Feasting on the Farm ~ Week 4

Feasting on God's Blessings...

Greetings from the farm! There are many signs of summer all around me...the home farm pond is waaay down (lack of rain)...we're picking green beans...AND TOMATOES ARE RIPENING! We're excited at the earliness of the harvest due to our high tunnels that allowed us to plant them in April. We live on a mountain  where we were still getting frosts in May. The investment in our

high tunnels has allowed us an earlier season, and prayerfully will extend the season into the winter! We are committed to providing you with fresh vegetables as much of the year as possible! 

With the advent of summer we're feasting on a wide assortment of vegetables. I don't feel guilty this year snacking on a few green beans, or peeling a cucumber and taking a big bite! Ha ha! We've done it and enjoyed it. Last year was a very, very difficult growing season. It was very draining on the family, and we were sorry to cut the season short. So this year we are delighting in God's provision through our labors.

We are really blessed and feel that each time we sit down to a meal that we are feasting on God's blessings. The bounty of the harvest is very evident, whether it be breakfast, lunch, or supper! If you eat fresh and local, each new season brings the joys of something new. We often get calls in early spring 

from wholesalers wanting corn or tomatoes. The only tomatoes on our farm that time of year are in mason jars, and the few ears of corn I froze have LONG since been eaten! Buying vegetables out of season is fruitless as they, "can't shake a stick" at the taste (or nutrient levels) straight from the field! 



       ~ Breakfast ~   

                                                                        

Since I'm unable still to go to church, I treated myself to a special brunch one morning recently. I used the last of our asparagus, green onions, fresh spinach, bacon, and farm fresh eggs. After gathering what looked yummy in the frig I started to cut up the bacon. It fried while I washed and prepped the vegetables. When I added the green onions I knew I was in for a treat! Next I added the thicker stems of the asparagus which take a little longer to get tender. When the time looked right, (you have to trust yourself) I added the tops...then the spinach. I stirred this for no more than a minute before cracking two eggs on top. Next I seasoned the eggs with sea salt

and cracked pepper. Then I added a few tablespoons of water to create steam, and put a cover over the pan to cook the eggs. All this while I was toasting a bagel on this stove top toaster Colvin style. (Since we toast 18 slices at a time for a meal I only use this nifty camping toaster when I'm having a small meal with a child or my husband. It folds neatly and can be tucked away for small meals..can't do that with a clunky

toaster. See a picture of it at the end of the blog.) I buttered my bagel, picked a special dish and checked on my eggs. I like them runny, but not with loose whites...this is an art! :) When just the right consistency was reached I gently lifted the greens out with the eggs intact on top into my dish. It was delicious...a rare morning feast, quiet, and delicious taste of late spring! You can do this too with just about anything you like found in your share. It's a great way to have vegetables for breakfast!

                    

Levi (8) learned to make
kale chips this week to go with
his sandwich! 

~ Lunch ~  

(A note to the younger members of our CSA)                         

One day this week Charity Rose (6) decided to hold a luncheon for her babies. We have a corner of our porch (which is also our packing facility for your vegetables) reserved for "her house". She has a 27 year old kitchen there that her Daddy made her oldest sister Missy when she was a toddler. She serves her delicacies on a small table that is about that old too. We call this the summer playroom because we keep tubs of Legos, Tinker Toys, and other fun things on a shelf there also. She picked flowers and decorated a jar with some fabric to make a vase. I donated one of Grandma Colvin's oilcloth table cloths for the occasion too! Next we made the dainties to serve. A sliced mini loaf of bread, a small cup of peanut butter, apples with cheese, and more.

Each little guest was all dressed up, and were propped up to the table. Birds sang in nearby trees and a cool breeze blew in. Charity served up the "tea" and had a great time chattering to each of her guests as she served them. Somehow all the food disappeared off their plates! Maybe someday you too can come to the farm and have a meal with Charity. 
                                                     (Fall shareholders Day!)

                                                                                            

While Charity was feasting, her 7 of her big brothers and Daddy were planting and harvesting vegetables at the other farm. They had a picnic lunch, so things were quiet at home. They often augment their picnic with a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes, lettuce leaves, or 

pull an onion and slice it for their sandwiches. They are more than ready to come home to a big warm meal, and to relax. 

~ Supper ~

 Last night was no different, so the age old question haunted my mind..."What should I make for supper?" This week I've been inspired by one of our virtual farmhands over at Full Tummies . She throws "everything but the kitchen sink" on her pizzas. I didn't follow her recipe, but was inspired to look in the frig and do the same...throw I did! I made five large pizzas, and we had a fun movie night with this extra special treat. It was marvelous! Here's what I ended up doing: 

Pizza CSA Style

1 pizza crust ( I use the Master Recipe from

Healthy Breads in 5 Minutes a Day ) Pre-baked 5-7 minutes

1/4 C. Flour

1/4 C. Butter

2 C.  Combination of  Yogurt & Milk (Milk alone will do in a pinch.)

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese

1/2 t.  Sea Salt

4 Swiss Chard leaves (any green will do), sliced thinly

1 Medium Onion, sliced thinly

1 Small Squash, grated (I used Zucchini)

1/4-1/2 lb. Italian Sausage

Handful of Pepperoni

Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan.  Add flour and whisk in the milk or milk/yogurt combination as I did. Whisk until thickened. Add Parmesan cheese and salt. Set aside.

In a skillet drizzle about 1 T. olive oil. When heated  add garlic and onions, saute until fragrant. Add the sliced greens and squash. Cook until limp. Set aside. 

In another frying pan brown sausage. Add pepperoni to heat through. Set aside.

Spread white cheese sauce over pre-baked crust. Next, spread sauteed vegetables evenly over sauce. Next, layer the meat over the vegetables. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in 450 degree oven until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

One time-tested recipe that makes its way into the blog each season is Cold Pack Pickles. Why? Well, they are really easy to make, stay in the frig for quick side dishes all week, and you can save the brine for a few weeks. Just refill with the next week's share of cucumbers if you fall in love with them too! We like them so well that I made a 5 GALLON bucket of them this week! I've never had a food processor until this year, and WOW it was amazing to see how quick we could make a big batch. (We're hosting 3 other families for a porch picnic this Sunday, and I'm thinking ahead!) I use Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar so that we can have the healthful benefits of unrefined apple cider with the mother in it. This recipe calls for 5 cucumbers...it halves easily, or I recommend that you pick up a few extras at the farmer's market! Serve it with sandwiches or supper!

                                                                               

Colvin Family Farm’s Cold Pack Pickles

 5 medium cucumbers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup sugar/ Colvin Family Farm raw honey 

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (We recommend  Braggs Raw Vinegar)

Add a good dose of coarse ground Black Pepper to taste,

Optionally add water to weaken to taste

Slice cucumbers in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let sit 15 minutes. Pour off liquid. Add onion and mix well.  In a small bowl combine sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves. Pour over cucumbers and onions. Add pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least one hour. Mix well before serving. These are best made a day or two before needed. Don’t throw the brine out, simply salt your cucumbers, drain them, then add them with the onions each week to your leftover brine. (It will begin to weaken after a few refills.)  If you like them as much as wee do, keep your refrigerator stocked during cucumber season to help with quick meals!

There is a mystery vegetable in your share this week! Did you find it? We've 

Radish Seed Pods

been enjoying the subtle taste of radish in their seed pods for snacks. You have a small baggie of them to experiment with. I'm going to use radish seed pods in a stir fry! I'm sharing my basic stir fry that changes with the seasons. Stir fries are a great way to clean out your vegetable drawer the night before picking up your share! 

Basic Stir Fry

3 Tablespoons oil, roughly divided

2 cups of boneless meat (chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp) cut in thin strips (vegan is fine too!)

2 thin slices of fresh ginger (can use powdered if fresh is unavailable)

2 bouillon granules the same flavor as meat

2 C. Water

3-4 Tablespoons Cornstarch

          A variety of vegetables cut in the same thickness: Onions, (a must) broccoli, snap or snow peas, mushrooms, green beans, cauliflower, kohlrabi, sprouted lentils or mung beans, carrots, summer squash, baby corn, green/red peppers, tomatoes, Any type of Cabbage or bits of greens, etc.

          Cut your choice of meat into small pieces, and put them into a small bowl. (Optional : Sometimes I marinate the meat with a 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and two tablespoons of cider vinegar.) 

Using a large round tray or pizza pan, put your small bowl of meat in the middle of your tray. Now, cut the vegetables in bite sized chunks of similar thickness. I start with the seasoning vegetables like ginger and onions. I put these on the tray in the "12:00" position. Next, I cut the vegetable that takes the longest to cook, usually carrots into thin strips. Then cut the remaining vegetables and place them in mounds on the tray in the order it will take them to cook in a clockwise direction. Carrots at 1 o'clock, 2:00 green beans, and so forth with the mushrooms or tomatoes, if they are available being your last additions in the 11:00 position.  If this is cut up ahead of time, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until cooking time.

     Our family likes this on a bed of rice, so I start my rice cooker around 45 minutes before supper. When the table is set and the rice is about done, heat your wok or large skillet up on HIGH. Add 1 T oil, then meat. Stir the meat and cook until the meat has lost its color. Spoon the meat out into the bowl once again. Next, add the remaining oil and your seasoning vegetables (ginger and onions). Sauté for about one minute. Add vegetables in order on your tray beginning with the 1 o'clock position where the vegetables take the longest to cook. Stir constantly, leaving a few minutes between the carrots and the next vegetable until all vegetables (except tomatoes if you are using them) are being stirred. When your arm grows weary, add the bouillon and water. Cover and let steam to desired tenderness, remembering Chinese stir fries are cooked al dente!  Add your bowl of meat and its juices. Finally add tomatoes if you are using them.  Lastly,  move the vegetables carefully to one side to reveal the broth. Slowly add cornstarch as needed to broth to thicken gravy. Stir with a fork until broth thickens. Serve immediately over a bed of rice or Chow Mein Noodles.

  

There are endless ways to feast on the bounty of God's harvest brought to you in your share box. Remember we have a forum on our website to share the creative recipes you come up with! We also have two virtual farmhands that blog about their family's use of the vegetables in their shares. There is an abundance of encouragement at your disposal!  

Feasting on the harvest is needful, but feasting on God's Word is just essential for our daily health too. I've gone about this in many ways over the years...reading a Proverb a day according to the day of the month was one great way. I'd pick one verse to copy on a card and put where I spend time so I could think more about the truth I need to live. Recently...no, for the last 8 or so years I've been copying Scripture. I've copied the New Testament and am in the Old Testament now. I'm not bragging by any means. I have a friend that took about a year to do the entire Bible! I keep getting side tracked into word studies, character studies, and then since the accident 3 months ago I haven't been able to write for long. Copying Scripture helps me to REALLY slow down and understand fully what I'm reading. I use notebook paper and leave wide margins on all four sides. In the margins I make lists, write definitions, draw illustrations, and on the bottom write out applications for my daily life. Do you REALLY want to know God's heart? Slow down and copy Scripture! It's a feast for your soul. What did you feast on today? 

"O taste and see that the Lord is 

good: blessed is the man that 

trusteth in him."

Psalm 34:8

Abundant Blessings,

The Farmer's Wife

Val

Noah is faithful to keep the home farm looking
nice. Thanks again Noah!

The bountiful harvest at
Oak Ridge Farmer's
Market.

Tomatoes are beginning to ripen. A sure
sign of summer!

Our Grandson Samuel is learning to farm from
a young age. Thank you Adam for taking the
time to mentor your nephew!

New potatoes are starting to find their way to
the markets...yummm!

A daily challenge is to keep
the family in ice cubes!

Grandpa is packing shares with his grandsons,
Samuel and Josiah

Our onion cleaning crew!
Luke ~11, Levi ~8, Faith Anne ~ 13

Oh the sweetness of a fresh onion!
Nothing from the store can compare.

An heirloom Pineapple Tomato
What a beauty!

Every feast brings the challenge
of doing dishes...a full
dishwasher plus a FULL
RACK to wash!

One of our most popular greens...KALE!

Noah is all done in...time for a swim in the pond
to wake him up!

Heirloom Tomatoes

Welcome Broccoli !

Sweet Nuggets of Summer
A great snack to munch on!

Charity and Samuel  were cutting out shapes
from bread dough and sprinkling them with
cinnamon and sugar while I mixed another
batch of dough.

Even leftovers for lunch  are a feast!

The children find their own feasts up and down the lanes
surrounding our farm.They've been picking wild raspberries
and checking on the black berries. Here are
huckleberries  (wild blue berries)
Adam picked for me!

Samuel Christopher Biggs
our first grandson lives just down the lane
on our farm. What a blessing!

One of my favorite farmers!
Caleb relaxes on the porch
for his lunch.

I just had to post a picture of my
personal sized, non-electric
toaster. It folds away
when I'm not using it. It can toast
up to 5 slices of bread at a time
quickly on your stove's eye.
We originally bought it for camping
with our Coleman stove. It was too
handy to keep packed away!

The garlic harvest is in!

Caleb drives it down the field to the packing shed where it
will be prepared to dry.

First it was tied into bundles.

Then Isaac (20) hung them from
the rafters of our new (unfinished)
packing shed. Here he is helping
Luke (11) try to hang one.

This is a view of the garlic bundles once hung
from the rafters.

The boys used the farm wagon
as their work table to bundle
the garlic cloves.

FARM FRESH SWEETS

Friday, June 20, 2014

Farm Fresh Sweets

"My son, eat thou honey, because it is good;
and the honey comb, which is sweet to thy taste"
Proverbs 24:13

**I have a GIFT FOR YOU and your family today...read on! **

Meet our friends/family that help us pack your shares at the end of the blog...they are our gift from God so we can serve you better!

The farm smells sweet this evening as honeysuckle and freshly turned soil smells mingles in the air. My family is all gathering in for the evening all sweaty and happy...they've had a long hot day in the field. To my men and growing boys, work is sweet...not always fun, but doing what they were, as men are created to do. They are a true blessing to me...and I pray to you.Please tell them so this weekend as you pick up your shares or when you visit our Face Book page!

This is our 3rd week of CSA, and we're all starting to hit our strides. As usual there are a few glitches at each market, but prayerfully we'll be tastingsweet success this week! The shares will have lettuce, purple top turnips, green beans, kale, kohlrabi, squash and onions! A wide variety of yummy veggies to experiment with as a family. 

Fresh out of the extractor!

Last Friday evening when the shares were all packed and loaded into trucks, a small crew worked on cleaning the porch where we packed your shares. Isaac and his "friend" Destany excitedly moved inside to work with our first honey of the season at our kitchen table. He and Adam had already
extracted the first harvest of the season with about 90 pounds of honey! The honeyharvest is exciting after years of learning with varied results. A sweet aroma filled the air...REALLY sweet! They filtered the buckets of honey, (see the first picture at the top of the blog) and filled LOTS of 12 oz. honey bears. Soon it was a family affair (really 2 families) as some were filling, sealing, and the tedious peeling and applying of the labels.  Soon the honey bears were all lined up like a golden parade down our 12' farmhouse table!  The old saying, "Many hands make light work." is very true on our farm. Friday nights are a perfect example of it! Look for Colvin Family Farm Honey at your market this weekend, or order online at our website! Look for the link to our gift to your family and make this into a "Honey Unit Study". 

Here are some of my favorite recipes to use it with the vegetables you receive in your share this week!

Adam with an armful
of turnips he harvested.

Honey-Glazed Turnips

1 Bunch (about 3 medium) Turnips

3 T. Honey

2 T. Butter

1 C. Water

Sea Salt and Coarse Black Pepper

1 T. Fresh Lemon Jui

Peel and dice turnips. Place the turnips honey, butter and water in a large frying pan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil and cook on medium-high heat until just about tender. (Around 10 minutes) Uncover and bring the water back to ab oil, and cook until water is almost gone. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally.  (About 10 minutes) The turnips at this point will be golden and glazed, another 3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and fresh lemon juice. 

Red Butterhead is my all-time favorite lettuce!  At the end of every spring I reluctantly eat my last salad with its silky texture, and then eagerly await its return in the fall...I'm enjoying it's last days of harvest....it's that time of year again! 

I love experimenting with salad dressings recipes to compliment the freshly cut lettuce that is brought to me in the farmhouse. Since the sweet smell of fresh raw honey lingers in my kitchen I thought I'd mix up some Honey-Lemon Dressing to celebrate the first honey harvest! It's a light springy taste that compliments the buttery leaves of my favorite lettuce. 

Honey-Lemon Dressing

1 T. plus 2 t. fresh lemon juice

1T. Honey

1/2 t. chopped thyme

Lemon Zest
"shy" 1/2 C. olive oil

Coarse ground Pepper

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the lemon zest, honey, and thyme. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Makes 1/2 cup. ENJOY!

I guess I have lettuce on my mind as I pick out my recipes for the week. I've been wanting to make lettuce wraps for over a year now, but light meals aren't usually what they have in mind after a long day of field work. I usually end up using the filling in a hearty braided loaf of bread.  So I'm plotting...the guys are usually not big eaters after standing on hot pavement in the city...so Saturday evening I'll have this light meal on hand when they return. 

I knew this
recipe was a winner
when it called for my
favorite Chinese
Chili Sauce! 

Honey Sriracha Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 - 2 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2-4 boneless chicken breasts or our preference, thighs

1 C. shredded carrots

2 stalks celery, dices thinly

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/4 C. honey

1-2 T. Sriracha Chili Sauce

2 cloves minced garlic or if your fresh garlic is gone all ready, 1/2 t. garlic powder

12 Bibb or other large leaf lettuce

Drizzle olive oil into a heavy skillet. Add the chickena nd saute until cooked through. Add carrots, onions, and celery, along with honey, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce and garlic. Cook until thickened and the chicken is well                                  coated.  Place filling in washed lettuce leaves. Serve hot.

I would be wrong of me not to mention my family's favorite use for honey...

Honey Butter

1/2 C. butter 

1/2 C. raw honey

1/2-1 t. cinnamon (optional)

I usually just lay my butter on the counter until it is soft, or overnight. Using a whip or hand mixer, whip butter. Next, slowly drizzle honey into the mixture as you continue to whip it. Serve with warm biscuits, or toast! This is a special breakfast. This toast topping can help you overcome colds and the flu when you add a good dose of cinnamon to the mixture. When a cold is going around in the winter, the jam stays in the pantry and cinnamon honey butter takes its place.

We use many natural "folk" remedies to treat the minor illnesses that our family catches, coughs, treating burns or scrapes (doesn't work with little ones as they most often are tempted to lick it off) and to ward off spring allergies. This week I did a bit more digging and learned there is far more uses for honey than merely topping toast, or in the manner I've all ready stated.  I started a "Honey board" on Pintrest. Follow it if you'd like more ideas! 

Here are my top 5 reasons to buy a supply of raw, unnfiltered honey.

1..All "honey" is not created equal. It's been stated that 80% of the honey sold in stores is not really honey at all! A recent uncovering of "honey laundering" in the United States found that several of the top distributors of honey were buying Chinese "honey" which is watered down with corn syrup. Soon a label stating something to this affect, "this product is 100% honey" will be mandatory when packaging honey. In addition to this there is an absence of pollen in most grocery store honey which means the abundance of vitamins, minerals, and pollen are heated/filtered out. So, what do you get? You get simply a sugar syrup of unknown origin despite where the label says it was packaged. Purchase honey from a local farm that you know personally harveststheir honey. Talk with them about their work and process. You will be able to tell if they know their business. Home Schooling families may ask to see their hives and tour their processing building. Truely know your source. We personally know of at least one "farm" that puts their comb in a jar and fills it with honey purchased from Virginia! As you can see, the old adage, "Buyers Beware!" really applies when purchasing honey!

2. Locally harvested  honey from a reputable farm is a great allergy suppressant!  When honey is harvested from your region it will contain pollen that triggers your allergies. When you eat it on top of toast, in your tea, or by the spoonful daily in the months prior to your "allergy season" you will build an tolerance to the pollen that usually triggers your symptoms. It would be best to buy honey harvested just after your personal "allergy season". For example, if the beauty of spring is a feast to your eyes but not on your senses; this is the time to buy your year's worth of honey.

3. Raw honey has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal  properties. 
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rising up on every hand. There are now 20 known resistant strains of bacteria, mainly because of the reckless dependency on prescription drugs. It has been reported that over 2 million people contract antibiotic-resistant infections each year! Prescription drugs seem to be making people sicker in the long run, and more vulnerable to infections. Many scientists are now looking for simpler solutions. What are they learning? "Raw honey is still one of the best natural antibiotics around to this day." Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island (We also use garlic oil capsules and tea.)

4. Raw honey helps regulate blood sugar levels. Even though honeycontains simple sugars, it is NOT the same as white sugar or artificial chemical sweeteners. Its exact combination of fructose and glucose actually helps the body regulate blood sugar levels. It is the natural choice for using a sweetener in moderation.

5. Raw honey contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes not present in refined honey. Once the "honey" (remember, it may not be real honey) is heated, filtered, and shipped it may not contain the life giving benefits you think you're paying for. I LOVE good deals, but be cautious when you see a "good deal" on honey.  

One of my children's favorite sandwiches up to about age 10 is probably peanut butter and honey. Charity (6) and Levi (8) are connoisseurs of this childhood staple. When their bellies started to rumble today, they came and asked to make a picnic. I all ready knew the menu! They sliced fresh bread with broad grins of satisfaction, and were anticipating the moment they would be settled in "their spot" on top of our slide stand for their picnic! 

This is how God wants us to anticipate our time in His Word the Bible! Just like the children's hungry looks of expectation, we too can have the delight of even the thought of getting into our quiet "secret place" and searching for the sweetness in God's Word. "My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off". Proverbs 24:13,14  Matthew Henry sums up the sadness of our day, "All men relish things that are sweet to the palate; but many have no relish for the things that are sweet to the purified soul, and that make us wise unto salvation." How is your "sweet tooth"? 

Abundant Blessings,

The Farmer's Wife

Val

P.S. Since you made it to the near-bottom of the blog I have a gift for you! Here is the link to the The Bee People by Margaret Warner Morley (PDF ebook) It is a delightful 1899 “Living Book” about bees. Wonderfully easy to read and highly inviting to young readers, the chapters read almost like a storybook, and include "Bees & Flowers", "How a Bee Sees & Flies", "Honeybees", "How and Why Bees make Honey & Honeycombs", "Queen Bees", "Bee Facts & Fancies", and much more.  It includes "Questions for Review" at the end of the book. This is a great “Charlotte Mason” style, living nature study book you and your children will enjoy! I love to read "children's books", and we love to read aloud during our lunch breaks. I hope you'll enjoy it too! I HIGHLY recommend their website offerings. I don't subscribe to many sites, but this site is FANTASTIC and FREE!

To download this PDF ebook, click on this LINK.  

P.S.S. I am a hands-on reader....cuddling up with a book is part of me. So, instead of reading off the computer I printed the book off using the "duplex" setting and will laminate the cover and comb-bind it for future use. Bee Friends is now a frugal addition to our library!

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FRIENDS-FAMILY THAT HELP US EACH WEEK

Noah (15) and  Timmy Brock
visiting the farm kitchen through
the window when the  screens
were down! They are picking buddies
on the farm on Friday packing nights.
THANK YOU TIMMY!

 Jeannie and  Timmy Brock.
God has given our family
a visible picture of His servant spirit
through them. We are all blessed
because they serve so unselfishly!
THANK YOU!

 Heather Brock...better known now as
Nikki.  Her bright smile and helping hands
make the packing day go much quicker!

Destany Brock and Sister Allison Edwards

Destany works weekly here on the farm packing

shares with her family. She's Isaac's special 

"friend". Allison is Adam's special "friend" and

helps out occasionally. We are looking forward

to the day when she can help out regularly!

Here they are getting a first hand lesson on how

to fill flats before seeding in the  greenhouse.

THANK YOU GIRLS! 

We're looking years of working together!

Thank you for your help Brother
Jake Edwards! 

My Sustainable Farmhouse to Yours

The view from my "sustainable farmhouse".
Meet the Colvin Family Farmers
at the end of the post.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about the word sustainable...it's the new hot topic..seems like it's taking the place of being "green"...which before that was "frugal". Here on the mountain in the early 80's the older ladies would have chuckled if I talked this way. (Read my post  describing the mountain culture I married into and how God is leading me today to carry on their ministry.)

If anyone lived on a sustainable farm or home it was the older ladies on this mountain when I got married 33 years ago. The adage, "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" was they way they quietly lived. I got to watch them, work by them, and learn their ways. What a blessing this was! So there's really nothing new about "being green", "frugal",or "sustainable"...it's the modern way of simply living an old fashioned lifestyle.

Living the simple "old fashioned" life has brought us a lot of criticism and questions over the years. It wasn't the "in" way to live. My older children moved with us to this farm where we lived in a old mountain home (think 1,000 square foot cabin). We cut dead trees in the woods surrounding us to heat our home. We used an old wringer washer on the back porch to clean our

We have close to 300 hens that
lay the eggs we sell at
markets.

clothes, and then hung them on a clothes line. This saved on water and electricity. We used simple whole foods to cook creative meals....even ones found in woods and fields around us. 

We had a large garden that we watered by hand with pond water, and preserved the                                                 harvest. We sewed our own clothes,

Caleb made the hog barn with
recycled wood and greenhouse
hoops laying about the farm.

built our own furniture, and made our little house into a home for 12 people. Did we have to? Were we poor? No, it was an extension of the lifestyle we lived at the log home we had built on one acre on the other side of the mountain. We chose to live this way. It built memories...it built strong children...and it built our "sustainable" home.

Nowadays our farmhouse looks a lot different than the "quaint mountain cottage" we lived in while building our farmhouse.  We have 3 more children...that many bathrooms, and a modern laundry room. We still heat with wood, but the wood furnace is outside now and it not only heats the house but our water also. Soon I pray it will heat the dryer too! Our "gardens" are HUGE 

We used to plant thousands of plants
 by hand.Now we use this plant setter and do it the "easy way".

now, and also feed many of you, our shareholders and customers. We not only can our vegetables for ourselves, but we're making plans to open a commercial kitchen where I can preserve the bounty of our harvest for winter sales.

My children are "green" too. They have fun when it rains with their rain

Levi catching water during a
recent storm to use
for the chickens. To him it's
playing.

water retrieval system. Wear hand-me-down overalls, create toys out of scrap wood, and since "city bikes" don't last long on our dirt roads they make new bikes out of parts of several broken down bikes. They've experimented with worm composting, composting in a jar for a visual aid, growing hydroponically, and intensively with raised beds. When they are assigned the chore of cleaning the bathrooms, they mix up vinegar and water to disinfect the counter tops and toilets with. In the kitchen they scrub pots & pans with borax. Faith Anne (13) sews nightgowns using nice, used t-shirts from the thrift store as the bodice, and adds a gathered skirt. Fugal..Green...sustainable...
I prefer to describe it as an old fashioned, simple childhood.

A batch of bread these days
makes 15 loaves.

When you look back and learn the skills of the pioneers, or the generation that went through the depression it leads to an exciting path of never-ending learning. And will it save you money? Why yes! I took this path because I saw 
how I as a wife could S-T-R-E-T-C-H my husbands paycheck. I learned to cook from scratch, then I learned to make bread. The path to simplicity(sustainability) takes time...time to bake, time to ferment, time to sew, time to grow vegetables and fruits. My life got fuller and fuller. Staying at home wasn't boring at all! Everyday there was something new to do and to learn! As children came into our home 

Charity picks flowers
in the high tunnels.

they started learning right alongside of me. Home schooling in the middle 80's was risky at best, but it was the path the Lord directed us to. The children and I kept on learning...together. Some likened my "classroom" to the old fashioned schoolhouse setting where all the grades learned together and from each other. I agree, it was, and still is. Before our youngest daughter Charity (6) was in kindergarten she knew all the phonics songs from playing with Levi almost 3 years older than her.  That somehow falls under sustainability...saving my energy. :)


If you can't garden or garden enough, joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or shopping at a farmer's market is old fashioned...no frugal..uhhh green...I mean a sustainable choice you could make. At the market this week we should have one of my FAVORITE late spring vegetables...sweet slicing 
onions! When the crop firsts ripens and is sold uncured they are sooooo good! You can slice 10 of them without a tear. 

Luke selling onions at the Franklin Farmer's Market.

They top sandwiches with a sweet 
crunch. They saute up with our fresh garlic to make the best addition to pizzas, topping for meat, or baked potatoes. I even have a close friend that eats them like apples. Look for them at the market in the beautifully stacked pyramids. 

One way I celebrate late spring is by sauteing Swiss Chard with onions and garlic. The dish takes only minutes (especially when you're just cooking for a few) and is packed with alllllll kinds of vitamins, minerals, and even trace minerals. Give this recipe a try this week.

Stir Fried Swiss Chard

1 bunch Swiss Chard (usually .6 lbs.)

1-2 onions, sliced in 1/4" slices

1/2 bulb of fresh garlic, minced (or to taste)

1-2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Sea Salt to taste

Wash Swiss Chard in cool water and lay on a towel or dish drainer to drain. Trim off about 1/4" of the end of the stems, discard. (Compost, feed the hogs, feed the worms, all those "sustainable" things one does to be "green".) Roll a few leaves at a time together and slice down the whole length of the leaf and continue down the stem. Turn your knife lengthwise and give the greens a few cuts. Place on a tray or in a bowl; set aside. Cut the onion in half, then slice in 1/4" slices. Set in a pile on the tray (or separate bowl) by the chard. Mince garlic. Heat a wok or large frying pan. Once heated, add the oil. Next scrape the garlic off your cutting board into the oil. (Be careful as the garlic will brown quickly, so have everything cut up and waiting.) Stir for 1 minute to season the oil. Add the onions. Stir to combine, until slightly translucent. Now add the Swiss Chard one handful at a time, turning the greens over and into the mixture. Add each handful making sure they get covered with oil...not dripping, but shiny from the oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Stir fry until limp, but not mushy. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

One of the more interesting crops of spring is kohlrabi. It's like a bulb cabbage. You can shred it into "slaw", cut it into julienne slices to stir fry, 

cube it and roast it, or grill it, or simply steam it. My children enjoy just peeling one in the field and eating them like apples!  You can't loose when you experiment with kohlrabi...just learning to spell it right is an adventure! ;) 

Another way I like to cook vegetables during the summer is on my grill. Being frugal, no green, ohh!, sustainable I bought an old broiler pan at the thrift store to grill with. It's better than most grill pans since it has a lip around the edge that allows you to stir the vegetables without loosing them in the coals. You may even have one in your cabinet!  Here is what I'm making from what's being harvested this week.

Grilled Mixed Vegetables

1 medium zucchini, cut into cubes or 1/3" slices

1 medium fresh onion, cut into small wedges or thick slices

2 small yellow squash, cut into cubes or 1/3" slices

2 kohlrabi, cut into 1/4" slices or small cubes

3 radish, cut into 1/4" slices or quartered

3 Hakurei Turnips, cut into cubes
A good double handful of Par-boiled new potatoes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later in the season add:

*Cherry tomatoes - cut them in half if they are larger, but add late in the grilling                                          process to keep them whole

*Patty pan (round, saucer like) squash - cut into wedges

*Okra- keep the small one whole, slice larger ones in half length-wise

*Carrots- par-boil like potatoes before adding to the mixture

EXPERIMENT AND HAVE FUN LEARNING!

There are many things I know I should do to live sustainable now that the media has further enlightened me. We're switching our light bulbs to fluorescent and LED, replacing plastic storage containers to glass...and there's that pony cart I'd love to have! I've learned over the years that making one change at a time is best...especially with our large family. I'd encourage you to go slow, and enjoy the path to a "sustainable" life.

  There are many sustainable practices I'd like to learn over the coming months and years, but what's important is am I doing all I know now? I need to use the raw milk we get weekly to make yogurt, and also sew a few quilts for the boys. I'd like to get my kitchen garden built to putter in too.

 The same "sustainable" theme runs throughout my Christian life also. If know what Jesus Christ teaches in the Bible, and I should obey "without excuse" Romans 1:20.  If I know I should mix up a batch of yogurt this week I should get to it! I need to get from want to, to will do in my daily Christian life also.  For me there is no excuse for not living how Christ teaches in His Word. To stay "sustainable" in my Christian life I have to make a choice..to read the Bible daily...pray...to be broken when I see how far short I fall...staying away from places, books, Internet sites, and videos I know that will draw me into sin. If the Bible declares something displeases God, then I must not excuse it in my life. I must obey it. I must daily wage battle in my mind for the right. Do you fight the "want to  over the will do battle"? Living sustainable in Christ I will win!

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purity your hearts ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall life you up." James 4:8-10

Meet Your Farmers!

Farmer Steve is the Daddy of the crew, marketer,
field hand, mechanic, carpenter, and keeps EVERYONE
IN LINE!

The Farmer's Wife, Val
Momma to 13, and Grandma to 2!

Adam, the oldest son at home.
Website designer, Social Media
Guru.

Isaac and Adam are really into bee keeping. Today they spun our first honey of the year with our new extractor. We have raised bees over the years with varying degrees success. Last year we

turned the corner, and actually sold some! With the new extractor it's a breeze!

Our newly delivered honey extractor.
No more wax all over my kitchen!!

Caleb is our steady man...working hard in the
field or with the hogs.

Isaac is a capable field hand and works with the
bees.

Titus - 17 for another 2 months. He works in the field and is a great packer.

Noah is a sophomore in high school, and is about to turn 16.
He is a great worker and even volunteers to knock down the weeds on the home
farm  with our new little tractor and bushog AFTER he puts in a long day
 planting or harvesting. Thank you Noah!!

Luke is 11 and has stepped into the field
as a young man this season. He is
Adam's apprentice at the Franklin 
Farmers Market.

Levi is 8 and enjoying being a  "farmer boy".
He works, then plays, works, then plays.
He is Daddy's helper at the Oak Ridge Farmer's Market on Saturdays.

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