Gettin' ready...

So, yeah, we did just kind of disappear off the face of the planet for a while. We had a little problem with our water supply and pretty much just let everything dry up, including our pumpkin patch ='( Anyway, we are getting ready to start planting again and have taken many requests for specific items. If you have a specific request, please let us know on here ASAP. The good thing about the cooler months is that with a lot of items, it doesn't matter if you plant in September or January, but still let us know so we can get a long growing season for you. Also, if you are interested, we have started doing garden installations for people. Pretty much, we bring the farmers market to your back yard. You tell us what you would like to grow and we make it happen. We will do the hard work (soil prep, fertilizing, installing raised beds and drip lines, etc.) and all you need to do is keep the weeds out and harvest. We will do it 100% organic if you would like, just know that is a little more expensive. Our goal is to show people that they really can grow a lot of their own produce, and even though it isn't good for my long term business, hopefully they will be able to do it all on their own after only a couple of seasons. There are no "standard packages" because everyone's location is different and everyone has a different budget. If you want something cheap, but effective, we can do that. If you want something that dramatically increases the resale value of your home, we can do that too. This is 100% custom. Also, there is no crappy "consultation fee" for us to come out and see what you need. We'll get together and give you all the options, find out what you need, then give you an estimate a couple days later. If you're interested, let me know. Ah, it feels good to be back!

Pirate corn!

So, here is just a quick update of what is going on out here at the farm. We currently have tomatoes turning red every day. If you like fresh tomatoes, come on down to the farmers market, Thursdays at AJ Chandler Park from 3 - 6 PM. We have a few different varieties, so you'd better try a couple of each. Also, squash is bigtime right now. A couple different types of zucchini (gold, grey, eight ball, etc.) so take a few. Now we also have canteloupe and watermelon. Our watermelon is an heirloom variety called moon and stars. It is recognized by Slow Food USA as part of their Ark of Taste collection of endangered flavors. Even when not ripe, it still tastes awesome. We have more jalapenos than you can shake a stick at, and a few bell peppers are coming back, but with this heat they may not last too long. We also have lots and lots of CNG (see last post) sweet pirate corn. Why is it pirate corn, you say? Well, that because it's a buck-an-ear! Sorry, I guess that's not worth laughing at, but with the huge demand for ethanol and all of the flooding in the midwest, corn is at a premium right now. On the bright side, we are just about the only CNG or USDA Organic corn you can buy locally. Lots of corn out here, not much of it grown using organic principles. Well, ours is, and it is delicious. Boil it, steam it, grill it or eat it raw: however you like your corn, this stuff is awesome.

Now, getting ready for fall (farmers always have to think at least 4 - 6 months ahead), we are planting our squash and pumpkins for our heirloom pumpkin patch that will be open to the public. We have 17 different varieties of pumpkin-type squash, from your standard orange to white, blue, green, stripey, bumpy, warty, thick skinned for cooking, hulless seeds for eating... you will have to just come out and see it. I can't predict the future, but my guess is that we will have a wider variety than you can find anywhere else in the valley. If you have a special request for something you'd like to see in the fall, please let us know within the next couple of weeks. Like I said before, farmers have got to think 4 - 6 months in advance, so the earlier you tell us, the better we can plan.

See you at the market!

Certified Naturally Grown

So, we have had many inquiries as to whether or not we are an organic farm. The answer is yes, but we are not USDA certified organic, so we cannot claim to be organic. However, we are Certified Naturally Grown. Is there a difference? Yes, and I encourage you as a consumer to find out what it is. You can click on the link to read about the CNG program. Thanks for supporting your local, natural farmers.
Naturally Grown

Blasted blossom end rot!

So, I guess this goes to show that we are still learning every step along the way of this adventure we call farming. Just about every pepper we have has a nice little spot on the bottom. some are sunscald, but most are blossom end rot. I'll let you do the research on that one so you can see why we're retarded. The peppers are still edible, but not the kind of thing you take to market. So, no peppers at market tomorrow. Sorry. There will be plenty of cucumbers and more blackberries, which were a hit last week. We will have some sweet corn and our first watermelon ready to go as well. So, come on out and enjoy!

BFF at the CFM

Look for us this Thursday at the Chandler Farmers Market. It is held in the pavilion at Dr. A.J. Chandler park downtown on Thursdays from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. We will have a pretty small sampling of what we will have in the coming weeks, but come check it out anyway. We will also have some fresh AZ BLACKBERRIES picked fresh that morning! If we don't have what you are looking for, chances are Jeff Scott will have it. He is the only other farmer at the market for now, but he's been there every week for more than 13 years and has an impressive array of fruits and vegetables. I also hear rumor that he will have AZ peaches starting this week or next. And you didn't even know that Chandler had a farmers market! Either way, check it out. If you don't like what you see, we are always open to suggestions. If you don't know where downtown Chandler is, I threw in a map. Enter the park off of San Marcos Pl and it is right there.


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Growing, Growing!

The farm is starting to really sprout! We can't wait until everything is ready to bring to the public. These are a few pictures of the veggies we are growing. This is a purple bell pepper!Here is a green pepper. It still amazes me how a small plant can hold up such a big pepper.
We also have jalapenos and cucumbers that are sprouting up.

This is a picture of a watermelon plant. This plant has grown over a foot since I have taken this picture (about a week)! There are lots of flowers on it but no watermelon yet. Soon they will come.
Our corn is getting really tall. Some of it is even taller than Brecken.

We also have lots of squash, zucchini, okra, tomatoes, and cantaloupe planted. They are also growing. We are hoping we will be ready to sell at the end of May, beginning of June. It is so fun and exciting to see how a plant can grow from seed to veggie with just water and sun!

Welcome to BFFs!

Welcome to the official blogsite of Bogle Family Farms, and for now the unofficial website. We'll put up info on what we are doing around the farm, pictures, currently available produce and any other random stuff we are involved in. We just attended our first farmers market (as vendors, that is) and had a good time. Thanks to our primary competition for our biggest sale. In fact, thanks to the Scott family as a whole. Both Jim and Jeff have been helpful from the get-go.

So, a little about us. We are the Bogle and Craghead families. This is not just Tom and Reuben. We have had a lot of help from all family members. We farm the land where we grew up. We have watched it change for better and for worse. We believe there is so much potential in the land just waiting to be released. We are not farmers, but our fathers were as their fathers were before them. We just believe that people can do so much more for themselves than they think. We believe in the soil and the seed and the miracle that occurs when the two come together. So, regularly we get together and put a bunch of seeds in the ground, in patterns, usually lines. We put a lot of care into each one and they reward us for our efforts. We provide for them throughout their lives, and they return the favor. Honest to goodness food. Seed, soil, sun, water, work and work. Yes, that is a lot of work. But it is for a good reason. We want to give you access to real food. So, here it is. Real food, locally grown by real people who you can really shake hands with.