Letter from John Krueger -- Volunteers need at the farm -- October 11, 18, 25, Farm tour too!

Hi All, 

It’s been a challenging year for all of us. Early on in the pandemic I decided that we should plant and grow as much as possible. While the status of the markets and CSA membership was uncertain, I believed that local food production was more important than ever. With unemployment soaring there would be tremendous demand on food banks and pantries which serve the less fortunate among us. If we were unable to sell it we would donate it. Once I was able to get most of my workers in place we forged ahead with our planting. We have a good potato and sweet potato crop and a tremendous crop of winter squash and pumpkins. Unfortunately, I was never able to bring my four Nicaraguan workers up and we are struggling to harvest these crops.

I have been contacted by a few folks offering help and by some interested in visiting the farm. We were unable to host our usual early summer farm visit this season. I know there are many who would like to lend a hand and many more who wish to visit the farm.

For the next 3 weeks, we will host volunteer workdays on Sunday @ 10 AM and 2 PM and a farm tour @ 1 PM. Tasks for volunteers will be gathering winter squash, picking beans or possibly help with the potato harvest. We hope you can work for two or three hours and enjoy a short farm tour before or after your volunteer shift. We can accommodate quite a few volunteers while maintaining social distancing, since the field are large and there are various tasks. 

For the farm tours, we will need to limit the numbers a bit. Please RSVP to me – kruegerjohn@earthlink.net and indicate the time and date you would like to come and whether it will be to volunteer, for the tour or both. If necessary or preferred, I can add a farm tour at 9 AM.

Sundays, October 11th, 18th, and 25th 

Volunteer- 10 AM and 2 PM Farm Tour @ 1 PM

Take home a pumpkin or some extra winter squash of your choice!

Thanks,

John

2017 Circle Brook Farm Event Schedule and Volunteer Days

Farm Visit
Saturday, June 24th, 11:00 AM (Raindate, Sunday, June 25th)
This will be a potluck picnic, please bring a vegetarian dish to share with others. Grills will be available for anything you wish to bring to cook. There will be tours of the fields at 11:30 am and 2 pm. There is a u-pick strawberry farm just north on Rt. 206 if anyone would like pick strawberries for themselves before or after the event. Volunteers are welcome to help with set up, parking and to pick strawberries for a shortcake desert. A state park, Kittatinny Valley, is nearby with wonderful trails and camp sites available. This year we are also asking for volunteers to help pick peas for an hour or two prior to the start of the farm visit picnic.

Volunteer Days
Many people would like to come out to lend a hand at Circle Brook Farm and John certainly can use the help. On Sundays during the delivery season he has his volunteer days. These will be to help with harvesting labor intensive crops like peas, beans, garlic and onions. Volunteering at the farm fulfills your Farm & Fork Society volunteer requirement. Please email us at volunteerffs@gmail.com if you plan on attending one of these days so we can track and also email John at kruegerjohn@earthlink.net so he knows you are coming.

Volunteer days: Meet at 141 Brighton Rd., Andover, NJ

Saturday, June 24 @ 9am and Sunday, June 25 @ 9 am - Help with pea picking. 

Sunday, July 2 @ 10 am – Help with pea picking

Sunday, July 9, 10 am - Help with the garlic harvest.

Sunday, July 23 @10 am - Help with bean picking. 

Sunday, August 7, 10 am - Help with onion harvest 

Volunteer Sign Up for 2017 Season has Begun!

Welcome to Farm & Fork Society 2017! Three weeks until opening day.

We are using SignUp.com (formerly Volunteer Spot) to schedule member volunteer requirements. This season members are required to volunteer at our pick-up location for one shift.

1) Click this link http://signup.com/go/tyqDZzc

2) Sign up for one shift: 11am-1pm or 1-3pm on any Wednesday, June 7 to November 15, 2017.

***** If you need to change your shift, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. Please email me and let me know the details of the switch. *****

Please contact me with any questions about volunteering or the sign up process.

Thank you,

Jen Duckworth, Volunteer Coordinator
volunteerffs at gmail.com

This Week's Shares -- Friday, July 31 (Sampling Event, Teas Share Deadline, Volunteer Day at Circle Brook)

Vegetables

Lettuce
Summer squash
Cucumbers
Beans
Garlic
Choice of kale or beet greens
Peppers
Yellow potatoes
Rainbow carrots
Choice of herb

Fruit
TBD Most likely Peaches and Plums

Poultry
Full and Half Shares

Eggs

Pasta

Sampling Event, Tea Share, and Farm Volunteer Day

Sweet Jane Granola Sampling Event

At pick up this Friday, July 31 from 12 - 2 PM, Local Millburn Township resident Jane Weiman will be sampling her homemade, all-natural granola that contain protein from the many types of raw seeds and raw nuts. Sweet Jane Granola is handmade in small batches to maintain freshness and quality control and most importantly, made without preservatives! If you are already a fan of Sweet Jane Granola, you can order online at pick up this Friday or you can order at pick-up for home delivery. Go to www.sweetjanesgranola.com to order.

Tea Share

If you are interested in purchasing the Tea Share, deadline is tomorrow.  Please email us ASAP. For more details on the teas share click here.

Volunteer Day at Circle Brook Farm

Onion Harvest -- This Sunday, August 2, is a volunteer day at Circle Brook Farm. Help John Krueger with harvesting onions at the farm. Please email John if you plan on attending. (kruegerjohn@earthlink.net). Farm is located at 141 Brighton Rd. Andover, NJ. To find out about more farm events, click here.

Sampling Event and Farm Volunteer Day

Sweet Jane Granola Sampling Event

At pick up this Friday, June 19, Local Millburn Township resident Jane Weiman will be sampling her homemade, all-natural granola that contain protein from the many types of raw seeds and raw nuts. Sweet Jane Granola is handmade in small batches to maintain freshness and quality control and most importantly, made without preservatives! If you are already a fan of Sweet Jane Granola, you can order online at pick up this Friday or you can order at pick-up for home delivery. Go to www.sweetjanesgranola.com to order.

Volunteer Day at Circle Brook Farm

Pea Harvest -- This Sunday, June 21st, is a volunteer day at Circle Brook Farm. Help John Krueger with harvesting peas at the farm. Please email John if you plan on attending. (kruegerjohn@earthlink.net). Farm is located at 141 Brighton Rd. Andover, NJ.  To find out about more farm events, click here.

Opening Day this Friday, June 12, Important Pick-Up Details

The 2015 season opens on Friday, June 12. 

We are all volunteers. Our goal is to get everything running smoothly and everyone in and out as quickly as possible. To make this happen we are asking for your cooperation in following a few simple guidelines:

Pick Up:

• Pick up is every Friday from 12 PM - 3 PM.  
• Do NOT arrive early to pick up your shares. Pick up starts at 12:00PM and we won't be ready for you before then. If you are in a hurry we suggest not arriving right at opening because there is usually a line. 
• Do NOT arrive at 3:01 PM expecting to get your share. If you know you are going to arrive after 3 PM, please email us at farmandforksociety@gmail.com and we will try our best to make arrangements for you to get it.
• SIGN IN. To facilitate and ease check in, this season each member/group will be assigned a membership number.  At the first pick up, all members will be given a “key tag” for your key ring with your membership number on it.  Check in will be by number not by name. 
• Please bring bags to carry all your produce.  We do not provide bags. You will most likely need more than one bag, especially as the season grows more bountiful. We suggest storing a bunch of bags in your car so you will have them when needed.
• For the safety of members and others using the parking lot, park in designated parking spots only. Do not pull into the lot and block the flow of traffic or stack cars in parking spots. There are additional parking spots in the lot next door or metered spots on the street.

Volunteer Shifts:

• Please DO try to arrive 5 minutes ahead of your shift when volunteering, so you have some time to settle in and start on time.
• If for some reason you are not able to make your volunteer shift, please do your best to find a replacement, but let us know either way. If you have an emergency, please let us know at your earliest convenience at volunteerffs@gmail.com.  
• If you have not done so, sign up for your volunteer shift.  Farm & Fork Society membership rules state all members must volunteer. 

If You Cannot Pick Up:

• A friend or relative can pick up your share for you, however it is extremely important that they know all the rules and regulations (i.e. parking, pick-up times, check-in procedures)
• They must know your membership number and all shares you get (e.g. veg, fruit, poultry, egg etc.).
• They must bring bags.  

Communication:

It is extremely important that you subscribe to our website (instructions below).  All your weekly share contents will be posted on the site. We do not want to clutter up your inboxes, so you will not receive any other emails from us during the season unless it is a shift confirmation, last minute change or piece of other pressing information. If you follow the site by email, then you will automatically get an email update on the posted information.

If you have not done so yet, please go to our website www.farmandforksociety.com and submit your email address in the space provided on the left hand side of the site;  “FOLLOW BY EMAIL.”  You will then get a window, which will read “Email Subscription Request.”  Follow the instructions on the request. You will receive a verification message in your email. You must respond to the verification message to activate your subscription to the “Farm & Fork Society.”  

In addition, please follow the Farm & Fork Society’s Facebook page as updates and important information will be posted there as well, and is often more timely for some folks. 

We look forward to a great season! If you have any questions, please let us know.

All the best,

Melissa, Wendy & Nino

P.S. We have partnered with Green Nectar Juicery in Millburn to offer all members a 10% discount for the entire season (6/12-11/21).  The back of key tag is your discount card.  Show it at the time of purchase. 

Get Your Grill On...

River Bend Farm

Just in time for the Fourth of July Weekend, the Farm & Fork Society has teamed again with River Bend Farm to provide a mix of BBQ favorites!

BBQ Grill Pack includes 16 (6oz) Angus Beef Burgers, 16 (2oz) Angus Beef Franks (no nitrate cure), 12 (3oz) Jalapeño and Cheddar Beef Franks (regular cure), 4 (4oz) Berkshire Pork Sweet Italian Sausages, 4 (4oz) Berkshire Pork Spicy Sausages (Chorizo or Hot Italian) $99. Quantities are limited and will be allotted on a first come, first serve basis.

Also Available are the Angus Beef Sampler which includes 40 pounds of beef: 1/3 steaks that may consist of Rib-eye, T-Bone, Porterhouse, Sirloin, Tenderloin and Ranch (Chuck), 1/3 Roasts that may consist of Chuck, Rump, Round, & London Broil and 1/3 Ground Beef. (Reg. $425 - Farm & Fork Society $382.50) and the Berkshire Pork Sampler which includes 35 pounds of pork that may consist of ham, ham steaks, chops, spare-ribs, bacon, 3 kinds of sausages and a pork shoulder. There will be no Scrapple in the Pork Sampler. (Reg. $275 - Farm & Fork Society $247.50)

Orders must be received no later than June 12, 2015. Please refer to the order form for details. Click here to download.

Pick up will be at the Farm & Fork Society’s Millburn location on June 26th between 12pm and 3pm. 

Green Mountain Maple Sugar Refining Company

You can still order products from Green Mountain Maple Sugar Refining Company including Maple Syrup (4 grades), Maple Cream, Maple Vinegar, Maple Candy, Honey, Creamed Honey and Vanilla Extract. All products are organic, GMO free and Kosher. All maple products are made at the Farm in Belvidere Center, VT. All honey is made from bees raised on Lake Champlain in Alburgh, VT. Products will be delivered in late July. Click here to download order form.

Farm & Fork Society Car Magnet

Show your support for our Farm & Fork Society community by proudly displaying your membership with a car magnet! New Farm & Fork Society magnets are now available for $3 each. You can email us if you want one prior to the first pick-up.

Volunteer Sign Up has Begun!

Our volunteer coordinator, Nino, has been hard at work setting up the 2015 volunteer schedule. For all those who have already signed up for this season, you should have received an email from Nino via Volunteer Spot to sign up for your volunteer shift. If you have not, please email her at volunteerffs@gmail.com.

Farm Visits and Volunteer Day at Circle Brook Farm -- A Guest Post too!

Acorn Squash

A Visit to Circle Brook Farm
by Farm & Fork Society Member Katy Chapman

We made it to the farm on Saturday and Farmer John put us to good work harvesting acorn squash, which meant picking them, rinsing the dirt off, and drying them with towels before putting them in a big bin for storage.  Now you know why your vegetables look so pristine when they arrive at pick-up! 

The kids also enjoyed wandering the fields looking for odd hybrid squash that had sprouted up here and there. While we worked of course!

The kids cleaning squash
with John

John gave us a quick tour of the barn and let the kids pick out a pumpkin each before we left. The kids enjoyed  learning about the farm and different vegetables. I left with a newfound appreciation for all of the work that goes into farming vegetables. All things considered, the Farm & Fork Society share is a bargain!!

*Now that he owns the farm, John Krueger has change to name of the farm from Starbrite Farm to Circle Brook Farm.

Lots of Acorn Squash

John's dog Lexie --
she likes to eat weeds.

Circle Brook Farm (Starbrite Farm) Fall Event Schedule

John Krueger will two more events at the farm this fall. These will all be opportunities to see the farm, help out a bit and to receive a pumpkin. He hopes many of you will be able to attend. If you are not able to make it out to the farm and would still like to get a pumpkin, you can visit him at one of his markets over the next few weeks. Montclair - Saturdays @ the Walnut St. Train station, 8 am to 2 pm. Hoboken - Tuesdays @ Washington St. and Observer Hwy. 3pm to 7:30 pm. They don't generally carry many pumpkins to Hoboken, so if you wish to pick one up there, please e-mail John Krueger in advance. (kruegerjohn@earthlink.net) Denville - Sundays @ the Upper Bloomfield Ave parking lot, 8:30 am to 1 pm.

Farm Visit, Campfire Singalong

Saturday, October 25 3pm ‘til ?  

This event will be weather permitting. John Krueger will give a short farm tour at 4 pm. You can carve jack o’ lanterns if there is any interest. Everyone will build a large fire at the back of the property. Bring your acoustic instruments and your voices.  Bring your own food and beverages. He will provide apple cider. Take home a pumpkin or two!

Volunteer Day

Sunday October 26, 11 AM

Come out and help prepare the garlic for planting. This will be done inside the barn, so it will be rain or shine. Dress warmly! This will be the last chance to get a pumpkin before Halloween!  If there is interest and the weather permits John will be happy to show folks around the farm in the afternoon.

Please RSVP to directly John if you will be attending either of the volunteer days or the Campfire event. Also anyone willing to come a little earlier for either of the farm visits and help out with parking or other logistics- your assistance would be welcome.   kruegerjohn@earthlink.net

Circle Brook Farm

Directions to Circle Brook Farm

Take I-80 West to Rt. 206 North.  Follow 206 for about 8 miles. Just after passing a Shell station (the 2^nd one) you will pass under a tunnel. The next left is High St., you will see a blue sign for County Route 606 and on the left a yellow sign for low bridge ahead. Turn left there, up a steep hill to a traffic light. Go through the light and follow Brighton St. for about 2 miles, it will turn into County 603 and you go down a hill and around a curve. Turn into the driveway at the 2^nd and larger yellow house with a red barn on both sides of the street. 141 Brighton Rd. Andover NJ 07821  If you miss the turn on High St. continue through the Boro of Andover and turn left on Brighton Rd, County 603 (Simon and Peters Sport Shop is on the corner). The farm will then be on the left in 1 ½ miles.

Photo Credit

Katy Chapman

Volunteer Sign-Up Begins Today

During the 2014 season, each member is required to volunteer for one shift at the pick up location. 

The shifts are 11am-1pm and 1-3pm on Fridays, June 13 through November 21.

Please note that the July 4 pickup has been moved up to Wednesday, July 2.

There will be two volunteers and at least one of the organizers at each shift.

We are using an interface called VolunteerSpot for signups.

Today, Saturday, May 24, you will receive an email from VolunteerSpot with instructions and a hyperlink which will enable you to sign up in three easy steps. Or you can click here to go directly to our sign up.

Some things to remember:

* Sign ups are on the first come first served basis.

* Volunteer names are visible on the sign up.

* WITHIN AN HOUR after signing up,  you will receive a confirmation email, from which you can update your calendars on your computers and/or smart devices with one click.

We will send you a reminder at the beginning of the week and the day before you are scheduled to volunteer. You can also download a VolunteerSpot mobile app if you like, although it is not necessary.

Nino Badridze is our Volunteer Coordinator. Please feel free to contact her with any questions about volunteering or the sign up process. Please note she has a different volunteer email address for volunteering. (volunteerffs at gmail.com, 973-752-6538)

**VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, email Nino and she will imput manually.

Also, if you need to change your shift, please contact Nino at your earliest convenience. She will do her best to find you another suitable shift. 

Many thanks for your participation and help in running things smoothly!  And thanks to Nino for taking on this huge task!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend.

All the best,

Melissa & Wendy