On Saturday, Sept. 13, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., farmer Mary Ellen Sheehan will discuss which vegetables to choose and what techniques to use to have a thriving fall garden, at Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center, Yorktown Heights. 

Participants will learn how to grow crops in their backyard or porch and will receive a starter package of seeds and starter plants for crops such as fennel, beets, turnips, scallions, spinach, kale, collards, lettuce heads, endive, arugula and more.

Farmer Mary Ellen will discuss how a season extension allows a crop to be cultivated beyond its normal outdoor growing season. Season extension techniques, such as hoop houses or mulching, are most effective when combined with crop varieties selected for extended growing conditions. A number of crops, such as greens and beets, are able to grow in cooler fall temperatures.

Families are encouraged to come early, pack a picnic lunch, hike the trails and enjoy the beautiful views at the farm. Visitors can also purchase vegetables at Hilltop’s farm stand, which will be open from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Registration for the event is $15 and includes the starter package. To register, call the farm at (914) 245-2520 by Friday, September 12.

Other gardening education programs are held in the Cornell Cooperative Extension demonstration gardens. All programs are hands-on, open to the public and participants are encouraged to bring soil samples and questions about their yards and gardens.

Additional August and September Programs
At Hilltop Hanover you can learn how to pick your own fresh organic vegetables or make healthy fruit roll-ups; participate in wine tastings or a tomato tasting and enjoy dinner and even a movie with your family.

Friday, Aug. 22
Traditional English Dancing
11:00 a.m. – 12 noon
The American Travelling Morrice will perform a lively English country tradition, the morris dance.  Morris dancers wear bells on their legs, dance to a musical accompaniment of the accordion, fiddle or ancient pipe and are directed by a Fool, whose antics amuse onlookers and harass the dancers.   

Saturday, Aug. 23
Pick Your Own Vegetables
9 a.m. – 12 noon
Pick your own fresh produce in the fields and pay at the farm stand.  All produce is grown using organic methods with no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.

Sunday, Aug. 24
Tomato Tasting
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Taste a variety of tomatoes grown at the farm and vote for your favorite.

Canning 101
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Learn the art of canning vegetables.  8 participants maximum; by reservation only; $10 fee.  To register, call 245-2520.

Wednesday, Aug. 27 and Sept. 10
Basics of Wine Tasting
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Join Tom DeChiaro, owner of The Winery at St. George, for wine tastings and appreciation.  Sessions will include discussions of wine history and foods that complement wine.  20 participants maximum; must be 21 or older; by reservation only; $5 fee per session or $15 for 4 sessions.  To register, call 245-2520.

Saturday, Sept. 6
Fruit Roll-Ups and Quick Jams
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Learn to make healthy fruit roll-ups and quick jams. 8 participants maximum; by reservation only; $10 fee.  To register, call 245-2520.

Open Work Day in Children’s Peaceful Garden
12 noon – 4 p.m.
Join Something Good in the World, Inc., as they plant, weed, trim and irrigate the Children’s Peaceful Garden with the child-powered seesaw pump. Please wear a hat and bring water.

Saturday, Sept. 13
Pick Your Own Vegetables
9 a.m. – 12 noon
Pick your own fresh produce in the fields and pay at the farm stand. All produce is grown using organic methods with no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides.

Fall Farming
2 - 4 p.m.
Farmer Mary Ellen Sheehan will discuss how to choose vegetables and what techniques to use for a thriving fall garden. Participants will learn how to grow crops in their own backyard or porch and will receive a starter package of seeds and starter plants (see above).
Registration is $15 and includes the starter package. Call (914) 245-2520 by Friday, Sept. 12.

Drought Tolerant Annuals
10 a.m. – 12 noon
Master Gardeners from Cornell Cooperative Extension discuss drought-tolerant plants. They will also test your soil samples and answer horticulture-related questions.  $10 fee for soil test.

Saturday, Sept. 20
Dinner and Movie
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Bring a picnic dinner, buy fresh vegetables and watch The Next Industrial Revolution, a film that explores how businesses are transforming themselves to work with nature and enhance profitability.

Friday, Sept. 26
Fall Cover Crops
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Farmer Mary Ellen discusses the value of cover crops, which are typically grown in the off-season to replenish soil nutrients and improve soil quality for the next growing season.

Saturday, Sept. 27
Family Fun
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Pick your own fresh, seasonal vegetables from Hilltop’s chemical-free garden or purchase them at the new farm stand, learn how to compost garden and kitchen waste and how to use low cost and conservation-conscience farming practices in your own backyard, garden or patio.

Hilltop Hanover Farm, a 180-acre former dairy farm, was purchased by the county in 2003 for agricultural preservation, drinking water protection and the promotion of environmental stewardship through demonstration projects and sustainability programs. Admission is free and the farm is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday. 

Many Hilltop Hanover Farm and Environmental Center programs are part of Be Fit Westchester, a county-wide effort to get people to eat smarter and play harder every day.

Hilltop Hanover Farm is located at 1271 Hanover Street in Yorktown Heights, and can be reached from the Taconic State parkway. Exit at Route 100 Millwood. Go north on Route 100 about 3.5 miles. At the traffic light, go left onto to Route 118. Take the first right onto Hanover Street. Go up hill about 1.5 miles The farm is on the left. The farm is accessible to the disabled with assistance.

For more information or to register for a program, call Hilltop Hanover Farm at (914) 962-2368.