The Farm

Today’s forecast: winter greens harvest!

One of the first classes of the year is available to Greater Washington County Food Bank clients who want a free class to learn how to grow their own garden! ...Thanks to a partnership with Penn State Master Gardeners of Washington County, any individual who qualifies for Food Bank services is qualified for the "Seed to Supper" course. We are currently gauging interest and will be able to confirm schedules and delivery methods (in-person, virtual, hybrid) by the end of March. This would allow for weekly classes through May, and as soon as the course concludes, it's planting season to start your garden using the knowledge gained! Know someone who could benefit from this? Be sure to email us or give us a call to save a spot. Again, the only qualification is that one must be eligible for the Food Bank's services. Call Jodi at 724-632-2190x 115 or email [email protected]. What's your favorite thing you'd hope to grow in your own garden?

Thanks The Marketplace at Emerald Valley, Emerald Valley Artisans and Feeding Pennsylvania!!

We had a groundhog visit us yesterday on The Farm to catch some sun! No shadow here!

Good Morning Friends!

Hey Everyone! Today I am really excited to share our new compost bin system with you, built by Branden Sommovilla as his Eagle Scout project! I'm having some technical issues with Facebook live so as soon as I get that taken care of I will post a video tour of the compost setup. Thanks for your patience and our thanks to Branden for his hard work!

While the season is definitely slowing down, there is still a lot happening at The Farm! In the field we are harvesting radishes, carrots, bok choy, and the final squash and peppers that are hanging on. We may have brussel sprouts coming on later this fall if they continue to progress after a slow start. Our hydroponic arugula and parsley trials look good so far too, in addition to the lettuce, kale, and basil we are already growing hydroponically. It's great to have a bit more time and pleasant weather to slow down and enjoy the fall sights in our fields. Come by and see us at the GWCFB market this evening 4-7pm and pick up some of the fall's final produce!

We'll be taking a break from Farm Friday this week as the Farm Manager will be out of town for some family activities, but we hope you enjoy these photos of the all the progress that's been made on the solar array in less than one week!

As promised in #FarmFriday, here's a video of a remote controlled truck shooting gravel over a hillside as part of site prep for the future 209kW solar array. We hope you enjoy watching the progress of this project as much as we do, thanks for following along!

We've got some pretty cool updates to share regarding the food bank's 209kW solar project; be sure to tune in for #FarmFriday at 9am to see what we're up to!

It's the Day of Giving! By giving to Greater Washington County Food Bank through wccfgives.org, you are supporting all of our programs, including The Farm, and your donation will be matched through the support of local businesses! We are incredibly grateful to the Washington County Community Foundation for coordinating this important annual fundraising event. Please consider giving before 8pm TODAY, while your donation can be matched!

There are some great vendors here at the Greater Washington Co. Farmers Market today, including Redemption Farms and Joppie Gyros! The Farm has some great produce and specialty pumpkins for sale as well. We hope to see you this evening until 7pm!

In this #FarmFriday, we provide an update on the 209 kW solar array currently under construction, thanks to our partnerships with UPMC Health Plan, Washington Financial Bank, Northwest Financial Bank, West Penn Sustainable Energy Foundation, as well as the PA Neighborhood Assistance Program. You can find out more information on the solar array in this video and in this great article that the O/R ran on GWCFB's solar project: https://observer-reporter.com//article_16c43aec-ed42-11ea-