Summer Produce

Our Product

Weather providing, the beans we sell are almost always homegrown. We plant our beans about four times each year so that new beans keep ripening throughout the season. Green beans are different from most other vegetables because the bean plants must be completely dry to pick them. Otherwise, they will "rust," which means the skin will turn brown. Even though they would taste fine, we do not pick them because they do not look very appetizing. So, we always wait for the dew to dry off, and once in a while we will not pick if we get too much rain.

Selecting from the Shelf

When picking out green beans, look for a good green color. Pods should be fairly firm, and the bean should not droop. Consumer preference can vary with less developed to larger sized beans within the pod, but most will still taste similar.

Preparing to Eat

Wash beans in a colander. Remove the butt end of the bean with a knife or scissors. Beans can be consumer either raw or cooked.

Our Product

Sweet corn is a focal point for our farm. We raise over 70 acres of sweet corn, and all of it is hand-picked fresh everyday. We always grow the corn we sell. While it is rare to find a bad ear of Skelly corn, our baker's dozen of 13 ears makes sure you are satisfied just in case you find an ear that does not meet our high standards. We grow yellow and white varieties that we have personally selected as the best tasting corn around. Our Sugar Enhanced varieties are even better tasting than the Super Sweet that get shipped across the country. For more information, visit our special sweet corn page.

Selecting from the Shelf

While tastes vary, most people like their corn younger, so smaller ears may have less developed kernels that are not so chewy. And while it is alright to open up one or two ears to check them, try to avoid pulling open every ear because keeping it closed will keep it fresh. An ear of corn is ripe when the silk (the hairy stuff at the top of the ear) is brown and crusted together. Corn can withstand some handling, but try to avoid poking the sharp tips of the corn into the kernels.

Preparing to Eat

We pick our corn fresh every morning. The second you pick an ear of corn, the sugars in the kernels begin to break down. While you do not need to worry about a noticeable difference before supper, corn is best when eaten the same day. If you cannot eat it the day it was picked, store it in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator with the husk still on it unopened. There are many ways for cooking corn from boiling it to putting it in the microwave. Visit our recipes page for more cooking information.

Our Product

Whether you are making pickles or slicing a cucumber for a salad, we have great cucumbers. Cucumbers are a vine plant that are related to pumpkin and squash. We grow lots of our own cucumbers, but supplies do vary. Our supplies vary from our own and cucumbers from nearby states. Regardless, we choose great cucumbers that will keep you satisfied.

Selecting from the Shelf

While we would love to sell smaller pickling sized cucumbers, we usually only have slicing sizes available. We do not sell cucumbers by the bushel. If you need just a few, look for firm cucumbers. Cucumbers naturally have a semi-waxy coating for protections, and some that we do not grow may have had a little extra vegetable based wax to help protect during transportation. But do not worry, this wax is safe and helps keep your cucumbers fresh when you take them home.

Preparing to Eat

Wash the cucumber and slice or cook for your needs.

Our Product

Muskmelons are a great taste of summer. Muskmelon and cantaloupe are essentially the same fruit with a name that is usually used interchangeably. Many people will call a melon a cantaloupe when it is smoother, and they refer to it as a muskmelon when they have deep ridges. We primarily sell the deep ridge types when they become available from Indiana in mid to late July. Most of our melons come from Indiana because due to their soil type they can grow very good tasting melons in that region. We usually have a few homegrown cantaloupe available in mid August, but these supplies are usually limited. However, the Indiana melons are excellent and we work hard to maintain great tasting melons.

Selecting from the Shelf

Melons can be hard to select because you cannot actually see the part you will eat. If you want a melon to eat soon, select one with a yellow outside rind. If you will not cut if for a day or two, select a melon that is still a little green. Melons will ripen on the counter and still taste great. Check to make sure there are not any noticeable soft spots, but do not push too hard or bang on the rind as you could damage the inside of the fruit.

Preparing to Eat

Scrub the outside to remove any dirt. Commercial standards say you can even soak it in bleach water. Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat it (unless you need it to ripen), and do not cut until eating. Store uneaten pieces in a sealed container such as Tupperware in a refrigerator.

Our Product

Since onions are a very labor intensive product that is hard to grow without specialized equipment designed for growing lots of acres, so we get most of our onions from other growers. We offer some great tasting onions, and usually have red, white, and yellow onions available. They are a great addition or side for any summertime meal.

Selecting from the Shelf

Onions are are fairly consistent product. Usually if it looks good on the shelf it will taste good too.

Preparing to Eat

Remove the outer skin and slice as needed. You can store onions for a few months if you keep them in a cool, dark place.

Our Product

While we can grow a lot of produce in Wisconsin, peaches are nearly impossible to grow in Wisconsin. But peaches are one of the best parts of summer, so we work hard to find the good ones. We usually have peaches from Georgia, Southern Illinois, or Michigan. Our family is a huge peach fan, so we set very high standards for selecting our peaches. We taste test every shipment to make sure they taste great.

Selecting from the Shelf

Peaches are probably the most delicate item that we sell. When you handle peaches, pretend you are handling a glass ornament as they can bruise easily. Once peaches fully ripen, they bruise even easier and they will usually become soft very quickly. You will notice that most the peaches we sell are firm when you buy them. Let them sit for a day or two and they will be perfect to eat. Do not press on the fruit to check for quality as this does not do anything but bruise the fruit.

Preparing to Eat

The fruit can be consumed slightly firm, or you can let it sit on the counter until it is soft and juicy. Wash the outside just before eating. You can either eat it like an apple by eating around the pit or you can slice it. If a fruit gets just a little too ripe, you can always cut it up and eat it in pie, on ice cream, or in yogurt.

Our Product

Peppers have a very long growing season, so you may see southern peppers before we have our own available. We typically only sell green bell peppers. Our peppers usually become available on a limited basis in early August.

Selecting from the Shelf

Choose a pepper based on how much you need. A larger pepper is great for stuffed peppers, and small fruit are good for cutting up in other dishes. Look for a firm outer flesh. Green peppers eventually turn red if left on the plant, so a small spot of red means that is just hung on the plant a little longer and will have a slightly hotter flavor.

Preparing to Eat

Peppers should be stored in a refrigerator until ready to cut or eat. Leftover pieces should be stored in an airtight container.

Our Product

Like onions, potatoes are a very labor intensive product that is hard to grow without specialized equipment designed for growing lots of acres, so we get most of our potatoes from other growers. We usually just offer smaller red potatoes which are great for slicing or making great dishes for summer.

Selecting from the Shelf

Most potatoes will be great if they do not have a shriveled fleshed, which is uncommon.

Preparing to Eat

Wash and cook. One of our favorite recipes involves slicing into 1/4 in. slices and baking with butter and seasoning. You can store unsliced potatoes for a few months if you keep them in a cool, dark place.

Our Product

From zucchini bread to fried zucchini, our zucchini do it all. We grow almost all of our zucchini. Zucchini and summer squash are both part of the same family and you will usually see them displayed together at our farm. In fact, it can be very hard to distinguish between the two plants until the fruit starts to form. However, unlike their winter squash cousins, they are more perishable and should be consumed within a week of harvest.

Selecting from the Shelf

The shorter shelf life is still long compared to some other produce and you usually will not notice a decrease in flavor with a zucchini or summer squash after a few days. As long as the skin is tight and not wrinkled it should be good.

Preparing to Eat

Big zucchini are great for making bread, and smaller ones are nice for slicing and eating.

Our Product

Sweet corn is a focal point for our farm. We raise over 70 acres of sweet corn, and all of it is hand-picked fresh everyday. While it is rare to find a bad ear of Skelly corn, our baker's dozen of 13 years makes sure you are satisfied just in case you find an ear that does not meet our high standards. We grow yellow and white varieties that we have personally selected as the best tasting corn around. Our Sugar Enhanced varieties are even better tasting than the Super Sweet that get shipped across the country. For more information, visit our special sweet corn page.

Selecting from the Shelf

While tastes vary, most people like their corn younger, so smaller ears may have less developed kernels that are not so chewy. And while it is alright to open up one or two ears to check them, try to avoid pulling open every ear because keeping it closed will keep it fresh. An ear of corn is ripe when the silk (the hairy stuff at the top of the ear) is brown and crusted together. Corn can withstand some handling, but try to avoid poking the sharp tips of the corn into the kernels.

Preparing to Eat

We pick our corn fresh every morning. The second you pick an ear of corn, the sugars in the kernels begin to break down. While you do not need to worry about a noticeable difference before supper, corn is best when eaten the same day. If you cannot eat it the day it was picked, store it in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator with the husk still on it unopened. There are many ways for cooking corn from boiling it to putting it in the microwave. Visit our recipes page for more cooking information.

Our Product

Tomatoes are a great taste of summer and are one of our most popular products. We grow our tomatoes in hoop houses to help get early tomatoes. This means that we plant our tomatoes right in the ground just like they would be outside. However, since they are under protection from the frost, we have homegrown tomatoes ready in late June rather than mid August. These are different than hydroponics tomatoes where the plants are grown in pots and feed special nutrient mixtures that some people believe loses flavor. Our tomatoes taste just like those homegrown tomatoes that everyone loves because they are homegrown: just with a little protection. Visit our tomato page to learn more about our hoop houses.

Unfortunately, due to the great popularity of our tomatoes, we do not always have a constant supply of homegrown tomatoes. We try to always have homegrown tomatoes at our farm and at the Janesville Farmer's Market. We supply them to our other stands as much as possible, but we cannot always keep up with demand. Supply can vary day to day and we supplement short supplies with tomatoes from warmer climates.

We typically do not harvest green tomatoes, only red.

Selecting from the Shelf

Look for firm, red tomatoes, but make sure to handle with care. Tomatoes can bruise easily. While some our giant tomatoes can get expensive, remember, that a few small tomatoes can be great for salads or you can just put a few slices on your burger.

Preparing to Eat

Never put a tomato in the refrigerator. Tomatoes should be stored around 55 degrees in a relatively humid environment. They can usually sit on the counter for a few days, but keep them out of the sun.

Our Product

Watermelon are a long season crop and it is hard to compete with the great soil of Indiana that grows great tasting melons. We grow a few watermelon, but they typically are not ready until mid-August. Most of the watermelon we sell are seedless, although we occasionally have seeded melons. These melons are a summertime favorite on our farm, and we enjoy taking a break and enjoying some during a hard day of work in the summer sun.

Selecting from the Shelf

Melons can be hard to select because you cannot actually see the part you will eat. Watermelon are even harder to choose than muskmelons because the outside color does not change. However, watermelon do ripen at a fairly consistent rate and fields are taste tested and harvested as a group to get great melons. As long as the melon does not feel soft, it should be a good choice.

Preparing to Eat

Scrub the outside to remove any dirt. Commercial standards say you can even soak it in bleach water. Watermelon do not need to be refrigerated for a few days if they are left uncut. Once cut, you can store the pieces in an airtight container.

Our Product

From zucchini bread to fried zucchini, our zucchini do it all. We grow almost all of our zucchini. Zucchini and summer squash are both part of the same family and you will usually see them displayed together at our farm. In fact, it can be very hard to distinguish between the two plants until the fruit starts to form. However, unlike their winter squash cousins, they are more perishable and should be consumed within a week of harvest.

Selecting from the Shelf

The shorter shelf life is still long compared to some other produce and you usually will not notice a decrease in flavor with a zucchini or summer squash after a few days. As long as the skin is tight and not wrinkled it should be good.

Preparing to Eat

Big zucchini are great for making bread, and smaller ones are nice for slicing and eating.