Week 8, Fall 2022
Hi everyone, it’s Ayden, and welcome back to the farm journal!
On Monday morning I finished preparing my “sundried” (i.e dehydrated) tomatoes by putting the tomato pieces in a jar with fresh garlic and oregano and filling them with olive oil. They tasted delicious and I can’t wait to put them to use very soon. Steph and I had to pack a very large order for Marty this week, including a whopping 90 pounds of butternut squash. Our biggest challenge was finding enough boxes to fit them all in! In the evening a research team from Yale arrived for the week, including our amazing Marya. The team is here to take samples of our soil to determine the effects of the basalt we’ve added to it. For dinner Marya prepared some of our favorite local tofu, roasted squash and shishitos from the farm, and garlic bread made with local flour.
On Tuesday we were once again joined by our friend Allison. Stephanie started the day by taking our produce to be distributed. Allison and I worked on weeding Goat garden and the fall crops are finally all cleared: a project that, if you’ve been reading the journal, you’d know has been weeks in the making! For lunch Stephanie made rice and daal, a lentil dish, with roasted tomatoes, shishitos, and oyster mushrooms all from the farm. In the afternoon we harvested some of our beautiful fall radishes. Then we packed some produce for the food pantry and I harvested some shiitake mushrooms from our inoculated logs. After the work day Marya took me and the research team on a gorgeous fall sunset walk.
On Wednesday morning Marya decided to go to the food pantry, and I spent the morning on the farm for the first time this season (excluding Yom Kippur). I harvested some cherry belle radishes and Stephanie and I washed and dried them before storing them in our big fridge. For lunch Marya made a delicious frittata with local eggs, tomatoes, chard, and kale from the farm, and peasant’s bread made with local flour. In the afternoon I tried to salvage some more of our tomatoes from the fields. After the work day Stephanie made some dough with our sourdough starter, Drew. JR left us some corn that we could feed the cows and I finally fulfilled my lifelong dream of having a bovine entourage.
On Thursday morning I began the process of winterizing our drip irrigation system by taking out the drip lines in Miracle garden. While observing some of the beds in the garden I found some straggling lunchbox peppers and Chinese eggplants that I then harvested. I also took note of the leeks, fennel, and kohlrabi that are currently growing. I’m hoping to make potato leek soup soon so stay tuned! For dinner the research team graciously made us a scrumptious eggplant and tomato dish with tofu and pink oyster mushrooms from the farm.
On Thursday afternoon the farm and research teams had lunch with Harold Wilken who is a co-owner of Janie’s Farm, an organic farm in Danforth IL. His farm produces corn, soybeans, and a variety of grains. As a fellow organic farmer in a community that largely practices conventional agriculture, it’s incredible to see what Harold’s been able to accomplish especially at such a large scale. We all got to visit some of the land on the farm and even got to forage for some radishes that were planted as cover crops. For those who may not know, cover crops are crops that are planted not for the purpose of being harvested, but for the benefit of the soil. The cover crops that Harold uses, such as radishes and garbanzo beans, help the soil in many ways such as maintaining the quality, fertility, and water retention of the soil. After our tour of the farm we got to see Janie’s Mill, where the grains from the farm are stone ground into a high quality flour. Jill Brockman, the manager of the mill, showed us around and gave us the inside scoop on how the stone mills work. Stone milling allows the entire kernel of grain to be incorporated into the flour instead of stripping away the bran and germ that are rich in nutrients and flavor. When a new grain is being put into a stone mill to be ground, the first couple batches of flour might still contain traces of the previous grain. This transition flour is called purge flour, and the apprentices at ZA have been lucky enough to purchase purge flour from Janie’s Mill at a discounted price. While other consumers might not want a product that might have traces of other grains, we are happy to use this flour that is still amazing quality and makes delicious bread.
On Friday JR helped us with a biochar burn. The weather took a dramatically gorgeous turn and we all had a great time outside adding branches to the fire. JR even led us in a short Tai Chi session which I really enjoyed. For lunch I made miso soup and cucumber salad with some rogue cucumbers that were left growing in ATR. It’s always fun to find something growing where you least expect it! In the evening, Stephanie, Marya, and I went to a dinner with all of the farms that are a part of our co-op that distributes through Marty. Not only did we get to enjoy a delicious meal made with local, seasonal produce, but we also had a great time meeting and talking with other organic farmers in the area.
On Saturday I joined Marya who showed the research team around Watseka, the nearest town to rural Sheldon, Illinois. We visited all the greatest hits: Harbor House (a thrift store), Mary’s Emporium (a discount wholesale store), and the Dairy Queen (which is not franchised and has a more local feel). Everyone came home with some fun knick-knacks, like a collapsible water bottle that doubles as a lantern, and I got some sweatpants to prepare for our colder weather. On Sunday we said goodbye to the research team and Marya made sure to bid farewell to our cats Shlomi and Phoebe. I’ve been planning on making a shishito hot sauce so I sorted some of our remaining peppers and taste-tested for spice levels. It was a good thing I had a glass of water prepared! In the evening I harvested some shiitake mushrooms and roasted them to enjoy with our dinner.
This week was chock full of new and exciting conversations and connections. Stay tuned to see what we’re up to next week! :)