Every few weeks I get the feeling that I have to get out of the city and its urban goings-on. You know what I’m talking about right? That feeling where you have to experience nature right now! I just have to have my dose of fresh air and green scenery at least once a month or I go a little “Center City crazy”. Especially now when winter is just around the corner, it is important to take advantage of this fall weather when you still have some sun, to go out of town and enjoy it! So on that note, I called up my buddy Ryan Harrison who runs a little farm out in Cinnaminson, NJ right next to the Delaware river called “Jersey Gina’s Gems Farm”, and if that name rings a bell it’s because you probably got a chance to experience the amazing Gina’s Jersey Gems pickles which we sale at COOK. They are, by far, the best pickles I have ever had! Ryan, who is also a chef, has been a part of a number of classes here at COOK, including classes with The Smoke Truck, Ela,and he even competed in one of our “Open Stove” battles.
At one of these classes, he invited me to come to the farm whenever I liked and help him out with some manual labor. When I called Ryan to take him up on his offer, he told me some unfortunate news: due to the cold nights we have had in the past few weeks, his crops got a major hit and a lot of his produce died from the cold. So, for Ryan, Gina’s Gems is being put on the back-burner for the winter season. But the good news is that he is involved in a new project up in Buckingham PA: a small B&B called Mill Creek Farm Bed and Breakfast which he and his girlfriend Nicole Richaud are running together now. Nevertheless, Ryan invited me to come check out both with him for a day.
So I hopped in the car for a full day of farms, chili peppers, horses and my beloved nature.
First stop Jersey Ginas Gems Farm:
We got to the farm around noon on a rainy Tuesday. Just a short 25 minutes outside the city, Ryan and his mom have this little piece of land that is about 4,000 square feet. Doesn’t sound like much but each square inch is packed with a different fruit of vegetable:
– Squash
– Kilbasa Squash
– Parsley
– Chives
– Thyme
– Dill
– Heirloom tomatoes
– Tomatias
– Chilly peppers
– Explosive amber peppers
– Sage
– Water melon
– Asparagus
– Basil
– Opel Basil
And many more!
Walking around the farm, Ryan showed me the weather damage he was talking about. He explained to me how fast it happened (almost overnight) so it was hard for him to harvest everything by himself before a lot of it died.
But hope is not lost! We managed to rescue a bunch of tomatoes, peppers, and even a late-bloomer watermelon which we cracked right open and enjoyed on the spot.
Ryan was telling me about all his adventures he went through while working on Gina’s Gems farm which was basically his first time farming.
“You learn as you go”, he said. Ryan graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in upstate New Tork so I was wondering if he got any training in growing his own vegetables farm to table style. Surprisingly, he said no, and that they did plenty of the table stuff but none of the farming which is a real shame. Ryan thinks it should be part of the curriculum at any culinary school.
Ryan built his own irrigation system at Gina’s out of necessity. In the first few months working on the farm, he would bring gallons of water with him in his car until they realized that system was too expensive and labor-intensive. Walking around the premises, he found a small swamp about 50 feet away from the farm, and with the help of a friend, PVC pipes, a motor, and a water container full of rocks on the bottom, they managed to pool and filter water from the swamp to the farm. Ryan said it took him a few days and a few attempts before he succeeded. When he finally did and clear filtered water came out on the other end, it was one of the heppest moments of his life.
We picked our shear of goodies and headed over to the B&B which was about 40min away from the farm.
Ryan explained to me his plan to basically move Gina’s Gem’s farm to the 1.5 acres of land that he has as a part of the B&B(which is about 15 times bigger then the original farm) and use it as the operation/production base for Gina’s pickles.
When we got to B&B, we were welcomed by the keeper of the house,”Chef” (a very friendly Pincher dog) and Nicole who was in the middle of making us all dinner. Before eating, Nicole and Ryan took us on a tour of the B&B grounds that includes 4 rooms, a living-room with a fire place, a 25-seat dining room with a view of the gigantic backyard, a pond, a pool, and a field which will be used for farming. Oh, and did I mention horses?
The house was originally built in 1730 and then added to in the 1850s and then again in the 1950s. The rooms are named after different US presidents and it has an old colonial feel to it. Ryan and Nicole are running the place for the owners of Center City’s The Farmers’ Cabinet and Butcher and Brewer who currently lease the property.
The pool is located right next to a pasture where a few horses hang out and you can walk right up to them. It truly has one of the most relaxing atmospheres and you get the feeling like it is the home in the country you never had.
Ryan took all the fresh tomatoes and peppers we brought over from Gina’s and made a delicious salsa. We sat down to eat a lovely dinner looking over the backyard and the pond, had a glass of local wine from a Bucks County winery and enjoyed the sunset.
If you are interested in going away for a weekend without heading too far from home, this gem is not even 45 minutes away from Philadelphia. It is a unique bed and breakfast with a twist and Nicole and Ryan will make sure you feel at home. Hopefully, I’ll be back there soon but next time I’m staying for breakfast.
Mill Creek Farm B&B contact info:
Inkeeper@millcreekfarmbb.com
484-264-6515
Photos by: Yoni Nimrod
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