The last of the garlic is out of the ground, bundled up and hanging up in the barn. The rafters in the barn are covered with it and nearly every square inch of wall space has a hanging bundle.
We grow 3 varieties of garlic: Amish Rocamboule, Chesnok Red, and German White. Come on down to the markets and pick yourself up a few!
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At the top of the Anthill right next to our tomato rows, we have a huge pile of hay bales. Today we cut a bunch of them open and spent our morning spreading hay mulch, up and down the beds of tomatoes. As I was cutting open bales and shaking the hay loose, I was reminded of the day we accidentally, yet conveniently dumped it here.
A few weeks back, a bunch of us got together and moved all of the freshly baled hay down into the barn. We loaded a trailer 5 levels high in square bales which would soon be brought down and stacked inside. Derrick, Billy, Ben (who was visiting for the day) and I were sitting atop the stacked trailer, keeping the hay tower "in place."
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There's been an abundance of butterflies fluttering about the farm these days. I guess it must be that time of year. We see them dancing amongst the milkweed and red clover all over the property wherever we're working. I've been bringing my camera around with me so that if I catch a good glimpse, I'll be able to shoot a closeup. They seem to really like Monique's garden, that's for sure. I always look near her Echinacea flowers first when watching out for them. Over at the farmhouse, we have a little butterfly field guide that I've been referencing in attempt to do a little identification. I've seen skippers, monarchs, American ladies and sulfur to name a few. The best places that I've found…
No kitchen is complete without the wonderful aroma of fresh herbs in the summertime. Here at The Anthill Farm, we grow a variety of different herbs, both annual and perennial that do just that. Herbs can add just the right hint of flavor to your favorite dish, a nice boost to a summer fruit salad or the finishing touch to that lazy summer cocktail you might mix up. This season, when you see us down at the markets, keep an eye out for our fresh herb selection. We have weekly bunches of sage, mint, sorrel, chives, parsley, basil and lemon basil too!
July's full moon is most commonly referred to as "the buck moon" for being the time of the year that deer begin to grow their antlers. Other lore describes this moon as "the thunder moon" for the booming thunderstorms that often occur in July. Over here at the farm, we are certainly familiar with both. I'm sure the deer are growing big healthy antlers around here because as is indicated by their hoof prints scattered all over the farm, they've been slipping through the electric fences to munch on our veggies! Luckily, we've had minimal damage overall. And as for those thunderstorms, well, we've actually had quite a dry spell lately. But as I'm writing this, the sky has filled with clouds and…
If you've stopped by the markets in recent weeks I hope that you've had the chance, like our CSA members have, to bring home a bundle of the Hakurei "salad" turnips that we've been growing this season. They're amazing! They have a sweet and fruity flavor with a texture that is crisp and tender; and they're a perfect addition to a salad or my favorite, simply eaten by themselves as a snack. If you haven't tried them yet, stop by and see us so that you can enjoy these little pearls too! See you at the markets!
Last week's full moon was one of the biggest and brightest moons that I've ever witnessed. The entire farm was moonlit and you couldn't help but to run around in the fields, soaking up the excitement. A couple of us charged to the top of the garlic field to have a look and I brought along with me, a camera and tripod to shoot a few images of the farm. As the folklore describes it, The June full moon is called the Mead or Honey Moon. The origin stems from the hives being full of honey this time of year (although ours are not quite there yet). The honey would be fermented and made into mead. As tradition goes, a honey drink was taken after wedding ceremonies commonly held on the Summer Sols…
The farm is buzzing this week with excitement for the initial distribution of our CSA shares. Although the rainy weather threw a slight kink into the harvest schedule, the fields are now vibrant with rows of fresh green produce. We are so excited to share this abundance with our amazing CSA members. The community supported agriculture (CSA) program allows us to provide fresh, local and nutritious produce on a weekly basis. Members invest in our farm at the beginning of the season and in return we provide them with an assortment of our harvested crops. A member has an option to receive either a full or half share depending on how the quantity desired. Currently, we are servicing…
Today's garlic scape harvest kicked up the energy here at the farm! And although the emergence of this delicious flower stalk tells us that our garlic is well on it's way to full maturity, we'll be heading into the fields several more times in the following weeks to collect them for our CSA members and to be sold at the markets. Of course, we like to keep some of them for our own consumption as well. One of the recipes for scapes currently floating around the farm right now comes from Derrick and Larry's mother. It's a tasty green dip made with cannelini beans and it is listed below. Be sure to give it a try! Ingredients
Today's garlic scape harvest kicked up the energy here at the farm! And although the emergence of this delicious flower stalk tells us that our garlic is well on it's way to full maturity, we'll be heading into the fields several more times in the following weeks to collect them for our CSA members and to be sold at the markets. Of course, we like to keep some of them for our own consumption as well. One of the recipes for scapes currently floating around the farm right now comes from Derrick and Larry's mother. It's a tasty green dip made with cannelini beans and it is listed below. Be sure to give it a try! Ingredients
