The Hen House

We have Moved!

2011-07-22T06:39:00.001-04:00

Thank you for dropping by.

Today's post by the Farm Chicks can be found at www.polyfacehenhouse.com. Hope to see you there!

Homemaking Week

2011-07-21T15:57:00.001-04:00

This week I've found some time for fun in the kitchen. Blackberries have come in full swing in our county and we've all been busy picking and baking and freezing our fruits. I like to store fruit in the freezers for making smoothies, pies or cobblers. To freeze fruit, lay it on a paper-towel lined baking sheet and freeze in a single layer. When the berries are completely frozen, bag into quart freezer bags. :) So fun!

I've also been experimenting with making apple butter in the slow cooker. I put 3 lbs. of peeled and cored apples with 1/2 cup water and let it cook down for at least 12 hours on low. The apples will reduce down quite a bit. Add your favorite spices, like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and at least 1/4 cup sugar and let that cook together a few more hours on low. I loved how easy and delicious apple butter was to make!

This weekend I plan on making butter, and my herbed mayo, too.

What are you creating in your home kitchen?

What fun preserves or canning recipes would you like to share?

Comments welcome! :)

Berry harvest

2011-07-19T12:46:00.014-04:00

Tomatoes galore
Turkeys hunting grasshoppers

The Turkeys are growing so fast!

Whenever I sit down to write this blog so many topics come to mind that I could share. So much discovery everyday, in the garden, with the animals, in our relationships with the community, the physical stamina we've developed with this job, (not the aches and pains) the joys, the sorrows of our first season.

What do I choose?

Well, this week let's start with black raspberries. They are all over Buxton Farm and we are carving out time everyday to hunt them down and gobble them up. They are divine! Michael and I are freezing them for our afternoon smoothies, eating them fresh on homemade granola in the early morning, topping them off with our homemade yogurt at the end of a long day. Later this week we hope to harvest enough to make jam!

Growing up in Ohio my sisters and I spent every July harvesting black raspberries. My grandma and my mom loved when we came home with tupperware filled to the brim. It wasn't an easy job and still isn't. Blood, sweat, and tears getting through the thorns to pick them but so worth it, the memories this harvest has brought back has been so sweet. My grandma enjoyed the berries in milk topped with white sugar! I know where I got my sweet tooth.

Tara Miller, from "Farm To You", stopped by this week to pick up eggs for Chef Randy at "Garth Newell Music Center" in Warm Springs. Tara has a really creative job. She comes to the country to gather food from all sorts of diverse farms and then takes selected items to her retail store in Lexington or in some cases delivers the "goods" to the consumer. I have great appreciation for her commitment and support for local food.

Last week I made homemade ketchup from our tomatoes in our hoop house. I'm headed to the kitchen to make tomato sauce today, the hottest day of the summer in the blazing kitchen! Looks like I will be seeing the cool river today as well!

We have an over- abundance of tomatoes, about 30 tomato plants coming in all at once. We've been trading for all sorts of things with our neighbors and eating up as many as we can ourselves everyday. My favorite are "Sungolds" from Johnny's Seeds in Maine. They are a small golden delicious sweet tomato. It's the tomato I prefer. I planted all these tomatoes and I'm not big into eating "night shades"! I look forward to spreading the harvest to the community and to our hens for any left overs. The girls appreciate them too. Stay cool!

Pretty Pickles

2011-07-19T06:00:00.036-04:00

'Tis the season for canning and pickling! Ever wonder what to do with left over chard stalks, once you've cut off the leaves for sauteing? How about making some quick pickles? They sure are pretty, and taste good too.

Basic Pickling Liquid, taken from the Ad Hoc At Home cookbook by Thomas Keller:

1 cup champagne vinegar (we use white wine vinegar here, too)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Group chard stalks into similar sizes, and pack them into a clean jar. Heat vinegar, sugar and water in a saucepan until dissolved, then pour over the chard stalks. At this point, we add hot sauce, maybe some celery seed too. It's really fun to be creative and throw in whatever spices suit your fancy. Once the liquid has reached room temperature, put on a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Anybody else out there have some fun quick pickle ideas? Let's share them with each other in the comments section!

Knights of Old, er...Today!

2011-07-15T08:41:00.000-04:00

With as many things that have been going on here lately, I'm way behind on everything. Last Saturday was our field day for the farm. We had almost 1,800 folks in attendance and I'm still trying to recover from the day.

Today, I wanted to share some pictures from the Renaissance Fair that came to the area. We have never been to one of these and since the boys are so into knights and swords, we thought it would be fun to take them.

We were a little disappointed with the lack of educational exhibitors they had there, but the kids still had lots of fun. We were hoping to see some jousting, however we found out once we got there that the jousting was held the weekend before. Maybe next year...

Travis trying his hand at the bow.

Andrew's turn!


A sword bigger than them all.

I can't imagine doing battle with this thing. I'm sure I couldn't even lift it, let alone swing it!

A cute skit with a couple on horseback.

For only a dollar you can smash each other to smithereens. Huzzah!

This was held at Natural Chimneys and I think the kids liked the cave and big rocks best of all.

Fun day with fun memories.

Herbed Mayo

2011-07-14T05:46:00.001-04:00

This is a fun and easy recipe for mayonaise. I made it for the team's supper to be served on homemade rolls with barbecued chicken. Everyone enjoyed it, and I think you will too!

The more the chickens are on pasture, the deeper the egg yolks' color, which produces a beautiful, buttery-colored mayo. I wish I could share photos, but the recipe will have to do for now.

3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon mustard
1.5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups oil

1-2 cloves zested or finely minced/crushed garlic
1-1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon, or to taste

pepper, to taste

In a food processor, mix the yolks, mustard, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. While the processor is mixing, slowly add the oil. Very slowly. :)

It should become fluffy and mix up well within several seconds. It's such a fun process to watch!

Spoon out the mayo into a bowl. By hand, fold in the garlic, tarragon, and pepper. Experiment with different amounts of the herbs and spices to suit your taste. Enjoy! :)

Buxton Bursting with Busy----ness!

2011-07-12T08:47:00.017-04:00

The beautiful purple poppy flower is the first seed I've saved this year. You can see in the photo how it turned to a deep brown color as I let bolt in order to save the seed. It takes the flower sometime to bolt so be patient when saving seeds.

I shook the bolted poppy and heard all the seeds rattle just like a shaker, this means the seeds have turned brown on the inside and are ready to be split open. You want to make sure the seeds have turned from green to brown inside. I shake them out onto a tarp to make it easy to collect them. The seeds are really tiny. Afterwards, I tuck them away into an envelope with their name and year on it. I don't have to buy additional poppy seeds next year. Next I will be saving chard, beet , and lettuce, and sunflower seeds.

Two days ago I had a few hours to can some of our tomatoes from our hoop house. It was a delight. I made 6 jars of homemade ketchup. Yum!

Neighbors have been stopping in and buying up some of our delicious chickens. Kathy's mom, manager of "The Old Dairy" in Warm Springs loves our grass fed broilers!

The turkeys are growing fast! They are curious about everything and everyone. Fun to watch. I really adore the sounds them make.

We've had some really great helping hands on the farm this week. Hans, a volunteer, has a organic family farm that he is soon to inherit. He's a wizard in the garden. He made carrots rows (single dug )for winter sowing quicker than anyone I've met yet. His farm experience comes in super handy! Hard to believe we're planting for our November harvest. We're just now harvesting our spring carrots but experience how taught me that fall carrots are sometime much sweeter. Stay posted.

We're half way through our season and starting to find personal time for self reflection which we've missed. So much to digest since we arrived last fall. We've really focused on the basics our first year and our hard work seems to be paying off in very suttle ways.

A Favorite Quote

2011-07-12T07:05:00.000-04:00

"He who is aching in every limb, worn out by the effort of a day of work - that is, a day when he has been subject to matter - bears the reality of the universe in his flesh like a thorn. The difficulty for him is to look and to love. If he succeeds, he loves the Real."

-Simone Weil

Today is Field Day!

2011-07-09T08:40:00.002-04:00

Good morning! We're headed over to Polyface in just a few minutes to help with Field Day today. Hope to see you there!

American Meat

2011-07-08T06:15:00.003-04:00

American Meat is a new documentary being released this weekend - Saturday and Sunday. The debut showings will be held in Waynesboro and Staunton in honor of Polyface's Field Day.

Zynodoa Restaurant in Stauton will be hosting a Farm Fresh Supper with Joel and Daniel Salatin in attendance (Joel at noon and Daniel in the evening.)

Want to learn more about the movie? Contact the Visulite Theater in Staunton and the Zeus Theater in Waynesboro for show times and tickets.

You can also visit American Meat and Zynodoa Restaurant on Facebook.

Polyface Facebook Page can be found here.

Thoughts In Pictures...

2011-07-07T07:00:00.000-04:00

Wow, this is a busy week and Saturday is only two days away! This July 9th is our biggest day of the year, where over 1,600 guests will come and see Polyface Farm for our Field Day. Here are a few things I've been thinking about lately...

Chicks in the brooder

Summertime!

Gardening...

My first full year at Polyface Farm! :)

Share your inspiration!

2011-07-05T06:06:00.000-04:00

It's July, it's muggy outside, and I keep looking down wondering where that new bruise on my arm came from, or how I got the scratch on my leg. Summer is the season we work towards all year, coming in like a mighty wave and sometimes being overwhelming with all its demands. So I'm finding it important to read some beautiful words about food in all its many forms. Here are several of the books and blogs I'm reading right now:

Simply Tuscan, by Pino Luongo - I picked this up in Goodwill last weekend, completely on a judge-a-book-by-its-cover whim. It has not disappointed! Luongo shares not only recipes from his beloved Tuscany but also inspiring passages on the place food has in our lives. "I believe that quality of life is something you either have or you don't; it's not something you compartmentalize or confine to 'Saturday from 3 to 5 pm.' And let me be clear: When I say 'quality of life,' I'm not talking about exercise or counting calories or what vitamins to take....No - I'm talking instead about such intangible pleasures as flavors, senses, emotions, and even laughs. This book will show you that these things can become as much a part of your daily life as breathing because, in my opinion, they're just as vital."

Jenna's Cold Antler Farm blog, http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/. Daily inspiration from a young woman farming and writing in New York I love reading about her adventures and how honest she is about the good, bad, and the ugly involved in the meaningful tasks of farming. If you haven't read her blog already, I recommend you start today!

An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor. A simply beautiful book on "meaningful ways to discover the sacred in the small things we do and see, from simple practices" such as walking, getting lost, and carrying water.

What books, blogs, quotes, songs, or other things are inspiring you lately? Leave a comment so we can all share them together.

Molding the Clay

2011-07-03T09:45:00.022-04:00

Our garden summer harvest

Sunrise turkey feeding

Asparagus started from seed
Strawberry runners planted into ground
First Sunflower this season

Moving to Virginia and farming at Buxton is like creating a piece of art. A much larger transition than I perceived. Like an artist, we're creating from a blank

canvas, bit by bit filling it in, molding something bigger than us. There is no map to follow, only immediate hands on experience. I can't remember a time when I felt so many challenges at one time. Nothing has prepared me for the level of vulnerability I feel in this new position. So much to comprehend our first year, the steep learning curves are at times are exhausting.

I've been naive in some of my decisions which has caused me heartache. For instance, no one warned my about the number of pest I would encounter in our garden. My goodness, they are everywhere. Almost all of our summer squash has been eaten. It's one of the easiest things to grow in California. I never lost one! Looks like I need to plant a more resistant variety. There are always solutions....

Finally this week I actually "felt" our place here on the land. I had a moment where Buxton even felt like home. I think my body is slowly relaxing into a rhythm. It's a nice feeling, one I've missed since the season started. I'm certain there are more of these positive feelings to come.

I'm pleased to announce the arrival of our turkeys. They are so interesting and somewhat aggressive. The other night I was concerned "Jack" the guard dog wasn't around so at 3:45 a.m. I strolled out to check on them. So glorious to be out amongst the stars. A few bullfrogs hollered at me but other than that the turkeys were fast asleep. Very sweet. I miss being up late enough to witness the stars.

From our garden we've been eating "late" peas, delicious heirloom lettuces, potatoes, onions, turnips, kale, chard, beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, (wild) berries, and basil. It's time for me to start preparing for fall crops. A little more rain would be nice! Our corn in the hoop house is bursting forth. Along with all the hard work has come abundance. There is so much potential at Buxton Farm.

Widowed during Hay Season

2011-07-01T07:26:00.003-04:00

It's hay season on the farm. The last couple of weeks we made all of the hay here on Polyface proper and this week, they've been making hay on one of our rental farms.

Hay season is the time that I become a widow for a while (and also hunting season, but that's another story for another season). The guys work from dawn till dark to get all of the hay put up in the barns before the rains. It's a very technical process. The grass must be cut and dried, then it's raked, then baled and picked up. If we get an heavy moisture after it is cut, they ted the hay before raking it. Tedding is a method that flips the hay over and spreads it out so that the underside dries as evenly as the top.

I didn't get a chance to get pictures from this week, so I thought I would dig back and share photos from days in the past.


This picture was taken when Daniel was just a boy. We don't drop bale anymore except on hills, but I love this picture so much I had to share.

The baler is the most complicated part of the process, so Joel or Daniel always run it.

A hay wagon is attached the to back of the baler and the hay is fed directly to the guys on the wagon.

The hay just keeps on coming...

and coming...

And sometimes we goof off for the camera.

Stepping Out

2011-06-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

How is your week?

We've been very busy here at Polyface Farm, butchering chickens, gardening, making hay, maintaining fences, laying water lines, and preparing for next week's big event: Field Day! It takes many people to make it all happen, and I am so grateful for this year's team.

Our summer interns have already been here one month and they are doing a fantastic job. Yesterday I was amazed all over again at the initiative and work ethic when there were multiple projects to do and they jumped right in!

As I processed birds with the team yesterday morning, I thought about how each intern brings something unique and special to the team. They are all from different parts of the country, have different families and backgrounds, and hold a variety of beliefs, yet there is a common ground: they all have a passion for what they do, but even more than that, they made the choice to take the first step.

Beginning that first step toward a goal can be the hardest one to make - but it is well worth the effort. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made or other priorities set aside to reach what we hope to attain. At times faith is the only motivator. But knowing you are where you are meant to be is priceless - whether that be working your job, starting a farm or business, homesteading, beginning a friendship or relationship, or stepping out into the unknown; there is something we were all meant to do in life. Every one of us has a purpose. What is your dream? What is your life's passion?

If there was one thing you could do, what would it be? If nothing hindered you from trying, what would you attempt?

Remember to cherish this season of your life. Press on toward the goal!

Patience is a Virtue

2011-06-28T07:00:00.005-04:00

Forgive me for sounding melodramatic here, as I know I am only discussing a simple tomato.

But few things in life bring about remnant lines of poetry I studied in high school.

T.S. Eliott came to mind as I trellised young tomatoes the other day, reminding me that

There is yet faith -
But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.

I can't wait until these beauties are ripe!

What are you waiting for today, with faith and love and hope?

Oh Sew Knit

2011-06-24T06:53:00.004-04:00

Hey all, it's Friday, so Sheri is here again!

I thought that I would share pictures of my newest handmade project. As you may know from a post (quite a while back actually) previously, last summer I learned to knit.
I've been sewing since I was about eight years and have always loved it, so when I saw this project which has a combination of knitting and sewing, I jumped on it.

This is our 3 year old daughter, Lauryn modeling her new dress.

For those of you interested, you can find the free pattern for this dress here.

Have a great weekend!

Busy Summer Day

2011-06-23T19:54:00.002-04:00

Well, we just finished a delicious summer supper at the farm. It's always a blessing to gather together and share a meal after a good, hard day's work.

This morning we had restaurant load-ups, putting together orders for restaurants and retail stores in the area. Then we did a pick and load-up for putting together Buying Club orders.

Three week old chicks were taken out to fresh pasture and the new baby chicks arrived this afternoon! One of my favorite days are getting the brooder prepped and ready to receive the new babies. Chores are done, and we're enjoying the beautiful evening here at Polyface.

How is your day? What are your favorite pastimes in summer?

Butchering skills

2011-06-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

Poppy Flower and saving it's seed
Lauren, Travis, and Andrew Salatin
Master Sheri, chicken gutting
Double Rainbow at Buxton

This weekend we were fortunate to have Sheri Salatin help us butcher. I learned about speed, efficiency, and quality. We could hardly keep up with how fast she gutted each chicken. Her speed is my new inspiration. Along with her help and the help of our neighbor, John Brown we did 100 birds in 1 hour. Michael kept time! BEFORE lunch we had all the chickens bagged! Michael and I actually had time for a siesta which included a nice NAP! Oh, what I would do for a nap! It is a priceless luxury these days.

Daniel and Sheri brought their beautiful children to Buxton. I love when the kids come along because they immediately explore the farm, they peek into every building, poke fun with the barn cats and help with the animals. It's refreshing watching children laugh and play. We get so intense with our work some days we forget the joy of playing. What sweet reminders!

I'm happy to share what I've learned about saving seeds. PATIENCE is the key. The seeds take quite a long time to bolt which begins the process of seed saving. This gorgeous poppy flower will be the first seed I will be saving this year. I will start taking photos of the process for you to see. It helps if you have a lot of space for growing if you wish to save seed. The process is quite lengthy. I'm still learning and I'm fascinated by it.

Happy First Day of Summer

2011-06-21T07:05:00.000-04:00

What says summer better than berries?

I'm curious, readers...what is your favorite berry, and what do you like to do with it - eat it straight from the bush, or take it to the kitchen for pies and jams?

Summer Reading....

2011-06-20T14:23:00.001-04:00

I've decided to turn off my tv for the summer and READ! I keep telling my daughter how important it is and how fun it can be so I've decided to take my own advice and practice what I preach! My friend Jill introduced me to a fun website called "Pinterest".... http://pinterest.com/about/ - it's a great way to organize your favorite websites, blogs, online stores or for me - my summer reading list! Anytime I come across a book that looks interesting I can "pin" it and keep up with my list! I thought I would share a few of my picks with you...and you can do the same! There's nothing better than curling up on the porch with a good book at the end of the day!!

Here's a list of all my books so far ....... http://pinterest.com/wendygray/pins/

Welcome Bob and Chris!

2011-06-18T15:49:00.003-04:00

Lots of good stuff going on here at Green Light Farm! We're happy to announce that our two interns, Bob and Chris, arrived a couple weeks ago!

Bob (left) is from Rhode Island, and Chris (right) is from New Jersey. They'll be here with us through September, and we are sure glad for their help! I'm especially excited that they both love gardening. They're a huge blessing to us. It's amazing to me how much work 4 strong men can get done in one day!!

A couple weeks ago we had the joy of seeing this beautiful double rainbow! It both started and ended on our farm. Quite lovely.

We're enjoying the full, busy days on the farm. So many things to do! This past Thursday we processed, cut up, and packaged over 400 chickens in 6 hours. We were thrilled to get all that work done so quickly (of course, Bob, Chris and the rest of the team had a lot to do with that)!

Today I planted some basil and lettuce starts, pulled lots of weeds, and made a big grilled chicken salad for lunch. I'm truly enjoying these sunny days where I can hang the laundry out on the line-- something wonderful happens to clean laundry that's dried in the sun! It's so crisp and fresh! *sigh*

I'm currently sipping iced tea and contemplating the house work I need to do! Better get started. There's always something to do around here :)

Saying Goodbye (for now)

2011-06-17T06:55:00.004-04:00

Last Wednesday I received the sad news that my Grandpa was being admitted to Hospice for congestive heart failure.

"Come soon if you want a chance to say goodbye." the Hospice Nurse warned. My heart cried.

I'm a little over thirty years old and this is the first time that I have had to deal with losing a grandparent. My grandmothers (both sides) died when I was an infant, so I never had to face the pain of losing them. Both of my grandfathers remarried wonderful women and I was blessed to be adopted by them as a granddaughter.

My Mom and I flew to Florida on Friday morning of last week, praying the whole way that he would know us. The nurses had told us that he was confused and sometimes didn't know anyone at all. We arrived without much expectation, but wanting to be there for his last days.

I count myself blessed to be related to such a kind, gentle man as my Grandpa. When we arrived, he looked at us and smiled so big, I cried. He reached over and lightly pulled us both close and was barely able to whisper the words, "I love you." and "Ah, my girls." We smothered him with kisses and held him close.

Grandpa and Me - December 2008

We spent all day and night that Friday with him. Soothing him when he was troubled and holding his hands. I think that we were more blessed than he was. We were able to tell him how much he meant to us and give only a small gesture of how much we loved him. He was so weak, that talking was difficult so we used touch to convey our thoughts and love. He's been hard of hearing for as long as I can remember, so I'm not sure how much he heard us say, but I do know that he caught our meaning by the sparkle in his blue eyes.

By Saturday, he was drifting away from this earth, caught somewhere in between here and heaven. He lost all recognition of us and my Grandma and slept most of the time. I flew back home Saturday evening leaving my Mom to watch over him till the end.

Tuesday afternoon of this week, Grandpa passed through heaven's gate. The parting is bittersweet. There are moments when I ache from missing him and other moments when the joy that he is experiencing now come to mind.

Because of my and his relationship with Jesus Christ, I know that I will see him again. So while I had to say Goodbye for here on earth, I'm confident that it won't be Goodbye for long, only for now until I see him again.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Grandpa has entered the Everlasting Life of peace. It's comforting to picture him there with my Savior waiting for me.

River relief and gardening

2011-06-15T19:33:00.000-04:00

Last weeks heat wave brought an incredible appreciation for our river. It is beyond refreshing to take a dip in between chores. The humidity is so powerful, reminds me of my infared sauna days in California. How delicious it is to have layers of fog in the early morning only to burn off later in the morning. The early blanket of fog gives us time some mornings to work in the hoop house weeding and thinning. Our corn and tomatoes are coming in strong. We've been munching on cucumbers from the hoop house all week. The garden is providing us with peas, onions, kale, chard, summer squash, a bit of lettuce, and some basil. Potatoes are nearly ready for harvest. I'm craving beets and carrots. We didn't get very good germination for our carrots due to the wet spring and our clay soil. I love juicing beets, carrots and cucumbers. Next year I will get many more beets in sooner and be sure to mark my "save" seed correctly. Looks like I confused beet seeds with chard which is not hard to do when you save as many seeds as I do.

Yesterday I planted asparagus for the first time. I started it from seed a few months ago. And today I worked on cutting runners from our strawberries for next years harvest. Mind you, I'm only able to get these things done because Stephen and Daphne have been kind of enough to weed the garden and dig (almost) double dug beds. I'm already thinking about what to plant for fall which astonishes me.

Discussion for Made from Scratch - part 2

2011-06-14T17:20:00.000-04:00

We're continuing our discussion on Made From Scratch by Jenna Woginrich. Jump in whenever you would like!

Responsibility

Jenna says in her preface, "The work in this book isn't about playing farmer, it's about being more responsible for the tasks we've become numb to." Is it a boon to us that food is available all seasons of the year, or that television clicks on immediately at the touch of a button?

What are you taking more responsibility for in your life?

Are there things that you are "taking back" so to speak and simplifying?

Are there things that you want to take back but haven't figured out how to do it yet?