Old Nelly Farms - Crescent, Iowa

The sun will shine again...

2011-08-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

Kumari usually does the writing for the blog. Though I have always loved writing, she does such a good job that it was just another one of those tasks that I handed off. But I had mentioned a few times that I had the "itch" to write the next entry. So at 3 am I find myself in my favorite writing chair fulfilling that need to put thoughts on paper. (Kumari will transpose to the computer.) What started out as one Old Nelly story has now evolved into one story with three parts.

PART ONE

Our daughter Karen brings her three girls to the farm every summer for their "haycation." Mira, age 10, Laney, age 8, and Eve, age 4 arrive in Iowa from San Francisco eager to reacquaint with their farm pets and country cousins. My mission is to provide them with the same kind of memories I had as a kid. We pulled weeds out of the beans together. Eve helped clean the chicken coop. They buried and mourned the death of Kasha our dog, who Mira observed, was older in dog years than Grandpa. They delighted in the homecoming of the new puppy, Maisy. The rule was that they had to taste everything out of the garden. Beets were tough! There the beautiful ruby and white gems sat on their plates, totally unappreciated. But Grandma's rule was firm--at least one bite. Oh, triumph as Laney and Eve not only cleaned their plates but asked for more. We "did" the county fair and Grandpa and his friend, Emmet took them on a fishing trip to Bill's farm pond. Sixty blue gills later they proudly presented our supper to me. Ah, yes, it was a wonderful July.

PART TWO

The middle of August promised to bring our garden dreams to fruition. though everything was late, we were getting our first tomatoes. I had to chuckle when I went to the garden and saw bright pink labels hanging from the tomato trellises. Kumari was labeling all of her varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Beautiful purple and white globes were hanging from the eggplants. Peppers of all sizes, colors, shapes, and degree of hotness abounded. The okra was enjoying the heat that was plaguing us humans. This was the year for the old peach and pear tree. Their branches were so laden that the chickens could peck at the green fruit on the peach tree. And then last night! We stood in our kitchen--before we retreated to the basement--and watched in dumbstruck awe as the heavens pelted our house and cars with hailstones the size of golf and tennis balls. In the space of fifteen minutes it was over. We surveyed the damage the house and then anxiously went down the hill to the garden. Mother Nature had taken her weed-eater and left an acre of broken, stripped plants. The produce on the ground looked like an animal had taken bites out of it. The pink labels were gone!

PART THREE

Why at 3 am? Because I was laying in bed next to holden, our 2 1/2 year old grandson, who was afraid to sleep in his crib. I awoke and looked at his sweet blond curls against the pillow and thought, "We are blessed." Unlike some of our friends in this part of Iowa, we still have a roof--albeit it is leaking right now--over our heads and we have each other. And it is August 19th. The sun will shine in the next couple of days and we can replant our fall crops. Although we can not continue to provide our CSA families, we are so grateful that we were able to connect with them for half the season. So tomorrow we don our boots, jeans, and gloves, take a deep breath and attack! Yes, it's August 19th and the sun will shine again.

P.S. Grandpa just found me and with sleep laden eyes mumbled, "If that's a list you're making, put duct tape on it. We used it all last night on the car windows, " and then ambled back to bed. But not before he turned around and said, "And oh yeah, you girls should still get that new weed-eater. The sun will shine again."

2011-07-15T17:05:00.001-07:00

CSA Newsletter July 13, 2011

Farm Happenings

The heat is on…And it is making our nightshades grow grow grow. The tomatoes have lots of small fruit but are not quite ready. It is very hard to tell when we will be able to enjoy our first tomato of the season but trust me, I am as anxious as all of you. We are hard at work trellising the tomatoes. We usually let them sprawl on the landscape fabric but are trellising this year in order to utilize more space and aid in harvesting. We are using a system that our relatives in Trinidad use for their tomato production. In true Trinidadian fashion, we (and by we I mean my dad) are salvaging and welding rebar. We are not really sure how it is going to work but as my dad says, “We are gaining experience.”

The peppers have many blooms and a few fruits but are coming along more slowly than the tomatoes. The same is true with the eggplants, as well as the tomatillos, ground cherries, and huckleberries we are experimenting with this year.

The replanted squash are very very small and I fear that their root system did not get a chance to develop. I will replant seeds and hope for a very late crop. A farmer at market told me to sprinkle shell corn on the ground after planting the seeds. The mice will then take that corn back to their nest and leave the seeds in the ground alone. Next year I will do transplants, but this year I will try that method.

For the next couple of weeks we will be biding our time until the tomatoes, peppers, and melons ripen. Until then, we appreciate your patience.

What’s in the Bag…

Dill: Our herb garden is having a rough go this year. We will be replanting our fall herb garden for preserving but this is delicious on fiah or in salad dressing.

Grape Leaves: These are usually stuffed for dolmades but can also be used to wrap fish before grilling it.

Beets: More beets…Don’t forget that the tops are delicious too. The food network has a plethora of beet salad recipes, they all look delicious. We suggest cutting off the greens and storing them separately as they can leach water from the root.

Turnips: More turnips. Get creative folks. I found some good recipes for turnip French fries and turnip soup.

Wild Raspberries: This is it for the season. I can’t say I am too sad about this as picking them is a real chore. Eat them fresh or lay them flat on a cookie sheet, put in the freezer, and break them out in the winter.

Zinnias: These are my favorite flower because they look great with just a single stem and I can fill up my house with flowers.

Broccoli: I am trying desperately to perfect my broccoli growing. I am going to try for a fall crop but for some reason the heads will not get large but the flavor is amazing. Also, I had to dust these with Dipel (see blog entry on Dipel) but these were dusted 10 days and it had rained heavily since.

Recipes

Caramelized Turnips: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/caramelized-turnips/detail.aspx

Mashed Turnips and Cheese: Peel 5 whole turnips and cut into quarters. Boil in salted water for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until turnips are very tender. Drain off water. Mash turnips with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper, and/or herbs of choice. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Mix just until cheese starts to melt.

Beet Cupcakes: My niece Mira made these…delicious.

http://www.yumsugar.com/Beet-Cupcakes-Cream-Cheese-Frosting-2387075

Dolmades: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/dolmades-stuffed-grape-leaves-recipe/index.html

To Dipel or not to Dipel?

2011-07-10T20:45:00.001-07:00

We try so so so hard to keep pesticides of all kinds off of the plants, but sometimes we are faced with a dilemma. This time, we have a real threat to our brassica crop. Brassicas include, but are not limited to, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage. We try to keep a healthy crop of wild mustard around the farm in a futile attempt to distract to cabbage moths away from the brassica crop, maintain a healthy wild bird population to encourage predation of the loppers, and even pick off those cleverly camouflaged critters off the leaves daily. And, as I have said before, I don't even mind sharing...a little. But there comes a time when one party takes more than its fair share and action needs to be taken. I have reached my boiling point. Te cabbage loopers have officially taken more than their fair share.

There are many products on the market to take care of such pests. There are several that are OMRI certified, meaning they can be applied in organic production, according to the label. Despite their certification, some OMRI certified products damage aquatic wildlife and beneficial insects. BT (bacillus thurogenesis) seems to be the safest and most efficient way of saving the brassica crop. I went back and forth about whether to use the product but as I decided and picked off loopers daily, it became apparent that I would lose the entire crop unless I did something drastic.

So I drove to the garden store and bought some BT, brand name Dipel. While I was applying the product, I was trying to decide whether it was necessary or if I had time to come up with a better plan. One walk down the row let me know I was definitely out of time. I did however, see a beautiful thing. (I use the term "beautiful" very very very loosely here. Keep in mind I was building up rage for the cabbage loopers with every hole I saw chewed in the leaves, of which there were an innumerable amount.) A parasitic wasp was dragging a cabbage looper to the top of a leaf where it proceeded to voraciously harm the caterpillar. I of course wanted to then let nature take its course without interrupting, and considered halting my Dipel application process. That, and I wasn't sure what Dipel did to parasitic wasps. As I pondered, I decided to observe and come up with a plan. I alked down a row and counted the number of parasitic wasps versus caterpillars. Final score, parasitic wasps- 1, caterpillars- 27. I decided to spray.

If we were certified organic, we would be allowed to use this, as long as we kept a record of it, but would not be required to let the consumers of our products know. I am a firm believer in letting our customers know what we do with our produce and why. So my choice today was to Dipel. So far, we have used one application and may have to use more before we harvest. Definitely not ideal, but in my opinion, necessary. As a side note, no parasitic wasps were harmed during my application of Dipel.

June 29 Newsletter

2011-06-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Farm Happenings

I can not believe the fourth of July is almost here. The fourth is the date by which some crops MUST be in, or there will be no crop. Beans and corn are the ones that come to mind. Perhaps because those are the crops I am struggling to get in the ground.

Luckily, we just got done planting the rest of our beans yesterday. We did get some beans in at the main garden, but several varieties had to go in at the McClelland farm. Our idea was to plant pole beans all along the fence, but that just didn’t happen this year. But we have several varieties of pole beans now in the ground, as well as some bush snap beans, bush shell beans, and lima beans. I am not sure when the lima beans will be ready, but if you are a fan, you might have to let us know and pick some up in the early fall, as I am not sure they will be ready before the last pick up. I am thinking that because Easter was so late this year that it is just going to be a late season. Although it sounds funny to base your crop predictions off of Easter, you may or may not know that Good Friday is the last full moon before the vernal equinox. So the tradition of planting on Good Friday has some roots in biodynamic farming. (Though I think some would argue potatoes need to be planted during a dark moon, but that is a topic for another time.) Regardless, I am letting you all know that some of our crops will be a little bit later than we may have expected, but little by little we are getting them in in the nick of time.

What’s in the Bag…

Green Garlic: This is the last of the fresh garlic until we have our large cured bulbs.

Shell Peas: More shell peas…Happy shelling!

Snow Peas: More Snow Peas.

Beets: More beets…Don’t forget that the tops are delicious too. The food network has a plethora of beet salad recipes, they all look delicious. We suggest cutting off the greens and storing them separately as they can leach water from the root.

Turnips: You have tasted the greens. Now you get the roots. I personally like them both, but the roots are a little more versatile. They make a great addition to mashed potatoes.

Onions: These are stronger than green onions, milder than our winter onions.

Napa Cabbage: Just to let you know, I am trying a different variety of Napa Cabbage in the fall. This variety was not my favorite…for taste or performance in the garden. I like to eat my Napa Cabbage raw, though this is wonderful braised.

or

Head Lettuce: There are a couple of different varieties of this growing in the garden but they are similar. Did someone say lettuce wraps?

Recipes

Due to the electronic nature of this newsletter, I am going to include links to some recipes, rather than the recipes themselves.

Lettuce Soup: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/06/tangy-herbed-lettuce-soup-2.html

Linguine with Pea Pesto: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/06/linguine-with-pea-pesto/#more-7628

June 22 Newsletter

2011-06-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

And another one...

Farm Happenings

It seems like something is always trying to get in the way of our crop. This time it is the weeds. It happens on every farm, around this time. The weeds get a little out of control. But it is time to take the crops back. I am continuously planting things like beets, carrots, and some greens, but my energy is going to be focused on getting some of the weeds out. Now, the weeds are large enough that they are easily used as mulch that will not blow away, so if there is an upside to weeds, that is it.

My other grievance is the mice. I think they were following me as I planted the squash seeds and eating them out of the ground. I picked out four varieties of summer squash that I wanted to grow- golden zucchini, yellow crookneck, Benning’s Green Tint, and Odessa. Out of all of the squash seeds I planted (200), 2 of them are sprouting. The rest have little claw marks, dirt mounds, and half eaten seeds where they once were. So now we are left with what they had for half price at Sherbondy’s. Yellow Straightneck, Yellow crookneck, and what may or may not be a green zucchini plant. Hopefully they will make it and we will some summer squash. I am not totally convinced that Dan is not releasing mice into the summer squash patch as he hates zucchini.

Despite all of this, I am very pleased with the garden so far. I am confident we will get the weeds under control, I am sure mice do not enjoy zucchini plants as much as the seeds, and I realize we will never control the weather. So we will plod along and keep giving you what we have every week. This week have some of the old and some of the new, just the way I like it.

What’s in the Bag…

Green Garlic: This is a mild garlic (think green onions) and can be used just like regular garlic.

Shell Peas: More shell peas…Happy shelling!

Snow Peas: More Snow Peas. There may be some of these that look like shell peas in your bag, but the pod is edible. In fact, I think these are my favorite snow pea—even when they get full, the pod and pea is absolutely delicious. I save my snow pea snacking while I am picking until I reach this row.

Rainbow Chard: Love the chard…Again, this can be used a s a braising green.

Beets: This is the first of the beets though there will be more to come. We have many varieties planted so prepare to be surprised. The greens on the top are also delicious.

Turnips: You have tasted the greens. Now you get the roots. I personally like them both, but the roots are a little more versatile. They make a great addition to mashed potatoes or roasted.

Napa Cabbage: This is the strangest napa cabbage I have seen. Usually it grows into a dense head but because I attribute everything to the weather, I am saying the weather made it grow into a very loosely packed head. Whatever reason, the leaves can be used in the same way. To me, they have a mustard-like flavor.

Head Lettuce: This is the variety Blonde de Paris. It is the only head lettuce that made it out of the greenhouse. I will be trying a different variety this fall although this is very tasty.

Recipes

Due to the electronic nature of this newsletter, I am going to include links to some recipes, rather than the recipes themselves.

Turnip Gratin: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/turnip-gratin/

Linguine with Pea Pesto: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/06/linguine-with-pea-pesto/#more-7628

Spicy Soba Noodles with Shiitakes and Napa Cabbage: http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/08/so-good-soba/

Braised Napa Cabbage with bacon, red wine vinegar, and mint: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/braised-napa-cabbage-with-bacon-red-wine-vinegar-and-mint-recipe/index.html

June 15 Newsletter

2011-06-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am a little behind on posting my newsletters. But it is time to catch up...

Farm Happenings
The flood waters are rising, and with it, there has been an influx of wildlife, as well as confirmation of wildlife already residing here. We have confirmed that there is a bobcat and raccoon stealing our broilers and laying hens so egg production is at an all time low. We are planning on increasing the flock but have to wait until we get the predator situation under control. We foresee this problem getting worse as the flood waters are pushing wildlife out of their normal habitat into our timber.
We love birds at Old Nelly Farms but have never dabbled with pea fowl. However, it looks as though some pea fowl found us. There were several pea fowl wandering around the farm yesterday, up and down the hill. They were not afraid of the vehicles, but a little shy of people. I am sure they were displaced from their home and only imagine they feel our love and are hanging around until they can make their way back home.
The garden is growing, as are the weeds, which is always a constant battle on the farm. We are in the process of pulling out some spent plants, using them as mulch, and then replanting. We are also patiently awaiting the arrival of our heirloom tomatoes and red peppers, but until they arrive we will continue eating greens. Next week we should also have some beets, Chinese cabbage, and more peas.

What’s in the Bag…

Green Garlic: This is a mild garlic (think green onions) and can be used just like regular garlic.
Shell Peas: These are the first shell peas of the season and are wonderful. The pods are a bit on the small side but our larger podded variety has not quite filled out the pod. We should have some of the larger podded variety next week.
Snow Peas: Most of these snow peas are the variety Melting Sugar Mammoth. As the name implies, they are a large snow pea. There are also snow peas of a smaller variety that look like small unripe shell peas. The pod is very tender and the taste is exceptionally sweet.
Rainbow Chard: Swiss Chard is a wonderful braising green. The stalks come in a variety of colors and look great on the plate. This will keep turning up in your bag so learn to love the Chard.
Rhubarb: This will probably be the last of the rhubarb as it is time to let the plants regrow for next spring.
Lettuce: This is our mild lettuce mix made up of different varieties of romaine type lettuces.

Old Nelly Farms Wild Kingdom

2011-06-12T08:02:00.001-07:00

Pardon the second post of the day (and its graphic nature), but I had to share what we caught on the trail cam...

We are losing chickens right and left. During the day and at night, the hens and the broilers are disappearing. Not quite vanishing, as we are left with evidence if their disappearance in the form of feathers, and various other chicken parts. It reached a boiling point when the predator managed to steal three chickens during the day, while dad was nearby working in the vineyard. Let's just say the scene was so gruesome and heartbreaking dad skipped dinner that night because he just couldn't stomach eating.

Although we know we have been losing chickens, our attempt at live trapping has only resulted in catching all three of our cats, one of them twice. Our trapping attempt was a failure once again, but we had all of our suspicions confirmed this morning when we checked our trail cam footage. (Never mind the date on the picture, it is not set correctly) We are clearly dealing with more than one predator. The first three pictures are of our resident bobcat, who we assume is our daytime (and perhaps nighttime) predator. The final picture is of our nighttime predator, the raccoon.

While it is fascinating to catch them on tape, the fact remains that they are eating our livestock. This is sad for two major reasons. The first of course, is the plight of our animals. I know bobcats and raccoons need to eat also, but I wish they would eat something we were less attached to, like wild rabbits or even wild turkeys. In recent weeks they have halved our hen and broiler population, gotten two of our pet turkeys, and a guinea. I must admit, I take it a little harder when my laying hens and pet birds get eaten.

I know it seems strange that I would be sad about the animals eating some of the poultry we raise to slaughter and eat, which brings me to the second issue I take with this predation. And that is the fact that I am raising these animals for my family and customers, and not so much for the wildlife that we share this land with. It is labor intensive and costly to raise these birds and getting them swiped by something that will survive just as well on wild game makes it hard not to take personally.

However, we have to take action. I will confess we threw around the more inhumane ways of taking care of this problem. We of course, dismissed these as they are not only illegal, but also go against what we believe in. But we must figure out a plan to save the chickens we have, especially before we get replacements. So far we have decided to lock in our laying hens at the house immediately after they go in at night. As for our broilers, they will have to give up life in the vineyard for a chicken run with a roof and a predator-proof nighttime shelter. We are also in the market for a bobcat chasing, chicken loving dog. Lucy, may she rest in peace, loved the chickens to death more than once, and Kasha is a little too old to snap at anything but flies. I would consider a llama if I didn't think it would eat everything in sight.

Between the cabbage moths systematically eating our brassicas, and the bobcat and raccoons doing the same to our chickens, it is hard living the organic lifestyle. The up side is that we got free Chipotle after market on Saturday...I am glad someone recognizes the hard work we put in...even if it is not the bobcat.

CSA Newsletter June 7

2011-06-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

Farm Happenings

This week has been a flurry of planting. We finally have the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, sunflowers, beans, and remaining cabbages in the ground. We are hoping to get the summer and winter squash planted today before it rains. It looks like it is going to be a late season for some of these prized vegetables, but we think it will be worth the wait.

Right on time, the brassicas are being overrun with cabbage moths so I spent a good hour picking off the caterpillars. Holden had a wonderful time feeding them to the chickens, and they loved them. However, it is a daily chore to pick off those caterpillars. That is the price for growing things without chemicals. Really, I don’t mind sharing with the caterpillars, but they always take more than their share and leave me with a decimated crop. So I will continue to pick them off, and they will continue eating. Luckily, the cabbage moths love the arugula and broccoli raab that has flowered so they are a good diversion from the cabbages, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts I am desperately trying to protect.

Another obstacle we are facing in this wet weather is the wilt that inevitably seems to take some of our brassica crop every year. Usually we can get a harvest before it takes the entire crop, but again, we plan on losing a percentage of the crop to pests and diseases when we farm without chemicals.

Finally, we want to extend our thoughts and positive energy towards those people who are losing homes and being displaced due to flooding.

What’s in the Bag…

Leeks: These leeks have overwintered and are now ready to eat. You can use them in stir-fry, with eggs, with pasta, or in soups. They are a very versatile little allium.

Garlic Scapes: Garlic Scapes are the flower of the garlic plant. They need to be removed so the energy goes into forming a bulb, rather than the flower. Commercial garlic farms throw them away, which I think is just sad. They have a wonderful mild garlic flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Bok Choy: I just heard a segment on NPR with the AP food editor that says this vegetable has the most various spellings than any other vegetable, but this is the AP format. It is great stir fried or can be used in the salad recipe provided.

Broccoli Raab: Also known as rapini, this is a favorite of Italian cooks. (Also a favorite of the French Café in Omaha) Once the buds open, it is still tasty, just a little stronger! Great in the authentic Italian preparation: steam Broccoli Raab two to three minutes while still fiercely bright green. Drain and stir-fry with garlic and olive oil. Toss with cooked penne pasta and add freshly grated Parmigiano or Romano.

Turnip Greens: Turnip greens are a staple of southern cuisine. They are best pan steamed or slow braised. We have given you a guide to cooking greens…keep this for future reference as these will not be the last greens you receive. We have left the “turnips” (the roots) on the greens in order to preserve freshness.

Spinach: Another one of our favorite greens. Spinach is wonderful raw or cooked.

Lettuce: This is our mild lettuce mix made up of different varieties of romaine type lettuces.

Flower Bouquet: These were arranged by our very talented neighbor. Thanks Allison.

Radishes: This is the last of the spring radishes. Some of these may be a little woody. However, when trying to find out a way to determine their quality and cutting open some small ones with soft stems that were completely woody, followed by some fairly large ones with hard stems that were perfect, I gave up guessing and just started picking. What I did determine is that the white radishes have more staying power. Note to self—though they take a little longer to mature. Again, These radishes have a little bit of heat.

Recipes

Crunchy Bok Choy Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds

• 1/4 cup sesame seeds

• 2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodle pasta, crushed

• 1 medium head bok choy

• 3 green onions

Directions

• In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.

• Melt the butter over medium heat in a small skillet. Crush the ramen noodles while still in their packaging, and add to the butter along with the almonds and sesame seeds. Sauté until everything is golden brown. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.

• Chop the bok choy and green onions and add to a large bowl. Just before serving, sprinkle with the noodle mixture and dressing, and toss to coat.

I also wanted to share with you what my sister in northern California does with her CSA greens. (And they have an even longer greens season than we do) On CSA day she takes all of her greens—beet greens, turnip greens, spinach… and sautés them, in bacon grease of course, to keep in the fridge all week. When she needs a side for dinner she simply takes out her greens, reheats, and voila…

June 1 Newsletter

2011-06-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

Farm Happenings

We decided to have our first CSA pickup a little later this year. Rather, Mother Nature decided for us. We got into the garden early, thanks to a wonderful family that has been a huge help in the garden, so we have a lot planted but it has been a bit of a challenge to get into the garden since. However, we consider ourselves lucky that we are safe from the flooding.

Your first CSA box is chock full of greens. Some may be eaten fresh, but most se best cooked. We have given you a Guide to Cooking Greens from Cook’s Illustrated in order to help you with the best way to prepare them. Keep this for future reference as you are guaranteed to receive more greens this season.

We have a batch of chickens in the freezer and some new chicks and turkey poults in the brooder, so if you ever need some poultry for dinner, just let us know ahead of time and we can save one for you. We have 20 turkey poults so if you think you would like a pasture raised, antibiotic and hormone free turkey this Thanksgiving, we will be taking orders.

I just want to say thank you to all of our CSA members for supporting local farmers and Old Nelly Farms. I also want give a special thank you to the Bessmers who tirelessly help us in the garden. Thank you!

What’s in the Bag…

Arugula: Arugula is one of our favorite greens on the farm. It has a peppery flavor and makes a wonderful addition to salads or pasta.

Spinach: Another one of our favorite greens. Spinach is wonderful raw or cooked.

Lettuce: This is our mild lettuce mix made up of different varieties of romaine type lettuces.

Edible “Bouquet”: These are the arugula and broccoli raab plants that have flowered. The leaves are still good, but I included them for the flowers. They are a great addition to salad and I think we all need to eat a little more flower petals.

Flower Bouquet: These were arranged by our very talented neighbor. Thanks Allison.

Radishes: Our “Spring Mix Radishes” come in a variety of colors. These radishes have a little bit of heat.

Recipes

Sauteed Turnip Greens

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 shallot chopped

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 1/2 pounds turnip greens, washed, stemmed, and chopped

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 cup chicken stock

• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Directions

Heat olive oil in dutch oven over medium heat.

Add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until tender and fragrant. Add the washed and cleaned turnip greens. Mix together. Cook until they have wilted down, about 3 minutes. Add pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, whisk the Dijon mustard with the chicken stock. Add to the wilted greens and

cook until the liquid has all but evaporated. Add the toasted pecans and serve immediately.

Storage Tips

Greens: Salad greens are best if used within a few days. Wrap in damp towel or place in plastic bag in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator. Add a paper towel to the plastic bag to keep greens fresh for longer.

Spinach: Store spinach in a damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to one week. For longer-term storage, spinach may be frozen. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain well, and pack into airtight containers.

Farm or Business?

2011-05-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

There is a passage in Cook's Country (my completely selfish Mother's Day gift to mom) that is very appropriate. Here is our favorite part...

"On a small farm, agriculture wasn't a business. It was what you did from before breakfast until suppertime. Food was local--store-bought was the exception. You knew where everything came from: the corn, the lettuce, the berries (from bushes down around the abandoned corn crib), the maple syrup, the beef, the green beans, and the potatoes, that last stored in large plastic buckets on an unheated porch. But we didn't study food, or compare it, or set out to find the best this or the best that. It was just our food, the stuff that we cooked and ate.

It's hard to explain that to someone used to the aisles of Whole Foods. Choices give life possibilities but also complications. Sometimes it's nice to know what's for dinner simply be peeking into the root cellar, the garden, or the freezer..."

I love this passage. Not just for the images and feelings it evokes, but also for the way it makes me kind of glad things are different today. The first line is especially appropriate because am currently in the process of finalizing our business plan. Before I took this business course, agriculture was simply what I did from breakfast until suppertime. However, if you want to grow food for other people, it is a business. It is a regulated, market-driven, consumer enterprise. I will admit, business to me used to be a four letter word. But now I have a special appreciation for business, especially small business, especially local business. The people who I am taking this course with are extraordinary people, extraordinary farmers, with extraordinary visions.

Perhaps the most extraordinary is that most of them, as far as I can tell, do not have visions to become huge operations. Profitable, of course, but still local, sustainable, and community oriented. I include ourselves in this group. What I also realize is that if these businesses are not profitable, they will not continue, and we will actually have less choices. The passage is true, choices complicate matters. But if all or most of your choices involve a high-quality product you can truly feel connected to and good about buying, then complication is a blessing. I feel this is especially true when it comes to making choices about the foods we feed ourselves and our family.

Finally, I also feel it is becoming easier to explain this to someone used to the aisles of any grocery store, and perhaps a little easier to those who shop at Whole Foods. Although we may have to explain to people the principles of eating seasonally, using sustainable methods for the health of our family and planet, and the cost of doing so, people are listening. The fact that I am able to wake up every day, look forward to working in the garden to grow the best food for my family and yours, is a testament to this.

So to you, my customers and community members-I thank you for continuing to demand and support excellence and for perusing the aisles of our garden as well (if not better) as the aisles of the grocery store. And this, coming from your local farmer...and businesswoman.

If I planted seashells....

2011-03-05T10:09:00.000-08:00

Figure 1

Figure 2

I am enjoying bit of peace and quiet as both boys are sleeping and instead of cleaning up my mess (see figure 1) I am writing a much needed update on farm happenings. There has been a little excitement these past weeks. We had a turkey get loose and make her way all the way down to the garden. Luckily, my mother in law saw her and was able to watch the boys while I tried to corral her into a dog kennel. After about 3 laps around each garden I finally got her into the little garden, cornered her by Dad's "nursery" vines, and thought the whole ordeal was over. I grabbed her like I would any chicken by holding her wings down and trying to carry her. Unlike a chicken, turkeys have amazingly strong wings. Needless to say, she got away and Lucy (our lovely dog) chased her into the trees. I thought she was gone for good. However, Dan and I were coming home late that night, equipped with a flashlight for checking his calves, when I asked him to just scan the trees and see if she was roosting. Not only did he spot her, but he climbed the tree pile and effortlessly retrieved her. Despite Holden's requests that the turkey ride in the back seat with him, we put her in the dog kennel and returned her to her flock. Dan is officially my hero, and this story illustrates perfectly why I married him.

Holden is also dabbling in poultry farming. After a trip with his dad to the local farm store, they returned with a peeping box full of ten pullet chicks. He makes sure they are checked on every day and very well fed. All of his earnings from egg sales with go straight into his John Deere piggy bank.

Finally, this morning, we got the artichokes repotted. They are doing so well, they have outgrown their Jiffy-7 pellets and needed some more space to grow. So our activity this morning was repotting the artichokes. We successfully repotted almost all of them. Holden had so much fun digging in the dirt, throwing some on Wyatt-despite my threats of taking away his fruit snack privileges, and even helping fill the pots. My proudest moment as a parent also came about as a result of this activity. We have been reading a book called My Garden, by Kevin Henkes. (Wonderful book if you have not read it.) In this book, the little girl helps in her mother's garden but has her own ideas of what a garden should really be. Her ideas include patterned flowers that grow back right after they are picked, jellybean bushes, chocolate bunnies, hundreds of birds and butterflies, and growing seashells--if you plant seashells. I love this book and want Holden to love it too, for obvious reasons. He does ask me to read it often but I didn't understand his appreciation for the book until today. Rather than tell you what happened, I will use a picture to illustrate. (see figure 2) Keep in mind he did this with no prompting from me. I must say, the mess I have to clean up is totally worth it.

2011-02-01T13:42:00.001-08:00

This is how Holden helps with cookie making.

Onion seedlings...they smell like onions already.

Artichokes and leeks. Notice the inches of snow on the railing.

Our albino artichoke. Unfortunately, this little guy won't make it due to his inability to photosynthesize.

Well, we have an official snow day today. Roads are icy, snow is blowing, cancellations abound, there is chili on the stove, and Grandma and Holden are making cookies. I figured it was the perfect time to chill a bottle of champagne on the porch, make myself a mimosa (mimosa is the new wine), and update my blog.

Things on the farm are going ...albeit a little slowly. The plants are growing, the hens are laying sporadically, and the garden is still in its winter rest. But we are planning for the busy part of the season by laying out the garden, putting in our seed orders, and organizing equipment. I am also compiling the formal list of mistakes we have made so that we do not repeat them again. On the other hand, I am also going over last year's records to see what great things we did that we need to continue and improve upon this year. That is what we do in the winter on the farm. That...and take time to rejuvenate.

Which brings me to my second order of business. I will warn you, this is about to get sappy. I am sure many of you have been reminded, more than once, as I was this week, of how short and precious life may be. So I just want to say that my garden will probably not be weed free, my house may rarely be clean, and my blog may not be updated every week. However, I can assure you that the time I would be taking to do those things I will instead spend reading to my boys, watching them spend precious time with their grandparents, and enjoying a mid winter blizzard from the warmth of the kitchen. And I must leave on that note to get a warm cookie before Holden and Grandma eat them all.

Resolution, Schmesolution

2011-01-25T08:42:00.000-08:00

Our last Tom Turkey...trying to impress the ladies.

Recycling pine cones into bird feeders.

I know my resolution to write weekly has already been broken...(as has my exercise regimen.) However, I am going to try again for the Chinese New Year, which is February 3. We shall see. Regardless, the new growing season has officially begun. I have started artichokes (yes, we can grow those here), leeks, celery, and onions from seed. This is the first year I have started onions from seed, so I may be buying plants come April. If it works, I will have saved a lot of money and I will not have to worry about any of the onions bolting. Onions are biennial, so they form a seed head every second year. Those seed heads ruin the integrity of the onion, even if you snip them off. So if all goes well, we will have a great onion crop this year.

Mom and I have started taking a business course for agricultural producers. Hilarious, considering I dropped every business class I tried to take in college by the third class. After the initial shock and bewildered looks, we decided that it will be beneficial for us and our customers to work hard at our business plan. And we did not get reprimanded for giggling during class yet, although I really believe we may have to sit separately to avoid disrupting the class.

We recently ordered 50 pullets in order to increase egg production by the time our CSA starts. There was a tragedy that occurred during mailing and we have significantly less chickens than we ordered. Luckily, my father in law managed to save a few lives, and the remaining chicks are thriving. Needless to say, we are waiting for warmer weather to increase the flock.

And, as you can see, some of our turkeys survived the holidays. Because Wyatt came a little earlier than expected, our goal of selling the turkeys took a backseat. We did enjoy some fresh, chemical free turkey for Thanksgiving and hope to have the rest dressed within the next two weeks.

More updates to come on planting, livestock, and academic progress. Until then--Happy Chines New Year!

New, New, New

2011-01-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

New Year, new resolutions, new baby... This past year has brought some new changes and this next year promises to bring many more. Beyond my new year's resolution (which includes an exercise regimen I do not love and may have seriously injured me after two days), this year also brings a fresh enthusiasm for the farm. We hope to erect a hoophouse this spring, we have a giant refrigerated trailer we are turning into our harvest and packing shed, and I am scouring the seed catalogs. The most exciting news is that I am doing this with a 9 week old baby on my lap.

The newest addition to the farm is Wyatt, who was born on November 1st. He and Holden are getting along beautifully and we hope Wyatt loves the garden as much as Holden.

Another of my resolutions is to update my blog weekly. I know you have all heard this before, but new year's resolutions have to last the whole year, right? Finally, we have opened up our 2011 CSA. As soon as I talk to my wonderful brother-in-law, we will have the new brochure and sign up sheet on the site. Happy Happy New Year!

The end is near...

2010-09-29T19:28:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-05-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-04-11T12:23:00.001-07:00

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.

The Epitome of Recycling

2010-03-30T17:04:00.001-07:00

I think we have officially topped our recycling efforts. Months ago (pre-snow), I noticed our neighbor had dismantled part of a 700 foot cyclone fence, complete with barbed wire running along the top. I thought it was perfect! Yes, I have managed to see the beauty in cyclone fencing and barbed wire. You see, we have been counting the deer and turkeys that graze in our farm patch. The highest number of deer we have seen is 13...at one time. So although you may think three strands of barbed wire is overkill, we don't think so. I feel a great responsibility to our CSA members and that means protecting our crop at all costs. In this case, it means dismantling the fence by hand, performing precision surgery with Papa (aka using a chainsaw to cut a giant grapevine from the wires), and rolling up 2100 feet of barbed wire. After two long days and some serious help from the Durick boys, the fence is almost down. We need some heavy machinery to take out the rest. If all goes as planned, this weekend we (and by we I mean Dan) can finish getting it down AND putting it back up. Just to make sure we get an early start, today we started planting in the little garden, which is already fenced in. I will keep everybody updated on the progress. Hopefully, my next post will show our new fence.

March Happenings

2010-03-17T18:24:00.000-07:00

March is here and we are getting very anxious to get things started on the farm. We are wrapping up our winter projects and getting ready for planting. Our greenhouse shelves are full and our first batch of plants are ready to be up-potted. We started our nasturtiums very early so we could be sure to have some edible flowers ready for our lettuce mix but they are busting out of their pots. They germinated so well that our CSA members are sure to have a potted nasturtium this spring. Mom and I placed the corner posts of our new garden spot today so that we will be ready to put up our fence and where to start working the ground. We had to downsize the plot a tiny bit, which means I have to tweak our crop rotation and there won't be as much spaces between the beds, but there is still plenty of room for all of our vegetables. The Iowa State extension soil tester is giving us specific recommendations for fertilization and I feel so lucky to have such a great resource at my fingertips. Finally, Holden is walking and although the fence is primarily to keep the deer out, I am glad to have it keep Holden in...he is pretty adept at walking already. It looks like we are going to have a wet March and although we are so anxious to get going our wise farmer Dan told me I can't rush nature. So true.

Spring is in the Air...and in the Greenhouse.

2010-03-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

Although there is still feet of snow on the ground, I think spring is finally making its way back to us. There have been three consecutive days of sun and over freezing weather. Every animal on the farm feels the change. The chickens are frantically taking baths and searching for bugs in the sides of the hill untouched by snow, the ducks are flying around the property and filtering the water of every slushy puddle they can find. Even Jessica and Hambone, our resident pigs, seem to have worse manners than usual. Because our greenhouse did not get erected this fall, the picture windows in front of our balcony have seedlings spread out before them. Every time I check them I am am reminded that I have more in common with plants than I previously thought...after a period of dormancy we are drawn toward the sun and it changes our position (or disposition) almost immediately. Amazing.

Planting has Begun!

2010-02-20T09:15:00.001-08:00

Well folks, planting has officially begun. That must mean spring is on its way, right? As you can see, Holden is very good at helping. Right now, he is our official soil taster. (That is not a typo)

We have planted some of our herbs, including basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, cilantro, parsley, and dill. We hope to have some well established herbs by early spring. We have also planted the seeds for our edible flower garden. We will have pansies, tricolor violas, marigolds, calendula, and three types of nasturtiums. The tarragon and oregano germinated within three days and the sight of those seedlings is almost as good as seeing the sun in the midst of these snowy days.

Early next month, we begin starting our vegetable seeds indoors. Once the soil becomes workable, we will be busy preparing our farm plots and putting up our fence. We are enjoying our days indoors before the long, hard outdoor days begin.

Chickens in the House

2010-01-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

Our forty three new chicks arrived today. After a very confusing trip to the east dock of the Omaha post office, where I wound my way through the nearly empty building led by the sound of peeping (and my new post office friend Marsha), I was able to bring home our newest members of the farm. We have 15 Arucauna/Americana mixes, and 9 each of Red Stars, Black Stars, and Pearl White Leghorns. For those of you mathematicians, yes, we received an extra. Thank you Murray McMurray. Now the challenge is going to be keeping these chicks warm. We have the hottest bulbs for our heat lamps and are monitoring the ground temperature with a thermometer. Baby chicks need an environment of 95 degrees. With the outside temperature reading a balmy 23 (it went down one degree as I wrote this), we have our work cut out for us. I pray that we do not have to convert the bathroom into a brooder--although it wouldn't be the first time. Now it looks like we have our chicks to keep us busy until our seed planting begins.

Winter Reigns

2010-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

While we patiently await the return of spring so we can work the soil, the chickens are eagerly awaiting the return of bugs and the dirt that they know must be under the snow. Because they are literally cooped up, we have been making an effort to "redecorate," meaning new straw and a dust box filled with our fireplace ashes. While we do this, the chickens make feeble attempts at wandering in the snow but soon come back to the coop to roost and scratch in the warmth of their own home.

We are carrying straw to the chickens on a toboggan that has been used to shuttle groceries up the hill for the humans at Old Nelly Farms during the iciest of winter days. It seems spring can not come soon enough for any living creature here. Although we marvel every day at the beauty of the ice laden branches, we eagerly await the first sign of green buds on the trees or the crocus as a sure sign of spring.

Subscribe to our NEW CSA!

2010-01-16T23:41:00.000-08:00

Buy a share of the 2010 harvest! - Sign up now!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct connection between a nearby farmer and the people who eat the food a farmer produces.

Each shareholder pays a subscription fee to buy a share of the harvest. The fee goes toward the operating cost of the farm. In return, the farm supplies a weekly box of produce. Participating supporters contribute to the farm’s yearly operating budget by purchasing in advance a share of the season’s harvest. By making this commitment ahead of time, CSA shareholders join the farmer in assuming the costs, risks, and rewards of growing that season’s crops. Shareholders help pay for the seeds, supplies, labor, equipment maintenance, and other costs. In return, the farm provides a weekly box of fresh, nutritious vegetables throughout the harvest season.

How much each week?

The share will vary in weight and size each week. The list of contents changes through the year, based on which ones are ready to be harvested. The first couple of boxes of the season are lighter, providing mainly leafy vegetables and salad vegetables. The quantity and weight increases as more crops mature. One share is generally enough for a family of two adults and two children. If you are concerned that the quantity of one share will be too much for you, we encourage you to purchase a half share.

Sharing the Risks and Rewards

We strive to provide an appealing and ample supply of vegetables each week, but since nature has no guarantees, we cannot supply one either. You will be experiencing the ups and downs of vegetable farming, if a crop is plentiful this year, you’ll receive lots of it; conversely, if the “pickins” are slim, that will be reflected in your share.

How long is the harvest season?

Harvest typically runs from late May until October, a total of 20 weeks.

What is the cost?

A full share is $500 per season, which is $25 per week for 20 weeks. A half share is $300 per season, or $15 per week for 20 weeks. Payment may be made in full or split into two payments, one pre‐season and one mid‐season. We also offer free‐range eggs and poultry at a discounted price to our CSA members. Poultry must be picked up on the farm.

Where is the farm?

We primarily farm on our family homestead in Crescent, Iowa. We also grow some crops in McClelland, Iowa on another family farm. Our address is 20527 Monument Road.

Where do I pick up my vegetables?

CSA shareholders may pick up their shares at the Village Pointe Farmers Market on Saturday between 8 and 1, or on the farm Wednesdays from 4‐8. To transport your veggies, please bring the Old Nelly Farms tote bags that are provided as part of the CSA subscription. In keeping with our efforts for sustainability, we will not hand out plastic grocery bags.

About Old Nelly Farms

We are a mother‐daughter team that has much help from husbands, children, family, and friends. We have much growing experience and a passion for working the land. We feel that our love of farming and our respect of the land can be seen on our farm and tasted in our food.

Want to help on the farm?

Shareholders and others are invited to visit the farm and help with farm work such as planting, weeding, and harvesting. We can let you know by e‐mail when there are volunteer work days scheduled or you can call and find out if there is a good day to help out. It is a great opportunity to connect with nature or work in the dirt and help grow your food!

Sustainable Methods

We are strongly committed to using ecologically sustainable agricultural practices. We do not use any chemical pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.

How do I sign up for the CSA?

Fill out the signup form and mail it along with your payment to the farm:

Checks payable to:

Kumari Durick

20527 Monument Rd

Crescent, Iowa 51526