We were delighted to have interviewed Caroline on her last day of her marketing internship on our farm earlier this month. Enjoy Caroline’s perspective of life before, during and after her internship at Alstede Farms. Before Caroline, a local high school graduate and current University student interned with us throughout the summer. Caroline has always …
It’s Melon season on our farm right now and we typically have them available August through October, weather dependent. We farm 4 acres of melons growing 7 different kinds including red and yellow seedless watermelon, red and yellow seeded watermelon, muskmelon (AKA cantaloupe), honeydew melon and canary melon. Melons belong to the Cucurbits or Gourd …
Eggplant, also known as Aubergine, is technically a berry, as it contains small edible seeds, although it is regarded as a vegetable in cooking. Eggplants are a member of the nightshade family which also include; peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Eggplants are in season on our farm in the summer months of late July through September, …
The amazing tomato is our eating in season feature of the week. Botanically known as a fruit, culinary speaking we refer to tomatoes as vegetables. Tomatoes can be classified according to their harvest time or by their characteristic type. That means you may hear the term early, mid season or late being used in addition …
Staying up to date on the weather is paramount for every farmer. Knowing rainfall, wind speeds, and other factors help impact farm production decisions which ultimately affect crop yields and success. We continue to be innovative by utilizing technology to make best management practices pertaining to these decisions on our farm. Learn how we use …
We’re celebrating our 40th year of farming in Chester, NJ and are excited to share our humble roots with you. Farmer Kurt W. Alstede started farming on a couple acres of farmland located in Chester Township, NJ back in 1982. The farmland was originally owned by the Mennen family purchasing the land in the late …
Garlic is one of those things that is so very loved by some and not so much by others, a true dichotomy if you start asking around. Here’s an example of that divide, even in our culinary specialist Miss Jenn’s’ own family, as her parents cooked with garlic daily while growing up. Now she and …
Peach blossoms typically have five pink petals, but they are occasionally known to be white. Peaches are either freestones or clingstones, the difference being the flesh separating easily from the pit or not. Freestone peaches flesh is easily separated from the pit, while the other is not. Peaches have fuzzy skin. Peaches with smooth skin …
We love featuring the wonderful team working for us on our farm. This week’s highlight features Maria & Sindy, the dynamic duo in our food service division. Maria has worked all different facets of our farm learning all the way. She worked our tailgate markets where she helped guests shop for our delicious produce before …
Do you know? Is Corn a fruit or a vegetable? Corn is technically a fruit as it derives from a seed of a flowering plant. There are generally two types of corn, sweet corn and field corn. The differences between sweet corn and field corn are that sweet corn is picked when immature and used …
Bean thinking about healthy eating? Try adding green beans into your summer dishes to enjoy the health benefits of eating farm fresh and in season. The green bean is a herbaceous plant belonging to the legume family and has been around for a very long time. Some say that there are over 100 varieties of …
Blueberries certainly are berry good eats and they are in season now on our farm. There are generally two types of blueberry bushes: the first being wild (commercially known as lowbush) blueberries and cultivated (commercially known as highbush) blueberries. We have seven plus acres of the highbush blueberry variety on our farm. Highbush blueberries have …
