Vegetable Farmers
Way back in 1908 John and Josephine Dagele began a small onion operation in the fertile black dirt of Orange Country, NY. Black dirt, or muck as it’s known locally, is some of the best soil in the country thanks to its high levels of nitrogen, sulfur and organic matter. About 12,000 years ago, a glacier moved across lower New York leaving in its wake bogs full of decaying plant matter. When Polish and German immigrants moved to the area in search of farmland, they drained the bogs and discovered the rich black dirt, which characterized the landscape today. Most farmers hope for 10% organic matter in their soils but in the black dirt region most soils have over 30% organic matter with some soils have levels as high as 90%! According to Marie Ullrich, an agricultural extension agent in Orange County, “it’s basically a giant bowl of compost.”
The Dagele family continued to farm the land, expanding their small onion farm into the 500 acre diversified vegetable operation it is today. Brothers Frank, Robert and Randy run the farm. They remain true to their grandparents’ vision, growing almost 200 acres of onions and keeping family at the heart of their operation. In addition to onions the Dagele Brothers grow a large variety of vegetables, including 200 acres of salad greens. Pretty much any vegetable that grows in the Northeast can be found growing at the Dagele Brothers’ farm. They do not take the fertile land for granted and are committed to farming it sustainably through alternative growing methods and low impact chemicals.
Originally posted January, 2016, at Union Square Farmers Market, NYC: I know it’s the dead of winter, and it seems like the choice of veggies is minimal when compared to the bounty of summertime. But let us not underestimate the wonders of the humble cabbage, like these ones pictured from S & S O Produce Farms at the Union Square Greenmarket.
A staple in Eastern European cuisine, it is also a key ingredient in the dishes we used to eat in Mozambique, Southern Africa. A simple soup made from chicken bouillon and boiled cabbage was a regular and outstanding appetizer for lunches in our house. I am also dying to try this recipe for Pasta with Caramelized Cabbage and Anchovies from the New York Times, which I first saw in Ode To Cabbage, a video from NYT Food Writer Melissa Clark, who celebrates a surprisingly wide variety of cabbages.
So I challenge you to pick up a few varieties of cabbage this weekend and try some new recipes. Bonus points if you actually cook with anchovies!
