THE BARTER SYSTEM.
One of the best things about being a part of the small-farmer community? The barter system is alive and well. It seems that folks who are in the business of food and labor and livestock and hay are more than happy to use those things as their currency. And we LOVE this philosophy. We love trading bottles of homemade wine for Great Pyrenees puppies, heirloom tomatoes for raw milk, spinning lessons for a new logo design. It make so much sense.And on that note: we had the pleasure of spending this morning with Little Seed Farm. These new friends are running a lovely small farm in Tennessee, working towards many of the same things we aspire to. We had a blast running around with their menagerie of dogs, cows, pigs, goats, chickens, and guineas (more about that tomorrow). Before we left, we had a good old-fashioned swap of wares. Jesse and I came home with some amazing goodies - fresh eggs, homemade cheeses, and some items from the Little Seed Farm Store: Farmstead Milk Soaps (made from their goat's milk) and Herbal Lip Salve, plus some beautiful hand-drawn notecards!So not only did we walk away with a bag full of delicious cheese (which we could barely keep ourselves from devouring in the car on the way home) and Cocoa Stout Soap (made with a locally brewed beer!), we also walked away with our hearts and minds full of inspiration. It is always rejuvenating for us to meet other young people, working hard, leaving behind comfort and convention to try a better way. *So thanks, guys, for a wonderful day and a lot of fun! Good luck with the kidding season!*- Hannah.
PEACE PILGRIM.
Feeling very inspired by this lovely story on a Sunday morning.
Mildred Norman started walking in 1953 - with the goal of walking the entire country in the name of peace - and she didn't stop walking for 28 years. Leaving behind her name and calling herself The Peace Pilgrim, she never spent any money. She carried only a map, a pen, a toothbrush and a comb. She wore the same clothes every day. She depended on others to provide her with food and shelter, making the vow: "I shall remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until I am given shelter and fasting until I am given food." She became the first woman to hike the Appalacian Trail, foraging for food and packing little more than a blanket and some sheets. At the end of her life, she walked over 25,000 miles in her journey.Often asked how she could possibly be happy, with no possessions to her name and usually hungry and tired, Mildred would reply, "I certainly am a happy person. Who could know God and not be joyous? I want to wish you all peace."Her story is truly remarkable, and you can read all about it here (where I discovered it) or on The Peace Pilgrim official website. What an inspiration for us to live simply and peacefully and as a community, helping each other!- Hannah.
HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH WITH HONEY.
easy honey pizza crust
ingredients:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast (or one package)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 cup of warm water (105-ish degrees)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups of flour (plus a little extra for kneading)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
Dissolve honey, yeast, and 1/4 cup of the water in a small bowl, letting it proof. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. When the yeast has proofed, add to your flour mixture the yeast, the olive oil, and the remaining warm water. Mix until it comes together, and add flour if it seems to sticky. At this point I usually end up just mixing it with my hands inside of the bowl, eventually pulling out the dough and kneading on a floured surface (only 2 minutes, don't over-knead). When the dough is stretchy when you pull it (doesn't tear apart), shape into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and let sit for 45 minutes or so.When dough has doubled, divide into balls if you are going to make multiple pizzas (This recipe makes 1 deep dish or 2 thin crusts. I usually triple the recipe as the dough can keep in the fridge for a few days). Let dough sit, loosely covered with a damp cloth, for 30 minutes before baking it or storing it in the fridge.Bake at 450 for 12 - 16 minutes. We don't have a pizza stone, so I just sprinkle some corn meal on a baking sheet.For this recent pizza, we used a cream sauce base with roasted fennel, kale, and goat cheese. It was definitely a winner.- Hannah.
WHAT WE'RE READING.
//// Links we are loving this week ////
ONE: If you haven't yet read this New York Times piece about the extraordinary science of addictive junk food - DO IT! Long read, but oh so fascinating. "As a culture, we’ve become upset by the tobacco companies advertising to children, but we sit idly by while the food companies do the very same thing. And we could make a claim that the toll taken on the public health by a poor diet rivals that taken by tobacco."TWO: Three women who we love, Coree, Robin, and our farmer-mama Cher have started a blog TOGETHER as The Radical Farmwives. These ladies are the real deal: hard working, homeschooling, homebirthing, inspiring....we can't wait to see what they have in store!THREE: A bunch of Hannah's friends from college just signed a record deal! Hooray Kopecky Family Band! To promote the wide release of their album, they are touring with some awesome people like Leagues, Milo Greene, and The Eastern Sea. Have a listen, and see if they are playing near you!FOUR: This video - Mountain Man vs. The Government - was sent to us by Ken of Narrow Ridge Farmstead. It's about a man who lives off-the-grid and runs a school, teaching people how to live simply. Now, the school is being shut down by the county for "code violations." Sad story.FIVE: All the more reason to drink natural wine! "A study of more than 300 French wines has found that only 10% of those tested were clean of any traces of chemicals used during vine treatments."- Hannah & Jesse.