GO ORGANIC WITH RODALE

For those enthusiastic about all things organic, you’ll want to get Friday, July 21 from 8:30am to 3:30pm on your calendar. That’s when Kutztown’s Rodale Institute will hold its Organic Field Day 2023 at its Headquarters at 611 Siegfriedale Rd. Aimed at both farmers and community members, the event will see Rodale researchers, consultants and staff on hand to help those in attendance learn from the latest results of the Institute’s regenerative organic research projects. Visitors can also explore educational stations on the nonprofit’s 386-acre experimental farm and interact one-on-one with experts and hear more about a wide variety of research and demonstration projects focused on regenerative organic agriculture. After all, Rodale’s mission is to grow the organic movement through research, farmer training and consumer education. The registration fee is $25 per person. For more info or to register, call 610.683.1400 or visit rodaleinstitute.org/events/annual field day/. –

NIKKI M. MURRY

Bountiful Blueberries in Shoemakersville

Blueberry lovers, rejoice! You can pick-your-own at Deerfoot Farm in Shomakersville this season (through mid-July), just bring your own container. Your bounty is charged by the weight of just the blueberries themselves. Run by Jaime Linn Brown on a family farm once owned by her husband’s grandparents in 1947, blueberries are just part of the current-day operations. A winery is also on site, complete with a tasting room that operates Saturdays and Sundays from Noon to 5pm. When the weather is nice, visitors are welcome to pack a picnic and enjoy it at a nearby table and to watch the majesty of the horses roaming across the way. Jaime encourages those unfamiliar with Deerfoot Farm to pay a visit and to support the local agriculture community. “Supporting small farms like ours boosts related businesses and provides jobs in industries such as mechanics, suppliers, retail, logistics and more. Local food also has a much smaller carbon footprint and we have some of the best soil and growing potential in the county,” she says. Visit at 1492 Ridge Rd., Shoemakersville or online at deerfootfarm.com.

– NIKKI M. MURRY