Three Things the Farm Has Taught Me

Into the Wild

  

  The picture above was taken by one of my best childhood friends. It's our girls a few years ago, captured in a perfect moment of wild abandon, running through a small stretch of trees on the north side of our farm.  To this day, it remains my favorite picture ever taken here at the farm, and believe me when I say, we've taken a lot of pictures in seven years time. It's one of my favorites because I don't remember the rest of the scene- how much work there was to do that day around the grounds, the endless lists, etc. etc. etc. The truth of 99% of all farms is that the entire picture is hardly glorious- or glamorous. Open up any garden or country home magazine, and that truth may come as a shock, even a disappointment, to some. Those beautiful magazines spreads take a little creative cropping- and more than a little elbow grease to put together.  We've all been to those farms where you can see generations of farm equipment stranded about like some sort of mechanical graveyard, and piles of mulch, gravel, dirt, and sand like little mountain vistas in wherever the truck who brought said things decided to dump them.  The reality is this is the truth of most farms. They are places of work first- and beauty second. My best advice to someone embarking upon a farming venture- You must become a person who sees the glass half full- not half  empty. If you do not, you will surely drive yourself mad, and it will not take long to do so. If the photo shoot accompanied pictures of the inside of the house, and the family has children- they probably called in the guard to clean and removed the family for a few days. There is little time to pick up toys and clean toilets when there are hundreds of pounds of berries ripening on the vines and bushes outside. And they wait for no one. So the moral is, appreciate those beautiful shiny pictures, but don't hold your own place to those standards. It's not real. 

White beets from red seeds

     Your farm is a living breathing thing- and not much will go as planned. You will plant seeds nicely packaged or collected from your own plants, and you will get some surprises. It never fails. This was an oddity to me after so many years of neat and tidy hobby gardening. Watermelons will show up where you planted cantaloupes, red beets will have a few white ones (sometimes more than a few) just to keep you on your toes, and strange and wonderful things will hitch a ride when you move older plants from one spot to another. Let go of your expectation that everything should look like a checkerboard. Nature knows no boundaries and will follow its own whims all the time- and every time. If you are an organic gardener, go right now and write this statement on the blackboard one hundred times- I'm speaking especially to you.

     The last thing, and maybe the most important- your grocery store is a lie... just like the magazines. Food grown locally, and especially organically, doesn't look like your large chain produce center. You won't see fresh tomatoes in December, and you won't get big fat fresh peas in August. At least not by the usual means. Cucumbers will most not likely be 8 inches long and perfectly shaped like the Hindenburg blimp. They may be short and egg shaped. Carrots may surprise you with the oddest of shapes. We pulled two last week that looked like perfectly matched lovers entwined in the deep soil. It was incredibly cool and ushered more than a few "Awwww  isn't that sweet" comments. Things like kohlrabi and beets will seem minuscule in size when best prepared. That's because as a farmer you learn these things are best eaten super early and bigger is not usually better in taste. In short, your grocer has to lure you by your eyes, and not your taste buds. You cannot eat before you buy in the grocery store. What you are staring at in the produce section is most likely a selection of vegetable Supermodels- hybridized and GMO'd for maximum visual pleasure.

      Having said all this, having your own place to grow things and raise your own animals is unlike any adventure you will ever know. You will learn something new every day, and experience something new every day. There will be moments of beauty that literally take your breath- even when your to do list could keep you busy for the rest of the calendar year. You will never have it all done, and that realization will make you nuts for a while. One day you will learn to really appreciate the beauty of a perfectly weeded row of pepper plants, or stop in amazement when there are hundreds of larkspur in bloom that weren't in bloom yesterday. And your heart will be full. It will make you wonder how you ever lived any other way before this. 

The Baker

I'm always looking for new ways to use the freshly harvested fruits and vegetables here at the farm. Many times, it simply involves tweaking an old standby basic recipe. This morning I was at a loss as to what to make for breakfast. I had some serious kitchen cleanup to attend to, and I needed something quick that wouldn't add to my cleaning chores. I was also craving something sweet. Enter the Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins- with just a hint of vanilla, cinnamon , and sea salt. I started with my basic muffin recipe.

 In a medium size bowl mix 1 3/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt. (Coarse sea salt really gives you a better salty flavor and it's a random event- the salt doesn't evenly mix so it's a surprise when your tongue lands on a crystal!) In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cups sugar (for this muffin I used dark brown sugar which gives a more caramelized flavor) 1 beaten fresh egg, 3/4 cups milk, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. In a separate small bowl, tear about 3/4 cups fresh washed raspberries into two pieces and set aside. Also set aside 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Line a muffin pan with paper liners- this recipe makes 12 muffins that really fluff up high. Combine your dry ingredients with your wet till just mixed, then add the raspberries and chips and very carefully mix in. Spoon dollops of the batter into the liners until they are nearly full. Bake at 400 degrees F until tops are just turning a golden tan. Let cool for 10 minutes before unwrapping- or they will stick to the liners. Waiting is the hardest part!

Raspberries ready for picking!

Chinese Cabbage

One of the most rewarding things about growing your own food is the ability to experiment with other countries' food staples. For a few years now we have been growing Pak Choi, a close relative of Bok Choi, also known as Chinese cabbage. This is an amazing plant to watch grow, it's glossy large leaves seemingly grow as you stand there watching it. They are loaded with water, giving this plant  crisp thick leaves that hold up well to the wok pan.This is an ancient plant with a light sweet flavor that blends well in most stir fry dishes and Asian soups. It's high in both vitamins A and C, so when one of our farm share families whipped up this dish below for her seven year old, it was a proud moment for me, the grower.

Any way you look at it, this dish is simply beautiful. The choi was simply cut into bite sized pieces and added to the shrimp after they were almost cooked through. As you can see, toasted sesame oil was the base of the fry, along with sesame seeds. Served over rice and quinoa, this dish was super healthy. Both the leaves and stems are edible of choi, and I can't wait to expand this crop next year. If you haven't yet received a Pak Choi let me know!

New Leaves

There's nothing more satisfying than newly picked lettuces. This year's mix is a combination of nine different leaf lettuces and kale. Colors range from light green Black Seeded Simpson, deep green Romaine picked as an early leaf, mottled shades of green and red in Rossa di Trento,  the deep deep burgundies of New Red Fire, to the blues of the Dwarf Scotch Curled Kale.  Leaves picked between 3 and 6 inches offer the cleanest purest flavor. Left much longer than that and leaves begin to taste bitter. Picking lettuces often and early also prevents the plants from bolting. Once that happens, pack it up, and begin again because the flavor is lost once the plant sets seed. Throughout Spring and Summer and right into to Autumn, I could eat a fresh salad bowl every day and never tire of the experience. Store bought greens are just not the same. You'll find that your salads when picked fresh need very little dressing- less is more in these salads as you don't want to obscure their flavors. I am always looking for new lettuces so let me know your favorites on the Facebook pages.

The Herb Garden

Oregano spreading in the new herb garden

Herbs truly make the kitchen go from average to excellent. I have grown herbs for years and much prefer them fresh for cooking than the dried varieties found on my spice rack. The herb situation here at the farm was less than organized. They were here, there, and everywhere. Some in pots, some in plots, some in the garden- it was a scavenger hunt every time I needed something. My Mother in Law has an amazingly beautiful herb garden. It is all in one place and just a place I love to walk around and take it all in. So I dreamed of having something similar here that we could all share. The idea was to have it near the driveway so that last minute as everyone leaves with their fresh produce and meals on their minds, they could stop and cut fresh herbs to take home. It also meant everything would be in one place. As luck would have it, providence moved when I lost my favorite ornamental pear tree in a violent storm last year. What was once a very shaded garden was suddenly open to the sky. It had many flowering bulbs which naturally divided it into sections but there was still a lot of open space once the weeds were cleared. Most of the weeds were violets, which we have in abundance, so I had no issue removing them here. After many many weeks of clearing violets, the herb garden is about ninety percent complete. Most has been started with thickly planted seed, but some has been transplanted from around the farm.

Here is what we have planted so far:

Basil

Borage

Chamomile

Chives

Cilantro/ Coriander

Cumin

Dill

Lemon Balm
Mints

Oregano

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage

Tarragon

Thyme

I have yet to find time to consult my herb books and see what I'm missing- so if you have any further suggestions for what you would like to see planted tell me soon! I have about forty lavender plants started from parent plants that will also be transferred into this plot. Herbs are one of those things you can never have too much or too many of so I plan on packing this plot full to capacity. 

Heirlooms Abound

As Mother's Day approaches I am taking a deep breath. The work ahead is mind boggling, but things are beginning to take shape around here. Most seedlings started early are now discernible young plants just finishing off their last days in small containers and getting ready to be planted. The soil this year looks incredible- really, the best it's ever been. We're seeing a lot less clay and a lot more organic matter. It's been six years in the making.
Pictured here are the heirloom tomatoes. Six different varieties ranging in leaf shades of Chartreuse Green to Kelly Green to Deep Purple.When they are watered we can smell that wonderful tomato scent that is so particular to nightshades. The six varieties we are growing this year include Amish Paste, Cherry, Italian Heirloom, Roma, Rose, and Yugoslav.

Speaking of Italian Heirlooms, if you haven't yet read this, I highly recommend that you put it on your summer list of must reads. If you love food, travel, and quirky personalities you'll love to sit back and disappear inside this "Fable of Love, Lust, and Forbidden Fruit".

Planning for the Future

 

One of the more challenging aspects of planning a community farm share program is going from a farm that supports one family to a farm that supports ten in just a few seasons. We have spent the last few years learning what crops are especially suited to our soil here at Twin Creeks. Fortunately, one of the crops that seem to flourish here is asparagus. Besides being such a special crop because there is only a very short season for the delicate green spears, it is a wonderful addition to our farm share because it's a very reliable perennial. Once the beds are established and sprouting they'll do so for up to fifty years. A well supplied asparagus bed should have about 6 to 12 crowning plants per person. With that in mind we are greatly expanding our beds. Each adult plant sends forth tiny seedlings, some easily separated from the host plant- and others not so much. I have been forking loose these offshoots and placing them in paper containers where they'll grow to about six inches in height.
Once it is determined that the plant has successfully rooted, they'll go back into the garden in their permanent home. Then, like so much else with gardening, it's a game of patience. Over the summer the little plant will grow bright green fronds, berrying in the late summer to early fall, die back- and begin the process all over again next spring. Sometime a few years from now the crowns will be well formed and all these plants will provide the spears we just cannot get enough of beginning in early May. If those future years bring the right conditions, the asparagus are ready for cutting at the same time that the morel mushroom pop up literally over night. If you have not experienced a hand tossed pizza topped with asparagus and morels, you are going to be in for a real treat.

Controlled Chaos

I really can't tell you just how many flats of seedlings I have going right now. Or how many varieties. At how many stages... this time of year is crazy. The above picture shows tomato seedlings about ready to be meticulously plucked out and transferred to Red Solo Cups (No jokes Please) where they will continue to grow until they can be put in the ground. These are already hardened off and spending most of their time in natural sunlight. Flats like these are literally EVERYWHERE here at the farm. Some outside under plastic domes, some in raised beds, some in pots on the front porch- literally whole seed packets growing in small nursery areas outside. Nearly every flat surface inside does or will soon hold growing plants. Each day the care process becomes more daunting. And the weeding has barely just begun. Dinner time rolls around and I hardly know how it got here so quickly.

 I'm not the only one buzzing around though... These guys are working really hard too, though chaos isn't a word that goes hand in hand with bees. Every action they do is a carefully orchestrated event- in sync with thousands upon thousands of other individuals. Jason re-colonized both hives last week that had been lost over the winter. He'll go out every day to check their progress on setting up shop. Sometimes he comes back in with a small striped hitch hiker on his shirt. He's comfortable with them which is a very neat thing to watch. Being comfortable is imperative, because the entire hive can sense your uneasiness. This is my favorite time of year because every day brings changes to what we're working on. 

The Nursery

 Last weekend was sunny, warm, and perfect to tackle a tedious project. Jason, along with a wonderful couple who are actively participating in this year's farmshare, planted a variety of Shiitake mushroom spawn including Double Jewel and WR46 into oak logs. It was a seemingly never ending drill a hole, hammer in a spawn dowel, and seal the dowel in with wax. Good conversation, frolicking children and dogs, and an ample lunch of roasted chicken made the day more fun than work. You can see in the picture below the small circles- those are the dowel containing the mushroom spawn. These will sit on a pallet for a few weeks and then be soaked in a wet environment- that's when the real magic happens. If the spawn gets the message that the environment is right- they will fruit. And when they fruit- we get mushrooms. Hopefully!

Meet the New Egg Layers!

We have six new girls here at the farm. Referred to as pullets, these chicks will spend their first weeks inside the warmth of our house under a heat lamp. Every week they'll be able to withstand another 5 degree F decrease in temperature. As the days warm up, they'll be able to go outside and get used to their surroundings in a secure cage. These six are of mixed breed, and will start laying white to brown shades of eggs in late summer. This will bring the egg laying flock to 10 hens- with Hillary, the rooster, keeping careful watch over everyone. Hillary frequently takes on the hawks that would very much like to make our hens an afternoon snack. He's fearless, and it's only because of him that our hens get the benefit of free range days when they can have their fill of insects and weeds.
When you come out to the farm, feel free to bring left over vegetable rinds and bits, pasta, and breads to the grown chickens. About the only thing we won't give them is root vegetables and meats. They love to snack on "people" food and will often take it right from your hands.
One of the things we'll be building this year together is a chicken run- low in profile about 6 feet long by 2 feet wide. We'll place this at the entrance to the coop and carry them to the garden. Placed between rows every day we're hoping to use their expertise at weed control. As they devour the weeds we'll move them down the row throughout the day. If they can clear one row a day that saves us a ton of work!

What's on Tap?

A Morel  mushroom- they grow naturally here at Twin Creeks Farm

Here's what is in the process of growing for Spring:

Asparagus- Two mature beds *

Beets

Carrots

Herbs- An expansive variety of cut and come again types

Kale

Leeks

Lettuces- A large variety of cut and come again green leaf types

Onions- Both for greens and bulbs

Parsnips

Peas

Radishes

Spinach- Harvested early for cut and come again growth

* notes a crop we would like to expand planting this Spring 

For the past few weeks I have been diligently watering soil. Pretty boring when it all looks the same. But just in the last few days little seed heads have finally popped up. This is when things get exciting. I'll be working on schedules for farm hands this coming week and next. If you haven't already worked yourself into the calendar, call me at 513-259-7194. 

At this time of year, it's incredible to think that a small 2 foot by 4 foot section of my kitchen table holds nine different species of plant and almost 800 individual seeded plants. And this is just the last 24 hours of starts. I will go through the regime almost daily, scavenging for little pots and trays, scrubbing them clean, filling, meticulously laying seed, covering, and watering. And then scavenging for the scarce plastic markers to tell me what lies beneath the soil. Wood and clay markers, as pretty as they are, draw much needed water from your seedlings- so don't use them until your plants are much bigger. They will move into the grow area underneath artificial light until spring and warm weather is really here. Now, we sit and wait on these finished pots and hope. Gardening, above all, is about faith and hope.

A new season is officially upon us. Even though snow still cloaks the ground in some areas, planting season is quickly approaching. We will be ushering in a new growing season with the official launch of our farmshare here at Twin Creeks Farm. This first year will be an experimentation in group effort and rewards. We'll start with a maximum of ten families planting, tending, and harvesting. As of today, we only have three slots left to fill.

Crops that are already in because of permanent planting include apples, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, walnuts, and asparagus. Newly planted crops include two new varieties of apples and blueberries which will mature in coming seasons. Cold weather crops that can be planted in early spring include broccoli, carrots, lettuces, onions, and peas. As the weather warms towards Mother's Day, beans, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers, potatoes,squashes, and tomatoes will go into the ground. We'll also be experimenting with some stir fry and roasting combinations which we have had success with in the past. Some of these include bok choy and kohlrabi and various root vegetables such as parsnips and colored potatoes. There will also be a varied herb garden set up in a cut and come again fashion. 

In the coming weeks we'll need help grooming small potted seedlings and help in getting the grounds ready outdoors. We'll also be repairing chicken coops and deciding on livestock options. You'll also get a chance to see us work the beehives and get a new hive set up as we lost one over the winter season. 

We'll be setting up the informal schedule over the next week or two. Keep in mind children are welcome to come and help. Children who learn to garden early often maintain an interest in growing their own food the rest of their lives. We'll vary the start times each day based on your availability keeping in mind that early start times in the hot summer help us stay cooler. 

I'm excited for this season. My jams are getting low in the refrigerator- and jars of preserved goods are getting low in the pantry. Salads from the store this winter just aren't the same as those fresh picked from the garden. But most of all, I can't wait to spend some quality time with my family and yours under the vast blue sky here at the farm. It sounds so corny- I know, but those slow times of conversation and gathered meals of last season are still fresh on my mind this March.