Welcome Fall 2025- News and Updates from the farm

Hello friends,

Happy Fall! Wow, it has been a great and full summer. Always interesting to see how the growing season progresses. Plenty of moisture early with almost none toward the end now. Overall the crops did pretty well. The leaves are changing and the weather is getting cooler. Time to start thinking of fire in the stove and a little change of pace. 

We have been busy harvesting the field crops- dry beans, sweet potatoes, potatoes- with buckwheat and popcorn to follow in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout for new products on the website in the coming months. 

Cranberry beans

Rosso di Lucca bean nearly ready for harvest on August 30th

Rosso di Lucca bean 

Buckwheat- the bees (and humans) love it!

In the barn, we continue to clean, grade, and sort this year’s abundant Juniata garlic crop, along with making braids and fulfilling orders.

Ava packing an order

Did you know our Juniata garlic is a “landrace” variety? Each year we select the ideal bulbs to use for next year’s seed. Over time we continue to promote genetics that do best on our soils with our farming methods. The result is awesome garlic for you to enjoy! Planting for the 2026 crop will begin in about a month. 

On the wholesale end, we are pleased to report that you can now find your favorite Juniata garlic in the following stores and distributors:

Wholesome Living Marketplace. Bedford, PA

Nature’s Way Market. Greensburg, PA

DeLallo’s Italian Marketplace. Jeannette, PA

Linea Verde Green Market. Pittsburgh, PA

East End Food Coop. Pittsburgh, PA

Harvie. Pittsburgh, PA

Soergel’s Orchards. Wexford, PA

Frankferd Farms Foods. Saxonburg, PA

Please check them out.

Patrick with Gina Merante at Linea Verde Green Market in the Bloomfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh

Some exciting projects regarding new products are in the works. Have an inspection with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture this week. Hope to have an announcement to share with you all soon. 

That’s about it for now. Wishing you a wonderful autumn equinox and fall season. Make sure you have plenty of garlic to go with all those great fall dishes :) Here or stop in/order from the list above.

Best,

Patrick Ciarrocchi 

Ridgeview Farm

September 22, 2025

 

P.S. The monarchs seem to have had a banner year at the farm. Finally remembered to get a picture of a chrysalis in the popcorn patch. Tons of caterpillars and butterflies everywhere. Life is amazing…