Farm and Lit

Young Farmers Break The Bank Before They Get To The Field - capradio.org

2013-08-21T08:27:00.001-04:00

Young Farmers Break The Bank Before They Get To The Field - capradio.org

(Mis) Adventures in Canning 2013 - Summer Squash

2013-08-07T18:55:00.001-04:00

I should have read this before canning my squash. So don't make the same mistake I did.

Canning Granny: Canning Yellow Summer Squash: Here's what my research on canning squash revealed... seems it's not like the USDA has had a huge outbreak of bacteria in home cann...

Apparently the reason there’s very few canning recipes for certain vegetables is because they’re very prone to botulism, and summer squash (and I’m assuming kohlrabi?) are among them. You can pressure can summer squash because that takes the temperature up to 240 degrees, to the point where most of the bacteria is no longer harmful, but a hot water bath is ineffective at killing the bacteria because it doesn’t get hot enough for long enough. A three-hour hot water bath, for example, might kill the bacteria but it would also destroy all the nutrients in the food.

So fail: me.

Luckily we only have a dozen or so jars of inedible food. It physically pains me to throw away food and doubly so with this one, due to the amount of work involved. Next time, I need to pay A LOT more attention. Canning isn’t baking or cooking. It’s preserving, and food that isn’t preserved properly can kill you. No one needs to die over a mediocre pickle.

Chock it up to experience and better luck with the green beans.

Adventures in Canning 2013 - Kohlrabi

2013-08-05T22:28:00.002-04:00

Kohlrabi

It’s been a few years since I canned and I’ve never been very proficient at it. Mostly because I tend to can stuff in ways that no one actually wants to eat. Like my refrigerator squash pickles. Spice was good, texture was horrible.

Lesson number one in canning: if it’s a piece of fruit or veg you wouldn’t eat before it goes in a jar, you won’t want to eat it any more when it comes out.

So this year instead of trying to can massive amounts of vegetables all at once, I decided to break it up. And also find new recipes, especially for things like summer squash that 1) doesn’t freeze well, and 2) everyone insists they only eat fresh. Seriouseats.com has been an AMAZING resource for new recipes. It’s the only website I’ve found a decent canning recipe for kohlrabi. It’s supposed to be a refrigerator recipe, but I read somewhere that if you hot water bath any low-acid fridge recipe for 10-15 minutes, you can store them out of the fridge. Which is great for us since it seems like everywhere is our massive 800-square foot house is desperate for storage room. Especially the fridge.

(Yes, that reference to massive was sarcasm.)

Kohlrabi Remoulade

This recipe for kohlrabi would probably can fine, sans mayo. Maybe plan on adding that just prior to serving.

Shredded Kohlrabi Pickles

This was the kohlrabi recipe I canned. It looks a little odd, especially after the hot water bath. But it’s a decent pickle. The STC took some into work and one guy made a whole sandwich out of the stackers I did. I’ll try and get some pics up this week. Maybe shoot for that instead of posts. I’m excited to get pics and video of the pullets to share. The Offspring loves hanging out in the yard with the hens, and helps at night when I go do chores and turn the compost. So glad the kid gets to experience life on the farm and seems to enjoy it. More adventures in canning to come, Stay tuned!

Farm Exercise

2013-08-02T05:53:00.000-04:00

Fitting in Exercise

2013-08-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

Farmers' newest chore: Fitting in exercise

Not to be snarky at commercial ag, but that is one advantage of being a small, grass-based business. We still pretty much do things the way we did fifty years ago, so we stay physical and in good shape. I just listen to an iPod while checking fence is the biggest difference.

The Farmer's Workout

2013-07-31T07:06:00.001-04:00

http://iowafarmbureau.wordpress.com/2011/01/10/the-farmers’-workout/

It's not a time for New Year's resolutions, but here's some more things to consider about farmer fitness. It must be working. My dad is in his sixties and still wears the same size pants he did in high school. He also has great abs, which is a nice relief from the guy who mows lawn and has a belly covering his steering wheel. And I'm not talking about the mower.

Farmersize

2013-07-31T07:03:00.001-04:00

It’s good to eat healthy, but to be healthy, you also have to move. Humans were designed to walk and bend and move around a lot, which is why some have said we’re running the latest software on a paleolithic hard drive. Our bodies are designed to be used, and when we don’t use them, they grow soft and flabby on us.

So I would like to bring you FARMERSIZE! That’s right, for the price of cows, you can get fit, ache and whine and throw your hips out of alignment.

First, you take a hungry group of grass-fed cows. Next, you push it to the next level by either being pregnant or pushing a baby in a stroller through places strollers were never designed to go. As an added cardio option, you’ll be bombarded by mosquitoes and have to fend them off as well. Don’t forget the workout itself, push through the woods, rolling out wire, pounding posts with a twenty-pound driver, then double back, fighting flimsy steel rods into the ground. Don’t lose those insulators! Every time a deer runs through your fence and pops one of those suckers off, you lose six cents. And at Barclay Farms we are too frugal to let deer get away with crap like that. So you’ll be spending lots of time feeding the mosquitoes while searching for insulators.

While you unroll wire with one hand, you’ll be pushing the baby through mud with the other. Don’t stop now! It’s also the baby’s naptime, so now he’s really tired. You’ll feel the burn as you rush between swatting mosquitoes off him and pulling dryer sheets out of his sticky grasp and sinking posts in along that final stretch of woods.

FARMERSIZE is free, because, let’s face it, who would pay to do this shit? So get ready to get as tired as you’ve ever been in your life and receive no thanks from the livestock for doing so. Get ready to FARMERSIZE!!

From WikiCommons

Calorie Burn on the Farm - from Calorielab.com

2013-07-29T06:34:00.000-04:00

ACTIVITY	15 minutes	1 hour
Farming, baling hay, cleaning barn, poultry work, vigorous effort	95	382
Farming, chasing cattle, non-strenuous (walking), moderate effort	34	136
Farming, chasing cattle or other livestock on horseback, moderate effort	41	164
Farming, chasing cattle or other livestock, driving, light effort	14	55
Farming, driving harvester, cutting hay, irrigation work	20	82
Farming, driving tractor	20	82
Farming, feeding small animals	41	164
Farming, feeding cattle, horses	48	191
Farming, hauling water for animals, general hauling water	48	191
Farming, taking care of animals Grooming, brushing, shearing sheep, assisting with birthing, medical care, branding	68	273
Farming, forking straw bales, cleaning corral or barn, vigorous effort	95	382
Farming, milking by hand, moderate effort	27	109
Farming, milking by machine, light effort	7	27
Farming, shoveling grain, moderate effort	61	245
Chopping wood, splitting logs	85	340
Planting seedlings, shrubs	60	238
Gardening, general	51	204
Implied walking/standing - picking up yard, light, picking flowers or vegetables	34	136
Walking, gathering gardening tools	34	136
Carrying infant or 15 pound load (e.g. suitcase), level ground or downstairs	43	170
Pushing or pulling stroller with child or walking with children	26	102
Walking, grass track	68	272
Multiple household tasks all at once, moderate effort	43	170
Butchering animals	85	340
Cooking or food preparation Including use of manual appliances while standing or sitting	17	68
Cooking or food preparation (with some walking)	26	102
Feeding animals	26	102
Putting away groceries, carrying packages Specifically, carrying groceries, shopping without a grocery cart	26	102
Making the bed	17	68
Sitting - playing with child(ren) - light, only active periods	26	102
Standing - playing with child(ren) - light, only active periods	31	122
Carrying small children	34	136
Child care: sitting/kneeling - dressing, bathing, grooming, feeding, occasional lifting of child-light effort, general	26	102
Child care: standing - dressing, bathing, grooming, feeding, occasional lifting of child-light effort	34	136
Reclining with baby	9	34
Sit, playing with animals, light, only active periods	26	102
Stand, playing with animals, light, only active periods	31	122
Walk/run, playing with animals, light, only active periods	31	122
Sitting while reading a book or newspaper	5	20
Sitting while writing, doing desk work, typing	14	54
Standing while reading	14	54
Standing - miscellaneous	17	68
Calisthenics, heavy, vigorous effort Including pushups, situps, pullups, jumping jacks	119	476

Time Matters

2013-07-27T06:55:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting piece of trivia: the time of day you eat matters. At least to your gut and liver.

More here: Chow Down in Sync with Your Circadian Clock

Sticking with my Free-Range Chickens

2013-07-26T05:59:00.000-04:00

The FDA Doesn't Want Chickens To Explore The Great Outdoors

Even with the new city roosters who can't tell time crowing at all hours of the day and night, I'm still sticking with my free-range birds. Since we have twelve hens in our yard, not three thousand, and have had hens presumably interacting with wild birds for some years and have yet to have an outbreak of salmonella, we must be doing something if not right, then at least okay.

I read somewhere that chickens have a natural carrying capacity of two thousand or so, and getting above that number often led to outbreaks of disease. I wish I could remember where it is I saw this statistic, but even if it isn't right, we should remember that typically chickens haven't lived in the crowded, confined conditions that we have asked them to adjust to over the last fifty years.

Rather than scratch our heads and point at wildlife for spreading disease, maybe we need to look more closely at traditional methods of raising poultry and apply that to the commercial industry. That's probably heresy akin to suggesting crop rotation to get rid of root worm in corn, god forbid we use traditional methods to solve a problem we can pour pesticide on, but it's Friday, and my baby just woke up, so that's the best suggestion I've got.

Have a great weekend everyone.

One True Ingredient: Bad Ass

2013-07-25T05:51:00.003-04:00

Dad brought two roosters by tonight.

“They were free,” he said.

“I figured,” I replied. I eyed the two full-grown roosters, one red, one black, sizing them up.

“I thought I could trade ‘em for one of your roosters.”

I shrugged, thinking to myself that at least my roosters weren’t already fully formed assholes. They’re either young enough or cowed enough by the hens that so far they haven’t been overly aggressive. These two, even in the kennel, looked like fully blown assholes. But I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

“Sure,” I said.

My first mistake was dropping the roosters in amongst the hens. We have a chicken tractor rather than a coop, but one side has roosts for hens while the other side doesn’t. There’s chicken wire in between so they can’t hassle one another. The hens also have a door now so they can get out to roam in the afternoon. They have two roosters with them, but the Buff Orphington roosters are under eighteen weeks old and pretty mild for roosters.

We don’t have the term cocky for nothing, I tell you what.

Before long, the new roosters had the hens completely harassed. They piled up in corners and on top of the young roosters and were repeatedly pushed away from the food at one end and the water at the other. The new roosters, it seemed, lived up to my expectation of bully to glorious effect.

Now kicking myself with a fussy child and absent partner, once the Offspring nodded off to the land of sugarplums and puppydog tails, I marched out to the coop, climbed inside on hands and knees (as it’s very low) and proceeded to corner and catch the offending pair of cocks, dragging them out of the coop behind me. One attempted to reach around and peck me, whereupon I seized him around the neck and narrowly restrained myself from strangling him. And for the second time that day, these birds found themselves overpowered by a Barclay, only this second one was a pissed off, tired, overworked, no patience momma.

The only condoned rape on Barclay Farms from now on will now be between two consenting males. Mom has spoken.

My harried hens fluffed themselves and slowly, very slowly, began to move normally about their side of the coop once more. The offending roosters, I shoved into the opposing side and fastened the door.

As the roosters crow this morning, making me feel vaguely Amish, Dad’s suggestion of putting them in the cookpot has some appeal. The future ingredient to one of our meals was therefore the topic of this week’s episode of “One True Ingredient.” The other bonus ingredient this week I thought of while cornering and seizing both cocks around their necks, one in each hand and proceeding to drag them out by their feet at nine o’clock at night.

That ingredient? Be bad ass.

Keep choking your chicken.

The Incredible, Edible Egg

2013-07-24T05:00:00.000-04:00

The STC made the most ridiculously delicious omelets on Sunday. Why we never added caramelized onions to omelets before is anyone's guess. Why I wasn't smart enough to take a picture is another. Why he's away overnight for work and thus unavailable for consultation as to his orgasmicly awesome omelet recipe is the fault of the Army. But let's not point fingers, let's just work with what we have.

First off, we spent probably 45 minutes caramelizing garden onions. The fridge needed a thorough going through and so most of that time was spent with the onions at a low simmer and us with knives flashing and vegetables flying and a lot of "eww, what do you suppose that was?" to one another.

Next, the STC sauteed green and red bell peppers and some raw white onion in with the caramelized. I can't speak as to his omelet technique, but I think a lot of it owes to our new pans, the Green-Life cookwear I've mentioned before. (Must add that I am not getting ANYTHING from the company for plugging their product, I merely think these pots and pans are the singularly most awesome thing I've ever had in any kitchen. Ever.)

So STC did the omelety thing to the egg (five farm eggs, no milk, no salt and pepper, no water, just wholesome farmy goodness), added the veg and some diced ham and cheese and the holy-I-think-I-just-jizzed-in-my-own-mouth-holy-awesomeness-batman-omelet was born.

We call it WTF good for short.

Was it the egg, the onions, the phase of the moon? I have no idea. But I intend to force the beloved father of my children to repeat this recipe over and over until I unlock it's secrets. Or until we're sick of omelets, whichever occurs first. Until next time, keep it sunny side up. :)

What We Aspire To

2013-07-23T05:00:00.000-04:00

Putting the Poultry Out to Pasture

A Monday Rant

2013-07-22T05:00:00.000-04:00

This screen shot of one of my Google alerts illustrates the dichotomy present in the backyard poultry issue.

On one hand, chickens are the easiest species of livestock to raise. They come up quickly and certain breeds can be ready to butcher within six weeks. Egg layers will start producing between 18-22 weeks.

On the other hand, from what I’m reading, at NPR and other websites, because people have been disconnected from the raising of livestock, they don’t know how to be good managers. Not because they’re bad people, but because they lack experience and buy in perhaps a bit naively.

Life is all about cycles, and while I am not a religious person, there’s a lot of truth in that line about there is a time to live and a time to die. Let’s look at this plainly. Since the domestication of animals, we’ve raised them to die for us. They feed us, with milk or eggs; they clothe us, with wool and leather; and finally they feed us, with their flesh. Unless we’re vegan or vegetarian, this is the cycle. That we’ve removed slaughter from public view does not change the fact that it cost an animal its life to make your meal. If you or someone in your family is not willing to be the one to take that life, then maybe you need to rethink whether you’re ready for poultry. Broken legs happen, birth defects happen, roosters who chase the dog and harry small children happen, and if you’re too squeamish to put an aggressive or injured animal out of its misery, or find someone who can, that’s the big difference in mindset that separates farmers and non-farmers. Farmers don’t enjoy killing, but they are raised with the understanding that life is about cycles and every cycle has an end. And that end has to be dealt with quickly and humanely.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s great that people want to raise chickens and I’m a firm believer that so long as they’re going to be good caregivers and maintain proper cleanliness for their residential standards, it’s fine to raise livestock wherever they’d like.

But raising livestock isn’t enough.

You have to have the wherewithal to humanely, even reverently, put down that livestock as well. We’ve raised these animals this way. It’s essentially our fault and our responsibility to ensure their well-being and happiness. Feeding us is their job, working for their well-being is ours. All the tree-hugging in the world won’t change that, so long as humans are the top predator, remain omnivorous, and maintain herds of domesticated livestock. We bred them to depend on us, for life and for death, and it’s our obligation as good caregivers, not to give them rights, but to maintain the best standard of care that we are capable of giving, for both the length of their life and their death.

For more information on abandoned poultry, try these thinks

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/07/10/200699728/hipsters-off-the-hook-the-truth-behind-abandoned-backyard-chickens?ft=1&f=1053

http://millbrae.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/backyard-chicken-farmings-ugly-side-homeless-poultry_27225965

Naked but No Longer Natural

2013-07-19T04:14:00.002-04:00

Damn and this was my favorite smoothie. Green machine, thou hast let me down.

Nature’s Not in It: Naked Juice Forced to Remove ‘All Natural’ From Labels

Simple, Elegant, Basic

2013-07-18T05:29:00.000-04:00

Throwing out food has always been one of my pet peeves, but even so, it happens. At least with our awesome compost barrel and lush garden, we know our food waste is going to good use. It's a simple, self-sustaining system. Who'd have thought something that's worked for like a billion years would still be effective?

Reduce, reuse, recycle to minimize food waste

A Foodie Day

2013-07-17T18:39:00.000-04:00

I don't have any fun links to share today, so you're stuck with my food stories. Sorry.

Wednesdays are my day off since that's the day that seems to a) work for my sub, and b) work for my babysitter. So I call it Mommy and Aaron Day, even though every day is pretty much mommy and Aaron day, but that's beside the point. I try to do something special with the Offspring on those days, more for me than for him, but whatever works right?

So today, in our food adventure, I mixed up smashed bananas, whole oats, an egg, a splash of almond milk, with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and whatever else I threw in a container in effort to make my coffee taste like pumpkin pie spice.

(So far a fail, but I keep trying.)

The conglomeration was then heated through like pancakes on the stove and served up plain. You can add maple syrup, I've done that before, but if the bananas are old enough, as ours were, they're pretty sweet. Watch you don't heat these too hot, that's always my mistake. They burn easily and don't cook fast like pancakes, since they aren't really pancakes.

(Blond hair is showing now isn't it? Damn.)

Anyway, a lower, slower heat is best, and they come out pretty unsightly. But the Offspring and I gorged and he seemed pretty satisfied with them so score: Mom. He wouldn't eat them with his hands yet, but did seem to like how they smashed between his fingers.

Until next time, happy eating.

From WikiCommons

New Hog Virus: PEDV

2013-07-16T16:35:00.001-04:00

We've been hearing quite a bit about this in the news, but only 218 pigs have been diagnosed in the US so far, though the virus has spread through fifteen states.

Mother Earth News

"Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. Ma. Ma. Ma. Ma.Ma. Ma.... Hi."
From: WikiCommons

Grass-fed Protein Bars

2013-07-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

As I'm in search of a better protein powder, this post caught my eye. Not sure it's a replacement for bacon, but might be worth a try.

Epic Protein Bars

A Walk on the Wild Side

2013-07-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

Definitely on my to-read list.

'Eating On The Wild Side:' A Field Guide To Nutritious Food

Between foods to eat as fresh as possible, foods to eat organic, foods to avoid all together, the space on my refrigerator for lists is getting pretty limited :-/

But what a gorgeous cover! I'll try foraging just because the cover looks amazing. My great aunt used to gather dandelion greens in the spring, according to my dad. She called it a spring tonic.

From NPR Article (above)

I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo!

2013-07-11T11:16:00.001-04:00

I Am Cow, Hear Me Moo!

Too funny!

One True Ingredient: Peas and Carrots

2013-07-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

Not all meals are a success. To be honest, it was not the fault of the peas and carrots, it was mine. Just because the roast had been stewing in its own juices for eight hours in the crockpot did not mean that it was warm enough to both heat the cold brown rice through and thaw the peas and carrots. Note to self: next time always thaw the peas and carrots.

The STC spent the night at work, but the chuck roast I’d pulled out of the freezer on Sunday really needed cooked, so I used our new cookwear from GreenLife, available through Walmart, which worked to spectacular effect. I’m totally in love with these pans. Eggs don’t even stick. You fry an egg, flip it, and it slides right out on the plate, no need for oil. Whatever alchemy makes this possible has my devotion.

Anyway, I seared both sides of the chuck roast and threw it in the crockpot with three(ish) cups of water, some beef bouillon, marsala wine, salt, pepper, parsley, paprika, onion powder and two dried red peppers from the garden a couple years ago. Red peppers are always tricky, since they don’t always seem to have the same flavor, but I took a risk. Deglazed the pan with some red wine I had in the fridge (Mommy needs some liquid patience sometimes) and that’s it. Cooked the meat on high in the crockpot for three or four hours and then was heading to town for groceries (go MPerks) so turned it down to low for another four(ish) hours. Turned the meat out over leftover brown rice and the aforementioned doomed peas and carrots and that was where I went wrong.

I repeat, always thaw the frozen veggies first, no matter how hot you think the meat juices may be.

Until next week, and our next food story, eat well, stay healthy.

Scary Stuff on the Farmfront

2013-07-10T07:39:00.000-04:00

As Biotech Seed Falters, Insecticide Use Surges In Corn Belt


Western Corn Rootworm

This is one of those places where traditional farming practices, such as crop rotation for more than two years, and more than just corn to soybeans, seems like it can't do anything except help. It doesn't have to be an either/or question when it comes to the future of agriculture, either commercial or traditional (sustainable? whatever we want to call alternative models) but rather a blend of the two, borrowing the best of both worlds. Compromise doesn't always mean no one gets what they want.

Watermelon Cocktail

2013-07-09T05:00:00.000-04:00

Now we're talkin' summer ;)

Focus on Food: Watermelon

Humid, Real Humid, Damn Humid

2013-07-08T05:01:00.001-04:00

Shop Smart: Organic on a Budget

These guidelines for eating healthy and cheaply are pretty basic, but sometimes basic is best. Especially on a Monday. So to recap:
1. Buy in season
2. Think organic if the skin is thin (pesticides penetrate thinner skinned fruits and vegetables more easily)
and 3. It might sound extreme, but to really take care of your body, consider grass fed meats and dairy. The extra cash for the carton of milk now might save the bill for the heart surgery later on.

(See also: Is Grass-Fed Really Worth It?)

You only get one body: feed it well.

Happy Monday everyone!