The end is near...

Could he be any cuter?

The peak of our tomato harvest.

Part of the last Wednesday pickup.

More items...

A last burst of summer color.

We had our last Wednesday CSA pickup today and this was my message to our subscribers...

Well, the end of the season has arrived and it is definitely bittersweet. While I am getting very anxious to wrap up things in the garden and get the nursery ready, I sure am going to miss picking fresh produce for supper. That is why, even though it is the end of the season, we have been thinking of next year for some time now.

We have some exciting new ideas already. First, we are planning on expanding—especially our squash and gourds plot. Our dream this year was to have a sprawling display of various types of squash and gourds. Our hungry mouse definitely cut down on the variety and we realized we need a bit more space than we allotted this year for these sprawling vines. We have also applied for a hoop house grant and are getting a refrigerated storage trailer this coming week. Finally, we are going over our mistakes made this year and figuring out ways to make sure we do not make the same mistakes next year—though we always expect different mistakes.

We would like to take this time to thank our CSA members for being so loyal, honest, and patient during our first year. We are happy to announce that we will not only be continuing our CSA next year, but we will also be offering more shares. We are however, going to make some changes. We will still be offering full shares for $500. We will still be offering half shares, but it will be in the form of a full share on a bi-weekly basis for $250. I promise to offer detailed storage information so that your produce will last you through the two weeks if possible. We will also only have one pick up day, on the farm. We feel this will give all of our CSA members a closer connection to the farm, and a chance to enjoy the progress o the growing season. It is quite amazing to watch the garden go from a plowed piece of ground into a living, growing, and ever changing productive farm space. We also have plans for a flower cutting garden that will be reserved for subscribers to cut your own flowers for a small fee. The format will be a self-serve station with an element of choice in some of the weekly items, as well as an opportunity for exchange. For example, an early spring pickup may go something like this. You will arrive at the farm and there will be a table of items with a list of what you may take. The list might say:

Take 1 bag of nettles.

Take a 1 lb bag of lettuce mix.

Take 1 bunch of radishes.

Take 12 garlic scapes.

Take either a bag of snow peas or bag of shell peas.

Take either a bag of collard greens or a bag of mustard greens.

Take either a bag of spinach or a bag of arugula.

There will be a box at the end of the table where you may place items that you do not care for in exchange for another item.

We will also be offering homemade jams, jellies, eggs, and poultry for sale. We may partner with other local producers to offer honey and baked goods.

I know these modifications change things for some of you. If you do decide you would like a share next year, we would love to have you back and just ask that you let us know by January 1 if you will be returning. I will be giving out a more detailed brochure and registration form in the near future. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or recommendations to help us with the next year we would love to hear any and all of them. Again, thank you for making this season so rewarding, We could not have done it without your support!

Fall is Here!

As always, the farm has been a busy place. We are picking often and trying to preserve the harvest as much as possible. That means pickling, canning, freezing, and making baby food. There is an old wives tale that claims if you can when you are pregnant the contents will spoil. While we usually disregard such claims as folklore, the year I canned while pregnant, the contents did indeed spoil. That year, Mom and I even canned together, and she has never had any spoilage in over 40 years. Lucky for me, this is one myth we are not trying to bust this year. So mom is busy preserving the harvest. I would love to say I am picking up the slack by picking more often in the garden, but because I tip over 10% of the time while trying to pick tomatoes, and closely resemble a ripening tomatillo bursting out of its husk, my duties are mainly inside the house. However, the cooler weather does motivate me to be in the garden a bit more. Today, it was a perfect fall day, and I spent a little time cleaning up the tomato beds. We have quite a few canners and a lot of tomatoes for the chickens. Their yolks are going to be very yellow for the next couple of weeks.

It seems like we leapt in to fall overnight. The leaves on Delong Rd are falling off the tress and the weather has taken a dramatic turn. I know we are in for some more steamy days but I can not help but think fall is on its way. The locusts have been gracing us with their music for about two weeks, and the old timers say three weeks after the locusts start crowing, fall will be here.

Our pumpkin patch is a sea of orange and cream. The two varieties I planted the most of were Long Island Cheese and Howden. Long Island Cheese resembles a cream cheese wheel and is highly suitable for pies and soups and Howden is our carving pumpkin. I am hoping to be able to have a few Howden's store long enough to use for Halloween. I have also never had the pleasure of eating a pumpkin pie made with a home grown pumpkin--until now. I am thinking that one pumpkin will be enough to make a pie, soup, and some baby food.

We are down to 8 turkeys, one of which has gotten some illness and had to be treated with antibiotics, (which we clearly marked). I think we will still have a few antibiotic free turkeys left for Thanksgiving dinner, if anyone is interested. We have not yet figured out how to catch the bobcat eating chicken without also catching our resident farm cats as well. Relatively speaking, this was not a great poultry year for us, but once again, we are writing down our mistakes in order to not repeat them again, which is perhaps our greatest accomplishment.

Basil Recipes

That's right folks, two posts in one day. Another great thing I did this year was plant copious amounts of basil. First, I would like to tell you a little bit about basil (and why you are lucky I planted so much.) Basil recipes follow in green. Enjoy!!

Basil is truly an incredible herb. It is enjoyed for its rich and spicy, mildly peppery flavor with a trace of mint and clove. Basil belongs to the mint family and there are over 40 known varieties, of which Ocimum basilicum, or Sweet Basil, is the most commonly known. Ocimum is from a Greek verb that means, “to be fragrant.” The foliage is easily bruised; just brushing against it releases its fragrance.

Basil is native to India and Asia, having been cultivated there for more than 5,000 years. To the Greeks and Romans basil was a symbol of hostility and insanity, so they believed that in order to grow truly fragrant basil one had to shout and swear angrily while sowing its seeds. Even today in French “sowing basil (semer le basilic) means “ranting.” (No wonder it is doing so well in my garden)

Being of the mint family, it is not surprising that it is recommended for digestive complaints. So instead of an after dinner mint, try sipping an after dinner cup of basil tea to aid digestion and dispel flatulence. Herbalists have recommended basil for years for stomach cramps, vomiting and constipation. Basil also has been described as having a slight sedative action, which explains why it’s sometimes recommended for headaches and anxiety.

Basil leaves can be frozen or dried, but the best flavor is found in the fresh leaves. It can be used cooked or raw. Crush, chip or mince the leaves and add to recipes, or add whole leaves to salads. Sprigs of basil make a wonderfully aromatic garnish. The flowers are also beautiful, edible and make a unique garnish.

Basil is traditional in Italian, Mediterranean and Thai cuisines. It is superb with veal, lamb, fish, poultry, white beans, pasta, rice, tomatoes, cheese and eggs. It blends well with garlic, thyme and lemon. It adds zip to mild vegetable like zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, potatoes, cabbage and carrots and to the soups, stews and sauces in which these vegetables appear.

Health Benefits

Traditionally classified as a warming and moistening herb, basil is regarded as slightly antiseptic, antispasmodic, and appetizer.

It has a good affinity with the stomach, where it will stimulate the appetite, digestion and nerves. It also counteracts flatulence, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and constipation. Because of its antibacterial and anti-fungal action, basil leaves are used on itching skin, insect bites and skin eruptions. It is effective against bacterial infections and intestinal parasites. Tea made from the leaves is recommended for nausea, gas pains and dysentery.

Storage

Fresh basil deteriorates very quickly, so use as soon as possible. For short term storage, wrap in a lightly damp towel and refrigerate. Do not wash prior to refrigeration. For longer term storage, freeze fresh leaves in a plastic zip-lock bag. Remove air, seal and freeze. Do not thaw before use. Basil can also be easily dried; simply hang up-side-down in a well ventilated, dry area.

Sources: ohioline.osu.edu and “From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm-Fresh Produce,” Madison Area CSA Coalition, 2003 and “Whole Foods Companion,” by Dianne Onstad, 2004.

Basil Recipes

Basil Mayonnaise

This wonderful mayonnaise can be used for burgers, sandwiches, or to coat chicken before roasting.

1 cup loosely packed basil leaves

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Blend in food processor or blender until smooth.

Basil Puree

4 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups washed and dried basil leaves

Blend until pureed. Transfer to clean jar. Store in refrigerator. Each time you use it stir and then top with a thin layer of oil. It will keep one year by doing this. This is good on grilled chicken or fish, stirred into soups or mixed with sun dried tomatoes and broiled on bread.

Basil Butter

1 stick butter, softened

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped basil

Cream butter, beat in garlic and lemon juice. Mash in basil; season with salt and pepper. Place bowl in refrigerator to firm butter. For a nice, simple appetizer use room temperature butter on grilled pieces of baguette or French bread.

Lemon Basil Pork

1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into thin strips

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic

4 boneless pork chops

Mix the first four ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for basting. Pour the remainder of the marinade over the pork and refrigerate them for 1-2 hours, turning once in the process. Grill them for approximately 20 minutes. Turn the meat often, brushing a small amount of the reserved marinade on each time. You can also cut the pork into cubes and make kabobs, alternating onion and green pepper on the sticks.

Pasta With Fresh Basil

12 ounces penne or other larger pasta

1 cup fresh cooked peas or frozen peas, thawed

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 pound lean prosciutto or leftover smoked ham, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

3 tablespoons capers, optional

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

grated peel of 1 lemon

Cook pasta according to directions; rinse under cold water and drain. In a bowl, combine the pasta with the peas, green onions, prosciutto, basil, olive oil, vinegar, capers, pepper, salt, and lemon peel. Toss until well-combined. Adjust seasonings to taste. Refrigerate until serving. Notes: This is such an easy salad and you can substitute fresh green beans that have been cooked until just tender or asparagus. Fresh is much better if possible. Also you can substitute red onion for the green.

Baked Zucchini and Basil

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs zucchini (about 5 small), thinly sliced lengthwise

3 large Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 large sweet onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1 tsp. salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil. Layer in half the vegetables and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining vegetables and basil and season again with salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining oil on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, add the cheese if desired, and bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand at 15- 20 minutes before serving. Notes: I think this is much better using a glass or other non-metal pan.

Basil Chicken Salad

1 cup leftover grilled Chicken Breast, diced

1 cup cooked rice

1/2 cup Red Grapes, halved

1/2 cup mayonnaise, light or regular

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill thoroughly. Recipe makes 4 servings.

Easy Pesto Pizza

One premade pizza crust

2 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves

4 cloves of fresh garlic, thinly sliced

olive oil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper

Lay whole basil leaves over the surface of the crust, covering the entire pizza. Place the thinly sliced garlic on top of the basil leaves, spacing a couple of inches. Drizzle the olive oil over the entire pizza. Salt and pepper to season. Sprinkle the pizza with the Parmesan, then with the mozzarella. Place into a preheated 425 degree oven. Bake just until it's bubbly and slightly browned. Watch carefully. Serve warm.

Roasted Garlic and Basil Salsa

4 ripe tomatoes, cut into sections

2 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon honey

2 sweet green peppers

2 jalapeno peppers or other hot peppers

2 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 cup torn fresh basil leaves

1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped

Preheat the broiler or grill, Place the halved peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet and broil until they blacken. You can do the same thing by placing them on a grill. Place the unpeeled garlic in a foil pouch (doubled) and drizzle with the olive oil. Either bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or cook on the grill, turning the foil pouch as it cooks. Meanwhile remove the peppers from the oven and place them in a bowl and cover with plastic or place them in a Ziploc bag and seal. Allow to cool to room temperature. Peel skin off of blackened vegetables and discard. Dice into one inch pieces. Once your garlic is cooked, slit the ends of the cloves, and smush out the garlic into the bowl with the peppers. Add the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. This salsa may set out for a couple hours at room temperature to join the flavors, or you can refrigerate for 2-3 days.

Basil Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream

In a small saucepan over moderate heat, bring the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, salt, and the basil to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes, half covered with a lid. Transfer to a blender, keeping the saucepan, and blend until the basil is ground, about a minute.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg yolks on medium speed. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until thick and pale, about one minute. Pour the milk mixture in a slow, steady stream and beat until well combined. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, heat over moderate heat until custard coats the back of the spoon and reaches 175 degrees F. Strain into a metal bowl and chill until cold, stirring often.

Stir in cream and churn in an ice cream maker. Freeze in an airtight container at least two hours.

Cucumber Basil Sandwiches

whole wheat bread
mayo
lettuce
cucumber
pepper
basil

Strawberry Basil Mojito

3 fresh strawberries
3-5 fresh basil leaves
2 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. white rum
crushed ice
club soda

Slice the strawberries and place at the bottom of a tall glass along with the basil leaves. Pour in the simple syrup and muddle the mixture. Stir in the rum and top with crushed ice. Top off with club soda and garnish with strawberry slices.

It's About Time

I know, I know. It has been too long since I have last written. I am going to make every effort to write at least once a week. Because it has been so long, I am going to give you a quick overview of what has been happening on the farm.

We have been very busy trying to keep up with the harvesting. Our beans are coming on strong, our okra and cucumbers are literally growing faster than we can pick them, and our zucchini is, well, growing like zucchini. We are patiently awaiting the ripening of our tomatoes. There is a lot of fruit and blooms, and I can see the hues slowly changing from green to red, yellow, orange, and even a deeper green, but none are fully ripe yet. If this heat keeps up, I can't imagine it will take very long to enjoy my first tomato sandwich.

I will also let everyone know my biggest mistake so far this year. My cucurbit patch. Let me start by saying I did follow spacing instructions on the seed packet, despite Mother's pleas to plant them farther apart. I had every intention of thinning (removing all but the strongest plant) the patch. However, when the mouse ate all of the seeds on one half of the garden, I decided I better take all of the plants I could get. Wrong. What I have now is less of a patch and more of a jungle, similar to something you might encounter in a horror film. I have seen fruits, but the only way to really find them is to take a long stick and move some of the vines around. Because non have fully ripened, I have not made a final decision as to how I am going to navigate through my jungle in order to pick. In addition, the vines have grown so much they are threatening to take over the peppers and a few tomato plants. We pruned, crossing our fingers (kind of) that it did not kill the plants. But not to worry, the pruning made them that much stronger. Anyway, I want to make it perfectly clear that I am not complaining about the vitality of our squash, pumpkins, and melons. I am merely taking note of what needs to be done differently in future years.

As for the rest of the garden, we are once again battling weeds after another round of rain in the part of the garden that did not get mulched. We are also getting ready to do some of our fall planting, though at this point it seems a little painful to start all over. But several of the fall crops sweeten after a frost so the thought of sugary brussels sprouts is getting me through. We also have some serious redeeming to do after our terrible spring pea crop.

The animals are doing well, although the turkeys have a vitamin deficiency we hoped to cure with garden produce, but may have to supplement with vitamins and something seems to have taken a few of our chickens. We reinforced their night time coop but I may have to rig up the live trap (cleverly deemed the tiger trap by my lovely husband.)

Our attempt at raising swallowtail butterflies was a smashing success. So far, 4 out 5 parsley worms have successfully transformed and been released and we are eagerly awaiting the hatching of our last chrysalis. My hope is to build a mini butterfly pavilion this winter.

This week is fair week and after CSA pickup we are taking Holden to his first tractor pull. We already have his cowboy boots and john deere shirt ready to go.

That is the long and short of what is happening on the farm. We appreciate your patience and can't wait to tell you what is happening....next week!

Ups and Downs

Holden enjoying fresh-picked berries and cream.

The end product of our first beet harvest.

Getting ready to dress chickens.

Unpacking our new arrivals.

Our gourmet salad mix.

I know it has been a long time since I have written. It has been a very busy time on the farm. Although the rain has kept us out of garden much of the time, we are still in there every chance we get. Dan had suggested that we never complain about rain. I am very thankful for the rain, even though we are a little behind on some extra planting we wanted to do. The wet conditions have also made prime conditions for bacterial plant diseases to thrive. I believe our peppers have bacterial spot and our squash have angular leaf spot. The weather, coupled with the fact that these are heirloom varieties, make some of this inevitable. I am not too worried, I will just have to keep my eyes on it and try to keep it under control.

The squash also have some other pest munching on the tiny seedlings that emerge. I have since replanted. I thought the cutworms were to blame so I have been vigilantly placing three toothpicks around every seedling I can see. There is still some damage so I am not sure if my diagnosis or my treatment are incorrect. Perhaps it is both. Either way, the damage to the replacements have not been as extensive so I am sticking with my plan for now.

We also had to replace about 64 of our tomato plants that we lost to what we think is a rabbit. Why do we think this? When I went to take pictures of the crop damage to send in to the extension office early one morning, I was met at the gate by a lovely rabbit munching happily. Needless to say, we (meaning my cousin Lincoln) have rabbit-proofed, and no more tomato plants have been lost.

Now for some good news. The beets are doing beautifully and seem to be be bothered very little by any pests or diseases. They are quickly rivaling the tomato as my favorite garden vegetable. They are so beautiful, come in so many colors (and shapes), and you can use every part of the plant. Plus, what else tastes so much like the earth it comes from? I have ordered so many more beet seeds and plan to have a continuous supply during the growing season as well as enough to pickle and can for winter use.

As you can see, our broilers are ready to dress. We have spent the last rainy days dressing chickens and freezing them or eating them. Some of our lucky CSA members bought a chicken minutes after it was dressed and was able to enjoy the freshest chicken you can imagine. If you have never had a fresh chicken, it is quite different from eating a frozen chicken, especially one that has traveled many miles. We had a new batch of broilers arrive just this week so we will be able to enjoy our chickens all winter long.

It has also been a big week for the family. My parents celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. At this point, they have spent the majority of their lives together, truly been through the best and worst times, and still manage to get along most of the time. I find that highly commendable. We also had a great father's day as well as my dad's birthday, which happens to fall on the summer solstice. This first day of summer almost always coincides with the first wild raspberry harvest.

In true summer fashion, mom and I donned our plastic rain pants, long sleeved shirts, and plenty of mosquito repellant in order to gather these jewels from amidst the nettles, thorns, and voracious guard mosquitoes. It was worth it. When we walked back (because we had gotten the truck stuck in what I can only describe as a swamp), we enjoyed fresh berries and whipped cream. It made me forget my mosquito bites and bleeding knuckles.

All in all, it been an interesting time on the farm, full of ups and downs. However, at the end of the day, if we are able to put fresh food on our table and yours, we consider our efforts a success.

A Dandy Time After the Storm

Well, we finally got our rain. And lightning, and hail, and wind gusts. Luckily, the garden came out fairly unscathed. We lost our newly planted pole bean seeds to a wash out. We can only imagine where a nice pile of beans is going to spring up. We also lost a couple of cucumbers and a lot of our edible flowers. Everything can be replanted but the flowers may have to wait until fall. It is a reminder to be careful what you wish for.

As some of you know, I have become very interested in foraging. There are many things I have faithfully gathered every year...morel mushrooms, wild raspberries, mulberries, wild grapes, and even gooseberries from time to time. I have discovered some new things to add to the list, mainly weeds. While most people are trying to rid their landscapes of lamb's quarters, stinging nettles, and dandelions, I have decided to embrace the virtuous side of these plants and eat them. My newest love...dandelion bread. If Ray Bradbury dedicated an entire novel to making wine out of these weeds, I can surely take a moment to discuss their benefits in baking as well.

Dandelion bread is exactly what it sounds like. A simple bread recipe livened up with dandelion petals. This honey sweetened bread tastes similar to cornbread but the real treat are the eye-catching yellow petals. It reminds me of sunshine in a bread loaf. However, don't let the prevalence of dandelions fool you. Gathering these treats is bit more technical than you might think. First, you have to get over looking like a crazy person in your neighbor's lawn at 7 in the morning searching for the weeds. If you would like more of a visual, picture orange rain boots, clear buckets, and unbrushed hair. Next comes choosing the right flowers. I have heard gathering early in the morning is best but next year I am going to challenge this theory. The flowers are still closed early in the morning, making it very difficult to tell which petals are mostly yellow and which are mostly white. Finding the very tightly closed buds is a real treat because the petals are all yellow and a bit easier to clean. Finally, there is the tedious task of separating the petals from the green portion. Luckily, we have relatives visiting from Trinidad to help. (Our relatives happen to be fishers and and when comparing dandelion separating to shrimp deveining, dandelion cleaning was crowned the most difficult.) The result, of all this: baked sunshine.

Calling All Rain Dancers

Well, the last couple days have been very busy, and a little disappointing. You see, we spent two hard days planting in the garden trying to get everything in before the storms. We were successful in getting everything planted, which is great. Not so great...no rain. Not even a little. And no rain in the forecast. So the next day was spent watering all the delicate plants. And the seeds are just sitting in the ground patiently awaiting the rain. Same as me. Except I don't think the plants are checking accuweather every five minutes to see if the forecast has changed. It looks like our best bet for rain is Sunday. I would greatly appreciate everyone doing a rain dance starting now with our garden in mind. I know our plants and seeds would love some rain, and maybe even a little lightning. I hate to be picky, but no hail would be nice. I am not really sure how rain dances work, but get out your sage, take off your clothes, or just send rainy thoughts our way. I am sure anything will help.

Happy Campers...

Literally. The broilers are roaming free in the vineyard with a unique shelter-a camper shell I got for free on craigslist. They are so happy. In just a few weeks, they will be ready to dress and we will get a new batch of broilers. I am debating whether to get more chicks or some turkey poults to raise for Thanksgiving. I have a little more research to do on raising turkeys but if anyone wants to add their two cents I will be happy to listen.

The garden is coming along nicely. Unfortunately, the weeds are growing as fast as the plants and we have been so busy planting, weeding has been put on the back burner. As soon as the rain lets up, weeding is next in the list. And our tomatoes are aching to get into the ground. Today was supposed to be tomato planting day, but it it will have to wait until the weather and ground get a little drier. In the meantime, we will weed.

And I have saved the best news for last. We had our first CSA pickup and I feel it was a success. As soon as I figure out how, I will post the newsletter for reference. The bag was heavy on the greens and we tucked an unlikely green in there- our stinging nettles. This year, we have learned to love the nettles despite their sting. Sometimes it just takes a little patience and care to realize the true potential of something. So it is with nettles. Despite the rain, and in part because of it, the chickens are happy, the garden is growing nicely, and it was a great start to our CSA...I guess there are a lot of happy campers at Old Nelly Farms.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the honorary and biological mothers out there! I hope your weekend was wonderful and relaxing. Market on Saturday was cold, cold, cold. The bright side is that I know our brassicas in the field were so happy in the cold. However, the wind was another story. The wind took out a couple of our cabbage seedlings, which we will likely replace with broccoli. It made me very glad I planted some extra cabbage. We also got to meet some of our CSA members on Saturday, which definitely made our day. Thank you for coming out and know it made us even more excited to begin filling our CSA subscriptions.

Today brought some lovely rain for our plants in the garden and gave us a little break to do some of our rainy day activities. I am brewing some worm tea in order to fertilize our indoor seedlings and outdoor transplants. I have included a picture of the process. It involves using our vermicompost, molasses, and a water pump. I am pretty excited to see its magic. We also used some of our surplus rhubarb to make some delicious jam. Lucky for us we had about half a pint that did not get canned and was going to stay in our refrigerator until we could eat it tomorrow morning. Needless to say, it did not make it until morning. It didn't even make it a half an hour. I will keep the ingredients a surprise but I will tell you it is delicious. Today we are thankful for the rain and the break, but a little anxious to get back into the garden and get back to planting.

First Day at Market!

Well, the first day at market was definitely interesting and what I would consider a success, for the first day. Despite our best intentions and our pledge to be organized every single day before market, we ended up staying up half the night (Mom stayed up all night and cleaned the chicken house...because she couldn't sleep), in order to prepare the little produce we had for market. Actually, we were also digging out items from last year, most of which were stored where there was a sleeping baby. Fun night. But we made it out on time, without one of our items, but on time, nonetheless.

At market we had some eggs, green onions, baby arugula, herb pots, asparagus, garlic chives, and stinging nettles. We have some baby lettuces and spinach ready but we are saving those for our dear CSA members. It was a beautiful day, the vendors were excited and chatting about making it through the winter, the customers were pleased with the fresh produce, and everyone was very friendly. Well, almost everyone. There was a market goer who was, shall I say, less than pleased with the prices. To make a long story short, when asked about my sign for chemical free produce and free range, antibiotic and hormone free eggs, I was excited to reply with my standard answer of how our chickens get the very best feed, and the grass and bugs they forage for make their eggs not only higher in beta carotene and omega-3's but also tastier than anything you find in the store. Apparently, we had a difference of opinion. Usually I welcome this type of dialogue wholeheartedly, however, it ended poorly. Mostly with him saying "I was just a kid and didn't know what I was talking about," asking my mom if we "thought city folk were stupid," before storming away, leaving us a little confused.

Now, I would like to take the time to say this: Our belief at Old Nelly Farms, happy and healthy chickens=happy and healthy eggs. Furthermore, I would like to thank both the city folk and country folk who we do not think are stupid, but actually quite smart for thinking critically about the food we grow and how it affects the health of ourselves and the planet. I started this venture to make sure my family had the healthiest food I could provide and feel so fortunate that others not only support this venture and dream, but can reap the same rewards as I do. I am young, believe I do know what I am talking about, and would even go so far as to say your choices are brilliant. Thank you.

The fence is complete!

As promised, this entry shows our completed fence. I also need to say I have changed my perception of chain link fencing. I am completely serious when I say putting it up was somewhat of an art form. I definitely have a special appreciation for every chain link fence I pass. When I was doing some internet research on dismantling chain link fencing, there was a comment about people in the Midwest standing around with beer coozies admiring their new cyclone fence. It's true...and I totally understand why. This fence was difficult to put up, and so rewarding when finally done. Again, a special thanks to our fence building team and Paul for tirelessly helping us and coaching us. We are now ready to begin planting in the garden we have spent all winter planning and I can not wait. The one vegetable we don't have to fence in has begun growing, and I think we are going to enjoy our first three asparagus spears in a wonderful spring salad. We are also going to try a newfound delicacy...stinging nettles. I hear they have medicinal properties, lose their sting once cooked, and make a wonderful soup. I will let you know how it goes, as long as I am still able to type seeing as my fingers may be blistered from the nettles. (No need to worry, I will wear gloves) Now if you'll excuse me, I have a coozie to grab and a fence to admire.

It's Fence Time!

As promised, the new post shows our fence. Not in its entirety, but progress is being made. Luckily, we have the lower garden all planted and the shoots are starting to come up. We are "lasagna gardening" which means we are layering cardboard bike boxes (thanks to our new friends at Xtreme Wheels ) and straw to help with weed control. I also just learned that as the cardboard decays, the fungus produces a sugar that feeds the earthworms....yeah for multitasking. We are now trying to decide whether to take the chance and plant some seeds before the fence is completely up. We do have memories of turkeys walking down the rows of newly planted soybeans and eating them out of the ground. But we may take our chances with beets and lettuce. I am going to be eternally optimistic and say that our next post will show our new fence completely up. A special thanks to our fence building team and a special shout out to my papa, who never ceases to amaze me.