Farm, stuff...

Just had to see what's down on the farm at Clagett Farm this year, and was not disappointed last week. Not just because of the plentiful lavender (above) and other herbs/flowers (though not sunflower yet), but because even on the old farm, there are new developments. The farm looks somewhat different every year, because crop rotation is practiced, so even the same crops are planted in different fields from year to year. For instance, the current garlic field used to have peppers planted there. Crop rotation is used to keep the soil from becoming depleted of nutrients.

Maybe I somehow missed the sweet peas last year, but not this time! Better yet, they lived up to their name, being sweet and tender, and pickers were encouraged to taste to distinguish between sweet peas and snow peas (the latter I can live without). Peas are probably the one crop you pick without bending down, so picking them is a welcome treat after picking, say, rainbow chard (also quite tasty, and plentiful). In fact, the greens of various kinds are plentiful this time of year, as well as various lettuces, and rather large zucchini specimens.



I know the farm produces and uses compost to fertilize the soil, but now it's openly requesting material for composting from shareholders and volunteers. This can be a win-win situation, helping the farm create compost, because it comes back in the form of organic food. The only thing is, I'd need to get a bucket or crock (with lid), to keep compostable (is that a word?) food scraps (no meat or dairy) safe before transporting them to the farm. I'll get to it, eventually. Anything to keep down the use of petroleum products (synthetic fertilizer is often made from natural gas, a byproduct of petroleum processing, which has become an industry in its own right).

The rooster crows at 10:30, or 12:30, whenever--late spring harvest

Um, there are cows at Clagett, but no sheep. Hmm.

The other day was a nicer one than there's been in a while, with the sunshine and all. Thus, a great day to mozie down to Clagett Farm to help with harvest and other tasks (such as hoeing a row of potatoes, for the first time).

An interesting surprise--there was a crew from the Emeril Green show at the farm, which was on-site the entire day. For most of the day, they were at a distance as we picked the humungous and fragrant Siberian kale (with a scent mildly reminiscent of dill) and Russian kale, etc. However, the pleasant crew and the affable show host did briefly shoot us a bit when we were preparing the day's haul for customers, who pick up their shares in the afternoon--splashing and cleaning the bok choy and lettuce so that they'd be beautiful for their closeup.

After the fuss was over, it was time to settle down and pick herbs and strawberries before heading home (with plenty of kale, lettuce, and garlic scapes, as well as some asparagus). I'm always amazed at the variety of herbs that can flourish in a wide range of temperatures. For instance, the sage was as plentiful and healthy looking in the hot June sun as it was last November. However, I am more intrigued by the flowering herbs of summer, such as chamomile and lavender (pictured above), two plants whose mere appearance are simultaneously cheering and calming.

More reasons to eat your veggies!

Recently, a nice article on the health benefits of various common fruits and vegetables appeared in the Huffington Post, by David H. Murdock of Dole Foods. While he is, of course, not an entirely unbiased source, his chart mentioned a range of health benefits that I've never heard of, such as that strawberries protect against Alzheimer's, that bananas reduce symptoms of asthma in children as well as increase fat burning, and that kale counters harmful estrogens that can feed cancer (as well as increase bone density), among the foods mentioned there. (Oddly though, it seems from the article comments that some of his employees labor under the impression that papayas and pawpaws are the same fruit, when Dole only sells papayas, and pawpaws are native to the eastern US.)

Whatever. It's time to dive into a fat-burning banana right now, followed by some of those tiny strawberries I picked from the farm. Mmmm.