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Your Guide to Well-being and Wild, Crazy
Healthy Living!
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April 2009
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Free Holistic Health Consultation
This
free hour-long
session includes a
full discussion of
your health
history
and health goals,
a chance to get
your questions
answered, and
the
opportunity to find
out more about
a personalized
health program,
completely catered
toward your busy
lifestyle and needs.
Visit Barbara Taylor Health
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Deer Resistant Plants
For a list I put together of plants that do great in this area and that are unappetizing to most deer:
click here!
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Events
Upcoming Workshops:
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Your Own Victory Garden
Greetings all !
I feel like I just sent out the March issue, but I wanted to get to the April issue early this month as we have some great workshops coming up soon and now is the time to start getting our hands back into the soil!
 I love the idea of a Victory Garden. The term first was used to refer to gardens planted during World War II, but the term is coming back to refer to Victory over our economic recession or Victory over global warming. Victory is a fabulous word to use when referring to a garden. Gardens can be battles sometimes and they demand dedication and work and effort so Victory certainly is a great way to refer to a successful garden! I can't help but feel victorious coming in to the house with a bushel basket full of fennel bulbs or bell peppers or anything harvested from my own garden! Check out:
And so in response to popular demand, we are adding a Starting Your Own Victory Garden (Basically an Organic Gardening 101) Workshop this month - on April 25th. We will also have plants ready to be put in the ground for sale at the workshop as well to get you started. 

Starting an Organic Victory Vegetable Garden
Saturday, April 25th, 11 am - 1 pm
An overview covering starting an organic vegetable and herb garden so you can start enjoying the freshest, best-tasting greens, vegetables and herbs. We'll cover all sorts of start up tips and you will leave with a plethora of ideas and info to put into use. Composting, fencing, planting order, fertilizer, seed starting, biodynamics, raised beds, and more. You can also follow up this workshop with a personal consultation that can cover your particular situation and the specific crops you want to grow for your family. Vegetables, herbs, and greens appropriate to plant in late April and early May will be available for sale. $36.00 | Please register by April 18th.
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Gardening Schedule:
Note - You can start planting out your cold-hardy crops now! Onions, Leeks, Spinich, Collards, Kale, Brocolli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, and Greens like Sorrel and Arugula. You can also plant your pea, lettuce, radish, beet, turnip, and carrot seeds out in the garden.
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Need Gardening Advice? Garden Consultations!
If you feel unsure about how to start your garden, or just want some reassurance or validation as to where to plant what or have a gardening problem or issue - let us know. We do garden consultations and can provide you with personalized help with planning location, using biodynamics, companion planting, balancing chickens and vegetables, shady medicinal gardens, native pollinator gardens, and more. Send us an email for more info or to schedule a visit.
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Biodynamic Chamomile Tea Spray
Biodynamics is a wonderful method of gardening - above and beyond gardening organically. Biodynamics brings a broad variety of influences to gardening and taking these influences into account can make your garden more fruitful, your harvests more nutritionally dense, your gardening experience more in touch with nature, and more spiritual.
One aspect of Biodynamics involves certain plants or herbs that are understood to have Dynamic Properties. I thought I would describe one way that I use one of these dynamic herbs - German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) - to help grow healthy seedlings.
CHAMOMILE TEA SPRAY FOR SEEDLINGS
This is really the first herbal preparation we use with our plants. Basically, all you have to do is brew a strong tea of Dried German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) blossoms, then dilute about 1:10 Tea:Water, pour into a spritzer bottle, and once your seedlings emerge, spray them quite vigorously with the tea water.
This preparation prevents damping off or fungal growth in the seed flats. The seedlings seem to love it. For the young seedlings, we find that spritzing them works better than soaking from the bottom. It keeps them from getting too water-logged and the spritzing encourages them to grow strong stems. Do not spritz the flats with this tea until the seeds have actually germinated.
NOTE - be sure to use German Chamomile, not Roman. And if you are picking your own, harvest the blossoms for drying before June 24th.
Mountain Rose Herbs offer dried German Chamomile Blossoms - there is a link on my web page you can use - http://www.midsummerfarm.com/teas.htm. If you are having trouble finding dried German Chamomile blossoms and you have seedlings started that you want to spray right now, I would be happy to give you some when you come by for eggs Wednesday evenings at 5:30. Or just send me an email and we'll arrange something.
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Hard Boiled Eggs - Some tips for using truly fresh eggs!
Well, I suppose that you all realize how different in flavor and nutrients eggs grown by farmers like us are from supermarket eggs. Well there is another big difference, and that is the freshness. Usually when you buy eggs from us, they were laid a day or so beforehand. This is a fabulous thing, but can be frustrating if you hard boil them and try to peel them, as there is no air separating the shell from the membrane and the white. As eggs age, air seeps through the porous shell and creates a space between the shell, the membrane and the white, this space makes the egg easier to peel.
Here's what I do to hard boil eggs:
Put eggs on bottom of a large sauce pot. Fill with cold water to about 2 inches above tops of eggs.
Put pot on medium heat, uncovered. Bring to just starting to simmer. Then remove pot from heat, but leave eggs in the hot water, cover, and wait 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, pour hot water off and shake pot around with eggs in it so the shells crack.
Then add cold water to pot and keep changing water so it stays cold.
Leaves cracked eggs in cold water for at least 20 minutes.
The temperature changes should help force air into the eggs and the cold water should also help separate the shell and membrane.
Note: you can tell how old an egg is by floating it in a bowl of water. If the egg lays on the bottom of the bowl on its side, it is fresh. If it stands up but remains on the bottom, it is still pretty fresh, but ready to be hard boiled. If the egg starts to float up off the bottom, then it is less than fresh; the higher it floats, the more air is in the shell and up it goes. Once an egg actually sticks out of the water, it is pretty old, and probably should be discarded.
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REMINDER
- We have eggs ready for sale every Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm. Feel
free to stop by the farm, pick up your eggs, and say hello and thanks
to the hens!
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Spring & Summer Events and
Workshops at Midsummer Farm
Please call or email in advance and register for workshops as we need to know how many people to prepare for. All dates are subject to change; you will receive a confirmation and driving directions via email a couple days before the workshop is scheduled. 845-986-9699 | info@midsummerfarm.com
About Midsummer Farm Workshops
Classes are taught from a strictly Holistic and Organic standpoint. Class size is kept small to ensure individual attention. Fees include any materials and supplies needed. Children are welcome; children under 5 are free. If more than one person from a single household is taking the workshop together, the second person may deduct $5 from the cost of the workshop. Many classes take place outside in the gardens and are weather-permitting. Participants must register 1 week in advance. Cooking classes are also hands-on and tasting is encouraged.
NOTE: times and dates of workshops are subject to change.
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
Sunday, April 19th, 10 am - 12 noon.
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Workshop takes place mostly outside (dress appropriately) and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | registration closes 4/13/09
Starting an Organic Victory Vegetable Garden
Saturday, April 25th, 11 am - 1 pm
An
overview covering starting an organic vegetable and herb garden so you
can start enjoying the freshest, best-tasting greens, vegetables and
herbs. We'll cover all sorts of start up tips and you will leave with a
plethora of ideas and info to put into use. Composting, fencing,
planting order, fertilizer, seed starting, biodynamics, raised beds,
and more. You can also follow up this workshop with a personal
consultation that can cover your particular situation and the specific
crops you want to grow for your family. Vegetables, herbs, and greens
appropriate to plant in late April and early May will be available for
sale. $36.00 | Please register by April 18th.
Pollinator and Butterfly Gardening Workshop
Sunday April 26th, 10 am - 12 noon
With more attention currently being paid to environmental sustainability, the Pollinator Garden is becoming very popular. Ethereal butterflies have always been an integral part of a flower garden, and we would certainly be in a sad state if they should disappear from our gardens. Amazingly enough, just by growing certain plants, we can attract butterflies to propagate themselves and flourish within our own yards. We'll cover designing your own aesthetically pleasing habitat garden for attracting and propagating more than 20 local butterfly species. We'll discuss honeybees, bumble bees, mason bees, pollinator wasps, hummingbirds, and more. Workshop takes place mostly outside (dress appropriately) and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | registration closes 4/20/09
Biodynamic 500 Stirring and Application
Sunday, May 3rd, 1:30 pm (call in advance - may be rescheduled)
This is a free Farm participation event - be a participant in your food. All ages and experience levels welcome - farm brunch snacks will be available. Biodynamics always works best when the community who is eating the vegetables is involved in the stirring and preparation process. Come and add your intentions and spirit and learn how Biodynamics can be used in your home garden!
Boosting Your Harvest - Companion Planting & Staggered Plantings
Friday, May 8th, 10 am - 12 noon
Get healthier, better-producing plants and stretch out your harvesting time. Enjoy a better variety of different types of veggies and greens from your home garden. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/1/09
Colonial Dooryard Style Garden - Updated for Today's Cook
Sunday, May 10th (Mothers Day), 10 am - 12 noon
Treat your Mom! Workshop focuses on how to plan a kitchen door yard garden that will provide all the herbs and greens for wonderful summer meals. This workshop takes the traditional garden style called the Colonial Dooryard Garden, which is designed around usefulness, and updates it for today's kitchens. Workshop takes place mostly outside and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/3/09
Annual Organic Plant and Seedling Sale - Opening Day
Saturday, May 16th, 9 am - 2 pm
Every year we add more and more varieties and types of organic plants and seedlings. We will have a huge variety of organic heirloom vegetables, herbs of all sorts - culinary and medicinal, annual and perennial cut flowers, as well as an unusual and very cool variety of natives, perennials, and rare medicinals. We strive to have everything you need to start your garden this season - organic fertilizer, soil, books, seeds, beneficial insects, biodynamic herbs, foliar tea mixes, and more. Our eggs, some early spring greens, and other natural products will also be available for sale. We will also have some other local, sustainable farmers with their products available. Snacks and live music make it into a very festive spring event.
The plant and seedling varieties we are offering this year are listed on our website at:http://www.midsummerfarm.com
Annual Organic Plant and Seedling Sale - Day 2
Saturday, May 23rd, 9 am - 2 pm
Every year we add more and more varieties and types of organic plants and seedlings. We will have a huge variety of organic heirloom vegetables, herbs of all sorts - culinary and medicinal, annual and perennial cut flowers, as well as an unusual and very cool variety of natives, perennials, and rare medicinals. We strive to have everything you need to start your garden this season - organic fertilizer, soil, books, seeds, beneficial insects, biodynamic herbs, foliar tea mixes, and more. Our eggs, some early spring greens, and other natural products will also be available for sale. We will also have some other local, sustainable farmers with their products available. Snacks and live music make it into a very festive spring event.
Boosting Your Harvest
Sunday, May 24th, 10 am - 12 noon
Boost your harvest through companion planting and staggered plantings. Get healthier, better-producing plants and stretch out your harvesting time. Enjoy a better variety of different types of veggies and greens from your home garden. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/17/09
Tomato Day !
Saturday, May 30th, 10 am - 12 noon
Everything Tomatoes! Today is the perfect day to plant your tomatoes in this area! Stop by the farm for a refresher course covering how to grow, choosing heirlooms, companion plants, fertilizer, planting, trellis building, etc. Hands-on, dress ready to get your hands dirty! Bring gloves. Tomato plants will be available for sale for the workshop. Cost is $36 | registration closes 5/23/09
Biodynamic Early Morning Silica (501) Application and Farm Breakfast
Saturday, June 6th, 9 am
This is a free Farm participation event - be a participant in your food. All ages and experience levels welcome - farm breakfast will be available. Biodynamics always works best when the community who is eating the vegetables is involved in the stirring and application process. Come and add your intentions and and spirit and learn how Biodynamics can be used in your home garden!
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
Saturday, June 13th, 10 am - 12 noon
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. We will have chicks available for sale at this time. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Workshop takes place mostly outside (dress appropriately) and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | registration closes 6/6/09
Heirloom Chicks Ready for Pick up~
Saturday, June 13th, 12 noon - 3 pm
If you ordered chicks with us, they should be ready to go to their new homes at this point. (Feathered Pullets will be available mid-July)
Dark Leafy Greens - The #1 Most Important Missing Ingredient Today
Friday, July 10th, 11 am - 1 pm
We will demonstrate a wide range of ways to use dark leafy greens of all types. You will leave feeling empowered to live more healthily with a solid collection of great recipes. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - it takes place in the kitchen at Midsummer Farm | cost is $36 | registration closes 7/6/09
Legumes!!! The Bean Workshop
Saturday, July 11th, 10 am - 12 noon
Beans are one of those things that can make a huge difference in your health and well-being just by adding them to your weekly eating plan. And we'll go over a bunch of different ways to integrate them into your every day life easily. This workshop will lead to better overall health. Beans have been missing from the typical American diet and people have strange opinions of them, but they are delicious, easy to digest when prepared properly, and nourishing on many, many levels. We'll do a selection of fabulous bean dips, nourishing bean soups, refreshing bean salads (great for packing for work or school lunches), minestrone, and a variety of other recipes, as well as bean spouting. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - it takes place in the kitchen at Midsummer Farm | Cost is $36 | registration closes 7/6/09
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
Saturday, July 11th, 12:30 - 2:30 pm
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Feathered young birds will be available for sale. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Workshop takes place mostly outside and is weather permitting. Cost is $36 | registration closes 7/6/09
Biodynamic Compost Tea Application
Saturday, July 11th, 3:30 pm
This is a free Farm participation event - be a participant in your food. All ages and experience levels welcome - farm brunch snacks will be available. Biodynamics always works best when the community who is eating the vegetables is involved in the stirring and preparation process. Come and add your intentions and and spirit and learn how Biodynamics can be used in your home garden!
Biodynamic 500 Stirring and Application
Sunday, July 12th, 1:30 pm
This is a free Farm participation event - be a participant in your food. All ages and experience levels welcome - farm brunch snacks will be available. Biodynamics always works best when the community who is eating the vegetables is involved in the stirring and preparation process. Come and add your intentions and and spirit and learn how Biodynamics can be used in your home garden!
Artisanal Farm Pestos and Salsa Verdes
Saturday, August 1st, 10 am - 12 noon
Creating Pesto and Salsa Verde is truly an art in the artisanal kitchen. And although we'll do a great traditional Basil pesto, we also have a whole range of absolutely wonderful and creative mixtures using arugula, parsley, cilantro, lovage, chervil, dandelion, unusual heirloom Italian chicories, and more. All the Pestos and Salsa Verdes we will be making will also be fully balanced using nuts and seeds and can be thought of as the main course as well as the appetizers. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - it takes place in the kitchen at Midsummer Farm | Cost is $36 | registration closes 7/25/09
Summer, Yes Summer, Soups and Broths
Saturday, August 1st, 12:30 - 2:30 pm
Soup can be a quick and easy meal in the summer as well as in colder weather. Many soups do not need hours of simmering and can prepared quickly and enjoyed outside on a balmy summer evening. And now is the time of year when we have plenty of wonderful fresh herbs and greens from the garden to add to our soups. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - it takes place in the kitchen at Midsummer Farm | Cost is $36 | registration closes 7/25/09
Midsummer Farm is located at 156 East Ridge Road, Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699 | info@midsummerfarm.com | www.midsummerfarm.com
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Disclaimer
© Copyright 2008 Barbara Taylor-Laino, HHC / Barbara Taylor Health. All
Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright,
contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission,
when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired,
permission in writing from Barbara Taylor Laino is required.
This information newsletter is designed as an educational
tool for better health. Recipes and information are included as
examples for you learn from; they are not diagnostic or prescriptive.
Everyone's health needs are different. This newsletter is not to be
used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any
health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health
should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider.
The entire contents of this newsletter and the websites of Barbara
Taylor Laino and Midsummer Farm are based upon the opinions of Barbara
Taylor Laino, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based
upon the opinions of the respective author(s), who retains copyright as
marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a
one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and
is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of
knowledge and information from the research and experience of Barbara
Taylor Laino. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions
based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health
care professional.
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Upcoming Events
2009 Organic Plant and Seedling Sale
Now scheduled for May 16th and 23rd!
Check out our 2009 Plant Variety List!
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Thank you very much!
Forward to a Friend
It's such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and
healthier. Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or
colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.
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Farm Contact Info
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@midsummerfarm.com
Holistic Health Counselling Contact Info
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@barbarataylorhealth.com
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