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News from the Farm
| February 6, 2013 |
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Spring Gap?
~ The Gap Share? ~ no, let's call it the Welcome Spring Share
We will need a minimum of fifteen members to do this Share. And we need to sow the seed right away so please send us an email today and mail or stop by the Farm with your check. This Share will fill the month between the Mid Winter Share and the Spring Share. Lot's of fresh new Greens and maybe the first of the Daffodils to cut.
$95 One size Share. |
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Hi Folks!
I have to say that I have been enjoying some lively discussions regarding how we should raise our Sweet Corn this year. The one common thread is most folks seem to be pretty set against GMOs. So, even though Roundup is the number one choice for weed control by suburban homeowners in America, and has a very short half-life as well as no mammalian toxicity, let's just say, for the sake of argument, we will rule out it's use at Arrowhead.
Now we still have to control weeds in our Sweet Corn. Nothing grows faster than weeds on a warm June night and I can just see them swamping out our corn even as we speak. Most local Farmers apply restricted-use class two or class three herbicides---with high mammalian toxicity and long half-lives---to control weeds in Sweet Corn. But a few problems here; first off, if you remember, I have let my pesticide applicator's license expire so I can no longer purchase the commonly used Corn herbicides. And since Arrowhead is located in both Zone 2 and Zone B Watershed Recharge Districts, I cannot use those products even if I could buy them. And, of course and as I have said many times, we simply will not use pesticides here at Arrowhead.
But, we still have to control those weeds in our Sweet Corn. One option is to use plastic mulch and cultivate between the rows. This would mean that we would have to start our corn as transplants in the Greenhouse and then transplant these plants through the plastic mulch. (Remember, there is only one ear of corn per plant.) More diesel fuel to lay the plastic, pull the transplanter through the field and to cultivate between the rows. So there goes our carbon footprint through the roof. Not an easy choice to make. No easy answers. Or are there? Maybe you could ask other Farmers what they do to grow Sweet Corn.
Jump in and join the discussions if you like, and see which of last week's options you prefer. We really are having an interesting debate here.
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 Pot Luck Lunch or
In Celebration of Ground Hog
To quote the Society Pages of 1930's Newspapers, "A good time was had by all." I cooked a LOT of sausage, and plenty of burgers. Glad everyone enjoyed it.
The Pork and Beef Shares will be ready to pick up this Saturday (or next Saturday depending on the weather forecast). There are still some Shares available, and you can mix them if you wish...part Beef and part Pork. Just let me know. Thank you.
And a big thank you to everyone who brought those great desserts and salad dressings. Truly a good time was had by all.
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Thank You for your Donations
Your correspondent from the Farm has had some interesting comments regarding my tirade against the Obama Administration's mandating of new Fishing Regulations---and from both sides of the political fence no less. More on that later. Right now I am happy to say that we have raised $100.75 for the families of the crew that went down on the F/V Foxy Lady II. We will be sending a check off to the Bank in Gloucester this week. Not too late to make a donation, mail it to the farm (made out to the Foxy Lady II Fund) and we will make sure it gets to Gloucester. |
 Use Those Eggs!
Toasted Pound Cake with Ice Cream - mmmmm
Traditional Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups butter
6 eggs
1 8 - ounce carton dairy sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Allow butter, eggs, and sour cream to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour and baking soda; set aside.
3. In a large mixer bowl, beat butter with a stand mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla. Add flour mixture and sour cream alternately to egg mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition until just combined. Spread batter in the prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 1-1/2 hours or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from pan, and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Makes 16 servings.
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Gap Insurance
We aren't half way through the Mid Winter Share yet, but we have a looming problem coming at us at the end of Winter---dare I call it a "cliff"? The Spring Share doesn't start until Patriots' Day in mid April. So...a month in between with no fresh vegetables. Oh my!
But here's what I can do; In the next ten days I can plant some wonderful Greens to tide us over---Lettuces, Spinach, Braising Greens, Mild and Spicy Mesclun Mixes, Scallions, fresh Spring Radishes, maybe some nice Chinese Cabbages and Bok Choi, some Swiss Chard. You get the idea. I'll have to get right on this though and get the seed in the ground.
Here is what I am proposing. We can plant this Gap Share and fill that month with plenty of nice things to eat for a cost of $95. If this is anything you would like to do please let me know ASAP so I can order seed and get it planted this weekend. And the Farm would need to have payment this month. So let me know what you think....might be fun! Thank you.
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Secretary Tom Vilsack
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Our Food Supply
There has also been a lot of discussion amongst CSA Members about the job Monsanto is doing in regards to our food supply. And it would appear that the folks at Monsanto are not held in particularly high regard by most of the members. When my folks and my in-laws were alive, I made it a point not to bring up Politics or Religion at the dinner table. And that policy always served me well. So I try to avoid those two topics here in the Farm Newsletter. But a couple of things really need to be brought to light. During the Bush years the EPA steadfastly refused to approve Roundup-Ready Alfalfa seed for marketing. It was not until the current Administration took over that Monsanto was finally allowed to sell their GMO Alfalfa seed. And the current head of the FDA is a the former CEO at Monsanto. And we know that the Obama White House is in total support of the use of GMO crops. We know this because Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has stated this publicly. Co-incidence?...You decide. Congress has also made clear that it is in complete support of the use of genetically modified seed. And I won't even mention the nearly sixty cent per gallon subsidy for turning food and feed-crops into ethanol. I'll wait 'til we dissect The Farm Bill for that one. Next time....... |
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Kathleen's Salad Dressing Recipe
Many people have requested the recipe for the Salad Dressing that CSA member Kathleen brought to the Pot Luck Lunch. She has provided it for us! Sergio's Salad Dressing 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tbl balsamic vinegar 1 1/2 tsp stone ground mustard 1 clove garlic, minced fine 1 tsp brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt Put all ingredients in a jar and shake well. ~Thanks, Kathleen! It was Delicious. |
Wethersfield Onion 
One new old crop that Arrowhead will be growing this year is the Wethersfield Red Onion. This cultivar dates from the eighteenth century in Connecticut. It is of the highest quality and was grown by coastal New England Farmers for export to the UK for almost two centuries. This Onion was grown in relatively large acreages by Newbury Farmers up until World War One. And Paula's family, the Waitts of Lynn were large producers of onions in the 18th and 19th centuries, also.
Some of that great onion land locally has been preserved by Historic New England at the Spencer-Pierce-Little Farm, and is currently leased to Tendercrop Farm. And a few small pieces of land have been preserved by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. But, like Farmland all over the Northeast, mostly it has been developed. Pity. Nice land.
Click here for a picture of the Wethersfield Red Onion and the website of America's oldest continually-operated Seed Farm, Comstock, Ferre & Company. This Seed Company has experienced a rebirth under new ownership and they are doing a nice job bringing back these great old Heirloom Varieties. Good news for all of us.
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Tomatoes? Tomahtoes?
I need your help----if you have a few minutes.
Would you please choose six varieties of Tomato that you think we should grow from the list at this site? These are the grafted varieties that I wrote about last month. A dozen fresh eggs for your time. Thank you.
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The next three months bring heavy operating expenses for the Farm. Maybe we should take a quick look at the budget next time as well. Meanwhile, if you are thinking of signing up for any Shares this year now is the time to be doing so. To quote Jean from her first year as a CSA Member; "In February, when you have to pony-up the money, you wonder. But by September you know it was the best investment you made all year!"
Thanks, as always for reading along. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts this Winter. And keep warm.
Keep Eating Those Eggs!
Cheers,
Dick Chase
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Save
Your
Mind |
Advice from a life-long Yankee, born and bred. Turn off the TV and don't watch every weather report you can find. Its February people, its going to snow! That happens. It will either snow a little or a lot or a whole lot. We will survive! Everyone of us lives within walking distance of someone or a store or a restaurant. Its winter in New England!
If Saturday is too messy for CSA pickup, we will have another one to replace it. If you need veggies, stop by during the week and pick what you need out of #7 greenhouse for the weekend. ~PAC
| Offer Expires: Saturday mid-night
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