The Harvest Bee Blog

Good Morning, Friends: When the body is aching and exhausted from days and days of sun up to sun down work, some mornings are just flat out harder to pull your body out of bed than others. Sometimes, the thought of the soon to be flow of java running through the system just doesn't cut it. Waking up to the glow of this month's Full Moon, though, and being able to spend some time before with the stillness of of this amazing Moon sky before the sun shows her face really can do wonders for the mind, body, and soul as energy is mustered to push forward with the impending days work. Gazing at this early morning sky, cup of coffee in hand and a little Native American flute to enhance the mood, I have been able to find an even better connection with farming, not just because of the natural beauty of this portrait, but also because of the messages that this moon provides specifically for the farmer. One of the differences between Bio-Dynamic farming and basic organic farming is the association between astrological cycles and various farming activities. Truly, this is not just some hippie, whacky, funky, meaningless brouhaha. Farming according to nature's cycles is as old as agriculture itself. It is how Native Americans engaged in agriculture for a long time and it worked wonders for them. It is only within the last century that farming took a naughty and disconnected turn from this age-old, time tested approach to sustaining soil and growing food. So, for example, during the Full Moon, usually precipitation is a little higher, which means rain can be expected at some point during this moon phase. Sunday morning Mother Nature provided that moisture for the field. It is also a great time for seeding, as germination occurs more quickly. These past few days we seeded a lot of warm loving Asian Greens, peppers, okra, and other goodies. This colder weather the past few days also allowed us to try one last go at some root crops, like beets, fennel, and turnips. If the colder weather had been associated with the new moon, where germination may not be so quick, we probably could not have been able to give this root crop seed sowing a go. We'll keep our fingers crossed for a late season harvest of roots and if so, we have this March Moon Phase to thank! Another recommended activity associated with the Full Moon is crop feeding, specifically with the farm made worm compost tea we use at The Hive. Magically and gratefully, however, we have not fed the plants in almost 3 weeks now, which means that the soil seems to be really starting to take form in terms of nutrient content and vitality. The goal really is to minimize feeding altogether and although we are a long way away from reaching that goal, it really is exciting that a season's long worth of focusing on building up the soil seems to be paying off. These examples only scratch the surface of the connections between Mother Nature's natural cycles and the farming practices we use to grow real food. Yet, it is these examples that really bring the farmer and the land closer in union. Certainly, it is not hard to connect with nature and nature's spirits simply by planting a plant or sowing a seed. However, when you can find a connection that unionizes science, nature, and the spiritual world, a deeper connection that is difficult to explain but beautiful to obtain really is manifested. Bio-Dynamic farming encourages and stresses this connection in its specific layout of the principles it demands from farmer, which in turn creates a more pure form of food and without a doubt a more pure form of farming. These last few days I really can attest to that! In this week's shares you will find the following: -Brassica Braising Mix (Broccoli Greens, Collard Greens, Kale) -Head of Lettuce -Bell Peppers -Zucchini (We know it's 2 weeks in a row, but honestly, we can't be certain that we will get much more) -Green Onion, Dill, or Oregano Many of you have wondered the difference between some of the mixes and this week's mix is definitely one that is great for braising or cooking down. Here is recipe for the greens, which if you want to make it totally vegetarian, substitute the bacon for the zucchini or bell peppers! Mushrooms would also be a great substitution or addition! It is very filling so, don't hesitate to make this a meal in and of itself. https://thesouthinmymouth.wordpress.com/tag/killed-greens/ One last event associated with the Full Moon, a higher presence of slugs and snails. Normally, this would not necessarily get us giddy. Because we have hens now, though, they love those little critters. Hence, Sunday was spent forming some new beds for this week's plantings and as we turned the soil we gathered those slugs and snails and fed them to the hens who were so happy...or so we think! Have a safe and Happy Easter however you may spend it and see ya all when we see ya! Onen, The Bees