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About
Us - Our Farm Story
Miles Barlogio (born September 30th, 1898) was the
first in our family to plant pumpkins along the
fertile banks of Jack Creek. We are continuing
the family tradition of growing and selling produce
directly from our farm to your table.
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It
is almost impossible in today's market to make a
living growing dry-land hay, grain and cattle as
past generations of Barlogio's have. Based on Great-Grandpa's
earlier successes with pumpkin farming, we have
been exploring furthering that concept by diversifying,
planting more row-crops and committing more ground
to the orchard and farm store project.
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Our
family values, our way of life, and our Christian
beliefs have a deep rooted faith in God. What is
important to us is working together as a family,
and creating a future; so the next generation and
generations beyond will be able to preserve our
land and continue our family tradition of farming.
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Our
goal is to create a successful business that can
support our children, and down the line their children,
while preserving the land around us. We hope in
the process to be able to educate our visitors about
the importance of farming and its contribution to
our community. Supporting local farmers not only
results in better tasting and healthier food; it
helps to grow a vibrant local economy and preserves
open space and rural character.
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believe in sustainable agriculture. We use natural
based sprays, we plant untreated seeds, and we employ
organic methods of pest control whenever possible.
An example is, we use sunflowers planted around
our pumpkin fields as a lure crop to attract those
pesky cucumber beetles away from our pumpkins and
squash. |
Sunflower
Rows Bordering Farm Fields
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| We
rinse old milk jugs, cut a hole near the top and
fill them with a mixture of molasses and apple cider
vinegar. These make a great natural coddling
moth trap! |
Milk
Jug Moth Trap
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We use dormant and summer oils as opposed to insecticides,
and we use mineral oil for corn earworms. We use
nitrogen fixing cover crops like vetch and clover
as a natural fertilizer. We are building owl houses
and hawk perches to encourage larger predator
bird populations for mice and gopher control.
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When
it comes to the actual farm operation we don't hire
any outside help and do all of the work ourselves.
We couldn't do it without our two teenage daughters
Becky and Mandy.
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Becky & Mandy Taking a Short Break From Chores
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They
actively help in every aspect of the operation.
From choosing seed and new varieties to plant next
year, planting bare roots, pruning trees, painting
trunks, staking, hoeing, mowing, harvesting, collecting
eggs, caring for the farm animals ... whew! ...
every aspect! It is a never ending year-round project,
and we couldn't do it without them. We are truly
a "Family Farm" and we feel blessed to
work together doing something we love.
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We
rotate the crops on different areas of the farm,
so one year you might see safflower (used for oil)
growing in the adjoining field, other years it might
be oat hay, seed oats, wheat or barley. This year
oat hay is growing in the field east of us, wheat
behind us and vetch further north. The far hills
are planted in barley that you can see waving in
the breeze. Portions of the field are summer fallowed
(farm lingo for allowed to rest).
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Summer
Fallowed Fields
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The
front pumpkin field is currently planted with a
cover crop of vetch and barley. It will be worked
into the soil before we plant pumpkins in early
June. The orchards and row crops have to be planted
in areas closer to our house or the farm store which
both have deer fencing. Only a few acres are fenced
for this purpose, allowing the native wildlife to
continue to utilize 98% of the farm.
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In
the past we planted the creek fields you see to
the west of us with pumpkins, as Grandpa did in
the 1950's through the 1960's. They do well there
as they love the rich loamy soil. Unfortunately
deer adore pumpkins, and will eat every morsel,
leaving only the woody stem. As the deer have become
more prolific, and developed a fondness for those
tasty orange meals, we've had to move the pumpkin
and squash project back to the house and protected
area adjacent to the farm store. Deer don't bother
Indian corn or gourds, so we still have some options
open to us. It depends though upon the amount of
rainfall we've had and the moisture content in the
soil.
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2007
has been extremely dry and we will allow the creek
fields to remain fallow excepting perhaps a small
patch of popcorn.
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Currently
we have nearly 300 fruit trees on the farm, the
majority of which are old fashioned heirloom varieties.
In the summer we grow a number of garden vegetables
including several varieties of summer squash,
lemon cucumbers, eggplant, sweet onions, elephant
and traditional garlic, artichokes, bell and sweet
banana peppers, and lots and lots of different
varieties of tomatoes.
We have a u-pick herb garden and sell fresh herbs
by the ounce. In particular we have been growing
more and more heirlooms. This year look for 40
different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. What
a taste treat!
All of our produce is allowed to vine ripen. After
eating a vine-ripened tomato you will never want
to go back to store bought again.
Fresher not only means it tastes better ... but
it's better for you! (Fresh produce is proven
to be higher in nutrients.)
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In
the fall we gear up for our main harvest of the
year. Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins! We are
planting over 40 different varieties this year to
insure that we have the perfect pumpkin for you.
We'll have sugar pie pumpkins for pie making, jack-o-lantern
type for carving, huge 100 pound plus pumpkins,
tiny pumpkins, heirloom Cinderella pumpkins, orange,
yellow, green, cream and white pumpkins. We even
have striped pumpkins! Pick your own in the field
from the vine, or choose from those already picked
and displayed at the stand.
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Pumpkins,
Pumpkins, Pumpkins!
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Add
to that 40 different varieties of baking winter
squash (lots of traditional heirloom and specialty
varieties ... the kind Grandma used to bake), Indian
corn (both large and small), popcorn, meal corn
for grinding (cornbread ... yum!) wheat sheaves,
corn shocks, a multitude of decorative gourds and
straw bales. We grow everything you need for fall
entertaining and decorating. Our belief in God runs
deep, and as a Christian Family we have chosen to
emphasize a Harvest theme in lieu of traditional
Halloween celebrations.
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Assorted Pumpkins and Winter Squash
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We
enjoy taking time to answer any questions you may
have about storing, drying or preparing any of the
produce we grow. We are happy to share favorite
family recipes, including Great-grandma's Squash
Pie recipe, Nani's Apple Crisp and my sister Janie's
award winning to die for Backyard Apple Tree Cake.
Check our recipe page
for these recipes as well as many others.
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Thank
you for the opportunity of letting us share our
way of life with you!
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Tim,
Joy, Becky & Mandy Barlogio
Jack Creek Farms |
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It's Olallieberry
Picking Time!
Saturday June 28th will be the last day of Olallieberry season.
We had a wonderful crop and appreciate all of you who came out to our farm and picked this last month.
Saturday will also be our last day for tree-ripened cherries.
Peaches are nearly ripe and will be our next crop. Watch this section and we will post when we start our peach harvest.
Enjoy olallieberry and peach crumble made in our own certified farm kitchen.
We are also have u-pick Sugar Snap Peas, Sweet Onions & Red Garlic.
We can't wait for you to try our new fruit scones and biscotti.
See you soon!!
Tim, Joy, Becky & Mandy
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