The Depot Farm

  Today we will add pac choy, asian greens  and snap peas to our list of food uses.

• snap peas - taste great lightly steamed or added to stir fries. Most people eat them raw in salads or as a snack.
• asian greens - mixed varieties of mustard and brassica greens (mild or spicey mixes) used as a salad alone or mixed with lettuce. Larger greens can be steamed lightly ( whole plant is edible - stems, leaves and flowers) with the taste ranging from spicey mustard to light cabbage flavors.
• pac choy - the tops and stalks can be used together or separately. Use the greens in salads or cooked. The stalks can be used much like celery. Strip the green tops, cut the stems or chop into pieces and add it to your favorite dishes. Use them as a healthy snack with dip or fillings.
• kolarabi - great tasting raw or cooked. Peel outside skin like an apple, cut into thin slices and enjoy. Cut into slivers and add to salads or cook with veggies. Mild cabbage flavor.
  

 By adding fresh fruit and nuts to your salads, you can change the texture and flavor of the mixture. Pineapple, strawberries, pine nuts and almonds all liven up a salad. Being creative with your produce makes the difference between a boring meal and a standout dish. 

  Many things I eat I take for granted. Preparation and cooking them is second nature to me. Having a CSA, I find a lot of people don't know what to do with some of the produce they receive each week having never eaten or been exposed to some vegetables. I'll try to give you the basics in cooking and using the produce and you can find more elaborate recipes as your confidence and tastes grow. I'll add crops as they come into season and you find they in your produce box. 

• asparagus - good raw, cut into pieces and added to a salad -  steamed about 5 minutes until tender - or coat with oil and roasted in oven
• kale - baby kale (stems and all) raw in salads or alone - full size leaves steamed or sauteed lightly until soften and wilted. Strip or remove the center ribs and chop leaves before cooking
• swiss chard and beet greens - same as kale, some people cook beet greens in a little bacon grease and add bits of bacon to it.
• radishes - good raw or cut and added to stir fries - tops (greens) chopped and sauteed added to mixed cooked greens for a slightly peppery taste
• fresh herbs - pinch leaves and cut up to add seasoning to any dish. Add to your dishes last and only cook a short time. Extra herbs can be dried or stored in a plastic bag in the fridge or in a vase of water on the windowsill out of direct sunlight. ( depending on type of herb, check online for best fresh storage method ) 
• chives and bunching onions - chop into 1/4 in. pieces and add to scrambled eggs - sprinkle on top of prepared dishes to add a mild onion seasoning
  

  As with all foods, experiment with seasonings ( salt, pepper, herbs, dressings) added to create different flavors to your dishes. Do not overcook your veggies or they will become tasteless and mushy. Next week, we will add asian greens, pac choy and snap peas.

  As the planting season is in full bore, many times we find ourselves so busy we don't know which way to turn. Tilling, plowing, weeding and planting are just some of our chores we try to fit in our busy days. Once in a while I like to take a break, walk over to the field edge by the woods and just sit and watch the world go by. It's amazing to see all the critters busy doing their own thing; while I'm working I didn't even notice them. Bluejays, cardinals and hummingbirds fly back and forth chasing the food for themselves and their young. Insects move up and down, doing their own thing. A woodchuck plays hide and seek in the hayfield not yet mowed. I see him stand on his hind legs, surveying the area, then duck back down  only to surface somewhere else in the field. Two deer are lazily feeding in the far corner of the field. They know I'm here but evidently I'm not a current threat to them so they pay me no heed. I've seen fox and coyotes many times when I'm taking a break like this.

  The quiet and peacefulness of this short break energizes me and gives me a better perspective on what is important in life and to learn to see and enjoy all the little things in our lives. I guess it could be called my life's daily attitude adjustment break. Refreshed, I'm back to work again!

  Just to update everyone on progress in the fields. The first and second plantings of our spring crops are in and growing. The soil is still too cool to start beans or corn but we are making progress as areas dry up to where we can work the soil and add crops. The rain has been tough, an area dries out and then it rains all over again and it turns to muck.

  The plants in the greenhouse are looking fantastic; not leggy or spindly, nice and green and healthy looking. While the brassicas have already been transplanted outdoors, warm weather crops like tomatoes and peppers will stay indoors where they are protected until warmer weather arrives.

  The markets open on the 17th; we expect to be there with spring lettuce mix, spinach, radishes and kale. Asparagus and chives should round out our offering for the first week. A little light in selection but still a welcome fresh treat. Our CSA members are still on schedule for their first pickup on June 1st. 

  This week promises to be warmer and drier, so we have much to get done. The fence is strung and in place; row covers protect the early crops from possible frosts and have helped in shedding the excess rain so the plants haven't gotten soggy and stressed. While still having a lot of plantings to start in the greenhouse, the better part of this week will be spent in the fields. Flat seeding will get done in the early morning while it is cool then we move outdoors to continue planting. I guess that's about it for now, but we hope to see you in a couple of weeks at the market.

  It seems spring is trying to get here, but 1 day of 50's then back to snow showers and rain in the 30's make it look like it is taking it's slow, sweet time getting here. Normally we would have already planted early lettuce, radish, spinach and the first peas of the season, but it looks to be a couple weeks late this year. The weekend forecast is for 60's, so we will try to plant some in the areas we prepared last fall; much of the ground is still too wet and cold to do anything with.

  Indoors, the seed starting is going full bore, we starting 2nd plantings of brassicas, late onions, head lettuce and some later peppers and eggplant. The first plantings are growing great, not too leggy, and I just gave them a boost of nitrogen by watering with diluted fish emulsion.

  While I am getting the itch to be growing and planting outdoors, I will patiently bide my time. I know that in a few short weeks I'll be complaining about the heat or rain! I can't wait!

  Gardeners and farmers are optimistic people in general. We're content to plant a seed; nurture and pamper it for 3-4 months in the hopes of getting a carrot or onion we can eat. Not all that efficient overall, but it does have it's rewards. We get to enjoy fresh air, wildlife (hopefully not eating our labors), and rewarded with a means of physical labor instead of vegging out on the sofa. What a life!

  In a world seemingly based on instant gratification, we are content to let nature take its course. I wonder sometimes if I gain more from the process than in the actual reward. While I might complain every now and then about the weather, the bugs, the hours; I still wouldn't change a thing. I will always love what I do! Enjoy the season everyone.

  Many times we face feast or famine when we plant crops. With proper planning you don't have to eat broccoli for 2 weeks straight because all your plants were ready all at once. With a CSA and retail sales at the farmers markets, we need to spread out each harvested crop over a long period of time in order to maintain a variety of selection. Planting or starting plants every 10 days works to ensure a continuous supply over a period of time. 

  We estimate our amount of each planting by taking the number of shares x 2 weeks harvest per planting. We then add 10% for seed/plant failure and then multiply by 25%. This covers any pest damage or crop failure while still giving enough production for surplus. By replanting every 10 days we have a new crop ready to pick when the last one is finishing up. If one planting is lost to weather or bugs, the subsequent planting are usually not. Conditions and weather are always changing and you increase the odds of success.

  On a smaller scale for the home gardener, you can still use this timing plan to extend your harvest of certain crops. For example: if you want to harvest 1 broccoli per week for 8 weeks, instead of planting 20 plants at the same time, start 3 plants every 10 days to spread their mature harvest over a longer period. Later plantings can be used to replace early lettuce, pac choi, or spinach in the garden saving space and re-using the area. This system works well with all but a few "day length" sensitive plants (like peas). It will help you gain a larger variety of fresh food to eat over a longer period without the waste or over supply!

  Shopping in the supermarket requires constant checking of ingredients and country of origin. Most unmarked processed foods contain GMO ingredients. While the industry continues to stonewall labeling the use of GMO's in their processed foods, we do have a way to check our fresh fruits and veggies for how they were grown. Buying local certified organic is one way; but what if you want items not produced locally? I copy this photo onto my shopping list (you can also copy it to your cell phone) so I have a guide to check items not marked or identified organic. A quick glance at the numbers on the PLU sticker and I can tell if it's a GMO product, regularly grown with pesticides, or organic.

  Knowing your farmer is the best way to buying fresh, unadulterated food but a little knowledge can help make wise choices when it isn't possible.     Eat Fresh, Eat Smart! Eat Naturally!

  Winter drags on with the cold seemingly relentless. Zero degree nights and days in the single digits. Outside work is keep to a minimum. I've learned to accept it. On the good side, I've managed to catch up and update all my paperwork, do the taxes, even get a head start on this years' files. My eyes hurt and my fingers are sore from writing. Who knew bookkeeping could be so strenuous.

  On the farm side, details for our CSA are completed, seeds and plant stock ordered are arriving almost daily; crop plans, rotations and planting calendars are completed. I was going to make a "to-do" list but decided to wait, (it was number one on the list!) because of the risk of carpal tunnel. I guess I'll have to be content with putting another log on the fire; having a cup of hot tea and thumb though my dog-eared catalogs one more time! Keep warm.

  With another cold blast this winter, my outside work comes to a halt. The past week with temps in the 30's got me out to start trimming and pruning the trees and bushes. Some needed maintainance work got completed in the barn while I mentally keep a list of the tools in need of replacement. Duct tape and wire only works so long. 

  I've ordered most of my seeds for this season; adding a few new varieties to "test" in the garden. Most seeds are old favorites, chosen over time for taste, vigor and production in my soil. The seeds I saved from last season have all been cleaned and processed; stored away till it's time to replant again.

With the temperature hovering in the single digits for today, I think its  time to make a pot of soup, sit by the wood stove, thumb through another catalog and dream of spring. Life in the fast lane!

                              

   As growers and sellers, we all encourage and support the "buy local" initiative. It's good for us and the local economy. People purchase local foods fresh, meet the actual people producing them and can even see the production first hand with a visit to the farm. Friendships and relationships occur over time when you deal with the same people week after week. Something you don't get at the supermarket. Learning the origin of most produce is difficult, workers seldom know or care where something was produced or grown or when it was picked. Buyer beware!

  We (the sellers) also are consumers of products and we should know and care where they are produced. Supporting other local retailers over corporate box stores should be paramount to our own self interests. Locally sourced products can and usually cost more (not unlike our own products) because volume is lower, wholesale price higher, and overhead costs higher. Before we go to a mega store for lumber, or hardware or feed, consider getting it at a locally owned and managed store. Paying a few dollars more for something is not really gonna break the bank. After all, we expect to charge a "premium" for our goods and services to cover our costs, Shouldn't they?  Merry Christmas!

 

  In addition to canning, freezing and drying; we like to "store" some veggies right in the garden. We usually plant leeks, turnips, carrots, daikon radishes and cabbages in a patch together (closely spaced) in late summer for winter harvest. After cold weather sets in we cover the area with loose straw (about a foot deep) to prevent the ground from freezing. We're then able to pull the straw and snow back and dig some fresh veggies all winter long. The root crops last until spring while the cabbages and leeks carry well into February. Mice and insect damage is very minimal and the crops seldom freeze.   There's nothing like "fresh dug" carrots when it is 20 degrees and snowing out.

  This method also works well with spinach, chard and kale but the time frame for picking is shorter. Or you can just leave the straw on all winter and get an early crop in spring before the ground is even workable!

  With rain forecast for tomorrow and they are calling for snow over the weekend, I need to finish putting the asparagus patch to bed today. I first cut the asparagus ferns off at the ground; cover with about 6" leaves; add a layer of straw and top off with a sprinkling of manure and wood ash. The old ferns will go into the compost.

  In spring I'll pull the covering back to the paths to make harvesting easier. After I finish picking the crop for the year, I weed the beds thoroughly and rake the mulch back in to help control the weeds.

  I plant only Mary Washington asparagus; it's an old variety, dependable and hardy. I tried growing  the "modern" varieties: the all male, better yield hype catalogs tell you about. After 3 years growing, the spears produced were all thin (like in the supermarket), inferior tasting and no noticeable increase in yields compared with Mary Washington roots planted the same time. I removed them and planted my trusted variety. Lesson learned.

We received our first snowfall last night. Not much, only a couple of inches. Just enough to cover the ground over. I bundled up in my hat and gloves, took my morning coffee and went out to sit on the deck. Something about the first snowfall; everything clean and white, makes me feel that this is how everything was meant to be. The sun just rising, causing the snow to sparkle in the trees. No wind, No sounds. Peaceful. Calm. Right. 

  Slowly things come alive, the hustle and bustle of people with places to go, people to see, but I will keep that feeling with me. It gives me a sense of Being. Of life and purpose.....