PARSNIP WINE.
Parsnips are white-fleshed root crops which spend a significant amount of time in the ground––we're harvesting parsnips now that were planted in April. This slow maturation, coupled with the chill of winter, help to create a slightly sweet vegetable. There are few fresher flavors to me than parsnips. They taste a bit like carrots, though perhaps a touch meatier, woodier and often sweeter. I enjoy them roasted, pureed or caramelized, and soon - we're going to find out how much we like them in wine!I have already posted a basic mead recipe on Sustainable Kentucky, and there is simple wine recipe on our site, so I will spare you the basics of how I make wine. The only variation I made this round was to chop raw parsnips––in an attempt to preserve that fresh quality I love––and and added them to a basic mead. I let if ferment naturally, stirring a few times a day, and so far the results are very promising. I might one day try a recipe with cooking the parsnips first, but I greatly enjoy the raw flavor and so long as this works, I think I'm going to stick with it!- Jesse.
A WHIRLWIND WEEKEND.
We had such a wonderful time at the Green Living Fair on Saturday! It was a crazy day - we had to wake up at 3:45 AM to make the drive to Somerset....but it was definitely worth it. It was so much fun to see many of our old friends, to make new friends, to meet lots of you guys. We loved being able to finally place names and faces and voices and hugs with all of the people we have connected with online - nothing beats real, human interaction! Our only regret: not getting to spend enough time simply walking around, enjoying all of the other amazing vendors and workshops! We're already counting down the days til next year.- Hannah.
CHORE TIME.
"Chores" is a fancy farmer term applicable to any task that must be done daily. Usually "chores" translates to tending animals. "Doing chores" could mean taking slop to the pigs, or grain to the chickens and collecting eggs, making sure your animals have water, food, and shelter. It often must be done every day, if not twice a day. At Bugtussle right now, "doing chores" means moving the livestock twice a day into small paddocks. Last week, I decided to start helping Eric with his evening chores since Hannah and I don't have much in the way of chores for ourselves these days (beyond our Wendell chore, which is more playing than tending).I've always been under the impression that if I have the chance to help someone who knows more than I do––especially on a daily basis––I should probably take it. I like being around the animals, being in the pasture and listening to Eric talk about what he's learned in his years of Management Intensive Grazing, and what he still doesn't understand. Myself, I still have much to learn about the agrarian language, and like any language, immersion is the best way to pick it up. There is no Rosetta Stone comparable to listening to a passionate farmer compare seasons, talk about specific grasses, and admit they know nothing, while simultaneously doing amazing things for his pasture. If that is something I can take part in every day, I'm going to.Our friend Jacob from Sweet Grass Granola once said something I liked, that living one minute away from someone was a whole lot different from living fifteen minutes away. In other words, out here in the country, you are a lot more likely to interact with someone often––to see your friends––if they are extremely close, and if you don't have to get in your car to do so. For this reason, Hannah and I are so happy to have the Smiths, our friends and mentors, with all their knowledge and savoir-faire, right next door. Our next lesson in the farming language is always, literally, just right around the corner.- Jesse.
