Random Ruminations!

Today, Amelia and I went to visit Farmer Mike (aka Daddy) and to see what is going on with the Farm.  We got a (in-truck) tour of the fields...the Fall vegetables look incredible!  We also learned which fields were plowed under and reseeded with cover crop.  The cover crop will help keep the soil nutrient-rich in the off-season so that they can be nice and fertile come spring planting season.  We also saw the field that the garlic will be planted in and the beds are ready and a-waiting your helping hands!

As most of you know, this coming Saturday we are having a garlic planting marathon!  We ordered 4x more garlic seeds than we planted two season ago and will need all the help we can get.  Farmer Mike wants to make sure that I mention that we ordered so much garlic because we got a great deal on it...it would normally cost over $1,000 for the 100 lbs we purchased.  Bargain-hunter Mike purchased 100 lbs for around $300.  It was purchased from a local farmer friend who grew too much and was being farmer-friendly by giving us such a great deal!  (There, is that better, Farmer Mike?!? If the peanut gallery wants to suggest blog content, maybe the peanut gallery should write it, don't cha think?!?!).  The weather is supposed to be perfect for garlic planting (I heard Doug Kammerer say it with my very own ears!), so if you are looking for some outdoor activity that will undoubtedly be more gratifying than sitting at home and watching Bravo's latest reality show!  So, we hope to see you at 9am on Saturday...with your garlic-planting gloves on!

Finally, we are coming to the end of our season.  I believe we have about 5 weeks of deliveries left.  In the coming weeks, we will be preparing our annual survey.  While we know that everyone gets inundated with "junk" email and requests for surveys or other input on a daily basis, we promise that our survey won't take more than 5 minutes to complete and is vital to the success of our operation.  We generally ask what types of vegetables you liked, didn't like, what you'd like more of (or less of), so please start thinking about it and keep your eyes peeled for our survey!


This week, you will receive in your share: sweet potatoes, greens, lettuce, cauliflower, beans, and winter squash.


Until next time...


Oh, and PS, if you need extra incentive to come out on Saturday, Amelia and I will be coming out for a bit on Saturday morning!

Punkin Chunkin

This week, with all the baby things going on, I decided to give the usual blog writer a break and have you hear from me, Farmer Mike. When I was thinking about what to write, I first thought about talking about all the rain we had in that last storm. As a matter of fact, I had someone from Soil Conservation come out and look at the farm today and he said that the storm was a 1 in a 1000 year storm. How they come up with these figures, I don't know. But I do know that we had sh*^ load of rain. (that's probably not the scientific term for those keeping track at home).
But as the topic suggests, I did want to talk about Pumpkins and other winter squash. As the name rather confusingly suggests, Winter Squash is not something grown in the winter, it actually gets planted in late spring and matures now, but something that can last all winter keeping you fed. It is not as easy to grow as other types of squash for one very good reason. Unlike summer squash that can be seeded, grown and harvested relatively quickly, winter squash basically takes forever. Which is fine, if it wasn't for a disease that comes looking around for any and all squash plants and does a great job of killing them rather quickly. The disease is called Powdery Mildew, and for those of you who have ever grown cucumbers, melons and squash, you might have noticed your plants looking great one day, and terrible the next. There are organic controls for it, but it usually just delays the inevitable.
All this to say that I did harvest pumpkins this week. I planted them to be ready by the middle of October but only as mother nature can do, she made them speed up before they were really ready. What that means for you is, don't hold your breath that these pumpkins will last till Halloween. (They might not last till Tuesday!) You could use them as a practice run for the real pumpkin you get, or you could just stare at them as they remind you of Fall.

This week you will receive, Winter Squash, Beans, Pumpkin (of course), Greens, Lettuce, Onions, Radishes and Potatoes.

Tomato-Palooza!

This past weekend, Farmer Mike opened up the Farm for a rare occurrence...a pick-your-own day!  Thanks to the hurricane's (who we have been thanking profusely every day since she allegedly brought the early arrival of our precious (sorry, we are biased and IN LOVE) baby girl) wet weather and Farmer Mike's absence from the Farm (see last parenthesis), our tomatoes were ready to be harvested or go to spoil.  Rather than waste the gorgeous, delicious remnants of our successful tomato crop, Farmer Mike invited one and all to come and harvest all they could take from the tomato plants.

The weather was less than cooperative, with the skies opening up right around the time that everyone had their picking hands ready.  Thankfully, patience won out and it stopped raining for a bit so that people could harvest away.

Here is the Farm "Chariot" that escorted the pickers to the fields...unfortunately, the "Chariot" was not fully detailed before Saturday's fun:

Here are some close-ups of the tomatoes, dripping with rain.  Thanks, Robert, for really capturing the essence of the tomatoes and the weather in these great photos!

And, the members are hard at work in the fields:

And because I can't resist also sharing with you a few photos of the Farm's newest addition, here is our baby girl, Amelia Taylor Protas, at the hospital with proud Mom and Dad:

She had a little bit of jaundice, so check out her "radioactive" blanket and her cool shades!!

My favorite picture of all time! They hadn't yet removed the little heart-shaped sticker from her jaundice shades, but I think the heart is poetic!

This week you can expect to receive in your share: watermelons, potatoes, red onions, lettuce, winter squash, collards and kale.

Until next time...

Introducing Our Newest Members...

Mr. and Mrs. Stinkbug!! (Sorry for those of you who thought the subject line was an introduction of our baby girl).  We have the GREATEST new members you could ever ask for.  They are a husband and wife couple, origin unknown and they spawn like crazy.  Better than their ever-expanding brood is the fact that they refuse to pay for their share despite the fact that they go crazy for our vegetables! You would think that such satisfied customers would at least leave a small donation in Farmer Mike's tip jar.  But, no such luck.

These "members" are pervasive.  There is no known solution for getting rid of them (calling all inventors!) except smooshing them, which is a) disgusting and b) a never-ending task.  All the more frustrating, Farmer Mike's mom actually thinks they are her friends and "rescues" them by taking them out of the house and sending them outside...where they, no doubt, fly on away up to One Acre Farm.

Why do you care about Mr. and Mrs. Stinkbug?  Well, other than the fact that they are chomping on the leaves of our plants, which retard the growth of your veggies, there are some steps that we are taking to make sure that they don't annhilate all of our crops.  You may be wondering why the tomatoes we are delivering are only slightly pink (or even green).  Farmer Mike has picked these tomatoes "early" so that Mr. and Mrs. Stinkbug do not get to enjoy your delicious heirloom tomatoes (and, seriously, how good have the tomatoes been this year...unbelievable!).  So, we all have to "suffer" with putting our tomatoes in a window sill (remember, you should never refrigerate your tomatoes...it takes all of the good, sweet flavor out of them) for a few days in order to deprive Mr. and Mrs. S from the fruits of Farmer Mike's labor.  We hope that you understand!  And, if you happen to see Mr. and Mrs. S flying around, try to talk some sense into them -- convince them to go visit some other farm...or, at least, pay for what they take!!

This week, your share should consist of: tomatoes, potatoes, cantalope, collards, kale, leeks and spaghetti squash.

Until next time...

One Acre Farm in the Press

Well, sorta!  The article is about a county alliance that seeks to put owners of rural landowners who want their land put to productive use (i.e. farming!) in contact with farmers in need of land (and vice versa).  Our very own Farmer Mike was photographed for the article and there is a brief blurb about him and the Farm towards the end of the article.

The link can be accessed here: http://www.gazette.net/article/20110817/NEWS/708179617&template=gazette

This is the second time that Farmer Mike has been photographed by the Gazette for agricultural articles.

When you see him tonight at distribution, maybe he'll give you his autograph ;)

Until next time...

T Minus (or Plus) Thirty Days!!!

For those of you who don't know, Farmer Mike and I are expecting our first child!  We are expecting a little girl on September 16th (give or take, as we know how these things don't always go as planned) and could not be more excited!!!

While Farmer Mike is praying that his daughter makes her debut on a Friday (preferably followed by two days of rain), I am just hoping that she doesn't wait too long to meet us.  Why a Friday you ask?  Well, he is that devoted to delivering his vegetables to you that he understands that a Friday arrival will be the least disruptive to his duties at the Farm and his ability to get those delicious vegetables to your table.

However, we all know that the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray!  In the coming weeks, we ask for your patience as we try to plan for the unexpected.  You may receive a last minute email from Farmer Mike canceling distribution because I may be in labor.  Or, he could be moving slower or slightly grumpy because he is getting significantly less sleep than he is accustomed to.  We will try to keep you as informed as we possibly can but appreciate your (forced) willingness to go with the flow!

In this week's share, you should expect to receive:

Tomatoes, Watermelon, Cantaloupe (I've previewed it, it is succulent!), Squash, Potatoes, Leeks, Turnip Greens, Cucumbers

Until next time...

Farm Tour Redux Part Deux (and Zucchini Recipes GALORE)!!!

Since Michael sabotaged the blog this week and I failed in my duties last week...you get an extra post this week!!  As promised, here are some photos from the Farm Tour...

First, here is a picture of the hay wagon we borrowed to transport the "tour"ists from the Farm's entrance to the fields:

Farmer Mike beginning the introductions and his goals for the day:

The Motley Crew...a good turnout!

Here is Farmer Mike explaining how the compost spreader works and what it is used for:

Loading up the hay wagon:

And, Farmer Mike's most beloved farm flower...the okra flower (who knew?!?)



All in all, it was a great morning and I am looking forward to more farm tours in the future...hopefully in the Fall!

Now, here are some belated Zucchini recipes that you'll be able to make good use of in the coming weeks:

Zucchini Bread (that I made for the tour and found on allrecipes.com):

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups white sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini

Directions:
1.Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).


2.Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3.Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

4.Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Zucchini "Pizza"
You can use either the round (aka 8-ball) zucchini or regular zucchini, cut in thick slices.
Brush with olive oil and grill or broil until grill marks appear on the zucchini.
Brush on a thin layer of pizza sauce (I like Don Pepino's)
Top with Mozzarella Cheese (and any other pizza toppings you like, think turkey sausage)
Grill or broil until cheese is warm and bubbly and the zucchini is cooked.

I also made eggplant and zucchini parmesan tonight and it was was DELISH! We forgot to peel the zucchini and eggplant, but it came out just fine!

Zucchini and Eggplant Parm
Ingredients:
We used 2 white eggplants and 1 round (8-ball) zucchini
Egg
Bread crumbs
Marinara Pasta Sauce (about 6 cups)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (1 bag, which I think is 2 cups)
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray or cover in foil
2. Cut the zucchini and eggplant into thin circles (or strips, either way should be fine).
3. Beat the egg (it is used for dredging) in a small bowl.
4. Shake bread crumbs on a plate or bowl.
5. Dredge the zucchini and eggplant in the egg and then the bread crumbs.  Place in single layer on cookie sheet.
6. Bake in oven for 5 minutes on each side.
7. Use a 9x13 shallow dish to compile your Eggplant Parm.  Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on bottom of dish.
8.  Layer the zucchini and eggplant circles (or strips).  Feel free to overlap the veggies.
9.  Sprinkle cheeses on top of veggies.
10. Cover with marinara sauce.
11. Continue layering until you have no more veggies (ending with a cheese layer).
12.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.  We broiled the last three minutes to get it nice and brown and bubbly on the top but watch it carefully!
13. Serve with pasta and salad...and ENJOY!!

Finally, our member, Louise sent us in her instructions for how to conquer our giant zukes!  Here is what she does and we hope you find her tips helpful!!

How to Conquer a Giant Zucchini
by Louise C.

These giant Zucchinis are really awesome vegetables. The entire squash is tender and good to eat, but cutting into one feels more like butchering something than making veg for dinner! A good way to avoid getting overwhelmed is to think of it in three sections:

Section 1: The Fat Blossom End
Use to make: SHAKE-AND-BAKE ZUCCINNI STEAKS

- Cut ½ inch off at the rounded blossom end and discard it.

– Slice ½ inch “steaks” off the cut end. Cut about 2 per person for the meal

– Set the slices aside and place ¼ cup flour and ½ teaspoon seasoned salt in a food storage size plastic bag.

– Dip the squash slices in water and place individually in the flour bag. Shake each piece to coat well, tap off the extra flour, and place on a greased baking sheet.

– When all the slices are done, spray the tops of the slices with a spray oil like Pam.

– Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until the outer edge is soft when poked with a fork.

– Serve with lots of Ketchup!

Now, just leave the big zucchini on the counter over night. The cut end will seal itself off. Put it in the fridge if you are leaving it longer than one day.

Section 2: The Middle
Use to Make: ZUCCHINI BREAD

– Cut a thin slice off the cut end of the zucchini and discard. This gets rid of the dry, sealed off edge from yesterday.

– Cut a section about 8 inches long from the squash. Cut this in half lengthwise and into whatever size chunks can be shredded in a food processor. Or grate the halves on a square cheese grater. It actually grates very easily by hand.

– When you have 2 cups of shredded squash, you are ready to make zucchini bread. At this point, you can freeze the shreds in 2 cup packages for next month when the boring insects eat those beautiful plants and we all wish we had more zucchini!

Mix together:

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup sugar

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup water or 1 egg

Mix together and add to the zucchini:

2 and ½ cups flour

¾ teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Add a little extra water is needed to make a nice thick batter.

The water needed can vary because sometimes the squash is more or less watery.

Grease 2 small size loaf pans or a 12 cup muffin pan. ( I use spray oil because it is fast!)

Divide the batter into the 2 half size loaf pans. Or use an ice cream scoop to fill the 12 muffin cups.

Bake at 350 degrees. Bake the loaf pans for 60 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. Tip the bread out of the pans onto a rack. Let cool and place in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The bread slices much better the next day when it is cold.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve warm.

I always make this bread without the egg because my children are allergic to eggs. It is very good flavored but that is why I have to chill it before slicing. The eggless muffins don't have that problem and are wonderfully tender.


Section 3: The Stem End
Use to Make: STIR FRY OR SALAD SLICES

The last part of the Giant Zucchini is the stem end. It is very fine textured and low in seeds. It is perfect for thin slices from the food processor to cook or mix in salads.

Simple Zucchini Stir Fry

– Cut a thin slice off the cut end of the zucchini if it has hardened up over night. Cut ½ inch off at the stem end and discard.

– Cut the remaining zucchini in half lengthwise and then in half again, lengthwise so you have four sticks of vegetable.

– Slice these in thin slices by hand or with the food processor. I like a number 2 blade so they are really thin.

– Peel and chop 1 clove garlic and chop about 4 inches of basil, the lemon basil is good!

– Place a saute pan (or any covered frying pan) on the heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

– Put the garlic into the oil first. Stir it around to get the flavor into the oil.

– Then immediately put all the zucchini into the pan.

– Put the chopped basil on top and sprinkle with salt.

– Stir around until the squash starts to get warm.

– Cover the pan, turn the heat down, and steam for 5 to 10 minutes.

– Stir and serve!

And that is the end of the Giant Zucchini!!!

As you can see, the possibilities with zucchini are endless! Don't get stuck in a rut and simply saute it or boil it...use it as a substitute for meat one night, make a delicious bread or muffin for dessert or breakfast, scoop out the middle and stuff it with other vegetables and cheeses, make it a pizza!  Let us know if you try any of these recipes...or come across others that you'd like to share.

This week's share will consist of: potatoes, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, squash, onions, cucumbers and beans or tomatillos.

Until next time...

Gone Baby Gone

From just the title of this blog post alone, you might assume that the negative connotation cannot possibly be the thoughts of the normal and better blogger of the family, Kristin. If, however, with just those three words, you thought for a second that perhaps 'glass half empty' Farmer Mike was in charge this week, you would be correct and I owe you a beer.


What does that mean, 'gone baby gone?’ If you saw the movie (if you were wondering why I always include movie references in my correspondence, it is so I am not fully wasting the four years of college that was devoted to filmmaking) the lead character is told by the local drug dealer that the missing girl he is searching for is 'gone baby gone.' I am making this reference because these are just the words I needed to finally tell myself after I went through the five stages of grief. I realize I have not actually stated why I am grieving but, in due time you will learn as well.

It is around this time during Kristin’s edits of this post that she will say something like, "all your emails, posts, etc are negative." This is true, but the reason I am somewhat negative makes sense. Whenever we do something good at the farm, you, the member, is the first to know because you see it in bulk at pickup. When we do something wrong, you don't see it and those are the things that I think are worth noting. So think of pickup as all the positive blog posts I write, and think of the blog and my emails as all the dreck (for the record, I mean my blog posts; I would never call Kristin’s writing dreck).

This leads me to the whole point of this post. After a very successful onion harvest by some very helpful members and my mom, we left the onions outside to cure and dry for storage. Unfortunately, and I am not going to go into all the details, the hot sun cooked about 80% of the most perfect red onions I have ever grown. I know what you are thinking, it’s like the guy that catches the 'big one' out at sea only to be by himself without a camera... But this is true, they were amazing and we did leave some in the ground (they weren't ready yet) so I will hopefully be able to prove it! I have gone through the five or so stages of grieving, from cussing and throwing to sitting quietly wondering why the #$%# I waste my time doing this farming nonsense. I know this happens at everyone’s job, you spend all this time getting ready for the big meeting, the big case, the big pitch and POW, something happens that messes it all up. So I am ok now, thanks for asking, and I look forward to trying again next time.

Farm Tour Redux

A disclaimer before I get into the "meat and potatoes" of this week's post...It is late (for someone who is seven months pregnant, 9:45 on just about any night of the week is considered "late" these days) and I am tired...and you can no longer tell where my calves end and my feet begin (I kid you not)...it is for this reason, and this reason only, that this week's post is totally devoid of pictures.  I have some really great photos from Saturday's tour that I want to post (plus the recipe for the zucchini bread I made...and Louise's "zucchini steak" recipe) but just couldn't get it done tonight...and let's be honest, the majority of you read these weekly posts to find out what you are getting at this week's pickup.  I didn't want to deprive those of you who are anxiously awaiting that information and I also didn't want to get off this routine of posting every Wednesday...so, there's my disclaimer for tonight's drab post...even though the subject matter was anything but!

Maybe because I am the "farmer's wife," or maybe because we are so invested in making our farm dreams come true, but I thought this weekend's Farm tour was spectacular!!  We had about twenty visitors, mostly friends and family but members, too!  The first part of the tour included brief introductions and moved quickly on to Michael's explanation of all the farm equipment and implements that are used during the farming season.  Even though I've seen all of the equipment before, I have not necessarily seen it all in use and cannot always remember what each one is used for.  For me, this was the most impressive part of the tour.  My boy sure knows what he is talking about! From cultivating tractors to specially-made chisel plows, I learned more about why they are useful and how he actually uses them (or doesn't).  Truth be told, we have plenty of farm books around the house...I just thought they made for good bathroom reading (for him, not me!) but I realize now that they are more like his textbooks, places from which his vast knowledge of all things farming come.  I stand (happily) corrected!

After a discussion on the Farm equipment, we loaded up the borrowed hag wagon and began the journey to the fields.  I rode along behind the wagon in  car (sitting cross-legged is not something this pregnant lady can do gracefully at this point) but it looked like all had fun on the ride!  We got to the fields, where we promptly refreshed with some water, zucchini bread and homemade cookies, as Farmer Mike explained what was in each field, his planned crop and field rotation and allowed the "tourists" to walk down the paths between the beds to see, hands-on, how their produce grows.  We saw gorgeous okra flowers (who knew!), cherry tomatoes, LOTS of green tomatoes (get ready!!) and the beginnings of our fall crops...just to name a few. 

Although I spend more time out there than the average person, this summer I haven't.  I am always amazed by how much Michael has growing at a given time and am even more impressed at his ability to bring food to so many tables each week.  I want to thank each of you who took time out of your weekend schedule to see the Farm, to listen to Michael and even more generally and basically, to support us in our endeavors.  Without you, One Acre Farm could not be!  Here's to hopefully many more successful Farm tours!!

This week's share will consist of: cucumbers, potatoes, onions, leeks, green beans, eggplant, squash, and basil.

Until next time...

Talk About Not Living in the Moment...

For those of you who know Michael on a personal level (as opposed to the extremely social farmer you see on distribution days), you know that he constantly struggles with "living in the moment."  I will give credit where credit is due -- he has gotten much better about living in the moment recently.  As we were discussing this weeks' blog post (don't worry, I'll get to that in a moment), I realized that his inability to live in the moment is ingrained in him.  It has to be in order for him to be a successful farmer!

While you and I are enjoying our summer vegetables (summer squash, eggplant, basil, onions), Michael is busy thinking ahead for the next season's vegetables.  Not to overuse this whole "not living in the moment" theme, but I am personally looking forward to the summer's greatest bounty (tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to be exact), but we are just delving into the deliciousness of summer that I crave on those cold, dark winter nights.

But, not too long ago, July 1st to be exact, Michael direct seeded his winter squash crop.  Acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash and pumpkins are busy germinating and sprouting into new plants:

On second thought, maybe the inability to live in the moment isn't all bad...there is a lot to look forward to in the coming months...thank goodness Farmer Mike is looking out for us!

You can expect the following in this week's share: cabbage, banana peppers, onions, potatoes, chard, eggplant and some surprises, too!  In the coming weeks, keep your eyes out for: tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and peppers.  On the horizon (hopefully), but not quite ready yet are watermelon and cantaloupe.

Until next time...

Open House!!!

Please join us next Saturday, July 16th at 10am for an Open House at the Farm. Anyone is welcome -- family, friends, children, neighbors...pretty much anyone except your four-legged friends. We have been anxiously awaiting the time when we had our own property to welcome our members and their friends to our land to take a look at what it is Farmer Mike does all day and to see where (and how) your food grows.


We will be giving a tour of the Farm, so make sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Hats are also nice to have, as is an ample coating of bug spray and sunscreen.

Directly across the street from the Farm is a County Park, Black Hill Regional Park, which we encourage you to explore as well, since you'll be making the trip out. They rent canoes and kayaks for those of you who enjoy being on the water. If you are interested in learning more about Black Hill Regional Park, check it out here: http://www.montgomeryparks.org/facilities/regional_parks/blackhill/

If you plan on attending the Open House, please email michael@1acrefarm.com for directions. If we find that there is a lot of interest but most people will be unable to attend, we may have to reschedule...so, let us know whether you plan on attending, so we can be sure to keep you updated on the Open House!


Your share this week will probably include: Squash, Potatoes (yippee!), Onions, Fennel, Basil (Lemon and Regular varieties), Chard and some combination of Eggplant, Hot Peppers or Okra.

We hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far and we look forward to seeing you on the 16th!


Until next time...

Intern's Corner

This week, we have handed over the reigns to Laura, the Farm's intern.  Here is a picture of her hard at work!

For this week's post, Michael has asked me to share my perspective on farming and I've found that most of all, farming has been a great learning experience for me. Here are just a few of the lessons I have learned.

1.Weather is either your best friend or your worst enemy

-So far this season, we've been lucky enough to have some nice farming weather: upper 70s to low 80s, partially cloudy and a slight breeze. I've always found that its easiest to do your least favorite tasks (hand weeding, straw mulching and raking beds) when the weather is the nicest and do the easier things when the weather is not so great. Although sometimes this scheme is not possible to maintain, most notably would be the week that Michael and I spent planting tiny onion seedlings while on our hands and knees during the rain and cold of March. Now, if only we could do something about the incessant bugs!

2.Things usually don't go as planned:

-I'm sure Michael would agree with me that has been our number one issue so far. For instance, much of the early season crops such as the arugula, radishes and broccoli rabe that were direct seeded were overtaken by tons, and I mean TONS, of grass. However on a positive note, I've never seen onions do so well! At this point, there are four 200 foot triple row beds (that's about half a mile) of beautiful white and red onions.

3.You will feel peaceful and love your job one day and then want to cry the next:

-My farming friend Virginia likes to say that organic farm work is “back breaking but soul enriching” and that's the best description I have heard so far. Seeing all the hard work that goes into growing the wonderful veggies that we produce has given me a new found appreciation for what the earth provides for us. Its cliché but a visit to the farm will make this quite apparent. And, although I'm sure there is no scientific basis for this, I find that veggies that I helped grow always seem to taste better than store bought stuff.

4.There is a reason that chemical herbicides and insecticides are so popular:

-Organic weed control, usually in the form of physical removal, is hard work, takes a lot of time and requires constant vigilance. Enough said.

5.Farming requires courage

-Besides learning to be comfortable around ginormous spiders (seriously, I didn't know spiders this large existed in this part of the world) my main goal for this season has been learning how to drive the tractor. This endeavor has been somewhat nerve racking for me since I am used to driving an automatic car (“what's a clutch?”) and I get nervous that I will hurt the tractor/crops/myself. So far, no people, plants (except a few onions) or machines have been harmed while I've been driving the tractor and I've learned a lot of essential things such as how to hook up the implements to the back, using the broadcast seeder to plant cover crops and using the plow. I also owe a lot to Michael for being so patient and helping me learn!

6. Other miscellaneous and fun facts:

-the flowers of bok choi and tatsoi are edible and taste like broccoli

-new potatoes are just smaller regular potatoes that are harvested early, same with green onions

-tomato plants need to be pruned in order to encourage fruit production

-many species of “weeds” are edible: parslane, dandelion leaves, and lambs quarter (however I don't recommend picking and eating any of these if you find them, since they may have been sprayed with pesticide)

-beans and legume crops need to be inoculated with beneficial bacteria before planting

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy eating all the veggies as much as I enjoyed growing them!

Until next time...

What's Up With My Cauliflower??

Last week's share of cauliflower might have you scratching your head...it tastes like cauliflower, but it looks, well, sort of pathetic.  Here's the scoop on the "not-so-pretty" cauliflower you've received:

Some varieties of cauliflower have leaves that grow up and around the "fruit"to protect it from the hot sun, which bleaches the cauliflower, turning it yellow.  Think of these leaves as nature's sunscreen.  You have probably seen the remnants of the protective leaves around the base of the cauliflower you purchase at the grocery store.  The variety we chose to grow this year had leaves but these leaves were inadequate to protect the fruit from the the sun's harmful effects (if you ever wanted to grow such a variety, it is called self-blanching.)  As a result, the ever-industrious Farmer Mike found a solution: individually tie the leaves of each cauliflower plant around the fruit to protect it.

Unfortunately, this solution had an unforeseen consequence.  The little bugs that sometimes land on cauliflower (and nibble...and sometimes fly away without harming the plants) were now blissfully trapped in their very own buffet that would put Sizzler to shame!  The result was evident: the cauliflower did not blossom into the typical heads that you normally find (and look more like broccoli side shoots).  Ignoring these "birth-defects," the cauliflower can still be eaten and should still have great flavor.

This week, you can expect to see some combination of the following in your share: Sugar Snap Peas, Onions, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Cabbage, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard and Daikon Radish.

Next week, our intern, Laura, will be authoring a blog post, so make sure to check back and read her thoughts, insights and perspective on life at the Farm.

Until next time...

Spring Greens!!

Since we are seeing lots of spring greens in these early weeks (napa cabbage, collards, bok choy, etc), I figured I'd blog this week about some easy ways to eat these good-for-you veggies.


What I do first is chop up the greens (usually in ribbons) and soak them in a salad spinner (with the bowl, so the water is retained) using cold water.  After sitting for several minutes (more than several, if I have the time), I dump out the water and then proceed to use the salad spinner to dry off the greens.  I have found that this helps clean the greens without having to scrub each individual leaf.  If that is your desire, then keep on scrubbin'.


Once the greens are cleaned, they are ready to be cooked!


Here is a recipe from one of our members, Louise:


Simple Chinese Cabbage (the hairy one)

• Slice the cleaned cabbage crosswise in 1/2 inch strips.

• Lightly steam for 5 minutes in a saute pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 cup water.

• Sprinkle with lemon juice and salt to taste.  Toss and serve.

Like Louise, I have been experimenting with fast ways to cook the greens.  My current go-to recipe is as follows:

• Heat olive oil in saute pan or wok (enough to cover the bottom);

• Add chopped onions and garlic and cook until tender.  I have been throwing in mushrooms lately...not sure if they really "add" something or if I just like them as part of a weird food craving;

• Add cleaned greens (I use whatever kinds I have on hand...sometimes I mix and match, like last week, I threw some broccoli rabe in with the collards);

• Saute in pan or wok (with cover on, so the steam braises the greens), stirring occasionally;

• Add soy sauce (a few swirls around the pan, or to taste);

• Cook until greens are wilted or braised-looking;

• ENJOY!!

The cookbooks all of our new members should have received also have fantastic recipes.  Please let us know if you have any tried-and-true recipes for any of the veggies you get each week and we'll gladly post them here.  Happy Cooking!!!

Tomorrow's distribution should include (some combination of the following):  Lettuce, Cauliflower, Collards, Broccoli Rabe, Napa Cabbage, Daikon Radishes, Radishes.

Again, if there are any topics that you'd like to know more about (or see pictures of), please post a comment on the blog and we'll happily oblige...to the extent we can!  We want to make sure that this experience is a true collaboration.

Until next time...

Distribution Day!!!

For those of you who are living under a rock, yesterday was the anniversary of D-Day.  Another momentous d-day is right around the corner...Distribution Day!  Now, for all of you war veterans, history buffs and others who cannot appreciate some tongue-and-cheek humor, I beg of you to not be offended by my comparison of the Farm's first official distribution to the turning point of the Second World War.  But, what can I say, we get awfully excited for Distribution Day around these parts!!

The season's first distribution will be this week, on Thursday, for both locations.  We are expecting that this week's share (although not as robust as it will be in coming weeks) will consist of the following: broccoli, napa cabbage, radishes, and lettuce.  For those of you who missed out on our "bonus" distribution last week, make sure you keep your eye out for our brand-spankin' new, special veggie delivery vehicle (aka our Reefer)!

Since it's been awhile since I've posted (apologies), there has been TONS of activity at the Farm since I last wrote.  First, the well was dug as I last reported.  The next step required a plumber, a water pump (of such capacity that the plumber insisted that should we go anywhere, we take it with us), a half mile of irrigation pipe, and a rented implement known in the biz as a "ditch witch."  Essentially, Farmer Mike had to create an irrigation system, to bring water from the well to the planting fields (obviously the distance of a half-mile), which involved burying said pipe at least 2 feet underground.  The still-wet conditions did not help.  But alas and alack, after a weekend of extremely hard (and frustrating) work, Farmer Mike got 'er done!!

This is the "ditch witch" in action:

Now that the pipe is in place, we were all ready for the electrician and Allegheny Power to come out and get us electrified.  The electrician was on top of his game and came out immediately.  Allegheny Power, on the other hand, put us on their "to do" list and said, we'll see you in 2-3 weeks!! 

Thank goodness we had a generator (her name is Genny) on the property that could provide a temporary power source so that we could get all that hard-dug water (and hard-buried pipe) to deliver the water to the fields!  Also, thank goodness, Allegheny Power must have heard the desperate despondency in Michael's voice when faced with a 2-3 week waiting period because they came out within the week!!  All's well that ends well...

Or is it?

Take a look at this picture and see if you can deduce the answer to the question above:

If you guessed "all's well that ends well....NOT," you would be correct!!  Apparently, during the irrigation pipe installation, the sections of pipe needed to be connected with clamps.  Ever being cautious, Farmer Mike did not want to secure the clamps too tightly, fearing that it could collapse the pipes.  Despite such precautions, we have now suffered two leaks (and of course, the latter leak was MUCH more difficult to locate), which required uncovering the pipe and fixing the leaks.  Apparently, in his cautious installation, the clamps were not installed with sufficient tightness to keep the water from leaking out of the connections.  There are several other areas where the pipe is connected that have yet to leak, but it is only a matter of time.  Thus, that muddy guy in the picture above (I promise, he does not normally come home looking that worse for the wear) will likely be uncovering and repairing leaky pipes for weeks to come.  Perhaps this post should be entitled D is for Distribution...and Digging!

I acknowledge that this post has more words (and a lot less pictures) than normal. I felt that I owed a significant post to the recent happenings at the Farm, since I have completely neglected my blogging duties.  I truly aspire to bring you a weekly post...and now that the season is (almost) officially under way, I suspect I won't have trouble keeping you informed!  With that in mind, please feel free to email recipes (using the Farm's veggies, of course) to michael@1acrefarm.com.  Also, if there is a particular subject you'd like to hear more about (or see pictures of), let us know that, too!  We loving hearing from you.

Until next time...

Drill Baby Drill!!

This recent smattering of hot days helped us achieve something we've been waiting for since we signed the dotted line for the lease -- finally dry enough to get the well drillers out to the property to, well, drill the well (sorry, cheesy pun intended).  After going to a depth of 175 feet, our well has been drilled!! Here is a picture of the massive well-drilling apparatus:

Getting the driller in place:

Drill Baby Drill!!!

Now that the well is in place, all we need to do is get the pump installed that will let all the previously-untapped water to our fields!!

In addition to the well developments, the Farm has been bustling with activity.  Michael and our intern, Laura, were busy planting (by hand) this season's onions.  Michael has likened this activity to the painstaking process of "planting the equivalent of a blade of grass."  Somehow, I escaped the wrath of this daunting task!!  Here is a picture of those "blades of grass" in the field:

Several weeks ago, Michael and I planted late Spring/early Summer brassica plants (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages and bok choy):

In addition to these plants, Michael was also busy planting potatoes (aka my grandfather's favorite question to ask him: "Michael did you get those potatoes planted yet?!?")  Unfortunately, we had a CATASTROPHIC potato failure -- a bug got into the potato seedlings and caused major rot.  Luckily, we were able to obtain more potato seedlings (you cannot underestimate the difficulty of obtaining potatoes at this "late" stage in the planting season).  Michael changed up his planting technique to help prevent the bug devastation and we are hoping that our potato harvest will be bountiful this year!

Keep checking in for updates on what is going on at the Farm.  As the season gets underway, we hope to keep the blog updated with pictures and information for your reading pleasure.

Until next time...

Things Are Shaping Up!!

Over the past several weeks, Michael has been busy, busy, busy getting the land (and himself) ready for the season.  Given the fact that we are now on raw land, with not one structure as far as the eye can see, we quickly realized we need storage spaces for small equipment, fertilizer, seeds, implements and the like.  We played around with the idea of attempting to build our own shed; we priced out those ready-built sheds that you see on the side of every country road; and, we started hunting around for storage containers that are used to transport products on the seas.  Ultimately, Michael being the bargain shopper that he is (who knew) found a used storage container for sale on craigslist.  It may not be the prettiest container out there, but I am pretty sure that Michael was more concerned with the weather-tightness of said trailer than he was about how she'd look as his prom date!  Here it is:

If you look closely at the first photo (or, look at all), you might notice an outhouse.  This is to accommodate any visitors and/or workers on the Farm.  I'll let you know how it goes!!

We also recently purchased a chisel plow, that was specially welded by an Amish man in Pennsylvania.  There was a particular type of plow that Michael saw used on the big farm scale but couldn't find a substantially similar plow for smaller operations. Basically, we use straw to keep the weeds out of our plant beds instead of the more popular (and less environmentally friendly) plastic weed barrier used by so many farmers.  Because the straw does not quickly decompose, Michael needed the plow to be designed so that it is capable of cutting through the straw when the field is ready to be plowed for the next planting. So, what does he do? What any entrepreneur does and described it to someone who is capable of making it -- and got 'er done!

Once we finally got the plow from Amish country, Michael set out to begin the plowing of the fields!!

This past weekend, in the newly-plowed fields, Michael and a volunteer began the daunting task of planting onions!  This week, Michael picked up transplants for the early summer vegetables, like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, napa cabbage and more!  We'll begin planting those this weekend.

Certainly other things are going on at the Farm, too.  We received deliveries of compost materials, Michael put up the deer fence to (hopefully) protect the fields from this veggie-predators, and he built a "lean-to" next to the storage shed to protect Big Red (our older, more delicate tractor used for cultivating) as much as possible from the elements.

Please remember that volunteer help at the Farm is encouraged and appreciated! If you want to come and check out what is going on at the Farm, to see where your veggies are growing, or to help contribute to this season's bounty, send us an email and we'll find a time for you to come out.  No excuses -- our most recent visitor was our youngest friend...a three week old Max L.!!

Until next time...

Who Says Winter is the Off-Season?!?!

After probably two months of no substantive posts, get ready for this jam-packed post!  Lots of things have happened at the Farm since I last checked in. 

As you may recall, Michael and I spent a snowy, cold day putting up a cattle guard for the new entrance to the Farm.  However, on the other side of the cattle guard was a pile of rocks and boulders covered in asphalt.  How does our landlord expect our hordes of volunteers to enter our property??

So, Michael and our sister-in-law, Nicole, took to the task of jack-hammering the barrier to non-existence.  Here are a few pictures of the two of them hard at work (notice again the snow on the ground...it appears that Michael likes to have his minions work in the snow!!).  I, luckily, was granted a stay of execution for this task!!

Now, thanks to their hard work, we have a suitable (and most importantly, accessible) entrance to our new Farm...can't wait to see you out there!!

We have also placed our Seed Order for the 2011 Season! Some may think that placing the Seed Order is the most fun aspect of farming (I would fall into this category). It is, however, stressful to ensure that you purchase the proper quantity and a decent variety.  We selected some of our successful standbys from our previous seasons, such as sungold cherry tomatoes (my personal fave!), red and yellow potatoes, heirloom tomatoes, lettuces, swiss chard, onions, and eggplant.  Some new things we are trying this year are: arugula, celery, kohlrabi, banana peppers and mushrooms.  Although garlic was a big hit last year, we will not have that until the 2012 season because it must be planted in early Fall and we did not have our land deal solidified then.  Trust me, we are just as disappointed as you are!

Most of you probably do not know what Michael undertook last year to deliver you fresh and crisp vegetables.  I will just say this, every Wednesday night he would come home apoplectic about whether the greens would wilt or the other veggies would look their very best for your distribution on Thursday.  Hopefully we have found our saving grace for this season (and for many, many seasons to come)!  We recently purchased what is known in farm (and perhaps blue collar) lingo as a "reefer trailer."  Look at this beauty:

This purchase will allow us to put the vegetables into a self-contained refrigeration unit immediately after harvest and allow them to stay refrigerated, cool and fresh until they are delivered to you.  Hopefully, the late-night worries about our "ice bag refrigeration" failing are over!!

Finally, Michael planted his first thing of the season...mushrooms!  Specifically, shitake mushrooms.  The mushrooms come in "plugs" and you drill holes into logs and hammer the plugs into the logs.  You then "seal" the plugs with wax to keep the moisture in.  The logs are stored in a wooded area and after several months of rain, the mushrooms will be ready for harvest!

First, Michael built a fire to melt the wax so that it could easily fill the plug holes. If this whole farming gig doesn't work out, I now know that Michael will be a top-runner in "Survivor." :)

Here are the completed logs, waiting for nature to take its course!

Stay tuned for more developments about our continued efforts to get the necessary infrastructure in place for a bountiful 2011 Season!!!

Until next time...

2011 Enrollment Now Open!!!

For those of you who are returning members, we are now accepting enrollment for the 2011 Season!! Please check out our website at http://www.oneacrefarm.com/ for pertinent membership information and the enrollment form.

For those of you who are new to One Acre Farm, enrollment will begin on February 7, 2011.  Please check out our website (http://www.oneacrefarm.com/) for more information.

We cannot wait to share 2011's bounty with you!!

Until next time...