Due to our transition year, we expect to sell few or no tomatoes in 2012.

As the season nears its end, we have a good number of tomatoes, so we are offering them this Saturday at the Princeton Farmers’ Market at only $3 /quart, which is less than $1.50 / pound. We also have canning tomatoes (with blemishes) for $0.80 / pound or $14 for a half bushel. Saturday, we also plan to bring to Princeton red raspberries, black walnuts, chestnuts, garlic, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, dill, cilantro, wheat, acorn and butternut squash, pie pumpkins, ground cherries, tomatillos, radishes, lettuce, carrots, and sunchokes. And of course, we will have our popular Plow Creek Bakery goodies.

This Saturday at Princeton Farmers’ Market, we expect to have rhubarb, spinach, wheat, salad mix, Jerusalem artichokes, mint, and our Plow Creek Bakery goods. Sorry, no strawberries yet. We’ve seen a few red ones, but I don’t think we could find a pint yet. Maybe limited quantities next Saturday…. We will have tomato and strawberry plants for sale for your garden.

Last week we put our first planting of tomatoes out in the field. They are planted with a plastic mulch that warms the soil, and covered with a row cover. This extra work should provide earlier tomatoes. This year we plan to have three plantings of tomatoes, rather than our usual two. We hope this will give us a steadier supply throughout the season.

Saturday in Princeton and Peoria we plan to bring a good quantity of blackberries. There will be discounts for larger blackberry purchases. We also still have a fair amount of blueberries and an increasing amount of red raspberries. Very few muskmelon; we are between plantings. I will try to pick some of our plums in the morning before going to Princeton. We have a big supply of tomatoes: heirlooms, small varieties, and regular types. Also at markets we will probably have popcorn, garlic, cucumbers, green and yellow beans, onions, and herbs. And in Princeton we will have plenty of Plow Creek Bakery goodies.

Plow Creek Farm now has plenty of delicious ripe tomatoes. We have regular slicing tomatoes, Romas, several heirloom types (including Brandywine, Black Prince, and Striped) and a variety of sweet tiny tomatoes. They are available at our Market Barn, and at Princeton, LaSalle, and Peoria Farmers’ Markets.

Canning tomatoes are $20 / bushel or $12 / half bushel. Canning tomatoes are regular tomatoes at a reduced price because of minor imperfections, the kind you would use if they were from your garden, but might not choose at a store. We get a lot of these because we do not use poisons on the plants. Tomato firsts are $50 / bushel, or $30 for a half bushel.

We also are trying tomato u-pick by appointment. Cost is 90 cents a pound, or 75 cents a pound for 50 pounds or more. For larger quantities or make a u-pick appointment, please leave a message on our answering machine or order online and we will get back with you.

Today is the last day for good amounts of blueberries at the Farmers’ Markets in Princeton and Peoria. We also are bringing a few red raspberries, some blackberries, and muskmelon. We have lots of tomatoes, including some lower priced ones for canning, plus popcorn, garlic, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, yellow and green beans, tomatillos and onions. In Princeton, we will also have a good selection of Plow Creek Bakery goodies.

Tuesday in Princeton we will be selling blackberries, red raspberries, and blueberries. We finally have lots of big ripe tomatoes. We also will have muskmelon, popcorn, garlic, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, and onions.

I expect we will have some canning tomatoes. These are regular tomatoes with imperfections, the kind you would use if they were from your garden, but would not choose at a store. These are $1.00 a pound for smaller amounts or $12 for a half bushel (over 20 pounds.)

We recently took off the covers of the tomato plants. They are looking healthy, blooming, and a few have some little green tomatoes. Maybe we will have the first tomatoes in early July.

Today we transplanted our early crop of tomatoes to the field. The plastic mulch and hoops with row covering keep them warmer, protected from frost, and therefore earlier.

Today, in Princeton, I will bring the first cantaloupe of the season to market. I will also have blueberries, raspberries, fresh garlic, new potatoes, kohlrabi, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, green beans, cabbage, snow peas, dill, Plow Creek Bakery goods, and the first few little tomatoes of the season

We will have more full size tomatoes at Saturdays’ markets in Princeton and Peoria, as well as our market barn at the farm. Also lots of cherry tomatoes and some romas. Larger quantities soon.