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.)