Exerpt from Grist on Greenhorns

Q. What's the connection between farming and empowerment?

A. Jefferson knew. Washington knew. The new agrarian movement knows.

Farmers make sugar from sunshine. Farmers work at the interface of the wildness in our landscape. Farmers are the foundation of our economy. Farmers are fiercely independent, self-reliant, and accountable to their relationship with place. Farmers are good at identifying bullshit.

Q.Young farmers face big challenges as they plug into the food system, but what kinds of advantages do they have?

A. We have the advantage of youth. Brave muscles, a fierce passion, and probably pretty savvy marketing insights. We have the advantage of eager eaters, dilapidated (but standing!) barns, plus sophisticated e-networks to access seeds, nursery stock, rare livestock breeds, training opportunities, season extension technologies, etc. We also have the advantage of dozens of institutions founded by our elders like organic certification bodies, regional sustainable-ag groups and networks, and land trusts. We have a generation of wise, thoughtful, and experienced mentors willing to teach us.

We have a country that needs us to step to the plate, swing that pick, and plant the future -- now!

Read the entire article here: http://www.grist.org/article/greenhorn-guerilla/

Of Hunting and Hossenfeffer

I knew I'd forgotten something! Walker's rabbit stalking has been paying off. He got two rabbits in one night last week. I think that makes five total. We made Hossenfeffer several weeks back and it was awesome. Remember "BRING ME MY HOSSENFEFFER!" from Bugs Bunny? Well, this 'stew' has a flavor I've never experienced in all my years of cooking. He has put the latest catch in the freezer and is saving it for his sweetie to experience when she comes this weekend for spring break.

Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit Stew) --



.INGREDIENTS
3 pounds rabbit meat, cleaned and cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon currant jelly
10 black peppercorns, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


..DIRECTIONS
1.Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Sprinkle rabbit with salt and coat with 1/3 cup flour, shaking off excess. Brown rabbit in remaining bacon fat. Remove from skillet, along with all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, and reserve.

2.Saute shallots and garlic in skillet for about 4 minutes, until tender. Stir in wine, 1 cup water and bouillon. Heat to boiling, then stir in jelly, peppercorns, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Return rabbit and bacon to skillet. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 1 1/2 hours or until rabbit is tender.

3.Remove bay leaf and discard. Place rabbit on a warm platter and keep warm while preparing gravy.

4.To Make Gravy: Stir lemon juice into skillet with cooking liquid. Combine 3 tablespoons water with 2 tablespoons flour and mix together; stir mixture into skillet over low heat. Finally, stir in thyme. Pour gravy over stew and serve, or pour into a gravy boat and serve on the side.

A Bit More Snow

Ace, standing proudly. At twelve, he's a fine specemin who acts as if he's three if you offer to take him for a walk. He'll hike for miles with me in the snow.
 
The little house in the deep woods - or so it seems.
 
The store door at Hickory Nut Gap Farm where Walker works.
 
Where your mail will end up if you write to us.
 

Jimmy, Timmy, Belle, & The Pigs

Jimmy and Timmy are calves that the farm purchased in the fall for the petting area. Today the first calf of the season was born to the farm herd. Haven't heard a name yet.
 
 
You may recall Belle as the one who plowed our upper garden last spring. She's a true-to-life draft horse and quite a beauty.
 
Pigs are oblivious to snow!!!!
 

Snow Number ????

I really should name this classy lady.
 
View from the front steps
 
The horsetrail at the bottom of the hill and the way to Crawdad Falls.
 
The road up from the mailbox. StairMaster has nothing on this hill.
 

Eggs and Eggheads

Okay, so I'm still getting the hang of all the controls on my newish camera. From left to right: One of our gargantuan eggs, one of our big eggs, what is called a 'large' egg in the grocery store, and one of our banty's eggs.
 
The men in my life have always put their heads & hair at my mercy and now Jake continues the tradition. Here he found a willing subject in his bosom buddy, Mark - the Dean's list student - hence the egghead moniker.
 

Long Time No Post

And in the meantime: We've learned at least 300 of the Inuit People's 600 words for 'snow', we met the midwife who delivered Walker 22 years ago and she remembers us well (no doubt you'd remember the likes of us in 1987), Walker scored a 'hat trick' last Sunday - that's THREE goals - in his soccer game ( At the time, I was wearing the earrings he gave me, don't ya know), my banty hens began laying little banty eggs!!, Ace got into it with a pit bull and came out in one piece, and we've had lots of company. We're in the process now of selecting which garden apprentices will live with us next year - always an exciting adventure.