Marching Along

This time of year is always the most anxious for us. The whole season is ahead of us...transplants to grow, an entire farm to plant, and projects galore to be completed. But they say that challenge is what helps keep a person healthy, so we are glad to have the opportunity to be in this position.

Transplants to put in the ground next week

We continue to start plants in the greenhouse. Summer crops like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant have been seeded, and the cabbage, broccoli, kale and other spring transplants have been moved outside to the cold frame to make room. They will be acclimated to the elements for about a week before being transplanted (weather permitting).

Uncovering the strawberries

Our 2015 apprentices Meghan McQueen and Semra Fetahovic start on Monday. We will ease them into the routine as their spring training begins. Welcome to the farm team and what should prove to be an exciting year.

Thanks also to the membership for attending the sign up meeting. This event is always an important part of the year; a way to reconnect, conduct some business, meet new members, and give all the opportunity to meet our partner vendors. As always the Core Group made it all happen without a hitch. Thanks to them and to St. James Church for hosting.

2015 Sign-up

New partner vendor, Companionship Bread

And we continue to move forward on the construction of our vegetable processing facility. It will be built  in the eastern half of the lower barn. First step is demolition. Our thanks to Mark Flynn and Rebecca's dad John for helping. It is exciting and disconcerting to demolish such a major space.

 

John and Mark dismantling the roof.

Loafing shed demolition, check.

We have cleaned out, shored up, used, upgraded, and otherwise spent a lot of time in this part of the barn. And now it is gone, ready for its next life. Yes, 2015 should prove to be unique.

And one last thing. It is always interesting to find an artifact. The men who built the loafing shed (apparently in the 1940's) signed their work.



Signed by Keith Stein, Bill Stein and Paul ?   194?

Moving on Up

The weather this February has been much more conducive to winter work than last year. We have been living by the old saying "make hay while the sun is shining" and working on our infrastructure to get ahead of the game before planting season begins.

The greenhouse addition is all buttoned-up, and the extra elbow room (literally) has been great. The seeding has begun, and the onions are coming up---a welcome site.

onions a sproutin'

A shout-out thank you to Carole and Fred Barth for the storm door. One of those things that you take because you might need it, store it for 3 years, and then find the perfect use.

The view from the west

We are slowly moving everything out of the east half of the old barn and into the new one. One benefit of this move is that we now have a shop! Every farm needs a place to park equipment and work on it, and we look forward to initiating some winter maintenance very soon.

And as is the case every February, the snow geese fly over the farm on their way north. Their clamoring is always a sign that the season has begun.

snow geese in formation

Welcome 2015

Hello 2015 farming season. We are back on-line here at the farm, enjoying the ever lengthening days and warm January temperatures. This year should prove to be exciting, if nothing else, as we continue our plans to venture into the fermented foods business.

As always, our CSA comes first, and we have begun accepting deposits for the coming year. Act quick to sign up, as the enthusiasm for local farm products and CSA membership continues to grow in the KC area.
 

Chickens enjoying fresh straw in a cleaned-out coop

Sunrise is finding us feeding the chickens, ordering seeds and equipment, managing memberships, planning for our certified kitchen construction, interviewing apprentices and waiting for the sun to warm the farm. Afternoons have been a delight lately, with sunshine and warmth providing assistance to what could be frigid winter work.

Taking soil samples today to evaluate our progress and needs

As the sun sets we get to enjoy a walk around the farm with Rocky while waiting for the chickens to roost for the night. A good start to the year, and dreams of a one-of-a-kind season.

That good boy, Rocky

In the Share - Week 31

SWEET POTATOES

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE

RED LEAF LETTUCE

FRISEE ENDIVE

GARLIC

HAKUREI TURNIPS OR BEETS

RED CABBAGE OR SPINACH

CILANTRO, DILL OR RADISHES

ROOT MEDLEY Carrots, Gold Ball turnips, and Watermelon radishes.

NEXT WEEK:  You're on your own 'til Springtime.  We recommend stocking up at the BadSeed Farmers Market this Friday (1909 McGee 4-9 pm) and throughout the winter, every Friday 4-8 pm. 

FARM REPORT
Another growing season is drawing to a close with this the last week of the extended CSA season.   Overall, it was a successful year with full shares through Spring, Summer and Fall.  Potatoes and onions did very well.  The lettuces, zucchini, cucumbers and broccoli also enjoyed the cooler temperatures and plentiful rain. 

Winter came early this year with a low of 10 deg. F this morning.  We breathed a sigh of relief  when we took the double layers off of the high tunnel beds today and all looked undamaged.  These cold snaps remind us that winter growing is a gamble.  So, while we can we are clearing out the high tunnel for the last week of the CSA and for the Bad Seed Farmers Market on Friday.  If you haven't made it down before or if you are a die-hard regular, there is nothing like this market to get you in the mood for Thanksgiving.  Hope to see you all there! 

What to Do With Your Share---Week 31

Sorry for missing the blog last week. Vertigo took over for the second half of the day, and I learned the importance of a stable middle ear. An infection or inflammation came and went, and I am steady on my feet again.

Last week was Veteran's Day and I had wanted to thank our vets, and my dad. He served in the Mediterranean and China theaters during WWII as part of the Navy's "Scouts and Raiders." Pre-SEALS they focused on reconnaissance and demolition. Life in his early 20's.

Lt (jg) Frank "Rocky" Ruggieri

Here at the end of the season the fare is hearty. A chicken comes out of the freezer to help make a rich stock. Cooking them helps add humidity and warmth to the house. From there about any assortment of vegetables can be sautéed, before adding some of the homemade chicken broth. They say it cures the cold.

Our latest batch of sauerkraut is on sale now. Prepared and fermented at Bad Seed, it will be on sale to the general public at the Pre-Thanksgiving Market on Friday from 4-9 pm. We are looking forward to starting another batch next week for sale before the end of the year.

We have three go-to uses for kraut;

• on a grilled cheese sandwich
• with our Parker Farms brauts
• as a topping on salad

It is important to maintain a proper biology within our digestive systems, and the kraut helps. We are very symbiotic, and understanding that can help lead to healthier eating habits. We plan to offer more fermented vegetables that have been grown on the farm in the coming months and years.

In the Share - Week 30

 RADICCHIO  A first for us.  They are gorgeous little things, some more green, other varieties more traditional red-and-white.  They go well in a salad with most of your share this week: 2 kinds of lettuce, 2 kinds of cabbage, fennel and tat soi.  Just to warn you, they are supposed to be bitter.  If the bitterness is too much for you, try roasting or baking.  (BTW:  Tom is under the weather tonight, so I apologize for the lack of recipe-sharing). 

FRESHLY-DUG CARROTS  The first of the fall harvest - very tender and sweet!

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE 

ROMAINE LETTUCE

NAPA CABBAGE

TAT SOI

YELLOW ONIONS

SAVOY CABBAGE

BULB FENNEL

NEXT WEEK:  Lettuce, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, greens, garlic and endive.

FARM REPORT:
Another abrupt change in the weather this year!  It was hard to believe that we needed to prepare for winter when it is 70 deg. F.  But we trusted the forecasters and scurried around the fields getting the last of the harvest in.   Even the hardy cabbage won't survive 18 deg. F which is the forecast for tonight and more or less for the next week.  So, in came the last of the lettuces, fennel, radicchio, endive, carrots and a truckload of cabbages.   Shorter days mean the harvest continued past sundown. 

The other big task in preparation for freezing temperatures is to mulch the crops that are staying out in the fields.  Think strawberries, garlic, onions and leeks.  With most of the harvest work done, CSA farm shifts consist of some packing and weighing of the share items, but if you are coming out to the farm this week or next prepare to throw lots of straw around.

In the Share - Week 29

BUTTERHEAD LETTUCE 

RED LEAF LETTUCE

SPINACH

YELLOW ONIONS

GREENS CHOICE  Kale, Swiss Chard, Gai lan, or Bok Choy

ROOT MEDLEY  Carrots, beets and Gold Ball turnips

HAKUREI TURNIPS 

RADISHES

CILANTRO OR DILL

NEXT WEEK:  lettuces, greens, garlic, sweet potatoes, cabbage and bulb fennel.

FARM REPORT:

November arrived with a cold snap that has all but ended the outdoor harvest season.  What is left in the fields are hardy crops under heavy cover or in the high tunnel.  High winds have made the row cover a challenge to keep on, but a calm day today allowed us to re-cover the lettuces, fennel and endives that remain in the fields.  The high tunnel provides a much better cover for cold temps. and wind and we should be able to eat well for the next few weeks from inside the bubble. 

This week the spinach, Hakurei turnips, radishes, herbs and many of the greens are coming out of the high tunnel. 

The change in the weather also signals the garlic planting season.  All 4800 cloves are in thanks to many hands.  The fine folks from Milsap Farm in Springfield, MO couldn't have timed their visit better to get the job done.   If you are ever down in their neck of the woods, tell them we sent you and count yourself lucky if you get there on a Thursday for their weekly wood-fired oven pizza nights.

The next step for the garlic is to mulch the entire planting with a good layer of straw which will protect the cloves over the winter and keep the plants happy through til harvest in June.  This time of year we like to have enough help on CSA mornings to complete the harvest early and have time to get in some mulching.  Last week the strawberries and over-wintering leeks got the treatment.  This week it will hopefully be the garlic's turn.  If you haven't completed your shifts for the season, come on out and join in the straw throwing.