But what a year it has been!
It is almost impossible to believe that when I wrote that post on July 11th, 2010 about BLTs, I had no idea that 20 days later I would have a brand-new baby boy in my life.
For those that don't know, my wife and I were attempting to adopt for almost two years, when suddenly last July we were contacted by our agency about a potential opportunity. We met the birth mom a couple of times and fell in love with her and learned that she was due in August! Panic ensued as we tried to prep our house for a new arrival and our son upped the stakes by being born on the last day of July.
I'm sure that you can understand now why updates have been so long in coming.
This year we are not raising any pigs, feed prices have exploded due to a number of factors, the most annoying one being ethanol mandates, but let's not get into that. We kept our 4 chickens over another winter, and two of them have been stubbornly trying to hatch eggs since the middle of May. Everything I've read says that they should have given up by now, but they are sticking to it. I may need to break down and put some fertilized eggs underneath them, but of course that is when they will probably quit.
The garden is also reduced in scale this year, I only have 6 of the 10 beds planted. Babies keep you busy! As the weather cools I will try to plant some more cool season crops, but I'm making no promises.
We are heading to an Amish produce auction this weekend and I'm hoping to make up for my lack of work by purchasing the fruits of others' labor. Maybe we'll be able to make some pickles and can some tomatoes this year after all.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Today is BLT DAY!
The day has arrived. Christmas, my birthday, Arbor Day, these are but pale phantoms against the most important day of the year, BLT Day.
Like Easter, you're never really sure when it is going to arrive. Not because the observance relies on some arcane medieval formula involving the full moon and goat entrails, but because it all depends on that first ripe tomato.
Tomatoes. Some of you get it, and some don't. Some things are just that way, but for those of you that do get it, keep reading. Today is July 11th, and I haven't had a tomato since October. I gave up on supermarket tomatoes 6 or 7 years ago, they fooled me back then with those "vine-ripened" one that still had a piece of the vine attached. They smell like tomatoes but, brother, those ain't tomatoes. Soggy cardboard mush with a vine attached is still soggy cardboard mush.
But back to the topic, today I will walk up to the garden and collect that scarlet orb that I have been monitoring for the past few days. I will cleave it into fat, luscious slices and place them gently atop lightly toasted 7-grain bread, liberally anointed with mayo. Then, 3 or 4 slices of pasture-raised bacon from last year's pig. A pig I knew by name and whose life I oversaw from the time she was a 30lb shoat until she arrived back at the farm in double-smoked glory. A few leaves of Buttercrunch lettuce to satisfy the requirements, another slice of toast, and the sandwich will be complete.
Then, my friends, it is time to eat. The BLT is a celebration of texture. The light initial resistance of the toasted bread giving way to the hearty crunch of the lettuce, the bacon offering its toothsome dual-densities of fat and flesh, the lush juicy tomato, all these underscored with unctuous mayonnaise. This is a sandwich like no other. A tall, cold glass of milk is the only accompaniment needed.
BLT Day. It's finally here. What are you having for lunch?
Like Easter, you're never really sure when it is going to arrive. Not because the observance relies on some arcane medieval formula involving the full moon and goat entrails, but because it all depends on that first ripe tomato.
Tomatoes. Some of you get it, and some don't. Some things are just that way, but for those of you that do get it, keep reading. Today is July 11th, and I haven't had a tomato since October. I gave up on supermarket tomatoes 6 or 7 years ago, they fooled me back then with those "vine-ripened" one that still had a piece of the vine attached. They smell like tomatoes but, brother, those ain't tomatoes. Soggy cardboard mush with a vine attached is still soggy cardboard mush.
But back to the topic, today I will walk up to the garden and collect that scarlet orb that I have been monitoring for the past few days. I will cleave it into fat, luscious slices and place them gently atop lightly toasted 7-grain bread, liberally anointed with mayo. Then, 3 or 4 slices of pasture-raised bacon from last year's pig. A pig I knew by name and whose life I oversaw from the time she was a 30lb shoat until she arrived back at the farm in double-smoked glory. A few leaves of Buttercrunch lettuce to satisfy the requirements, another slice of toast, and the sandwich will be complete.
Then, my friends, it is time to eat. The BLT is a celebration of texture. The light initial resistance of the toasted bread giving way to the hearty crunch of the lettuce, the bacon offering its toothsome dual-densities of fat and flesh, the lush juicy tomato, all these underscored with unctuous mayonnaise. This is a sandwich like no other. A tall, cold glass of milk is the only accompaniment needed.
BLT Day. It's finally here. What are you having for lunch?
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Ouch!
Yet another setback in spring plans. In my very first outing with the Sheboygan Sharks rugby team, I broke my right leg in three places, effectively putting me out of commission for the next six weeks or so.
There is so much work to be done, the only way we can catch up is to try and schedule a "farm blitz", where family and friends show up and work for a day in exchange for lunch. I just read about them in the paper a few weeks ago and think it might be what we need. If you are interested in helping out, please contact us!
Chickens are still sitting on their eggs, I hope they hatch soon, I can't wait to see what we get.
There is so much work to be done, the only way we can catch up is to try and schedule a "farm blitz", where family and friends show up and work for a day in exchange for lunch. I just read about them in the paper a few weeks ago and think it might be what we need. If you are interested in helping out, please contact us!
Chickens are still sitting on their eggs, I hope they hatch soon, I can't wait to see what we get.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
New chicks on the way?
Two of our hens have "gone broody", meaning they are sitting on their eggs and trying to hatch them. I finally figured out today that our rooster is a Gold-laced Wyandotte, a breed that got started in Wisconsin and was originally called Winnebago. Could make for some interesting looking chicks, assuming they hatch.
My friend Mike and I took down a giant maple tree yesterday, and then split and stacked the wood into the woodshed, ended up with just about a face cord. Was feeling pretty beat after that, but am less sore than I thought I'd be today. All of that exercise and conditioning this winter must have been worth it after all.
Still too wet to till the garden. These warm days have me itching to get into the dirt and start planting.
Looks like we'll be picking up this year's pigs sometime in mid-May. Same source as last year, so they'll be Hereford mixes. They worked out great last year, so we saw no reason to change things up.
My friend Mike and I took down a giant maple tree yesterday, and then split and stacked the wood into the woodshed, ended up with just about a face cord. Was feeling pretty beat after that, but am less sore than I thought I'd be today. All of that exercise and conditioning this winter must have been worth it after all.
Still too wet to till the garden. These warm days have me itching to get into the dirt and start planting.
Looks like we'll be picking up this year's pigs sometime in mid-May. Same source as last year, so they'll be Hereford mixes. They worked out great last year, so we saw no reason to change things up.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Setbacks
Already overcoming obstacles this spring.
Second set of tomato plants are doing well after the first round died off.
All of our little ducklings have fallen victim to the local wildlife, mostly owls I think.
We will persevere. As the Japanese proverb says: "Fall seven times, stand up eight"
Second set of tomato plants are doing well after the first round died off.
All of our little ducklings have fallen victim to the local wildlife, mostly owls I think.
We will persevere. As the Japanese proverb says: "Fall seven times, stand up eight"
Saturday, March 20, 2010
New arrivals
Mama hen had 4 ducklings hatch on Wednesday, and unfortunately something got one of them the very next day, but here's a picture of the family in the yard on Thursday.
As I posted the other day, these are the first animals actually born here on the farm, so we're very happy to see them.
It dropped into the twenties last night and we had snow, so I had to kidnap the ducklings and put them in the stable under a heat lamp, I lured the mama in as well, so she could help keep them warm. They are all looking alive and well this morning, so I hope they'll make it the rest of the way.
Tomatoes have re-sprouted after losing 99% of them to damping off. Should probably plant peppers this weekend. Not much else on the horizon, it's depressing to see snow again, but it shouldn't last.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sprouts!
That didn't take long. The first tomato seeds sprouted after only three days, and by now almost everything has broken the surface.
We've already had numerous requests for Ardwyn Farm pork this fall, it's nice to see so much interest, we must be doing something right. I wish we could satisfy the demand, but there is no way I am going to try to raise more than four pigs. I need to come up with a "waiting list" or a sign-up sheet or something for the people that are interested in buying pork this fall. I don't feel comfortable with accepting deposits or promising anything before August because you just never know what could happen. I'd hate to lose a pig and have people with unmet expectations.
Starting to see more and more birds around and other signs of an early spring. I know I'm ready. Last year the spring and summer weather was mostly rotten, probably why I didn't post much on the blog last year. This year has got to be better.
We've already had numerous requests for Ardwyn Farm pork this fall, it's nice to see so much interest, we must be doing something right. I wish we could satisfy the demand, but there is no way I am going to try to raise more than four pigs. I need to come up with a "waiting list" or a sign-up sheet or something for the people that are interested in buying pork this fall. I don't feel comfortable with accepting deposits or promising anything before August because you just never know what could happen. I'd hate to lose a pig and have people with unmet expectations.
Starting to see more and more birds around and other signs of an early spring. I know I'm ready. Last year the spring and summer weather was mostly rotten, probably why I didn't post much on the blog last year. This year has got to be better.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Well now...
Rumors of this blog's death have been greatly exaggerated.
We are "summertime farmers" no more. We have somehow brought 5 chickens, a rooster, and four ducks through a Wisconsin winter. The one hen duck is currently sitting on an unknown number of eggs in an old dog house that she has appropriated. If she is successful, they will be the first animals actually born on the farm, so I'm hoping she pulls it off.
I started tomato and leek seeds yesterday. Joked with Nikki that I would try to have fewer than a dozen varieties this year (I thought we'd maybe have five or six), but when I was all done I had eleven! I don't know why tomatoes make me lose all sense of proportion like that. I started somewhere around 50 plants. Again, I am insane.
Changes for this year will include my planting the garden beds in stages rather than trying to fill the entire thing the first week of June. I'll also be installing a gravity-fed drip watering system for the beds, time to make this hill we live on do some of the work! I can't believe I'm typing this but we'll probably have 4 pigs again this year. The 25lb boxes of Pasture-raised Pork were a big hit with our customers and I can definitely see doing that again this year. I already have people trying to reserve pork for this fall, but I can't plan that far ahead.
Went through my box o' seeds last week and I really won't have to buy too many this year, so I wish they would stop sending me seed catalogs! Man, we must have received 30 or more this winter with all those tempting new varieties. It takes a lot of strength to resist against the pictures of 35 pound watermelons and plump ears of sweet corn.
More to come!
We are "summertime farmers" no more. We have somehow brought 5 chickens, a rooster, and four ducks through a Wisconsin winter. The one hen duck is currently sitting on an unknown number of eggs in an old dog house that she has appropriated. If she is successful, they will be the first animals actually born on the farm, so I'm hoping she pulls it off.
I started tomato and leek seeds yesterday. Joked with Nikki that I would try to have fewer than a dozen varieties this year (I thought we'd maybe have five or six), but when I was all done I had eleven! I don't know why tomatoes make me lose all sense of proportion like that. I started somewhere around 50 plants. Again, I am insane.
Changes for this year will include my planting the garden beds in stages rather than trying to fill the entire thing the first week of June. I'll also be installing a gravity-fed drip watering system for the beds, time to make this hill we live on do some of the work! I can't believe I'm typing this but we'll probably have 4 pigs again this year. The 25lb boxes of Pasture-raised Pork were a big hit with our customers and I can definitely see doing that again this year. I already have people trying to reserve pork for this fall, but I can't plan that far ahead.
Went through my box o' seeds last week and I really won't have to buy too many this year, so I wish they would stop sending me seed catalogs! Man, we must have received 30 or more this winter with all those tempting new varieties. It takes a lot of strength to resist against the pictures of 35 pound watermelons and plump ears of sweet corn.
More to come!
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Back at it
Hello again!
We are back at it this year, and things are going well so far. Here's the basics for this year:
2 Geese
3 pigs
4 turkeys
7 ducks
22 chickens and
1000 sq. ft. of garden.
We'll soon be selling the majority of the chickens, I only want to keep 6 or so. Also at least 4 of the ducklings.
The pigs this year came from our neighbor, Royal, and it was an interesting afternoon when I went to pick them up. We had my three in a crate and were just shooting the breeze when he asked me if I'd be willing to help him castrate all the little boars! Ended up being about two dozen of them. It was a lot of running around trying to catch the little boogers, but the most exciting moment was when the door to the shed we were in came bursting open and a 600lb mama sow came roaring in to see why here piglets were squealing so much! Royal yelled "Get out! NOW!" , but I was already halfway over the fence.
Garden is very full this year, looks like my first successful year at growing all of my tomatoes indoors from seed. Got some interesting heirloom melons from my friend Pat, one of them can grow as large as 22lbs, so that should be interesting.
Much more to come, just wanted to do a quick updte to let everyone know we are back "on the air"
Cheers,
Doug
We are back at it this year, and things are going well so far. Here's the basics for this year:
2 Geese
3 pigs
4 turkeys
7 ducks
22 chickens and
1000 sq. ft. of garden.
We'll soon be selling the majority of the chickens, I only want to keep 6 or so. Also at least 4 of the ducklings.
The pigs this year came from our neighbor, Royal, and it was an interesting afternoon when I went to pick them up. We had my three in a crate and were just shooting the breeze when he asked me if I'd be willing to help him castrate all the little boars! Ended up being about two dozen of them. It was a lot of running around trying to catch the little boogers, but the most exciting moment was when the door to the shed we were in came bursting open and a 600lb mama sow came roaring in to see why here piglets were squealing so much! Royal yelled "Get out! NOW!" , but I was already halfway over the fence.
Garden is very full this year, looks like my first successful year at growing all of my tomatoes indoors from seed. Got some interesting heirloom melons from my friend Pat, one of them can grow as large as 22lbs, so that should be interesting.
Much more to come, just wanted to do a quick updte to let everyone know we are back "on the air"
Cheers,
Doug
Friday, February 27, 2009
Ordered up some birds
Looks like I wasn't a moment too soon. I placed our poultry order for 2009 and it sounds like they are doing a booming business. Theya re sold out of many breeds through the end of April, lucky for me I don't want our birds until the middle of May.
I also found they are not being as flexible about your order as they used to be. In years past you could usually add just a few birds of your choice to one of their standard assortments, now they are enforcing their minimum order numbers strictly. The result of that is that I am going to have about 10-12 more critters than I wanted.
If anyone out there is interested in a few chicks or ducklings in late May, let me know, we are going to have 8-10 chicks, 3-4 ducklings and maybe even 1-2 turkey poults too many.
What we ordered:
1 Barnyard assortment - 2 goslings, 7 ducks, and 7 turkeys. Hatchery picks the breeds, so it will be a surprise.
Buff Orpingtons - Brown egg laying hens - very pretty golden color
Barred Plymouth Rocks - Boys and girls, but I am only keeping one rooster - another very pretty bird.
Cornish Roasters - A fast-growing "meat" bird, all white feathers.
I also found they are not being as flexible about your order as they used to be. In years past you could usually add just a few birds of your choice to one of their standard assortments, now they are enforcing their minimum order numbers strictly. The result of that is that I am going to have about 10-12 more critters than I wanted.
If anyone out there is interested in a few chicks or ducklings in late May, let me know, we are going to have 8-10 chicks, 3-4 ducklings and maybe even 1-2 turkey poults too many.
What we ordered:
1 Barnyard assortment - 2 goslings, 7 ducks, and 7 turkeys. Hatchery picks the breeds, so it will be a surprise.
Buff Orpingtons - Brown egg laying hens - very pretty golden color
Barred Plymouth Rocks - Boys and girls, but I am only keeping one rooster - another very pretty bird.
Cornish Roasters - A fast-growing "meat" bird, all white feathers.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wintertime blahs
Late February. You've been drooling over the pictures in the seed catalogs for a month now, all memories of weeding and watering and cursing the squash bugs are forgotten, you need to GARDEN! But it's still to early to start any seeds indoors, no really, it really is, stop thinking about it. Well, maybe just some marigolds?
So what is the cure for this affliction? I wish I knew. Move to Zone 6 or 7? Probably not going to happen. You can only read so many books on gardening before they start contradicting each other and turning your mind to mush.
I guess I have a couple ideas for those of you that, like me , are frustrated Northern gardeners.
-Did you know that you can take those fresh herbs at the grocery store and stick them in a bit of rooting gel? And they'll grow! Ta-da, you have a kitchen garden without waiting weeks to grow from seed.
- Ok I lied, that's the only idea I have. But maybe you have something to tide us over until spring? Please share!
Cheers,
Doug
So what is the cure for this affliction? I wish I knew. Move to Zone 6 or 7? Probably not going to happen. You can only read so many books on gardening before they start contradicting each other and turning your mind to mush.
I guess I have a couple ideas for those of you that, like me , are frustrated Northern gardeners.
-Did you know that you can take those fresh herbs at the grocery store and stick them in a bit of rooting gel? And they'll grow! Ta-da, you have a kitchen garden without waiting weeks to grow from seed.
- Ok I lied, that's the only idea I have. But maybe you have something to tide us over until spring? Please share!
Cheers,
Doug
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Planning the garden for 2009
The beginning of the year always brings with it a flurry of seed catalogs. I think I have received 8 already and expecting a few more!
I started planning this summers garden since there isn't much else to do this time of year. Thanks to the generosity of friends, my seed buying will be reduced this year. I have an amazing variety of heirloom tomatoes and beans, as well as some popcorn seeds, arriving in the mail soon, all from fellow gardeners looking to share and exchange seeds.
Some of the more interesting plants for 2009 include:
Grosse Cotelee tomato
Hog Heart tomato
Chocolate Stripes tomato
Purple Queen beans (can't wait to try these, purple beans will be so much easier to see when picking, and then they turn green when you cook them!)
Tiger Eye beans
Turkey Craw beans (supposedly the original bean was found in a turkey's craw by a hunter and planted, back in the 1800s)
Been looking at the the hatchery catalogs as well, trying to pick which kinds of birds we'll have this year. I really want Buff Orpington chickens, and maybe some Plymouth Rocks, but we will see what happens. Here's what a Buff Orpington looks like, they are supposed to be good layers:
Not much else happening on the farm, bitter cold temperatures are expected for next week, a HIGH of 6 below on Thursday, makes me wish I could just hibernate.
I started planning this summers garden since there isn't much else to do this time of year. Thanks to the generosity of friends, my seed buying will be reduced this year. I have an amazing variety of heirloom tomatoes and beans, as well as some popcorn seeds, arriving in the mail soon, all from fellow gardeners looking to share and exchange seeds.
Some of the more interesting plants for 2009 include:
Grosse Cotelee tomato
Hog Heart tomato
Chocolate Stripes tomato
Purple Queen beans (can't wait to try these, purple beans will be so much easier to see when picking, and then they turn green when you cook them!)
Tiger Eye beans
Turkey Craw beans (supposedly the original bean was found in a turkey's craw by a hunter and planted, back in the 1800s)
Been looking at the the hatchery catalogs as well, trying to pick which kinds of birds we'll have this year. I really want Buff Orpington chickens, and maybe some Plymouth Rocks, but we will see what happens. Here's what a Buff Orpington looks like, they are supposed to be good layers:
Not much else happening on the farm, bitter cold temperatures are expected for next week, a HIGH of 6 below on Thursday, makes me wish I could just hibernate.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Stories from a FedEx Driver
Somewhere in the area a FedEx driver is telling about the crazy farm he visited on Tuesday. I was in the barn cutting up the two deer I shot on opening weekend when I heard someone pull in the driveway and honk. I was in the middle of cutting off a front quarter, so I had a huge knife in my hand as I walked out of the barn, dressed in my blood-smeared jeans. The driver looked a little shocked, but the capper was when Cash the Dog then came running around the corner of the woodshed with an entire foreleg in his mouth. He must have stolen it when I wasn't paying attention and I had to fight the urge to laugh out loud.
I'm getting better at butchering, or at least faster. I got both deer finished in about 4 hours, including cutting some meat into cubes for chili and slices for stir-fry. I discovered that you can fold the foodsaver bags in half and put them in the sealer to make handy tubes that are the perfect size for a big slab of tenderloin.
Starting our planning for the farm next year, I'm looking into different assortments of birds. We want to downsize the flock from the last go-round, so I'm looking for 4-5 ducks, 4-5 turkeys, and a handful of egg chickens. Maybe I'll finally order from Tom at the feed mill, except we'd be stuck with plain old dumb white turkeys, we'll see.
I'm getting better at butchering, or at least faster. I got both deer finished in about 4 hours, including cutting some meat into cubes for chili and slices for stir-fry. I discovered that you can fold the foodsaver bags in half and put them in the sealer to make handy tubes that are the perfect size for a big slab of tenderloin.
Starting our planning for the farm next year, I'm looking into different assortments of birds. We want to downsize the flock from the last go-round, so I'm looking for 4-5 ducks, 4-5 turkeys, and a handful of egg chickens. Maybe I'll finally order from Tom at the feed mill, except we'd be stuck with plain old dumb white turkeys, we'll see.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Winter is coming
Hardly a leaf to be found on the trees now, must mean winter is close.
Put the plow on the farm truck last weekend when it was in the high 70s, it was a little shocking when I started the truck because one of the exhaust pipes broke since the last time I fired her up, so it was a bit loud!
Did some canning last weekend to help deal with the mega-pile of ground beef we got from our steer. We don't eat that much ground beef so it's hard to come up with uses for it other than your standard taco or spaghetti sauce. I made 8 quarts of a vegetable beef soup that my grandma used to make and I found out later it's actually her mom's recipe, so it's got some family history! We had a couple of the T-Bones and they were HUGE. Talked to Royal on Tuesday and found out that our beef came from his daughters prize steer from 4H, so it's good to know our dinner led a good life.
Today is cold and rainy, so I am avoiding going out and putting the finishing touches on the deer stand I'm building up in our woods, maybe I'll get at it tomorrow if it's nicer.
Put the plow on the farm truck last weekend when it was in the high 70s, it was a little shocking when I started the truck because one of the exhaust pipes broke since the last time I fired her up, so it was a bit loud!
Did some canning last weekend to help deal with the mega-pile of ground beef we got from our steer. We don't eat that much ground beef so it's hard to come up with uses for it other than your standard taco or spaghetti sauce. I made 8 quarts of a vegetable beef soup that my grandma used to make and I found out later it's actually her mom's recipe, so it's got some family history! We had a couple of the T-Bones and they were HUGE. Talked to Royal on Tuesday and found out that our beef came from his daughters prize steer from 4H, so it's good to know our dinner led a good life.
Today is cold and rainy, so I am avoiding going out and putting the finishing touches on the deer stand I'm building up in our woods, maybe I'll get at it tomorrow if it's nicer.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Okay, an update!
Sorry that it's been so long.
We still haven't bought any pork, just haven't got around to it, but I did pick up 1/4 of a steer yesterday from our neighbor. I can't believe the size of the ribeyes, we might have to buy bigger plates! All told it's just a bit over 200lbs of beef.
The garden is , for the most part, finished. Still have to harvest the last of the carrots and the parsnips, then hopefully I will have time to till everything under before the ground freezes.
Been doing a bit of duck hunting with below average success. It is finally getting chilly enough that I might climb a tree with my bow one of these evenings.
There is a "chili cook-off" later this month at work to raise money fro the United Way, I'm looking forward to winning it!
Not much else new, I'm a year older and somewhat less than a year wiser, enjoying the autumn and dreading the winter.
Cheers!
We still haven't bought any pork, just haven't got around to it, but I did pick up 1/4 of a steer yesterday from our neighbor. I can't believe the size of the ribeyes, we might have to buy bigger plates! All told it's just a bit over 200lbs of beef.
The garden is , for the most part, finished. Still have to harvest the last of the carrots and the parsnips, then hopefully I will have time to till everything under before the ground freezes.
Been doing a bit of duck hunting with below average success. It is finally getting chilly enough that I might climb a tree with my bow one of these evenings.
There is a "chili cook-off" later this month at work to raise money fro the United Way, I'm looking forward to winning it!
Not much else new, I'm a year older and somewhat less than a year wiser, enjoying the autumn and dreading the winter.
Cheers!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Digging potatoes
This weekend it wil be time to dig up all of the potatoes and onions. If you recall, we planted red, white, and blue potatoes this year, as is our patriotic duty.
The blue potatoes are visually striking, but somewhat starchy in the flavor department. I will experiment and discover their best use. I have a suspicion that mashed blue potatoes will be delicious, but look very odd. The white fingerling potatoes are already out of the ground and I really need to roast a few of them in a bit of duck fat one of these days.
Also this weekend, I am planning on brewing up my annual batch of Pumpkinhead Ale. This is one of my beers that has a devoted following, so you pumpkin beer fans will be happy to hear that it is on the way.
Lots and lots of rain last weekend has split most of my tomatoes, so into cans they will go. I am still binging on BLTs whenever possible and even found a local stand that still has fresh sweet corn. I am determined to enjoy the fruits of summer as long as they hold out.
Stopped by the local "coffee club" at the Boltonville gas station this morning and Tom from the feed mill had a line on a butcher hog for us. He didn't have the number so I have to stop by there tomorrow for the contact information. It will be good to have a freezer full of pork again, even if it isn't from our farm.
Buy local!
Doug
The blue potatoes are visually striking, but somewhat starchy in the flavor department. I will experiment and discover their best use. I have a suspicion that mashed blue potatoes will be delicious, but look very odd. The white fingerling potatoes are already out of the ground and I really need to roast a few of them in a bit of duck fat one of these days.
Also this weekend, I am planning on brewing up my annual batch of Pumpkinhead Ale. This is one of my beers that has a devoted following, so you pumpkin beer fans will be happy to hear that it is on the way.
Lots and lots of rain last weekend has split most of my tomatoes, so into cans they will go. I am still binging on BLTs whenever possible and even found a local stand that still has fresh sweet corn. I am determined to enjoy the fruits of summer as long as they hold out.
Stopped by the local "coffee club" at the Boltonville gas station this morning and Tom from the feed mill had a line on a butcher hog for us. He didn't have the number so I have to stop by there tomorrow for the contact information. It will be good to have a freezer full of pork again, even if it isn't from our farm.
Buy local!
Doug
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Canning season has begun
We started preserving some of the harvest last weekend. I am trying something different with the tomatoes this year, I basically made a gigantic pot of chili without the meat and canned it up in quart jars. My idea was that since chili always tastes better the next day, this is like getting a big head start. I should be able to simply brown up some stew meat and pour my premade chili mix over it and be ready to chow down in less than an hour. We'll see how it works.
We also made a big batch of raisins in the dehydrator. They are really good, but it takes a long time, almost 36 hours. Next up is making homemade grape juice and canning it with Grandma Jones' recipe.
Signs of autumn are beginning to appear, a few leaves turning and cool evenings. I'm looking forward to deer hunting in November already, looks like I will get to hunt opening weekend for a change, thanks to not having to butcher turkeys. I'm also planning on bowhunting for deer at our place since it appears we now have enough of a local population to support it. (And because they ate my pea vines!)
We also made a big batch of raisins in the dehydrator. They are really good, but it takes a long time, almost 36 hours. Next up is making homemade grape juice and canning it with Grandma Jones' recipe.
Signs of autumn are beginning to appear, a few leaves turning and cool evenings. I'm looking forward to deer hunting in November already, looks like I will get to hunt opening weekend for a change, thanks to not having to butcher turkeys. I'm also planning on bowhunting for deer at our place since it appears we now have enough of a local population to support it. (And because they ate my pea vines!)
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tomatoes!
Tomatoes have been ripening for about a week now, so I have been stuffing myself silly with them.
That is all I can report at this time.
That is all I can report at this time.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Nothing but trouble
This just hasn't been a good year for the garden.
First we had a non-existent spring, now we are having a cold summer. Rabbits and deer attacked the peas and coles early, now something is killing my squash plants. The one bed I used an organic "weed preventer" in, instantly turned into the most weed-infested bed of plants I have ever seen.
The weather the past few days has just been beautiful, but definitely not normal. Early August should be unbearably hot, with humidity so thick that laundry hung out to dry just gets wetter. I woke up this morning and it was 53°! No wonder my tomatoes are taking so long to ripen.
Even with all the problems, we haven't suffered any significant lack of fresh produce yet, things just might be a bit leaner later in the summer. There's still time to plant many things, I just have to remember to do it!
First we had a non-existent spring, now we are having a cold summer. Rabbits and deer attacked the peas and coles early, now something is killing my squash plants. The one bed I used an organic "weed preventer" in, instantly turned into the most weed-infested bed of plants I have ever seen.
The weather the past few days has just been beautiful, but definitely not normal. Early August should be unbearably hot, with humidity so thick that laundry hung out to dry just gets wetter. I woke up this morning and it was 53°! No wonder my tomatoes are taking so long to ripen.
Even with all the problems, we haven't suffered any significant lack of fresh produce yet, things just might be a bit leaner later in the summer. There's still time to plant many things, I just have to remember to do it!
Friday, August 01, 2008
Gone for a bit...
Sorry about the lack of recent postings, but in my defense I was gone for about a week on a backpacking trip in northern Minnesota on the Superior Hiking Trail.
Day 1: Dropped off by the Superior Shuttle at 9:45am at Caribou River wayside. Stopped at Caribou River to fill my water bottle and my Camelbak. I was oh-so-very-impressed with my new technique of filling the bladder while it was still in the pack, what a timesaver! Put my pack on and instantly felt dampness, the bladder had a crack in the hard plastic by the fill spout and leaked all over the inside of my pack! Luckily I noticed it right away and got everything out of the pack and dried off before things got too wet. Took the spur trail to the bottom of the falls, very impressive! Quite rugged hiking today, a hard introduction to the trail. The trail leading into Crosby-Manitou park is not well blazed, but is still easy to follow. Camped at Aspen Knob campsite, best water on the trail, in my opinion. Rained all night but thoughtfully cleared up before hitting the trail.
Day 2: Left camp about 8am, microfiber towel did a great job of drying off the rainfly. Much easier trail today, but boggier and buggier. And of course I forgot my bugspray back at the campsite! Hit Sonju Lake and walked down the boardwalk to the little island. Absolutely beautiful, and there were a couple of guys leaving the area who offered me bananas, and BUGSPRAY! Awesome timing. Highly recommend camping at Sonju Lake. I pushed on to South Egge Lake, also very cool and scenic. A pair of playful beavers were fun to watch, then it started raining out of a clear blue sky. Ate an early dinner and hid in the tent as the rain turned into dramatic storms. The beavers would slap their tails against the water anytime that the thunder was particularly close, not sure if they were imitating it or trying to scare it away. Woke up to amazing loon calls, walked to the lake and there were seven loons swimming together. I decided to call it an "asylum" of loons.
Day 3: Decided to hike into the town of Finland today to call and reassure my wife that I am alive. Grabbed a bit of food from the grocery store there, and they will let you use the phone in the back for free, just have to use a calling card or call collect. Walked back to the trail, saw two black bears run cross the road about a half-mile up, then put on some serious miles through some of the toughest terrain I've seen, mostly the last 4-5 miles. Being in town softened me so I skipped stopping at the Kennedy Creek campsites and pushed into Tettagouche State Park, where there are showers. Fell asleep to the sounds of couples arguing ("Dammit Cheryl!") and people running generators. Still, it had a shower!
Day 4: One of the most beautiful sections of trail I've seen, especially in the Bear and Bean Lake areas, where you are standing on the edge of 500 foot cliffs on one side of the trail and gazing at Lake Superior to the other. Mt. Trudee is another that is just awe-inspiring. Planned on staying at Penn Creek, but it was still early so I decided to press on another 5.8 miles to the Beaver River campsites. Lots of up and down ridges to get there, and all of it was on ROCK! The feet were getting a bit sore from walking on rock all day, but it was still gorgeous. Beaver River campsites were both full of rotten kids and counselors from some wilderness therapy group, but I was too tired to go any farther, so I camped on the outskirts of N. Beaver River site. Trains and stupid foghorn every 10 minutes helped keep me awake most of the night. Lots of raspberries along train tracks, though. Big day today, a little over 15 miles.
Day 5 : Got up and hiked into Beaver Bay, great little town only about 1.5 miles from Beaver River campsite. Did laundry at laundromat behind Holiday gas station and stocked up on some food. Ate a giant double blue cheese burger at the diner, delicious! Walked back to the trail, hiking to Chapins Ridge campsite. Found a few handfuls of blueberries on Fault Line Ridge. Got to Chapins Ridge and the water there was murky, brown, fetid, and even had a scary oily sheen on top. Decided to walk on to the Split Rock area. Ended up camping at site on north side of the Split Rock canyon, very cool campsite. I was looking forward to the giant heavy can of beef stew that I carreid all day, only to discover my spoon had broken! So I carved a handle for it out of a birch twig. Another 15+ mile day today.
Day 6: Realized that if I do another 15 miles or so,(ended up being 18 miles) I will finish today. Given the scary weather outlook for the next day, I decide to make that my goal. Lots of "green tunnel' hiking early in the day. Trails inside Gooseberry Falls State park are wide and well marked. Amazing views along river and cool falls. Once you leave the park, all bets are off. The trail is slightly better than a game trail, only 4-5 inches wide and mostly following the river. Waist-high weeds and vegetation hide the trail effectively and it was washed out in several areas near the riverbanks. This continued until the Nestor Grade, where conditions improved. It started raining not far past Nestor. At this point I was in a hurry to finish and escape the weather, but Mike's Rock and Wolf Rock were challenging and I'm sure quite beautiful when the weather cooperates. Got back to my car about 6 pm and just sat there for awhile and dried off the best I could.
By request, I will post a few pictures of the trip and a condensed version of my journal.
Day 1: Dropped off by the Superior Shuttle at 9:45am at Caribou River wayside. Stopped at Caribou River to fill my water bottle and my Camelbak. I was oh-so-very-impressed with my new technique of filling the bladder while it was still in the pack, what a timesaver! Put my pack on and instantly felt dampness, the bladder had a crack in the hard plastic by the fill spout and leaked all over the inside of my pack! Luckily I noticed it right away and got everything out of the pack and dried off before things got too wet. Took the spur trail to the bottom of the falls, very impressive! Quite rugged hiking today, a hard introduction to the trail. The trail leading into Crosby-Manitou park is not well blazed, but is still easy to follow. Camped at Aspen Knob campsite, best water on the trail, in my opinion. Rained all night but thoughtfully cleared up before hitting the trail.
Day 2: Left camp about 8am, microfiber towel did a great job of drying off the rainfly. Much easier trail today, but boggier and buggier. And of course I forgot my bugspray back at the campsite! Hit Sonju Lake and walked down the boardwalk to the little island. Absolutely beautiful, and there were a couple of guys leaving the area who offered me bananas, and BUGSPRAY! Awesome timing. Highly recommend camping at Sonju Lake. I pushed on to South Egge Lake, also very cool and scenic. A pair of playful beavers were fun to watch, then it started raining out of a clear blue sky. Ate an early dinner and hid in the tent as the rain turned into dramatic storms. The beavers would slap their tails against the water anytime that the thunder was particularly close, not sure if they were imitating it or trying to scare it away. Woke up to amazing loon calls, walked to the lake and there were seven loons swimming together. I decided to call it an "asylum" of loons.
Day 3: Decided to hike into the town of Finland today to call and reassure my wife that I am alive. Grabbed a bit of food from the grocery store there, and they will let you use the phone in the back for free, just have to use a calling card or call collect. Walked back to the trail, saw two black bears run cross the road about a half-mile up, then put on some serious miles through some of the toughest terrain I've seen, mostly the last 4-5 miles. Being in town softened me so I skipped stopping at the Kennedy Creek campsites and pushed into Tettagouche State Park, where there are showers. Fell asleep to the sounds of couples arguing ("Dammit Cheryl!") and people running generators. Still, it had a shower!
Day 4: One of the most beautiful sections of trail I've seen, especially in the Bear and Bean Lake areas, where you are standing on the edge of 500 foot cliffs on one side of the trail and gazing at Lake Superior to the other. Mt. Trudee is another that is just awe-inspiring. Planned on staying at Penn Creek, but it was still early so I decided to press on another 5.8 miles to the Beaver River campsites. Lots of up and down ridges to get there, and all of it was on ROCK! The feet were getting a bit sore from walking on rock all day, but it was still gorgeous. Beaver River campsites were both full of rotten kids and counselors from some wilderness therapy group, but I was too tired to go any farther, so I camped on the outskirts of N. Beaver River site. Trains and stupid foghorn every 10 minutes helped keep me awake most of the night. Lots of raspberries along train tracks, though. Big day today, a little over 15 miles.
Day 5 : Got up and hiked into Beaver Bay, great little town only about 1.5 miles from Beaver River campsite. Did laundry at laundromat behind Holiday gas station and stocked up on some food. Ate a giant double blue cheese burger at the diner, delicious! Walked back to the trail, hiking to Chapins Ridge campsite. Found a few handfuls of blueberries on Fault Line Ridge. Got to Chapins Ridge and the water there was murky, brown, fetid, and even had a scary oily sheen on top. Decided to walk on to the Split Rock area. Ended up camping at site on north side of the Split Rock canyon, very cool campsite. I was looking forward to the giant heavy can of beef stew that I carreid all day, only to discover my spoon had broken! So I carved a handle for it out of a birch twig. Another 15+ mile day today.
Day 6: Realized that if I do another 15 miles or so,(ended up being 18 miles) I will finish today. Given the scary weather outlook for the next day, I decide to make that my goal. Lots of "green tunnel' hiking early in the day. Trails inside Gooseberry Falls State park are wide and well marked. Amazing views along river and cool falls. Once you leave the park, all bets are off. The trail is slightly better than a game trail, only 4-5 inches wide and mostly following the river. Waist-high weeds and vegetation hide the trail effectively and it was washed out in several areas near the riverbanks. This continued until the Nestor Grade, where conditions improved. It started raining not far past Nestor. At this point I was in a hurry to finish and escape the weather, but Mike's Rock and Wolf Rock were challenging and I'm sure quite beautiful when the weather cooperates. Got back to my car about 6 pm and just sat there for awhile and dried off the best I could.
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