Happy goats, award-winning cheeses, native plants and family fun. It must be time for Yellow Springs Farm’s wildly popular Open Farm Days.
Grab your calendar and choose from these weekends: Sept. 6 and 7, and Sept. 13 and 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Fall is the perfect time of year to stroll the historic property and enjoy the beautiful and tasty results of connecting foodscapes to landscapes. Plus checking out the Nubian goats that make the creamy cheeses is just a good time.
Each weekend will be filled with delicious nibbles and awesome activities. Check out the top five fun reasons to visit:
1. Noshes from nature
- Taste freshly made artisanal goat milk cheeses.
- Sample caramel sauces made with organic sugar.
2. Get smart
- Learn about native species plants that will grow well in your garden, and get free advice from the experts.
- On Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 14, delight in seeing monarch butterflies and learn about this beautiful creature’s importance courtesy of Ann Ward from Winged Wonders Education. On-site workshops will unfold throughout the day.
3. Let them entertain you
- On Saturday, Sept. 6, from noon to 2 p.m., hear local vocal artist, songwriter and musician Donna Delaney’s acoustic music.
4. Get it to-go
- Bring home a little bit of Yellow Springs Farm: cheeses, caramel sauces, rain barrels and plants will be available for purchase. You can even snag your very own Yellow Springs Farm cooler bag when you buy three or more cheeses.
5. Like the farm for a chance to win
- Like Yellow Springs Farm on Facebook and sign up for their e-newsletter from now until Sept. 14, and you could walk away with a prize: A free cheese CSA test drive. Winner announced Sept. 23.
Why Yellow Springs Farm Is Special
“We bought this farm in 2001 initially to preserve the landscape and history of Chester County in our own little way,” said Catherine Renzi, who owns and operates it with husband Al. “During the purchase, a botanical survey of the property found more than 350 species of native plants—and a nursery was born.”
The Renzis were inspired to nurture, manage and increase the hundreds of plants native to the area. What they found doing farmers’ markets and events was a great interest in plants that originate and thrive in Chester County.
“We realized if we improved the habitat and biodiversity of our eight acres, that’s one thing,” Al explained. “But if more and more neighbors in Chester County did the same, and the diversity and number of native plants grew, that would be very cool.”
The Goats Rise to Fame
As the Renzis started leaving their “day jobs” to focus on the farm, it became clear plants would not be enough to sustain their dreams. And although Yellow Springs Farm had historically been a cow dairy farm, it was the handful of goats on the property who were emerging as stars.
“We had a few goats, and were making cheese for fun to bring to parties, and for family and friends,” Catherine added. “We got rave reviews, and decided to add the dairy business in 2009. But we’ve never gotten away from connecting the landscape to the food, and that’s one of the things that makes Yellow Springs Farm so special.”
This partnership with the land harkens back to how farms were tended two or more generations back. It’s attending to the quality of soil and water, providing grazing for the animals, preserving ample space for native species plants to thrive and managing them together. This careful caretaking creates cheesy magic: herbs, black walnuts and sycamore leaves are some of the botanicals harvested on the farm that make their way into fresh goat milk cheese.
You can grab your portion of award-winning goat milk cheeses by enrolling in the Yellow Springs Farm Cheese CSA Test Drive. It’s a great way to see if a cheese CSA is right for you and, of course, to sample a smattering of goat cheeses. You may enroll now and enjoy four cheeses every two weeks from mid-September through November. There are 15 pick-up sites around the region for your convenience, and you’ll also receive tasting notes, recipes and farm news via email the week you pick up your share. We’re certain you’ll be addicted, and will want to enroll in the full cheese CSA program that brings sweet and savory, fresh and aged goat cheeses to you from May through November.
Bounty from Yellow Springs Farm is never really far away since you may purchase and ship plants, and cheese (in special coolers, season permitting). You can also say hello to Catherine and Al at the West Chester Growers Market at the corner of North Church and West Chestnut streets in downtown W.C. But, why not see what the Renzis have created in its native, gorgeous and fun habitat? Head over to Open Farm Days in September and experience it all live. And don’t forget to thank the goats.
Find Yellow Spring Farm at 1165 Yellow Springs Road in Chester Springs; phone: 610-827-2014. Keep up with fun farm happenings on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Photo credit: Nina Lea Photography
