HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
As I type, the first snow is falling. It is a lovely cold light snow and is making for a beautiful base for the winter. (We won't talk about the fact that it will rain 2 inches tomorrow.) The warm weather has pushed many of my winter tasks back a bit--just yesterday I packed away all the implements and tools. And just last week I mulched the strawberries and raspberries. Tasks that usually take place right around Thanksgiving. Warmer weather is certainly easier to work in and I have been able to get many things accomplished that I wouldn't normally. But I have to admit I was hoping for a good freeze and plenty of snow to squelch some of those nasty bugs and diseases that have been building up over the years with warmer temps.
Mulching was a joint effort between all 4 cats, three ducks, Simon and myself. The cats romped and played and tackled each other over the towers of bales piled in the truck, the ducks futilely searched for worms in the dry oat shafts, Simon alternated between searching for mice and chasing the cats just for fun and I...well I actually mulched the berries!
The ducks are pretty hilarious. They are certain that any movement on the farm is an effort to find worms for them. They see me in the hoophouse, they come in looking for handouts. They hear the tractor flipping the compost, they waddle over. They see me shoveling snow...and they all truck over hoping for some straggling bug. Alas, while I was mulching the raspberries with wood chips, I do believe they found a few morsels to settle their craving.
All of the seed catalogs have arrived! I have already been leafing through and am anxious to start my ordering. Thank you to all who have signed up for 2013 and have paid in full or have given a deposit--it will certainly make ordering much easier!
If you are thinking about signing up for 2013--get in the full spirit of Community Supported Agriculture--now is the time to pay down some money so I can purchase seeds and amendments for your veggies!
December Share Pick Up
Thursday 20th from 3-7
carrots, potatoes*, beets, onions, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, red/green cabbage, chinese cabbage, tat soi/pac choi?, garlic, turnips...
*the December and Winter share taters are from Crystal Spring Farm (organically cert). I had a low yield this year so I traded other veggies over summer for winter taters!
Recipes:
I will admit, we haven't been cooking much lately (instead allowing my mother, who is a great cook, to feed us). We are redoing our kitchen and currently are living in a dusty, stoveless, sinkless mess. I usually just search online for recipes for veggies I think you all might have trouble finding new things to do with. There are usually several modifications of the same recipe, so if the one I post does not fit your fancy try another search to find a different recipe to suit your needs. And of course the whole reason I opened up a facebook account for the farm is for you all to share recipes, so please fb it up if that is your thing. Good Luck, have fun and Enjoy! Blessings on your meal, Keena
Mashed Carrots, even kids will love!
Butternut Squash Lasagna
8 Winter Beet recipes
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/01/if-you-cant-beat-winter-eat-beets-8-recipes/68137/