Borden Road Farm Market

Families that garden together…stay together. As a Valentine’s gift from the Borden Farm we have a drawing for 5 free garden plots…20 by 50 feet. All plots are in our 7 acre garden surrounded by a 10′ fence to keep the deer out. The soil will be tilled and ready for planting. We will supply 3 drip lines for irrigation and if it doesn’t rain one inch a week, we will water it for you free of charge. You plant, weed, and harvest. You can garden anytime you want 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset. During our regular business hours you can tour our gardens or visit the pond to see the ducks and geese, visit the chicken house to see the hens and roosters, or take the Beaver Trail and feed the rabbits in the hutches. Bring your lunch or dinner or cook your own at our fire pit and relax at picnic tables in the sun or under century old pines. Register for the free drawing. Just send us email at Win@BordenFarm Market.com. In the subject line enter “Garden Plot Drawing” and in the body provide your full name, address, and phone number. We will draw the winners from registrants On February 10th and immediately mail you our Valentine Day Gift Certificate. Want to rent a plot, see the post below. Eat well. Stay well and enjoy the pleasure of growing your own with your family, or stop by and buy our produce. We want you at the farm.

Want to rent a 20 by 50 garden plot or larger. Schroll down to the January 16th item and send us email.

Eating vine ripened red juicy tomatoes from your own garden is a great source of summer pleasure. Here are some tips for producing a great tomato crop.

Select the right variety. There are more than 7,500 varieties of tomatoes to choose from. Select one right for your growing season and conditions. At the Borden Farm we prefer heirloom and open pollinated varieties.

Tomatoes like full sun and heat. Your tomato plants should get at least 6 hours of full sun each day.

Tomatoes like rich well drained soil. But if you over fertilize you will get more vines and fewer blossoms.

Provide sufficient water. At least an inch of water per week. Cut back slightly on watering when the fruit is ripening and you will get a meatier tomato.

Tomatoes like warm weather and a weed free growing environment. A biodegradable black plastic mulch keeps the weeds down and warms the soil temperature. A heavy layer of weed free mulch also keeps weeds down and serves to retain moisture.

If you want to freeze or can your tomatoes all at one time or have limited space, plant “determinate” tomatoes. They have shorter vines than the “indeterminate” tomatoes that produce tomatoes from mid summer until frost.

If you are growing your own plants from seed, wait until 5 to 7 weeks before the last expected frost to plant. A heat tray set at 70 degrees speeds germination. Make sure the plants get plenty of light and “harden them the off” for about 10 days before setting out in the garden. “Hardening” simply involves setting them outside in a shady wind protected area during the day and taking them back in at night. Plants not properly hardened off go into shock when transplanted are slow to recover or in some cases never recover.

If buying plants select stalky rather than leggy plants with dark green leaves.

When transplanting tomatoes, plant them deep. With tall plants lay the stem in a trench and cover with dirt leaving no more than 5 or six leaves above ground. The plant stem will develop roots below ground level.

If tomatoes blossom, but do not set fruit, pollination is not occurring. Use a “Q’ tip to lightly tap the blossom stem to spread the pollen.

If your tomatoes get black spots on the bottom or “bottom rot” it may be the result of inconsistent watering or wide fluctuations in garden temperatures or a calcium deficiency. If the tomato does not uniformly ripen, called “cat facing,” it may be the result of planting too early, insufficient water, or wide temperature fluctuation.

Too many tomatoes? Tomatoes are easy to can or freeze. And the aroma of cooking your own spaghetti sauce is great and the taste even better.

In the fall, covering tomatoes on frosty nights can extent your season. Or pick the green tomatoes and wrap them loosely in newspaper and place them in a dark cool, dry place until they ripen. Or for a real taste treat, try some “green fried tomatoes.”

Questions? Call us at 219-232-0848 or stop by the farm for a visit.

Families that garden together…stay together. As a Valentine’s gift from the Borden Farm we have a drawing for 5 garden plots…20 by 50 feet. All plots are in our 7 acre garden surrounded by a 10′ fence to keep the deer out. The soil will be tilled and ready for planting. We will supply 3 drip lines for irrigation and if it doesn’t rain one inch a week, we will water it for you free of charge. You plant, weed, and harvest. You can garden anytime you want 7 days a week from sunrise to sunset. During our regular business hours you can tour our gardens or visit the pond to see the ducks and geese, visit the chicken house to see the hens and roosters, or take the Beaver Trail and feed the rabbits in the hutches. Bring your lunch or dinner or cook your own at our fire pit and relax at picnic tables in the sun or under century old pines. Register for the free drawing. Just send us email at Win@BordenFarm Market.com. In the subject line enter “Garden Plot Drawing” and in the body provide your full name, address, and phone number. We will draw the winners from registrants On February 10th and immediately mail you our Valentine Day Gift Certificate. Want to rent a plot, see the post below. Eat well. Stay well and enjoy the pleasure of growing your own with your family, or stop by and buy our produce. We want you at the farm.

Want to rent a 20 by 50 garden plot or larger. Schroll down and send us email.

Did your New Years Resolution include any of the following: Lose weight? Get Exercise? Save Money? Reduce Stress? Have More Family Time. Eat Better? If your answer is yes to one or more, then consider having your own family garden plot for 2010 at the Borden Farm.

We have reserved family garden plots for you at the farm. The plots are all in full sun, tilled and ready to plant, behind a 10′ fence around our 7 acres garden to keep the deer out, and furnished with three drip lines across each plot. If it doesn’t rain one inch a week, we will water your garden for you just as we water ours. You plant, weed, harvest and enjoy. Your plot is open to you from sunrise to sunset during the growing season. Plots are set out in various sizes–20 by 50 ($50), 20 by 100 ($90) or 20 by 225 ($125).

Other amenities include: We are open to the public 7 days a week. During our open hours you have the opportunity to tour our gardens on 1,000 feet of mulched paths that will take you past our growing herbs, annual and perennial flowers, and our vegetable production facilities. You can take the paths to the pond to see the ducks and geese, or the path to the chicken house. When you travel the Beaver Trail you will see rabbit hutches and be able to feed the rabbits. You can lunch at our picnic tables located under century old pine trees in the farm yard.

If you have an interest in learning more about our rental gardens, send us email at Win@BordenFarmMarket.com and we will send you a complete packet of information. In the subject line of your email note “garden plot rentals” and in the body include your full name and your email address.

Visit our web site for weekly updates for tips on growing your own and the products and produce we will have available for purchase at the farm.

Dinner last night included roasted organic hen, twice baked squash with ginger, sweet corn casserole, and chilled wild rice salad. To copy & enjoy highlight and paste.

Slow Roasted Organic Range Hen. Place hen on standing overn rack and rub with ground sage and oregano. Tent with foil. Baste hourly with olive oil and drippings from bird. Remove foil tent for last hour of cooking. Cooking time is about 1/2 hour per pound. Pierce thigh w fork and juice should run clear when done. Note. Range grown organic hens have less fat, are slower roasting, and not as tender as factory grown hormone fed caged birds, but they taste a lot better and are better for you. Be sure to save the left overs, bones and all, to make the best chicken stock you will ever have.

Twice Baked Squash with Apples and Ginger. Bake your favorite winter squash (mine Buttercup and Ambercip) as usual. Cool and mash six cups. Add one cup apple compote, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, one egg and one half teaspon of fresh grated or ground ginger. Stir and pour in 2 quart casserole, top with chopped nuts, and bake at 350 for one hour.

Sweet Corn Casserole. Six cups of fresh or frozen whole kernel corn. One half cup chopped onions. One half cup chopped green and red sweet bell peppers. Three tablespoons sugar, one beaten egg, one cup cracker crumbs, one half cup sour cream, and one half cup or more of milk. Add salt and pepper. Stir and add more milk if too thick to pour. Place in casserole and cook one hour at 350 or until browned on top.

Chilled Wild Rice Salad. Cook and chill one cup wild rice–will make in excess of three cups of cooked rice. Chop one half cup onion, one half cup dried cranberries, and chop one cup apples. We use a mix of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp organic. Add one half chopped nuts of your choice. For dressing mix equal parts of oilive oil, red wine vinegar (you can use balsamic for this one). sugar, and mayonnaise. Stir. Taste. Alter to taste and mix on salad. If not serving for several hours place chopped apples in separate container, add 3 vitamin C tablets to a cup of water and pour over apples to prevent browning. Rinse before adding to salad.

Home cooking is an art. Not a science. We often add or subtract ingredients. Cook so food is appealing to the eye and the pallet and enjoy the aroma. Eat well. Stay healthy. Enjoy.

Did your New Years Resolution include any of the following: Lose weight? Get Exercise? Save Money? Reduce Stress? Have More Family Time. Eat Better? If your answer is yes to one or more, then consider having your own family garden plot for 2010.at the Borden Farm.

We have reserved family garden plots for you at the farm. The plots are all in full sun, tilled and ready to plant, behind a 10′ fence around our 7 acres garden to keep the deer out, and furnished with three drip lines across each plot. If it doesn’t rain one inch a week, we will water your garden for you just as we water ours. You plant, weed, harvest and enjoy. Your plot is open to you from sunrise to sunset during the growing season. Plots are set out in various sizes–20 by 50 ($50), 20 by 100 ($90) or 20 by 225 ($125).

Other amenities include We are open to the public 7 days a week. During our open hours you have the opportunity to tour our gardens on 1,000 feet of mulched paths that will take you past our growing herbs, annual and perennial flowers, and our vegetable production facilities. You can take the paths to the pond to see the ducks and geese, or the path to the chiken house and the path to the rabbit pens. You can lunch at our picnic tables located under century old pine trees in the farm yard.

If you have an interest in learning more about our rental gardens, send us email at Win@BordenFarmMarket.com and we will send you a complete packet of information. In the subject line of your email note “garden plot rentals” and in the body include your full name and your email address.

Visit our web site for weekly updates for tips on growing your own and the products and produce we will have available for purchase at the farm.

Are you willing to garden with your children or grandchildren? It can be a great learning experience and great family fun. If your answer is yes, then check our webiste on Sunday, January 2nd, and learn how you can win one of ten FREE garden plots for those who agree to make gardening a family experience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

Great eggs and chickens available at the farm. Few things better than a fresh egg from a range grown and organically fed chicken. Unless it is an organic hen roasting in your oven.

The hens have been processed under USDA standards, flash frozen whole, and they as well as eggs are ready for you at the farm.

We don’t have regular open hours during the winter, but we are here 90% of the time. We are away a few hours each week taking college courses on how to raise better products for you come spring. If you want call ahead at 218-232-0848 and let us know when you will be here and we will be for sure. Happy New Year.