Last week my daughter and a friend came to help erect a caterpiller tunnel.  It is a small unheated 20x12x7 structure that we will use to start seedlings.  I am excited as this will be the first time I can start seeds where I live.  A lot of transplants have been lost over the years from not being able to monitor soil moisture and temperature.  Even a few hours of  too cold or too hot temperatures can kill plants. Just the thought of being able to water all the seedlings with my Red Head wand is making me giddy.  Yea I know.........I need a life. But seriously, if you are a farmer stuff like that IS exciting.  I still need to put the plastic on and the parachute cord.

Here is Beauty, in a typical sentry pose.  She is curious and must see all that is happening beyond her stable.  The goats do get turned out into the barnyard for exercise and play, usually from morning till late afternoon.

Posted by: Julie Barrett

New Year's Day will not arrive until Sunday. Children and adults are playing with their delivered wish list items.  Then there's me, farm planning. Most of the seeds for 2012 have been ordered and the potato seed stock has been paid upfront.  Can you guess I am crunching numbers this morning?  It may be raw and blustery outside at the moment,  yet now is the time to prepare for seeding, and the 2012 CSA.

We need winter cash flow to purchase all the necessary supplies to get those seedlings started.  If you are sitting on the fence about joining a CSA for 2012, I encourage you to take that leap of faith.  Even if you don't sign up with us-make that commitment! Supporting a small local farm is the heart and soul of changing our food system.  It is crucial for CSA farms to get early cash flow.  Eaters need to step up to the plate, literally. 

I think folks think we are "off" between the last CSA delivery and April.  Absolutely not the case!  Aaron and I are still doing field work.  Soil samples were pulled last week and the rest of the drip tape was rolled up. Flail mowing left over dead plants and preparing compost piles kept us busy too.  Once the snow flies and the ground is frozen there is a load of paperwork to complete.  Except for illness, there are no days off.  Seeding of celery, herbs, onions, leeks and flowers all start late January or early February.

The farm does have need of some big ticket items: ground cloth $902.00, certified organic potting soil $300.00, 2 cases of 4" pots and trays $240.00, and fertilizer.  I do use handmade soil blocks to avoid plastic pots and flats, however for the larger tomatoes, eggplants etc that get potted up to a larger size it is more efficient to use the plastic pots.  There is a product called Cow Pots which I would prefer to use.  They are made from cow manure, by two brothers from the excess manure from their farm. They cost considerable more than the plastic and are single use.  The plastic ones can be disinfected and reused. If I had the money I would take the Cow Pots!

Bottom line: we need your support and commitment to get through the winter months, in return we grow beautiful nutrient dense produce for your CSA share.

PS.........if anyone knows someone with a used drum carder they would like to donate to me please contact me.

Posted by: Julie Barrett

Someone ask for the recipe so I thought I would post it here.

BUTTERMILK PIE

This pie is over the top and super easy to make. The crust is just as important for a good pie. Generally folks either use shortening, lard or butter for the crust. Lard will make the flakiest, butter the richest tasting. Either way, if you don't handle it with care it will be tough. So you can go to Martha of course, or Fine Cooking, or Gourmet, or Cooks websites to get a crust recipe. For the actual filling here it is:

2 TBS all purpose flour
1and1/2 cups sugar
1stick of good quality butter, gently melted
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon first quality real vanilla

Make your crust
heat oven to 350 degrees

Stir flour and sugar in a bowl with a whisk until blended.
Add melted butter blend thoroughly
Whisk in eggs blend thoroughly
Add buttermilk and vanilla

Pour mixture into pie crust and bake 1 hour or until filling is golden brown and a sharp knife comes out clean but slightly oily

I have made this filling in a blender and a mixer, as well as by hand. The blender incorporates more air and maybe the texture is slightly different.
It saves time. Do not walk away from your butter, if you stir it as it is melting you will be ready to take it off the heat just as it is all liquid. This way is is not too hot. Also I pre bake my crust for 10 minutes just so it won't be soggy.

This recipe came from a January 1983 issue of Cuisine, which is just about in tatters. There was an article on Southern pies by Ann Byrd. There were incredible recipes for Pecan, Sweet Potato, Vinegar(similar to buttermilk), Egg Custard, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Butterscotch and fried Apple pies.

My sister gave me a pie cookbook called Sweety Pies-An Uncommon Collection of Womanish Observations, With Pie by Patty Pinner. It is a wonderful book written by an African American woman; and reflects a true understanding of how a woman makes stuff happen with her command of all things pie. It is also a visual delight, I highly recommend it.

Posted by: Julie Barrett

Is it global warming? The weather pattern has been shifting the last five growing seasons, of that I am sure.  Might I suggest 2011 be renamed to reflect its characteristics more accurately? How about Deluge, Mud Slinger, Torturer of the Farmer, Storminator, Calendar Mocker,  blah, blah, blah!  So, here we are, soaked again, highly INconvenient! There is field work to be finished, and not a trifling amount.  Ordering seed and drooling copiously while viewing four color spreads is a great indoor activity. But.........I NEED to be out in the field. This sort of house arrest makes me cranky.

On that note, I realize there are multitudes of humans suffering unspeakable cruelty, and even more animals who are subjected to sickening atrocities. It helps to get my petty frustrations into perspective. There are several rescue organizations I get news feeds from that sorely test my faith in humanity. Indeed it begs the question: Is evil triumphing over good? If I did not know better I would think so.

There are a few pictures from the day after Thanksgiving I would like to share. Patrick and his wife came to help us winterize the stables, equipment etc.

Here is Squirt, the buckling runt, who is slowly coming along and gaining a bit of weight.  He is still apart from the other goats as he can't defend himself.  Very sweet.

Snickers is recurling a heavy coat after his October shearing.

One of the Welsh Harlequins injured its leg and could not walk. We offered him some food away from the other ducks. In just 7 weeks look how big it grew from the picture in a previous post.

Beauty on the left, Miridian on the right, both growing out luxurious fleece. They are becoming quite tame since arriving in August.

Patrick and Aaron mucking out the stable. The duck brooder pen was in here before they graduated, and ventured outside.

Making Compost.  In the backround a low tunnel is being set up for early March.

Welsh Harlequins, Blue Swedish and Khaki Campbell ducks at eight weeks old.

Posted by: Julie Barrett

After a lovely Thanksgiving and lots of pie, I savor seed catalogs. 

 A partial preview of the 2012 potato patch:

 Russian Banana Fingerling

 Rose Finn Apple Fingerling

 Red Thumb Fingerling

Augusta

Keuka Gold

German Butterball

Red Gold

Green Mountain

Purple Viking

Yes, I do enjoy growing and eating potatoes. So many varieties-so little space! It is sticky to narrow the selection down to what will fit in our field.  The German Butterballs, roasted with fresh rosemary and olive oil, had ooohs and ahhhs at the Thanksgiving feast. Of course we still had Refrigerator Mashed Potatoes:

5 lbs potatoes peeled and cooked till soft you can also use (gasp!) 1 qt of prepared instant potatoes

16 oz sourcream

8 oz cream cheese  room temperature

1/2 stick of butter room temperature

onion salt to taste about 2 teaspoons

sea salt about 1 teaspoon

fresh ground pepper to taste

Put hot (drained) potatoes in a mixer and add remaining ingredients beating until light and fluffy. Thin with milk if too stiff. Put into a 9x13 casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. These will keep 2 weeks in fridge or you can freeze them.  They are fabulous.

Other seed orders are in for Eggplant, Tomatoes (lots more varieties for 2012), Peppers, Sugar Peas, Salad Turnips, Herbs, Summer and Winter Squash, Onions, Leeks, Shallots, Cabbage, Broccoli, Greens, and Cucumbers.  Still to be decided are the beans and lettuces.  I try and grow at least four types of each vegetable. Tomatoes are their own catagory, there must be thousands of cultivars! Really tough to hone those down to a workable number. I will be trialing some new releases for several vegetables. It remains an affliction, a viral disease that does not respond to any treatment other than setting seeds into soil.

On other fronts, the animals are growing.  We aquired a tiny runt Angora goat.  Sooo tiny he was getting beat up by the other goats. Of course I would take him! Perhaps love, TLC, and copious portions of feed will help him grow.

Posted by: Julie Barrett

I am cold, especially my feet and fingers.  Unless I use a headlamp, quitting time is 5:30 for field work.  There is a staggering amount of field work. Non farmers just don't get that. It is not so much they don't get it;  they simply don't think about gardening and November in the same sentence. I do.  Anvils, black clouds, heavy burdens, until the field tasks are crossed off I am haunted. The temperature will hover around 25 tonight.  I hope the preparations of fresh bedding, food and water will suffice my animals.

Two days of rain cancelled my plans for flail mowing and tilling the main plot. Maybe tomorrow I will get a second chance.  I turned my attention to inside jobs. Thanksgiving requires lots of pies.  I decided to have a clear conscience in preparing food for others. So I cleaned out the cupboards, washed all the assorted trappings of kitchendom and took an inventory of the spices. For thirty odd years I have collected cookie cutters,  As I washed their shapes the memories came to me; so many holiday dinners, so many hours rolling out cookies. There were pies and cakes too. So many.

The camera battery has lost its strength, a disappointment.  I wanted to show you how large the ducks have grown, and their beautiful feather patterns. Monday, while ripping out trellises and vines, I discovered a stunning surprise-purple broccoli and rainbow colored carrots!!  How I wish I had a picture. These crops never grew this summer due to drought and high temperatures.  I assumed they were failures, doomed to obscurity in my crop journal. During the season I did not bother to pull out the headless broccoli plants, as they were behind a wall of pigweed. Imagine my shock at finding dark vibrant purple heads. Then I saw the carrot leaves! If only I had these weeks ago for the CSA. There were only a small amount of each, yet I felt so happy.  Maybe next year...........

Next year will be here all too quickly.  Last night I spent several hours ordering seeds. Despite the cold and darkness, there is hope.  In a matter of weeks it will be time to sow onions, celery and leeks. Plans are underway for a Quick Hoops caterpiller tunnel. This is a small unheated tunnel for starting seeds here where we live. It will enable us to grow seedlings efficiently. No more crammed trays in the kitchen and living room, or seedlings not getting enough light. 

Posted by: Julie Barrett

Hmmm, raining last 48 hours, heavy fog, I feel foggy.  Made apple butter last evening, well, it ran late into the night.  Ah, no matter how early I start it seems to be an all day project. Snitzing the apples takes a long time, as in three hours to do three quarters of a bushel. I still have a half bushel staring me down.

Baby ducks arrived and are settled into the barn, but not before I constructed a top for their pen. There have been too many predator losses this season. Even though our cats do not go after the remaining chickens, don't trust them a minute with young ducklings. I cancelled the order for the Golden 300 layers. Simply could not get the infrastruce finished on time for 80 ducks. This winter Aaron and I will work on preparing for their arrival in March. This little flock is composed of Welsh Harlequins, Blue Swedish, and Khaki Campbells.

A Welsh Harlequin

The three Angora goats experienced their first shearing and hoof trimming.  The fleeces are gorgeous. I was hoping to wash them today. The fleece must dry outside on mesh tables, that makes today a bust. It is important that they not get chilled after shearing. This means they are confined to the barn for two weeks. Just look at the incredible luster!

If you need custom embroidered gifts please stop by the stand.  I will be taking orders from now through February. More on that later. We also have some German Extra Hardy planting stock available.

 

 

Posted by: Julie Barrett

Where did September go?  The clouds have held the sun hostage for over 2 months, allowing only brief appearances, so we don't forget the light giver. Today I saw glorious rays and felt warmth. I have been wanting to slow cook a batch of applebutter, with 40 degree nights Cortlands are calling me. 

Drove 64 miles round trip to deliver the BCS and the flail mower to the shop, groaning at the gas dollars all the way. It has to be done, can't do any field work without the Beast, but the repair bill is going to be a hardship. Blows the whole day when I'm running, not getting other necessary tasks done. Sort of the 80/20 Principle thing.

 

Posted by: Julie Barrett

A picture of how too much moisture is ruining ripening peppers.

Bean woes. These should be in the shares this month, big disappointment, makes me mad!

Red Kuri is literally zinging its brilliant red/orange color, so easy to find these knockouts among the leaves.  This winter squash begs to be transformed into pies, soups, breads, roasted side dishes and lots more.

We are working hard despite MORE rain. Yep, makes harvesting a real act of perseverance.  I was hoping to seed leeks for overwintering, ah well.  The walking tractor needs to go to the shop, and the flail mower too.  When it rains it pours right? The weeds reign victorious at the moment. They will shortly experience their downfall, and I will regain my garden. I engage these battles, but do not ever win the war.

Today is the Fall Equinox, a reminder that the days are numbered to get tasks completed before Winter arrives. All the pots and flats must be washed, disinfected, counted and put away. Low tunnels must be erected now while the ground is soft. Rock dust fertilizers must be spread and cover crops planted. The soil testing samples were already drawn. Garlic planting is a major item on the to do list, preferably getting in the ground by October 15th. Winterizing and repairing structures are necessary, hmmm two barn doors need new hinges. Trees need to be felled that are in the way and not healthy. The jobs are endless, pressing, and the clock ticks away mercilessly.

Posted by: Julie Barrett

My beautiful Honey Nut butternut squash has succumbed to rot from all the rain. Just one of the crops ruined by the recent deluge.  I had such high hopes for this variety, visualizing rich golden tan colored cucurbits, and sumptuous orange flesh.  Tomatoes proved another disappointment. Cracking and rotting on the vine into disgusting masses of garbage. There are some green Cherokee Purple and Mortgage Lifter coming on that give me hope.

Posted by: Julie Barrett