We now have apples, potatoes and onions for sale. We have opened up our storage room and found nice quality apples and onions.  We are selling our apples by the half-bushel and potatoes/onions by the half-peck at nice, low prices.

Prices of our apples of which we have a good quantity:

Jonathans, Empires, Red Delicious — $3.00 a half bushel

Crispin(Mutsu), Northern Spy, Idared — $4.00 a half bushel

Granny Smith, Fuji — $5.00 a half bushel

We also have some smaller quantities of other varieties at reasonable prices.

Prices of Onions:

Red Onions — $3.00 a half-peck (just over five pounds)

Yellow Sweet Spanish Onions — $2.50 a half-peck (just over five pounds)

Prices of Potatoes:

Norkotah Russet — $2.00 a half-peck (just over 7 pounds)

As always, please pull up plastic liner and leave basket.

The crew just picked 18 quarts of strawberries this morning. Kind of surprising how many ripe strawberries they are finding given the lack of sunshine around here over the past few days. However, we are glad the strawberries are ripening. 

The other evening we had strawberry shortcake for supper and boy was it good! The berries are absolutely delicious, nicely sized and just wonderful. 

Hurry down and pick up a quart or two. You’ve got to enjoy them while they last.

I found this story in the Phildelphia Citypaper online (story here). The author explains why buying your produce from your local farmers is the best choice you can make which almost goes without saying. But the reason I link this article is her list of some early produce and its nutritional benefits for the consumer. Here at Magicland Farms, we will soon be having strawberries and peas available for sale. Below are her comments on those two crops:

Peas

With 134 calories in a whole cup of peas, these seasonal beauties are delicious examples of why we eat veggies. A great source of calcium (43% of your daily requirements!), potassium, magnesium and phosphorus, fresh peas contribute fiber to our diets, folic acid for strong blood and immune-boosting vitamins A, C and K for all you antioxidant lovers out there.

Strawberries

With a harvest season that can seem like just minutes, when you see local strawberries at a farm market, grab them – especially if they are not sprayed or are organic! Their sweet-tart flavor is just one bit of their allure. With only 49 calories in a cup, these vitamin C-rich berries give us all the immune-boosting power we need, in a delicious way. A great source of fiber, magnesium and potassium, strawberries go a long way towards helping us feel balanced. And once you have tried locally grown, you’ll understand: they are worlds away from the flat-tasting, out of season, ripened-under-grow-lights versions you find at the supermarket.

So be sure to check back for the announcement of the start of the strawberry/pea harvest. Come on out and get some of the goodies for yourself; you won’t be sorry.

A lot of shoppers are not aware of the country of origin for their fruits and vegetables. Many of the things you would assume are grown here in the United States actually are not. I found this link – Food & Water Watch: Global Grocer – recently and it is interesting. You can select a food (everything from frozen food to canned goods to fresh fruits and vegetables) and the site will tell you what the chances are that the item you are holding in your hand is imported and what countries are the main suppliers. For example, asparagus has a 3 in 4 chance of being imported, primarily from Peru and Mexico. So sad, as this used to be a crop grown primarily in Michigan and Washington state. Check out this site, click on start shopping and see where your food is coming from.

Remember Buy Local, Buy Michigan!