Celebrating Agriculture National Agriculture Day ( March 21st) celebrates 50 years of advocacy and awareness for agriculture. Ag day is the beginning of National Agriculture Week goes through March 27th this year. The day and week are set aside to recognize the importance of agriculture and to honor those who work to produce food for… Read More »

John-Paul Andronici brings his love of culinary creations to Alstede Farms, setting the table for the first Food & Beverage Manager position. Alstede Farms transcends the farm-to-table experience with this new position planting the seed for a sprouting hospitality department. John-Paul brings his corporate chef experience, fine dining acumen, and his hospitality background to elevate… Read More »

Turnips and Rutabagas are categorized as an Itsy Bitsy crop on our farm. Itsy Bitsy crops mean they are a tinier crop in size by definition. They also occupy smaller acreage and are all planted using the same machine making them an overall smaller crop that gets categorized into this grouping. Other Itsy Bitsy crops… Read More »

Pumpkins are synonymous with autumn and they are more than just a feast for your eyes. Pumpkins are an extraordinary healthy food that is so versatile and nutritious. Central to fall celebrations, you can consume so much of the plant including the flowers, the flesh, the seeds, and the leaves. Commonly harvested around October, they… Read More »

Late summer and early fall brings one of the most iconic and beloved fruits of the season, apples! With over 50 different varieties, we have an apple flavor and profile to please everyone. Maybe you would prefer sweet mild Galas over a sharp tart Granny Smith, a zesty Winesap over a juicy McIntosh, now is… Read More »

Summer squash are varieties of Cucurbita pepo related to pumpkins, melons and cucumbers. Believed to be native to America’s, summer squash are harvested when immature and the rind is still tender and edible. We farm 4 acres of squash growing six different varieties including; yellow round (AKA 8 ball) green round, yellow straight neck, Cousa,… Read More »

Eggplant, also known as Aubergine, is technically a berry, as it contains small edible seeds, although it is regarded as a vegetable in cooking. Eggplants are a member of the nightshade family which also include; peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Eggplants are in season on our farm in the summer months of late July through September,… 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 »

Bean thinking about healthy eating? Try adding green beans into your summer dishes to enjoy the health benefits of eating farm fresh and in season. The green bean is a herbaceous plant belonging to the legume family and has been around for a very long time. Some say that there are over 100 varieties of… Read More »

Blueberries certainly are berry good eats and they are in season now on our farm. There are generally two types of blueberry bushes: the first being wild (commercially known as lowbush) blueberries and cultivated (commercially known as highbush) blueberries. We have seven plus acres of the highbush blueberry variety on our farm.  Highbush blueberries have… Read More »

Meet Trish Cirelli, our CSA administrator here at Alstede Farms. Trish adores being a part of our Community Supported Agriculture program as she just loves helping people enjoy all the benefits of eating farm fresh. Some of her best recipes she has learned from our culinary specialist or from CSA members themselves. It’s their interest… Read More »

Sorrel is a leafy green vegetable that can also be used as an herb and cultures around the world have been growing and using it for centuries. Sorrel is from the knotweed family, the same botanical family as buckwheat and rhubarb and you may hear it going by another name “dock”.  You may have seen… Read More »