Schoolhouse Farms Learning and growing

01/13/2012 our 1st real snow and the weathermen never saw it until it was on the ground!

2012-01-13T11:42:00.000-05:00

NYE 2011

2011-12-31T13:42:00.000-05:00

Planting garlic the last day of 2011 in preparation for a growing 2012

Yields of late planting!

2011-12-04T21:27:00.002-05:00

Classic Sunday dinner complete with roasted sweet turnips fresh from the field at Schoolhouse Farms

Late season planting can reward you even long after most crops are but a faint memory!

.......and that big Squash turn to pie!

2011-11-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

You can't get more local!

The Essence of Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:54:00.000-05:00

Our little greenhouse experiment produced tomatoes deep into November. We planted about 25 different plants in buckets and periodically watered them in hopes we could extend the harvest. The unusually low number of frosty mornings allowed the plants to stay alive and produce in the unheated protective space.

Thanksgiving is the perfect day to consume the fruits of the harvest as it really is the essence of the season and what the day really was and should be all about. Additionally we are roasting a Hubbard squash we acquired from our friends at Tim's Pumpkin Patch. Good eats to all!

November and the harvest continues

2011-11-20T15:40:00.000-05:00

Mild temperatures have allowed for some casual wanders into the fields and the harvest of some nice greens including Mustard, Kale and Swiss Chard. The best harvests are often the ones that you don't count on and the bounty undoubtedly surprises you!

It will be interesting to see what we come up with for Thanksgiving......who knows what treasures remain to be found before they are covered under a blanket of snow. We are certainly in no hurry for snow and this fine stretch of mild fall weather can linger as long as it likes with no complaints even from the skiers.

Perhaps the last Heirloom Tomatoes of the season

2011-11-14T08:15:00.000-05:00

We planted some 20 + varieties of heirloom tomatoes in buckets under a cold frame. Our goal was to attempt to have a crop should all things fail in the field. We feel so fortunate that we can harvest a few in mid-November!

Red Wing Black Birds stopping by for a visit on a stellar November 9th

2011-11-09T14:26:00.000-05:00

Still finding some pretty delicious Heirlooms!

2011-10-23T11:12:00.001-04:00

The calendar may be putting us in late October but the fact that we have not endured a severe frost and planted some varieties under cover has allowed some of the heirloom tomatoes to continue to thrive. We found this trophy selection hiding in under the leafy canopy just waiting to be harvested and enjoyed.

We had wished and hoped that with such a late start the planting season we would be get some relief on the opposite end. From what we have continue to harvest it looks like Mother Nature let it turn out that way. Perhaps with any luck the Eggplants and peppers are still producing!

The Art of saving seeds

2011-10-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

This season we embarked on a series of new practices as a direct result of conditions presented by Mother Nature. Chief among them was our use of a hot house to grow some varieties of heirloom tomatoes. We selected about 2 dozen varieties to grow under cover as a method to increase the odds of survival as well as to extend the season.

Our experiment has born fruit and as a result we have managed to harvest tomatoes that simply did not make it in the field for a variety of reasons. (Free range pecking chickens, rain, drought, weeds, frost) Some of the tomatoes are stunners and simply draw us to them. Many disappear into the mouths of the schoolhouse gang, but some are carefully dissected to harvest the seeds to be fermented and saved for next season.

Schoolhouse Farms has habitually saved tomato seeds as a practice. The practice began years ago when a particular variety of tomato became unaffordable in the market at a cost of $2 a seed due to a serious lack of available seeds. Suffice it to say we purchased seeds and planted them under lock and key with only 2 plants germinating. The plants were babied and raised without a single tomato being eaten that season as the fruit was purely for seed saving. The mere idea of knowing that we would have to wait yet another entire year before we would be able to enjoy our favorite tomatoes was almost unbearable.

Today we will be collecting more prime examples of our favorite heirloom tomatoes for seed collection to ensure Schoolhouse Farms will have something wonderful to plant next season!

Savor the beauty

2011-10-02T13:21:00.000-04:00

The first day of October was too much of a weather downer to adequately describe without the ability to feel its bone chilling, house cooling, and intrusive impact. The Schoolhouse gang was not going to let a little thing like bad weather stop us in our effort to continue to bring forth the goodness of the harvest.

The Schoolhouse was warmed by the wood stove, good food and company and the colors of the flowers still blooming despite the climatic conditions.

The possibilities of what these might become was too great to wait!

2011-09-30T15:37:00.001-04:00

Frost would end the journey and the Schoolhouse Famers just loved the way they looked now!

We believe that they may yet become works of art!

Waning September but things look good!

2011-09-27T13:17:00.000-04:00

We have managed to continue to harvest some very nice items for our CSA shareholders. This season has been less then optimal for much of what we had planted, but some of the items performed very well thanks to the fact that we have not endured a frost up to this point. The warmer weather has allowed the plants to continue to produce and the late season tomatoes, eggplant and peppers to ripen.

The late season plantings have also proved to be beneficial as we are able to harvest beautiful tender squash and see blossoming activity on the beans. We hope that we will be able to see a harvest of beans prior to the door being closed as a result of frost!

We thought we would share the wonder that comes from the land tended by Schoolhouse Farms. As bleak as the season began everyday that we harvest tomatoes and the fruits of our seasonal labor the better we feel about our chosen path!

Today's gift from the Garden!

2011-09-09T14:52:00.001-04:00

A smiling one eyed heirloom cherry tomato!

Well it sure beats mud in your eye!

Well we managed a healthy dose of that as well!

Rain reigns

Sun Flowers thrive and bring joy!

2011-08-30T13:23:00.000-04:00

Come and get a bunch of them at the Farm!

Sun Flowers brighten the season!

2011-08-25T19:16:00.000-04:00

As Irene appears to be taking aim on our neighborhood we believe that you should swing by and pick up a beautiful bunch of SHF sunflowers before the storms arrival. They are glorious, last a very very long time and most assuredly will brighten your day or someone who needs a little uplifting.

They are on the farm stand right now!

Many months later

2011-08-21T10:13:00.000-04:00

Slowly ever so slowly the season begins to yield a little bounty. To continue to bemoan the season would be pointless. It is what it is and what we harvest is what we harvest.

The heirloom Tomatoes are beginning to ripen and they are in a word "fabulissimo!" (not your standard word but one that conveys what can't be described without actually tasting)

Basil and tomatoes go together like corn and butter! During August it is highly recommended you indulge in daily douses of both combinations. The sweet corn season is too short similarly to the tomato so don't be too concerned about the gluttonous vegetarian behavior the season inspires. Just embrace it!

Schoolhouse Farms will be harvesting for the farm stand until they are done for the season. The heirloom tomato harvest is highly unpredictable and can can last a matter of days or perhaps weeks it all depend on the weather conditions. Mother Nature must really be upset with what we are doing to the planet because she really seems a little more bi-polar then usual. We just hope she stays in her happy place for a while before she decides to switch to her harsher more turbulent persona.

Is that rain cloud in the distance?

2011-07-25T12:38:00.002-04:00

CSA success based on the commitment of our shareholders

The first 3 weeks of the 2011 Schoolhouse Farms CSA are in the done column. Now the done column for SHF is more then just a simple check mark. We truly pride ourselves on our product and regardless the stress, strain and difficulty of the season what we deliver is not just from the field but our soul. This particular season has been more then a touch rocky as anyone who has lived and breathed our Borodino spring can attest for. The whole growing season has been a challenge beginning with the prolonged cold and monsoonal wet. ( A fact alone a bit tough to swallow or actually keep in the forefront as we have now faded forward into arguably one of the best quintessential old time summers.) Now the heat and dry have taken us 180 degrees in the other direction with plants begging for some water.

Basil loving life

Our CSA shareholders will continue to be the key to our ability to keeping alive small farming, once the backbone of this nation and as far as we can tell what may become the salvation for the feeding of an ever increasing global population. Our shareholders devotion to keeping the local farmer viable make it all happen, They are the seed money to keep it alive and they help mitigate our risks as we grow and experiment and do so without pressure for huge profits.

Efficiency diversity and flexibility

We learned some major lessons during these economically challenging times, simple lessons like you need to know how to make lemonade out of lemons or jam from quince or how to can or freeze items you harvest. We haven’t mastered any of these time tested art forms, but we are getting better. We have learned that flexibility and the ability to re-seed and re-plant are critical and the quicker we react the better our chances of recovery are.

Peas like it cool and damp not wet and cold and when it was time to call it quits on a crop the tiller needs to take charge. As much as we love our peas sometimes you need to say good byes much earlier then you might want to. We hung on too long to the crop this season and although they tasted fine the yield to harvest ratio was in the toilet! The harvest based on our plantings should have resulted in bushels not just a few quarts. Dreams of a sweet pea festival were dashed at the spike of 95 degrees and should have been put to rest, but our ever optimistic outlook was not willing to entertain reality! A good lesson learned and a small dividend for our shareholders.

80 plus degrees and grooving

“Summer time and the living is easy”! Lighting bugs are evident nightly as are the croaking of the frogs, the chirps of the crickets, the laughter of the children, the crackle of a fire, the snap of an errand fire cracker. The moon appears as a slice or a whole big pie and the air is fragment with berry and hay. Ooh Aah! Does it? Can it get any better? Life is the sweetest at this point. However a price is exacted for all the perfection the abundant sun and warmth and dry conditions bring, but it is gladly paid.

Time to water and water and water some more!!!!!!!! Is that a rain cloud in the distance?

Sizzle it's simply too hot to fly

2011-07-22T08:06:00.000-04:00

100 degree temperatures simply are unusual when they occur. SHF and the crops in the field broiled along with the rest of the region. The odd roller coaster of weather we are enduring continues and the ride has been wild. We can't say for sure but it just doesn't appear that veggie crops are growing and producing like they normally would. Stalled and stubbornly waiting rain!

Peppers and tomatoes appear to fair the best but even they could use some liberal dousing from above. We will be back hand watering on Saturday as it does not appear any rain is in the near forecast.

Time is moving too fast!

2011-06-20T08:03:00.001-04:00

Schoolhouse Farms is use to a little adversity that’s the nature of living and working a farm. The daily trials and tribulations are common place and add to the flavor of the daily routine. Routine isn’t really a matter of fact as we couldn’t begin to list the events or happenings of a routine day. Regardless the semi-normal ebb and flow this year has really been whacked.

How many things can possibly stack up against you in one season? We are not talking about the everyday run of mill events like a flat tire, broken hose, or rabbit damage. We are talking Mother Nature driven, equipment related episodes repeated over and over again. To the point that staying in bed isn’t even safe as the frame will probably collapse and the floor will give out and we’d end up in the cellar.

Yes it really has been that crazy. Let’s begin with the weather, wet enough for you? The cool weather has plagued us since September 1^st of 2010 and just now has released her long hold. Drought can hurt you but rain will kill you, anybody that has ever experienced flooding can attest for that. Preparing fields in these conditions simply ain’t happening. Take a look around at all those big farm fields that haven’t been planted yet, time may have run out for this year. Knee high by the 4th of July!

Equipment issues that we have never experienced have hit us like bed bugs in NYC. It goes without saying that you reap what you sow, so we figure it was the fact we grew our CSA shares for this season. Talk about a punch in the gut! Try to sleep when you have promised something that is 50% out of your control and your word is your honor. It’s a pretty pickle for sure. Hopefully it’ll be a non issue, but it still causes way more sleep deprivation then is healthy.

If it wasn’t so ridiculous in its frequency we would just chalk it up to our continued learning curve, however the shear magnitude is way beyond that. Ok so weather is beyond our control, but controlling certain variables and conditions is, i.e. a greenhouse. Starting plants in March is a routine we have practiced for a dozen years with varying amounts of success, but mostly a satisfactory result. This year we try something a little more ambitious and erected a couple greenhouses and expand our seeding. Things are grooving along nicely all be it maintaining adequate heat is now critical as Momma Nature has her thermostat dialed way low. But then “look Toto a tornado!” We can’t be sure maybe it wasn’t a tornado but the wind really blew hard, and it took those greenhouses for a righteous ride and the landing wasn’t pretty for all those seedlings. The tender young Heirloom Tomatoes were reduced to pulp and several weeks of progress evaporated in a blink of the eye.

The farm graduated from a tractor less operation to one with, again based on our desire to grow which seemed to make sense. It made sense until one of the other local farmers said “Oh a tractor, just something else to keep you busy!” Whoa of course it will keep us busy we are growing! Tractors are awesome when they are running, and that is the key, running. We spent 2 months trouble shooting an issue until resolution. The timing could not have been worse. Oh and by the way our auxiliary plan, the man with the working tractor was great but he had other people who needed his services as well. The cultivated strips were meatballs, great big mud meatballs and the clock was ticking.

We reverted back to the tractor less method and pulled out the small tillers. Ethanol struck us an unkind blow as it had rendered one unit useless. A gooey mass had gummed up the carburetor and we had no time to mess with it. The second tiller fired up and took to the task until snap! Another Tiller broken down, then it began to rain again, hard!

Despair and depression start to knock at the farmhouse! Motivation is in short supply regardless how many cups of coffee. We have become pretty good at turning lemons into lemonade but Jesus we ain’t and turning this rain into veggies just doesn’t seem realistic.

Once again we dig in we repair the tiller, the rain slows the heirlooms begin to sprout the sun returns. Tick tock how can it be that late? It is time to move flats to the field, “what you can’t get it out of second gear? “ Put it on the list, the tractor? Sunday it’ll be fixed Sunday.

The grass is growing faster then anything else and the mower was sent off to the scrape yard. The big bad grounds master we borrow periodically has an issue with its radiator so the lawn just keeps growing. Add it to the list of things to do.

Finally two months later the tractor is working. After cleaning out the gas line and the sediment bowl it fires up and off we go, until it chokes out clogged again. It is cleaned out again and fires up and then after a short while conks out. Now it is time to remove the gas tank. The options are to get it cleaned two weeks, get a new one two weeks or attempt to clean it ourselves . Time is short and the only option that fits is to do it ourselves. Not just once that would have been to easy, but twice as the first time resulting in no improvements. Finally we have a working machine and off we go to till!

Next it’s time to attach the big rotary mower and attack the grass that is a foot high. After some initial complications it is time to start mowing. The tractor takes off the mower behind it and with in seconds we are cutting grass, but the center blade has dropped off and the entire middle section simply is not cutting. “Snap” the shear bolt breaks, we are out of commission until we can find a spare shear pin and bolt the blade back in its place. Days are in increasingly short supply.

Sunday dawns and the sky is clear and the day is full of promise, sunshine and the tractor is running! Grass gets cut, more plants get planted and seeds get seeded. We maybe behind but we are back in the game moving forward! We anticipated that the vegetables are going to taste especially good this season and look forward to sharing them when the harvest starts!

Baby Bok Choy roots by the hand!

2011-06-05T08:25:00.000-04:00

The 2011 growing season is as different from 2010 as SHF1848 heirloom tomatoes are from big box hybrids. From our calculations we are a solid month behind last year and a good 2 weeks behind normal. Normal is relative as it appears the new normal is a transitional condition influenced by the more severe weather patterns that have burst on the scene.

We continue to dodge weather conditions and bounce in and out of the fields between cloud bursts and wind blasts. The planting continues as the plants continue to strengthen and grow in the greenhouses. The greenhouses at one point seemed too large for our needs but now these temporary structures are bursting with vegetative growth. We are lucky we opted to put them up this season or it might have been a complete bust up to this point.

We have always utilized raised beds to grow greens in for our own use as well as to baby plants that are new or highly sensitive. Bok Choy has done very well this season and last evening we harvested a nice batch to saute and serve along side the seared tuna.

Planting will continue and the season will progress as we hope in the future it will be nothing but a blip on the radar when we go to harvest the fruits of our labor later in the summer season and into the fall! For the mean time we will enjoy what we harvest and look eagerly ahead at the warmer dryer weather.

isn't it time that you planted some Heirloom Tomatoes?

2011-05-27T07:49:00.000-04:00

SHF1848 is open today so take the drive to Borodino and grab a few plants right at the source!

Run you crazed farmer run!

2011-05-15T13:34:00.001-04:00

Weather driven activity is difficult to plan when the crystal ball is only as good as the day itself. Farming this season has been a trick thus far for all. Regardless it seems what section of the country you live. The rains, floods, droughts, wind storms and you name it seem to have become the new norm. The 2011 planting season is fully a month behind which means that the harvest will undoubtedly be delayed.

We have been running in an attempt to catch up, but Mother Nature still holds all the cards. The fields were too wet, the air too cold and the only thing rocking was the weeds. Suffice it to say we have not been able to find that happy balance or steady pace that we would like. Panic sets in for a portion of seemingly everyday as one step forward often leads to 3 steps back. On a day when a plan is set in motion something inevitably arises to cause us to change course. Flexibility is key in keeping momentum going even if it has no rhythm.

This is the way it has been and probably the way it always will be when dealing with Mother Nature and the business of agriculture. We have made steps in trying to control elements that in nature are uncontrollable. We use greenhouses but we would need acres of them. We have raised beds but need many more. We get up early and attempt to keep equipment in good operating order, but it doesn’t seem to always work out like we planned.

We do still remember that you need to stop and appreciate what is blooming and listen to the song of the birds so you don't completely miss the splendor of Spring! It happens so quickly and is gone in a breath.

Things are beginning to pop and we continue to weave, duck and roll with it. The Schoolhouse Farmers firmly believe it is going to be a good season it just may take a little longer to get it all going.
But boy will it be tasty when it starts to arrive!

Peas were planted

2011-05-02T11:22:00.000-04:00

The Schoolhouse farmers finally got a couple days break in the weather! Panic was beginning to set in as the rain just would not allow us to get into the field let alone run a tiller. The rain soaked fields needed some beneficial wind and sunshine to hasten the drying. Mother Nature accommodated us a bit this weekend and as a result allowed us a few steps forward.

The list is long and time short so every opportunity to get into the soil is imperative. The BCS tiller was called into action and amazingly transformed areas into plant-able rows in a matter of hours. Peas were planted as were some potatoes and asparagus crowns.

During a investigative walk a couple days earlier an abandoned piece of vintage farm equipment was found in the hedgerow. The tool was entwined in a tree that had begun to envelop it. It was noted that this plow type item might be useful in the farms seasonal planting. Consequently a concerted effort was made to extract it from its wooden prison and possibly restore it to an operational agriculture role once again in some capacity.

Standing Water & Black Currants

2011-04-26T14:37:00.000-04:00

Rain has been prolific this spring and the ground appears to have had its fill with a great deal of surface water visible. These puddles are major targets for the kids and add to the mud and slop that is constantly invading the house with total disregard for the daily efforts to keep it clean. It really adds validation to the term mud in mud room or perhaps mud pool is more appropriate!

Today after another serious night of rain fall the sun shone brightly at day break and it was time to investigate what activity might be taking place amongst the fruit bearing plantings around the farm property. The pear trees are bursting with new buds, the apple trees starting to show signs that they made it another season, the quince beginning to leaf out, grapes showing some bud burst activity and the black currants continuing to develop green foliage. It was a good walk, a sloppy affair, but none the less inspirational.

Last spring we took black currant cuttings in an attempt to establish a even larger orchard without incurring greater expense. We wanted to see if we could double our size solely from existing stock. We established a nursery bed and that was that, as last year was a bit dry and sunny and our expectations were set pretty low. To our great surprise we have discovered that our little experiment worked out much better then we anticipated and developing out of the weedy nursery are literally dozens of young vibrant black currant plants, it was a thrifty bit of work that we will be repeating again.

Ok water it is time to move on we have crops to plant…..you will be welcome again in 10 days or so

We are back in business!

2011-04-19T07:22:00.003-04:00

Thank you Gary Ibsen

When you connect locally that is a good thing but when you connect with people on a one to one, people whom you share a common idea but have never met, that is a connection to us is the purest essence of human relations. Small businesses exist primarily as the result of relationships and nothing illustrates this better then when one business reaches out to another from across the country to lend a hand. Small is beautiful, local is great, compassion and help priceless.

Schoolhouse Farms has definitely felt an out pouring of support during our recent wind driven spring storm event that obliterated our cherished heirloom tomato seedlings. The offers to lend a hand were from folks of all different localities, connections and diversity. It validated what we are doing as something of substance and worthy of communal help, pretty cool and we want to express our sincerest of thanks.

Schoolhouse Farms discovered an heirloom tomato seed source 8 or 9 years ago that not only intrigued us but fulfilled our wildest tomato growing fancy with its over 600 varieties to pick from. As a direct result of the amazing Tomato fest story we really began to focus our efforts on becoming a true heirloom tomato farm. Tomato Fest is located in Little River California and is a venture of Gary Ibsen and Dagma Lacey. You need to visit the Tomato fest site to learn more about these amazing people and the unbelievable tomatoes they grow as well as the Carmel Tomato fest that they present each September!

When our plants were wiped out we new time was precious as the length of time from seeding to harvest is a trick based on when the last frost of the season and the first of the fall. With this in mind we contacted our seed sources to see if they still had seeds in stock and if they could expedite our reorder. Gary Ibsen contacted us almost immediately and offered assistance and not only expedited the order personally he added some additional seeds, sent them priority mail at no charge. We were floored, excited, thankful, grateful, warmed and generally humbled.

Take some time to look at the Tomato fest website, because Gary Ibsen has done something else that is extraordinary from our point of view. When you check out the Tomato seed store section you will find a video featuring the artistry of our friend Hetty Easter doing a watercolor portrait of a Schoolhouse Farm’s heirloom tomato that was grown with seeds from Gary Ibsen. Local is great, but great people with generous spirit, warm soul and passion are unbeatable!

Empathy via devastation

2011-04-17T07:06:00.001-04:00

The brutal spring storms that battered the south and then marched on up bringing heavy winds and rain have definitely instilled some empathy in all the schoolhouse farmers. In spite of the fact that the winds completely destroyed our greenhouses wiping out thousands of young heirloom tomatoes, peppers and eggplants and setting us back several weeks, we find ourselves extremely lucky.

As painful as it is and as much work it as it will be by comparison to the total devastation seen in the south we feel that it is minor. The process has already begun of reseeding and reconstructing. As we dismantled the wreckage and cleared the debris all the farmers from biggest to smallest were undaunted and although deeply saddened quitting was not an option ever uttered.

We find ourselves humbled once again by Mother Nature’s power, but are conscious how much worse it could have been. It could have been our house and the homes of our neighbors devastated and reduced to a pile of splinters. It was insignificant by comparison to what the poor people of Japan have endured or the folks in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, North Carolina or Virginia.

We now know how our kids will be spending Spring break and the truth is they are not angry nor are they resentful they are eager to re-build, re-seed this quirky family endeavor. We count ourselves very fortunate. Now if that wind would just cease! We hope that all of you and yours are safe and sound!

Sow easy

2011-04-11T08:59:00.005-04:00

The season begins and ends in the raised beds. We have learned long ago that the safest most easily controlled growth takes place in our raised beds. These miniature square foot gardens allow better drainage, access for weeding, easy ability to amend the soil, grow cloth covering and watering. Our small Mantis tiller fits neatly inside them and we can replant readily with little effort.

We planted garlic in the fall and it is springing forth as the soil warms. We have used the Mantis in the remaining beds and have seeded some with one of four varieties of Swiss Chard we will be growing! The rich soil speeds along the whole process and the raised beds make seeding a snap.

Hurry SHF1848 CSA almost sold out!

2011-04-06T10:09:00.000-04:00

Only 3 shares left It's never too early to plan for the 2011 healthy eating season. Shares of Schoolhouse Farms CSA's are limited! We will be offering up to 3 delivery days! Please contact us as soon as possible if you would like more details. E-mail us! or at SHF-1848 CSA information

SHF1848 2010.wmv

2011-03-28T01:06:00.000-04:00

Heirloom Tomatoes regardless how cold!

2011-03-27T13:48:00.000-04:00

Schoolhouse Farms has experienced some brutally cold late March temperatures with limited to no sun. Our little greenhouses are struggling to keep internal temperature above freezing when it reads a scant 13 degrees outside. Heirloom tomatoes like a temperature of 70-80 degrees to germinate, and that is not an easy feat under the current conditions.

Miraculously however we are getting some preliminary germination of some of our heirloom tomatoes. It is way too early to say if they will make it to market, but with a little warmer weather going forward we hope to keep the dream alive! So ugly So good but so worth it SHF1848 heirloom tomatoes not found in the supermarket!

Prolific & Meteorologically Exceptional

2011-03-22T16:16:00.000-04:00

It is a huge mental challenge, when it is this wet and cold, to psych everyone on the farm into believing that this growing season will be as prolific and meteorologically exceptional as last year. Most people, not associated with the growing process, simply believe that it all happens according to some big preordained plan. Well it doesn’t always work out so seamlessly and the reality is it has more then a few bumps and twists along the way to bringing in the harvest.

March is when all the seeding of all those long term vegetables takes place. Peppers, Eggplants, Tomatoes are tops on that list and we (she) seed a lot of them, a real lot. These flats of seeds then need to go into the greenhouse to germinate. It needs to be warm in the greenhouse and sun is very beneficial in driving the temperature up to the required zone. What doesn’t help is prolonged drab, cold, windy, flurry filled days and nights that plummet to the lower double digits. Heaters help but they require fuel, a lot of fuel, and the price of that as we all know continues to rise. So we eagerly await a little help from the head of head farmers Mother Nature to intervene in the weather and get things moving.

On the other side of the coin the generous amount of precipitation will help recharge the water table and feed the roots of the young fruit trees. Plus it is still only March and the days keep getting longer! It is time to sip some tea and channel all our collective energy into parting a few of those clouds.

A long long long long Winter

2011-03-07T14:51:00.002-05:00

Winter has definitely gone on long enough when people have such prolonged down time they come up with things like “Uncle Oinkers Savory Bacon Mints”. Now don’t get us wrong we love our bacon as much or maybe more then most, but the idea of bacon as a breath mint stretches even the most reverent bacon enthusiast’s palate.

This morning’s more then ample accumulation of snow has admittedly begun to wear on the mental and physical at a more severe rate then is healthy for the entire schoolhouse gang. We are by design and default big fans of white winters and all the great recreational and cerebral opportunities it presents, but after a while we need a bit more then an ultra short 24 hours of relief. We need old man winter to move on and let the sun shine a little more regularly so the green yellow pallor of the farm clan can transition to a rosier color. Playing winter games in the sun is oh so gratifying.

Schoolhouse Farms has bitten off a lot for 2011 and we really need a touch of Mother Nature’s cooperation to get the plan moving. We got a little spoiled last spring when March and April were absent of snow completely and our fields dried up nicely. Regardless we will be moving ahead but definitely more at the turtles pace then the hares until something changes. And to think March came in like Lamb!

A Heirloom Tribute

2011-03-01T08:40:00.005-05:00

Heirloom tomatoes are known for some very distinct qualities, color, flavor, shape and name. We have adopted the term “so ugly so good” in our description of this group of nightshades belonging to the genus Lycopersicon. Heirloom tomatoes generally are 50-100 year old varieties with names that reflect their heritage.

We recently learned that the last surviving veteran of WW1 Frank Buckles passed away at 110 years old. He was born when William McKinley was our 25th president and the nation of Australia was created. At his birth farmers comprised 38% of the nation’s workforce and the population was nearly 75 million. When he died the number in the Whitehouse was 44, the population over 300 million and the farmer population was a mere 75,000 or 1/4 %. Heirloom tomatoes were confined to small farms and flavor had receded to being a faint memory for most.

We have always aspired to being the preeminent heirloom tomato farm in our area and growing the best most flavorful, colored splattered, ugly, unique, varieties of heirloom tomatoes available. Additionally we would like to be able to name an heirloom in honor of someone. We are proposing that an heirloom be named in the honor of the last WW1 vet, Frank Buckles. We have contacted Gary Ibsen at Tomato Fest, who is a source for 100’s of varieties of heirloom tomato seeds to see if his operation might be game.

Do you have a favorite heirloom tomato? Let us know!

Spring in the Box

2011-02-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

As the warm air, rain and stiff breeze begin the process of transitioning Schoolhouse Farms from winter to wet spring our next season waits in boxes. We will be erecting these temporary greenhouses on a recently cleared area when the weather abates a bit.

Aptly named “greenhouse in a box” these economical structures will allow us to begin to seed the crops of summer. The numerous Heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cauliflower, cabbages and maybe even some and squash melons to protect us if Mother Nature plays rough this year. It amazes us how quickly we run out of space in the greenhouses.

Our agricultural plate is overflowing and the season hasn’t even begun. The excitement and nervousness of embarking on yet another bigger year is as frightening as it is inspiring. We are fortunate that the entire Schoolhouse gang is fully committed and mentally prepared for what lies ahead the next months. We are still in the hunt for a tractor, but have the walk behind garden tillers ready, repaired and waiting to bust a move should the fields dry before we find it.

SHF1848 Think Table

2011-02-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

Buried deep in the depths of winters snow and cold with the only green visible belonging to the underside of the tall pines inspiration at Schoolhouse farms is blossoming. The whole brainstorming, vision board development process has been propelled to an entirely new level. Neither wall nor refrigerator is large enough to contain the almost continuous outpouring of thoughts and ideas. The visionary process has now consumed the entire dining table complete with the addition of three extension leaves. We call it our think table.

The vision process is the key in transforming conversations and dreams to reality. We embarked on our visionary journey when we first stepped on the grounds at what would soon become Schoolhouse Farms, a journey that is infinite in possibilities. However along the way we discovered that unless we had some method of capture the thoughts could get misplaced or even lost if not solidified. Articles were saved in files along with images, crude sketches, recipes, farmers’ names, writers, artists, seed packages and catalogs.

Over the seasons we have managed, at varying rates, to bring life to a multitude of ideas and plans. From the development of the farm to the renovation projects that surround us. The vision board has created a daily visual reminder of what we want to accomplish and what the end may resemble. Often as not the final product is miles away from the original design as the family matures and individuals become independent thinkers adding a collective family spin

As winter continues its daily routine of blanketing us in white and keeping the mercury low in the glass thoughts and ideas continue to pour out. The “Think Table” is simply running out of room and the need to move forward on the ample supply of tasks and projects tends to get the farmers hyperventilating. Time for yoga and tea to regain a little

A good explanation of a CSA Borrowed from Common-Thread

2011-02-08T09:52:00.001-05:00

What is CSA?

It' Simple

The concept of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is simple. Each shareholder, as a member of the farm community, buys a "share in the harvest." This fee supports the running costs of the farm. In return, the farm supplies a weekly share of produce.

Real Food, Real People, Fair Prices

Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between farmers and local consumers to help ensure fresh produce grown locally is provided locally. Members of a CSA pay a fee to a local farmer at the beginning of the season for a "share" of the produce, which is often delivered to a pick up location or picked up at the farm. A share can consist of fresh veggies, fruits, flowers, eggs, poultry and much more.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a model of agriculture that fosters a direct relationship between the farmer and the community. CSA is a direct marketing approach that promotes fair prices for the farmer and the members by eliminating the middle person.

Mutual Relationship

When you support the farm by being a member you engage in a mutual relationship with the farmer. By selling directly to members who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers may receive better prices for their crops and gain some financial security.

Financial Stability

This unique arrangement provides the farmer with the financial stability necessary to operate in a sustainable way while offering farm members the opportunity to see firsthand where the food they eat comes from as well as to get to know the folks who grow it.

Strengthening Community

CSA is about building community and engaging citizens in taking responsibility for the land on which their food is grown. The farmer and the farm member share equally in the rewards and risks inherent in agriculture. A CSA brings together a farm and a community in a mutually supportive manner for the purpose of providing the freshest, most nutritious food from a viable local farm.Get To know Your Farmers And Where Your Food Comes From!

Big Ideas of a boy!

2011-02-02T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Cooper Hawk has been back to scope out the chickens with an eye on an easy dinner. The clucking of the hens gets appreciably louder as the large bird of prey swoops nearby and takes position in a tree. The cacophony from the chicken pen is of sufficient level to raise the attention of one of our young farmers.

The young farmer took it upon himself to defend the flock from the threat of the aggressive hawk. He carefully armed himself with his single shot pump pellet gun put on his boots his bomber hat and headed out to the field. Quietly and stealthy he made his way towards his target. He raised his small weapon and aimed at the huge feathered foe and fired!

The bird flinched and then flapped its huge wings and swooped off the branch. It glided over the pen directly at the young farmer. The young farmer was gone in a flash at full speed retreat towards the safety of the house not daring to look back. The Hawk satisfied he had dealt with the pest swung southward, away from the chickens and soared high in search of other more easily obtainable quarry.

The young farmer, breathless, enters explaining excitedly how he had scared away the big bird with a single shot. He stated that he was able to hit the bird because of the new scope he had recently installed on the rifle. Everyone was visibly impressed.

The farmer took the gun to place it back in the security of storage and casually looked down the barrel to inspect it and discovered all that had happened had not occurred as the young farmer imagined. The barrel of the small rifle was plugged solid. No shot had made it any where near the big bird.

Heirloom tomatoes add Magical qualities SHF1848

2011-02-01T07:50:00.003-05:00

The sun was shining and some fresh new tunes were playing when the mail person drove up the drive, honked her horn and delivered the package. She had a smile on her face, not sure if it was based on the rare rays of radiant sun or what she was delivering. Regardless we were grateful for both the smile and the package. The sunshine was the cherry on top with its beneficial vitamin D and other magical qualities.

The package contained some 60 packets of organically grown primarily indeterminate heirloom tomatoes seeds, each holding at least 30 seeds. These are all the new varieties slated for the 2011 crop in addition to the seeds saved from the 2010 harvest. That’s a lot of tomatoes. The excitement is as hard to contain as is the impulse to start seeding them on a sunny day. The Schoolhouse Farmers are planning an epic Heirloom tomato season for the upcoming year regardless how much cold and snow is in the forecast. The thought of fields of fruit ripening under the hot summer sun are inspiration that keeps us focused and motivate during the bleakest of times and during unbroken days of cold and grey. Salvation from seeds has been an enduring pattern that has fueled the farmer for generations. One can only hope for the proper amounts of precipitation and sunshine to bring the dreams to market or for inclusion in our CSA’s in quantities sufficient to satiate the most robust tomato enthusiasts.

Having said all that and pining for the spring it has to be said that all the Schoolhouse Farmers are rather excited about the possibility of a good old fashion snow storm. The kind that keeps you cabin bound and penned in for a good 24 hours. Bread baking, bolognaise making, driveway shoveling, snow play and the perfect silence that accompanies the storm. Plus the knowledge that after it concludes we will be able to enjoy some awesome powder skiing which brings huge grins as well!

Relief with Peppermint Oil

2011-01-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

Winter has a firm grip on the farm and the entire farm family. As active and embracing of the cold, wind and snow as the farmers are the reality is that regardless how well nourished and physically fit we all happen to be ailments find a way to impact us each in various ways. Sore muscles, clogged sinus, stomach ache, itchy skin, upset stomach, headache and coughing fits all very real and all equally annoying.

Our well Loved Bottle of Peppermint oil!

The Schoolhouse Farmers find that peppermint oil is a cure-all for almost anything (anything that tea and raw honey can't cure) that ails the farmers. A little applied to the right area and relief is on its way. Not to mention the fact that is can help improve the air quality around a house bound canine’s general vicinity! Additionally it really does help improve ones memory! The Young Living products that we use are edible so a couple drops or a little applied to the roof of the mouth and it’s a whole new day!

Winter kill or survival of the fittest

2011-01-19T20:43:00.002-05:00

A brief respite from the cold allowed for the chickens to stretch their legs and strut around the pen pecking freely at apples, cracked corn and the flock block. The pressed block of grains is great in helping in alleviating boredom as well as supplying protein to the hens. The reprieve also emboldened some of the ladies to attempt flight and make a run for greener pastures. Where they thought the greener pastures might be is certainly a mystery to the farmer as all that is visible is a sea of continuous unbroken white. Who said chickens were very bright anyhow?

Well as anybody who lives locally knows the warming pattern was oh so brief. So much so in fact that less then 12 hours later the snow and cold had retrenched itself. School was delayed and canceled due to the conditions and the young farmers had another winter day to play. While sipping a cup of tea the farmer casually surveyed the landscape while keeping an eye on the young snow covered youngsters.

A strange shadow caught the eye immediately adjacent to the snow blanketed garden. It was not a child or a dog, but it was size able. More serious scrutiny determined it was a bird of flight, a rather big one. After reading about the Cooper Hawk recently spotted at Lockwood Farms across the lake could a similar bird be at Schoolhouse Farms? Armed with a digital camera the farmer hastily went to investigate.

The farmer quickly cut across the drive and headed in the direction of the bird. Whoosh the large dark shaped bird wheeled away. As the farmer attempted to utilize the camera whoosh a second formally unseen bird took flight as well. Rattled and mildly spooked the farmer beat a hasty retreat to the safety of the homestead not sure if the large birds were about to attack.

Enough dramatics the real question was what were the birds doing? The answer did not reveal itself until later in the day when it came time to refresh the water for the flock. While carrying the water containers down from the pens it was noted that one of the hens seemed to have lost feathers as evidence by a few scattered in the snow. As the farmer took a couple steps further the true scope of what had transpired earlier at the hands of those large birds was revealed. A fully eviscerated carcass in a circle of lost plumage lay before the farmer! This was the first time in the farmer’s history of chicken keeping that such carnage had occurred. Amazing how a little warm weather and a chicken with a pea size brain can change the landscape literally and figuratively!

We thought of posting an image of the feather pattern but chose instead an image of activity taking place simultaneously at an unadulterated location far away from the fray! Bad hair day seemed a better fit!

Winter Naps, hikes and quiet storms

2011-01-13T12:30:00.002-05:00

Just because the crops are finished and the landscape has been covered with a white light cover of winter wonder is no reason for the Farmers to cease all activity. Granted it would be easier to remain sedentary and pack on some extra weight as a result of a diminished physical regiment. However in an effort to keep our bodies fit we choose a different option.

Cross country skis, snowshoes or pack boots, it matters little they can all yield a similar result. A strenuous hike through acres of snow covered fields of corn and soy bean. A peaceful experience comforted by the company of a dog, the gentle falling snow and an occasional wave at a lone snow mobile.

As stewards of the land we keep the covered landscape in the scope of our daily routine, gaining familiarity with its undulations and boundaries. The farmers patiently waiting the spring when the land will once again return to its hands and the daily routine of trekking mile upon mile to achieve the goals for the farm will once again commence.

The quiet storm has coated the landscape, invigorated the farmer and given ample justification for an afternoon nap. A cozy contented nap followed by a warm cup of tea and a stack of seed catalogs.

Pumping Pumpkins

2011-01-12T11:34:00.002-05:00

Pumping Pumpkins!

Wagon load upon wagon load of pumpkins and squash are carted out of the fields at the large Pumpkin Farm down the road all fall. The young SHF farmers spent a good deal of time working at Tim’s Pumpkin patch during the busy pumpkin season and saw thousands of pumpkins of varying size, shape, color and beauty on a daily basis.

This gorgeous squash caught the eye of one our resident enthusiast during a day of work. Selecting a singularly unique squash or pumpkins from acre upon acre is not as simple or as obvious as it may seem. The subtlety of discerning the outstanding aspects of each particular species of squash is a talent. This unique talent generally needs years of mastery to be proficient. We are fortunate to have a natural spotter in our clan and it is for this reason we acquired this handsome specimen.

This perfect Cinderella Pumpkin has been on prominent display since early October at SHF and has wowed all who have cast an adoring eye on it. An heirloom variety this beauty is also called Rouge Vif d’Etampes. A pumpkin charming to look at with flesh that is equally wonderful in pie and as a replacement for free weights when the need arises.

We have not decided how we feel about the culinary transformation of this work of art. That would be a lot of pie and we are not sure we have flood gates on our oven to contain all that filling or the heart to carve it into pieces. Such is the conflict of the art lover and omnivore.

Should Chickens Hibernate?

2011-01-11T13:46:00.003-05:00

The biggest issue for us concerning our chickens is keeping them well feed, watered and active. The cold, snow, lack of sunshine and limited day light do little to encourage the ladies to lay eggs so it leaves a fair amount of down time. Scratch grain, chicken crumble and veggie scraps help to keep them moving, fed and entertained with little effort. The water game on the other hand is a little more tedious.

We don’t have fancy electric heaters to keep the water from freezing so we are required to take frequent trips to retrieve, thaw and refill the water dispensers. This requires the use of a snow blower to keep the path easily accessible and a pair of Sorels handy and dry at all times.(not forgetting gloves and long underwear!)

The young farmers are somewhat helpful in the retrieving and redistribution of the water containers, however with a full school schedule it leaves much of the work to the bigger farmers. As we wait for the days to grow longer and for the chickens to once again begin to lay eggs on a regular basis we shall maintain our daily, seemingly unrewarding regiment. It leads us to wonder what if chickens hibernated all winter would less be headed off to the market or stew pot come fall in our frigid northern reaches? Food for thought literally!

Mixology without Fermentation

2011-01-10T14:03:00.001-05:00

To keep an active group of winter athletes fueled up enough to maintain strength and stamina in the cold is a trick. The body burns fuel while exercising as well as when it attempts to keep the core temperature up in the frigid weather. What is needed is a food that is easy to consume, tasty and full of staying power.

The dedicated foodies at Schoolhouse Farms spend a lot of time in the kitchen and inspiration is often an off shoot of desperation based on limited time and a too busy schedule. It is also one developed out of necessity with a key eye on nutrition. The results of these colliding conditions often results in some very tasty meals with wheels.

The snow was flying and the race team was calling when one of the Schoolhouse Farmers miraculous meals was created to escort the mob of speedy sliders and snowshoers to the slopes. (That’s a lot of S’s) The resulting inspiration was chicken chili served over a house blend of jasmine rice, black barley and red & black quinoa! We know we had a hit when the casual on lookers and other hungry enthusiasts murmured “Wow that looks good, all I have is a ham and cheese sandwich”

The beauty of Schoolhouse Farms house made blend of rice and grain is in its versatility and the almost endless possibilities it holds. Monday morning it was mixed with apples, cucumbers rice vinegar, and olive oil, and sent off as a refreshing lunch to be enjoyed in the dry stale air environment of the school (figuratively and literally).

So here’s to the spirit of grain and the wholesome mixology of the Schoolhouse Farmer, no ice needed but perfect with cold and snow!

Rooibos & Raw!

2011-01-07T14:48:00.001-05:00

Farm girl Rooibos

As January began an odd change took place on the farm. The family of farmers developed flu like head cold style ailments. A condition that we can gladly say was missing for the entirety of 2010. What had we done? What had so radically changed? What was missing?

What was missing was the key to the puzzle. It did not take long to realize that in transitioning from fall to winter routines we neglected a dietary component that had maintained our bodily defenses with such gusto the year before. We had failed to begin our daily regiment of Rooibos and Raw honey. It really was that simple.

Maximizing the last bit of raw honey from a jar with hot Rooibos

Regardless what the critics might say or be thinking this combination worked for us. The twice or thrice daily ingestion of the aromatic red bush root and raw honey had kept our immunity system in peak order. We started the once familiar routine Wednesday! Good bye Mr. Cold see you later Mrs. Flu!

The French Grade

2011-01-06T21:57:00.001-05:00

Projects seem to take on a life of their own and engulf, ensnare and completely dominate entire days as well as all that fall in the path. So be warned when your wide eyed student approaches you and says “ I need a little help on a project” those words generally amount to more then just some casual coaching or light scanning of prose.

At Schoolhouse Farms the making of King’s cake became a little project that all but consumed the entire day. Firstly let me point out this occurred upon a snow day which normally would not have been such a big deal had we had any of the ingredients on hand for the recipe. With no part of the puzzle at our disposal the start was rocky at best. “What kind of assignment is this?” Just because “Cake Boss” has become a big hit doesn’t suggest for a minute that it is our passion or forte. It was time to Google the recipe and to create a shopping list. I mentioned it was a snow day right?

The ingredients were for the most part fairly basic so off the product procurement team went to gather up the necessary items. I should say off they went on a snow day that was actually snowing heavily. Not long after the phone rings and we are informed that the primary ingredient, puff pastry, is not in stock at the local facility, and that the roads are not in any condition to be continuing aimlessly searching. It was asked if we could look up a recipe for making ones own puff pastry. It seemed simply enough and the ingredients readily available so what the heck.

Team King’s Cake reassembled in the kitchen and began the fairly tedious process of creating puff pastry from scratch. As it turned out the supremely decadent final project was completed at or around 9PM when a gold crown was placed on the finished pastry. It was a crash course in the life of a pastry chef for our 9^th grade French student C’est La vie! The cake was for the celebration of the three kings and by the delighted response of the faculty we believe a royal hit.

Now that we are reasonably comfortable in our collective knowledge of producing puff pastry we wonder how it will play in to future culinary endeavors.

And that was Yesterday!

2011-01-05T15:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a day full of anticipation, dreaming and planning. The plan for building additional raised beds, the designing of a new structure and reclamation of an old. With a modest break in the weather we took the opportunity to walk the farmscape in an effort to divine the best location for the placement of a grow house. We spend a good deal of time dedicated to learning our land so whatever we do truly flows and fits neatly without taking areas out of play. We need to grow the farm, but we still ample place to play.

As we ponder the approaching season we discuss what we need to grow in 2011. We also reflect back on the accomplishments of 2010. We had a monumental growth year in 2010 on several fronts. The early season warmth of April and May propelled us forward earlier then ever. The dry warm gave many plants a head start in development and an earlier showing at the local market and the farmstand. The heirloom tomatoes had a banner season the likes of which we have not seen in years. We grew the physical scope of the farm and added 10 acres of plantings. In addition we planted the first of many apple trees, pear trees and grapes. It was the year we offered our initial public offering of Schoolhouse Farms CSA as well as the first year we took product to sell at Skaneateles Farmers market.

Winter pens us up physically but it allows the mental process to recharge and re-focus on the plans for the ensuing season. It is amazing how quickly one is willing to get back to the toil of the farm once the winter weather relaxes even slightly. Our 2011 vision board is taking shape once more on the fridge. A plan is beginning to formulate again.

That was yesterday, before the snow returned! Yesterday when the kids were at school and we had time to enjoy the break in the weather. Today is an altogether different matter. School first delayed is now canceled. All activities put on hold, all planning and dreaming suspended. Back to making French toast, roasting squash and refereeing and with luck maybe an opportunity to pick up a book and escape after all it really is winter.

Soup Sucrine du Berry, Ginger, Garlic, Coconut Milk and Cilantro with Chinese Five Spice Seasoned Croutons

2011-01-04T14:56:00.001-05:00

Sucrine du berry squash was a clear farm favorite once again this last season, and you can be asured it will be part of the 2011 planting. The stunning squash has a beautiful buff colored exterior and a vibrant deep orange interior. On the heals of last night's over whelming success of Thelma Sander's sweet potato squash it was decided to once again visit the stellar cellar for another star! The choice of squash was easier then selecting an accompanying bottle of wine.

The inspiration for the soup arose from a family fondness for the various ingredients and their availability in the pantry. The combination just developed almost as a natural occurrence with little serious thought. The resulting efforts are fabulous and the bowls will be wiped clean without a doubt! Good eating need not be complicated or tedious!

Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato Squash

2011-01-03T18:33:00.001-05:00

It's winter and dinner at Schoolhouse Farms required a visit to the cellar and perusal of the stored stock of squash. Tonight the winner was Thelma Sanders sweet potato squash. This pale colored acorn style yellow fleshed squash was a big hit at the market last year and we were afraid we had sold ourselves completely out thus depriving the farmers for the entire winter. Fortune shined on the farmers during the fall as we uncovered a small bonanza of Thelma Sanders. The squash was obscured during harvest by abundant green and exposed as the winds of seasonal change blew one blustery afternoon.

The Squash is split and roasted in a 450° degree oven in our case beside a baking loaf of homemade crusty SHF bread. The rest of the dinner will include a ragout of black eyed peas, celery, bacon, SHF (wintered over) kale and carrot, plus oven roasted southwestern dry rubbed wild salmon. Inspiration from the sea the soil and the cellar with motivation provided by winters cold and a desire to live well and eat better.

Eaten Out of Home & Bread

2011-01-02T10:25:00.004-05:00

Homemade SHF-1848 artisan bread is a staple at Schoolhouse farms. This simple pleasure not only fuels the farmer it nurtures the soul. Thick crusty warm slices topped with a generous amount of Schoolhouse farms black currant jam pleases some while others require a cinnamon ginger infused egg batter (French toast) to satisfy the morning hunger.
A slice of cheese on top for lunch cold or oven warmed served along farro and figs with orange rice vinegar dressing on one occasion or a blend of wild rice with green lentils celery, red onion and a mustard aioli dressed salad on another. Simply too tasty with inspiration based on the season or what’s in the pantry.

The ritual of preparation for the daily bread is now a routine as familiar as the making of the morning cups of individual dripped coffee. The tantalizing smell of the crusty golden loaves lining the counter awaken the young farmers to the start of another great day.
It’s too bad we can’t share the aroma on-line, but you need to trust that it is that good! Life is good, but life gets even better with fresh baked SHF-1848 artisan bread!

CSA at Schoolhouse Farms Skaneateles, New York

2011-01-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M15378

Schoolhouse Farms will be offering shares of it's CSA again in 2011. We will be offering just 20 shares with home delivery available in the 13152 zip code. These shares will be made up of Schoolhouse Farms produce. Produce that is grown without the use of pesticides at our eco-ganic micro farm near Skaneateles, New York. We will also include some other unique items as the season and harvest progresses. Items we believe will enhance what we have included in the weekly share. All the information you need to know about this limited offer are available at our Schoolhouse Farms LocalHarvest site or by clicking on the image! We are excitedly planning your shares this winter in anticipation of our best growing season ever.
A CSA is a joint venture between Farmer (us) and the Partner (you)! You can feel good about supporting an aspect of farming that receives no local state or federal subsidies. The sweat is all ours but the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is ours to share with you. It is a win win situation that really keeps things local. A CSA has some assumed risk on both our parts as we have no control over mother nature. Last year had perfect growing condition unlike the storm ravaged conditions that almost completely wiped out our tomato harvest in the two previous years. We learned from our past experiences how to react as quickly as possible and plant alternative crops in an attempt to stave off the huge holes in the harvest when mother nature isn't acting so kindly. Thankfully our actions often help prevent a lost season of farming. Admittedly in the past people were disappointed about tomato blight but were also excited that we filled the void. We are praying for another year like last year with abundant early warmth, ample sun and occasional rain!
Farming is an on going education for us and for everybody who hitches their spiritual wagon onto our dream. Schoolhouse Farms has come a long way in over 12 years and encourages you to visit the farm and our historic one room schoolhouse we call the Borodino Market!http://www.localharvest.org/csa/M15378?ul

Tin Snowman

2010-12-11T09:29:00.004-05:00

It is late Fall at Schoolhouse Farms and all thoughts of further field work have been firmly put to bed by mother nature. The stubborn lake influenced patterns have blanketed the field, farm and out buildings with a thick pure white wind carved layer of snow. The windy conditions have created numerous beautifully sculpted natural art.

Reality of Finality

2010-11-02T08:59:00.003-04:00

The reality of the finality of the heirloom tomato season has been both obvious and fairly rude. The usual gentle slide towards the inevitable six months of winter was a whole lot steeper this year as we went from an unbelievable summer to late fall early winter in the space of a couple weeks. Indian summer failed to make any kind of prolonged appearance and the generally dry clear October that continues to ripen fruit never materialized. We had anticipated some type of reprieve so we could harvest the last of the tomatoes for seed saving, however it seems we may have missed that opportunity.

We had managed earlier to collect some of the season’s best heirlooms for next year’s crop. Carefully fermenting the seeds and drying them in batches in anticipation of yet another bigger more robust season then the past. The process is not difficult, but it requires the best tomatoes to achieve the best results going forward. We have saved various heirloom tomato seeds for years and the success rate of germination has been fairly high. Next season we just need to make room on the calendar a little earlier to start the process so we can increase the scope of our collection. In any event the process shall continue despite the presence of a killing frost and the sounds of the furnace!

Smitten

2010-10-20T08:49:00.004-04:00

The shape, the color, the size, the possibilities, are all reasons we have become "smitten" by this squash. This season the germination rate was fairly low so the harvest was small. Despite the lack of quantity this year this squash has already opened the door to next year and with it the desire to plant at a far greater rate. In the mean time the photograhic opportunities and the culinary calling have us transfixed on this pratically perfect fall beauty! We have not even explored the flavor of this little gem but know without a doubt that beauty runs deep into the flesh of this edible cucurbita!

SHF-1848 Simply Spicey!

2010-10-19T10:11:00.004-04:00

Meadowood Farms Chorizo with shrimp, SHF-1848 tomatoes, peppers, onion and Dr Frank Chardonnay served over heirloom Koda farms rice. A simple combination of great flavors with just the right amount of spice!

An Alumnus of the Borodino schoolhouse returns for a visit.

2010-10-12T12:32:00.001-04:00

It was a quintessential Finger Lakes fall day and we were busying ourselves in the yard when a classic station wagon putted up the driveway slowly and deliberately. The gentleman driver opened his door and greeted us by informing us “I went to school here in 1928” Quickly doing the math we realized that this gentleman had gone to the school here over 80 years ago. What stories might he be able to tell us? What historical riddle could he solve! It was serendipity as recently the Skaneateles Press had done a series “Then & Now” and we had a fresh copy with an image of the school from the early 20’s and one from this year. The structure for all the years is largely unchanged.

Edward Halsted had gone to school in Borodino when his family operated the local creamery located a little farther north on Rose Hill road. (Today the site of the Spafford Town Hall) He told us that the teacher was Susie Wood who lived on the farm adjacent to “Factory Gulch” later be known as five mile point.

A kite an anchor a dog and a child

2010-10-08T19:28:00.000-04:00

With the harvest nearing an end the joy of the season continued. The field was ready for the next chapter. Time had come to gather up the yards of grow cloth for storage for another season. The air was crisp the sun was bright and the breeze brisk. The dogs and the youngest thought it was great sport! A giant kite of sorts ready to whip you high in the sky if your feet aren’t planted firmly on the ground!

The shadows of Fall sun

2010-10-08T07:07:00.000-04:00

The shadows created by the lowering sun really create wonderful photogenic light to capture the equally inviting subject matter. The magical days of fall are as fleeting as they are short and so when the sun is out the camera comes out.

The Best looking wrapper

2010-10-03T10:19:00.000-04:00

Entering veggies at the NY state fair would seem pretty straight forward, but upon reflecting on our experience it may have been simple but for us it was anything but. The categories are pretty loose with no division of heirloom versus hybrid, organically grown versus traditional. The products are judged by the individuals from the flower show and nothing is to be tasted! So that leaves visual appeal to be the single criteria by which items are judged and winners determined.

So we opted for a few categories and most of our produce was entered as “other” as it did not fit in the basic slot, Chocolate peppers, Poblano peppers, Csikos Botermo and Pink honey heirlooms tomatoes, Rosa Bianca Eggplant and Red okra all pesticide free heirlooms.

The day of the harvest we really had no clue what to gather. Nor did we believe we had ample supply of any and certainly nothing that resembled uniformity. We needed five similar of some and singles of others delivered, labeled and display at the fairgrounds by 11AM. The clock was against us so we packed up the items and scurried off to the horticulture building at the fairgrounds.

Driving toward the fairgrounds traffic intensified and slowed to a crawl the clock continued to move as the deadline grew closer. With not much time left the veggies arrived, were simply arranged and squeezed in amongst all the other entries. The rest was now left up to the judges.

Surprisingly the judges rewarded our pesticide free entries far more then we had thought possible. The Pink Heart heirlooms tomatoes 1st prize, the Chocolate peppers and Poblano peppers 1st prize, the Rosa Bianca eggplant 2nd prize, the Csikos Botermo heirloom tomato 2nd prize! 5 out of 6 had won the praise of judges without a taste. We just can’t figure out what happened to the Red okra? We thought for sure it was a ringer and blue ribbon winner for sure, however upon further reflection we doubt the judges were able to see the beauty that okra is as it really doesn’t come in the best looking wrapper.

The Day of Summer was the last CSA delivery for 2010

2010-09-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

We bid farewell to summer and delivered our last shares of Schoolhouse Farms inaugural CSA all on the same day! The Summer of 2010 was a magical growing season and one we would love to replicate season after growing season if possible. The bounty that each of the weekly shares contained amazed us as farmers and delight our shareholders. We had the perfect mix of weather to grateful shareholder ratio. The seasons conclusion is bittersweet as we will miss the weekly delivery ritual as we embrace the beauty of a gorgeous Fall on the farm!

Farming is an continuous learning process and each year brings new challenges and opportunities. We grew our farm output this season significantly and consequently maxed out all available equipment we owned, begged or borrowed. Some of the equipment is still on the list awaiting repair during the slow winter months to be ready for next season. We did not max out the available tillable land and plan on expanding even further next year. We just can't get enough of a good thing regardless the increased work load.

As far as the question of offering a CSA from Schoolhouse Farms
for a second season the answer is a great big "You bet"! We have already gotten commitment's from some of our CSA shareholders for next year. We will offer a few more shares next year but we still want to keep it manageable so that can maintain and deliver the highest quality possible!

To be clear our favorite growing obsession is our love of heirloom tomatoes! We kind of consider ourselves an heirloom Tomato farm that grows other heirloom vegetables. We did add more diversity in our heirloom veggies and planted on a larger scale this year in direct response to offering a CSA. However we love our heirloom tomatoes and will continue to expand that end of the farm undeterred by the fact that seasons can be dismal failures. Call it an obsession but those of you that have enjoyed our heirloom tomatoes over the years know we are preaching to the choir and those of you that have not been converted to the heirloom tomato need to get on board! It is a passage worth sailing!

Labor Day Weekend at the SHF-1848 Farm Stand

2010-09-03T10:22:00.001-04:00

The Heirloom Tomatoes as well as the San Marzano and Opalka sauce tomatoes are available this weekend! It is a perfect weekend to make sauce and serve up peak of the season tomato flavor! Don't miss out on this fabulous heirloom tomato season. You never know what next season will bring so don't get left out on the best Heirloom tomato growing season in years! So ugly! So Good! So local! Get to Borodino!

Schoolhouse Farm's Sunflower Cowgirl

2010-08-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

SHF Heirloom Tomato & Gruyere Cobbler

2010-08-25T20:20:00.000-04:00

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus
• 2 TBS all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter plus
• 1TBS cold unsalted butter cut in pieces
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves finely minced
• 2 lb small heirloom tomatoes (yellow pear, red fig, black plum and Togo trifle)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 pinch freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 large egg
-In the bowl of a food processor, combine 1 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese. Add 1/2 cup butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
- With machine running, pour about 1/8 cup ice water, little by little, through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without becoming wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together; if it is crumbly, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Transfer to refrigerator; chill 1 hour. Keep dough cool until ready to bake
-Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and cool slightly.
- Place tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and the basil and pepper. Add onion mixture, and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to a deep 9-inch pie dish. Set aside.
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough into a circle 1 inch larger than pie dish. Transfer rolled dough to top of dish; tuck in edges to seal, forming a decorative edge, if desired. Cut four 1-inch slits in crust.
- In a small bowl, mix egg with 1 teaspoon water. Brush egg glaze over crust; sprinkle crust with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Place pie dish on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil to catch drips. Bake until crust is golden and inside is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let cobbler cool before serving.

We are "Loco" for heirloom tomatoes in Borodino!

2010-08-15T11:40:00.000-04:00

An heirloom tomato is an open-pollinated (non-hybrid) heirloom cultivar of tomato. Heirlooms come in various sizes, shapes and colors. These full flavored tomatoes add color to the plate, appeal to the eye and a taste explosion for the palette. They are also not easy to transport due to delicate skins and consequently seldom seen in the grocery store.

What’s the big deal about them? Well we believe that you need to taste them for yourself to understand why people become so passionate about them. We have been growing and selling heirlooms for the past 12 years with varying degrees of success. Some years as a result of climatic conditions we hardly are able to harvest more then a few handfuls. In others, like this season, the bounty is considerable.

Heirloom tomatoes are what everyone ate before society became enamored with massive grocery stores and the convenience of food shopping at a single source. This new shopping method required the grocer to feature items that transported well and were readily available to the masses. The new more opulent society of the 1950’s marked the rapid decline of the backyard garden, specialty food shops (Butcher, Baker, and Produce) and canning. Society became consumed with its newest ambition the accumulation of wealth which left little time for the organic agrarian pursuits of our fore father’s.

Some of us discovered that food was never going to go out of style, but good food was simply getting harder to find. It was the small foodie movement that continued to champion flavor and reconnected the past as the means to the future. They are once again canning and planting back yard garden, raising backyard chickens re-opening specialty shops, opening farm stands and re-introducing the public to a world that had been forgotten or never known by many. Heirloom tomatoes are our conduit which we use in our attempt to expand the dulled food palette of the masses. We are dedicated to creating new foodies one heirloom tomato at a time.

It is truly dizzying the variety of heirloom tomato seeds available, literally hundreds and hundreds. It is equally as complicated a task to select those that we feel we want to attempt to grow and share at market. The shapes and colors do not conform to the bland predicable items the public has associated with tomatoes and consequently shoppers are highly suspicious and not terribly adventurous. If a cucumber doesn't look green and waxy or if a potato is pink or a purple mottled bean is called a dragon tongue they tend to shy away. Slowly the tide is turning as the curious adventure a little more toward the wild side and embrace what we have known for years, food shouldn't’t be monochromatic!

Schoolhouse Farms of Borodino is growing Red Okra so we felt compelled to share an ode to Okra

2010-08-11T15:30:00.001-04:00

"Song to Okra" by Roy Blount, Jr.:

String beans are good, and ripe tomatoes,
And collard greens and sweet potatoes,
Sweet corn, field peas, and squash and beets--
But when a man rears back and eats
He wants okra.
Good old okra.

Oh wow okra, yessiree,
Okra is Okay with me.

Oh okra's favored far and wide,
Oh you can eat it boiled or fried,
Oh either slick or crisp inside,
Oh I once a knew a man who died
Without okra.

Little pepper-sauce on it,
Oh! I wan' it:
Okra.

Old Homer Ogletree's so high
On okra he keeps lots laid by.
He keeps it in a safe he locks up,
He eats so much, can't keep his socks up.
(Which goes to show it's no misnomer
When people call him Okra Homer.
Okra!

Oh you can make some gumbo wit' it,
But most of all I like to git it
All by itself in its own juice,
And lying there all nice and loose--
That's okra!

It may be poor for eating chips with,
It may be hard to come to grips with,
But okra's such a wholesome food
It straightens out your attitude.

"Mm!" is how discerning folk re-
Spond when they are served some okra.

Okra's green,
Goes down with ease.
Forget cuisine
Say "Okra , please."

You can have strip pokra,
Give me a nice girl and a dish of okra.

Heirloom Tomatoes are in the house!

2010-08-10T15:30:00.001-04:00

Come and get yourSchoolhouse Farms heirloom tomatoes!

Schoolhouse Farms has a great assortment of pesticide free heirloom tomatoes!

Available at the SHF 1848 farm stand in the hamlet of Borodino!

7 miles south of Skaneateles on route 41!

Follow the SHF 1848 sign!

Also at the Skaneateles Farmers Market Thursday 3:30-6:30

& Saturday 10AM-1PM at the Skaneateles Community Center aka the "Y"!

Bring a heavy weight bag to haul away this bounty!

Schoolhouse Farms quick and oh so tasty summer lunches for the farm hands

2010-08-08T08:19:00.000-04:00

Asian Cucumbers petit Gris de Rennes melon Meadowood Farms feta and fresh Basil

Vorlon heirloom tomatoes with danish blue balsamic vinegar and black pepper

Basil Tomatoes and a blast of cool weather

2010-08-06T18:36:00.001-04:00

The perfect conditions have arrived to make a pot of fresh tomato sauce with our freshly harvested San Marzano and Opalka tomatoes. The tomatoes simmer with the addition of fresh SHF basil and a hearty douse of Dr Franks Pinot Grigio! When the temperature cools as it has today it encourages the Schoolhouse Farmers desire to cook with fresh heirloom tomatoes!

The bigger colored varieties of our heirloom tomatoes are ripening as well and when it heats back up next week we will be indulging in them as often as possible! It's like the lyrics of the Jimmy Buffet song "I like mine with lettuce and tomato...." Heirlooms in Paradise, well at the very least at Schoolhouse Farms as often as the season allows!

The farm stand is open daily so if you need to secure your fresh pesticide free local produce stop by!

Skaneateles Farmers Market & The Farm stand in Borodino at Schoolhouse Farms

2010-08-02T08:12:00.000-04:00

The veggies are in full swing and the farm stand at Schoolhouse Farms is open daily for your fresh fix of locally grown pesticide free goodness. You can also pick up our mirco-ganic produce at the Skaneateles Farmers Market each Thursday from 3:30PM-6:30PM at the Skaneateles Community Center or The Skaneateles "Y" as it may now be called! We are also at the Skaneateles Farmers Market Saturdays 10AM-1PM. We are generally running late to the market as we really endevour to have our products as fresh from the field as possible! Just look for the yellow umbrella we will be close by.

Cooking on the farm

2010-07-07T07:56:00.000-04:00

What’s cooking on the farm? Well with this heat wave just about everything is cooking. It’s been a couple of years since we had some heat like this combined with some serious sunshine to get July started. The plants are better suited to handle the 90 degree stuff then we are and with a little luck we will see the benefits of some harvestable fruits sooner then in season past.

The numerous varieties of heirloom tomatoes have begun to blossom and fruit are beginning to set. Now as exciting as that is we have always known that the time of blossom to harvest can be endlessly long an agonizingly long time as far as we are concerned. However the sooner the waiting begins the sooner it ends!

Beans love heat and by the look of the blossoming activity this must be paradise. As gallons of perspiration drip from our bodies the beans seem immune to the heat and burning sun and in fact reveal in the conditions. The Dragon Tongues are really drought tolerant and soon should be making a farm stand appearance.

It has been 12 years in the making but this year it became a reality when we finally installed an outdoor shower. This little piece of luxury has become a hit with all and limits the amount of dust that seeps into the house. Since we are on a well we knew that installing it would likely mean a dry summer, but that was a gamble we were glad to take after lasts years summer that never happened.

Cuckoo's & Silly bands

2010-06-14T10:53:00.001-04:00

Back-yard Chickens and Silly bands clearly are a sign of the times. Two crazes seem to be sweeping the nation at the same time and have absolutely no relationship to each other.

The first craze is the raising of chickens at home. People from the urban reaches to the rural are rearing chickens at home like nothing seen in recent history. Small flocks of fowl that will yield eggs for the family, manure for the garden and amusement for all.

The second craze taking place at school grade level is the collecting and wearing of Silly Bands, silicone bracelets in every shape and color imaginable. Kids are collecting these to the point of having entire arms from wrist to shoulder festoon in the bright colored bands. Trading is so brisk stores are bringing in knock-offs to keep up with demand which seems a little shameful. On the bright side we haven't heard of imitation chickens being sent out from the hatchery's yet! They are just a little backordered.

The Pea report

2010-06-13T07:58:00.000-04:00

This week at Schoolhouse Farms we have been patiently waiting for the sugar snap peas to plump up for harvest. We planted them it seems months ago and they just sat and sat. They are not fans of super dry or hot so they protested the heat of May with a stop work strike. This recent change in temperature and moisture kicked them back into gear. Sweet peas are awesome raw, blanched or sauteed! The pod and peas are entirely edible. During our laborious harvest we have all we can do to keep the farmers in training from devouring the crop before we get it to market.

The crop of greens is doing well with a continuous supply of heirloom cutting lettuce, mustard's, kale and soon Swiss chard. The new crop of Savoy spinach is a couple weeks away and the demand high. Savoy spinach did very well but other varieties bolted in the heat and left a hole in the schedule. The arugula crop went to seed before it was ready for market due to heat and drought so it became the green manure for replanting another. We have reseeded Pak Choy, Japanese red mustard, the heirloom lettuce mix and with a little nurture from Mother Nature should be ready for market again in a few weeks.

Sunflowers are in and popping up, parsnips did not like the dry so we will try again same story with the carrots. Some of the Chinese cabbage is starting to bolt due to the strange conditions including the cold weather. Too hot too cold to dry too wet, we just seem a little out of climate balance. The rows of Heirloom tomatoes plants are getting bigger and stronger our pole beans are climbing the strings and the bush beans are thriving. A few more weeks and we should be experiencing the full effects of bean fever. We will keep you posted!

Every season of the year rolled into a 31 day window

2010-06-03T08:36:00.000-04:00

May was a quick montage of every season rolled into a 31 day window! We had more snow then March or April we had a mix of autumn like crisp cool nights and warm days. We had the frosts of early spring and finally the dry and unrelenting heat of mid-July. What a ride it was like seeing the seasons change with your finger glued to the fast forward button. Did that really happen?

It happened alright and keeping pace was a clever act of rolling, shucking, jiving and reinventing the plan as the day progressed. We started prepping and preparing to plant at high speed and then quickly shifted into the mode of “now it really is time to get things in the ground and out of the greenhouse” only to be momentarily stalled by a mid month freeze and snow storm. Then in mere days it was back to tilling, digging, mulching, planting and watering. In the process the farms annual plantings dwarfed any previous year and it was just the beginning. The unusually hot dry air drove us on like heat struck mules, plowing more rows and laying more mulch for seeding more wonderful varieties of Schoolhouse Farms seasonal bounty. The kids worked along side us with enthusiasm rarely seen in youngsters. Secretly everybody shared the same though, “is this insane or what?”

Schoolhouse Farm friends we have germination

2010-05-18T21:19:00.000-04:00

Things are beginning to bust loose all over. The plants in the greenhouse are being weened off the heat and safe haven and acclimating to the realities of the local weather Au natural. The little babies are going to have to grow up big and tough quickly if they are to be of any use to us at the Skaneateles Farmers market, in our CSA shares or at the Schoolhouse farms farm stand.

In the field the potatoes are beginning to send up leaves and the onions and leeks have been enjoying the recent dousing. The newly planted sweet potatoes seem to be adjusting to the cold harsh fact they are being raised in the colder northeast and not the steamy south. Peas on a trellis of red string and lettuces are popping up and with a bit more rain we may be harvesting some tender greens later this week.

Armed with a neat attachment for Scott's BCS two wheel tractor we have been laying black plastic mulch over recently tilled soil. The several thousand feet of mulched rows will be a great help as the thousands of beans, heirloom tomatoes, squash, egg plants, melons, sunflowers pole beans and more are planted. The entire process is exciting nerve racking and exhausting simultaneously.

Tomorrow we should resume seeding a crop of annual rye and clover between the rows to act as weed suppression and green manure. This is a bigger task then anticipated, but our "Big Farm" friend Tim has confidence we can do it walking a three foot drop spreader one acre at a time. (We are really glad somebody thinks we handle the task)

Snowmen by Cristo At SHF

2010-05-10T21:13:00.000-04:00

Wrapped Quince trees to protect from the ravages of the pending freeze! Too good a stretch of weather to think we would escape unscathed! Wrapped and ready to protect the fruits of the fall, Quince have been slowly maturing and producing small harvests annually each season presenting a unique challange. We are determined that this season will be the most successful quince harvest in a decade.

Spring Interrupted

2010-05-09T08:20:00.001-04:00

The warmth and early dry weather prompted everything to burst forth and in some cases bloom. The sickening feeling that it could all be undone if the weather changed radically had been suppressed to the deepest regions of the mind in an effort to prevent such an occurance. Mother Nature is always in command of the seasons and generally reminds us, sometimes rudely, who's really in charge. Like this Mother's day 2010. (Well it does give Mom a excuse not to be in the fields)

We don't believe we have suffered any season altering loses at this point, however we will be checking a bit more carefully when the snow melts. The next couple weeks will be telling as to what if any damage has been inflicted upon the quince, pear, apple and black currants. As we have become fond of saying, "If farming was so easy everybody would be doing it!"

Looking for rain one drop at a time

2010-05-03T09:46:00.000-04:00

The leeks and onions that were planted the last week of April need an inch of rain a week to thrive. It doesn't take much to realize we haven't been on the receiving end of much if any precipitation. Rain is really a love hate relationship. Most of us would just as soon it never rain until we realize how beneficial it truly is.

The Schoolhouse Farmers from the top to bottom set out in force to combat what really is beginning to resemble a drought. A drought can definitely hurt, but has no where near the disastrous effects of unseasonable cold too much water like last year those conditions will simply wipe a farm out. So we are happy to water and wait until Mother Nature opts to lend a hand!

Pomme d'amour what color will you be?

2010-04-27T13:02:00.000-04:00

Pomme d'amour Lascivious Tomato?

"At times thought of as an aphrodisiac (thus the name "Love Apple" or pomme d'amour) and always thought of as delicious, the tomato's sensuous curves and delicate flesh have resulted in the occasional riot. In fact, the Church of Rome banned it for lewd and lascivious behavior for nearly 150 years."

Today as a rather bizarre weather pattern attempts to blanket us with the first snow since February we are starting more tomato seeds. We are seeding many more heirloom tomato seeds all in hope of an abundant harvest in August. Ah to be swimming in heirloom tomatoes. It has been two years since a good harvest . Mother Nature has been a little unkind the past two years and has not delivered the necessary blend of sun and warmth required to produce a first rate crop. We are confident or at least striving for a harvest like 2007.

In 2007 the road side stand at Schoolhouse Farms was an overflowing sea of heirloom tomatoes. The table was awash in with heirloom tomatoes of all size, shape and color. The visual effect breath taking to the point that traffic was literally brought to a stand still when people caught site of the stand. Cars would slow and audible gasps could be heard from the occupants when they eyed the bounty. Inevitably most would immediately pull over or turn around and slowly comeback while regaining composure. When they approached the stand the pleasure was immediately evident as kid like grins spread across their faces. The tomato enthusiasts would stand in awe and after a period of stunned silence stammer; “What should I buy, which ones, sell me some good ones” Then off they would go with a couple of quarts in tow. Almost to a person they would return a day or two later thanking us profusely for tomatoes of such flavor and unusual beauty and purchasing more. A ritual they will continue until the season comes to an end.

Our tomato fans returned the past two seasons in an effort to once again capture that mystical heirloom experience. We could just shake our heads in dejection and talk about the weather or lack of it and hope for a better season. After two bombs in a row we continue to have hope for 2010. We continue to start 1000’s of tomato plants in hopes of recreating that heirloom tomato experience to share with more enthusiasts. Here are a few of the 54 varieties of heirlooms started so far!

Hawaiian Currant
Virginia Sweets
Wolford’s Wonder
Orange Flesh Purple Smudge
Lillian’s Yellow
Orange Strawberry
Black Cherry
Belize Pink Heart
New Big Dwarf
Fireworks

2010-04-18T11:37:00.000-04:00

Getting ahead of ourselves to keep up with Mother Nature

Warm and dry April weather like the first 2 weeks of 2010 are not completely unusual. Last year for example April started out on a similar note with a warm dry pattern. (But if you recall that was really it for the season) This year seems to be even farther ahead of normal perhaps by as much as a month so we decided to attempt to keep pace with what Mother Nature was supplying. We are a bit wary as it is still capable of winter conditions so we are still cautious and keep the option of central heating in the ready mode for those unpredictable wild swings in temperature.

Our small sun porch is jammed with seedlings and new sprouts are emerging daily sequestering the kids to a even smaller space. The starts are tomato and peppers, plus a generous variety of specialties to many to name. The indoor seeding game is not new to the family farmers we have always started seeds in any and all available sunny locations. This indoor season has met with unusually early success in germination and leaf development. We believe that it is largely a result of the copious sunshine and unusual warmth April is providing.

Meanwhile in the recycled workshop the farm has managed to produce a couple of chaise lounges to be used by the schoolhouse farmers for quiet reflection and for day dreaming about the up and coming 25 days of Swiss chard. The chairs (like much created at Schoolhouse Farms) were assembled from 100% salvaged pine and cedar based on a simplistic borrowed design. We did the same thing when building our mobile chicken coop aka “chicken tractor”.

The melodious sound of tweeting chicks can be heard mixed amongst the trays of seedlings. The postal service delivered chicks arrived on Friday just a few short days after hatching. This year the volume of people raising chickens in the backyard has increased so significantly that the hatcheries are all back ordered by weeks and in some cases months. We are still awaiting our next installment of chicks. The next group of chickens, when mature, will lay beautiful chocolate colored eggs. Start lining up now if you want to get your hands on a dozen of these!

Our seed potatoes arrived at our doorstep by the box load on Thursday. We never really get a specific date when to expect delivery they just show when our potato lady thinks we should get them. Usually we try to get them planted as quickly as possible. This season presented a new potato growing challenge not yet experienced in the previous eleven seasons. The ground so rock hard that the big blue tiller just bounced on it refusing to break it up and attempts to hand dig holes futile. The complete lack of moisture had made usually workable soils into virtual concrete. After a couple of fruitless hours we realized that the tractor less farm needed the service of a tractor and large tiller. Talk about a feeling of complete helplessness and failure! And then it decided to turn rainy and cold! Well at least that will be a benefit to the peas, arugula, field greens, turnips, beets radishes and carrots. You got to love farming if it was so darn easy everybody would be doing it.

Chicks just arrived at Schoolhouse Farms

2010-04-16T09:03:00.000-04:00

Just hatched and ready to eat and drink!

Heirloom Tomato selections for the 2010 growing season at Schoolhouse Farms

2010-04-12T09:15:00.000-04:00

Heirloom Tomato fans let the rejoicing begin as Schoolhouse Farms embarks on it's annual epic journey that ends ultimately with the tomato harvest. Schoolhouse Farms has placed over 50 varieties of heirloom tomato seeds in the queue for the 2010 season. Yes that means we will be growing these and some we have already started. We are undeterred by the failure of the 2009 crop at the hand of disease, flood, cold and a general lack of sun shine. We are taking each season as an individual unique event and bolding going forward to offer a greater spectrum of color shape and sizes of heirloom tomatoes. Mother Nature with standing this season!

The research and selection process associated with the seeds of heirloom tomatoes is to us very seductive and intensely addicting. Reading the descriptions alone leaves you a little flushed and then to begin to cull the list of hundreds requires stern discipline and determination. Here is a small sample list of some that have pass the selection process:

Juane de Pigeon
Bread & Salt
Pink Honey
Black from Tula
Woodle Orange
Togo Trifle
Purple Calabash
Homer Fikes
Earl of Edgecomb
Cour Di Bue
Basinga
Julia Child
The Dutchmen
Prize
Red Fig
Hillbilly

And the list goes on!

LocalHarvest - CSA Details

2010-04-11T08:05:00.000-04:00

LocalHarvest - CSA Details

Community Supported Agriculture is as local as it gets!

The 2010 season begins in the field

2010-04-06T20:28:00.000-04:00

The Schoolhouse farmers began the biggest season they have ever attempted. It began by planting peas and lettuce and beets and turnips. This field has plenty of space for everything else we will grow as the season continues plus room left over for even more. April is starting out hot and dry just like last year, we trust the similarities between the seasons will end this week!

Black Currant

2010-03-18T20:15:00.000-04:00

The snow season ended quickly as spring weather wrapped us up in a rather warm embrace. The ground absorbed the melting snow and in its wake the black currant bushes stood proudly awaiting seasonal trimming. Similar to other fruiting plants the Black Currant needs attention and thinning to help improve fruit yield and overall quality. The trimming also helps to improve air circulation which is critical to stave off disease.

The spring trimming process is tedious but with the sun warming you the task moves along at a decent clip. The basic idea is to remove about a third of the growth for optimal seasonal production. During this seasons trimming it was interesting to note how little winter damage the plants exhibited.

This year we decided to see if we could be successful in propagating black currants by burying the wood cuttings. We buried a variety of cuttings in varying sizes in a nursery bed. If our little experiment works out even at a minimal level it will have a profound affect on the size of our black currant orchard and consequently our ability to produce more of that fabulous Black Currant jam. We will keep you posted as to success or failure.

Schoolhouse Farms own Femivores Be they big or small loved this article!

2010-03-15T08:43:00.000-04:00

This is a great inspiration for all women, men, and the families they bring with them back to the fields to farm,sustain a life, and the old style homemaking that comes with it. We would like to share this with our family, friends, followers, and all who share in the passion and visions of the Schoolhouse farmers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/magazine/14fob-wwln-t.html?scp=1&sq=femivore&st=cse

Red String & Chicken Tractors

2010-03-09T16:09:00.000-05:00

The sun has been shining the past 4 days and it is unbelievable what it does to the spirit and the creative juices here at Schoolhouse Farms. The ground may still indeed be buried under 2 feet of snow but that is hardly a factor when the sun shines brightly. The temperature is hovering in the mid 40’s and it feels fine outside in just shirt sleeves. Thoughts of the approaching spring season bounce around in our heads and the shear volume of projects plastered on the vision board could be a tad over whelming, but when the weather is like this the projects seem far, far less intense.

The madness that is Odyssey of the Mind is reaching its frenzied peak. Days and nights become a blur as our generally balanced meal times have been replaced by a year’s intake of pizza and junk food. The first hurdle is Wednesday and then it's on with the show with mind numbing possability it could go on for 3 more months!!!

In the corner of the living room are piles of seed packages. The spring planting material has been arriving in a steady stream as winter has continued. The orderly grouping of seeds are patiently waiting for a little attention from the Odyssey of the mind crazied family farmers. It is not uncommon for us to have trays of seeds started by this time, but this year we are taking a different approach. We have not really decided what that approach is but it will undoubtedly be different.

It is also time to renew our chicken flock. Chickens only lay eggs for about a year and if you are raising them for the freezer 6 months is about the maximum you want to keep them. We are attempting to do both so it is requiring some new living arrangements to get the show started. We like our chickens to be able to range around so we are building mobile chicken coops known as chicken tractors. These little contraptions will allow us to move the chickens to fresh areas continuously and benefit from the manure as well as the elimination of bugs while they work up the soil between rows of veggies. The designs are a little well shall we say freestyle. We are attempting to build ours so they will not only be of benefit in garden rows, but in our raised beds as well. A proto-type is being assembled in the driveway at this very moment.

Exercise has and will continue to be a very important element in our lives. We have managed to keep a decent non-traditional regiment in place even when winter was at its worst. The clear roads and the abundant sunshine have allowed us to take to the pavement again for some vigorous walks. The scenic views on our walk are as good as it gets and firmly enhance this form of physical therapy. We have our best planning sessions as well on these occasions. If the sun keeps shining we may even have to expand our vision board yet again.

The red string is for our pole beans! We think the beans and the bees will be happier with the color. Plus we are hoping it will add a new visual dimension to the farm. We like to look at farming as a form of artistry and the red string just called to us. We can’t wait!

A "Fat Robin" true sign of impending Spring

2010-03-05T08:14:00.000-05:00

It may seem hard to believe but it was just a week ago and we were severely under the snow gun. At Schoolhouse Farms we picked up at least 2 feet of snow. The central New York grey seemed omnipresent and the idea of spring a distant reality.

Fast forward a week and the sun is shining and bird activity is everywhere. We were squinting out our window when we spotted a really "Fat Robin" and actually got the impression we had turned winters corner and might just be heading into the next season! This may be a slow and not terribly steady march but we will take it however and whenever it happens.

Perfect Conditions

2010-02-27T12:44:00.000-05:00

We really waited all season for a really worthy snowfall and this past week we were not disappointed. The 20+ inches deposited at Schoolhouse Farms were a welcome change to the pathetic pace at which snow had fallen for the rest of the season. This school closing driveway smothering event kept the snow shovels at the ready for numerous assaults on the accumulating white blanket. Four shovels working like soldiers managed to keep the driveway clear and created massive piles for later use as slides, stairs, forts tunnels,and sculptures.

Regardless how clean the driveway we still managed to get a vehicle stuck. This require another shoveling party and few explatives to resolve. The driveway cleaned up the roof shoveled and temperatures warming meant it was onto the real fun and the construction of what I believe may be the perfect snowman. An all kid made with no help from the adults style snowman. (Well except the nose..a piece of celery, the carrots are in the chowder we are having for lunch)

Our seeds of Change

2010-02-25T12:50:00.000-05:00

The most exciting part of winter came together today in a big way! The first was the weather and the arrival of the first major snow maker of the 2009-2010 winter season. The snow will build to a frenzy later today and may bring with it a couple of feet. It has already closed all the local schools and energized the kids with anticipation of a major powder event. The second aspect that excites the Schoolhouse Farmers is the arrival of Seeds. The delivery people from Federal Express, UPS and the Postal Service have begun daily treks to the farm to deliver seeds for our next growing season. An exciting procession that will continue until the first part of May.

The FamilyFarmers sit and cull through the pile of seed packets each searching for a worthy candidate that could potentially be the best of the bunch and out perform all others in the field during the season ahead. This is a very informal competition as the magic of getting it all to grow is the chief aim of the farm and all the farmers. The sheer variety of seeds complete with the tremendous variations in colors, shapes, flavors of the pending season leave us all a little breathless. Yes it really is that exciting a prospect.

The upcoming season will be the first we offer a CSA, community supported agriculture, and we want to make sure that the 20 shares we offer are our best effort.

The snow continues and yet another brave delivery person ventures up the driveway. Our enthusiasim is recharged and by the way it's time to shovel the driveway again!

Schoolhouse Farmers still can't resist growing!

2010-02-20T08:17:00.000-05:00

This "Fat Tuesday" a gift Amaryllis (a plant also known as the Belladonna Lily or naked ladies) we received and planted on Christmas finally rewarded the winter bound Schoolhouse Farmers with a truly beautiful display of colorful delicate blooms. This stark contrast to what seems omnipresent grey weather helped to raise the spirit and urged us back to the seed catalogs to continue the mad hunt for our next fabulous season of growth.
We also have a couple of good size pots planted with Swiss Chard! If we can get a little more sunshine and a hint of warmth we believe they will kick in and we will back into eating our own homegrown. The bored farmer becomes restless and impatient but these small treasures help us to endure until our fingers can once more be married to the soil soon very soon!

An opportunity to become self sufficient

2010-02-10T14:07:00.000-05:00

Schoolhouse Farms is Diversity and a Traditional Farm

A family dedicated to sowing growing and sharing in the hills of Borodino New York

Nobody really knows where or if the agrarian trait actually resides in each of us. In some of us it is an obvious and dominant trait that leads us naturally to agricultural pursuits. For others it is such a recessive trait buried so deeply in the psyche it is never unearthed. Finally for another group it is a late developing recessive trait that takes root as the result of an internal or external trigger mechanism which acts to catapult the agrarian trait to the forefront and the consequent yearning to become dominant. In our family we believe that the agrarian trait was always primarily dominant but due to social pressures and our societies materialistic tendency it was pushed way back to an unnatural recessive position. For the majority of citizens and immigrants the “American Dream” is to live large, accumulate mountains of wealth and to buy and possess more stuff then our neighbors in an effort to achieve some undefined level of success. In the late 1800’s it was environmentalist John Muir who plainly stated "Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike." He went on to lament “I am degenerating into a machine for making money” Life for him and many that followed was simply much more then the mass accumulation of material possessions it was about the soul and the harmony of nature and things that spring forth from the earth. It was time to get back to the goodness of the land.

Growing sustainable agriculture the raising and nurturing of our family and sharing the seasonal bounty with family and friends are our farms chief aim. Plus by being energetic and creative we may be able to earn a little stream of income. In our effort to achieve our dreams it has become more important for us to diversify our small farm into a more traditional style operation, a farm diverse and sufficient enough to sustain an edible future for our family. Our agrarian focus has been sharpened by circumstance that we gladly embrace. The economic down turn has impacted millions in all walks of life and we are no exception. We simply took it as the opportune time to more deeply embrace our agro passion. The monotonous yet financial advantages of the corporate job were really an impediment to our agrarian pursuits. Simply stated it took man power away from the farm. Granted it will require considerable sacrifice by all members of the family and will mean that less will simply have to go farther. It will also mean that the children will have to endure some chiding in the social circles and in some cases will have to pass on participating in certain activities. They understand this and are prepared to shoulder the less then stellar commentary of their peers for the opportunity to embrace the project and strengthen the family unit. They will as a result of this agrarian immersion develop a healthier appreciation of foods and the creative process associated with its production. Our priorities may not align with the masses but then again we have never really been ones who run with the herd. The reality is we enjoy family time and it is a fleeting and finite opportunity that too many families fail to embrace. An opportunity to become self sufficient, with diverse and creative outlets learning about fabulous eating from field to plate while instilling an education!

Apples, beans, chickens, beets, quince, pork, grains, black currants, lettuce, chard, rhubarb, sun flowers, squash, eggs, raspberries potatoes, wine and jam all grown and made on the farm. A diverse source of products each linked to each others success as well as providing us with an almost endless source of creativity. The traditional farm is unique in its operation because the diversity of the products makes the farm sustainable on a much smaller scale. This economy of scale also allows for a much tinier carbon foot print as large diesel machines simply don’t fit into these operations. The trade off for fossil fuel is labor. It takes quite a few pairs of hand to get tasks complete from the initial cultivation and mulching of the fields to the sowing of seeds the weeding of the rows and then the harvesting. The education that comes with learning how to grow diversity is observable on a daily basis as each product has varied and different attributes. The project yields its own rewards as a season filled with perspiration generates stimulating conversation which creates emotional inspiration and thus leads to a form of advanced education. The continuous education of the entire family takes place by osmosis as we literally absorb what is going on around us. At gatherings of family and friends we disseminate all that we have absorbed to the group and the education continues to spread and infiltrate and diversify. When the season ends and the deepest coldest portion of winter once again descend upon our region the local mailman starts delivering the latest and greatest in seed and agriculture catalogs. Although delivered during the chilly Borodino winter our small traditional farm takes special notice at the next semester’s diverse class list and accompanying syllabus. So many, many seeds and breeds where does one begin?

Schoolhouse Farms reviews Favorite Cookbooks

2010-01-05T08:59:00.001-05:00

Review-Farm Food Green Living with Chef Daniel Orr

Beautiful and mouthwatering-the images of the farms, markets and produce are inspiring as well as thought provoking! We love this cookbook! He encourages all to support local farms however one can. Cook using the recipes as a guideline! He encourages you to improvise and make changes to suit your tastes. This creative culinary book will have you anxious for next years harvest and make you want to spend more time in the kitchen! Plus Chef Daniel Orr even has gardening advice like herbs that will keep deer away. (if you grow Tomatoes that's all you need to read to make this a "must have")

Schoolhouse Farms Vision Board 2010

2010-01-02T12:13:00.001-05:00

We have dreams and we have plans for Schoolhouse Farms and we will bring them to life with our vision board. Stay tuned as the board is very fluid!

Chicken game of heads or tails!

2009-12-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

Clearly they have figured out a method to the game of heads and tails! We have yet to figure out how this happens and it always is by color! Schoolhouse Farms learning from all aspects of agriculture!

The Magic that is Christmas

2009-12-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

This past December weekend we were able get a glimpse as to the true meaning of Christmas through the eyes of children. Skaneateles Dickens Christmas invites people of all ages to celebrate the season in the picturesque setting of the village of Skaneateles. People are encouraged to partake in the festivities dressed in period costume. A wide variety of costumes are available at the Skaneateles Chamber of commerce at no charge.
Our Children made up their minds to participate after driving through the village on a sadly rainy December weekend. Not deterred by the grim weather and excited that they could dress in the old world style they collectively decided they would become Dickens characters for a day and decided the following Saturday was it.
Dressed as Dickens characters they walked the streets being greeted at every turn by smiling well wishers. “Happy Holidays” people greeted them and “aren’t you beautiful”, “Merry Christmas” “Can we have a picture with you?” From the perspective of the children it was positively magical. They were eliciting the best qualities of people as a direct result. Christmas really didn’t come in a box or a bag it wasn’t something you could touch. It was something that touched you, inside and made you feel warm and put a smile on your face. The children loved this and continued the day seeking to spread the feeling of joy they had experienced.
When at last it was time to revert back to current time period attire the reality of the world reverted as well. With the costumes back safely in the costume department the children exited once more to join the sea of humanity that had descended on the village of Skaneateles. Not an eye looked in their direction not a word was spoken about the joy of the season. They had virtually become invisible the spell was completely broken the warm feeling of Christmas remained with them, but it was not able to reach the masses.
When the children got home they were all still a glow about the days activities and eager to share with us how wonderful it made them feel. They were also saddened by the fact that without the costumes people just didn’t express the same holiday joy! Undeterred they are eager to participate again to help spread the joy! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

a little later the same day.............

2009-12-10T08:31:00.000-05:00

Kids at Schoolhouse farms work quickly to take advantage of a December school delay!

2009-12-10T08:25:00.000-05:00

Parsley so much more then garnish!

2009-12-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

At Schoolhouse Farms we grow parsley year round and for good reason!

Two tablespoons of parsley contain 153% of the Recommended Daily Value of Vitamin K. Parsley contains three times as much Vitamin C as oranges, twice as much Iron as spinach, loaded with vitamin A, contains folate, potassium and calcium. It also has strong cancer fighting potential. The chemicals in parsley include: Polyacetylenes to help regulate prostaglandin,a powerful tumor promoter Coumarins which help prevent blood clotting, Flavonoids to help neutralize free radicals, Momoterpenes reduces cholesterol and has cancer delaying properties. Parsley is helpful in treating kidney and bladder inflammations, irritable bladder and edema. Two cups of parsley water daily is beneficial for general health, plus a sprig of parsley is a natural breath freshener!

2009-12-09T08:13:00.001-05:00

Happy Holiday!