(From elocal.com)

LOCAL

What is important to you when it comes to food?  Convenience, quality, price, environmental impact, etc.?  What about the upcoming holiday season?  What is important to you when you purchase a Christmas gift for a loved one?  Convenience, quality, price, environmental impact, etc.?  Are you beginning to see a theme here?
Do you know what ONE word describes all of the above?  Yes, you guessed it.  LOCAL!

When you support your local, homegrown business that provides locally produced products be it food, artisan gifts, or any other locally produced products you are giving back to your community, making a contribution to the environment, and supporting your neighbor, friend, or even a family member.   The benefits are many,

BEGIN............................................................

The benefits of buying local are numerous, the quality is outstanding, and the gift will be unique! 

MONARDA

Aka - bee balm, bergamot, horsemint, oswego tea.  This genus has roughly 16 species.  Native Americans used bee balm as a seasoning when cooking wild game, in particular birds.  They also used it to brew teas, to treat flatulence, to treat headaches, and when needed as a stimulant. 

Monarda also works wonders as a companion plant for tomatoes!  We have three colors adorning our herb bed--pink, purple, and red.

We call it bee balm around here and we are touting her attributes because she LOVES to attract those busy pollinators, the bees.  But you can call her what you like stunning, beautiful, interesting, versatile...........

PAYING FORWARD A QUOTE

"He who is aching in every limb, worn out by the effort of a day of work - that is, a day when he has been subject to matter - bears the reality of the universe in his flesh like a thorn. The difficulty for him is to look and to love. If he succeeds, he loves the Real." -Simone Weil

 

The above quote came across our facebook page from Polyface Farm's Blog, THE HEN HOUSE.  Polyface is home of the ever present and well spoken advocate for local food, Joel Salatin.  You may remember him from Food, Inc. and other assorted documentaries. 

 

As of late, the "aching in every limb, worn out by the effort of a day of work" is very true and AS we fight the tiredness we reflect on why we do what we do.  Simone Weil sums it up completely -"If he succeeds, he loves the Real."

 

When we succeed our tenacity and ability to work with the natural elements has allowed us to grow along with our veg!  We have been able to find the place between worry and joy that brings peace of mind.  Anyone who relies on the earth, the sky and the elements she creates, to make a living, finds a gentle space in their inner being to patiently wait for the ripening of the harvest!

 

 

 

We hope your inner being finds a gentle space too.

BEAT THE HEAT

Do you want quick, nutritious, refreshing, and liquid nourishment?  Especially after you've been out in the 90 degree heat hoeing and weeding for hours.  Do you have bananas that go bad quickly this time of year because of the heat?

Well freeze those bananas in large pieces after you have peeled them.  Then do the following:

BANANA TAHINI SMOOTHIE

2 organic oranges juiced, then add enough cold water to make 1 or 2 cups of liquid.
2 T tahini
2 frozen organic bananas

Toss in your blender and hit liquify!  Drink and go ahhhhhhh!  I think I'll go make another batch.

BEAUTIFUL BROCCOLI

Check out our harvest of broccoli yesterday and we did not find ONE critter on it.  We are hoping our CSA customer's didn't either.  But if you are buying at a local farmer's market this is how you should care for your broccoli when you get it home.

CARING FOR BROCCOLI
Because the spaces between the florets on broccoli heads make a convenient hiding place for tiny caterpillars and aphids, some of them invariably find their way into the kitchen. Plunge harvested broccoli into warm water with a little white vinegar added, and any stowaways should float to the top. Never soak the shoots more than 15 minutes; use only warm water, because hot water destroys nutrients and cold water doesn’t clean as well.

Broccoli will keep fresh in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, but the longer it is stored, the tougher the stems get and the more nutrients it loses. Either can, freeze or pickle excess harvest. Freezing best preserves broccoli's flavor, color and nutritive qualities. Separate the large heads into bite-sized chunks with a bit of stem and cut the remaining lengths of stem into 1-inch pieces.

Blanch the pieces in boiling water for three minutes, plunging them promptly into icy water for three minutes to stop the cooling process. This will kill any harmful bacteria, and allow the broccoli to retain its firm texture and bright green color. Drain them then store the broccoli in plastic freezer bags. Frozen broccoli retains its quality for up to six months.

WHAT IS IT? THE SECOND IN A SERIES

They were likely originally cultivated in ancient Rome and as we know them today as early as the 13th century in Belgium.  French settles brought them to Louisiana in the 1800's.  They contain an anti cancer agent which protects against colon cancer and another naturally occurring substance that boosts DNA repair in cells.  They also contain vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and other good essential nutrients.   The Netherlands produces 82,000 metric tons annually.

TO PARTICIPATE
1)  Well you have to go to SOL 'N TYNE BLOG. 
2)  In the comment section below this post you must leave your answer. You cannot leave an answer until after 12:00 pm on Friday, June 24.  You also cannot post an answer on facebook - you have to leave your answer in the comment section below this post on the blog and you cannot email me the answer!

THE WINNER GETS
Soooo...what do you get if you do all the above and your answer is the FIRST correct answer after 12:00 pm on Friday, June 24?

Well.....for the second ever SOL 'N TYNE WHAT IS IT? posts give aways - you will receive a fresh bouquet of flowers, already arranged, in your next CSA delivery or delivered to your door the week of June 26, 2011, if you live in Red Wing, Lake City, Zumbrota or  Rochester.  If you live far, far away - thanks for playing and we hope you enjoyed the challenge! 

There ya have the rules and regs for the SOL 'N TYNE WHAT IS IT? give away posts!  Have fun!!!

This is the second in a series of  WHAT IS IT? give away posts.  We will do these intermittently through November 1, 2011.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Wisdom rolled up in a scroll.  This is what it said:

Interpretation:
This is a garden float.  It doesn't take a farm to make a garden or even a ditch of dirt you can take pots, pans and just a bag of soil. 

I think you should try to make your own garden.

I think everyone should have at least to have one plant.

Have a nice Garden.

See you.

Written by Bella (9) and Amaya (7) today while playing on the farm - wisdom at a young age.  There is hope.

BEETLE PATROL

Yepper - I said Beetle Patrol.  Colorado Potato Beetle to be exact!  Buggers.  Literally.  They are so popular they have their own website - http://www.potatobeetle.org/.

We will not spray for them so we have to patrol for them.  The thankful part is they don't slither away, they are easy to spot, and their eggs standout like orange, neon lights on the back of the potato leaf.  You can crush or bottle.  Whatever your squeamish preference will allow.

Another recycle method for bottles - Beetle traps.

Anne and Paul 'patrolling'.

To slow down their reappearance we apply straw mulch.  Plus it keeps the unwanted weeds at bay along with trapping moisture in the ground and helps prevent exposure to the sun causing the green, bitter tasting, alkaloid to appear on the skins of the potatoes.

Theresa applying the straw mulch.

At the end of the day a snuggled in potato field will be a happier potato field.

THE ANSWER IS....

On Thursday, March 17, we posted the first WHAT IS IT?.  Leah had the first answer and she guessed tomato.  More specifically an heirloom tomato was the answer we were hunting for, but we will gladly accept tomato!

Heirloom's are generally considered to be a variety that has been passed down, through several generations of a family because of its valued characteristics. Since 'heirloom' varieties have become popular in the past few years there have been liberties taken with the use of this term for commercial purposes.

Tomato experts, Craig LeHoullier and Carolyn Male, have classified heirlooms into four categories:

1. Commercial Heirlooms: Open-pollinated varieties introduced before 1940, or tomato varieties more than 50 years in circulation.
2. Family Heirlooms: Seeds that have been passed down for several generations through a family.
3. Created Heirlooms: Crossing two known parents (either two heirlooms or an heirloom and a hybrid) and dehybridizing the resulting seeds for how ever many years/generations it takes to eliminate the undesirable characteristics and stabilize the desired characteristics, perhaps as many as 8 years or more.
4. Mystery Heirlooms: Varieties that are a product of natural cross-pollination
   of other heirloom varieties.

(Note: All heirloom varieties are open-pollinated but not all open-pollinated varieties are heirloom varieties.)
(Adapted from What is an Heirloom Tomato? - Tomato Fest.)

2010 Green Zebra, Red Zebra, Hartman's Gooseberry, and Stupice.

This year we are offering 28 heirloom varieties.  Some new, some our favorites, some little, some green, but all of them loaded with juicy, mouth watering flavor. 





Leah will be able to pick out six ready to go plants in 4" pots from either our sweet and hot pepper varieties and/or our herbs.  We will also include her choice of six tomato plants!

Thanks for participating and watch for the next installment of WHAT IS IT?

HOME GROWN REVOLUTION

A Homegrown Revolution! To all of you who are growing your own food - freedom!  You can do it!  If you can't grow your own ---- FIND someone who does and get on board with freedom!  Love it.  Gotta love it!!!!

HEALTH

PATRIOTISM

CSA WHAT IS IT?

CSA, Community Supported Agriculture.  What does that mean? 

The concept originated in the 1960's in Switzerland and Japan.  In those countries consumers, such as yourself, where interested in safe food and small farmer's, such as us, were seeking stable markets for their crops.  The two groups joined together to form an economic partnership.  A Community Supported Agriculture is born.

"Since our human existence is primarily dependent on farming, how can we entrust this essential activity solely to the farming population.  Only 2% of Americans are farmers. 2%! As farming has gotten bigger and bigger it has become more and more remote from the life of the average person, it becomes less and less able to provide us with nutritious, clean, healthy, live giving food or a clean, healthy, live giving environment.  That small 2% of Americans, laden with debt, overburdened with responsibility, subsidized by you, cannot possibly meet the nutritious, safe needs of all humans, such as you.  Fortunately, more and more people are coming to recognize this, and those people are ready to share agricultural responsibilities with small active growers."  (Excerpts taken from Farms of Tomorrow)

In the mid-1980's the concept of community supported agriculture (CSA) was introduced to the United States and continues to gain momentum.  There are a community of individuals, such as yourself, who pledge support to a small grower/producer, such as us, so that the farm land becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks of food production.  Typically, members or "share-holders" of the farm pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary.  In return, the "share-holder" receives a share in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production.  On the flip side - members also share in the risk of farming, including poor harvests or crop failure due to unfavorable weather or pests.  (Excerpts from Defining Community Supported Agriculture.)

Here we are the fall of 2010 and moving toward the 2011 growing season.  Government continues to harrass individuals and small grower/producers telling us --"There is no 'deeply rooted' historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds."  FDA'S RESPONSE TO RAW MILK  We can all make a difference by supporting a CSA close to you.

EDUCATION

Education.  It's important right?  We need to know things.  Well here's a question for you -- if you asked your children where your food comes from, what would they say?  I asked Bella (our 8-year-old granddaughter) - her answer "The store."  More specifically - a carrot - she said "The ground."

Education, it's important right?  It also starts at home.  Introduce your children to real, natural, locally grown food - it's fun!!!  Visit your local farmer's market for a visual and tasty treat!!!  The colors are astounding, the taste is incredible, and the people you meet are the hardest working, most helpful, generous people you will encounter in one spot!!!  The diversity in product and people are endless. 

We know it is the very end of the market season, but this weekend go for a family outing and visit your local farmer's market!  You won't be disappointed.  Take the opportunity to show your children where food really comes from and how good tasting natural, locally grown food is.  The growers and vendors you will meet love to answer questions.  Education, it starts with us and you.  Let us know how fun it was!

TOP 10 REASONS TO BE A MEMBER OF A LOCAL CSA

1)  Do you like the taste of a spring radish, crisp lettuce greens, or peas that actually snap because they were just harvested?  Or what about the taste of a ripe-off-the-vine tomato, beets that are bursting with flavor, scallions or bulb onions that when you dice them fill your kitchen with appetizing aroma?  That would be our number 1 reason for becoming a member of a CSA.  Not only is your food fresh, flavorful, and colorful, but it is dense and rich with nutritional value!

2)  Do you like to know where your food comes from?  That would be our number 2 reason for becoming a member of a CSA - you know your food just made a short trip to your table.  The shorter the trip, the less time from harvest to your table, the richer the flavor and the more nutrient dense the food.  Right from our field to your table - naturally!

3)  Do you like to know who is growing your food?   How many people do you want handling your food, one or two, or the many that handle your food on the way to your local grocery store chain. That would be our number 3 reason for becoming a member of a CSA - you have a direct relationship with us, your grower.

4)  Do you like to grow your own food, but do not have the time or room to grow everything you want?  A sophisticated CSA farmer/grower should be willing to sit down with their members and find out what additions you would like to supplement your existing garden.  So reason number 4 - you can broaden your food choices without the hassle.  Let your grower do that for you!

5)  Do you like experimenting with new seasonal food choices or on the flip side you like traditional, seasonal food choices?  Either way a good CSA will provide you with recipes and alternative ways to use your weekly baskets.  Plus you can provide feedback and let your grower know if that particular seasonal food type works for you!  That would be reason number 5 to become a member of a CSA!!  As a member you can provide us with a list of your favorite seasonal foods, the foods that turn your nose up in disgust, and seasonal foods you might be interested in trying!!

6)  Do you like your food to be free of insecticides, pesticides, and not genetically modified?  Whew that's a big one - and impacts on our health are huge!!!  Our number 6 reason to become a CSA member - you are taking a big step to ensure your health choices are your own and you know exactly what you are getting!!

7)  Do you like to do a small part in protecting your environment?  Our number 7 reason for becoming a CSA member - small growers work hand-in-hand with the land.  We give back to the land naturally and our growing methods provide places for wildlife to flourish, flora and fauna to flourish, and beneficial insects to flourish.  We also protect seed diversity by growing many varieties instead of a huge monoculture of one variety.

8)  Do you like to have your children experience fun things?  Our number 8 reason for becoming a CSA member.  We encourage families to come to the farm and help plant in the spring, pull weeds in the summer, and harvest at any time!  What a fun way to introduce yourself and your children to where their food comes from!  Plus if you guarantee us a certain number of hours per week, we can provide you with a better price on your CSA membership!  Win-Win.  We like that!

9)  Do you like to buy your food locally?  Did you know that the average food travels around 1500 miles from some farm to your plate?  1500 miles!!!  Think about that for a minute.  Your lettuce you just bought in a bag at Hyvee, 1500 miles and it's in a bag!  Not to mention the countless trucks it's been on and the hands that have touched it. Our number 9 reason for becoming a member of a CSA - your food would only travel, at the most, 42 miles.  Our furthest drop point is in Rochester.  We are pushing very hard to have only a 15 mile radius tops!!!  Picked same day or one day in advance and delivered the next!  Now that's local and fresh!!!

10)  Do you like to try new things and take risks and even if you don't?  Our number 10 reason for becoming a member of a local CSA.  You and your grower are in it together!!!!  Bumper crop of tomatoes - awesome.  Failure in potatoes - well there is always squash for back up!!!  Your membership allows you to share in the full reward of a bountiful harvest and you also share in the small risks with your grower.  By investing in the farm through a share purchase you help us have the resources to plant the great foods but like with any investment there is risk. UnlikeWall Street our risks just mean a bit less variety in the food for that season.

YOUR HEALTH

Finally, a doctor who gets it.  Dr. Maring from Kaiser Permanente in California started a farmer's market in 2003.  But guess where you can go to get the local veg?  Right outside the hospital!!!! 

He went one step further and started his own blog chock full of recipes, sound health advice, how to use veggies, and much more!  If every physician in this country followed Dr. Maring's example, there would be a health and food revolution like no other!  Here is the link to his blog/website. Dr. Preston Maring. It is also on the left hand side of this page under the heading Cooking, Growing, and Health.

We found out about Dr. Maring through a link to an article in the New York Times that came across our facebook page.  This is an excerpt from the NYT article regarding Dr. Maring. "But increasingly, his reputation and perpetual motion revolve around his conviction that in the health professions, the kitchen must become as crucial as the clinic. Food is at the center of health and illness, he argues, and so doctors must make all aspects of it — growing, buying, cooking, eating — a mainstay of their medical educations, their personal lives and their practices."

Wow! 

GROWING FOOD!!!

Pretty exciting isn't it? Fall is just barely sneaking in and we are thinking spring and what we can grow and eat and celebrate and savor in 2011!

Craving a fresh, juicy, red tomato yet?  I am!  I'm also borrowing ideas from other growers, bloggers, people who love the taste of good food and appreciate what food is all about and sharing it with you.  The ideas are endless and the ways to celebrate good tasting, locally grown food is also!

So here is a link I borrowed from Deep Roots post today on Facebook.  10 GREAT BLOGS ABOUT GROWING FOOD.  The list is from all over the world.  We enjoy reading about how other growing zones manage the challenges, share their ideas and discoveries, and rejoice in what they do!!!

We went one step further and added all the links to the right hand side of our page under the heading GROWING FOOD!!! so you can come back anytime to view them and borrow your own ideas.  I know it is overwhelming, welcome to our world, and enjoy!!