Adventures in Farm Maintenance

It’s high time for a farm story…don’t you think?

In the fall after the CSA is done, the garlic is planted and the fields are cleaned up we usually set to work on maintenance projects…there is no shortage of those around here! After all, I inherited a rather dilapidated farm. Don’t get me wrong, I think the farm is really cool but it’s definitely a work in progress, my husband Cass says by the time we retire (in like 40 years or so) we should have a real nice place here.

So last winter I enlisted my dad to help me with some structural issues in one of the barns. I wanted to get the barn shorn up so that I could have it roofed the following spring. At that time, the roof was the original tin one and it leaked terribly sending a cascade of water or snow down to the lower level which confused cats, dogs, chickens, cows, sheep and goats alike. Why is it raining inside? I’m sure they all asked that question whenever they came into the barn to get out of the rain and found it raining there too in spots.

The barn I tackled last winter is the oldest structure on the farm. It was already built when my great grandparents moved here in 1927. No one knows who built it or when exactly it was built. Several folks estimate that it is at least 100 years old.

The barn is dug into the ground on two sides. The other two sides have been built onto over the years. In the 1950’s my grandpa built an addition onto the old barn. We call that barn “the new addition” it’s the newest building on the farm.

Also at some point in the 1950’s my grandpa bought a building at an auction and then hauled the whole works to his farm where he deposited it right next to the old barn. That building was used as a milk house and calf pen for many years. I now use it as a packing shed for the CSA.

So if you can imagine it, the old barn (which is also the tallest building on the farm) is connected to two other structures (the 1950’s barn and the auction-bought shed-thing). Because of this situation I felt it was very important to fix up the old barn otherwise it might bring down other buildings as it decayed.

My first step was to clear out the haymow. It had been used as a storage area for old junk…errr, I mean treasures for quite a number of years. Underneath the treasures, was a layer of loose hay about one or two feet thick. The loose hay effectively hid all the holes in the floor and made clearing out the hay mow really pretty exciting. I just never knew if I was standing on the floor or a layer of compacted loose hay that could give way underneath me at any second. Luckily, due to my cat-like reflexes and some strategically places boards I never made the plunge to the lower floor.

Anyway, after hauling away a lot of junk and pitching out a mountain of ancient hay I was ready to assess the situation. I learned that two major beams that ran from the hip in the roof to the floor of the hay mow were completely shot and just sort of dangling there. A section of wall near one of these beams had rotted off at floor level. This 10 foot section of wall waved in the breeze. Additionally, both of the main sill plates (pretty major boards that support the roof rafters and wall studs) had disintegrated in spots as well. And lets not forget the holey floor.

After patching the floor so that I could actually walk around up there, I had my dad over for a consultation. We decided that one of the big beams could be salvaged but the other had to go. The sill plate could be patched and once we had the sill plate patched we could nail the waving-in-the-breeze wall back together.

While all this may seem straightforward, this project took about four weeks. It involved fabricating (from scratch!) several giant metal brackets, modifying a pole jack, the use of several bottle jacks, buying customized lumber at a sawmill and really quite a lot of swearing.

At every turn we had to jack up parts of the barn in order to remove damaged pieces and put new lumber in. If you’ve ever jacked up a building you know how creepy this can be. The building makes all kinds of noises and sometimes you can even see it moving which is really pretty freaky when you are standing inside it! As a result I always get nervous when the jacks come out.

One day my dad and I were working on tearing out the beam that was totally rotten. My dad was up on a ladder prying nails out of where the beam joined the roof. He asked me to go get something out of my garage. I was in a state of nervousness since we had had to jack up a major portion of the barn in order to get this big beam out. So I scampered out of the barn and jogged over to the garage.

While I was rummaging around in the garage, I heard the most peculiar sound…hopefully I never hear this again. It was a series of snaps...real quick like giant dominos falling…about 20 of them or so. At about number 10 I thought “oh my God the barn is falling down and dad’s in there standing on a ladder!!!!”. So I ran out of the garage just in time to hear three big crashes.

As I skidded to a stop in front of the barn, which appeared to still be standing, my dad stuck his head out and said “Holy shit, I think your machine shed just fell over”. Sure enough, it did…damn it. Sometimes it’s like pissing on fires over here…seriously.




We went up to look at the machine shed which had been built by my grandpa in the 1950’s. I had known the shed was in bad shape and also in serious need of a new roof. Cass and I had attempted to stabilize it for the winter by cutting down a tree and bracing the log inside the building. But apparently that was not enough. We’d had plans to restore the building…I sorta wanted to turn it into a party shack.

Even though I was bummed that the building had fallen over, it was interesting to see how it had happened. One wall had leaned out to such a degree that it simply broke free from the rest of the structure. At that point each of the roof rafters snapped in turn (that was the domino-sounding thing I’d heard). After all the rafters snapped the wall that had originally separated collapsed (the first big crash), then the two other walls fell in succession (the other two crashes).

After we finished surveying the damage, there was nothing else to do but go back to working on the barn and hope a similar fate wouldn’t become of it. We headed back up to the hay mow and very soon my uncle, who lives down the road about half a mile, came hurrying up the driveway in his jeep.

He had heard the machine shed collapse. But figured it was the barn that had gone down since he knew we were working on it. We all had a good laugh at the irony of trying to keep up one building while another falls over.

In May I hired two roofers to come put new tin on the roof. It looks great! And doesn’t leak! We put 450 square bails up there this summer…sure feels good to use the old barn. As for the machine shed, the rubble has been cleared and we were able to salvage some pretty nice lumber. Miraculously, one corner of the building is still standing. Perhaps a party shack is still possible….

Big Fall Harvest Party Fest

We had so much fun at the party on Saturday! Thanks to everyone who made it out. We had about 80 folks here throughout the day and evening. Here are a few pictures:


A shot of the bon fire.


A hay ride ready to depart.


The barn yard as seen on a hay ride.


The hoophouse as seen on a hay ride.


Random party-goers.

Last Box of 2011!

Because we are going through and picking whatever is left out in the gardens the boxes this week will be a hodge podge of various produce. One thing is for sure, you will all get some very pretty corn. Technically you could grind this into corn flour (which is very tasty) but most folks use it for decoration.

Don't forget now, next Saturday is the Big Fall Harvest Party Fest. Come collect your Jack O'lanterns, fall decorations from the garden and miscellaneous garden produce. Here are directions to the farm:

From Stillwater: Cross the lift bridge and head into WI on Hwy. 64. Follow 64 for about 45 miles, turn right onto 220th St. Please note that there is another 220th St. that intersects with Hwy. 64 about 20 miles from Stillwater, this is not our road. In order to get to our 220th St. you have to go through Connorsville which is a little town about three miles west of our house. Once you are on the correct 220th St. we are the first place on the right.

From I-94: Go east on I-94 until you hit the Baldwin exit. Take a left off the exit ramp onto Hwy. 63 north. Follow Hwy. 63 until you get to Hwy. 64. Take a right onto Hwy. 64. Head down Hwy. 64 through Connersville and then for another 3 miles until you reach 220th St. Take a right on 220th.. Our farm is the first place on the right.

Looks like we’ll have a nice turn out. Thanks to everyone who has already RSVPed. If you’d still like to go ahead and do that by e-mail: eenermachine@gmail.com.

#17

The barn is filling up with all sorts of hip stuff for the big party on Oct. 15!

My best guess for this week:

Half Shares: Pie Pumpkin or some type of Winter Squash; Horseradish; Mint; Fingerling Potatoes; Turnips or Kohlrabi; Okra or Hot Peppers.

Full Shares: Giant Zuchini; Horseradish; Mint; Fingerling Potatoes; Turnip; Tomatillos; Parsley or Brocolli; Cucumber.

#16

Technology has failed us once again...so this week there will not be a photo. Anyway...here are my predictions:

Half Shares: Pie Pumpkin or Winter Squash, Kale, Sweet Peppers, Tomatillos or Eggplant, Green Tomatoes, Sunflower Seeds.

Full Shares:Pie Pumpkin or Winter Squash, Kale, Sweet Pepper, Hot Peppers, Okra, Green Tomatoes, a Ripe Tomato, Sunflower Seeds and maybe eggs.

Please note: I have been called in for jury duty this week. As a result, this will be the first week ever in the history of Eener's Farm that I will not be present for packing up for deliveries...best of luck (I'm sure it will go just fine, Cass totally has this under control).

Box #15

Best guess for this week:

Half Shares: Winter Squash, Tomatillos or Okra or Eggplant, Thyme, Chard or Kale, Hot Peppers, Gourds and a Tomato.

Full Shares: Winter Squash, Brocolli or Parsley, Flowers or Cabbage, Thyme, Chard or Kale, Sweet Peppers, Gourds, Carrots, Cherry Tomatoes or Tomatoes and possibly eggs.

My best guess for this week:

Half Shares: Cucumber or Summer Squash, Tommatillos, Sweet Peppers, Pie Pumpkin or Melon, Fennel, Soybeans, Shelling Beans, Onion and Garlic.

Full Shares: Cucumber or Summer Squash, Tommatillos, Hot Peppers, Melon, Basil, Soybeans, Shelling Beans, Onion, Garlic, Cabbage, Winter Squash and Baby Kale.

Box Thirteen

Folks we are having some technical difficulties so there will not be a picture this week. Deliveries will be the same as usual this week despite the holiday weekend. It's going to go something like this:

Half Shares: Spuds or Green Beans, Tomatoes or Tomatillos, Cucumber, Summer Squash, Pie Pumpkin, Parsley and Hot Peppers.

Full Shares: Green Beans, Kohlrabi, Carrots, Garlic, Tomatillos, Onion, Basil, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Pie Pumpkin, Sweet Peppers and other hip treats.

Farm Photos

I figured it was about time to post some farm pictures:


Here's Forest with a nearly-ripe jack o'lantern. Don't forget, Big Fall Harvest Party Fest is Sat. Oct. 15 where a whole lotta these will be here for CSA members/party goers to pick up.


Maybel the mighty racoon dog. She was a little reluctant to pose for this picture since it wasn't quite time for her to be in her house (she's only stationed there during night-time hours).


This is a hoophouse shot. Forest was getting bored at this point hence the ornery face. Notice the great okra plants and the sad tomato plants (boo!).


Here is Cass bringing down the goat ladies Rose and Shirley. We've been really enjoying their milk. I think goat cheese is in our future!


Forest and the sunflower patch.

Number Twelve

My very best guess for this week:

Half Shares: Green Beans, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Brocolli or Tomatillos or Cherry Tomatoes, Assorted Sweet Peppers (not in photo), Garlic, Onion and Kale or Swiss Chard (not in photo).

Full Shares: Sweet Corn, Cucumbers, Okra, Tomatillos, Garlic, Summer Squash, Spuds, Carrots, Assorted Hot Peppers, Swiss Chard, Herbs and other hip treats.

Check out these hay making pictures from last week. We put up a whole mess of square bales...it was quite the operation.

Number Eleven

Sorry for the very late post...it's been a really fun weekend around here. We had visitors all weekend, attended Pickle Fest, a threshing bee, a family reunion and a fish fry. As a result we just got done picking for Monday's delivery. Anyway...

As far as I can tell this week:

Half Shares: Sweet Corn!!!!,Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Golden and/or Pink Beets, Eggplant or Brocolli or Okra, Basil and Baby Kale (note: basil and kale are not in photo).

Full Shares: Big Bag of Beans, Cucumbers, Cherry Tomatoes, A Few Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions, Peppers, Tomatillos, Dill or Sage, Summer Squash, Kohlrabi, Kale and maybe even Eggs.

Number Ten

My best guess for this week:

Half Shares: Small Salsa Kit (enough tomatoes, onion, garlic, sweet and hot peppers and cilantro to make about a pint of salsa); Green Beans; Cucumbers; Eggplant or Carrots or Brocolli, Kale.

Full Shares: Big Salsa Kit(enough tomatoes, onion, garlic, sweet and hot peppers and cilantro to make about a quart of salsa); Cucumbers; Carrots; Beets; Turnips; Cherry Tomatoes; Kale and other hip treats.

Number Nine

Half Shares: Spuds, Beets, Onions, Kale, Carrots or Brocolli or Peppers, Cilantro or Basil, Cucumbers, Tomatoes and Summer Squash.

Full Shares: Onions, Kale, Peppers or Eggplant, Pickle Kit, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Kohlrabi, Green Beans, Sage or Basil, Parsley and other hip treats.

Number Eight

Half Shares: Pickle Kit (Cucs, Dill and Garlic), Green Beans, Peppers or Kohlrabi, a sack of Cherry Tomatoes or a large Heirloom Tomato, Cilantro or Okra, Summer Squash.

Full Shares: Pickle Kit (Cucs, Dill and Garlic), Spuds, Brocolli, Beets, Heirloom Tomatoes, Peppers or Eggplant, Summer Squash, Carrots, Onions, Basil.

We've been curing your garlic in our corn crib. It works great and makes for very organized garlic!

Number Seven

This is my BEST guess:

Half Shares: A sack of cherry tomatoes or one large heirloom tomato, new potatoes or brocolli, garlic, cucumbers!, swiss chard/kale/collards/seven top, an onion, kohlrabi or peppers or okra or summer squash

Full Shares: Tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, swiss chard/kale/collards/seven top, an onion, green beans!, cilantro, summer squash and green peppers.

Number Six

Because we would rather not get heat exhaustion we got up at dawn to harvest today. It was very mysterious out there this morning all foggy and crazy humid…a very interesting environment to pick in. Anyway, we’re done until this evening and are headed to the beach.


Last week my crystal ball failed me a bit and the Wednesday half shares ended up with flowers instead of broccoli. So I’ll switch that this week and run flowers to the Monday half shares. Here’s what we came up with this week (as far as I can tell anyway):



Half shares: lettuce, peas, flowers or broccoli, okra or parsley, beets, seven top
Full shares: lettuce, peas, cherry tomatoes or zucchini, collards or chard or kale, new potatoes, kohlrabi, basil or sage and other possible hip treat(s).

Look at these cuties born last Thursday. Bunny the goat finally had twins. They have really been enjoying their tire.

Box #5

Half Shares: a big ‘ol bag of peas, broccoli, garlic and leaf lettuce (note: lettuce is not in photo).

Full Shares: peas, broccoli, garlic, leaf lettuce, kohlrabi or okra or cherry tomatoes or zucchini, beets or onions, chard or kale or collards or salad turnips and possibly eggs.

Happy 4th!

Apparently with all the firecracker and sparkler action going on I completely forgot to do the blog update last night! Anyway, we’ll be doing deliveries this week (July 4th and 6th) at the usual times.

I don’t have a photo this week. Your boxes will be similar to last week’s but with the addition of peas.

Box #3

Half Shares: Leaf Lettuce, Spinach, Salad Turnips, Green Onions, Mint or Parsley, Garlic Scapes.

Full Shares: Leaf Lettuce X 2, Green Onions X 2, Garlic Scapes, Collards, Baby Yellow Beets, Oregano, Eggs and/or Other Hip Treats.


Here are some Garlic Scape Recipes:

Garlic scape parsley basil pesto
1/2-1 c. basil
1/2-1 c. parsley
1-2 c. garlic scapes
2-3 T. pine nuts
1 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
pepper to taste
extra-virgin olive oil, at least 1/2 c.
1/3-1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
Amounts are approximate, because we used a ratio: 1 handful basil, 1 handful parsley, 2 handfuls scapes. We went light on the pine nuts and parmesan. Put the scapes, herbs, pine nuts, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process, adding the oil a bit at a time, until desired consistency. Stir in parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Makes about 1 1/2 c. pesto.
Naturally, we quadrupled the recipe. Should keep in the freezer up to 6-8 months. No worries that it will last that long.
Garlic Scape Carbonara

This pasta is fantastic as a meal served with a big garden salad and some crusty bread. If desired, add a half-cup of fresh, lightly cooked peas to the mix for a little added nutrition (and sweetness).
1/2 lb campanella pasta, or shape of your choosing
4 slices bacon (about 3 1/4 ounces), chopped
1/4 cup garlic scapes, cut into 1/4 inch coins
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano cheese
Set a pot of water to boiling on the stove and cook the campanella pasta (or desired shape).
While it’s cooking, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and add the garlic scapes. Cook until soft (2-3 minutes). Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. (Drain both the bacon and the garlic scapes on a paper towel).
Whisk together the eggs, salt and red pepper flakes.
When the pasta is done, quickly remove it from the stove and set a different burner to low heat. Drain the pasta and add it back to the pot, on the burner set to low. Stir in the garlic scapes and bacon. Add the egg mixture and stir feverishly for 3-4 minutes until sauce is thick and creamy. Don’t let it overcook or it will be gloppy. Sprinkle the romano cheese in, a little at a time, and stir to combine. Don’t add it all at once or it won’t mix through out the pasta as well (since it will clump).
Serve immediately.

The Second Box

So, my family is out gallivanting around in celebration of Father’s Day and they took the camera with them. Who knows when they will be back! So please excuse this non-photo post.

Anyway, here is what I came up with for the second box:

Half Shares: a big bag of leaf lettuce, a smaller bag of spinach, a bunch of green onions, a bunch of garlic scapes, a bunch of radishes and a bundle of either mint or parsley.

Full Shares: You’ll be getting all the same things as the half shares with double portions of green onions and garlic scapes plus salad turnips, beet tops and eggs/other hip treats.

The First Box

Every Sunday evening I'm going to try and post a picture of a half share box. I stole this idea from another CSA and I think it’s a really great one. It should give you all an idea of what you’re going to get each week…and maybe help with your grocery shopping. Full share folks, your boxes will have the same things but with bigger quantities and/or extra things too (think eggs for one). But the posts should give you some idea of what will be happening with your boxes too.



In this week's box: Fancy Mustard Mix, Rhubarb, Green Onions and Easter Egg Radishes.

Deliveries Start Next Week

The CSA starts next week! I’m excited to be doing deliveries again. Here is when and where it is all happening:

Monday, June 13 is the first delivery for:
River Market Co-op in Stillwater: 12:30 p.m.
Fresh and Natural Foods in Hudson: 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, June 15 is the first delivery for:
Hampden Park Co-op in St. Paul: 1:30 p.m.
Aveda Employees in Blaine: 2:30 p.m.

The times posted above are when I expect your boxes to be fully delivered and ready for you to pick up. River Market Co-op, Fresh and Natural Foods and Hampden Park Co-op are all open until 9 p.m.

More New Arrivals!

Baby Chickens
Our chick order arrived a week ago Saturday. All 27 of the babies are doing well. This is a mixed batch of several different breeds all of which are laying hens. I built a high-security brooder coop last year for baby chicks but since it’s been pretty chilly the last week with frosts at night we’ve kept the crew in our living room. Later this week they will be moved to the brooder.



Baby Plants
Even though it’s been a rather chilly spring I’ve managed to get quite a few crops in out in the field. So far I’ve got: peas, lettuce, spinach, onions, radishes, turnips, mustard greens, collards, kale, beets, kohlrabi, broccoli and some carrots.

Here are the radishes, mustard greens and salad turnips. In past years I’ve had problems with flea beetles. These little black bugs eat the foliage of certain crops and then lay eggs in certain other crops. I’m trying to keep them off the plants with row covers which are a thin white fabric that lets in light and water but traps out the beetles. So far it seems to be working.



Here’s a shot of the peas. I’ve already run through them with my ultra-hip tractor.



The New Tractor
I’ve really been enjoying the tractor we bought this spring. It’s a Farmall Super A. This tractor debuted in the 1950’s and was specifically designed for market gardeners. The tractor is off-set which means the drivers’ seat is not in the center but off to the side. Being off to the side allows the driver to see exactly what is happening with the belly-mounted cultivator. This feature is called ‘culta-vision’.



The cultivator has pointed shoes attached to gangs. The gangs run on hydraulics and can be raised and lowered with a lever. Right now I have shields on which protect the very tiny plants from being sprayed or buried by flying soil. The cultivator does one row at a time and pulls all the weeds out except for a very narrow strip. It’s been working really well and I think it’s going to save me tons of time in the weed management department.



The New Roof
After doing quite a lot of structural repairs on one of the barns we had a new roof put on it. We are very excited to have this new roof! This barn is the oldest building on our property. No one is certain exactly when it was built but it was here when my great grandparents bought the farm in 1927. The roofer guys guessed it was about 100 years old. Anyway….it works great!



Other Garden News
The hoop house is full of plants. Since it stays warm in there I’ve already got the tomatoes in. This year I decided to plant the eggplant in there too. I also squeezed in a few okra plants, about 80 broccoli plants and as an experiment some pole beans and luffa plants. The hoop house is a really fun place to garden! It’s always fun to see what one can do in there.

Also this year I’ve been working on building the farm’s perennial inventory. I split a bunch of rhubarb plants, put in some more asparagus crowns, planted a new bed of strawberries and put in some more perennial herbs. We won’t see many rewards (maybe a few…cross your fingers!) from all this work in this year’s CSA boxes but hopefully in 2012.

CSA Update
We are on track to start deliveries in a few weeks. Some reminders:

Stillwater and Hudson folks’ first delivery will take place on Monday, June 13

St. Paul and Aveda folks’ first delivery will be on Wednesday, June 15

I’ll be sending out a reminder e-mail which will include specific delivery times to everyone as we get closer

One half of your share amount is due by June 1 the other half by Oct. 1, checks can be made out to Eener’s Farm and sent to Eener’s Farm N12449 220th St. Boyceville WI 54725

I try to be timely about cashing checks and sending out receipts, but sometimes I get behind…thanks for your patience.

Eener’s Farm Maternity Ward – Take #1

There have been some new arrivals on the farm, with more to come. So far we’ve got a new tractor and three baby goats!




Check out these cuties:


Todd, one of the baby goat twin dudes born on April 19


Rod the other twin. These boys like to hang out in Forest's old play house (it's really funny when they go down the slide).


Momma goat Shirley and her baby girl Layla born the day before yesterday.

Other Babies Coming Up
We've got one more goat slated to give birth any day now. Next month our six ewes (sheep mammas-to-be) will lamb. It appears as though we have two hens sitting on eggs. If it all pans out we’ll have farm-grown baby chicks in about three weeks. On May 16 we will be getting 25 baby chicks from a hatchery (they will show up in the mail, weird huh?).

If you are interested in coming to see baby animals just give us a call (715-643-2803) or e-mail me (eenermachine@gmail.com) and we can coordinate a time.

The baby goats are pet-able. Lambs here at our place are generally not pet-able, they are more wild…something to admire from afar. Farm-grown baby chicks are not pet-able either…the momma hens will attack! But hatchery chicks are totally pet-able. So for maximum baby exposure the end of May would be a good time to take a baby animal tour. By the way, the Farmall Super A is definitely pet-able!

Garden News
The rhubarb is up and so is the garlic. Rhubarb will be a first box item. Garlic scapes (the flower of the garlic plant) will show up by the end of June or so. Actual garlic heads will be happening in July.

It’s been pretty wet but I’ve managed to plant the early potatoes and also the peas. For spuds this year we will have the super-popular ultra delicious all red potatoes known as Mountain Rose; Rio Grand Russets, a standard russet tator; Purple Vikings a purple/blue potatoes and new this year, Banana Fingerlings an heirloom variety that is long and skinny and yellow.

In the past I’ve been able to start putting spuds in CSA boxes in the last week in June. Peas generally show up around that time too. For peas we are going to have Oregon Giant snow peas, Sugar Anne snap peas and Green Arrow shelling peas.

As soon as it dries up a bit I’ll be putting in red, yellow and white onions. Green onions will show up in your first box. Lettuce is another thing to plant soon. I’m going to do a big mix this year so you’ll find all sorts of green lettuces as well as some red kinds in your first box. Spinach will also go in soon. Since I ran short on this last year I’m going to go big on it this year. I’ve selected three different varieties so hopefully the harvest window will be longer and you all will get it for several weeks.

I’m trying a different variety of radishes this year too. They’re called Easter Egg and come in several shades of red, pink and purple. They seem cool…hope they work out. I also bought a new kind of kohlrabi called Gigantic. They are supposed to get really big…we’ll see…I’m also going to plant the standard kind too, just in case.

Current Share Availability

Here's an update on CSA share availability:

St. Paul: SOLD OUT
Hudson: SOLD OUT
Stillwater: SOLD OUT
Aveda: three shares left

If you are still shopping for a CSA check out the Land Stewardship Web site CSA listing: http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html

Coming soon: pictures of our new tractor! She's a 1950 Farmall Super A...a very hip ride indeed.

Amuck

If you are looking for CSA information, please see the previous two posts to find space availability, a sign up form and more information.

I thought it was about time to post a farm story, so here’s one on cattle and what can happen if they get out:

Animals on pasture warrant good fences and well-closed gates. Most livestock fencing for pastures have four main parts which are fence posts, corner braces, wire and gates.

Maintaining a fence is a constant job. Fences are forever heaving with the freezing and thawing cycles, being harassed by domestic and wild animals or being crushed by falling trees.

There are a lot of different kinds of fencing equipment to choose from and of course the type of fence you put up will depend of what kind of animal you’re trying to keep in. One could be working with chicken wire, pig wire, woven wire, electric wire, cattle panels, pig panels or barbed wire. Posts are usually metal or wood and corner braces mark the corners of the pasture and provide a way for fencing to turn a corner.

Gates are perhaps one of the most important parts of a fence and are oftentimes overlooked. An overlooked gate can spell disaster as it did on our farm last fall.

My parents have been raising beef on pasture for about 23 years; they live about three miles from my farm. Every year they bring over some of their stock to take advantage of the pastures here that I don’t use. Last year they brought over seven head of young cattle.

This group lived all summer on the pastures in the back 40 of my farm. A fair piece of the fencing in that pasture runs along State Highway 64. The road is a two lane that is reasonably busy. Also along that particular fence line runs a pretty major power line. The power line and my fence share the ditch along this stretch of 64.

Also along this stretch is located a gate. Periodically, the power company comes and does maintenance on the power line…sometimes they use that gate to access the line….last October they forgot to close it.

It took the cattle a day or two but they did finally notice that the gate was open. Intrigued, six of the seven left their pasture and went on an adventure that lasted 10 days.

While it may not seem like a huge deal that the cows got out….it really was. Anyone with animals is in charge of those animals whether they escape or not. Owners can be fined for animals at large and are held personally responsible for what their livestock do while running amuck.

What can a small herd of cattle do? Well a bunch of things actually. They can damage other folks’ property by eating their corn, tearing up a yard or garden or eating small trees. They also may break down fences to get to other peoples’ animals…unwanted breeding could occur.

The absolute worst case scenario would be if the animals were to cause a traffic accident. Cattle will happily run down a road (I’ve seen this) frolicking and kicking up their heels. Motorists don’t expect to see this. Imagine a car that crashes into a wayward cow who weights between 1500 and 2000 pounds. Not pretty.
Once a livestock owner learns that they’ve got animals running at large, a sort of panic ensues. You need to get those animals back….fast.

After checking all the fence lines, we confirmed that six of dad’s cattle were indeed out at about 6 p.m. on a Wednesday night. We found where the power company had cut a limb out of a tree and had crushed the fence. At first we thought this was where the cows had made there escape.

Dad called the power company. He was told that they did not leave a limb across the fence. The power company called back and said that one of their workers remembered that he had forgotten to shut a gate. Later we would learn that a neighbor had seen the gate open and had gone and shut it. Unfortunately this happened after the cows got out.

We made numerous calls to all the neighbors and the neighbors’ neighbors. We were able to ascertain the general direction that the herd went in.

It gets dark pretty early in October, so my parents and my family and I spent the rest of that night driving up and down the back roads shining spotlights into the nearby fields and woods. We called the search off at midnight with no sightings.

The next day dad called the power company again and they agreed to send out a crew to help with the search. Dad spent the day searching with three power company workers with no luck.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you have animals out and you’re having problems getting them back. There was some speculation that we would not be able to get them back and that we may need to go on a cow hunting expedition. Dad’s cows are not really tame. They live out on pasture and don’t really have much contact with humans. So it was not like we could just call them and they would come back.

The herd had everything they needed while out at large. There was plenty of corn to eat which was like exotic food to them since they are grass fed. There were places to drink water and hang out to chew cud and nap. It was like an all inclusive vacation of sorts for them.

Luckily, the following day a neighbor called to report that the herd was in his corn field, gleefully eating everything in sight. The corn was about eight feet tall at that time and provided excellent camouflage for the amuck bovines.

The neighbor’s corn field is adjacent to one of his pastures where some cattle and horses live. Dad decided he would try to entice his cattle into that pasture with some ground feed, the equivalent of delicious junk food for dad’s cattle

Two of the cows were lured into the neighbor’s pasture and loaded up in a trailer and brought home. Four others were not convinced and chose to continue their adventure. Several days passed with them not falling for the luring trick.

We assembled a crew which included about 10 people, two vehicles, three four wheelers, several cell phones and some rattles. Rattles are plastic sticks with a paddle on the end. The paddle has beads in it that rattle; it drives cattle crazy and sometimes makes them do what you want them to.

So we headed out to collect the final four. My mom stationed herself on the highway with her flashers on, ready to alert passing traffic of road running cattle. Dad and my uncle were in my dad’s truck at the far end of the corn field. The rest of us walked through the rows of corn in an effort to drive the cows out towards the neighbor’s pasture.

Ever walked through a corn field in October? I had before, but not in pursuit of cattle. The corn plants are tall and dry by then. The leaves rustle and you can’t see anywhere except for a few feet right in front of you. If makes you feel really isolated even if there are other people walking on either side of you only 30 feet away. I felt very Children of the Corn-ish.

We did not run across them on our drive of the corn field. It turned out that the renegade herd was up on a ridge along an old logging trail.

Riding four wheelers and armed with cell phones, several folks headed up to find them. Their plan was to flush them down the logging road along the neighbor’s pasture fence all the while using cell phones for communication. Several heated discussions took place on mobile phones that day.

I was to stand at the end of the logging road, which came out to the highway and direct the cattle through a gate into the neighbor’s pasture. So I stood there at the end of the logging road waiting. I heard the whine of a four wheeler in the distance and sure enough here came one of the cows running at full speed down a hill. With a four wheeler right beside her (cows can run up to 30 mph, by the way).

I tried to make myself look big by spreading my arms out with my trusty rattle clenched in a fist. I though I was making a pretty good human gate. She ran right up to me which I expected…but holy cow she got close. I was wowed by her Herford glory as she threw her head to the side (brushing my nose with her ear). Her fur shined in the sun, her eyes spoke of adventure and her neck blubber jiggled.

I though she was going to step on my foot! So I hollered and smacked her in the face with the rattle. She made a graceful turn and dived into the ditch, which was the exact opposite way we wanted her to go. She ran alongside the highway with my mom driving beside her, fretting.

Plenty of swearing and team planning happened as she disappeared back into the corn. The rest of the day was spent attempting to run the other three down the fence and into the pasture, with no luck. At one point one of the cattle decided that he had had enough. He ran back to his home pasture and crashed through the fence apparently happy to be home, his adventure done.

The other three would remain as campers out in the wilderness for a few more days until they decided, what the heck…lets go eat some feed. It took 10 days and 100 man hours to get them back where they were supposed to be. Mom and dad submitted a bill for the time to the power company and they paid it. We went ahead and installed a padlock on the gate.

Share Availability Update

I’m nearly sold out for the 2011 CSA season. There are a few spots open here is where they are:





Hampden Park Co-op (St. Paul) - SOLD OUT
Fresh & Natural Food (Hudson) - SOLD OUT
River Market Co-op (Stillwater) - four shares left
Aveda Employees - up to six shares left

Thanks to all who have signed up! I can’t wait to start the 2011 season!

If one of the spots mentioned above works for you, please see the Eener’s Farm 2011 CSA Sign Up Form on the previous post.

2011 CSA Sign Up Season Is Here!

I’m ready to start signing up new members for the 2011 season. If you are interested in becoming a member, please fill out the member sign up form below and either mail it to me (Eener’s Farm N12449 220th Street Boyceville WI 54725) or e-mail it back to me (eenermachine@gmail.com). I will then put you on my 2011 member list.

Half shares are $255 and full shares are $500. No money is due until June 1. You can either pay the whole works by June 1 or pay one half of your share amount by June 1 and the other half by October 1.

If you have any questions about the CSA go ahead and call me at (715)643-2803 or e-mail me. You also could peruse this blog…it has lots of farm information on it.

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Eener’s Farm 2011 CSA Membership Sign-Up Form

Your Name:____________________________________

Which Size Share: Full ($500) Half ($255)

How to Pay: Make checks out to Eener’s Farm or Renee Bettendorf. Pay the whole works by June 1, 2011 or pay half the amount by June 1, 2011 and the other half by October 1, 2011.

Where will you pick up at: River Market, Hampden Park or Fresh & Natural

Your Address:_____________________________________________

Your Phone Number:_________________________________________

Your E-mail Address:_____________________________________

Risk Agreement: By signing up I understand that there is risk involved in farming and that I have agreed to share in this risk. Because of factors like weather and pests I understand that I may not get all the produce that Eener has planned on putting in my box. I also understand that I may get more than Eener planned on putting in my box in the event that some produce crops do really, really well.

Eener’s 2011 CSA Details

It's been a pretty fun winter for us. We took a vacation to Florida, which was great…we went to the beach, did some hiking and biking, saw some manatees and went to a farmer’s market. Very fun! Lately I’ve been shoveling snow, looking after my livestock and planning the CSA garden.

The 2011 CSA season is right around the corner! Last year we sold out our St. Paul drop in March and our Stillwater and Hudson drops in April. I’ll start taking on brand spanking new members on February 1. Alumni members are welcome to sign up any time (thanks to all who already have!).

Delivery Locations: I deliver to River Market Co-Op which is located in downtown Stillwater; Fresh and Natural Foods in Hudson; and Hampden Park Co-Op in St. Paul (928 Raymond Ave., fairly near Midway Stadium).

Delivery Days and Times:
River Market Co-op in Stillwater: boxes are delivered on Mondays members pick them up between 1:30 and 9p.m.
Fresh and Natural Foods in Hudson: boxes are delivered on Mondays members pick them up between 2:30 and 9p.m.
Hampden Park Co-op in St. Paul: boxes are delivered on Wednesdays members pick them up between 2:00 and 9p.m.

Share Sizes: I offer full and half shares, both are delivered on a weekly basis. Full shares come in a bushel box, half shares will be packed in a half bushel box. I just love to send out boxes that are plumb full…but in the beginning of the season this is not always possible. On the flip side it can be difficult to fit everything in the boxes towards the middle of the season. In the thick of last year’s season I was running 18-20 different types of veggies in the full-share folks’ boxes and 9-10 different types in half share boxes.

What Size is Best for You? That’s a good question. The full shares are for roughly four people and the half shares are for right around two people. That being said, a pair of serious vegetarians could probably handle a full share. Also, a family of four with children may be just fine with a half share.

Pricing: Full shares sell for $500 and half shares sell for $255.

Box Contents: Here’s what’s on the list for this year: basil, beans, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, cilantro, corn, cucumbers, dill, edamame, eggplant, fennel, gourds, hot peppers, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, melons, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, summer squash, winter squash, tomatillos, tomatoes and turnips.

I like to try out new things in my garden. This year I’ll be taking a crack at: okra, cauliflower, fingerling potatoes, some new varieties of broccoli, green zebra tomatoes and anything else that strikes my fancy.

Fruit: I’ve been working on this for the past three years. Fruit takes awhile. I’ve got quite a few fruit projects started…but the only thing I feel comfortable promising for this year is rhubarb. However, some of my efforts may come to fruition this year and if they do, they will certainly show up in your boxes.

Our Season Length: This year I’ll be doing 18 weeks starting the second week in June and going until the second week in October. This means that for Stillwater and Hudson folks their first box will be on June 13. St Paul folks’ first box will be on June 15.

How to Contact Eener’s Farm: If you are interested in signing up please e-mail me at eenermachine@gmail.com and I will send you a sign up form. Or you can call me at 715.643.2803 and I’ll sign you up over the phone.

This is all fine and good, but what the heck is a CSA anyway? Basically, a CSA (which stands for Community Supported Agriculture) is a type of direct market farm, meaning the farmer sells food directly to customers. There are a lot of advantages to this kind of farm. For one, customers/members know exactly where their food is coming from (we encourage our members to come visit the farm and we hold a big party at the end of the season for everyone). Secondly, produce from CSA farms doesn’t travel far. As a result it’s better for the environment and members enjoy much fresher produce. Another perk is that CSA farms tend to be really diversified (we grow about 40 varieties of veggies plus herbs) so members get a nice variety of in-season veggies.

Risk. Since farming is so completely tied to the weather, it’s risky business. My goal is to provide my members with an amount of produce that is equal to the money they paid for their share. Over the past two years I think I accomplished this goal. But I can’t promise that this will be true for this year. It’s helpful to think of CSA farms in terms of the stock market; when members buy a share they are making an investment. On a good year they will break even or get an amount of produce that is greater in value than their initial investment. On a bad year, they may end up with an amount of produce that is worth less than what they invested. In buying a full season of produce, the members of CSA farms share the risk with their farmers.

Is Eener’s Farm Organic?: I’m not certified organic, so I can’t advertise myself as organic. I do advertise as “Chemical Free” which means I don’t use any chemical pesticides or herbicides in my farming operations. I looked into the process to become certified and it does involve an investment, which I’d be willing to make. It turns out that being certified also involves TONS of paperwork and record keeping… not my strong points. So at this point I am not pursuing a certification though I remain committed to organic gardening.