NEWS

Hydro-House!

Two winters ago Hilltop Farms began the conversion of our 96ft long high tunnel into a hydroponic greenhouse, equipped with circulating fans, exhaust fans, propane heater, LED lights, grow lights, water pumps and 80 grow channels. We are now starting our 2nd Fall season of lettuce and greens grown completely in water and we have the capacity to grow over 1500 heads of lettuce at a time! We grow 5 to 6 varieties of lettuce including green leaf, red leaf, romaine, summer crisps, bibb lettuce and more. The hydro-house also lends itself to growing greens and herbs, such as pac choy, tatsoi, arugula, mustard greens and basil. The greens can be a cut and come-again type harvest whereas the lettuces are pulled from the grow channels whole and sold with the root system in tact. Its lettuce so fresh it's still alive!!

Farmer's Market News

We attend the Apex Farmers Market and the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market each week during their summer season. Apex is open on Saturdays from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the corner of Center Street and Salem Street. The Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market is open each Wednesday from 11 AM to 2 PM in in downtown Raleigh on Fayetteville Street.

Hope to see you there this summer!

Still Time to Sign Up!

Time to join the Summer CSA! Wake County's first and only CERTIFIED ORGANIC farm is now open for membership. We've been operating our CSA since 1999!! Choose from seven drop sites including locations in Raleigh, Cary, Holly Springs and right here at the farm in Willow Spring. See Join page for details!

2016 Spring/Summer Sign-Up Time!

2016 CSA! Hilltop Farms is Wake County, NC's first and only USDA certified organic farm and we are now accepting new and returning members for the Spring/Summer 2016 season. At this time we are only filling spots at our farm location for pick-ups on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. A weekly share of our fresh-picked veggies through our CSA membership program will start on April 16th and run for 18 weeks. The cost for a Full Share is $495 and you can join now with a deposit of just $175 and split the balance into two additional payments. Or, you can sign up for a 10 week Half Share for $295 with $175 down. There are workshare options available, too. Please visit our Join page for complete details. You can even fill-out the form and pay online! Hope to see you in the spring!

Eat Healthy! - Farmer Fred

CFSA - Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Why you should join the CFSA if you are an aspiring new farmer....

One Sunday morning in Januaury, 1999 I read an article in the Raleigh N&O about CSA's. They stated that there were 7 operating in NC at that time. That May I started one, albeit parttime. I guess I was number 8, or at least tied for number 8 with 10 or 12 or 30 other farms, that may have been similarly inspired. My first year I had two members, and they split a share. The 2nd year 7 familes joined. Third - 16 . I decided to go full time in Januaury 2002. I immediately joined the CFSA. The N&O called them again regarding another story on CSA's. My name went on the list, it appeared in the next Sunday issue and by the end of the month I had 84 members! I never looked back.

Almost fourteen years later, this November, I was elected to the Board of Directors of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association at their annual Sustainbable Ag Conference. I am honored to serve such a great organization. Their mission is to connect sustainable farmers with sustainable minded consumers.

They replaced five members on their board of 12. So, I guess I was tied for 8th again. Seems fitting.

The Seven Week Stretch!

Hilltop Farms is in the home stretch of our Fall CSA, with 7 weeks of veggie deliveries left, starting Monday, Oct 19th. People are still signing up for the last half of the season, at the Half Share price of just $200 and it's only $160 if you choose the workshare option!

So, if you have been thinking about joining a CSA but were unsure about making a season long financial commitment, now's the time to get in and test the waters at a low price and start receiving the weekly box of fresh picked, local, organic food that awaits you! There are 7 locations in the area to choose from!

As the summer veggies of tomatoes, eggplant, peas, okra, and peppers continue to fill our boxes they will gradually give way to the wonderful greens of kale, pac choi, tatsoi, lettuces, radishes and others that will round out the season! Don't forget the plethora of winter squashes that adds that hearty, comfort food flare!

Click here to join!!

Thanks and eat healthy!

Farmer Fred

Farmer's Market in a Box!

Do you love to go to farmer's markets and farm stands, but you're sad that they'll be closing for the season soon? Then join our CSA and you can extend that selection into the fall with our "Farmer's Market in a Box"! Our Fall CSA starts in a few days and extends through December. Sign up now!

Farm Stand Hours

Our farm stand will continue to be open to the public from noon to 5 PM on Saturdays, and 4 to 6 PM on Tuesdays from now through September 1st. We will be selling the certified organic veggies listed in the harvest section of our homepage.

Fall Season Sign-Up

It's officially time to sign up for the Fall Harvest CSA! Click here for more information and to join!

Summer Season Drawing to a Close!

There are only six weeks left in the summer season, but it's not to late to join. Information about the Fall season is coming soon! Stay tuned!

Fall CSA Information

The Fall CSA will start on Monday, September 14th and existing CSA members will have first chance to sign up for the fall season starting on August 3rd. Then if we still have room, we will open it up to new members on September 1st. If someone joins our Summer CSA now, they will be considered existing members and will be eligible for priority sign-up for the Fall CSA, too.

End of Summer Season Sign-Up

Only eight weeks left in the summer season and still not too late to join our CSA! It may just be the best eight weeks of harvests we'll have all year! We currently have plenty of yellow squash and zucchini, kale and collards, mixed potatoes, and cabbage. Soon, cucumbers will abound, along with yellow wax beans, green snap beans, and Sun Gold and Black Cherry (purple) tomatoes, followed by okra, eggplant, patty pan squash, peppers, watermelons, Silver Queen corn, and eight varieties of heirloom and red slicing tomatoes. All the summer goodies!

Honey Now Available!

We now have Hilltop Honey for sale. It was harvested the second week of June by Matt Flint of Barton Creek Apiaries in Fuquay. Matt was able to collect 105 lbs. of honey and has bottled it in 1 lb. plastic bottles and 1.45 lb. glass jars. The cost is $12 for the bottles and $16 for the jars. They are available for sale at our farm stand during our open hours, and at Hilltop Farms' tent at the Downtown Raleigh Farmers Market on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 2 PM. It's pure, raw, wildflower honey.

Matt's description of the honey..."The honey is darker this year. April nectar sources make the honey light. Our April temps were so cold that flowers gave pollen but very little nectar. The May nectar plants dominate this year's honey. More tulip tree, holly, blackberry, clover, cherry, apple and of course Hilltop's strawberries!"

Farm Stand News

The farm stand will be closed on Saturday June 13th and 20th to the public, however CSA members will still pick up from 10 AM to noon.

Farm Stand Hours

Our farm stand is open to the public from noon to 5 PM on Saturdays, and 4 to 6 PM on Tuesdays from now through September 1st (except for July 4th and 7th.) We will be selling the certified organic veggies listed in the harvest section of our homepage. Also, we should have a new supply of Hilltop Honey available by the end of June!!

Strawberry Season Has Ended

We had a record season and hundreds of fine families came out and picked our delicious berries. Thank you for coming out!

PIC-YER-OWN STRAWBERRIES

Come pick your own organic strawberries at the farm! Due to popular demand, we've added an additional day for you to come out and harvest some delicious berries!

10:00 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays
4:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
Prices are $5/lb ($4/lb for CSA members) and we provide a take-home basket!

Strawberries will be available while the season lasts. Lots of berries this year!! Come see us!

CSA Availability Update

Tuesday CSA spots at the Farm and Zin Yoga are now completely full, but there are still spots available at the other locations on Mondays and Thursdays. Only two spots available at the Farm on Saturdays.

Sign up now and enjoy our delicious produce!

Farm Stand Hours

Our Pick-Your-Own (or, Pic-Yer-Own if you'd prefer) strawberry season is in full swing! Our farm is now open on Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM and Tuesdays from 4 to 7 PM while the strawberries are in season. We will also have select produce for sale at the farm stand during those times. Prices for Pick-Your-Own berries are $5/lb for non-CSA members and starting this week $4.50/lb for CSA members. Prices for produce vary.

The strawberries are certified organic, as is all the produce we grow and sell! Please come see us!!

Pick-Your-Own Starts on MAY 2nd!!!

It's what we've all been waiting for! We have been flooded with phone calls and e-mails asking when Pick-Your-Own will start!

We will open to the public, and CSA of course, on Saturday, May 2nd at noon until 5 PM, or until all the ripe berries have been picked - whichever comes first! We'll be open every Saturday following that through May and into June, while the berries are in season, from 10 AM to 5 PM, and every Tuesday starting May 5th, from 4 to 7 PM. As one of only a few USDA-certified organic farms in North Carolina, we have folks come from all over the state to pick our delicious organic strawberries!

Don't miss it!

It's Not Too Late to Join!

Our 2015 Summer CSA starts in a few days, but it's not too late to sign up! Join now and you will be pro-rated one week. You can start to receive your produce during the week of April 25th. Be part of Hilltop's summer CSA and enjoy produce from Wake County's first and only USDA-certified organic farm!

2015 Summer CSA!

Hilltop Farms is now accepting new members to our certified organic produce CSA. It starts April 18th and runs for nineteen weeks through to the 29th of August.

This is our seventeeth year operating a CSA, and we are offering full and half shares for the summer season. Please, email us at info@hilltopfarms.org for the 2015 membership sign-up form.

The full share is $475 with weekly pick-ups at your choice of one of eight sites in Raleigh, Cary, and at the farm. We take one week off for the 4th of July. The half share is only $275 for 10 weeks, and you choose which weeks you want to pick-up during the season. You can buy additional weeks after you use up your ten, if you need them and space is available. We will also offer a twelve week Fall CSA that starts mid-September.

So, send us that email now for the summer, as spring is approaching and the drop sites are filling up fast!

Eat healthy! Eat organic! Buy local!

What's on Tap!

In addition to organic vegetables, here at Hilltop Farms we also grow wheat and barley. Our last barley harvest was somewhat successful and we had the grain cleaned and malted at Farm Boy Farms in Pittsboro.

The barley malt was sold and delivered to four Wake County breweries, and two home brew shops - keeping it local! Go to Trophy Brewing, Crank Arm Brewery, Raleigh Brewing, and Aviator Brewing, to enjoy delicious beer made from our grains. If you prefer to brew your own beer, buy our grains at American Brewmasters and Atlantic Brew Supply.

Tell 'em Farmer Fred sent you!