Open Hands Farm

08/21/2026

Open Hands Farm: Updates & Offering

Hello from Open Hands Farm!

Welcome back! We want to thank each one of you for another great week of markets. It is truly wonderful to connect with those at Camp Hill and to see familiar faces each week. I love the busyness of the Adams County Farmers market as well, and we so appreciate you coming out on your Saturday mornings. Tomatoes continue to flow steadily in although waning slightly, and I look to a new flight of Brandywine type tomatoes which should be ripening in the next few weeks.

With these August rains, I am doing battle with the weeds, trying to get to a point where we can layer mulch and fight less. I don't like to have to think about weeds, preferring to allow a tolerable amount until I do one big weeding, but that requires some up-front establishment of beds and then a small amount of maintenance every few weeks.

Other than weeding, my days consist of harvesting, flipping summer beds to fall beds, sorting produce, markets, and processing tomatoes to be stored over the winter. I am really excited to have these Roma tomatoes on hand all year for sauce.

What's Available at Market?

Greens
Summercrisp head lettuce
Butterhead lettuce
Curly + Dino Kale
Dandelion Greens

Herbs
Mint
Parsley
Thai Basil
Italian Basil

Veggies
Cabbage
Salad turnips
Round Radish
Cucumber
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Large Heirloom Type Tomatoes
Large Red and Yellow Slicers
Banana Peppers
Shish*to Peppers
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers
Red & Yellow Sweet Peppers

Flowers
Mix bouquets zinnias/marigolds

Markets We Attend

Market on Market (https://www.camphillborough.com/departments/downtown_camp_hill/farmers_market.php) Tuesday afternoons from 3 - 7 pm
Camphill, PA
Trinity Lutheran Church

Adams County Farmers Market (https://www.acfarmersmarkets.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16068586957&gbraid=0AAAAAoaEKqcVEr9MIRKxd5NGMHaEvbOdv&gclid=CjwKCAjwu53SBhAhEiwAJzSLNhuOXnQZdo3O8L6xcz03N4KHlROMDyjtsgF8KLLEJWC-PPVn2DZIcBoCGwQQAvD_BwE) Saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm
Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Rec Park

Each week we harvest and put together custom bouquets to bring to market. They have been really lovely in the past two weeks, including pops of yellow, deep magentas, and spikes of terracotta and hosta-white. To me, having flowers on the table brings such joy and delight. I am always excited to share that with you at the market!

Pictured: me speaking energetically with my hands while I make a bouquet.

REMINDER!!! We have Roma tomatoes available in bulk sizes. These you can process and can or just stick in bags and put in the freezer. They freeze incredibly well. When you take them out to make your sauce, just put the tomatoes into water and the skin slips right off. It's a great canning hack I learned from our neighbor, Uncle Gary, the canning all-star.

I enjoy seeing everyone at market, but I was especially delighted to see my cousin and her husband this past week! Amanda and Matt hail from New Jersey and surprised me with a visit on the way home from a work trip. Amanda's mom and dad are my God-parents and great role models to me of family, dedication and kindness. They used to have a farm in New Jersey so they also represent some of my farming heritage!

We celebrated a birthday this week and Ms. Kay made a beautiful savory "cake" of layered bread, tomato sauce, cucumbers and iced in a sour cream/cream cheese mixture. It was so tasty and very beautiful to the eye.

Last year the place where Elisha is perching in this photo was a sloping hill, overtaken by weeds. With the help of a friendly neighbor, we were able to excavate and use the rocks to create a terrace garden. Now, Elisha harvests dandelion greens against a backdrop of sunsugar tomatoes and foreground of nasturtiums spilling over our terrace wall. Stewarding the land means taking good care of the areas in our keeping, and making them beautiful as well as productive.

Once again, we are so grateful for the busy market scenes like the one pictured below--made possible by each of you! We are working diligently to continue bringing produce to you into the cooler season ahead for as long as we can.

08/15/2026

Open Hands Farm: Updates & Offering

Hello from Open Hands Farm!

Thank you for your patience with me as I wade through aisles of tomato plants and focus my attention on writing this newsletter to you! Since this is my first full year of farming in Pennsylvania, I am learning the pacing of the season. What I am learning right now is that August is tough! I am so very grateful for the abundant rains we have gotten all through July and into August, but the weeds are also grateful. It is a lot to keep up with along with harvesting, plant maintenance and flipping beds. The other challenge I am facing is knowing what exactly to invest in during these last few weeks of heat and sunlight. (Plants will begin to grow slower as we lose temperature and daylight.) But each week we do all that we can to ensure that we will have more crops in the coming weeks, the best of the harvest comes to you, and the plots stay somewhat neat and orderly. Read along to see what's new on the farm and find out what is available at this weeks market!

What's Available at Market?

Greens
Summercrisp head lettuce
Curly + Dino Kale
Dandelion Greens
Collards

Herbs
Mint
Parsley
Thai Basil
Italian Basil

Veggies
Cabbage
Salad turnips
Cucumber
Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Large Heirloom Type Tomatoes
Large Red and Yellow Slicers
Green Bell Peppers
Banana Peppers
Shish*to Peppers
Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers
Red & Yellow Sweet Peppers

Flowers
Mix bouquets zinnias/marigolds

Markets We Attend

Market on Market (https://www.camphillborough.com/departments/downtown_camp_hill/farmers_market.php) Tuesday afternoons from 3 - 7 pm
Camphill, PA
Trinity Lutheran Church

Adams County Farmers Market (https://www.acfarmersmarkets.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16068586957&gbraid=0AAAAAoaEKqcVEr9MIRKxd5NGMHaEvbOdv&gclid=CjwKCAjwu53SBhAhEiwAJzSLNhuOXnQZdo3O8L6xcz03N4KHlROMDyjtsgF8KLLEJWC-PPVn2DZIcBoCGwQQAvD_BwE) Saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm
Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Rec Park

Our Camp Hill Tuesday market has continued to get better each week. It is a long day for me, rising to harvest in the morning and not really stopping until late in the evening around 9 pm, but it is great to greet each one of you and get to share the bounty.

This week at both markets we will have a BULK option of Roma Tomatoes. Our romas are a smaller variety, but they are much sweeter and of better flavor than your average sauce tomato. A 10 lb basket of tomatoes will be available for $42. If you're looking to freeze or can tomatoes for the coming winter, I highly recommend these. Also, they make great tomato jam!

Peppers are truly breaking into the scene now! I am excited to see them coloring up. This is my first time growing the sweet, bull-horn shaped red and yellow peppers on my own. I am pleased and impressed with their yield, size and health.

We also have Shish*to peppers available which are great for stirfries and grilling. They are not a spicy pepper, but they do add a nice pepper flavor to any dish.

The Farm Community

I began Open Hands Farm in 2022 in Orlando, Florida. My family had been in Orlando since I was young, and I had just moved back to town after managing a 20-acre fruit and veggie farm for 3 years. From 2022-2025 I built a business from the ground up (literally, farming humor) and I ran the farm through occasional volunteers, work trades, and family help, partnering with a local church and food bank to grow on their property. I was getting to the point where I needed to scale up the business to keep growing; improving irrigation, land use and infrastructure, but that would have settled me in Orlando more permanently. Since Elisha and I had been dating long distance for a while, we decided it was time to invest in a move instead of setting deeper roots in Orlando.

So I moved to Pennsylvania in January and broke ground on my first plot in early March. Since then we have been growing steadily and we have been providing two markets and a few wholesale accounts now since the end of June.

While I am the main instigator of farming activities, I wanted to share this story because there are many contributors to the success of Open Hands Farm.

Elisha and his whole family give endless support in a plethora of ways. I eat many meals at their table, farm on their land, sell at the produce stand, and everyone here is always willing to lend a hand to load the van, pick tomatoes or put flowers in bouquets.

Katherine’s family owns the land that I live and farm on. Along with this major contribution, Katherine is also teaming up with me to learn how to effectively run a small market farm. Kath can often be found in the field with me or running the market stand. We share knowledge, produce and meals together.

Dorothy Hartley runs an artist residence (https://www.thehartleyresidence.com/) program and farm in Aspers. We do a work-trade situation sharing labor, produce, good conversation and the like. Dorothy is an amazing artist, manager and community member, and we adore having her company as well as effort involved in the farm.

There are countless others who have contributed time, effort or encouragement, not the least of which are our valued customers who believe in our products and come out Saturday, Tuesday and during the week to find our products.

We find that most things that are worth doing take a particular mix of effort, attention, and passion. It can be hard to give those all season long, but having a support system is a huge advantage. We are so grateful for the helping hands we have received. We truly couldn't do it without you.

08/01/2026

Open Hands Farm: Updates & Offering

Hello from Open Hands Farm!

Last week was so busy that I wasn't able to send out my usual newsletter but I am pleased to have a lovely, tomato-filled saga for you this week.

Months ago we gingerly placed seeds into the trays of soil and nursed the baby plants to the point where they could go into the ground, we composted the rows in preparation for their arrival in the field, we covered them with frost cloth for the cold nights and uncovered them in the morning. As they grew, we staked and wove them so they grew straight, and a few weeks ago we began to glimpse the glorious shades of ripening on the fruit. Now, the tomatoes are in full swing. I am so beyond excited to share them with you! Every tomato I harvest feels precious. And that's saying something because I must have harvested a thousand or more in the last few weeks.

Come out tomorrow to grab a slice of summer that's been nurtured just for you!

What's Available at Market?

Greens
Summercrisp head lettuce
Curly + Dino Kale
Dandelion Greens
Collards

Herbs
Mint
Parsley
Thai Basil
Italian Basil

Veggies
Cabbage
Fennel
Salad turnips
Broccolini
Celery
Cucumber
Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Large Heirloom Type Tomatoes
Large Red and Yellow Slicers

Flowers
Mix bouquets zinnias/marigolds

Markets We Attend

Market on Market (https://www.camphillborough.com/departments/downtown_camp_hill/farmers_market.php) Tuesday afternoons from 3 - 7 pm
Camphill, PA
Trinity Lutheran Church

Adams County Farmers Market (https://www.acfarmersmarkets.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16068586957&gbraid=0AAAAAoaEKqcVEr9MIRKxd5NGMHaEvbOdv&gclid=CjwKCAjwu53SBhAhEiwAJzSLNhuOXnQZdo3O8L6xcz03N4KHlROMDyjtsgF8KLLEJWC-PPVn2DZIcBoCGwQQAvD_BwE) Saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm
Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Rec Park

I thought it might be nice to walk you through what a typical pre-market day looks like. I try to harvest everything for Tuesday market on Tuesday and everything for Saturday market on Friday.

The night before the harvest I develop a harvesting list, and then get up early on Friday to start the day. We try to get started at 5 or 6 AM to beat the heat. Usually, Dorothy, Katherine, or some mix of people, end up coming out to help me harvest. It is such a blessing to me to have not only helping hands, but also folks who are such a joy to have around. We usually get in some good convos and philosophizing in around me trying to figure out what we need to harvest next.

We usually harvest for a few hours, starting with all the leafy greens. We have to wait until later in the morning to get things like tomatoes and cucumbers since the dew is heavy on them, and there is danger of spreading diseases if you harvest before these plants are dry.

At 8:30 or so, Elisha makes us breakfast and we come in to feast on some of the delicious produce that we have been working with. Elisha is a fantastic cook and also so kind to sacrifice his mornings to make sure we get fed!

After harvesting, all the produce goes through it's own unique process of care to make sure it is stored to last as long as possible. For some things, this means getting rinsed or dunked to remove field heat. For others, it means just being packaged and put in cooler temperatures. After working with the produce for so long, I am pretty acclimated to the different needs of different products.

If you're ever curious about how to store a specific product let me know! I am happy to share my tips and tricks.

Above and below are some of the products we harvested today for tomorrow's market. Romas for the salad or tomato sauce, sun sugars for the tasty snack or roasting in the oven.

After harvesting all the produce, the pottery has to be packed for market. I like to bring new pieces every week, and it is fun to curate the collection. The van also has to be packed, tomatoes put into quarts or pints, and flowers put in bouquets.

Somewhere in there we eat lunch all together, and we try to drink lots of water. I am so grateful to be surrounded by good people so it is hardly ever a lonely process.

After all that effort, which happens every week, we end up all set up on Saturday morning (or Tuesday afternoon) to bring all this fresh, local goodness to your plate! Thank you for your support and partnership.

It is hard work, but it is good work. I am so grateful to you for making it possible for us to be out here doing this work!!

Dorothy made this delicious salad with Open Hands Farm tomatoes and cucumbers and basil.

Check out below the most recent recipe card by Katherine!! Each week gets better and better. The recipe is as delicious as the artwork is beautiful.

Item Spotlight

Check out our website for fun ways to support the farm from afar or rep Open Hands Farm merch.

Thank you so much for reading along. We are so grateful, once again, for your support. Always feel free to reach out with questions, inquiries or comments.

Kindly,
Cate Kandle
Owner/Operator of Open Hands Farm

07/18/2026

Open Hands Farm: Updates & Offering

Hello from Open Hands Farm!

Tomatoes are ripening! It brings a lot of joy to my heart. Some of the tomato varieties ripening are ones I have been growing for many years now so they feel like old friends. I can recognize the growth patterns and leaf structure of each individual variety, and I know when their thriving or struggling just by observing the plant. It is so much like being in tune with humans, learning their character and how to serve them well.

In addition to tomatoes this week we have lots of tasty herbs to spice up the summer menu as well as the usual offering of cucumbers, zucchini and the like.

We made it through the heat this week and are carefully making our way through the smoggy days to bring you fresh vegetables. Read on for a glimpse at the farm life this week.

What's Available at Market?

Greens
Summercrisp head lettuce
Butter Head lettuce
Red Curly Head lettuce
Curly + Dino Kale
Dandelion Greens
Collards

Herbs
Mint
Parsley
Thai Basil
Italian Basil

Veggies
Cabbage
Fennel
Radish
Broccolini
Onions
Celery
Cucumber (From Seed & Star Farm)
Zucchini (From Seed & Star Farm)
Cherry Tomatoes

Flowers
Mix bouquets zinnias/marigolds/sunflowers

Markets We Attend

Market on Market (https://www.camphillborough.com/departments/downtown_camp_hill/farmers_market.php) Tuesday afternoons from 3 - 7 pm
Camphill, PA
Trinity Lutheran Church

Adams County Farmers Market (https://www.acfarmersmarkets.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16068586957&gbraid=0AAAAAoaEKqcVEr9MIRKxd5NGMHaEvbOdv&gclid=CjwKCAjwu53SBhAhEiwAJzSLNhuOXnQZdo3O8L6xcz03N4KHlROMDyjtsgF8KLLEJWC-PPVn2DZIcBoCGwQQAvD_BwE) Saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm
Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Rec Park

This week we had a fantastic dinner with our friends Marc and Juli at their beautiful home. Marc is a baker, builder and artist and he spoiled us with homemade, wood-fired pizzas in their pizza oven. Pictured here, we are about to enjoy his pizza crust topped with Open Hands Farm fresh tomatoes with a side of our salad. It was outstanding.

This is a new tomato variety for me. It is a very sweet tasting roma-type tomato which I'm excited to include in my tomato baskets this year.

Above are pictured my favorite yellow cherry variety. They are sweet and tender. We like them as a snack or included in scrambled eggs and salads.

One more tomato that is coming ripe right now are these sweet pink cherry-type tomatoes. They are larger than the yellows and my favorite type of tomato that we grow.

Tuesday market was a great success this week. I was excited to see some familiar faces this week and connect with new folks. Breaking into a new market can feel like an uphill battle, but new connections and reoccurring faces are a huge win. Our goal at Open Hands Farm is to feed everyday people good food, so every bite shared is a victory.

Flowers above and below are offering a beautiful addition to the tables at market. I love making up the bouquets--and this week we even have sunflowers to bring some sunshine into your space.

I like to grow a range of flowers, marigolds, zinnias, scabiosa, yarrow, and celosia just to name a few. I try to lean towards edible, pet friendly varieties for my customers who have little munchers so you can purchase at ease.

I am a big believer in the purpose of the aesthetic, beauty for beauty's sake, but the flowers do serve a functional purpose on the farm as well. All of them are pollinators bringing beneficial bugs onto the property. Other flowers like marigolds act as deterrents for pests. It is a win-win scenario!

Item Spotlight

Check out our website for fun ways to support the farm from afar or rep Open Hands Farm merch.

Thank you for reading along! Please visit us at the market this week or stop by at the Lion Potter to pick up some produce. We love to serve you fresh, local veggies!

Kindly,
Cate Kandle
Owner/Operator of Open Hands Farm

07/10/2026

Open Hands Farm: Updates & Offering

Hello from Open Hands Farm!

This week we are emerging from the extreme heat of the end of June. The rains have followed. The overcast, if not the humidity, has been very welcome--although it has been a pretty nice balance of sun and cloud.
I harvested the first of my own cucumbers and zucchini this week, the first ripe tomatoes were found on the vine (celebration!!) and other tasks like weaving, weeding and seeding have been moved to completion.
I try to combat that old saying, "the baker's children have no bread" by really enjoying the bounty we are harvesting. This life is a real blessing. I am surrounded by such a good community, everyone working toward the goal of creating beauty and supporting others. It feels something like building a castle. To that end, I cooked with fennel, tossed many salads and used zucchini, cucumber, green beans and collards this week. It feels like such wealth to have so many options. I hope to share the bounty with you this week.

What's Available at Market?

Greens
Summercrisp head lettuce
Red Curly Head lettuce
Curly + Dino Kale
Dandelion Greens
Collards

Herbs
Mint
Parsley
Dill
Thai Basil
Italian Basil

Veggies
Cabbage
Fennel
Radish
Broccolini
Onions
Celery
Green Beans (From Seed & Star Farm)
Cucumber (From Seed & Star Farm)
Zucchini (From Seed & Star Farm)
Limited Cherry Tomatoes

Flowers
Small mix bouquets zinnias/marigolds

Markets We Attend

Market on Market (https://www.camphillborough.com/departments/downtown_camp_hill/farmers_market.php) Tuesday afternoons from 3 - 7 pm
Camphill, PA
Trinity Lutheran Church

Adams County Farmers Market (https://www.acfarmersmarkets.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16068586957&gbraid=0AAAAAoaEKqcVEr9MIRKxd5NGMHaEvbOdv&gclid=CjwKCAjwu53SBhAhEiwAJzSLNhuOXnQZdo3O8L6xcz03N4KHlROMDyjtsgF8KLLEJWC-PPVn2DZIcBoCGwQQAvD_BwE) Saturday mornings from 8am - 1pm
Gettysburg, PA
Gettysburg Rec Park

I am impressed by our broccolini, or sprouting broccoli, which continues to send out happy, tasty shoots. You can use them the same as regular broccoli.

Below, Ms. Kay holds the first fruits of the tomatoes. As the owner of the land that I farm, I wanted her to have the honor of enjoying the first yellow tomatoes which also happen to be her favorites. She is an amazing lady, I enjoy walking the property together and sharing the abundance.

This is my first season growing (and cooking with!) fennel. The plants have impressed me, but I also love the taste and versatility of the veggie. Read on to see the recipe card Katherine produced this week.

More beautiful radishes will adorn the market table this week. Both purple and red! Root veggies, and radishes particularly, are some of my favorite crops to grow.

The farm is looking really lovely right now. Each week rows have to be flipped from one crop to another and then comes the joy of waiting for the little sprouts.

The tomatoes have me waiting with bated breath, checking in on them each day. The vines are heavy with fruit. We do the tomatoes on the "Florida Weave" which keeps them upright and compact, increasing airflow and decreasing rotted fruit and disease. See the plants below intercropped with thai basil.

Below are two new recipe card additions from Katherine. I just love the art this week! And both recipes are very accessible and tasty. Fennel is growing into one of my favorite vegetables, and dandelion greens grow in my esteem with every meal.

Item Spotlight

Check out our website for fun ways to support the farm from afar or rep Open Hands Farm merch.

Thank you for reading along! For anyone new, we are glad you're here! Always feel free to respond to this email with thoughts, encouragement, feedback and the like. We hope to see you at market this week!

Kindly,
Cate Kandle
Owner/Operator of Open Hands Farm

07/06/2026

Due to the storm damage and widespread power outages affecting many of our vendors and our direct community, tomorrow’s Market will be cancelled. Market on Market will be closed on Tuesday, July 7th, and we will reopen on Tuesday, July 14th.

Thank you for your understanding as everyone works through cleanup, repairs, and power restoration. We look forward to welcoming you back on July 14th and appreciate the support you continue to show our makers, bakers, and growers during a tough week for Camp Hill and our surrounding communities.

06/28/2026