2015 – Week 8 Newsletter

“It does not require many words to speak the truth.”

-Chief Joseph

Week 8 crop list

• Tomatoes – all
• Peppers – all
• Cucumbers – all
• Summer squashes – all
• Onions – all
• Red kale – all
• Citrus basil – all
• Cabbage – all
• Lettuce – all
• Snap peas – full, half
• Eggplant – full

Farmer notes

• We’ve only received 3/10 of an inch of rain this month so we are irrigating certain crops continuously
• Banana peppers can easily just be tossed into a freezer bag and brought out this winter to add flavor to soups, casseroles and such
• Snap peas are a bit past prime and done for this year
• Cucumbers are great just eaten like a carrot, sliced with vinegar and sugar(see recipe), sliced with salt and water, and on salads
• Resnip basil and put it in some water on your counter – use it over the next week in salads and stir fries … or let it hang to dry and crumble it into a baggie/jar
• Cabbage is finished until late fall. Sautee it in butter with kosher salt and black pepper
• Red kale can be baked, sautéed, and used in salads or stir fries
• Bruschetta: use a crusty/sourdough bread and brush with olive oil and garlic, bake at 450 for 6 minutes. Put on it a mix of finely chopped tomatoes, banana pepper, onion, basil, olive oil, black pepper and balsamic and kosher salt for a refreshing and summery snack/meal
• Wash all of your produce before you eat it
  

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  HPAI

  Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza 2015 now seems to have run its course for this round. It mainly affected conventional confinement operations (though none are completely immune) in IA and MN over the course of several months this past spring. Nine million birds in MN and nearly 32 million birds in Iowa were killed due to this out break. Several of you asked about how and if this disease would impact my flock. I currently have around 200 laying hens and 200 that will begin to lay eggs in early October. I recently read an article in the Organic Broadcaster that I found quite interesting. In a nutshell, the prevention of infectious diseases is a matter of keeping the host’s immune system ahead of the current environmental challenges. This can be achieved by following some basic guidelines: monitor the health of your flock, keep the environment clean and fresh, and by either limiting the exposure to pathogens or by building pathogen resistance through nutrition, genetics, vaccinations and stress reduction. My belief is to treat an animal much like we, as human beings, would like to be treated. We feed %100 organic grains, alfalfa hay, and the birds have full access to our 15 acres of pastures. Chickens like to roam – like the Geiko commercial – to scratch, to peck at anything and everything. This activity exposes them to lots of bacteria and strengthens their immune system, satiates their curiosity, creates a diverse diet and limits stress. Fresh air, exercise and meandering is the normal course for the day. This lifestyle supports a resilient and healthy body for both animal and human.

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