2012 CSA Update--wow, is it great out or what?!

Hi all!  Can you believe we're on the eve of April, and it's supposed to be hovering around 90* the next few days?!  Jeesh!  Where has the spring gone? 

We want to welcome all our new folks to our CSA this year--good to have you all!  We're looking forward to getting to know everyone.

This fabulous (slash-ridiculous-weird-unnerving) weather has put us WAY ahead of schedule.  In fact, I checked our records and this time last year we were just starting seeds about two weeks ago.  Currently, we're looking at possibly starting up pick-ups in 40-45 days--wowsers!  Talk about an early season!

Keith and I have been extremely busy the past two or three weeks getting things in the ground.  We have about a half acre full of spring vegetables--and when I say full, I mean FULL.  Ready for the list?  Here we go--

Collard greens
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
White onions
Red onions
Yellow onions
Komatsuna
Tatsoi
Pak Choi
Radishes x3
Peas x2
Turnips
Parsnips x2
Rutabagas
Kale
Spinach
Swiss chard x2
Lettuces x5
Beets x3
Carrots
Arugula
Cabbage x3
Broccoli x2
Cauliflower x2
Asian cabbage
Broccoli raab x2
Potatoes x2
Green beans
Salsify

.. And probably some other things, but seriously, I'm exhausted and seriously, it's a miracle that I'm even typing!  You get the gist--there is a LOT of food in the ground!  If you're keeping track, that's just shy of 50 varieties in the ground.  Whoa buddy.  After last year's crap weather and the Feast of the Mice, we took no chances and over-planted (knock on wood).  There are still a few dozen spring crops to get in the ground, and Monday we're starting all the summer goodness (tomatoes, squash, cukes .. mm-mm)!

If you aren't on our Facebook, you've missed out a few updates.  We have a twenty-tree orchard planted, which won't be harvested for a few years yet but when it is, oh boy!  We also just planted a sixty-tree strong windbreak, which also won't be helpful for a few years but we're mighty excited to have it!

Our chicks will arrive Monday, and I can't wait to have that many little cutenesses running around, even though that's another 200 mouths to feed.  Our current layers are on vacation again, imagine that--in spring, the time of being up to your eyeballs in eggs, our girls take a break.  Only ours, I'll tell ya what--!  They are laying semi-regularly now, and wherever they want, which means we're doing a lot of easter egg hunting to find them.  Eggs are still available from the farm, and we also are proud to be supplying MariMann Herbs and Macon Corner Market with eggs on a regular basis.

Our last major task to prepare for the season is reclaiming the asparagus, rhubarb and herb bed, and getting it fenced in (do you know how much chickens LOVE asparagus tips?).  The excessive weed growth that we thought buried everything last year did a fabulous job in mulching it, so it isn't as bad as we were anticipating--but it's still going to be a lot of work.

Doesn't this weather pattern seem oddly familiar?  Early warmth and below average precipitation?  I know you're all excited about this fantastic weather, and so are we to an extent, but remember:  we can't grow food without water!  So next time you're basking outside in the sun, do maybe just a little rain dance for us--ask for slow, gentle soakers that will really coax things into growing!  No floods, no winds, no ridiculous storms--just gentle, steady rain!

Well, dear shareholders, I'll cut this off for now (because it's nine thirty and honestly, this is the latest I've been up in AWHILE).  Soon I'll put a post up on here with pictures (I have a billion, just haven't had time to edit them), because everything is just beautiful!  Also, we still haven't pinned down a date for our shareholders' meeting, but we'll get back to you on that stat.

See you all soon!

- Keith & Sierra

So it begins--!

Good golly, can you believe that it's that time of year already?!  Here we are in the last throes of March, and we already have some 2,000 plants in the ground, not to mention all the crops that were direct-seeded!  Holy moly! 

This season is looking to be a good one.  We have the orchard planted, raspberries and blackberries rearing to go, the asparagus is coming back, the rhubarb is growing, a windbreak is planted and the chicks will be here before we know it (typing it all out reeeeally makes me feel like I am about to be REALLY busy!).  Almost all of our plants for the spring are planted and already germinated--weather permitting, we are in terrific shape.

We are still accepting applications for our CSA, so tell your friends!

I have a ton of pictures to upload, and once I get them all edited and ready to go, you best believe I'll have one LOADED post for you!  But until then, I'll leave you with this tiny update. :)

11/16/2011

I didn't forget about the blog, I promise!  We've been pretty busy working when we can to get ready for the winter lay-off (Keith says "pretty busy" is a VAST understatement--which is super true).  This is just a quick update and I'll try to get some recipes posted when I get a little more time!

The days are getting cloudier and cooler, and the nights are getting MUCH colder!  Our greens are suffering a little bit with the lack of sunshine to spur on good green growth, but they're still trudging along.  Our lettuce is growing slowly (mostly because of a series of mishaps that allowed the chickens to ravage it with scratching and digging), the pak choi is gone, the spinach has temporarily stalled but will grow more with this weekend's warmer weather, and even the kale and arugula has began to slow down.

Tomorrow we are being inspected to get licensed to sell our chickens to retail!  We have a handful of interested restaurants that I'm really excited about partnering with--one of which is known for extremely high-quality foods.  Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well for us!

As for the meat birds, we're not 100% on when they'll be processed, but it will be soon.  We've decided that we're shooting ourselves in the foot trying to get them to grow out in this cold weather.  The colder it gets, the more stress they're put under, and the more stress they're under leads to extreme inefficiencies in feed conversion.  They'll be small, but still delicious!  Unfortunately, due to a), my number crunching and b), higher feed costs, we will have to charge more per pound for them in order to keep our pastured poultry endeavour feasible.  Currently, we are going through 60lbs. of feed per day--or about 25$/day in feed.  You can see how the costs quickly blow up!  We're researching ways to decrease our feed costs for next spring, but it looks like they're about as low as they're going to be just because we're raising heritage breed birds and not grain-guzzling, explosive growth spurt fat machines.

 Our layers are slowing waaaay down--eight eggs a day (on a good day!) from thirty birds.  Our baby hens will start laying in mid-December, which will help a lot!  Costs for eggs will stay the same ($3.00/dozen).

We're also looking at equipment (GOF is all growed up!) that will help us increase our yields and decrease our labour next year.  The only thing that's really tying us up is how to efficiently deliver water to our entire three acres.  What a headache that will be!

See you next week (or post--whichever comes first)!

- Keith & Sierra
     (and gimpy Dexter and Oliver!)

Beer Brats and Greens

Sooo, had a DELICIOUS dinner tonight and needed to post it for you all!  Another GREAT way to enjoy your greens!

Beer Brats with Onions and Greens

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz beer
4 bratwurst
lots of greens, chopped

Saute onions in hot oil in large saucepan until tender (about 2 minutes).  Add garlic and heat through. Add brats and brown on both sides.  Pour in beer and bring to simmer.  Reduce heat and cover; simmer gently about 35-40 minutes (watch to make sure the beer doesn't evaporate!  You'll need some to cook the greens in, and your onions will definitely burn if the beer evaporates out).  Add greens and cook until wilted.  Serve immediately.


Soooo good!  We used wheat bread as buns and it was just delicious.  The beer really takes the bite out of arugula.  .. But use a good beer, seriously.  We recommend Fat Tire Ale.  Or Keith does.  He likes it a lot.

Enjoy!

10/22 CSA Pick-Up

Hi guys!  Did you ever think you'd have a pick-up again?  We're trying as hard as we can to keep greens growing for you so that we can make up for the terrible summer season.  Now, we know that greens will never make up for missing a fresh, ripe tomato that is still warm from the sun, but it's better than nothing!

This week's share includes kale, pak choi, arugula, purple basil and green tomatoes (for pictures of the greens, see the previous post).  I've dug up some recipes for you so that you can enjoy these greens and 'maters in their best flavor!  Of course, all of these greens are terrific fresh in salad (you may want to cut the arugula down with another green if you aren't used to the flavour), or you can wilt them in butter or olive oil, or throw them in a stew.  They're so versatile!  Bread and fry green tomato slices for a quick, delicious dose of comfort food.  And don't forget to eat the stalks of the pak choi also--it tastes just like buttery celery.  Throw them in a soup or pasta sauce!

Classic Colcannon

4-6 large potatoes (about 3 pounds)
2 Tbsp. butter
3 c. packed chopped kale leaves
1 c. chopped onion
1/2-2/3 c. milk, warmed
1-2 Tbsp. chopped parsley (1 tsp. dried)
salt and pepper

Peel and cut up potatoes.  Boil in salted water until tender.  Meanwhile, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Add kale and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are barely soft.  Drain potatoes and mash them with the milk; mix in kale/onion mixture and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread in a buttered baking dish and bake at 375* for 20 minutes.  Makes 4-6 servings.

 Kale Souffle

softened butter to grease dish
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 2/3 c. milk, warmed
salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne
5 egg yolks
1 c. cooked and finely chopped kale, cooled
1 c. grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp. dried
7 egg whites, at room temperature

Heat oven to 400*.  Butter bottom and sides of an 8-cup souffle dish or deep, round baking dish; spread buttered areas with Parmesan.  Melt 4 Tbsp. butter in saucepan; stir in flour and cook over low heat several minutes, stirring often.  Whisk in milk until thickened; season with salt, pepper and cayenne.  Cool 10-15 minutes.  Beat in egg yolks one at a time.  Stir in kale, Gruyere and dill.  Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt in a clean bowl with electric beaters until firm peaks form.  Fold a quarter of the whipped egg whites into the kale mixture, then gently fold in the rest (DO NOT OVERMIX).  Gently spread mixture into prepared pan.  Place into oven, reduce heat to 375*, and bake until high, golden, and barely set in the center, 35-40 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Makes 6 servings.

Shelled Cranberry Beans and Arugula

1 1/2 c. shelled fresh cranberry beans
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 c. chopped fresh arugula
salt and pepper

Bring a medium potful of salted water to boil.  Add cranberry beans and garlic; simmer until beans are tender, 12-15 minutes.  Drain off nearly all liquid.  Stir in arugula.  Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve immediately.  Makes 2-4 servings.

Raspberry Breakfast Salad

2 Tbsp. raspberry preserves
1 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. raspberry vinegar (or raspberry balsamic vinegar)
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
5 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
8-10c. assorted salad greens (SOOOO good with arugula!)
1 red apple, thinly sliced
1 c. raspberries

Make dressing:  Combine raspberry preserves, honey, vinegar, and mustard.  Gradually whisk in olive oil.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  To serve, toss greens with just enough dressing to lightly coat them.  Portion onto plates and garnish with sliced apples and berries.  Makes 6 servings.

Green Tomato and Egg Gratin

1 1/2 c. chopped green tomatoes
6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
5 Tbsp. butter, divided
3/4 c. soft bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. (preferably unbleached) flour
1 1/2 c. low-fat milk

Heat oven to 350*.  Alternate layers of egg slices and tomatoes in shallow baking dish.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan.  Add bread crumbs; stir well.  Melt remaining butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring often, 3-4 minutes.  Whisk in milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.  Pour milk mixture over tomato/egg layers.  Top with bread crumbs.  Bake 35-40 minutes.  Makes 4-6 servings.


Grilled Pork Chops and Pak Choi with Sesame Garlic Glaze

3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2-2 tsp. bottled Vietnamese-style chili garlic sauce
4 pork chops
8 large stalks pak choi (including greens), root ends trimmed

Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili garlic sauce in a large, deep plate or dish.  Place pork chops int he mixture, turning to coat all surfaces.  Let stand at room temperature, turning the chops occasionally while you prepare coals in an outdoor grill to medium heat.  When coals are ready, remove chops from the marinade and grill them until just done (3-4 minutes per side).  Meanwhile, grill the pak choi stalks until tender, about the same amount of time as the chops, basting them with the remaining marinade while they cook.  Serve with rice or an Asian noodle dish.  Makes 4 servings.


I hope you guys enjoy these awesome greens as much as we do!  Feel free to post your favourite recipes for here too.

We're planning bi-weekly pickups currently, but if these greens rebound well, we'll do weekly.  Check here and emails for updates.  If you have any questions, give us a holler on here or on Facebook, or email, or call, or whatever!  Send smoke signals if you'd like, but we may not notice them!

- Keith & Sierra

Pictures!

So, here are the promised photos.  It's epically cold outside, so I just ran out and snapped a few of the polyhouse.  I'll get more up of the chickens and whatnot when I get around to editing them all (seriously, I have an entire SEASON of photos sitting on my desktop computer).

The view down the middle of the polyhouse from about halfway.

Oodles of lettuce seedlings; not sure where to plant these guys.

Onions, onions and more onions--and some leeks.  Where to plant?!

Arugula, mmm!

Kale, looking just gorgeous.

Pak choi, our favourite summer (and now fall) green.

Spinach, not quite ready for harvesting yet.

Itsy bitsy, tiny baby swiss chard, freshly mulched in hay and leaves.

I don't think these tomatoes are ever going to turn.  They're gigantinormous!

Hope this just whets your appetite for fall greens!  They're loving the cool (-slash cold) weather!

We're still kickin; (sort of)

I recently figured out how to tether my phone to my laptop, so hurrah!, we have the internet!

The farm's been dead and dying since July, with our last farmer's market attendance in early July and our last CSA pick-up in .. early August, I believe.  But we've been working really hard on getting greens growing in our polyhouses, and they're looking great!  We had a few pick-ups for apples from a local abandoned orchard, but the fall Bomb-winds foiled us again by knocking most of the Golden Delicious apples off before they were even ripe, so we just called it quits on that one too.  But next year, we'll be taking care of the orchard (hopefully) and have an even better harvest in the fall!

This weekend we're planning on holding our first fall pick-up, which will include arugula, pak choi and kale.  They look awesome!  I'll post pictures soon.  A LOT of pictures.  I honestly forgot about this blog, as I never had access to it before.  But now I'll try to keep it a little more regularly updated!

So, pictures and recipes to follow (tonight or tomorrow).

Thanks to all of our great CSA-ers who have been so understanding and supportive of this terrible season!

- Keith & Sierra