First Posted: 9/23/2014

Although summer is now gone, the Abington Farmers’ Market, located behind South Abington Elementary School, is still going strong during the fall season.

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The farmers are still selling produce grown during the warmer summer season, but are now planting crops that thrive better in lower temperatures.

Michelle LaCoe, a farmer at Bald Mountain Orchard in Ransom Township, said that some vegetables like lettuce and radishes grow better in the cold weather. She said the only difference between farming in the autumn and farming in the summer is there is less time to harvest the vegetables because days are shorter. Although corn is a summer crop, LaCoe still could grow it this season.

LaCoe sells fall-season crops such as pumpkins, winter squash and butternut squash, along with her apples, pears and plums that she grew in the summer.

Ken Ayers and his wife, Christine, of Ayers Orchard in Ransom Township, grow 20 varieties of apples, such as MacIntosh, Cortland, honey crisp and ruby jons.

“We have a good crop of apples and we’re selling them until the end of the market,” said Christine.

For the fall season, they grow plums and sell apple cider at the farmers’ market. They grow many vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower. Christine said that butternut squash, which they planted in May, is now ready for harvest because it takes a long time to mature.

“We had a good growing season,” she said.

Also at the farmers’ market is a stand with Beta Bread Bakery & Deli’s “hearth-style, hand-crafted, crusty, artisan” breads. There are many flavors, including year-round flavors such as pecan-raisin, whole-wheat cinnamon raisin and cocoa caraway rye. For the fall season, Beta Bread has fall pumpkin spice scones.

Aaron Thorpe, baker of Beta Bread & Deli in Clarks Summit, sells these breads at the farmers’ market. He said that in October, Beta Bread will add soups and salads to the menu to make its stand more like a restaurant.

“There are a lot of regulars,” said Thorpe. “You see familiar faces. Unlike other markets, the consistency allows me to cater to them more.”

Bob Jaditz and his sister, Joan, grow red and white potatoes, spaghetti squash, and pumpkins of different colors at Timberlane Farms in Clarks Summit. They also have free-range eggs, which they sell all summer.

Elizabeth Graves, owner of Graves Family Farm in South Abington Township, makes her own jams, jellies and chili sauces, which are all sold at the farmers’ market. For the fall, she made pumpkin bread, which is also available at the market.

George Harris, owner of G & M Maple Products, sells homemade syrup, candy and cream. He also supplies syrup, which is called Pennsylvania Maple Syrup, to local Shur Save grocery stores such as Gerrity’s, Shiel’s and Riccardo’s markets. In March, he conducts tours of his sugar house located in Dalton.

“No matter what I try, I did not dislike,” said Dunmore resident Marilyn Gleason, a customer of Graves Family Farm. Gleason is a new customer who just recently learned about the Abington Farmers’ Market.