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Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Big Project, plus Farm Store information with two recipes
The Big Project We avail ourselves of opportunities when we find them. One of these
was a USDA NRCS (National Resources Conservation Service) practice that helped us install three watering facilities for our
cattle. These watering facilities make it easier for us to do the pasture rotation. In the past, the cattle could drink from
the creek. Now, they are forbidden to go into the creek, so we must pump water to troughs, like the one you see in the picture,
above. To get the water there, we had to dig
well over a thousand feet of trench that was two feet deep, lay water pipe, and cover it back up. This is not an easy task,
especially since we have all the rest of the farm to care for. We
have finished the practice. All three troughs have their own supply pipes so that they can be shut off individually, if needed.
Each trough has a float so that it will refill without over flowing when the cattle drink. Cattle drink a lot of water each day. A calf may drink only a few gallons, but full-grown cow
can drink 25 gallons a day. That means that our animals probably drink about 600 gallons of water each day.
We understand and support the preservation of our stream, but I
still miss the sight of the cattle drinking from the creek. There is something so peaceful and natural in this. However, with
the population pressures and pollution of today, we do what is needed to contribute to a healthy environment. The Farm Store
Today's blog is the same as the newsletter you can pick up on paper at our Farm Store. The Farm
Store has our regular items, plus some small amounts of our produce. We seed, plant, and transplant daily so that there will
be fresh produce in March -- at least that is the target. The
apples and pears in the farm store are yummy. I included the following recipes in the newsletter this week, and I am
sharing them here.
Apple Custard Pie
1 single pie shell in 9-inch pie plate 4 large apples peeled and sliced for pie 1 Cup sugar 1 Cup whole
milk (this is a wonderful reason to try Dungeness Valley Creamery Whole Jersey Milk) 1/4 Cup flour 1
Tbsp cinnamon 1 to 2 Tbsp butter
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Peel and slice apples about ¼ inch wide. Mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon. Add
apples. Cover apples in dry mixture. Pour apples
into crust, evenly spreading all of dry mixture. Dot the top with butter. Add milk slowly so that it is absorbed by the dry mixture and surrounds the apples.
Bake 45 minutes. The custard should be set. If not, check every
3 to 5 minutes until it is done. Cool completely, then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Top with maple whipped
cream if you want an incredible experience. Maple Whipped Cream 1 Cup cream 2
to 3 Tbsp Maple Syrup (depends on taste) Place
cream and syrup into a cold, deep bowl. Chill bowl for about 1/2 hour in refrigerator. Stainless steel, ceramic, or copper
is best. Whip cream until it is in folds that stand on their own. Serve immediately.
10:27 am pst
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A Little Snow Damage The snow last week dropped
the four high tunnel hoop houses. The structures bowed under the weight of the snow after it started to rain. We had not gotten
them cleared off in part because the weather report reversed itself on snow. Then it came in the middle of the night.
The shape of the other tunnels and what we call the greenhouse, were OK.
The greenhouse is heated, and most of the snow did not stick. The other two shed more snow. Since last week, the tunnel we
were going to recover had the plastic ripped off in the wind, so it is getting new plastic later this week.
On the snow day, our crew valiantly tackled the problem. Kirsten shoveled
the snow and bailed the water out of the valley created when the top folded in on itself. When it was mostly clear, we couldn’t
get it dry, four people went beneath and lifted. As the remaining water shushed out the plastic bows took their usual shape.
A few bows broke, but by mid-afternoon those had been repaired. There are
still a few holes in the plastic, but as the crew finds them they are repaired. All
four high tunnels are planted or being planted for early spring produce. They have carrots, scallions, leeks, lettuce, and
many other young starts. Under the row cover, some of the chard, spinach, and lettuce hurt in November are recovering.
11:32 pm pst
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Please Join Marilyn on Monday Evening for the KCAA Monthly MeetingKCAA Monthly Meeting
DATE: Monday, January 17
TIME:
6:30 p.m. to 8:30p.m.
LOCATION: Island Lake Community Center, 1087 NW Island Lake Rd, Poulsbo, WA 98370 Join our panel and attendee discussion about the opportunities for young people
to learn and participate in agriculture. Schools and civic organization in Kitsap provide agricultural learning opportunities
for young people. From
pre-school kids to high school students, vibrant programs are available, and more are being developed right now. Get connected
with these programs and find out how you and your children can enjoy the rural culture we live in. No
reservation is needed for our Monthly Meeting. Please come to learn and share.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Another Snowy Day! It is snowing. That means no fresh cut
veggies. The crew is working to heat the hoop houses and direct seed carrots, and transplant leeks. The chard, spinach, and lettuce is struggling, and we will be transplanting the new starts into the hoop
houses this week. We have apples, pears, carrots, sunchokes, milk, and coffee. Not much, we know, but there will also be sun chokes and baby carrots.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
THE BEEF IS SOLD OUT!
Mid-morning Tuesday. It is about 29°F.The frozen
row cover still will shatter in our hands if we try to move it. That means no fresh cut veggies. We will
see when it warms up. We have apples, pears, carrots, sunchokes, milk, and coffee. Not much, we know.
Time will tell how chard, spinach, and lettuce will do when the freeze is done. Could be schmutz or it
could have survived.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Mid-morning Monday. It is about 20°F.The frozen row cover will shatter
in our hands if we try to move it. That means no fresh cut veggies. We will see when it warms up. We have apples, sunchokes, milk,
and coffee. Not much, we know. Time will tell how chard, spinach, and lettuce will do when the freeze is done. Could be schmutz
or it could have survived. We cannot know until it warms up.I walked into the cooler this morning, and it is holding at almost
20° warmer than outside. It just seems wrong, We are planting seeds for this spring's transplants. Today, we will be ordering the chicks that
will arrive in April. We have the pullets for eggs. Now we just need the spring time. The days are getting longer! Woohoo.
Almost Gone
ONE
TIME ONLY HERD REDUCTION SALE
WE HAVE LIMITED AMOUNTS SO ORDER NOW click here to go to our order page.
CLARIFICATION: OUR BEEF IS NOT CERTIFIED ORGANIC
Hamburger 20 pound freezer pack $79.80.
This is only $3.99 a pound for lean grass-fed ground meat. 50-pound
freezer packs $229.50. This is only $4.59 a pound for lean grass-fed beef. In your freezer pack you will get
approximately: steaks
13 pounds
roasts 13 pounds
round steak 8 pounds
hamburger 16 pounds
We cannot guarantee exact weights for each type, only the total weight.
These will be standard cuts. This is your total cost, just like
at the grocery store, except far less expensive. Buy now.
We have to get your order before we butcher. This is custom butchering, cut and wrap by Farmer George. You will get your
meat in about 3 weeks (this is determined by the butcher, not us).
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