Gary Asteak Down on the Farm

Gary Astteak, down on the farm.

You may think of him as a flamboyant criminal defense attorney, known to wear cowboy boots and Stetsons in court. Others know him as a brilliant municipal solicitor who provided legal advice to Township Supervisors when they still conducted their meetings in German. But did you know that Gary Asteak is also a farmer? He and his wife own and operate Filetown Farms in Bushkill Township. And Asteak is walking on air this week because their produce won blue ribbons at the prestigious Plainfield Farmers' Fair.

At this time last year, Gary Asteak was ripping a Nazareth police officer to shreds in what has become known as StickerGate. He, Phil Lauer and Mark Minotti made up a Northampton County Legal Defense Dream Team who defended the infamous Sticker Gang. Their despicable crime, you might recall, was placing tiny FT ("Fire Trachta") stickers throughout the tiny borough. Chief Thomas Trachta, never known for a sense of humor, had the trio perp-walked in front of news reporters. They dropped their prom coverage for the story. He even tried to involve the feds. Of course the trio was acquitted, Trachta who had refused to shake hands with Asteak, was admonished to "suck it up cupcake."

Blue ribbon kale

But one thing Asteak never mentioned is his interest in farming.

"All I have to do is battle nature," he tells me, which has to be a little harder than his wars with police chiefs

He started out as a beekeeper, and is now up to four hives. They never sting him.

"Professional courtesy," he tells me.

He also has begun raising free-range heritage chickens, along with one hen-pecked bantam rooster. His family was in the poultry business for three generations, so I suspect Gary knows his chickens.

But his favorite is the garden. His wife gets the credit for the blue ribbon kohlrabi, which is great in salads and slaws. He gets the prize for kale, which the Irish mash with potatoes to make Colcannon.

This is a kohlrabi.

Morning Call Reports Suburban Gardener's Plight

Earlier this month, I told you about Karl Hirsch, the interesting Lehigh Township gardener who grows much of his own food in his front yard. Cited by Lehigh Township officials for being in violation of a weed ordinance, he was convicted at a summary trial before District Judge Robert Hawke. Hirsch's story has now been reported in The Morning Call.

When I published my story, Lehigh Township officials ignored me. Hirsch's next door neighbor, Jennifer Ryan, would only meet with me if I agreed to certain conditions, including a joint meeting with the Hirsch family. I refused to bargain with her.

Upon reading about Hirsch's plight, prominent Easton attorney Gary Asteak volunteered to represent Hirsch pro bono. Gary's daughter is involved in urban gardening projects in New York City.

Hirsch's story has also been covered by The Northampton Press, a weekly.

Down On The Farm

Though commercial farming is certainly making inroads nationwide, there are still 900 family-owned farms in Northampton County. So far, 123 have been preserved, meaning they will always be maintained as farms instead of succumbing to a developer's bulldozer. Every October, Penn State Extension offers a weekend farm tour. This year, 19 farms participated, delighting and entertaining the rest of the community, giving nonfarmers a newfound respect for what really is not a job, but a way of life.

Buza's Greenhouse. located on Newburg Road in Lower Nazareth, has a festive pumpkin display.

What would a farm tour be without a bluegrass band? The Dick Saylor Band performed at Klein Farms, a working dairy farm that has operated in Forks Township since 1935.

Rachel Klein Schmidt is dressed for business at her dairy farm.

Don't tell anyone, but Santa's reindeer have a home at the Z Arch Barn Farm, located near Klein Farms in Forks Township.

Z Arch Barn Farm owner Deborah Zarate displays some of the tiny reindeer for sale at Z Arch Barn Farm, but they sell the larger variety, too, along with Christmas trees.

"You looking at me?" asks Dasher. Or is it Dancer?

Former NorCo Executive Glenn Reibman, with his wife Sue Ann and guard dog, loves to tour the farms every year. He almost bought a reindeer.

Clear Spring Farm, owned by the Kromer family in Forks Township, is community supported agriculture in which shareholders are paid dividends in the form of a 30 different kinds of vegetables, grown from May through November.

Steve Finke, President of the Lehigh Valley Beekeepers' Association, shows off his sweet wares at True Blue Farm in Lower Mount Bethel Township. He keeps about 50 hives, whose honeybees pollinate the pumpkins and other produce we eat.

Visitors are unable to resist sampling fresh honey, right out od the hive, as evidenced by all the finger marks.

Anna and Ben Baker, both 10, enjoy sampling the homemade ice cream from Spring Valley Farm, a preserved dairy farm in Lower Mount Bethel that has operated since 1824.

Judy Kneebone, owner of Spring Valley Farm, tells me one of her horses is confused. Scout thinks he's a cow. "He follows them everywhere," she tells me. "He's a real sweetie."

Northampton County farming history is shared by Catherine Miller, neighbor Francis Podboreski and daughter Dawn Fraunfelter. "I'm a farm girl born and raised on a farm," Catherine states, noting proudly that she's been working at Spring Valley Farm since '47. "It's a little more work than what I was accustomed to," she states. "This farm was supposed to be under water twice," remembering her fight against now shelved plans to flood the area. "It didn't cost us a cent," she boasts of the battle she helped win.

Just outside of Bangor, Purple Haze Alpacas is just the place for sweaters, shawls, scarves and other Alpaca products, including the alpacas themselves. Chloe Skrapits, age 13, couldn't stop laughing at these furry, gentle creatures.

This fellow spent the day watching the tourists who were watching him.

No farm tour would be complete without a hayride at Juniperdale Farms, near Nazareth. The Fulmer family operate this crop farm, where you can pick your own strawberries in the Spring.

In the Fall, you can pick and paint your own pumpkins there, too. Jaden Xavier Reyes, age 6, and sister Scarlet, age 2, dazzled everyone with their artistry.

You can see all 31 pictures on Facebook.