Badger Rock Farm

Badger Rock Farm's 2012 CSA Program

2012-02-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

Do you love fresh, locally grown vegetables, but struggle to find the time or the energy to grow your own garden? Badger Rock Farm's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program might be the answer for you. If you choose to subscribe, you will receive a weekly “share” box (or ½ box, for smaller households) of freshly picked, in-season produce for the duration of the growing season.

If you would like more variety, you may add local honey, eggs from Badger Rock Farm's pasture-raised, organically-fed laying hens, and/or pasture-raised, organically-fed broiler chickens to your season's share.

For details, click on the "2012 CSA Program" link that is up above, right under the farm's name!

What We Eat...And The Light It Craves

2012-01-22T23:22:00.002-07:00

Preface: I write this little column for Roundup's local paper, the Roundup Record, each month. It is called "What We Eat....". Thought I'd post it here as well.

December 21, 2011 at 10:30pm was the moment that those of us residing within Mountain Standard Time experienced this winter's solstice, when the sun was at its southernmost point in the northern hemisphere's sky. It also marked the year's shortest day and longest night.

Since that moment in time, our days have been getting progressively longer, something that is significant to those of us that miss the sunshine of summer. It is not just sun-starved humans that mark the lengthening days, however. Plants notice as well.

For plants, light is necessary for life because it drives photosynthesis, the process by which plants' cells convert sunlight into food. For many plant species, day-length (or, more accurately, the length of uninterrupted darkness), is as much a trigger for the processes of seed germination, growth, flowering, fruit development, and the onset (or release from) winter dormancy as is the warmth of spring. Many plants will not grow at all, even in the presence of sufficient heat, when day lengths are shorter than 10 hours. For example, a southern gardener that writes for the periodical Growing for Market, observed that radishes sown during the winter in her greenhouse (which provided adequate warmth in that mild winter climate), were much slower to mature than radishes planted during the longer days of late spring or early fall. The radish variety she planted in early September took 29 days to come to fruition. Planted in November, the same variety took 77 days, and in late January, it took 65 days.

A plant that is triggered to flower when days are less than 12 hours long is described as “short-day.” Plants that form flowers and go to seed quickly when days stretch past 12 hours in length are “long-day.” If a plant is not responsive to day length, it is “day-neutral.” A number of commonly known garden plants are long-day. Consider, for example, the abundant leaves of lettuce and spinach during the shorter days of early spring, and their haste to flower and go to seed when summer days become long. Onions, too, are so notoriously sensitive to day length that most seed catalogs categorize varieties according to their short-, long-, or day neutral preferences.

As January draws to a close, and February approaches, our days' lengths are already gaining momentum. They will continue to do so until the summer solstice occurs on June 20, marking the longest day of 2012. And while it still might feel like winter has us in its grip, we can be encouraged because the ever-shortening nights are, even now, doing their greening work on the plant-life of our frozen landscape and our gardens.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 20

2012-01-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

Week #20 is upon us. I can hardly believe it has been 5 months since you began receiving your veggies! What a season it has been. I am very grateful for your patience and good humor as I have worked my way through the learning curve that's been the first year of this veggie share program. I hope that you have enjoyed it. This week brings with it some of the traditional fall veggies, such as root crops (onions, radishes, parsnips and some Jerusalem artichokes), and winter squash. Also included are basil and fennel. Here's hoping that this winter treats all of us kindly. If you expressed interest in participating in 2012's veggie share season, I will get in touch with you in the latter part of the winter with details. Thanks again....it has been my pleasure working with you this summer!!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Jerusalem Artichokes & Onions – Also known as sunchokes or sunroots, these tuberous veggies are in the sunflower family (the plant that grows from them looks similar to the familiar sunflower) and are native to North America, having been cultivated by Native tribes long before European settlers arrived on this continent. Opposite what their name suggests, they are not actually artichokes at all, and they are not connected with Jerusalem. Early explorers compared their flavor to artichokes, however, and it is believed that that is how that portion of the name came to be. The Jerusalem reference might have come from the Italian word for sunflower: girasole. Over time, the word is guessed to have morphed into Jerusalem, and it stuck. They can be used similarly to potatoes (though they will not keep as long), and can be eaten raw in a salad if sliced thinly. They may also be steamed and eaten, or used in soups. Here is a recipe, that also uses the onions in your bag, to try:

Cheesy Artichoke Soup

1 lb Jerusalem artichokes

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 stalks celery

1 medium onion

6 tbsp butter

2 ½ cups chicken broth

3 tbsp flour

1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

2 tsp dry mustard

½ cup cream

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Wash, and roughly chop Jerusalem artichokes and keep in water to which lemon juice has been added until ready to use (to prevent browning). Chop celery and onion and cook in 2 tbsp of the butter until slightly wilted, approx 10 minutes. Add the artichokes and 1-1/2 cups chicken broth to your pan, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. Puree in a blender or food processor. In a medium-size saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter, add flour, and cook for 2 minutes without browning. Remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup of the broth, then cook for another 5 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and mustard and stir until blended. Stir in your artichoke mixture and cream and cook until soup is heated through. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

Parsnips – As you might guess from their appearance, parsnips are relatives of the more familiar carrot. Ideally, it is harvested after more exposure to freezing temperatures, as the cold causes some of the vegetable's starches to convert to sugars, making it sweeter. Our 90 degree September/October has been short on cold, so you can store your parsnips in your fridge for a week or so (in a plastic bag in the crisper to keep them fresh) to duplicate cooler fall temps. You don't have to do that to enjoy them, however. To prepare parsnips, you can peel them, shred and add them raw to a salad. Or you can chop and steam them, as you might a carrot. They can also be shredded and sauteed with a little bit of olive oil and water until they are tender. You can even make “fries” out of them by peeling and slicing them into fry-shaped pieces. Put them into a bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper and stir them around until they are coated in oil. Place them on a baking dish and bake at 450 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent burning, until browned and crispy (but not burned). Enjoy!

Fennel & Radishes – The fall crop of radishes are continuing to come on strong. Fennel is the feathery, dill-looking, licorice/anise-flavored item in your share this week. Here is a recipe that combines the fennel and the radishes:

Fennel & Radish Salad with Lemon Dressing

1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 stalk fennel, sliced
½ lb radishes, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp yogurt
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 tsp sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed

In a medium bowl, whisk together cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and garlic. In a salad bowl, combine apple, fennel and radishes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the lemon dressing and serve.

Pumpkins & Carnival Winter Squash – There are several varieties of winter squash in your share this week. The yellow, white and green squash are Carnival squash. The mini pumpkins are Mary Jane Beadle's Wee-B-Littles. They can be painted up for Halloween, or prepared as you would any other winter squash (baked with some brown sugar, butter and maple syrup, pureed for pie, etc). The larger pumpkins are the New England Pie variety, which—as their name suggests—are ideal for making pumpkin pies. I would suggest allowing the pie pumpkins to sit for a couple of weeks to cure. I have been trying to push them to ripen, and I believe that they are mostly there, but I still think they could use some counter-time before preparation. Pickyourown.org has good directions on how to make a pumpkin pie from scratch. Here is how they suggest to achieve puree from your pie pumpkin (or other winter squash). Once you have the puree, you can use it in your favorite pumpkin pie recipe.

Cut your pumpkin in half, and remove the seeds as well as all the stringy material that is in the seed cavity. A heavy ice cream scoop can come in handy for this job. (Save those seeds for roasting!! Directions for that are also on pickyourown.org, or elsewhere on the web). Cut off the pumpkin's stem, and place the halves into a microwaveable bowl (or quarters, if necessary to get them to fit), put a couple of inches of water in the bowl, cover and microwave for 15 minutes on high, and then in smaller increments of time, checking to see if the flesh is soft enough to be scooped out. You can also steam the halves (or quarters) for 20-30 minutes, or bake them at 350 degrees for 45 min – an hour. Whichever method you use, once the pumpkin is cooked, you can easily scoop the flesh out of the rind with a spoon. If you notice water standing in the scooped out pumpkin flesh, you can allow it to sit for half an hour or so, and then drain it off. Then, blend using either a hand blender or regular blender and, voila, you have pumpkin puree, ready for your pie recipe! If you are not ready to use it right away, you can freeze it for use later in the year.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 19

2012-01-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

This week marks your nineteenth veggie share. It is also the first one of the fall season, the last one that will come in September and the second to last one of 2011. As I thought might happen, the garden did take a frost last Tuesday night. It got colder than I guessed it would...I had many things covered, but some of the tomatoes partially froze right through their covers. Hard to imagine, given the almost immediate bounce of the temperatures up into the nineties! Happily, this summer-like weather has allowed for the surviving veggies (there were many) to continue to ripen. The squash fared mostly alright under double layers of fabric, and are in your bag this week. Rutabagas are also there. Radishes and beets are making a comeback appearance, and a couple of familiar items such as purple basil and tomatoes (albeit green ones....great for fried green tomatoes!) are also present. Enjoy!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Rutabagas

A member of the Brassica genus, rutabagas are related to veggies such as turnips, cabbages, broccoli, kohlrabi, kale, cauliflower, mustards and more. A root crop that can take moderate frosts, it has been present in root cellars for centuries. In Britain and Ireland they have historically been carved, instead of pumpkins, at Halloween. Here is a recipe for your rutabaga:

Mashed Rutabagas

2 lbs peeled rutabagas, cut into large chunks

cold, salted water

3-4 tbsp butter

a pinch of nutmeg

Put the chunks of your peeled rutabagas into a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer until they are very tender (approx 30-40 minutes). Drain rutabagas, return them to the pot and heat gently for 2-3 minutes to dry them. Mash with a potato masher or fork. Work in the butter and nutmeg. Adjust seasoning to your taste and serve.

Radishes – Radishes are back! Of course, they are yummy raw. But if you prefer them cooked, here is a recipe:

Glazed Radishes

½ lb radishes, trimmed

½ tbsp butter

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup water

In a heavy saucepan wide enough to hold the radishes in one layer cook the radishes in the butter with the sugar and the salt over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water, simmer the radishes, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender, and boil them, uncovered, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid has been reduced to a glaze. Cook the radishes over moderate heat, swirling them, until they are coated with the glaze and serve!

Sweet Dumpling Winter Squash –

Baked Sweet Dumpling Squash

1 Sweet Dumpling squash

1/8 cup butte

2 tsp honey (substitute brown sugar or maple syrup if desired)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Place squash, skin sides down, in a baking dish and add 1 tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. honey into the cavity of each squash half. Then, sprinkle squash evenly with salt and pepper. Add water to baking dish to a depth of approx 1/4 inch. Bake, covered, at 400° for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until squash is tender.

Beets – Beets are back too! You have a combo of regular red beets, and chioggia beets, which look like a target (alternating red and white stripes) when cut. Here is a recipe from Marquita Farm's website (chock FULL of wonderful, simple veggie recipes) that is perfect for these hot, Indian summer days we've been having:

Simple summer beet soup

Boil and peel your beets. Whirl them in a food processor with orange or lemon juice, a small amount of fresh mint leaves if you have some, and black pepper. Chill. Serve with plain yogurt or sour cream.

Green Tomatoes – The frost really set back the ripening process of the tomatoes. I think the plants are still somewhat alive and will probably continue to vine-ripen more tomatoes. But they certainly aren't hurrying along. Therefore, this week might be the perfect week for a fried green tomatoes recipe (also from Marquita Farm). If you're not into green tomatoes, you can allow them to ripen on your counter (or in a brown paper bag). They'll turn red and juicy over time.

Fried Green Tomatoes
3-4 medium sized green tomatoes
3/4 cup fine cornmeal
3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
salt & pepper
Green Chile Mayonnaise (recipe below)

Slice the tomatoes crosswise 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. Press each piece into a plate of cornmeal and coat on both sides. Heat oil in a wide skillet over high heat until hot enough to sizzle a drop of water. Add tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and fry on both sides until golden. Remove to plate, season with salt and pepper. To make Green Chile Mayonnaise: Add several minced and seeded jalapeños or other hot peppers to 1 cup mayonnaise.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 18

2012-01-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

As of the writing of this newsletter (Tuesday evening, 9/20), the garden has so far escaped a hard frost. Only narrowly though. And the forecast calls for 37 degrees tonight. That doesn't leave much buffer above that freezing threshold. Row cover fabric (in double layers) is protecting some of the more sensitive plants, so I'm hoping that we'll get a bit more out of them before the year is out. Still to come, for at least one (or maybe two) more week(s), are the veggies that can resist light freezes (root crops, for instance). This week, you have some of the familiar warm weather veggies such as cukes, summer squash, tomatoes and peppers (though their quantity wasn't as impressive this week), while they last. New additions are mini melons and spaghetti squash. Recipes below!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Spaghetti Squash, Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers & Basil

Spaghetti squash are truly unique because their flesh resembles spaghetti noodles when cooked. It makes a great substitute for actual noodles (and a way to work an extra veggie into pasta recipes) in any dish that calls for them.

The tomatoes are reallllyyy slowing down their ripening because of the cold nights. Pretty depressing since I feel like they'd only just started to ripen at all! I've added some semi-ripe ones to your bags so that you could get some tomato volume. Leaving the not-quite-ripe ones on your counter for a couple of days should turn them red and juicy for you. Not quite as good as vine-ripened, but I guess we'll have to take what we can get this year.

Spaghetti Squash, Veggies & Feta

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise & seeded

2 tbsp oil

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 ½ cups tomatoes, chopped

¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

3 tbsp sliced black olives

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and place your spaghetti squash cut sides down on the sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife can be inserted into the squash easily. Remove squash from oven, and set aside until cool enough to handle. While the squash is cooling, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion in oil until it is tender. Add the garlic and bell pepper, and saute for 2 to 3 more minutes. Stir in your tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm (don't overcook). Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place it in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Mini Melons – I have tried to grow melons in previous gardens, only to be disappointed when frost came calling and they were still unripe. This year, I planted mini melons, as they were supposed to ripen sooner. I believe that has happened and that they are ready for your enjoyment. Included is a mini watermelon and a mini musk melon and/or cantaloupe. Cut open and prepare as you typically would a watermelon or cantaloupe.

Cucumbers (regular & lemon)– The cucumbers are still hanging in there, though (like the tomatoes and other hot weather veggies) they are feeling the effects of the cold nights and are slowing their production. They are now tucked in under a layer of row cover fabric, so hopefully they'll be protected from any light freezes and maybe (maybe) we'll get a few more cukes before the plants succumb to jack frost.

Patty Pan Summer Squash – Patty pans are a summer squash, but when they get larger like this, you can bake them....much as you would a winter squash. Here is a recipe:
Baked Patty Pan Squash

1 medium to large pattypan
2 tbsp melted butter
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp rosemary
Salt to taste
Slice pattypan squash into ¼ inch thick sections and remove any tough parts, i.e. stem area and base.
Brush the bottom of a baking dish with a coating of melted butter then layer in the following order one quarter of each of the ingredients: slices of squash, brush a layer of butter, salt, basil, rosemary, and parmesan cheese. Repeat with 3 more layers. Pour any remaining butter over top. Bake at 400 F for 20-25 min or until the squash is tender throughout. Remove from oven, scoop, serve, enjoy!

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 17

2012-01-15T08:35:00.001-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

This is the seventeenth week of your veggie shares, and it is starting to feel a bit like fall out there....especially in the chilly evenings and early mornings. Thankfully, we have (so far) been spared a frost, so summer veggies (like tomatoes and peppers) continue to produce. After the late arrival of summer temperatures, a warm fall is always desired (by me and the heat-loving veggies). I hope that we get one this year. But if a frost comes calling, there are still some veggies that will fare alright and be available for next week's share. Cabbage is one of them that you'll get to enjoy this week.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers & Basil

Bow-tie Pasta Salad

1 lb bow-tie pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper (or a couple of small red peppers), stemmed, seeded & cut into matchsticks

2 cups small tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 cup olives, pitted and halved

1 cup fresh mozzarella, shredded

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup Romano cheese, grated

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

½ cup fresh basil leaves, shredded

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add pasta and cook until done and drain. Pour pasta into a serving bowl and toss with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Add the peppers, tomatoes, olives, mozzarella and garlic. Toss to combine. Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, cheese and basil. Toss to combine and serve.

Cabbage – I am sure you will notice the small stature of the cabbage. I've been watching them for weeks, waiting for them to get larger. But then, one cracked, which told me that the size I saw was probably all the size I was going to get. These poor cabbage plants have been through a lot between the hail storms early this spring, the rains that brought on the flooding, and then the immediate switch to sweltering dry heat. I really think soil fertility is the biggest culprit here....a problem that will be remedied next spring with extra helpings of compost. Until then, however, I hope you enjoy your mini cabbage and onions :-).

Cabbage and Onions

1 small – medium head green cabbage, sliced
1 onion, sliced into ribbons

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp caraway seed

paprika to taste
1 tbsp olive oil (or as needed for sautéing)
salt & pepper to taste

Sauté the onion in the oil first, then add the cabbage. Stir thoroughly. Simmer for approx 20 min, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and caraway seed. Continue cooking until the cabbage is tender (approx another 10-15 min). Great as a compliment to baked potato or polish sausage.

Lemon Cucumbers – The slicing cucumbers seem to be on their way out. The lemon cucumbers, named for their resemblance to the familiar sour fruit, continue to perform like champs. Several of you have told me you enjoy them, so here are a few more for your palate's pleasure. Enjoy and prepare as you would regular cucumbers.

Tomatillos & Hot Peppers – Even though it is delicious, there are other ways to prepare tomatillos besides making them into salsa verde. Here is one:
Tomatillo Guacamole
3 avacadoes, peeled, pitted & mashed
3 tomatillos, husked & chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
3 plum (or roma) tomatoes, seeded & chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
¾ tsp hot pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
2 drops hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
salt to taste
In a medium bowl, mix avacado, tomatillos, onion, tomatoes and lime juice. Stir in chopped hot pepper, hot pepper sauce and salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes before serving.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 16

2012-01-13T18:49:00.002-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

Week #16 of your veggie shares, and the first delivery in September, comes after a number of gardeners in the area (and even across the state) were hit by an early frost. Thankfully, my garden was spared. A great relief because of our slooooww spring, and because there are still so many things in progress. Many (many) green tomatoes on the vine, squash and more. Hopefully we will get a couple more weeks of frost-free weather to allow those veggies to mature. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this week's share!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Leeks, Onions, Garlic and Purple Majesty Potatoes – This veggie combo comes together in potato and leek soup. The purple skin and flesh of the purple majesty potatoes will give your meal a colorful flair.

Purple Potato and Leek Soup

1 ¼ lbs purple potatoes (any color potato can work here)

2 cups chopped leeks (use the light green and white parts only)

1 onion, roughly chopped

1-2 cloves garlic

¾ tsp salt

½ tbsp dried sage

1 bay leaf

2 ½ cups water

2 tbsp sour cream

Saute the onions and garlic in a pan until translucent. Remove them from the heat. Boil the potatoes, sage and bay leaf in the 2 ½ cups of water. After 15 minutes, add the chopped onions and leeks and continue boiling until the potatoes are tender. After potatoes become tender, remove the bay leaf and let everything cool. Then, add the sour cream and process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Heat through, serve and enjoy!

Zucchini – My Billings farmer's market booth-mate, Mary Jane Beadle, suggested this yummy way to prepare zucchini for a summer meal.

1 lb zucchini

1 egg

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Grate the zucchini into a large bowl. Beat the egg with a fork and mix it into the grated zucchini. Sprinkle the mixture with the flour and salt and stir until thoroughly combined. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. Heat a generous layer of oil (approx 1/4 in deep) in a large frying pan over medium-high heat to a temp of 350-375F (You can test this by dropping a bit of batter into the pan. It should sizzle immediately). When oil is ready, place generous spoonfuls of batter into the pan and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon. Approximately 4 fritters should fit into the pan at once. Cook until browned on one side and then flip the fritter over until it is golden-brown on both sides. Transfer the cooked fritters to a paper towel lined plate to drain and repeat process with the remaining batter. Recipe makes approx 8 fritters.

Eggplant – Eggplants are continuing to enjoy where they were planted this year....in the hoop house. I think they appreciate the added heat. You might see either Diamond eggplants (larger and more bulbous-shaped) or the long, thin Pingtung eggplants (the asian/oriental variety) in your bag this week. Remember to debitter your eggplant by slicing it as you would for your recipe and sprinkling it liberally with salt. Allow it to sit and drain for an hour or so, rinse & press with a towel to dry and it is ready to be prepared for dinner. Here is another way to prepare eggplants for the table:
Grilled Eggplant Salad

Olive oil

1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2 in. slices

1 cup salsa

6 oz black beans

1 tbsp lime juice

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat your gas grill or prepare your charcoal fire. Brush oil onto one side of eggplant slices and place them on the grill, oiled side down. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until tender. Brush oil on tops of slices, flip them over, and grill until tender (approx another 6 to 8 min.). Cool slightly and then chop on a cutting board. Combine eggplant, fresh salsa, black beans and lime juice in a large salad bowl; toss to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste needed.

Kohlrabi – Kohlrabi is the interesting round baseball (or slightly smaller) sized veggie in the bag with your leeks and eggplant. To prepare it, peel it (much as you would a broccoli stem) and eat raw, chopped into a salad or steam.

Lemon Cucumbers – The lemon cucumbers continue to come on strong. Called “lemon” because of their appearance and not their taste, you've probably already discovered that they taste much like regular cukes, with a slightly sweeter flair. They may be prepared in any of the same ways you'd use a standard cucumber.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 15

2012-01-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

Week #15 of your veggie shares brings an exciting addition: sweet corn! Also new are tomatillos, which are often used to make salsa verde. The sweet corn comes to us courtesy of gardener extraordinaire, Mary McCatherine. I had the pleasure of visiting her garden this week and was so impressed. I am not pleased with how my corn is turning out (lots of missing kernels), so I think you will be much happier enjoying hers. The weather has still been dry, dry, dry, so watering has been a high priority. As we exit August (can you believe tomorrow is the beginning of September?), we still have a lot to look forward to. Winter squash is coming along. The tomatoes are continuing to ripen in greater quantities, as are pumpkins and a few other interesting things (leeks and some giant beets to name a couple....). I hope that you enjoy this week's produce.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, potatoes and hot peppers are present in your shares again this week. Below you will find another simple salad recipe that uses the tomatoes, cukes and basil. You will also find a recipe for salsa verde (which uses the tomatillos and hot peppers). And, of course, there's a way to fix sweet corn, if you're in the mood for a different way to enjoy that summer treat.

Tomatillos & Hot Peppers – Perfect for preparing a batch of salsa verde! Salsa verde can be used for dipping chips, or it can be spooned over chicken, enchiladas, or any other dish that needs a little added zing. This recipe doesn't call for it, but you can add lime juice if you enjoy that flavor. I am sorry that I don't have the cilantro for you this week. I'd really hoped to, and hopefully will in the future. I've had a hard time getting the seed to germinate in this heat. I think we're making progress on that front, though.

Salsa Verde

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1-2 hot peppers, minced (to taste, depending on heat preferred)

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

½ tbsp chopped oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp salt (or to taste)

1 cup water

Place the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and peppers into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt. Pour in the water and bring to a boil over high heat. After it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft (approx 10 to 15 min). Then, using a blender, puree the tomatillos and water in batches until the mixture is smooth. Serve!

Grilled Corn on the Cob – Corn on the cob is good after being boiled or steamed, but grilling allows for a different way to enjoy this summer treat. To prevent the shucks from flaming, soak the cobs (in their shucks) for half an hour or so before grilling. Then, remove the outer leaves so that just the inner-most layer, and the silks, remain. Place the ears onto your hot grill and put the lid down. Turn every couple of minutes to prevent burning, until they are heated through. There will be some blackening from the grilling process, but this is ok and will add to the bbq flavor (just so long as they're not burned). Add butter, salt, or whatever condiments you prefer (plain is good too, of course) and enjoy!!

Tomato Cucumber & Basil Salad

4 roma-style or small to medium tomatoes

1 medium cucumber

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

¼ tsp sugar

2 tsp chopped fresh basil

freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

Slice the tomatoes and cucumber (peeled or not, depending on your preference) thinly and place them in a medium bowl. Combine the vinegar, oil and sugar and mix well. Drizzle this mixture over the tomatoes and cucumber. Toss and then sprinkle with the chopped basil.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 14

2012-01-13T18:05:00.001-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

Can you believe we've arrived at the 14^th week of this season's veggie deliveries? The summer sure is going by quickly. Finally, this week, there are some larger tomatoes to be had. I apologize...a couple have grasshopper bites in them. So frustrating to have a beautiful tomato marred that way, but I think that it will still be delicious! It's been hot, dry and windy for the past several days (well, the hot and dry part has lasted much longer....). That weather ripens summer's veggies, as long as everything stays watered (which has become almost a full-time job!!). So far so good, though!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

There are some familiar visitors to your bag this week. Onions, tomatoes, cucumbers and purple basil are all continuing to do well in the garden. New this week are crookneck and/or patty pan summer squashes (if this is your first experience with patty pans, they are the ones that look like flying saucers :-) and eggplant. Look below for information and preparation ideas for these two newcomers.

Eggplant – There are two types of eggplant included in your share this week. There is the commonly seen bulbous-shaped eggplant, and an oriental variety (Pingtung) which is long and thin (also sometimes called Asian or Japanese eggplant). Before cooking eggplant (especially larger ones), it is recommended to “degorge” or “debitter” them. To accomplish this, slice them up as needed for your recipe, sprinkle them with salt and allow them to drain for an hour or so. This draws out any bitter liquid that might exist around the seeds. You can then rinse them, and add them to your recipe.

Eggplant Parmesan

1 large eggplant (or 2 small), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about eight)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 375°F. Coat eggplant slices with beaten egg, then bread with bread crumbs. Spread the oil on a hot baking sheet and place your eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 475°F. In an 8 x 10-inch oven-proof dish, layer pasta sauce, then eggplant, and top with cheeses. Repeat, finishing with cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden in spots, about 15 minutes.

Summer Squash (crookneck and/or patty pan) – Patty pans are summer squash, just like yellow crooknecks, and they can be prepared in the same ways you would usually prep crookneck squash or zucchini. Personally, my favorite way to enjoy them is chopped up and steamed, with a bit of salt and butter added when they are served (yum!!). A friend also loves to grill patty pans. She wedges them, brushes them with olive oil and seasonings, chops an onion and wraps everything in foil, which she then grills. Delicious!!!

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 13

2012-01-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

This week's share contents finally make me feel like summer has arrived (albeit in mid-August). Zucchini, tomatoes, hot peppers, basil, carrots, cucumbers and potatoes are all present, and the plants are promising that more is on the way. They (and I) were really happy about the nice rain that we got on Monday as well. It was only the second shower the farm had received in well over five weeks. Everything likes Mother Nature's water far better than what comes out of the sprinkler.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Carrots – Carrots are this week's substitute for salad mix. I went to cut the salad and realized the older lettuce had mostly bolted, and the recently planted lettuce is still teeny tiny. So, we'll give it a couple of week's to reach cut-able size while we eat other selections from the garden.

Basil – If you would like to preserve that fresh basil taste for winter use, there is an easy way to do so. Simply put the leaves, and enough olive oil to mix well with the basil, into your food processor and process until you have a pesto-like paste (this is basically pesto without the cheese and nuts). You can then divide this mixture into serving sizes, place it in freezer bags and freeze it. Perfect for that summertime basil flavor in December!

Tomatoes & Hot Peppers Goodie Bag –The smaller tomatoes, particularly the Glacier and Roma varieties, are continuing to ripen, as are the hot peppers. The hot peppers included here are called Czech Black (like their name, they are the dark purple/black peppers) and the yellow New Mex Joe Parker. Both are mildly to mid hot, depending on the sensitivity of your taste buds :-).

Cucumbers – The cucumbers are really starting to come on strong. If you ever have more cucumber than you do appetite on a given day, but you don't feel like going through the hassle of jarring up a bunch of pickles, here is a method my mother-in-law (and I) use for keeping them tasty a bit longer. In a bowl, mix up a brine solution. Typically this would be vinegar and water (2 parts vinegar per 1 part water) and salt to taste. You can also add to the mix freshly chopped onions, garlic, or whatever other flavor you desire. Then, thinly slice your cucumbers and add them to the bowl. You want enough brine solution so that the cuke slices can all be submerged. Place a lid on your bowl, keep in the fridge and enjoy!

Potatoes – The early season potatoes are ready in abundance right now. The varieties included this week are are Sangre, Rose Gold, Dark Red Norland, and a few Purple Majesty thrown in for good measure.

Zucchini – One of my favorite ways to prepare zucchini is to stuff it. Here is a simple recipe for that. Feel free to dress it up by adding hot peppers, fresh tomato slices on top (add towards the end of baking so they don't become burned) or whatever else sounds good to you.

Stuffed Zucchini

1/2 pound ground beef

1 large zucchini, ends trimmed

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 16 oz jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 of a 6 oz can sliced black olives, drained

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook and stir the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until the meat is browned, breaking the beef up into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Drain off excess fat, and transfer the beef into a mixing bowl. Slice the zucchini in half the long way, and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell all around the zucchini. Chop the scooped-out zucchini flesh, and add to mixing bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, garlic, spaghetti sauce, black olives, and Parmesan cheese; mix the stuffing well. Lightly stuff both halves of the zucchini with the meat mixture. Place the zucchini halves into a baking dish, and cover tightly with foil.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, remove from oven, and remove the foil. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over each zucchini half. Move an oven rack to within 6 inches of the oven broiler's heat source, turn on the broiler, and broil the zucchini until the mozzarella cheese is browned and bubbling, about 5 minutes.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 12

2012-01-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Your Weekly Farm Update

It is a landmark week....the season's very first red tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers are making an appearance in your share. Finally! The peppers and tomatoes are just beginning their turn towards ripeness, so there's not a huge abundance of them yet. But having enough to share with each of you this week gives reason to hope for the bounty that is to come. Enjoy!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Salad Mix – Including various lettuces, beet greens, sorrel, mint, dill, johnny-jump-up blooms and calendula petals.

Chard – It has turned into a regular battle with the grasshoppers, and now the blister beetles (one of my least favorite nemeses), for the chard leaves. Row cover fabric helps quite a bit, but I am always impressed at how a few (and sometimes more than a few) clever bugs can sneak underneath and still do their damage. Happily, there were enough (fairly) good-looking leaves to share with you this week.

Chicken & Chard Soup (courtesy of a favorite recipe from summertomato.com)

-1 medium chicken, quartered

-1 bunch of chard, trimmed

-3 garlic cloves, minced

-2 medium onions, diced

-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped

-1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained

-4 cups chicken broth

-2 cups water

-1 tsp thyme

-1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

-juice of 1 lemon

-2-3 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a pan large enough for the quartered chicken to cover the bottom. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook on medium heat for approx 8 min. Turn over and cook for another 5 min. Remove chicken from the heat and set it aside. Shred the chard by cutting out the stems (you can save them for addition to a salad or another recipe), stacking the stem-less leaves and cutting them into thin 1/4-inch streps. In a 4-qt pot, cook the onion, garlic and jalapeno peppers over medium heat for approx 10 min, or until the onions are translucent (but not brown). Then add the thyme and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the broth, water, tomatoes and chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer gently for 15 min or until the chicken is cooked through and firm to the touch. Remove the chicken and set it aside to cool. Add the chard to the soup and simmer for another 10 min. Remove the chicken skins and cut chicken into bite-sized chunks. Return the meat to the soup, and the parsley and simmer for a couple more minutes. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and serve!

Red Rubin Basil – This purple basil tastes like its sweet, green relative, and can be used in any recipe that calls for regular sweet basil.

Cucumbers – This week's share contains a special addition. The smooth-skinned cucumbers are from my garden...the old standby pickling cukes. They are starting to come in but are a bit slow on the uptake. Mary Jane Beadle, who I share a booth with at the Billings farmer's market, had a great abundance of her Orient Express cucumbers (wrinkly skin) and asked if I would like to share them with you. She also does not use sprays, etc, so you can count on their non-toxicity, their quality and, of course, their deliciousness.

Tomatoes – Glacier tomatoes, with their slightly-larger than golf-ball size, were the first to turn red for me this year. You are getting the first of them! The larger tomato is an Opalka, grown from seed saved by my mother-in-law. There were some, but not an overwhelming amount of tomatoes or peppers, so they got combined into a goodie bag of the very first of these summer favorites. There will be more to come, as there are just loads of green tomatoes still on the vine. Can't wait!

Sweet Peppers – Included are green bell peppers and sweet banana peppers (long, thin and yellow).

Here is a recipe that uses your tomatoes, cucumber and peppers:

Veggie Salad with Balsamic Vinegar & Feta

-6 plum tomatoes, diced

-1 small cucumber - peeled, quartered lengthwise, and chopped

-1 green pepper, chopped

-3 green onions, chopped

-1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips

-3 tbsp olive oil

-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

-3 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

-salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and feta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week # 11

2011-08-02T18:05:00.000-06:00

BADGER ROCK FARM NEWSLETTER

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE

The heat continues to be the most notable thing that comes to mind when I recall the past week at the farm. It has been weeks since the last drop of rain fell on any of the plants. Dragging around a hose and sprinkler, and checking on the drip irrigation system has become a major priority. So far so good, though. Things are growing like crazy (even if they do droop a bit in the mid-afternoon heat, no matter how much water they have. Them and me both). New potatoes are the most recent addition to your share, with many more new additions to come over the next few weeks.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BAG

Kale – The kale took a bit of a beating during the last hail storm (a couple of weeks ago now), but it has happily made a recovery and is once again looking healthy. For those of you that might be tired of your greens, I included a recipe for kale chips this week. Everyone likes chips, right :-D??

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale

1 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 tbsp sherry vinegar (or whatever vinegar you prefer: balsamic is also good)

salt, to taste

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Cut away stem and thick inner ribs from each kale leaf and discard (or cut into a salad). Tear the leaves into uniform bite-size pieces. Wash the torn kale and spin it dry in a salad spinner or dry with paper towels until very dry. Put the kale pieces into a large resealable bag and add half of the olive oil. Seal the bag and squeeze it around so the oil gets distributed evenly on each of the kale pieces. Add the remaining oil and squeeze the bag more, until all kale pieces are evenly coated with oil and are slightly 'massaged.' Open the bag, sprinkle the vinegar over the kale leaves, reseal the bag, and shake to spread the vinegar evenly over the leaves. Spread the leaves evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until leaves are mostly crisp (approx 35 min). Check them often to make sure they're not burning. Season with salt and serve.

Garlic & Chives – This week's recipe for both of these items can be found under the 'New Potatoes' description. I hope you enjoy it!

New Potatoes – Ever wonder what the difference was between new potatoes and regular potatoes? New potatoes are simply immature potatoes. Less of their sugars have been converted to starch (when compared with mature potatoes), and their skin is more fragile (as you can probably see, it is easily scuffed when harvesting). You can try the recipe below, which also includes two other items that are in your share this week: garlic and chives. But they are also great steamed or boiled.

New Potatoes with Garlic and Chives

1 lb new potatoes

1/3 cup melted butter

3 large garlic cloves (or 5 smaller ones), crushed

2 tbps chives, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Wash the potatoes and halve (or quarter, if they are larger--you want the pieces to be relatively uniform in size) them. Place pieces in a baking dish and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and chopped chives. Stir the crushed cloves of garlic into the melted butter and allow to sit for a few minutes. Then drizzle the garlic butter over the potatoes and mix everything together well. Bake at 350 degrees in an uncovered dish for approx 45 min, or until the potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Carrots – I think it was one of the veggie subscribers that told me one of their favorite ways to make carrots was to cook them whole. I couldn't agree more. Here is recipe that describes how to do just that! (flip page over for recipe)

Roasted Whole Carrots with Garlic

1 pound medium carrots

1/4 cup water

4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter, melted

salt & freshly ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium baking dish combine the whole carrots with the water, oil, butter, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender. Uncover and roast for approx 30 more minutes, until the water has evaporated and the carrots are lightly browned in spots. Transfer the carrots and garlic to plates and serve.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week #7

2011-07-08T09:02:00.000-06:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE:

Back when it was raining endlessly, I wondered if there would come a time when the faucet turned off, and the oven turned on. That is indeed what has happened, and it has become interesting keeping everything watered. I've even caught myself hoping for rain...something I couldn't have imagined doing just a few short weeks ago. Funny how things like that work. The great news is that, as long as they stay watered (which, so far, they have), the plants are just loving this warm weather, and they are doing a lot of growing. I am very happy to be able to offer you something besides just leafy greens this week. Enjoy!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX:

Familiar Items: Head Lettuce and Salad Mix.

What's New This Week:

Kale – Kale is one of my favorite leafy greens, and it has a reputation for being very good-for-you too. You can steam it by slicing up the leaves and stems, placing them in your steam basket, and steaming for approx 5 minutes (until the leaves take on a bright green hue, you don't want to overcook them). Or, you can saute it. Here is a recipe recommended by the Food Network's Bobby Flay:

Sauteed Kale

¾ pound young kale, stems & leaves coarsely chopped

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely sliced

¼ cup vegetable stock or water

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar. Serves 2.

Snap Peas – I can hardly describe how excited I was to glance over at the pea vines (that have been planted since March) and see that they had become, seemingly overnight, loaded with peas! Finally! My favorite way to eat them is raw, one right after the other :-). Steaming them is my second favorite way to prepare them. Simply place the peas in your steam basket, place over boiling water and steam until they are just tender (but still with a bit of crunch...approx 1 – 1 ½ minutes).

Carrots – The carrots have loved this warm weather, and have done a lot of growing over the past week or so. I am happy to finally be able to include them in your veggie shares this week!

1 bunch carrots, scrubbed and grated
1/2 bunch dill, chopped
3-8 spring onions, chopped
yogurt on it's own or mixed with a bit of sour cream
splash of vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients. You can get creative if you like by adding a bit of mustard, a few raisins, a few nuts or some other grated vegetables. Also, you can spice it up by adding vinaigrette or a flavored olive oil instead of the yogurt.

Dill – I know you've gotten a lot of dill in your shares already. This is just enough to use with the carrot recipe, if you'd like.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week #6

2011-07-05T14:24:00.000-06:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE:

What a switch from working hard to keep things warm, to working hard to keep them watered and alive! I will be very happy when I get all of my drip-hoses laid out, so that I can take advantage of our gravity feed irrigation system. Mother Nature had been helping me out by showering now and again, but this last week turned off the water and turned on the cooker. Many of the veggies like that a lot (as long as I keep them watered). The tomato plants are growing fast, as are the squash and many others. The lettuce's opinion of high heat is not nearly as friendly, but it will just keep getting reseeded so that we have a (hopefully) constant supply. I hope that each of you are enjoying this summer weather, and doing a better job at avoiding sunburn than I did this week :-D!

What's In Your Box

Salad Mix -- This week, the salad mix contains a variety of lettuces, beet greens, chard and sorrel. Herbs are mint, savory, thyme, chervil, cilantro and dill. The edible flowers include Johnny-Jump-Ups, Sweet William dianthus, and some brassica and chervil blooms.

Swiss Chard -- Here is a recipe for this week's helping of chard:

2 tbps olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch chard, stalks discarded (or, set aside for use in another recipe) with the leaves cut into wide ribbons
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until it is tender and aromatic (approx 2 minutes). Add the chard and balsamic vinegar; cook and stir until the chard is wilted and tender (approx 5 minutes). Season with salt & pepper and serve.

Sorrel -- After being harvested heavily for the first veggie shares, the sorrel has had time to recover and is once again turning out delicious, lemony-flavored leaves. Here is a recipe for a sorrel cream sauce that is good with chicken fish or pork:

Sorrel Cream Sauce

1/2 pound of sorrel

2 cup of light cream

1 teaspoon of butter

4 egg yolks

5 cups of chicken broth

Saute sorrel in the butter until wilted. Set it aside. Heat the chicken broth to a boil and lightly beat together the egg yolks and cream. Remove the broth from the heat and add the egg mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly, either over very low heat or over hot water. Definitely do not allow mixture to boil! Remove the mixture from the heat, add the sorrel and set in cracked ice to cool, stirring often. Salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate.

Head Lettuce – A fan of cooler weather, we'll see what the lettuce heads think of 94 degrees. For now, though, they are still doing well and looking good!

Sage -- An herb whose aroma always reminds me of Thanksgiving (and stuffing!!), sage brings a delicious flavor to summertime recipes as well. You can also dry sage, to preserve it for later use.

Sage Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/2 tsp fresh, diced sage

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk (or buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan. Whisk sage into the flour. Using a large dinner fork, stir in the mayonnaise and milk until combined. Do not overmix. Divide batter evenly into muffin cups and bake in the preheated oven for 12 - 15 min. until golden. Note: Do not mix up the biscuits too far in advance in order to retain the leavening powder. This batter can also work great as a topping for pot pies (in place of the rolled crust).

Dill -- Dill is doing its best to stage a complete takeover of my garden! It enjoys seeding itself wherever it sees fit. I can't complain. Few things remind me of summer as does dill's unique aroma. Bees also love dill's flowers, which is why dill seed is frequently included with the "beneficial insect mixes" that I've ordered before.

1 lb Salad Macaroni

6 whole eggs

2 cups mayonnaise

1 tbsp mustard

1 bunch fresh dill (aprrox 0.75 oz)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Boil pasta. Drain and rinse it with cold water. Put pasta in a large serving bowl. Boil eggs by covering them with water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the water comes to a boil then lower heat to a simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water with a spoon and run cold water over them to cool. Then peel eggs and cut into pieces. Add to pasta.

Mix mayonnaise, mustard and dill. Mix into the pasta and egg mixture. Refrigerate until chilled.

Hyssop – Hyssop is an ancient herb in the mint family that is mentioned in numerous places within the Bible. It can be used in soups, stews, or chopped into a salad to give it a refreshing flavor. Its flowers are also a favorite of honeybees, and they function to attract them to the garden. As a rule, it is good to remember that hyssop is strongly flavored. When in doubt, be sparing on the volume of it that you use. Taste your recipe frequently to avoid overpowering it with hyssop's characteristic flavor. Hyssop leaves can be preserved by drying them.

Glazed Carrots with Hyssop

Approx 1 lb carrots, scraped and thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh hyssop leaves

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

In a saucepan, combine the carrots, stock, honey, butter, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook over low heat until the carrots are tender and the liquid is a syrupy glaze (approx 20 min or so). Be careful that it does not burn. Toss the carrots with hyssop and serve immediately.

Badger Rock Farm Veggie Share Newsletter - Week #5

2011-06-26T11:22:00.000-06:00

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE:

What a beautiful-weather week it has been! Perfect for ushering in the longest day of the year and the summer season. The plants in the garden are soaking up the sunshine and growing fast. These lovely days have allowed for some real catching up from the flood's delays and I am happy to report that all of the major crops have been transplanted out into the ground. As they put on size, it remains a time of enjoying spring's bounty (which includes largely greens and herbs), while looking ahead to summer's abundance.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX:

Salad Mix with Edible Johnny Jump-Up & Sweet William Flowers – In this week's salad mix, there are several types of lettuce, spinach, chard, beet greens and sorrel. The herbs included are dill, cilantro, mint, thyme and chervil. The flowers are Johnny Jump-Ups and Sweet Williams. I hope that you enjoy it!

Swiss Chard – A close relative of the beet, chard is one of my favorite leafy vegetables that is able to be harvested all summer-long (as long as I win the competition for it with the grasshoppers....). You can enjoy it raw, in a salad (there are some leaves in your salad mix this week), or cooked. When cooking, take care not to keep it on the heat for too long, as it can overcook easily (been there, done that :-). Here is a recipe to try:

Sauteed Chard with Parmesan

2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 small red onion, diced

1 bunch Swiss chard

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste

2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt to taste (optional)

Cut the stems and center ribs out of the chard and chop them. Separately chop the leaves. Melt the butter in a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook them for approx 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the chard stems and the white wine. Simmer until the stems begin to soften (approx 5 min). Stir in the chard leaves, and cook until just wilted. Finally, stir in lemon juice and Parmesan cheese; season to taste with salt.

Green Garlic – This is the green garlic's last hurrah for this season. I hope that you enjoy it. Still to come later this season are mature garlic heads. Here is a new idea for how to use your green garlic:

Green Garlic Vinaigrette

3 oz. green garlic, trimmed & chopped

3 tbsp chopped cilantro

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp water

½ cup oil Salt & pepper to taste

Blend the green garlic and cilantro first, then add the vinegar and water and blend again. With the blender still running, slowly add the oil until the mixture is well blended. Enjoy on salad, over a meat dish, or over anything else that sounds good to you!

Head Lettuce – The veggie of the season for our cool, overcast spring, head lettuce is still going strong. Enjoy it cut into a salad, on a sandwich, or even wilted:

Wilted Lettuce

5 slices of bacon

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp white sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 head leaf lettuce - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces

6 green onions, sliced thin. Include tops (you can substitute green garlic here, for a more garlicy, rather than oniony flavor)

Cook bacon over medium heat. Remove it from the skillet, crumble and set aside. To the bacon drippings remaining in the skillet, add the vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and the black pepper. Stir mixture until heated through. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and green onions (or green garlic!). Add the warm bacon dripping 'dressing' and toss evenly to coat the lettuce. Sprinkle this dish with bacon and then serve.

Thyme – A truly versatile herb, you can sprinkle thyme on many dishes to give them a bit of extra zing. You can add a bit to your vinaigrette, sprinkle it over potatoes, add it to soup stocks, or meat marinades, place it under the skin of a chicken before roasting, add it to your scrambled eggs, dry it (after its dry, crumble the leaves from the stems), or even freeze it for later use.

Spinach – The first round of spinach would like to offer us one more helping before giving way to summer's heat. There will be more spinach to come, but this is it from the first seeding. That must mean that it's finally hot outside, right :-D?

Spinach & Strawberries

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 ½ tsp poppy seeds

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/8 cup distilled white vinegar

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tsp minced onion

2 cups fresh spinach, torn into bite-size pieces

½ quart strawberries, sliced

1/8 cup slivered almonds

In a bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and onion. Chill for one hour. In another bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Cilantro – This sowing of cilantro has decided that it is too hot for its taste and it is trying very hard to bolt. I wanted to include some in this week's share though, so you could use it in the Green Garlic Vinaigrette recipe, if you wanted to.

Weekly Veggie Share Newsletter

2011-06-10T18:24:00.001-06:00

BADGER ROCK FARM NEWSLETTER

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE:

What a week it has been! Large hail hit on Tuesday 6/7 (the night funnel clouds were sighted around Billings, and even in Musselshell county). Roundup also flooded for the second time in as many weeks. This time, I got stuck out at the farm, which is a mile down the road from my house. This was a much more productive place to be trapped, and I was able to make some progress with transplanting. I think that the farm has fared through all of this crazy weather relatively well. I was lucky that I was running behind due to the previous flood, when I got stuck at the house. All of the tomatoes, squash and cucumber plants were still safe inside the greenhouse! Cabbage and broccoli were already out, however, and did receive some damage. I am hoping they stage a full recovery! Some sunshine will do them, and all of us, a world of good! Thank you, to everyone, for your patience through this challenging beginning to your weekly shares!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX:

Salad Mix -- One of my favorite summer staples: fresh salad mix. Included in this mix are various mixed lettuces, as well as sorrel, chard, beet greens, arugula, mustard leaves, cilantro, dill and mint.

Spinach – It's delicious either raw, in salads, or cooked. Spinach quiche is good....you can prepare it following the same recipe for the sorrel quiche from a couple of weeks ago, substituting the spinach leaves for the sorrel. Wilted spinach is also yummy:

2 quarts young spinach leaves, stems removed

2 slices of bacon, diced

1 tbsp flour

2 tbsp sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

½ tsp salt

3-4 tbsp diced onion

Place spinach in a serving bowl, tearing the leaves if they are too large. Fry the bacon until crisp and sprinkle it over the spinach. Add the flour to the bacon drippings that are left in the pan and stir until blended together. Then, add the sugar, salt and vinegar. Cook while stirring until the mixture is thickened. Drizzle it over the spinach and sprinkle the diced onion on top. Toss salad and serve. Serves 4.

Rhubarb – I have to apologize for the appearance of the rhubarb this week. It took a hammering from large hail the night before harvest. I only included the best looking stalks in your share, but there are still some dings and dents visible. Sorry about that. Hopefully Mother Nature sees fit to give us a break from this rigorous Spring we've received thus far!! Here is another rhubarb recipe for this week.

Rhubarb and Spinach Salad

4 stalks rhubarb, cut into thin slices                                                                                      1/4 cup sugar                                                                                                                     2 tbsp. red wine vinegar                                                                                                      Salt & pepper to taste                                                                                                         16-20 spinach leaves                                                                                                          6 tbsp vegetable oil

Place the rhubarb in a pan, sprinkle on the sugar and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Place over high heat and bring water to a boil. Cook, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and pour mixture through a large sieve into a bowl. Return the liquid to the pan. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper, and place over high heat. Cook, uncovered, until the mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. While that is cooking, divide the spinach onto serving plates. Arrange the rhubarb over the spinach. When the liquid is reduced, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the oil. Pour over the salads and serve.

Chamomile – There is nothing like a cup of fresh chamomile tea before bedtime. To prepare, simply add approximately 2 tbsp of the fresh flowers to 2 cups of boiling water and allow to steep. You can adjust how much chamomile you add to strengthen or weaken to the tea to your taste.

Dill – Dill pickles aren't the only thing you can make with fresh dill. One of my favorites is dill dip, which can be used for dipping veggies or crackers.

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

1 ½ tbsp minced onion (or chives!)

1 ½ tsp salt (or to taste)

4 ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, salt, and dill. Mix well. Chill at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to mingle.

The Great Flood - May 26, 2011

2011-05-27T16:43:00.000-06:00

I had planned on writing this week about Badger Rock Farm's very first CSA share delivery, which occurred on Wednesday, May 25. And I will (please scroll down for this week's CSA newsletter, contents and recipes). But, I believe it is impossible to begin an account of anything that happened in Roundup this week without first speaking to what happened on May 26. As of this writing, the view one block from my home looks like this:

And this:

The farm, which is a mile away from our home, and also--thankfully on high ground--was not affected by the floodwaters. Our near, more low-lying neighbors, however, were inundated. This is the view from the bottom of the hill, near the farm:

That is Highway 87 that is underwater in this picture. The highway would also normally be visible in the first picture of this entry. Boats are the only vehicle traversing it now, however. Happily, the farm's first CSA delivery to Roundup subscribers happened the night before the floodwaters rose. Billings customers, whose first delivery was supposed to take place tomorrow--May 28--will be postponed for one week. Those subscribers can count on getting this week's veggies, as well as next week's share, in one, extra-full bag, to make up for missing this delivery. I am very grateful for their kind understanding, and am (very) hopeful that floodwaters will be a thing of memory a week from now. Of course, that will only be the beginning of the clean-up effort. My thoughts and prayers are with those that have watched their livelihoods and homes disappear underwater :-(.

May 25 & 28 CSA Share Contents, Newsletter and Recipes!

2011-05-27T16:35:00.000-06:00

BADGER ROCK FARM NEWSLETTER

YOUR WEEKLY FARM UPDATE:

This week, I am very grateful to my garden perennials and fall-planted crops. They have bravely weathered the cold, gray rain that seems to have made up our entire Spring thus far, and are ready for enjoyment. There can be no doubt that everything in the garden is very well-watered at this point. Now we just need some warmth and sunshine to get everything growing at its expected rate. I have been working on garden bed preparation, transplanting broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts, moving the electrified chicken netting, seeding more spinach and lettuce (greens will be seeded throughout the summer to ensure a constant supply), weeding carrots and placing the drip irrigation system and fabric row covers (and trying to stay dry).

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX:

Egyption Walking Onions (also called topset onions) – These hardy plants are one of the first green things to emerge in my garden in early spring. They earn their name because, instead of producing a flower at the top of their stalk as regular onions do, they produce a cluster of bulblets. As these bulblets mature, they weigh down the stalk, causing it to bend. The bulblets, now resting on the ground, root and grow into new walking onions. If left to their druthers, they can “walk” across your garden in this manner! The whole of a walking onion is edible. The hollow greens may be chopped and used raw to garnish salads or they can be cooked in stir fries and soups. The onion at the base of the stalk may be used in any recipe that calls for regular onions.

Green Garlic – Green garlic is simply immature garlic, harvested early for enjoyment in the first days of Spring. To use, chop off the roots and the upper parts of the dark green leaves (where they get tough). Keep the white bulb, the light green middle portion and first couple inches of the dark green leaves (where they are still tender). Having a milder taste than mature garlic, you can chop it up and use it to give a kick to any recipe that calls for green onions or garlic. There are many green garlic recipes available online, but here are a couple that I'd like to highlight.

Green Garlic & Sorrel Chicken

1 bunch green garlic
2 packed cups sorrel leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
6 chicken thighs
salt & pepper to taste

Make a bed of sorrel and chopped green garlic in a baking dish. Place the chicken on top. Salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for an hour and 45 minutes to two hours.
Green Garlic Pesto

Green Garlic Pesto

6 shoots of green garlic, roughly chopped
¼ cup nuts (pine nuts or walnuts)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup warm water
6 tbsp olive oil

Process the green garlic in a food processor until it is minced. Add the nuts, Parmesan, salt and pepper to the food processor and process for approx 10 seconds. In a measuring cup, combine the water and oil and slowly pour the mixture into the food processor while it is on. Process until mixture is incorporated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Add more oil if you would like a creamier texture (if pesto will be mixed with pasta, for example).

Sorrel – Sorrel is a perennial green with a delicious (in my opinion) lemony tang. It is also one of the first things to emerge after winter begins to loosen its grip. You can use it in a salad, or cooked. Here is a recipe:

Sorrel Quiche

2-3 cups sorrel, coarsely chopped
3 shoots green garlic, chopped
3-4 ounces grated cheese
3 eggs
1½ cups milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread grated cheese in the bottom of a piecrust. Cover the cheese with chopped sorrel and green garlic. Beat the eggs, salt and milk together. Pour over the greens. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Chervil – A member of the parsley family, chervil is an herb that loves the moist and cool Spring we've been having thus far. It's lacy, fern-like leaves have a mild, licorice-like flavor. My favorite way to use chervil is raw, added to a salad. It is also great cooked but it is delicate, so to avoid over-cooking only add it to a hot dish at the end of the cooking process.

Chervil and Chives Dressing

1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp chopped chervil
salt & pepper to taste

Chives – A member of the onion family, chives are one of my old-reliables in early spring. Chopped and used fresh, they make a great garnish and flavor-enhancer for baked potatoes, soups, egg or fish dishes and, of course, salads.

Mint – One of the garden's most refreshing herbs, mint is delicious chopped into a salad, but my favorite way to use it when the weather is cold, gray and rainy is for fresh mint tea. Simply pour boiling water over your fresh mint sprigs, let it steep for five minutes and enjoy! You can increase the mint flavor by adding sprigs. You can also add tea bags to combine the mint flavor with other types of tea.

Bread made from Prairie Heritage Farm Sonora wheat – Jim and I participate in an ancient grain CSA via Prairie Heritage Farm in Conrad, MT. Each fall, we get 100 lbs of various ancient grains. One of those grains is Sonora wheat, which we ground and used to make this bread for you. We hope you enjoy it, and that it helps make up for the rather lean offerings of this very first share. The garden's abundance will kick in soon, and your bags will be overflowing! Until then, if you would like to learn more about Jacob and Courtney Cowgill's grain CSA, you can check out their website at www.prairieheritagefarm.com (click on Community Supported Agriculture Programs at the top of the page). I see them fairly often, so if you wanted to subscribe, I would be happy to be the transport person when it comes time for the once a year delivery.

What We Eat....And What We Use To Nourish It

2011-05-27T15:43:00.000-06:00

Preface: I write this little column for Roundup's local paper, the Roundup Record, each month. It is called "What We Eat....". Thought I'd post it here as well.

It was with a sinking feeling that I examined the twisted, cupped and curling leaves and stunted growth of my tomato, potato and pepper plants. Sure that I was witnessing the effects of a malevolent blight or virus, I called the county extension agent to help me diagnosis my problem. After he took a look around, however, he did not rattle off the name of a plant disease. Instead, he asked me if I'd recently added manure to my garden. When I said that I had, he delivered the blow. My garden was not suffering from a plant malady. Herbicide was the culprit.

My immediate question was how that could be, since I'd never once used any sort of chemical on my grounds. And I certainly hadn't used herbicide in my garden beds. Minimizing exposure to such substances is one of the main reasons that I choose to grow my own vegetables. Unfortunately, intentional application is not the only way that herbicides are finding their way into gardens anymore. I learned the hard way that these chemicals are gaining entrance via contaminated manure and compost.

Unfortunately, cases of gardens damaged via this method are becoming increasingly common. Often, the poisonous offender in contaminated manure and compost is found to be from a class of herbicides called pyridine carboxylic acids. Common examples include aminopyralid (Milestone), clopyralid (Stinger), and picloram (Tordon). These substances are used to control a variety of broad-leafed weeds and are approved for use on hayfields and pasture. Animals that graze grass or consume hay that has been treated with these chemicals pass them through their systems largely undigested. After being excreted in the animals' manure, the herbicides can continue to exist at levels high enough to damage gardens for years, even after the manure has been composted. It is also possible for contamination to occur if sprayed plant material is added to a compost pile. As with the manure, the chemicals can continue to persist at damaging levels in the compost for unusually long periods of time.

Symptoms of pyralid contamination typically include poor seed germination, yellowing, cupped and curling leaves, stunted plant growth, misshapen fruit, lowered yields, and a distortion of the plant's growing point that gives it a fern-like appearance. Tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, beans and peas are especially sensitive to this type of herbicide damage, but beets, carrots, lettuces, spinach and other garden crops might also be affected. If you believe your garden has fallen victim to pyralid contamination, Montana State University Extension offers several suggestions via their “Minimizing Pesticide Contaminated Soil Around the Home and Garden” publication. Options include planting non-susceptible crops, such as wheat, corn or berries, moving the location of your garden until its soil passes toxicity tests, incorporating charcoal (one – two pounds/100 sq ft) in the top six inches of contaminated soil, and, in the case of small gardens, removing the contaminated soil and replacing it with soil from a non-contaminated source.

You can also conduct a simple test recommended by Cecil Tharp, the MSU Pesticide Education Specialist. He suggests that gardeners fill five pots with uncontaminated soil and five with soil randomly collected from the garden. Plant the intended vegetables (tomatoes, beans and peas are particularly sensitive to pyridine contamination and will be most likely to exhibit symptoms) in each pot and allow them to grow until they have at least three leaves. Compare the appearances of the plants growing in potentially contaminated soil with that of the plants growing in uncontaminated soil, and examine for the affects of herbicide damage.

To prevent pyralid contamination within your garden, MSU Extension recommends that gardeners question their suppliers of manure, grass clippings and/or compost. If the supplier does not know whether the plant stands or pastures used to produce the manure, clippings or compost were treated with a pyridine herbicide, do not apply it to your garden. MSU Extension also states that you should not use manure from animals that have grazed forage or eaten hay harvested from treated areas within the previous three days. Grass clippings from treated areas should not be used as compost or mulch that will be applied to your garden.

I am happy to report that my own garden contamination occurred a number of years ago, and the test described above has revealed that the soil is finally, once again, herbicide free. Thank goodness. Please learn from my mistake. Manure and compost are very valuable tools within a garden, but herbicide contamination can happen easily. It is incredibly difficult to address after it occurs, so it is worthwhile to be as careful as possible as you consider sources for garden inputs.

If you would like to read more about this issue, you can find useful information within the following articles:

http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/Reference/minimizingpesticidecontaminatedsoil.pdf

http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=8423

http://www.pesticides.montana.edu/News/Bulletins/MTPestBulletinDec2009.pdf (page 2)

It's Springtime at Badger Rock Farm!

2011-04-17T21:06:00.001-06:00

A great deal has been happening at the farm over the last number of weeks. It must be springtime once again! It hardly feels like an entire season has passed since winter's frosts put last year's garden to bed, but pass it has. Growing, green things are peeking out of the ground at me, trying to decide if they're brave enough to make their appearances yet. Here are some pictures that show what's been happening here lately:

Here is the "greenhouse" in our basement, where the earliest seedlings (onions and leeks, for example) get their start at the end of February. It is still potentially too cold outside to keep the real greenhouse at the farm above freezing. Everything stays nice and cozy here, with the basement woodstove not far away.

The real greenhouse, up at the farm, got a new door this spring. Last May, a major windstorm ripped the old doors off, and even though Jim re-hung them, they were never the same after that. This screendoor will be just the thing for the job, I think!

Jim also built new shelves for it (please excuse the disarray leftover from winter disuse). These replace my rigged up cinderblock and metal grating system from last year. This will be a much more efficient use of space. (And believe me, this little greenhouse needs to eventually contain MANY seedlings, so an efficient use of space becomes important quite early in the spring).

I love the cheerful face of the intrepid Johnny-Jump-Up. There's nothing like this surprise of color when so much of the surrounding foliage is still winter-brown.

The garlic, which was planted last fall, knows that it is spring.

Several trays of onions on their way up to the farm, after being evicted from the "basement greenhouse." The space there was needed for other things (like tomatoes, peppers and basil!)

Baby tomatoes coming up in the "basement greenhouse!" These are Cosmonaut Volkov's.

Future chard, seeded in the "corral garden." Also already seeded outside are some cutting lettuce, some heading lettuce, cilantro, arugula, beets, carrots, peas, radishes, spinach and scallions. Here's hoping they all decide to come up.

Another ongoing farm project is the removal of decades worth of accumulated scrap iron, old broken down trucks and other detritus left behind by the previous owner of the property. Slowly (very, very slowly) we are reclaiming areas that were previously messy piles of junk. Here, a truck is dropping off a dumpster that will be filled with scrap metal.

Today's happy event: The arrival of 3 huge loads of beautiful, 15 year old, chemical-free manure from the Charter Ranch. Each vegetable picked for market, or for the farm's new CSA, or for my own dinner plate, will be in memorial to Jeanne Charter and all that she did to inspire those that knew her. Thank you so much to Steve Charter, and her entire family for still being willing to allow me to have this. It is going to make EVERY difference in my garden this season!

What We Eat...And How It's Pollinated

2011-03-29T13:56:00.000-06:00

Preface: I write this little column for Roundup's local paper, the Roundup Record, each month. It is called "What We Eat....". Thought I'd post it here as well.

Last week, in the garden that borders my still-empty vegetable beds, I spotted the cheerful face of an intrepid johnny-jump-up blooming up at me. What a wonderful sign of the Spring that has finally arrived. Amidst the blue skies and sunshine that heralded the first days of the new season, it was not difficult to imagine the summer temperatures that will soon be upon us. It will not be long before multitudes of flowers are buzzing with another one of warmer weather's mainstays: the honeybee.

Honeybee on a cucumber blossom

Often seen buzzing amongst summer blooms, honeybees can easily be differentiated from wasps because wasps have a smooth, hairless body. The hair, or fuzz, on a honeybee's body functions to collect pollen, as they buzz from flower to flower. Another difference between honeybees and wasps is that honeybees are only able to use their stinger once. When a honeybee stings, barbs on the stinger cause it to remain embedded in the target, and it will rip from the honeybee's body when it flies away. This ruptures the bee's abdomen and causes death. This is why, unless they've been stepped on, or are defending their hive and queen, a honeybee is unlikely to sting. It costs them their lives. This is in contrast to wasps, which are often seen gathering on picnickers' soda cans and food. With smooth stingers that do not get left behind, embedded in their victims, wasps can sting repeatedly without lethal consequences to themselves. They will often do so to defend “their” sugary drink from the human that is disturbing them.

The honeybee is an integral part of human food production, and not just because of its honey. As a worker honeybee goes about its work foraging nectar for its hive, it accumulates pollen on the fuzzy hairs that cover its body. By flying from bloom to bloom, the bee distributes that pollen, fertilizing the flowers and allowing for seed formation and fruit production. If a flower on a plant dependent on cross-pollination does not receive a visit from a pollen-bearing insect, such as the honeybee, it will wither and die without producing seeds or a fruit. It is estimated that one third of the food that we consume comes from plants that depend upon insect pollinators such as the honeybee. Some familiar pollinator-dependent crops are melons, cucumbers, almonds, peaches, pears, strawberries, alfalfa, cherries, apples and blueberries. Honeybees also play a central role in our country's economy, as they pollinate billions of dollars of U.S. crops each year.

Honeybee on an onion flower

Unfortunately, North America's honeybees are in grave danger. A new and mysterious malady dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has recently devastated what was already a dramatically declining honeybee population. Since the disorder, whose causes are poorly understood, came to light in or around 2006, 30-40% of the United States' bee colonies have suffered colony collapse, which is characterized by the sudden desertion of a hive by its bees. Much research has been done on CCD, but concrete answers about the malady have proved elusive. Efforts are hampered, in part, because the bees disperse from the hive before death occurs, making affected bee bodies difficult to obtain for study. In 2010, entomologists at the University of Montana and Montana State University, working collaboratively with Army scientists, discovered that a fungus,Nosema ceranae, present in conjunction with an invertebrate iridescent virus (IIV), causes a “one-two punch” that was found in every CCD-killed colony the group studied. This is a positive development, but the scientisits themselves declare that their conclusions are not the final word, and that more research is needed.

Even before CCD came onto the scene around 2006, the National Resource Council had estimated that, between 1945 and 2005, honeybee colony numbers nationwide had already declined by over 40%, from 5.9 million to 2.4 million colonies. They had also predicted that “if honeybee numbers continued to decline at the rates documented from 1989 to 1996, managed honeybees would cease to exist by 2035.”

A number of factors likely contributed to the dramatic, pre-CCD decline in recent decades. Habitat loss due to sprawling development and the introduction of parasitic bloodsucking mites have played a significant role, as has the widespread use of pesticides, such as Sevin, which are known to be highly toxic to honeybees. Insecticides are particularly damaging, because they can kill bees in more than one way. One is when the foraging bee makes direct contact with a lethal dose of insecticide. The second, more insidious way, is when a worker bee is not immediately killed by the poison, and it transports insecticide-contaminated pollen or nectar back to its hive. There the toxin can weaken or be lethal to the entire colony. It is also thought possible that bees weakened by exposure to toxins are more susceptible to Colony Collapse Disorder.

Honeybee on a cosmos flower

If you would like to help save our pollinators, there are a number of things that you can do. First and foremost, you can eliminate the usage of pesticides and other toxic chemicals that are known to be lethal to honeybees. You can also plant diverse flowering plants that are bee favorites, increasing their habitat and foraging options. Try to always have something blooming so that as one food source passes, another is beginning to flower. If you are a landowner, leaving even small areas of your property in a wild state gives pollinators areas to nest. Learn to differentiate between honeybees and wasps so that you do not accidentally mistake the former for a pest. You can also find local beekeepers and support them by purchasing their products. If you would like more detailed information about how to help our pollinators, or if you are interested in becoming a beekeeper yourself, you can visit these websites: http://ag.montana.edu/plantgrowth/beekeeping.htm; http://www.bees-on-the-net.com/montana-beekeepers.html; http://agr.mt.gov/crops/bees/apiary.asp;

http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/pollinators.html

What We Eat...And How It's Labeled

2011-01-16T22:55:00.003-07:00

Preface: I write this little column for Roundup's local paper, the Roundup Record, each month. It is called "What We Eat....". Thought I'd post it here as well.

Natural, Certified Organic, Raised Without Antibiotics, Raised Without Added Hormones, Cage-Free, Free Range........

Have you ever stood in your grocery store aisle, wondering what all of the food packaging labels really mean? Are “natural” foods really just as good as their more expensive “certified organic” counterparts? What do the “cage-free” and “free-range” labels on industrially-produced eggs and meat really mean? Are the “raised without added hormones” and “raised without antibiotics” claims legitimate?

The questions can be as numerous as the packaging labels, and each one is important to ask. That is because some labels are regulated and do, in fact, communicate meaningful information, while others are simply tricky advertising ploys to get you, the consumer, to pick one product over another.

Not all of the answers are completely straightforward either. Take, for example, the “Raised Without Added Hormones” packaging claim. This label is essentially meaningless if it appears on a poultry or pork product, because the USDA does not permit the use of hormones in the raising of poultry or swine. If you look closely at your package of “Raised Without Added Hormones” chicken, you will likely notice an asterisk that points you to the fine print acknowledgment that “federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry.” This statement is required on all poultry or pork products that proclaim that they are raised without additional hormones.

On a package of beef or lamb, however, the “Raised Without Added Hormones” label actually means something, as there are growth-enhancing hormones approved for use in the raising of cattle and sheep. The USDA states that the producer making the “Raised Without Added Hormones” claim is required to “provide the Agency with sufficient documentation showing that no hormones have been used in raising the animals.”

Cage Free Chickens

Antibiotics are currently used in the production of poultry, swine and cattle to prevent disease, promote growth and to treat diagnosed disease. If a food claims that it has been “Raised Without Antibiotics,” the USDA requires that the producer “provide the Agency with sufficient documentation that the animals were raised without antibiotics.”

“Cage-free” and “free-range” are confusing labels as well. For example, a package of “cage-free” chicken meat is probably not different from its unlabeled freezer-mate, as chickens raised for meat are not typically caged before they are transported for slaughter. The “cage-free” label on an egg carton is meaningful however, and it describes a step up from the average laying hen's life, which is spent within a tiny cage. But it does not indicate that the laying hens had access to the outdoors, or that they lived in uncrowded conditions. “Cage-free” birds are likely to live uncaged, within a large, crowded warehouse-like building with many thousands of other hens.

Badger Rock Farm Chickens - Early Spring 2010

The average industrially-raised, “free range” meat chicken's life is not very different. While the label might bring to the consumer's mind the image of a chicken roaming over a sunlit, grassy pasture, the reality is that it probably lived, uncaged, within a large, crowded building with many thousands of other birds and may or may not have ever stepped outside. This is because the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) approves “free range” labeling of poultry meat products “if the producer can demonstrate that the birds were allowed continuous, free access to the outside for over 51 percent of their lives.” It does not state that the birds must actually access this outdoor space. It also does not define what the quality of that outdoor space must be, or how much of it must be available. When “free-range” is used to reference egg products, it can mean whatever the manufacturer wants it to mean, because the USDA regulates the term for poultry meat products, but not for eggs.

How about “natural” versus “organic?” Do they mean essentially the same thing? The quick answer to that is no. Only food produced according to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards can be labeled as organic, and it must be certified by an independent, third-party. Certified organic foods may not be produced using synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or sewage sludge. They may not be genetically engineered, or irradiated. Animal products that are certified organic come from animals that were fed organic feed without animal byproducts and were raised without antibiotics or added hormones. All certified organic poultry is cage-free, but the NOP does not dictate minimum space requirements, stocking density or flock size.

The use of the word “natural” on foods regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) means that nothing artificial or synthetic, including color additives, was added to the food product. Generally speaking, FDA regulated foods are eggs still in their shell, dairy products such as milk, cheese and ice cream, and products that do not contain meat.

The USDA regulates foods that contain meat and “egg products” (eggs that have been removed from their shells for processing). The “natural” label on foods under the USDA's jurisdiction indicates that the product does not contain any artificial flavors, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives. It also must not be more than minimally processed, and the package has to carry a statement describing what is meant by the “natural” label. Whether regulated by the FDA or the USDA, the term “natural” does not mean that the food was produced without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers or sewage sludge and it says nothing about whether the food product was irradiated or made using genetically engineered ingredients. It also has no relevance whatsoever to the conditions under which animals (in the case of meat or egg products) were raised.

This is by no means a complete list of the food packaging labels that exist. Even with this abbreviated list, however, it's clear that deciphering the truth behind labeling claims is bewildering at best. As a consumer, it is wise to always remember that the bold letters on the grocery store shelf are intended to sell you something. A healthy dose of skeptical caution, and some homework can go a long way towards making sure your food is what you expect it to be.

What We Eat......December 2010

2010-12-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

Preface: I write this little column for Roundup's local paper, the Roundup Record, each month. It is called "What We Eat....". Thought I'd post it here as well.

WHAT WE EAT....
by Erin Janoso

Imagine a barn confining 20,000 laying hens under the same roof. Now picture a flock of 50 small-farm-raised layers that spend their days outdoors, chasing grasshoppers. Or envision an industrial facility that bags thousands of pounds of salad greens for national distribution, and compare that with the thought of a market gardener clipping and bagging spinach leaves for the farmer's market the next day.

   For me, and probably for many, the mental images that result from the above comparisons are of two almost entirely different worlds: industrialized production facilities owned or contracted by large, multinational corporations, versus small, diversified farms, where the farmer growing the food is the one selling it to customers that he or she likely knows by name. It seems odd then, that regulations governing food production and processing sometimes does not acknowledge the drastic separation between these two very different types of operations. One-size-fits-all legislation is usually designed to regulate the huge, industrial facilities, and it can cripple small farms with exorbitant costs of compliance and/or regulatory paperwork burdens.

   This is why the Food Safety Modernization Act, or SB510 created so much fear within circles that care about the continued existence of small, family-owned farms. Spurred on by the many recent outbreaks of food-borne illness, this bill, which passed the Senate on November 30, was called the most sweeping overhaul of our nation's food system in nearly a century. It was a great relief, therefore, that the version that finally passed the Senate included a number of amendments that would help shield small farmers from the very worst of SB510's regulatory burdens. The Tester-Hagan amendment, authored by Montana's Senator Tester and co-sponsored by Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina was the subject of fierce debate and consumed much of the last two weeks of Senate action on the bill. It faced significant attacks from the large produce and meat trade associations, but enjoyed enough strong support from sustainable agriculture advocates and others that the amendment was incorporated into the final bill. In an abbreviated nutshell, this amendment provided exemptions and provisions for small farms and processing facilities that have gross sales of less than $500,000 annually, that direct market over 50% of their product directly to the consumer (for example, at a farm stand or farmer's market) or to stores or restaurants, and that sell to consumers, stores or restaurants that are within-state or within 275 miles of the farm's location.

   As I finish writing this article on Friday, Dec. 17, the Food Safety Modernization Act's future appears dim. When it moved to the House, it was attached to the omnibus spending bill that subsequently failed to pass the Senate. There are some last minute efforts being made to keep the food-safety bill alive, but if these fail, it is thought that this legislation will not be able to be successfully revived next year.

Whether the probable death of this legislation is a good or a bad thing for small farms, farmer's markets and their like is hard to know. There will surely be another effort made to overhaul our nation's food safety laws, because there are large problems within the current food system that truly do leave consumers unprotected and vulnerable. The question remains, however....Will the next version of legislation include any language or amendments at all that protect small producers from crippling regulations and costs of compliance? Or might the market gardener picking spinach for the farmer's market end up crushed under the same regulations that control the massive multinational food corporations after all? That will remain to be seen. In the meantime, it is clear that vigilance is required to preserve the vibrancy of, and our access to, locally grown food.

Goodbye Summer's Work; Hello Winter's Rest (aka Armchair Gardening)

2010-12-05T19:34:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened since my last, mid-September post. A season has come and gone. Jack Frost arrived, but was followed by a long, WARM first half of November. Harvests were completed, snow fell, and finally, the seed catalogs appeared in the mail. The garden has been put to sleep for the winter, the chickens have been tucked into their cold-weather coop, and I have begun the happy task of armchair gardening. Next year's garden, of course, will be perfect!

The last Billings Yellowstone Valley Farmer's Market took place on October 2nd. We enjoyed beautiful weather on that fall Saturday, and market patrons came out in droves to bid the season adieu. I couldn't believe that, after 2009's early and extreme cold snap, I was still picking tomatoes almost into mid-October.

A killing frost finally did arrive on the night of October 12.

But weather that was generally warm (read: tshirts and shorts into the 11th month of the year!) continued, giving me a much needed chance to play catch-up on all of the fall chores that seemed so impossible to get done while the market was still going. Cover-crop seeding, root crop harvesting, the collection of leaves for compost and so much more.

(And yes, I do work too. Jim just never takes pictures, so he's always the one IN them, working...:-D).

The second half of November finally brought with it the sub-zero temps that we all knew were eventually inevitable. The chickens appreciated getting to clean up the immature corn off the old stalks, and a few even got into a game of shadow puppets once I got their heat lamp plugged in!

Now, the garden sleeps under its white blanket, and I get to enjoy the woodstove's heat while I plan 2011's perfect garden. To quote Pam Gerwe, one of my favorite fellow gardeners: "Next year, I'm not going to start saying "next year...." until at least July." That sounds like a good plan. Cheers 2010.....you taught me more than I could have (or would have wanted to) imagine. Here's to 2011.....

Spin Those Salad Greens Round and Round!

2010-09-11T18:00:00.009-06:00

When preparing my salad mix, one of my perennial problems has been the removal of the water that's used to rinse and cool the greens. In years past, I'd tried all sorts of methods: draining in a big colander (too much of the water remains on the leaves), swinging them in a mesh laundry bag (more effective than the colander, but hard on the ole shoulder), processing teensy batches in a kitchen-sized salad spinner (waaaaay too time-consuming for farmer's market prep), etc.

I am happy to report that I've finally arrived at a solution that works almost like magic.....drying large batches of salad thoroughly and efficiently. The answer? A washer machine!! Set on the spin cycle, with the agitator removed, the mix is cooled, rinsed and ready to be bagged for market in no time!!

Help = One of the Best Things Ever!

2010-08-11T23:25:00.004-06:00

Meet Reed, my 15 yr old helper. He is passionate about the outdoors and gardens, and he has been spending a couple days of most of his late summer weeks weeding, harvesting, and helping me accomplish the things that are just so much easier with more than one set of hands. This summer has been an education on just how important willing help really is. So much less gets accomplished when I insist on doing things alone. (Sometimes, though, I keep trying....). It is almost like a miracle to go run unavoidable errands, and come back to find fed animals and weeded beds (there was broccoli hiding in that grass???). Reed is my first employee. I am his first employer. We are both learning and it is working out well.

Farm Tour of America Bicyclists Arrive at Badger Rock Farm!

2010-08-10T10:44:00.004-06:00

Farm Tour of America: 3000 Miles, 11 Riders, 1 Cause. On July 14, 11 bicyclists, a van and a puppy arrived at Badger Rock Farm. Traveling across country to raise money for global food sovereignty via a sustainable agriculture project in Bolivia, they'd bicycled out of Portland, OR at the end of June. As they make their way across the United States, they are staying at small farms and other key players in local food culture, hoping to learn as well as bring attention to food sovereignty.

After rolling in during the late afternoon, we shared a pot of chili made (mostly) from things harvested here at the farm, and they pitched their tents for the night. In the morning, I arrived to a number of thoroughly weeded beds. What a welcome surprise!! I never would have accomplished all of that on my own. It is beautiful what 11 pairs of hands can get done in a short period of time.

After that, they were on their way. Their goal on July 15 was Ingomar, MT and the Jersey Lilly Campground, approx. 60 miles away.

If you would like to read more about this group of bicyclists, you can check out their blog here:

http://bikeacrossamerica.wordpress.com/

New "Replacement" Chicks are Growing Gangbusters!

2010-08-10T10:09:00.005-06:00

30 chicks arrived on July 23. Hatched on July 21 at Ideal Hatchery, they include 10 Araucanas ("Easter egg" chickens, lay light green eggs), 10 Welsummers (chocolate brown eggs) and 10 Rhode Island Reds (brown egg layers). When they are big enough, they will join the flock that remains after the end-June coyote predation incidents that caused my daily gathering tally to go from 18-24, down to 4-6 eggs. The good news is that everyone is now happy and healthy, and the egg production is climbing again as the now 5 month old Rhode Island Red and Araucana pullets begin to lay. They're joining the ranks of my Dominique hens that have made up the laying flock since last year.