Piglets Ahoy!!

Since one of our two sows had her litter of piglets late Monday-early Tuesday, we have had a flood of requests for photos; here is a closeup!

 See the entire photo album over on Google Plus.

Spring CSA Week 3: Community in Action

From top left: kale, garlic, beets, carrots, lettuce (two
varieties -- Black Seeded Simpson and Butter Crunch),
turnip greens, and pac choi. Enjoy!

Week 3 has arrived!

It's that time again! Scroll down for a list of all the veggies in your box this week and some suggestions on how to use them.

Hog-sized thanks are in order.

Thanks to all our shareholders for your flexibility this week in picking up your vegetables on a Tuesday instead of at your normal times. We're excited about traveling to our friends' wedding this weekend... but we're sorry it interfered with the normal veggie pick-up.

Thanks, too, to our friends Rodney and Terese. They came out to camp on Monday night (complete with campfire and guitar circle) -- and then stayed to help us harvest, wash, and pack the veggie boxes on Tuesday. I'm not sure we could have packed all 11 boxes in a single morning without the extra hands! Many hands made for light work, and many laughs made for light-hearted work.

The Balance of Farm Life

We even had time for a farm-fresh breakfast on the front porch -- eggs from our chickens; bacon from our beloved kneecap-biting former buddy Kevin Bacon; homemade biscuits (with Kevin Bacon's lard), home-made fig jelly, milk gravy, and a glorious champagne cheese provided by Terese. We know how to balance hard work with reaping the rewards :).

This Week's Bounty

This week we have for your munching pleasure:

• Kale: These greens are wonderful in a simple saute -- start with a clove of our chopped fresh garlic and a little chopped onion sauteing in a splash of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the kale (cut out any large stems), stir, and allow to cook down. As it starts to wilt, add in a little water (or vegetable stock for more flavor), cover, and turn down to medium heat. Cook to taste; some people like it with a little crunch left, some cook 'til its thoroughly wilted.
• Garlic: This will probably be our last week of fresh garlic -- you may have one more after we harvest, as we allow the heads to hang and cure. You'll notice that the heads aren't as clean as in previous weeks. As the garlic gets close to maturity, it's important to leave all the outer layers attached to help it last as long as possible. In past weeks I've stripped that outer skin to create a "prettier" garlic, but at this age it's time to start leaving the papery shell on the outside.
• Beets: We hope you all enjoy beets as much as we do; we have a bumper crop this year! We like them best roasted in the oven (without peeling the skins) to bring out the natural sweetness. These aren't your mama's vinegary pickled beets :).
• Carrots: You'll notice that some of our carrots aren't as "perfect" as the grocery store variety -- but these are normal for a home-grown crop. The wonderfully spiced flavor of fresh carrots was one of the most eye-opening experiences of growing my own food in the first year... it's still one of my favorite flavors. You can also use the tops as part of a salad (use sparingly as they can be bitter), as an alternative to parsley (they're in the same family), or to make carrot top tea. The tea is a diuretic and carminative that's good for gout, kidney and liver support, gas, and bloating.
• Lettuce: This is the last week of the lettuce season. With the onset of hot weather, lettuce grows tall and leggy (bolts) and turns bitter. You'll notice that the flavor is stronger this week than it's been in the past -- by next week they'll be inedible. You have two varieties this week: butter crunch, which just matured, and the black seeded simpson you'll recognize from previous weeks.
• Turnip greens: We planted these between two rows of cabbage as an experimental crop. It's rare to see turnips planted this time of year, but they help hold water in the surrounding soil and may turn out to be a nice companion plant for us. This variety is bred to emphasize greens over actual turnips, so you'll find plenty of greens but only tiny 'roots' instead of big turnips. The experiment was a rousing success for the early season (almost no weeds in that section, and nice wet soil without watering), but they've begun to crowd the surrounding cabbage so we've now pulled them for your munching pleasure.
• Pac Choi: Your friendly neighborhood pac choi is back. This is the first year we've grown it, and I think it's my new favorite vegetable. We should have pac choi for at least one more week if all goes well; it's reported to be heat tolerant and it's looking big and healthy.

The CSA so far has been an amazing experience. We thank you for the warm welcome we've had in the community -- we're making new friends and learning new things with every box. We thank you, too, for generously sharing your hard-earned money and supporting us in our start-up days. This old farm needs a lot of love, and you're helping us save a valuable resource for future Maclin generations -- and our larger community.

CSA Week 2: Springing forward!

Clockwise from bottom left: Pak choi, onions, garlic, radishes,
beets, kale, lettuce, arugula, cilantro.

Running a CSA turns out to be lots of hard work--but it is also amazingly rewarding. The plants themselves are easy. They are genetically programmed to grow. Harder than that is the timing: we don't want your first box to be twice as big (or half as big) as your last, and we do like to put out a diverse set of crops.

This week continues the spring greens theme from last week, with a few additions:

• Spring onions: they are getting bigger! We have another planting that is still too small to ship out, so you can expect onions as a regular item most weeks. 
• Baby garlic: Again, this is getting bigger; we will be harvesting all the remaining garlic in the next week or two and hanging it to dry. 
• Red globe radishes: We have enough radishes for another week or two assuming the plants don't bolt before then.
• Arugula: The heat is starting to get to our arugula, and the remaining plants are starting to bolt; this is probably the last week for this spring crop.
• Beets: Bigger and bigger! The red beets are some of our favorites; if all goes well, we'll have golden beets later in the season.
• Lettuce: This is black seeded Simpson, a loose leaf lettuce that makes a killer salad. 
• Pak choi: Same as last week--maybe the last bunch for the season. But we also have:
• Kale! New this week, this is the first of the kale; some is curly, some is flat.
• Cilantro: OK, some people hate it because it tastes like soap to them (it isn't their fault.) We love it in salsas but also in salads and soups. 
• SPECIAL ADDITION: Basil seedlings: Our thinning is your gain. You can keep these in a window indoors (well watered) but they will probably need a larger container. Or, plant them outside if you have the space.

Don't forget to share your favorite recipes with us and your fellow members on our page on the Facebook. Our squash and cucumbers are blooming, so look for those in the next couple of weeks.

Don't forget  1) Wash! Our produce is grown without herbicides or pesticides and we wash it all before it gets to you, but there is likely residual dirt. 2) Bugs! One reason  to wash again is to eliminate any lingering critters. You may notice holes in the leaves (of the pak choi and beets in particular). See above: no pesticides. That means that the little bugs get to nibble some, too. Enjoy the veggies--more to come next week!

CSA Week 1: In the box!

Clockwise from top left: onions, arugula, garlic, radishes, beets,
lettuce, pac choi.

So you've waited all spring for the first mystery box of vegetables to arrive--and now it is time! In the box for this week:

• Spring onions: Bigger than green onions but not grown-ups yet. Use like green onions (tops) or like any onion. These are yellow and mild.
• Baby garlic: This one is a treat! Don't try to store it for the long term (that garlic is coming later). Intense flavor is great in guacamole, soups, salad dressings, or anywhere you like garlic.
• Red globe radishes: OK, radishes are a standard spring crop--but other than slicing them in a salad what can you do with them? Try radish top soup or braised radishes for a start.
• Arugula! We love spring arugula for its peppery taste; of course you can mix it with lettuce for a salad, but it is also great with...
• Beets: There are more beets to come, and the first of the season are smaller than what will come later. Use the tops like swiss chard. Our favorite way to eat beets is roasted (wrap them in foil, 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, peel after roasting) with goat cheese and arugula (goat cheese not included!)
• Lettuce: This is black seeded Simpson, a loose leaf lettuce that makes a killer salad. 
• Pak choi: This mini-choi (also spelled bok choi) is great raw in salads, in stir-fries, or ust lightly sauteed (tablespoon of your favorite oil, teaspoon chopped garlic, add pak choi and sautee just until wilted, add a pinch of salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar.)

Don't forget to share your favorite recipes with us and your fellow members on our page on the Facebook. 

In future weeks, look for more lettuce, beets, and arugula, storage garlic, kale, cucumbers, kohlrabi, and more! We'll post each week's box contents here along with some suggestions for cooking and serving.

Two last things: 

1) Wash! Our produce is grown without herbicides or pesticides and we wash it all before it gets to you, but there is likely residual dirt. Now, some people like a little dirt, but if you don't want that extra gritty flavor we advise washing everything before eating.

2) Bugs! One reason to wash again is to eliminate any lingering critters. You may notice holes in the leaves (of the pak choi and beets in particular). See above: no pesticides. That means that the little bugs get to nibble some, too. 

Enjoy the veggies--more to come next week!

Spring has sprunged... er.. springed. Sprung!

Not that the winter was any great ordeal here, but with the trees in full leaf or nearly so and winter temperatures warm enough to sleep with the windows open, I think we are safe in saying that spring is here. It's been a busy time here at Oak Hill--especially in getting ready for our first ever spring CSA!

We have a mostly full garden, with radishes, spinach, potatoes, onions, lettuce, cucumbers, garlic, beets (red and gold), carrots, cantaloupes, assorted herbs, and more. The weeds are hard on the heels of what we planted, and we are working to stay on top of it all. For those in our CSA, our 6-week spring program should begin either the last week of April or the first week of May.

A large part of the truck patch is full of garlic. This year we have three types of garlic: a standard artichoke garlic like what you might often find in the supermarket, and two heirlooms: a creole garlic (Ajo Rojo) and an Asian garlic (Asian tempest from Korea). We are planning a Garlic Festival for later this year, but that is for another post. Hope you are all having a great spring!

Our First CSA!

It's almost time! After three years in the making, we're getting ready to launch our first CSA season at Oak Hill.


What's a CSA?

"CSA" stands for "Community Supported Agriculture." In the CSA model, individuals or families buy "shares" of the farmer's crop for the season. Shareholders pay up front, giving the farmer the funds and financial stability to pay for seeds and labor. In return, shareholders get a share of the fresh-picked produce on a weekly basis, depending on what's ripe for the harvest.


The Oak Hill CSA, Spring 2012

Starting on March 15, we'll be accepting 10 shareholders to purchase a share in our spring CSA. Once a week for six weeks, you'll receive a 1/2 bushel box full of fresh produce from the farm. In at least three of those boxes, you'll also get a surprise free gift from us -- a dozen farm-fresh eggs, a hand-crocheted vegetable bag, or a jar of jelly, for example.

Since this is our first year, we're looking for ten shareholders to act as "guinea pigs," who are willing to put up with us as we work the kinks out of a brand-new system. In return, we're offering shares at $96 for 6 weeks of fresh produce. That's $16 per week -- half the price (or less) of most CSAs in the area.

If all goes well, we plan to offer these veggies in the first six weeks as they come into season:

• Lettuce (multiple varieties, including butter lettuce and black-seeded Simpson)
• Swiss chard
• Parsley
• Green onions
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Arugula
• Beets
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower

We're going to arrange a drop-off location in East Memphis or Collierville within the next couple of weeks. We may bring them to our farmer's market booth, depending on market restrictions. You can also arrange to pick your box up at the farm. Once we have prospective members lined up, we'll contact shareholders by email to work out pick-up details.

Risk and Reward in Community Supported Agriculture

There's always a risk in buying in to a CSA -- but we believe the rewards far outweigh the risks.
When you buy a share of a CSA, you're buying more than produce -- you're "sharing" in the fortunes of the farm. We can't guarantee that a drought won't kill half our crops, or a late spring frost kill everything we've got in the ground. We can't guarantee that we'll have a bumper crop of all your favorite veggies. We can guarantee that we'll leverage our extensive knowledge in botany and organic/sustainable farming to get you the best crop we can, and to work hard every day for our shareholders and our business.

Here's what else we can guarantee:

• You'll know what we do, when we do it, and why. We'll send out a weekly email to our email list with farm updates, so you'll know how our crops are doing, what's ripe, and what your "gift of the week" will be. You'll also get a look into farming with the Maclin family, including our exploits in donkey training, hog raising, and Do-It-Yourself farm rejuvenation.
• We won't start Week 1 of the CSA until we have crops ready to harvest. That means the Spring CSA may run from mid-April to late May, or from late April to early June, depending on how things progress. That means you'll get the most out of your money.
• Your veggies will be sustainably and locally grown. We use organic and permaculture methods, even though we haven't paid for the organic license. We do get some of our seed by supporting our local farmer's co-op, so a few types of seed come pre-treated, but once they're in our hands they are never subjected to chemical treatments or sprays. 
• You'll have first dibs on a summer share. Assuming our summer harvest comes along nicely, we'll sign up shareholders for a summer CSA before the end of the spring session. If you're a spring shareholder, you'll have first dibs on a summer share at similar pricing.

Summer 2012

We want to extend our CSA season into summer and potentially fall, depending on how the growing season goes. Folks who sign up for the spring CSA will be first in line for summer and fall shares at comparable pricing. If anyone drops out, we'll open up their share to a new customer. Here's what we hope to be offering this summer:

• Tomatoes
• Squash
• Onions
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Bell Peppers
• Jalapenos
• Cayenne Peppers
• Cantaloupes
• Garlic
• Corn
• Okra
• Green Beans

If you want to get in on the action, email oakhill1832@gmail.com. We'll put you on our email list, and you'll have a chance at grabbing up one of the 10 shares when we open them on March 15.

Seeds, work, projects, etc.

Howdy, friends. Long time no post! Fall around the farm doesn't mean that the work is done. On the contrary, there is a whole new batch of stuff to do. Last week, E. (with help from our friend and musical companion Terese) picked a whole boatload of veggies just before frost took the majority of the garden. Now there is a new round of canning and freezing underway, even as the holidays roll in and other projects take off.

• Tim of Oleo Acres is doing some work for us again, helping to tear down the "Old Shop". The Old Shop was the home to hand tools and equipment before the New Shop was built in the 1970s. It was already in a state of disrepair when a pair of trees fell on the roof during the storms earlier this year. Now, the whole thing is coming down. What finds! I'll post pictures of some of the antique (working) equipment later. Tim is also salvaging any good lumber for us to use in repairing other barns.


• We still have a big patch of turnips in the garden, so we'll be eating greens through most of the winter. We also planted about 30lbs or garlic with help from our trusty WWOOFer friends, so look for a Garlic Festival outside Stanton, TN in June!


• Also, we are starting a small CSA in 2012. Seed ordering time is upon us, and we will post a list once we have had our fun with the 2012 catalogs.