 5 minutes longer. Pour in the pectin, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Skim and discard any foam from the jelly.
2. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pour the jelly into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.
3. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all).

People find many reasons to join CSA s—for the highest quality vegetables, to lower a carbon footprint, to support small farmers, to focus on healthy eating, to gain contact with the source of their food—your reason might be a different one altogether. Many CSA members tell me they joined the CSA for the challenge of cooking with new vegetables and experimenting with cooking outside their comfort zone. That is challenge enough for many CSA members, but others are going further, trying to use every piece of their produce and let nothing go to waste.

The most obvious, and one of the simplest, ways to use your vegetable scraps, is to make a simple vegetable stock. I usually start mine by sautéing some onion and garlic, then add water and anything else I have leftover from the week of cooking; kale and chard stalks, beet shavings (warning: these will turn your stock pink, though it’s not unpretty), garlic and onion peelings and carrot tops all found their way into my most recent version. You can add almost any vegetable scrap you have in your kitchen for a good stock. Pepper ribs and seeds will add a sweet touch to the stock, diced root vegetables will make it a bit heartier.

And you don’t need to make a stock every time you peel a potato; to maintain a steady stock for your stock, keep a bag full of the rinds, peels and stalks that might go in the trash or compost in your freezer so they’ll be ready the next time you whip out the stockpot!

THE KATCHKIE TRUCK serves a menu of farm fresh fare inspired by Katchkie Farm every Monday-Friday during lunchtime. The truck is parked in the Hudson Square Urban Courtyard, located on Spring Street between Hudson Street and Varick Street in New York City.

Menu

Katchkie Farm Veggie Burger
with Katchkie Farm Sliced Tomatoes, Katchkie Farm Tomato Jam and Lettuce on a House Made Chive Roll

Meiller’s Farm Burger
with New York State Cheddar, Katchkie Farm Sliced Tomatoes and Lettuce 

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Katchkie Farm Coleslaw
with Buttermilk Dressing Country

Potato Salad
with Eggs and Dill

Katchkie Farm Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Strawberry Lemonade

Last Saturday, Katchkie Farm made its debut at Smorgasburg! As rookies to the combination Greenmarket and Brooklyn Flea mega-market, we were not sure what to expect or what would sell at this one-of-a-kind gathering. The forecast predicted rain, but preparations went smoothly, neighboring vendors were friendly, and – despite the disappointing weather – locavores and foodies flocked to the Williamsburg waterfront in smaller but no-less enthusiastic numbers.

Armed for higher temperatures, we celebrated the peak of strawberry season with our star products of the day: refreshing strawberry lemonade and chilled strawberry soup. Since hail wiped out our strawberries, we bought these gorgeous berries from our neighbor at the market, Jersey Farm. As the hours went by and the wind picked up, we worried that these seasonal options would not satisfy the dwindling crowd, but the bright pink drink caught the attention of many and sales gained momentum. I rapidly ladled the cold juice in to cups as regular Katchkie customers as well as new ones, both children and adults, continued requesting it. Eventually the market cleared out leaving shoppers drenched and table displays wet and ruined. We – along with the other vendors – actually decided to end the day earlier than expected, but we left hopeful.

We hope to see you there this Saturday, June 18^th or at the New Amsterdam Market on Sunday, June 19^th!

Smorgasburg/Williamsburg Waterfront Greenmarket

Saturday 9am-5pm

27 North 6^th street between Kent ave and East River.

New Amsterdam Market

Sunday 11am-4pm

Fulton Fish Market. South street between Beekman street and Peck Slip.

Come celebrate local farms and commmunity by setting a place at the table in the fields of Katchkie Farm! Farm to Table is co-hosted by Columbia Land Conservancy and Katchkie Farm. Ticket sales benefit the Columbia Land Conservancy and The Sylvia Center.

Farm to Table is a unique experience that showcases the best local produce and products our region has to offer. Sourced from within a 100-mile radius of New York City, the featured 100-Mile Menu represents a celebration of local flavors and a commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture.

The Columbia Land Conservancy and The Sylvia center invite you to a benefit dinner in the fields of Katchkie Farm.

Saturday July 16

Cocktails and music at 5pm in the Children’s Garden followed by dinner in the fields at 6:30

Katchkie Farm

745 Fischer Road, Kinderhook, NY

125$/Person

For tickets go to farmtotableinthefields.eventbrite.com

518.758.2170

After a couple weeks of troublesome weather and scarce production, Katchkie Farm had quite a bountiful harvest this week! Temperatures are heating up as Spring moves in to Summer, and the produce available reflects that seasonal shift, especially apparent with the addition of Strawberries.

At market we’ll be selling Garlic Scapes, A Variety of Lettuces, Basil, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Radishes, Scallions, Chard, Kale, Spinach and Strawberries!

As odd as it can be to host a farmer’s market at Port Authority each week, we meet a wonderful variety of people and love the feeling of touching those who “Never expected to find a farmer’s market in the Port Authority!” (We hear that one a lot.)

Yesterday, I received this email from a new customer who was downright moved by something as simple as our celeriac soup:

I visited your table at the Port Authority market today for the first time ever and got your celeric soup. I really loved it, in fact love feels like an understatement, it brought back my childhood affair with cream of celery soup. Anyhow I just wanted to let you know that every Thursday I’m now planning on getting lunch from you. Thank you for making my day!

After a 12 hour day selling our (small) selection of winter vegetables and prepared foods, feedback like this makes it worth every minute.

This week’s edition of Crain’s New York featured the Katchkie Farm Corporate CSA. Read their article on it here.

For our own summary, read below! For inquiries about the program, contact alice@katchkiefarm.com

What’s a CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs developed around the concept of “investing” in local, small-scale farms. Before the start of the season, members sign up for a “share” in the farm and pay up front so the farmer can plan crops accordingly and purchase seed without taking loans. During the harvest season the farm delivers weekly bundles of produce, giving their “investors” a great value on high quality produce.

What does the Katchkie Farm Corporate CSA consist of?

Modeled on the concept of a traditional CSA, Katchkie Farm’s Corporate CSA expands it for the workplace by collaborating with chefs from Great Performances to pair farm fresh produce with cooking demonstrations developed for working New Yorkers. Each week, month, or however often is convenient for your office, Katchkie Farm will deliver minishares of produce for employees (you choose the amount per employee). That day, a Great Performances chef will come to your office to demonstrate fast, easy ways to prepare the produce.

Benefits

The Katchkie Farm Corporate CSA will expose employees to fresh, local produce and, when conducted in conjunction with Great Performances’ cooking demonstrations, teach them simple ways to prepare delicious meals. The program will help you create and encourage health and wellbeing among your employees and their families, while exposing them to the taste of great seasonal food. By supporting a local, organic farm your company will also be taking steps to decrease the carbon footprint of your food supply and heightening awareness of healthy eating.

Options

We are happy to tailor any program to best fit your needs and provide maximum benefit to your company. You can choose any number of cooking demos to host each month, and pair them with differing increments of produce for your employees. One company might choose to host monthly cooking demonstrations from June through November for twenty employees, coupling them with $10 bags for each attendee. Another company might choose weekly cooking demonstrations but only provide produce for their employees at one of the demos each month.

Reviews of Corporate Cooking Demos from the 2010 Summer Season

“Once I experienced my first Katchkie cooking demonstration using their own seasonal produce, I made an effort to attend as many as I could, and not just because I am vegetarian and love to cook. I like trying new things (such as beets–I actually like them now–and learning to pickle), and these demos were very professionally done but fun. We learned a lot, felt free to ask questions about anything food related, and tasted all the wonderful food. The recipes were easily done at home and the high quality of the ingredients was obvious as everything was delicious. I made the beet appetizer and the pumpkin soup for Thanksgiving and those dishes were the first to disappear.”

-Eleanor G.

“I really loved the Katchkie Farm cooking demos.  I learned to cook with fresh vegetables and–most importantly–I learned to cook with herbs.  I made the butternut squash soup for an elderly neighbor who was under the weather…and now she wants me to make it every week for her lol.   I can’t wait for the cooking demos to start up again!”

-Heidi C.

On July 16, 2011 Katchkie Farm and Great Performances, along with the Columbia Land Conservancy, will host the annual Farm to Table dinner at Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook, New York to benefit The Sylvia Center and the Columbia Land Conservancy.

There are those moments that live in one’s memory throughout the cold winter. When the ground is covered in snow you reminisce about long summer evenings with great food and good company. Katchkie Farm’s annual Farm to Table dinner is just that–an evening filled with music, laughter and local food prepared by the best of New York City’s chefs.

Please join us on July 16, 2011 for yet another wonderful dinner in the fields to benefit two very worthy causes.

For more on the work of the Sylvia Center, click here.
For more on the work of the Columbia Land Conservancy, click here.

Long before I even dreamed of moving to New York City, I knew about Zabar’s. As a recent New York City transplant, particularly one in a culinarily inclined job, I still feel like a sponge, soaking up as much information about New York institutions as my mind can hold. One institution however transcends the rest. I remember my first visit to the culinary mecca on Broadway at 80^th. I found myself in a kitchen lover’s heaven. Packed to the brim with interesting products, mouth watering counters for quality meats, cheeses and breads, and the cooking supplies to outfit my dream kitchen, Zabar’s manages to sell an incredible array of food items without the haughtiness that other fine food stores project. Instead of the new-agey modern vibe of some stores, walking into Zabar’s feels like taking a step back in history—to a New York City of 1941, the year Louis Zabar opened the original store on this site.

On Friday I entered Zabar’s in a new capacity…demoing the Katchkie Farm products that sell at Zabar’s (Tomato Sauce, Katchkie Ketchup, Salsa and Salsa Verde, keep an eye out next time you’re there). Setting up my little shop amid the hustle and bustle of the store was quick; then I was off to heating and serving pasta with our delicious Tomato Sauce. While some were just interested in the tasty food, lots of customers were delighted to learn about the local tomatoes of Katchkie Farm and –most importantly—that they could purchase a ketchup made 100% from pronounceable ingredients.

One woman, both elderly and elegant, was led through the store by Scott Goldshine, general manager of Zabar’s. He introduced her to the Katchkie products and me to her, “Alice, this is Ms. Lauren Bacall.” After a single taste she quickly placed a Tomato Sauce and Katchkie Ketchup into her cart; then asked for another sample. Ms. Bacall was so infatuated with the entire meal she began asking after the pasta we were using for the samples (courtesy of Great Performances). Talk about a celebrity endorsement!

By the end of the day, we had nearly sold Zabar’s out of Tomato Sauce and made a lot of Zabar’s customers (and a few employees) quite happy and full—as any great food product should.

In the farming world, January is a bleak month. It’s a month of cold, a month of monotonous storage vegetables and a month of the farmer retiring from the field to plan the new year of crops.  But for Katchkie Farm, things are a bit different.

Three lovely greenhouses allow us to supply more than just root vegetables at our winter markets. Last Thursday our Port Authority stand boasted fresh spinach, red choi and beautiful heads of butter leaf lettuce, red romaine, red lola and more…enough to make even a fan of summer salads swoon.

We are also taking advantage of this month to plan crops for next year. What would you like to see us plant in 2011? Let us know on Twitter @katchkiefarm or on our Facebook page.

EXTRA: If you’re New York City based but haven’t made it to Port Authority in a while (or even if you have), stop by Zabar’s on Friday, January 21st where we’ll be serving up tastes of Katchkie Farm Tomato Sauce to shoppers!

It’s that time of year again, Sunday December 19 will be the last New Amsterdam Market of 2010. For six months the artisanal foodie market has tucked itself under the Brooklyn Bridge every Sunday (well, it was just once per month until September).
Katchkie Farm has been at the market once per month, selling everything from Blackberry-Basil Lemonade and Zucchini Flatbread to our (now famous) Katchkie Tamales and Spiced Cider. But everything must come to an end. This Sunday we will be serving up our final dish–homemade latkes topped with Tomato Jam–for those brave enough to bare the cold for the market.

Hope to see you there. We’ll be selling Beet Chips, Tomato Jam and Ketchup there (they make great gifts!) in addition to the latkes.

Typically we associate farm visits with hot weather, green fields, vibrant vegetables, sweat and sun.  But each season on the farm has its unique “flavor”.  This weekend was transitional as the light was sharper – its angle glaring – and the temperature and wind suggested that winter was just around the corner.  The cold felt good – an appropriate match to late November and Thanksgiving Day weekend.

First stop – check out what is happening in the greenhouses.  Two are filled with the most delicious lettuces and hearty greens.  Having not had breakfast, I munched my way up and down the aisles, feasting on local greens to my hearts content.  (In the Greenmarket, it goes for $12 a ¼ lb!)  On to the nursery, where table after table is filled with micro greens.  These Lilliputian sprouts are magnificent.

The pigs have grown fatter and a tad furry in an effort to stay warm.  They are a welcome sight, running to greet visitors who might bear gifts of food.  It is a peaceable kingdom – the goat, the pigs and the chickens sharing their compound and their food.  An occasional aggressive grunt and head butt pierces the steady sound of animals chowing down.

The field alternate brown and green, with several hearty crops still thriving.  The kale, Romanesque, cabbage and broccoli like the cold and there has not been enough frost to end their productivity.  They are in fact sweeter than ever as the cold causes the release sugars.  There will be at least another week of fresh greens at our market stand.  Whew!  There will be plenty of time for all the storage crops and pickles.

The sky goes from overcast to a dramatic mix of clouds and brilliant sun.  It frames the landscape and the buildings.  Skeletal sunflowers maintain their field positions.  The pond glistens. A rabbit stealthily races behind the greenhouse before the farm dog catches her scent.  Frozen apples hang on a solitary tree looking like Christmas ornaments.  There are puddles from recent rain and mushy paths where ice and frozen ground will soon, hopefully, be.

It is a divine transitional moment – the farm is yawning, not yet asleep.  Alluring with its remnant bounty that suggests continued harvest, the long cold winter months will begin shortly.  We will hunger for the growing season and start the long count until its return.

On December 9, 2010, join The Hudson Valley Seed Library and Katchkie Farm at the Horticultural Society of New York for an exhibition of artwork from the Hudson Valley Seed Library’s art packs for 2011. An intimate reception with hors d’oeuvres by Great Performances featuring products and produce from Katchkie Farm will open the show from 5-6:30. Purchase tickets online through the Horticultural Society.

The exhibition showcases for the first time in New York City original artworks commissioned by the Hudson Valley Seed Library for their unique Art Pack seed collection. Each season, the Seed Library looks for a diverse range of artists to interpret the herbs, flowers and vegetables from their catalog for the designs of their seed packets. The focus this year was on the heirloom varieties currently available through the Seed Library. All sixteen artworks from the 2011 collection will be on view.

Drawing from a range of different styles, materials, and experience, Contemporary Heirlooms includes works in a variety of mediums, including collage, encaustics, oil, ink, watercolor and digital art by a diverse selection of artists. The diversity of the artwork and artists chosen is meant to reflect the genetic and cultural diversity of the varieties offered by the Seed Library.

Signed, limited edition giclee prints of the original artworks will be for sale during the course of the exhibition, along with Art Packs filled with seeds and framed seed packs.

Still Time to Join the Momentum!

The Sylvia Center is celebrating Robin Quivers who ran in Sunday’s marathon and has raised $20,000 for them so far! The window is not yet closed on donations. Join the hundreds of others who supported Robin’s run for childhood nutrition by visiting her donation site here by November 20, 2010. If The Sylvia Center reaches the $30,000 goal, they will be able to pay for 100 children at City Housing Authority Community Centers to receive a year of healthy cooking classes and a visit to Katchkie Farm. Don’t miss out on this super opportunity!

Though my job is dedicated to coordinating Katchkie Farm’s markets, CSA share program, and products (i.e, I spend all day thinking about the farm), I have visited relatively few times. Last weekend I made my third trip to Kinderhook (in four months on the job) for the Fall Harvest Festival.

When we arrived, Sally, Liz and I found the farm in its full fall glory. Brilliant yellows, reds and oranges popped out from the sea of greenery around the farm. Soon families arrived; while adults gathered in the field house for some barbeque, local apples and Katchkie Farm arugula salad, kids ran all over the farm, making friends with Thunder, Butter and Dill (the pigs) and Rosie (the goat). The chickens didn’t seem quite as interested in socializing. Others decorated pizzas to be heated in our very own oven, or took the paddle boat out on the water. I alternated between preparing food, chatting with guests, and touring my family (an aunt, an uncle and three cousins who were able to make their way upstate) around the farm.

Some of our plans (for sack races and bobbing for apples) were replaced with others (lounging on the potato sacks and eating the plentiful apples from neighboring Samascott Orchard). But the hayride still ruled the day; kids and adults piled onto the trailer and Farmer Bob drove the tractor around the farm. He stopped to point out the rows of vegetables (“Does anyone know what that row is? Or that one?” “Broccoli!” “Kale!” “Brussels Sprouts!”) and give everyone a taste of the radishes (once they brushed off the soil). As cars began to leave the farm, one little girl from Delmar still held tight to her radish, bringing home one little piece of Katchkie Farm to remember it by.

I brought myself home a little bag of arugula and a few apples, but my memory of the day—of bright skies over Katchkie dressed in fall colors, and family time in the gardens—is what will last.

It’s bittersweet to watch the farm’s palette change from bright greens and yellows to mellow browns, reds and oranges. The colors are beautiful but they warn of the winter ahead. In certain ways, the fall
is all about preparing for the winter. As we ready the farm for our Fall Harvest Festival (Sunday, October 17) we realize that it will be the last day to take the boats and fishing poles out on the pond. Farmer Bob will give the last hay rides. The Sylvia Center will harvest the last beets, squash and greens from the Children’s Garden.

But the cycle of the farm continues as leaves and vegetables change. On Sunday we’ll break from the picnicking and potato sack racing to plant the best of our garlic crop. The garlic will develop under the soil through the cold winter and early spring, sprouting just as the harvest begins again in May. As we say goodbye enjoy the crisp fall we can look beyond the winter to the bright potential of next year’s harvest.

We’re moving into autumn, but our summer vegetables haven’t left us yet. This week look for heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, arugula, onions, lettuce, leeks, parsley, basil, chard, kale, okra and cranberry beans at market.

Here is a full list of produce in season right now. Of course the variety varies each week in our CSA and at our markets, but if you’re up at the farm, keep an eye out for:

• Basil
• Cranberry Beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery Root
• Rainbow Chard
• Japanese Eggplant
• Italian Eggplant
• Baby Lettuce Salad Mix
• Red Lola Lettuce
• Romaine Lettuce
• Red Onions
• White Onions
• Parsley
• Pumpkins
• Yellow Bell Peppers
• Poblano Peppers
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Radishes
• Butternut Squash
• Delicata Squash
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sungold Tomatoes
• Black Cherry Tomatoes
• Tokyo Turnips
• Zucchini

Four years ago we set out on a mission to establish a new farm, an extension of the Great Performances family. The farm would supply us with food and more significantly, with a mission. It would feed our guests but more importantly, feed our passion. And it would be home to the newly conceived Sylvia Center, where children would come and discover the joy and flavors of fresh food. We thought it would change their lives and discovered that it changed ours.

Sunday was the 4th Annual Spring Celebration at Katchkie Farm. For 3 years it was called Spring Clean Up. This year, it was called Spring Planting Day illustrating the power of marketing, as this was the most amazing and well-attended day by far. The attendees, who hailed from the distant lands of Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, NJ and Long Island, and as nearby as down the road and neighboring towns, were prepared to plant. Properly attired in farm-ware and accessorized with trowels, gloves, hats and sturdy shoes, they quickly accomplished all the planting goals that had been set for them. The children’s garden was transformed within 2 hours. What was left to do? Eat, sleep, fish, hike, talk and eat some more.

Someone asked, with all that has been accomplished these past few years, what is left on your wish list? I had to stop and really think about that question. First of all, sometimes things move off the wish list on onto the to-do list, where they hang out for a long time. But as they are on the road to fruition, they are off the wish list. What’s left – the bee colony, the wish for a small collection of animals, some fruit trees, a row of willow trees – and not much more. Some wishes have vanished, things that are just no longer of interest or importance. More significantly, the farm itself and seeing it come to life over the past 4 years, has had deep impact on what my understanding of how things evolve on a farm (and perhaps, in life). Knowing what is right is not always self-evident. Patience. To begin, little happens quickly. Time is elastic – what seems doable quickly, takes far more time than originally contemplated. What seems to take forever, in hindsight, happens in a flash. Growing this farm has taught me the value and the art of patience. But what I love most about thinking this has been a slow and meticulous process, is that it has happened virtually overnight. 4 years is miniscule in farm years.

The other component of wish-list analysis is that with farming, an appreciation of the details we scarcely notice, become very meaningful. A lot of rain, the absence of rain, the heat, the cold, the painstaking labor, the back-breaking labor, the long days, the not long enough days, the endless days – the measure of time and weather in ways that make or break a grower. And suddenly, the grand wish list boils down to a few very important desires.

When we first started working with children on the farm in 2007, we knew that having them see how food is grown, what it looks and tastes like when you pick it yourself, and then cooking a meal together, would open their minds up and start questioning what they were putting into their bodies. And of course, we were asked to prove the connection between what we were experiencing with them in the field and how it influenced their subsequent behavior. We have walked the fields countless times with children who stuffed their pockets with herbs and small vegetables, trophies to bring home and share with their families, hopeful that these new favors could somehow be incorporated into their lives.

But the hardship of this struggle to prove what we saw daily and knew intuitively to be true, vanished overnight as the movement behind health and nutrition education embraced the connection between a child’s experience in a garden (or on a farm) and how they related to what was put on their plate. “First Farmer” Michelle Obama has demonstrated this principle to our entire country. I suppose the connection between what one eats, and health (and in turn performance at school), has been cleared up.

We have all been celebrating the immense gift of having a fertile, productive, life-affirming farm in our daily lives. It is an experience that continues to leave me speechless when the time comes to pack up the car and head back to the city. And for the updated wish list, I suppose I could update it.

Here is Wish List 2010:

1. A long and fun vacation for Farmer Bob, at least 3,000 miles away from Columbia County.
2. The harvest of crops for the 2010/2011 winter season, utilizing the new radiant heat system Bob has built.
3. Matching demand from our clients and cafes with what is growing seasonally on the farm.
4. Improved communication city to country/kitchen to farm.
5. Bring more children to the farm for Sylvia Center programs.
6. A bigger and better fundraising machine.
7. More permanent structures in the children’s garden.
8. A more robust supply chain of good quality discarded cooking oil for the boiler.
9. Continue to build community between the farm and our neighbors.
10. And of course, more willow trees, some fruit trees, a small herd of goats, a single llama and a colony of bees.

Enjoy your vegetables. Hope for rain and sun in measured quantities. Celebrate Food; Celebrate life!

We left NYC; temperatures were in the mid-60′s.  Upon arrival at Katchkie Farm, it was in the mid-50′s, clear sky with brilliant sun.  The ride up was magnificent.  Fall colors were evident once we exited Manhattan, where the season is still late summer.  Leaves swirling, crisp air, red and yellow leaves.  It was as though someone had flicked a switch.  I really had not realized the season had changed.

Karyn, Itala, Sally, Nancy and Johannes had finished harvesting for the Saturday Delmar Farmers Market and were putting final touches on the bouquets of some very autumnal looking flowers.  Anna, completing her second week as Executive Director of Sylvia Center, jumped in to help.

I went straight away to the tomato greenhouse to find the Sun Gold tomatoes for snacking and picking.  The tropical feeling greenhouse was awash in blossoms and the scent of tomatoes.  Heaven!

Off to a walk in the fields“ where the giant sunflowers were ending their glorious rule.  A quick call to Nina in NYC, who referenced the National Sunflower Association for guidance on what to do next with the fading heads.  Cut them off was the verdict and their next act will be educational; drying the seeds and then eating them with our school groups who will come to visit in the Sylvia Center Kids Kitchen or at the farm in October.

It is the final week or two of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes.  Peppers are out the door right behind them.  Arugala, hearty greens, beets, turnips, kale, brussel sprouts and the cold weather vegetables are doing well.  Hundreds of butternut squash, and other winter squash varieties are stored in the cool garage. Other storage vegetables, like onions and carrots have found their spots as well.

It is a bittersweet transition time – the intensity of the past few months starts to dissipate and the daily race to water, harvest, plant, plow, pick, spray, rest and begin again, winds down.  Off-season project lists slowly begin to surface.

I am able to gather enough ingredients for a few more Katchkie Farm Lasagnas.  I need to get them into the freezer so that we can enjoy them once the ground is frozen.  I plan on going to the Greenmarket early tomorrow morning, in search of other end of season vegetables – for one more final romance in the kitchen, then into the freezer.

Slowly, it begins to sink in.  The growing season of 2009 will end.  It will soon be time to think about new crops and greenhouse agendas.  We still have several weeks of markets and CSA, so it is far from over but summer is now officially gone.