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 »

Nothing is as quite as iconic to New Jersey as the versatile apple. Apples connote health (apple a day keeps the doctor away) as well as affection (apple of my eye) and are one of the 3rd most valuable crops in N.J. right after tomatoes and blueberries, according to the State Department of Agriculture. Apples… Read More »

Nothing tastes as delectable as in-season produce which has been sun kissed, field ripened, and fresh picked, providing the perfect combination for appetizing, nutrient dense fruits and vegetables. It’s late Summer season on our farm and did you know that so many wonderful items are still being harvested including ; peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, eggplant,… Read More »

Watermelon is quintessential with summer, not only for the time it is in season, but also for its ability to connect us with the nostalgia of our childhood. Most everyone can relate to a sentimental memory of eating watermelon on a hot summer day as a very special treat.  It’s watermelon season on our farm… Read More »

Peppers are in the genus Capsicum family which includes hot varieties known as chili peppers and sweet varieties such as bell peppers.  Peppers are truly taking the world by storm with international appeal and can be found in favored cuisine from all around the world. Peppers are technically a fruit due to their botanical classification… Read More »

Tomatoes are the fruit of the tomato plant. They are botanically classified as a fruit since they contain seeds and grow from a flowering plant, however, they are more commonly known as a vegetable to most people. The scientific name for tomato is “Lycopersicon lycopersicum” translated to mean “wolf peach”. Rich in lycopene and other… Read More »

Eggplant, also known as Aubergine, is technically a berry, although regarded as a vegetable in cooking. The name for eggplant is said to have originated due to it’s resemblance to white eggs, as the variety of eggplant brought to North America by the European immigrants was white. Eggplants are in the nightshade family along with… Read More »

Sweet Corn, also known as Maize, is in the height of season on our farm right now. An ear, or cob of corn, is part of the flower of the plant while the kernel is the seed of the plant. Some say that an ear of corn is said to contain 800 kernels arranged in… Read More »

Garlic may be one of the oldest cultivated crops according to some historians and as a result of it’s longevity it’s become a staple in many diets and cuisines across the globe. Rich in antioxidants it is considered by health experts to have many health benefits and we find it just plain delicious.  There are… Read More »

The peach tree is a deciduous fruit tree native to China and thought to have been transported to the West by the Persians, lending some speculation as to why some call peaches the Persian apple. Some historians believe that in ancient times, peaches were a symbol of longevity and luck and are still today considered… Read More »

Have you ever heard the term “cool as a cucumber”? This term is said to have derived from the cucumber’s potential ability to cool the temperature of the blood. How utterly cool is that? Cucumbers are a member of the gourd family and are technically a fruit in the botanical sense as they contain seeds inside.… Read More »

The hot days of summer call for staying hydrated and preparing simple, easy, no-cook meals and it’s easy to do just that with these helpful hints from our farm kitchen.  Summertime is a time when produce is in great abundance here on our farm. Nature has a way of taking care of us and there… Read More »