Cooking Class Anyone?

Hello,

I was having a brainstorm the other day...some people have mentioned to me that they would like to learn how to preserve produce from the garden. My mind jumped immediately to the fact that the knowledge from my Grandmother's generation is nearly extinct. People in previous generations survived, literally, from local (if not self) production of most everything they used or needed in their everyday life.

Many people are amazed when I tell them that most everything my family eats comes from a local source, is preserved by us, or is baked or cooked by Mike, the kids or me. Unfortunately, coffee, chocolate and Indian spices will never (at least, hopefully, in my lifetime) grow in Northern NY. Oranges, pineapples and MacKenzie's favorite, grapefruit, will also forever be tropical fruits. So, there are a few purchases made from the grocery store. Almost, everything else is either grown on our land or by people we know. In short, we cook and thrive on the knowledge that we know how to feed ourselves wholesome, healthful food. Ian and MacKenzie will go out into the world with this knowledge to pass onto another generation.


So back to the brainstorm, I was thinking it would be fun to offer cooking classes, to teach people how to cook with basic, non-processed, unboxed ingredients. I would offer a class in late June or early July to teach folks how to use fresh veggies from the garden at the height of the season. There would be a canning class in August, to demystify the pressure canning process. Many folks have told me they are truly frightened of the pressure canner because of some story they heard about their grandmother or great grandmother having one blow up. Todays canners are so much safer. If used properly, there are no worries. I would hold a third class in the late fall to show folks how to use the food they have on hand in their kitchens, that has been preserved from the harvest or purchased in bulk.

I need some feedback, now. Is this a good idea? How many people would sign up? Let's start a dialog.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Maria

Farmers Markets

Zen Garden Gate

This coming Saturday, May 15th, is the grand opening of the Potsdam Farmer's Market. The market has moved,this year, to the back of the parking lot next to Ives Park.

Up until Saturday when it got cold and snowed on the gardens, again, we had planned to have quite a selection (for early May) available for sale.

We will have: wild leeks, rhubarb, mint, chives and eggs for sure. We were hoping for radishes and lettuce. Unless it gets really hot in the next few days, don't count on those.

See you at Market

Are you kidding?

These are our girls. We have 14 chickens, that produce
an average of 10 eggs every day.

Hi Folks,

Everything was moving along nicely; lettuce, spinach and peas were poking their first leaves through the soil. We were even feeling a bit complacent. "Hey, this is easy. We plant, the seeds grow, we weed and water, everything is good."

Then BAM, 14 inches of snow in Pierrepont! In the middle of April, no less! A blanket of white covered our garden, the lawn and our forest. Trees were bent nearly in half, some branches broke from the weight. The trip 'down' the hill from home to Canton was surreal. There was definitely less on the CSA garden at Farmer Bill's. But, it was still snow.


Of course, some people call it poor man's fertilizer. That may be true; the plants certainly didn't seem to mind. They actually looked taller and greener, once the snow melted. It certainly was a downer though. Everyone was grumpy and grumbly. The kids at Little River spent Tuesday and Wednesday inside during break. They were not happy to be stuck in the school and the teachers were not excited that they had no outlet for their rambunctious energy.

The good news, it will be in the 60's today and in the 70's by Saturday!

The challenges of growing in the North Country. You gotta love it!

A brief update (and pictures!)

The last couple of weeks have seen Mike and I, (Ian), rototillin' preppin' rows, buildin' our washstand, and rototillin' some more. Besides the two or three days thirty-degree days, we have had beautifull working conditions; upper eighties, sunny skies...let's hope the rest of the farming season is this nice!
The garlic is about four inches high already, and we've already planted peas, spinach and lettuce.

Spring in Sight?

Hello Folks,

As we drive around the North Country, we can see signs of spring. Snow is nearly melted, sun is shining, sap buckets are hanging and people look happy to be outside. Then we drive back up to Bonno Rd and there is still at least a foot of snow on the ground. Oh well, at least the buckets are hanging collecting liquid gold and the sun is shining. Our batteries have been fully charged for the last week. What a good feeling after a winter of cloudy skies.

We have made a bit over a gallon of syrup, so far. Yesterday there was a bumper crop of sap. Mike collected 15 gals! The syrup is amazing this year; so incredibly sweet. It always tastes better when it comes from your own trees.

Mike is starting to work over at Farmer Bill's. He cut a tree today to get more sunshine on the gardens. He'll be in the greenhouse planting, soon.

The number of days left in the school year are dwindling fast. The kids at Little River have gone from sledding to running around the field during break time. Spring fever is definitely in the air. Attention spans are dwindling almost as fast as the number of days.

Enjoy the sun and warmth.
Maria

Hunger in the North Country

Hi Folks,

Last Thursday a group of like minded individuals met at St Lawrence University to discuss the growing problem of hunger in the North Country.

It was officially entitled: Democracy in Action: No Politics just Service and the theme was: Hunger in the North Country.

The conference was attended by farmers, an official from the DSS Food Stamps division, food pantry leaders, free will dinner organizers, SLU students, GardenShare representatives, UShare garden organizers and members of the general public who have an interest in creating solutions for the growing problem of hunger in the North Country.

We defined a few of the contributing factors to the problem of hunger here in St. Lawrence County. The first issue was resistance to receiving help. Many people are eligible for food stamps and other assistance, but are leery of the bureaucratic process. The second issue is transportation. There are many people who do not have access to transportation. There is a bus service, however the schedule has not proven very reliable. The third issue is lack of jobs and the fourth is the jobs that are available are generally low income.

The conference was divided into four tables: farmers, food pantry, free-will dinners and meals on wheels. After listening to Brian Bennett, a local farmer, talk about his vision. There was then a panel of five community leaders who answered questions from the student facilitators. At the end, each of the tables discussed solutions for the identified problems.

When it came to brain storming solutions many people had many ideas. Here are a few: we agreed that the organizations that work to help the neediest in our county are doing a great job. They, however, need more support from the community in the form of volunteers. The Free-Will dinner organizers can help the U-Share garden folks with the late harvest and can then use the food in their meals. The idea of canning and freezing surplus for later use was raised. To help with the transportation issue: it was suggested that those of us who have cars and use them regularly, take the bus more often. This would increase ridership and help the schedulers work out routes that work for more people. One thought that continually returned was the dichotomy of being rural, some see benefits others see the problems of being a rural community. Some thought being rural highlighted the isolation of people. Others see being rural an asset because it can create community and connections.

This session was just the beginning. It highlighted the number of people in the community who are dedicated to solving the problem.

If you are interested in joining this conversation or have time to volunteer...contact us and we can provide more information.

Take care all,
Maria

Snow!!!

Hello everyone,

Snow, snow and more snow. It has snowed almost everyday for the last ten days and it is still snowing! Hard to think about gardening while you are shoveling snow!

The one bonus: the ski trails are beautiful at our house. I am getting much better, as a novice skier, hills are my nemesis. The last three times out, I did not fall once. And yes, I did go down hills! I guess the other bonus is the gorgeous sight that meets the eyes every morning as the day dawns. Monochromatic is the best way to describe it. Everything is white.

I read in the local paper that maple syrup season may start early because of the warm daytime temperatures. With all of the new snow, I don't think that will be happening. Mike and Ian are ready to get out there and tap our few trees. We generally make about three gallons of our own. It is a smalltime operation. We tap about 10-15 trees the old fashioned way with metal taps and metal pails that have covers on them.

Our land was a sugar bush back in the day. When we purchased it, there was an old log boiling house. It had not been used in decades and was rotting into the ground. Mike tore it down and used the tin roofing to cover wood piles that dot our forest. It is amazing to know that the trees we tap were the same ones tapped 50 years ago. There are some old beauties growing close to our house. If trees could talk, they would have amazing stories to tell.

After the sap is gathered for the day, Mike builds a fire outside to start the boiling process. He has a large metal pan that is placed over the flames. As the sap boils, more is added to the pan. After several hours of boiling, the sap gets closer to syrup. We bring the pan inside and place it on the gas burner to finish off. There are scientific tools used to determine when it is syrup. We use a less perfect method. Sometimes we get syrup that is a bit watery, other times a little thick, occasionally it is just right. You may already know, it takes 30 or more gallons of sap to get one gallon of syrup. And you wondered why maple syrup is soooo expensive!

We have written the contract for the CSA and the list of veggies that will be available during the season. I will be sending those by email to the folks who have already indicated they will be signing up for the 2010 season. Please fill them out and send them back to us.

Enjoy the snow and remember, fresh veggies will be on your table before you know it.

Take care all,
Maria