Our First CSA...It's What Food Should Taste Like.

CSA boxes filled with Spring Veggies including the most delicious Mikola Butterhead Lettuce

What a big day for our farm and family! Last Wednesday we harvested a variety of vegetables for our members including some turnips, radishes, a couple salad heads, kale, and some asian greens to start. We are filling these boxes for ten weeks and we are so excited to share all this delicious food!  I am including a newsletter each week as well to keep everyone up to date with what is going on on the farm.  And there is always something going on on the farm!

I promise we didn't put this radish in the box.  These are what we use instead of sticks for Diogee to fetch.

Father and Daughter harvesting for first CSA

Rainbow Chard

Look at those colors! Too beautiful to eat. Almost.

Matt filling CSA boxes

We couldn't even close the boxes there were so many veggies in there!

Matt has been dreaming of this day for so long I had to take pictures for our memory books.  He has worked so hard and we both have been through so much just to get here and now that we are semi-settled into our house it's time to farm.  Starting from scratch is so hard but I believe it's the way it was supposed to be for us.  It makes us appreciate all the little things most people take for granted.  Like just waking up and going to check the plants in the greenhouse instead of driving back and forth each day.  Or waking up in the middle of the night to make sure the deer aren't feasting on our crops.  I think what will be the best thing is for our CSA members to see our work in constant progress with the hopes that they will be a physical part of the farm as well.  This way they can see their work and support of this farm grow!




We also survived the first tropical storm of the season last weekend which just so happened to be Mother's Day weekend and it rained non stop for two whole days.  We went to check on the field which by the way had quite a bit of water but the plants are just as healthy and hearty.  We came across a painted turtle which I had never seen before, on the way out to the vegetables.  The biodiversity on this farm is so wide, I'm so blessed to meet all these creatures for the first time with Juniper.  I didn't get to grow up with these animals and plants, and I am so glad I can show our daughter this way of life.
Thanks for reading our blog and feel free to drop us a line or two if you have any questions!
Cheers,
Steph and Matt

Plantains in the Garlic

Music Garlic: Should be ready to harvest come June/July

No, not the plantains you eat that look like bananas.  Plantain.  It's a great medicinal friend when you get stung, bit or just have the itches.  :)  So I was reading an herbal book the other night and came across the fact that beside most poisonous plants or plants that can harm you, typically resides the remedy.  How wondrous, and the more I thought about it, makes sense to me!  Especially when your 2 year old finds out about ant hills on the farm.  Well that happened last weekend and as I was rushing inside to remedy her with homeopathics,  I forgot to utilize what Nature gives us all around.  We have tons of wide leaf plantains all down the easement road which was the first herb I taught Bella about.  I guess when you are in the moment..... Next time however I will doubtlessly use our gifts from the land.  Oh yea she also discovered Bumble Bees haha.

Ah.... the Plantain.  Such a proliferating 'weed'.

Anyway I was pulling weeds today in the garlic rows,  I kept coming across all this plantain among two other common weeds.  I hated to pull it, but really there is an overabundance of it so I didn't feel so bad.  So I couldn't help but keep thinking about that book and realizing that beside the problem resides the remedy.  Next to all these anthills there is always plantain available.  Well, you ask, how do you use plantain to help bites and itches?  It's easy peasy, just chew up the leaves and spit them all out including the juices onto the bite.  You can dress with gauze if it's on hand but it really takes the sting right out! I had the fortunate experience a few summers back to try this out first hand.  I'll never forget that plant again! So simple yet so overlooked.  Seriously once you see what this plant looks like, you'll see it everywhere.  Words of advice however..... Please make sure while picking this plant and considering putting it in your mouth make sure it is far enough off any roadside and in an area that is not sprayed with yuck yuck.  Here on the farm, we just don't understand why you would poison your food or herbs and then eat them! Now that doesn't make any sense.  Happy herbal hunting everyone! Enjoy the Spring!

Once you recognize herbs commonly mistaken for 'weeds' you will see them everywhere!

From the Winter Doldrums to Spring Fever

Ahhh spring is finally in the air! The birds are singing and........... the dog is barking.  Juniper and I saw a bunny rabbit the other day hop across the path while we were walking out to the field and I just knew these winter storms have to be coming to an end.


Bella, Juniper and Luke with the "Winter Blues"

Bella, Juniper and I during the only snow here in NC 2015

Well, our CSA signups have officially kicked off and our plants are vibrant and waiting to be transplanted.  Everything looks great and I guess I should introduce some of our produce this spring.  We have a variety of Salad Heads such as Romaine Lettuces, Bibb Lettuces, and some Red Leaf Lettuces. Also there are several heirloom varieties of Cabbages, Broccolis, Asian Greens, Rainbow Chard and Onions.  Yesterday we finished planting our tomato sprouts and pepper sprouts are also coming up!  Oh and I can't forget the Kale, three different varieties to be exact.

Boy it's been a long winter, I'm so excited to get some fresh greens in my body.  We have officially exhausted our canned tomatoes and peppers that I worked so diligently on last summer.  Not bad for March, however we do plan to double, maybe triple that this year! Our goal is to eventually say 'If we don't grow it, we don't eat it!'  Except for fruits and some staple items obviously.  Buying produce at the store is really difficult for us. We are not purests by any means but we do try to practice what we preach. We believe you are what you eat and eating good food that is good for you keeps you healthy, happy and strong all the days long! Just look at Juniper's belly! She is still a vegan baby except for mama's milk haha. 

I am officially the market manager this year woohoo!!!!! Matt has promoted me and also given me the new job of maintaining the greenhouse. " Ha! I say, with a 20 month old?" So we bought a sand turtle and with a little help from big sister and brother we can work this farm like a family ought to! We are super excited to start our first CSA this season and we plan to give our customers the best of what we've got! We will also be giving ourselves a box each week to ensure not only quality but quantity is of value to everyone that is involved. That means we will be eating exactly what you (our members) will be eating each week with the exception of our staple items and condiments which I will share in weekly recipes to share ideas with our produce.

15 Varieties of Tomatoes.... Yummy

We plant each tomato plant individually in these trays to grow strong and healthy

 I hope everyone that reads this is ready for spring, wherever you are in the world. I wish I would have got a picture of that bunny rabbit because it was picture perfect for Easter but Juniper and I will have to keep that picture in our heads for years to come:)

Community Supported Agriculture.... What a CSA Means on our Farm



Well we made it through the holidays and the new year has quickly shown us that there is no time to waste! Rebuilding the greenhouse and getting Certified Organic is officially under way. Working out the plans for our CSA this year is also our most valued agenda because we feel it will be the most important thing to bring our community together and start the shift towards a more healthy and happy life.

 

 



Matt is working on rebuilding the greenhouse which really shouldn't take too long (*fingers crossed*) while I am organizing as much as I can inside to get ready for filing, newsletters and any other 'admin work' that I can do. Don't get me wrong I am about to embark on a new life with toddler in tow.  I hope to have Juniper set up in the greenhouse to help me work while planting and germinating seedlings for our upcoming season.  We are preparing this year for a 30 member CSA and one or two markets.  We are both very excited for this year on the farm and all the things that are happening.

I decided to write another blog about Community Supported Agriculture for a couple of reasons.  My first blog was from the standpoint of the customer side of things that supported a local organic farm, which you can view here on my personal blog The Conscious Kitchen.  Although I have not written in a while on that page I still recommend taking a look to see one way a CSA works.  Now as the years have gone by (and I have gone and gotten myself my own farmer, hehe) Matt and I have been reading and learning about different models of CSAs all across the country.  In a traditional model, the farmer receives payment up front to be able to purchase seeds and supplies for the farming season and  for a certain amount of time (usually weeks) during that growing season the families come out to the farm and pick up their boxes. In each box contains seasonal fruit, vegetables  and / or herbs that had been picked that day.  It really doesn't get any fresher than that folks.

 

 



CSAs have since evolved to drop off points and Internet orders where the customer can place an order for whatever he/she wants the next day.  Matt and I on the other hand, believe that farms build community and with that idea comes the desire to have families come out to the farm and be a part of the farm, whether it is through volunteering or picking up fresh produce that was picked that day.  We certainly understand how busy people's lives are these days and that driving to the farm to pick up vegetables every week could feel taxing but we honestly believe becoming part of the farm and supporting your local farmer can change communities and bring people together. Not to mention you're eating some of the most nutritious and delicious food on the planet.  I can promise you one thing:  you will have a very hard time shopping for produce at the grocery store after eating food that is as fresh as this.

We have decided to start small since this is our first year for a CSA and limit membership to 30 families.  We also wanted to have the pick ups each week for 10 weeks. Some seasons in other parts of the country run all year long and if things go well we are looking forward to a possible fall CSA which would be another 10 weeks.
If by chance you go to sign up and membership is full, don't worry we will still be working downtown river market this year on Saturdays.  There will be more details about market as information comes in.  The total cost for our Spring 2015 CSA membership is $222 for 10 weeks.  That equals out to $22 a week and our deadline for sign up will be April 1, 2015.  If you have any other questions please feel free to email us at healingearthfarmer@gmail.com  We look forward to this awesome new year and are very excited to share our food with you!


Thank you,
The Hartingers

Holy Shiitake!!

Fall Flush October 2014

We finally got our flush we have been waiting all year for!  Everyone has been asking all market season when we will have shiitakes. Well they have arrived :)  Matt and I cut mushrooms all morning and Juniper helped put them in the bags (She is such a good little helper already, plus she loves them too)



We don't recommend harvesting without scissors but since she is 16 months......this will have to do

This is our second year growing the mushrooms on logs that Matt inoculated over 2 years ago.  Matt actually cut all one hundred logs to specifics and drilled the holes to put the mycelia in. After those holes were covered in wax, we waited.  Hopefully we will get mushrooms for another 2 years or so, Matt told me the average life span of the logs producing is around 4 years.


Now, a little information about how beneficial Shiitake Mushrooms are for you: 

I managed an herb shop when I met Matt and I learned a tremendous amount about the immune building characteristics of mushrooms in general.  The only culinary experience with mushrooms I had was limited to portobellas and button mushrooms traditionally found at the supermarket.  The mushrooms that people were requesting for healing were from a different realm it seemed.  The three main ones were Shiitake, Maitake, and Reishi. There are many more to mention but because we are growing Shiitakes, I'll keep it cliffs notes style.  Each mushroom has its own wonderful healing properties that can be very specific, for example Cordeceps are a mushroom found growing on a caterpillars head and it can be used for stamina and energy.  The common denominator found with these mushrooms is that they have been found to build immunity and strengthen the body to fight off viruses, bacteria and reverse some diseases. 

Multiple mushrooms explode from the bark:  Some holes even produce 2 or 3 mushrooms at a time.

Shiitakes are amazing not only because they are so delicious and versatile to cook with,  but they also help stave off the cooties.  If you would like to know the nutritional value and some other really nice information about the health benefits of Shiitake Mushrooms, click here .  I wondered if we were to have been mushroom hunting instead of gathering what we have grown, would come across wild shiitakes.  If there are any hunters out there reading this, any information would be greatly appreciated.  I read that the percentage is low and that China is the number one grower/exporter of Shiitakes. Which brings me to another important keynote:  Make sure any mushroom you buy is organic; mushrooms are sponges and they absorb any and all environmental toxins surrounding them.  And it is very important to store them in paper bags in the refrigerator since the moisture level is pretty high. If they are stored in plastic bags the mushrooms will be ruined, unless you are like us and eat them too fast to store them:))



Now that is a lot of mushrooms! Juniper can't keep her hands off of them.

So what do I do with our flushes and all the mushrooms we get to eat???? Well simply, we saute them with butter after slicing them. YUM.  I also dehydrate a good bit to make sure we have some for winter.  I plan to make a nice creamy soup tonight and am looking forward to maybe making some tinctures in case we get any cooties come through the household.  Remember how anti-viral they can be?  I'll post the recipe for Creamy Mushroom Soup below which I have also frozen for casserole dishes to use later.  Either way we will be at Poplar Grove on Wednesday with our last flush of the year and hopefully will get some more cuttings for Saturday's Downtown Rivermarket in Wilmington.  Hope to see you there and Enjoy!!!





Recipe for Creamy Mushroom Soup   

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2-3 cloves Garlic (crushed and minced)
2 yellow onions ( diced )
2 lbs shiitake mushrooms (diced)
1 pint of coconut milk
1 cup vegetable stock


Saute garlic in oil until brown. Add onions and saute until translucent then add half the amount of chopped mushrooms.  Transfer all cooked ingredients into blender and add coconut milk. Blend until smooth then add back to pot to simmer with the vegetable stock. Add stock slowly until desired consistency.  Serve with crackers.

Harvest Days: Perfect Lunch for a Vegetarian

After harvesting for the market today, I thought it would be nice to share (or brag, for that matter) how delicious and spectacular my lunch was this afternoon.  Of course I have taste for quality control and make sure I can explain what our food tastes like freshly picked.

Thinning with the block system

I have been sprouting for some time now and trying to get into growing microgreens however I cannot rationalize the economics behind all that since I know what goes into planting them.  Please don't get me wrong, I stand strong with the belief that the nutritious benefits from sprouts and microgreens are of the utmost healing and alkalizing however, the difference between sprouting and growing microgreens are significantly different. First, with microgreens you need a medium which can be costly if your standards are as strict as ours. We get our soil mix from Seven Springs in the Raleigh area which is organic and yes we drive up there to get it.  Then there is the cost of the seed itself.  You would have to purchase bulk for sure but unless you are saving your own seed which is a whole other topic I cannot imagine that being economically beneficial either. 

My point with all this rambling is how lucky I am when it's time to thin the transplants before actually transplanting them to the ground. My midday snack is basically microgreens!  In order to ensure the plants do not get too 'leggy'  we have to keep a watchful eye on their growth.  Because we use the block system, and depending on the germination rate of the seed we use (biodynamic seeds seem to have an excellent germination rate by the way)  we typically put 2-3 seeds in each block.  Once they sprout and start growing, we need all the energy to go into only one seedling, so we have to thin them.  I don't know if most growers just toss the sprout but I collect them all for one big handful of nutritious deliciousness!  I especially love the brassicas.  They tend to have the most flavor and sometimes I like to close my eyes to taste and figure out which one is which.  Kales, broccoli, mustards, cabbages, you name it they are all wonderful.

Transplants

Well we just finished thinning our next succession of transplants and they should be ready in the next week or so to go into the ground. We have a few nice rows of arugula and salad mixes in the ground already.  Our favorite mix hands down is the Asian Green Mix which has a combination of Tatsoi, Mizuna, Red Russian Kale, and some Mustard for flavor.  Overall, the mix is not hot because of the mustard, it really just adds flavor.  You will find the recipe for what I do with this salad below. Although it can be a nice braising mix, we prefer it as a raw salad. The freshness is something I have never experienced before we started growing our food.



Asian Mixed Greens w/ Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms

Recipe for Asian Mixed Salad:              
Makes 2 Large Salads

1/2 lb of our Asian Greens
1 Red Onion (sliced)
2 Tbsp Organic Raw Sugar
1 Mango (peeled and diced)
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
2 Tbsp of Tamari Sauce

Basically the onions need to be caramalized and everything else is self explanatory.  I usually saute the onions in coconut oil when making this salad but you can use olive oil if that is all that is on hand.  After the onions are translucent add the sugar and stir til dissolved. Turn down the burner to a low temp and let cook for about 15-20 mins.
Arrange the salad as you like and add Tamari at the end for taste.  Sometimes we don't even use it for a salad dressing. The flavors come through just right with all the other ingredients. I use Tamari because it has a less salty flavor than traditional soy sauce.  Enjoy!



Chasing Butterflies

This is one plot Matt has been working all summer. Getting ready for fall.

Well it's the autumnal equinox and we survived the summer. The rain didn't flood us out, too bad anyway.  The mosquitoes didn't kill us and the deer are the most healthy deer around the area I'm sure. My apologies for those of you who have been checking in to see what we have been up to.  I must admit I really thought I would have the time and energy to write and keep up on the happenings. I was mistaken.

To catch you up to speed, we have planted our fall crops and our seed starts are hanging out waiting for the greenhouse to get rebuilt.  We have officially made a full transition off the old rented land and we are finally settled into our new place.  The only thing left to get is our shiitake logs which we are keeping our fingers crossed for another nice flush before the holidays.   I really cannot take any credit for all the hard work that has been done around here except feeding the boys 3 squares and chasing a baby chasing me while I clean.  I did manage to get some tomatoes canned, peppers and eggplants froze and a few disasters in between.  I'm still finding tomato chutney in some corners. 

Cheese:)

We originally planned to take August off from market but when we came back from family vacation, everything was under water and one thing leads to another and you see, 'tis farm life.  We are patiently waiting for the arugula and radishes to be ready for harvest as well as our lettuce heads of course.  Our ETA at market is first of October now.  And that is ok. When you do what we do, you have to learn patience and the rewards are plush. 

This isn't the first time it's happened. Haha

So what is in the ground? Well we have butternut squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, radishes, carrots, arugula, salad heads chard and Asian greens. Oh and cabbage, which reminds me, I am working on my fermentation skills. I have dabbled a bit with water kefir and krauts as well as some rejuvelacs for nut cheeses but I found a book at the library titled Fermented Foods for Health by Deirdre Rawlings.  It not only reinforced my desire to ferment our food but was a very informative book about the importance of probiotics, and I recommend it highly. 

It was nice to sit down for a minute and write, I hope to keep up with it now that we are settled and have some schedule now. Check back occasionally to see what else we have in store after markets end! We are planning on a busy winter clearing land and establishing connections through a CSA.  Feel free to drop comments or emails to the Hartingers.  We welcome support from the community. 

Sometimes you just don't even need a tractor.

Transplanting 800 kale plants. Matt and baby helped.

Recipe for Tomato Chutney

2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 small cloves garlic
6-8 cardamom pods
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper ( depends how spicy you like it)
Garam Marsala to taste

1/2 medium sized red onion
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp. coconut vinegar

In a skillet heat oil and saute garlic with cardamom pods.  (You will need to fish these pods out after the dish is complete so take note how many you put in :))) Add crushed red pepper until spices are fragrant. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Stir in chopped tomatoes and vinegar and let simmer for about 15 minutes. 

Once you've got your desired taste down, remove and discard all cardamom pods.  Transfer chutney to bullet or blender and blend to desired consistency. Serve with crackers and cheese if you like.
Yum!