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10/16/2008:
Our Farm stand is now closed. Looking forward, next year promises to be bigger and better. Both my wife and I are appearing on T.V Barb Nadeau, from WSPY T.V. 30 will be interviewing us. We will be talking about the plight of our nations Honey Bees along with facts on our Bees and the impact on our Organic farming operations. Stay tuned for that. We will let all of you know when we will be on. Some of you have sent me your favorite recipes. I have tried some and promise to try them all. I will be listing them in future emails as the year progresses. I tried sweet potatoes this year and they were a success. So I will offer them for next year. More Broccoli for all you Broccoli buffs. Much more turnips and potatoes. Also new for next year will be 4 different types of Basil. All my apple trees died so I will not have any apples, but should have plums. Our vegetables are raised using most of the NOP (National Organics Program) guidelines and standards. No artificial fertilizers, nor any harmful pesticides, fungicides, insecticides or herbicides are used. It takes a lot of work to raise pesticide and herbicide free vegetables. We concentrate on taste and quality. We continue to weed vegetables on our hands and knees. Sometimes it takes us all day long to weed just a few of rows. Some days our hands and knees are sore at the end of the day; but this hard work along with choosing the right types of vegetables for this area are crucial factors in quality and taste. It is important to let you know that although we are not a certified organic farm, we are a certified natural farm.
DON'T forget to check our Farm Stand in 2009!
08/28/2008:
Well the veggies are coming to a end. I just harvested fresh basil, beets, Swiss chard, and tomatoes. Also available for the first time this year are Candy Onions. Very sweet and juicy. Stock these up for the winter. Keep in a dry cool place. I still have a lot of peppers. The grillers, sweet, hot, and salsa mixes. I am out of honey, but have a limited amount of Cactus honey powder. This stuff is great! We threw out the sugar and substituted with cactus honey powder. 100% freeze dried honey from cactus flowers. Good for tea, coffee, baking or sprinkled on cereals. Again I will have new fresh basil. Sorry out of potatoes, rutabaga, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and cucumbers. Don't forget the honey Ice-cream. The large stand will be open this Saturday only from 10-4 Of course the small 24-7 stand will be open till I shut down. {To be announced}
08/21/2008: Japanese trifle, applause, celebrity, evergreen, Cherokee purple, lemon boy, sunray, Nebraska wedding, applause, goliath, green and torbay tomatoes are now available. I will have most of these for sale at the big farm stand which will be open this Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10-4. expect to find the usual tomatoes in the 24-7 farm stand. Rosemary!!!! Rosemary!!!!!!!!!! We are happy to introduce to you our own certified natural rosemary. This variety is very aromatic and flavorful. You will never find a better Rosemary. Dried form in bags. $3.00 each. All kinds of peppers. Hot, mild, sweet and juicy. Still have some kohlrabi, rutabaga, fresh basil and dill, broccoli crowns, Swiss chard, sweet beets, zucchini, Walla Walla onions, Norland red potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes. The potatoes are the best you will have ever tasted. The onions are very sweet, big and juicy. I also will be picking fresh bi-color sweet corn.
08/14/2008: The tomatoes are ready. I have the famous Cherokee purple, Japanese trifle, sunray, and applause. All are unique and all are heirlooms. Also the sweet corn is ready. I have a bi-color and white silver queen Fresh basil, dill, sage, zucchinis, kohlrabi, rutabaga, all kinds of peppers. Hot sauces Organic salad dressings, salsa, dips, seasonings, jellies, jams and bbq sauces. Also I just dug up Yukon Gold and Norland red potatoes. These are all organic and the best tasting potatoes you will have ever tasted. The large farm stand will all the sauces, dips, seasonings, salsa and jams will be open this Saturday and Sunday. The smaller 24-7 stand wll carry the veggies along with some of the offered condiments.
08/08/2008: Yes the tomatoes are ready. Since it is the beginning of the tomato season I will not have a lot of them till a little later, but Just to let you know they are ready. Also the sweet corn is ready. And do not forget the sweet Texas onions. You will not taste a better onion. Still have rutabaga, kohlrabi, sweet beets Swiss chard, beans, zucchini, cauliflower, fresh dill and basil, and plenty of all kinds of peppers.
7/23/2008: Beans are ready. I am selling green, yellow flat, and purple pod beans. Also available is purple Vienna kohlrabi. This vitamin packed vegetable is sweet, crunchy and tender. Delicious raw or cooked. I still have some broccoli crowns and cauliflower. Plenty of yellow, light green, dark green and striped zucchini. Fresh Basil, dill, oregano and sage. And don't forget the sweet beets. I will have peppers on Thursday. See you at the farm. Oh, don't forget to check out new recipes on this site!
7/14/2008: With all the rain that we got last week came all the vegetables. Beets! Yes the Sweet beets are ready. Also white and cheddar cheese cauliflower is ready, along with broccoli. Both the cauliflower and broccoli are extremely sweet. And.... Zucchini!!!!!!! Local grocery stores only sell one type of zucchini and usually only 5 inches long. I offer 5 different types! Pale green, yellow, Black, dark green, and light green. These zukes are approximately 10 to 12 inches long. Perfect for grilling, stuffing, stir fry, or bread. I still have some lettuce mix. Bright lights Swiss chard is also there and will be offered throughout the year. If you have any of your favorite recipes using zucchini email me it and I will share them with all my customers in the next farm stand update email. Now for the herbs. From this weekend on, I will offer Fresh Sweet basil, fresh dill, oregano and sage. They will be sold in bunches for, yes, you guessed it, $4.00 each. Just take a fresh bunch out of the container on put in a separate bag. When you get home cut ends a bit and store in a shallow container with some water, out of the sun. It will keep longer this way. Or you can dry for later use. Another item that has been selling off the shelves is the Honey habanera BBQ sauce. This BBq is not as hot as you think. The immature habaneras used in this BBq give it a good spicy tang and kick without the extreme heat you might expect. I think this is the best BBq I have ever used and apparently so does everyone else.
6/25/2008: Hi . . . Swiss chard is now available. I still have plenty of lettuce mix. Dips, hot sauces, pickled garlic, jams, jellies and preserves. Stand open 24-7 Money box on wall. Business is huge despite any increase of gas prices! Thanks to all who appreciate my produce and products!
6/19/2008: Hi . . . The farm stand will now be open 24-7. You know the routine, put money in the box on the wall. Many times I will not be there so, make sure you carry the right amount of change or a check is O.K. at this time I have fresh spinach, lettuce mix and radishes. Also I have pickled garlic, jams and jellies, salsa, dips, hot sauces, and some dressings. Next week I will have beets and Swiss chard. Thank You and hope to see you.
6/13/2008: Hi . . . The Farm stand will be open this Friday, Saturday and Sunday all day. You know the routine. help yourself. veggies are in the fridge. I also have pickled garlic, some jams, dips, hot sauces, jellies and my famous hot jardinière. I will not display a lot of these because of possible theft. Its better to lose a few then a lot. Anyway I have a lettuce mix, spinach, radishes, and fresh oregano. I have sold a lot of spinach so there is a chance I might be out. Friday is your best chance for the last of the spinach. Again no insecticides, pesticides, herbicides are used,. Just organic dirt. So wash before eating. Have proper change or a check is O.K. Money box is on the wall. Keep a watchful eye out for me if any suspicious characters are snooping around or if the refrigerator door is open, please close it. I appreciate it. I should be around Friday so you might bump into me. my cell # 815-488-8606
5/20/2008: Hi . . . I will be at the farm stand this Wednesday from 10-5 Asparagus is coming to a end. You might have to find me in the garden or behind the barn burning some wood, that is if you need change. The asparagus will be in the usual place. C Ya
5/16/2008: Hello again!, Asparagus! Rhubarb!
Yes I will have more this Sunday from 10-5. I Know some of you work and wish to pick some up either on the way to work or back. I will also sell on a weekday but will let you know via email. It depends on the weather. I will be at the farm today from 12 to 5 however if you stop by you will have to find me in the garden so I can pick you some asparagus if you want some. Call me 815-488-8606
5/08/2008: Asparagus is ready again! Rhubarb!!!!!!!!!
After a brief cold period that held back the asparagus for a week, it is now ready again. I will have plenty. Saturday, from 10 to 4 Also, I will have a limited amount of rhubarb. So gather up your orders from your friends and neighbors and enjoy our all natural asparagus.
We steam asparagus in a wood basket steamer, drizzle with butter and garlic. Save the asparagus water for watering your plants, they love it!
See ya at the farm
4/27/2008: Asparagus! Asparagus!
This Wednesday again we offer asparagus. Hours of opening are from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. and again on Saturday. We sold out of asparagus last Saturday but will have more. Here are some interesting facts on asparagus. Would you believe, I saw colored peppers at $2.00 a piece last week at Wal-Mart. And they were not organic!
You may have heard the tall tale that "asparagus urine" is linked to higher intelligence. In fact, it's the result of a simple chemical reaction. Asparagus contains a sulfur compound called mercaptan. (It's also found in rotten eggs, onions, garlic, and in the secretions of skunks.) When your digestive tract breaks down this substance, by-products are released that cause the funny scent. The process is so quick that your urine can develop the distinctive smell within 15 to 30 minutes of eating asparagus.
But not everyone has this experience. Your genetic makeup may determine whether your urine has the odor -- or whether you can actually smell it. Only some people appear to have the gene for the enzyme that breaks down mercaptan into its more pungent parts. A study published in the May 1989 British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that 46% of 115 people tested produced the odor in one group of British citizens, while 100% of 103 people produced it in a group of French citizens. The ability to smell the by-products may also be genetic. Another study published in the same journal found that 10% of a group of 300 Israeli Jews could not detect the odor. In other words, a person's urine could smell, but he or she might not know it. Judging from your question, you can do both. But that's nothing to worry about.
While eating asparagus may make your urine smell strange, it won't harm you. Actually, asparagus -- a member of the lily family along with garlic, onions, and leeks -- is a powerhouse of nutrients. It's an excellent source of folic acid (a B vitamin that may help protect against birth defects, heart disease, and cancer), a significant source of vitamin C (an antioxidant that may protect tissues against damage), and a good source of vitamin A (an antioxidant). Not to mention that asparagus contains 3 grams of fiber per 3.5-ounce serving and a host of health-enhancing plant chemicals, or phytonutrients, that may protect against disease.
Although the link between "asparagus urine" and higher intelligence is a figment of someone's imagination, eating it regularly could be a sign of some serious health smarts.
Again hope to see you this weds and Saturday and remember its all natural!
Ed and Audi
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