Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers

This is what we are doing now in the greenhouse. This is spinach in the greenhouse, along with romaine and some carrots. We are hoping to grow some flowers in the greenhouse this year and for years to come after going to a conference in Memphis held by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (which we are now proud members of)...

Wow was that an adventure! We took the dogs with us which was probably a bad idea, but a family field trip sounded like a good idea at first. Aside from that, the conference was very informational. And, we got to meet not only other flower growers that are up and coming, but also the ones who have dominated their local flower production. We got a good idea of what life would be like if we were flower growers full time for a living, producing year round. It is nice to see that it is definitely possible, and they even raised families with that income. Prior to going, we already knew that people aren't as concerned with flowers being local like they are produce. The presenters at the conference reminded us that we aren't just trying to sell our product, we are really selling our lifestyle too. We are showing the buyers that we don't use chemicals, that we are producing locally, and that there are no flowers fresher than just picked from the farm. All in all, it was very informational and inspirational and it made us already pumped for next year. We came right home and bought a used greenhouse so that we could increase production and expand our season. So despite the long drive, the dog's anxiety, and our anxiety, everything worked out for the best.

Come check me out at my next craft show!

My setup at the last craft show!

Shop for the Season at the 2nd Annual
Buckingham House Boutique
Sponsored by
The Licking County Historical Society

Join us Sunday, November 22nd, 1-4 PM
Buckingham Meeting House
Veterans’ Park
6th & Main Streets, Newark

After making it through the last craft show, I have been back to making more soaps and salves to fill in the blanks from what I sold. I will have lots of product there, so come out and see me!

Piggy judgment day...

Thats me and Steve in the first picture, and then Max spraying the hog down with some beer so that it didn't dry out.

So all the little piggies are about to go to market and there is still some available! We are still selling it as half hog share for $3.00/ lb or whole hog for $2.50/ lb. We recently had a hog roast and the meat was delicious! Everyone here seemed to enjoy the meat as well. The picture is of the beginning of the process. It took a full 24 hours to smoke, but it was worth the time and effort. But don't worry, if you buy a hog from us, it will come to you packaged and frozen in easy to deal with sizes. Sausage or bacon come in 1 lb packages for example, the pork chops usually in packages of 2. It only costs $.50 more per lb to have the meat smoked, so if you want bacon instead of fresh side, it will only cost $.50 more per package of bacon (you usually get about 5 packages with half a hog). So overall, it may sound like a lot of meat for you to have or for a large chunk of money to get rid of during tough times, but you will be able to feed your family with peace of mind. Knowing that these pigs were not fed any chemicals, and got to live in the mud with the garden scraps as snacks, will make it not only taste better, but it will be better for you too!

I'm a soap making fiend!

Preparing for my first craft show has been a lot more work than I had originally intended. I have been making soap and salves, labeling and packaging for many days now. I ran my printer out of ink twice just trying to label all the soap that I have made. I will be at the Granville High School Music Boosters craft show on November 7th, this Saturday, from 9am-3pm. Hopefully there will be lots of sales for holiday gift giving. If you don't have a chance to see me at the craft show, I can always ship soap. I am working on getting this information on our website, but for now, here is the information that I am passing out in a flyer...

Order your soaps today!

$5 a bar

$65 for a ½ block (makes 16 bars)
approximately 3.5 pounds

$120 for a whole block (32 bars)
approximately 7 pounds

$4 salves, or $20 for 6

Shipping available

Now taking orders at
sunnymeadowsflowerfarm@gmail.com
(614) 296-1637

Bars of soap make great gifts even for the person who has everything! They can be used for soap, for decoration, or even as air fresheners in cars, drawers, or just to carry in your pocket!

Sunny Meadows’ soap is made with all natural ingredients including vegetable oils, beeswax and essential oils. A lot of the soaps in the store consist of things that have no benefit for your skin. Actually, on the labels of most they aren’t even called soap, instead they say “deodorant” bar. They don’t even claim to be soap!

In fact, when you use our soap you will be able to feel the difference. The moisture that is left on your skin is the glycerin in it, a natural by product of soap making. The big soap companies actually take the glycerin out of their soaps to make lotion with it. Doesn’t make much sense!

With our soap, everything in it serves a purpose. The coconut oil is for good lather in any type of water. The palm oil and beeswax make a hard bar so it can handle heavy use, while the soybean oil lets it soften just enough. The extras added, like the coffee grounds or dried herbs, are there to help exfoliate the skin. Also, the cocoa butter or shea butter will make the soap extra moisturizing while still allowing your skin to breath, therefore not clogging your pores.


Scents available include:

Gardener’s Soap- a woodsy smell with poppy seeds in it for the scrubbing of extra dirty hands

Rosemary Mint- my personal favorite, with dried mint for a long lasting scent

Sweet Earth- the most popular scent with a blend of lavender, patchouli, and vanilla

Lavender- with dried lavender to help exfoliate

Forest Rose- smells just as the name says, with a nice mixture of rose, patchouli and sandalwood

Vanilla Latte- with coffee grounds and shea butter for moisturizing and exfoliating the skin

Jasmine Vanilla- a good balance of scents between floral and sweet

Double Chocolate- made with extra moisturizing cocoa butter


Holiday scents also available:

Apple Cinnamon- with ground cinnamon in it for a swirl of color and long lasting scent

Pumpkin Spice- great to have for those holiday get togethers

Frankincense and Myrrh-
a great mix of the two, with subtle reminders of baby

All salves are made with cocoa butter, sunflower oil, castor oil, beeswax, and essential oils. This is a formula that will moisturize the driest hands without leaving them feeling greasy. Any soap scent can be made into salve, but the current scents available are:

Forest Rose
Lavender Mint
Pumpkin Spice
Jasmine Vanilla

Double Chocolate

Bayberry

thankful of others

lately I have been thinking of all the great people in my life, and all the great people that were in my life at one point or another. I know I wouldn't be here if it were not for all the people who have guided me or influenced me in to the direction of who I'm now. Having a farm is a lifestyle that I had no experience with going into it, there are allot of things that always need repaired. If it were not for some close friends who knew what they were doing I would have been stuck paying others to do a simple job. As a teenager my family used to talk about how influenced I was by others, back then it wasn't always good influences, but because of that I feel as if I'm smarter and more aware of things that I wouldn't have been otherwise. As I've grown up I have had many people keep me in check and now I continue to meet people with the same interest and we are able to bounce ideas off of each other. Gretel and I are always trying to make friends with fellow organic farmers, and those relationships have been great. I would not be who I am with out others, and our farm would not be as successful if we were in it all alone.
So, to all those who know us thank you very much for everything you have done for us.

Bittersweet fall to romantic winters

Farmers market season has come to a end, and the flowers were all killed by Sundays freeze. We do have a few beds of spinach, a bed of greens, and swiss chard in our high tunnels still. We plan on having it through winter, but we aren't sure we will be selling it or not.

Gretel has gone back to work and left me here to take care of things, it is alway7s hard when she goes back, I begin to feel more lost, and I find it hard to keep up on my chores and to-do list, but I will adjust after a week or so, and most likely will start back to work soon aswell. It can get kind of boring through the winter, and if I don't go to work then who knows if I will get out of the house at all.

With the full arrival of fall our farm takes on a new identity. With all the fields planted with winter wheat and new fencing up around the orchard, to protect our little fruit trees from deer, it's time to start getting ready for winter. That means sealing gaps around the chicken coop, and around the house, we started filling the porch with firewood, we need to cover the windows with plastic, put more rugs down inside, and add straw around the N.E. side of our house. We are stock up on can and dehydrated produce from the summer. I like to feel almost like the farm turns into a homestead during winter and there is something very romantic about that, wood stove burning real hot, candles, coffee, music and playing chess with Gretel. As much as I hate to see the growing season end, for many reasons, I do welcome winter for a little while. I do get sick of it towards the end of the season, just like I look forward to the end of a blisstering summer. Here in Ohio our summer and winters last a little to long, and spring and fall are always inconsistent, but that's what makes the anticipation so worth while.

The final week... how sad!

So, with this week brings us cold weather and the end of the CSA. It is always bittersweet when it comes, knowing that there will be much colder weather to come and that farm fresh produce isn't readily available. For us, this is when the preserved food comes into handy, but a tomato that has been canned can not be sliced and put on a sandwich. What we eat adapts to what is in season though, just as our ancestors would have had it. Now, don't get me wrong, we still go out to eat every once in a while or go to the grocery store in the winter to buy produce, but every time just adds to my longing for the spring to come back and the things picked straight from the garden to return. We really appreciate everything that you guys have done for us and for the opportunity that we were given. This is a way that we wanted our business to grow to reach out to more people who can't always come to the farmer's markets, and it worked! Thanks again and we look forward to next year!

Preparing for next year

We just wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to all. We have really enjoyed this year and look forward to having a CSA again next year. We are looking for feedback, so don’t forget to fill out the survey for us. This will help us so that we know what we need to change next year. This will be very beneficial for you if you are going to participate in the CSA next year, and helpful for others even if you aren’t.
So, now that things are slowing down, we have time to reflect on the season over all. We appreciate the business from Whole Foods and also the florists and restaurants who bought produce from us (Harvest Moon Coffee Shop, Village Wines and Bistro, and Orchids and Ivy Flower Shoppe all in Canal Winchester; Steven Cox flowers, Green Floral Design, The Greener Grocer). It amazes us the growth of the support that we receive from businesses who want to buy things locally. We also appreciate the customers and all the brides for choosing us.
Now that all 10 weddings are over, soap takes over as my main hobby. Soon we will be selling the soap online available to be shipped for holiday gift giving. We will be doing winter craft shows with the soap. I will also be going back to substitute teaching while Steve will be working at the coffee shop and selling roofs. If there is a wind or hail storm, keep him in mind!
Winter time will be spent splitting firewood to keep the house warm and fixing all the things that were broken during the season that we didn’t have time to fix. We will also be busy planning for next year when the seed catalogs start coming in. Each year we will add certain things to our repertoire.
Most of the winter is spent trying to relax and preparing ourselves for the next season. Although farming isn’t a year round thing, when we are in season we are working from sun up to sun down! It’s hard work but definitely worth it. Much better than working for someone else, and we get to do it together! So again thank you for making it possible and your support throughout the season.

What’s included this week?

1. Ancho peppers- hot, but not too hot!
2. Salad greens
3. Turnips- can be roasted with a little butter and salt, or eaten raw
4. Bacon from the farmer’s market
5. Aloe plant- make sure not to overwater it as it is related to cacti
6. Bell peppers
7. Kohlrabi- peel the outside and chop finely to use like cabbage. It is really good in a homemade slaw.
8. Flowers- as a thank you gift for your participation this year! Don’t forget to cut them back every other day and change the water so they are freshest.

Recipe of the Week

Killer Chile Rellenos

***we made this recipe and it was to die for! If you can handle some heat, then you should definitely try it. Also, you can make extra and then put them in the freezer. Reheat them in the toasted oven and you are good to go.

6 Ancho Chiles

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

1/4 cup Flour

6 eggs (separated)

2 cups salsa

1 cup Oil for frying

Salt to taste

1. Rinse the chiles. Preheat your oven to broil. Place the chiles in a baking dish and place on the top shelf of your oven. Watch and listen closely. When the skins start to make popping sounds and are charring, take the chiles out and flip using a potholder. When both sides are fairly evenly charred, remove from oven. Place chiles in a sealed plastic bag to steam. After a few minutes, check them. Once the skin comes off easily, peel each chile. Cut a slit almost the full length of each chile. Make a small "t" across the top, by the stem. Keep stem intact and just pull out the seeds. Pull out fibers and seeds and replace with a slice of cheese. Set aside.
2. Whip the egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks have formed. Heat the oil in a skillet until a drop of water sizzles when dropped into the pan. Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl with one tablespoon flour and salt. Mix the yolks into egg whites and stir until you have a thick paste. Roll the chiles in ¼ cup flour and dip each one in the egg batter. Coat evenly. Fry on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain.
3. Meanwhile, heat the salsa in a medium saucepan or in the microwave. Place one or two Rellenos on each plate and pour salsa over them. You can also try putting enchilada sauce over them instead. Serve them immediately and dig in!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

All pink and white wedding... zinnias galore!

Here are pictures from our latest wedding. First you see the tossing bouquet, then the flowers left for the cake lady to place on the cake, then a table arrangement. Unfortunately I didn't have time to take pictures of the bridal bouquet or the bridesmaids, but they looked similar to the tossing bouquet. The bride just had baby's breath and cosmos in her bouquet as well. When we do weddings stress is high and time is short, so we don't always get the pictures that we want to. These I think are very beautiful though. Kind of reminds me of Valentine's Day!

CSA week #15

This is a picture of all the zinnias that we harvest to take to market with us on a Saturday. Here you see 60 bunches of 16 flowers... it's a lot of work, but well worth it!

Preserving the Harvest

As the farm season ends, there are many ways to make sure that you have veggies to eat throughout the winter. Sure you could go to the grocery store and buy tomatoes from there, but they have no flavor and sometimes they even look nice and red outside, but are just mush on the inside. Wouldn’t it be nice to have things from the garden all winter long? Well, it is possible! You have options too: canning, freezing, and dehydrating all help.
Freezing things is pretty simple, but just make sure that you look it up before you do. Some produce needs to be blanched first before it is frozen to stop the enzymes from breaking it down. For example, corn will continue to turn the sugars to starch unless blanched before freezing. If not, corn will taste bad when you take it out of the freezer.
If you have the freezer space, they suggest placing things in a single layer on a cookie sheet to freeze and then putting them into bags to ensure that everything isn’t stuck together. Just remember that veggies will not be as crisp as they were when you put them into the freezer. These are used for soups, stews, jambalaya perhaps.
Dehydrating is more space efficient as everything shrinks down when dehydrated and can just be placed in an airtight container afterwards. This does require a dehydrator, but they aren’t that expensive for the time that it saves you not having to can the produce. Also, you can build a solar dehydrator and use that on a warm day. We recently replaced some old windows so we were able to use the glass and the screens from those to make a solar dehydrator. There are plans for it online if you are interested. You just have to make sure that it is a hot, sunny day if you are going to use the solar one. We tried drying some tomatoes on a cloudy day and they molded, so beware!
The other option that you have is canning. If you are a beginner, I suggest finding someone who knows how to can so that you can follow their methods. It was much easier for me to learn hands on then to read about it. Then you will learn all the little tricks about it too, which can be helpful to save you time. Many things can be canned, but without proper acid content, it needs to be pressure canned rather than just using a water bath. You will read more about this as you can. Also, if you have any questions I would be more than willing to help. I’m still fairly new to canning, but I learned from someone very experienced.
The benefit of preserving your harvest is that you don’t have to buy so much from the grocery store. Why have processed tomato sauce, when you can just pull some out of your pantry and feel good about eating something that you produced? It’s very rewarding to feel less reliant on the grocery store, especially if you get snowed in!

What’s included this week?

1. Watermelon- it’s supposed to be pink inside, so don’t think it’s not ripe… it’s delicious!
2. Swiss chard
3. Bell peppers
4. Spinach
5. Radishes
6. Acorn Squash- don’t put this in the fridge, can store up to 3 months on the counter

Recipe of the Week

Heavenly Squash Casserole

3 c. mashed acorn squash

1/2 c. white sugar

2/3 stick butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs, well beaten

TOPPING:
1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Combine squash, white sugar, butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat well the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla and eggs. Combine all thoroughly. Place in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Combine topping ingredients and mix well. Sprinkle over the squash and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Good for dessert or as a side!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

My how those little piggies have grown!

They are getting big and some of them will be ready by the end of this month. We are still open for taking orders. It will be $4.00/lb if you buy half a hog and $3.50/ lb if you buy a whole hog. So, start telling your friends and figuring out who you can share it with! They will be going to be processed starting October 4th and going through the 1st of the year. Sign up for yours today!

Village Wines in Canal Winchester

Recently Steve and I went out to eat at the restaurant where we have been selling our produce. It was very neat to see how our food was presented to others. And, I must say he did a fantastic job. The food tasted as great as it looks! His menu changes due to what is available seasonally, so you'll have to go there soon if you want to eat our produce. It is on Waterloo across from the Walmart in Canal, but a quaint little place with fabulous food! Pictured here is the Caprese Salad and Fresh Tomato Bruschetta.

Thank you Whole Foods!

Recently we have been selling our flowers to Whole Foods, both the one in Dublin and the one in Upper Arlington. We read about another farmer in Texas who was selling to them and thought we would give it a try. So, after about a months worth of paperwork, we were on our way and still going strong! They not only buy our sunflowers and other mixed bouquet flowers, but they buy my mixed bouquets and sell them in the store. Soon, we will have a little sign with our picture and information up at the Upper Arlington store so people will be able to associate our flowers directly with us and our farm. Whole Foods does a great job at supporting the local farmer and it allows us the opportunity to reach more clients since we do not do farmer's markets in that area. We started with them kind of late in the season this year, but look forward to providing again for them next year too! Hopefully we will get people hooked on our flowers. I always say FOOD MAY FEED THE BODY, BUT FLOWERS FEED THE SOUL!

CSA week #14... only two weeks left!

Look at that monstrous watermelon!

Guerilla gardening

So, I’m sure you are thinking to yourself… what the heck does that mean? Well, officially it is defined as “the illicit cultivation of someone else’s land” which I know may sound like something that would be illegal, but it’s not for the most part. All people involved are just improving the public land around them.
The term “guerilla” you may be familiar with but in a negative connotation, but not here. The reason why it is used to describe this type of gardening is that a lot of it is done without orders to do so, it may be at night, and it is usually a sneak attack. Some people do it during the day and just wear a safety vest so others will think that you are a worker sent to do the job.
But why would someone want to do such a thing, you might ask? Well, the idea of a garden is usually something that is personal or the garden belongs to somebody. The garden could be attached to a home or to a place of work, but usually it is someone’s intentional creation for it to belong to them. With guerilla gardening, you are letting the garden belong to everyone that walks past.
For example, you might put some seed in a bare spot in between the sidewalk and the road or around a road sign, really anywhere that is bare, and decide you want to walk past something beautiful everyday on your way to work. This could mean that you either plant seed or bulbs or you could even go so far as planting plants. There are some guerilla gardeners that just carry seeds in their pocket so that they can just sprinkle them in places as they walk.
Now, I am not saying that you should rip up someone else’s garden because if it is already planted, then the work is done for you. If your passion is gardening then you should check it out. There is a book that is available called On Guerilla Gardening by Richard Reynolds or you can go to their website at http://www.guerrillagardening.org/. When you sign up, you will receive a troop number and then let the gardening begin!

What’s included this week?

1. Honey fresh from bees on our farm- if it sits then it may crystallize, but don’t worry. That’s normal since it is fresh honey and there are no preservatives!
2. Watermelon- it’s supposed to be pink inside, so don’t think it’s not ripe… it’s delicious!
3. Salad greens
4. Bell peppers
5. Lemon basil
6. Onions
7. Okra

Recipe of the Week

Honey Vinaigrette Dressing

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/4 tsp Lemon pepper or lemon juice
1 1/3 cup Oil
3/4 cup Honey
3/4 cup Cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

Shake all ingredients, except honey and vinegar, in a quart jar. Stir honey into vinegar until blended. Add to oil mixture and shake. Can be stored in refrigerator for several weeks. Taste to make sure it doesn’t need any extra salt or pepper. Serve on top of a bed of salad greens. Try adding some extra veggies or bacon and feta cheese, whatever you like extra on your salad!

The watermelon are sweet like candy so I think you will be excited. Don't forget though, this kind is supposed to be pink inside, not red! The okra can be battered by dipping in egg and then a combination of flour and cornmeal. The trick is to put it all in the skillet at once, in one nice layer and do not stir it around. Try to flip it all as one glob of okra. This will help the coating stick better to the okra and will cook it more evenly, leading to less goop inside. Or, if you don't want to fry it, you can stew it or sautee it with some other veggies and serve over rice, or make gumbo... no matter what it's great!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #13... we are nearing the end with only three weeks left!

Natural fertilizers

Farmers who do not follow organic practices may feed their plants with chemicals, but we try to supplement nutrients otherwise. Along with the mass composting system that we have, we also use other natural fertilizers. Manure from places with animals is always
First, we use an all natural fertilizer from a local business called Ohio Earth Food. It is mainly made of chicken manure, but is just made into pellets for easy application to your fields. We have found that it works well for all of our plants because it is not too strong and since it is in pellets, it slowly releases the nutrients into the soil.
We also do vermicomposting which is making compost with worms. Yes, we store worms and we use their excretions! By the time the kitchen scraps have been eaten and digested by worms, what comes out the other end is pure nutrients for your soil.
We store them in big 10 gallon tubs and continually add compostable material until it is full. Then, you just let the worms go to work. Every once in a while it will need stirred in there so they eat what is on top too. This is first year trying it, so we will see how it goes.
When the worm poo is ready, we take everything out of the tub and lay it out on a tarp. The worms are photophobic, meaning they are scared of the sunlight. They will slowly retreat into the middle of the pile; you scrape the top layer off and repeat until you just have a pile of worms left. Then, you can get another tub prepared and just reuse the worms.
While some of the things that we do may sound crazy, they really work. Using natural things in your garden you also have the benefit of not having to worry about what you are eating. When you are buying conventional produce, who knows what is really going on your table.

What’s included this week?

1. Radishes- white or pink
2. Eggs- fresh from our chickens
3. Ginger Gold apples from Paige’s Produce- they may not look perfect, but they taste great!
4. Cherry tomatoes
5. Potatoes- freshly dug, so leave them in airy spot to dry if storing, or just use them fresh!

Recipe of the Week

Hot Apple Pie
· 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (or just use a frozen crust. That’s what I do because I have problems making crust)
· 1/2 cup unsalted butter
· 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· 1/2 cup white sugar
· 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
· 1/4 cup water
· 8-10 apples - peeled, cored and sliced (or however many fills the crust!)

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white and brown sugar and water; bring to boil. Reduce temperature, and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work of crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #12

Outreach efforts

Here at Sunny Meadows, we strive to give back to the community in which we live. Seeing that we live in the city, there are lots of people around us that could benefit. We have many ideas but a lot of them are in the forefront.
Down the street from us, where Smith Farms used to be, is now a city park. We have proposed to them that we start a community garden there. This would be a place where people could come and see where their food comes from. We would hold workshops and have farmers speak so that we may not only show people what a garden should look like, but teach them how to do it themselves. Even if they live in the city, there is probably space for a plant or two somewhere in their yard or on their patio.
The Parks and Recreation department of Columbus is still pondering on this one and we are waiting to hear back from them. It is a little late for this year, but maybe we will get everything set up for next year. We feel it would be beneficial for both parties.
There is a Special Olympics office near our house that has a mass of land next to it. We would like to partner with them to use the land, but allow their folks to come out and plant pumpkins at the beginning of the season. Then each family could have a pumpkin when they were ready. So far they have not been too interested in this idea, but we’ll see how our relationship with them continues to develop.
Although our business proposals are in the beginning stages, we are hopeful that as we grow, they will see that our efforts are sincere. We really do want to give back to the community in which we live. Now, we donate any extra produce or flowers that we don’ sell to a group in Granville every Saturday. They take it and disperse it between a battered women’s shelter and various recovery centers and soup kitchens throughout Newark. During our busy time of the year, we donate extra flowers to hospitals and nursing homes. It’s nice to see smiles on everyone’s faces when you come in with some nice flowers.
Recently, I have been speaking to the local Rotary Clubs about our farm and our community outreach efforts. They are an organization based on service to the community and beyond… some are even international! They have been a good connection as the Canal Winchester Rotary Club has talked about next year buying a share of our CSA and donating it to the food bank. They also have connections with the Special Olympics so we will see where this leads us.

Food may feed the body, but flowers feed the soul!

What’s included this week?

1. Hot peppers- Hungarian Hot Wax (banana peppers) or Jalapeno
2. Tomatoes
3. Onions
4. Kale
5. Bar of homemade soap

Recipe of the Week

Homemade Fresh Salsa

1 quart tomatoes
3-5 hot peppers (or even more if you like it really hot)
2 small onions
1 clove garlic
½ bunch of cilantro (you usually get pretty big bunches at the grocery store. We tried to grow it, but unfortunately our crop wasn’t successful so you’ll have to purchase it elsewhere.)
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Chop all vegetables to the desired chunkiness of your salsa. Make sure before you chop the hot peppers that you remove all seeds. You may also want to wear gloves so that the heat from the peppers doesn’t stay on your hands. Also, to some people this salsa seems a little watery, so you can chop all veggies and place them in a strainer shortly so that some of the juice runs off. Make sure if you are going to do this that you add the lime juice afterwards.

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #11

Organic weed control

Although for some people weeds are easily taken care of by spraying chemicals on them; that does not describe how we do things here. Since we follow organic practices, there are no herbicides, pesticides, or any other type of chemicals that you can think of… just plain old hand weeding!
We try to minimize what you actually have to do on our hands and knees by laying down black plastic mulch around our tomato plants or pepper plants. This is basically about the thickness of a trash bag and is laid down on top of our irrigation system. When planted in, we just rip holes in it and plant in those spots.
We use newspaper or cardboard on the ground covered in either mulch or straw when we run out of plastic. This is when the mulch that we get from local tree service guys really comes in handy. We get free mulch to help secure the weed control. The cardboard or newspaper itself would work, but unless it stays wet will sometimes blow away. Covering it helps to keep it down and also helps restrict the weeds that want to come through the cracks in between the paper.
We do own hoes and a wheel hoe, which have saved a lot of work this year, but there are still some things that just need to be hand weeded. Thistle, for example, is a perennial weed which means that any little bit of root will just stay in the ground and send off more shoots later in the year. So, using something on the surface like a hoe is not sufficient. You must wait until a good rain has happened to go out there and yank it up, wild blackberry vines and morning glories are the same way.
Overall, we have found that keeping things clean not only increases the production of plants, but also helps to keep down pests. Mowing around our plots has helped also, keeping grass out of the way on the edge and decreasing the grass seeding into the gardens. It may seem like too much physical labor, but keeping the plots clean really is worth it in the end!

What’s included this week?

1. Sweet zucchini relish- keep refrigerated, will last up to 12 months in fridge
2. Cherry tomatoes- great for salads or for snacking
3. Swiss Chard- roast or boil down and add your favorite spices
4. Peppers
5. Spaghetti Squash- do not store in fridge as it will just soften (see recipe below)
6. Lemon basil

Recipe of the Week

Spaghetti Squash Sautee

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and sautee for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #10

This picture is Katie and Dan at the Athens farmer's market for us. Since we already do Granville on Saturdays, we are fortunate enough to have friends that help us out. Assisting us in spreading the knowledge about local flowers!

Why you should buy local

Although you may be able to find what you want at the grocery store, who knows where it comes from. We get potatoes from Idaho, oranges from Florida and the list goes on. But, if you can buy it from your local farmer, why not do so?
By buying local, not only do you support your local farmer, but your local economy as well. This is back to the way that things used to be before we could package and ship food all over the world. A group of farmers worked together, all growing something different so they could provide for the whole community.
And, if you care about the environment then this decreases your carbon footprint. The fuel it takes to get that produce to its destination adds up quickly. Especially if there is refrigeration involved to store all the produce along the way.
When people think of local things though, they don’t usually think of flowers. We have not been trained yet to start to do so. Our mission is to spread this idea through the people that we encounter, and hope that the idea continues to infiltrate the rest of the flower buying community.
There are many reasons why local flowers are important. Cheap flowers that you find at the grocery store and most flowers used by florists, come from either California or foreign countries. Flower producers outside of the United States do not have to abide by the rules set forth here. This means that they can use whatever chemicals they want on the flowers because a lot of what the import people are worried about is the bugs that it may bring, so as long as there are no bugs, these flowers are allowed in.
Despite the growing conditions for the poor little flowers, what about the working conditions for the people employed by these big flower companies? As you can imagine, flower growers moved outside the country for a lot of the same reason that many companies do: cheap labor, no unions, and no worker’s rights.
Yes, it would be nice to buy local things year round, but unfortunately in Ohio we can’t do that. This takes much planning with preserving your products by drying, canning, or freezing. Really, it’s the effort that counts!

Suggested reading:
Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart
This book is the source of a lot of our information and is a great inside look at the world of flowers.



What’s included this week?
1. Tomatoes
2. Zucchini and yellow squash
3. Peppers
4. Carrots
5. Cauliflower- it may not look pretty, but it tastes good.
6. Flowers picked fresh for you!



Recipe of the Week



Zucchini Carbonara



2 large green and yellow zucchini
1 pound penne
4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 good handfuls grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
12 thick slices pancetta or lean bacon, cut into chunky pieces
A small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped



Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger zucchini lengthwise. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the zucchini at an angle. Add the penne to the pot and cook according to the package instructions.
To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat a very large frying pan, add olive oil and fry pancetta until dark brown and crisp. Add the zucchini slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper. Sprinkle in thyme and stir everything so the zucchini is coated with, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini mix, then remove from heat and add a ladleful of the reserved water and creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now or you'll scramble the eggs.)
While you're tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick if left too long.



Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #9

The benefits of farmers working together

At our local farmer’s markets, there are a variety of things sold. We would like to take the opportunity to introduce you to some of the other things that are available locally. All the different farmers bring a feeling of community and makes the market a place where ideas are shared, products are sold, and friends are made.
You would think that the farmers may not get along since we are competition for each other. However, there are those that we have developed a strong bond with through being with them at the farmer’s markets and sharing tips for the business. It is actually quite beneficial for us to share things.
We believe strongly in supporting farmers who do things right. We were both vegetarians for years, but began eating meat when we met the farmers that were raising it. This allowed us to be confident that they were being treated properly. Not eating meat did not stem from being against killing animals, but being against treating them unfairly while they were alive.
So, how does this benefit you? Well, first off we have access to advice that we may not get otherwise so maybe tomato production goes up because we work on a new way to tie them up. Or, salad greens are more prolific due to a new way of planting and harvesting them that we learned.
Most of all, this is beneficial when we need to provide something that we may not have. The farmer’s markets forbid buying and reselling anything, which we totally agree with because you are claiming the product is your own. The CSA, though, allows us to expose you to other things that are available locally. It also allows us the opportunity to help out other farmers as well as the consumer. We will always inform you if something comes from somewhere else, but we just enjoy being able to have that variety in your packages.
Overall, befriending other farmers is a win-win-win situation for everyone involved. It will also give you access to resources that you may not know were out there for you. Because although you may love us, there are other things to experience locally, so check them out!

What’s included this week?
1. Ripe, delicious cantaloupe from Henson Farms- enough to feed a party, so cut it up and enjoy!
2. Tomatoes- see recipe below
3. Basil- also in the recipe
4. Bunching onions
5. Cucumbers- this is the end of them for the season

Recipe of the Week

Caprese Salad

3 large tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh basil, hand torn
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
3 balls mozzarella

Cut the large tomatoes into 6 or 8 wedges and put them into a bowl. Add the basil leaves, olive oil, and salt and pepper, to taste. With your hand, gently mix everything together and squeeze the tomatoes a bit to release some of their juices. Cut the mozzarella into bite sized chunks and add them to the tomatoes. Gently toss to blend everything together and serve immediately.

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #8

Heirloom Tomatoes and Seed Saving

Some people might ask why we grow heirloom tomatoes, they look so different! Believe us; they are worth taking a chance on a different looking tomato. The variety of colors and tastes, allows people with all different taste buds to enjoy these tomatoes.
Heirloom means that this is a type of tomato that has been passed down through the generations. These are tomatoes that have been around since at least World War II. The seeds have been saved and passed down so that the traditional varieties continue. These tomatoes have not been modified by science, so your tomatoes are in their truest form.
Saving seeds is something that you can do at home. Anything that is open-pollinated can be saved, which means that it occurs naturally and is not created by man. That is just another reason why heirloom tomatoes are superior, less dependence on buying seed or plants when you can just produce it yourself!
To save tomato seeds, to remove as much gunk as possible and put them into a cup full of water. The rest of the pulp attached to the seeds will separate from the seeds in a few days, making them easier to clean. Put a paper towel over top of the jar to discourage any bugs from being interested.
After the separation has occurred, rinse the seeds off by placing them in a strainer and running cold water over them. Then, set them out on newspaper or cheese cloth to dry. Using a paper towel just makes them stick to the fibers and then they are difficult to get off.
Once they are dry, place them in into a jar that you can close so they can be stored in a cool, dry place until next year. You may also use a Ziploc bag, but a jar decreases your use of plastic. Next year, just plant the seeds when you are ready.
You can follow these instructions for saving other seeds as well, but most will not need the soaking if you can get the seeds clean without that step. If you use seeds from things that are hybrids, or man made, then they will not produce something true to the plant next year. You will end up with something like it, but not exactly what you had before. And, if you need any help saving your seeds, there are lots of resources out there, even seed savers exchanges. Happy seed saving!

What’s included this week?

1. Heirloom tomatoes
2. Cucumbers
3. Bell peppers
4. Squash
5. Kale
6. Bread and butter pickles made fresh on Sunday (see the picture above). They have been canned so if you don’t get to them right away, store them in a cool dry place for up to 2 years. The date is on them just in case you forget. Refrigerate after opening.

Recipe of the Week

Garlic Bruschetta

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped lemon basil leaves left over from last week
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove chopped garlic
Salt and ground black pepper
1 loaf French bread, sliced into 1-inch thick slices and toasted
*you can also add chopped mushrooms or onions, really anything to your taste

In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic. Mix well to combine. Season it to taste with salt and black pepper.
Spoon tomato mixture onto toasted bread slices and serve. We also like to put the bruschetta on the bread, sprinkle some cheese over top, and put it back in the oven for melting. Heirloom tomatoes make for some great bruschetta!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #7

This little guy belongs to our friends, but he was too cute for me not to share him!!

Farming in the winter? In Ohio?

While it may sound crazy, farming in the winter time is definitely possible if you prepare yourself. There are many crops that can tolerate cold temperatures, and with proper storage, you can have veggies long after summer is over. Here are some things we do.
First off, you need to start seeds now for the stuff that needs to be started inside. This includes broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, brusselsprouts, etc. You can either place them in your window or start them outside since it is now summer and warm. If you want to know exactly when you should plant, add ten days to the length stated on the package, and count backwards from our last frost date which will usually be the first weekend in October (e.g. the variety of broccoli that we have takes 58 days, so add 10 to make 68 and count backwards to July 26th).

There are also things that you can direct seed outside that you need not worry about until a little later in the summer. Things like lettuces, salad greens, radishes, carrots, or other root crops. The trick is to plant them so they have long enough to grow to maturity. Then, the cold weather becomes like free refrigeration for them.

Some crops can just store in the ground while others need to be stored in a root cellar. This is what people did in the olden days to store things like potatoes and onions, although there are other things that tolerate this method of storage. This way, once they are cured, they are stored in a cool, dark place without the moisture that you would get of storing things in the soil.
This idea is not new to farming, but more people are experimenting with it again lately. Eliot Coleman, who is a fabulous farmer, has figured a lot of this stuff out. Any of his books will give you more information on it and he’s easy to read. They are usually available through your local public library.

What’s included this week?
1. Carrots
2. Lemon basil- great in Italian or with chicken
3. Onions- finally, big onions!
4. Green Beans- from Paige’s Produce since ours got devoured by the deer
5. Hybrid tomatoes- your typical red, round tomato
6. Swiss chard- same instructions as previous weeks

Recipe of the Week

Simple Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes (the whole quart)
Basil (1/2- whole bunch)
Onions (1-2)
Garlic (1 elephant clove or 2-3 regular cloves)
Salt and Pepper to taste

It is hard for me to give you exact measurements for this recipe because it all depends on your taste buds. You will need at least an hour to make this sauce, and don’t forget about it and let it burn to the bottom of the pan, it needs lots of stirring. If you don’t mind the tomato skins being in your sauce, you can chop the tomatoes up and put them into a large pot. If you want no skins, you have two options. First, you can put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor to mix them in. Or, you can boil water and put the tomatoes into the water until the skin peels off nicely. Doing it the second way makes this sauce not so simple.

The tomatoes will cook down and the mix will look real watery. Then, they will start to boil off that water until it is thick enough to be sauce. You don’t want to add the other veggies and spices until the tomatoes are done cooking down and starting to reabsorb some of their own juices. You can also add any other veggies to this mix if you like peppers or mushrooms in your sauce. How chopped up you make them just depends on how chunky you want your sauce to be. It’s okay if it turns out different every time, so be creative!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

Christmas ham

You may think that this is cruel way to think of these piggies, but they are so cute I have to keep reminding myself of this so I don't get attached. The day they get put on the truck to be processed will definitely be a sad one. But, they will be raised right with brothers and sisters to play with, kitchen scraps to eat, and even a good back scratching every now and then. These are hogs that would have been raised for meat anyways, but now we just know that they have led a happy pig life.

We are raising them on another farmer's property because I don't think that the neighbors would appreciate us doing it here. These pictures are from the first day we got them so they were just settling in. The bigger troughs will be built for their food and water but for now we are just using baby pools. Once they discovered the water, they were really enjoying themselves. They even enjoyed being sprayed off with the hose since it was a hot day.

They should be ready by November- the 1st of the year. If anyone is interested in buying half a pig, a whole pig, or can find friends and family to split one, definitely contact us. We haven't quite calculated the cost yet, but we will have more information once we know what the cost per pig is going to be for us. If you let us know before they are processed then they can be made into sausage, brats, etc. to your liking. Soo-ee!

The biggest wedding yet!

This wedding was definitely our biggest, most important one yet! Everything was white and green, so not my typical style of bouquets. Usually I like bright colors and funky flowers, but this was very elegant. They looked beautiful though and I'm glad that I challenged myself to this. Luckily we were contacted by this bride last year, so we knew that an all white wedding was coming. Lots of planning went into seeds ordered and specific things planted to her liking. The grapevine around the columns was kind of an experiment that we were told held up throughout. The wedding was at East Golf Club in New Albany and it really added to the beauty of the place. To check out more photos from their wedding and see the flowers in action, visit http://mjstudio.zenfolio.com/ and look at Tara and Austin. They look fabulous!

A well deserved rain

Finally we are getting some rain here. Really, we have been waiting for at least a month. It seems that being on the Southeast side of the city, the storms always go right around us. They will get rain in Bexley or Pataskala, but never here. Well, I know the plants definitely are enjoying it and so are we! We actually got some things accomplished inside the house that have been waiting for a rainy day... which has been a long wait! You can see in the picture that we actually got enough to accumulate in the rain gauge. And, although it may look like a dreary day out on the farm, it is actually quite exciting. This means that our well will get a break from watering all day everyday.

We have already broken our well pump this year from making it work too hard, but the well guy said this one would last another 10 years. I guess it will just depend on how dry our summers continue to be. We only have one well for the house and the farm so it is not run out of water. Especially with flowers, they have to go straight into water. Luckily, we have nice neighbors who let us steal some water from them. But, now we shouldn't have to worry about that. YAY!

CSA week #6

Our wedding mania

While we previously thought that July and August couldn’t get any crazier, we started doing weddings. Around this time we are not only planting things for the fall, but are still trying to harvest everything for the market, lilies are coming on strong, trying to keep cleaned up around here, and weddings. Needless to say, we are very busy.
We have been fortunate to have help this year. My friends have come to the rescue when it comes to the day before the wedding, helping me by either going to the market for me, helping in the field, or actually doing some of the arranging. On these days Steve does a lot of field work by himself unless one of us has any down time. Sometimes even long days turn into long nights trying to prepare for our Saturday market as well.
So far, our weddings have been very successful. Brides have been pleased which is the most important thing, with mother of the bride coming next. Although sometimes the mothers don’t always agree with using wildflowers or non-traditional flowers in weddings, they usually end up happy in the end.
Next year we are still wide open, so spread the word. Anytime between the end of June and the beginning of September will be our wedding season. Lilies are available in the month of July and sometimes in the month of August too. If you are interested in looking at pictures, you can check out the ones on our website or on our blog.

www.oursunnymeadows.com
www.oursunnymeadows.blogspot.com

Overall we enjoy the weddings, despite the stress. It allows us to really put ourselves out there and show our product off. It also allows me, Gretel, to express my artistic abilities. It is very therapeutic to know that you worked hard at something and be complimented. Really, that’s what we live for!


What’s included this week?

Your CSA package will include:
1. Scallions- you can eat the green part too!
2. Okra- good fried or in gumbo
3. Cucumbers (see recipe below)
4. Dill
5. Heirloom tomatoes- the different colors bring different flavors- much better than what you get in the grocery store
6. Sweet corn- picked fresh, so eat it soon before the sugars turn to starch… that’s why corn is usually not as sweet in the grocery store (shipping, packing, storing, etc.)

Recipe of the Week

Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 large cucumbers, sliced into chips
1-2 scallions greens included, sliced
2 small tomatoes or 1 large, sliced or chunked, however you prefer
4 sprigs of dill, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (or you can use balsamic vinegar)
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop up veggies and combine in large bowl. Mix around to start to get the tomato juices flowing. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix it well. The salt brings the juices out of the cucumbers so be generous with it when making the recipe. Just taste it a few times while making it to check, you don’t want it oversalted either! You can either eat right away or store in the fridge for the next day. That way all the flavors and juices have time to meld, but in our house it never lasts that long! It’s a great addition to a barbeque.

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

Busy, busy weekend

With wedding #3 this weekend, and lots and lots of flowers, we kept ourselves pretty busy. The flowers had to be ready in Newark by 6 am and then the farmer's market setup starts at 7:30. We woke up before the sun, loaded everything for both, and had to have Katie follow us with a third car because with all the stuff we had for the market, not everything fit into the two vehicles we usually have to take. What a good employee, being at work at 5 am on a Saturday morning. I'm sure she thought we were crazy!

Also, we had so many flowers that we sent Katie and Dan to a market in Athens. The flowers went well, as you can see with them working hard selling them. Overall, I would say the lack of sleep was worth it. Everything went really well. And, if the bride's happy then we are happy!

What are those crazy neighbors doing?!?!?

We are a part of a farmer's networking group and the Wall Street Journal contacted the head of the group whoe emailed us this:

Hi SPINners.
A reporter for the Wall Street Journal is interested in knowing what kind of relations do you urban and suburban farmers have with neighbors who live next to your backyard or front lawn plots. Apparently there has been an explosion of farm and garden creation within neighborhoods, and this reporter is doing a story on whether that has created any problems (not surprisingly, I guess, he is looking for negatives.) But if you have any feedback on reaction you are getting, positive or negative, please let me know, and I will pass on your feedback to him.
Thanks.
--Roxanne

And this was my response:

We are on almost 10 acres, although we are still considered an urban farm since we are technically still in the city of Columbus. We do a lot of cut flowers which take up most of our space, so our produce is done on a SPIN model. We use up most of the space we can and have gardens in the front and side yards around the house. At first, I'm sure the neighbors were wondering what we were doing tilling up the whole front yard, but now that we have been operating for a few years, they are all very accepting. They are just glad that something is being done with the property because before it was not taken care of. One neighbor is a science teacher so she enjoys that we have chickens and are contributing to the lan.

The part of town that we live in used to be more farm land before the city expanded, so the older folks that live in the neighborhood feel like it is taking this area back to the way things used to be. And, there is a little retail produce stand up the street that gets to dump their unsold produce on our land for composting. It works out great for us! We are close to the city so we have access to resources that other farmers may not have that live out in the country. There was one older lady next door who wasn't comfortable with the spot where we had the compost pile because she was afraid of rodents, but was understanding. She just asked that we put it further away from her house, but was supportive of us composting.

Also, we are in the process of working out a lease city owned property that is vacant. The program that they have allows properties in rough areas of town to be rented out for farm or garden use. They would rather have something done with the land than have it sit there vacant and unkempt. They will have us pay for the water, but the houses on the property are not using water so it will be easy to keep track of.

It seems like gardening is catching on again though. We are both in our mid-20's so it's encouraging to see that people from different generations are reconnecting through farming. It gives us more of an idea of how things used to be before there were factory corporate farms and before all our food was processed before eating it. And, it seems that older folks enjoy seeing young farmers who are passionate enough about growing fresh, all natural food that they want to till up their whole yard.

So, overall I would say that people may be shocked by it at first, but the more you advocate what you are doing, the more supportive they will be. If you can try to get them to understand the importance of buying locally and eating fresh, then it will be easier to convince them. My advice, just start giving them some of your product so that they can taste the difference themselves. Talk to them when you see them outside, and let them take a bite out of a freshly picked heirloom tomato, give them some flowers, or cook them some farm fresh zucchini bread; then they'll give in!

Gretel Adams
Sunny Meadows Flower Farm
3555 Watkins Road
Columbus, OH 43232
www.oursunnymeadows.com

CSA week #5

Don't throw that away...
That’s Good Compostable Material!

Another part of us doing things organically is our mass composting system. We not only compost everything from our farm, but we have a produce store up the road from us that also dumps all their waste on our property. This relationship is beneficial for both of us.
Instead of throwing kitchen scraps away in the trash, we choose to throw them in the compost pile. This means that it will break down and slowly decompose. This allows the nutrients it used from the soil to mix together. Then, the bacteria in the soil will get to work turning this decomposed material back into stuff that can be sprinkled on your garden.
In your compost pile, you will need green and brown material. The green will be the produce scraps that you have from your kitchen. You do not want to put meat, dairy products, or fats in it. You can also put yard waste in there too (grass clippings, straw). The brown material would either come from dead leaves, newspaper, cardboard, etc. For a complete list of do’s and do not’s, read some literature about it.
This process will take about a year, turning it once a month to ensure that everything is breaking down at the same rate. Inside the pile will be warm from the microbial activity inside, so don’t be alarmed if it smokes when you turn it. It’s actually really neat to see!
You also have the option of just letting it sit for two years before using it and letting it do all the work for you. At our farm, we try to work smarter to conserve energy and allow ours to sit. This, of course, requires space and patience so is a little harder for those with little to no yard.
Not long before you are ready to use it, you will want to control the moisture level (which may mean covering it if it is raining). You will be able to tell it is ready because it will be the consistency of clumpy dirt. You can then spread this on your garden to put the nutrients back in the soil that the vegetables took out of the soil to begin with. This is just a small overview, so if you are really interested you can find information on the internet or at the public library, or find literature.

Suggested reading:
The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener

Your CSA package will include:
1. Broccoli
2. Cucumber
3. Carrots
4. Elephant Garlic- hang to dry for proper storage. After a clove has been cut off, cover and put in refrigerator until later use.
5. Collards- don’t forget about taking the stem out before cooking these
6. Peppers- assorted colors
7. Canned tomatoes- from our harvest last year

Recipe of the Week
Stuffed Peppers
*can be made sans meat for vegetarians, just add some more veggies to the recipe instead
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 cup water
6 bell peppers
1 jar tomatoes, drained but reserve juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, diced
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano from last week if you still have it

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Cook the beef in a skillet until evenly browned.

Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and insides of the peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. In a bowl, mix beef, cooked rice, tomatoes, Worcestershire, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Spoon the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix some tomato juice and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Bake 1 hour in the oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender. If you would like, you can melt cheese on top during the last 15 minutes of cooking. In our house, they wouldn’t be eaten any other way!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA week #4

Our Seasonal transition

While the calendar may say that summer is here, our crops didn’t get the memo yet. I have heard that patience is a virtue, but can be troublesome for a farmer. Our plants are producing here and there, but we are still waiting for the big harvest. It is always well worth the wait though!

Our tomatoes are big and green, waiting for the sun to ripen them into beautiful tomatoes. Although we still love those first fried green tomatoes, it is difficult to just sit around and play the waiting game. As a farmer at this point, you know that they have their nourishment, that they have been properly trimmed and tied, and now it is Mother Nature’s turn to do the work.

Along with the wait for the tomatoes to turn red, we are also waiting for the peppers to turn colors. This year we planted all different colors of bell pepper and they are just beginning to get their color. Soon we will have yellow, orange, red, purple and even chocolate colored peppers. With the different colors come different flavors too… not just your typical green pepper.

And, soon we will have big, huge good smelling Oriental lilies blooming which means wedding season has begun for us. We will be harvesting our garlic in the next few weeks, our annual flowers will start to bloom, and it will be prime picking time for our berry plants.

You may be thinking to yourself that you have been eating greens and lettuce for a month now, but things will be changing shortly. And besides, all those greens are good for you!

*****Check out the new movie coming about food awareness and it will change the way you look at the big corporate farms that provide our main food system. They do say you are what you eat, so make sure that’s a good thing:

FOOD, INC.- Drexel theater starting July 17th
See the trailer at their website
http://www.foodincmovie.com/

What’s included this week?

Your CSA package will include:

1. Bell peppers- assorted colors
2. Swiss chard- see #3
3. Red Russian Kale- both these greens are good roasted
4. Baby leeks- a nuttier flavor than onions, especially when roasted… try with greens
5. Green tomatoes- for frying
6. Oregano- good for Italian
7. Peach apricot jam- canned last year from fresh from the orchard peaches
8. Mixed bouquet

Recipe of the Week

Fried Green Tomatoes

As many tomatoes as you think you can eat fried… in our house it takes a lot to feed us!
2-3 eggs, scrambled
Bread crumbs
Chopped oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the tomatoes hamburger style. Then scramble a couple eggs in a small bowl. Chop up the oregano and mix salt and pepper in with the bread crumbs. Dip the tomatoes into the egg mixture and then into the flour. Place in the skillet and cook for a few minutes. Flip the tomato slice and let it fry on that side for a few minutes. The tomato should be squishy in the center before taking it out of the pan. Place a paper towel on a plate and place the fried tomatoes on the plate. Allow them time to cool before eating; the freshly fried juice of a tomato is squirting hot!

Thank you for your support,

Gretel and Steve

Wedding #2 for the season

While preparing for our second wedding of the year, I was attempting making a headdress for the bride. Unknowingly, the first one was way too big until I tried it on and looked like someone who should be in a Vegas show. It was no big deal though, the dogs enjoyed it as you can see in the pictures! The second attempt at the headdress came out a lot better. Using much smaller flowers was the key. The wedding was in their backyard, very laid back. So far we haven't had any "bridezillas" and we hope to keep it that way. Since we let them come over, take a tour of the farm, and kind of pick what they want in their bouquets, it has seemed to work out very well. This wedding used their husky as their ringbearer, how cute! I don't think that Philo (our husky) would have worked out so well. We thought about using our dogs in our wedding, but what happens when they see a squirrel and then take off with your rings? I know that I wasn't going to chase them around in my dress. Plus, Captain was not very happy about these flowers around her neck as you can see in the picture of our Chocolate Lab, and Philo was trying to eat it.

CSA week #3

The Fun of Homesteading

Nowadays you may hear people talk about living green. You may call it sustainable living, but we like to call it homesteading. This means living ecologically sound and trying to be more self-sufficient.
We implement organic farming methods to ensure that we are giving back to the earth what it has given us. We love composting, which means our kitchen scraps do not get thrown into the trash, but rather our compost pile. Then, after they have decomposed, it will be added back into the soil, forming a full cycle.
Also, we plant cover crops in the winter to make sure that nutrients don’t leach out of the soil. Then in the spring when the cover crop is tilled in, it will give back all those nutrients that took from the soil. We also try to invite beneficial insects. So, we go out and collect praying mantis egg cases, along with planting other plants that invite such things as butterflies.
Along with butterflies and ladybugs, we also invite bees to our property by having a beekeeper tend bees on our property. It benefits both of us. For him it allows him to tend more hives and get more honey. And, for us it allows our products to be better pollinated, bringing us more produce per plant.
Having chickens at the farm, we produce our own eggs. Right now, we get just enough for us to eat but hopefully some day we will expand to provide eggs to others. The chickens also help us because they eat all the perennial weeds that are impossible to get rid of otherwise. Things like thistle and blackberry vines, they will eat right up. They are a lot like goats, only they don’t clear things out quite as fast!
When the weather gets colder, we will also heat our house with a wood burning stove. This allows us to not depend on the gas company for our comfort during the winter. Although it is a lot of work, it is definitely worth it! And, it is usually warmer in our house than it would have been with the heat on low enough to afford it.
All in all, it does take more labor for us to live our lives this way, but it is so much more rewarding. We feel that people these days, especially ones our age, are much too reliant on others for services. We pride ourselves in that if grocery stores ceased to exist tomorrow that we would still be able to survive! So, ask yourself what can you do to be more self-sufficient?

What’s included this week?

½ dozen eggs fresh from our hens at the farm
Spinach- just enough for the recipe below
Onions- eat these fresh, do not try to store them please
Baby Swiss chard
Romaine lettuce
Dill- great for cooking fish with a little bit of lemon
Sunflowers- cut them down every other day and change the water for optimum freshness

Recipe of the Week

Quiche pronounced key-sh
(It’s French, just try it!)

3-4 slices bacon
1 frozen pie crust (or you can make your own if you are a baker)
½ cup spinach, chopped*
½ cup onion, chopped*
½ cup shredded cheese
3 eggs
2 cups cream, milk will do
*other veggies may be substituted, or you can make it without veggies too! You can even make it vegetarian sans bacon.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook bacon in skillet until just cooked. Do not crisp it for it will continue cooking later. Drain oil from bacon and blot until not greasy. Chop up just like veggies. If you want to chop finer (or you want it done faster), you can use a food processor. Sprinkle bacon, veggies and cheese into pie shell. Scramble the eggs with the cream and then pour into shell. Place pie shell onto baking sheet to minimize dripping into the bottom of your stove. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing so that it may solidify. Enjoy!

Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

CSA newsletter week #2

Urban Farming

Living in the city gives us the ability to make use of the resources that are available within a populated area. We have had Bexley dump the leaves that they collect in the fall, using them first as mulch and now letting them compost for later use. Once they got wet, we realized that the wood chips we have dumped on our property would be easier to use as mulch. These wood chips come from guys that provide tree services and they are untreated, making them not as appealing, but they fit into our organic way of farming here.
Having more people around us means that there is a larger pool of customers, but also means that there are more markets within our area. This spreads the customers out, making it so that you have to shop around for the market that is perfect for you. At least we have options though, because as we learned on our honeymoon, not everyone does.
While honeymooning in Floyd, Virginia we realized that living out in the middle of nowhere wasn’t as good of an idea as we had originally thought. We always romanticized being out in the mountains, but that not only meant that you were away from your neighbors, but away from other people and the market for your products.
Everyone out there has their own garden, making being a small scale farmer a difficult job. After the trip, we came home feeling more grateful that we lived in the location that we did. Although daily we deal with sirens going by thanks to the local fire station, it’s nice to be able to escape by being out in the field.


What’s included this week?

Your CSA package will include:
1. Thyme- great spice to add to everything
2. Radishes- pink and white
3. Scallions (or little baby onions)
4. Baby carrots- take the tops off for maximum storage
5. Spinach- good cooked or raw
6. Collards- before cooking these you need to take the stems out. The best way to do this is fold the leaf along the stem and then pull the stem out.

Recipe of the Week

Vegetable Cream Cheese

1 package cream cheese, softened
2 big carrots
2 radishes
2 scallions
1 teaspoon garlic powder
*you could also add thyme

To soften the cream cheese either let it sit out at room temperature or microwave it on low for a minute or two. Chop all vegetables just enough to fit it in your food processor. Process them until they are finely chopped. In a large bowl, place softened cream cheese and chopped vegetables. Add garlic powder, and thyme if you want, and mix well. Can be used softened as veggie dip, or you can put it in the fridge and harden it for later. This cream cheese is great with bagels or on egg sandwiches.


Thank you for your support,
Gretel and Steve

Summer is here!

So a lot has been going on at Sunny Meadows. We have started our CSA, got our first honeycomb from our bee guy, the flowers are blooming and spring vegetables are at the end of their lives. We have already gone through one batch of lilies, the sunflowers are blooming and wedding season is soon to ensue! In fact, below you will see a picture of our friend's wedding in which I did the flowers for. It was awesome!

Overall, we have been really excited about the summer and have begun to realize that every farmer ever is behind on their to do list. There is so much to do and so little time. Well, not really but some hours of the day are just too hot to be working outside the whole time. We have been trying to create shady spots for us to work during the hottest hours, or we have been taking a little break. We have found that it is better to wake up early in the morning and work late in the evening if we can take an extended lunch break while it is sweltering outside. So far this has worked for us, but who knows what it will be like during the really busy season.



When we got the honeycomb from our bee guy, we scraped everything off of it into a strainer. After a couple of days, the honey separated from the beeswax, we bottled it up and have been enjoying it tremendously every since. It is like the maple syrup of honey, man is it good! Also, this has sparked an interest in making bath and body products. We are looking forward to being able to use fresh herbs from our garden to add into the soaps, lotions, or lip balms that we will create. We'll let you know how all this goes!