In Good Heart Farm

Life is what happens...

2012-01-26T13:21:00.001-05:00

...to you while you're busy making other plans." (John Lennon)

That may be the case, but even so, Ben and I have spent quite a lot of the new year planning for the rest of 2012. As of yesterday, we finished our crop plan! This may not sound like the impressive feat that it is if you're not aware of the time and effort that it takes to try to decide how much of each item we would like to have available for every week of 2012. Consider on top of that that we'll be growing almost 50 different crops and over 150 different varieties of various crops (e.g., we'll have 10 different potato varieties and 13 different tomato varieties). Diversity is the spice of life!

In addition to finishing up the crop plans, Ben and I have spent some time running around getting all of our new business eggs in a basket. We canceled our listing as Ben's Produce with the Wake County Registrar of Deeds and we applied (and were approved) for our business name of In Good Heart Farm with the Johnston County Registrar of Deeds. I imagine changing a business name is something like changing your own name. We've had to open up new bank accounts and close old ones. We've applied for and received our new EIN number as well. Ben's cousin, Roy, is working on our logo for us and it is well on its way to being finished. Once we have our logo, we'll work on changing our electronic communications (new website with new URL and new Facebook page and the like). We also need to get a new banner for market. We'll miss the old hand painted banner April made for us.

We were pleasantly surprised this month with a week-long visit from Ben's mom, Jody. Jody is a fiber artist. She is employed by Rambler's Way and also is a small business owner of Botanical Shades (a natural dye company). You can see a beautiful shot of Jody at work here. Jody came to NC to work with the folks in textiles at NC State and we got to visit with her, so it was a win-win situation :).

I've also spent a lot of time reading since the new year. Some of the books I've read include Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers, The Organic Farmer's Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Managing Finances, Crops, and Staff - and Making a Profit, and Ecology for Gardeners. I've read through the first two once already, but the latter is a little more slow-going for me (although I find it more fascinating than business planning, planning has been the task of the year so far).

In other news, Ben and I have purchased a manure spreader! We'll be able to use it to spread manure in the future (when we have more farm animals) and we'll be using it this year to spread compost. Last year Ben spent days upon days spreading compost by the truckload, *by hand with a shovel*! I am not kidding you when I say he spent days upon days. I posted quite a few pictures of Ben engaging in this task last year on our Facebook page, but I'll post some here too:

You can get a good glimpse below of the area that Ben covered in one day.

The picture below gives you a good idea of what our manure spreader looks like (we don't have ours yet - we're picking it up at a farm in Snow Camp this Sunday) - except ours has rubber tires.

This year is going to be substantially less physically taxing (or that's the idea anyway) with the help of the manure spreader and our tractor (we no longer have to depend only on the walk-behind tractor - aka tiller). Although, of course, when you have equipment of any kind it requires maintenance and repair. And of course, the tractor needs a little bit of both. Here's Ben driving the tractor 2 miles down the road to take the tractor to the repair shop (we are so lucky to have a garage specializing in tractor repair so close to us!).

In addition to our usual farm chores and tasks, we've been getting involved in some events in our community. Last week our interns, Meredith and Aaron, and Ben and I all attended the first Local Food Micro Enterprise Working Group meeting of the year. This group emerged out of an Advocates for Health in Action (AHA) event, "Connecting the Dots: Creating a Local Food System in Wake County." Over 20 movers and shakers were able to attend this first meeting of 2012. Thanks to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle for letting us use their board room for the meeting! We will be having many more meetings in the year. If you are interested in joining the discussion, please feel free to email Ben (shields.ben@gmail.com) or I (parker.patricia@gmail.com) to let us know you're interested and we'll add you to the listserv.

In addition to the working group, yesterday Ben and I had the pleasure of speaking with 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at the Sterling Montessori and Charter School. Juliann, our market president, invited us to speak to her son's class - taught by Teacher Tom. We were so impressed with how engaged and smart of all the kids were. We told them a little bit about ourselves and the farm and sustainable farming more generally. We also played a game, "Star Power" (thanks Emily and David!), to talk about how the system rules are often created by those in power so that the rules allow them to maintain and even increase their power. The driving home point we tried to have for the kiddos is that gain that comes at the loss of another is not sustainable and that gain that is absolute (as with increasing fertility through crop rotation, cover crops and the like) - or gain that does not come at a loss - is sustainable. We strive for the latter. Here we are with the kids after we finished playing the game.

Finally, tomorrow Ben and I are attending the first meeting of the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) in the Piedmont region (CRAFT-UP). Here's what the email that piqued our interest has to say about the organization and the meeting itself:

The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a farmer-led coalition organized by sustainable agriculture farmers in a self-selected geographic region. Participating farmers offer up their time, talents and experience to help prepare the next generation of farmers. The secret to CRAFT’s success is simple -- farmers learn most effectively from other farmers. CRAFT provides farmer-to-farmer learning and access to the social network and culture of local farmers.” ( www.craftfarmers.org). Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training – United Piedmont (CRAFT-UP) will offer resources for farmers (and farmers-in-training) of the Piedmont bioregion. CRAFT-UP will be a venue for established Piedmont farmers to streamline and network their training opportunities, while providing beginning farmers with a formal network and more resources for entry
into farming careers. Many CRAFT groups also host social events for beginning farmers to get together casually and celebrate! CRAFT members will gain access to on-farm training and learn skills that will support their transition from farming beginners to market farmers.

We don't know much beyond that, but it sounds right up our alley! :)

Well, I suppose I've said enough for now. I hope you enjoyed the update. Thanks for stopping by!

New Beginnings In Good Heart

2012-01-01T13:44:00.000-05:00

It feels like Spring around these parts, even though it’s still about three months away. The days are beginning to grow longer once again and life is full of new beginnings for Ben and I this year. For one, we have a new name. Ben’s Produce was never really our first choice. Actually, our first choice was Veni Vidi Vegetables (as in, I came, I saw Vegetables). We were so proud of ourselves when we came up with that name, but when we told folks about it, no one got it and others people told us they couldn’t pronounce it. So we scrapped Veni Vidi Vegetables and decided on Ben’s Produce for its simplicity. It’s been a good name for us. It’s good to have your name in your business name – it means everyone knows your name. But we also feel the name limited us in two main regards: 1) we want to move beyond just produce and 2) well, it’s not just Ben. Ben and I talked about changing our name last year, but when Ben’s Produce was voted Edible Piedmont’s farm of the year, we decided to delay the name change and resolved to change it for 2012. We threw around a lot of names, some serious, some not so much, before we finally came to In Good Heart Farm. In Good Heart has a lot of meanings, but we decided on the name based on the Old English use of the phrase. To say that the soil is in good heart is to say that it is healthy, in good cultivation, and in good spirit. To say that a person is in good heart is to say that they are cultivating wisdom, courage, and good spirit. Ben and I felt that our farm name should represent our vision and we couldn’t think of a better representation of what we want to do and what we want to be in our world than In Good Heart.

In addition to our changing the farm name, we are also changing the farm input – which is to say that I am now also a full-time farmer, along with Ben! I have gained a lot from working toward my PhD in Sociology at NC State, including mentors and friends. And while I will always think of myself as a Sociologist, I no longer feel that earning a PhD is an important goal for me. I never knew farming would be the life for me. It’s physical, cerebral, spiritual, immensely rewarding and it enables me to feel like I am doing something – and more than that, that I am doing something positive in conjunction with the people and the things that I care about. Ben came to his realization a few years ago when he decided to leave his job working for Smithsonian Magazine in Manhattan and move to NC with me. Now we’re on the same track and we couldn’t be happier, which is great – because the other new beginning in our life is that we’re going to be parents this summer! Ben and I (and our families) are thrilled and can’t wait until we get to meet the little one sometime in June (I’m due near the end, but my mom swears I’ll give birth two weeks prior to my due date). Life is good and we’re ready to take on this year with all the vigor it deserves! Stay tuned!

Bicameral Dissonance

2011-11-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

Here's a follow-up write up to the previous post. It's from this week's newsletter and it was written by Ben.

With the failure of the Congressional super-committee to reach any sort of consensus regarding a deficit reduction plan, I think this is a good time to update you all on the Farm Bill and my letter to Rep. Renee Elmers. Here is the response I received from her aide who works on agricultural issues...

Thank you for your email Ben, I will certainly pass your concerns along to the Congresswoman. She is keeping vigil as next week is when we should hear how Chairman Lucas is planning on moving forward with the Farm Bill. Thank you, Allison

Short and bittersweet! The Farm Bill draft came to a halt with the failure of the super-committee to reach a deal on the weekend before Thanksgiving and was not submitted for inclusion in the mega-deal.Come to find out, the bill was being written by the "gang of four!" The "gang of four" consists of the two chairs and two ranking members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees. So my letter to Rep. Elmers was in vain, because even she was held at arms length during the process and was not allowed to participate as a House Ag. committee member! It seems to me our government has made a turn for the worst with the use of a draconian budget cutting exercise to avoid democratic consideration of our next farm bill and many other programs.

According to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), there are a few Farm Bill scenarios that can play out over the next year or so. The first scenario, also the most unlikely, is that the Farm Bill is passed by the end of 2011. Not enough time is left for such a deal. The second scenario, in two variations, is that the Farm Bill is passed in 2012 by either using the unpublished Final 2011 Farm Bill as the jumping off point or the Farm Bill is drafted from scratch. Neither of these variations seems likely in an election year. The fourth scenario, which according to the NSAC, is most likely, is that Congress will take a wait and see approach. This is most likely for a host of reasons, beginning with the fact that automatic budget cuts will begin January 2013 because the failure of the supercommittee to reach a mega-deal. This further means Congress will want to wait for the dust to settle on a possible 2012 mega-deal as well as on the deficit reduction targets before drafting the Farm Bill & budget therein to avoid doubling up budget cuts. NSAC expects the current Farm Bill to be given a one year extension and the drafting to begin after the 2012 elections.

I hope you have found this as interesting as I have. The Farm Bill has such large effects on the condition of our national food system that it is critical to the future vitality of this country. How would our lives change if commodity crops were not heavily subsidized? How would our lives change if healthy food were more affordable or perceived as equitably priced? How would our lives change if children receiving school lunch were fed good, healthy and local food? These are some things Patricia and I ponder as we think about the Farm Bill and our state of agriculture.

Oh SNAP!

2011-10-27T16:39:00.000-04:00

This is a newsletter entry written by Ben.

Hello all. It has been a while since you have heard from me via newsletter...I can't remember the last time. Anyhow, I have recently become aware that the Farm Bill is being rewritten behind closed doors in record time (2 weeks vs. 1 year!). Below is a little bit of information I found on the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition website followed by the letter I fired off to our Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R), who happens to sit on the House Agricultural Committee. This is the first letter I have written to a Congressperson, ever! I called my father this morning for advice on how to speak to issues that concern us and our farm. He is a seasoned, politically active farmer because in the dairy business, wholesale prices are supplemented by gov't subsidies which, unfortunately, are necessary for them to stay afloat as a farm. He enlightened me by telling me to speak to issues that directly concern us and not disparaging others and to directly contact the Congressional Aide for our Congressperson who deals with the issues at hand. He also suggested we attend affordable fund-raising dinners put on by our representatives and speak to them personally about issues which affect us directly, the method which tends to have the biggest impact for small folks like us. I will let you all know what becomes of my letter to Congresswoman Ellmers...

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The following is from http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/super-fast-farm-bill-super-fast-update/
Last Monday, the Republican and Democratic leadership of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees sent a letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction suggesting a net $23 billion cut in mandatory farm bill spending over the next decade as their collective recommendation to the Joint Select Committee (hereafter referred to as the Super Committee) that is tasked with finding $1.2 trillion in government-wide cuts or revenue increases over the next decade by Thanksgiving.

Having sent off the joint letter, the staffs of the two Agriculture Committees hunkered down all week to stitch together a farm bill in what, if successful, would be record time. Due to the brief two week window, none of the normal congressional processes for farm bills or other major legislation are being used — no hearings, circulated bill drafts, mark-ups in which committee members get to offer amendments, etc. The primary activity has all been behind closed doors and has for the most part only involved the staff of the chairs and ranking members, not the members (and their staffs) who make up the rank and file of the two committees.

With action on the farm bill moving (at least for now) at such a rapid pace, members of the House and Senate are getting ready to introduce two major new bills this week. One contains major rewrites of programs and policies to assist young and beginning farmers get started in agriculture. Another proposes a comprehensive set of revisions and additions to farm bill programs to help renew local and regional farm and food systems. Both bills promote new opportunities in farming and increase rural job creation and economic growth. Both also renew funding for farm bill programs that currently have mandatory funding but which do not have secure funding after fiscal year 2012.

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My letter...

Dear Congresswoman Ellmers,

My name is Benjamin Shields and I am a constituent from Clayton, NC. I started Ben's Produce along with Patricia Parker, my fiancee, in August of 2009. Ben's Produce is a small, un-certified organic produce farm that sells directly to the public via farmer's markets (Western Wake Farmer's Market and Clayton Farm & Community Market) as well as our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) with 35 member families. We also began Farm It Forward, a CSA program that provides our produce to families with children at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and teaches the participants how to build lifelong healthy attitudes about food and fitness. This collaborative program is coordinated by Advocates for Health In Action, the participants are drawn from the WakeMed Energize! program and the cooking classes are put on by the Interfaith Food Shuttle. Sixty percent of Energize! participants are low-income, which brings me to my concerns with the cuts being made to Farm Bill funding.

Every Saturday at the Western Wake Farmer's Market (WWFM), we make a number of sales to folks who receive SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. WWFM is the only farmer's market in Wake Co. that accepts SNAP benefits. We also serve SNAP beneficiaries in our Farm It Forward program, 60% of the participating families are low income. Unfortunately, we do not currently accept SNAP payments from the Farm It Forward participants. As a small farm on a shoestring budget, every sale we make counts towards our profitability, including those sales from folks who use SNAP. I urge you to minimize funding cuts to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, specifically the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your service.

Sincerely,
Benjamin Shields

Fall 2011 CSA Week 1

2011-10-03T10:36:00.001-04:00

We know that a lot of folks have a hard time sometimes distinguishing between, say tat soi and bok choy, so we like to take pictures of our CSA share items and label them, so our members have a reference once they bring their shares home. I took these pictures at market on Saturday, since I won't be home on Tuesday when Ben will harvest and then deliver your shares. We usually like to put all the CSA items together for one picture, but since we did this at market, it wasn't really conducive to our situation. Anyway, the single picture items should be somewhat helpful for identifying your CSA share items. So, as I stated in the email, you will receive the following items in your shares:

SCALLIONS ARUGULA

BOK CHOY PEPPERS

DAIKON RADISH RADISHES/

NAPA CABBAGE HAKUREI

LETTUCE TURNIPS

KALE

Note: scallions, lettuce, and hakurei turnips not pictured

bok choy great for stir-fry

tat soi also great for stir fry, but also salad

daikon radish

you can cook the greens and stir fry the root or eat it sliced, raw with salt

it's also good in kimchi

red Russian kale (aka ragged Jack)

this is good every which way

you can also save and eat the stems (they require a longer cooking time than the leaves)

arugula

great raw and cooked

French breakfast radishes

you can eat the greens cooked

the roots are great as a snack, in salad, or in a stir fry

sweet gypsy peppers

raw and cooked - either way, they're tasty!

marconis

these are my favorite sweet peppers, by far

Well, that's all folks! We'll try to post more share pictures as the season progresses. Definitely feel free to email us if you have any questions about your share items or what to do with them. We've got TONS of ideas :). Thanks for stopping by!

- Patricia

Happy Autumn!

2011-10-01T14:33:00.000-04:00

Hi folks! It's been a LONG time since I've posted on this ol' blog - again - but what can I say? We're busy farmin it up out here and that leaves little time for blog posts. As the weather turns colder, you can expect more posts. Until then, I'm posting one of our write ups from the first Fall CSA newsletter. It's all about greens - and I figured lots of folks might be interested in how to deal with the plethora of greens to come this season. I've been taking pictures on the farm - some of them are outdated already, but expect a picture blog in the near future.

As usual, thanks for stopping by!

- Patricia

Greens Galore

By Patricia Parker

Even for greens lovers like us, it can be a challenge to keep up with all the greens (but we like challenge) and root veggies of the fall. I’d like to share a bit of our greens wisdom with the hopes that you find some of our strategies helpful.

First and foremost, it is important to get acquainted with your greens. You’ll be receiving numerous types and varieties, each with their own unique flavors and textures. Additionally, their flavors will change as the weather grows colder (they’ll get sweeter – this goes for the root veggies too!). I recommend trying your greens every which way – starting by trying them raw. I find some greens less palatable raw than others – for instance, turnip, radish, and mustard greens are a bit too pungent raw for my taste. But, when they’re cooked, they’re delectable. And some greens are great raw – like arugula and spinach – and others that might surprise you, like kale and swiss chard (all of them are great cooked). As a general rule of thumb, the more tender the green, the better it tastes raw (and the less time you will need to cook them).

Now, there are countless ways to prepare your greens – you can steam them, sauté them, stir fry them, put them in soups, chilis and stews, eat them with eggs (e.g., as a side, in an omelet or frittata), etc. We’ll provide you with recipes for your greens throughout the season to help spur along your greens creativity. We’ll also give you basic cooking instructions and storage information. If your greens ever start to feel like they’re piling up on you, remember how few greens there are in the summer. You can blanch and then freeze your greens to use them any other time you like. You can also use up lots of greens if you make them the primary course on your plate (e.g., dinner salad or beans and greens with meat on the side). Of course, you can also share with your friends, family and neighbors – and if you don’t have any takers, you can leave them with us and we’ll donate them to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle for you.

Keeping up with your greens can be a daunting task in the beginning, but before you know it, you’ll turn pro!

Note: If anyone would like to share their own methods for keeping up with your CSA share, please send a write-up our way. We would LOVE for CSA members to contribute to weekly newsletters. You can send your write up in an email, as a word file, or as a pdf file. We’ll be sure to place it in the next newsletter.

Time Keeps on Slippin', Slippin', Slippin' Into The Future

2011-08-09T16:47:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, it seems I have slacked on my blogger duties. The last time I posted a blog was June 17th (besides the one below about our upcoming Fall 2011 CSA), nearly TWO months ago!!! Oh my. I can come up with a long list of excuses for why this is the case, but I'll spare you those. Instead, I'm going to post a few of the old "On the Farm" articles I wrote for our Ben's Produce weekly newsletter. Enjoy!

Down on the Farm

By Patricia Parker

Week 10 (June 22nd - July 23rd)

photo by - rani urabi mustafa

In the last week a lot has happened here on the farm. Two new apprentices have joined the Ben’s Produce team. Their names are Meredith and Aaron. Meredith just moved here from Colorado and she’ll likely be heading to Nicaragua to work on a nonprofit agro-ecology project in the Fall. Until then, we’re very excited to have her on the team. Two of our CSA members (Bradford and Melody – Melody is Meredith’s mom) pointed Meredith our way and we are already so very thankful to have her help out here. We only hope we can give her as much as she is giving to us. Aaron, like Meredith, also found us by way of a CSA member, Adam. Aaron is going to school this summer, but will be joining us on the farm on his days off and before class when time allows. Both Aaron and Meredith’s extra help is already going a long way!

We also had the help of Alan Oswald, partner to Rene Oswald, author of Transitioning to Living Cuisine. Rene is doing a book tour up the East Coast from Florida on up to Montreal. Alan contacted Ben about a month ago to see if we would show him around the farm and to see if he could help for a day or two while they stopped in the Raleigh area. He just happened to find us online. Sure enough, Alan spent the day with Ben (I was diligently grading) doing all sorts of stuff. Ben said Alan kept up with him through the whole morning and afternoon. Alan is in his early 50s and he and Rene eat only raw foods. It seems the raw food diet provides quite a lot of energy, for Alan and Rene at least!

So, these are the folks that have helped us on the farm this week. And to get an idea of what’s been going on in terms of the farm itself, I thought I’d share with you all some of the things we’ve marked off of the do-to list this week.

1) Ben spent quite a lot of time prepping ground (about a ¼ of an acre) with the walk behind tractor (aka tiller) and then seeded cover crops including, millet, sorghum sudan-grass, and cow peas. The two former grasses scavenge nutrients. This means they take up nutrients in the soil and recycle them. The cow peas fix nitrogen in the soil.

2) Ben, Alan, Aaron, Meredith and I all mulched almost 3,000 feet of peppers with straw. This basically means you place straw in the pepper beds. You do this for a variety of reasons including to suppress weeds, to hold in moisture, and to reduce soil splash (which keeps the dirt of f the pepper plants so they’re pretty but this also helps with disease prevention). We used about 50 bales of straw.

3) We also cultivated (fancy word for weeded) melons, winter squash and eggplant.

4) Ben inter-seeded buckwheat with the okra, field peas, and summer squash. We do this to suppress weeds, attract beneficial insects, add organic matter and prevent erosion.

5) Ben has been diligently staking peppers. We’ll be tying them shortly (to keep the plants from falling and/or breaking from the weight of the peppers).

6) Ben has also been doing quite a lot of tractor research. We were going to take a road trip to Charlotte last Sunday but after speaking with other farmers at market, we found out the tractor was way too pricey for what it is. So, we opted to float the Falls of Neuse with a few friends instead (and were able to do so thanks to Randy and Leza, who lent us their canoe for over a month!).

7) And finally, we harvest squash and cucumbers everyday and harvest everything else for the CSA and market every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Saturdays Leslie (and now Laura and Brian as well) pick up our goods for the Clayton Market and Ben and I have been taking two pick up trucks worth of stuff to the Western Wake Farmer’s Market.

Also, in all of that, I cook at least two meals per day, teach for my online Intro to Sociology course, write the newsletters, come up with recipes and type recipe cards for the market, do basic household chores including washing the never ending sink of dishes and laundry (including hanging it to dry and taking it down and in to put up), and every once in a while, also make samples for the Western Wake Farmer’s Market. This Saturday we brought quick cucumber kimchi and beef and cabbage bulgogi for beef day at market. Oh, and I forgot to mention we also had dinner guests on Wednesday night (CSA members Lara and Sam) and went to our neighbor’s 50^th birthday party Saturday after market.

It’s been a busy week and we’re ready for more. My folks and my nephew are coming into town tomorrow. That means I have to finish grading final essays and cleaning the house by tomorrow at 7pm. Plus, it’ s my nephew Julian’s 13^th birthday on Thursday, so I need to get some balloons and cake action on somewhere between today and tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ben is going to check out a tractor in Zebulon tonight after the CSA drop. Keep your fingers crossed for us. We need to find a quality, affordable tractor. Ben is busting his hump on that walk behind tractor and it’s taking him at least three times as long to do things he’ll be able to do once we get that tractor. And while you’re at it, please send some rain energy our way too! I think y’all helped us out yesterday – we got ½ an inch!

Okay – we hope y’all are keeping up with your own do-to lists and keeping happy. We’ll see you around.

Down on the Farm, pt. 2

By Patricia Parker

Week 11 (July 4-July 10)

Well, another week has passed us by. And, as usual, a lot has happened in those seven days. My folks came into town last Wednesday, with my nephew Julian in tow. Thursday was Julian’s 13^th birthday and he got to spend it weeding in the morning (we’re cruel, we know) and then we went shopping and baked a yummy red velvet cake (from Nancy McDermott’s book, Southern Cakes).

Julian is into the cake baking shows and wants to learn more about baking, which is why he baked his own birthday cake. My folks left Saturday morning to head back to Tennessee. Their visit was way too short, but I imagine we’ll be seeing them again soon. Of course, it was also Independence Day yesterday, so while Ben, Julian, and Meredith and I all worked in the morning (Julian only for an hour before he left with Beth and Eric and the kids to check out the Clayton parade), we spent most of the afternoon socializing. Beth (our neighbor, landlady and friend) had a 4^th of July party that began at noon and ended sometime after 10 last night! Fun times were had by all, especially all of the kids J. So, that’s the fun we had, but we also managed to get quite a lot of work done too. Here’s the rundown from last week:

· Dad and Ben built our chicken tractor!!! We’ve been wanting to build the chicken tractor pretty much since we got the chick-a-dees last year, but time and money kept us from doing so. As many of you know, the poor chickens have been cooped up most of their lives to keep Charlie the sweet, but chicken-eating, farm dog away from them. We do let them out in the evenings and keep Charlie inside, but we’ve really wanted to let them roam more often. We feed them greens daily, but at this point, we’ve been having to bring the greens to them. Now, we’ll be bringing them to the greens. For those of you unfamiliar with what exactly a chicken tractor is, well, it’s basically a moveable chicken coop. We’ll be putting the chickens out to pasture and they’ll be able to eat bugs, eat greens, and fertilize our soil while they’re at it (we’ll move them daily). Now we just need to work on getting some electrical fencing so we can keep Charlie and other chicken “loving” critters away from them.

· Of course, we also did a whole lotta weeding this week. This is Julian’s least favorite farm task. I happen to think it’s not so bad, especially with our sandy soil. We weeded the butter beans, the field peas and the okra. We also all received bee stings of some kind. Well, almost all of us (Meredith managed to escape the wrath of the bees – but Ben, Aaron, my dad, Julian and I all received stings on Friday).

· Yesterday Julian, Ben, Meredith and I all took strawberry cuttings off of the spring strawberry plants. We cut plants between 2 ½ and 4 inches long (about 700 of them) and them Ben made soil blocks and Meredith and I potted up the plants. We’re hoping we’ll be able to grow some strawberries for the fall – keep your fingers crossed for our fall fruiting experiment (it means you’ll have berries too!).

· We also finished up staking and tying the peppers. There are plenty of peppers on many of the plants, but none of them are quite ripe – but you should start seeing peppers in your shares soon.

· Finally, Ben has been working quite a lot on the fall crop plan. Speaking of…since I have some room below, it’s time to start thinking about the Fall 2011 CSA...

Farm (and Off-Farm) Life

By Patricia Parker

Week 12 (July 18-July 24)

Since last week was our last week with Julian in town, it was an even crazier whirlwind than usual. I remember when Ben and I first moved to the Raleigh area, we were amazed at how many people rarely, if ever, went to the beach. Now that we’re rooted in our place, we’re beginning to understand why that’s the case. Pretty much the only time Ben and I leave the farm (barring holidays or other family celebrations) is to go to the CSA drop, go to market, go to school, or run errands – and that’s just to go to Raleigh. The beach is much farther away. However, Julian gave – at least me – the excuse to go to the beach. Last week here’s a recap of what we did:

· Monday: Julian and I went to Kure beach. We packed a picnic and swam, dodging jelly fish as best we could, boogie boarded, built a sand castle with moat, and collected sea shells. We also stopped at a seafood place on our way back home to bring home some NC shrimp and scallions – YUM!

· Tuesday: Ben, Julian and I harvested for the Tuesday CSA folks and Farm it Forward. Julian and I set up the drop and then packed up to head to the last Cooking Matters class for Farm it Forward. Julian had an awesome time and the Inter-Faith Food shuttle gave him a Cooking Matters cook book and nutritional information packets for his enthusiasm. After the class, Julian and I headed to CSA members and friends, Cate, Jeff, Ally, and Josh’s place for Josh’s 5^th birthday celebration. Josh loves fireworks, so our lateness was sort of perfect timing – just in time for the fireworks and cake.

· Wednesday: Ben and I harvested for the Wednesday folks and Julian played with kids over at Beth’s place. Beth has yoga at her house most weeks and mamas bring their kids in tow. It’s free yoga for the parents and playtime for the kids. They also usually have snacks and lunch in the afternoon. Living on the farm is so cool! J

· Thursday: We all harvested and then we met up with CSA members and friends, Emily and David, to check out the Carolina Mudcats game. It was Julian’s first baseball game (that he could remember). He bought a foam finger and David brought Julian a glove. It was quite cute seeing him with one on each hand ready for a foul ball (glove) or a homerun (foam finger). Hot dogs and peanuts were had. Julian even got Muddy the Mudcat (the team mascot – who is a catfish, if you don’t know) to sign his foam finger.

· Friday: We all harvested for the Western Wake Farmer’s Market and the Clayton Market. We finished up early so we could make it to the 4:40 pm last Harry Potter movie. Julian even had time to fashion himself a wand to take with him. I’ll confess – I went to the grocery store prior and bought soda and snacks to sneak in to the theater. I carry a large purse and that can be particularly handy when going to see over-priced movies and smelling all of that over-priced popcorn. I think Julian was a little embarrassed when our soda cans popped loudly, but when I suggested he buy us some snacks from the concession stand, he got over it J.

· Saturday: We all headed to market. When we got home, we made lunch, ate and packed Julian’s things up. His flight was scheduled for 6:35pm. This was Julian’s first flight and his first flight alone. I spoke with my mom (his Oma) after he arrived and she said he was ecstatic about the flight. After we saw Julian off, Ben and I went to the Bavarian Brathaus for dinner. I bought a Groupon last year for Ben’s birthday and Saturday was the last day it was usable.

· Sunday was fun day. Ben and I slept in and picked some of Beth’s blueberries and Ben made blueberry muffins. I’m not sure how many he made, but we’ve already eaten them all! We spent Sunday relaxing.

Now, on to more farm stuff! Here’s what happened on the farm more specifically:

· We cleaned about 300 pounds of onions. When they’re curing, we keep the green tops on. Once they’re finished curing, we have to cut off the tops, one by one, for storage. Since this is something you can do sitting down and in the shade, this was one of Julian’s favorite farm tasks.

· We made and seeded up to 40 flats of seedlings, including:

o Kale

o Kohlrabi

o Chinese cabbage

o Tatsoi

o Scallions

o Fennel

o Cauliflower

· We cultivated, staked and tied the second round of tomatoes – or rather, Ben and Kevin did these things.

· Ben, Meredith and I put up our newest edition – the high tunnel. We put shade cloth on it so we can keep the seedlings in it (and keep them away from the rain, so we can control the water, and the bugs). This first tunnel is about half the size of the other 2 or 3 we would like to construct this year. It’s 54x12 feet and it cost us about $450 to purchase the materials (which is about $0.72/square foot).

· We also purchased and received a truck load of compost (38 yards) for the fall crops.

· That’s all folks!

The Word on our 2011 Fall CSA

2011-08-09T16:12:00.000-04:00

Ben's Produce offers vegetables, strawberries & flowers of the highest quality and taste in the Triangle. Our mission is to strive for healthier people, community, agriculture and planet by growing and sharing the best tasting food we can. Our farming practices may surpass organic guidelines but we choose not to be certified because we are confident the quality and taste of our produce, as well as our direct relationship with you, speak to our commitment to healthy food and holistic agriculture. 2011 will be our second year farming as Ben's Produce, though we have been farming with family and friends for many years.

CSA is a mutually beneficial relationship between us. By making a seasonal investment in our farm with a CSA share, you become a seasonal farm member who shares the rewards and risks of the harvest season with us, your farmers. Your investment allows us to afford annual start-up costs, to pay ourselves fair wages, and to share the many risks in growing food. In return, we provide you and your family with abundant, fresh, healthy and local food. Our food not only tastes better and lasts longer, it's also helps us all nourish local agriculture, economy and environment. Taste the difference!

Is CSA right for your family?

It is good to be aware of the rewards and challenges involved in CSA. If you and your family want to explore the wonderful tastes of our farm-fresh food by eating it straight from your CSA pickup bag or transformed in a delightful dish you cooked, CSA is for you! If you want to expand your taste-bud horizons and strengthen your skills at cooking and preparing fresh food, CSA is for you! If you want to be surprised with new vegetables, CSA is for you! If you want to eat healthily and enjoy eating, CSA is for you!

Please understand that nature's abundance varies. What you receive is based on our harvest schedule which is subject to the weather, pests, disease and a large myriad of influences. Some weeks your CSA share may be less than the retail farmers market value we try to maintain. However, we usually provide more bounty than you could buy at market value. If you find yourself with too many items, do not despair, share the bounty with others! .

Members Receive:

About two grocery bags of at least 7-10 seasonal organic vegetables and herbs (more for large shares).
A weekly newsletter with produce information, cooking and storage tips, recipes and segments about life on and off the farm.
Exclusive access to an online recipe-sharing site.

Members Also Enjoy:

Convenient pick up locations and times throughout the week.
Adds ons including, bread, cheese, coffee, tea, pork, chicken, lamb and beef.
Access to our farm for volunteering, exploring and relaxing.
Invitations to on-farm events, such as our second annual OktoberFEAST.
New friends who share your interest in good food and good farming.

How It Works

Join Ben’s Produce CSA by purchasing a CSA share at the beginning of the season. You then visit the pickup site of your choosing to pack your own vegetables from the harvest table. We will post a guide at the stand explaining what each share contains that week. The Fall 2011 CSA harvest season runs for 10 weeks from early October through December.

Pickup Sites: We have three weekly CSA pickup sites -

Raleigh Five Points CSA - Tuesday evenings from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, 1911 Bernard St., Raleigh 27608.

Please consider signing up with the Raleigh Five Points CSA Yahoo Group through the link above, to access information regarding the pickup site and opportunities to support the other farmers who attend as well as local food events and information.

The Farm, Wednesday evenings from 4pm to 7pm, 1000 McLemore Rd., Clayton 27520

Western Wake Farmers Market, Saturday morning from 8am to 12pm at the1225 Morrisville Carpenter Rd, Cary 27519.

Sharing with others: If you choose to split a share with family or friends, please let us know on your registration so we may avoid confusion.

Flexibility: We know you may miss pickup for many reasons. We prefer 24 hours notice, if possible. You may send friends or family in your place to pickup if you wish. Missed pickup is forfeit of that weeks share but we will try to make other accommodations if possible.

Communication: Our main mode of communication is email. We will send all members weekly emails usually a day or two before pickup. Our emails are meant as pickup reminders and usually include farm updates, a list of that weeks veggies, a link to our latest blog entry and any notifications regarding pickup. Our blog functions as our farm newsletter that includes farm news, anecdotes, reflections, recipes, photographs and more.

COLLABORATIVE CSA ADD ONS

We offer our collaborative CSA service to bring you the best food from farmers and producers who attend Western Wake Farmer's Market with us. We will send you an email detailing this service after you sign up for our Fall CSA. We strongly urge patronizing these folks if you pick up at market instead of using this service.

Fickle Creek Farm, Efland NC – Pork, Chicken, Lamb
Smith Angus Farm, Snow Camp NC – Angus Beef
Funderburk & Pate, Meadow NC – Bread & Baked Goods made with their own grain
Hillsborough Cheese Co., Hillsborough NC – Cheese
Muddy Dog Coffee, Morrisville NC – Coffee, Tea, Grits

Vegetable Availability

October: Scallions, Bok Choi, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Napa Cabbage, Tatsoi, Beets, Carrots, Daikon, Radish, Turnip, Arugula, Chard, Fennel, Lettuce, Spinach, Peas, Herbs

November: Scallions, Bok Choi, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Napa Cabbage, Tatsoi, Beets, Carrots, Daikon, Radish, Turnip, Arugula, Chard, Fennel, Lettuce, Spinach, Herbs

December: Scallions, Bok Choi, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Mustard, Tatsoi, Beets, Carrots, Daikon, Radish, Turnip, Arugula, Chard, Fennel, Lettuce, Spinach, Herbs

Pricing

Small Share - $125

Our Small Share is the same size as the Regular Share but is distributed every 2 weeks instead of every week.

Regular Share - $200

Our Regular Share is a suitable amount of produce for a small household of 1 to 3 people, or one well eating vegetarian to eat for one week.

Large Share - $300

Our Large Share is a suitable amount of produce for a large household of 4+ people, or a couple of well-eating vegetarians to eat for one week.

Payment Options

Our CSA is first come, first serve. You must send payment to secure a share. We prefer you send us Full Payment but our Payment Plan of a deposit and consecutive payments are accepted for your flexibility.We will use your CSA share payments to purchase much needed materials for building three high tunnels. These high tunnels cost about $800 a piece and we will construct them ourselves. They will serve as unheated greenhouses and will allow us to provide you with nutritious, wholesome food throughout the year. It will also allow us to provide you with early spring and summer crops. Please consider paying for your CSA share in full as soon as possible, if this is feasible for you. We thank you for your support!

Full Payment - Enclose a check for the total due.

Payment Plan - Enclose a deposit to secure your share. Please send the amounts listed below 30 days and 60 days after the date of your deposit.

Due Date	Small Share	Regular Share	Large Share
Deposit	$50	$75	$100
30 days	$50	$75	$100
60 days	$25	$50	$100

You can find our Fall 2011 CSA brochure here. Please use the brochure to sign up with us. Please enclose a copy with your information and payment. We hope you will afford us the honor of being your farmers in 2011 and we are looking forward to a great year. We wouldn’t be able to be farmers without you and your support!

Sincerely,

Benjamin Shields & Patricia Parker

Up to your ears in squash and zucchini?

2011-06-17T18:36:00.000-04:00

Eating seasonally can be a challenge. Summer squash season is upon us and it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the bounty. Whether you're growing your own garden, a member of a CSA, or a regular market visitor, you are probably faced with the daunting task of incorporating all of that squash into your meals - while at the same time trying not to tire of it. Well, I hope I can share some resources with you that you will find to be helpful.

First, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is an excellent resource for folks thinking about or already eating seasonally. Kingsolver is a phenomenal writer and her family is pretty talented too. If you haven't read this book yet, please pick it up this summer! It's a worthwhile read. In the meantime, you can access some of the resources contained within the book (but not the stories). One of the most relevant resources for this particular squash-inspired post is the Zucchini Season Meal Plan. The site also includes some, but not all, of the recipes mentioned in the meal plan including, a recipe for Grilled Vegetable Panini (it calls for eggplant and peppers, but I say work with what you've got), a recipe for Disappearing Zucchini Orzo, and a recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies (a friend suggests margarine instead of butter to make the cookies more moist).

Folks have been posting various squash and zucchini recipes either on our Facebook site or on their sites and then I re-post them to our site. I'll link a few of these resources here too. Here's another zucchini bread recipe called "Mom's Zucchini Bread Recipe." And then there's Yellow Squash Patties. Then we also have All Zucchini Recipes that includes an exhaustive guide to all things zucchini, including recipes, of course. And finally, here's a site with links to 15 squash and zucchini recipes, including potato, squash and goat cheese gratin, zucchini potato frittata, and squash ribbons.

I hope some of these resources do help you to better enjoy and handle the bounty of squash season. If you have any other suggestions, please post comments here or at our Facebook site. We would love it if you shared some of your favorites with us!

Farm It Forward Update - Change Ain't Easy, But It Sure is Possible!

2011-06-08T12:59:00.000-04:00

Hi folks,

I wanted to post an update about the latest and greatest goings on with the Farm It Forward efforts. Since Michele McKinley, of Advocates for Health in Action, already posted an introduction and my letter to the Farm It Forward members on the AHA site, I'm going to go ahead and "lift" it to post here (you can view the original here).

Change Ain’t Easy, But It Sure Is Possible!

Wed, 06/08/2011 - 10:00am — mmckinley

Thanks to guest blogger Patricia Parker of Ben’s Produce for sharing excerpts of a letter to Farm It Forward recipients on June 7, the first day they received their community shared agriculture (CSA) shares of healthy, locally grown produce. Ben Shields and Patricia Parker of Ben’s Produce approached AHA early this year about an idea to provide shares of locally grown, healthy produce to people in need in Wake County. Through a collaboration with AHA, New Grass Gardens, WakeMed’s Energize! program for kids at risk of type 2 diabetes and the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle (IFFS), Farm It Forward was born.

Farm It Forward will enable a small group of Energize participants to receive free shares of local fruits and veggies from Ben’s Produce and New Grass Gardens for eight weeks this summer, and also to participate in a free Cooking Matters class from IFFS so that they can learn to make educated choices about growing, cooking and eating the best food possible. This program was born out of the generosity of the farmers, support from the community and from our partners.

AHA expects to see this program grow! Stay tuned and feel free to contact Michele McKinley at AHA if you would like to support Farm It Forward.

Since Ben and I have been farming, we’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of so many people we’ve met along the way. When we try to do something in return for those, many of them express that they already feel like we’ve been generous enough. It never really occurred to me that what we do for a living and for fun is something that other people would find rewarding. When folks come out to the farm, they get wholesome, nutritious food, knowledge about farming, a chance to get away from the city and enjoy a little company and sunshine. Truly, those things are beyond monetary value.

So, Ben and I have been thinking for quite some time that we would really like to put out there what we’re receiving. We can’t hold in all of the positivity that we’re getting – we just don’t have enough room for it between the two of us. That’s why we approached the folks at Advocates for Health in Action with a proposal. That proposal has turned into Farm It Forward. Who knew you could get things done just by saying you want to do it and then going out there and doing it? I mean really. It sounds simple, but not a whole lot of people are able to take that first step, and the rest of the steps don’t come so easily either. Somehow, though, we’ve managed to build a program that includes so many amazing people, representing so many great programs in the area. Sometimes I almost don’t believe this is really happening! Most of all, none of us could do this without you.

It takes a lot of courage, persistence, and effort to face a task or a big goal and then work toward it. And the more obstacles we have in life for achieving those tasks, the harder it is. I am truly inspired by you! So much so, that I am vowing to change my own eating habits and increase my levels of physical activity. As a PhD student and teacher, I spend a lot of time sitting in front of the computer. As a farmer, I actually also spend a lot of time in front of the computer (working on recipe cards, returning emails, writing newsletters, getting informed, etc.)

I also spend a lot of time outside working. Even though it’s physical labor and hard work, the kind of work I do doesn’t really get my heart rate going. It’s fairly slow and steady. Anyway, having what are basically two full-time jobs (one academic and one as a farmer) can be a little stressful – and when I’m stressed, I like to eat – and not good food either. In fact, since we’ve lived in Raleigh (it’s been three years), I’ve gained 40 pounds (and the majority of that weight certainly hasn’t been muscle!). The extra fat is not good for my health – and neither is my retreat to empty calories when I’m feeling a little stressed.

So, in line with the program, and what we’re doing here, I want to join you in your efforts to change your relationship with food to one that is healthy – one that is nourishing for the mind and the body. I want to thank you for being the inspiration and the catalyst that I need to live a happier and healthier life. I hope that we can embark on this journey together and that it will make the task at hand easier – and even fun! Change won’t come easily, but with this strong network of support and positivity, I know it’s possible! (Photos: shares of food ready for the cooking class and to go home with Farm It Forward recipients; bottom, AHA and NC Cooperative Extenson Intern Meghan Malka and Ben Shields loading produce for the program.)

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
– James Baldwin

Goodbye May

2011-05-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

Howdy do, folks? I took a few pictures around the farm yesterday and thought I'd share a few with you. Here we have bolted lettuce. This is what lettuce looks like when it goes to seed. It's kind of pretty, isn't it?

Here's a bee in vetch. Vetch is a legume and fixes nitrogen to the soil. It's good for the soil and good for the bees. It's pretty much win-win.

This is broccoli of course. It's awfully pretty. We'll see how long it lasts in this heat. We're going to keep it good and watered and hope we have some to bring to market by Saturday.

Purple cabbage. I can't wait for these beauties to be ready for the pickin. I love making slaw with this cabbage and carrots. It's absolutely gorgeous...and tasty too!

Green cabbage.

Chard.

Carrot tops. Did you know you can eat them? They're a little dry fresh, but you can chop them up and toss them in a stir fry or you can dry them and use them like you would parsley (a relative of the carrot). We also had someone at market tell us that he'd heard of carrot top tea. If anyone knows of some other uses, please let us know

A sea of potatoes.

And tomatoes.

More tomatoes!

Ben in the sun.

Pepper plant.

Nappa cabbage.

Our porch.

Ben in the shade on the swing.

The gnome.

Well, that's all folks! I had more pictures to share, but for some reason the server won't accept them for the time being. There will be more to post tomorrow after we pick CSA shares for Tuesday pick up. In the meantime, we hope you're enjoying the long weekend. See you around.

Life on the Farm

2011-05-26T09:08:00.000-04:00

These pictures are about a week old, but I thought I'd share them with y'all anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to get out there with the camera in the next day or so and post more pictures so y'all can see how quickly things are growing out here. In the meantime, enjoy.

Here are potato flowers. Pretty, huh?

bee in a squash flower

Ben picking carrots

squash plants

Ben picking strawberries

lettuce, scallions, broccoli, tatsoi, bok choy, rainbow chard

more greens

Ben

broccoli

cabbage

marvel the four seasons lettuce

green oak leaf lettuce

bok choy

tatsoi

mesclun

corn

sour cherries

blue berries

fig trees

the birds are great for bug control

That's all folks! Thanks for stopping by - see you Saturday at market :)

Week 5, CSA share contents

2011-05-26T08:45:00.001-04:00

Hi folks! Here's the run down of this week's share. The summer squash are coming on in full force, so be ready for it! We're at that good place right now where we have the last of the spring goods (e.g., carrots, beets, and greens) and then we're coming into the summer goods (e.g., zucchini, squash, cucumbers). Look at this beautiful spread (this is an example of a regular sized share).

strawberries, zucchini, dill and parsley, and zephyr squash

tatsoi, Hakurei turnips, beets, red Russian kale and green oak leaf lettuce
Chinese cabbage, green cabbage, scallions and carrots
green cabbageChinese cabbage
scallions
carrots
beets and greens
zucchini
zephyr squash
cucumbers
red Russian kale (aka ragged Jack)
Hakurei salad turnips
tatsoi
green oak leaf lettuce
dill and parsley
Gorgeous fruits and veggies!
Thanks for stopping by!

Western Wake Farmer's Market Cabbage Fest Beef Rolls

2011-05-21T19:59:00.000-04:00

Sorry folks, we were so busy at the tent today, we didn't have time to get a picture of the cabbage rolls. Maybe someone else got a picture? Let us know, if so.

I told a bunch of folks I'd post the recipe for the rolls - and I'm going by memory here, so please be creative and approach these directions as guidelines.

Ingredients

1-2 diced onions or 1-2 bunches chopped scallions
1 bunch carrots, diced
1 large or 2 small/medium cabbages
1 bunch Hakurei turnips, including greens (dice the roots, chop the greens)
1 pound Smith Angus ground beef
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions/Instructions/Guidelines :)

1) Place diced onions in skillet with olive oil, on medium-high heat. Push them around the skillet every minute or so, for about 5 minutes.
2) Add 2-3 Tbsp water, diced carrots, and turnip roots. Add spices (garlic, salt, pepper and spice of your choice). Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add chopped greens, cook for another 1-2 minutes, cover and set aside.
3) Taste to see if the mixture is good. If you want more flavor, add your favorite seasoning mix to the mixture and keep tasting until it's to your liking.
4) Bring a large pot of water to boil.
5) In the meantime, remove leaves piece by piece from cabbage (it helps to core the cabbage to get the leaves to separate).
6) Take boiling water off the stove. Add leaves. Blanch them for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot and place on cookie sheet.
7) Brown the meat. Add vegetable mixture.
8) Fill cabbage leaves with 1-2 spoonfuls of stuffing mixture.
9) Roll leaves, seam side down.
10) Place in cooking/roasting pan.
11) Add 1/4-1/2 cup water, cook for 350F for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy! :)

Week 4, CSA share contents

2011-05-21T19:50:00.001-04:00

I'm behind on the posting this week, so I'm gonna give you a quit run down of the CSA contents for the week, without all the jibber jabber.

Here are some beautiful root vegetables (beets, carrots and Hakurei turnips and greens) with strawberries.

broccoli
red oak leaf and green butter crunch lettuces
herbs (dill and parsley - WWFM folks, we're sorry, we completely forgot to pick the herbs - we'll make up for it :)
red Russian kale (aka ragged Jack)
vates kale

more kale
you can eat the kale stems too. you've just got to cook em longer. you can substitute them in recipes that call for celery (unless, of course, you're going for the distinct celery flavor - but they're cook and crispy).
spinach
beets

Hakurei turnips
carrots
can you tell I think the veggies are pretty? ;)
so happy to have color variety!

cabbage (above)
the whole shebang!

Week 3, May 9-15 CSA Share Contents

2011-05-10T14:14:00.001-04:00

Howdy do, folks? It seems I'm communicating with all of y'all via the blog and newsletters these days. I'm sad to say that I still haven't met everyone in the CSA yet, since I've been staying home studying for my prelim exam - but that's only going to be the case for another week and a half and then I'll be right there with Ben at the drop sites!

So, I did a little something different this week with the pictures of the share contents. I know a lot of CSAs use boxes and that's something we haven't really been doing. We don't use the boxes for a few reasons. The most important reason is because we prefer to keep the produce nice and cool so when you come to pick it up it's in great condition. Heat works wonders on these veggies and once they wilt, it's all over. Another reason, which will become pretty apparent once you check out these pictures, is that the produce just won't fit in one box - at least not a box with a lid on it. I took pictures of each of the items in the box and I also tried to include everything in the box, so y'all could get a nice view of what it would look like if you did get a box of your share.

So, without further adieu...

Here's the box with the contents of this week's share all together (minus the dill and cilantro - it seems I forget to take a picture of something every time!)

Broccoli

Dandelion greens

Rainbow chard

Strawberries (one quart for small and regular shares; 2 for large shares)

Berry close up

Snow peas

Close up

Baby leeks

Bok choy

Kale

Kale close up

Red bibb lettuce

Green romaine lettuce

Tatsoi

Scallions

The baby leeks are on top, scallions on the bottom here.

My, that sure is pretty!

Alrighty. That's all folks! See you in a week or two. Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Full of Life

2011-05-07T11:35:00.002-04:00

Hi folks! I have a few pictures from the farm this week and I thought I'd go ahead and share them with you. Spring is in full force and the farm is a microcosm of all of the rejuvenation and new life that comes with the season. Enjoy!

It's hard to tell here, but these are baby birds in the weeping cherry. Their momma or daddy did not like me peeking through to photograph them, so I didn't get any good shots. They sure did open their little yellow mouths for some food though.

Snow pea flowers are beauty-FULL! And the peas taste amazing too (we have some from our first round of planting already)!

This is Beth's sour cherry tree. Ben and I are hoping we get to try a slice of her infamous sour cherry pie.

The peaches are already getting pretty big!

Potatoes!

The first round of zucchini, squash and cucumbers (we planted 400 of each!)

I have no idea of what this flower on the vine is called, but it's gorgeous! It's on our front porch with kiwi and grape vines.

These are in the ground now.

These too. I'm so excited about tomatillos!

Here's a shot of one of the sections. Most of what you can see is peas and oats (and the yellow stuff, well, that's wild radish - we don't care for it much but the bees and the chickens sure do!).

Can you believe there are already blueberries on the bushes?!

Poor Ben planted all of these tomatoes without me - since I'm still spending most of my time studying for prelims. I'll be out there picking them with him all summer though!!!

Well, I guess that's it for now. Have a very Happy Mother's Day!

Week 2, May 2-8 Share Contents

2011-05-03T10:59:00.001-04:00

Hi folks! I have pictures of the share contents for Week 2. To avoid forgetting to take the pictures, I photographed the produce pre-wash, so you'll notice soil on the veggies. They'll be nice and clean when you pick them up, of course. But it's always good to give them another cleaning before you use them. The only thing we don't wash at the farm are the strawberries, as they should only be washed right before eating them (to maintain their "shelf" life).

I also just printed out this week's newsletter. You can expect more in this newsletter compared with last week. This week we've included Michele McKinley's description of Farm It Forward, an idea Ben and I approached AHA (Advocates for Health in Action) in February. We're having our first fundraiser this Sunday at Market Restaurant. For more info on that, please see the preceding post. We've also include some basic information (storage and cooking instructions) to help members make good use of your weekly shares. We've highlighted bok choy, rainbow chard, lettuce and dill. And finally, Ben wrote a little segment we're calling "Farmer Musings" to let members know what's going on here on the farm. We hope you find the newsletters helpful.

Okay, now, for the pictures!

Here's a regular/small sized share. Everything is pictured here but the chard and the herbs.

Items in this weeks share include: strawberries, bok choy, tatsoi, beets, dill and cilantro, lettuce, spinach and scallions.

This is a green bib, called Nancy.

This is a red romaine, called Marvel the Four Seasons.

A recipe for tofu stuffed lettuce rolls is in the newsletter.

Tatsoi

Bok Choy. The newsletter includes a recipe for Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Cashew Sauce.

Spinach. We like to steam it all and eat it with eggs for breakfast.

These are scallions. The difference between scallions and green onions, is that green onions are basically baby (bulbing) onions, while scallions will not bulb.

Detroit Red Beets (for full shares only - but many more are on the way for all share sizes)

You can steam or saute the beet greens too!

Cilantro and Dill (a recipe for dill and horseradish biscuits is included in the newsletter)

Yummy, yummy strawberries! This variety is called Chandler.

Here's Ben about to wash all of the produce. This week I completely forgot to get a picture of the Rainbow Chard, but I think y'all know what it looks like. And if you forgot, you can always check the Week 1 CSA Share post. We included a recipe for Swiss Chard Gratin in the newsletter.

Washing the spinach.

Well, I suppose that's it for now! If you have any questions or suggestions for how we can make your membership experience better, please feel free to send us email or give us a call.

Also, we would really love it if members would contribute some recipes of your own so we can share them with everyone.

Thanks for stopping by! Ben will see you at the pick ups and at market. I'm MIA for the time being, working on my doctoral exam (prelim) for global sociology. I take the exam Monday, May 16th. After that, you'll be seeing my face around a whole lot more! Ben told me a lot of folks from market wished me luck - thank you! I can certainly use it!

P.S. If you know folks that are interested in joining a CSA and you are happy with us, please let them know we are still accepting CSA members. We will prorate new members to account for missed pick ups.

Farm It Forward with Ben's Produce and Partners!

2011-04-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

Farm It Forward Benefit at Mother’s Day Brunch at Market Restaurant

Enjoy local farm-fresh foods for Mother’s Day Brunch at Market Restaurant to benefit the Farm It Forward program, a new partnership among AHA and local Wake County farmers. Farm It Forward is a community supported agriculture (CSA) program for Wake County citizens who are working to improve their nutrition due to health concerns and who could use extra help financially to make these changes. Through Farm It Forward, they can receive free shares of healthy, local produce for 10 weeks from local farmers.

Market will host brunch on May 8, Mother’s Day, from 10 am-3 pm, and feature the Farm It Forward Frittata and Strawberry Mint Julep, made with all local ingredients donated by local farms Ben’s Produce and New Grass Gardens. All proceeds from the frittata and the drink will be donated to support Farm It Forward shares for community members in need. Ben’s Produce also will sell flowers and bedding plants at Market on May 8 to raise funds for the program.

Farm It Forward was conceived by farmers Ben Shields and Patricia Parker of Ben’s Produce. “Farm It Forward is about helping food insecure people in our area have access to locally grown healthy foods,” Shields said. “Community is very important to us; our mission is to strive for healthier people, community and agriculture by growing and sharing the best food we can. Working with AHA on this project has enabled us to connect with people who are food insecure but not necessarily receiving benefits for food.”

AHA is coordinating with Energize!, a WakeMed Children’s Diabetes & Endocrinology Programto identify Farm It Forward shares recipients. Energize! is dedicated to helping kids aged 6 to 18 reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and the program teaches young people and their families how to build lifelong healthy attitudes about food and fitness. Sixty percent of Energize participants are low-income.

“Connecting Farm It Forward with Energize! is a great way to increase access to healthy foods for people in Wake County who have a real need,” commented Laura Aiken, director of AHA and community outreach for WakeMed. “Plus this engages farmers and provides an additional way to support them. CSAs help farmers as community members invest financially in local farms and help defray the significant costs of planting for a season by purchasing shares,” Aiken added.

Farm It Forward launches this spring with support from AHA and financial donations from the community. Donations are welcome; checks payable to WakeMed with Advocates for Health in Action in the subject line may be mailed to WakeMed, 3000 New Bern Ave., Raleigh, NC 27610, ATTN: Laura Aiken.

Brunch at Market
A health-focused eatery in downtown Raleigh, Market Restaurant is committed to serving fresh, seasonal dishes made of locally grown ingredients. A variety of child-friendly food options are available, and every attempt is made to accommodate special diets. Call-ahead seating is recommended; call 754-0900. Visit www.EatAtMarket.com for a peek at the menu. Market is located at 938 N. Blount St. in the historic Mordecai neighborhood in downtown Raleigh.

Source: http://advocatesforhealthinaction.com/news/farm-it-forward-benefit-mother%E2%80%99s-day-brunch-market-restaurant

Week 1, April 24-30 CSA Share Contents

2011-04-26T13:10:00.001-04:00

Hi again folks! Last year, particularly at the beginning of the CSA season, a lot of the newbies were unfamiliar with some of our CSA share items. So, this year, we're going to try our best to post pictures of all of the items in the shares each week. We'll see how long that lasts! With all of the other happenings on the farm, photographs are definitely a low priority. But, we will do our best, because I think they are helpful.

And, just to reiterate one more time, it is not too late to sign up for the Summer 2011 CSA with us. We will pro-rate your share if you come on board late.

So, you will notice one MAJOR thing missing from these pictures - strawberries! They're in the shares, but we forgot to take the pictures in time. We'll be sure to include them in the photos next week.

Here's a shot of the regular share box.

And here's another.

Tat Soi

Arugula

(for large shares only - large shares will also receive twice as many berries, spinach and lettuce, compared with regular and small shares)

Dill and Cilantro (just a little for now, but much more to come!)

Red Russian Kale

Swiss Chard

Bok Choy

Spinach

Red Salad Bowl (an Oak Leaf Lettuce)

And here's Bocephus. He's not included but he wanted to say, "Hi!"

Strawberries and Summer Crops

2011-04-25T15:45:00.001-04:00

Last weekend we participated in the Western Wake Farmer's Market Strawberry Festival. We made a creamy strawberry vinaigrette with a tossed salad, topped with fresh-picked, sustainably grown strawberries. Sadly, we didn't have any strawberries to sell at market last week, but hopefully we will have enough for market this Saturday. We shall see. We are giving first priority to our CSA members, but any left overs will be available for market customers.

Since we ran out of vinaigrette recipe cards last Saturday, we told folks we'd post the recipe on the blog. So, here it is:

Spring Greens Salad with Creamy Strawberry Vinaigrette

For Vinaigrette

· 1 cup chopped strawberries

· ½ cup walnut oil

· ¼ cup balsamic vinegar

· 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

1. Puree or smash strawberries with a potato masher.

2. Add oil, vinegar, and heavy cream.

3. Mix well. Taste. Adjust to taste. You can add salt and pepper or you can add sugar if you like. We just keep it simple.

Salad Ingredients

· Use your favorite salad greens

· We use mesclun mix, mizuna, frisée, spinach and arugula – but we adjust according to what’s available

· ¼ to ½ cup chopped walnuts

· 1-2 cups (depends on how much strawberry you want in your salad) chopped strawberries

1. Wash and spin salad greens.

2. Chop salad greens.

3. Add vinaigrette, chopped walnuts and strawberries.

4. Toss ingredients (or you can place strawberries separately on your plate after you’ve tossed the other ingredients to highlight the strawberries in your dish).

5. Enjoy!

As usual, we've been keeping fairly busy on the farm. We've been planting a lot of our summer crops, including cucumbers, squash, zucchini, watermelon, corn, peanuts (our first time doing this, so it may just be a personal crop), and green beans. We'll be transplanting tomatoes, tomatillos, eggplant and peppers soon - likely later this week.

We've also been busily cultivating. Above is a wheel hoe. I went through the potato plants with it to keep them good and free of weeds.We also planted some flowers, which of course, are not yet ready - but here are some pretty flowers that are currently in bloom.

A gorgeous iris (not sure which variety - if anyone knows, please comment below).

This is crimson clover. Ben planted it all over the farm to help provide more nutrients for our soil. Clover is particularly helpful for fixing nitrogen in the soil. It's also very pretty.

Well, I suppose that's it for now. This week marks our first week of the Summer CSA. We'll be providing CSA members with strawberries, lettuce, kale, bok choy, tat soi, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, frisee, mizuna and dried rosemary. We'll also include a weekly (hopefully!) newsletter with CSA shares for the first time this season. Members last year liked the blog, but wanted something a little extra. Our weekly newsletter will be an effort to meet that particular need.

If you're interested in joining our CSA, it's not too late! Please print out a copy of the CSA brochure (linked to the right of the screen) and mail us your first payment to Ben's Produce;1000 McLemore Road; Clayton, NC 27520. If you miss the first week or two, we'll prorate you, so no worries there. And, of course, if you have any questions, please email us at BensProduceNC@gmail.com or give us a call at 919.800.8898.

Have a fantastic week and thanks for stopping by!

Seedlings Galore!

2011-04-08T18:48:00.000-04:00

Howdy do, folks?! It's been busy as can be out here at the farm. Ben and I have been making soil blocks, seeding flats, planting seedlings and direct seeding root veggies. Of course, that also means Ben's been prepping a whole heck of a lot of ground to get it ready so we can plant. I also finally tried my hand at the tiller to till up soil for our newest edition - the flower garden (so pumped!!!).

We've had lots of folks stop by since our last planting party to help us out on the farm in one way or another. Beth and the kids have been keeping up with the chickens (the kids LOVE gathering the eggs each morning), our neighbors Andy, Amanda and Duffie have been by to give us furniture (they got a new set) and keep us company, our friend Craig has been dropping off quite a lot of flower bulbs from his garden, Kevin came out to help Ben pot up some of the summer seedlings, and David came out to help Ben and I plant more potatoes (they're all in!!!) and weed and mulch some. Whew! I think that's everyone, but please don't be mad at me if I forgot to mention you.

As you know from our previous post, we're having a planting party this Sunday the 10th from 1-5pm. We've had a few folks email us to let us know they'll be stopping by to pitch in a hand and have a picnic with us too. Please come out if you're interested! Many hands make light work! It's true!

Alrighty. I just wanted to let y'all know we're gearing up (and have been for quite a while) for a fantastic season and I thought I'd show you some of the seedlings that we'll be planting in the next couple of weeks or so. Just to warn you, these pictures aren't very diverse. They're mostly pictures of a number of different varieties of the same veggies (e.g., multiple varieties of tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, eggplant, squash, brassicas more generally, etc.) - but I thought it might help to demonstrate what we're doing out here if I bombard y'all with some pictures of everything. Plus, you'll be able to see the crazy awesome varieties we're planting this year (and these pictures are not really representative - there's even more to come!).

Okay. I guess I'll get to it then. We hope to see you Sunday. And we hope you enjoy the pictures!

Happy Spring!

2011-03-25T17:19:00.002-04:00

We're hosting two more planting parties this Sunday (4/10) and next Sunday (4/17). Please come out and join us for some fun times planting and picnicking! If you think you might be coming for either (or both!) parties, please email us at BensProduceNC@gmail.com (so we can be sure we have more than enough food for folks).

The planting party on the first day of Spring was a success!!! Fourteen folks came out Sunday. We planted onions, kale, and cabbage. We also cut potatoes for seed. We spent two hours as a group to plant 14 beds of produce. It would have taken Ben and I days to do the same amount of work. True to the phrase, many hands make light work.

And this was truly a planting party.Throughout the day, we not only worked together to plant seedlings, folks were learning about each other, talking to each other. Some of the people here already knew each other, but for the most part folks didn't really know much about each other, or hadn't previously met. In just a couple hours, I learned SO much about what people do with their time, their connections to food, agriculture, health, and we also talked about dogs and life and our jobs.

After we finished planting, we sat together outside for a yummy spread. Candy and Steve brought homemade focaccia, Kim and Andy brought hors devours(collard sushi rolls and spring rolls), and Bradford brought homemade kombucha with raspberries. We made a vegetarian minestrone soup. The tradition of minestrone soup is to use seasonal and available vegetables and other items on hand. That means there's no set recipe, which you know, makes me happy. We used our vegetables including carrots, kale, turnips (roots and greens) and collards. We also threw in portabella mushrooms, Roman beans, pink beans, tomatoes and onions.

We also had a nice big salad full of various lettuces, arugula, mizuna, and spinach. We used our nutty vinaigrette recipe for the dressing.

Here's our friend Liese holding Luella Mae. Liese has been one of our amazing chicken caretakers. She and her partner, Eric, watched Charlie (our farm dog) and the chickens when went out of town for the SSAWG in Chattanooga. Liese and Luella Mae are good friends, as you can see here :0).

We've been steadily working to get more seeds in the soil and more plants in the ground since Sunday. Ben and I won't be going to market this Saturday so we can get more things ready out on the farm. We'll be tilling the soil for my new flower garden by the barn. I can't wait to expand and experiment with flowers this Summer season!!!

Here's a picture of Ben with hen's bit (the chickens love it - it's the purple flower bouquet in his arm) and tasting what we think is wild lettuce. I tried some too. It was bitter. The chickens liked it though.

Here's Ben making soil blocks. This week Ben made tons of soil blocks and I planted tons of seeds. The rest of the pictures are the seedlings from our first round of brassicas. We also have tomato, cucumber, and pepper seedlings (not pictured).

Well, that's all folks! Have a fantastic weekend! We'll see you at market next week.

Planting Party This Sunday, the First Day of SPRING!

2011-03-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Hello all! We are having folks out to the farm this Sunday. We'll be getting started around 1pm. We'll be planting onions, scallions, and lettuce. Since our taters didn't get in until a couple of days ago, the seed isn't ready. However, if we have enough folks out here, we'll also be cutting our seed potatoes to get them started and ready for next week. Please come out and join us. The more folks we have out here to work, the less it will feel like work and the sooner we'll be finished and ready to socialize - and most importantly, eat yummy food! We'll likely be making a vegetarian chili and salad.

If you do plan on coming out, there are a few things you might (but don't have to) bring with you:
- chairs (for hanging out and eating)
- water bottle/container
- sunscreen
- hat
- good comfy shoes (and wear work clothes)

For directions, click here.

Here are a couple pictures of our friends helping us plant onions last week.

Spring is in the air. Time to get out there!

2011-03-03T16:11:00.000-05:00

Hello folks! The time has come for Ben and I to get out there and work our booties off getting all of the seeds and plants in the soil. We would absolutely love it if any of y'all in the area would like to stop by and help us get some planting and transplanting work done. Planting and transplanting is much more fun in groups. The more folks that come out, the less work we all need to do. While we would be ecstatic if you wanted to dedicate a lot of your day to helping us get our produce in the ground, even just 30 minutes of your time would be extremely helpful. Right now it's time for us to get onions in the ground. Absolutely as soon as possible! We will be planting onions Monday, March 7th through Saturday, the 12th (we have market on Saturday, so we'll be starting late that day). We'll also be seeding tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and slicing cucumbers.

The next thing we'll need to do is get our seed potatoes in the ground (they haven't shipped yet, but they will be here before we know it). We'll be planting a crazy variety of taters, including French fingerlings, blue, red, yellow, and white varieties. Many of you have told us you would like more onions and potatoes this year. Well, we're on it! We'll begin planting potatoes the first day of Spring (Sunday, March 20th) and we plan to be wrapping it up on Wednesday, the 23rd).

If you plan on coming out, you may certainly just drop by (1000 McLemore Road Clayton, NC 27520), but we do sometimes leave the farm, so it's probably best to call us or email us first. Ben's phone number is 919-800-8898.Our email address is BensProduceNC@gmail.com. If you give us enough notice, we'll feed you. Heck, even if you don't give us notice, we can probably find something tasty for you to nosh on. I mean, we're growing food, right?

So, just in case you're not sold on this whole coming out to the farm to help us do manual labor thing, I'm going to try to pitch this thing.

Spring is in the air! It feels great to be outside after a whole winter long of being inside. It's time to get outside in the spring sunshine and get to moving.
We'll get to hang out. Learn some things from each other, exercising our brains and our bodies. It's win-win.
I sincerely think working together with people has an intrinsic value that I can't explain - but it's mutually beneficial and it's pretty great. And we are obviously invested in the idea of getting help to put our produce in the soil. And so many of you help already...

Come out if you want to and can. We appreciate the support systems we are a part of. If you're reading this, you're probably one of so many people in whose lives we now share in some way or another. Thank you for everything you do (and we hope you feel the same about us too). If you can't make it out to the farm for the beginning of Spring, we hope to see you at market or in April out at the farm. Enjoy the renewal and rejuvenation of Spring! And thanks for stopping by.

The brief version:

March 7th through March 12th we'll be planting onions. We'll also be seeding tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and slicing cukes.
March 20th (the first day of Spring!) through March 23rd we'll be planting potatoes.
Call us or email us if you know when you might stop by.
We'll feed you.
We appreciate you.

Chicken Sitting 101

2011-02-22T08:17:00.001-05:00

We have so many things to share with you, but time is short right now. Until we get a chance to give you all a farm update, I thought I'd share the chicken care taking instructions I made for Beth and the kids - and our neighbors, Andy, Amanda and Duffie.

Chicken Sitting 101

1. In the morning, open the little door inside the barn to let the chick-a-dees out. There is a little hook and latch to hold open the little door. NOTE: When you first open the barn door, those chickens will be standing right at the door looking at you. Shoo them away and step through them to get to the little door. Even though they’re looking at you in the big door, what they really want is to go through the little one.

2. Once most of them go outside, check the water buckets. Be sure the water is clean and accessible. If there is straw in the water, clean it out and dump out a little water until the trough is clean.

3. If there are any eggs in the nest boxes, take them out (take them home, scrub them clean with a brush or a scrubby sponge and put them in your fridge – then eat and enjoy!).

4. Toss a few heads and leaves of cabbage into the pen outside (open the door to the pen – it’s a latch to toss them in).

--- They’ll be fine through the day. They’ll lay eggs throughout the day too. At some point, either in the morning when you let the chickens out – or sometime in the afternoon – or later in the evening when you close them up for the night – their water needs to be changed out. You don’t need to change out all the waterers everyday. We usually rotate them and do one or two – depending on how they’re looking/doing. ---

5. Sometime around dusk, or even after dark (but with a flashlight), go back to the chickens to give them their pellets and to shut the little door up for the night. Be sure you turn the little wooden slat so the door is secure and some critter can just push the door open to get in.

6. Gather more eggs if they’re in there. Good night!

Oh, and one more thing! Spring is almost here!

Thanks for stopping by!

Middle Winter Farmer Musings...

2011-02-10T14:19:00.002-05:00

It has been a dogs age since I (Ben) have posted and it is about time! I made a resolution to post on a regular basis, which will be a challenge along with all the other tasks I attend to. But if Patricia can do it, so can I! I have a tendency to write and re-write and make multiple drafts before I post. It's my old academic process showing itself, evidence I am not much an off the cuff writer. It takes a few rounds of writing for me to develop and clarify what it is I want to communicate, which naturally takes a bit of time. Time is of the essence in farming and budgeting it is very important. So off come the proverbial gloves! I'm getting down and dirty!

I have been busy planning this years crops over the past few weeks and I am already behind schedule! I should have started back in December but didn't get started until January because I wanted to wait for a book in the mail, Crop Planning for Organic Vegetable Growers by Frederic Theriault and Daniel Brisebois. It is published by the Canadian Organic Growers Association and is a wonderful book. Come to find out, I have been re-inventing the wheel! I have gone about the process of planning for the year in a slightly different way but arrive at essentially the same place! I also learned I still have a few things to learn! Imagine that! Anyhow, I am finally catching up and creating schedules for all the major tasks to be done this year with the hope it will help us stay on schedule. Last year, one of our major challenges was getting veggies planted in the proper time frame and our poor planning created gaps in our vegetable availability, such as an inconsistent tomato supply and no winter squash.

I must admit, fleshing out our 2011 crop plan has got me worried. I am apprehensive that we will be behind schedule because we have not ordered seeds yet. The seed order I put together is over $1800! That is just for the spring and summer, not including fall and winter! Nor does it include the $500 we spent on seed potatoes! This year we will be growing over 40 crops and 100 different varieties of veggies, some for fun and experimentation but most for a very diverse and strong selection. Most of the seeds are needed soon for late February to mid-March planting and it is mid-February already! I have faith that everything will come together as the universe intends and I try to be patient and hopeful. If there is any virtue that farming teaches, it is patience! You can't make the weather change nor make plants grow faster! I am also comforted by the fact that this is our second year and it will be better than last year. We will take the lessons of last year and make this year better. This thought gives me hope and comfort that this year will be okay, possibly the best yet!

I seeded spring lettuce and scallions into seedling trays last week and brought those down to Sharon Funderburks' greenhouse in Meadow for growing on. She has been very generous in her assistance to us! Show her some love if you come out to market. I also direct seeded snow peas, radishes, spinach, mesclun and various salad greens into our low tunnels. I also direct seeded 3 beds of carrots and 2 beds of beets and put them under row cover. Here are some pics for you...

This is my desk in the office, planning for the year. As you can see, I like to use some paper and pencil. Call me old fashioned, it works better for me than spreadsheets only. I like to use a combination of the two.

This is the Planet Jr. seeder I borrow from Tom at Double-T Farm. It is 100 year old technology but works like a charm every time! Originally from NC!

These are the 5 beds I had just prepped for planting carrots & beets. You can see the low tunnels on the right and how I have ventilated it with a forked stick.

This is stir-fry I made last night with tatsoi, carrots, turnips and purple cabbage. Yummy!

Okay, got to get back to work. Check you later! Farmer Ben

Announcing Summer 2011 CSA!

2011-01-19T09:00:00.006-05:00

Community Supported Agriculture

Is CSA right for your family?

It is good to be aware of the rewards and challenges involved in CSA. If you and your family want to explore the wonderful tastes of our farm-fresh food by eating it straight from your CSA pickup bag or transformed in a wonder dish you cooked, CSA is for you! If you want to expand your taste-bud horizons and strengthen your skills at cooking and preparing fresh food, CSA is for you! If you want to be surprised with new vegetables, CSA is for you! If you want to eat healthily and enjoy eating, CSA is for you!

Please understand that nature's abundance varies. What you receive is based on our harvest schedule which is subject to the weather, pests, disease and a large myriad of influences. Some weeks your CSA share may be less than the retail farmers market value we try to maintain. However, we usually provide more bounty than you could buy at market value. If you find yourself with too many items, do not despair, share the bounty with others! .

How It Works

Join Ben’s Produce CSA by purchasing a CSA share at the beginning of the season. You then visit the weekly pickup site to pack your own vegetables from the harvest table. We will post a guide at the stand explaining what each share contains that week. The CSA harvest season runs for 20 weeks from late-April through September.

We shortened the length of our Summer 2011 CSA to 20 weeks because we found 23 weeks too long and fatiguing, for both you and us. We are also experiencing higher fuel prices as well as the need for livable salaries. Last year, we worked for minimal wages (in the case of Ben) to no wages (in the case of Patricia). Shortening the length of our CSA is our best solution to these challenges we faced in 2010.

Pickup Sites & Times: We have two weekly CSA pickup sites. Our main pickup is Tuesday evenings from 4pm to 7pm at the Raleigh Five Points CSA site, 1911 Bernard St., Raleigh 27608. We also offer limited pickup every Saturday morning from 8am to 12pm at the Western Wake Farmers Market, 1225 Morrisville Carpenter Rd, Cary 27519. Please consider signing up with the Raleigh Five Points CSA Yahoo Group through the link above, to access information regarding the pickup site and opportunities to support the other farmers who attend as well as local food events and information.

Sharing with others: Some members find it enjoyable to split CSA shares with other families and friends. We also like to share food and enjoy such arrangements. If you choose to split a share, please let us know on your registration so we may avoid confusion.

Communication: Our main mode of communication is email. We will send all members weekly emails usually a day or two before pickup. Our emails are meant as pickup reminders and usually include farm updates, a list of that weeks veggies, a link to our latest blog entry and any notifications regarding pickup. Our blog functions as our farm newsletter that includes farm news, anecdotes, reflections, recipes, photographs and more.

Feedback: Your satisfaction is very important to us and our business. Please give us your feedback! Please give us your suggestions and tell us your concerns. We want our CSA to be fulfilling and pleasing for everybody!

Refunds: We will make no refunds after shares are paid in full. Shareholders are welcome to sell or give away their shares to others. We can provide assistance in transferring shares to others.

Weekly Share Contents

The available produce will change as the season progresses. Regular Shares will contain about 5 to 8 items each week and Full Shares will contain about 8 to 12 items each week. Ben’s Produce determines the contents of each weeks share. We will try to include all the veggies listed to the best of our abilities.

Vegetable Availability

April: Arugula, Asian Greens, Green Onions, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Peas, Radish, Rutabaga, Salad Greens, Spinach, Strawberries, Swiss chard, Turnips.

May/June: Arugula, Asian Greens, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Flowers, Green Onions, Herbs, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Peas, Radish, Rutabaga, Salad Greens, Spinach, Strawberries, Summer Squash, Swiss Chard, Turnips.

July/August: Beans, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Flowers, Herbs, Okra, Onions, Potatoes, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Tomatillo, Assorted Melons, Hot Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Special Hot Weather Greens.

September: Arugula, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Flowers, Green Onions, Herbs, Lettuce, Okra, Potatoes, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Tomatillo, Assorted Melons, Hot Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Radish, Salad Greens, Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squash.

Pricing

Regular Share - $400

Our Regular Share is a suitable amount of produce for a small household of 1 to 3 people, or one well eating vegetarian to eat for one week.

Large Share - $600

Our Large Share is a suitable amount of produce for a large household of 4+ people, or a couple of well-eating vegetarians to eat for one week.

Payment Options

Full Payment - Enclose a check for the total due.

Payment Plan - Enclose a deposit to secure your share. Please send the amounts listed below 30 days and 60 days after the date of your deposit.

Due Date	Regular Share	Large Share
Deposit	$160	$240
30 days	$160	$240
60 days	$80	$120

You can find our Summer 2011 CSA Brochure here. Please use the brochure to sign up with us. Please enclose a copy with your information and payment. We hope you will afford us the honor of being your farmers in 2011 and we are looking forward to a great year. We wouldn’t be able to be farmers without you and your support!

Sincerely,

Benjamin Shields & Patricia Parker

2011: Year of Inspiration, Motivation, and, most importantly, FUN!

2011-01-13T21:22:00.002-05:00

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

Well, howdy do! We're caught up in the spirit of the new year around these parts. Saturday we'll begin having more than 10 hours of daylight (10 hours and one minute, to be exact) and that means things will begin growing again. Most of our produce has been slumbering beautifully and cozily under our low tunnels and row covers.

Yesterday we were rewarded for all of our care and attention and love for our hens and roosters with our first little brown egg. Th e chickadees are 5 months old and it's about the right time for them to slowly begin laying eggs, although the lack of daylight also slows down their production. We got our second little brown egg this morning. Ben and I are planning on making a little ornament out of our very first egg by hollowing it out with two holes on each end. We're so proud of them, you'd think we layed them ourselves!!

Since all of the plants in the ground are currently hibernating, we've been spending most of our working time planning. Ben is planning Spring and Summer crops so we can order seeds. We went through the seed catalogs over the holidays and we're pretty pumped about all the awesome veggies we're growing. We're going to have a few trial-run half rows this time around too. Ben has also been looking around and talking to folks for and about tractors. At the moment, we have the walk behind. We'd like to expand our production a bit more this year and we'd also like to have the efficiency the tractor affords. We're hoping to get implements that are potentially capable for use for horse or mule farming someday in the future - maybe when we "retire" :). By the way, if you're interested in that type of thing, definitely check out the Small Farmer's Journal. It's hard to make a decision one way or the other, because the system you choose is often difficult to get out of...In addition to the farm planning, I've been doing some academic planning as well. This semester I'm studying for the preliminary exam for my main area, globalization and social change. At the end of the semester, I'm taking a 24 hour written exam, answering three comprehensive questions in 10-12 pages each. That means I'll be prepping for that feat for the next 16 weeks. Today, with a friend and colleague, we wrote up a plan of action and a study schedule. It feels pretty awesome to know what we're doing in the next few weeks - all around. In addition to all of this planning, Ben and I have also decided to designate Sundays aa FUNdays, and we're vowing to keep working throughout the rest of the days of the week so that we can reward ourselves with a full day of leisure one day of the week. As farmers and students (and also as a distance education instructor), it's particularly difficult to separate work and home and to ensure work isn't being done all of the time. We need our FUN time! We've also taken to taking walks on the acreage (350 acres). There are plenty of woods, a creek, and a beaver pond. It's vast and gorgeous out here - even in the dead of winter. This Monday, Ben, Charlie (the dog), and I went for a stroll and pine cone collection walk. I brewed us some tea and put it in our nifty new large size and portable tea/coffee mugs, we bundled up, and we went to gather. On our walk, it began to snow. It was quite nice indeed. The snow did get a bit harsh at the end and we were a ways from home, so we decided eventually to cut through the woods and make our way through the bramble. It was quite the adventure!

We also went on a Boxing Day Blizzard adventure when we went to visit Ben's family for the holidays. We spent time all around the state and I even got to go ice skating on a frozen pond! Apparently that's old news for New Englanders, but for a girl who has spent most of her time in the South, that was quite the scary and exciting fun day...actually night.It was a combo skate party, ice skating, Christmas Eve eve celebration.

Here's Ben with his parents at the dairy farm in Middleboro.

And here are a couple of Ben and I in the snow on the farm.

The farm house.

Charlie having fun with all the snow.

Ben's mom with her grandson (and Ben's nephew). Isn't he adorable?!

When we came back from Massachusetts, Ben and I were happy to attend market. We hadn't been to market for almost three weeks!!! Here are some pictures from last weekend's market and some from the farm.

Everything is grown with love!

Here's a close of the said "magical" mesclun mix:

baby arugula, mizuna, baby tat soi, flat leaf parsley and curly parsley - YUM!

The winter spread :)

With Ben.

With me.

Assorted lettuces up close and personal.

Purple top turnips, real baby carrots and Hakurei turnips.

Kohlrabi and watermelon radishes.

We sold out by 10:30!

We would love to bring more, but since things are slowly moving along here, given the hibernation of winter, it's going to be a little while before we'll have two tables full again - but it'll be here before we know it!

Well, this is the sunset.

Thanks for stopping by.

Good bye for now and good night.

Happy New Year to you!

From: Patricia Parker and Ben Shields

versatile greens

2010-12-03T17:44:00.001-05:00

since greens are in season - and will be for a while - i'm going to post some more really yummy greens recipes so y'all can be sure you keep your taste buds jumping for joy - or whatever it is they do when they're happy.

Red-Cooked Collards
1 cup dark soy sauce or tamari
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry sherry
several nickel-sized pieces of fresh ginger
4 or 5 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sugar
several pieces of star anise
2 pounds collard greens

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil while you prepare the collards. After washing the greens, trim them of their large stems and chop coarsely. Place in the cooking liquid and adjust heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook until greens are tender and most of the liquid is gone, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve over rice as a main course or as a side dish.

Source: Bittman, Mark. 1995. Leafy Greens.

Grilled Mesclun-stuffed Tuna Steaks
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon strong mustard
2 teaspoons ginger, finely minced, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 cup dry white wine or water
1 tuna steak, no less than 1 1/4 inches thick, about 11/2 pounds
about 1 1/2 cups assorted greens, washed and dried

Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler. Mix together all the ingredients except the tuna and the greens.

Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife (a boning knife, for example), make a small incision halfway down any edge of the tuna steak. Insert the knife almost to the opposite edge of the steak, then move it back and forth, flipping it over and creating a large pocket. Be careful not to cut through the top, bottom, or opposite edge of the tuna. Put the tuna in the mixture; you can leave it there for a few minutes or continue with the recipe right away.

Remove the tuna from the liquid and dry it with paper towels. Toss the mesclun with the marinade. Stuff the pocket with the mesclun, still drenched in the liquid. Seal the pocket opening with a couple of toothpicks. Grill the tuna, turning once, about 5 minutes per inch of thickness (if your steak is 1 1/2 inches thick, for example, turn it after about 4 minutes and cook 3 or 4 minutes more). It will be quite rare; if you want to cook it more, go right ahead. Serve, cut into quarters or 1/2 inch thick slices.

Steamed Beet Greens with Oregano

About 1 1/2 pounds beet greens, washed and trimmed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup fruity olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano or marjoram, minced, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steam the beet greens just until tender. Rinse them under cool water, then press out the moisture as much as you can. Chop finely.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano or marjoram. Dress the beet greens with this mixture, season to taste; serve at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings; 15 minutes.

Pasta with Greens and Ricotta
1 bunch tat soi
1 bunch red Russian kale, tough stalks removed (about 4 cups chopped)
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
dash of salt and ground black pepper
1/4 ground nutmeg
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 pound pasta (fettuccine, penne, macaroni, fusilli, butterflies or shells)
grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled ricotta salata
chopped tomatoes
toasted walnuts or pine nuts

Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil.

While the water heats, rinse the tat soi and kale well, shake off any excess water, and chop coarsely. Saute the garlic in the oil for a minute, until soft and golden, taking care not to scorch it. Add the damp greens and saute, stirring often, until they are wilted but still bright green. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and remove from the heat. In a blended, puree the cooked greens with the ricotta until smooth and evenly colored. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

When the water boils, stir in the pasta, cover, and return to a boil. Then uncover the pot and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta and immediately toss it with the sauce in a warmed serving bowl. Top with Parmesan or crumbled ricotta salata, tomatoes and/or toasted walnuts or pine nuts.

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home

And here's a link to a radish greens recipe as well.

Hope y'all are keeping cozy. We hope to see you tomorrow at market!

playing catch up

2010-11-22T12:19:00.001-05:00

Hi y'all!

We finally found our camera and the battery charger, so I took some snap shots yesterday afternoon/evening to update the blog. As you'll see, the chicks are well on their way to being full blown adolescents. The roosters finally have their crowing figured out. For some time all we got out of them was a "cock-a-..." and no "doodle doo" of any kind. It was amusing for a while - and just as our amusement was about to wear off, they figured it out. At the moment we have three roosters: Ted, Bocephus, and Uncle Jesse (of the Dukes of Hazard variety, not Full House). We're still reluctant to have to get rid of any of them, as they're growing on us, but we're also practical. We've decided that Uncle Jesse is the best suited rooster for the coop. He's the least "chicken-y" guy of the three, he's extremely protective, but he also lets us hold him, although I don't think he cares for it very much. The hens show no sign of laying eggs any time soon, but they're really not ready to lay yet anyway. They're almost 4 months old and they really shouldn't be ready until the beginning of 2011 (but we're hoping we have a couple early layers by the solstice). The guy above the right is Ted.

The fella in the frying pan above, humorously the one we will keep, is Uncle Jesse.

The white rooster above is Bocephus. He's kind of the biggest "chicken" of the three, so I had a hard time getting a picture of his face. Maybe I'll have better luck next time.

(Above) My dad and Ben built the low tunnel in the middle and the hoop house to the right (Ben built the one on the left all by himself while I was in D.C.).

Below is tat soi. It's an Asian green that tastes kind of like spinach and bok choy crossed (although I think it leans more toward spinach).

Below is a head of oak leaf lettuce. It's one of my favorites. I love that that color of green actually occurs in nature! :)

red Russian kale (below)

Then, in order, we have broccoli, a field of broccoli, red cabbage and collards, and finally, savoy cabbage.

That's it for now. Now that we've finally organized our lives a bit more, maybe we'll be posting more regularly and updating the farm pics. So much changes daily - but it's hard to tell when those changes are picture worthy.

Have a very happy Thanksgiving! Thank YOU for caring to keep up with us and take care!

Patricia & Ben

North Carolina in November: Seasonal Recipes

2010-11-15T15:43:00.000-05:00

Roasted Beets and Mango Salad
We have plenty of beets and salad greens in our garden outside today. Many of you going to market and in CSAs are receiving these items weekly lately. Here's a recipe to add some variety to what you usually do with beets or salads. When the recipe calls for "gourmet salad greens", realize you can make those with mixtures of things you have in your own gardens or in your shares. For instance, I would include fresh parsley, chopped kale, steam and chopped beet greens, tat soi, and, of course, lettuce in the mix.

2 large beets, trimmed
1/4 cup orange juice, divided
2 tablespoons lime juice, divided
1/4 teaspoon black peppter, divided
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 cups gourmet salad greens
1 cup diced peeled ripe mango (about 2 mangoes)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place beets in a baking dish, and bake at 425 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender. Cool beets. Combine 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Peel beets; but each into 8 wedges. Toss beets with orange juice mixture.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablesppon lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, honey mustard, oil and salt. Combine salad greens and diced mango. Drizzle with mustard mixture, and toss well to coat. Divide salad evenly among 4 plates, and top with beet wedges. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups salad and 4 beet wedges).

From: Cooking Light: Annual Recipes 2000, page 46.

We like to eat our daikon radishes so many ways. Most folks familiar with the radish either stir fry it (chopped - greens too!) or grate the root and eat it as a salad of some kind (Ben likes to mix his with grated carrot). However, the first way I was ever exposed to this crazy huge and flavorful radish is as a German dish. My mom and I like to eat our daikon radishes sliced and salted on top of buttered European style, hard rye bread. It's phenomenal! Ben and I get our favorite bread for this snack from the La Farm Bakery stand at the Western Wake Farmer's Market (but they have other locations). Here are a few other ideas for what you can do with your daikon (and other) radishes:

Daikon Radish Remoulade

1 lb.
3 tbsp.
4 tbsp.
1 tsp.
1/4 cup

daikon radish, peeled
Dijon-style mustard
olive oil
wine vinegar
minced fresh parsley leaves

Cut the daikon into 2-inch-long fine julienne strips or grate it coarse. Rinse a large bowl with hot water, dry it, and in it whisk the mustard with 3 tablespoons hot water. Add the oil in a slow stream, whisking until the dressing is emulsified, and whisk in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Add the daikon strips and the parsley and toss the mixture well. Serves 6.

Gourmet, April 1991

Daikon Radish Miso Soup

1 Qt. water

8 Tbsp. miso paste

1/2 cup chopped Daikon radish
tofu, chopped into small cubes
2 strands of chopped green onions

1. Add Daikon radish to slow boiling water, let cook for another 10 minutes or until soft. You can cut the Daikon anyway you like but if you slice it relatively thin (1/4 inch) and then cut in half so that they are half-moon shaped, it will cook faster.

2. Add miso paste. The best way is to take a small amount of the soup in a small bowl and mix the miso paste in there until it is evenly distributed, then pour the soup (with miso) back into the soup pot.

3. Remove the soup from heat immediately after adding the miso paste.

4. Add the tofu and green onions and serve!

Makes around 6 servings.

Cannellini Beans and Greens on Garlic Toast

3 cups water

12 cups torn kale (about 1 bunch)

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup diced seeded plum tomato (or canned diced tomatoes)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained

4 (1 1/2 ounce) slices country or peasant bread, toasted

3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a large Dutch oven; add kale. Cook 6 minutes or until tender; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and oregano; saute' 1 minute. Stir in kale, reserved liquid, and beans; cook 3 minutes.

3. Rub garlic halves on 1 side of each toast slice. Place toast slices, garlic sides up, on 4 plates; sprinkle each slice with 2 tablespoons cheese. Top each with 1 cup bean mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese. Yield: 4 servings.

Source: Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2000, page 104.

Well, I hope these recipes give you a few ideas. Remember to check out the recipe links to the right side of the screen. There are a bunch of other winter and spring recipes that work for the produce you're getting around these parts fresh right now. I'll try to post more recipes and some pictures soon.

Thanks for stopping by!

Glorious Greens! - They sure are pretty, but what do I do with them?

2010-10-27T13:30:00.000-04:00

So, the fall and winter seasons bring us lots of greens and lots of root vegetables. If you don't know what to do with them - and they're really quite versatile and easy to put in just about everything - they can pile up on you and make you feel like your bounty is a chore. This is the last thing we want folks to feel about their weekly produce shares, so I'm getting on the ball and getting to some of the recipes I find useful and inspirational. But I do need to let you know, that once you begin on the greens journey, you'll realize how extremely easy cooking and eating greens can be - and it's tasty and nutritious too!

Ben told me that a number of folks were asking about tatsoi and what to do with it, so I'll begin with it. Those green beauties to the left are tatsoi. Mark Bittman, author of Leafy Greens: An A-to-Z Guide of 30 Types of Greens Plus More Than 120 Delicious Recipes, breaks down the Asian greens (he refers to them as "Chinese cabbages") (21-22):

Nutritional information: High in beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, some B vitamins, and fiber. To cook: Heading cabbages can be treated much like green or red cabbage; bok choi can be used like chard. All Chinese cabbages are good in stir-fries and soups; braised, with or without meat; pickled (as in kimchee). Young Chinese cabbages, or the tatsoi variety, are excellent in salads. Substitutes: For bok choi, chard, which is close enough for most purposes; for the heading cabbages, common head cabbage; for tatsoi, young mustard, arugula, or cress.

Now, let me just tell you that you will figure out that you can substiute tatsoi for a lot of other things than Mark suggests above. I think it's a great substitute for spinach as well. I think the best way to figure out what you'd like to do with your greens is to try them raw and to try them braised with a little salt and pepper. Once you taste them in these two purist forms, you can decide on what types of flavors your palate is comfortable combining them with. Just to give you an idea of how easy it is to eat greens, I'll tell you what I did for breakfast this morning. First, I chopped up the turnip roots into diced pieces (two bunches worth). I let them simmer on low in a dollop of butter and a sprinkle of salt. As those simmered, I chopped the turnip greens and then added them to the pan. Then I placed a lid over the pan so the veggie juices would help cook the turnip roots and the greens (and it's always good to salt your greens as you place them in the pan - it helps wilt them and it disperses the salt more evenly when they're uncooked vs. cooked and bunched). In the meantime, I then chopped up one head of tatsoi and added it to the pan. Like spinach, it takes up a lot of pan space at first but then it wilts down quite a bit. I then put the lid back on the pan (this is a medium-sized typical frying pan - all metal). I then chopped up one head of bok choi. Okay - hold on. So, what's the count so far? Right now, we have two bunches of turnips, one head of tatsoi, one head of bok choi and a small dollop of butter. That sounds like A LOT of greens, and I suppose it is, but it really all does wilt down to a manageable bunch of greens. Okay, so back to the pan. Basically, I added all of the chopped greens in increments, so they all had time to wilt. Once all the greens were sufficiently wilted, I added 4 whisked eggs into the pan. I then let those eggs cook for about 4 minutes on low. In the meantime, I got out the block of sharp, white cheddar cheese and grated it over the top of the eggs. Finally, I turned the oven on to 350 degrees and placed the entire pan in the oven. I am a terrible omelet maker, so I do my egg omelets, fritata style (it sounds fancy, but it's really just a lazy person's omelet as far as I'm concerned). To be honest, I'm not sure how long those eggs were in the oven - somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes. The goal, of course, is to make sure you cooked it long enough to cook the eggs through (unless you like your eggs a bit wet, in which case, I suppose that's not your goal...). Anyway, you should be able to see whether the eggs are cooked to your liking. If the visuals are uncertain, you can always just poke at them to feel their texture - but don't burn yourself! Once the dish is cooked to your satisfaction, take it out of the oven and scoop some out, add a little salt and pepper (or any condiments you usually eat with your eggs - I'm a fan of hot sauce, but I know some folks really like ketchup on their eggs) and enjoy! :) Whew! That sure does sounds like a lot of work (and food - but there are not usually any left overs in our house, but when there are we just reheat them for lunch or the following morning's breakfast) when I look at what I typed, but the whole process takes me less than 20 minutes and I listen to the news on NPR and drink my morning coffee as I cook. I also make the chickens' breakfasts as I prep our food. They like pretty much every vegetable we chop up and give them (all but eggplant, peppers, and onions), so it's nice to feed them the things I would normally toss in the compost bin.

Okay, so that's one idea :). I'll leave you with some other recipes, written by the experts who aren't nearly as long winded as myself. These recipes call for particular greens, but you can substitute them for others. I use tatsoi and spinach interchangeably. I even cooked chopped turnips and greens and bok choi and put them in a white sauce lasagna for our CSA potluck/Oktoberfeast. It was a hit and I don't think anyone realized they were eating something so "exotic" as Asian greens in their lasagna :).

Spinach and Egg Soup (Bittman 1995: 67)
1 pound spinach (I would also use kale, tat soi, beet greens or turnip greens for this recipe - or even a combination of greens)
2 tablespoons butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
5 to 6 cups of good chicken stock (my note: you can certainly substitute vegetable stock)
2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Steam or parboil the spinach until it wilts. Cool it under cold water, squeeze it dry, and chop.
2. Melt the butter in a 4- to 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the stock and bring it to a gentle simmer. Beat the eggs with half the Parmesan and add them to the soup. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are cooked and soup is thick. Serve with break, passing the remaining Parmesan at the table.

Turnip Greens with Potatoes (Bittman 1995: 110)

2 tablespons peanut or vegetable oil (I use sesame oil)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 pound turnip greens
2 small red potatoes, about 1/2 pound, washed well and peeled if desired, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teasppon rise or wine vinegar

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to color; add the remaining spice and cook, stirring, until the mixture is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the turnip greens, the potatoes, and the stock or water, stir, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, checking and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes, until the potato is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Raise the heat to high and boil off excess liquid, if any. Season to taste, drizzle with vinegar, and serve immediately.

You can also use collards, cress, dandelions, kale, mizuna, mustard, tatsoi or bok choi. I usually decide on what to use depending on, first, what we have and need to use and second, depending on what I flavors I want in my meal. A lot of times, I just throw all the greens together, since we almost always wind up taking at least a few greens back home from the CSA drop or from market - even after donating to the Interfaith Food Shuttle.

Well, hopefully I've given y'all some ideas for how to start using your greens. If you have favorite things to do with your greens, please feel free to post your recipes or send them my way via e-mail at parker.patricia@gmail.com.

Also, please do check out the links at the right side of the page under the heading "labels". There are a number of recipes and I tried to always label what was used in those recipes, so they'd be easy to search.

Funny How Time Slips Away

2010-08-29T17:57:00.001-04:00

Today I went through the pictures on our camera and found quite a few from the past month or so. It seems I've gotten a little behind sharing pictures and other tidbits on this here blog - so I'll be doing that. But before I get there, I do want to remind y'all that we are still accepting Fall CSA members. Please take a look at our brochure here. Our CSA will run for 12 weeks, costs $210 for a half share and $315 for a full share, and we'll be offering a number of yummy fall vegetables including: arugula, beets, bok choi, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, collards, dandelion greens, herbs, kale, kohlrahbi, leeks, lettuce, mesclun, mustard greens, parsnips, peas, radishes, scallion, swiss chard, tatsoi, and turnips. Some folks like to split shares with friends or family members. Please feel free to give us a call or send us an e-mail if you have any questions or concerns regarding the fall CSA membership. We look forward to hearing from you soon and we also look forward to sharing the bounty of autumn with y'all. To the

These are the veggie kabobs we ate last night. Aren't they pretty?

So, as I said, it's been a while since we posted pictures and since we posted here in general - so I'm going to try to do a quick recap of what's gone on here on Two Trees Farm for the last month or so. It was Ben's 31st birthday at the end of July. We know we're finally adults this year, because instead of going out and celebrating our birthdays (my 30th and his 31st), we worked. But, that doesn't mean we didn't find ways to make each others' birthdays nice. I made Ben a yummy chocolate zucchini cake for his birthday. I also made moussaka for the first time. It took about 4 hours, but it was well worth the wait. All in all, I think Ben enjoyed his birthday.

Here's me picking Japanese eggplant a few weeks ago.

The plants are much taller and uber-prolific these days.

We also got our mail order chicks from Murray McMurray at the beginning of this month. They're a little over three weeks old now. Ben and I spent a lot of time getting the chicken coop in the barn ready for our newest farm members. Ben dug out all over the ground of the coop, so we could lay down hardware wire and cover it back up with dirt (to keep burrowing critters out). We also placed scrap wood from Beth's farmhouse all over the inside walls - again, to keep critters out (but this time, crawling/wall scaling ones).

Here's Ben taking a short break from digging in the dirt.

August 3rd, 27 cutie pie little chicks arrived at the Clayton post office for us. The post office called us at 8am letting us know they'd come in. We were allowed to pick up our chicks at the back entrance and hours before the post office opened due to fragility of our "package".Sadly, we don't have any pictures of the chicks in their mailed box. We were too excited about getting them out and getting them watered and fed, that the camera was the last thing on our minds. I'm posting pictures of the chicks at about a week old here. They're MUCH bigger now - and those pictures will come soon - maybe next time.

This is Amelia, the first chick to fly, watching the others from her perch.

Once we were able to get through the most vulnerable time for the chicks, Ben started working on building a hoop house. We'll be using it to start seedlings for now. I'll let Ben tell y'all all about it when he posts next time. In the meantime, here are some of the pictures.

Here's Ben. Proud of his house :).

And here are Ben and Charlie, checking out the progress of the butter beans.

This is Ben in the midst of the okra (some of which is ridiculously tall!).

And finally, here's Ben watering the seedlings in the hoop house.

As usual, thanks for stopping by and taking a look around. We hope you're having a fantastic Sunday afternoon. Enjoy the heat before it's gone ;).

Ben's Produce is One Year Old

2010-08-16T14:54:00.000-04:00

This month marks our one year anniversary as Ben's Produce! We are thankful for the support of everyone that has helped make Ben's Produce possible: all those on and around Sasser Street, our long time friends and family who support us with everything we do, Peace China, Double-T Farm, Two Trees Farm, a number of folks from the NC State Sociology department, our CSA members, the Western Wake Farmer's Market, Bickett Market, Market Restaurant, and Angelina's Kitchen (for more info about some of these supporters, please refer to the links on the left side of your screen). We couldn't have done or continue doing this without all of you! Thank you SO very much. We are sincerely honored and grateful to have you in our lives.

____________________________________________________________________________________
On a related note, today one of our CSA members and friends sent Ben and I a link to an article in the News and Observer. You can access the article here. Basically, the article talked about produce box delivery programs in the area - that they're more convenient than going to the farmers' market or picking up for a CSA. While I do think that these programs have their advantages, I think they risk trading community for convenience. The article prompted me to write a letter to the editor - the first I've ever written. These letters have a word count maximum of 200 words - and as I'm sure you well know by now, I have difficulties being brief :) - but I managed. Here's what I wrote (190 words):
____________________________________________________________________________________
While CSA may be inconvenient in comparison to produce delivery, it does provide for more transparency, community building, and mutually beneficial relationships - BEYOND consumer/seller relationships. As a very small farm (we grow on less than one acre) without bank loans or credit cards, the CSA model allows us to grow healthy food for our community. Members' early monetary contributions (there is a payment plan) are what enable us to purchase essential farm materials. This farm box model may work well for people who already have the funding to purchase the goods they need on the farm. But this model also means food travels farther and people don't get to know their farmers. I strongly believe that CSA should and does create community. While this farm box business does create a valuable service for consumers, we hope our CSA does more than that - albeit a little less conveniently. I hope this trend doesn't mean an end to CSA. I also hope it doesn't mean the local movement will be co-opted by corporations (as has happened with organic). This middle man business sounds a lot like "business as usual" to me.
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I'm curious to hear what y'all think. What kinds of food experiences do you find to be the most rewarding? Do you feel a sense of community when you go to the farmer's market or when you go to your CSA pick up? What suggestions do you have for CSAs and for Ben's Produce more specifically for improving community?

We would like to offer a farm dinner to our CSA members. I am not sure when we'll be able to do this. We are still sharing our living space with Beth and the kids (the farm house construction is taking WAY longer than anticipated). We would like to be settled in before we attempt to host a dinner - so it may not happen for another month or two. I suppose it may not happen at all this year - but if that's the case, we'll be certain to do one as soon as the weather (and the harvest) permits next year. I know I enjoy home cooked dinners with new and old friends alike. Of course, if we offer a large scale dinner, we might have to enlist the help of you all in the form of a pot luck (but we would certainly provide most of the food). And sharing is always nice :).

Please respond here with your comments or e-mail me at parker.patricia@gmail.com. We would very much appreciate your feedback - members and non-members alike.

As usual, thanks for stopping by!

Announcing our Fall 2010 CSA!

2010-08-05T00:33:00.000-04:00

Hi y'all!

We're offering a Fall CSA share this year. It's gonna be good and you know you want one ;) ... especially if you like fresh, organic, locally grown produce (espeically green produce - it's the fall afterall!). You can access our Fall CSA Brochure HERE. Please check it out and spread the word. The CSA can and does build community. At best, we'll become friends. Real ones. Pals and confidants, even. At worst, we'll have a better relationship than we would have if you bought your produce at a grocery store (especially a chain) and we worked at one/sold to one. Basically: it's a WIN WIN situation :).

Alrighty! I'm done with that. If you're not convinced - well, I might just have to do some more convincin' - but hopefully you'll sign on if you can. Even if you're not interested in (or able to do) the CSA thing this Fall - please talk to us. We'd love to hear your comments, recipes and just plain ol' stories. Give us a call. Leave a comment here. Email us. Message us on Facebook in internetland OR Stop by the farm (but please do call and schedule with us first)! We'd love to have you.

Emphatically,
Patricia & Ben

Eggplant Glorious Eggplant!

2010-08-02T11:00:00.000-04:00

Our eggplant varieties are growing in full force. We have about 400 plants and five varieties. We're growing the basic Italian globes, white globes, rosa biancas and two different Japanese varieties. Most of you are probably most familiar with the classic Italian globes. These types are tasty and they are what most grocery stores offer. They are also the type that most people use when making eggplant Parmesan. However, this particular variety is also the most bitter of the ones we are growing. This is why most recipes call for salting the eggplant prior to cooking it. The other varieties we are growing are much sweeter in comparison (especially the Japanese eggplant) and do not require the salting process. If you'd like to learn more about these different types of eggplant and you'd like to take a look at some tasty recipes, please check out the I Love Eggplant! website.

Pictured below are the classic Italian globe (the larger variety) and the two types of Japanese eggplant we're growing.

Of course, this is the white variety (sweeter than the classic globe).

And this is the rosa bianca variety.

If the I Love Eggplant! site doesn't give you enough ideas on what to do with your eggplant, let me offer you a few more suggestions. Last week (July 26th) was Ben's birthday. For his birthday I made chocolate zucchini cake and for dinner, moussaka. Moussaka takes quite a while to make (almost 3 hours including prep and bakind time) - but it is well worth it! Here's a link to the recipe I used. I did not salt the eggplant. Also, I think that while the breading was tasty, I could definitely forgoe it in the future so as to cut down on the prep time. I think next time I'm just going to sprinkle bread crumbs into the mix. Finally, since we did not have ground lamb on hand, I used ground beef. While lamb is better for this recipe, the spices in the beef worked well (and since I couldn't find all the necessary spices the recipe called for, I used a pumpkin pie spice mix we had - which also worked well).

A much easier way to make an eggplant dish is to make the classic Baba Ganoush dish. You simply roast the eggplant, scoop it out and puree it with the other ingredients. You will need to get tahini (sesame paste) to make this dish. If you're not familiar with it, here's some info. Here's a link to a particularly tasty recipe (I don't think the parsley, cilantro or chili powder are essential - but you definitely need the rest of the ingredients).

Finally, the Japanese eggplant varieties lend themselves to easy stir fry. We like to eat them in a green coconut curry. The Italian varieties are great for grilling.

I hope I've been able to help y'all get the creative juices flowing. Please do submit any recipes you enjoy or any other comments regarding the recipes or info I've posted here.

Thanks for stopping by! And for a little fun, I'll leave you with a couple images of some eggplant critters :).

Eggplant penguins

Eggpant chicken

A Day in the Life

2010-07-25T10:54:00.000-04:00

over an inch of rain - - - finally!

more squash, leeks, scallions, collards, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, cabbage

we'll have chickens in here soon

cucumbers

sugar baby in the rough

desert king - it's orange and yellow on the inside - not your typical watermelon

eggplant

eggplant up close and personal

string bean green beans

our tomato plants are ridiculously tall

can't wait til the corn's ready

Jeremiah the bullfrog's home

See y'all again soon!

Ben's Produce Summer Spaghetti

2010-07-24T15:04:00.001-04:00

Ingredients
1 summer squash
1 Japanese eggplant
2 small red onions
3 tomatoes
fresh basil sprigs
1 tablespoon olive oil
8-16 ounces cooked pasta
shredded Parmesan
salt, pepper, garlic (diced)
1 pound ground beef from Smith Angus Farm

Preparation
1. Dice tomatoes. Reserve about half for garnish.
2. Chop, slice or dice remaining vegetables (with peels on).
3. Brown beef with onions and garlic (or just onions and garlic with oil if you're not using beef).
4. Add vegetables (eggplant first); let cook until tender.
5. Toss sauce and pasta. Add salt, pepper, raw diced tomato and fresh chopped basil as garnish.

ENJOY!