Another strawberry season treat is sliced strawberries with Red Wine Sorbet. Who would have thought that Merlot and an ice cream maker would be such a good combination?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Fun things to do with Strawberries
Having a birthday during strawberry season is a treat . . . a cake of tradition (three years running) comes from the River Cafe Green cookbook. This photo is from two years ago when there were just barely strawberries in time (notice how pale they are).
Another strawberry season treat is sliced strawberries with Red Wine Sorbet. Who would have thought that Merlot and an ice cream maker would be such a good combination?
Another strawberry season treat is sliced strawberries with Red Wine Sorbet. Who would have thought that Merlot and an ice cream maker would be such a good combination?
Strawberry Fetish
Strawberries are so much easier to enjoy when they haven't been sprayed with toxic chemicals -- even more so when you're the one in the fields with them. Buying organic isn't just good for you, it's better for the people growing your food. Thanks to our fabulous customers!
Kale Chip Recipe . . . and other ideas
Our Community Supported Agriculture subscribers find a regular supply of greens in their boxes. Our market customers also find kale at our stand on a consistent basis. Figuring out what to do with Kale is a challenge for some.
Last year one of our most devoted CSA subscribers, Karen, sent us the following recipe for Kale Chips. Jeremy served them for lunch today and it reminded me that I owe our CSA members a recipe or two.
Kale Chips
This works best with Black or Curly Kale.
Clean and spin dry kale.
Remove spines and chop into smaller bits with fingers, moisten with a teaspoon or two of olive (or preferred) oil. Do not over oil! Some people also add a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Spread onto baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning about halfway through cooking process. They are not as nice if they brown.
Remove from oven and add salt.
Some prefer them still a bit moist, others prefer them crispy. Insist kids leave some for you!
Other idea for Kale and Swiss Chard
And here are some other ideas for using Kale and Swiss Chard (staple foods for locavores in the Lower Mainland):
Steamed or Braised: Chop and steam your greens and serve as a side dish with some balsamic vinegar. Alternatively, chop and braise the greens with onions, green onions, garlic and/or garlic scapes.
Fitattas: Eggs and greens are fantastic. Chop and sauté your kale and chard along with other goodies (feta, onions, sundried tomatoes, garlic scapes, etc.) in a cast-iron or other oven-safe frying pan. Add well-beaten eggs and put in pre-heated oven (350 degrees F) until cooked through to the centre, about 20 minutes.
Save for the winter: If you can't make your way through all of the greens now, chop and steam them (you can use beet tops, spinach, kale and/or chard). Once cooled, squeeze into balls and freeze. Then add to soups, stews and chili through the winter when greens are in shorter supply.
Last year one of our most devoted CSA subscribers, Karen, sent us the following recipe for Kale Chips. Jeremy served them for lunch today and it reminded me that I owe our CSA members a recipe or two.
Kale Chips
This works best with Black or Curly Kale.
Clean and spin dry kale.
Remove spines and chop into smaller bits with fingers, moisten with a teaspoon or two of olive (or preferred) oil. Do not over oil! Some people also add a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Spread onto baking sheet and cook at 375 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, turning about halfway through cooking process. They are not as nice if they brown.
Remove from oven and add salt.
Some prefer them still a bit moist, others prefer them crispy. Insist kids leave some for you!
Other idea for Kale and Swiss Chard
And here are some other ideas for using Kale and Swiss Chard (staple foods for locavores in the Lower Mainland):
Steamed or Braised: Chop and steam your greens and serve as a side dish with some balsamic vinegar. Alternatively, chop and braise the greens with onions, green onions, garlic and/or garlic scapes.
Fitattas: Eggs and greens are fantastic. Chop and sauté your kale and chard along with other goodies (feta, onions, sundried tomatoes, garlic scapes, etc.) in a cast-iron or other oven-safe frying pan. Add well-beaten eggs and put in pre-heated oven (350 degrees F) until cooked through to the centre, about 20 minutes.
Save for the winter: If you can't make your way through all of the greens now, chop and steam them (you can use beet tops, spinach, kale and/or chard). Once cooled, squeeze into balls and freeze. Then add to soups, stews and chili through the winter when greens are in shorter supply.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Here we are in mid-June and some days it's hard to know if summer is going to arrive. The season has been off to a crazy start as far as weather is concerned, and weather pretty much determines everything else around here. Many farmers I've spoken to have been having a rough time these past few weeks. Some new farmers have mentioned that if they were farming for the first time this season they might already be thinking of quiting.
Our farm hasn't been an exception. We've already marked the end of our rhubarb crop, which was only a fraction of what it has been in past years. Everything else has been slow growing. We've lost some crops to pests or inability to properly weed amidst the wet, much soil. After doing farmers markets since the beginning of May, we're only barely starting to break even at each of them.
Last week ended up being particularly bad in my books. While cultivating in the field I lost a tractor part in the bed. In fact, the part fell off and then got cultivated into the bed. I had to track down a metal detector (luckily a friend working on the farm brought one the next day) and eventually found the part. The following day the chain broke on our compost spreader. It was an easy fix, but took time nonetheless. All this after not having had any break downs yet this year.
The weather, of course, puts everyone in a sour mood. Day after day of cold and rain makes it hard to keep spirits up. Even though it's allowed us to get particularly organized in the office and the barn, it's still been a bit much for everyone. We'd all rather be in the fields every day at this point and providing a full-to-the-brim market stand to our customers.
By the end of last week I was making plans for how we might adjust our crop plans in the event that things didn't get better. What could we do for winter crops that might help to mitigate the losses from the summer? What are sure-fire crops that we could still get into the ground and have in storage?
Even now that it has dried up we're learning the impact of the past months' weather. Some potatoes have blight. Some crops are getting lost amidst the weeds because we haven't been able to get into certain beds to hoe with the moisture.
Amidst all of this there are still a number of things that are going well. Some of the strawberries have managed to hang on through the moisture and we had a good pick on Saturday for our Sunday markets. The spinach has been loving the cool and rainy weather, providing a bumper crop that we haven't had in years. The kale and cabbages are doing very well and we have many, many heads of lettuce maturing.
It has been an excellent year for cover cropping. With the moisture, we've been able to get cover crops seeded in many parts of the fields. Some have already been turned in and re-seeded, others will go in over the next few days. This goes a long way toward maintaining and enhancing the soil.
When we have had a nice day here or there the results are dramatic. The following morning plants have visibly changed overnight -- they're taller, greener and fuller. That's always an incredible sight to see.
The first CSA boxes of the season are packed in the cooler and ready to go into Vancouver tomorrow morning. along with a shipment of lettuce to a local distributor. Hopefully Solstice brings a change in the weather next week.
And we still have fun at the markets, whether we're losing money or not. Last week at the Langley market the children from Glorious Organics made sun placards and marched through the market calling for some rays. It worked.
It's amazing what a little sun can do.
Our farm hasn't been an exception. We've already marked the end of our rhubarb crop, which was only a fraction of what it has been in past years. Everything else has been slow growing. We've lost some crops to pests or inability to properly weed amidst the wet, much soil. After doing farmers markets since the beginning of May, we're only barely starting to break even at each of them.
Last week ended up being particularly bad in my books. While cultivating in the field I lost a tractor part in the bed. In fact, the part fell off and then got cultivated into the bed. I had to track down a metal detector (luckily a friend working on the farm brought one the next day) and eventually found the part. The following day the chain broke on our compost spreader. It was an easy fix, but took time nonetheless. All this after not having had any break downs yet this year.
The weather, of course, puts everyone in a sour mood. Day after day of cold and rain makes it hard to keep spirits up. Even though it's allowed us to get particularly organized in the office and the barn, it's still been a bit much for everyone. We'd all rather be in the fields every day at this point and providing a full-to-the-brim market stand to our customers.
By the end of last week I was making plans for how we might adjust our crop plans in the event that things didn't get better. What could we do for winter crops that might help to mitigate the losses from the summer? What are sure-fire crops that we could still get into the ground and have in storage?
Even now that it has dried up we're learning the impact of the past months' weather. Some potatoes have blight. Some crops are getting lost amidst the weeds because we haven't been able to get into certain beds to hoe with the moisture.
Amidst all of this there are still a number of things that are going well. Some of the strawberries have managed to hang on through the moisture and we had a good pick on Saturday for our Sunday markets. The spinach has been loving the cool and rainy weather, providing a bumper crop that we haven't had in years. The kale and cabbages are doing very well and we have many, many heads of lettuce maturing.
It has been an excellent year for cover cropping. With the moisture, we've been able to get cover crops seeded in many parts of the fields. Some have already been turned in and re-seeded, others will go in over the next few days. This goes a long way toward maintaining and enhancing the soil.
When we have had a nice day here or there the results are dramatic. The following morning plants have visibly changed overnight -- they're taller, greener and fuller. That's always an incredible sight to see.
The first CSA boxes of the season are packed in the cooler and ready to go into Vancouver tomorrow morning. along with a shipment of lettuce to a local distributor. Hopefully Solstice brings a change in the weather next week.
And we still have fun at the markets, whether we're losing money or not. Last week at the Langley market the children from Glorious Organics made sun placards and marched through the market calling for some rays. It worked.
It's amazing what a little sun can do.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Books of Interest for Co-operative Farmers
In case you're interested in co-operative farming and looking for some summer reading, here are a couple of books I would recommend.
First is Everett Baker's Saskatchewan: Portraits of an Era (2007, Fitzhenry and Whiteside). This is a collection of Everet Baker's photography that documented the birth and growth of Saskatchewan's Co-operative movement in the 1950s.
Part of the growth of the co-operative movement was the establishment of co-operative farms. The co-operative farms were established by the CCF government of the day in order to provide land to WWII veterans returning from war. The only remaining farm from the era is Matador Farm.
Baker's photography provides an insight into a period of the province's history during which rural life was vibrant and modernizing quickly. The photos show both the work life of the farms as well as the social events, many of which were part of other co-operative-related events and celebrations.
Of relevance to today's co-operative farms is the reasons for which the farms were established and for their eventual demise. The farms thrived because individuals were looking to farm. They declined when the young men married and were able to find land of their own. The primary function of the farms was to enable farming; when this function was no longer necessary, the farms began to close.
For anyone interested in further reading on the co-operative farm movement in Saskatchewan and Matador Farm, in particular, an article from the University of Saskatchewan's Co-op Studies program provides further insight.
The second book I am recommending is I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby (2007, Polkadot Press).
Kirkby's book is a compassionate account of her family's life at and eventual departure from the Fairholme Hutterite Colony in Manitoba. Her story provides a glimpse into a way of life that remains a mystery to most of us, despite the presence and proximity of many Hutterite colonies to prairie dwellers.
Of importance to those with an interest in co-operative farming, Kirkby demonstrates the challenges and benefits of community within the context of farm life. Despite the hierarchical and patriarchal structure of the colony and her family's difficulties within the community, Kirkby retains a strong connection with her Hutterite community. Compared against the co-operative farms of Saskatchewan, Kirkby's description of the Hutterite Colony shows a place where the community is as important as the farming itself.
If you have any summer reading suggestions, related to agriculture or not, feel free to suggest them in the comment section or e-mail me directly.
First is Everett Baker's Saskatchewan: Portraits of an Era (2007, Fitzhenry and Whiteside). This is a collection of Everet Baker's photography that documented the birth and growth of Saskatchewan's Co-operative movement in the 1950s.
Part of the growth of the co-operative movement was the establishment of co-operative farms. The co-operative farms were established by the CCF government of the day in order to provide land to WWII veterans returning from war. The only remaining farm from the era is Matador Farm.
Baker's photography provides an insight into a period of the province's history during which rural life was vibrant and modernizing quickly. The photos show both the work life of the farms as well as the social events, many of which were part of other co-operative-related events and celebrations.
Of relevance to today's co-operative farms is the reasons for which the farms were established and for their eventual demise. The farms thrived because individuals were looking to farm. They declined when the young men married and were able to find land of their own. The primary function of the farms was to enable farming; when this function was no longer necessary, the farms began to close.
For anyone interested in further reading on the co-operative farm movement in Saskatchewan and Matador Farm, in particular, an article from the University of Saskatchewan's Co-op Studies program provides further insight.
The second book I am recommending is I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby (2007, Polkadot Press).
Kirkby's book is a compassionate account of her family's life at and eventual departure from the Fairholme Hutterite Colony in Manitoba. Her story provides a glimpse into a way of life that remains a mystery to most of us, despite the presence and proximity of many Hutterite colonies to prairie dwellers.Of importance to those with an interest in co-operative farming, Kirkby demonstrates the challenges and benefits of community within the context of farm life. Despite the hierarchical and patriarchal structure of the colony and her family's difficulties within the community, Kirkby retains a strong connection with her Hutterite community. Compared against the co-operative farms of Saskatchewan, Kirkby's description of the Hutterite Colony shows a place where the community is as important as the farming itself.
If you have any summer reading suggestions, related to agriculture or not, feel free to suggest them in the comment section or e-mail me directly.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Chickens in the Night
Jeremy, me, and chickens; barreling down the #1 Highway. The stars peek curiously at us in the early darkness, the moon grins on the horizon.
Who would have thought that I, an urbanite not 3 weeks ago, would be a part of a midnight chicken run.
"They're Hy-Line Brown" the man had said as I watched, captivated as the chicken catchers in their full body jump suits and loose plastic foot coverings put aside their cigarettes long enough to chase down 300 chickens. Now there's a job I didn't know existed.The barn sits ready, the new hay and wood shavings still settling in the air from our earlier "interior decorating". It's a pretty swanky place for a chicken, several times the size of my tiny home on the farm (I could take this the wrong way, but instead, comfort myself in the fact that they will each have 299 flatmates).
Soft clucking and an atmosphere of confusion permeate the air as we unload 30 crates into the barn, the chicken's heads poking out the sides like hopeful inmates.I open the first crate and shine my headlamp onto our newest residents. The chickens maintain their positions, side by each in the crate. I had hoped that they would all just, you know, get out when I opened the lid.
The next half hour consists of flying feathers (and chicken poo), squawking, scratching, and attempts to roost on my fingers, arms, and whatever is within claws reach. My visions of a Snow White-like relationship with the animals on the farm slowly melt away.
Finally, the crates lay empty and a quiet sense of relief passes over me (and the chickens) (and Jeremy (although he appears the least ruffled of all of us)).
Not the most bizarre Friday night of my life, but certainly up there.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Guest posts coming soon
As readers of this blog may have noticed, it isn't being updated weekly quite yet. Some of this is due to time availability, but it's also due to a lack of deadlines -- once the CSA starts it'll be updated weekly without fail.
In the meantime, there will be some guest posts. Given that Glen Valley Organic Farm is made up of many shareholders in the Co-operative that owns the land as well as a dynamic farm team that operates the farm businesses, there are many voices and perspectives within the farm.
Coming in the next few days will be a post from Cat, one of our summer apprentices. Cat will provide regular updates on her experience over the coming months. I have also invited some farm shareholders and customers to write about their connection to the farm and their visions for small-scale, sustainable agriculture. These posts will be shared in the months ahead.
Thanks for checking in. Things are busy on the farm these days and I'll look forward to updating the blog with all of the activities soon.
In the meantime, there will be some guest posts. Given that Glen Valley Organic Farm is made up of many shareholders in the Co-operative that owns the land as well as a dynamic farm team that operates the farm businesses, there are many voices and perspectives within the farm.
Coming in the next few days will be a post from Cat, one of our summer apprentices. Cat will provide regular updates on her experience over the coming months. I have also invited some farm shareholders and customers to write about their connection to the farm and their visions for small-scale, sustainable agriculture. These posts will be shared in the months ahead.
Thanks for checking in. Things are busy on the farm these days and I'll look forward to updating the blog with all of the activities soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
