Snow Peas

I grew a small patch of snow peas in the garden this year.  I intended to freeze a couple of gallon bagsof them, but alas, every time I went into the garden I found myself eating handfuls, fresh off the plants.  Yep, they were that good.  I did manage to freeze a little though, and that is what I made myself a quick little lunch out of today.  Here is a VERY simple recipe.  "Easy Peasy," you might say...

1. Steam (or microwave) your peas just enough to warm them up.
2. Sprinkle unsalted peanuts on top (to your liking)
3. Finish with one or two tablespoons of peanut sauce and toss it all around.

I used a store bought peanut sauce brand that I really like, but you could certainly make your own if you're feeling adventurous (and have ridiculous amounts of time on your hands).

Thought Spot - Start Small

It seems to me, that when people buy their first farm, they have all sorts of ideas and dreams, and want to jump right into it all “gung-ho!” I know a person (actually several) who got their first farm and immediately bought or took in all sorts of animals.  Parrots, bunnies, chickens, pigs, ducks, turkeys, stray dogs, sheep, cows, horses, miniature horses, you name it – this person had it.  There must have been at least 200 head of animals on this little farm.  I’m telling you, it was like a small version of Noah’s Ark. I totally get this. I wanted to do the same thing. Really I did!  There is just such a huge urge to want to try everything, and try it now! Fortunately, my bank account wouldn’t allow a re-creation of the Ark.  So I started small, sort of (If you don’t count chickens, that is). By the way, after a year and a half or so, and probably the headache of huge feed bills and utter animal chaos, (not to mention the poop scooping) that person had considerably cut down their stock.

We moved onto our little 14 acre farm the first week in January of 2012, with 2 horses, 1 dog, and 2 cats in tow.  Previously we were living in the city and boarded our horses at a friend’s farm.  By February, I had my first chicken that I found listed for free on Craig’s List.  Within a couple more months, I had a Rooster, adopted a stray Pit bull, bought a goat and ordered 25 chicks from the hatchery.  Oh, and not to mention the cute baby Easter ducks I couldn’t pass up at Tractor Supply.  I only wanted two, but they had to be sold in lots of six or more, by law.  So now I had six white Peking ducks too! 

"Buffy" the first chicken on the farm...

Then, I decided I wanted to start hatching some eggs.  So I bought an incubator and started hatching chicks, for fun.  It was fascinating.  It still is!  Then my husband brought home another horse, and then my friend gave us a horse.  You can see where this was going, right? 

So this year I slowed it down.  We started butchering chickens for food, which was the plan from the beginning.  And I added a Boer Buckling, with the intent on raising our own goats for meat and sale.  I also have two heritage turkeys, which I am learning as much as I can about before adding more.  I still hatch chickens, but only because we continue to eat them (and also support the local predators)...

 

We did eat the original ducks.  We have three ducks at the moment that someone gave us, but they are likely on the dinner list as well. I am still arguing with the husband over this one. He likes the ducks and wants to keep them. I could care less about them. They shit all over the place.  I’d rather eat them.

My new Bourbon Red and Blue Slate Turkeys

My point (really, there is one!) is that rather than overwhelming yourself in the beginning, it seems to me that starting small, and then deciding what stock you like best, is the way to go.  I began with so many chickens because I already knew I loved raising them and would continue to do so.  But I definitely need to sell a horse or two.  People keep trying to talk me into pigs and cows, but I know I’m not ready yet. 

What are my thoughts for next year?  I’d like to work on building up a line of Heritage Breeds.  Chickens, Turkeys, and hell, maybe a four legged variety as well (rabbits?).  I do want to increase the size of my orchard and garden too.  But that is about it.  One main goal will be to get some additional fencing and shelters in place. 

There you have it.  As far as livestock goes, these are some of my thoughts from my first year and half of owning a farm.  So if you plan on buying a farm, for your own sanity please try (and it will be hard, I know) to contain yourself and start SMALL! 

Farm Happenings

Last Saturday was a beautiful day today on the farm. Easy and quiet and uneventful.. I woke up, threw some bedding in the wash, put some coffee on to brew, and headed out to the barn to feed the animal family. Then I came back inside and made a nice breakfast with some ham, eggs, sausage, feta cheese and veggies.  Husband and I chowed down; he headed off to work, and then I headed to the local feed mill to pick up grain, a new water trough, and some water buckets, followed by a trip to the gas station to get fuel for the tractor. 

When I arrived home I had the task of repairing a long stretch of poly cord electric fence line that one of the thoroughbreds managed to get his halter caught in, and then ran like hell trying to get away from it. Thus, pulling out a long line of fence. The job was not hard to do; I had some help and it was done in no time.  Afterward, I made a nice big quesadilla for lunch and indulged in a glass of wine. 

So far, the weather for October has been amazing - mostly warm and  sunny, with temperatures in the 70's during the day, and 40-50's overnight.  I sound like a TV weather woman, don't I?  But anyway, it's been great and I have enjoyed a lot of horseback riding thanks to Mother Nature! 

Now, If I was a good farm girl, there were a million other things I should have been getting done, but I could not help but take advantage of it all.  What other things you say? You know, the usual... kill some chickens, clean the house, do some laundry, clean the barn, find a chest freezer, etc., etc. 

Hopefully the good Lord will forgive me for being such a slacker, and I do promise I will try to be more productive next weekend...

Balsamic Vinaigrette

The all-time favorite, most used vinaigrette in my house. Enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette (Basic Recipe)

3 Tbsp of quality Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp of Dijon mustard

A pinch of sugar

Whisk all ingredients together and store refrigerated in a small mason jar for up to 3 weeks.

Candied Walnuts

I engaged in a little recipe swap this morning at my office job.  One of our salesmen owns a walnut farm as a side business, and out of the goodness of his heart, sends the office about 80-100 lbs. every fall to enjoy.  The "event" today was to share your favorite recipe, or way of enjoying the walnuts. 

Every holiday season I make this recipe for family and guests to feast upon.  The nuts go fast and there are never leftovers, as was the result of the three cups I shared with my coworkers today.  Pity, because I was hoping for a handful to toss on my evening dinner salad with some blue cheese and my favorite balsamic vinaigrette.  

Candied Walnuts

3 cups of walnuts (or substitute pecans)

1 cup of sugar

3 egg whites

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, blend egg whites with a mixer, cream in sugar and vanilla, mix well.

Line a baking sheet with foil and butter it lightly.
Fold walnuts into egg white/ sugar mixture and coat evenly. 

Spread onto baking sheet and bake 10 minutes in the oven.  Turn nuts with a spatula and bake another 10-15 minutes taking care to watch so they do not burn.

When done, remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  (nuts will be sticky until they cool)
Let cool completely and serve, or store in a sealed container for later use. They keep well for up to two weeks, but don’t expect any leftovers…

The Ant and the Grasshopper

In a field one summer's day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart's content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.

"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of toiling and moiling in that way?"

"I am helping to lay up food for the winter," said the Ant, "and recommend you to do the same."

"Why bother about winter?" said the Grasshopper; "We have got plenty of food at present." But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.

When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food and found itself dying of hunger - while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew: It is best to prepare for days of need.

This was one of my absolute favorite stories as a child.  I understood the moral of the story clearly, and have adhered to it throughout my life.  It is the wisdom of how one should abide by the virtues of hard work and planning for the future. 

Why am I sharing this story?  Because I’m a dork, and because it pops in to my head every harvest season when people all around are canning produce, chopping fire wood and putting up hay for the winter.  And also because I know a few good Ants…

A Slabwood Experiment

My home has an electric furnace.  It also has a wood-burning stove in the basement, which connects to the duct work. It can be used in tandem with the electric furnace, or on its own to heat the house. My electricity costs are running higher than last year's. I even ran the air conditioner a lot less this year, so obviously the cost of electricity has increased, or something?  And of course it irritates the hell out of me. Which makes me want to drink more wine...

February and March are the coldest months of the year where I live.  In February and March of 2012 my electric bills were $166.28 and $253.24.  In the same months of 2013, the bills were $236.41 and $357.71.  That's an increase of $174.60!  I am planning on purchasing a chest freezer soon, and it makes me cringe to think about adding one more electric sucking device to the meter...

What's my point here?  My point is that it is always wise to continue to seek out new ways to cut your costs and save your money, and also energy usage, wherever and whenever possible.  Plus, electric heat just feels cold to me.  Which brings me to slab wood...

I'm surrounded by Amish where I live. In fact, the area I reside in is the 4th largest Amish settlement in the country.  I see these kind, quiet people with piles of slab wood in their yards at this time of year, just waiting to be cut and stacked. So I thought hell, maybe they know something I don't?  I decided to get some for myself and give it a try this year.  The eight bundles that I purchased cost me $190.  My plan is to use as much wood as possible to comfortably heat the house and keep the inhabitants from complaining they're freezing to death.  You know how that goes...

October has just begun, and I haven't had a need to warm the house up as of yet. I'll report back in a few months with an update on the slab wood experiment.

A Quote for October

October gave a party; The leaves by hundreds came,—

The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples, And leaves of every name.

The sunshine spread a carpet, And every thing was grand;

Miss Weather led the dancing;

Professor Wind, the band....

The sight was like a rainbow

New-fallen from the sky....

                                                              ~George Cooper, "October's Party"

Dog Biscuits

I decided to treat my two dogs to some homemade cheddar dog biscuits this weekend.  The dog biscuits sold in stores don't seem to appealing to them, for the most part, and they're freakin' expensive!  That, and I had a little creative urge I needed to address, AND a very fun dog-bone shaped cookie cutter on hand!

Final result: I thought they tasted pretty darn good, and the dogs appreciated them as well.  Next time I will play around with the ingredients and see what other fun flavors I can come up with.  Scroll down for the recipe...

Dog Biscuits, Cheddar Flavor

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons cheddar cheese powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered milk
6 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1 egg -- beaten
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup ice water

Combine the flour, milk, salt, garlic powder, cheddar powder and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Mix in egg; then add enough ice water to make a ball. Add a more water if necessary. 

Pat dough to 1/2" thick on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter or
biscuit cutter, or roll into a small ball and flatten on baking sheet.

Bake on cookie sheet for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Autumnal Equinox 2013

Sunday marked the first day of Fall (Sept. 22nd this year), also known as the Autumnal Equinox. I celebrated the changing of the season by taking a stroll around the farm, preparing (and eating) some good food, admiring nature's subtle changes, and bidding farewell to Summer.

Start with a good Breakfast!

Fall's Wild Flowers

The Harvest Moon

"Harvest Moon" (Northern Hemisphere)

Begins Thursday (Sept. 19) at 7:13 a.m. EDT (1113 GMT).

Many believe that the Harvest Moon remains in the night sky longer than any of the other full moons we see during the year, but that is not so. The Harvest Moon's claim to fame is that instead of rising its normal average of 50 minutes later each day, it rises only a little later each night, providing farmers with extra moonlight to reap their crops.

This unusually small daily lag in the time of moonrise occurs because the moon is traveling along the part of the ecliptic (Aquarius and Pisces) that makes the smallest angle with the eastern horizon as seen from northern latitudes.

A Little Bit of Moon Folklore...

Folklore is rich among farmers, given their close ties to Earth and her natural rhythms.

Rail fences cut during the dry, waning Moon will stay straighter.

Wooden shingles and shakes will lie flatter if cut during the dark of the Moon.

Fence posts should be set in the dark of the Moon to resist rotting. Ozark lore says that fence posts should always be set as the tree grew. To set the root end upward makes a short-lived fence.

Don't begin weaning when the Moon is waning.

Castrate and dehorn animals when the Moon is waning for less bleeding.

Slaughter when the Moon is waxing for juicier meat.

Crabbing, shrimping, and clamming are best when the Moon is full.

Best days for fishing are between the new and full Moon. See our best fishing dates for the year.

Dig your horseradish in the full Moon for the best flavor.

Set eggs to hatch on the Moon's increase, but not if a south wind blows.

It was once thought that to sleep under direct moonlight would cause a person to go mad or blind. It was from this lore that the word "lunatic", originating from "luna", or moon, and "tic", meaning stricken arose.

It is bad luck to dig a grave or bury a body during a new moon.

If a new moon occurs on a Monday, then the weather will be clear.

If a new moon occurs on a Saturday, then there will be twenty days of wind and rain.

If a new moon occurs on a Sunday, there will be a flood before the month's end.

The strongest storms and hurricanes are likely to be 1-3 days after a new moon and 3-5 days after a full moon.

 

Happy Harvest Moon My Friends!  Good-bye Summer...

 

Cornish Crash

A friend knew a lady who had ten Cornish Cross chickens she was looking to give away.  The birds were raised to compete in the county fair, and were no longer needed by the person who raised them.  My friend cannot bear to kill a chicken.  And of course I could not turn down free young chicken!  In exchange for thinking of us, I am also going to provide said friend with a couple of these chickens dressed out nicely. 

I don't raise this breed on my farm.  I prefer heritage breeds.  I raise Black Australorps, a couple of Turkens, and a French Black Copper Marans rooster has been the "Top Roo" to the hens, which has resulted in Marans /Australorp cross offspring as well.  I also have heritage turkeys. 

The Cornish Cross is the majority of what is for sale in the supermarkets in America.  The genetics of the breed have been altered by cross breeding into what becomes a non-sustainable line, meaning the birds will not reproduce by themselves into the same "thing" they are when you get them. 

These birds are not normal.  They mature at about 37 days, whereas a normal chicken matures at around 126 or more.  They have short, stubby and weak legs, weaker immune systems, heart problems, and ZERO flavor.  They are voracious pigs at feeding time, filling their gullet in seconds to the point they can barely move.  Because of their bad legs and aching joints, they lay around a lot, only adding to the problem. And because they lay around a lot, they're always dirty and they stink. 

The heritage breeds, on the other hand, move like stealth torpedos through the dewy pastures of the morning, catching bugs and eating a variety of vegetation.  They're clean and they are healthy.  And the flavor of these birds cannot be touched.

Enjoy your Cornish Cross if you prefer big breasts, lack of dark meat and most definitely lack of flavor.  I prefer to stick with my heritage breeds.  Though I won't turn down a free chicken dinner!  After all, are people starving in China - didn't your mother tell you so?  

Does this Chicken above look happy? 
 

Now does it look happy?

Legend of the Four Thieves

I adore herbs, vinegar, natural remedies AND a good tale.  I came across this folklore tonic recipe and decided I must absolutely make up a batch and give it a try!  Although I doubt I will be testing its effectiveness against the plague, one should never make such assumptions...

According to legend, four thieves, one of whom was an herbalist, robbed the homes of many who had died of the plague. They were eventually caught and brought to trial. A version of the story recounts the thieves were sentenced to bury the dead, but would be set free if they survived infection. Another version tells that they were released in return for the recipe of the tonic they credited with protecting them from the plague.

Either way, the thieves did survive, as did the legend and the recipe for their herbal vinegar. This recipe still serves as a valuable remedy against many maladies, and is a powerful disinfectant and bug spray.

Vinegar of the Four Thieves

Ingredients:

2 TBSP Thyme (dried)

2 TBSP Rosemary (dried)

2 TBSP Sage (dried)

2 TBSP Lavender (dried)

2 TBSP Mint (dried)

4-8 cloves of minced garlic (optional)

One 32-ounce bottle of organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the Mother” (Bragg’s Vinegar is lovely)

How To Prepare the Vinegar:

1. Put all the dried herbs and garlic (if using) into a large glass jar (a half gallon works well)

2. Pour the Vinegar over the herbs and garlic and seal tightly. The vinegar is strong enough to corrode some metal lids, so in this case, consider putting plastic wrap or a plastic bag on top and then putting the lid on.

3. Leave in a cool, dark, place for 6-8 weeks (for health tonic recipe) shaking daily if possible.

4. After 6-8 weeks, strain the herbs out using a small strainer and store tonic in smaller jars for easy use.

Other Uses for Four Thieves Herbal Vinegar:

As mentioned, this vinegar makes a very effective (though strong smelling) insect repellent. If you make it to this strength, just put 1/4 cup of the vinegar in an 8-ounce spray bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray on skin, clothes, etc. when in heavily insect infested areas.  

In cases of illness, the Vinegar of the Four Thieves is very helpful in quick recovery. Adults can take 1 TBSP several times a day (dilute in water!!) and kids can take 1 Tsp several times a day (well diluted in water/herbal tea).

When a family member is sick, diluting this with 1 part water and putting in a spray bottle will make a potent disinfectant that can be used on surfaces or sprayed in the air.

Some people report really good success using this vinegar as a soak or topical spray for foot or nail fungus.

This vinegar makes an effective natural disinfectant spray for use in house cleaning as well (without the garlic!).

Can Woolly Bear Caterpillars Predict Weather?

Word around the water trough lately is that we have a mighty hard winter ahead of us here in the Northeast.  Even the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a bitterly cold one

I was out in the barn collecting eggs yesterday evening and came across an all-black “Wooly Bear” caterpillar.  Fascinating! Legend has it that the woolly bear, a tiger moth caterpillar, can portend what weather winter will bring. How much truth is there in this old tale I wondered? Can woolly bears really predict the winter weather? And so I searched for some answers to this mystery. According to folk wisdom, when the rusty brown bands on fall woolly bears are narrow, it means a harsh winter is coming. The wider the brown band, the milder the winter will be. Did I mention the one I found was completely black.  All black!  Not one speck of rusty brown on that furry bug.   

What does a woolly bear turn into? It’s the larval form of the Isabella Tiger Moth. After its sixth and final molt, the caterpillar forms a cocoon and pupates. About two weeks later, an adult moth emerges. The tiger moth is orange-yellow with a few dark speckles on the wings and a 1.5 to 2 inch wingspan.

 

Are the woolly bear's bands really an accurate way to predict the winter weather? Dr. C.H. Curran, former curator of insects at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, tested the woolly bears' accuracy in the 1950's. His surveys found an 80% accuracy rate for the woolly bears' weather predictions. 80%!  Now, I don’t know about you all, but that’s accurate enough to make me want to stock up extra wood for the season.  

The benefits of keeping a Monthly Farm Journal

 

Humans forget stuff.  It’s a fact. Personally, I try really hard to keep track of all the many “to-do lists” of my life.  My job, my husband’s job, our grocery list, our housekeeping needs, auto maintenance schedules, our health (vitamins / exercise, etc.), it’s a wonder I ever manage it all.  If I didn’t keep lists and goals and records, I would never accomplish anything, I ‘m sure.  And because of my seriously selective, short term memory, I quickly figured out the importance of keeping a monthly farm journal right after I acquired my little farm and began building it.      

In simple form, a farm journal forecasts.  It allows you to plan and manage weekly, monthly, seasonally, or yearly, your time and workload, and highlights needs or issues before they pop up like another weed in the garden.  The journal can be as meticulous or laid back as you like, so long as it keeps you on track and works for your personal style. 

I like to keep my journal simple.  I set it up in an Excel spreadsheet with two tables.  One side I list everything that has to be done for the month (and also things I’d like to be done), and on the other side I list things to reference.  Here’s an example of mine in all its simplicity:

 

If I had more time and was more dedicated, I could go as far as listing the daily rainfall, temperatures, what I harvested, what I did, how many eggs were collected, etc., etc., etc.   I am certain my journal will grow and change as I learn more, but for now this serves for me as a good starting point.  And I did I mention I like simple?

Each January, I can look back through all past monthly pages and prepare for the New Year.  Some of the things I want to add to my journal this year are what crops worked, and which ones failed miserably. The same with my livestock – what worked; what didn’t.  I should also list feed prices so I can compare to next year and decide what animals are cost effective and which need to go.

My journal tells me when it’s time to cut the fields, worm livestock, trim hooves, plant garlic, or when it’s time to pick blackberries. It also tells me when the tractors and other farm equipment need servicing.  In short, the journal serves as a priceless, simple reference that saves me time, money and a few headaches along the way.  Do you keep a farm journal?  If so, please share your thoughts!

Teaching a city kid where chicken dinner comes from.

Here I am cleaning them up while Brother and Grandma look on...

Some believe that eating meat without regard to where it came from, how it was cared for, or how it came to our plate, or that even eating too much meat, can cause physical and spiritual damage to an individual.

Some also believe that meat is “made” in the store, and always comes from plastic or cardboard packaging.

As a child, I was not ignorant to where meat came from because I lived on a farm.  We raised two beef cows that I can remember were so small when we brought them home, my father could carry them in his arms.  We fed them bottles of bovine formula and crinkled our noses as they slobbered all over us during the process.  Cow slobber is gross.

When it came time to butcher them, I remember being directed into the house as the butcher showed up to shoot them.  We were spared viewing the shooting, slicing and dicing, but I do recall how fascinated I was when the meat came home all nicely packaged in butcher’s paper.  It was hard to believe these little white packages contained the two cows (though mean little bulls they’d become) that were just out in the pasture not long before.  I had no reservations eating the meat.  And I wasn’t sad to see the cows go.  I understood what their purpose on the farm was.

Also, when I was a young kid, I was taught to catch and fillet fish.  So I knew that fish did not start off in the form of a perfect fried square on a McDonald’s bun with tartar sauce, or finger-food friendly “sticks” in a box in the frozen food section.  Real fish started off with gills, guts, bones, scales and fins.  And slime. Slime is gross.

This past Saturday, I had family visiting the farm.  And I had some chickens to butcher.  After some discussion between the grown-ups, and then finally with my five year old niece, we decided to let her take part in (whatever way she chose) the butchering process.  We all thought it would be good a good experience for the “city kid” to see first-hand how a chicken makes its way to her dinner plate, start to finish. 

My chickens are free range, and my niece gets the opportunity to hold the little chicks, and observe how the older ones make their way around the farm eating bugs, laying eggs, and roosting at night.  She loves to collect the eggs.  She sees what a happy, good life the chickens live, so I was curious to see how she would react to their lives ending. 

She chose to help select the three chickens we corralled into the trailer to wait for processing time.
 

A determined little girl choosing the first chicken to process

My husband decided on the “break the neck” killing method that day, and once the first chicken was dispatched and hung up to bleed with its head severed off, my niece was okay with it all. I believe it was the first time she had ever seen an animal die.  We had to explain carefully why the chickens continued to move even without heads attached.  Whether she had nightmares about any of it that evening I have not heard, but somehow I think she was fine. 

Proudly, my little niece went home that day with her chicken that she helped butcher, a lot more knowledge about where meat comes from, and one hell of a story to tell her kindergarten classmates.

Standing beside her beheaded chickens, with one left to go!