News, Long Overdue

I won't be farming this year. There, I said it.

Back in October I started thinking about applying for a full-time job with the Town of Black Mountain, where I'd been working part-time since last January as a School Garden Educator. Initially the thought that this would prohibit farming was at first difficult, but the more I thought about it this shift made a lot of sense. I don't oown the land I was farming, the tractor I'd been using last season was not going to be available to me anymore and Erin, who had been my most wonderful assistant all season, was moving back to Tennessee. I have a very social nature, I loved the farmer's market and interacting with CSA members, but much of my time last year was spent in an open field. It just didn't add up.

The new year has already been an exciting one for me - I moved and changed jobs all within the first week. You can now find me as Health Services Program Administrator for the Town of Black Mountain at the Lakeview Center in Black Mountain most any day of the week. So far, things are great, I'm happy to be able to use my farm experience to support the Black Mtn community garden and to continue to support the school gardens. Some days I feel like I'm paid simply to be a member of the community as my new job brings me into constant contact with local business owners, community members, local government, kids, dogs and ducks.

I still visit my old neighbor Louise, who I had a harder time leaving than the garden I have to admit. And I'm looking forward to going to the farmers market as a shopper, and having a big garden for myself this year!

Farm Share Newsletter, 7/29

Notes from the Field

Well, this week marks the first sighting of deer in this field in 72 years. When I
first moved in I was really worried about deer, but was assured by my neighbor Jack that he'd never seen any deer around here. And I still haven't, as the deer sighting happened this morning at 5:30am when Jack was out drinking his morning coffee. He said he would have called me if he'd had my number as he thought I'd have gotten a kick out of it...at 5:30 in the morning I don't get a kick out of much (especially not a deer in my field), so it's probably best that he was unable to reach me.

So why this sudden appearance of deer? I think it's related to another recent sighting, that of logging trucks. Truck after truck loaded with hundred-year-old trees coming down the road on the far side of the field, carrying out trees to make way for, that's right you guessed it...Tiger's fairway! All that habitat disturbance is likely having an effect on the deer and other communitites on the mountain, sending them down my way.

As yet it doesn't look like the deer have made any impact on the field, and I don't expect them to immediately. Deer love tender new greens, the first shoots on pea plants, the new growth on beans. When they first move into an area this is what I would expect them to go for, not the established leaves of a winter squash plant. I'll keep my eyes peeled, but for now I think they are just going to be curious passerbys, and good companions to Billy, the goat.


In Your Share
Edamame! Pull the pods off the stems, drop into salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Serve with salt and/or soy sauce, pop the beans out of the shells and eat like popcorn! Also go great in bean salad.
Green Beans
Tomatoes - Red Celebrities, Yellow Taxis and Sungolds
Summer Squash Medley
Cucumbers
Onions
Greens - Kale, Swiss Chard, Lettuce Mix. Choose one, two or all three.
Herbs available: Rosemary, Parsley, Basil
Duck Eggs, $3/half dozen
Coffee - I'll be making a new order soon, so if you have a request let me know! You can check out the available varieties here: Dynamite Roasting Online Store

Recipe - Baked Stuffed Tomatoes
*This would also work well with the summer squash, especially the patty pans given their shape.

Make a stuffing of bread crumbs, chopped garlic, lots of chopped fresh herbs (basil, thyme, marjoram, oregano, parsley) and some cheese (parmesan or goat cheese).

Core the tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally and remove the seeds. Season the insides with salt and pepper and fill the cavities with the bread crumb mixture, pressing it in well and mounding it on top.

Fit the tomatoes snugly in a shallow dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or so, until nicely browned.