Beet Salad Dressing

My current favorite. Thanks, Hop and Lila! We miss you!

1 beet grated

3-4 cloves garlic

1/3 cup good olive oil

3 TB cider vinegar

1/3 cup water

2 tsp salt

1-2 pitted dates

1/2 tsp rosemary

I also add some honey, and usually more vinegar. Play with it till it tastes best to you. The color is vibrant and it really dresses a salad.

“When farmers are going broke, it’s wrong to expect them to reform the system,”asserts Wendell Berry, “In fact, there are too few actual farmers left to reform anything… Reform is going to have to come from consumers. Industrial agriculture is an urban invention, and if agriculture is going to be reinvented, it’s going to have to be reinvented by urban people.”

Beautiful weather!

I don't think we had many August days as nice as today and yesterday! Wow. I could use about a week of this.

Bill and Mike built our new sugar shack shed off the new shop and have most of it painted. We picked out the new syrup arch and pan to order from Sugar Bush Supplies. We skipped Spring 09 syrup-making, so it will be good to make it in Spring 2010.

Bill picked the first small field of corn and we moved all the brood cows and calves into it this evening. They will glean the stalks and missed corn - we try not to waste much on this farm. All the cows will get run through the shoot tomorrow, pregnancy checked, and retagged if they've lost their tag. They will get a good look for health, age, etc., and some may be marked for culling (ground beef). The calves look great this year! All the rain made lush pastures and good milk.

We still have the younger bull, but butchered the older bull a few weeks ago.

I got all the potting soil made for next years' seedlings to be started in the greenhouse. More garden is cleaned up. Rye is sprouted in the fields for green manure crop. All the carrots and parsnips for winter storage are mulched thickly with straw and will be dug throughout the winter. It's always a chore to move the snow, straw, and then freeze hands while digging them out of the cold soil, but they are so tasty sweet! We have tried to put in a large enough crop to have some for Sweetwater Market through the winter.

Fully Fallen

Whew! Wow! Holy s#*+! Yeah, at different times of the seasonal cycles that's about all I can say. Please forgive my internet absence. Its been quite a year and hunting and pecking my way through regular communication entails more energy then I want to spare.

Autumn is completely here. This year it came in the way of one long cold raindrop. October 31st, after dumping another 3" from the rain gauge, the monthly total here on the farm exceeded 11 inches. At one point the weather man commented that "for 24 days so far this month there has been measurable precipitation on 17 of them."

To quote myself from a few months ago "I wonder what the recharge will look like?" We were due, now here it is. The ponds, swamps and rivers are full. The local paper (17 miles away) had the precipitation for last month at 3.37" when we had over 8". North of us, they got 11 inches in one June rainstorm. Roads are still being repaired. The agricultural erosion and sedimentation created from that "rain event" will take years to repair.

Fortunately, here, we are just muddy. The sunny break in September allowed for some very good fieldwork and the new barley, rye and hay remain in good shape. The critters are still on pasture. Rain equals grass so the cattle have never looked better. For that matter the pigs look great too, following the steers, foraging acorns and rooting the soft ground wherever they please.

Obviously some work is delayed. There is compost that could have been spread and the home barnyard is pretty sloppy. Corn is yet to be picked and that will prove interesting. We may have to wait until it freezes. If necessary we could cross fence it and turn the cattle into a chunk at a time. If that happens we would probably winter some pigs to follow.

All that being said, there's still plenty to do before snow arrives. We have some building projects to finish and more firewood to bring in. Yesterday the sun came out and it was a beautiful day to work in the woods. And trees love the deep rains we've had. Bill

Haiku

Colored beauty past

The leaves now fully fallen

Contours are revealed.

Higher Grounds Coffee

We bulk order Higher Grounds coffee about every other month, plus I sell it in smaller quantities at Sweetwater Local Foods Market. I really like working with a truly Fair Trade organization. Here's a note from them today:

Higher Grounds is sending $4,200 to coffee farmers in the Mayan Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico!

Each year, Higher Grounds sends 15 cents per pound purchased to the coffee growers of the Maya Vinic coffee cooperative in Chiapas, Mexico. This is on top of the fair trade/organic green bean coffee price we pay the farmers. This year, we purchased 28,598 pounds of green beans from the cooperative to fresh roast as our Mexican Maya Vinic Medium Roast and use in many of our best-selling blends.

The total premium sent to Maya Vinic this year is $4,289.78, which will be used to support the co-op and the 500 farmers employed there. Higher Grounds was among the first coffee roasters to import Maya Vinic's fair trade and organic beans, and has been honored to partner with the people of Maya Vinic on a number of projects over the past seven years. We view this payment not as a donation but a reflection of the deep partnership between Higher Grounds and Maya Vinic to offer you the highest quality coffees grown by the most amazing fair trade and organic farmers in the world!

Fall in the Gardens

We got all the garlic planted yesterday - ~~ 1800 cloves. This is about a 100 more cloves of hardneck than last year, and a bit more green garlic.

The hoophouse is enclosed and things are growing in it. A lot of garden is cleaned up and cover crops planted. The new wash shed is almost done. Potatoes are all dug and sorted into seed and eating size.

The deer are wrecking the fall garden - eating the tops of cabbages. GRRR. They probably snack on them while on their way to the field corn for their main meal.

Bulk ground beef for sale in a few weeks

We will have lean ground beef for sale in quantity soon. The packages will be 1# and 2#, it will be USDA inspected, but not priced for individual package resale so put your orders in now! Minimum quantity will be 10# or there-abouts.

Whew!

I feel like I'm still in recovery and trying really hard to do other things than think about or work with vegetables. Of course, that hasn't happened, but I have let the blog slide for a couple of weeks!

Having a CSA is a huge responsibility. You trust us to grow food and we do our best with the enormity of that job. It presents different challenges all throughout the growing season, and from year to year. This year seemed especially hard for even experienced growers like us. If you've planted a garden of your own this year, please know this and don't lose heart - try again next year! We will :-).

The past 2 weeks have been busy with winter preparation. It would have been nice to have a warmer stretch into October. We've had to hustle to get the last of the tender crops in, the hoophouse rebuilt, ground cleaned up and readied for planting garlic and green manure crops. Long-season crops are being harvested, sorted, prepped for storage. We've finally dried and frozen and canned some food for ourselves, too. Bill has repaired a lot of fence and moved the cattle a few times, separating out the older bull and the steers.

Bill just got appointed to the MIFFs Board - Michigan Integrated Food and Farming Alliance.

FREEZE ~ more than just a frost

We were hit hard last night. Those of you who picked up veggies today saw how wilted and damaged the plants were. We picked all the beans, covered the pole beans but they still had damage, picked a bunch of basil, peppers, eggplants (mostly very small ones). Season's over for most things. It's kind of fitting since this was the last CSA pickup day.

We would like to invite you all to come to Sweetwater Market with an enticing $5 off vegetable purchases at our table. We are at the Hackley professional building south of The Lakes Mall on Harvey Street. Or take the Pontaluna Road exit off US 31 and go east to Harvey St. Then go north and follow the signs. We are outside if the weather is good, inside if it's windy, rainy or snowing. Hours are Saturdays 9-1 till the end of the year. We are also open January - May every other week. http://sweetwaterlocalfoodsmarket.org/

Thanks for being a part of our CSA! We are going to try to organize a members potluck in the very near future. Email or call if you are interested in participating.

Fingerling Potatoes

Fingerling potatoes are a family of heritage potatoes which naturally grow much smaller than conventional potatoes. They also tend to be elongated and slightly knobbly, making them very finger-like in shape. The unusual looking, flavorfulpotatoes can be used just like regular potatoes in an assortment of roasted, broiled, baked, grilled, or boiled dishes.

'French Fingerling': Silky-smooth, cranberry-red skin covers moist yellow flesh marbled with red, especially just under the skin. The 11/2- by 3-inch-long tubers look as good as they taste. Best steamed or roasted.

'Russian Banana':Yellow-skinned, yellow-fleshed, and medium-sized tubers produced in a quantity rivaling Austrian Crescent's make this one of the most popular fingerlings. Russian Banana tubers measure 1 inch by 3 inches. Along with perhaps French Fingerling, this variety is the one you'll most likely find served in restaurants. Best baked, steamed, or in salads.

'Purple Peruvian':

Uniquely purple skin and flesh are perhaps this fingerling's best features. The tubers measure 3/4 by 2 inches. The plant is less productive than most fingerlings. Best mashed or baked.

Celeriac

Celeriac is a vegetable that is a member of the celery family. However, only its root is used for cooking purposes. It has a taste that is similar to a blend of celery and parsley. I planted the seed in February, transplanted it into the garden in May and it is just now ready for harvest!

You can safely store it in your refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Because celeriac can be used in recipes that call for celery, its use is limitless. It needs to be peeled with a paring knife, and then can be used raw or cooked in many ways.

To our CSA members

Please get your herbs this next week, or let me know what you want and stop by Sweetwater Market on a Saturday. We have a lot of cilantro and basil right now.

Russet Potatoes

Russet Potato

Usage: Baking, frying, mashing, roasting, boiling. Russets are often used to make french fries

Selection: Good-quality Russet potatoes will be firm, have a net-like texture to the skin and russet-brown coloring. They should have few eyes, and those few eyes should be shallow.

Store Russet Potatoes in a cool (40 - 50° F), dry, well ventilated, dark place to protect them from light exposure and to inhibit quick sprouts from growing. If your potatoes do begin to sprout or grow, cut off the sprouts. If you don't have good storage available, buy in smaller quantities and more often.

Kale Chips! Recipe from a friend

Kale Chips is what you do when you have kale here, kale there kale EVERYWHERE!

I thought I may have a better chance of my family embracing kale in chip form. Everyone in my house loves chips. Green chips, do you think they bought it? Um, no. But I am in love.

So being that I am not a recipe person most of the time here is how I did it.

1. Wash kale and check for bugs n' stuff. Spin or pat it dry.

2. Remove the leaves from the center stem.

3. Tear up into pieces about the size of a chip, like a tortilla chip not a Frito or chocolate chip.

4. Toss them in a big bowl with a enough olive oil to lightly cover (less than you think so be careful) and a dash of salt or garlic salt. You can get creative with cumin, or chili powder as you get used to making it.

5. Lay out one layer on a cookie sheet.


6. Place in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 10 minutes or so. Until the edges are just starting to turn brown. Be aware that if you pull it out too early it will be soggy and not chippy.

7. Remove from sheet onto paper towel to soak up some of the excess oil.

8. Present on a colorful complimentary plate and EAT UP!

Winter Squash

Heart of Gold

An early winter squash that combines a sweet dumpling with an acorn squash to produce a small acorn shaped vegetable. The outer skin is cream colored with dark green stripes covering a fine-grained inner flesh that is orange when ripe. This squash has a sweet rich flavor and can be baked, mashed or steamed. Store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Garden and veggie update

• Two more weeks of CSA veggies after today. A few of you are having an extended season because of time out of town. We'll get together with you to figure out the specifics of that.
• Pickles are almost done producing and certainly aren't as nice-looking any more!
• Beans are producing lots! In fact, we have extra for canning or freezing for $2 per lb, $1.50 per lb for CSA members. They are picked young and tender.
• Peppers are finally turning red! S l o w l y...
• It's the last week for sweet corn and melons.
• There are very few pumpkins.
• Some animal went through the melon patch and pulled up most of the sunflowers! They were just about to bloom.
• Potatoes are all ready to dig - lots of them. New kinds coming still: Russet, French Fingerling and Peruvian Purple Fingerling.
• Winter squash looks plentiful for shares. Acorn, Butternut, Buttercup, Delicata.
• Lettuces look good - they like the cooler nights.
• We should have enough carrots ready for them to go out in shares 1 more time.
• Onions should all be harvested this week. You will get more, plus scallions, plus leeks.
• You will get celeriac and parsnips the last share days (first week in October).

CSA Poem

This was written by a friend (and beef and pork customer) who belongs to the CSA at MSU.

It's Wednesday Again
The week has flown by, with its hustle and bustle,
My body's so tired, I can't move a muscle,
I glance at my calendar, thinking, and then
break out in a smile--it's Wednesday again.
Wednesday--the day I pick up from the farm
home-grown veggies, herbs, flowers, grown pure without harm,
Twice blessed--by the ground and the students who grow them,
and pick them, and sort them, and love them, and know them.
I pick up my bundle, a colorful treasure,
The bounty and beauty a gift beyond measure.
I take in the shapes and the textures and sizes,
And think of the flavorful meal surprises
we'll enjoy through the week, as we try out new dishes.
All organic and locally grown, as our wishes
to live more sustainably, purely, have shown us,
so I thank you for all the good stuff you have grown us!
by Patti Kenney

Tomatillo Salsa recipe from Gail Smythe

I found a new recipe for tomatillo salsa that's excellent! Made it today with peppers from the garden and some of Patrice's fantastic tomatillos, onions, & garlic. (Note from Patrice: The recipe can be halved or quartered)

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa (It's hot!)

2 pounds fresh tomatillos, whole, husks removed, and rinsed
2 medium (or one large) red onion, cut in to large slices (width-wise), approximately 3/4 inch thick - Imagine onion rings, but not separated.
2 habanero peppers
2 jalapeno (or 3 serrano) peppers
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Preheat a grill on indirect high heat. Cook the tomatillos, onion slices, peppers, and garlic all on indirect heat for 10 minutes on one side, flip, and then 10 minutes on the other. Time may need to be adjusted. You want the tomatillos to be slightly charred and a little soft. They'll turn from bright green to a yellowish-green when ready. You also want the garlic and onion to soften up. The peppers will char slightly and get very soft.

Let everything cool to handling temperature. Using a food processor, chop the peppers finely (removing the stems first). Peel the garlic. Chop the onions coarsely. Throw the onions and garlic into the food processor with the peppers and chop finely. Put the onion mixture into a bowl. Puree the tomatillos and add to the onion mixture along with the salt & coriander.

Refrigerate and eat within 2-3 days.

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Roasted Tomatillo & Cream Cheese Dip

In a mixer, or by hand, cream an 8 ounce block of cream cheese. Gradually add 1 cup of the above salsa, mixing well. Beat it until it's light and well combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Eat with tortilla chips. Or use it as a sandwich spread. Or Try mixing it with shredded chicken for an enchilada filling. Mmmmmmmm......

Weather and veggies

I think this is the hardest growing season we've ever experienced. The weather the past week has been what we needed a month ago! We disconnected most of the irrigation since things were so wet, and now we are getting dry again.

The Winter Squash looks like it's made a decent crop. There are 4 or 5 kinds growing. The melons have not done well - normally we have lots of whole melons for everyone, but we are having to cut them in halves and quarters to have enough. They are ripening inconsistently because of the weather, and again, don't have the flavor they normally do with a hot summer.

Sweet corn is still coming on. Silver Queen is next - it's an old fashioned white corn.

We aren't even trying for tomatoes for shares this week - even the little tomatoes are affected and look terrible. I picked some green tomatoes that didn't have rot to see if they would ripen off the vine. So far, they just develop the blight spots.

Red and yellow peppers - still green. We will have to start picking them green soon and just give up on colored ones. They are supposed to turn red or yellow about 3 weeks after they are mature green. It's been at least a month now!

It takes us about 40-50 hours to pick, wash and pack veggies for shares every Monday and Thursday this time of year. It gets hard to find the time to keep up with the weeding, tending, planting. We did quit early today (6:30pm) and met our daughter and family for dinner before the kids go back to school tomorrow.

I hope you all have had a great Labor Day weekend!

Roasting Chickens for sale

$3 per lb. They are available at the Farm fresh tomorrow. After that, they will be frozen either here or in storage at The Starting Block in Hart. They range from about 4.5# to 6#. Think 'small turkeys'. Yum.