WWOOF on!

Weeding the New Herb Bed

Last week, we had our first experience with WWOOF and WWOOFers. We were pleasantly surprised. Actually, that's a monumental understatement. We were ecstatic!

WWOOF

WWOOF, or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is an international organization connecting vetted volunteers with sustainable and organic farming operations throughout the world. In return for food, lodging, amenities, and a chance to learn about permaculture and sustainable living, volunteers provide their time and hard work as farm hands. The program started in the UK in 1971 and has grown through the years into an international operation.

WWOOF USA

We signed up last winter as a WWOOF-friendly farm through WWOOF USA, the US arm of WWOOF International. You can see part of our profile here, though you'll have to sign up or sign on to see the whole thing.

Super WWOOFers!

Last week, we had four volunteers descend on the farm. Lana and John, graduate students from Memphis, stayed for four days, and Jack and Cole, college boys from Tulane, stayed for six. Together, we:

• Reclaimed the garden from the mid-summer Johnson Grass (which this month's Mother Earth News ranks in the top 10 worst garden weeds!);
• Built and planted two raised, no-till permaculture beds that we'll re-use in rotation every year;
• Built a beautiful cane trellis for our fall pole beans;
• Mulched the tomatoes with old hay (don't try this with new hay, as it'll seed and double your weed problems);
  
• Mulched and finished our work-in-progress herb garden near the house, started last spring;
• Helped build a birthing paddock for JennyJenJen, the expectant donkey over at The Karma Farm, for our friend Claire; and
  
• Cleared out and weeded around the fig trees. The chickens can do this for us until about early June, when summer weed growth outstrips their impressive weeding abilities.

And they did it all in one of the hottest weeks of the year! They also proved to be good-natured and easygoing, and seemed to enjoy their down time on the farm. This bunch, to a person, could have been poster children for WWOOF, and will always have a special place in our hearts. Thanks to John, Cole, Lana, and Jack for an amazing week!

The Next Chapter

We have two more volunteers coming this week -- they'll be here tomorrow around mid-day. We
can only hope they're as heaven-sent as the last batch... we'll keep you posted!

Look for future posts on each of our projects, and photos of all we've accomplished so far.

We made a simple lip balm last night using beeswax from our friends over at Oleo Acres! That gorgeous, rich yellow color comes from the natural color of the beeswax.

Our simple recipe is an adaptation from the Dreaming Earth Botanicals blog. It couldn't be easier:

You'll need:

1 cup of olive oil
1 1/2 oz of beeswax
5 - 15 drops of essential oil of choice (we used 12 drops lavender; peppermint is also particularly nice)
funnel (optional)

Heat a cup of olive oil on low heat on the stove until hot to the touch. Cut beeswax into small chunks (less than 1/2 inch) and drop into oil. Turn off the burner and stir until the beeswax dissolves into the warm oil. Allow to cool for about five minutes. While still liquid, thoroughly stir in at least five drops of essential oil. Dip in a finger, allow the mixture to harden, and test for smell and consistency. If you want a stronger scent, add two or three more drops and repeat your test. Don't over-do the oil -- too much essential oil can be irritating to lips instead of soothing, and too strong a smell can turn a pleasant sensory experience into an aversion.

Allow to cool for another minute. Stir to ensure even mixture. While still liquid, pour into containers of choice -- we prefer small, clear glass tubs. A funnel makes the pouring process cleaner, but isn't strictly necessary.

Let the mixture cool overnight to room temperature before screwing lids onto your containers.

This easy recipe can be adapted by adding honey, jojoba oil, a vitamin E capsule, or any number of other skin-softening agents. The best thing about lip balm is that it's a very easy recipe to "fix" -- if the consistency comes out incorrectly or you're unhappy with the flavor/smell, just use a knife to scrape the balm from the containers into a pot, heat on low heat, and adjust your recipe as desired. Wash your containers in hot, soapy water to melt away any remaining balm, allow them to dry thoroughly, cool them to room temperature, and refill with your new mixture.

The sky's the limit. Enjoy!

A fresh coat of paint...

From Oak Hill Farms

Last fall, Tim Ammons of Oleo Acres brought out his ladders, scrapers, and paint gear to give Oak Hill a fresh coat of paint. Then, winter came--and with things looking grey and brown, we've waited until now to share the first pictures. The house looks really awake with the shutters still off (Tim is reworking them this spring)--and it just glows in the late afternoon light.

Manhattan Project Sauce

At the Collierville Farmers's Market today, we were talking to a patron about our shared love of spicy food. The hot peppers aren't in yet, but in preparation for the season here is the official recipe for Manhattan Project Hot Sauce. Like its namesake, the effects of this sauce are difficult to predict, and the ingredients themselves are potentially dangerous*.

Manhattan Project Hot Sauce

"...now I am become Shiva, the destroyer of worlds."

Prep time: 1 hour or less. Yields enough hot sauce for most needs.

1 lb assorted red hot peppers: cayenne, jalapeño, habañero, etc.
1 quart apple cider vinegar
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons sea salt

Safety equipment (optional, but recommended):
1 pair long rubber gloves
1 long sleeved shirt
1 pair safety glasses
1 dust mask or respirator

Additional equipment needed:
Food processor or heavy-duty blender
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Fine sieve or food mill
Wooden spoon
Funnel
Large empty bottle (as from a fifth of alcohol)
2 large nonreactive (ceramic or stainless) bowls
Ladle
One shot of whiskey/other alcohol

Preparation:
Make sure you are working in a clean kitchen, that your sink is empty, and that you have clean counter space. Evacuate children, pets, and pepper-sensitive individuals from the area. Cover all porous surfaces with plastic wrap, and put away all ready-to-eat items such as fruit. Use the toilet and wash hands thoroughly. Put on all personal protective equipment (PPE).

Wash peppers thoroughly. Cut the stems from all the peppers. Do NOT remove seeds. Working in batches, add the peppers to the food processor along with enough cider vinegar to cover, a portion of the garlic (peeled and crushed), and a portion of the sea salt. Blend until thoroughly liquefied, then pour mixture into one of the large bowls. Repeat process until all peppers, garlic, salt, and vinegar are used. Do not inhale vapors. Do not touch your eyes.

Ladle the mixture into the sieve or food mill in small batches and strain into the second bowl. If using a sieve, use a wooden spoon to push as much of the mixture as possible through along with the juice. You will be left with two mixtures: one liquid, one mostly seeds and pepper skin.

Add the shot of alcohol to the empty liquor bottle, cap, and shake thoroughly. Then dispose of the alcohol as you see fit. Using the funnel and ladle, fill the bottle completely with the fresh Manhattan Project liquid. Beware of possible splashes. Do not attempt to pour directly from the bowl. Cap and store away from direct sunlight. This mixture should keep for at least a year. Use in any recipe that calls for hot sauce.

The seed and skin residue is usable as a relish and in certain Chthonian religious rites. Do not touch, inhale, or taunt the residue. Do not look directly at the residue unless you are within a hyperbolic chamber--and even then, remain wary.

IMPORTANT: After capping the bottle, clean up any spills, wash the exterior of the bottle, and decontaminate the area with a household cleaner or a mixture of 1 quart of water and the juice of one lemon. Dispose of PPE and wash hands thoroughly. After cleaning your hands, taste your fingertips to check for pepper residue. Use your creation responsibly.



*We dismiss concerns that a large enough batch of this sauce may set the upper atmosphere on fire.

Fresh Garlic!

Our garlic is grown with love
(not pesticides and inorganic fertilizers).

You can eat this garlic fresh (uncured) but once you cut open a head it won't last long—so use it soon!

Alternately, you can cure the garlic by hanging it in a dry, shady location for several weeks. If you do that, it should last well into the fall (unless you eat it first!)

Ideas for eating:

-Chop it and use it in salsa.

-Cut off the green top, wrap it entirely in foil, bake it for 1 hour at 350 degrees; then mix it with butter and spread it on your favorite bread.

-Rub cloves on toasted rounds of bread, then top with chopped fresh tomato, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Have other ideas for eating garlic? Post a comment on our weblog: oakhillfarms.blogspot.com

Head: the whole garlic bulb.

Clove: one of the individual bulblets making up the head.

Sustainably grown, not Organic

The Organic movement has taken off, and is becoming big business. Organic certification means that there is some guarantee that what you are buying is not contaminated with potentially harmful chemicals or excess antibiotics. Organic products are now available at all the standard Big Box stores--often produced by a small number of huge agricultural firms. The expense of organic certification is high enough that many small growers find it to be prohibitive.

We like the term 'sustainably grown.' We grow our vegetables without artificial chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. We also recycle nutrients--from the garden to the pigs, chickens, and compost bin back to the garden. And, we look at the garden (and the rest of the farm) as an ecosystem where the depth of the food web is important. Sustainable growing also means ethically grown, so our chickens and pigs get fresh air and pasture, not boxes and cages. Where we can, we work with hoes and hand tools instead of gas-powered equipment to cut down on emissions of greenhouse gases.

There are also other certification programs, notably Certified Naturally Grown, that we may pursue in the future. For now, we are sticking with methods that will ensure that this land is productive for another 175 years.

Water, water, everywhere

Nearly twenty years ago, Oak Hill had running water in several outlying barns--one of which is now the chicken house. Earlier today, I started a quest to get the water up and running again. After some diligent digging, I found the place where the water had been shut off. The pipe had been cut and both ends plugged. Easy enough! I would just hook the two ends back together again. A trip to the local Home Depot for fittings and hose clamps later, this turned out to be a lot of work for myself and my dad, who had come up to check my progress. Finally, the work was done and we turned on the valve. Yes! there is water in the chicken house! But, the water pressure is now decreased dramatically throughout the system. There is a leak somewhere, and with pipes running in many different places the only sure-fire way of finding it is to let it leak overnight and go hunting for the puddle in the morning.

Meanwhile, the garden us up and growing: onions, potatoes, peas, lettuce, and broccoli raab are first out of the gate. The spinach has germinated is starting to poke through the surface. The corn is in. By this weekend, we should be mostly planted. Now all we need is rain!