Hello Everyone,

The Spring Summer Fall Oasis CSA is now open for subscription!  I for one am very stoked about the spring-summer-fall growing season.  The Winter CSA is pretty great, but you cannot beat Lancaster County farmers during this time, which is just around the corner.

As an added bonus, our beer and wine license should be in place this coming month and we will be doing beer and wine tastings at our newly installed tasting table with other cheeses, meats, etc on the CSA pick-up days.  So basically a party all the time.

Full details can be found on the attached document here, CSA Application 2013, and below but let me give you a run down of the basics here.

Duration: 25 weeks beginning in May (most likely the middle of May but this will be determined closer to the growing season depending on weather conditions)

Share Size: 1/2 Bushel minimum, some weeks will be 3/4-1 full bushel, boxes will include 6-11 items, sufficient for 2-3 people for the week.

Cost: $26/week for a total of $650.

Pick-up: Tuesdays OR Fridays at Smucker Farms at 2118 14th Street NW DC.  Boxes will be available from drop-off around 8.30-9AM through NOON the following day.

Payment: Upfront by check or credit card at Smucker Farms.

• If by check, make payable to “Smucker Farms of Lancaster County”
• Can be mailed to 2118 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20009 with Attached Application
• Or dropped off at same address with Attached Application.

• If by credit card ($15 surcharge for credit card payments)
• Attached Application can be dropped off at above address and we will process payment at the register
• Attached Application can be mailed or emailed and credit card information called into 202.986.7332.

If you have any questions please contact me at eric@smuckerfarmsdc.com or 202.986.7332.

Thanks!

Eric Smucker

2013 CSA Application

A wide range of factors effect the final pricing that we have here in the store, but the dominant factor is making sure that the small farmers raising their cattle are provided a living wage to ensure that they can continue to produce such an amazing product. Agricultural land costs are rising across the country, and Lancaster County sits on the most fertile, non-irrigated soil in North America, making it especially attractive for farming. Coupled with the appetite of real estate development in the area and you have naturally higher land prices, which must be paid for by the farmers working the land.

The most important factors though are the methods employed by our farmers. Introducing corn into a beef steer’s diet is the quickest way to wipe away nutrients and flavor, while simultaneously increasing cholesterol absorption. The nutrient levels of our farmers Black Angus beef has been measured by Franklin & Marshall University and the differences between conventionally raised beef and corn-fed beef is astounding. We will be posting these results in the store.

Keeping corn out of the equation means that cattle takes longer to get to the weight where they can be processed, which increases the capital return timeline for the farmers. Some farmers claim grass-fed beef but then finish their steers with corn in the final 3-4 weeks, which negates all of the positive aspects of grass fed beef for the consumer. Our farmers do not do that.

The final element to consider is the butchering and processing. Our farmers have their beef and pork processed at Smucker Meats (my Father’s cousin because I know you are asking), which uses humane finishing techniques and also dry ages the beef for a minimum of 21 days. These extra 21 days of dry age finishing is essential to the tenderness and overall flavor that you have come to love, but it does add cost to the final product.

For our retail pricing we then have to make sure we can pay for the cooler display, rent, employees, etc. Finding the happy medium between where we can make it work and also move the product to your kitchen table affordably is a balancing act we are starting to get the hang of. In the spirit of full transparency we are posting here a pricing guide including what we pay for the beef, our mark-up, and the final retail price. We are able to now provide a better retail price for our beef because we are committing to purchasing from the farmers a half cow at a time rather than particular cuts of meat that may move faster than others. This discount is passed on to you. Please click on the link below to see what I am talking about.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@smuckerfarmsdc.com.

Eric Smucker
Owner

Beef Pricing Guide for Smucker Farms

Salad Greens and a Cookbook, Perfect Combo for a CSA

As we draw near to the end of our 25 weeks of amazing Spring, Summer, and Fall CSA, we are opening up subscription for the Winter CSA.  The Winter CSA will be a 1/2 bushel focused on chemical- free greenhouse produce from Oasis at Bird-in-Hand (www.reallivefood.org) such as leafy greens, root vegetables, eggs, cheese, and butter.  See the downloadable application below for a more detailed list of expected fresh produce.  The amount of product is enough for 2-3 persons for approximately 75-85% of your fresh produce needs.

Why eggs, cheese, and butter? At some points in the winter even the greenhouses will not be producing at maximum capacity and in order to ensure value for the CSA members we will be adding in these items.  It will not be every week but you will love it when it does include them.

For $31/week over 25 weeks you will receive the highest quality, most nutrient dense food available on the East Coast.  Lancaster County is home to the most fertile non-irrigated soil in North America, and when farmers treat the land right (without chemicals!) the end product is packed full of flavor and nutrition.  Just ask our current CSA customers, many of whom are already signing up for the winter months.

Below you will find the application form to get you started.  The Winter CSA will go from November 9th until April 26th, at which point we will do the 2013 Spring, Summer, and Fall CSA.  Picking up a box of great product year round straight from some of the best farmers in the world? Awesome.

2012-2013 Winter CSA Application

The Co-Op has been kind enough to open up the CSA to new shareholders in the middle of the season at a pro-rated price!  Ask your friends, ask your neighbors, our CSA is the best way to get outstanding produce from farmers dedicated to chemical free practices.  Below you will find links to the mid-season application form and also the full season description sheet.

And stay tuned, because the Co-Op is also planning a winter CSA! We will have more info for that shortly.

Eric Smucker

2012 Mid-Season CSA Application

2012 Oasis CSA Description

The reigning pretzel champion of Lancaster: Hammond's!

At Smucker Farms, we believe that any pretzel that has been voted the Best Hard Pretzel in Lancaster County every year for the past 21 years is definitely a pretzel we need to introduce to Washington, DC. Lancaster’s champion Hammond’s Pretzels has been hand-rolling their crunchy, salty snacks since 1931. Despite the industrial advances in the mechanization of pretzel making, generations of the family behind these renowned pretzels have remained committed to maintaining the old handcrafting traditions.

Hammond’s Pretzels was founded by William Lichty and his grandfather William Hammond during the Great Depression. Like many others during that period, Lichty had lost his job and was determined to find a way to support his family. Working with his grandfather, a former pretzel baker, the two established their own pretzel bakery using Hammond’s old sourdough pretzel recipe. The family ties of the business grew even stronger when Lichty’s father joined the team. While you don’t need substantial room to roll pretzels, the equipment required to bake the snack is quite bulky. Rather than look for a new space, the grandfather and grandson team transformed the garages of their adjoining houses into the new Hammond’s Pretzels bakery, where the company is still located.

Today the great-great-great grandchildren of William Hammond carry on the tradition of Hammond’s Pretzels. With much of the equipment used to make the pretzels dating back to the first half of the century, this new generation is steadfastly committed to the old pretzel making methods used by their ancestors. Most of today’s pretzel manufacturers have switched to extrusion machines that push pretzel dough out of tubes into a pretzel shape similar to the old Play-Doh toys. However, Hammond’s Pretzels are still rolled, shaped and twisted by hand.

Old-fashioned handmade pretzels: we wouldn't want it any other way.

While this may seem to be a very slow and tedious process, Hammond’s 11 veteran pretzel-rollers can produce more than 33,000 pretzels in a day!  If you look closely at each pretzel, you will notice small differences that are a telltale sign of their handcraftsmanship. Brian Nicklaus, one of Hammond’s Pretzels’ current operators, says that he can determine which of his pretzel-rollers twisted the pretzel based on these small differences.

Hammond’s commitment to maintaining traditions extends beyond the equipment and the rolling and baking methods. Just as Lichty and his grandfather would have done in the 1930s, Hammond’s Pretzels sources nearly all of its flour from a nearby mill in Lancaster County. In addition, Hammond’s still salts each pretzel by hand, allowing them to offer customers a variety of levels of saltiness.

Despite being available in nearly every grocery store in Lancaster, the only place you can find the beloved Hammond’s Pretzels in DC is at Smucker Farms. Next time you are in our neighborhood stop by and grab a bagful to get a sense of Hammond’s family and pretzel-making traditions.

So much Capital Kombucha, so little time! Enjoy refreshing flavors like Peach, Mint Lime, Mango Chili and Basil Lemongrass.

Rather than try to mask the vinegary bite that kombucha is known for, the makers of Capital Kombucha work with flavors that complement the usually sharp taste. With four varieties to choose from, there is a flavor that will appeal to everyone’s tastebuds. Basil Lemongrass has a smooth, refreshing taste that is a great after a hard workout. For those looking for a zestier choice, Mango Chili is a sweet and spicy blend that pairs well with fish or jambalaya. Mint Lime combines the classic mojito tastes that complement a variety of dishes. Peach has a warm, subtly sweet flavor that could easily replace your morning orange juice and is great for first-time kombucha drinkers.

Capital Kombucha is created using the same fermentation method that has been employed by kombucha brewers for more than two thousand years. The process begins with brewing tea using a unique blend the company created itself. Next, organic, biodynamic sugar and a culture are added to the tea to begin the fermentation process. Unlike many home kombucha brewers who get their culture from another source, Capital Kombucha’s brewers created this combination of bacteria and yeast themselves, adding to the brand’s unique flavor characteristics. Similar to beer, the yeast in this culture processes the sugar into alcohol. The bacteria then transform this alcohol into an acid, signaling the completion of the fermentation process. This acid is what gives kombucha its signature vinegary bite.

The last step is to add the flavor using fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. These final components are sourced through DC Central Kitchen who provides a direct connection for Capital Kombucha to local farmers. In an effort to support other local businesses, Capital Kombucha aims to purchase as much of its ingredients as possible from nearby sources in order to keep their money within the community.

Capital Kombucha is much more than just a health drink. Enjoy it with meals as you would fruit juices or sodas or replace your morning coffee with a bottle of Capital Kombucha for a jumpstart to your day. You could even mix Capital Kombucha with your favorite liquor to create an original cocktail. Check out the recipe below for Capital Kombucha’s take on how to incorporate some of the fruits and herbs that are in season (and at Smucker Farms) right now!

Booch Berry Mojito

5 Smucker Farms blueberries OR raspberries
4 mint leaves
2 oz. Mint Lime Capital Kombucha
2 oz. white Rum
.5 oz lime juice
.5 oz simple syrup*
.5 oz soda water
Ice (crushed or cubed)

Add mint leaves, blueberries/raspberries, lime juice and simple syrup to a glass. Muddle ingredients firmly for 30 seconds (berries should be crushed).**

Add 2 oz. Mint Lime Capital Kombucha and 2 oz. white rum to the glass and mix with a spoon.

Add ice and .5 oz of soda.

To really impress the guests garnish the glass by sliding one mint sprig or raw sugar cane into the glass.

* Simple syrup is just equal parts sugar and water.  To make 32 oz. for example, bring 16 oz. of water to a boil, add 16 oz. of a sugar of your choice, turn off heat, stir, and you’re ready to go once syrup cools
** For those who fancy an extra bite, add a nub of ginger before you muddle your ingredients.

Next time you need something to nibble on as you sip your morning coffee, reach for a Stroopie, a light yet decadent cookie that combines the comforting flavors of cinnamon and caramel. Originally a Dutch specialty, these delicate treats can be found at Smucker Farms thanks to a group of philanthropic friends in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. What began with Ed McManness’s tradition of sharing souvenir stroopies with family and friends after returning from trips to Holland has evolved into a business whose priority is to provide opportunities for those who might otherwise be limited.

The Original Stroopie

Each time McManness planned another trip to Holland he received more requests to bring back stroopies. Recognizing the demand for this unique product, McManness and business partner Dan Perryman began making and selling their own in Lancaster in 2008. From the beginning this endeavor was an experiment to determine the best production practices so the business could eventually launch in India. Unlike most businessmen whose only goal is to make a profit, McManness and Perryman wanted to give struggling people an opportunity for jobs. The more successful their business could be, the more people they could hire.

In 2009, Perryman established the new business, DNE Bakery, in Moradabad, India, a blue-collar town known for its brass handicrafts. In addition to the original Stroopie sold in Lancaster, the bakery offers a version with an Indian twist as well as other local sweet staples. Since opening, DNE Bakery has done exceptionally well and currently employs six locals. One member of this team has even been training to become a full-time operations manager!

After Perryman moved to India, McManness struggled to continue running the Lancaster-based business on his own and considered completely ending production in the US. When McManness’s friends Jonathan and Jenny Groff learned about the company’s uncertain future they volunteered to take over.

What most people do not know is that Lancaster is the home to refugees from all over the world. Unfortunately many in this group struggle to find work due to their refugee status or because they do not know English. Similar to DNE Bakery’s goals in India, the Groffs saw the Lancaster Stroopie business as an opportunity for jobs and a new future for these refugees. Since taking over the business the Groffs have continued to work towards being able to employ their struggling neighbors.

In addition to being compassionate for others and aligning their business philosophy with philanthropic goals, the Groffs make delicious Stroopies! The full name for the Dutch treats is actually “stroopwafel” but Holland’s teens have shortened the name to just “stroopies”.

These sweet delicate delights begin with McManness and Perryman’s original cinnamon cookie recipe. The raw batter is poured into an authentic Dutch stroopwafel iron, where it is baked into the traditional waffle shape. The cookie is then cut in half. Warm caramel is spread between the two sides, which are then sandwiched together. Whereas stroopwafel makers in Holland have machines that can crank out 4,000 cookies every hour, the Groffs still create each cookie by hand. The meticulous process each cookie requires means the Groffs can only make about 50 every hour. Now that’s small-batch production!

According to the Groffs, Stroopies are at their best when the cookie is warm. The couple recommends placing the Stroopie on top of a hot cup of coffee or tea and letting it rest there for a few minutes. The steam will soften the caramel in the cookie making it even more delicious! If you would prefer to eat your Stroopie as an afternoon snack just pop into the microwave for a few seconds to warm the caramel.

For dedicated Stroopie lovers: the six pack.

At Smucker Farms we offer the original Stroopie as well as a chocolate-covered version. If you are having some serious cravings, you could always indulge in the six-pack. And no, you don’t have to share.

Your new kitchen staple: these versatile hot sauces enhance the flavor of almost any dish!

Meet your new kitchen staple: Uncle Brutha’s Allsauces. From vegetables to seafood to poultry, these versatile hot sauces enhance the flavor of almost any dish. Made from fresh ingredients rather than powdered and dried seasonings like many other typical hot sauces, Uncle Brutha’s balances the heat of fiery chilies with the savoriness of vegetables and herbs.

Each Allsauce offers a unique combination of flavors. If your everyday vegetables need a pick-me-up, add a few drops of Allsauce No. 9, Uncle Brutha’s take on salsa verde. Serrano chilies, garlic, ginger, cilantro and green onions are blended to create an exotic flavor that also elevates any seafood recipe.

If you are a heat-seeker, reach for Allsauce No. 10, a deeply flavorful blend of garlic and four chilies, including serranos, habaneros, and red and green jalapeños. Just a small amount of this sauce will introduce enough spice to satisfy your need for heat but not too much to overwhelm the flavor of your food. No. 10 and your favorite fried dishes, such as chicken, fish or french fries, are a wonderful combination. You could also mix the Allsauce with ketchup, BBQ sauce or even tomato sauces to create new flavors.

These atypical hot sauces first came to life many years ago following Uncle Brutha’s founder and DC resident Brennan Proctor’s lengthy quest for the best hot wings. Rather than finding anything deserving of this title, Proctor was frequently underwhelmed by the flavor and heat of the many wing sauces he encountered. Rather than continue to be disappointed, he began researching the characteristics and ingredients of the sauces he did like and then experimented with his own flavor combinations to create his ideal hot sauce base. Shortly after, Proctor moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in sound engineering for music videos. While in LA, he attended a colleague’s baby shower where Proctor was in charge of making and bringing the wings which were smothered in his homemade hot sauce. One serving was all the soon-to-be mother needed to encourage Proctor to bottle his sauce and sell it.

Even though he had the perfect sauce, Proctor still needed to complete the package with the perfect name. In the end, the inspiration for the Uncle Brutha’s brand name came from family.  Proctor’s sister has always referred to him as “Brother” and he affectionately calls her “Sister”. When his sister became pregnant, it was easy to decide what the new baby would call Proctor: Uncle Brother. This family endearment eventually became the inspiration for the name of Proctor’s new line of sauces. Proctor added the name “Allsauce” to communicate the versatility of his hot sauces.

Proctor shared his Allsauces with his sound engineering clients but when the calls asking for sauce were more frequent than the calls inquiring about his musical services Proctor realized he needed to switch gears. After 12 years in Los Angeles, Proctor moved back to DC to establish this new business and make Uncle Brutha’s his full-time job. Once back in his hometown, Proctor tinkered with the recipes a little bit more and began entering two sauces, No. 9 and No. 10, into national competitions where he frequently placed in the top five.

While Uncle Brutha’s currently only offers the No. 9 and No. 10 Allsauces, Proctor promises that he is working on some new recipes to expand his line of versatile hot sauces. At Smucker Farms we are anxious to try these new flavors but until then we are happy to offer the original Allsauces!

For generations, founder Mark Olenick’s ancestors lived in Eastern Europe’s Carpathian mountain region where the pickling method was used to preserve vegetable harvests for the harsh winter months. When Olenick’s grandmother immigrated to the United States in 1917, she brought the well-tested family pickling recipes with her. Soon she was married and began filling her Pennsylvania basement with preserved foods. Surrounded by pickled vegetables, her 11 children absorbed their mother’s extensive knowledge and grew up practicing her tried and true methods themselves. In turn, they passed on the recipes to the next generation of children, including Mark Olenick.

Pickling isn't just for cucumbers. Try Lititz's mushrooms, asaparagus and relishes too!

For many years pickling was just a hobby for Olenick who enjoyed sharing the products of this passion with family and friends. He had never considered a career in pickles until a close friend mentioned that Olenick’s pickles were good enough to sell. With this encouragement and his family recipes for Garlic Dill and Bread & Butter Pickles in hand, Olenick founded Lititz Pickle Company in 2009.

According to Olenick, starting with raw ingredients is the key to creating a crisp and crunchy pickle. Therefore, there is no actual cooking involved in his recipes. Instead the pickled products are preserved as they cure in a barrel for up to eight weeks. Olenick is just as particular about his ingredients as he is about his pickling methods. The vegetables used to create Lititz’s pickles are sourced from growers that only use natural farming methods. In addition, he uses sea salt rather than kosher salt, which gives the pickled vegetables their wonderful flavor without the negative health effects of sodium.

Dinner needs more flavor? Try these seasonings made with sea salt!

Thanks to Olenick’s pickling creativity the Lititz line has expanded over time to include additional pickle flavors and vegetables as well as relishes, dressings and seasonings. Rather than start from scratch to create a new pickled product, Olenick begins with the family recipes as a base and then adds ingredients that complement the natural flavors. For example, he found that he could give his garlic and dill recipe new character by adding some heat using chili flakes. In addition to these “Kickles” (short for pickles with a kick) Olenick has experimented with pickling locally-grown mushrooms and asparagus, which he calls “Sassy Grass” for the sassy flavor the spicy brine gives the asparagus.

For Olenick, Lititz Pickle Company is more than a business. It is a channel for his personal philosophy of community-mindedness. Olenick believes that in order for communities and businesses to truly thrive, they must work together. He has been following this principle since he first founded Lititz with his decision to focus on forming partnerships with small, family-owned markets rather than major grocery stores. In an effort to give back to the community that has helped Lititz achieve a level of success Olenick could not have anticipated, a portion of the company’s profits go to local ministries and food banks. To help the next generation of the community’s families stay active, Lititz also sponsors local youth soccer and football teams.

The company’s dedication to supporting its community and Lititz’s accompanying success proves that Olenick’s attitude of “the more you give, the more you get back” is an effective guide for running a small business.

The proof is in the pulp! At the bottom of every Spindrift Sparkling Soda bottle, you can see the pulp from the fresh squeezed fruit that was used to create this refreshing beverage.

This self-proclaimed “fresh take on soda” starts off with fresh squeezed fruit and crushed berries. In fact, you will know exactly how much fruit each bottle contains because they are labeled with what could be smoothie recipes, such as “Made with a ¼ of a fresh squeezed grapefruit and fresh squeezed lemon juice” or “Made with a ¼ of a crushed mango and fresh squeezed orange juice.” These unprocessed natural extractions are combined with triple-filtered sparkling water and a dash of cane juice to create Spindrift’s light and refreshing soda.