The Veggie Patch is a locally owned and operated fruit and vegetable in the Boonville/Columbia, MO area. The business was established in 1995 and has been going strong ever since. The Veggie Patch raises high quality, fresh, hand picked fruits and vegetables and sells them at the Columbia Farmer's Market.
We are currently taking subscriptions for our 2021 Community Supported Agriculture Boxes. Our shares have changed from the past and we now have three options for everyone to choose from.
CSA Options:
Spring Share, 10 Weeks (May 8 to July 10, 2021) $300 for 10 Weeks 10-12 pounds of produce per week Enough produce to feed 2 adults
Summer Share, 10 Weeks (July 17 to September 18, 2021) $300 for 10 Weeks 10-12 pounds of produce per week Enough produce to feed 2 adults
Spring & Summer Share, 20 Weeks (May 8 to September 18, 2021) $600 for 20 Weeks 10-12 pounds of produce per week Enough produce to feed 2 adults
Everyone has their favorite food during Thanksgiving, what is yours?
When it comes to us at The Veggie Patch, I think we will all say some of our favorites are the items which come from our garden. These can include homemade cream corn (sweetened with the best sweet corn of the season), roasted sweet potatoes or winter squash seasoned with just a little salt, pepper, and oil or a little butter and brown sugar, and then maybe an apple or cherry pie made with our homegrown fruit.
No matter what is your favorite, just remember to thank those around you either near or afar this Thanksgiving or even joining in via phone or Zoom and the farmers who worked hard to help put food on your table.
If you would like to replicate some of The Veggie Patch’s favorite items, here are a few recipes that can help get you on your way. The cream corn recipe is exactly what we make. The others aren’t the exact ones we use, but pretty similar.
Easy Cheesy Cream Corn
3 bags of frozen sweet corn (approximately 3 cups) par cooked 1-2 minutes
Roux with butter and flour (no exact measurements, just by eye)
Then add Velveeta and cream or milk (no exact measurements, just by eye depending on your preference)
Top with Italian breadcrumbs and bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes
Whether you choose to make a homemade pie crust or use one from the store, if you have a delicious filling and a nice flaky crust, the pie will also be delicious. A good tip if making your own homemade pie crust is to replace a little bit of the water with high proof alcohol such as vodka. The vodka will evaporate at a different temperature than the water resulting in a flaky pie crust. Also make sure all ingredients are cold and DON’T overwork that pie crust!! Here are a couple of great options for Thanksgiving dessert. Check out this great cherry pie recipe from Live Well Bake Often https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/homemade-cherry-pie/ or from The Food Charlatan an amazing homemade apple pie https://thefoodcharlatan.com/apple-pie/.
Even as the days get shorter and the temperatures get cooler the work never stops.
There are always fall crops which need to go into the ground, soil needs to be tilled and prepared for fertilizer or cover crops, and outgoing crops need to be cleaned out.
We are stewards of the land and without properly maintaining it and preparing it, we will not have future crops.
Composted manure provides essential nutrients and organic matter needed for the soil and crops. Agriculture is one of the greatest recyclers. One industry such as animals can benefit another such as crops.
As the weather changes and the temperature gets cooler, sometimes it’s important to just slow down and enjoy what is right in front of us.
This includes newly emerging fall crops, low hanging fog in the morning, the crisp cool air, and the changing leaves. Just take a moment to soak it all in and enjoy the beauty and peace of fall.
Nick Corder a documentary journalist has been working on a mini-documentary about local farmer’s markets. We have received permission to share his documentary. I hope you enjoy this inside look at The Veggie Patch.
Check out “Your Local Farmer’s Market” video highlighting locally produced goods and Jim Thies of The Veggie Patch. We hope you enjoy this look behind the scenes of a lifetime of love and raising produce.
Our family loves popcorn. Whether it is with a movie, a midnight snack, or even for a meal. I think you could find us eating popcorn at least a couple of days a week. Who knows if you look very hard or don’t look very hard I’m sure there are a few kernels stuck under the couch.
Several years ago we started raising our own popcorn and then selling it. When the corn is mature we pick the entire years and then send them through a sheller to remove the kernels. The kernels are then bagged for sale.
The kernels from just 1 eat can fill an entire large movie theater bucket. Now I say that’s some good popcorn.
The best things about fall include those cool, crisp fall mornings when the dew and fog is rising from the fields encompassing the bounty of produce. Fall brings us pumpkins, winter squash, popcorn, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, greens, potatoes, green beans, and more.
Just as the weather begins to change so does the types and amounts of produce available. We begin to leave the warm weather crops of zucchini, watermelon, and tomatoes behind for the longer cooking and deeper flavors of rich and delicious winter squash.
Fall also brings us decorations such as pumpkins and gourds. These pumpkins and gourds can adorn our homes and yards and then can be cooked into pumpkin pies and great desserts.
If you are wondering how to use winter squash, check out these 8 Wonderful Winter Squash Recipes to Keep you Warm This Autumn from Life As Mama blog. If you want to pick up products to try this recipe or more great food, don’t forget to stop by the Columbia Farmers Market on Saturday’s from 8am to noon and pick up some of our great fall products.
We would like to thank we everyone who has enrolled in our CSA program or inquired about it. At this time we have filled all of our spots for our 2020 CSA subscriptions. Please make sure to check us out for the 2021 season.
Our online store has been updated!! Head on over and check out our selection of cherry tomato plants, heirloom tomato plants, pepper plants, spinach, asparagus, radishes, chives, turnips, swiss chards, and The Veggie Patch merchandise. All online orders need to be placed by noon on Friday to ensure pick up on Saturday at the Columbia Farmers Market from 8am to 11:45am. If you don’t want to order online remember the market is open and following safe practices and you can come visit us on site on Saturday from 8am to noon.
If you’ve been debating whether or not to try out a CSA (community supported agriculture) box there’s no better time to try it than the present.
With everyone currently at stay at home orders, limited products at grocery stores, and wanting to minimize contact by practicing social distancing, a CSA box is a great option.
All boxes are pre-packaged with 8-12 different products and can be picked up on Saturday’s at the Columbia Farmers Market from 8-11am, exception is from 8-8:30am shopping is currently limited to the elderly or those at high risk for COVID-19.
It’s an easy one stop shop to get a guaranteed box of products which will last you an entire week. It’s a great way to buy local, eat local, support local, and know exactly where your food is coming from.
