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…from Farm Where Life is Good

We’ll give you an insider’s view of life and growing on the farm. Share the excitement of a great harvest and experience the disappointment of a crop failure.
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Welcome Everyone! Online Market is OPEN for Business (Week 22)



Spring Fields at Farm Where Life is Good.

Farm Where Life is Good

Hello, all of you winter-pale, greens-starved, Midwesterners!

Wow, we are back! And so are you all; thank you, thank you.

I think all of the long, cold winter stories have been well told already, but we need to get ours in too. Everything in the high tunnel did GREAT. All perennials outside of the high tunnel did lousy; for example, all of the various mints are no longer. Time for some web surfing to find the weird apple mints and banana mints, and maybe some other crazy ones later this year. But spinach! Holy cow, spinach loved the high tunnel. We still have lots to learn about timing, but it’s crazy what a little plastic will do.


Spring Spinach is a Beautiful Thing.

The high tunnel is installed in Position #1, and the green manure (oats and peas) is moving right along inside. A bit later than we wanted, but the snow had us stalled in Position #3 for too long. The tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in flats in the greenhouse are eagerly awaiting their new homes. This year we are going to do some very proactive/anti-cucumber beetle management and see if we can keep the high tunnel cucumbers producing longer. Cucumber wilt virus transmitted by the stripped or spotted cucumber beetle knocks them out within 1-2 days of infection. More than you ever wanted to know! But tear-jerking to see them crumple into an early demise.

Oats-n-peas nourishing the future tomato/pepper/cucumber tunnel


Our spring, such that it is, came in like a tidal wave. We have been surfing thru the fields on waves of mud! While it is all theoretically good for ending our drought and restoring ground water stores, yada yada, it delays our planting and washes away the tiny little seeds!!! But we are ahead of the dandelions, mostly, this year. Slowly but surely we are taking back the fields from this glorious weed. While it is frustrating to see them take over our planting beds, it is also so rewarding to see all of the native pollinators and honey bees imbibing. Their nectar is the first of the spring. And the long (long!) roots are fabulous for breaking up the deep, compacted soils of our tractor-burdened, ex-corn fields. So, a love-hate relationship of sorts. (How’s that for a glass half full? I try, I try.)


Our flooded fields…little, itty bitty seeds floating away ?

The Market is now open for a few early spring season delights.

Ordering will be open from Sunday morning until Monday 8pm. Get your orders in now so harvesting can begin specific to your requests.

Deliveries will be made Wednesday per usual to your chosen Dropsite Location .

Recipes for your Consideration

Peashoots and Grits
For some reason, whenever I see the word “grits” my brain automatically says “Grits, dummy.” Who amoungst you remembers that reference? Grits are great and incredibly versatile. In this recipe, they are paired with a unique spring green, the peashoot. See what you think. It’s a quick one to prepare for the dinner table!

2 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely ground grits or polenta

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, washed, trimmed and cut into fat slices or quarters
1 pound fresh pea shoots, rough chopped
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ‘adobo sauce’ from a can of chipotle in adobo sauce or a few drops of hot sauce
Salt to taste

4 teaspoons good olive oil

Grits:
In a medium saucepan, bring the water, salt and garlic to a boil on medium high heat. Slowly add the grits to the liquid, whisking the entire time to avoid lumps. Once the grits are all in, reduce the heat to maintain a slow simmer and cook until done, about 15 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking and burning. If the grits are done before the greens, reduce the heat to low and keep warm. This makes 3 cups cooked grits.

Peashoots:
In a heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, add the onion and stir to coat. Stir in the mushrooms, cook until the onions and mushrooms are cooked through but not soft. Stir in the spinach, tomatoes and hot sauce and cook, stirring often, until the spinach is hot and fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.

To serve:
Pool the grits in an individual serving bowl, top with the hot spinach mixture. Drizzle a teaspoon of oil around the edges of the grits, serve and savor!
Adapted from: Kitchenparade.com
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Coriander-spiced Potatoes

Remember all of those bell peppers from last season that maybe made it into your freezers? Here’s a great recipe to use them up.

1 ½ lb small potatoes
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground in spice grinder or mortar/pestle
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups sweet bell peppers (variety colors)
1 tsp ground tumeric
¼-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp sea salt
½ lemon, juiced
Crushed salted, roasted peanuts
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Boil potatoes until nearly fork-tender, 10-15min. Remove from heat and drain. When cooled slightly, slice in half.

Heat oil in wide skillet over medium heat; when oil shimmers, add cumin and coriander seeds. Cook for about 30seconds, until seeds begin to sizzle. Add garlic and cook additional 30 seconds, until just changes color. Add potatoes and cook 1-2 minutes until they begin to brown.

Add the bell peppers, turmeric, cayenne and salt. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until well incorporated. Cover and cook 5min until peppers are fork-tender.

Remove from heat, sprinkle with lemon juice and mix well. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro and serve hot.

From: Organic Gardening, Oct/Nov 2013 issue
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Peashoots & Potato Hash

If you are lucky (?) enough to receive/purchase blue-fleshed potatoes, this recipe might not win the eye-appeal contests. But the blues are high in phytonutrients and have great flavor, so roll with it!

8 cups fresh peashoots
2 tablespoons horseradish
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked shredded potatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Boil potatoes until they can just be pierced with a fork but are not completely tender. Let cool slightly, then shred.

Place peashoots in a large microwave-safe bowl, cover and microwave until wilted, about 3 minutes. Alternatively, heat a large skillet on high, rinse but do not dry the pea shoots and drop them all in a bunch into the hot pan. Cover and steam/saute for several minutes until wilted; toss once or twice while cooking. Drain, cool slightly, and finely chop.
Meanwhile, mix horseradish, shallot, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the chopped peashoots and potatoes; stir/toss to combine.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the greens/potato mixture, spread into an even layer and cook, stirring/flipping every 3 to 4 minutes and returning the mixture to an even layer, until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes total.
Adapted from: EatingWell Magazine

Did You Know?

The antibacterial chemical triclosan is in the process of being banned in Minnesota.
“In order to prevent the spread of infectious disease and avoidable infections and to promote best practices in sanitation, no person shall offer for retail sale in Minnesota any cleaning product that contains triclosan and is used by consumers for sanitizing or hand and body cleansing,” the law says.

Apparently, folks in the Great White North have listened to the science and have spoken up for our environment. I have written about it in past newsletters, and I am happy to see this news. Triclosan is the all too ubiquitous ingredient found in so many “antibacterial” hand soaps, and thus is the all too ubiquitous chemical found in our bodies, our ground waters and the plants and animals consuming or living in those waters.

Nevermind the direct exposure to us humans through hand washing (mind you, don’t stop that activity; the data says regular soap and water does an equivalent job of chasing away the germs), but data are showing triclosan associated with hormonal impairment in animals, and triclosan where you least expect it— in plants.

Not to mention the early signs of bacterial resistance to the chemical— just think about gazillions of bacteria swimming around in sub-therapeutic levels of the chemical in septic and sewer systems. It is a breeding ground for resistant bugs. We don’t need ANY more of those, thank you very much.

So, You Go Minnesota! Good on ya!

Farm News

On the horizon is a May 28th delivery with cold-weather-loving greens and storage crops as the theme… lettuce, salad mix, mustard/braising greens, potatoes, parsnips, and chives for some zingy salad dressings. Maybe some crunchy, earthy spring roots too to add a little zip to the salads.

Weekly succession planting are going in every day. From broccoli transplants to salad mix to carrots…just about everyone is getting planted multiple times to keep the bounty rolling as the season comes on.


Another round of lettuces and broccoli to go in!


The deer have moved on from the spring lettuces (!) to the wonderful winter wheat coming up just down the field. A successful trial run with Allis, the new 4-wheeled tractor, last fall. Little by little we are getting this farming stuff figured out! ;)


Sweet little bee arriving home for the night.

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the anticipation of vegetables.

We hope to feed you soon!

Roger and Lara