Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA May 26, 2020

The weekend flew and although with the weather, there were still several tasks left on the “to-do” list, we enjoyed every minute of the three days! We are closing in on the inch mark in the rain gauge, counting Friday’s downpour so definitely a month of spring showers. If only it could rain with the sun shining - -and as long as I am wishing, if it could come down without mud! RAIN UPDATE – another .80 this morning in the gauge.

CRITTER UPDATES – The repair on the home for the new chicks is coming along with the roof in place which was the most important part since it had started to leak. We were able to rescue some used tin that had come off of another building by cutting a little off of the ends so the roof was a “recycle success”. I watched the progress from a distance as there were several bosses going up and down the ladder and only one roof. Hoping to finish it up in the next few days as shipping date is set for June 1,2,3. We moved the 2 calves from a pen behind the barn to a small plot near the top high tunnel where they will live in what we hope is harmony with the two male goats who had first dibs on that pen. Like most people and animals, the calves were not happy with the change and even though we could barely see their ears due to the tall grass waving appetizingly around their heads, they spent a couple of days bellowing every time they saw us to make sure that we knew this move was not in their best interest. Today (Monday), they are not interested in seeing us. We have been replaced by grass and although they still answer when called, they are reluctant to come and see what we are “bellowing” about! Katy and I spent some time today making the temporary pen for the pigs a little bigger so that they have access to an official wallow and more space to run around in. Not long and we will let them loose, counting on them to come in for breakfast and supper each day and to hopefully not visit with the neighbors during the weekends! We have had good luck with our pasture pig project – much better luck than we have had with keeping goats inside of fences. It is a little scary to let them out on 40 acres and hope that we have understood each other about curfew!

Gardens are growing – both weeds and crops. We have been having some pretty fantastic salads – great flavor with the greens added to the lettuce and spinach. Seeds going in the ground this week were okra, more squash (Lebanese marrow and of course zucchini) and more cucumbers. Eggplant and sweet peppers are in and the hot peppers are lined up and ready to go. Our little greenhouse is emptying out which is good because we are running out of space. The other crop that is trying to outgrow their temporary space is sweet potato starts but it is muddy where we had hoped to plant them so we may have to shift those plans around. Flea beetles are starting to make “lace” out of the leaves of whatever crops they can land on but seem to be the only bug in abundance so far.

###YOUR BAG THIS WEEK

Lettuce, Greens and Spinach were picked in the rain this morning and need to be washed!

  • Lettuce

  • Assorted Greens

  • Spinach

  • Onions

  • Rhubarb

  • Fresh Eggs

  • SAGE

RECIPES – What to do with SAGE - Our experience with sage has been to hang it and dry it and then crumble the leaves to use it cooking. The other thing that we have done with sage has been to make flavored vinegars. Using both the leaves and flowers and adding them to either rice wine vinegar or white vinegar, we would let it sit in a cupboard for a few weeks and then strain and rebottle it to use in vegetables or salads… If you are feeling adventurous here are a few more ideas –

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/herb/sage/

And this site was filled with things to try with sage and its beautiful flowers - https://gardenandhappy.com/sage-flowers/

RHUBARB – My earliest memories of this plant was from my grandmother’s kitchen where she would make “grass pie –

FRESH RHUBARB PIE from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12316/fresh-rhubarb-pie/

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a27059599/rhubarb-pie-recipe/

And last of all I found this recipe that I hope we get to try this week –

No Churn Rhubarb Ice Cream

https://ourtableforseven.com/2016/06/no-churn-rhubarb-ice-cream.html

From snakes in the chicken pen that we re-homed to the rototiller getting stuck in gear and chasing me backwards faster than I usually go frontwards, it has been an interesting weekend. In the middle of it, Izzy and I hung my garage sale quilt frames in the chicken house as a new roost. It is a long story about retirement dreams and impulse buying with the end of it being that ten dollars buys a lot of deluxe sleeping space for a chicken. We have checked each morning but none of them have taken up quilting – yet - - - - -

Blessings and health from the farm – Jen, Zach, Seth, Izzy, Dan, Katy and Teresa

Sage in it’s full glory…

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Quilting chicken?

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Earth movers.

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