How much will this cost?  Members  pre-pay by the month for unlimited harvesting privileges.  Need salad mix and tomatoes on Monday, and green beans and onions on Thursday?  Come on up to the farm both days to get what you need, when you need it. You can join for one  or two months only or for all the summer months June -Sept.  (see "Fresh Harvest Fee Schedule 2012") 

Is this a CSA?   Yes and no. It is a CSA program in the sense that members are choosing to support local agriculture through a pre-pay-for-produce plan.  It differs from the traditional CSA model in that the produce is not chosen by the farmer,  then packed and delivered to the members; rather the members come to the farm to choose, harvest and pack only the produce that they need and want at that time.  Win-win for everyone!  The farmers get grass-roots local support, and the consumers get the ultimate in fresh produce, when and how they want it!

I don't know anything about picking vegetables, how will I know what to do?

Our farm interns will be trained to assist the members and will help with the picking, washing and bagging.   Farm interns will be assigned to Harvest Duty on a rotating basis;  one or more will always be available in the field.  Some crops may be pre-harvested and washed, ie. potatoes and salad mix. ( see "Fresh Harvest Crop Schedule")

Are the harvest amounts truly unlimited?  Yes-- if you are harvesting the produce that your family will realistically eat in a week, then you may take what you need and want.  Bulk amounts for canning or freezing, however,  must be ordered separately. These orders will be filled by the farm staff and will be invoiced separately (includes bulk basil for pesto, tomatoes for canning or freezing, beans for freezing, etc.)

Questions?  please call Lori or Ben at Silver Wheel Farm 734 735 4054.  Please leave a message if we do not answer and we will reply as soon as we can. Or email Lori at tchfrch@hotmail.com

[If you prefer a  more traditional CSA model, Silver Wheel Farm  has  joined with several other farms under the auspices of Northwest PA Growers Cooperative  to create a 'multi-farm' CSA.   NWPAGC CSA members  receive weekly 'shares' of produce collected from several farms.  Please see www.nwpagrowers.com  for more information.]

June starts off with lettuces, greens hot and mild, herbs, cilantro, salad mix, radish, scallions, broccoli, snap peas, snow peas, garlic scapes and introduces young summer squash, young kale,  cucumbers and beets by the end of the month. The high tunnels will be full of tomato plants rushing toward the goal of cherry tomatoes by July 4th. (June membership starts on May 30th,  and ends June 30th)

In July, the vegetables  start to seriously come on; carrots, beets, cucumbers, summer squash, (baby patty pans!) cabbages , peppers, onions, garlic scapes, green beans, fingerling potatoes, basil, Sungold cherry tomatoes heirloom and  slicing tomatoes, and kale all join the party. (Lettuce and salad mix are available every week of every month.)   ( July 1 - 31)

August brings more tomatoes, hot peppers, sweet peppers, leeks, eggplants, and the first winter squash, plus everything already listed for July. (August 1 - 31)

September still offers the same large variety of vegetables as in July/August, but things start to slow down, therefore September membership includes the first week of October too. (until Oct. 8th)

Frost is a possiblity anytime after Sept 20th.

Thyme, Oregano, Cilantro, Parsley, Fennel Leaf, Rosemary and Dill are always available.

**We do NOT plan to grow Sweet Corn or Melons  for our members, as they take up too much of our limited space.

Single                $55.00/ month

Couple               $75.00 /month

Family (2 children) $105.00/month,  additional children negotiable depending on age and number.

**Please note that "June" membership starts on Thursday 5/31/12

     September membership also includes the first week of October, ending 10/5/12

Fees payable in advance, cash or check. Choose which month(s) you wish to participate,  pay on or before the first of the month.  (Please write checks to Silver Wheel Farm, LLC)

This year we have high hopes for completing these projects:

High priority! Rainwater collection--setting up gutter, rain barrels,  pump,  to feed our  high tunnel gravity-drip irrigation system.  Also creating swales on contour to capture thunderstorn run-off in the field.

Summer Kitchen--  for cooking, canning and baking.

 We now  have an Earth oven, 2 solar ovens, and a solar dehydrator.  We want to add one or more Rocket Stoves to the mix in 2012, with the next step being building a summer kitchen to house everything.

Forest Hut-- a small structure constructed with local Amish lumber and  natural materials. We have selected a site in our woods,  up on a bluff overlooking our creek.

Please contact us if you would like to help with any of these projects. Wwoofers and other volunteers are always welcome!  email  tchfrch@hotmail.com

When do you accept volunteers?     May - October

Where will we stay?    

 We have a small camper - trailer for 1 or 2 and a canvas platform tent for 1 or 2. Some wwoofers prefer to camp in their own tents.  Hoping to build another structure this summer.  You have your own bathroom in the house with full bath and shower.  Towels provided.

What will we do?  

We work in the field every day;  planting, weeding, harvesting, prepping vegs for market/CSA. Volunteers also choose a project to work on during their stay here.  Wwoofers may propose projects! We require 6 hours of work per day, 5 days per week.

What will we eat?

We provide food and meals for you 7 days per week. Expect to cook your own meals on your days off.  We are lacto vegetarian, but do not object to eggs, milk, meat. (We do object to commercial, corporate breakfast cereals and request that you do not buy any Cocoa Krispies, Lucky Charms, Sugar Pops, or the like while staying here.....omg...)

What can I do on my days off?

There are river/lake  swimming opportunites nearby, including our wading creek. We love a  certain shady spot on the Allegheny River  20 minutes away. The Big City is 1hr 15 minutes away, with all things cultural. There is good hiking, a bike trail, and kayaks/canoes/sailboats for rent at a nearby large state park.  Many  biking and hiking trails within 1/2 hour. Lake Erie beaches are 1 hour 15 minutes north. Climbing at McConnell's Mill and at the SRU wall.  Microbrewery in town.  Music festivals within striking distance.

What do I need to bring?

This is the most common question.

The essentials:  Clothing for heat, humidity, rain, swimming, sweaty work, cool evenings. Raingear.  Sturdy shoes for the field, they will get muddy. Some kind of waterproof footwear for early morning work when the grass is very wet. Sandals.  Hats! they will get sweaty and dirty too.  Insect repellent and sunscreen.  Work gloves are a must.  A water bottle. Your pillows. A bicycle (if you can)

The non-essentials:  Books,  instruments, portable electronics.  We have an extensive library, a computer with satellite connection, but  no wi-fi  (are you serious? wi-fi out here? HA). We have a piano, drums, a huge CD collection, and fun board games to play after dinner.  Yes, we have a TV.  We personally do not have time to watch TV during the summer, but you can stare at it if you wish. A bicycle-  we generally bike to and from the field. We do have some spares, but bring your own if you can.

You may bring a sleeping bag and blankets, but if you are travelling light we can provide sheets and  blankets. The platform tent has a double air mattress on a futon frame with sheets and blankets. The camper has a built in double bed and decent closet with shelves, plus sofa.

We wholeheartedly support wwoofing, wwoofers, and the World of Wwoof. Each wwoofer is unique, and each one brings new talents and insights to our farm.  We have had a variety of personalities pass through our farm on their way to their dreams. We hope that we helped them, or at least made them laugh. We have loved (almost) all of 'our' Wwoofers as they always bring energy, high spirits, and enthusiasm that can be so badly needed in the middle of an overwhelming summer season.  Bring your  work gloves and ideas.  (please also see the Projects and Plans/2012  page on this website to get an idea of what we are up to this season)

This season our wwoofers will be trained to assist our "Fresh Harvest" members with harvesting, washing and bagging of their produce. We are especially looking for wwoofers who are 'good with people' and who really want to interact with the consumers. This is the cutting-edge of social farming. You will of course be learning all aspects of growing good food for local folks, ( the dirty hands part) but you will also experience the satisfaction of direct farmer-to-eater interaction (the happy smile part).

2008 wwoofers: our first year hosting volunteers.  We didn't have any big projects that year,   the volunteers helped with all farm tasks and we learned a lot about how to be good hosts.

2009 wwoofers painted murals on the high tunnel, made natural fiber aprons for us to wear,   sheet- mulched the fruit trees and berries, built the Best Compost Pile Ever, had fun together in the big city,  planted, weeded, harvested, and marketed vegetables. They helped with the multifarm CSA in town every Wednesday. This crew bonded for life, and were an amazing team that learned quickly and  accomplished a lot. We spawned one urban  farmer,  one rabbi and  two arctic adventurers.  I remember hearing  a lot of singing in the field that summer... 

2010 wwoofers accomplished the following:  built a  solar oven, built an earthen oven and a shed roof to house it, made a fire ring, created a hops yard, a new herb garden,  tended chickens, made art on the adirondack chairs by the pond,  planted thousands of row feet of lettuce,  strung up the high tunnel tomatoes,  sheet-mulched the berries and currants, renovated the hazelnut zone, cleared around the fruit trees,  canned and dehydrated many bushels of tomatoes,  went  camping, sailing, to baseball games, biking, attended our farm yoga class, plus planted, harvested, weeded, cultivated, washed, bagged, priced and delivered produce. (And let us not forget about the First Annual Fire Circle Hip-Hop Rap-Off.    pretty fun)

2011 wwoofers accomplished the following: built a really neat solar dehydrator  (the same type which is currently being sold through Territorial Seeds for 389.00 plus shipping... ours cost less than $100.00), picked and froze gallons of berries,  hilled potatoes, dug potatoes, planted potatoes, went to market and sold stuff to people, enjoyed earth oven Pizza Nights, drummed, did a lot of weeding and watering, went tubing on a local river, danced at a local music festival, and so much more, including most of the 2010 activities.

This is  the Wwoofer camper-trailer : (but this is not our yard) 

   nice and cozy for two with bed, closet, couch/table, electric and mini-frig. The Wwoofer bathroom is in the house.  [Ben and Lori do use the trailer once a year to go to the Great Blue Heron Music Festival 2 hours away in N.Y.,  so expect to be kicked out of the trailer and moved into the house over the July 4th weekend. The above  photo is of our "camp" at the festival,  clustered with the rest of  The Herd family up on The Hill;   we repeat; its not our backyard!] 

What to expect once you get here?   We ask that you be up and ready to attend the Breakfast Meeting at 8:00 a.m., where  the daily tasks and schedule are discussed.  Once the Goals List is made, you can decide how you want to schedule your 6 hours of work for the day; all at once, some morning some evening, its up to you and the weather. Wwoofers work five days a week, the days are flexible depending on weather, markets, and recreational opportunities.  We sail on Wednesdays and  Sundays.  (competitive race series in Erie)

We will feed you all seven days of the week, though!  We are vegetarian,  and we will buy milk for you if you need it. We have been known to purchase local organic meat.  We can accomodate special diets if and only if you notify us in advance that you require special foods.  There is always "grazing" food in the frig; hummus, tortillas, tabbouleh, cheeses,  pasta, etc---  you will be well-fed. Dinner is late-  8:00 or 9:00 pm.  Lori is pretty tired by then, so it is generally simple yet filling:  big salad & pasta, burritos & rice, & stir fry vegs, quesadillas,  etc.   Please plan to cook your own meals on your day off---there is plenty of food to work with in the pantry, freezer, and frig.  We do appreciate and expect a willingness to help with cooking and dishes. Perhaps there is a special dish you like to make?

Since we assume that you are wwoofing because you are interested in learning about agriculture, we also offer opportunities to attend workshops, field days and tours on other farms in the region. Check the PASA list of  2012 Field Day opportunities at www.pasafarming.org. We will pay for your registration fees and gas to attend workshops within 2 hours of our farm.

If the trailer is occupied we can  house people  in a canvas platform tent-for-two. very nice!  We would also like to build a "Wwoofer Hut" in the woods,  but definitely need help with this project!

(2009 and 2010 WWOOFER, Hayley, with a baby muscovy duck)

Please go to the Photo Gallery on this website for more photos of the farm and former wwoofers

Please email  tchfrch@hotmail.com  for more wwoofing information.,  and get yourself a WWOOF USA directory too!  

also see the WWOOFER FAQ webpage...  just the facts, ma'am...

 Directions to the farm can be found elsewhere on this website. Please call the farm if inclement weather threatens, and check the website Main Page for cancellation and rescheduling information. 724 735 4054.

Ananda Yoga Classes  Led by local yoga instructor Caron Carnahan. Imagine practicing asanas, breathing and relaxation enhanced by trees, sky, fresh air, birdsong and sunshine!  Ananda! yoga classes will start in June.  Mats and other equipment will be available for use. More information at http://users.zoominternet.net/~hathayoga or contact Caron at hathayoga@zoominternet.net   ('Hatha Yoga of Slippery Rock.

Questions? Suggestions for classes or activities?  Contact Lori at 724 735 4054 or tchfrch@hotmail.com

Name: _____________________________________

Address:  ______________________________________________________

              _________________________________________________________

Telephone(s):   _______________________________________________________

Email   _________________________________________ 

Circle Membership Type:        Single     Couple       Family        additional children #  _______

Month(s):   June     July     August     September

Total Due:   $  __________________

Please copy and paste this page into Word, (or comparable), then complete,  print, and mail with check to:

Silver Wheel Farm

141 Porter Rd.

Harrisville, PA. 16038

You will receive an email or phone call to acknowledge receipt when it arrives at the farm.

Questions?  call 724 735 4054 (Lori)