Borden Road Farm Market

If you want to read “Ruminations: Memories and Tales from a Furrowed Mind” simply email me at Win@BordenFarmMarket.com In the subject line note “Book Order” and in the body insert your full name and mailing address. Autographed books are mailed within 24 hours along with a bill for $10.00 plus shipping of $3.50. If you want it mailed directly to someone as a gift put there name and address below yours. Gift mailings will include a card that it was a holiday gift from you. Hope you enjoy the book. Reader feedback has been great.

“Ruminations”is a farm nostalgia book, about the simple an wonderful life on the farm. Through short stories it allows the reader to savour rich memories of the past, and as importantly, it is full of ideas of how, even in an urban setting, you can recapture a bit of the farm life. It is written in the syle of “The Farmer’s Almanac”and so it is easy to pick up, put down, and pick up again.

Reader feedback has been great. So I keep writing. Two more books are in the process–recipes from the wood stove at the farm–and a guide to growing older and loving it.

Why? Some still ask, but the evironment demands it. We are the largest producers of plastic garbage in the world. It does not compost. Drop your gallon pots, 4″ pots, 4 pacs, and plant trays at the farm. We welcome those items, but cannot use other items. Thanks for helping to protect the environment.

On May 1st we will have the following perennial herbs for you in gallon pots: Thyme, Greek Oregano, Chives, Horesradish, Egyptian Walking Onions, etc. On May 15th we will have smaller frost sensitive herb plants in four pacs, Sweet Basil, Purple Basil, Marjoreum, Greek and Cuban Oregano, Rosemary, Tyme, Sage, Fennel, Dill, Lavander, and Cilantro.

You can reserve your plants now to insure availability. Just email to Win@BordenFarmMarket.com and in the subject line insert “herb order” and in the body tell us the varieties of herbs you want and quantity. And give us your full name, address, and phone and we will confirm via email. If you want an herb not listed, tell us and we will let you know if we can accomodate your desires.

We have fresh organic eggs at $3.50 a dozen and flash frozen, no water added, organic roasting hens at $3.50 a pound–processed under USDA supervision. Pick up at the farm or email us for a deliveries in Brainerd on Tuesdays or Thursday. Questions call us at 218-232-0848

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.

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.