• We have been invited to make two presentations at the 16th annual Farming for the Future conference, coordinated by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA). We will be speaking as part of the "pre-conference" as well as part of the regular conference sessions.
  
  The conference is scheduled to be held on February 1, 2, and 3, 2007 at the Penn Stater Conference Center in State College, PA. More information can be found at PASA's conference website.



• In late October, we closed on the purchase of an old farm house that is just a few minutes' walk from our farm, and which will serve as our primary residence.
  
  Although we reluctantly made this purchase in lieu of our planned construction project this year, it is satisfying for us to invest in the existing Cherry Valley community as well as to greatly reduce our resource consumption.
  
  At our farm, we are moving forward with the construction of a high tunnel, a greenhouse, and a utility building, which will ensure the continued growth of our business.

• We are wrapping up the growing season at the St. James Farmers' Market in Sewickley. Stop by and visit our booth in the parking lot of St. James Catholic Church (200 Walnut Street) each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.



• Our new line of hand-crafted herbal personal care products has been launched! In addition to our homegrown products, we now also offer bar soap, lip balm, hand salve, bath oil, and fragrance spray. Whenever possible, we use certified organic ingredients for each product. Contact us for additional details or to place an order.



• Just in time for the holidays, we are offering our dried-flower wreaths, centerpieces, and other arrangements, as well as gift baskets filled with herbal teas, bar soap, dried herbs, and herbal personal care products. Please call or email for additional information.
  

• As we reported last month, Jodi will be profiled in the premier issue of Hobby Farm Home, in a regular feature titled "Garden Grit."
  
  The issue is scheduled to hit the stands on September 23.



• Join Chef Josh Baranauskas at his Healthy Eating classes in October and November at Changing Seasons Learning Center in McMurray.
  
  He will be using our seasonal produce in a few of the classes, and has invited us to tag along and say a few words about local, organic agriculture.
  
  Stay tuned to the Changing Seasons website for class details.

• Keep an eye out for a new book by Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser, titled "Grow Organic: For First-Timers and Old-Timers Alike", scheduled to be published in March 2007 by Pittsburgh-based St. Lynn's Press. Stay tuned to their Sunday morning radio show on News Talk 1020 AM KDKA for more info.
  
  We'd like to thank the authors for selecting Cherry Valley Organics products for the
  front cover photograph of their book.



• We were contacted recently by the publishers of Hobby Farm Home magazine for inclusion in its upcoming premier issue. This publication will be a close cousin to the well-known Hobby Farms magazine.
  
  The article will feature Jodi's work with herbs, flowers, and her handmade soaps. Stay tuned for a link to the article.



• Our cut flowers are now available at Mt. Lebanon Floral, located at 725 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. If you are ever in the neighborhood, please stop by and thank Carmel and her staff for supporting local growers.


As of the first week of August, the Black-Eyed Susan, Cockscomb, Purple Coneflower, Strawflower, Sweet William, and others were all blooming beautifully.

• We are happy to begin providing produce to Casbah in Shadyside, which features
  Mediterranean and North African cuisine. We'd like to thank Chef Derek Stevens for his creativity and flexibility.
  
  Casbah is a member of the big Burrito Restaurant Group.
  
  
• Our newest customer is Sisters' SpecialTeas Cafe, located in Chiodo's Plaza on Steubenville Pike in Robinson Township. They are open 7 days a week, so stop in to enjoy their entrees, sandwiches, and salads.



• Our products are now available at Sunny Bridge Natural Foods, located in the Festival Foods Shopping Center, just off of Route 19 in McMurray, Peters Township.



• We have been invited to participate in the Mt. Lebanon Partnership Farmer's Market along Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. Stop by and visit our booth each Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.

• Our Produce and Flower Bouquet subscription seasons have begun. Weekly drop locations for members' orders have been established at the offices of Avatar DPS in Crafton (on Thursdays) and at the Steiman residence in Cherry Valley Lakeview Estates (on Saturdays)
  
  We would like to thank Coletta Perry and her staff at Avatar and Bronna and Harold Steiman in Cherry Valley Lakeview Estates for being so gracious with their time and space.

• The construction drawings for our new building have been completed by Gerard Associates Architects (GAA), and we are in the process of evaluating bids from building contractors. Thanks go out to GAA for navigating us through these choppy waters.



• Our new logo has been completed, and we are happily upgrading our business cards, letterhead, and product labels, as well as embroidered ball caps. We'd like to thank
  Scott Gebhart and Hanna's Clothing and Embroidery for their fine work.
  

• Our 2006 crew has been assembled - we welcome Sue back for her third year with us, and extend a hearty "Welcome aboard!" to Dana and Tom.
  Please visit our 2006 Employee Profile page to learn more about our crew.



• We are pleased to offer a few new offerings this season - check out the
  Products links on the home page.



• The 2006 season marks the beginning of our direct sales to restaurants and florists. Please support these local businesspersons - stay tuned for a detailed list.

First Quarter - 2006

• Our articles of incorporation have been filed, establishing Cherry Valley Community Farm, Inc. as a corporation in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.



• Read our letter to the editor published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, in response to a "save the family farm" editorial.



• As part of our increased focus on flower bouquet sales to commercial businesses in the "airport corridor," we have joined the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce.
  Visit our chamber profile and learn more about our fellow chamber members.



• Over the winter, we formulated a bioregional and producer-centric model for a local food system in southwestern Pennsylvania. Although our "concept paper" for this Land-People-Product model is still a work-in-progress, we have engaged a number of local land conservation and food security-oriented organizations, and the discussions continue
  - stay tuned.