Market Menu for March 1, 2014

We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, March 1, 2014. We are at the fair ground for winter market this week.  (New items are in Bold Print)

Salsa - Brandywine, Cherry Tomatoe, Roasted Roma, Hot'n'Sweet, Jalapeno Jelly (yum)

Candy Carrots
Red Onions
Garlic (We ran out of garlic, but shallots are a good substitute, see "shallot week posts")
SHALLOTS
Leeks
Sweet Spanish Onions - these babies are very sweet.
Chipolini Onions - limited supply
Dried egg plant (see recent blog posts)
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Lisa's Soap

Watershed Moments - Farming

The journey back to the farm was a watershed moment. In an act of serendipity when Andrea was 3 years old we had some extra spring garden produce.

Watershed Moments - Silicon Valley

Even if you know us, you probably didn't know that we were in California when Andrea was born. We lived in Silicon Valley just down the road from the then struggling Apple Inc., about 15 miles from Gilroy the garlic capital of the world and about two hours from the Napa Valley vineyards.

Honors Choirs Voices Concert - A Song Sung Well

We had a phenomenal Honors Choir concert Sunday afternoon. All the choirs did a great job. The concert was even more impressive given they had missed several practices due to weather. The theme of the concert was the "Music of the Stage and Screen". They had some really cool renditions of  "Green Eggs and Ham", "Rock Island", "The Sun with Come Out Tomorrow" and "Some Where Over the Rainbow". These were my favorites.

When I was sitting in the audience I was thinking about what  makes the Honors Choir experience so powerful for the singers. Is it just the joy of "a song sung well" or is it something more?

Watershed Moments - Parenting

One of those watershed moments for every parent is the birth of your first child. Farm families are intimately familiar with the annual cycle of renewal. Lambing, calving, farrowing, budding of perennials and planting the new crop in the spring, all have a promise of blessing, potential and great things to come. But the blessing of a human child dwarfs all these other births combined

Watershed Moments - Marriage

There are many relationships in our lives that are important but the decision on who to marry is one of the most far reaching.

Watershed Moments - Graduation

The transition from college to career is one of the watershed moments in our lives. It is a pivotal moment of decision, investment and commitment.  Work is the biggest tool we have to generate income and make an impact on the world around us.

Watershed Moments - Never Quit

In her book, "Watershed Moments", Gari Meacham says, "A watershed moment is a turning point brought on by circumstances that stop us in our tracks. Some call it epiphany. A moment when everything changes. A point in time when nothing will ever be the same. Like a compass that provides direction, these are the moments that move us to new ways of thinking, relating, discerning and accepting life's challenges." In this series we will consider some of my "watershed moments" some will apply to farming and some are just life.

Watershed Moments - Work

We spend a great deal of time at our work over the course of our lives. While work should not defined who we are, work is the biggest tool we have to generate income and contribute to the world around us.

Watershed Moments - A Farmers Best Friend

If diamonds are "a girls best friend" according to the DeBeers marketing campaign, and a dog is man's best friend according to legend, then a pickup is the farmers best friend. I bought my first pickup when I was 17 it was a 1973 model, which was the year before

Macaroni and Peas with Carrots

If you like the zesty flavor of garlic you will enjoy this salad of fresh pasta, peas and carrots

Market Menu for February 15, 2014

We will have the following items at the market for Saturday, February 15, 2014. We are at the fair ground for winter market this week.  (New items are in Bold Print)

Salsa - Brandywine, Cherry Tomatoe, Roasted Roma, Hot'n'Sweet, Jalapeno Jelly (yum)

Candy Carrots
Red Onions
Garlic (We ran out of garlic last week, but shallots are a good substitute, see "shallot week posts")
SHALLOTS
Leeks
Sweet Spanish Onions - these babies are very sweet.
Chipolini Onions - limited supply
Dried egg plant (see recent blog posts)
Cipotle Smoked Peppers
Smoked Sun Dried Tomatoes
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Lisa's Soap

Simple Cucumbers and Peanut Salad

I felt like indulging in a cucumber salad last night. I made one with a nice dressing using peanuts and

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad With Raspberries

I made a delicious salad from chicken breasts, wild rice and raspberries.

Steel in the Field

Steel In the Field

A famous farming publication from the early 20th century was a book called “Steel in the Field”.  It was a text on all the different ways you could use tillage for weed control. So this blog is about weed control, some with steel and some without. 

The Ferrari of Tillers

The BCS Tiller. I bought a walk behind tractor from BCS after I tried other brands of tillers including rebuilding a Troy Built with a new Honda engine. They just didn’t seem up to the task for our application. Most would be great for home use, but I needed something with true farm grade toughness. 

Ethylene Ripens Fruit and More

Ethylene is a plant hormone that does many things. It was first utilized by the Ancient Egyptians who cut figs, as, when a plant is injured, the tissues start producing more ethylene. The result of slashing figs was quicker ripening, not as beautiful of fruit, but quicker nonetheless. Ethylene is a natural hormone emitted by the plant tissues, but can be synthesized for several purposes. Ethylene triggers ripening of fruit (such as tomatoes, melons, apples, etc...),

No Market This Week

There is no market this week. Stay home, keep warm and read a good blog.

The Magic of Magnesium IV - High Magnesium Vegetables

The high magnesium vegetables tend to be the ones with the most green.

High Magnesium Vegetables

Spinach
Chard

The Magic of Magnesium III

Magnesium and Chlorophyll

Did you know that chlorophyll has the same molecular structure as hemoglobin except that where the Iron is in the hemoglobin, there is a magnesium molecule in the chlorophyll.

The Magic of Magnesium II

Magnesium and Hypertension, Heart Disease and Diabetes

Low magnesium is a huge factor in hypertension because it helps to relax the smooth muscles of blood vessels, resulting in less resistance to blood flow, lowering blood pressure.

The Magic of Magnesium I

The Magic of Magnesium

The vast majority of Americans, as much as 80%, are deficient in magnesium making them vulnerable to serious health hazards. Magnesium makes up close to 1 percent of our body weight and is essential mineral for managing more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. So a shortage can cause serious problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases.

Today At the Farmers Market, February 1, 2014

There is a Farmers Market today at the Olmstead Count Fair Grounds, 9:00-12:00.

We will not be exhibiting as we will be at Iowa State University with Jenna doing a college visit on Friday.

Brian for the Petersen's