A few recent chicken pics

This is some of the girls back in June.

A momma hatched out some chicks under a pile of old lumber recently.

The cats recline while the chickens graze the grass and thyme.

Everyone gets along.

Diverse Offerings from the Garden

Harvest seems to have peaked. Some crops are done or winding down. The garden is still yielding:
- Tomatoes (heirloom, hybrid and cherry)
- Potatoes (fingerling and standard)
- Huckleberries (Great for Pies!)
- Okra
- Peppers (Poblano, Bell, Anaheim, Banana, Cayenne, Jalapeno and more)
- Acorn Squash
- Carrots
- Broom Corn
- Mixed Sunflowers

Winding down but still available in very limited quantities:
- Summer Squash
- Cucumbers
- Beets
- Green Beans

AS ALWAYS, get to the market EARLY for best selection. Market starts at 6:45 a.m. and ends at 11 a.m.

Also, check out the NEW WEDNESDAY MARKET in Bloomington at College and Veterans! Wednesday evenings from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

New Partnerships

I am pleased to announce two new partnerships for me in the local food movement. Wild Tree Cafe in Evanston and True Nature Foods in Chicago are both offering produce from my farm along with produce from other local growers. Both of these businesses are serious about bringing the freshest nutrition to their customers, educating others about the benefits of local food and supporting local producers. More info can be found about these conscientious and locally owned businesses on the web:

http://www.wildtreecafe.com/index.html

http://www.truenaturefoods.com/index.html

Elsa, who helped make it possible.

Latest Garden Offerings

Harvest has really stepped up the last couple of weeks. The garden is yielding:

- Tomatoes (heirloom, hybrid and cherry)
- Potatoes (fingerlings and standard size)
- Cucumbers (Regular and Lemon)
- Beets (Chiogga, Golden and Dark Red)
- Swiss Chard
- Huckleberries (Great for Pies!)
- Garlic (German Red stiffneck)
- Green beans
- Okra
- Peppers (Poblano, Bell, Anaheim, Banana, Cayenne, Jalapeno and more)
- Summer Squash (Patty Pan, Ronde de Nice, Striata de Italia, Yellow Crookneck)
- Table Gold Acorn Squash
- Carrots
- Mixed Sunflowers

AS ALWAYS, get to the market EARLY for best selection. Market starts at 6:45 a.m. and many items sell out before 9 a.m.

Market Photos

Here are a few recent photos shared by one of the many regular market supporters (click photo for larger image).

Flock Shares

2007 FLOCK SHARE

Own Your Own Chickens!
Ever wanted to own your chickens but couldn’t?
Well, now is your chance!

Buy a share in my flock and receive all the benefits without the work. Each week receive the fruit of the flock delivered fresh to the market. One share covers the whole market season or 24 weeks; ½ a share covers 12 weeks, etc.

FULL SHARE - $72 (24 weeks)

HALF SHARE - $36 (12 weeks)


The flock is:
ɵ Free Pastured ɵ Organically Fed

ɵ Humanely Treated ɵ Open To Inspection


How does the Flock Share work?
Similar to a CSA (community supported agriculture), individuals are invited to invest in my flock, becoming part owners. Shares are purchased for an agreed upon price. As a co-owner you are entitled to the fruit of the flock including eggs, meat and fertilizer. You also get to come and inspect the flock, a treat in itself. They really are healthy birds and very athletic - a pleasure to watch.

The Garden Grows

From this in late Fall of 2006...


















To this in late May 2007. And there's more that's not in the photo.

Garden Menu

What's On the Menu?

Been serving up typical spring fair at the market so far;
- green onions
- green garlic (german red stiffneck)
- radishes (easter egg, daikon, french breakfast)
- spinach
- swiss chard
- leaf lettuce mix
- mizuna mustard
- asian greens mix
- and a few other greens.

AS ALWAYS, get to the market early for best selection.

The peas are now blooming and it won't be long until they come in. Beets, turnips and kohlrabi are getting to size and I'll start bringing some small ones in a week or two. Beans are making a good show and will be ahead in late June/ July.

Everyone is welcome to come out to the garden to inspect things or pitch in. Fridays are harvest days. email jake (at) grandprairiefood.com

Small and Super Jumbo

Small Pullet Egg compared to a Super Jumbo Egg.

Cold Snap

Many of my tomatoes, potatoes and a few eggplants were among the victims of the recent cold snap. The way they have been throwing the forecast around lately I stopped tuning in day to day so I was caught unaware. I haven't looked at the apples yet. Similar sad stories at the market this morning along those lines. Looks like it is going to be a tough year for fruit. I was fortunate enough to get a bunch of replacements after market this morning.

*****************

Update: The cold took out the tomatoes, eggplants, huckleberry, apples and tops of the potatoes. Potatoes have bounced back. Many of the toms have been replaced and only a few of the eggplant were out so not all were lost. Huckleberry is growing back although now set back so may not fruit.

HA!

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives.

Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled.

And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14.

So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast.

God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof.

God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel Food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food."

God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds.

Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds.

God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest.

God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery.

Then Satan created HMOs.

Making of the Garden

Food, not Lawns
As I've mentioned, the new garden is going in where there is now lawn. The sod is quite thick here as it had been only occasionally mowed over the years. Fortunately, cutting and lifting sod in strips is something I have quite a bit of experience with. The strips of sod are being laid upside down in the paths, some on cardboard or plastic mulch, and along the border to help define the area. Once the soil beneath the sod is exposed I work the soil depending on what is being planted. When planting something like potatoes, I barely loosen it with a fork, no turning. If I need a finer seed bed for say, lettuce, I will use the fork to turn and chop and then loosen the top with a garden rake a bit. The goal is minimum disruption.

My chief garden inspirations are Masanobu Fukuoka and Edward Faulkner although, I turn to Rodale a lot for specifics. Honestly, I make up a lot of it as I go along, trying to leave a lot of spontaneity to the overall process. I mostly just try to stay out of the soil's way and observe. This may sound contrary considering the savagery I'm committing by tearing up the sod and exposing the soil beneath. Truly a savage garden. Fortunately, it only has to be done once.


What about Plastic?
I bought a big roll of plastic mulch last year. Decided last season that once I use it up I'll cut it out of the process, of course, that's easy to say when I have probably 5 years worth. It does extend the season and increase yield for toms, peppers and eggplants. The plastic is one of those non-renewable products I can get by without though.

Other Mulch
Under a few of the rows there is some recycled cardboard mulch. I use straw to mulch some beds, depth depends on crop. I am also planting a lot of dutch white clover as a living mulch this year such as in potato and garlic beds. Here is my description of dutch clover for the market:

One of the loveliest and hardest working plants. Scorned by the monoculture lawn lover, this small beneficial plant is beloved by the wise gardener. Clover, like all legumes, has bacterial nodes at their roots which fix nitrogen in the soil, thereby improving fertility. The shallow roots of the dutch white clover do not compete with larger plants and the 3 leafed stems (or 4 if you're lucky) shade the soil and it's micro-critters making dutch white clover a wonderful, natural living mulch. It also helps to crowd out weed seedlings that would later compete with your plants. It is no wonder some gardeners sow it in paths and beneath plants.


Putting The Girls to Work
I do have a few mobile chicken pens, called chicken tractors built from last season. These mobile pens allow one to put the chickens to work in the garden. Park the tractor where you want the birds to cultivate and fertilize and move as necessary (depends on the tractor size/ # of birds). This method also seems to increase the earthworm population after the tractor is moved. This doesn't work with all crops but some plants like pumpkins can take high nitrogen. After they mow down the grass I can go in and mulch to smother out the rhizomes so it saves me the labor of busting that much sod.

This does confine the girls but leaves them access to fresh greens and bugs. I'd prefer to let them run at will. What do you think?

Open-Pollinated Garden

This is the year I am making the transition to open-pollinated / heirloom varieties in the garden with the idea in mind to begin saving seeds. I consider it an important matter of food security to be able to save viable seed from a crop. It will also allow me to select seed from plants that do well right here in the Grand Prairie. AND there are some REALLY exciting heirloom varieties out there!

I'm continuing with the low-tech approach in the garden this year(with the exception of plastic). After toying with it on a small scale for a couple of seasons I tried it on a larger scale last year. I only committed to it for one year because I was unsure how it would go but even before last season ended I knew I would stick with the low-tech approach for another year. I can't imagine doing it any different next year but for now I'll just take it one season at a time.

Need some fresh air and exercise? Come join me in the garden! I'll be looking for help all season! Email jake @ grandprairiefood.com for more details.

The Flock

The Flock

Last year I more than doubled the size of my flock to keep up with demand for eggs from organic and pasture fed hens. This year those birds will be in high production but I'm still concerned I will be sold out. I will be selling flock shares again this season. A full share which will guarantee at least one dozen eggs per week at market (24 weeks) is $72, 1/2 share(12 weeks) is $36, etc.

The birds on my farm are free roaming, meaning they are not cooped or fenced in. They have been raised from day one on certified organic grains grown locally and put out in the pasture at about 6 weeks old (unless the mama hatches them, then they are out in the pasture from day 1). And flock share customers are invited out to verify this for themselves.

Important to note, the term "free range" just means the birds have access to the outside, not that they actually go outside or that if they do go out that they have good stuff to balance their diet with. A "free range" bird may still never taste anything green in it's life. My birds have access to all the greens and bugs they can catch (its funny to watch them hop up to grab a flying bug). Eggs from pasture fed birds have many times more omega-3 fatty acids and more Vitamin A than birds with no access to greens. And they have less fat and cholesterol than factory farm eggs.

Contact me at jake @ grandprairiefood.com for more info on flock shares or talk to me at the market.

We'll also be taking orders for organic, pastured broilers available this Fall.

Since last summer...

Since Last Summer...
Here's the short version to get everyone up to speed -

Managed to get most of my harvest out of the garden last year. I was surprised with how much the garden produced, weed patch that it was. Also managed to make it to every market day in Bloomington last year. Thanks again for everyone's support.

Last Fall, with the help of a dear friend, I found a new home for the garden. I am starting the garden from scratch out of lawn at an old farmstead. Busting the sod with hand tools is hard but rewarding work. I've also learned in previous years that exposing soil that has been beneath sod can yield poor results the first year. I'm guessing it has to do with exposing long buried soil and organisms to the sun and wind and disrupting the wicking effect of the soil.

Those things considered I don't expect to get near as much planted this year or get as much yield from what I do get in. Another good year to learn. Like last year, much of this year's work will pay off in following seasons. Only now I don't have to worry about landlords changing their mind.

Got in my garlic and some flowers bulbs last fall. They made their show back in March. So at least I'll have that much. Planting this Spring has been delayed multiple times because of wet weather. Important to keep in mind that working in soil that is too wet can have an impact for years to come due to compaction. I have managed to get some peas, potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, radishes, spinach, lettuce and other greens in.

Would love to get my beans and rest of my potatoes in but we just had 2 days of rain so delayed again. As more comes up I'll have a better idea of what I'll have the first week of market which is May 19th.

See you there!

Got My Blog Back

Apparantly after a lack of activity and google taking over blogger, I lost access to edit my blog. I wrote google a couple of times and was finally able to claim the blog as mine again under my new google ID. So it is active once again... at least until I get too far behind in the garden.

Past couple of days have been rainy so it was a perfect chance to get this done. Now I can fill in everyone about all the garden news since last summer. Stay tuned.

Miscellany

Just a quick post to show some effort and highlight a few developments.

Garden Menu
A lot of new things from the field lately. Ichiban eggplant, garden salsa peppers..., juliette tomatoes are doing well.., a lot of summer squash and even a few cukes. Oh, and okra! Some heirloom toms coming on; Brandywine and German Stripe. I had potatoes new this week; Yukon Gold and Nordland Red (All Blue and Purple Peruvians coming in a few weeks). The beans are winding down a bit but should have a few at market. Hope to have more later in the fall. More garlic, onions, beets and chard. Lots of cut flowers! And only $1 per dozen!


Goat Milk Soap
My neighbor has made some wonderful natural goat's milk soap and honey lip balm. The soap comes in different scents; Lavender & Chammomile, Cinnamon, Oats & Honey and Cedar, Frankincense and Myrrh. 1.5 ounce Guest Bars are $2 and 3.5 ounce Body Bars are $4. Lip Blam is $2.



Broilers and Fyers
All my broilers and fryers are now dressed and in the freezer. We took 113 down to Arthur for processing just last Thursday. The Amish are much more efficient at it. Very nice to have that out of the way. We do have plenty for sale. The Cornish broilers are $3 / lb. and average 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 lbs. The heritage breed fyers are $3.50 / lb. The birds are smaller with a wonderful flavor. They average 2 3/4 - 4 lbs.


Goodbye Garden
I recently got the official word from the lady who rented me the garden land that she does not want to rent to me next year. In fact she asked that I have everything out by the end of Septmeber but I talked her into letting me stay until the end of October when the bloomington market ends. She was unhappy with losing her privacy (she lives in the country with no neighbors), the bees I had my cousin bring for pollinating the garden, comments from others about the weeds and various minor complaints. All of these things upset her so much that she exclaimed that she "felt like she had lost a whole summer".

It is just as well. The comments started back in April and since then I have literally felt unwelcome in my own garden. I had imagained spending whole days there and preparing lunch in the field, etc. I soon became self conscious of being there "disturbing her privacy" so that I would only do what seemed necessary and would leave. Gone were my visions of a work crew in the field, although I would occasionally muster a small version. I planted flowers around the garden for her benefit but the weeds made a poor backdrop. I would dleiver fresh produce and flowers but perhaps this only increased the violation of her privacy.

If I thought it would not bother her I would have left the whole field go to weeds or pasture for a season just to rest it and let the soil grow what it wanted for a change. But I knew she would not approve so i thought to try to keep them in check. Later, when it became clear that the landlady was unhappy with us there, I no longer felt as much pressure to keep the weeds in check so I started to let them go. We would still remove a few especially where they interfered with what we wanted to grow but it was more play fight than real battle. If there was one lesson I learned it is that weedy gardens can still give good harvests. I've had the same experience this year.

I'm sure something will turn up. I started from scratch once so I will do it again. I'm disappointed that I will not get the benefits to the soil that will not pay off until next year. To me it is such a shame the care we took with the soil only to have it sprayed and plundered next year. I take consolation in that I gave it one year of rest and love. It is a great year for learning and I have no regrets.

Recent farm photos

Busy as usual. Peas are winding down but the beans are coming on so still a lot of picking ahead. Also still trying to catch up with the weeds. Chickens have me runnng as usual. Getting some moved out to the pasture in the garden.

Here's a few recent pix.


A couple of chickens in the side yard. These 2 Buff Orpingtons will actually roam pretty far across the road.


Doesn't look like much more than a weed patch from afar. In fact, in the foreground nothing is planted; it's all weeds. But if you look closer in the rows in the background...

One of the hens was out brooding and recently returned with 5 little ones in tow. Such a delight to watch. She's very protective and keeps the cats and other hens at bay by fluffing up and charging if necessary.

My daughter watches the mama and chicks roam.

On The Menu / Market Changes

Another busy week and full of new things and changes. This was the second week for the peas, both snow and sugar snap, and they have gone fast each week. As I had to tell all the late comers at Saturday's market, "try to get here early." The market begins at 6:45 a.m. and lasts until 11 a.m. The peas were gone by 9:30.

On the menu this week:
Looks like I should have more sugar snap and snow peas (and maybe 1 more week after that)...

The kale is looking great, Red Russian is the variety. Being fresh harvested means this is the one of the most nutrtitious foods to be found...

The swiss chard only gets better, the Bright Lights variety makes a wonderful display fresh in a salad or cooked.

I'll be bringing baby beets for the first time this week, another delicious and highly nutritious vegetable. Beets are high in folic acid, potassium, calcium and antioxidants (betacyanin, what gives beets their rich red color) and the beet greens are even more nutritious!

Garlic scapes were new this week and very popular, no doubt thanks to a cooking demonstration given by Narss using these delicious greens. Yes, there will be more this week...

By request I'll be bringing some cilantro, rosemary and maybe small amounts of some other fresh herbs.

Also more fresh spinach, leaf lettuce, gourmet lettuce mix, radishes and onions.


Coming Up
I have some potted herbs that are sprouting and should be big enough for market soon. The bush bean patches are full of blossoms which means it won't be long until I have green beans and burgundy beans.

Market Change
After a concern was raised about the terms of his lease (having no subleasees), Driss at Latte Time decided to put the market there on hold for the time being. Sorry for anyone who was looking forward to seeing us there. If the issue is resolved we may resume. In the meanwhile I am gearing up to start marketing directly from the farm. I know rural Woodford County is not convenient for everyone but the place really is easy to get to. Anyone interested in coming out to the farm for the freshest eggs, produce or poultry can email me for directions and time at jake(at)grandprairiefood.com .