Rodale Institute Farm Shares & Farmers Markets

John Long, RI Greenhouse and Landscape Manager, read about this technique of forcing rhubarb in a greenhouse over the winter.
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Forcing is a process of encouraging plants to bloom out of season. Done in a controlled environment, you can get a rhubarb crop before spring!
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As shown in the picture, John used a large pot and covered the plant with a rubber harvest basket.
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The process also blanches the plant, which resulted in pale leaves and pink stems.
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This rhubarb was not as bitter as our perennial field rhubarb. It had more acidic and sour notes. The stems were also very delicate and tender!

Rodale Institute Farm Followers -
Over the next year, the Instagram account, Rodale Institute Farm, and Facebook account, Rodale Institute Farm Shares & Farmers Markets will be deactivated.
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For updates and news from Rodale Institute, we invite you to follow our other two accounts.
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For general Rodale Institute news and updates, please follow Rodale Institute on Instagram and Facebook.
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For news and updates about our farmers markets, mobile market events and food access programming, please follow the Rodale Institute Garden Store accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
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Stay tuned for more details about our workshops, events, and farmers markets and mobile market dates, hours and locations!

This Veterans Day, we would like to thank all Veterans for their service.
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We would specifically like to thank all the Veterans in this season’s Rodale Institute Veteran Farmer Training program.
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This season would not have been a success without your passion and energy. It was a privledge to work with all of you.
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Thank you Teresa, Derek, Sam, Pat, Brian, JT, Franz, Stephon, Nick, and Andrew.

It’s garlic planting time! The RIFT interns are featured seeding next year’s garlic crop. This bed is Music, a hardneck variety.
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Please help us congratulate Jonny and Jacque for accepting our 2nd-year fellowship! They will assist with field management and tractor work next season.
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We also wanted to thank Matt, this season’s 2nd-year fellow, for coming back to help us plant the garlic!

We had a minor frost yesterday and a significant frost today!
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Although the frost does look beautiful on the farm, it was not that friendly to our organic ornamental plants.
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We would like to thank our dedicated farm volunteers, Wendy and Mike, for assisting us with landscaping clean up.
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We would also like to thank Harris Seeds Organic for providing us with vegetable and ornamental seeds this season!

Come celebrate the final mobile markets of the season!🫑🥬🧅🫑🥬🧅🫑🥬🧅🫑🥬🧅🫑🥬🧅🫑🥬🧅
We have two locations today:
Rodale Institute - 10am to 2pm
Allentown YMCA - 9am to 1pm
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If you have Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program checks, they do expire November 30th. You can redeem with with us for local, organic produce!
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We also accept SNAP benefits and you can use Lehigh Valley Fresh Food Bucks to double produce purchases up to $20!!

Sadly, we are packing the last organic farm shares of the season.
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We would like to thank our site partners, the Allentown YMCA and Berks County Intermediate Unit, for hosting our farm share sites, so that we can distribute local, nutritious, organic food to the Allentown and Reading, PA, communities!
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We would also like to thank our farm share volunteers Donna, Mitch, Nancy and Dick for assisting in distribution!
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Thank you to Buy Fresh Buy Local of the Greater Lehigh Valley for managing the Lehigh Valley Fresh Food Bucks program, so we were able to double SNAP benefits!
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Thank you to the Penn Street Market for hosting and inviting us to participate in their weekly market, and managing the Berks County Farm Bucks program that provides free, local produce for Berks county residents!
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Lastly, thank you to all the Rodale Institute Farming interns and Veteran Farming interns for planting, harvesting, processing and distributing our organic produce, meats and eggs!!!! Your commitment to regenerative organic agriculture and food justice is inspiring and much appreciated by all!!
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It was such a great season and we can’t wait to provide organic food for the Allentown and Reading communities next year!

We’ve began the process of removing some of the plants from our garden beds. Sadly, it is the time of year where the annual ornamentals begin to wane.
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John long and Ian Frederick, Rodale Institute Farm Operations, did a great job designing and maintaining our flower beds all season! I’m sure their presence around the farm provided some great photos for all of our farm guests and visitors, and created some great habitats for all the pollinators!

Despite the rain, we’re open at our two locations today!
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The Allentown YMCA - 9am to 1pm.
Rodale Institute - 10am to 2pm.
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Both markets accept SNAP benefits and Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program checks. SNAP customers receive up to $10 off produce purchases with Lehigh Valley Fresh Food Bucks.
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Next Saturday is the last day of our market season. Be sure to use your FMNP checks before they expire in November.

Our organic ornamental flowers are beginning to wane. But they still look great surrounding this pergola behind our !
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Be sure to visit the farm to see them before the season is over!!

It’s almost Halloween! Be sure to get your organic pumpkins from our two market locations today!!
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We also have apple cider made with organic apples.
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Saturday locations:
Rodale Institute - 10am-2pm
Allentown YMCA - 9am-1pm
Both markets accept SNAP and FMNP checks. SNAP customers, use your Lehigh Valley Fresh Food Bucks and receive up to $10 off produce purchases!