Milestones and Musings

I just want to say that yesterday’s market was really cool for me, in a lot of ways. 

One friend, a now retired entrepreneur, apologizing for not being able to make it, said 10 years was nothing to sneeze at.  Another friend, a customer and also a small business owner, gave me a high five with a genuine “right on!”.  Someone in a thread on line remarked that I’ve been at this longer than many of my peers. An accomplishment of which I wish I had more company.

It always feels nice to hear these things from others who know what it’s like to start a business, from the ground up, and work with the tenacity it takes to make it successful. 

Aside, however, from the kudos, were the subtle things done or said by others who may not have realized how much their actions, too, meant to me. 

The cancer survivor customer who credited me in a way I’d never think to take credit for; who also brought her neighbor on his first trip here, who has been on a mission to better care for himself through better eating habits – he’d lost 90 lbs over the past few years - says he'll be back and already ordered the salmon we were talking about.

The once curious youngster who helped season after season to plant, weed, pick, wash and sell produce, returning as an all grown up and out on her own now young lady – super excited to learn I had yard eggs for sale, in addition to the produce she picked out - that I had a hard time charging her for, after all those Saturday mornings of help. 

The veteran farmer who, after working herself all day in the heat, drove yet another hour and a half the night before my market, to be sure I had some extra produce for the event. (and if you missed out on getting some of that delicious sweetcorn or those sweet potatoes and tomatoes…..so sorry for you. But there is still some breakfast sausage left in the freezer for next market!)

The vendors who fill my out of the blue orders, even though I’m one of the most inconsistent customers they probably have on their list, with a smile and well wishes for a successful day. 

And another veteran farmer who drove over an hour and half, one way, not to bring produce to sell, but just to get off his farm and bring me some extra fall plant starts he'd grown, that I needed to jump start the spotty germination I had on some of my stuff. 

The volunteer who faithfully shows up each week, sometimes twice – even just to blow up balloons for kids, help our harpist get set up, make sure the gate is open at 9, and give impromptu mini-demonstrations of his solar dehydrator to whoever shows any interest or curiosity – giving me more time to answer farming and produce specific questions. 

And the couple - one or the other, nearly without fail shows up each market day- to bring us the wonderful and unique ambiance of harp music. Allowing children, of all ages, opportunity not only to hear harp music, but get to try their own hand at it, and encouraging them in their curiosity.

All of these things, and others I’ve not detailed out as well, each on their own makes a part of what I do both more successful and better. But to have them all come together on the same day, to help assure a successful anniversary market day event, was really awesome. 

A bit overwhelming even – but in a good, happy tears, way. I wish everyone could feel so cared about, so appreciated, so respected. I wonder if they genuinely did, how different a place the world could be. 

I’m lucky to have so many kind, caring, outgoing and genuinely nice people in my circle. It helps me to be a nicer person, I’m sure. 

They say you are the company you keep, and I think that’s very true. I’m glad and grateful for the company that keeps me, in return. 

Here’s to the next milestone!

  

Marie 

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

The Lost Blog Posts....

A few of my blogs were posted directly on the Eden's website. Going forward, I will post them both here, on Blogger, as well as my web site and with Eatgreendfw.com

Here's the links for those posts that were not captured here this spring/summer. They'll redirect you to the website.


Reading Materials - With Consequences 4/21/15
Farmers, ranchers, and most ordinary citizens don't sit around all day and write page upon page of rules and regulations - but, we need to read what those who DO write them, write.
Reason being, that what is written, if passed into law, could very well affect your access to local food, and the means for making a living bringing it to you of many Texans.
Judith McGeary founded FARFA many years ago with the hope of helping fellow Texas farmers and ranchers - and beyond - by using her talents and strengths to help navigate and influence, to a degree, some of the legislation that affects us when it comes to our livelihoods - and your access to our products.  Be it raw milk, farm fresh produce or grass fed meats, we want to preserve our rights to access the good stuff!  (read more)

 

OL' MacDonald  04/15

I’m taking a break from doing my taxes. Maybe, if you’re reading this, you are, too. Or, maybe, you’ve done what I honestly intended to do, and did actually start to do, got yours out of the way early.

At any rate, I can think of a hundred things I’d rather do anyway than my taxes. So, as the end of the day approaches and my head is full of farm thoughts, scrambled with numbers, spreadsheets and formulas, I thought I’d write a bit - to clear the cobwebs.

I was thinking lately about the hoops, or rings as it may be, that I jump through on any given day, to have animals here on the farm.(read more)

Here Comes the Sun! 4/29/15

I was so happy last night when I checked the forecast for the rest of the week and saw lots of yellow suns on the chart! Wow have we had some long stretches of cloudy and wet weather this spring. The potato field where the clover had grown over the winter barely got mowed before all of the rains started. Needless to say, perhaps, we will not have many potatoes this year from our gardens. The field is still too wet to do anything in with the tractor and it needs to be mowed again after all of this rain. The clover is trying to rebound! (read more)

Hip-waders and Arks 5/22/15

Ok, so it’s more like goulashes and scattered plywood tossed over top of standing water and deep mud.

But at any rate, it’s more rain, in less time, over a longer period of time, than North Texas has seen in many years. Many, many years.

In fact, since I’ve been farming I have not ever experienced this kind of ongoing flooding, lack of sunshiney days and uncertainty about the future of an upcoming season.

If you see me working moonlight at Garden Café to fill in the financial gaps, you’ll kn ow why. I’m only half-joking.(read more)

Hell or High Water 5/24/15

Friday morning when I sent the weekly farm report out to my CSA members, we’d already received nearly 11 inches of rain for the month of May. By the next morning, an inch more had fallen. And today, Sunday morning, we are at 13.38” – and the rain is still steadily falling.  Erosion has washed away soil and mulch. I’m concerned about crops, old barn foundations and roofs. Extremely soggy and soft conditions, keep me from pulling the tractor out of the barn to do anything much other than a quick mowing when I can manage to get a dry enough spell to cross the creek at the pond’s mouth. The weight of my small frame, sinks up to ankles, higher in some places, just going to feed chickens, horses and dogs. Spring 2015 will certainly go down in the history books.(read more)

Piece of the Pie (5/30/15)

A couple of weeks ago, I was given the bull horn and asked to address a group of local food agtivists at the annual March Against Monsanto here in Dallas. How exciting!

I try to bash something or endlessly complain, without at least offering up some kind of resolution. I like to see progress and the only way that's going to happen is if we take real action steps, not just protest marches. Although, they can bring attention to issues, unless folks go home with something to do - not much seems to change.(read more)

The Sun is Back - Now What?

Besides doing the Snoopy happy dance, many gardeners and farmers have some work ahead of them to restore their water-logged crops.

First and foremost, get those mosquito dunks and bits sprinkled out in the standing water that can't be dumped or drained. (Made by Summit - available at Eden's and just about every garden center/department I know of. Some municipalities have dunks for free.)  (read more)

 

FALLING AHEAD TO THE CSA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE 7/2/15

Believe it or not, farmers are already thinking way ahead of tomatoes, zucchini and watermelons. When we're not mowing, weeding or harvesting, we’re already focusing some of our time on fall and winter planting schedules. That means we’re also going through our seeds, seed catalogs and taking inventory of the various soil amendments and seed starting supplies we’ll need to get those things going - like cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, garlic, onions, etc. (read more)

IT'S ALL GONE TO THE DOGS CATS! (Part 1) 8/11/15

If you have any experience living where there is a feral cat population, you know how quickly the number of cats can increase – exponentially! Since I’ve owned this farm, stray or feral cats haven’t really ever been much of an issue.

Well, the only 2 strays I did find, ended up house cats – so, no issue, right?

(Ed, originally misnamed as "Eden", joined the rank and file of indoor housecats when Eve rejected his company as shop partner. Too fidgety, she said.)

But I was about to learn, and learn quickly, what an issue a couple of seemingly innocent stray cats could become.

 (read more)

IT'S ALL GONE TO THE DOGS CATS! (Part 2) 8/23/15

Thankfully, feral cats can have guardian angels. And 3 of them have come to my rescue and that of the cats here at the farm.

First up is someone I know from the local food scene who saw my plea-filled post on Facebook. Kim Pierce who writes about our Market Days from time to time, ushered my situation over to a couple of ladies she knew, who are also cat guardian angels.(read more)

On My Soapbox 9/6/15

It’s Fall CSA Share sign up time, for many farms, including mine here in southeast Dallas County. That means I’m on my soapbox. So, kick off your shoes, grab something to drink and check this article out. It’s a bit longer than a “blog” entry, so I guess I'll have to qualify it as a self published article. Oh well. I was on a roll, what can I say?

Back in 2007 or so, a certain book crossed my path. I’d started toying with the idea of starting up a farm using the CSA model and Sharing the Harvest was the go-to instruction manual as well as history book on the subject.(read more)

Looking on the Bright Side

I hope you enjoyed the story of the farm cats. I’m sure enjoying having these 3 little rascals around my office, but soon they should be all cleared by the vet and ready to go outside to romp around the farm and hang out in the shop at night.

It’s good to have cats in the shop because organic soil amendments left unattended for very long periods of time out in the open, can be subject to curious rodents’ teeth…..

Having Eve staying in the shop at night, generally eliminated this issue. With her now being retired, cotton meal has become, shall we say, mouse meal. (read more)

 So, putting my blog here as well as on my website going forward, so you have two chances to catch it! ;)

Thanks for following Life on the Farm Blog!



Marie Eat Your Food - Naturally!

March Comes in Like a Lion....What a Roar!

Winter 2015 is nearly in the books - thankfully. It's been a wet and wild ending to it, that is for sure. Things started out pretty mild, but February left and March entered with a fury of ice, bitter cold winds, snow and killing temperatures here at the farm in Balch Springs, TX.

Not something most of North Texas is accustomed to. Average winter time temps - low 50's and plenty of sunshine.

Being from Chicago originally though, I knew how to dress, what precautions to take for freezing pipes, etc. and I did what I could to cover as many of the things growing in the garden as I had coverings for. But that doesn't stop all of the damage. Hoop houses and low tunnels helped a lot. But there was still damage.Winds rip off covers. Excessive and constant moisture floods seeds waiting to germinate. A pipe still burst somewhere near the barn and  even part of the hoop house itself is getting flooded from the soaking wet soil surrounding it. I may build a mote for next rainy season.

On the surface, things looked pretty green.

Before - beautiful, full heads ready for harvest

After the first round of freezing ice pellets & winds

But under the green, lay burnt tips of frisee, no longer desired by the chefs it was earmarked for, tattered kale covered in aphids, water logged rows of seedlings - now likely drowned - and more rye grass, shepherds purse, and hen bit than ever before. Why is it that winter never seems to damage the unwanted plants? I mean one can only eat so much hen bit and the chickens and horses make too big of a mess to let them in the gardens to take advantage of the rye grass! Heck, the small flock didn't even want to come out from under their coop! LOL

Protesting the snow

So, what do we do now? We cut back the kale and hope for regrowth. I wait for the soil to dry out enough so that the tractor doesn't get stuck and mow down, then disk in, the overgrowth.  I order more seeds. And we re-group.
 
Is there time to replant what is lost? Not really. There's such a short window between our no-frost dates, coolish weather and scorching heat going into the spring, that I've decided to focus on increasing the warm weather crops instead.

We may still have kale, and the romaines seemed to make it pretty well, Swiss chard, under the covers, looks great and was in fact harvested for the CSA Saturday. So all is not lost. Just not what we usually enjoy this time of the year. Winter harvest was delayed and then pretty well vanished in two weeks.

Now one crop that did do well this winter, in the hoop house, was our Brussels sprouts. One of the toughest to grow, longest to mature crops of the winter - did the best.

And no one is complaining. I have received emails and text messages this week as my CSA members enjoyed the tender, butter-like texture of the top leaves as well as the sweet, tender golf ball sized sprouts and they're looking forward to spring, too.

More rows, earlier, for squash, cucumbers, tomatoes and melons! 

That's how I'm looking at it, anyway. Sure, I'm disappointed that we won't get those tender broccoli heads this spring.

(The plants got so confused with the up and down temps this winter, they started to put on heads before the plants were really ready to support them. I may get about a bag of heads if I cut all of the quarter sized tops.)

Harlequin bug eggs - resemble tiny barrels

But if I re-plant brassicas now, odds are that I'll be fighting insects worse than ever as broccoli prefers cool weather - not something we can expect much of after April. Broccoli, being a 60 - 65 day crop, will end up maturing in the heat of May and end up plagued by bugs. Harlequin bugs love to attack all sorts of brassicas in the late spring. Here is what to look for.

Beautiful, but damaging to late maturing cool season brassica

Plus, the soil is still so wet, it can't be worked for at least a week anyway - pushing back planting until late March - which, in Dallas, is too late for planting anything considered "cool" season. So, instead of fighting Mother Nature, I'm planning for more warm/hot season crops instead. I've planted more eggplant, tomatoes and peppers and can't wait to try some new melons this year, too.

Days after the rains ended - there is still standing water in our sandy soils

Onward to the warm season I push!

Defeat tends to breed determination in this farm girl. I have a wonderful core membership of CSA families who stick with the farm through feast and famine and get just as excited as I do when I report that "the carrots are up!", and just as disappointed to see the devastation when it hits. I roll up my sleeves, they send in the next installment to their annual membership, and look forward to the next harvest. I couldn't do it without them!

Work-share and volunteer CSA members help "clean-up" the aftermath of the winter storm

This special relationship between farmer and community is what makes the job so very special to me. I don't feel like I'm in this alone, even though most of my days are spent doing solitary tasks with only the chickens, LGD's and my ewe looking on as I work.

But I can't wait to see the looks on the faces of my youngest visitors when they come by and  feed the chickens, eat a carrot fresh from the ground and show me their latest discovered rock, insect or flower from the field.

Thank you to my CSA. And, thank you to Nature for the winter storm. Even though it caused some setbacks on the farm, I know the trees, ponds, lakes and streams needed all of the moisture it brought.  

Plus, it did afford me a few extra days "off". I got to join fellow local food colleague Amanda of the DFM at a fun, new, and actually pretty "*clean" restaurant that one of my favorite chef friends opened - right in the midst of all of this weather - down in Deep Ellum. And I've had way more time in the kitchen to cook than I usually have.

Luscher's Red Hots - A REAL taste of Chicago!

*"Besides being just damn tasty meats and sausages, we only use clean meat from well treated animals.  I know you are particular about sourcing and animal treatment. ALL of the meats used to make our sausages and other products are regionally sourced and pastured, raised steroid, hormone and antibiotic free and are AWA (Animal Welfare Alliance) approved." Chef Brian Luscher - owner/chef  

(Needless to say, hearing this warmed my heart and made my stomach happy!)

Rescued frisee & Swiss chard salad with sauteed daikon made a nice lunch

Till next time -

Marie

Eat Your Food - Naturally!

PS - I'll be speaking at 1pm this Saturday in Dallas at a cool urban feed store called Trinity Haymarket on Market Center Blvd. Come out and say hi!

Back to the Ground - Part II

Last post I mentioned that I’d share some gardening tips with you. Since I started gardening back in the 80’s, a lot of new things have come to market, but for organic gardening, it’s pretty much the same story – feed the soil. But what if you are starting from scratch – in other words, starting from a lawn - how do you get started?

I wish I’d learned about permaculture a long time ago because my farm, and previous yards, would look a lot different. But, we learn and implement what we do as information becomes available to us and from that, we often grow. In this case, literally!

So I’m going to share with you a bit of a modified version of how I used to suggest starting a garden from an existing lawn area. And this is true even if you just have an overgrown patch of weeds, too. But many reading this are converting lawns to gardens – and YAY for that!

I generally start out my gardening classes with the disclaimer that my way is by far not the only way and that I don’t hold all of the answers. 

Much of what I have learned and apply today, was learned by listening to others who have much more wisdom and experience than me. I always try to remember my sources to give credit, too. That way you can look up more information or clarify something I’ve said. 

In this case, the method I’m going to share with you is part of a permaculture technique called “Sheet Mulching”. This technique has been called a variety of things and is taught by many others in various forms, including brilliant homesteader and wonderful gardener and author Ruth Stout who wrote How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back.

Toby Hemenway is the author of an awesome book called Gaia’s Garden. If you’ve not ever read it, I’d really suggest picking up a copy. It’s a great resource guide that I was told about while taking a permaculture class given by Larry Korn, who studied under another great teacher, farmer and author of yet another great book, called One Straw Revolution, Masanobu Fukuoka. So what I’m going to share with you, is nothing new, but it’s certainly revolutionized many people’s gardening attempts, and it seems permaculture is making a broader appearance lately. 

Step 1, in my opinion, is to start small. Seriously. Once you get an idea of how much time the upkeep will take you for the size plot you start with, you can gauge whether or not you’d like to increase the size the following season. But let's not bite off a huge chunk and let it get away from us the first season. It's not really difficult to grow some of your own food, but it will take some time.

Plot location is as important as plot size in that you need to have at least 4-6 hours of (preferably) morning sun. Afternoon sun really doesn’t benefit growth as much do the sun’s rays during the early part of the day. There are some plants that can grow without much sun, and if you’re patient, you can still have a garden with only 4 hours of morning sun. But let’s hope you can find a corner or plot somewhere with a bit more than that. 

So, now let's say we’ve selected a nice, manageable slice of land that gets at least 4 hours of sun.

Here’s the abridged directions of what Toby calls the “Ultimate, Bomb-Proof Sheet Mulch”;

I would change one thing around, just to make it a bit easier, and that is to mow grass/weeds low before you start, rather than after his step 1, as he outlines in his book. Leave the clippings on the ground.

• Water area to be prepared the day before – or better yet, plan to do this the day after a good, soaking rain.
• Add any soil amendments needed for your soil type. Such items would include, lava sand, rock phosphate, perhaps some kelp meal. We’ve discussed soil amendments a few times before (or you can check the web site for more info.)
• Loosen heavy clay, using a garden fork. You are not digging or turning the soil. Just push the garden fork in and rock it back and forth a bit, all around the site. This adds air to the soil and allows amendments to soak in faster as well as give soil critters some wiggle room. 
• Add a thin layer of a source of nitrogen. You can use a general organic fertilizer like Texas Tea or Lady Bug, cottonseed meal, feather meal or even some decomposed farm animal manure. Horse and chicken manure is in abundance here, so that’s generally what I use.
• Layer with several sheets of newspaper, or, much easier to use, large pieces of cardboard. Be sure to overlap the edges by about 6 inches, to block out light. That is KEY! Newspaper needs to be about ¼ - ½ of an inch thick. Weeds can push through otherwise. Wet each layer thoroughly as you lay it out. Hopefully, you saved some rainwater from the last rain event.
• Sprinkle another thin layer of the nitrogen source over the “sheet” layer.
• On top of this, add 8-12 inches of a bulk mulch material, like finely ground tree trimmings, leaves, (abundantly available this time of the year) or even old straw bales. Be careful NOT to use old bales of Bermuda grass hay. It can have seeds in it and we don’t want to go “there”!
•  Wet this layer down well. It will encourage rotting of any weed seeds that may be present and help material to break down faster. The consistency of a wrung out sponge is what you’re looking for.
• Now, add a layer, about 2 inches thick, of compost. Homemade is the best, but if you’re just starting out, you may need to buy some. Give me a call and I can order it bulk for you and have it delivered to your house. I have a favorite source I’ve used on and off for many years back when I was doing landscapes and had a more active garden center. They test their compost regularly and it’s safe for use in a vegetable garden.
• (Before you partake in any “free” compost, ask questions.
• What is their source of raw materials?
• Do they test it for herbicides? (You don’t want to apply some kind of herbicide ridden compost to your new garden. Not only would it defeat the organic component, but if it’s got a broad leaf weed killer present, you’ll also damage your desired plants’ growth.)
• If the compost isn’t moist, wet it down.
• Top off with a nice clean, weed free layer of shredded mulch. I like to get free mulch from local tree trimmers. You can also use a thick layer of leaves, however when they dry, they tend to blow around. Mulch’s job is not only to provide a nice, finished look, but to help reduce erosion. 

Note; You may choose to edge your garden plot with metal edging, some decorative bricks, non-treated lumber, or, just give it about a 12" mulched border between any remaining grass and your first "row". That way, you can keep the weeds and grasses from sneaking over into your garden across the mulch more easily. 

That’s it! You now have a garden in the making. Go back inside, make some hot tea, look at some seed catalogs and dream!

The winter rains will help break down the layers of newspaper or cardboard and all of that yummy organic matter will be creating a wonderful, living layer of topsoil, complete with earthworms and other beneficials, and a growing bed for your new spring garden, while you wait out ol’ man winter.

You actually can plant sooner, if you want to, by slicing open the newspaper/cardboard and setting weather appropriate seeds or transplants over the openings.

Onions are not fans of weeds and this type of weed free garden bed may be a super easy vegetable to start with. “Onion Sets” are available here at Eden’s as well as in most other garden and feed stores. Look for “short day” varieties.

NOTE: I suggest waiting until about mid February as onions are biennials and can be “tricked” into their 2^nd growing season by our topsy turvy temperatures. But many people have planted early and get a decent to very nice crop planting at various times. There’s no hard and fast rule with onions and when you’re not planting hundreds of row feed, you can afford to take a few risks. But just a word of caution; if planted too early, some may begin to flower before they finish making a full sized bulb under ground.

If you’re a rookie, you may want to start with transplants this spring for things like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, which can be a bit tricky starting from seed.

But for squash, melons and other larger seeded veggies; go for it! Direct sow them, according to directions on the seed packets or our spring planting guide (available at the shop), and get ready to watch them come up.

The roots of seeds or transplants will find their way into the nice, rich and weed free plot you’ve created without breaking your back, a shovel, renting a sod cutter or hiring a crew to dig up the grass.

Git Yer Hands in the Dirt & Eat Your Food - Naturally!

Marie