It has been a discouraging start to the farm year. The heat has been killing the seedlings and we are fast becoming overgrown with plants we don't want since the lawn mower is broken (again). Perhaps worst of all is that our truck threw a rod in an engine only 5 years old and there is no replacing it at this point. I took that truck for granted! No more hauling mulch, can't get the lawn mower in for repair, dirty tools in my car which is upholstered...
Since I took over the management of our church community garden it has also been a challenge to give both sites the work and attention they need. Of course I feel obligated to the community garden first (like us on Facebook: Zion Community Garden Project), since it is feeding people in need. It is also easier to obtain supplies and maintenance there, since it is a not-for-profit venture. I believe in it and what it does, so I don't mind giving the time and energy, but my dream was for a little pick-your-own-produce farm for my family and the community to enjoy and support in order to have even more local whole food and to make my living in the fresh air and sunshine.
So I am giving myself a year. A year to see improvement in my family farm and to make even the smallest of productive advances. My homeschool student is graduating so I will no longer be teaching and can put that time toward the farm. I'll just look heavenward for the resources. If I still feel like I am getting nowhere in a year I will admit defeat. If I can show progress, I'll reevaluate and press on.
On the bright side, we have been eating the most delicious salad from our green-leaf and buttercrunch lettuce for the last few weeks. I have an adorable row of sunflowers started up and my son gave me 5 blueberry bushes for Mother's Day, which I have extensive instructions on how to plant successfully. A really nice guy at Edible Landscapes (see new link on homepage) took the time to walk us through the care and feeding of blueberries. I plan to start my patch right after E's graduation next week. God willing, we will be able to invite friends to pick blueberries next year!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Stretching...the truth
Reading the labels on most packaged foods in your local grocer, you will quickly arrive at the realization that we are putting more into our systems than strictly whole food. In the myriad of additives and preservatives to avoid, I picked High-Fructose Corn Syrup as the ingredient I would eschew over the last year. With the help of many producers who are becoming aware of consumer disdain for this "stretcher" being used by the food industry, I have been able to avoid it for the most part. As if using fillers weren't enough to taint our food supply, genetic modification and chemical alterations are being researched and, where they can be forced or slid in, introduced into our food supply. Here is information on another such attempt:
Nanotechnology - the new threat to food
Mentioned several times in the article is the call for government intervention on behalf of the public. While I suppose it will inevitably come to that and perhaps there are actually public servants still willing to enact checkpoints for sheer public safety (and not the illusion of safety, put forth to mask some new government control), the reality will probably be any legal screening will not be without some benefit to both the industry and the government at the expense of the consumer. Meanwhile, individuals can be vigilant by striving to be informed (find additional articles from all viewpoints, read labels on all you buy), raising awareness of the issues surrounding manufactured food (which likely everyone you love is eating, every day) and searching out or creating sources for whole food (now is the perfect time to plan a garden!).
Local farm markets are looking for honest business - farmers are stretching sore muscles and stretching the family dollar, but at least where the whole food they produce is concerned, they aren't stretching the truth!
Nanotechnology - the new threat to food
Mentioned several times in the article is the call for government intervention on behalf of the public. While I suppose it will inevitably come to that and perhaps there are actually public servants still willing to enact checkpoints for sheer public safety (and not the illusion of safety, put forth to mask some new government control), the reality will probably be any legal screening will not be without some benefit to both the industry and the government at the expense of the consumer. Meanwhile, individuals can be vigilant by striving to be informed (find additional articles from all viewpoints, read labels on all you buy), raising awareness of the issues surrounding manufactured food (which likely everyone you love is eating, every day) and searching out or creating sources for whole food (now is the perfect time to plan a garden!).
Local farm markets are looking for honest business - farmers are stretching sore muscles and stretching the family dollar, but at least where the whole food they produce is concerned, they aren't stretching the truth!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
God is in the Garden
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
— Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
Today's Devotional
A few months ago I planted a
garden, eagerly anticipating the time when I would sit at the table and
enjoy the taste of fresh, homegrown vegetables. The hard work of
preparing the soil, sowing the seeds, watering, and weeding just
heightened the anticipation. This reminds me of the work that God does
to prepare us for harvest. God enriches the soil of our hearts by
sending people into our lives to prepare the way for us to come to know
Jesus Christ and commit to following him.
Of course, in my garden I might
pull up a certain plant because it was not doing as well as the others.
At other times I destroy some plants because I am too careless while
weeding. I am so glad that the Lord is not like me! In great love, God
tends our souls and gives us what we need.
Today I reaped some of the produce
of my garden. Thinking of the savory dish I will soon enjoy from my
garden’s produce makes me thankful that I did not give up when the days
were hot and the weeds seemed out of control. The work I put into my
garden makes me appreciate all that God does for us. God will never give
up on tending our souls.
Thought for the Day: Remembering all that God does for us strengthens us to keep going.
Prayer:
Most holy and gracious God, thank you for not giving up on us and for
meeting our needs. Help us to persevere so that you will have an
acceptable harvest through us. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Gardeners
Thank you, Upper Room, for reminding us that God started everything in a garden. May God bless our harvest and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monsantos Point of No Return
Autumn approaches with the most wonderful produce still to come! Apples, squash, pumpkins and root crops will abound and serve as the basis for comfort food to see us through the winter. Comfort food that should be wholesome - not from a labratory.
If you are one of those who delights in frights as Halloween gets closer, read the article at the link above. It is truly frightening. That those responsible (a term used quite loosely, I assure you) for a corporation and the products it puts out into the world - products and business practices used to monopolize the food supply (that have not had the test of time and are pumped out for pure profit and with a disregard for sustainable agriculture) - should have so little conscience is appalling. They are the Wal-Mart of agriculture.
Who knew we'd have to start growing victory gardens to overcome a domestic enemy. Apparently that time has come.
Autumn approaches with the most wonderful produce still to come! Apples, squash, pumpkins and root crops will abound and serve as the basis for comfort food to see us through the winter. Comfort food that should be wholesome - not from a labratory.
If you are one of those who delights in frights as Halloween gets closer, read the article at the link above. It is truly frightening. That those responsible (a term used quite loosely, I assure you) for a corporation and the products it puts out into the world - products and business practices used to monopolize the food supply (that have not had the test of time and are pumped out for pure profit and with a disregard for sustainable agriculture) - should have so little conscience is appalling. They are the Wal-Mart of agriculture.
Who knew we'd have to start growing victory gardens to overcome a domestic enemy. Apparently that time has come.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Zucchini for a Cause
It is definitely the bumper crop of 2012 (although peppers are adding some spice at a close second): zucchini as large as the iconic caveman's club are burgeoning all over the patch! When I brought a (LARGE) basket of them to church this week - my version of "leave a zucchini on your neighbor's porch month"- one congregant pulled her's out, dreaming no doubt of the moist bread and cakes to come, and exclaimed, "I could use this for a baseball bat!"
Indeed. Such abundance! Such eager growth - with the strength and energy to put forth and nourish so many! If only every living thing could meet such need in the world as this humble squash. It digs back to the basics and takes that sunlight and rain and encases it in a rich green gift that nurtures life. Would that we could all simplify, put our energy into growth, and in doing so foster the future!
This autumn we will be tending to two garden sites - our own at home and also a community garden - the Eagle project our son has chosen to build in support of a local food pantry. We've been to visit a few community gardens over the past six months to glean ideas and try and learn what to avoid. We have seen gardens heavy with produce and we have discovered overgrown wilds where volunteers dwindled after the first planting. "Plant things that people recognize and know how to use - avoid experimentation" we were advised, witnessing some produce neglected on the vine. Zucchini will be part of our plan. It is plentiful enough to feed the multitudes and to have inspired a flurry of recipes - avoiding waste. It will feed our area's hungry.
There is some frustration in implementing a major project such as this community garden. My son is learning that you have to really scatter some seed to find generous donors willing to grow the cause alongside you - donating supplies, time and money. I encourage him to keep planting in hopes that, like a zucchini, people's purpose will grow and flourish to the cause and one day soon he will peer under the leaves of all the project details, paperwork and distraction and find a bright, bountiful harvest of willing hands, charitable hearts and momentous means all joining to provide for the hungry.
And next August 350 people will benefit from the "zucchini" that boy is planting today.
Zucchini Red Pepper Lasagna
1 carton cottage cheese (15 oz.)
1 - 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 - 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 c. sliced zucchini
2 c. sliced mushrooms of your choice
1 T. olive oil
30 oz. spaghetti sauce
9 no-cook lasagna noodles
12 oz. roasted sweet red peppers
Seasoning salt, black ground pepper and garlic powder to taste
In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1/2 c. mozzarella, eggs and Italian seasoning.
In a large skillet, saute zucchini and mushrooms in oil until crisp-tender.
Coat a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread 1 c. spaghetti sauce in the baking dish and top with three noodles ; spread 1 c. sauce atop noodles.
Layer with half the zucchini mixture, half the red peppers and half the cheese mixture.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder as desired.
Top with three more noodles and another cup of sauce.
Layer with remaining zucchini mixture, red peppers and cheese mixture, noodles and sauce.
Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Serve with Parmesan shaker cheese if desired. Yield: 12 servings
Indeed. Such abundance! Such eager growth - with the strength and energy to put forth and nourish so many! If only every living thing could meet such need in the world as this humble squash. It digs back to the basics and takes that sunlight and rain and encases it in a rich green gift that nurtures life. Would that we could all simplify, put our energy into growth, and in doing so foster the future!
This autumn we will be tending to two garden sites - our own at home and also a community garden - the Eagle project our son has chosen to build in support of a local food pantry. We've been to visit a few community gardens over the past six months to glean ideas and try and learn what to avoid. We have seen gardens heavy with produce and we have discovered overgrown wilds where volunteers dwindled after the first planting. "Plant things that people recognize and know how to use - avoid experimentation" we were advised, witnessing some produce neglected on the vine. Zucchini will be part of our plan. It is plentiful enough to feed the multitudes and to have inspired a flurry of recipes - avoiding waste. It will feed our area's hungry.
There is some frustration in implementing a major project such as this community garden. My son is learning that you have to really scatter some seed to find generous donors willing to grow the cause alongside you - donating supplies, time and money. I encourage him to keep planting in hopes that, like a zucchini, people's purpose will grow and flourish to the cause and one day soon he will peer under the leaves of all the project details, paperwork and distraction and find a bright, bountiful harvest of willing hands, charitable hearts and momentous means all joining to provide for the hungry.
And next August 350 people will benefit from the "zucchini" that boy is planting today.
Zucchini Red Pepper Lasagna
1 carton cottage cheese (15 oz.)
1 - 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided2 eggs
1 - 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 c. sliced zucchini
2 c. sliced mushrooms of your choice
1 T. olive oil
30 oz. spaghetti sauce
9 no-cook lasagna noodles
12 oz. roasted sweet red peppers
Seasoning salt, black ground pepper and garlic powder to taste
In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 1/2 c. mozzarella, eggs and Italian seasoning.
In a large skillet, saute zucchini and mushrooms in oil until crisp-tender.
Coat a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread 1 c. spaghetti sauce in the baking dish and top with three noodles ; spread 1 c. sauce atop noodles.
Layer with half the zucchini mixture, half the red peppers and half the cheese mixture.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder as desired.
Top with three more noodles and another cup of sauce.
Layer with remaining zucchini mixture, red peppers and cheese mixture, noodles and sauce.
Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.
Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Serve with Parmesan shaker cheese if desired. Yield: 12 servings
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Slippery Slope Soda Sanction Sought
There is one thing I am more in favor of than a whole food, self-sustaining lifestyle and that is a person's right to choose or not choose it - or any given lifestyle. If I want to drink raw milk I will drink raw milk. If I want to drink lighter fluid I will - I will suffer the consequences that naturally occur but at least that stemmed from my right to live my life on my own terms, so long as that immediate action doesn't infringe upon the rights of another.
This article has some VERY disturbing quotes from Law Professor Rick Hills. Do we realize we have been allowing the courts to set a precedent for government to curtail our freedom? The defense that a bill, should it be made law, infringes on our personal freedom should and by rights (and a little document some government representatives like to misrepresent or ignore all together) ought to be ENOUGH to warrant that bill's failure.
The telling part of this article is Mayor Bloomberg's lamenting the health system having to compensate for people's less-than-healthy choices. The government SHOULD NOT be involved in health care, period. If anything is inflated, bloated, overextended and excessive, it is our government and the many extensions of it (most of which were not sanctioned by the people - an officeholder abuse in and of itself). A bill reducing government size and its over-reaching infringement is what is in order here.
Free will (provided the immediate action does not trod upon a fellow human) is human dignity and self - I repeat SELF-sustenance is a worthy goal. Those in support of placing conditions on how others live their lives are generally either weak themselves or have an agenda, usually involving justification of their own jobs or a desire to control others in an effort to elevate their own station. This is arrogance, this is flagrant bullying and this is WRONG.
There is one thing I am more in favor of than a whole food, self-sustaining lifestyle and that is a person's right to choose or not choose it - or any given lifestyle. If I want to drink raw milk I will drink raw milk. If I want to drink lighter fluid I will - I will suffer the consequences that naturally occur but at least that stemmed from my right to live my life on my own terms, so long as that immediate action doesn't infringe upon the rights of another.
This article has some VERY disturbing quotes from Law Professor Rick Hills. Do we realize we have been allowing the courts to set a precedent for government to curtail our freedom? The defense that a bill, should it be made law, infringes on our personal freedom should and by rights (and a little document some government representatives like to misrepresent or ignore all together) ought to be ENOUGH to warrant that bill's failure.
The telling part of this article is Mayor Bloomberg's lamenting the health system having to compensate for people's less-than-healthy choices. The government SHOULD NOT be involved in health care, period. If anything is inflated, bloated, overextended and excessive, it is our government and the many extensions of it (most of which were not sanctioned by the people - an officeholder abuse in and of itself). A bill reducing government size and its over-reaching infringement is what is in order here.
Free will (provided the immediate action does not trod upon a fellow human) is human dignity and self - I repeat SELF-sustenance is a worthy goal. Those in support of placing conditions on how others live their lives are generally either weak themselves or have an agenda, usually involving justification of their own jobs or a desire to control others in an effort to elevate their own station. This is arrogance, this is flagrant bullying and this is WRONG.
“Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough
to take everything you have. The course of history shows us that as a
government grows, liberty decreases.”
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government
has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”
Monday, May 7, 2012
The Fruits of our Labor
One of the best parts of working toward a self-sustaining lifestyle is harvest! I grew spinach for the first time this year. I'm not sure what took me so long because I buy much fresh spinach over the course of the year. How many gas miles have I contributed to when I could just walk out my back door and collect some for now and freeze some for later (if any is left :).
The saying is true too - it is better fresh from the source! We are finding that with everything we produce - vegetables, honey, eggs, etc. That first fresh-from-the-garden spinach salad was the best I've ever had! There is some work involved, but really planning is the key - if you think ahead and do a little preparation a salad from the garden is as convenient as pulling up to the drive thru - and such an improvement!
Both of my dads are outdoorsman, so I need to put in a plug for fishing. Although probably over-regulated like most everything these days, fishing is an excellent self-sustaining practice. There are certain considerations to mercury levels in some fish but on the whole you can still create a tasty meal of freshly-caught fish. Here is a link to a recipe for Walleye -
Walleye recipe
Oh look, it calls for spinach - guess I'd better get cooking!
The saying is true too - it is better fresh from the source! We are finding that with everything we produce - vegetables, honey, eggs, etc. That first fresh-from-the-garden spinach salad was the best I've ever had! There is some work involved, but really planning is the key - if you think ahead and do a little preparation a salad from the garden is as convenient as pulling up to the drive thru - and such an improvement!
Both of my dads are outdoorsman, so I need to put in a plug for fishing. Although probably over-regulated like most everything these days, fishing is an excellent self-sustaining practice. There are certain considerations to mercury levels in some fish but on the whole you can still create a tasty meal of freshly-caught fish. Here is a link to a recipe for Walleye -
Walleye recipe
Oh look, it calls for spinach - guess I'd better get cooking!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)