As we wind down the year, it’s a great time to reflect on the previous one. Looking back on 2023 we are grateful for many things including growing healthy food and feeding people while providing opportunities for families to experience visiting a real working farm and learn how food is grown. We are most grateful… Read More »

The colder temperatures and diminishing light start to move all of us indoors. That doesn’t mean we stop cultivating crops, we do it a little differently. Instead of working primarily in the fields we are busy planting and harvesting in our high tunnels and greenhouses. These methods are a way to extend the growing season… Read More »

There was plenty of popping good excitement in Manhattan on Friday, May 5th, when Alstede Farms brought the farm to “The Big Apple” with an exclusive tractor-drawn wagon ride down the streets of Broadway and through the sights of Times Square.     Alstede Farms was “all ears” when they were asked to transport the cast… Read More »

Have you visited our farm store lately? Most area farms close for the winter season, however, we stay open all year long to serve you. One of the main reasons our farm store is distinct and welcoming is due to the dedication of Stacy Wlodarick, Farm Market Manager, and Trish Cirelli, Assistant Retail Operations Manager.… Read More »

Popping corn is a special variety of corn named Zea belonging to the corn family. Other types of corn are Dent, Sweet and Flint Corn. Dent corn, aka field corn, is primarily used as grain corn for animals. Sweet Corn is the delicious corn on your table or seen at farmers’ markets during the summertime.… Read More »

Do you know? Is Corn a fruit or a vegetable?  Corn is technically a fruit as it derives from a seed of a flowering plant. There are generally two types of corn, sweet corn and field corn. The differences between sweet corn and field corn are that sweet corn is picked when immature and used… Read More »

Father’s Day is celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June as a way of honoring those who embrace the role of fatherhood. Names for fathers vary and include dad, father, pop, papa, poppa and so many more variations.  Historians say that the very first Father’s Day occurred on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington… Read More »

Popcorn is said to have originated thousands of years ago by the Aztecs and that they may have used it for decorating clothes for ceremonial gatherings and for eating.  Popcorn is it’s own specific seed, it is not sweet corn that is left to dry. We grow multiple varieties of popcorn on our farm, Butterfly,… Read More »

Christmas time is the most wonderful time of the year and we want you to enjoy decorating your home to the fullest with our guide to Christmas tree care. It’s time to start selecting your tree if you have not already done so! The first step is to prepare your desired location in your home… Read More »

Scientists believe that corn was domesticated in Mexico by native people about 9,000 years ago and that it was developed from wild grass. It was grown in ancient times using a planting system called Milpa which is still used today throughout Mesoamerica. Milpa is essentially a polyculture planting system utilizing Corn, Beans & Squash. The… Read More »