Category Archives: rocky

Snow on the Farm, February 2013

chicken coop, csa, fair share farm, high tunnel, rocky

Let it snow is what we are saying at the farm right now. We think we have the animals, structures, machinery and rations in hand for a day or two of staying at home. We are hoping for some nice runoff into the pond, so we can start the Spring with the meximum water supply.

Chicken coop in the snow
Working in the high tunnel on Monday

The main impact of the snow out here is the drifts. Winds swirl around the buildings and vehicles depositing thigh high dunes. This weather is not favored by the chickens or cats, but is loved by the dog. Rocky is built for days like this and it is a pleasure to see an animal so at home.

Work is progressing on more infrastructure work, as we are in the midst of expanding the packing room and wash area. Part of this is the construction of a new cooler, double the size of the old one. We are also trying to use up every scrap piece of wood, doors, siding, insulation and caulk to empty out the barn through repurposing.

Drifts to your thighs
Up at the pond

Let the Seeding Begin

onions, rocky, seeding, snow geese, soil blocks, tractor
Well it is official, the growing season has started. Last Saturday February 4th our two new interns, Dani Hurst and Ryan Stubby, joined us for half a day to initiate the planting of over 12,000 onion seeds. We finished up the planting yesterday with Luke, and will concentrate on tending to your vegetables for the next 10 months.
Planting the first seed of 2012


Dani making soil blocks
Ryan and Rebecca seeding onions

Along with the seeding, we have been taking advantage of the warm weather to do as much equipment maintenance as possible this year. We are hoping it pays off during the growing season  by minimizing equipment breakdowns, delays, and frustrations, while improving the working life and safety of our machinery.

One piece of equipment we worked on is the spader. For a while now the frame/shroud that surrounds the digging spades has been bent and in need of some adjustment. With a lot of elbow grease from Luke we were able to take the frame apart so that we could work on it.

Local artist/metal worker/handy guy Jeff Becker came up with the solution to bending things back into shape…run over it with the tractor! Well, in true Missouri farmer fashion we used the tools and leverage we had at hand and were able to straighten things out. Re-assembly is on its way.

Spader with bent rake frame
Straightening the frame
This winter season we have seen a lot of birds on the move, more it seems than the last couple years. A huge flock of snow geese flew over the greenhouse on Monday, It was quite a sight and sound. If I had the time I would count the number of birds in the photo out of curiosity.
 
Snow geese on the move

Lastly, a salami update. For the past several years we have been working on perfecting the making of an annual batch of Finocchiana, a peppercorn and fennel seed flavored cured pork salami. The recipes we have used has been consistently good, and when we can get 20 lbs of Parker Farms pork shoulder, the meat quality is the best. The trick has always been the curing process.

To make a tasty (and safe) salami you need to cure it at the proper temperature and humidity. In the past we relied on whatever conditions a cool basement could provide. Then we started curing it in a box of wood ash from our stove. With the construction of our “cave” in the lower part of the barn we are able to control the temp and humidity to the general levels required.

The results have been the most consistent batch of salami yet. Thank you local hogs.

2012 Finocchiana

Hello 2012

csa, fair share farm, rocky, row cover, seed order, sustainable agriculture

Welcome to 2012. We are gearing up here on the farm for what we hope is a good year…our 10th farming and our 9th CSA season. Hard to believe that it has been that long. Those 10 years have seen a lot of cover crops, compost, hay, straw, wood ash, lime and organic fertilizer added to our soil, and we are looking forward to reaping the benefits of those years of soil feeding. Over the last several years we have begun to see noticeable improvements to the soil, both in its texture and fertility.

In that time period we have also changed the layout of our fields several times. Areas that are susceptible to wet conditions are no longer farmed for annual crops, but have been replaced by perennial plants or laid fallow. We have also been breaking new ground in the areas where we have run the Parker’s sheep.

For some of the poorer soils on the farm we have implemented a system of continual mulching. We cover the beds with a deep layer of hay, and add more several times throughout the season. This mulch acts as a nice “canopy” over the soil surface, keeping it from getting compacted by rain, or dried out by the sun. It also serves to keep down weeds and retain moisture during droughty conditions.

Our electric tractor has proven a boon too, as the disking attachment allows us to easily make “raised beds.”  Put on the cultivator, and it allows us to break up the top couple inches of the soil, minimizing the need to till the beds. These techniques significantly improve drainage, while minimizing disturbance of the worms and other life in the soil.

January Work
This unseasonably warm weather has been a pleasure to work in over the last week. We are lucky to have our intern from 2011, Luke Knutter staying on as a hired hand for a couple days per week. We plan on getting caught up on a few things this winter, ahead of the Spring planting push.

Activities at the farm this week include the 2012 seed and equipment orders, inventorying,  budgeting and planning, cleaning and organizing the barn, maintaining the deer fence, and tractor maintenance. Next week will include more deer fence and equipment maintenance work, as well as planning and site work for our proposed high tunnel. More on that in our next post.
Fields at rest

Rebecca working on the seed order

Rocky at rest

Luke sorting row cover

Thinking of Summer

cold frame. spring, earthworms, rocky, thinning, tomato transplants

The Spring has been good so far, though it has gotten a bit wet lately. We have reached the point in planting where we are shifting our focus to the warm weather crops of summer.

Seedlings were started over a month ago, and now the tomato transplants are inching closer to the fields. We put the cherry and cage tomatoes in the cold frame on Friday to give them a good week to “harden off” before planting them near the end of the month.

The peppers and eggplant continue to grow, though we have had to re-seed some due to poor germination. This week we also seeded the first batch of cucumbers and melons in soil blocks, as well as all of the winter squash. As we pull roasted red peppers and eggplant out of our freezer, and canned tomato sauce out of the larder we can taste the expectations of summer. We are out to finish last year’s stores so we can make room for the 2011 harvest.


Tomato transplants in the cold frame


Soil block of melons

Work continues on the Spring crops. Thinning of the spinach, turnips, radish, arugula, carrots and beets is in order right now. While somewhat tedious there is always a nature show during the work. Our contact with the ground rumbles the soil and forces the many earthworms in our beds to the surface. They stretch out of their burrows and make their way along the surface before disappearing again to do their work.

Maintenance work and barn cleanup was also on the list last week as we have a long list of rainy day tasks to do.

Rebecca thinning hakurei turnips

Earthworm and turnip seedlings

The view from our window


Lettuce growing

Lucas working on our “new” mower


Rocky keeping watch

We also were able to do some mushroom hunting at the end of the day. We had been hearing many reports that the morels were out, and we have been able to find enough for several meals and snacks. The tree ear mushrooms are also fruiting.

January at the Farm

cats, farm planning, lamb stew, preserving, rocky

Well, Hawaii (see post below) is but a memory now (a nice memory), and it is back to work on the farm.

January is always busy for us. The last 4 years we have helped teach a full day CSA Mini-School at the Great Plains Growers Conference on the first weekend of January. Gearing up to spread the good word about CSAs takes a lot of our focus that first week. The minute the conference is done we dive into the seed and equipment order, with a self-imposed deadline of 1/15.

The seed order has become easier over the years, as computers and the internet are incredibly helpful. But spending $3,000 on thousands of tiny DNA packets still requires organization and planning. This year’s order is on its way, with the hope that all the seeds we want are still left. The growth of organic vegetable growing has been a boon to the seed market, but does occasionally create shortfalls. We should be in pretty good shape though, as our order is usually timely.


Ordering the seeds


Thank heavens for spreadsheets

Once the seeds have been ordered, we work at getting all our other purchases to begin moving towards the farm. From potting soil compost, to a new mower, now is the time to get ready for the season. The first week of February is coming up soon, and that is when we start up the greenhouse, seeding the onions.

With the early planning done, and the greenhouse requiring limited tending, we are able to fill our days in late January and February with the fun of home remodeling (for the 8th year). This year’s work will include tear out and insulation of our living room and office walls, electrical work, drywall and painting, replacing our wood burning stove with an efficient one, and other tasks if time allows. We are looking forward to completion of this “final” stage of work.

Rocky and the cats are surviving the winter. The cats are going a little stir-crazy though, as they stay inside a lot in the winter, and start getting on each other’s nerves. Their favorite spot is under the wood stove. Cozy.

Rocky on the other hand, can take the cold like the Great Pyrennes/Anatolian Shepher cross that he is. Laying on a frozen pond is just fine with him.

The farmers stay cozy too. How can we not, with a stocked larder and freezer. One reason I got into canning and preserving was that, hard work though it is, it has a big payoff. Some folks seem to think you can’t eat well with local food in the winter—it is the time that we actually fatten up on local fare. The recipe below is a delicious example of it.


A well stocked larder

Lamb Meatball Stew
The meatballs are an excellent way to make lamb stew, without the need for a cut of meat. You can season the meatballs to suit your taste. The carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and herbs are all part of our winter stores.

Ingredients:
1 lb Parker Farm ground lamb
1 tbsp roasted garlic puree (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 medium carrots
2 to 3 medium onions
1-1/2 lb potatoes
1 tbsp dried mint
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart chicken, turkey, vegetable or other stock
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour

Method:
1. Mix the garlic puree, salt, and pepper with the ground lamb and shape into small meatballs (30 or so).
2. Brown the meatballs and then set side.

3. In the same pot, saute the onions and carrots for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and herbs and cook for 3 minutes more.

4. Add the meatballs back to the pot along with the stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
5. Make a roux with the butter and flour—melt the butter in a small pan, add the flour, stir constantly for about a minute. Add the roux to the meat and vegetables and blend in.
6. Let the stew simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
7. Serve hot with bread and butter and a cooked green (ours was kale with an olive oil/mustard sauce).
8. Enjoy winter eating.