Friday, January 30, 2009

Woodstock Country Orchard

Woodstock Country Orchard

Alex & Dorothy Rash, 17015 Garden Valley Rd, Woodstock IL 60098, (815) 923-4359.

Mid-Sept – mid-Oct.
Wed-Fri 10am-2pm
Sat & Sun 9am-4pm

U-pick apples. 12 best varieties including Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Empire,
and Gala. U-pick raspberries. Stiff neck garlic, melons and honey.

www.woodstockcountryorchard.com


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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Tierney Farm

Tierney Farm

Alan & Daryl Tierney, 11532 Rt 173, PO Box 188, Capron IL 61012, (815) 569-2277.

Jan-Dec, call first. Grain, grass, alfalfa and hay-fed goat meat, no hormones or stimulants, mostly natural.

foxindian@hotmail.com,

www.tierneyradiator.com


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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

DIY: Tips for New Gardeners

Gardening is an investment in the future. There are few things as rewarding as being able to see your hard work pay off as plants swell and ripen, resulting in beautiful flowers and delicious fruits and vegetables.

As with any investment, patience is a must. Plants refused to be rushed!
  1. When buying annuals, look for plants that have lots of buds but only a few flowers. After all, a plant with a lot of flower has already done half of its flowering for the grower, not for you.
  2. Consider buying perennials as seed, not finished plants. Perennials will be around for years, and you can get seeds a lot cheaper than finished plants in their 2nd or 3rd year because they grower won't have to charge you for their investment.  In the same way, consider buying small trees or shrubs rather than the full-size ones. 
  3. Don't try to plant too early!  Once the days start warming up in late March or April, you will probably be eager to get your plants in the growd but waiting until May will protect them from frost and damage. Wait to plant until the soil warms and dries; it should be more 'crumbly' than 'sticky'.
  4. Don't work the soil too early. This is a corollary to #3. You want to avoid tilling, planting or even walking where you will be planting later in the year because this will compact the soil and make it harder for plants to establish themselves and push through.  
Also, you may want to check out our "DIY Corner" which contains a carefully selected and ever-changing lineup of videos with more great tips and tricks!  You can find the DIY Corner toward the bottom and right side of the website. Enjoy!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Pine Row Farm

Pine Row Farm

Don Larson, 11449 Havenswood Rd, Roscoe IL 61073, (815) 540-1053.

May-Dec, Geneva and St Charles Farmers Markets (Illinois) and Tomorrows Harvest CSA.

pinerowfarm@hotmail.com


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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Phil's Fresh Beef

Phil's Fresh Beef, Inc.

Philip Zaffer, 10296 W Grove Rd, Forreston IL 61030, (815) 238-3118.

Pasteurized corn-fed beef by the quarter.

No antibiotics or hormones. Order in July for early December pick-up.

philipzaffer@yahoo.com


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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Oriana's Oriental Orchard

Oriana's Oriental Orchard

Oriana KC Kruszewski, 8429 N Harding Ave, Skokie IL 60076, (815) 673-9175.

Sept-Oct, Sat & Sun, call for hours.

Also available at Green City Market.

Asian pears, American pears, black currant, American black walnut, pawpaws, potted fruit trees.


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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

DIY: Companion Planting


Interested in growing flowers or vegetables yourself? If so, you should think about companion planting. In nature many plants produce natural insect repellents (or attractants) or produce substances that affect the growth rate of nearby varieties. Savvy gardeners can take advantage of these natural interactions to manage insects and rabbits as well as boost their plants' productivity.

Here is a great resource on companion planting.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Norton Farm, Inc (Norton Produce)

Norton Farm Inc

Beth Luna, 39W369 Rt 64, St Charles IL 60175, (630) 377-8118.

May 1-Oct 31, Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm.

Spring annuals and perennials, asparagus, straw berries, tomatoes, raspberries, sweet corn, squash, and more. Pumpkins and fall decorations. Full service produce stand.

www.nortonfarminc.com (Coming soon!)


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Monday, January 19, 2009

Grow Your Own - Be a Locavore!

The Chicago Tribune had a nice little article on local agriculture.  This should be a boom year for gardening, driven by a confluence of factors including the growing 'locavore' trend as well as the tougher economic climate.

What are the benefits of local agriculture?
You know the growers and you don't have to wonder what kind of pesticide was used.
Minimal environmental impact - less greenhouse gas produced to ship products.
You don't have to worry about e coli infections from some distant processing plant.
Fruits and vegetables can be picked at the height of freshness, rather than being picked 'green' and steam ripened in railcars en route to the distribution center.

If you're interested in starting your own garden, here are a few tips from the Tribune:
  • Find full sun. A vegetable garden must have eight hours of sun every day. Remember that shadows may fall later in thh season as the sun moves through the sky.
  • Start small. Gain experience from growing a few plants, and you'll be able to build on the knowledge next year.
  • Test your soil. All gardening depends on the quality of the soil and the organisms that live in it and provide nutrients to your plants.  Soil that has been under a lawn or play area is likely to be pounded hard and biologically dead. Take samples to a good garden center for an informal assessment of its texture, but also get a laboratory soil test, which costs about $35. If you live in the city or in an old house or near a heavily trafficked road, have the soil tested for lead, a deadly poison that may come from old paint or decades of auto exhaust.
  • Try containers. If you choose "compact" or "patio" varieties of vegetables, you can grow them in containers, if you are willing to water frequently - at least once a day as the summer goes on and the plants get bigger.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Moonglow Farms

Moonglow Farms

Heidi & Eric Lindroth
17277 Laube Rd, Davis IL 61019, (608) 219-4294, (815) 494-7261.

April-Nov, Sat,
Produce April-Nov;
Plants April-Sept;
Year-round herbal vinegars and herbal teas
Evening hours by appt; call first.

Wide selection of heirloom vegetable and herb plants, combination containers/herbal garden containers, and salad bowls. Wide selection of heirloom produce that varies by season.

North End Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

harvest@moongloworganics.com


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Friday, January 16, 2009

The Little Red Shed

The Little Red Shed

Marla Price

9578 N Second St, Roscoe IL 61073
5694 Swanson Rd, Roscoe IL 61073, (815) 742-9736 & (815) 633-3724.

Mid-June - Sept, Wed-Sat, Wed-Fri afternoons, Sat 9am-4pm. Early crops include peas, beets, radishes, and a variety of lettuce. Mid-summer crops include tomatoes, sweet corn, green beans, cucumbers, and zucchini. Ground wheat will be available upon harvest. Later crops include pumpkins and a variety of squash.

mumsyof2@msn.com


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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Kinnikinnick Farm

Kinnikinnick Farm

David & Susan Cleverdon, 21123 Grade School Rd, Caledonia IL 61011, (815) 292-3288.

May-Nov, Mon-Fri, 7:30am-5pm.

Certified organic. Salad greens, Italian & American cooking greens, chicories, 26 varieties of tomatoes, root crops, culinary herbs, seasonal specialties like asparagus, snap peas, and winter squash.

Chicago's Green City Market in Lincoln Park on Wednesdays.
Evanston Farmers Market on Saturdays.

kinnikinnickfarm@yahoo.com

www.kinnikinnickfarm.com


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Monday, January 12, 2009

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

This is the book that compelled me to start learning about local food options. In an interesting conceit, the author Michael Pollan breaks the book into four sections, each describing a specific meal. Over the course of the volume, the reader learns about industrial agriculture, local and organic farming, industrial organic (yes, there is such a thing and if you buy 'organic' in the grocery store you're likely buying industrial organic) and 'wild' foods.

It's really a fascinating account of how your food becomes your food. A must read!

Jones Packing Company

Jones Packing Company

Ray E Jones, 22701 Oak Grove Rd, Harvard IL 60033, (815) 943-4488.

Jan-Dec, Mon-Sat,
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Sat 8am-1pm

Offer steers (beef), pork, and misc cold cuts and cheese.


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Saturday, January 10, 2009

Irish Grove Farms, Inc

Irish Grove Farms, Inc.

Jackie de Batista, 9027 Best Rd, Pecatonica IL 61063, (815) 239-1325.

A 4th-generation family farm providing humanely raised, all-natural beef, chicken, and eggs. Murray Grey beef cows grass-fed and rotated every 3 days to fresh pastures in transition to organic. Chickens given a ration of home-grown, non-GMO grain, and allowed to forage daily for grass and bugs in a 2-acre pasture. Grass-finished beef will not be available until spring of 2009.

Please call for availability of grain-fed beef,chickens, and eggs.

comepifa@aol.com

www.irishgrove.blogspot.com


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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Haylo Farms

Haylo Farms — Texas Longhorns

Steve & Tricia Angell, 15199 Best Rd, Davis IL 61019, (815) 548-4040.

Open year round. Call for appt.

Grass fed, natural, antibiotic/hormone/preservative free. Sell all cuts from ground beef to t-bones to jerky. Sell frozen: clear shrinkwrap or paper.

haylofarm@stateline-isp.com

www.texaslonghornsofillinois.com

www.haylofarm.com


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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Geneva Green Market

Geneva Green Market

Winter Hours
November - June (check website for specific dates)

Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
at Inglenook Pantry
11 N Fifth Street
Geneva Il 60134
Contact Connie Weaver at 630-377-0737



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Summer Hours (see website for 2009 dates)
Thursdays June through October
7:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
75 N RIVER LANE, GENEVA IL 60134

karcryo@mac.com
630.208.9321


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Sunday, January 4, 2009

Scotch Hill Farm

Scotch Hill Farm
Tony & Dela Ends, 910 Scotch Hill Rd, Brodhead WI 53520, (608) 897-4288.

Vegetables, meat, eggs, goat milk, soap and products.

Soap and vegetable stalls at Oak Park Market (IL) on Sat am, Fitchburg Market (WI) on Thurs pm.

tony@scotchhillfarm.com, dela@scotchhillfarm.com,

www.scotchhillfarm.com


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Saturday, January 3, 2009

Raines Honey Farm

Raines Honey Farm
Phillip Raines, 16566 Best Rd, Davis IL 61019, (815) 248-3321.

Jan-Dec, Mon-Sun. Honey, pollen and beeswax.

phillip@raineshoneyfarm.com

www.raineshoneyfarm.com


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Thursday, January 1, 2009

Twin Garden Farms

Twin Garden Farms
Gary Pack, 23017 Rt 173, Harvard IL 60033, (815) 943-7448.

Aug-Sept 10, Mon-Sun, 10am-5pm.

Mirai sweetcorn, tomatoes, melons, watermelons, honey.

grpack@ameritech.net,

www.twingardenfarms.com


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