zorgon
11-26-2008, 10:08 PM
Weld County Farmer Shares Bounty From Platteville Fields
Miller Farms To Give Away Potatoes, Onions, Beets And Carrots
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. -- When most people think of a farm, they think of corn, cattle and sending the products to market.
But Platteville farmers Joe and Chris Miller have a different kind of operation.
"We do Farmer's Markets," Joe Miller said. "And we do our fall harvest. We sell direct to the public."
This year was good to the Millers, so they've decided to share what's left of their bounty with fellow Coloradans.
"Our potatoes did exceptionally well this year," Miller said. "We have a lot of them left."
Instead of letting the remainder of their crop freeze in the ground, the Millers decided to let people come and glean the fields.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/18039136/detail.html#-
Well the response to this was over whelming...
40,000 Swarm Farm To Gather Free Food
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. -- A farm couple got a huge surprise when they opened their fields to anyone who wanted to pick up free vegetables left over after the harvest -- 40,000 people showed up.
Joe and Chris Miller's fields were picked so clean Saturday that a second day of gleaning -- the ancient practice of picking up leftover food in farm fields -- was canceled Sunday. " 'Overwhelmed' is putting it mildly," Chris Miller said. "People obviously need food."
She said she expected 5,000 to 10,000 people to show up Saturday to collect free potatoes, carrots and leeks. Instead, an estimated 11,000 vehicles snaked around cornfields and backed up more than two miles. About 30 acres of the 600-acre farm 37 miles north of Denver became a parking lot.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/23/AR2008112302364.html
Back in Canada when I lived near farms it was an annual fall event to go to the farms after the harvest and glean fields or take fruit fallen by the wayside.
We would can it, freeze it or make wine. It had nothing to do with being short of cash... it was tradition. The food would just get plowed back into the field anyway.
But already this charge of people is being touted on websites as the latest indication that things are going bad...
I think the reason so many did this was because of the media invitation. Its also a fun way to spend a day with the family and by prepping a lot of food you save a bunch of money.
Sure in that 40,000 there were some that needed it... but to say the ones that don't were less than honorable for coming for free food is just stupid.
We still go out once a year to California when the fruits are right and buy a lot to process... People have forgotten how to do this.
I see fruit trees in neighbors yards that remain unpicked and rot on the ground. We just made some really great plum wine with the plums from ornamental plum trees. The fruits are to small to eat but make a marvelous wine...
Taking the kids along on a pick your own trip is a great way for them to find out where stuff comes from. A pick your own trip can be a lot of fun and in a strawberry field the "all you can eat free' policy is great for killing cravings :1eye:
I think if you went and asked the people who came you would get a lot in that group that will say it was for the experience.
The last few weeks in Vegas has seen a decline in food prices all across the board. Gas is back from 4.00 to 2.00 a gallon so that's half.
Potatoes were high for longer than usual... but that is a gimmick they con you with... they sell you the old stock at higher price and make you think shortage... when the new potatoes from this years harvest are sitting waiting for shipment... 3 weeks ago 10 lbs was $4.85 here now I can get 20 lbs for $2.68
Best solution is buy when its cheap and buy a deep freezer. We picked up a used commercial upright for 400.00. Does that ever hold a lot of food. I bought a generator for 139.00 in case of power outages to keep the stuff frozen
You got a big family to feed? Find a store in your area that is willing to sell you the slightly less than perfect veggies for a discount rather than tossing them in the dumpster. Look for the dated stock and dented cans section.
We have become conditioned to our fruits and veggies in the store looking perfect and pretty... but if you grow your own you know you can cut off a blemish and the rest is perfectly edible. The oranges we buy are clean and pretty but have color in them to look that way. Go to Florida and look at the juice oranges. They are so sweet they melt in your mouth, but are not pretty to look at so only go to the juice factory.
I wish there were such farms close to Vegas... I would be there in a heart beat. Just LOOK at the size of those spuds he is picking up :drool: When was the last time you saw ones like those in the store?
Miller Farms To Give Away Potatoes, Onions, Beets And Carrots
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. -- When most people think of a farm, they think of corn, cattle and sending the products to market.
But Platteville farmers Joe and Chris Miller have a different kind of operation.
"We do Farmer's Markets," Joe Miller said. "And we do our fall harvest. We sell direct to the public."
This year was good to the Millers, so they've decided to share what's left of their bounty with fellow Coloradans.
"Our potatoes did exceptionally well this year," Miller said. "We have a lot of them left."
Instead of letting the remainder of their crop freeze in the ground, the Millers decided to let people come and glean the fields.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/18039136/detail.html#-
Well the response to this was over whelming...
40,000 Swarm Farm To Gather Free Food
PLATTEVILLE, Colo. -- A farm couple got a huge surprise when they opened their fields to anyone who wanted to pick up free vegetables left over after the harvest -- 40,000 people showed up.
Joe and Chris Miller's fields were picked so clean Saturday that a second day of gleaning -- the ancient practice of picking up leftover food in farm fields -- was canceled Sunday. " 'Overwhelmed' is putting it mildly," Chris Miller said. "People obviously need food."
She said she expected 5,000 to 10,000 people to show up Saturday to collect free potatoes, carrots and leeks. Instead, an estimated 11,000 vehicles snaked around cornfields and backed up more than two miles. About 30 acres of the 600-acre farm 37 miles north of Denver became a parking lot.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/23/AR2008112302364.html
Back in Canada when I lived near farms it was an annual fall event to go to the farms after the harvest and glean fields or take fruit fallen by the wayside.
We would can it, freeze it or make wine. It had nothing to do with being short of cash... it was tradition. The food would just get plowed back into the field anyway.
But already this charge of people is being touted on websites as the latest indication that things are going bad...
I think the reason so many did this was because of the media invitation. Its also a fun way to spend a day with the family and by prepping a lot of food you save a bunch of money.
Sure in that 40,000 there were some that needed it... but to say the ones that don't were less than honorable for coming for free food is just stupid.
We still go out once a year to California when the fruits are right and buy a lot to process... People have forgotten how to do this.
I see fruit trees in neighbors yards that remain unpicked and rot on the ground. We just made some really great plum wine with the plums from ornamental plum trees. The fruits are to small to eat but make a marvelous wine...
Taking the kids along on a pick your own trip is a great way for them to find out where stuff comes from. A pick your own trip can be a lot of fun and in a strawberry field the "all you can eat free' policy is great for killing cravings :1eye:
I think if you went and asked the people who came you would get a lot in that group that will say it was for the experience.
The last few weeks in Vegas has seen a decline in food prices all across the board. Gas is back from 4.00 to 2.00 a gallon so that's half.
Potatoes were high for longer than usual... but that is a gimmick they con you with... they sell you the old stock at higher price and make you think shortage... when the new potatoes from this years harvest are sitting waiting for shipment... 3 weeks ago 10 lbs was $4.85 here now I can get 20 lbs for $2.68
Best solution is buy when its cheap and buy a deep freezer. We picked up a used commercial upright for 400.00. Does that ever hold a lot of food. I bought a generator for 139.00 in case of power outages to keep the stuff frozen
You got a big family to feed? Find a store in your area that is willing to sell you the slightly less than perfect veggies for a discount rather than tossing them in the dumpster. Look for the dated stock and dented cans section.
We have become conditioned to our fruits and veggies in the store looking perfect and pretty... but if you grow your own you know you can cut off a blemish and the rest is perfectly edible. The oranges we buy are clean and pretty but have color in them to look that way. Go to Florida and look at the juice oranges. They are so sweet they melt in your mouth, but are not pretty to look at so only go to the juice factory.
I wish there were such farms close to Vegas... I would be there in a heart beat. Just LOOK at the size of those spuds he is picking up :drool: When was the last time you saw ones like those in the store?