It was November 2002 when Rebecca and I landed at the farm for good. Before we came back we drove out to SF to pick up the last of her stuff there. The trip included a wonderful tour of the Southwest and many of our National Parks.


Monument Valley campsite: butte-i-ful

When we arrived, the farm looked much different than it is today. The barn was precariously leaning south, with one of it’s main attributes being a tree that was keeping it from toppling. Years of debris were accumulated inside.

The house had a way to go to be the comfortable abode we now live in. We had electricity and an indoor toilet. Some other amenities took awhile to build reliability into, such as water. Suffice it to say that, as of today, we have pretty much removed every bit of carpet, plaster, lath, plumbing, doors, windows and wiring that was in the house when we moved in.

The house when we moved in

Farming wise we had two main pieces of infrastructure to put in place—a greenhouse and a cooler. With the help of Rebecca’s father John, we broke ground for the greenhouse in late January 2003. Since that day John’s help, support and experienced voice he provided has been immeasurable. We surely would not be where we are today without his energy and Clay County wisdom. Thanks John.

Building the greenhouse

The greenhouse was not yet complete when it came time to start seeds that first year, so our house temporarily filled that niche. I shudder sometimes when I see pictures like this and think about the remodeling that was yet to be started back then.

Seedlings and house construction

In April my Mom visited the farm. Having left the corporate world and (what could be perceived as) thrown away 2 college degrees, she could have been quite anxious at the path her son was taking. But, as was her nature, she could see only the best in all we were doing and by the time she died in 2007 knew that Rebecca and I were happy, healthy and legitimately following our dreams. Her gift to us in 2003 was our spader, a key component to the health of our farm’s soil. Thanks Mom.

Tom, Mom, spader and Rebecca’s family tractor (aka Grandpa)

In the fields we took advantage of a Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Award grant of $3,000 to begin our biological farming practices. This included buying a manure spreader, putting down gypsum on all the fields to increase calcium levels in the soil and help balance the pH, and initiating our cover cropping system. Thanks State of Missouri. Don’t know why you had to cancel a program that helps small farms establish themselves and provide for the community.


Spreading gypsum

While it was hot and dry that year, we did not know just how droughty it was. It was a good lesson though, as we came to expect such hot, dry weather as the norm. As the crops grew and we harvested them, we went to two markets: Liberty Farmers Market and the River Market Organic Market.


The fields, June of our first year

It was at these locations that we established a name, and convinced people that they should sign up for our CSA the following year. Little did we know when we met the Barths, the Flynns, Stacey Cook, Rick Robson, and Kelly Parker that we would get to experience the last 10 years together. Happy Anniversary guys.

From our photo album—our first harvests

We finished the season with the 2004 CSA in mind. Lots of planning, infrastructure improvements and home remodeling filled the rest of the year. We were on our way, ready to grow.

As we start our 10th CSA season we are in the mood to celebrate and look back. In this post we remember those days of 2000 and 2001 when Rebecca and I were headed on a collision course with each other and the farm.

The Fall of 2000 found Rebecca in San Francisco, working for the Housing Rights Committee of SF, while figuring out a way to get back to the Graff family farm. Her household was a member of the Terra Firma CSA, and as she learned more about CSA farming she found that a farm focused on sustainable agricultural practices and community could also provide and economically viable profession.

Rebecca pre-millenium in SF

Pompei

Among the cathartic steps I took was to travel to Italy to visit the hometowns of my father’s parents. It included a wonderful time connecting with the Fazio clan in Ferroleto Antico in Calabria.

In Calabria 2000 visiting my Grandmother’s side of the family, with cousin Frank and my friend John

In the Spring of 2001, Rebecca took a position as an apprentice at Peacework Organic Farm in Newark, NY. This was to be step one in coming back to the farm and starting her own CSA operation. As it turns out I was a member of the Genesee Valley Organic CSA, and we got our produce from Peacework. So on May 20, 2001 I went to do my farm work shift and we met.

That summer we spent a lot of time together, as we got to know each other and I worked on a photo essay of the farm. By August we had decided to hitch our wagons. The next month we witnessed the tragedy of September 11th together. I joined the Peacework farm crew in November and we apprencticed together for a month before moving to Missouri for the winter.



CSA members cleaning garlic at Peacework Farm, 2001



Bean pick with farmers Liz Henderson and Greg Palmer (on left)

Rebecca and Sweet Pea

By then we had secured a pair of apprenticeship positions at Michaela Farm in Oldenburg, Indiana for the 2002 season. That winter we began cleaning up the farm in preparation for living and farming here. From March through September we worked at Michaela and learned much about midwestern soils and weather, tractors, farming equipment, chickens and cattle.




With the farm crew at Michaela Farm

Apprentices at work

So what happened next? Stay tuned.

It is a year of expansion at Fair Share Farm. One biggie will be the addition of some laying hens at the end of the month. To get ready for them, and future flocks, we have built a movable chicken trailer.

The video below is a stop action of its construction to date. We are lucky to have had the mild weather needed to comfortably build it, and Luke’s construction skill.

Yesterday we took it for a test ride. It was quite solid and we are pleased so far. Our initial flock will be an adoption and will arrive at the end of the month. We plan on adding about 25 chicks in the Fall and maintain about 50 birds. We are looking forward to farm fresh eggs and the fertility that only chickens can provide.

The season has begun. Traditionally the day that the first seed of the year is planted is when we know we are at the beginning of the growing season. Our anticipation is high, as are our hopes. We feel that our plan to grow to 150 members and add a full-time employee is a bold move, and one we embrace.

Growing food for a living and feeding a portion of the local community is not the type of livelyhood Rebecca or I saw in our cards during our school years. But as we enter our tenth CSA season we know that there is nothing else we would rather be doing. So we look forward to watching the wonders that come from feeding the soil and growing plants, to welcoming hens to the farm, to eating the best food imaginable, to sharing it all with a supportive community, and to the sweat and sore muscles that tell us we did our best.

We still have lots of openings at our four distribution locations, so head over to our website, or send a link to a friend and join in the experience that is Community Supported Agriculture.

First seed of the 2013 season

This is our first Spring with a high tunnel, so what we need to do to get it ready for the harvesting of mid-April crops is new to us. We do have a clue though, and began in earnest on Wednesday prepping the ground. Step one was to clear out any remaining debris and weeds from the Fall planting. This is to help keep down disease and bug pressure from leftover pests.

Next step was to give the soil a breath of fresh air. The broadfork is the tool used by many to open up the soil down to a foot or so, and to help loosen it up for seedbed prep. Below are a couple photos of Rebecca in action. It is as good a workout as any stationary bike or treadmill, so if you need some exercise don’t spend your money at the gym, come out to the farm. There is another 800 feet of broadforking to go.

Stabbing the broadfork

Driving in the broadfork

Prepping the high tunnel

20 yards of compost

Rocky staying warm on the compost pile

If it is January and you are still looking for that perfect calendar, now is the opportunity to buy the 2013 Fair Share Farm CSA Farming Calendar at a reduced price. At $10 each they are a bargain, and the profits go towards our 2013 capital fund.

Click on the photo in the upper right corner of this blog and you will be directed to our website, where you can purchase them. We appreciate your support.

Tom and Rebecca

On the train

Relaxing at the hot springs

On the pond with friends

January brings us back to business, and the excitement of the coming 2013 CSA season. Our 2011 apprentice Luke Knutter has joined us full-time. He will help us gear up as we expand the CSA to 150 shares, and will also be learning all the details of running the farm.

One of the first orders of business was tractor maintenance. Our gas tractor (aka Grandpa) was leaking and falling apart a bit by the end of the season and in need of maintenance. Immobile in December, he was a pretty sight nontheless in the snow. But we got him running and look forward to a repair free 2013.

Grandpa in the snow

Tractor repair

These first two weeks of the year have been filled with work, including: placing the seed order, ordering equipment, fixing tractors, cleaning the lower barn, designing a new cooler, planning for a laying chicken operation, entering 2012 data into the computer, presenting at the Great Plains Growers Conference, cleaning out the high tunnel, finding this year’s apprentices, scouting out a new Brookside distribution site, and meeting with the Core Group yesterday.

We plan to begin seeding the onions and leeks in the greenhouse sometime this week. Signup information will be filling your in-boxes in the next day or so too, as we finalize the details of the coming season’s costs, dates, and distribution locations.

The snow is gone, and warm weather is forecast for later this week. And while Rocky will miss the snow, we will have plenty of chances to walk the farm with him.

Rocky prancing at sunrise

Snow angels

The warm weather is gone, and the taste of November weather is in the air. While we got a much needed 1.5 inches of rain this weekend, we also experienced a morning of 19 degrees. Row cover over the carrots, beets and broccoli did its job helping these plants weather the cold, and many of the cold hearty brassicas survived. But there is no escaping the march toward Winter for most other crops. And while we bid them adieu, we prepare ourselves for the cold, short days of the coming months.

This weeks share offerings include the following:
Lettuce-two heads, mainly from the high tunnel
Beets-fresh beets are the best
Spinach-a benefit of supporting us in our first extended season
Sweet potatoes-orange Beauregard variety
Storage cabbage-it should keep in a plastic bag in your crisper for months
Herbs-cilantro/dill bunch, arugula or dried herb
Brussel sprouts or broccoli-the trial variety of Brussel sprouts did well, but the quantity is limited
Gold ball turnip-mild as can be, we made wedges along with some sweet potatoes and beets using last week’s recipe and they were outa sight

Spinach in the high tunnel

A host of family obligations, harvesting, and other chores precludes a new recipe this week. It was overhead though at this weekend’s Core Group meeting though that the Sweet Potato Cabbage Hash recipe from the October 2, 2012 blog is a favorite.

Green garlic planting on 11/9/12

On into November with yet another wonderful harvest. While we have had numerous nights in the mid- to high-20’s that have ended the season for some vegetables, others continue to grow. The carrots, beets, fennel, lettuce and raab in the field are covered and should help feed us all for awhile.

This week’s share is:
Lettuce (a romaine and a butterhead)
Arugula
Leeks
Cherry belle radish
Carrots
Bulb fennel
Asian greens
Broccoli or cauliflower

As we load you up these next few weeks remember, many items in your shares can be stored for over a month and savored into the Winter. Radishes, bulb fennel, carrots, leeks and cabbage can be used today or three weeks from now if stored in a bag in your crisper drawer. You can store and accumulate sweet potatoes too, just keep them warm (above 55 degrees) and in the dark.

Our recipe this week blew us away at dinner tonight. Member Emily Akins sent us a link to Roasted Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges from www.smittenkitchen.com. To say that the aroma, flavor and texture was a treat is an understatement. For those of you not sure what to do with sweet potatoes, or stuck in a rut, I highly recommend this recipe.

If you don’t have all the spice they suggest, you can pull substitutions. Sage, cumin, black pepper, or ground cloves are all possibilities.

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes
Adapted from Gourmet, January 2002
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (the latter will make them quite spicy, so using according to your preferences)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges. Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges (photo by smittenkitchen)

Sorry for the haitus last week from the blogging, as our main computer had crashed. Luckily, after a few days, we were able to figure out the problem and get to Recovery mode to reset things. So we are now back to normal.

High tunnel last week.

This week’s share is a great combination of Spring and Fall:
Sweet potatoes
Broccoli or cauliflower
Lettuce heads (two)
Herbs (sage and parsley)
Broccoli raab
Beets
Red cabbage
Roots combo (watermelon radish and gold ball turnips)

Our blog of September 6th of last year has lots of good info that is applicable to this week’s share. It talks about the benefits of sweet potatoes, the culinary attributes of sage, and has a great broccoli raab recipe from Mark Bittman of the NYT.

Spaghetti with broccoli raab, toasted garlic and bread crumbs (photo NYT)

An it has been nothing but celebrations and farming for us the last two weeks. The Outstanding in the Field dinner was a big success. Despite the cold and wind everyone had a grand time. Some of the photos below are from my sister Jeanne who joined us for the festivities.

Next celebration was the 9th Anuual End of the Season Dinner. Another grand time with great food, great friends and great music. We want to thank everyone who helped out and made the dinner yet another success story for the 2012 season.

An finally, it has been back to work. Still lots to do here, between harvesting, tending to the high tunnel, taking down bean fences and tomato trellishing, rolling up the irrigation tape and headers, mulching, row covering in advance of frosts, prepping beds for the winter, planning for next year…and scheduling our down time. All the while enjoying this bountiful time of year.

Row covering the broccoli and cauliflower

Seems like only yesterday that the season began, and here we are in October in the last week. We made it through the drought, and the October frosts, and still have plenty of vegetables.We have had a very good year, all in all, and hope it has been good for you too.

The Outstanding in the Field dinner is approaching quickly, and we are ready to be quite busy the next 2 days prepping to host over 100 guests. We are quietly stressing as we also prepare for this week’s harvest. Luckily digging tender Fall carrots calms our nerves, as does any good harvest.

We hope you enjoy the newest item this week, bulb fennel. There is perhaps no other plant as aromatic in our fields. A frost, a rain, or a stiff breeze will cause fennel to scent the air with a wonderful fresh smell. On the culinary side it adds a nice brightness to salads, and is good anywhere you would use celery.  One recipe that might fit into what you have in your fridge is Roasted Fennel, Leeks and Kohlrabi, from our 2011 Thanksgiving post.

We appreciate the support we get from our CSA and want to remind you that we couldn’t do this without you. As we begin our first extended season we start a new era at the farm, and look forward to providing you with vegetables for even more of the year.