Happenings

There are two opportunities to join us at the farm tomorrow! On Saturday November 9, we will be braving the cold for Foraging: Roots. Now is the time to begin digging roots – as the plants begin to drawn their energies into the ground to store them for winter, we can begin to take advantage of this and dig them. They can be used as tasty root vegetables, or dried for coffee, tea, and medicine. We’ll demonstrate the process of taking them from root to coffee, and sample a warm brew at the end of class. The class is two hours long, from 9 to 11 a.m. Beginners and experienced foragers are welcome. Be prepared to walk, often at times on muddy or uneven surfaces. Dress for the weather and season! We meet at the pole barn.

In the afternoon, from to 2 to 4 p.m., we are hosting a free workshop called Foundations of Soil Health.

This is a free event and all ages are welcome! Please let us know you’ll be coming on the Facebook event page.

– Soil (Identification, Fertility & Nutrient Cycling, Creation)
– Compost (Basics, Tips for Winter months)
– Bed Prep (BioIntensive, Synergistic, Raised Beds)
– Cover Crops
– Planning a garden for 2020!

This hands on workshop takes place this Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. and is a great opportunity to get some great hands on experience digging BioIntensive beds. We will look at various methods we use here at the farm to regenerate the soil, close the loops, and encourage healthy plants.

This won’t only be about the farming/gardening methods. We will also be talking about and exploring how physical movement (or maybe the lack thereof) is incorporated into our lives, and how making small changes in our daily routines helps us to become better movers. The goal is to move well before we move often. Plan on meeting at the farm house at 2.

We hope to see you soon!

Upcoming Events:
November 9 – Foraging: Roots
November 9 – Foundations of Soil Health
November 19 – Bread Baking
December 7 – The Living Landscape
December 14 – Foraging: Winter Offerings
Custom Classes & Workshops

See you at the farm!

It seems an appropriate activity to be harvesting the last of the ghost peppers on November 1, which is also known as All Souls’ Day,  the Day of the Dead, El Dia de los Muertos, or Samhain depending on the tradition. In any case, it is a day to remember and honor the ancestors, and our friends and relatives who have died. It also marks a time to celebrate the harvest season. Tonight’s frost will mark the end of a bountiful harvest of many things including the ghost peppers and habaneros we grew for a local hot sauce company, Old Grumpy Mark’s.

There are a few more opportunities to join us at the farm this season on November 9 Foraging: Roots,

and on December 14 Foraging: Winter Offerings

We hope to see you soon!

Upcoming Events:
November 2 – The Living Landscape
November 9 – Foraging: Roots
November 19 – Bread Baking
December 7 – The Living Landscape
December 14 – Foraging: Winter Offerings
Custom Classes & Workshops

See you at the farm!

This morning we spent some time in the kitchen practicing our fermentation skills. We enjoy being able to eat from the farm long after the harvest. This process makes food into delicious medicine.

Shannon Stonger in her book, Traditionally Fermented Foods, explains the process this way:

“A vegetable has its own microbial makeup from the soil in which it was grown. Place it in salt water at a temperature anywhere between 50 and 80°F, and not long after that, bacteria will begin to multiply. While these bacteria multiply, an acid called lactic acid is produced. This is where the term lacto-fermentation comes from; it does not refer to the inclusion of whey or dairy, as is sometimes assumed. Rather it is a reference to the type of bacteria being  multiplied and the resulting lactic acid which preserves the food.

Eventually, the jar of vegetables begins to bubble. This is because carbon dioxide is produced when the bacteria feast on simple sugars. It is a byproduct of fermentation that comes in handy; it displaces the oxygen in the sealed vessel, thereby perpetuating the anaerobic environment needed for proper fermentation…. The process is both beautiful and technical…it does it all while predigesting the food and adding enzymes, probiotics and vitamins that make the final fermented product better for the human body than the raw food.

It really is quite miraculous.’

Upcoming Events:
November 2 – The Living Landscape
November 9 – Foraging: Roots
November 19 – Bread Baking
December 7 – The Living Landscape
December 14 – Foraging: Winter Offerings
Custom Classes & Workshops

See you at the farm!