Crumb Trail

bit of a break

Just to let you know that I am taking a bit of a blog break while I enjoy an abundance of family in our home, followed by a big event in our son's life.  In the meantime, I sure hope we get some rain.   I'll be back blogging on Sept. 2nd. 

red raspberries u-pick

Blueberry Acres, 5393 South 800 East, in LaOtto, IN, has red raspberries for picking starting today.  They are open for picking Wednesdays and Saturdays only, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The u-pick berries are $2.75/pound and pre-pick are available if you call or e-mail ahead for $4.50/pound.  Do be sure to take along a container to take your berries home in.  Their phone number is 260-693-2080.

Health Food Shoppe

The Health Food Shoppe, 3515 North Anthony Blvd, in Fort Wayne is offering a nice variety of locally grown organic produce right now.  If you haven't recently visited this unique grocery/health food store, you really should.  They have a soup and salad bar and usually about 11 a.m. hot foods are available.  All healthy good stuff.

The stores hours are Monday through Saturday
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

new farmers market great success

This was such a pleasure to experience!  This farmers market will be open on Wednesdays from
10 a.m to 1 p.m. and is located in the Neighborhood Health Clinic's staff and visitor parking lot at 1717 South Calhoun St. in Fort Wayne.  I arrived a little after 11 a.m. and the place was packed.  I actually waited awhile to take the pictures until their was a bit of a lull and it was not so crowded, so that you could actually see something besides people.  Their were at least three vendors.  Pembroke Gardens, (Angie was the one who so kindly informed me of this new venture and she also has a stand at the Southside Farmers Market), the Giants (who have a stand at the Southside Market on Saturdays), and Hardys (who have their own farm stand on Knoll Rd in Fort Wayne and a stand at the Barr Street Market on Saturdays).

There is easy access from Calhoun Street into the parking lot and plenty of available parking spaces.  It was great to see all the children, accompanying their parents, being exposed to buying the freshest of vegetables at a farmers market.

news flash!

Tomorrow, August 13th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. a NEW farmers market is opening in Fort Wayne.  This was shared with me by a reader of this blog, who will have a stand there along with other local producers.  The market will be located at the Neighborhood Health Clinic, 1717 South Calhoun Street.  I will be there and hopefully some of you too can make it.  I will write more after my visit.

The Yoder Farm

How did I miss this!?!  This farm is what this blog is all about!  The Yoder's Farm's  mission as stated on their web site is my heartfelt mission too, they just say it better than I have, "Just as you develop a special relationship with your physician, clergyperson, accountant or financial planner, so too, should you develop a connection with the person who grows your food.  Until recently we treated food as if it was nearly worthless.  'Cheapest is best'.  We're learning, sometimes painfully, the truth is otherwise."

Their farm is located east of Huntertown in northern Allen County.  Their farm starts the year producing  Maple Syrup, typically available February through May or until their supply is exhausted.  Then in mid-April and May, they are harvesting their asparagus.  This is followed starting in July and August with a limited assortment of vegetables.  Green and yellow beans and tomatoes, then okra, sweet bell peppers, and broccoli, then Brussels sprouts and turnips.

The Yoder Farm does not have a farm stand and instead, provide their maple syrup and vegetables through a order form provided on their web site.  Please visit their site and see what all this brother and sister are involved in and how they have reached out to educate our community.

Van Dolah Apiaries, Inc.

Van Dolah Apiaries, Inc. is located just north of Leo, IN at 16632 State Road 1.  They have over 70 hives located in six different areas around them.  Their honey is wildflower honey and they take off the honey once a year and blend it all together.

You can buy their honey and beeswax candles at the Barr Street Market on Saturday mornings or at their home.  Their home address is 16632 State Road 1, Spencerville, IN 26788 and they can be reached at 260-627-3929.  Marilyn also makes lotions containing beeswax.

u-pick blueberries still available

Strangland Blueberries, located off of 109 in Columbia City, still has good blueberry pickin'.

They are open only on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

They can be reached at 260-636-2749 if you have questions, but the owner believes they will be open through mid August.

To get there, take 109 north from Hwy 30 in Columbia City (there is a Bob Evans on the corner of this intersection).  Go north on 109 for approximately 5.8 miles.  You will see this sign on your right, at the intersection of 109 and 400 S, turn right and go 1 mile.  Turn left on 300 W and go .5 miles.  You will see a sign, kind of covered right now by corn, that says "blueberries" and points to the left.  That lane will take you to the blueberry farm.  Believe me, it was well worth it when we arrived.  The blueberries are $1.50/pound.

Doud's Countyline Orchard (Peaches & Apples)

Wow, juicy delicious peaches!  At the Barr Street Market it Ft. Wayne this past Saturday, we enjoyed sample tastes of the peaches from David and Valerie Doud's Countyline Orchard.  We bought some (the Rising Star peaches) and ate a portion of them sliced up on or cereal this morning (along with frozen blueberries from Blueberry Acres.)  The peaches, their apples, and pears are grown at the orchard located at 7877 West 400 North, Wabash IN.  They also sell their own apple cider and both apple and pear butter made with no sugar added. 

They are very busy on Saturdays when you can find their fruits at the North Manchester Farmer's Market, the Roanoke Farmer's Market, the Barr Street Market in Fort Wayne and the Southside Farmer's Market in Fort Wayne.  They can be reached for more information, at 765-833-6122.

Lengacher's Meats

One Saturday while browsing the Southside Farmers Market in Fort Wayne, I was able to talk to Scott Fruits, the sales representative for Lengacher's Meats.  This is an Amish owned meat processing business in Grabill, IN.  Scott is the one who gets out and about selling their summer sausage, jerky and snack sticks.  He offered us a taste of the jerky and the snack sticks, both of which were delicious, rich in flavor and texture. 

All the meats are processed in Grabill by the Lengachers and all are hickory smoked and vacuum packed for freshness.  The snack sticks come in three flavors:  Original (a beef and pork mixture with a black pepper base seasoning), Jalapeno, and Barbecue (which contains brown sugar and molasses).  The jerky comes in Original, Original with Jalapeno, and Teriyaki.  The summer sausage is provided in six different flavors:  Chicken (all chicken thigh meat), Original, Garlic, Garlic with Cheese, Jalapeno, and Jalapeno with Cheese.

Scott sells all of these products at the Southside Farmers Market, but he won't be there this Saturday, because this weekend, July 31st and August 1st and 2nd, Scott will have a stand at the Harlan Days festival.

All of these meats can also be purchased at Lengacher's Meats, 13601 Antwerp Road, Grabill, IN 46741 and if you have any questions please feel free to contact Scott at (260) 615-2110.