Initial Earthworks

Had a spare 30 minutes left on the mini-excavator we rented to put in the front swales and decided to try an 'ad-hoc' duck pond.  I've seeded the fill from that pond with Comfrey (bocking 14), Jerusalem Artichoke, cilantro, and a dent corn.  The feature will serve multiple purposes.  It will serve as a duck pond as we add ducks, and possibly geese to our flocks.  It allows us to trial another 'Seed Mix' for recently constructed swales in high clay high organic matter soils.  If it performs well, it is of the size to be able to supply a years worth of on-farm mix for swale expansion next year.  In the back of the photo are two artic kiwis with an autumn olive in between.  The cages and agribon are to protect from browsing and wind.  To the right of the pic above the shovel are the flags marking our first apple tree guild.  I still owe you guys a post about the front swale system and the apple tree guild.

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We've Got Chickens!

Oh it feels good to be back to farming. In early January we received 100 assorted brown egg layers from Murray McMurray Hatchery. It has been 1.5 years since we last had chickens and we have been missing having a constant supply of yummy, nutritious eggs. After a month of staying warm and growing up in the basement, the chicks were moved to the barn to their new digs. And once this neverending winter finally says goodbye, the chicks will head out to pasture to eat all the delicious grass and bugs that help give their eggs that incredible orange yolk. We will supplement with certified organic grain from Lakeview Organic Grain. Although this will increase the price of our eggs, we think it's important to feed our animals grain that has no GMOs and is grown without synthetic pesticides or chemicals. The little ladies should start producing eggs by the end of May -- hopefully sooner!

The brand new chicks stay warm in the basement thanks an infrared lights.

The teenage chicks check out the new barn space.

Kaylee loves the chickens and  gives them daily "rides."

Stack of organic grain 

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Grateful

We have a whole lot to be grateful for during these past two months. We have had a variety to people come to our aid and help get this house up and running before the baby arrived. It's been incredible and this post is our opportunity to give them a major shout out as well as update everyone on the house.

But first, we have to introduce our little man. James Warren Lawler was born on February 19, 2014 at 4:08 p.m. at our midwives' home/office (which was planned). He weighed in at 8 lbs, 6 oz and 21 inches long. He is adorable and we are in love and his big sister absolutely adores him.

Ok, now the shout outs.

As I mentioned on Facebook several weeks ago, the South Buffalo-based Occhino Corp. heard about our story through a mutual farmer veteran. With the impending baby, they wanted to help get our bathroom up and running. They sent three guys out and in two days we had a working bathroom complete with a toilet, sink, bathtub and HOT WATER! Oh sweet hot water how we've missed you. I can't even tell you how many baths I took in our awesome Craigslist clawfoot tub. And one of these days we'll finish off the dry wall and paint the walls and add some storage...but that's all gravy. It's a little hard to photograph the bathroom, but you get the idea.

At the same time, another fellow farmer veteran (I'm telling you, farmer veterans rock) recommended that we contact the non-profit Work Vessels for Veterans to see if they could help us get a donated tractor. We crossed our fingers that they may have access to a used one, but didn't get our hopes up. After sending them our business plan and other documents, we chatted on the phone and these guys immediately went into action. They first were concerned about the lack of infrastructure in our house and how that could detract from our inaugural farming season. They wanted to help get us up and running and requested a priority list of the main tasks that still needed to be done. Say what?!

They hired Advanced Septic Service to finish up the septic system. The tank is connected to the house, but the absorption beds still need to be completed. They'll come out and finish the job once these ridiculous temps go away and the snow melts, which should theoretically be soon.

Then they hired Occhino Corp.(we wanted to give them the business since they helped us so much) to install a boiler and baseboard heating system. My dad provided the boiler, his former company, DBM Controls, supplied some parts, and Occhino gave us a great deal on the rest the parts and installation. After spending a week at our house, they completed the installation the Friday before James was born. It was so nice to bring a newborn home and not have to worry about building a fire in a freezing cold house.

In the meantime, Brett was able to focus on getting our kitchen sink and dishwasher up and running. Still a little rough, but it's functional! We need to add the freshly painted doors and drawers to the sink cabinet and do some sort of backsplash and open shelves above the sink. Oh and replace the current plywood countertop. But now all we care about is that we can easily wash dishes in our own house!

The majority of our systems are up and running, which honestly makes a huge difference in our day to day life. And man, do we appreciate each shower, peeing in a proper toilet, running the dishwasher, washing our hands with WARM water, and the sound of the boiler kicking in at 5:30 a.m. so the house isn't frigid when we wake up. When you live without these basic things for months, it's amazing how grateful you are to have them.

It's overwhelming and humbling when people come together to help you achieve your dream.

All we can do is say thank you. And we will pay it forward one day.

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Four Month Update

It has been four months since we moved onto the farm. Four months and we still don't have hot water (or propane set up to heat that water), a working sink (we fill up our water from the basement), a bath/shower, or a proper kitchen.

BUT...we have a working toilet. And that, my friends, is the exciting news around here. And it was just in time for Christmas. I'll take that over any present under the tree.

The inaugural flush handled by Kaylee

Yes, we waaayyy underestimated how much time this all was going to take. Getting electricity, water lines, and septic installed was a huge undertaking. Weather delayed us a bunch and then there's the fact that Brett is teaching himself a lot of this stuff. Not to mention it's a lot more expensive then we planned, although we are still saving a ton of money doing it mostly ourselves, getting help from family, and being thrifty with our purchases.

Plus, with the winter weather in full force, we've (and by we I mean Brett) spent a lot of time chopping and loading wood, building wood fires every morning, plowing the driveway, weatherproofing...all this little stuff that takes time. And although we have plugs and lights, lighting is still limited making evening work on the difficult side.

It's cold, but it sure is pretty.

But with six weeks to go in this pregnancy, we are very close to having a fully functioning bathroom, which is the only thing I truly want by the time this baby comes. Bonuses would include a working kitchen sink, dishwasher (oh it's been so long sweet dishwasher), and a working laundry room.

On the farm front, we've actually had a lot of really great things this past month and a half.

Thanks to the Farmer Veteran Coalition, we attended the Empowering Women Veterans Conference in Louisville, KY. I was able to attend as the spouse of a veteran and Brett came along as a volunteer. It was an intense conference, but full of great sessions and we met so many awesome people who are now lifelong friends.

At the conference we had the opportunity to see the premiere of
Terra Firma, a documentary about three incredible female farmer veterans.

We had a super successful Teespring campaign! Thanks to everyone who supported our cause by purchasing our shirt. We needed to sell 200 shirts to be fully funded and we sold 220. We were particularly surprised at the variety of people that supported us -- former colleagues, old friends, and neighbors in Texas, friends and former customers in Pittsburgh, fellow farmer veterans, near and far family members, friends from high school for both of us, and various other people we've never even met! The proceeds will be used for farm purchases like our 100 laying hens that arrive at the end of this month, seeds, and other start-up supplies.

Our hilarious former neighbor in Texas posing in his new shirt.

We found out at the end of last week that we've been accepted into the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NY)'s Journeyperson Program. This is a two-year program geared toward beginner farmers that provides a paid farmer mentor, educational and business stipends, and a lot of general support and networking opportunities. We are honored to be chosen as one of five recipients in the state.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review did a story on veterans becoming entrepreneurs and featured Brett's story. Check out the full article here: http://tinyurl.com/mlakfws.

There's a couple other opportunities that I don't want to publicly mention just yet, but will be a huge help if/when they come to fruition. Here's to an exciting and successful 2014!

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Buy a t-shirt and help us out!

We take a little break from toilet talk to let you know that we launched a t-shirt campaign today to help raise
some funds for farm start-up costs.

Our "Food Security is National Security" t-shirt is now available at www.teespring.com/foodsecurity. With Brett's military experience and our belief that small farms are key to the future of this country's food system, this is an important message worth spreading. The shirts are $20 and silk screen printed on a Made in the USA American Apparel t-shirt.

We have big plans for this property. We want to create a small, diversified organic farm that not only helps feed our community, but also teaches people how to feed themselves. This summer, Brett became certified in permaculture design and we hope to use these methods to create an educational farm one day.

All of our grand ideas definitely come with a decent price tag and every little bit will help us. The proceeds from this project will help with start-up farm costs, specifically beginning with the purchase of 100 laying hens and the necessary accompanying supplies and equipment. But in order for us to receive the funds, we need to sell 200 in 21 days!

If you'd like to support us, but don't necessarily need or want the shirt, then have it mailed directly to us at 8856 Cottage Road, South Dayton, NY 14138 and we will donate it to a local veteran organization. All shirts will arrive between Dec. 14-17, so it's a great holiday gift too!

Since we started this farming journey in 2010, we have been continually humbled at how many people have supported and encouraged our farming journey. We are truly appreciative and we hope you will consider helping us out at this critical juncture of our adventure.

Thanks in advance!
The Lawlers

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Oven + Internet + Frigid Toilet Seat = Recipe for Pumpkin Oatmeal

This past week has had their share of triumphs and failures. Let's start with the positive, shall we?

We now have Internet (yahoo!) thanks to Verizon HomeFusion, a service that taps into the 4G network instead of a satellite like other providers. It's a whole lot different from good ol' Time Warner or Fios -- no more unlimited data that we've taken for granted the past 15 years. Our plan includes 10 GB/month - at least that's what we're starting with. This means no Netflix, no Hulu, no YouTube, or any major downloading. But the service is fast and it is a darn relief not to have to go to Tim Hortons every time I need to do a little work.

The other good news is we now have our oven up and running thanks to a propane conversion kit. We are still using a BBQ-style tank to run it, but this girl is happy to be able to bake, bake, and bake some more (of course this leads to more dirty dishes which sit until we can take them to my Dad's house in an effort to avoid washing dishes in the freezing mudroom). The inaugural dish was Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (recipe below), which was perfect for our recent cold and rainy weather).

Speaking of rainy weather...it needs to STOP. Ya hear me sky? No more dropping water pellets for at least another few weeks. Because that H2O has led to the big failure of last week. Where shall I start?

Septic tank hole dug. Check.

36 tons of gravel delivered for the bed of the hole. Check.

Septic tank delivered. Check.

Septic tank installed.

{PHOTO NOT AVAILABLE}

And why is there no photo? Because the installation guy drove about 10 feet onto our lawn to head around the house where the hole is and the truck nearly got stuck. He barely made it off the driveway. And unless our lawn magically dries up in the next week, it looks like our best option is to rent a bulldozer to tow him in and out, allowing him to drop the tank in the hole and us to move forward to my dream of a room temperature flushable toilet.

But let's go back to the positive stuff like working ovens! This Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal was so yummy that I had to share it. I based it off of Cooking Light's Baked Oatmeal, which is one of my all-time favorite cold weather breakfasts, and then jazzed it up with fall flavors.

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/4-1/2 cup packed brown sugar (the original recipe calls for 1/2 but we usually use less)
1/2 cup (give or take) of dried fruit, nuts, seeds (we used raisins, pepitas, sunflower seeds and walnuts)
1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups milk (can use any kind from skim to whole)
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.

.

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt butter in a different bowl using the microwave or over a pot of boiling water, whisk in the egg and stir in the milk and pumpkin. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Eat in front of your cozy wood stove with no beverage in an effort to reduce the amount you sit on a freezing toilet seat.

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Living Like the Amish: A Primer

As you’ll recall, we closed on our farm in late August, which was formerly Amish. In case you aren’t familiar with how the Amish live, this equates to no electricity, no modern plumbing, no standard heating system, no kitchen, and no Internet. This was our worst case situation — having to move in right away with no buffer time to get some of these amenities installed. We had hoped to work on the house and come back every evening to our fully equipped rental house for a flushable toilet, stocked kitchen, well-lit house, and warm showers. Unfortunately the rental house was up for sale and closing at the end of August so we needed to be out.

Of course, Brett really had no qualms about this scenario. He couldn’t wait to get on the land and start our future, and he’s a boy, a former military boy, so he kept saying that it will be an adventure and just like indoor camping. I’ve never been a fan of camping.

Here we are six weeks later and we JUST got electricity installed. Everything is just taking longer than expected. And, yet overall, we are pretty darn happy. We are home. Kaylee is running around, Dora the dog is running around — everyone’s spirit is just so much higher surrounded by all of this beautiful space. Don’t get me wrong — I would kill for regular toilet and a little wi-fi — but it definitely could be worse.

Not too shabby of a front porch view

I’ve had many questions about our day-to-day lives so I thought I’d do a little write up about how we’re managing to live relatively comfortably without many of the modern conveniences that we all take for granted.

The main factor that helps make things a lot easier is that both of my parents live about 45 minutes away. At least twice a week, we head in to shower, do laundry, charge batteries, get ice, use wi-fi, and hit some of the bigger stores. This helps tremendously. Here’s a little breakdown of how we handle some of the other issues.
No Electricity

• A system comprised of a marine battery and 750 watt inverter kept our computers and iphones easily charged. We kept the battery charged with a 2,000 watt Honda generator. Having these items continuously charged made life a lot easier. 
• A propane camping lantern, head lamp, oil lamps, and flashlights lit the way at night. But the most common way we deal with the dark is by going to bed early. And then we get up early and get as much stuff done as we can during daylight hours. It’s hard to be motivated to do things by lantern.
• We refrigerated our food with two large coolers that we kept filled with ice and stored in the basement. It worked pretty well and we didn’t lose any food due to spoilage. We recently purchased a chest freezer which currently lives in my Dad’s garage. We fill up big jugs (old vinegar bottles, milk containers, juice containers) of water, freeze it, and then use it in the coolers. The freezer also allows us to store meat we’ve bought in bulk and produce we had put up for the winter. 
• It seemed important enough to mention coffee here. In lieu of a coffee maker, we’ve been using our French press. We fire up the generator to grind the coffee and make enough to fill a quart mason jar. Although we actually like the taste of French press coffee better, I do miss the convenience (and continued warmth) of a coffee maker.

No Modern Plumbing

• We are lucky that this house was built by the Amish because they implemented a lot of systems to make their life easier within the constraints of their beliefs. For example, they used a gas pump to draw water into a 500 gallon stainless steel tank that sits high up in the barn. The water is then gravity fed through pipes that are buried in the ground and head into the house. This allows them to have running water. Although they drank it, we’re a little suspect so we filter it through our Berkey water filter. Having running water in the house makes life a lot easier.
• As for the facilities, or potty as we tend to say as parents of a toddler, the previous owners built a privy located off of the mud room. It contains two holes (one for kids, one for adults) with a concrete base and a wood top. We added toilet seats to make it a little more hygienic. In terms of an alternative to a modern bathroom, it could be a whole lot worse. But as a pregnant lady who pees a lot, I’m looking forward to good old-fashioned indoor plumbing.

Our fine accommodations

• I think Brett and I would agree that one of the worst parts of this entire experience is washing the dishes. We both hate to hand wash dishes in a normal house with a regular kitchen sink and hot water (we dream of the day we have a dishwasher again). Now we have to heat up the water on the stove, take it into the mudroom where the sink is, and wash the dishes in a very cramped space usually by head lamp. Due to this, we’ve been using a lot of disposable dishes and silverware, as much as we hate the environmental impact. We are using uncoated paper plates (with a metal camp plate for support) so we can at least compost those. 

No Kitchen

• Unbeknownst to most people (including us before we started this undertaking), the Amish take their kitchens with them when they move. They use freestanding cabinets and cupboards, some with stainless steel tops. So when we moved in, there was absolutely nothing in the kitchen. They even negotiated taking the sink that was somewhat built in (in exchange they left one of their awesome clothing line pullies that stretches from the house to the barn). Since the actual kitchen was filled with boxes from the move, we set up in a small room they used for their pantry, which will be our future bathroom. The room has wall cabinets that we’re able to store high rotation food and dishes and then we placed a folding table underneath for prep. We do most of our cooking on a propane two-burner camp stove. For the most part, this system has served us pretty well and kept us eating healthy and fresh. As the weather cools, I really miss having an oven, but I try to compensate by making soups, chilli, and a big ol’ pot of beans. 

No Heat

• It’s not technically accurate to say that we have no heat, because we do have a wood stove in our living room. It produces quite a bit of warmth, although we will definitely need supplemental heat to keep the kitchen and other rooms warm. For now, we are grateful the weather has been warm and it hasn’t been much of an issue.

No Wi-Fi

• This one has been a biggie for me since I had a large freelance project start the week that we moved. Thankfully our iPhones work like a dream with good 4G coverage the majority of the time. This helps us keep up on emails, Facebook, and Pinterest (crucial!), and allows us to do some Internet searches. But obviously the iPhone is limited so I drive 15 minutes to the closest Tim Horton’s coffee shop to access free, unlimited wi-fi. This is obviously not ideal and definitely getting old, but it gets the job done. We hope to have Internet up and running at home in the next week or so. 

As it now mid-October, we are definitely racing against the weather. We need to get all of the major outdoor work done (finalizing the new water supply lines and installing the septic system) before winter comes. And every time it rains, the project gets pushed back a little further.

I’d like to give a shout out to my cousin, owner of Ben-Dar Electric, who has been instrumental in helping us get our electricity running. And to my incredibly handy husband who has been tackling these projects like a boss, teaching himself the majority of this work through books and videos. He will have quite the skill set when this is all complete and I couldn’t be prouder of him.

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MIKE CHECK!

Any station this net, any station this net, this is SV06 radio check, over.

 tap tap... this thing on?

Not really sure where we left off.  Last year has been a beeeeeyotch. But it all worked out.  To bring you up to speed, last year around this time we decided it was time to find a place of our own to farm on.  We started looking in the Western New York (WNY) region and the pickins were pretty slim.  It seemed you had to know somebody who knew somebody to even find a place suitable for Ag use that was for sale or about to be for sale.  We realized that the chance of our finding a place in WNY whilst still living in Pittsburgh was not the greatest so we decided to put our house up for sale and move up here and rent a place.  As taught in Airborne School, when the light turns green, you don't think about it, you just step boldly out that door and execute.  The "For Sale" sign going up in our yard was the green light.

We secured a place to rent in the Buffalo area and continued our search for a place to farm.  We thought we had located a sweet deal on a 95 acre place between Rochester and Buffalo but that didn't work out.  We mentioned our situation to some Farmer Vet friends and they said they knew of some Amish places for sale in the counties south of Buffalo.  I liked the first place we saw, we put in an offer, and then the hard part began.  I'll not go into it in detail here as doing so would result in my having to seek additional intensive therapy and ain't no one got time for that.  Long story short, 9 months from having a signed purchase agreement with the seller, we finally closed on our new place on 29 August 2013.  It's a 95 acre former Amish dairy farm.  It was cut out of a larger parcel and the buildings were all built in 2005.  It's sturdy, large, and basic.  Perfect for the Epicness we have planned for the region.    


 We don't have electricity, water, septic, internet, tv, heat, or any other of that sissified stuff; but we're working on it.  We'll keep you posted as we gain functionality.

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A Little Update With a Side of Hope

So...it's been two months since we posted. Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah  Happy New Year and anything else we might've missed. As you can imagine, we've been a little busy.

Our Christmas card photo outtake. Much more "real life" than the original.

On December 15, we closed on our house in Pittsburgh -- just 2.5 months after we put it on the market. We sold it to a young couple buying their first home who seemed to love the house's mix of old bones and new renovations. It's sappy, but it warmed our hearts to know they would go on to create their own memories in a house that was so good to us.

For the fact that we moved in mid-December, we lucked out with incredible weather throughout the whole process. We moved our stuff directly into a rental house on Lake Erie south of Buffalo thanks to a friend's mom who owns the property. We took some time to enjoy the holidays, spend quality time with family and friends, sneak off for a little getaway in Niagara Falls, and figure out new systems and routines.

Yes it looks frigid, but we still dig the view from our rental house.

All the while we kept searching for a farm. Back in October, we thought we had found the perfect property. Everything seemed to be falling into place - almost a little too perfectly. And then it fell through. Another farmer had first right of refusal and decided he wanted to purchase the property. We were a bit crushed, but we picked ourselves up, dusted off, and kept on going with the mantra that we will find something better.

So here we are today with the possibility of something better. We're not going to go into detail because there are a lot of wrinkles to iron out before this possibility turns into reality, but we would love some positive vibes sent our way. Here's hoping we've finally found our forever home.

This could be our barn.

P.S. We try to update our Facebook page more frequently and often post articles and photos we think are interesting to our readers. Make sure to Like us!

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Bittersweet News

Our first customer, Audrey

The past three years have been an adventure.

As you'll recall, we started on this organic farming journey with little experience but a lot of passion and determination. Along the way, we have helped supply local, fresh, and nutritious food to the community of Pittsburgh. We have been embraced and supported by the most amazing customers who made sure to buy our produce and eggs because they believed in what we were doing and believed in better tasting and more nutritious food. We have met wonderful fellow farmers who have helped put up a hoophouse, shared knowledge, and simply befriended us. And for all of this, we are truly thankful.

But we have decided it's time to take things to the next level. This past season we realized that farming on property we don't own isn't sustainable. Brett was spending an increasing amount of time commuting from our house in Pittsburgh to the farm in Kittanning. This led to less time at home with the family, but also less time getting things done on the farm. There was never enough time at the farm or at home. It wasn't the life we had envisioned or wanted.

Our first flock of chickens soon
after we arrived in Pennsylvania.

When we began looking at buying our own property we looked at both Pittsburgh and Buffalo. The reasons for staying Pittsburgh are obvious. As for Buffalo, this is where Kristie grew up. And even though she's been away for 15 years, the majority of her family and numerous friends still live there.

In the end, Buffalo won out. We have an incredible support system there, all encouraging us to come back to the area. As a bonus, property is more affordable. We've begun the process of searching for a place and we are confident we will find the perfect spot for us.

We will miss Pittsburgh and, more importantly, the wonderful people. This is an amazing city that's come so far from their rust belt roots and is poised to become even more awesome. We'd like to specifically give a shout out to the people who have supported our farm and helped make this place feel like home: Mark, Meg, Alex, Charlie, Nathan, Joe, Sara, John, Marty, Erik, Shauna, and Cornelius... thank you for everything!

One of best customers, Mark, and Kristie's dad and stepmom
helping put up the hoop house.

And to all of you Western New Yorkers that may be reading this, we're coming! We are looking forward to bringing our organic produce (and hopefully meat) to the area. Stay tuned!

Here we are, embarking on another adventure so soon after our last one. But in the end, we picture walking out the door and into our fields and the world seems right.

And so it begins...again

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Last Farm Stand! September 28

The time has come again where we say farewell to the season. Tomorrow will be our last farm stand for 2012. It's been a bit of a wild season, between weather, bugs, and some other growing pains. But with craziness comes the opportunity to learn and this year was full of teaching moments.

So come by tomorrow, even if it's just to say farewell to the season. We are so grateful to all of our customers who support us week to week, always reminding us why we do what we do.

Eggs will still be available for pick up at our house in Blawnox throughout the fall and winter. Just shoot us an email or call to order.

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Turnips
Radishes
Fingerling Potatoes
Lettuce
Ground Cherries

Red Onions
Garlic
Dragon's Tongue Beans (from Clarion River Organics) 

Winter Squash (from Clarion River Organics)
Eggs
Tarragon Vinegar (homemade by Kristie)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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September 15 Farm Stand

Things are a little crazy around here so this post is going to be short and sweet!

But real quick, we are super honored to be representing the Farmer-Veteran Coalition at the Farm Aid event on September 22 in Hershey, PA. Therefore, we won't be opening the farm stand next weekend. So come get your goodies tomorrow!

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Turnips (New!)
Red Potatoes (New!)
Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Ground Cherries
Green Beans
Zucchini

Red Onions
Garlic

Celebration Winter Squash (like a sweet Acorn) (from Clarion River Organics)
Tarragon Vinegar (homemade by Kristie)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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September 8 Farm Stand

To make an easy fresh salsa dice up or food process tomatoes, onion,
jalapeno, salt and pepper. Adjust ratios to your liking.
Optional: cilantro & a squeeze of lime.

This week we've been busy in the kitchen, eating, canning and freezing as much summer goodness as we can. We've roasted veggies, canned tomatoes, enjoyed fresh salsa, whipped up an easy greek zucchini salad, and bottled a beautiful purple basil and garlic vinegar that we should have at the farm stand in a few weeks. This is the crazy time of the year, but it's also the tastiest.

We mentioned on Facebook that we were trying out ground cherry jam in hopes to sell this weekend. Unfortunately, we just don't have the recipe down just yet. We'll keep you posted if it ends up working out. It takes a lot of ground cherries to make the jam and since they preserve so well in their husks, jam may not be the best use.

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Fingerling Potatoes
Lettuce
Heirloom Tomatoes - Eva Purple Ball, Gold Medal, Red Cherry, Roma
Ground Cherries
Green peppers
Radishes
Green Beans
Swiss Chard

Zucchini

Yellow Summer Squash
Red Onions

Garlic
Tarragon Vinegar (homemade by Kristie)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey
Celebration Winter Squash (like a sweet Acorn)  (from Clarion River Organics)

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September 1 Farm Stand

"We need real farmers who grow real food, and the will to reform a broken food system. And for that, we need not only to celebrate farmers, but also to advocate for them."

The above quote is part of an awesome op-ed written by The New York Times food columnist, Mark Bittman. You should read it. And then read some more about the horrendous state of our food system. And then take a stand against it by supporting and advocating for your local farmers.

:Stepping off soap box:

Can you believe tomorrow is September? I don't even know where August went, it barely stopped to say hello. We've got loads of ground cherries so pick up a couple baskets this week and dip them in chocolate, or can up some preserves, or make this awesome-looking cupcake pie thing (tell us how it turns out)!

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Lettuce (New!)
Fingerling Potatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes - Eva Purple Ball, Gold Medal, Pink, Red Cherry, Roma
Ground Cherries
Green peppers
Radishes
Red Onions

Garlic
Tarragon Vinegar (homemade by Kristie)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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Cherry Tomato Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

This past weekend, our farmer friends, Joe and Sara, of Five Elements Farm, invited us over for a little harvest celebration. They have a wonderful piece of property and a beautiful home they built themselves. It's their dream and a little slice of heaven and spending time out there does amazing things for the spirit.

When trying to decide what dish to bring, I knew I needed something that was quick and easy since I was going to whip it up after the farm stand. This very simple cherry tomato salad lets in-season tomatoes sing and is a great vehicle for our tarragon vinegar (but balsamic and red wine vinegar also works too). We like to add raw garlic to our dressings for all of the wonderful health benefits, but feel free to omit it if you're not keen on garlic breath.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette

 

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of SVF's tarragon vinegar or balsamic/red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
2 cloves of minced garlic (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
4 cups (about one quart) of local cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 medium red onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup basil, sliced thin

In a measuring cup or small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette. In a separate bowl toss the tomatoes, red onion, basil, and vinaigrette.

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August 25 Farm Stand

This week's fingerling potatoes

This past weekend we headed up to Buffalo for my (Kristie) 15-year high school reunion. Since Brett was in Iraq for the 10-year reunion, I really wanted him to join me this time so we cancelled the farm stand and made it a little getaway. It ended up being a blast; I happen to have graduated with some very awesome and fun people. But what really surprised me is how many people follow our farm through Facebook or the blog. Countless people asked me about it, told me that they think it's great what we are doing and how our posts inspire them to eat more fresh food. Seriously-I had no idea. Sometimes you put this information out there and you're not really sure who sees it or reads it. And then all of a sudden you hear about the impact that you're having on people and, man, it brings the warm and fuzzies.

So if you're reading this, we want to continue to be a source of inspiration. As you can imagine we're a bit short on time these days, but we're going to strive to provide regular fresh, helpful, and interesting content.

But back to the day to day. We'll have lots of eggs so we shouldn't sell out so quickly this week. Brett dug up some beautiful fingerling potatoes that are so tender and flavorful. There will be plenty of tomatoes, especially the red cherry, and we are also bringing back the lovely dragon's tongue wax bean from Clarion River Organics.

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Fingerling Potatoes (New!)
Heirloom Tomatoes - Eva Purple Ball, Gold Medal, Pink, Red Cherry, Yellow Pear
Ground Cherries
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Kale
Red Onions

Garlic
Dragon's Tongue Beans (from Clarion River Organics)
Tarragon Vinegar (homemade by Kristie)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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August 11 Farm Stand

Mayhaps you've heard of them, mayhaps you haven't. They don't care, for they are secure in their deliciousness and absurdly long shelf life (6+ months) and know they'll be okay with or without you. That's right, they are Ground Cherries and they're nature's arrogant little bastards. But they have cause to be.  So come on out and buy them all up, they are making all the other veg feel very self-conscious and unworthy (have you ever seen an heirloom tomato cry?)

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Heirloom Tomatoes - Eva Purple Ball, Gold Medal, Pink, Red Cherry
Ground Cherries
Swiss Chard

Yukon Gold New Potatoes
Hungarian Hot Yellow Wax Peppers
Cucumbers
Garlic
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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August 4 Farm Stand

The summer produce is in! Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes, spicy hot peppers, and sweet ground cherries.

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Heirloom Tomatoes (New this week!) - Eva Purple Ball, Gold Medal, Pink, Red Cherry
Anaheim Peppers (New!)

Jalapenos (New!)
Yukon Gold New Potatoes (New!)
Ground Cherries (New!)
Hungarian Hot Yellow Wax Peppers
Cucumbers
Garlic
Green Cabbage (from Clarion River Organics)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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July 28 Farm Stand

Tiffani harvests green and hot peppers

We have a new addition to our little farm, our new intern Tiffani. She comes to us from New Orleans, looking to learn all about growing tasty, nutritious food in a sustainable way. She started this past week and has already been a tremendous help in the field, helping fertilize, maintain, and harvest the plants. She will hopefully be with us until the end of the growing season.


In other good news, Sharon Drake of the local newspaper, The Herald, wrote a great article about Brett and the farm. It doesn't seem to be online, so if you're local, make sure to check it out in this week's edition. 

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Pastured eggs

Hungarian Hot Yellow Wax Pepper

Cucumbers

Swiss Chard 

Lettuce

Garlic

White and Red Onions

Dragon Tongue's Bean, a delicious and beautiful wax bean (from Clarion River Organics)

Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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July 21 Farm Stand

Rain! Sweet, sweet, glorious rain! The farm is lapping it up and we are already seeing a difference.

Here's the full list we'll have this Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in Blawnox. We accept cash and Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) checks.

Pastured eggs

Hungarian Hot Yellow Wax Pepper (New!)
Cucumbers
Swiss Chard
Lettuce

Garlic

Onions

Red New Potatoes (from Clarion River Organics)
Local (Fox Chapel) raw honey from Hannah's Honey

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