The Great Local Food Tour: Barnard's Orchards

After buying some cinnamon butter at Bailey's Dairy (mmmm, rare guilty pleasure...) we moved on out. Our next stop was Barnard's Orchards, but we made a pit stop- Northbrook Country Market. We were only interested in ice cream to go, as we wanted to get to as many stops in one day as we could, but they offer MUCH more than just ice cream. We will definitely be returning- a lot of the food and goods sold are homemade, and what they don't make they source locally. I got a small mint chocolate chip and Chris got a shake.

Our stop at Barnard's Orchards was quick. Lewis (owner) told us the harvest was between seasons, so offerings were slimmer than usual. Strawberry and asparagus season had ended and blueberry season was not quite in full swing. But now it seems the harvest is coming in (their facebook page indicates peaches, blueberries and tomatoes, among other things) and they are now fully open (they were on the honor system.)

Lewis said the farm had been in the same family since 1862. They are not organic, but they try to spray as little as they can get away with. According to Lewis, between the location/region, the amount of rain we get, the various pests that thrive in that environment and fungus, if he didn't use chemicals he would have nothing to harvest. Fair enough.

We bought a few gorgeous tomatoes and a lavender plant. I have never really used lavender in food, nor have I ever had a lavender plant. So far I haven't killed it. 

Any ideas for how I should use this beautiful lavender? 

The Great Local Food Tour: Bailey's Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm

After Thornbury Farm, we drove on for a bit until we got to Baily's Dairy of Pocopson Meadow Farm. It was idyllic, really. Lots of greenery for the cows to graze, and we could see them grazing when we arrived. (I should have gotten a picture of them then, when we left they had gone into the barn to be milked.) The buildings look old, but there was no one available for questions, so I can't be sure how old the farm is. The website only says it is "historic."

There wasn't even someone manning the register, only a money box and a note about the honor system with a list of prices. The trust they have that no one would cheat them added to the farm's charm.

Aside from the cows grazing there were also chickens (they sell eggs) and one was loose! It was a tiny little thing and came right to the car, but she was a bit skittish so I didn't take a picture. There was also a momma cat and two kittens. I couldn't get a picture of the kittens- that momma was fierce. She didn't look like the type to mess around.

And there was a very friendly dog, also on the loose. I worried out loud that it might get hit by a customer's car (the farm has a long driveway and it winds around the buildings a bit.) Chris reassured me that "farm dogs are smarter." Ha!

The small store is a single room, and they had a few refrigerators filled with milk, cream, butter, ice cream, and eggs, and there was also some seasonal produce in baskets. We chose a container of cinnamon butter ($4). It seemed a bit more expensive than what you might get at the grocery store, but I think the quality is much better. According to the website, the cows are never given hormones or antibiotics, and the milk never leaves that location (every part of the process is done there.) The cinnamon butter is AMAZING- I don't eat bread much anymore, but I have definitely had a few slices of toast here and there JUST for this butter.

Have you ever had dairy from a local farm? Did it taste any different from what you would buy normally?

Here is Bailey's Dairy's website, and their facebook. 

The New Raw Food Diet ebook giveaway winners!

So, I am a day later than when I promised I would announce winners for Hilary Greenleaf's ebook The New Raw Food Diet- sorry! Better late than never?

To make it fair and random, I put each individual entry on a separate piece of paper, put them all into a jar, and picked out 5.

The winners are Crystal, Heather, Lisa, Sharon, and Carol! I will contact you all separately and get you in touch with Hilary.

Thanks to everyone who participated, this was fun! Can't wait to do another one!

The Great Local Food Tour: Thornbury Farm

After our stop at Shoomama's Farm Fresh Cafe, we moved on to Thornbury Farm. Lynn at Shoomama's told us he sourced a lot of his produce from Thornbury, so I figured it would be a good stop.

Thornbury Farm is over 300 years old, and for the last 72 years it has been in the same family. They use organic methods for the produce they grow themselves, but they are not certified organic. They also obtain produce they do not grow from other farms, including from Lancaster. Interesting fact: the main house (not pictured) on the farm is the first quarried house in Pennsylvania and was built using the property's own quarry.

The farm stand/market is a small single room, and it is stocked with various vegetables and fruit mostly grown right there, as well as eggs, dairy, honey, jarred and preserved foods, decorations, and soap- all local.

The back door was open when we were there, and if I were to take a few steps out I would have been standing in the very fields growing the vegetables they sell. For some reason that really struck me, I guess because it seemed so open and honest. Across the street from the stand were a donkey (a female named Daisy), chickens, a rooster, and a white peacock.

We chatted for a few minutes with the man running the store (I forgot to get his name) and then paid for our goods. We bought kale, french breakfast radishes, broccoli and a bag of dried mixed fruit (that last one was Aurelia's request, and for some reason it didn't make it into the picture :).

The Great Local Food Tour: Shoomama's Farm Fresh Cafe

After Pete's Produce Farm, we felt we needed a break. The kids needed to be changed and were both hungry. Chris and I were not particularly hungry as we had been eating on the road all along, but he felt he needed some coffee so we stopped at the first cafe we came across.

As luck would have it, the place was called Shoomama's Farm Fresh Cafe, and it fit right into our theme! I spoke to the owner/manager Lynn Powers, who has his MBA in Environmental Sciences- he was happy to answer my questions.

Shoomama's strives to offer food that is local, farm fresh and organic (where possible.) As Lynn put it, his restaurant is not a health food store- they do have some fried options on the menu, for example. But he does know where the food comes from, and that is something he feels good about. 

The cheese, meat, yogurt, cream cheese is sourced from the Martins family in Lancaster. He gets most of the veggies, lettuce, tomatoes, watermelon (when in season) from Thornbury Farm and Stratton's Wynorr Farm (both farms were stops on our route.) Mushrooms come from Kennett Square. Eggs come from more of the Martins family, in New Holland and Stevens, PA. (I learned the Martins are a HUGE family, and do a great deal of farming, working together.)

Chris asked whether there is any bison on the menu, which there isn't, and he immediately recommended a local bison farmer. (Of course.)

Shoomama's Farm Fresh Cafe is a BYOB. They have free wifi and a very nice staff. The atmosphere is open, airy, relaxing and comfortable inside. They also have outdoor seating. You can find them on Facebook, too. 

After finding this little gem I wished we hadn't filled up on all our own food along the way. Chris liked his coffee, and we already have plans to go back and try out more menu options! 

The Great Local Food Tour: Pete's Produce Farm

After stopping at Stratton's Wynorr Farm, we went on to Pete's Produce. We loved this stop- if it is close to you, it would be a great place to get all your grocery shopping done in one place. In addition to fruits, vegetables, and herbs, there are also potted plants and flowers, canned and jarred goods, bread and other baked goods, eggs, candy and dried fruits, and you can get a smoothie to slurp while you shop.

I spoke to Chris and Jed- they were happy to answer my questions. I learned the farm and stand are family owned and operated, but they also hire workers outside the family. They are not certified organic, but they use some organic methods for the things they grow themselves, and are "low spray" when it is necessary. Not everything is local- for example, they were selling avocados and bananas, which obviously can't be local. But everything was clearly labeled "local," "grown here," "NJ blueberries" or otherwise had stickers with the country or state of origin. The breads and baked goods were from a small bakery nearby. In short, where possible they sourced what was seasonal and local. I think their approach was good because they were a small business and supported other small businesses and farms, but to attract the most customers they also offered a wide selection of products.

They had a few tables dedicated to berries and stone fruit. Since some of the fruits are only in season for a short while around here, I loaded up!

Specifically, we bought peaches, sugarplums, red cherries, Ranier cherries, apricots, all of which were grown in PA. We also bought two pints of some of the best blueberries I have ever had, grown in NJ. 

We have been devouring it all since, and finished them off on a long ride to NY for our friends' wedding. Yum! 

By the way, here are those wonderful friends, and here we are getting ready to go see them get hitched :).

What fruits are your favorites? Do you avoid certain foods because there is no way to source them locally, like bananas or avocados? What do you eat on road trips? Are you seeing any friends get married this summer? This was our third wedding this year alone, and we have at least one more! 

The Great Local Food Tour: Stratton's Wynor Farm

Saturday was our first day of exploring farms on the Great Local Food Tour. I have to admit, we had a bit of a rough start. The first place is only open for business on Thursdays, the second place had no on location sales (only at farmers markets), the third place was not open because they don't have anything  ready to harvest yet, and the fourth place we just could not find. So, I was feeling very discouraged. At Least I had snacks! 

Finally, we got to Stratton's Wynorr Farm and I was elated to have people to interview! I spoke to Lenore, and she was happy to answer my questions. 

Nothing they were selling at the stand had been grown there- it had come from their sister farm (Sunny Harvest farm in Lancaster.) But I still consider that local. 


Lenore said nothing they were selling had been sprayed- organic methods were used, but they do not have organic certification. She used the term "chemical-free." We were at their farm outlet, but they also run a CSA. 


We bought sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, potatoes, onion, and a small DELICIOUS shoofly pie. I had never tried shoofly pie, but Chris is a huge fan and that was his pick for what to buy. Let me just say, I had a few small bites and LOVED it. Chris requested I find a recipe so we can try making it at home. 

After our little chat with Lenore and once we made our purchase we were back on the road again heading to our next destination. 

Are you a member of a CSA? Has anyone out there ever tried or even made shoo fly pie? Recipes to share? :)