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How to Make Plant-based, Organic Potpourri

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Make Potpourri from the Nature Around You!

 

 

In CVO’s second installment of our Dried Flower Craft Series, Jodi shows a fun and easy way to make potpourri! This can be an adventurous and hands-on way for kids to create a Mother’s Day gift that will last all year long. 

 

Supplies Needed

  • Your choice of CVO dried flowers or dried edible flowers as the main decorative component for the potpourri
  • Additional nature accents of choice like acorns, pinecones, etc.
  • Plastic gloves or large stirring spoon
  • Clear container to show off the colorful potpourri inside
  • Large mixing container
  • Pure, organic essential oil

 

Let the Fun Begin

On a nice day, venture out into your garden, your yard, or a local wooded walking path or park (while still maintaining social distancing mandates) to forage for a few fun nature accents to include in the potpourri mix. The nature accents could range from pinecones, acorns, colorful pebbles, or a pretty leftover dried fall leaf. Dry ingredients will work the best in this craft project.

After the nature adventure, follow Jodi’s simple step-by-step video below for mixing all of the ingredients! You can find the video here.

 

The post How to Make Plant-based, Organic Potpourri appeared first on Cherry Valley Organics.


Meet One of Our New Vegetable Growers: Annie Halcomb

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Gardening Beginnings

Both sides of Annie’s family have left their impressions about nature and gardening on her.

Annie’s mother always keeps a large garden, and so did her grandmother. Not letting age and physical changes deter her, Annie’s grandma utilized a plastic chair when weeding in her garden.

On the other side of her family, Annie’s great aunt Bessie Niemeyer Marshall, was the watercolor artist for the book With Paintbrush and Shovel: Preserving Virginia’s Wildflowers by Nancy Kober. Lately, Annie has been going through this book not only to learn more about flowers and nature, but to paint them as well! She is very creative and artistic.

 

 

Farming Beginnings & Career Path

Annie attended Northeastern University and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services with a concentration in Counseling Psychology and a minor in Biology.

During her senior year of college, she enrolled in a Food Justice & Community Development elective class where she learned how unsustainable our current food systems are. She found herself awakening to many issues within our food systems that she previously wasn’t aware of and how to combat these issues. Supporting local, organic farms, creating strong, local communities, and food sovereignty are a few ways!

“I recommend reading the book called A Foodies Guide to Capitalism by Eric Holt-Giménez,” mentions Annie.

While taking that class, Annie found a job as a tea barista at Soluna Garden Farm in Boston Massachusetts. Soluna Garden Farm makes their own tea blends. They also have a café stand at the Boston Public Market and a small flower & herb farm.

“I was excited about working with the teas because I’m passionate about holistic healing and also how foods and herbs can be medicine. But the days I loved the most were when I worked on the farm. Getting outside, doing physical work, connecting with plants, and seeing what is possible with an acre or two of land inspired a passion within me I hadn’t felt before,” Annie tells about her tea barista position.

 

 

Annie’s Role at CVO

Now that Farm Share is in full swing, Annie’s days are mostly spent either in the field harvesting or packing Farm Share bags on delivery days. She finishes up her day with whatever planting, maintenance, or other miscellaneous project needs to be completed.

Packing the Farm Share bags and sending them out the door is the part that makes Annie feel the proudest to be a farmer.

“It is amazing to be able to provide so many people with so much organic produce, while also connecting them with other local farms and businesses who are working toward a more sustainable food system. After the often long and hot harvest days, seeing the final product come together for people makes it all so worth it,” explains Annie.

 

Annie’s Thoughts on Being a Farmer

Annie states that, “It’s challenging! Accomplishing big projects and doing hard work with a great team of people feels rewarding. Maybe not always in the moment, but it’s worth the hard work to see all we can accomplish together. It’s also amazing to be outside and active all day.”

 

 

At Home

Lately, Annie has been excited about garlic because it is one of her favorite foods. She tried the garlic scapes that CVO offers for the first time this spring. She says it’s been neat to learn more about plants she’s grown up around, and also tends to her own garden at home.

Along with gardening and painting, Annie is a 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher. You can check out her restorative yoga sequences on her Instagram account @yogaforfarmers featuring charming hand-illustrated fairies. The yoga sequences are not only for farmers but for anyone that needs to recover after hard, strenuous work!

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Catnip isn’t JUST for cats!

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Catnip For Your Cats

Cats make amazing companions, and giving them catnip is a really fun way to play with and treat your cat.

When cats are exposed to catnip, the response can be downright comical! They may rub their heads and body on the catnip, jump and roll around on it, chew and lick it, meow loudly, or even excessively salivate (you have to watch out for that last one!). After the initial response lasting 5 to 15 minutes, sleepiness and lots of purring typically ensues. One of our farm cats, Dharma, used to get a little mean after catnip. We referred to her as the “mean drunk.”

While about 70-80% of cats show a response to catnip (the response is hereditary), the remaining 20-30% of cats show little to no response at all.

For more information about exactly what your cat is experiencing when enjoying catnip, check out this article from Scientific American.

 

This is Charlie’s first experience with catnip. Charlie is our 2020 Seasonal Assistant Grower Nicole’s cat. 

 

Catnip Plants

Catnip plants (Nepeta cataria), like many members of the mint family, grow prolifically in our Pennsylvania climate, despite being native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Nepeta cataria is perennial here in PA, meaning it regrows every year from the same plants. Catnip does not require any special soil conditions, but does prefer good drainage and full sun. Plants get very large and require a lot of space so we plant ours in beds 18 inches apart in all directions (2 rows per 40-inch bed).

 

   

Catnip patch.                                                                                                 Honey bee pollinator on catnip blooms. 

 

Drying Catnip

In July, when the plants are in full flower, we harvest our catnip to dry. We pick a dry afternoon when the plants are mostly free from rain or dew, we cut the plants at the base, and then we lay the whole plants on screens in front of fans in our drying building. Warmth and good air circulation are key to having a well-dried product. Given the often humid summers here in PA, our catnip can take up to two weeks to dry enough to crunch off the stems. Because of the freshness of our catnip products (we always sell out each year), our customers tell us that our 100% organic catnip is especially potent!

 

Drying catnip on screens. 

 

Catnip For You!

Catnip has a place in the traditional herbalist’s toolkit as well. Catnip has been used medicinally in humans to induce mild sedation, lessen migraine headaches, reduce swelling associated with arthritis, and relieve cramps, gas, indigestion, and nervousness. Before using catnip medicinally, consult your herbalist or physician.

 

   

Dried catnip.

 

Catnip Sale!

In honor of International Cat Day, on August 8th, 2020 – our catnip products are 10% off through August 15th, 2020. Use coupon code CATS at checkout.

 

 

Buy Now – Before We Sell Out! 

 

 

 

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Meet One of Our 2020 Seasonal Assistant Growers: Nicole Wild

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Farming Beginnings

Growing up, Nicole would help her mother with small gardening projects around the house. But it wasn’t until she was a junior in high school, that she realized she wanted to pursue a career in horticulture. Nicole’s goal is to be as close to the natural world as possible and work with plants in a greenhouse setting. Her first farm-related job was a few years ago when she spent a summer working at a small greenhouse & farm in her town. Currently, Nicole is a student at Penn State majoring in Horticulture, and will be graduating in May 2021.

 

 

Nicole’s Role at CVO & Thoughts on Being a Farmer

Nicole’s favorite crop to grow is herbs, but she can’t narrow her favorite down to one specific herb because there are so many different varieties she enjoys growing!

 

“There are so many different uses for an herb – culinary, medicinal, aromatic, etc. – also the plants themselves are often very beautiful. The wonderful scents that you experience when working with herbs are probably my favorite quality about them,” says Nicole.

 

One of Nicole’s favorite aspects of working on the farm is that every day is different!

 

“Even if a task is one that we do often – such as planting, harvesting, or weeding – we work with so many different crops that no day is ever really the same. We certainly don’t get bored,” Nicole explains.

 

Nicole loves spending time outside and the fact that her ‘office’ is in nature, but farming can be hard work. Her least favorite part of farming is how demanding it can be, yet Nicole still feels accomplished and proud after a difficult day.

 

“When I see a finished product gets sent on its way to being enjoyed by a member of the community, I feel the proudest to be a farmer. It feels great to know that all of the hard work we do on the farm ultimately contributes to feeding and supporting the health of those around us,” states Nicole.

 

 

 

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You either love it, or you hate it: Patchouli

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Love it or Hate it?

What do you think of patchouli?

“OMG, I love patchouli!”

 

“Ugh – I hate patchouli!”

We hear these reactions all the time from our customers.

Patchouli (pəˈCHo͞olē), Pogostemon cablin, is a unique scent that many either love or hate. There really is no middle ground with this unique earthy, slightly sweet, and spicy scent.

Frequently, we hear from our patchouli loving customers about how their younger hippie selves used patchouli back in the 60-70’s as perfume. We also hear another version of the story that patchouli fragrance was popularized by many instead to mask the scent of marijuana in their cars or bedrooms.

Whatever its history, patchouli is commonly used today in modern perfumery and medicinally as an antiseptic, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, deodorant, sedative, and tonic.

To read more about the benefits, uses, and research behind patchouli oil, check out this article by Healthline.com.

 

Patchouli plant growing in our greenhouse. 

 

Patchouli Plants

Native to Southeast Asia, patchouli prefers to be in a hot environment, but out of direct sunlight, making it a wonderful, low care tropical houseplant. Growing to a 2-3 feet tall bushy plant, patchouli plants require at least a 12″ diameter container when grown indoors, with frequent watering.

In the spring, we do sell patchouli plants for you to purchase and enjoy in your own home.

 

Bath bag mixture being scented with patchouli essential oil.
Gentle & Mild Patchouli Herbal Soap.

 

 

Patchouli Aromatherapy 

We love using organic patchouli essential oil, as well as dried leaves grown on the farm, in our aromatherapy products. The essential oil that we purchase is extracted by steam-distillation, meaning that the oils are extracted by exposing the plant to steam, and then collected using a still. Chemical solvents are not needed. We also use 100% organic patchouli leaves grown at the farm in our bath bags, salts, and potpourri.

 

Patchouli Herbal Bath Salts.
Patchouli Herbal Bath Bags.
 

Sale on All Patchouli Products!

Get in touch with your inner hippie and check out our USDA certified organic patchouli products, including soaps, fragrances, bath bags, and bath salts on our website here!

 

One Week Only

Sunday, August 16th – Saturday, August 22nd, 2020: Enjoy 10% off any patchouli product. We ship anywhere in the United States. Use coupon code ‘PATCHOULI’ at checkout.

 

Patchouli Herbal Gift Bags includes one bar of soap, lip balm, and fragrance. 
Patchouli Herbal Roll-on & Spray Fragrances for body, bedding, cars, rooms, and more!
Patchouli Herbal Soap for body, hands, & more.
 

Shop Herbal Bath & Body Products

 

 

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Meet Our New Cafe Supervisor: Nicole Hankinson

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Foodie Beginnings

Nicole’s passion for food began at a young age. Growing up, she enjoyed helping her grandma with her garden and baking in the kitchen. Her grandma grew flowers and vegetables like green beans. The first time Nicole tasted one of those fresh green beans, she fell in love.

 

Career Path & Farming Beginnings

Nicole is a native to the Pittsburgh/Southwestern Pennsylvania area and has extensive experience in the local food scene. She cares about local food systems and the promotion of organic sustainable farming. Holding a Master’s degree in Food Studies from Chatham University and a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of Pittsburgh, she focused her research on food access issues, but understanding local food systems and farming issues were also key components in her food studies.

Her first farm-related experience was an internship with Farm Truck Foods, a local mobile farmers market organization. She then moved on to work with Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance as an Operations Assistant where she picked up produce from local farms, repackaged the produce, and lastly delivered the produce to local restaurants. Later, Nicole became a Cheesemaker at Cherish Creamery, whose company name you may recognize because Cherry Valley Organics partners with this farm by using their products in our Café and including their products in our Farm Share program. Nicole has also interned at Wigle Whiskey & Westmoreland County Food Bank, volunteered at Phipp’s Conservatory, and worked at Goat Rodeo, Fabled Table, and Narcisi Winery.

 

 

Nicole’s Role at CVO & Thoughts on Organic Food

Currently our Café is open Thursdays through Sundays. On Thursdays, Nicole arrives early in the morning to brainstorm the weekly specials. The weekly specials are determined by what vegetables and produce our farm team have dropped off during the week for the Café to utilize. Our Café truly is farm to table with the freshest organic ingredients we can harvest! Specials sometimes even change from day to day due to the quantity of produce that was harvested and is available.

“I’m excited to take on the role of Café Supervisor at Cherry Valley Organics Farm Market and Cafe. I am a soup enthusiast. One of my primary responsibilities is to turn the fresh, organic, produce from the farm into soup and salads which I love to do,” Nicole explains.

Once Nicole has her plan, she starts to prep the produce to make salads, soup, simple syrups, and more. “Tomatoes are one of my favorite vegetables to work with because of how versatile they are, but I also love working with zucchini,” says Nicole. She plans on adding new items to the menu in the future!

Nicole believes there is room for the Café to expand by maximizing what the farm grows, like adding edible flowers on top of beautifully prepared salads for an Instagram worthy photo opt! While our current window ordering takeout service (with outdoor seating available) is working efficiently during the pandemic, Nicole does miss the direct interactions with customers because of their feedback. (For now, you could provide feedback on our Google business page instead!)

Nicole continues to says that, “It is a challenge that I am the only team member working in the kitchen at the Café since we are a small company. There is no one else with cooking experience at the Cafe to quickly collaborate with or ask for input and advice. I like having a second opinion and Heather, our Sales & Marketing Specialist, has stepped up and become an ‘honorary taste tester’ and cashier at the Café.”

“I’m happy to be working for Cherry Valley Organics, a company that aligns with my personal values. I’ve been a long-time supporter and lover of the company’s products. I also know both Allie and Emily (who has decided to get more experience working on the farm), who I met through Chatham’s Food Studies program. The team on the farm works hard every day to grow organic food, flowers, and herbs for the local community and I’m proud to be a part of this team by preparing and providing those products to our very supportive customer base.”

 

 

At Home

Nicole loves cats, yoga, cooking, and trying new teas. She even forwent purchasing a sofa for her new apartment, and instead, changed the living room into a personal yoga studio for herself and close friends!

 

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Meet Our Cut Flower Grower: Alliy Gundlach

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Did you come from a farming/gardening family? Can you share a story about that?

Although my mum is a perennial gardener, I attribute my love for plants to my parent’s love for the outdoors. My family spent a lot of time recreating outside when I was a child and it instilled in me a deep respect and awe for the natural world at large.

 

When did you first know you wanted to be a small farmer?

When I was in college I started to frequent the local farmers market. I loved the high-quality produce, atmosphere, and the autonomy each farmer brought to their businesses. I dreamed of becoming a farmer one day, but at the time stuck to my educational path of conservation biology.

 

Alliy Gundlach Cherry Valley Organics

 

What was your first farm-related job?

My first farm-related job was a brief stint at CVO in 2014! I got a taste of growing under Jodi’s tutelage and went on to grow for the past six years. It is so exciting to be back and part of the CVO team!

 

What do you like most about farming?

That’s a tough question! I love the magical process of propagating plants. To watch seeds spring up, grow, and provide food and beauty never gets old. I also enjoy the physicality of the work and working closely with the earth in its seasons. Also, the gratification of providing folks with food and flowers to nourish their bodies and minds feels particularly special.

 

What do you like least about farming?

The thing I like the least is watching any plant struggle to find the nutrients it needs or battle against pests. I try to keep all the plant babies and soil as healthy as possible to avoid those situations!

 

Alliy Gundlach Cherry Valley Organics

 

What’s your favorite crop to grow?

Sunflowers, hands down. Their bright sunny faces always bring a smile to mine and most others who encounter them.

 

What has made you feel the proudest to be a farmer?

Seeing the benefits of continuously putting in a good day’s work, knowing that growing organically and locally makes a positive impact on the environment and in people’s lives in our community.

 

The post Meet Our Cut Flower Grower: Alliy Gundlach appeared first on Cherry Valley Organics.

Meet Grower: Vanessa Davis

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Did you come from a farming/gardening family? Can you share a story about that?

I grew up with very large gardens that fed our family of 6 throughout the entire year. I remember my dad plowing the fields, helping him plant the corn (all the pink dye on my finger…ick!) and lots of weeding.  I love shocking corn and peas and then helping my mom can tomatoes and green beans for the winter. I was often at my grandparents cattle farm as well, mostly playing hide and seek in the hay lofts with my siblings and cousins, while my grandpa, dad, and uncles put up the hay.

 

When did you first know you wanted to be a small farmer?

It took me a long time to come back to the earth. After some time running from all that I loved, I found myself again as I planted, weeded, harvested, and cooked while staying with a dear friend and horse farmer in Beaver Co two summers ago. I loved “playing in the dirt”, being outside, feeling my body, and watching all the plants as they grew. I loved the creativity of using as much as we possibly could and the generosity of sharing our bounty to others in our community.

 

 

What was your first farm-related job?

Here at Cherry valley organics is actually my first farming job and I absolutely love it. After more than 20 years of working and 2 other careers, I have found what I will do the rest of my life.

 

What do you like most about farming?

What I love about it, is to see the tightly woven connections that are happening in our environment all the time and getting to be a part of those connections with intention. I get to chat with the bees while I’m weeding, ensure healthy plants are harvested at the right time, and make sure they all have plenty to eat and drink, especially during this dry summer.

 

What do you like least about farming?

So far, I’m truly loving it. There is so much to see and do, so many things to learn and while the work is hard, it’s never been so rewarding.

 

 

What’s your favorite crop to grow?

I don’t know that I have a favorite. I am enjoying learning so much about many different herbs, what they are used for, how to harvest them and keep them healthy week after week. I also love to watch the veggies grow from these little seedlings we plant to colorful, delicious, healthy food.

 

Share what your average day is like on the farm.

Oh, I bounce around quite a bit. I’m lucky enough to help on the herb and flower team as well as the veggie team. Each day is different but there is rarely a day without water, whether I’m watering newly planted seedlings or cleaning freshly harvested lettuces for the shares. There’s lots of water!

 

What has made you feel the proudest to be a farmer?

I’m grateful to be working at a farm where I love who we are, what we are about and how we are making it happen. All of us are dedicated to ensuring that our share holders have high quality, locally produced foods in a sustainable way.

 

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Meet Grower: Lindsay Henry

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Did you come from a farming/gardening family? Can you share a story about that?

I came to gardening as an adult, but my great-grandmother was an avid gardener and most of my distant relatives for generations back were all farmers. I like to think that my affinity for the work is a link with my ancestry, but I think that’s also something almost anyone can say- at one point, most people were farmers. My parents have been cultivating an obsession with their garden for the past few years and it’s a cool interest to share with them.

 

When did you first know you wanted to be a small farmer?

When my garden was growing to the point that it was almost a farm- except I lacked the skills!

 

What was your first farm-related job?

In a way, my first job out of college working for a flower shop was my first farm-related job. We sold sunflowers from a local farm that was just starting out, and it ended up being the first farm I would work for some 5 years later.

 

What do you like most about farming?

That’s a tough question! I love the magical process of propagating plants. To watch seeds spring up, grow, and provide food and beauty never gets old. I also enjoy the physicality of the work and working closely with the earth in its seasons. Also, the gratification of providing folks with food and flowers to nourish their bodies and minds feels particularly special.

 

What do you like least about farming?

Sometimes the work is grueling and it’s hard to not fantasize about a life on the beach doing nothing after a few weeks of summer.

 

 

What’s your favorite crop to grow?

It’s so hard to decide! In this moment I think winter squash (they’re just so cute), but sometimes it’s potatoes (really fun to dig up), and other times it’s celeriac or salad turnips, but that’s mostly because it’s so hard to find either of those in the stores.

 

Share what your average day is like on the farm!

I finish my breakfast when I’m pulling up to work, say hi to the dogs, spend a minute working out a game plan with the other growers and we set up tasks that will take us to lunch time. I’m probably still eating breakfast, which turns to snacking on random leaves, and then after lunch I hope that I have something active to do so I don’t feel sleepy. In the hot summer sun I’ll probably laugh at how gross I feel and maybe take a break to stand by a fan. By the end of the day, I’ll feel so ready to go home, but as soon as we decide to call it a day I’ll feel like staying to do something.

 

What has made you feel the proudest to be a farmer?

Sharing enormous amounts of high-quality produce and flowers with my friends and family.

 

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Meet Grower: Alexis Williams

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Did you come from a farming/gardening family? Can you share a story about that?

My grandmother had me outside a lot as a kid teaching me different flowers and helping her with maintenance tasks. She was very passionate about her landscaping which has been instilled in me since I was young!

 

When did you first know you wanted to be a small farmer?

I was on a field trip in horticulture technology school after I realized that dental hygiene school was absolutely not for me. We went to an urban farm and I pulled my first carrot out of the ground. That day made me passionate about growing good, healthy food.

 

 

What was your first farm-related job?

Working on a farm in Penn Hills, where I grew up, growing Italian greens.

 

What do you like most about farming?

Having a daily relationship with the earth that I would normally put off if I were in any other field. It is really important to me to have a different appreciation for what the soil, sun and water do for the plants and I.

 

What do you like least about farming?

Getting sunburnt and having a backache from bending!

 

 

What’s your favorite crop to grow?

Radicchio, or anything green in a head (aka cabbage, lettuce). I like squeezing all of them to ensure their readiness!

 

Share what your average day is like on the farm.

Observing the dew on the leaves, the plants, the bugs, the sun. Enjoying whatever weather the day brings. Cultivating, harvesting, taking a few moments to appreciate my life.

 

What has made you feel the proudest to be a farmer?

That I am providing the folks of my community with delicious, carefully grown, all natural food. I am passionate about people eating good food. Everyone deserves it.

 

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