 Back to School
with Farm Fare
Guess what? Ontario Farm Fresh food is peanut-free! Your local farm market is stocked with all kinds of lunch box nibblies. Carrot sticks, apple boats, caulifower and broccoli bits, or cucumber slices are just a small sampling of lunch box favs. Better yet, bring your kids to the farm this weekend, so they can 'pick' their snacks themselves! Find a farm near you here.
10 things you didn't think of doing with Farm Fresh Apples!
 1. Experience the orchard first hand and pick them right off the tree. Pick-your-own orchards are open around the province.
2. Cook a chicken with an apple in the centre to ensure moist and delicious roasts.
3. Cut them in half, remove the seeds, and then use them as paint stamps for craft time.
4. Bring hard brown sugar back to life by placing an apple wedge in the sugar container for 1-2 days.
5. Make a deliciously scented candle holder by carving out the insides from the top, almost like a pumpkin. Insert a small or tall candle.
6. Make an apple smoothie by blending apple pieces with cinnamon, apple juice, and vanilla frozen yogourt.
7. Make a rejuvenating face mask by mixing one grated apple with honey and dry oatmeal. Rinse after 10 minutes for freshened skin.
8. Ripen green tomatoes by placing 5 of them in a paper bag with one apple, for 3 days.
9. Dry them with a dehydrator for chewy fruit snacks in the middle of winter.
10. Update your grilled cheese by mixing grated apple with grated cheeze and a tiny bit of mustard. Spread onto bread and grill!
  
Preserve the Farm Fresh experience for year round nutrition
 Old fashioned preserving techniques are coming back to modern kitchens as Ontarians strive to enjoy local flavour all winters long. There are a few different ways to preserve local foods including canning, dehydrating, and freezing. When the weather gets a little cool, you can enjoy preserving the local farm harvests while watching the leaves fall off the trees outside. Not only will you enjoy preparing new recipes now, you will be thrilled all winter to find how easy you've made your meal prep. The best advice is to take it slowly, and learn a few preserving recipes each year. Great information is available at these websites below:
’ΔΆ canning: www.bernardin.ca
’ΔΆ vegetable freezing: www.foodland.gov.on.ca
You won't regret your time spent now, when you can pull off local farm fresh meals in 10 minutes flat, in the dead of winter.
 Harvest Family Fun
Did you know many farms open their fields, barns and play structures to the public this time of year? Farms offer dozens of activities from hay jumps, wagon rides, petting zoos, forts, and educational displays.
The best way to add excitment, and adventure to your fall time fun is by locating your nearest Fun Farm on our Farm Locator page.
Don't forget to pack your camera-there's plenty of memories to share.
Join the OFFMA flickr group at: flickr.com/groups/farmfresh/
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