Funk's Riverview Greenhouses

CHECK THIS OUT!!! The very first stalk of celery for the 2020 season!! Fresh, homegrown white celery hearts are now available at the stand!! With the warmer weather, the celery has ripened more quickly than usual. Enjoy the start of this crisp, sweet-tasting delicacy which will only be here until the end of the year! (The supply is limited at this time - first come, first served.)

Butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, red beets, Brussel sprouts (coming soon hopefully), sweet potatoes...all the goodies needed to make a huge sheet pan full of roasted yumminess. Just add salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, oregano & oil, bake 400 degrees for 20-25 min & you'll be in vegetable heaven! All available at Breanne's produce stand. *We also added carrots & onion. **Also, late-summer produce is still available. It will be coming to an end in the next few weeks.**

Many of you are asking when the homegrown celery will be ready. We should have celery by mid-November. Right now, we are in the process of trenching the celery underground. The celery is cut from its roots. Then, as we have done it since my grandfather's days, we put the celery stalks into boxes to be carried over to the trench. The boxes are emptied of the celery & covered with plastic to allow the ripening process. After three to four weeks, what you have is commonly called bleached celery. We trim off the outer stalks & what is left is white, sweet, unstringy celery hearts. A great, healthy winter snack! Keep watching our FB page for when it will be ready.

Even if you're done decorating for the fall, don't give up on all those winter squashes & pumpkins that are still available. Just look at all their benefits & besides that, they taste great!!

Last week when we mentioned about Dan & Breanne ordering seeds & supplies for next season, some wanted to know if there will be anything new for this spring. Well, we can fill you in a little bit that we will have new selections of dahlias, geraniums, day lilies & hibiscus. Last year we could not find the popcorn plant anywhere & this year we were able. We found black & blue salvia again. We will have perennial grasses in gallon pots. Two plants that we haven't had for a few years that we are planning to have again are nicotiana & melampodium. There will be a new assortment of hanging baskets & planters as well. *Of course, all plants are subject to conditions beyond our control, so hopefully we will have these mentioned plants in the spring.*

Please make it a priority to take the time to vote today! It's our privilege & responsibility as a United States citizen & is so crucial to the future of this country.

A nice little pick-me-up for the young, old & those in-between! :) No-Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Energy Balls 1-1/2 2 C dry uncooked oatmeal (I use 1 C old-fashioned & the rest quick oats)... C all-natural peanut butter C pumpkin puree C chia seeds C quality honey 1 tsp vanilla tsp pumpkin pie spice C mini dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet) In a medium bowl, add 1-1/2 C oats, peanut butter, pumpkin, chia seeds, honey, vanilla, & pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine well. You want the mixture to be soft but not too sticky. If you pick up a generous spoonful, you should be able to roll it into a ball & only make a minimal mess. (It should stick together when rolled but still feel tacky on your hands.) Depending on the type of oats you use, you may need to add up to a half cup more oats & stir until you reach the desired consistency. (I usually use close to 2 C.) When the mixture is workable, add the chocolate chips & stir to combine. Scoop a large spoonful into your hand & roll into ball. Place on pan lined with wax paper. Repeat with remaining dough. Place in refrigerator covered until ready to serve or freeze for later. Makes 18-20 energy balls.

Produce available this week: RED BEETS, ROMANESCO (very limited), TURNIPS, kohlrabi, beautiful green beans (large quantities, call Breanne), lima beans, wax beans, broccoli (limited), cauliflower, kale, apples, sweet potatoes, cabbage (red & green), squashes, neck pumpkins, pumpkins, gourds, various hot peppers, sweet & bell peppers, eggplants (white, purple), little finger eggplants, Washington Boro (Jet Star) tomatoes, green tomatoes, grape & cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomat...oes, potatoes (white, yellow, Pontiac red, Adirondack blue, Adirondack red), patty pan squash. #homegrownproduce #producestand #farmersmarket For your fall decorating, we also have STRAW BALES (large & small) & INDIAN CORN! Please call 717-872-4842 & leave message if you are interested in bulk amounts of any produce. We will return the call as soon as we are able. Breanne's produce stand is located 500 ft. past the greenhouse entrance (2277 River Road) & is self-serve.

****WINNER****WINNER****WINNER****WINNER**** Thanks to all who participated in the pumpkin contest! It was nice seeing everyone's favorite & getting some cooking ideas. The winner of the pumpkin pie & a neck pumpkin is Angela Marie! We will private message you to try to set up a time for you to get your pie & pumpkin. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Kale is a superfood that has been around since Roman times & has long been common across much of Europe. It is a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, which also includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, & collards. Kale is highly nutritious, containing high levels of vitamins, minerals, & brain-boosting phytonutrients. It’s great cooked, raw & chopped up in salads, & in smoothies. Breanne has beautiful kale at the stand available in bags in the refrigerator. She won’t be cutting it every day but if you know a certain day that you would like a larger quantity or want to make sure it is at the stand before you stop, please call her at 717-490-1209. Thank you!

As you can see, this area of Washington Boro nestled next to the Susquehanna River is truly a garden spot for agriculture. The Funk family has farmed the area near & around the river since Dan's grandfather, Roy Funk, purchased his first 23-acre farm in 1916 for $4,000. A local farm neighbor said he paid way too much! My cousin's son & wife still live on that farm! The one picture below is of the Susquehanna River after a time of rain. That same rain is what provides for th...e lush green crops you see from farm to farm. You can also see Funk's Riverview Greenhouses near the bottom of the one picture. River Road is seen going left to right on an angle. The pictures also show Breanne's produce stand along River Road. We are certainly blessed by God to live in such a fertile area where we can enjoy the bountiful selection of fruits & vegetables. Hopefully you had a successful year with all your garden ventures!