Pot Luck

Busy, busy. (4.00 / 3)

My distributor picked up another restaurant account for me last week. I'm up to 4 restuarants now.

I delivered to Portland yesterday, I'll be delivering today, and I'll probably be delivering either Thursday or Friday.

I'm breeding the rabbits this week (after I build another couple of hutches for the bunnies I got a few weeks ago.
I think I'll build them in line and have movable partitions between the bays so I can open the hutches up into larger or smaller as I need to.

I'm picking berries now at South Barlow Berries now. I'm trying to pick at least 2 times a week, but it'll probably wind up being 3 times - Tuesday for the food co-op, Wednesday for CSA pickup, and Saturday for CSA pickup.

I'm also helping a friend out with her commercial kitchen. She's going to be making me jams, pickles, syrups, etc. as a coprocessor. I have to find out the info on labeling and getting the labels approved by USDA, ODA, etc. And I'm going to have to get a food seller's license. (Oh yah, I'm going to have to jump through ALL of those hoops.) Which will actually be a good thing because then I can start marketing my friend's baked goods as well as some cheese from Gouldin Artisan Goat Cheese if Carine has any extra available. I swear to God that Carine Gouldin makes the best cheeses I've ever had in my whole life. And my friend who's getting the commercial kitchen license makes the best baked goods!

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 07:20:47 AM UTC

Great news about the new restaurant. (4.00 / 2)

What are you selling to them? Vegetables and fruits? Eggs? Rabbits? Are these contracts for year around supplies?

Your business is really growing. I'm glad for you.

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by: caseyOR @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 08:18:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Right now I'm selling microgreens and baby greens (4.00 / 2)

I'm going to be offering rabbit to the distributor as soon as I have some available for slaughter. Nothing's being offered on contract, but things seem to be growing and my distributor seems to think that by this time next year, we'll be supplying a lot of micro and baby greens to the restaurants.

The thing that's really going to get the chefs is that I can grow microgreens in the dead of winter. I was going to grow them in the greenhouse, but I got to thinking, I grew tender leaf lettuce (oak leaf and red sails) in december and january when we had some pretty danged cold weather, in the tunnels. If I can grow oak leaf lettuce without artificial heat, and not have any problems with it when outside it's 28°, then I can grow micro greens in there too. The winter microgreens will probably be a higher quality than the summer, especially for things like radish. The cooler weather tends to make the cotyledons thicker and more tender. And that's what the chefs really want is fresh local microgreens in the dead of winter. I think that's what will really make me stand out to everyone.

The nice thing about the micros is that they're such a fast turn around crop (7-30 days) that I only grow for what I have potential orders for that week. And, if the micros don't sell I can leave them in place for baby greens which I can sell either to the restaurants or through the food co-op. I can also sell them through the CSA program and probably down at the produce stand as a last resort. If orders drop off for the micros, I can shift those trays' production over to other crops without loosing too much time in the turn around.

The food co-op I'm selling through is Know Thy Food in the Brooklyn neighborhood. I actually have as much in sales through them as I do with the actual CSA sales out here on the farm. I'm going to be offering berries through KTF and I'm already selling out on eggs through them. I offered 5 dozen in last week's order cycle, and I actually sold 7 dozen, which fortunately, I will be able to fill.

The system that KTF has set up is really nice. I'd like to set something like that up out here. The order cycle opens up on a certain day of the week. I think Tuesdays, and closes on Sunday if I remember right. Delivery is between 10:00am and 2:00pm on Tuesday (which is the members' pickup day). I don't harvest unless I have the produce sold already, and they have really nice labels for each order that are automatically generated. All I have to do is go to my invoice for that order cycle, and pull the info off of the label page that's generated from that invoice, print them up, and put each label on it's appropriate order. I brought 5 totes in for the CSA shares I sold through KTF, along with the cooler I hauled the produce in and my sheet of labels. I filled each tote with a share, and put the labels on the lids, then labeled the egg cartons. That way each member knows which share tote is theirs, and if they bought eggs too, which dozen eggs belongs to them. And KTF cut me a check right then and there. Their system is just a dream to work with.

Ironically, now that I have lots of buyers for eggs, my hens are dropping in their egg production. I seem to remember this happening last year....

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 08:55:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I think you are right about the microgreens in winter. (4.00 / 2)

Everybody craves fresh greens in the long dark winter. Many chefs, I should think, would love a local source.

About that drop in egg production- maybe the hens just need a little personal time, a summer break.

Do you still have Portland CSA deliveries at your Dad's place?

Someday, if you don't mind, I would like to come out and see your operation. It sounds like it is growing by leaps and bounds.

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by: caseyOR @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 09:08:28 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Portland people have to buy their (4.00 / 2)

CSA shares through the co-op. I wanted to keep selling at the house in SE, but with the exception of a couple of people, everyone else was pretty hit and miss. I had some weekends when 3 people should have shown up, and no one did. That's what finally tanked the SE Portland CSA pickup location. CSA shares are a little more expensive through the co-op, and they're first come first served, as are the eggs, but they're selling very well so far.

On the hen situation, I think it's more a matter of me not getting them locked up in the coop early enough. I'm locking them in between 10:00am and noon, then they get to come back out around 7:00pm or 8:00pm. I'm going to have to shift my work shcedule to earlier in the day, or leave them locked up longer (in earlier). I have to lock them up because if I let them be out while I'm working in the gardens they're always getting into things, tearing things up. I had to throw away 4 trays of microgreens last week because they got in the growing area and crapped on them. I've since moved all the micro greens growing areas into completely covered tunnels. I've got one tunnel covered in netting and shade cloth. The second tunnel is covered with netting and it's going to get floating row cover cloth.

But anyway, back to the egg supply. I think what's happeing is that about half of the hens are trying to lay in places other than the nest boxes. I'm starting to see stray eggs laying out in oddball places. I have an idea that Chaz is foraging and finding the nests. Chaz loves raw eggs. Maybe he'll keep those nests disturbed enough that the hens will be encouraged to lay in the nest boxes where the eggs are 'safe'.

You're more than welcome to come out to the farm. Begining a week from this Sunday I'm going to be giving workshops on the various types of farming techniques I use out here. The workshops will be 1-2 hours long and will be free this year. I'll post a schedule in one of the pot lucks when I get it drawn up in the next few days.

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 15:25:19 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

where in Oregon are you? (4.00 / 2)

I'm going to be heading up the Oregon Coast on my way to Alaska in two weeks

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by: la motocycliste @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 19:23:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm in beautiful Mulino (4.00 / 2)

about 20 miles south and a bit west of Portland. You're welcome to swing by if you have a chance. Send me an email and I'll send you my street adress. I'm easy to find, right on hwy 213.

loiosh@molalla.net

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 22:38:07 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Email sent (4.00 / 2)

Hope to see u and an emu soon!

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by: la motocycliste @ Wed Jul 13, 2011 at 20:16:54 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Strawberries... (4.00 / 1)

Weird, the Albions are much better than the Hoods right now.  I picked up a pint the other day, best berries of the year so far!

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 08:23:05 AM UTC

If the Albions are better than the Hoods, then this is an up is (4.00 / 2)

down, black is white kind of year.

Still, based on your comment I think I'll pick up some Albions this week.

Ooh, cherries are finally here, too.

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by: caseyOR @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 08:40:09 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yeah, picked up my first cherries... (4.00 / 1)

...a few days ago, too.  Forgot what kind, heh.  The orange-ish ones.  Rainiers?  Pretty good.  I was very disappointed in the raspberries.  Beginning to worry about my beloved marionberries!  They'd better not be disappointing this year.

Didn't go for any tomatoes, though.  Still gonna wait a few weeks on those, I'm broke as usual these days.  Don't know what went wrong with the Hoods, none of them have been any better than "meh" so far.  Nothing to them, really.  Very bland right now, and it's getting late...

The Albions from Buckman (I forget who I got them from, it's the booth roughly in the middle of the north row to the left of to the goat cheese people and the lamb people, and a booth or two to the right of Groundworks' big booth) are pretty good.  Much better than their Hoods right now in a side-by-side sampling at the market.  Amongst the best I can ever have remembering of that variety, at least.

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 09:28:50 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

just came back from this organic farm (4.00 / 2)

on the eastern shore of MD near DC. He raises grass fed cattle
Fascinating afternoon

PS I never saw such beautiful happy cows :)

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by: LeeN @ Tue Jul 12, 2011 at 22:32:31 PM UTC

Does the farm (4.00 / 1)

have a website or a name? (All farms have names, right?)

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by: count @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 05:45:29 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

yep it does (4.00 / 2)

http://www.cbf.org/page.aspx?p...

its part of a foundation. The man who has been running it for 30 years was a Grad student 30 years when asked to take it over. The original farm (19th century)grew tobacco and corn and the soil was horrible 30 years ago. Part of what he does with the grass fed cows? he uses traditional grass and lets them graze but then he grows cow peas and millets which they LOVE to eat. And the cow peas and millet enrich the soil.

The meat is sold direct to his CSA customers.

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by: LeeN @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 11:14:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

tobacco and corn (4.00 / 1)

Two hundred and however-many years ago, George Washington fretted that farmers grew those crops until the soil was exhausted and then moved to virgin territory, instead of being good stewards of the land. Good ol' George thought farmers would be rewarded if they took a longer view and paid attention to maintaining soil fertility, and I think this is how he worked at Mt. Vernon. (Does anyone know if that statement is true?)

I used to think that the ready availability of new land was a major factor enabling the cavalier attitude of those early farmers, and maybe it was, but somehow things seem to have become worse instead of better.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation does a lot of things I don't know about - I surely did not know it owned a farm and has had it for a long time. That is such a great idea. Thanks, Lee.

We say Upper Marlboro is in Southern Maryland, I guess the uppermost part of Southern Maryland but if they grew tobacco and talked like that it qualifies as Southern Maryland.

The Eastern Shore part of Maryland is on the other ("eastern") side of the Chesapeake Bay.

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by: count @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 12:04:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I forgot you are in MD (4.00 / 2)

yw :)

The Chesapeake BF had to be very forward thinking to have picked Michel to run the farm.

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by: LeeN @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 12:12:24 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

and while I am talking about cows (4.00 / 2)

the cow that escaped in PA..Was at a slaughterhouse 30 minutes from here.No surprise to any of us, slaugherhouses are always in poor neighborhoods. And the owners DO NOT want  any of us to see what happens.Including who is doing the slaughtering. My friend Aliza Green is writing a book on butchering and has been interviewing all kinds of folks (including Temple Grandin)connected to meat.Distributors,meat scientists folks who raise animals for meat.I'll probably be marketing the book.

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by: LeeN @ Thu Jul 14, 2011 at 11:38:29 AM UTC

Syria, Assad kills 27... (4.00 / 1)

Government troops kill at least 27 yesterday -

BEIRUT - Syrian security forces killed 27 antigovernment protesters in several towns and cities after prayers yesterday, primarily in Damascus, amid indications that opposition to President Bashar Assad is hardening in the capital. [...]

Figures could not be independently confirmed because the government has restricted journalists' access to Syria. But the reported size of the demonstrations remains small compared with those that have toppled rulers elsewhere.

"Remains small."  Umm, yeah.  Maybe because they're being fucking slaughtered when they show up?!

The deadliest crackdown came in the suburb of Qaboun, where 14 demonstrators died* after security forces fired on what activists described as a demonstration of 25,000 people. Video posted on YouTube showed thousands marching through the streets chanting antigovernment slogans and holding banners proclaiming "Out Bashar'' and "Game Over Bashar'' in English.

*"Died?" Did they spontaneously combust?  Or were they murdered by government thugs?

Gee, maybe Dennis Kucinich needs to head back to Syria, and give the vicious, murderous scumbag Assad another hug.  And maybe a kiss this time.

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 10:14:15 AM UTC

And Ha'aretz reports 41 dead... (4.00 / 1)

Forty-one people were killed in Friday's mass anti-government protests across Syria that were broken up by security forces using live ammunition, a human rights group said Saturday.

The death toll was initially given as 27 by activists documenting the protests on the day dubbed "Friday of Freedom Prisoners," in honor of those jailed during months of protests called for political reform and on President Bashar Assad to step down.

But on Saturday, National Organization for Human Rights said 27 people were killed in the capital Damascus and its suburbs alone, with more killed in the central city of Homs, Idlib in the north, and Daraa in the south.

However, government mouthpieces say -

The official SANA news agency meanwhile reported that 12 civilians and security personnel were killed by armed groups "who opened fire on gatherings of civilians following the Friday prayers."

Right, I'll bet...

We need Dennis Kucinich to tell us what happened here.  Please, Denny, call your BFF Bashar Assad and ask him what happened.  Or go for another visit, he could sure use a hug!

Then tell us how the people love him, how the folks murdered by government thugs just magically "died;" and how Syria and the Middle East clearly needs Assad's powerful, sexy leadership and etc etc etc...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 10:29:49 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Solving quandaries... (4.00 / 1)

Congressman Kucinich claims he was 'misquoted' by the Syrian State Press.  Although he still won't call Bashar al-Assad out for what he is, i.e. - a murderous thug, who has killed over 1,400 of his own citizens over the past few weeks, including over a few dozen just last night.  Along with thousands and thousands more injured and detained.

I have a simple suggestion for Mr. Kucinich, a way that he will be able to never be misquoted by the State Media of a repressive, authoritarian dictatorship ever again - don't have tea, hugs and kisses with their leader.

It's quite simple.  For example, I run no risk of ever being quoted in the press as saying that Bashar al-Assad is a wonderful, cuddly huggable teddy bear who cares for his people deeply (when he isn't killing them)... because?  I didn't fly halfway around the world on the taxpayers' dime to hug and kiss and caress a murderous, sociopathic scumbag like Bashar al-Assad.

Mr. Kucinich, please follow my lead.  You will never have to worry about being accused of sucking up to the asses of ruthless dictators, as long as you don't... suck up to the asses of ruthless dictators.

Words to live by, friend.  And peace to you, please.

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 11:35:41 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Logan Pass opens (4.00 / 1)

Glacier National Park opened Going To The Sun Highway July 13. I assume the parking lot at Logan Pass must be cleared and the entrance to the visitor center is probably open, but no dates have been set for opening Highline Trail or the trail to Hidden Lake.

GTTS usually opens before July 4, although it did open July 10 in 1943, during WWII. This is the latest opening since 1933, the year the road opened. The highway was dedicated July 15 that year, but the date might have been because of normal construction or ceremonial reasons. Records don't reveal if that opening date had anything to do with snow.

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by: count @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 13:42:45 PM UTC

Jay, important sports viewing question!! (4.00 / 2)

During the BCS championship game you very kindly steered me to some online sites where I could watch the Oregon vs. Auburn game.  And I thank you.

Now, do you know of any online sites where I can watch tomorrow's World Cup championship game? I'm a big fan of those girls, and since I don't have cable, online is my only viewing option.

I thank you in advance for lending a hand to a fellow sports fan.

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by: caseyOR @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 22:28:58 PM UTC

To the rescue! (4.00 / 1)

Heh.  This one may work for you?  Same site as the BCS game, so it's safe and fast...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 23:08:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank you very much. (4.00 / 2)

I will be glued, coffee mug in hand, to my computer screen tomorrow.

GO, USA!!!!!

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by: caseyOR @ Sat Jul 16, 2011 at 23:12:31 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

World Cup... (4.00 / 1)

I haven't watched any of it, don't watch much soccer myself.

But I looked up the World Cup.  Us Women vs. Japan for the championship, nice!

Both teams have lost just once (in the first round), the US' loss was to Sweden.  Japan beat Sweden easily.  Uh oh...

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 01:00:19 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

*US Women (4.00 / 1)

Not "Us Women," which would imply that I'm a woman.  I am not.  Heh.

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 01:00:57 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Berry picking today (4.00 / 2)

Picked Sylvans, raspberries (humongous ones), blue berries and black currants.

Picking Sylvans and raspberries, maybe some other berries on Tuesday for CSA shares, then again on Wednesday and next Saturday.  

Gotta love berry season. I just wish I hadn't missed strawberry season. But one of the farms I pick at has hardy kiwi, I'm really looking forward to those!

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 00:33:23 AM UTC

bad year for blueberries. (4.00 / 2)

BUT my blackberries and rasberries are fruiting and will start turning.

I just pickled cucs and some cauliflower.  

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by: LeeN @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 17:09:00 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Quail eggs... (4.00 / 1)

Anybody ever have them?  Saw a whole bunch of them at the farmers' market (Wednesday, South Park Blocks downtown) the other day, thought about picking some up.  Couldn't then as I didn't have much cash on me, but maybe this week or next.

They're so tiny.  What do you do with them?

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 14:36:46 PM UTC

I used to keep couturnix quail. (4.00 / 1)

We used to hard boil the eggs and pickle them, but you can crack them and use them like any other egg. They're too small to use like you would a regular chicken egg. Didn't taste any different to me than those either.

Because they're small, they're kind of a PIA to peel. A friend of mine once told me that a bar owner friend of his used to put them shell and all in the brine. Being mostly vinegar, the shells would be pretty well disolved by the time the eggs were done pickling. Never tried it myself though.

What were they asking for them?

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 00:15:04 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Forgot the price... (0.00 / 0)

May be in the area again Wednesday, though.  I'll try to remember and check for them if I can make it there for a minute or two.

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 11:40:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I'm officially off organized religion (4.00 / 2)

My former synagogue just sent around an obnoxious email(from another group) about pressuring the Greek Government to not let the flotilla to Gaza. I'm a minority in the Jewish community in terms of my beliefs about Palestinians and I've had it.
And 3 Jewish camps here in PA just signed away fracking rights  

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by: LeeN @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 17:13:06 PM UTC

Welcome to the club... :) (4.00 / 1)

I've never been a fan of organized religion.

But!

Btw, can anyone explain why Egypt is barring cement from coming into Gaza?  I would assume same would have crossed the (allegedly) open Rafah Crossing otherwise?  Why wasn't this shipment delivered through there?  Am I wrong in assuming that the people trying to bring these desperately needed materials into Gaza through Rafah knew that Egypt wouldn't let them?  And why would that be?

Why is Egypt blockading Gaza?

The UN has also declared the naval blockade legal, btw.  So Greek government or not, the Israeli Navy (and Tel Aviv) is well within their rights to block same.

Once one ship passes through a blockade, it is no longer recognized under international law.

Three more rockets fired by terrorists in Gaza struck Southern Israel today, btw.  That makes 16 this month.

Maybe the flotilla would be better off delivering their load to Egypt, pressuring the government to allow it through Rafah, and... also maybe consider the children in Ashkelon and Sderot, 2/3 or so of whom are suffering PTSD from the constant bombardment they find themselves under from Qassam rockets fired from Gaza and whatnot?

Don't Israeli children matter, too?

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 19:40:50 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Fooey. (0.00 / 0)

Japan beats US, wins World Cup.

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by: JayinPhiladelphia @ Sun Jul 17, 2011 at 23:50:28 PM UTC

Made berry syrups yesterday (4.00 / 1)

They're steeping in the fridge, and I'll be boiling the syrup down tomorrow, or the next day.

I used blue berries, sylvans and raspberries. I'm going to use the syrups for back sweatening apple cider vinegars that I'll eventually sell to the CSA members, if our new fangled acidified foods law will allow me to do that. I think it'll let me sell vinegarette salad dressings too.

Can't wait till the other berries come on! I'm really getting adicted to berry picking.

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 15:21:49 PM UTC

I bet those syrups would be great (4.00 / 1)

on ice cream :)

I was at my friends house yesterday cooking for her party next Sunday. We were making mango sorbet and our conversation turned to fruit. The local organic fruit has been HORRIBLE these parts. And expensive I'm sticking to fair trade bananas and peaches from New Jersey. I spent 5.00 a pound 4 low spray local ones and threw them out.

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by: LeeN @ Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 15:45:02 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Wow (0.00 / 0)

What's been the matter with the fruit? Flavor not good or bugs? I always set out a jug of bug attractant under the fuji apple tree to keep the apple maggots out. I still get some scale on the apples, but I usually don't have much of a problem with worms.

To make the attractant you use 1/2 gallon of water, 1 cup brown cider vinegar, 1 cup of sugar and the peel of one bananna. Catches flies like crazy.

Normal people scare me.... But not as much as I scare them.

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by: JoanneRigutto @ Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 17:30:27 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

tastless..all of the local organic fruit.. (0.00 / 0)

and expensive.

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by: LeeN @ Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 18:00:29 PM UTC

[ Parent ]