The Healing Professions

We live in the shadow of the Mayo clinic. Many years ago I heard a statistic that there were 3000 MDs in Rochester, MN where the Clinic is. There are probably 5000 by now. Pretty cool to know there is an answer for identifying just about any ailment just minutes away and they are very good. If you have some weird tropical malady they have you covered. If you have an obscure genetic deficiency they have the tools and tests to future it out.

This is kind of an antiquated term but they used to call those that sought the decades of training  to heal the body and mind as the, "The Healing Professions".

I think that farmers are in the "Healing Profession" too and here is why..

I Love to Teach

Our oldest daughter Andrea is a music education major in college. Which means she will be a music teacher some day. She loves the teaching environment. She hadn't been on campus two weeks as a freshman before she had been asked to be a tutor for music theory. Doing what you love and getting paid...what a deal.

I "get" the teaching part of this equation. You have an experience or expertise you want to share. Whether it is music, farming or personal finances the act of teaching holds incredible value for those being taught and society as a whole.

I don't know much about music like Andrea does. But we do share a common value of teaching.

I love to teach.

Here are 5 reasons teaching is important.

Should the Church Borrow

The topic of church borrowing comes up at strategic times of growth and change. The Bible is clear on what the path should be...don't borrow.

Below are links to Bible Studies on my website in support of this teaching.

Ten Reasons Your Church Should Be Debt Free

We often talk about personal and farming financial matters on our blog.

Here is a topic for your church to consider for 2016.

If your pastors and elders aren't encouraging agressive debt reduction. Please talk to them about searching scripture on this and pray about becoming debt free.

The list below will give you 10 reasons to be debt free.

End of the Year Giving for Farm Families

Farm income, and many types of business income, is notoriously seasonal. We do our best to smooth it out by shifting sales to early in the season and doing some canning, drying, smoking and storing to provide some income during slower times of the year.

Because of this seasonality many farm families do the largest share of giving to their church and other charities at the end of the year.

Beside being scriptural. Generosity changes us as a person from a potentially tight fisted miser to an open handed happy person. You must open your hand to give, but it is also necessary to open your hand so that more blessings can come your way. 

Farm families also have the possibility of giving of the fruit of their labor. My father used to give and extra wagon full of corn at the end of the year. He would have them make the check out to the church.

We give left over produce to Channel One (the local food shelf) all summer long. We often bring extra with them in mind. Again in the fall we take a load of squash or pumpkins. Usually this is produce that God has blessed us with above and beyond our needs for the business. I could wholesale this abundance to a store or something but I like to give it. Kinda of a picture of what God is doing all the time through our paychecks and other income.

Here is my check list for end of the year giving:

Pickup Trucks and Business Success

I have come to believe that success and failure in farming may be tied to the pickup truck the farmer drives.

You mean if you choose Ford over Chevy you may fail? No I'm thinking more about buying an expensive truck versus a good used truck no matter what the brand. Especially in the early years of building your farming business.

Not saying I'm perfect, but here is what we have done over 35 years of farming. I offer this for your consideration.

Numerous Reflections From The Rochester Compost Pile

I wrote an article last year about people I have met and the funny things they do at the compost pile. This is a continuation of that theme.

I got approximately 150 pickup loads of compost this last growing season at the waste to energy facility in Rochester. So I am down there a lot. This season was a bit unusual in that I got several loads of compost just last week. The weather was so mild that I could apply it without worrying about frost.

Here  are some stories from the folks I have met at the pile...

Why Are Minerals Important

There are two major catagories of minerals your body needs they are macrominerals and micro minerals.

Macrominerals are sodium, cloride, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and sulfer.

Microminerals are needed in smaller amounts iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, magnesium, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium and cobalt.

I won't go into all the ways the body uses these minerals but one key use is...

Petersen's Market Menu for December 19, 2015

Winter Stir Fry Vegetables, Photo Credit Reed Petersen

I was asked at least 10 times this week what you can find at the Winter Farmers market. This post should answer that question for our customers. For supper tonight I'm making a stir fry with the vegetables in the picture above. You can get all of them at the market this week.

We still have an excellent selection of pumpkins so don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different Pumpkin Pie Recipes we have developed. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life.

The carrots and parships are now safely in storage for the winter. November is the best time to pick the best carrots and parsnips of the year. Can you guess why? Frost! You need a few hard frosts to bring out the sweetness of those carrots. The children call our carrots "candy carrots" because of this crunchy sweetness. Here is a link to an article on our web site about why carrots are sweeter with frost?

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, December 19, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage - Red and Green

Garlic
Carrots
Parsnips
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Brussels Sprouts



Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian

Full sized Kale - 4 varieities
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwich, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made). Made three fresh batches in the last week.

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled Beware the Cat With the Deaf Eye. It is a story from when Reed was in second grade.

Ashes to Ashes

The phrase "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust" is often used in funerals but doesn't appear in the Bible. It comes from the funeral service in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. It is based on Genesis 3:19, Genesis 18:27, Job 30:19 and Ecclesiastes 3:20. Those reference all say we are made from and return to dust. The Bible uses the word dust for the elements of the earth.

When a body decays what is left is compost and minerals. Not trying to be morbid here, those are just the facts.

How do these minerals and other nutrients get into our bodies in the first place. I'll bet you are way ahead of me here. They come from the foods we eat.

Did you know when the cell utilizes nutrients there is an ash formed from the metabolism of the nutrient. Nutritionists talk about some food being alkaline and others being acidic. It is this ash that they are talking about. So when they say limes are alkaline even tho they taste very tart and acidic, it is the ash that is alkaline. I'm getting off track a little here as I wanted to talk about soil.

Soils are formed from the weathered minerals, pyrogenic minerals, and organic matter. Let's dig a little deeper...

Thomas Alva Edison

"He led no armies into battle, he conquered no countries, and enslaved no peoples...Nonetheless, he exerted a degree of power the magnitude of which no warrior ever dreamed." A quote from the Edison.com website.

Edison was a prolific inventor and businessman. His inventions included the phonograph, motion picture camera, the light bulb and perhaps the invention that did more to shape modern society than even the light bulb was electric power generation and distribution.

We know from history that on Monday, September 4, 1882 at 3 pm on Pearl Street in Manhattan, NY. That Edison's first power generation network was engaged. This and subsequent improvements were a breakthrough development in what was to become the industrialized world.

But there was another unintended consequence of this breakthrough that was to affect the health of the American family for generations to come.

The Measurement Stick

Remember when you were little and mom or dad had you stand by the door to the closet in your bedroom and measured your height. This became a measure of progress for your growth. Your siblings were likely recorded in the same spot.

This may have been the first time you encountered the measuring stick, but it certainly wasn't the last.

Here are some other examples...

Our Passion

Our passion is farming and we love to grow great vegetables for our customers. You cannot be a leader in your field without a passion for that activity, its technologies, and the result. 

Passion causes us to move towards our goals and it creates leverage or a force multiplier to our efforts. It keep us going when the days are long. The market and face time with our customers is a catalyst for this passion.

For example:

Petersen's Market Menu for December 5, 2015

Fresh Peppers Used in Our Spicy Pickled Pepper Relish

Welcome to the fourth week of winter market. This picture in this week's market menu are the fresh peppers used in our Pepper Relish. Lots of reds and greens for your holiday stocking stuffers or entertaining.We love to use these on sandwiches, salads or on a relish tray.

We still have an excellent selection of pumpkins so don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life.

The carrots and parships are now safely in storage for the winter. November is the best time to pick the best carrots and parsnips of the year. Can you guess why? Frost! You need a few hard frosts to bring out the sweetness of those carrots. The children call our carrots "candy carrots" because of this crunchy sweetness. Here is a link to an article on our web site about why carrots are sweeter with frost?

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, December 5, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage - Red and Green

Garlic
Carrots
Parsnips
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Brussels Sprouts



Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Mizuna
Mesabi Arugula
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian

Full sized Kale - 4 varieities
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwich, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled Beware the Cat With the Deaf Eye. It is a story from when Reed was in second grade.

The DNA Soil Connection

DNA is some pretty amazing stuff. It was only recently that the human genome (DNA) was mapped using super computers here in town at the Mayo Clinic. I know the guy that lead that team of scientists.

It is very important that our DNA replicate faithfully if we are not going to have genetic issues and health issues in general.

Many of our cells replicate frequently. Our eyes, for example replace all the cells on the surface of the eyes every three days. The villi in the intestine are replaced every 5 days. All the cells are new every two years.

So it is very important that the DNA has the right raw materials to reproduce itself faithfully.

So where do vegetables come into the pictures...

Thou Shall Prosper

I read an excellent book by Daniel Lapin over the weekend. He says there are ten principles that tips the scales in our financial approach significantly toward prosperity.

Here is his list of 10...

Farming MBA - Wisdom from the Board Room to the Back 40

Here are links to my 30 favorite "Farming MBA" articles (there are 50+ total).

God Bless America Isn't Just a Song

One of my favorite songs is "God Bless America"

Here is why...

Can You Save Seed From Our Squash

I've been asked quite a few times this fall whether you can save seed from our squash and pumpkins.

The answer is probably not.

The reason is...

Petersen's Market Menu for November 21, 2015

Pie Pumpkins for Thanksgiving, Photo Credit: Reed Petersen

Welcome to the third week of winter market. This picture are the pumpkins we will have available this week at the market for making pumpkin pie

Don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life.

November is the best time to pick the best carrots and parsnips of the year. Can you guess why? Frost! You need a few hard frosts to bring out the sweetness of those carrots. The children call our carrots "candy carrots" because of this crunchy sweetness. Here is a link to an article on our web site about why carrots are sweeter with frost?



Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, November 21, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli

Tomatillos

Garlic
Carrots
Parsnips
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions


Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Mizuna
Mesabi Arugula
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian

Full sized Kale - 4 varieities
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwich, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled Beware the Cat With the Deaf Eye. It is a story from when Reed was in second grade.

How to Grow Nutrient Dense Foods

Most agricultural soils have been depleated of the minerals that we need in our foods. If the mineral is not in the soil it cannot be in the vegetables grown in that soil. The minerals in the soil come from centuries of weathering of the base material (typically rock) of the soil. So the build up is much slower than the minerals used by crops and typically removed from the soil.

So what's a farmer to do...

Are You Invested

I was talking to one of the leaders in our church last Sunday and he was talking about the potential for certain demographics (age groups) to leave for altrnate venues if they aren't invested in the church.

I could see the same thing happen with the farmers market customers. When Trader Joe's opened or the Food Coop moved there was a tendency for people to try the new thing. Don't get me wrong these are good stores and they have many products you can't get at the farmers market, so we support them too.

But how can you get your customers invested in the farmer's market. We have some dedicated customers that would come to the market even if it was pouring rain (and they do).

Petersen's Market Menu for November 14, 2015 Farmer's Market

Fall Spinach, Photo Credit: Reed Petersen

 Welcome to winter market.  Fall greens are amazing: arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size.

November is the best time to pick the best carrots and parsnips of the year. Can you guess why? Frost! You need a few hard frosts to bring out the sweetness of those carrots. The children call our carrots "candy carrots" because of this crunchy sweetness. Here is a link to an article on our web site about why carrots are sweeter with frost?


November is the last call for planting Garlic in Minnesota. Here is is a link to an article on our website for How to pick seed garlic and plant.

Don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life


Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, November 14, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli

Tomatillos

Garlic
Carrots
Parsnips
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions


Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Mizuna
Mesabi Arugula
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian

Dandelion Greens
Full sized Kale - 4 varieities
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwich, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled clover is just like ice cream. It is a story from when Jenna was two.

Subterranean

The vegetables that are left to harvest in the deep fall (or pre-winter days of November) are all subterranean.

Subterranean means existing underground.

Have you ever thought about how hostile the environment must be where the carrots thrive.

Let's think about that for a minute.

Drying Fall Produce

You often think of drying early and mid-summer vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes and beans.

The dehydrator is a work horse that can continue into the fall.

Here are some things we dry in the fall...

Distressed

Have you ever heard someone say that their peppers were way hotter than normal this year because we were in a drought, or the beets were way more beetier because the gophers took a bite out of them.

I can't prove it analytically, but...

Radishes - The Fall Vegetable

Radishes are often thought of as a spring vegetable. But they put on an even better performance in the fall. They can get quite large without getting woody or pithy.

I often wondered why this is and I think I have it figured out...

The Cost Is In Being There

Some one coined the phrase, "The cost is in being there.". The is one of my favorite axioms of farm life.

Here are 10 ways it applies to our farm...

Petersen's Market Menu for October 31, 2015

Squash Images, Photo Credit - Reed Petersen

 Well it finally had to happen...a hard frost. That is a hectic time on the farm. Everyone hustles to pick everything possible. The pile of squash to the right is a credit to the hustle of four high school students for about 4 hours one Friday morning a couple of weeks ago. We picked two pick-up fulls of squash, about 5000 pounds. Some smart student did the math and we figured this was about 500,000 calories. These beauties will be gradually washed and brought to market over the next 4-5 months.

Late October is the time to pick the best carrots and parsnips of the year. Can you guess why? Frost! You need a few hard frosts to bring out the sweetness of those carrots. The children call our carrots "candy carrots" because of this crunchy sweetness. Here is a link to an article on our web site about why carrots are sweeter with frost?

October is the traditional month for planting Garlic in Minnesota. Here is is a link to an article on our website for How to pick seed garlic and plant.

Don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life


Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, October 31, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli

Tomatillos

Garlic
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions


Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Mizuna
Mesabi Arugula
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwich, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled clover is just like ice cream. It is a story from when Jenna was two.

Anchor

Anchor is typically a seafaring term used for a device to tether a boat to the bottom of a body of water.

I like to use it to talk about roots. If the root is healthy the plant is healthy. Wisdom from Mr. Miyagi the sage of the "Karate Kid" trilogy.

Have you ever gone out after a good rain to pull weeds because it is easier. The rain loosens the soil and lubricates the roots so they have less "anchoring" ability.

This time of year roots have a slightly different anchoring function...

Why Our Garlic is The Best

Here are 10 reasons why our garlic is the best...

Petersen's Market Menu for October 24, 2015

Candy Carrots, Photo Credit-Johnny's Seeds

Late October is the time to pick the best carrots and parsnips of the year. Can you guess why? Frost! You need a few hard frosts to bring out the sweetness of those carrots. The children call our carrots "candy carrots" because of this crunchy sweetness. Here is a link to an article on our web site about why carrots are sweeter with frost?

October is the traditional month for planting Garlic in Minnesota. Here is is a link to an article on our website for How to pick seed garlic and plant.

Don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life


Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, October 17, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli

Tomatillos

Garlic
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions


Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Mizuna
Mesabi Arugula
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwich, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled clover is just like ice cream. It is a story from when Jenna was two.

What Does It Cost to Grow A Row of Organic Garlic

It is hard to get cost numbers for different vegetable growing methodologies. We are planting garlic right now so I thought I would "run the numbers" and see how it would come out.

We use a very intensive planting methodology so this maybe way different than what someone else does. We will call this the Vegetable Freak method. We use an organic granulated fertilizer called Sustaine.

First we till the area to be planted with a walk behind tiller. Then we mark the row to be planted with a 4 inch wide strip of Sustaine fertilizer (8-4-2) right on top of the ground. We use one 50 lb bag per 100 feet of row. (This is a low analysis organic fertilizer that breaks down very slowly. You would never use this much synthetic fertilizer in this small and area.) So it takes five bags for a 500 foot row.

Then we go over the top of this with a 12 inch wide and 4 inch deep strip of very well broken down and mature compost. (The compost plays many roles. It is a weed barrier, it is germination enhancer, it protects the cloves from winter cold and frost heaving, it attracts earth worms like crazy, the worms love to hang out in the roots of the garlic, it provide compost tea every time it rains and it enriches our soils for the following year's crops. This compost is valued at approximately $25 per ton and it takes five tons to do a 500 foot row.

The cost analysis follows...

10 Things that Are Good For You that You Are Never Going To Feel Like Doing

There are lots of things in life that are good for you that you are never going to feel like doing. It is like a ten year old boy who doesn't remember to brush his teeth or the twelve year old girl who doesn't feel like making her bed.

Scientists call the act of changing a behavior, activation energy, meaning it takes effort to change a behavior. Behavioral psychologists say if you practice a new behavior for 21 days you can establish a new habit in your life.

Here are 10 things that are good for you that you are never going to feel like doing...

Petersen's Market Menu October 17, 2015

Time To Plant Garlic, Photo Credit Reed Petersen

Mid-October is the perfect time to plant Garlic in Southern Minnesota. In addition to great eating many of our customers use our garlic to plant for to their own gardens. Garlic is is a close cousin to many of the bulbing flowers like tulips and crocuses and is planted in the fall like those flowers are. The varieties we plant, over winter great here.

Here is is a link to another article on our website for how to pick and plant seed garlic. How to pick seed garlic and plant.


 Don't forget the pumpkin pie, here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life


Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked a bushel of habernaro and poblano peppers this week. If you are looking for a nice fall recipe to use some of those poblano peppers is is one. Brian's corn bread and Poblano recipe.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, October 17, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli

Tomatillos

Garlic
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions


Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Mizuna
Mesabi Arugula
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwish, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

If you took the time to read clear to the bottom of Market Menu I'm going to include a thoughtful article from our website archives. This week's "thought for the day" is entitled Living Like No One Else.

It Is Time to Plant Garlic

In Minnesota mid-October is the time to plant garlic.

We have lots of great hardneck garlic at our market stand.

Here is how we plant it...

Black Walnut Salve

Green Stage of Black Wallnut Hulls,
Credit: The Natural Capital

You use the outer immature green husk of the black walnut to make a salve with powerful anti-fungal properties.

My main purpose is a natural replacement for athletes foot cream.

I've been waiting patiently for the walnuts to get ready for harvest. They can be picked any time in September or October in here Minnesota.

First you make an infused oil.

Here is the recipe...

Petersen's Market Menu for October 10, 2015

Pie pumpkins are one of the staples of fall. We have several heirloom pumpkin varieties. Look for the standard New England Pie and the less common Winter Luxury Pie (with the netted outer shell). Both are great pie pumpkins. I think the Winter Luxury are a little sweeter.

Here is a link to 15 different recipes  we have developed for pumpkin pie. From classic to low carb, these are great creative ways to work a little pumpkin into your life.

A Classic Recipe for Pumpkin Pie, Reed's Favorite

Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, regular arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, cress, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

We picked 40 pints of cherry tomatoes this week. Try our black cherries. No sprays, no chemicals, just pure goodness.

We picked 5 baskets of tomatoes Friday. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We have lots of slicing tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes for canning. They are winding down, so get them while we still have a good selection.

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked a bushel of habernaro and poblano peppers this week.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, October 10, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli
Slicing Tomatos
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoe
Garlic
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions


Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwish, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

It Is Black Walnut Season

If you have been watching your black walnut trees it is time to harvest walnuts that you are going to use for salve or tincture.

Black walnuts are very good for parasites and anti-fungal. Black walnut salve and tincture are a natural way to deal with them.

The active ingredients are in the outer green husk (not shell) of the walnut.

Here is how you harvest...

A Beet Energy Drink

Lisa and I have been trying this beet based energy drink for breakfast for the last several weeks. It is a good way to consume beets and other healthy vegetables and fruit.

You will need a sturdy blender like a Vitamix or Blendtech. We have a vitamix

Here is the recipe...

Petersen's Market Menu for Saturday, October 3, 2015

It is time to think about squash and pumpkins. This season with abundant moisture and warm temperatures, was excellent for jumbo pumpkins, cinderella pumpkins and heirloom squash.

A Superb Pumpkin Year, Photo Credits Reed Petersen

Fall greens are so amazing: wild arugula, regular arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, cress, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. 

We picked 40 pints of cherry tomatoes this week. Try our black cherries. No sprays, no chemicals, just pure goodness.

We picked 20 baskets of tomatoes Friday. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We have lots of slicing tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes for canning. They are winding down, so get them while we still have a good selection.

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked 1/3 bushel of haberbaro peppers this week.

Okra production is in high gear. More is merrier when if comes to Okra. If you want to make some of those delicious gumbos, stews and other southern dishes with Okra, now is the time to get some.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, October 3, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli
Slicing Tomatos
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions

New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild and Regular
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwish, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

Pumpkin Pie for Breakfast

At its heart the pumpkin pie we are all so familiar with is a custard. With two to four eggs and cream (or sweetened condensed milk) it is a rich dessert. When we have extra filling we often fill custard cups without crusts, for a snack or breakfast treat.

Below is a link to our favorite pumpkin pie recipes.

Compelling Reasons to Eat Beets

Continuing our series of articles on beets . Let's look at the compelling reasons to eat these storehouses of powerful nutrients.

Reasons to eat Beets...

Beets

Beets as a food go way back to the beginning of recorded history. They grew naturally along the coasts of the Mediterranian. The beet greens were the first part of the plant that people would consume. The beet root was not cultivated until the ancient Romans.

In the 1800's the natural sweetness of the beets was cultivated and eventually was used as a sugar source. Napoleon was one of the first to use beets for sugar after the British restricted sugar cane availability. This started a love affair with beets as primary source of sugar. Unfortunately many sugar beets are now genetically modified.

The beets we are going to consider are neither GMOs or used for sugar. They are...

Petersen's Market Menu for September 26, 2015

New beds of greens this week: wild arugula, regular arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, cress, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. Greens can be hard grow this time of year, so we are happy to have such abundance.

We picked 40 pints of cherry tomatoes this week. No sprays, no chemicals, just pure goodness.

Petersen's Onions, Photo Credit: Reed Petersen

We picked 20 baskets of tomatoes Friday. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We have lots of slicing tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes for canning. They are winding down, so get them while we still have a good selection.

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes.

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked 1/3 bushel of haberbaro peppers this week.

Okra production is in high gear. More is merrier when if comes to Okra. I made some Okra pickles this week. If you want to make some of those delicious gumbos, stews and other southern dishes with Okra, now is the time to get some.

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings).

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, Septmber 26, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli
Slicing Tomatos
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions

New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild and Regular
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwish, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude

This quote from Zig Ziglar is one of my favorites.

This applies to farms workers or office workers alike.

We have had some great farm workers over the years, but a few that really didn't thrive.

I've especially noticed that students that work for us that don't want to be here do not progress well in their training and often use any excuse to miss a day.

Soil Testing

I test my soil with plants.

Soil scientists have learned to test soils for various nutrients. This is done by using strong chemicals to strip off the nutrients or react with the nutrients in the soil and establish a quantitative measurement. I'm always a little skeptical that the strong chemical processes can correctly detect nutrients available to the plants in a organic system that uses biological processes to make nutrients available.

I have never done any soil testing on our farm. Instead I observe the plants. For example...

Financial Peace University, September 19th

Financial Peace University, September 19th

Dear Farmers Market Friends,

Lisa and I will be coordinating a class called Financial Peace University taught by Dave Ramsey via video. It will start Saturday evening September 19th at 7:00 pm at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester and be held at this time every week for 9 weeks. The class consists of a very entertaining lesson by Dave Ramsey followed by a small group working session where class members can ask questions and process the information. You can register by going to Daveramsey.com.

This will be our 11th class. We have had 450 people attend and have had $950,000 in debt paid off just in the 9 weeks of the class with many families now reporting they are debt free.

Who should come to the class? People who are struggling with debt and other financial issues. People who are doing OK but want to learn more about how to manage their finances. People who have high school students heading for college and don't quite know how to help them pay for it all (that is me). People who are doing great financially but want to have a financial check-up to make sure everything is the best it can be.

Here are the topics of the lessons...

Petersen's Market Menu for September 19, 2015

New beds of greens this week: wild arugula, regular arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, cress, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. Greens can be hard grow this time of year, so we are happy to have such abundance.

We picked 60 pints of cherry tomatoes this week. No sprays, no chemicals, just pure goodness.

Baby Zucchini and Patty Pan for the last week.. Photo Credit: Reed Petersen

We picked 40 baskets of tomatoes Friday, most of these were Roma tomatoes. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We also have lots of slicing tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes for canning

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes. We are harvesting lots and have gallon bags for $5. Basil at the same price as lettuce, now that's crazy!

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked 1/3 bushel of haberbaro peppers this week.

Okra production is in high gear. More is merrier when if comes to Okra. I made some Okra pickles this week. If you want to make some of those delicious gumbos, stews and other southern dishes with Okra, now is the time to get some.

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings). Just started a new fresh row. Freeze an extra few bags for winter.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, Septmber 12, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Broccoli
Slicing Tomatos
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions

New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild and Regular
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale- Regular and Red Russian
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion Greens
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwish, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

I Bleed Farming

If you cut me I bleed farming. It is in my bones.

My grandmother (my fathers mom) was a great influence in my love for all things green and garden but my farm heritage goes back to...

Sunset

We have had some really great sunsets this summer. Our dining room faces the setting sun.

When we have these neat cloud formations at dusk you get some amazing sunsets. Some people buy a cabin up north in Minnesota and spend hours driving to get there every weekend.

Petersen's Market Menu for Saturday, September 12, 2015

Starting new beds of all the greens this week: wild arugula, regular arugula, baby spinach, lettuce, baby beet greens, cress, baby kale, red russian kale, cilantro. All are at the perfect baby baby size. Greens can be hard grow this time of year, so we are happy to have such abundance.

We picked 80 pints of cherry tomatoes this week. No sprays, no chemicals, just pure goodness.

Cherry Tomatoes for This Week

We picked 50 baskets of tomatoes Friday, most of these were Roma tomatoes. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We also have lots of slicing tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes for canning

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes. We are harvesting lots and have gallon bags for $5. Basil at the same price as lettuce, now that's crazy!

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked 1/2 bushel of haberbaro peppers this week.

Carrots are back, Oh Boy, are they back. The candy carrots continue to impress this farmer with their sweetness, flavor and that perfect carrot crunch! Did you know raw carrots can lower your colestorol.

Okra production is in high gear. More is merrier when if comes to Okra. I made some Okra pickles this week. If you want to make some of those delicious gumbos, stews and other southern dishes with Okra, now is the time to get some.

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings). Just started a new fresh row. Freeze an extra few bags for winter.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, Septmber 12, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)


Cabbage
Sweet Corn
Slicing Tomatos
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions

New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Arugula - Wild and Regular
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Rosemary,


Pickles: Spicy Dill, Sweet Sandwish, Okra, Dilly Bean, Corn Relish, Pepper Relish.
Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)

The Ancient Future

I heard a sermon recently where the pastor used the phrase “The Ancient Future”. He was preaching on the Song of Solomon and he had everyone from teens to our senior saints sitting on the edge of their seats. The “Song of Songs” is a story for another time.

The phrase “The Ancient Future” was used in conjunction to the author Solomon and another book he wrote called Ecclesiastes. Where it says there is nothing new under the sun.

I think we have forgotten more in agriculture than we have learned and we may need to get back to our roots to keep our planet and our people healthy.

For example...

Our Work Matters

We had a great sermon this weekend about work as an extension of our worship to God. Pastor Steer at Autumn Ridge Church reminded us that God commanded Adam to work in the Garden of Eden.

I especially like that fact that the initial concept of work was an agricultural endeavor. It was both plant and animal based.

One of the first tasks that Adam was given was to name all the animals. I do not think this was a shallow task like calling all the beagles Snoopy or the cats Garfield. I think this was a deep intellectual excercise of organizing the taxonomy of "all creatures great and small".

Here is why I say that...

Petersen's Market Menu September 5, 2015

We have been picking 20 pints of raspberries a week. No sprays, no chemicals, just pure goodness.

Fall Raspberries Are The Best, Photo Credit Reed Petersen

 We picked 40 baskets of tomatoes Friday, most of these were Roma tomatoes. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We also have lots of slicing tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes.

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes. We are harvesting lots and have gallon bags for $5. Basil at the same price as lettuce, now that's crazy!

We have been a little short on greens the last few weeks, especially arugula and spinach. I started harvesting new fall beds this week and the are at the perfect size for you holiday salads.

Hot, hot, hot...Reed picked 1/2 bushel of haberbaro peppers this week.

Carrots are back, Oh Boy, are they back. The candy carrots continue to impress this farmer with their sweetness, flavor and that perfect carrot crunch! Did you know raw carrots can lower your colestorol.

If you didn't get some of our Ambrosia sweet corn last week you missed a treat. See us this week for fresh picked, chemical free, no sprays and no bugs. We have enough corn this week for freezing. We had some for supper Friday night and it is amazing. This will be our last week of sweet corn.

Okra production has tripled from several weeks ago. More is merrier when if comes to Okra. I made some Okra pickles this week.

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings). Just started a new fresh row.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, Septmber 4, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Raspberries (20 pints, picked Friday evening)
Sweet Corn
Tomato
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Radishes
New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Chives, Sage, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Epasote, Stevia, Oregano, Dill, Cilantro


Bean Plants
Heirloom Red Okra Plants
Cole Crop Plants: Broccoli, Cabbage

Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)
Potting Mix with our compost (ask us)

What is a weed?

A weed is a plant growing in a cultivated area that wasn't planted or intended by the farmer.

So a corn plant growing in a soybean field is a weed and arugula growing in the spinach patch is a weed.

Modern agriculture uses very strong and toxic herbicides to eliminate these plants growing in the wrong place. Sometime only a few onces per acre will eliminate all but the desired crop.

I don't get too hung up on weeds. 

Square Potatoes

We had several loyal farmers market customers ask if they could buy some potato plants, so we planted some potato seed pieces in 4 inch pots to get them started. We had a couple of pots left over so we have been diligently watering them.

Andrea noticed the pots were bulging a bit so she popped them out of the pots. 

Petersen's Market Menu for Saturday, August 29

We picked 32 baskets of tomatoes Friday, most of these were Roma tomatoes. These are great for canning, salsas and sauces. We also have lots of slicing tomatoes (shown below) and heirloom tomatoes.

May I be the first to present, Tomato Baskets! Dozens of them! Photo Cred: Reed Petersen

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes. We are harvesting lots and have gallon bags for $5. Basil at the same price as lettuce, now that's crazy!

Carrots are back, Oh Boy, are they back. The candy carrots continue to impress this farmer with their sweetness, flavor and that perfect carrot crunch!

If you didn't get some of our Ambrosia sweet corn last week you missed a treat. See us this week for fresh picked, chemical free, no sprays and no bugs. We have enough corn this week for freezing. We had some for supper Friday night and it is amazing.

Okra production has tripled from several weeks ago. More is merrier when if comes to Okra. I made some Okra pickles this week.

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings). Just started a new fresh row.

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossom Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, August 15, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Raspberries (20 pints, picked Friday evening)
Sweet Corn
Tomato
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Roma Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Radishes
New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Chives, Sage, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Epasote, Stevia, Oregano, Dill, Cilantro


Bean Plants
Heirloom Red Okra Plants
Cole Crop Plants: Broccoli, Cabbage

Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)
Potting Mix with our compost (ask us)

Detours

Summer time travel is full of road work and we found our share on my college visit with Reed to Purdue.

Detours are associated with dirt, delays and danger.

Road Kill

Road kill in Iowa and Minnesota typically means a criter that was killed by a vehicle on the road.

You know road kill. Could be a deer, raccoon, rabbit or skunk (whew). If large and in the wrong place they can be quite hazzardous.

In Illinois on the way to Purdue we hardly ever saw critters.

But we did see lots of Road Kill, but it was mostly...

Road Maintenance

Reed had a good idea when we were traveling a few weeks ago.

He said I don't understand why there isn't a machine they can drive along at highway speed that can sense the need for a patch, crack repair or repainted lines. Use cameras, then apply the needed material as you go. They would be able to fix roads in no time with little or no down time. You wouldn't need all the cones and signs and other trappings of summer contruction.

At first I thought this idea might fit in the catagory of the robot he wanted to design when he was 10 to pull weeds on the farm, so he didn't have to do it. This technology is now available by the way and will likely be implemented as this technology becomes more cost effective.

But in the case of road maintenance I think he might be on to something.

Convocation

We were at Purdue last week visiting the engineering college for Reed.

I noticed they had something call convocation. Convocaation simply defined is a group of people assembled together. They use this often in academic circles.

At Pudue convocation was largely focused on big name entertainment groups (most of which I was not to familiar with, I guess I don't get out much).

I'm used to another focus for convocation...

Pickled Corn Relish

The corn crop has been excellent this year. We had a few ears left over from market last weekend so I made corn relish. Also used a few red sweet peppers and sweet onions.

Here is the recipe...

Corn Salsa

The unique convergence of the sweet corn crop and the start of the tomato crop means  the first salsa I canned this year was a corn salsa.

Here is the recipe...

Market Menu for August 22, 2015

Slicing tomatoes are always a treat, whether used for salsa, sandwiches, or simply savoring, they beckon to be enjoyed thoroughly. It's the most wonderful time of the year.

New Slicing Tomatoes Beckon to be Enjoyed. Photo: Reed Petersen

Don't forget the basil to use with your tomatoes. We are harvesting lots and have gallon bags for $5. Basil at the same price as lettuce, now that's crazy!

If you didn't get some of our Ambrosia sweet corn last week you missed a treat. See us this week for fresh picked, chemical free, no sprays and no bugs. We have enough corn this week for freezing.

Okra production has tripled from several weeks ago. More is merrier when if comes to Okra.

Don't miss the squash blossoms, baby zucchini, or patty pan!

French Fillet beans are the best beans on the planet (tender, pencil thin and no strings).

Andrea dried some mints and herbs and is making some Vegetable Freak... Freaky Tea. Sweetened with fresh stevia.

• Andrea's Tropical Tea - Orange Mint, Pinneaple Mint and Stevia
• Jenna's Sweet Chocolate Tea - Chocolate Mint & Stevia
• Lisa's Orange Blossum Tea - Orange Mint, Spearmint & Stevia
• Just Mint - A Blend of Spearmint & Stevia
• Perky Pinapple, Lemon Majito, Minty Sage, Rosemary Lavendar (lots more).

We will have the following items at the Farmers Market for Saturday, August 15, 2015 (New items are in Bold Print)

Raspberries
Sweet Corn
Tomato
Tomatillos
Cherry Tomatoes
Garlic
Okra
Green Beans
Baby Zucchini & Patty Pan
Squash Blossoms
Carrots
Leeks
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Radishes
New Baby Potatoes - Yukon Gold & Red 
Fresh Cut Herbs: Mint, Chocolate Mint, Oregano, Basil, Chive, Cilantro
Baby Spinach
Spring Mix
Baby Kale
Cress
Beet Greens
Dandelion
Mint Plants - Chocolate, Orange, Spearmint
Herb Plants - Chives, Sage, French Tarragon, Rosemary, Basil, Thyme, Epasote, Stevia, Oregano, Dill, Cilantro


Bean Plants
Heirloom Red Okra Plants
Cole Crop Plants: Broccoli, Cabbage

Salsa: an array of different kinds

Chipotle Smoked Peppers

Charcoal (home grown, home made)
Potting Mix with our compost (ask us)

The Magic of Okra

The much awaited okra harvest has started. People often ask how we grow okra this far north. Okra hates cold almost as much as basil, so that is a ligitimate question. 

The secret is to start transplants early so you can get the plants big enough to harvest of several months before frost. We have about six week until frost.

Nimble

Academia is known for leading edge thinking, but how about leading edge lab space, class room space and computer resources. My experience is “not so much”.

We saw some pretty creative and leading edge student support areas, class rooms and labs when we were at Purdue a few weeks ago. Granted this was their newest building, with cutting edge building design, glass walls, white boards everywhere (even the horizontal work spaces), fully decked computer and projection resources in the class rooms, even social media enabled lectures, where the students could tweet questions or requests for greater explanation.

We later walked through the Chemical Engineer building where we saw the typical 50's architecture and less than cutting edge equipment. I know our tour was carefully crafted to put the best possible Purdue in front of the prospective student (and their parents).

But there were some ideas there that I'd love to implement in my work space.

Tippecanoe and Edible Crayons

Just so you know I was listening on our recent Purdue campus tour with Reed. Here are some little known facts.

Best Laid Plans

Originally Reed and a friend were going to go to Purdue by themselves.

Then parents started worrying about things that could go wrong.

It might rain, the windshield wipers might not work, the hotel might not accept cash, we might have a lunar eclipse (though none was planned), or there might not be any bannanas in Indiana (Reed's favorite food. Minions seem to like them too).

So I volunteered to go along.

Sojourn

Reed and I went on an adventure Monday.

Reed is a high school senior this year and starting to look at colleges.

Reed is interested in engineering.

He has a teacher that he likes and respects that attended a school quite a bit east of where we live.

The school is in Indiana. Can you guess which one.

The $10,000 Summer

I asked Andrea to write this article for our website. She was a little reluctant to do so because "we aren't supposed to talk about money, right". 

I told her that her ideas on how to fund her college education could be very helpful to other students. 

Her approach is very entrepreneurial and unique. 

Andread started her own business. 

She developed a whole series of curriculum for a broad age-range of students her first summer out of college, and she has been implementing this vision for teaching young people about music and music theory. God has been blessing her vision academically, financially, and spiritually as she serves her students and their parents through these classes.

Andrea is a double major in Music Composition and Vocal Music Education at The University of Northwestern in St. Paul. She has a 2-inch thick binder full of very positive evaluations from her students and recommendations from her student's parents, from these summer classes she has been teaching, and she hasn't even started her student teaching yet.

As you can tell she is a very talented teacher and a very hard worker both in the classroom and on the farm.

--- Brian, Andrea's father

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some things just don’t seem possible.

Like graduating from college without debt. Right? With the price of universities all across the country skyrocketing, there is no way to go to a university for 4 years without at least a LITTLE debt, is there?

What would your world look like if you could make $10,000 in one summer?

But is THAT possible? (Probably only if you are a senior in engineering or maybe if you worked construction and a lot of overtime.)

I am here to tell you that it is; here's how I did it: