The Farm Stand - July 26, 2008
I know, you all are thinking: NO WAY, Tonopah Rob’s farm stand must be closed by now; it’s hot, it’s humid, it’s really hot and humid. How can anything grow in this heat, in the desert, under these conditions while we all melt? Well, you would be wrong because….I AM OPEN THIS SATURDAY. That’s right, I’ll have bushels of fresh vegetables that I just went to the grocery store and bought so I can resell them to you - JUST KIDDING. Everyone who visits my farm can see that what I sell is what I grow, that’s why that slogan is one of my motto’s. And this Saturday I will have lots of farm fresh local goodness for all who visit, well, unless a thousand people show up in which case Jerry will dance the happy dance to entertain you all. John would join the dance but he’ll be busy taking photos of Jerry getting his groove on. Sorry, I can’t join in the dancing, someone has to spin the wax (old folks talk for “playing music”). So without further nonsense, here’s this Saturday’s list of veg stuff:
- Winter squash - just look at the photo above
- Sweet potatoes
- Okra
- Carrots
- Beets
- Basil
- Summer squash - won’t find a picture above
- Italian tropea onions - John promised a recipe and has failed to deliver, lashing to ensue
- Assorted mix of dry bulb onions
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Tomatoes
- Figs
- Assorted peppers
- Beans
- Maybe a few melons
The new shelter is finished. if for no other reason, you should visit the farm stand this Saturday from 7:00 to Noon just so you can hang out at the coolest, biggest, and bestest farm stand you are going to find in all of Tonopah. Call me at 623-386-3033 for questions or to complain about my goofy web posting.
Out With The Old
Those who have visited my Saturday farm stand may not recognize this part of the property, which is where the blue tents once stood. The tents are gone to be replaced by a more weather-sturdy open walled shelter for me to sell my produce under. Due to the winds and worse, the monsoons, the tents I have had out here have taken a beating and are increasingly expensive to maintain and replace. So over the next few days, Nick will be out here with a small crew digging post holes and putting up a roof. This is all possible due to the successful growing season I have had here on the farm this year and the continued support of each and every visitor to Tonopah Rob’s Vegetable Farm Stand.
The Farm Stand - Saturday July 19
Almost forgot to post this week’s veggie list on my website, well here it is. Better late than never! This should also answer the question if I’m going to be open this weekend: well, sure I am! Come on out this Saturday from 7:00 am to noon and not only will you find delicious produce like the winter squash pictured above, you will also get to choose from the following:
- Sweet potatoes - NEW THIS WEEK!
- Winter squash
- Summer squash
- Okra
- Beets
- Carrots
- Basil
- Tomatoes
- Sweet figs
- Eggplant
- Italian sweet red tropea onions
- Huge, super sweet walla walla and texas onions
- Red, yellow, and white onions
- Italian sweet red garlic
- Assorted peppers
- Cucumbers
- Chard
- Eggs
- Maybe some green beans
Farm Update
This past Saturday okra flew off the farm stand and was the first item to sell out. I’m still harvesting okra and will be for the next weeks but it is obvious to me it won’t be enough to satisfy demand. Next year will see more okra seed planted. Winter squash proved popular in the middle of summer as well. Keep in mind that if you keep fresh winter squash in a cool dark place to cure, it can last more than a year on your shelf, and now is the time to stock up. I will have lots of winter squash over the coming weeks. Cucumbers will soon be gone while green beans are making a slow comeback and might be available again this coming weekend. Strawberries probably saw their last picking, potatoes are also finished. Eggplant is still growing well, while yams and watermelons have yet to see their first harvest. I had a small yield of Italian tropea onions, a web posting will be made about them with an interesting preparation idea for readers this week. Texas super sweet and walla walla onions grew to monster size with one particular onion coming in at over 3 pounds - it was a giant.
Some plots are now being allowed to go dormant for the remainder of summer. In between harvesting and Saturday’s farm stand we are busy clearing out old crops, preparing plots for fall, and trying to keep up with equipment maintenance. If all goes well, the blue tents will be moved to make room for a new, permanent farm stand shelter so I can stop worrying about the winds and the damage they have brought to the tents. Though it’s not written in stone yet, it looks like August 9th, 2008 will be the end of the current season until I reopen the first weekend in November.
The Farm Stand - July 12, 2008
The heat is hitting the farm with ferocity and taking it’s toll on plants and people alike. The humidity amongst the tomatoes is nearly unbearable; within minutes you are left sweating from head to toe. Fortunately the chard, okra, eggplant, basil, and watermelon are all thriving under these blistering conditions. While I may be wilting at this Saturday’s farm stand, the vegetables will be fresh, colorful, and plenty - at least for a little while longer. Starting at 7:00 am Saturday and going to noon I will be offering the following produce:
- Okra
- Basil
- Beans
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Winter squash
- Summer squash
- Tomatoes
- Swiss chard
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Beets
- Strawberries
- Figs
- Eggplant
- All kinds of sweet onions
- Assorted peppers
- A few eggs - the chickens are holding out for air conditioning.
No watermelons for sale yet, but they are coming along just fine, matter of fact, that’s a watermelon in today’s photo.
The Farm Stand - July 5th, 2008
The farm stand is still open and going strong. Our cool weather that lead us into summer has been a godsend for the veggies, and so it looks like I’ll be open into August. This Saturday, Customer Appreciation Day Part 2 unfolds and once more I’ll have a bumper crop of all-natural fresh veggies for visitors at greatly reduced prices. Today’s photo is from last week’s selection of bell peppers I had for sale - this week, peppers will be one of the items with a big fat discount attached to them. Emmet, owner of Catering-2-You, will be on hand again at 7:00 am, promising not only hot dogs but some special items made up of veggies right from my farm. The rest of the line-up looks like this:
- Assorted peppers - only $1.00 per pound this Saturday
- Lots of tomatoes - only $1.00 per pound this Saturday
- Eggplant - again, only $1.00 per pount and only this Saturday
- Carrots - how’s a buck a pound sound?
- Summer squash - you won’t believe this: ONLY FIFTY CENTS A POUND - all types and sizes
- Italian red garlic - 2 bags for $5.00
- Regular garlic - $1.00 per pound
- Onions - dollar a pound
- Chard - we supply the bag, you fill it as full as you’d like for only $3.00
- Blue potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Basil
- String beans
- Figs
- Strawberries
- Beets
- Fresh Eggs
- Okra - not a lot
- Acorn squash
- A small variety of winter squash
Call 623-386-3033 if you have any special requests or need help with directions. The farm stand will open at 7:00 am and close at 12:00 noon, Saturday only.
Customer Appreciation Day Extended!
This past Saturday was a phenomenal day at the farm stand with lots of new faces and many returning visitors. If there was one complaint, it was from the folks who could not make it for my customer appreciation day due to prior commitments. After receiving many phone calls and emails I have decided to extend customer appreciation day to this coming Saturday, July 5th, 2008. The farm stand will once again feature sale prices on a wide range of my local all-natural better than organic veggies. Stay tuned to my website for announcements all this week telling you what will be on sale. A sincere Thank You! to all who stopped by to shop with us last Saturday and my heartfelt appreciation for all the wonderful compliments bestowed upon Jerry, Caroline, John, and myself.
Yowza!
What more can be said that the photo doesn’t already say? If you want to reside in the seat of fashion, when you want to let the world know you are a locavore of the first order, or you are going on a date with Brad Pitt or maybe Paris Hilton, it is time for you to put yourself in a Tonopah Rob’s Vegetable Farm t-shirt. Bright white t-shirt too loud for your liking? I have blue shirts too. The best part is that you can move up the social ladder and have a more thrilling life, just like my farm manager Jerry Roberts who is modeling this hot item which is available to you for only $12. That’s right, only $12.00. When was the last time you were able to be so cool for so little dough and without having to buy a convertible? Available this Saturday, just in time for customer appreciation day.
Carrots Love Tomatoes
Carrots in fact do love tomatoes, from a growers perspective anyway. And this Saturday you are going to love my price on carrots and tomatoes. June 28th starting at 7:00 am only at Tonopah Rob’s farm stand, carrots and tomatoes will be priced at $1.00 per pound. I’ll have purple carrots, white carrots, orange carrots, and yellow carrots. Tomatoes will be red, green, yellow, round, roma, big, and small. More than 100 pounds of carrots and more than 200 pounds 500 POUNDS of tomatoes are going to the farm stand this Saturday - if you want to take advantage of these great “Customer Appreciation” day prices, I suggest you come early.
Here is the full price list of those items on sale this Saturday:
- Tomatoes $1.00 per pound
- Carrots $1.00 per pound
- Onions $1.00 per pound
- Garlic $1.00 per pound
- Squash $0.50 per pound
- Chard $3.00 for all you can stuff in a bag (I supply) - no Hefty bags
Chardville
Jumpin’ Jehosaphat, those chard leaves sure are mighty big. This coming Saturday June 28th you will be invited to stuff as much chard as you desire into a bag (that I supply and no, it won’t be the size of a teaspoon) and it will only cost $3.00. Chard is one of the items on sale this weekend as part of my customer appreciation day. So if you are keeping score, chard will be $3.00 per bag, squash is only 50 cents per pound, and onions for a buck a pound. Wow - you haven’t seen prices of fresh all-natural and local food like this since Christopher Columbus discovered Arizona. Heck I may as well tell you now that I will also have garlic on sale for $1.00 a pound. You read that right, a dollar a pound. Compare that to your favorite organic grocery store that is selling the same thing for $5.49 a pound! Tomorrow I’ll tell you my prices for tomatoes and carrots.
Farm Stand - Saturday June 28, 2008
By now you probably know that this coming Saturday, June 28th, is customer appreciation day here at Tonopah Rob’s Vegetable Farm. Every day this week I’ll be giving more information regarding the sale prices that will be lowered in time for the 4th of July celebration just around the corner.
This photo of yummy summer squash is the clue that squash will be one of the items with super low prices this Saturday, honoring my customers who have made this year so successful. So how low can I go? How does 50 cents per pound sound? That’s right, only half a buck per pound for fresh crisp squash I have not even picked yet - that’s how fresh it will be.
Of course there will be plenty more veggies available at the farm stand such as:
- SQUASH!
- Blue potatoes
- Yummy tender squash
- Green beans
- Kaleidoscope carrot mix
- Beets with greens
- Large selection of onions
- Green onions
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Large Tomatoes
- Heirloom Roma Tomatoes
- Yellow Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Assorted peppers
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Strawberries
- Fresh eggs
- Basil
- Even more squash
- Maybe a surprise or two
There will be drinks, hot dogs, and fresh perc’ed coffee from mom’s 1969 avocado green coffee pot. Farm tours are free as always. See you under the big blue tents this Saturday.
Customer Appreciation Day
We are counting down the days to this Saturday when Tonopah Rob’s first annual customer appreciation day kicks off. First up on the list to tease you into stopping by for the big sale - ONIONS! This Saturday, June 28th only, I will be selling onions for only $1.00 per pound. You will not find a tastier onion in all of Arizona and this weekend you might not find cheaper onions either. All week I will be posting more prices and information regarding customer appreciation day at my farm. Directions to the farm can be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page. The farm stand opens at 7:00 a.m., call 623-386-3033 if you have questions.
Attention Customers!
Cluck on over to Tonopah Rob’s Vegetable Farm stand this coming Saturday June 28th for some early Independence day shopping for locally produced, all-natural vegetables when Tonopah Rob clobbers high prices in time for your big 4th of July celebration. As the heat of summer bears down on us, the cost of gas soars, and food prices skyrocket, I thought it was time to give my customers a break by lowering prices at my farm stand. Saturday June 28th is Customer Appreciation day at Tonopah Rob’s Vegetable Farm and prices will be slashed.
The farm stand will open at 7:00 and remain open while supplies last, until noon, or when the heat knocks us out. You will find “Blue Star” specials on:
- Tomatoes
- Squash
- Onions
- Chard
- Carrots
Free coffee, free parking, free smiles, a handful of dirt for free, free farm tours, free sunburns for those hanging out away from the shaded farm stand, free help to your car with the tons of veggies you are going to buy, free but useless advice, a hard time for free if that’s what you need, and a free carrot to the first Bajillion shoppers - now ain’t that better than the stick? You know, carrot, stick? Well, I hope you got it. Stay tuned to my website for further announcements.
Greetings, Earthlings!
Farm Stand - 21 June 2008
This week’s special: dry onion skins. Great prices on dusty dry onion skins, only at Tonopah Rob’s Vegetable Farm stand this Saturday!!! Just kidding everyone. I just loved this photo and had to share it with readers, and how else was I supposed to lead in to this week’s farm stand list using a photo of onion skins?
What I will have at the farm stand this Saturday will be simply wonderful: flavorful, nutritious, and all-natural better than organic produce right from the field, picked in the days before the market. Visit us, starting at 7:00 a.m., out here in Tonopah and pick up some fresh produce for you and your family. You will find:
- Round and roma tomatoes - bulk prices are available
- Sweet red cherry tomatoes
- Green beans - dragon tongue, green string, Italian flat pods, and more
- Summer squash - mouthfuls of delicious yumminess
- Baby beets
- Sweet crunchy carrots
- Eggplant - soak in olive oil and garlic, then broil till browned
- Sweet bell peppers - huge ones, great for stuffing
- Basil
- Italian sweet garlic
- White garlic
- Cool cucumbers
- Strawberries
- Fresh eggs
- Sweet onions of all colors and sizes
- Fresh cut flowers
- Farm tours
Over the next few weeks I should start harvesting blue potatoes, assorted winter squash, figs, and if all goes well, five flavors of watermelon.
Welcome to Tonopah Rob's Blog
Call Tonopah Rob at 623-386-3033 for directions to the farm. Summer hours for the farm stand: Saturdays 7:00 to Noon. Farm tours are always FREE!
