Tuesday, June 30, 2020

June 30th and July 3rd

Rain!

When I last looked at the rain gauge we had gotten 3.25" and it is still raining!  Honestly the ground was so dry, this overabundance is welcome.  Everything seems brighter and I swear I could see the cabbages growing!  Spotty thunderstorms will make harvesting a bit of a challenge today, but we will be careful.


Groundhog hunting had a bit of a glitch this weekend.  I moved it, I swear, but obviously not far enough.  I was rototilling and the tractor tire caught the edge of the trap.  AND it was borrowed from my neighbor!  (sorry Denis)  I have a new one on order.  A friend did get a groundhog last Thursday and we hoped we were in the clear, but another appeared the following day in the same spot.  Hmmm could it be a remake of "Groundhog Day" ?!


The pigs had a wonderful rainy Monday.  They woke in a puddle under their new hut and so I opened up the trailer door.  An hour later I found them snoozing inside.  I shut the door (they were not impressed), but then magically they appeared in a new grassy spot (hurrah!).  They ran circles in glee and then napped and napped and napped.  The only problem is now we need to get their hut over there and it is mired in mud.  That will be a fund Wednesday project : )


This Week's Bounty: lettuce, chinese cabbage, hakurei turnip, broccoli, chard, garlic scapes and cilantro

The Farmer's Table:
last night we had stir fried broccoli, mushrooms, chinese cabbage and top round steak -- yum!

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

June 23rd and 26th

Summer's Toil


So I am still feeling optimistic that we will have a fabulous crop this year, and I generally try and make the weekly blog about the positive things happening on the farm, but I am going to be honest, the past few days have been rough.  The soil is SO dry and the air is SO hot, we had hundreds of plants die late last week.  Of course, it is frustrating the time and effort we put into seeding, planting, covering and watering (oh my! so much hose dragging!) but most of all it makes me sad to see those little plants suffer, they were so gorgeous when we planted them.  I have reseeded some and hopefully there will be enough Maine growing season to see them bear fruit.  Farming is SO weather dependent and every year has its thing, but this one has really gotten me as it has never happened before.  Chin up, one foot in front of the other, we will make it I know, but today I am feeling a little low.




We are also battling a groundhog who favors broccoli.  Simon is on its tail, but it is the furthest field so he does not wander out there on his own.  We have given the ground hog a talkin' to....I mean there is grass and sweet clover galore.... hopefully he took the hint.



The good news is, we have new crops coming in every week to keep your taste buds happy.  Pray for rain, we could use a smidge.  Enjoy every bite .... remember that nearly everything you put in your mouth comes from a farmer, somewhere, who has poured their heart and soul into their work.


This week's bounty: lettuce, radish, spinach, broccoli, pac choi, kale, dill cilantro


Tuesday, June 16, 2020

June 16th and 19th

Crisp and Bright

What gorgeous weather we are having!  I am trying to soak it all in before he humidity comes and zaps all of my energy.  We had a great crew yesterday and got zucchini, summer squash, cucumbers, melons and half of the winter squash planted.  Wednesday will be the rest of the squash, sweet potatoes and strawberries .... and then we move on to weeding.  We have been using more plastic mulch and landscape fabric which I am not psyched about but it has many benefits 1) the plants LOVE it 2) it warms the soil in the spring 3) and maintains moisture 4) plus it suppresses weeds, which I am hoping we can save several hours of hand weeding this year!!!


We are back on irrigating ... pray for an evening rain shower this week.  Everything is looking happy though and we have lots to harvest .... so short blog this week, I gotta get back to it!
ENJOY!


This week's bounty: lettuce, arugula, spinach, chard, asparagus, parsnip, dill, cilantro

Try a PARSNIP PATTY recipe!

Monday, June 8, 2020

June 9th and 12th

Summer Skies


Well it felt like it took summer a long time to get here.  Seems crazy that it is the first week of June and in the last month we have had 12" of snow, 85 and humid, a late frost and a drought. I think the snow (and frost I hope!) is gone for at least 3 months and we were blessed with a soft 1.3" of rain this weekend.  The plants have responded beautifully.  And we are planting plants as fast as we can!


We are excited about this week's pick up and its glorious early greens, spring dug parsnips and delectable herbs.  A few of these greens may be new to you, but I encourage you to try them!  Above is tat soi.  The last frost and dry forced it into flowering but the flowers are sweet and tender.  you may dice it up and eat it raw, saute them lightly, fold them into your eggs or make a quiche!


Pac choi is crunchy and light flavored.  You can make it into a slaw, steam, saute or grill.  It is lovely tossed last minute into a hot soup (think ramen).


This is a recipe we tried from Food & Wine magazine (we are not sure how we are getting the magazine nor who is paying for it, but there are unique recipes in it!).  Chili-Mint Parsnips.  Different than the usual and super good!  It called for dried barberries ... don't actually know what those are but we had some goji berries on hand and they were perfect!


I hope this blog finds you with a smile on your face and a calm in your heart.  It has certainly been an emotional 2020, highlighted with uncertainty.  I am grateful for the certainties I can hold onto, like that a seed will germinate and provide vital nutrition, that the earth provides even when we push it to its limits, that the sun still comes up and the moon still revolves around us ... that we are human and have the ability to nurture ourselves and others.  May we take the time to pause, listen and embrace the positive.  Thank you for being a part of this simple farm.  You are a gift and we love what we do.

Blessings on your meal, Keena


This week's bounty: misfit carrots, pac choi, tat soi, kale, rhubarb, asparagus, parsnip, dill, lovage

The Farmer's Table: (highlights of our weekly meals)
Chili-Mint Parsnips https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chile-mint-parsnips
Clam Chowder -- there are lots of local clams out there right now!
Grilled oysters -- and local oysters too!
Forage 7 grain* french toast and our sausage -- a breakfast treat : )
Arugula hummus* (from Cranberry Rock Farm) and Smoked pepper goat cheese* (Coppertail Farm)
 *you can find these items on FarmDrop https://littleridge.farmdrop.us