MT. LEBANON FARM STAND

starting August 16.

Penn’s Corner holds monthly Farm Stand sales throughout the year.  These sales are open to CSA members and non-members alike (the $5 order fee is waived for current CSA members.)  Each month an up to date product list is created and distributed to customers via our mailing list.  Customers pre-order items by email or phone and orders are taken on a first come, first served basis.  Orders are then picked up at our current Farm Stand locations in Squirrel Hill and Mt. Lebanon on the designated day.   

Products that are likely to be included in our Farm Stands include seasonal and extraordinarily fresh produce and fruits, herbs, garlic, locally raised meats, honey, fresh pastas, cheese, eggs and fresh breads among other things.  Many of Penn’s Corner products are Certified Organic (OG) or Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) and are indicated as such on our Product Lists.    

We have generated a Farm Stand only mailing list so if you would like to receive news about our Farm Stands and get the Product Lists please email Lydia (farmstand@pennscorner.com).  

• Our next Squirrel Hill Farm Stands are scheduled for August 30, September 27, and October 25.
• Our Squirrel Hill Pick up location is at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer at 5700 Forbes Avenue.  Pick up times are from 4:00 pm until 6:30 pm.      
• Our next Mt. Lebanon Farm Stand is scheduled for August 16
• Our Mt. Lebanon pick up location is Sunnyhill Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills at 1240 Washington Road.  Pick up times are from 4:00 pm until 6:30 pm.  

Visit our website at www.pennscorner.com or contact Lydia Vanderhill at 616-516-6795 with any questions.  

For the time being we are not able to add additional members.  If you are interested in having your name placed on a waiting list please feel free to email Karlin at csa@pennscorner.com.  We will contact you via email if we have shares available. 

Remember to check out our Farm Stand page to see the dates of upcoming Farm Stands and have your name placed on that mailing list if you are interested.  Members and non-members alike can purchase produce, bread, cheese and a variety of pasture raised, local meats through our Farm Stand.

We will be adding new CSA members beginning the week of July 6th/7th.  This July Harvest share will be 20 weeks long.  Email us today to get on the waiting list!  We will continue to take and add new members until the 30th of June.  After that we will go back to a waiting list for at least four weeks. 

The cost of the July Harvest Share is $495.00. Members can pay online via Google Checkout or by check.  Pay in full or provide a $200.00 deposit at sign up and payment of $147.50 by July 30th and another $147.50 by August 30th. 

To get on our waiting list please email Karlin at csa@pennscorner.com.

Shelocta--Gobblers Run Rd

Monroeville--Cortland Dr (tentative)

Churchill--Orlando Pl

Regent Square--East End Ave

           The Environmental Charter School at Frick Park-- Milton St.

Squirrel Hill--Bartlett St

Squirrel Hill--Forward Ave

Squirrel Hill--Woodmont St

Greenfield--Millington Rd

Google-- Oakland (this location is only available to Google employees)

South Side--Bedford Sq

Green Tree--Warriors Rd

Whitehall--Gardenville Rd

Mt. Lebanon--Magnolia Pl

Mt. Lebanon--Woodhaven Dr

Scott Township--Borland Rd

Oakdale--Noblestown Rd

Wednesday Pickup Locations

Indiana--Philadelphia St (Yarns)

Cranberry Township--La Grande Dr

Cranberry Township- Westinghouse (open to employees only)

Fox Chapel--Quail Hill Road

Franklin Park--King James Dr

Ross Township--W Madison Circle

Bloomfield-- Aspen St

Brighton Heights--Watkins Ave

North Side--Resaca Pl

Downtown--Gulf Tower

Downtown--Federal Building (open to employees only)

Lawrenceville--Butler St

Friendship--S Atlantic Ave

Morningside--Chislett St

Highland Park--N Highland Ave (Enrico's Tazza D'oro)

Highland Park--Jackson St

Shadyside-- Castleman St

Squirrel Hill--S Negley Ave (near 5th Ave)

Chatham University--Woodland Dr

Chatham East-- 5th and Penn Ave (this location is only available to employees)

Point Breeze--S Lang

Our Cabin Fever and Farmer’s Friend shares will begin April 13^th and 14^th.   

The Harvest Share will begin June 8^th and 9^th.   

In the week before your share begins you will receive an email from us that provides all of the important details that you will need: times, exact addresses of the pickup location, contact info for your host and other important reminders. 

Always feel free to contact us with questions, concerns or feedback.  We hope to see some of you at Legume this Thursday evening!  Call the restaurant for details.

What’s happening at Penn’s Corner …

1. We have added a few CSA pick up locations!  New to our list are a Monroeville location, a pick up at the Environmental Charter School at Frick Park and a Chatham eastside location which is located near the intersection of Penn and 5^th Avenues.  In addition,
   our Lawrenceville pick up has been moved from the old Penn Avenue location to Dozen Bake Shop, 3511 Butler St 15201.  Finally, our Brighton Heights pick up has been moved also but is very near the old location.  More details to come!  Current members are always welcome to change their pick up if a new one is more convenient.  Just let us know.
2. Chatham College is holding the first annual LOCAL FOOD SHOWCASE- a Grower/Buyer Event and Penn’s Corner will be there! The event will be held on Thursday March 11, 2010 from 1-4pm at Chatham University.  This is a great opportunity to find local sources of fresh and processed foods for retail, restaurant, CSA, wholesale, farm markets, and home use. Click here to read more about the event.  Neil and I will be there and love to meet Penn's Corner CSA members so be sure to come and say hello to us if you make it to this event!
3. Legume Bistro will be holding a Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance dinner on Thursday March 18^th.  Click on this link to read more from their chef about the details.  Neil and I will be there and hope to see some of you there.  It’s a great opportunity to enjoy a wonderful, local meal comprised of products grown by your farmers and prepared by one of Pittsburgh’s premier chef’s.  And you may get to know some of your fellow Penn’s Corner devotes in the process!
4. Our Cabin Fever share will begin on April 13th and 14th.  We well be sending out a Google payment request at the end of March for folks that still have a balance on their accounts.  We ask that members pay 1/2 of their remaining balance by the time our Cabin Fever share begins in April.  
5. Our March 15th Farm Stand Product List went out last Friday.  I just got a call from David Yoder at Nu Way Farm.  This wonderful sunshine that are are experiencing has gotten his spinach and arugula up and growing in full swing.  That means that we have 1/2 pound bags of each for $5 and $6 respectively, in addition to the Product List.  Remember to get your order in by this Wednesday. 

What type of food is in a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box?
The Penn’s Corner CSA boxes contain a wide variety of fresh, seasonal food from local farms. Each week the CSA box contains a different assortment of seasonal vegetables, and there is usually at least one type of fruit as well. Our goal is to provide you with top quality produce in quantities that you can use. Remember, all the food is locally grown, which means that there will not be corn in May or strawberries in September. CSA equals seasonal eating, and that means eating everything in its prime season and peak flavor! In addition to fresh fruits and vegetables, the CSA box will also have regular installments of other farm products included—gourmet mushrooms, wild honey, local cheese, free-range eggs, fresh pasta, etc. The following link has some examples of CSA boxes from last season: CSA Menus.

How much food is in a weekly CSA box?
Each CSA box contains about 8-10 items a week. The variation depends upon the season and the specific items. If there are more high-value items in a particular week (such as peaches or salad mix or cheese), the number of items may be around 8. If there are more standard crops that week (such as cucumbers or peppers or onions), the number of items will be 10 or more.

How many people can a CSA box feed?
Depending on your eating patterns, a box will feed approximately 1-4 people, usually 2-3 people is a good number. But it is flexible. Some members use the CSA as their sole source of produce during the season. Others use it to supplement what they are already buying at farmer’s markets or the store.

When are the CSA pickup days and times?
CSA pickup days and times will be confirmed closer to the beginning of the season. The proposed days are Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on location. The pickup times vary by location as well. Usually the pickup window is between 3-730pm.

What if I can’t pick up my box during the allotted time?  Or, what if I'm on vacation?
It is important to find a way to get your box during the stated time frame. If you cannot get to the pickup location on time or are out of town, we suggest sending a friend or family member in your place. It’s a great way to introduce the CSA to others. We cannot guarantee that CSA boxes will be available outside of the stated pickup time.

Is Penn's Corner CSA organic?
Incorporated in 1999, PCFA did not organize as an organic coop. Therefore, our growers use a variety of agricultural practices. Although not many Penn’s Corner growers are certified organic, many of them do follow the organic practices and principles. Many of them are Certified Naturally Grown, which is a similar, alternative certification program to organic. So, the vast majority of the CSA is chemical-free produce. However, we also include produce that is not necessarily grown organically.

Where is the CSA food coming from?
Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance is a cooperative of Southwestern PA farmers that market together in the Pittsburgh area. PCFA farms are in Allegheny, Washington, Beaver, Butler, Mercer, Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Clarion, & Westmoreland counties. The CSA produce comes directly from the farms to your neighborhood. The produce is collected and boxed on our member farms, and then taken directly to CSA pickup locations. The produce is never held in a warehouse or off-site facility.

Can I choose what’s in the CSA box?
At this time, there is not an option to choose what’s in your CSA box. We do, however, have the option for a vegan CSA. Other than that, we believe that with a good recipe (which we provide in the e-newsletter and on the website), you’ll learn to enjoy the diversity of produce in the CSA. Most members find new favorites in the CSA box.  Plus, the newsletter we send out to you has a list of what's going to be in the CSA box in the coming week.

How can I find information about cooking the produce in the CSA box?
The weekly CSA newsletters always have recipes related to the specific items in each box. These newsletters arrive via email before you receive your box, so that you have time to plan your shopping and your cooking based on what will be in each CSA box. The website also has some seasonal recipes to use. In addition to that, the internet is filled with wonderful recipes based on seasonal produce.

Where are the pickup locations for the CSA?
We keep an updated list of CSA pickup locations under the CSA tab of the website homepage. The exact locations are available upon request or during membership confirmation.

Can I be a CSA host site/pickup location?

Yes, we are looking for members who are willing to be a pickup location for CSA deliveries.  Please let us know your address, and we can assess the possibility of adding your location to our delivery route.

What is required to be a host site/pickup location?
The short answer is, not much. It can be at your home or business. The CSA boxes simply need a cool, protected place that is easily accessible to members. It is not required to be present during the pickup, but it necessary to provide contact information in case we need to reach you. The members will return their empty boxes to the pickup location, so it is also necessary to have a bit of storage space for the CSA boxes. We typically accept sites with room enough for 10-20+ boxes (approximately 17”x 13”x 11” each).  Please inquire, we can send your our Statement of Understanding for CSA hosts.