SETTING UP SHOP.
When starting any business, there are going to be a fair number of things to be done before you can open the doors to the public. For a farmer that can mean plowing a garden (or cardboarding one, respectfully), building fences, fixing buildings or all manner of digging, hauling, heaving and pulling. With the warm, Spring weather quickly approaching, and hopes to offer a CSA this year, Hannah and I have been in somewhat of a dash to get ready for the season.We have multiple projects in the works, but the most pressing as of late has been the greenhouse. A greenhouse is not a necessity, but it definitely helps to get your garden going sooner. You can start seeds in small blocks of soil and let them mature until they are ready to transplant into the garden. I know farmers who don't use greenhouses at all, preferring rather to place the seeds directly in the soil in lieu of the young starts. However, they have to wait until the soil is warm and dry enough to do so which in turn pushes their season back later. Or there are gardeners who buy young plants from markets and place them straight into the soil. For our farm,we're interested in enjoying early crops from the garden, and if we want to start eating fresh food in May, we need to have seeds in the greenhouse in March. But first...we need a greenhouse!This morning we dressed warmly (including our slick new coveralls), gathered our tools and headed out to the farm for a little lesson in carpentry. By the end of the day we'd finished most of the frame - not bad for a couple of beginners on a cold, Kentucky afternoon!- Hannah.
DRY COUNTY WINE REVIEW: OPINIONS NEEDED.
There is a fascinating ongoing discussion taking place in the wine world at the moment about a specific kind of wine, but this conversation is entirely among wine professionals who would all benefit from knowing what the consumers––those actually buying the wine––have to say; what they want. I thought perhaps our readers could lend a little perspective!
Natural wine, if you're not familiar with it, is a term much of the wine world has somewhat arbitrarily pinned to a certain kind of wine. It is not something you'll usually find on a label, it's merely a genre, but it's mainly the phrasing itself that's causing the discussion. "Natural" cannot be quantified, as so many of its opponents have insisted, because nothing about raising cultivating grapes, fermenting the juice and bottling the wine is inherently natural, thus making the term misleading. Please bear with me through the technical details, and ask any questions in the comments section if there is something on which you'd like clarification. Don't be shy, there are no silly questions.Natural wines are typically made without the addition of chemicals in the bottle or in the vineyard, though there is no regulation of this so it's not necessarily a given.They are also often made without the addition of yeasts, which is to say that most of these producers let the wine ferment naturally, allowing the ambient yeasts in the air turn the grape juice into alcohol. It's a riskier practice than adding conventional yeasts which more or less guarantee a specific product. There is no guarantee with ambient yeast. Also, like chemicals, this is likewise unregulated. Some producers who have been considered "natural" such as the late, great Didier Dagueneau for example, didn't use ambient yeast, but rather a combination of cultivated yeasts. Still, most people would consider Didier natural.If there was one commonly employed phrase for natural wines, it would be "nothing added, nothing taken away," or in other words, letting the wine be as natural as possible, a preserved version of wine at its most basic.Full disclosure: The importance of this topic is that––surprise!––I want you to drink more healthy wines, wines with less additives or chemicals involved––for lack of a better expression––natural wines. Wine should not, if you are going to ingest the stuff, be treated any differently than food; if you don't like chemicals in your food, you shouldn't want them in your wine. But as the consumer, would you prefer a different term altogether? Does the term "natural wine" illicit any negative perceptions? Do you believe that if the term natural wine became regulated it could maintain its integrity, or would it wind up as meaningless as "Organic" has become? Who should regulate it? Or, would you like to leave the term as is, unregulated and somewhat vague?––trusting your local wine professionals to point you in the direction of the healthier wines. These are the kinds of wines I would love for our readers to be drinking, how would you like to find them?- Jesse.For some further reading on the discussion click here (read the comments for a glimpse at the contention)*First image is a bottle of Domaine des 2 Ânes, a natural wine brought in by predominantly natural wine importer Jenny & François, purchased at Wine + Market.
SUPER SNACKS.
Last night, most of us took part in an American tradition composed mostly of television and food (sounds about right). Seriously though, did you know that nearly ONE BILLION chicken wings were consumed yesterday? That is sort of remarkable. And horrifying. But snacking during the Super Bowl is tradition...and not to be left out, my family also made some game-watching foods for the big game.
We didn't, however, have wings. No thanks. But we did have some really tasty takes on traditional snack foods that were light and refreshing and didn't leave us feeling gross, heavy, and full. Mom found a recipe for potato skins on her new favorite website Poor Girl Eats Well. These were truly SO delicious! I'm not talking about those greasy, bacon and cheese slathered skins. Mom's potato skins were so fresh and light...full of good veggies and flavors: black beans, salsa, cilantro, corn, cumin, onions. And not to be without some sweets, I made some chocolate cupcakes. Instead of piling them full of sugar, I used honey and maple syrup! This kept them tasting sweet and made them super moist. I also hid some chia and flax seeds in there! All in all, we ate really well, and we didn't wake up this morning feeling bloated and disgusting. Plus, we are currently eating an amazing breakfast out of the leftovers!
- Hannah.
FENCE ME IN.
We made a trip to the farm on Friday, because how could we not? The forecast called for sunny and ridiculously warm! I love it, but it's also a little bit scary to think: is this weather the new normal? IS February going to be a part of the growing season soon? Farmers everywhere are saying goodbye to their winter vacations... I guess I'm not exactly complaining, though––55 degrees in February is a pretty pleasant treat, and it gave us great opportunity to knock out a little project!After a super-healthy breakfast, we started the process of fencing in the garden, digging some post holes and setting up the corners. It is nice to be able to visualize the garden...to stand at the edge and really SEE it! With the corner posts up, we now just have to finish the fence with some gridded wire - to keep out the bunnies and deer and other such undesirables. This was a small project, but it was pretty psychologically big! We spent the rest of the day playing with worms we found (a really good sign for the soil!) and planning out our greenhouse and chicken yard. Now we are relaxing, looking forward to a weekend of sports. UK plays tonight, and of course, on Sunday...the Puppy Bowl!What are you plans for the Big Game?- Jesse.
