We will be at the Hillsdale Farmers’ Market this Sunday, 10th of January. The market opens at 10:00 AM, regardless of rain, snow or even overly bright sunshine. We were thinking it would be fun to celebrate our 100th market at Hillsdale. Trouble is, this will be the 120th time we have set up our tent at the market.

Not wanting to waste an opportunity to have fun, we will be slaying our largest squash of the season. It’s big and perfect for a farm’s 120th anniversary, also know as the ‘Squash Anniversary’ in some market districts. We will have a variation on “how many beans are in the jar?” Jot down your name and how many pounds you all think the squash weighs. Whomsoever guesses correctly, or closest, will be eligible to receive a complimentary oh so fashionable Ayers Creek Farm shopping bag at a future market.

We will bringing a good number of our smaller squashes as well. We will have them priced in advance. Normally, the greens take up a lot of space in the van. This ain’t a green winter, folks, but it was a good squash summer. So we will fill the void with winter squash. Keep the fruits in a warm, dry place until you are ready to use them. They are at their prime for the next three months.

Squash are among the oldest cultivated plants. Remains of cultivated squash found at Guilá Naquitz cave in Oaxaca, Mexico have been dated at a bit shy of 9,000 years old. The impetus to cultivate squash may have been their usefulness as containers. Squash seeds are an important ingredient in Oaxacan cooking. The seeds of all of our squash are delicious, so pause before throwing them in the compost bucket.

If you like making hominy, try using Amish Butter kernels. Makes a good white hominy.

Freshly Dug and Harvested

Mixed heading type chicories

We will have bags of loose leaves and whole heads.

Rutabagas

Wednesday’s NY Times had a charming description of some crazy farmer who spends his time asking his customers to try the rutabagas (link). Linked below, you all will recognize the pitch. Happily, when people taste them, they return for more. We will have some soft red wheat if you want to try the salad. We also sauté diced rutabaga and add it to chicory salads.

Gobo

Parsnips & Hamburg Parsley

Potatoes

Storage vegetables

Sweet Potatoes

Winter Squash

Dry Goods

Dried peppers

Aci Sivri and Joe’s Long Cayenne.

Dry Beans

Corn
Roy’s Calais Flint and Amish Butter meal
Popcorn

Carol and Anthony Boutard
Ayers Creek Farm