Farms

Thanks for wanting to learn more about the farm we use at Isidore Foods - Pittsburgh's Local and Organic Farm Food Delivery Service.  We hope this information begins to build a connection between you and your local farmers and artisans.

Vegetable Farms

Items are grown on small family farms in our region which are no more than 175 miles from Pittsburgh.  About 50% of the produce is grown organically but without certification, 30% grown organically with certification and 20% grown sustainably with farms using integrated pest management (low or no use of pesticides).

Triple B Farms - small family vegetable farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques.  Vist them on the web at www.triplebfarms.com

Yarnick's Farm - small family vegetable farm in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.  They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques.  Vist them on the web at www.yarnicksfarm.com 

Duda Farm - small family vegetable farm in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques.  Visit them on the web at dudasfarm.com 

Green Field Farmsa cooperative of organic vegetable farms from Eastern Ohio.  Visit them on the web at www.gffarms.com

Bebout Farm - small family vegetable farm in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques.  Vist them on the web at www.beboutfarm.com

Soergel Orchards Family Farm - small family vegetable farm located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.They grow vegetables using integrated pest management techniques.  Vist them on the web at www.soergels.com

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Fruit Farms

Items are grown on small family farms in our region which are no more than 175 miles from Pittsburgh.  About 50% of the produce is grown organically but without certification, 30% grown organically with certification and 20% grown sustainably with farms using integrated pest management (low or no use of pesticides).  In the winter we purchase citrus from Florida farms.

Triple B Farms - small family fruit farm in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  They grow fruits using integrated pest management techniques.  Vist them on the web at www.triplebfarms.com

Soergel Orchards Family Farm - small family fruit farm located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.They grow fruits using integrated pest management techniques.  Vist them on the web at www.soergels.com

Sunfresh Food Service - full service food distributor in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.They buy and distribute fruits to restaurants and grocery stores.  Vist them on the web at www.sunfreshfoodservice.com

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Dairy Farms

Items are grown on small family farms in our region which are no more than 175 miles from Pittsburgh.  All animals are raised on pasture and fed a forage diet of local grasses and non-GMO grains.  They are also free of added hormones and antibiotics.

Brunton Dairy - UPDATE - a fire at the farm on October 26, 2023 has halted their bottling operation for the unforeseeable future.  Read more about it here - https://www.farmanddairy.com/news/brunton-dairy-loses-barn-cows-and-milk-bottling-plant-in-fire/798829.html

a small family farm in Beaver County that raises forage fed dairy cows and bottles their own milk on the farm.  Find them on the web at www.bruntondairy.com.

Central PA Produce Co-Opa group of Amish farmers located in Blair County


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Pantry

19 Coffee Company - a family owned business in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  They have been roasting organic and fair trade coffee since 2011.  Visit them on the web at 19coffee.com

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Glossary of Farming Terms
The local farms listed above take the following principals seriously as stewards of their farm for their generation and future generations -

  • Soil fertility - they maintain the long term fertility of the soil by helping worms, insects and other organisms to flourish. They add nitrogen naturally by planting cover crops and rest part of their land each year to improve its soil tilth for future plantings. Healthy soil means healthy plants!
  • Rotating crops - they rotate the types of crops and animals in a field each year. This helps to keep the soil fertile and to prevent the build up of weeds, pests and diseases that can occur if the same crop is planted in the same field each year.
  • Animal husbandry - they have high standards of animal welfare which take into consideration the natural behavior patterns of the animals. The animals range freely outdoors, they are fed on a natural diet and given proper veterinary treatment. Animals are also an important part of an integrated farming system as their manure fertilizes the fields whose grasses they feed upon.
  • Protecting the environment  - by reducing or avoiding the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, farmers who sell to Isidore Foods reduce pollution in the soil, waterways and the food chain. They encourage natural predators to help control pests rather than using chemicals. If necessary, they will spray their crops as part of their integrated pest management (IPM) system.  No genetically modified (GM) crops or animal feed are permitted.

Vegetables and Fruits

Certified Organic: Federal as well as state regulations govern the use of the term “organic” in the marketplace. Vegetables and fruits sold as “organic” must be grown and handled in accordance with these regulations. Operations with more than $5,000 gross annual income from sales of organic products must have their production and handling methods certified by an officially recognized organic certification agency.

Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.

Integrated Pest Management:Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment. This information, in combination with available pest control methods, is used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

Eggs

Free-Range or Free-Roaming: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has not set standards for "free-range" egg production. Eggs purchased by Isidore Foods are from pastured chickens in warmer months and uncaged free range hens in colder months.

Milk, Meat and Poultry

Pasture-Raised and Grass-Fed: The animals have access to the outdoors and are able to engage in natural behaviors, such as grazing. However, neither stocking density, frequency, duration of outdoor access nor quality of the land is regulated. Producers must submit affidavits to the USDA that support their animal production claims to use these labels.

Hormone-Free, rBGH-Free, rBST-Free and No Hormones Added: Growth hormones are commonly used to speed growth in beef production. While the use of these hormones has been approved by federal regulatory groups, there is no scientific consensus about their long-term effects on the environment or on human health.

Producers may not legally give chickens or pigs hormones.

Grain-Fed or Corn-Fed: Ruminants do not naturally eat grain, and their stomachs are not designed to handle it. So, feeding them grain can cause liver abscesses and problems with lameness. In addition, cows raised on grain (especially corn) are higher in saturated fat and lower in omega-3 fats than cows raised on grass.

Thanks to China Millman for gathering some of these definitions while writing her article, "How Humane is Your Food?", which appeared March 2, 2008 in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

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