Most CSA members ordered mulberries this last week. They might be delicious, but they are very difficult to pick. Well, you could pick enough for one pie by hand without too much trouble. Picking enough for 40 CSA members is another story!
Most of our mulberry trees have been watched and taken care of very well all spring. All we have to do for these is put down a few sheets and shake the tree. You shake and shake and shake some more, and the mulberries fall gently to the ground. Then you roll the sheets together and put all the berries into containers. This sounds easy, and it is easier than doing it by hand, but there is more work to be done. You have to take out leaves and dirt chunks. You also have to get the berries into the container without squishing them. This is difficult when the berries are so ripe!
Of course, this method didn't quite get enough berries for everyone's order. We then got to climbing. From there you spend a few hours hanging awkwardly, one handily, while picking. This isn't too difficult for me, but Les looks a little silly like this.
The final result is having delicious berries to eat and purple hands for a week.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Summer Dishes
On Saturday, Pat made a wonderful dinner using veggies from the farm. It was a simple stir fry using Pac Choi, Peas, herbs, and ginger. It was over brown rice and used some goose meat. The best meals come from exploring in the kitchen. The next time you buy some veggies or open your CSA bag, we highly recommend experimenting. You never know what great flavors you will discover.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Plans for the Day
Another beautiful, sunny day is here. I woke up early this morning to do some morning prayers while listening to the birds get started for the day. Once the family was awake, we had breakfast and planned our day.
One of the big plans for the day is getting the tire on the tractor changed. It went flat while Les was working on the soybeans in Jefferson. Of course, the company who is coming out to change the tire (it isn't exactly like changing the tire on a small car, it's a lot bigger and heavier!) won't have time until tomorrow. This is a little disappointing because we finally have some great weather to get caught up on the field work. However, there is plenty to do until that is taken care of!
Before I head out to get started on all that work, I just wanted to let CSA members know that we are putting a canning jar by the cooler for the Standard Process Pick-Up site. This is where you can put the money you owe past your subscription cost. It should come up on your order form and be in your confirmation email, too. Just put your name on the money with a sticky note or on an envelope. Then we can mark you down as paid. If you have any questions, just comment below or email us.
Enjoy the wonderful summer day!
One of the big plans for the day is getting the tire on the tractor changed. It went flat while Les was working on the soybeans in Jefferson. Of course, the company who is coming out to change the tire (it isn't exactly like changing the tire on a small car, it's a lot bigger and heavier!) won't have time until tomorrow. This is a little disappointing because we finally have some great weather to get caught up on the field work. However, there is plenty to do until that is taken care of!
Before I head out to get started on all that work, I just wanted to let CSA members know that we are putting a canning jar by the cooler for the Standard Process Pick-Up site. This is where you can put the money you owe past your subscription cost. It should come up on your order form and be in your confirmation email, too. Just put your name on the money with a sticky note or on an envelope. Then we can mark you down as paid. If you have any questions, just comment below or email us.
Enjoy the wonderful summer day!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Thunder Cake
Today is the first day of summer. We'd like to think that on such a wonderful day we'd get to enjoy the typical sunny, hot weather of Wisconsin. Instead, it looks like we've got some severe storms coming. While we busy ourselves by trying to get field work done before the storms get here, you can get ready for the storm with the classic children's book "Thunder Cake" by Patricia Polacco.
This story follows a small girl who is afraid of storms. Her grandmother has her help make a special cake. As the thunder gets closer the girl runs out to the barn to gather eggs and picks berries for the topping. It's a great tale for kids of all ages that our family has enjoyed for many years.
The cake recipe can be found in the book but we found a copy for you, too.
1/2 inch pans at 350 degree for
35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with
strawberries.
This story follows a small girl who is afraid of storms. Her grandmother has her help make a special cake. As the thunder gets closer the girl runs out to the barn to gather eggs and picks berries for the topping. It's a great tale for kids of all ages that our family has enjoyed for many years.
The cake recipe can be found in the book but we found a copy for you, too.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together one at a time:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated
( blend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)
1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
Sift together:
21/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup dry cocoa
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 inch pans at 350 degree for
35 to 40 minutes. Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with
strawberries.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
International Perspective: Questions about Georgia
გამარჯობა! Hello from Georgia! If you've been checking out the home page you know that I, Danni, (Pat & Les's youngest daughter) your faithful BlackSheep tech support and goat enthusiast, has been teaching English in the Republic of Georgia. I've been adding little stories to the home page about the agriculture I've seen in this unique country. The experience has been wonderful, but is shortly coming to an end. I will be back home to Wisconsin in three weeks. For that reason, I'm giving you guys the opportunity to ask any questions you might have about Georgia, Katchapuri, foreign free-range chickens, and community cows. Please post in comments any questions you might have for me. I will do my best to find the answers in my last few weeks and post the answers when I get back. The questions can be related to anything, not just agriculture. See you soon!
You can read my travel blog, too!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Activities
Picked asparagus again this morning. Good yield, but still finding stalks from earlier this weeks frost damage. We try to cull these out, but saved some tips for soup. Friend made her favorite creamed asparagus soup, really good! Will try to get the recipe posted. Reminder to all who get our product either through the CSA or see it in stores. Unlike most product on the shelves, you should have little to none of the stalk to throw away from ours because it is "woody". We sell usable product, not material that you know you will be throwing away a third of the stalk because you cannot eat it "All good to the last stalk".
We are working on the computer glitches for the CSA orders. This approach is new to us also, but promises to be the CSA of the future!! Bear with us on this learning curve. Thanks also to our children for their computer help and expertise!
Had a request for the red milling corn we developed. Seed plot to have their own red corn for corn meal. Reminder we have white OP ORG for seed also.
Have seven light poles for the hops. Will set soon as we can get the cover planted under them. Vine starts are looking great!
We are working on the computer glitches for the CSA orders. This approach is new to us also, but promises to be the CSA of the future!! Bear with us on this learning curve. Thanks also to our children for their computer help and expertise!
Had a request for the red milling corn we developed. Seed plot to have their own red corn for corn meal. Reminder we have white OP ORG for seed also.
Have seven light poles for the hops. Will set soon as we can get the cover planted under them. Vine starts are looking great!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Global Warming
Just watched a PBS special on "Global Warming". Their main concern was CO2 concentrations and the resultant relationship on temp increase. I agree with their findings, but; Why doesn't anyone take our "conventional" farming practices and subsequent higher limestone usage. Organic farming uses the organisms in the soil as a buffer to pH and appear to use less limestone per acre per year than conventional. Liming of Acid soils releases CO2 into the atmosphere as part of the neutralization process.
CaCO3 - chemical weight = 95 , CO2 given off as a % of total, almost 47%
If farmers average use of 400 # lime per acre/year. (2Ton/Ac. every 10 years)
That equals 197# CO2 per acre per year
Convert that to all the tillable acres that are farmed from the Mississippi River on East. Thats a lot of Greenhouse gas yearly. Some is tied up in the soils carbon cycle, specially on organic production fields, but still a sizable tonnage released yearly.
CaCO3 - chemical weight = 95 , CO2 given off as a % of total, almost 47%
If farmers average use of 400 # lime per acre/year. (2Ton/Ac. every 10 years)
That equals 197# CO2 per acre per year
Convert that to all the tillable acres that are farmed from the Mississippi River on East. Thats a lot of Greenhouse gas yearly. Some is tied up in the soils carbon cycle, specially on organic production fields, but still a sizable tonnage released yearly.
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