Sunday, January 31, 2010:
One of the reasons that Jeff and I get along so well is that we both like to go on adventures. He does the driving, I do the navigating, and off we go. Today we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and head a little north to Lake Sonoma. Lake Sonoma is one of our favorite spots to visit, regardless of the season. Although it's not too far away from Santa Rosa, it seems wild, uninhabited, and man, is it beautiful!
Today we were interested in visiting the fish hatchery to see how many fish have returned to the hatchery so far this year. If you haven't visited the hatchery, you should definitely check it out. The Lake Sonoma Visitor's Center is full of interesting history/information about the area and, the fish hatchery is a great way to learn more about the lifecycle of the fish that spawn here in Sonoma County.
All the rain we've had did wonders for the creeks and rivers, so the fish are having a ball running inland. Even though the water was murky, we still saw numerous Steelhead jumping up the fish ladders and spawning in the creek at the hatchery. Watching fish spawn in a natural habitat is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It's like seeing something from the Discovery Channel or National Geographic happening right in front of you in your own backyard. Steelhead are BIG fish and they look somewhat out of place in our relatively small streams. Then they start doing their spawning dance, which is awesome! I don't know if it makes me strange or not, but there is something definitely seductive about the way that the males and females introduce themselves, line up side by side, and then, in perfect time, propagate.
Fish watching is another activity that Jeff and I share. He took me to see spawning Steelhead in a very local and secret creek on Valentine's Day when we had just started dating. (I know, it was very romantic. He's a regular Don Juan!) The creek is somewhere I had been many, many times, and yet I had never even thought to look for fish. I had always assumed there was nothing in the water to look for, fish or otherwise. But Jeff merely had to point out the first fish and, suddenly, they became clear to me, like a lense on my world had been changed and now there were fish in my creeks! Seeing the fish and understanding how they live, what they do, and why they are such an important indicator of the overall health of the earth, made my understanding of nature much more complete.
Wow, that was quite a fish tangent. Hopefully my passion will be a nudge to go see the fish for yourselves. If you have kids, visit a farm and see the animals and then go see the fish - I'd bet that your tykes will be eager to be outside for at least a while afterwards.
Back to our day's adventure...
After the hatchery, we drove out one of the roads by the lake. The weather was great, there was sun and some big, puffy clouds cruising by. But to make everything better, we came around a bend and there were a big herd of wild pigs! There were big ones and little ones, brown and black ones, spotted and solid ones. Jeff wanted to "capture" one, but I talked him down and the piggies escaped to face him another day.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words...
This is a picture of our bottom pasture where we raised the last batch of chickens. In the background is our movable chicken pen and in front of it is the strip of ground over which the pen moved while it was inhabited by chickens. I think it is so cool that you can actually see the fertilizing power of the chickens. This is why we want to raise more chickens! Not only are they responsibly raised, but they taste delicious and move our farm one more step toward complete sustainability!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Market News
Just wanted to let everyone know that we'll be back at the farmer's market on Saturday (December 5th). We took last Saturday off in order to recuperate from Thanksgiving, but now we're back to work.
What can you expect to see from us at the market? We have beautiful cut lettuce mix, arugula, chard, kale, broccoli, eggs, and more of our soon to be world famous chile peppers. Also, a note about our eggs. We ARE bringing eggs to the farmer's market these days, so even if you don't see them out on the table, ask if we have them stashed somewhere.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and we'll see you at the market!
What can you expect to see from us at the market? We have beautiful cut lettuce mix, arugula, chard, kale, broccoli, eggs, and more of our soon to be world famous chile peppers. Also, a note about our eggs. We ARE bringing eggs to the farmer's market these days, so even if you don't see them out on the table, ask if we have them stashed somewhere.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and we'll see you at the market!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
It's Raining...It's Pouring...
The first storm of the year inevitably results in mixed emotions. Some love it. Some hate it. Rain can wreak havoc for the vineyards if it comes before harvest is complete. Rain can mean much needed water in our rivers and streams that will allow precious fish to run, spawn, and hopefully thrive. So where do I stand on the rain and what does it mean for Redwood Empire Farm?
Well, personally, I love the rain. After months of dry, dusty weather and rock hard ground, rain provides refreshment, cleansing, and saturation that makes the season's finale much easier. Believe me, tearing out crops is infinitely less tiresome when the ground is moist and soft. The rain also recharges the moisture in the ground, allowing us to grow beautiful greens and winter crops. Recharging the groundwater table is especially important for us because we try to use as little water and irrigation as possible.
What, if anything, does the rain harm? Ripe tomatoes still on the vine are prone to splitting and rot, as are figs. Unharvested winter squash (pumpkins included)needs to be watched that it doesn't start to rot or mold. Everything else, however, does ok in the rain. Some crops, such as kale, chard, lettuce, and other greens, even thrive with a rain bath.
A word of warning, though, for those planning on buying tomatoes after the storm. Smell them! Feel them! Pick them up! For tomatoes to be flavorful, they should smell like tomatoes, they should feel heavy for their size, and feel firm to the touch. Remember, tomatoes picked green and hard will eventually turn color, but they will not necessarily develop delicious flavor. Many tomatoes that you find after the first storm will have been picked green and unripe prior to the rain in an attempt to save them from being ruined. So do yourself a favor and thoroughly investigate your tomatoes before buying them so as not to be disapointed.
Peppers are a crop not adversely affected by the rain - they actually benefit from a gentle rain washing. They emerge from the storm clean and polished, ready for action. And speaking of peppers, I have to share my pepper preparation discovery. I cut our italian roasting peppers lengthwise, drizzled them with a little bit of olive oil, and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I then put them in the oven at about 400 degrees and let them roast for about 10-15 minutes. Once they're a bit soft and starting to look good and roasted, I put a little bit of herb chevre (fresh, soft goat cheese) in them and put them back in the oven for about 5 minutes. Once the pepper are soft and the cheese is bubbly, take them out of the oven and enjoy!
Well, personally, I love the rain. After months of dry, dusty weather and rock hard ground, rain provides refreshment, cleansing, and saturation that makes the season's finale much easier. Believe me, tearing out crops is infinitely less tiresome when the ground is moist and soft. The rain also recharges the moisture in the ground, allowing us to grow beautiful greens and winter crops. Recharging the groundwater table is especially important for us because we try to use as little water and irrigation as possible.
What, if anything, does the rain harm? Ripe tomatoes still on the vine are prone to splitting and rot, as are figs. Unharvested winter squash (pumpkins included)needs to be watched that it doesn't start to rot or mold. Everything else, however, does ok in the rain. Some crops, such as kale, chard, lettuce, and other greens, even thrive with a rain bath.
A word of warning, though, for those planning on buying tomatoes after the storm. Smell them! Feel them! Pick them up! For tomatoes to be flavorful, they should smell like tomatoes, they should feel heavy for their size, and feel firm to the touch. Remember, tomatoes picked green and hard will eventually turn color, but they will not necessarily develop delicious flavor. Many tomatoes that you find after the first storm will have been picked green and unripe prior to the rain in an attempt to save them from being ruined. So do yourself a favor and thoroughly investigate your tomatoes before buying them so as not to be disapointed.
Peppers are a crop not adversely affected by the rain - they actually benefit from a gentle rain washing. They emerge from the storm clean and polished, ready for action. And speaking of peppers, I have to share my pepper preparation discovery. I cut our italian roasting peppers lengthwise, drizzled them with a little bit of olive oil, and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. I then put them in the oven at about 400 degrees and let them roast for about 10-15 minutes. Once they're a bit soft and starting to look good and roasted, I put a little bit of herb chevre (fresh, soft goat cheese) in them and put them back in the oven for about 5 minutes. Once the pepper are soft and the cheese is bubbly, take them out of the oven and enjoy!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Hooray for the Farm Stand!
For starters, I’d like to apologize for not updating the blog more often. Despite my best laid plans, finding time to sit down and write about what we’re doing on the farm has been difficult. I have a really good excuse though! Most every moment that I’m not picking, planting, weeding, seeding, or selling at a farmer’s market, I’m working at the Farm Stand. And let me tell you, the Farm Stand is a wonderful way to spend my time! Jeff and I really wanted to open a stand as a way of making the things we grow more accessible to the people and families who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the farm. We expected that it would be fairly successful, but anticipated that it would be slow going in this, it’s first season. Boy, were we wrong! Every day that we’re open, more people stop by and get so excited about what they find. Our clientele is growing quickly and with our growing popularity, Jeff and I are afire with ideas of new things to grow, programs to launch, events to hold.
The Farm Stand has rekindled my enthusiasm for growing food in the way that we do. I am so excited that our farm is becoming a part of the daily lives of people all over Santa Rosa. The thing I enjoy most is that our Farm Stand customers are all different. We have parents shopping with their kids who use the Stand as an opportunity to talk about how veggies are grown and to plan dinner together. We have folks who live in retirement communities and come stock up on tomatoes to share with their friends and neighbors. We have people who are shopping for special dinner parties and people who are simply shopping for that night’s dinner. We have caterers and chefs, the affluent and the not so affluent, those who really care about where veggies are grown and those who stop mostly because it’s convenient. All of these different people have one thing in common though – they all go home with our clean, fresh-picked, delicious fruits and veggies. I love that folks all over Santa Rosa (and probably beyond) enjoy the fruits of our labor. Making healthy, local food accessible and convenient to people from all walks of life is incredibly gratifying and makes all the hard work worthwhile.
So, in sum, THANK YOU for supporting us. Your encouragement, patronage, enthusiasm, and smiling faces are the fuel that we need to keep going and growing. Keep sending the feedback, ideas, and requests, because we’re constantly planning what’s next.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
September News
CHICKENS!
We hope everyone's prepared because the chickens are about to be ready! The first slaughter day is this Tuesday, September 1st! We are slaughtering over a three week period to give our customers more choice over their chicken's size, so there is still plenty of time to place your order. If you want more information about the chickens and the ordering process, please email us at RedwoodEmpireFarm@live.com.
FARM STAND!
At the risk of boring you with even more farm stand news, our hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 6pm. Our location is 55 Middle Rincon Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
Why should you check out the farm stand? For DISCOUNTS and GREAT DEALS, of course! In addition to the same high quality produce we have at the Farmer's Market, we also offer a wider variety of fruit and discounted produce selections (think squishy tomatoes and blistered peppers).
We hope everyone's prepared because the chickens are about to be ready! The first slaughter day is this Tuesday, September 1st! We are slaughtering over a three week period to give our customers more choice over their chicken's size, so there is still plenty of time to place your order. If you want more information about the chickens and the ordering process, please email us at RedwoodEmpireFarm@live.com.
FARM STAND!
At the risk of boring you with even more farm stand news, our hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 6pm. Our location is 55 Middle Rincon Rd, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
Why should you check out the farm stand? For DISCOUNTS and GREAT DEALS, of course! In addition to the same high quality produce we have at the Farmer's Market, we also offer a wider variety of fruit and discounted produce selections (think squishy tomatoes and blistered peppers).
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Already August!
I can hardly believe that it's already August. Every year, we plan and work in preparation for and anticipation of the Summer growing season and every year it seems to start ending before it's even really begun. In a couple weeks, kids will start back to school and people's mindsets will shift to Fall. But the reality for those of us who farm for a living is that Summer is just getting started in earnest and we have miles and months to go before we rest.
Around here, we have a lovely, long growing season. We can usually count on a season that begins in April and lasts at least until Halloween. When we get the heat that is needed for tomatoes, peppers, melons, and cucumbers to thrive is often unpredictable, but it always arrives...eventually. So far, the Summer has been cool, which means that most crops have been slow to ripen. Red tomatoes are changing color faster than I am able to pick them, but the beautiful, large heirlooms are dilly-dallying. Our pepper plants are growing into strong bushes, but the pepper fruits themselves are slow to mature and color. Our watermelons, cucumbers, and beans are growing along steadily, but are taking their sweet time. All these wonderful fruits and vegetables will be ready for us to harvest eventually, but it just means that you can't stop thinking about and enjoying the Summer season quite yet. The kids may go back to school and the fair may be over, but there is still much to look forward to as far as good, fresh food is concerned.
Around here, we have a lovely, long growing season. We can usually count on a season that begins in April and lasts at least until Halloween. When we get the heat that is needed for tomatoes, peppers, melons, and cucumbers to thrive is often unpredictable, but it always arrives...eventually. So far, the Summer has been cool, which means that most crops have been slow to ripen. Red tomatoes are changing color faster than I am able to pick them, but the beautiful, large heirlooms are dilly-dallying. Our pepper plants are growing into strong bushes, but the pepper fruits themselves are slow to mature and color. Our watermelons, cucumbers, and beans are growing along steadily, but are taking their sweet time. All these wonderful fruits and vegetables will be ready for us to harvest eventually, but it just means that you can't stop thinking about and enjoying the Summer season quite yet. The kids may go back to school and the fair may be over, but there is still much to look forward to as far as good, fresh food is concerned.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)