Leah Kip

A lot has happened since I last wrote you here. I have been on a little, yes, maternity leave! Leah Kip Burchstead was born on Setember 28th at 12:09 am. We gave birth to her in our home at The Morris Farm. As many of you know, our life here is a little hectic, full of people coming and going, and far from private. While I knew a home birth was the right choice for us, I was a little concerned about having a baby at The Morris Farm. What if it was during a volunteer work day? Or the big Slow Food Dinner? Luckily, the day I went into labor was a quiet Sunday. The day blessed us with a curtain of heavy rain, keeping random visitors and the sounds of the cars a a world away. A quiet day of just Jeff and I (when else would that ever happen?!) Jeff did have to go out to check on the animals and move a little fence, so I took a walk, then spun wool on my spinning wheel when the contractions became heavier and Jeff was still out. After the midwives arrived and got settled in, they they rested while Jeff and I labored alone. The space and privacy they gave us was just what I needed. After giving birth to Ruth in a birthing center/hospital where I walked among strangers through contractions (and had a 30+ hour labor), doing a little reading, and watching how all our farm animals prefer to labor and birth alone, I decided that the animal in me needed to hide out to labor and birth as well. We brought Leah into the world after only 8 hours of real labor. My midwife, Heather Stamler, did a wonderful job reading my cues, comforting, and guiding me through the pushing. Her support after the labor is also invaluable. Above is a picture of our new farm girl. She is healthy, strong, and big. At birth she weighed 9 lbs. 4 oz., and at her 2-week check-up weighed 10 lbs. 10 oz.

So, adjusting to parenting an infant again and helping Ruth through this transition time, while still trying to run a farm and get a house built before the new year has been a little crazy! How are we doing it? The key is a loving community of fabulous cooks. Every evening for 3 weeks a friend dropped of an evening meal for us, lined up by our friend, CSA member, and amazing organizer Eve Conlin. These meals made all the difference for us, eliminating a layer of stress and allowing us to spend peaceful evening time together as a family. Thank you!

Since I last wrote here, the farm has made the transition from summer to fall. We finished haying at the end of September. Pictured below is Jeff driving the team to gather the last load of hay. Ruth accompanies him on the forecart and the farm crew tosses and stomps the loose hay down on the wagon behind.
The horses are also in action plowing under old crop land to prep it for cover crop planting. They help with the harvest as well; pictured below is our mother/daughter team Mary and Millie plowing up the potato rows to expose the potatoes for us to collect. Cabbage and chard for late fall/early winter harvest are in the foreground.
Several frosts have visited our farm; we successfully scurried ahead of them harvesting all our warm weather crops such as peppers and tomatillos. The more sensitive winter crops, winter squash, pumpkins, storage onions, storage potatoes) are in as well. Pictured below are the winter squash and pumpkins "curing" in the warm sun of the greenhouse. Many crops, such as carrots, kale, and parsnips, only get sweeter with the frost, and they are still out in the fields. If you don't think you like kale and parsnips, please try them again now that they are "frost sweetened"! The fall harvest pulls us out of the field and into the kitchen a bit more as we freeze and ferment veggies for winter eating. Sadly, our kitchen is not nearly as busy this fall as in autumns past due to a smaller harvest. Remember the rain that would not stop followed by the tomato blight? Hopefully next summer it will all be a distant memory...
And life as usual continues. The critters need to be fed, eggs collected, fence moved to new pasture, CSA and farmers' market to set up for... Last week the farrier, Stan, made his regular 6-8 week visit to trim the horses hooves. Pictured below is Stan working on Mary's hooves. Mary also had the horse dentist working on her earlier in the day. She is older, and we have trouble keeping weight on her every winter. The dentist came to make sure her teeth are even and filed so she does not loose food from her mouth as she chews.
CSA members, we have one more pick-up next Tuesday the 27th to complete our 20 weeks of summer harvest for you. The last 2 weeks of harvest included:

October 13th CSA Share:

• carrots
• parsnips (great cut into rounds and boiled or sauteed and tossed with a little butter, salt, and/or lemon juice. Also, see recipe below - one of our favorites!)
  
• leeks
• green peppers
• hot peppers
• kale
• salad turnips
• parsley
• Halloween pumpkin
  

October 20th CSA Share:

• carrots
• parsnips
• fennel
• parsley
• scallions
• Delicata squash
• leeks
• mixed greens (mizuna, mustard, pac choi, arugula: makes for a spicy salad, and is mild steamed, sauteed, braised)
• celery

Parsnip Pancakes
allrecipes.com; submitted by: Lois Frazee; Serves 6

• 2 pounds parsnips, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon minced chives

1. Place parsnips in a large saucepan and cover with water; add salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and place parsnips in a large bowl; mash. Stir in the onion, flour, egg and chives.
2. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a well-greased hot griddle. Flatten with a spatula. Fry until golden brown; turn and cook until second side is lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

These are great topped with a little sour cream. You can try adding a herb (like parsley) instead of or in addition to the chives or a little curry powder for a different zip...

Happy Eating!
Your Farmers,
Jeff, Ruth, Amy & Leah

A Few Are Idle

The feel of September is settling over the farm. All crops are planted, the pace of weeding has slowed, and only a small patch of hay remains to be cut. We purchased some baled hay from Lee Straw to help feed the horses over the winter, and of course to provide the best possible napping spot for our cat, "Onion". He now smells deliciously of hay when he comes in to greet us in the morning. Onion is the definition of idle when the late afternoon sun slants throught the barn windows and warms his spot in the hay.
The horses have earned a bit of idle time as well. Their cultivating work is done for the time being. Once the forecast ceases its small threats of rain, Jeff will harness up a team to complete the season's haying. And, once we find the time, we'll put them to work plowing crop ground where we have harvested in preparation for planting cover crops.
The old loose hay loader, which we purchased from a field in Pittston a few years ago, has seen an active month. It has served us well this season. If you get a chance to get out to the farm to see our last bit of hay-making, make sure you stay long enough to see this piece of equipment in action. It, like our mower, tedder, and hay rake, is "ground driven", meaning the circular motion of its wheels moving over the earth set into motion a series of gears which in turn make all the components of the equipment work. We do have a baler which has its own motor and can be pulled by the horses, enabling us to make hay bales. But loose hay more fun to make, requires no motors or gas, and our livestock much prefer the loose hay we put up as opposed to the baled.
An expectant momma can't help but point out that sunny days are not just fine for hay making, but are also fine for laundry drying. These baby clothes, diapers, and blankets waving ever so slightly in the sun are the calm in the center of my storm of preparation. They are also a firm reminder that very soon a real babe will fill and bring the clothes to life.
At the center of Jeff's storm is the back of the farm truck, holding the evidence of all that is done and needs to be done with the reaminder of the day. A chainsaw and helmet indicate he has been at the house site; fencing supplies mark his work setting up cow fencing in the back pasture of The Morris Farm and sheep fencing over at Old Stone Farm. Early Tuesday morning the truck is filled with harvesting knives and crates for the CSA harvest. Ruth is loving spending most of her day helping Jeff and Kate on the farm. She bursts in the door at the end of the day, energized and feeling very important, usually a tool in hand, and covered in dirt (today a bit of paint from the house site and chocolate ice cream from lunch as well.) Her stories of the afternoon's work and unforeseen challenges spill from her as she heads again for the door to go out and do "one more thing" before dinner. She is so much like her dad, who is currently (at 9:30 pm) at the house site painting window trim and catching escapee chickens in our neighbor's yard (sorry Mr. & Mrs. Rines!)

September 8 CSA share:

• potatoes
• green beans
• purple and yellow beans
• daikon radish
• carrots
• purple scallions
• summer squash
• chard
• hot peppers
• purple bell peppers
• cucumbers

September 15 CSA Share:

• colored peppers
• kale
• basil
• patty pan summer squash
• assorted summer squash
• cucumbers
• leeks
• carrots
• potatoes
  

We are...

Harvesting
Our kitchen table, as well as the CSA tables, farm stand, and farmers' market booth, finally has a diverse and colorful offering of veggies. Thanks to all our members and customers for your patience and support, and for sharing the joy of our first green beans of the season! Last Tuesday evening, Jeff taught a canning and fermenting workshop at The Morris Farm to help folks preserve the season's harvest. If the nip in the evening air has you thinking of stocking up for the winter, just let us know; we have several books we can recommend to you, and are happy to answer any questions on food preservation.
Weeding
The job that is never done until the snow flies... is made much more fun with the help of friends. Our good friend Clay, pictured to the left, is now joining us every Tuesday to help with CSA harvest and other farm tasks in barter for food. Here Clay, Jeff, and Kate are weeding the carrots and throwing the weeds into the old manure spreader to haul out of the garden. Ruth stands by ready to drive the team forward when the crew is ready (and chatting all the while.)
Grazing
Our rotational grazing system has our critters moving all over The Morris Farm and the Old Stone Farm pastures. When the livestock all end up in the same general area, it is like the constellations lining up. I love being able to look across the pasture and see all of them at once. All four horses are now at The Morris Farm to work on making the hay here. They are also entertaining themselves watching over the cows on the other side of the fence. Two cows decided to make their Saturday night more exciting last night by breaking through a gate to visit with the horses. Consequently, Jeff's Sunday morning has been a little more exciting than usual as well!

Getting ready for baby
Above is the world from my point of view these days: over the curve of an 8 1/2 month pregnant belly. So much of what we are doing now is in preperation for the arrival of our new little one. We were both awake at 4:30 this morning, with thoughts of what needs to to be done driving us from bed by 5:00. Now it is 7:30 am, Ruth and Anna are still sleeping, Jeff has moved the cows, done chores, and is on the road to Winterport for a few shearing jobs (some breeds of sheep need to be shorn twice a year). I am stealing this rare quiet hour (ignoring the pile of dishes) to write to you. Our goal is to get the farm and our house building project to a point where we can slip away from both for a few days after the baby is born and hunker down in our home to rest and nest and eat and stare in wonderment at each other.

Your Farmers,
Jeff & Amy

September 1 CSA Share:

• cilantro
• garlic
• kale
• lettuce mix
• potatoes
• basil
• beets
• onions
• carrots
• cucumber
• summer squash

This week's share contained a large amount of basil tips as well as a head of garlic so you can make some pesto. Pesto is one of our most treasured tastes of summer; it freezes great in little jars or plastic bags to bless you with a taste of summer in the winter.

Pesto
Moosewood Cookbook

3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
3 to 4 large cloves garlic
optional: 1/3 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (I also sometimes use sunflower seeds or pecans)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parmesan (I often omit the parmesan and the pesto is still great!)
optional: salt and pepper to taste (I think the salt is necessary, but not the pepper)

1.) Place the basil leaves and garlic in a blender or food processor and mince well.
2.) Add the nuts, if desired, and continue to blend until the nuts are ground.
3.) Drizzle in the olive oil, as you keep the machine running. When you have a smooth paste, transfer to a bowl, and stir in the parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, place room-temperature pesto in a warmed serving bowl. Add hot pasta and toss thoroughly. Allow 2-3 Tbs. pesto per serving. (In our home we also love pesto as a sandwich spread, on burgers, and even mixed with sauteed veggies.)

Summer

Summer is in swing... the old haying equipment: mower, tedder, and loose hay loader are whirring in the fields behind a steady team of horses, followed by the quiet pitchforks of a hard-working crew and the constant chatter of Ruth as she leaps into the piles. Included in the photo above is Paul, a retired train engineer who, lucky for us, has a fascination with old horse equipment. He has spent many afternoons this summer pouring over our horse books and tinkering with the mower in preparation for these long-awaited sunny days. Much work has been done since this photo; the pole barn is now about half-full of hay.

The crops continue to thrive, and we are thrilled to finally offer a bit more diversity in the CSA share as well as on our kitchen table. However, we're all still feeling the inpact of the rains, as we should also have cucumbers, beans, and cabbage for you this time of the season. We planted the cucumbers and beans at The Morris Farm, usually a great spot for mid-summer crops. But not this year! Our first two plantings of beans rotted in the ground, as did the first cukes. These soils are simply too heavy for a rainy season. A friend of ours and fellow CSA farmer came for a visit and a little advice this past week. He also leases a farm, and the majority of the soils on that farm are the same as The Morris Farm's. After this season, he is considering moving to find lighter soils elsewhere. At least we are not alone in the frustrations of this season! Another frustration we are not alone in is the disaster of late blight descending on the northeast. The stories of farmers loosing their entire potato and tomato crops have been all over the news. We thought for awhile that we had avoided the devastation, but now it seems like our plants, too, are being brought down by it, and we may not be able to glean any tomatoes for the CSA shares. We are so sad... what is summer without tomatoes? Last season our CSA members were enjoying (or becoming overwhelmed with) 4 lbs. of tomatoes a week, our canning pots were bubbling into the night preserving tomato sauce and salsa, and our winter CSA freezer was brimming with bags of frozen paste tomatoes. The only farmers we know that are harvesting any tomatoes have the plants in hoop houses where they are regularly spraying copper. Farmers with plants out in the fields are not having any luck fighting the disease. We will do what we can to coax our plants along, and will keep you posted. Without efficient, but expensive, power spray equipment, we have not been willing to spend the excessive hours spraying copper, which is toxic to humans and many critters, with a hand pump backpack sprayer. Jeff tried homeopathy, a modality that has worked with our family and livestock, spraying the remedy Alium Cepa one time as recommended by a book he purchased. It was probably too little to late and has shown no positive response. At some point you have to let the past go and focus positive energy on the future. Jeff and Kate are doing a great job keeping the crops weeded, and they just planted the last seedlings from the greenhouse into the field: chard, arugula, and spinach. They also seeded spinach, lettuce mix, mustard greens, radishes, and salad turnips for cold weather fall harvests.

Also in the good news department is the simple celebration of our seventh wedding anniversary, which happened to be on the last CSA pick-up - Aug. 18th. Our unborn baby is growing rapidly and kicking like a farmer itching to plow on a snowy spring day. Our new house is growing rapidly, too. What amazing carpenters we've found (Emerald Builders of Bowdoinham)! Since these photos were taken, they have boarded in the house and framed the upstairs interior walls. I wanted to share these photos with you so you could see the beauty and structure of the timber frame.

Your Farmers,
Jeff & Amy









August 18 CSA share:

• new potatoes
• summer onions
• summer squash
• head lettuce
• basil
• romaine leaf lettuce
• carrots
• radishes
• kale (see recipe for Kale Chips below if your bunch of kale still sits idle in your fridge)
  
• cilantro

August 11 CSA share:

• head lettuce
• carrots
• new potatoes
• chard
• green peppers
• summer squash
• summer onions

The below recipe has a special place in my heart, because it is the one my mother, my aunt Sheryl, and our long-time friend Mary baked for our wedding. The cake was delicious as well as beautiful, bedecked with fresh flowers from our garden. On the top layer stood an elderly farm couple carved of wood, a gift from Jeff’s sister. The couple now sits on our mantle, serenely smirking at all of the crazy work we do.

Lovin’ Carrot Cake
From Amy's Aunt Sheryl and Mother Thyle ~ Makes two 9 inch layers

1 1/2 cup sugar
7/8 cup canola or sunflower oil
4 small/medium eggs (room temperature)
2 cups flour (all-purpose white)
1 2/3 tsp. baking soda
1 T cinnamon
13 1/3 oz. carrots (about 3 1/3 cups)
5 1/3 oz. chopped nuts (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 325.
2. Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs for about 2 minutes on medium speed
3. Mix the flour, baking soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and beat for about 1 minute
5. Beat in the carrots and optional nuts
6. Pour batter into 2 greased 9 inch round cake pans
7. Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes

Frosting: you can find my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe on the inside of an Organic Vally Cream Cheese package.

Baked Kale Chips

* 1 bunch kale
* 1 tablespoon olive oil (or more; enough to coat all leaves)
* 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and thoroughly dry kale and rip or cut into large bite size pieces (the pieces will shrink during baking.) Drizzle kale with olive oil (toss in bowl to coat leaves) and sprinkle with seasoning salt (and other spices/seasonings if desired).
3. Spread kale out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. Toss once mid-way through baking to brown and crisp both sides.

Progress

The past couple of weeks have felt like a real turn-around on the farm. We are making progress instead of mud! We cultivated all the gardens at Old Stone Farm (pictured above). Now the plants have sunshine, warmth, air in the soil (instead of water) and no weeds competing with them for those cherished resources. We moved our new flock of laying hens out to pasture, as they are now starting to lay eggs and the ground is dry enough for them. The cows have finished grazing at Old Stone Farm, and have started in on the pastures at The Morris Farm. This week we will be moving the sheep over to Old Stone Farm to rotationally graze there.
The sunny skies of last week inspired Jeff to mow some hay. Unfortunately for us, the rain did fall, and the crop could not be put up. But, the area he mowed was small, and we picked up the hay anyway and gave it to the piglets. They had a great time munching on it, making beds in it, and of course playing in it! Jeff mowed again this weekend, and last night finished forking the loose sweet hay into the pole barn. He will probably mow again this week; we may need a little help getting the hay in, so please email or call if you would like to stop by to lend a hand. It is a great way to see the horses in action.

As I mentioned in the last post, two of our apprentices had become ill with Lyme's Disease. They took a couple weeks off to recover, but returned to the farm still exhausted and a little sick. We all decided that the farm life was not working out for their recovery, so they have left the farm to rest and to live closer to a doctor that their insurance will accept. We have had quite a bit of experience with Lyme's on this farm, and do not take the disease lightly. So, Kate (pictured to the right disking with the horses) and Jeff are working long hours on the farm, and we are looking for a new apprentice or two. Ruth is helping out on the farm a lot and accompanying me to the house site as we figure out how to be the contractor for our home construction project. Another challenge of being short-handed while we run a farm and oversee the construction of our house is attempting to keep relative order and cleanliness in our house, especially with the arrival of a new baby just around the corner (due Sept. 18th)! My mother has been up for the weekend helping me to get the house ready for baby. What farm family could survive without the help of family?

July 28 CSA Share:

• scallions
• fennel bulb
• chard
• dill
• new potatoes
• beets
• carrots

August 4 CSA Share:

• Red Gold potatoes
• kohlrabi
• kale
• basil
• radicchio
• scallions
• Purple Haze carrots
• beets (3 different varieties & colors)
  

A note on radicchio: you have probably eaten readicchio before in salad mixes; it is the dark purple/maroon leaves chopped up. Raw in salads it adds a bitter bite, but cooked it looses some of its bitter and is delicious with a sweet topping. Jeff braised some radicchio wedges last week in a pan with bacon grease and maple syrup that were delicious (but still too bitter for Ruth). Below is the recipe I had out at CSA pick-up:

Roasted Radicchio with Gorgonzola and Balsamic Vinegar
Farmer John's Cookbook ~ Serves 4

"Roasting brings out a concentrated, natural sweetness in radicchio. This dish is unusual, elegant, simple - and delicious. Served on a bed of risotto, it makes an attractive meal. If you're not a Gorgonzola fan, this is equally delicious with Brie, Swiss, aged Cheddar, or smoked Gouda. You can substitute lemon juice for the balsamic vinegar."

1 medium head radicchio, cut into 2-inch wedges
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
balsamic vinegar
1-6 ounces Gorgonzola (or other cheese), sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart baking dish.
2. Using a pastry brush, brush the radicchio generously with olive oil and place in a single layer in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake the radicchio for 20 minutes, turning wedges over once midway through cooking. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with cheese. Return to the oven until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Timber Frame & Sunny Skies

We apologize that we have not been very present on this blog recently. Two of our three apprentices have become sick with Lyme's Disease, an unfortunate hazard of the outdoor work life. While they recover, Jeff and Kate are working extra to keep the animals moving to fresh pasture and to attack the many weeds that have thrived in the wet conditions. The gardens are finally dry enough to get the horses and hoes in there for some much-needed cultivation! I have been busy being the contractor for our house-building project and driving trailer loads of lumber to and from the mill to be planed and to my friend's, Raivo's, shop to pick up the last of the timber frame. Sunday, under sunny skies, Raivo and his crew started assembling the frame. Monday the sun still miraculously shone, and the crane arrived to help us raise the frame. By the end of the day today the frame should be up. Then perhaps I will pause to take a breath, and I will certainly give thanks.

Jeff's CSA Crop Report: The weather is improving, albeit incrementally, but you will probably see the rain's impact on your share for the rest of the season. This is not at all what we would expect this time of year, but neither was the incessant rain of June/July. Normally this would be the time when the variety and quantities of vegetables would be starting to increase dramatically and peak in late August at the height of tomato harvest. But the rains of the past month prevented us from planting certain crops on time and rotted and ruined many plantings, including successional greens and initial bean and corn plantings. This was especially true at The Morris Farm, where the heavier soils we count on for unirrigated summer yields turned into anaerobic muck, completely inhospitable to plant growth. We have been scrambling to make room at the other farm where the sandy loams that normally turn droughty in the summer are the only productive soils we have. In doing so, we have had to compromise principles of resting certain ground each year and not double cropping areas. We had planned the pick-your-own herb garden for CSA members at The Morris Farm, which has obviously been impossible to pull off. Instead we have been harvesting herbs for you for your share. Despite our efforts, we cannot change what has happened to crops, some of which would be yielding food now and others that would be maturing over the next few weeks. Consequently the next few shares might be a bit sparse. We will do what we can and will sacrifice farmer’s market sales to get you some volume and variety in your share, but it may be that we have to skip a week or two, which we would make up at the end of the season. The other head’s up I will give you is that diseases linked to the cool wet weather, and the stress it puts on certain crops, are starting to rear their heads in our tomato and potato patches (but many of the plants are still healthy and doing their best to produce fruit, as the tomato plant pictured here.) One in particular, late blight, is potentially very devastating, having caused the infamous Irish Potato Famine because of its ability to rapidly defoliate a plant and reduce or eliminate yield. We have some organic fungicides, such as copper, at our disposal, but they mean hours of spraying every 5 days and are far from 100% effective. We assure you we will keep doing our best to make the most of the rest of the season and to keep your CSA share diverse and bountiful! Below are a couple related news articles to check out: pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=263807&ac=PHnws www.bangordailynews.com/detail/109659.html
July 7th CSA share:

• peas
• lettuce mix
• carrots
• beets
• head lettuce
• fennel fronds
• broccoli
• kale
• chard

July 14th CSA share:

• shelling peas
• snow peas
• sugar snap peas
• beets
• mini onions
• fennel bulb
• carrots
• kohlrabi
• broccoli
• chard
• Chinese cabbage
• cilantro

Today's (predicted) share:

• kale
• Chinese cabbage
• beets
• scallions
• salad turnips (These do not taste like winter storage turnips! Salad turnips are juicy and mild and are great raw in salads. Give them a try...)
  
• dill
• kohlrabi
• broccoli

Many of the veggies in today's share can be thrown together into a refreshing slaw. Slaws offer so many variations; below is one recipe to get you going:

Kohlrabi 'n' Carrot Slaw
from Farmer John's Cookbook; serves 4 to 6

1 pound kohlrabi (about 4 medium bulbs, grated)
2 medium-large carrots, grated
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small red onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 3/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Toss the kohlrabi, carrots, bell pepper, onion, thyme, and garlic in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the sour cream, oil, vinegar, chili powder, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

A Note After the Rain

This morning we woke to clear skies! The rain had become almost unbearable, to everyone except for Ruth, that is. She and her friend, Eben, took advantage of the wet to make a slip and slide in the front lawn. Did you know you can also lay down and do "snow angles" in the mud? Oh yes...

The crops are definitely suffering; Jeff will write later to fill you in on the gory details. Last Sunday we attended a fellow farmer friend's birthday party in Bowdoinham. The tent (yes, it was raining) was filled with other farmers and thus filled with complaints and commiserating. Those of us with lighter soils were faring OK, and those with heavier soils could only throw up our hands and hope for the best. To get an idea of how the rains have affected the state's farmers overall, take a look at this Bangor Daily News article: www.bangordailynews.com/detail/109803.html

The weather has done nothing to slow the pace of the farm work this time of year. Last Sunday the rain held off just long enough for Jeff, Ruth, and I to plunk some transplants (eggplant, peppers, and tomatillos) in the lighter soils of Old Stone Farm, pictured above. Monday night our last lambs of the season were born. We had spent all day bringing the sheep in out of the rain to deal with a "fly strike" problem in a few of the lambs. (For those of you can handle the gory details: Fly strike is when flies lay their their eggs in an animals wound, leading to maggots.) We checked the whole flock over thoroughly, treated those infected, and set up a new area for them in the barn and hoophouse. Everyone is doing great now, and most of the flock is out grazing today in the sunshine. Just as we were finishing setting up their fencing, our oldest sheep, Wanda, went into labor. Jeff had left to bring our last load of wood to the sawmill for our house frame, so apprentices Kate and Stephanie helped Ruth and I to make a pen for the laboring ewe. The first lamb was born while Ruth and I were in the kitchen pulling together dinner. We ate down in the barn to watch for signs of the second lamb's birth. Ruth fell asleep on my lap around 9:00 p.m., before the lamb's arrival (the life of a farm girl often necessitates a flexible bedtime). Luckily, Jeff returned to the farm in time to assist with the labor, as the last lamb decided to present itself backwards with only one hoof forward and one back. This is a potentially fatal position for a lamb. Jeff had to quickly pull the lamb out, then swing it a few times to clear its air passages of any fluids. I had to watch from my perch on the hay bale, pregnancy and a sleeping child on my lap preventing me from assisting. Jeff did a great job. Both lambs and their momma are doing great. We finally crawled into bed around midnight.

I must admit, I have been a little distracted from the farm recently, as I try to pull together our house-building project. This past week we were finally able to have our concrete foundation poured, taking advantage of another rare break in the weather. The most exciting parts of it for YOU are the greenhouse on the south side (to the right in the photo) and the three different root crop storage rooms on the north side. The house is designed to to easily and efficiently blend family and farm work life, to keep the mud in the basement and mud room, and to grow and store healthy food for our local community: you! We will invite you over for a tour of the site once there is a little more there to see.

CSA members:
Last Tuesday in your share you received:

• head lettuce
• tatsoi and/or mizuna
• lettuce mix
  
• dill
• cilantro
• garlic scapes
• beet greens
  
• radishes
• chard
• mustard greens

If you haven't already, the tatsoi and mizuna can be thrown in with your lettuce salad mix, or sautéed with other greens. Mustard greens have become one of may favorites this season; I love to sauté them in a little oil, maybe with onion or garlic scapes, but definitely with a little maple syrup or sweet vinegar! The beet greens are great steamed (beets and all) also with a dash of vinegar or, of course, butter. Below is a scrumptious recipe for greens, especially Asian greens:

Greens With Gingery Butter

Adapted from Judy Gorman's Vegetable Cookbook

6 T butter
2 T soy sauce or tamari
1 T grated or finely chopped fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (about 1/2 tsp.)
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the greens and cook until tender, 2 - 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately run under cold water. Drain well.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and greens; cook, stirring constantly, until the greens are well coated and heated through.

I hope you are having a wonderful Independence Day weekend, and we thank you for joining us in making food independence more of a reality in Maine!

Rainy Farm Adventures

During a recent conversation with our daughter, Ruth (3 1/2 years old), I used the word "bored". "Bored?" she asked, what is that? It took a bit to explain the concept from our frame of reference! Last Saturday the cows, all 10 of them, decided to duck under their fence and go exploring. I had just come back from farmers' market, and Jeff was at a farm in Arrowsic shearing sheep. Luckily, Ross was around to help. Keep in mind these are beef cows, not accustomed to the daily interactions with people that dairy cows are accustomed to, and therefore hard to catch. We don't have cell phones (much to the frustration of Ross), so I drove down to Arrowsic to fetch Jeff, while Ross headed off into the woods to find the cows. By the time I returned with Jeff, Ross had chased the herd through the woods from Old Stone Farm (where they were grazing) to the fenced pastures of The Morris Farm (phew!). One of our biggest fears is our cows getting out and into the road! But, in order to graze the pastures effectively, we had to move the cows back over to Old Stone Farm, which required hiring someone with a truck and trailer. The sheep have also been ensuring that no one around here gets bored. After my last blog post, thirteen lambs have been born. If you get a chance, you are welcome to visit them. We will be grazing the lambs relatively close tot he farm house at The Morris Farm until everyone is done lambing. Most of the lambs are old enough now that they are venturing from their mother's side to frolic and bounce together (witness the white lamb mid-leap in the photo!), a sight that makes you laugh out loud, no matter how dreary the weather Ah, the weather, you knew I had to mention it at some point. We'll keep you posted as to how the crops are faring with this lack of sun. The impact will likely be down the road a month or so as certain successional plantings of greens could not be put in and plantings of beans and sweet corn rotted in the saturated soil. So far everything growing in the ground right now, aside from a lettuce mix planting that washed away, seems to be faring well. Unless some unseen plant disease, many of which enjoy warm moist conditions, is lurking. The most dramatic impact so far was the flooding of the sheep's pasture last Friday. We had to move them to higher ground mid-afternoon, as the culvert under Rte. 27 proved too small and the pasture turned to pond, with only about a foot of our fencing visible above the water in some areas. Oftentimes, planning out your day's work as a farmer proves to be a totally futile exercise as the day's events keep boredom away!

CSA members, in you share last week you received:

• Spring-dug parsnips
• Turnips
• Head lettuce
• Endive
  
• Lettuce mix
  
• Arugula
• Baby Spinach
• Mustard Greens
• Cilantro

Today you will receive:

• Head lettuce
• Lettuce mix
• Beet greens
• Pac Choi
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Fennel leaf or Dill
• Garlic scapes (the flower of the garlic plant)
• Cilantro
  

Last week a member asked how I washed my greens. Great question to be asking as a member of a "no-wash" CSA! I soak them twice in cold water, for maybe 2-3 minutes each soak. Soaking them for a bit allows the dirt to loosen and fall to the bottom of the bowl, but soaking them for too long may water-log and damage more tender crops, such as lettuce greens. Between soaks I pull the greens out with my hands (instead of pouring out) and place in a strainer while I rinse the dirt out of the soaking bowl. For crops that have a lot of dirt (say, if it has been raining a lot and the soil splashed up on the leaves) a third soak may be in order. To have the greens keep well, they should be sufficiently dry before storing in a plastic bag in the fridge. I would highly recommend a salad spinner, if you do not already have one. I purchased mine at the cooking store in Bath, I think the store is called "Now You're Cooking". The spinner also works great to dry fresh herbs after washing.
I was also asked at CSA pick-up what to do with parsnips. Parsnips are great cut into strips for stir-fries or to bake at a high temp. in the oven tossed in olive oil and salt as oven fries, or cut into rounds for soups and stews and to steam plain or saute with a little butter and lemon juice. Below is one of my favorite parsnip recipes that I have published in previous CSA newsletters.

Parsnip Pancakes

allrecipes.com; submitted by: Lois Frazee; Serves 6

* 2 pounds parsnips, peeled
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon minced chives (or garlic scapes)

1. Place parsnips in a large saucepan and cover with water; add salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain and place parsnips in a large bowl; mash. Stir in the onion, flour, egg and chives.
2. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a well-greased hot griddle. Flatten with a spatula. Fry until golden brown; turn and cook until second side is lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.
These are great topped with a little sour cream. You can try adding a herb (like parsley, cilantro, dill) instead of or in addition to the chives or a little curry powder for a different zip...

And a greens recipe for you; this one is popular with kids!

Cheesy Spinch
From Asparagus to Zucchini:
A Guide to Farm-Fresh, Seasonal Produce

Mix: 3 eggs, 1 1/2 t lemon juice, 1 C brown rice, cooked, 1 1/2 t dried parsley (I used chopped fresh cilantro instead), 2 T grated parmesan cheese (optional), salt & pepper to taste.

Mix Seperately: 1 large bunch of spinach (or other cooking greens), chopped and steamed, 1 C cottage cheese, 1 C grated cheddar cheese, 4 eggs, Salt & pepper to taste, a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Spread the ingredients from the first mixture in the bottom of a greased casserole. Spread the spinach mixture over the rice. Bake at 350 degrees, until firm, 45-60 minutes. Makes 10-12 servings. (This recipe would make 10-12 servings if you were just feeding toddlers; Jeff, Ruth, and I ate the whole dish in one meal.)

Your Farmers,
Jeff & Amy

Welcome

Welcome to the beginning of our farm blog! When we started our CSA, we created a CSA newsletter to keep members involved with farm happenings. We loved sharing our farm and family stories, news, photos, and recipes in this newsletter. However, the format was limiting, not everyone could open it on their email, and sometimes the emailed newsletter would bounce back. This blog is a space you can visit anytime, from any computer with an internet connection, and we can share it with family and friends as well! We will post farm photos and happenings here at least weekly, but not necessarily on CSA pick-up day. Often all hands are needed in the field Tuesday mornings to ensure you receive an ample supply of fresh vegetables in your share, leaving little time for sitting at the computer. This season promises to be an exciting one, with our new baby due in mid-September, our new house construction just beginning, crops thriving in the field, and livestock heartily grazing the lush early summer pastures. This year, we decided to take better advantage of the pastures by lambing on pasture, instead of lambing early spring in the barn. Yesterday, after a long wait, we finally had our first lamb! She is loving frolicking in the grass; it is so nice to see a lamb begin its life out in the field, instead of in a pen in the barn. Her momma ewe is doing a great job looking after her; they are never far apart.