GOT WEEDS?

I sure did!

The Asian Greens garden all weeded and going strong.

The Swiss Chard weeded & mulched. I'm sure that kitty is thinking all this fresh dirt will make for an excellent 'cat box'. Oh well....

Sugar peas will be prolific this year. Looking forward to stir fry and eating them right off the vine.

PASA's Summer Farm Start Dinner 2010

Doesn't this look phenomenally delicious?

For those lucky enough to get one of the 200 tickets to this event, this was just some of the awesome locally grown foods & drinks available at the Summer Farm Start dinner for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. While the event is open to the public, everyone knows PASA puts on the best dinners around and tickets always sell out quickly.

James Woltman was the Executive Chef for the event. His father, Harry, graciously traveled to many of the farms picking up ingredients.

The event was held at the Milestone Inn overlooking the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg.

The evening was kicked off with beer from Elk Creek and wine from Chaddsford to wash down tasty Pennsylvania farmstead & artisan cheeses. The trout dip with handmade lavash crackers was mighty tasty, too.
Guests enjoyed a variety of dishes...

...such as lasagna and a variety of meats

There were salads galore.
Mushroom Wellington hit the spot.
The potatoes stuffed the the Birchrun Hills Farm blue cheese were my favorite and the ash-coated chevre medallions from Pipe Dreams came in a close second.

PASA Executive Director Brian Snyder introduced Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding to speak to the guests for a few minutes.

You Can't Make Up This Stuff

Today when Dad called to tell me the Fish Commission was stocking Big Spring with trout and he & his buddy, Ted, were going fishing. Did I want to go? Hell, yes! This is an age-old ritual of following the stock truck of which I had not participated in a very long time. However, seeing that I've been on a steady diet of fresh trout & asparagus of late, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity for catching my limit. That's Dad & Ted at the front of line for a bucket of fish to stock where they pleased.

Virgin Browse

Until a few days ago, the goats had never been out on this patch on the farm. Ten years ago, the entire property, save for an acre by the house, was this densely overgrown. There's about a fifth of the land I have yet to browse. This particular area was at the far end and on a hillside down into the wetlands. It is woefully overgrown with invasive, non-native species of which the goats are rapidly clearing. 

This is the dent they put in the first area only after two days on the job.

The Latest Project

Last year I had the opportunity to have a land use professional take an objective look at the farm and offer some suggestions. It took ten years and someone with a PhD in Geography to show me exactly where my property lines are. All I could say was, "Wow! This is all my land?" which was promptly answered with "Yes, so why aren't you using it?" So, this is the plan...
Maximize land use while enhancing the riparian viewshed through the reduction of undergrowth and invasive species using goats.

This project is on a hillside so this is the top of the slope and below is the edge of the wetlands.

Before the electric netting could be run down to the water's edge, a path through undergrowth needed to be cleared.

One of the adjoining properties had recently been sold so now there is surveyors' marking tape making it easier to locate the corner of my land.

The bluebells were in full bloom while I was working and I couldn't resist taking a bouquet back to the house to enjoy.

Once the hillside down to the waters edge has been cleared, there will be a walking path and a sitting area (already have the park bench there) for contemplation, birdwatching, etc. Clearing out up to the stream banks, a small bridge will extend the walking path across the water to the hardwoods. With the removal of the invasives growing along the stream bank, these beautiful flowers will have more opportunity to proliferate. It will also create more nesting habitat for water fowl.

Farewell, my love.

It's official, my old diesel pickup truck is dead. She laid down and died last Sunday cruising down Pennsylvania's 233 south between mile markers 169 and 170 on the way to Pine Grove.

It was a beautiful day, the warmest of the year so far and friends had invited me to a cabin on Fuller Lake for the afternoon.

The drive up the mountain was gorgeous and I was laughing hysterically to A Prairie Home Companion as Garrison Keillor and his gang parodied Simon & Garfunkel with "The Sound of Chickens". At the crest of the mountain I began to hear a sound, that same grinding clack I'd hear on the Ventura freeway just past the Seward exit back in 1996 when I put a rod through the block. Just like before, as the sound grew louder, the truck slowed down and the engine completely stopped.

Fourteen miles earlier, the odometer had rolled over 478,000 miles. My hopes were to turn 500,000, but alas, it was not to be. I knew she was dead. Speaking of dead, when I went to call AAA and my friends, I was also in a cellular dead zone so I began walking toward the lake. This was perhaps the most disappointing moment of the whole ordeal. Vehicle with hood up and woman walking along side the road...even with my thumb out, I walked for nearly a mile before a family in an SUV out for a hike in the mountains with their kids & dog pulled over. "Women don't walk along the road in the mountains with their purses unless they're broke down," the lady said and they offered to drive me to wherever I needed to go.
So they drove me to the cabin a few miles away at the lake. I met my friends, called AAA, went back to meet the tow truck, sent Big Stinky back to the farm and went back to the cabin to toast the passing of an old friend with good friends.

At the cabin was a Buddha. When I first saw it, I knew what I had to leave for him--the brass hand that had hung from the rear view mirror for many, many years. That old gal had outlasted two relationships, four dogs and three domiciles. I used it while working on ranches, in the oil fields, in the harbor and in the technology industry. She carried me and my loved ones safely across the country to the farm. She was unique, trustworthy and will be dearly missed. Goodbye, old friend.

Fun in DC

Yes, that's a suckling pig one of the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market customers has on his bike. On the bandstand are the Sweeneys (who were such gracious hosts later in the afternoon) and Rebbie Higgins, our Market Maven. This was my first year of doing this metropolitan market located in Washington DC at 17th & Lamont Streets.

It was an interesting market to attend. One of the benefits of city markets is the diversity of food. On the street in the pig picture is Don Juan's which makes the most deliciosas pupusas salvadoreñas--an extremely tasty treat from El Salvador. Then there is all the phenomenal fresh fruit & veg from all the other vendors at the market. These two colorful brassicas are my favorites!

A farmers market wouldn't be a market without fresh bread. There are TWO bread vendors at Mount Pleasant. Panorama Bread (who is also at Bloomingdale on Sunday) makes the BEST baguettes.

Attwaters' Bakery has a loaf called "Struen" which is my all-time favorite loaf for slicing. Every now & then I'll break down and get an olive loaf.

This was the last weekend of the 2009 market season and friends invited me to stay in the city for the night between Mount Pleasant on Saturday and Bloomingdale on Sunday. After market, I walked a few short blocks to Irving Street.

Little did my friends Luke & the Sweeneys realized they lived directly across the street from each other.

First, it was an afternoon of charcuterie, fresh oysters, cress salad, pink radishes, cheese, bread and assorted accompaniments, including hand-made guava paste, caramelized onions, mustard and some very nice wines on the Sweeney's front porch. Who would have thought the weather to be so temperate and glorious this late into November.

Then it was on to Churchkey and Birch & Barley in the evening. I had the Charred Octopus and Striped Sea Bass, which was phenomenal. But Luke had the duck, which was out of this world and what will lure me back again for my own plate and not just a bite.

Chef Kyle Bailey, you rock!

2009 Goat Roast & Picnic

Mother Nature smiled upon us again for the annual goat roast & picnic. Despite a 40% chance of rain, the day was gorgeous and family & friends descended upon the farm to feast and share each others company.

My brother-in-law, Glen got to drive the big tractor and the Millers' son, Kai got to 'drive' my little tractor.

As always, every hung out visiting, eating, drinking and being merry.

Jess brought out Big Andy for 'pony' rides.

And Lucky the Pig was in all his glory with the kids.

This was the first time in a few years my family was all together so we took a picture together.

Charles wanted the pork cheeks and he got them.

Judy & Jonas and the Hursts came over the mountain to share in the festivities.

One of our farmers market managers, Luke, trekked up from DC for the day.

Spud is smiling because he's the only one not shucking corn.