(Emma joined us full-time this past winter as our vegetable manager.) Background: I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina with an orchard and a big garden, which I resented having to weed, but I loved eating fresh fruit and veggies in season. After getting a degree in writing and spending time working as a cook and a masonry laborer, I circled back around to growing food. I did my farming apprenticeship at Anchor Run CSA in Wrightstown, PA, and then worked for a year with Fair Food, a local food nonprofit in Philadelphia, before coming to North Star. I am delighted to be outdoors again!
Why are you working at North Star Orchard?: I am here because this is the work I want to do. I get a lot of satisfaction from working outside, with my hands, with plants, growing food for the community. Also, I hope to have my own farm someday and I know I still have a lot to learn.
What do you want to do when you grow up?: When I grow up I want to live somewhere with a lot of trees and have a farm with veggies and fruits and berries and sheep and goats and draft horses and dogs and chickens and ducks and bees and maybe a pig!
Favorite farm jobs: Hoeing if it’s not too hot, harvesting good-smelling things like garlic scapes and basil, crossing tasks off my list! Least favorite farm jobs: either fooling around with irrigation and fixing leaks (it never ends!) or spreading compost and getting hit in the back of the head with composted horse manure. Take your pick.
Favorite vegetable: eggplant Favorite fruit: nectarine Favorite ice cream: very dark chocolate!
I just love the West Chester Growers’ Market!
The market was the first producer-only farmers’ market in this area of PA. Its first year was 1995, and we were one of the founding members.
While there are a bunch of markets everywhere now, I’ll always have a warm spot in my heart for the WCGM….you always remember your first!
I hope you enjoy the video….
1. Locate a producer-only market near you. (This means, the vendor is the farmer/producer of the product. Be cautious, as many times something called a “Farmer’s Market”…particularly indoor, multi-day markets, have very few actual farmers!) If you don’t know where they are, check out LocalHarvest.org for easy help.
2. Plan your shopping strategy. Just like shopping at a store, it’s nice to have a shopping list and not go on an empty stomach! But here’s some other farmers’ market specific tips:
A. Dress for the weather (raingear, hat/sunblock, etc.)
B. Scope out parking strategy and plan accordingly. Note: most markets have parking info on their websites, so check them out before you go for the first time!
C. Bring necessaries: reusable totebags, wheeled cart if you’ll have a lot to carry, beverage of choice, money and/or checks in an easily accessible location (there’s nothing worse than needing to dig in a huge purse while holding onto your toddler and 3 bags of goodies!)
3. Plan your attack…er, timing. Many busy markets occur on the weekend, and lots of folks try to get there as early as possible for the best selection. While this may hold some merit, it can also lead to huge crowds, long lines, and crabby people (such as shoppers, farmers, kids, drivers, and the guy who just wants to browse). Unless you absolutely MUST HAVE something that is in short supply, try going a bit later in the market day to avoid crowds/lines and find closer parking. Some farmers will take orders in advance…so it never hurts to ask the week before if the farmer can set something aside for you the following week, so that you can come later in the day.
4. Make things easy for yourself. It’s much easier to shop if you do not also have to worry about your hyperactive dog, tired toddler who needs a nap, or other major distraction. Fortunately, I’ve never seen a tiger at a farmers’ market, but you get the idea. Shop with a partner who can lend a hand when need arises. (or bring yummy snacks to entertain the tiger).
5. Shop the market. It’s always a great idea to take a walk around the whole market and peruse the offerings before you start making purchases. It’s a bummer if you just start shopping and find that the strawberries a few stands down look much nicer than the ones you just bought as you entered the market! So, take a look around first (here’s where that beverage of choice…like coffee,..plays a nice role!), then start purchasing. It’s also common for folks to get hooked on certain vendors and only go to them. But you should still peruse the market. You may find there’s a brand-new tiny little stand tucked in a corner that you hadn’t noticed before….and they have JUST the item you want! Plus, many farms grow/produce different items and varieties from year to year, so don’t miss out on something because you only ever go to a couple of stands at the market. Discovery is part of farmers’ market experience!
6. Ask questions. Farmers/Producers at markets like these have great pride in their product, and they want you to be happy with your purchases. Don’t hesitate to ask the farmer questions! You can ask about cooking or storage tips, inquire about a new variety on the table, or ask how the item is grown. And if your curious (and it’s not too busy at the market), you can ask deeper questions like ‘why did you get into farming?’ or ‘what’s the hardest part about being a farmer?’. Markets are about the food, certainly, but they’re also about community building. Ask questions, get to know the food and each other. The market experience will be all the richer for it!
7. Tell your friends/family/neighbors/coworkers. Better yet, make a morning (or afternoon) of it, and go to the market together. Talk about community…there you go! Commune with your friends and the farmers. As you do, you’ll have a good time and you’ll encourage the growth of more markets and more small farms!
It’s only a couple short weeks after bloom, and we have a field full of orchard babies. They’re full of promise as any babies are, be they animal- or plant-based.
The baby stage is always so cute and full of promise. Baby fruits start out as lovely blooms, and in no time at all are cute little mini-fruits as pictured here. I took these shots two days ago: fuzzy baby peaches, shiny baby plums, perfect round little Asian pears, and slightly fuzzy mini-apples.
In another month or so, these cute little babes will go through their gawky adolescent phase. They’ll be not quite as cute, and they’ll be a bit tart and sassy. It’s at that stage (and it seems like it goes on forever) that sometimes we wonder if they’ll make it to become fine outstanding adult fruits.
Meanwhile, all through the baby and adolescent stage, we’ll try our best to help them towards a successful outcome. We’ll protect them from what diseases we can, and we’ll try our best to discourage the wrong crowd (ie. nasty insect pests) from hanging out with them. Some issues we’ll have no control over but will do our best to help them through the challenges, such as pockmarks from acne (i.e. hail) or the losses of their friends (via hurricane-force winds).
No matter what strikes or challenges, we will continue to love and nurture them as they continue their journey to adulthood. Most of our babies and adolescents will become fine, upstanding adults. And some…a select few…will be absolutely outstanding in their fields.
And then we eat them. (You know this analogy had to stop somewhere)
The beauty of orcharding is we get to go through these stages of hope, nurturing, and development every year. But we don’t have to pay for the little dears to go to college.
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1. Locate a producer-only market near you. (This means, the vendor is the farmer/producer of the product. Be cautious, as many times something called a “Farmer’s Market”…particularly indoor, multi-day markets, have very few actual farmers!) If you don’t know where they are, check out 
