New Adventures on the Farm - PIGS! 05/14/2012
 We are loving having pigs on our farm this summer. They are Pickpocket Farms newest employees. Their job is to fertilize the back part of the field that I'm having trouble growing in and to fill our dinner plates (and breakfast plates with bacon and sausage) with some high quality pasture raised pork. You are welcome to come and visit them at any time. If you have any compost that you don't have a place for at your own home, bring it on over! The only thing they cannot eat are nightshade plants, potato skins, eggplant and the plants. They are soo cute! 
Add Comment Hoop House 05/07/2012
The hoop house is really rocking this year. Since building it in the fall of 2010, and growing in it for one season, I think I'm finally feeling comfortable knowing what the heck I'm doing in it. The spinach is growing like crazy and will be featured on the Swasey Elementary menu this week. The head lettuce is growing great and will be ready to harvest in the next week or so. In the mean time, I've planted the Lola tomatoes amongst the lettuce and the Shintokiwa cucumbers are transplanted. The first of the trellis lines are hung, and waiting for the plants to grow up them. Next up, the Charantais Melons will be transplanted (they've grown a bit slow during the overcast days in the greenhouse), and the ginger, peppers and eggplants will be planted once the spinach is done doing it's thing. And I have to thank my work shares for helping get it all up and running. Thank you! 
Spinach Available 05/04/2012
 There is some great spinach available at the farm right now. Some of the leaves are huge. I can't keep up with harvesting it, but they are still so tender and can be used for salad or cooking. Contact me and come on by. It's $8.00 lb. A 1/2 lb bag is a full bag. Hoop House and Green House 04/19/2012
 Spinach, Scallions, and Heads of Lettuce It's amazing to me that these pictures were taken about a week ago, and I feel like they are out of date already. Everything is growing very quickly with these warm temps we are experiencing. The field could really use some rain, but so far, everything is easily watered in the hoop house and greenhouse. The tomatoes popped up in their trays yesterday and will be ready to move into bigger pots in a couple of weeks. That means the onions will be kicked out of the greenhouse to make more room and get ready for planting out in the field. And the spinach is growing great and will be ready to harvest for the Swasey Elementary School lunches on May 10th and 24th. Next week, the peas and carrots will be seeded out in the field. I'm hoping the forecast will bring some much needed rain to help the seeds germinate. The garlic, asparagus, rhubarb, and perennial herbs are growing right along. And the pigs will arrive on the farm in a few weeks!! Please contact me, if you are interested in any fresh mixed greens. See picture below. 
Spinach, Scallions, and Heads of Lettuce transplanted in the hoop house.
Mixed greens harvested from the hoop house.
Running out of room in the greenhouse.
Lola tomatoes for the hoop house. They will be transplanted on May 6th.
A few extra pictures of other exciting things happening around the farm. 
Asparagus is popping up!
Compost! Maybe not exciting to you, but it's what helps everything grow so awesome on the farm!
Victory Bees getting busy for the season.
Ginger! 04/10/2012
 Fed Ex'ed Ginger The Ginger arrived last week, all the way from Hawaii! It's much too cold for it here in New Hampshire still, so I'm keeping in trays, by my wood stove inside, until the soil warms up enough in the hoop house. I feel a bit like I'm cheating Mother Nature by growing this. We'll see if she doesn't get mad at me, and it thrives. 
Maple Parsnip Soup 03/20/2012
 Parsnips are those weird looking white carrots. I seeded them in the spring of 2011. They were watered, weeded and cared for all last summer. Then I left them to sweeten over the the winter months. Now I'm digging them up to make my favorite spring soup (see below). Other easy ways to cook them: roasted in the oven with other root vegetables, tossed with olive oil and seasonings or slice them real thin and sauté them in butter in a frying pan. Maple Parsnip Soup 3 TBLSP Butter Melt in a heavy-bottomed soup pot until beginning to brown. 1 pound parsnips (chopped) 2 med onions (chopped) 2 cloves garlic (minced) Add and saute until onions are translucent but not brown 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg Add and bring to a simmer. Cook until parsnips are soft, 40 minutes. 1/2 cup evaporated milk Add and remove from heat. Pour into blender and puree until velvety smooth. 1/3 cup maple syrup 2 TBLSP Dijon mustard (or more for a spicier taste) salt to taste Stir in. Serve garnished with 3/4 cup toasted pine nuts or other nuts and slices of fresh bread. From Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert 2012 Early Spring Farm Update 03/20/2012
 Spinach for Swasey Elementary Last night I was invited to attend the Food and Health Forum at the Blue Moon Evolution. Pete Johnson from Pete's Greens in Vermont was speaking. His topic was on collaboration in the community for building a stronger local economy. While I was there I met my mailman and his wife, who was celebrating her birthday for a 2nd time. Last week, he stopped by my door to deliver a package to my home and asked about Pickpocket Farm. When he left, he was signed up for my farm stand e-mail list. It was awesome running into him again at the Blue Moon. I'd say we accomplished collaborating for the community's well being together. Other things that Pickpocket Farm is busy doing this spring, is growing spinach, lettuce, mixed greens and scallions for Swasey Elementary school, where my kids attend. It won't be much to offer for such a large school, but it's a start, the kids will get to know where there food comes from. This week and especially starting the first week of April, broccoli, kale, cabbage and all the rest of the heat loving plants like tomatoes and eggplant will be seeded. The greenhouse will be a busy place! Pickpocket Farm will also be selling transplants again for the home garden. Please let me know, if you have anything special you are looking for. I can make sure to grow it! Keep looking for more updates. They will be coming more frequently now that the growing season is really getting under way. 
Back field in March
First trays of the season in the greenhouse
Picture was taken in late February, 60 degrees inside, 30 plus outside the hoop house
Mixed greens coming up in the hoop house
Garlic is up!
Bill McKibben in Exeter 01/23/2012
Bill McKibben will be speaking in Exeter this Thursday, Jan 26 2012 at 7:00pm. He is one of today's most important environmentalist. He will be at: Exeter Congregational Church 21 Front Street Exeter, New Hampshire More info at the Water Street Bookstores website. 2012 Growing Season 01/16/2012
There is nothing like getting the season started by attending the NE Fruit and Vegetable Conference and reading The Dirty Life by Kristen Kimball. The conference boasts many many choices of workshops for three days, surrounded by friends and farmers. It's a great time to connect, reconnect, get inspired, and dream of a weedless farm in the summer, overflowing with ripe vegetables. The Dirty Life is about a woman who leaves her urban lifestyle behind for love and a dairy farm/CSA that sells everything. I can't wait to dive into the work for PIckpocket Farm now. The farm will be getting some piglets this spring, that will be put to work. They will be living on the back part of the veggie field to work the soil and put some more life into it. We will accept any compost to feed the little piggies, named Bacon and Sausage. Share members will have first dibs to put orders in for organic pastured raised pork in the fall. This summer the hoop house will grow Lola tomatoes, Asian Cucumbers, Chrarentais melons, Eggplants, and GINGER. Right now the field is growing 667 cloves of 4 different varieties of garlic, which will be ready in July. And I want to try growing some dried beans this coming season, especially since the shares will go further into October this year. Life is Sweet will again offer bread shares to go along with your vegetables. You will be able to enjoy granola, loaf and artisan bread, and cookies. To learn more, Pickpocket Farm's informational meeting will be on January 21st at 10am. Please join us to meet other fellow share members and catch up. Thai Green Chicken Curry 10/15/2011
Thai food is one of my favorite types of food in this world. Their culture really knows how to mix flavors and ingredients. This is a recipe for using up lots of hot peppers and ping tung eggplants. It takes a bit of work to make the curry, but the recipe makes lots and you can save it for other recipes. Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Peanut or Corn oil 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes (I also substitute leftover pork roast or tofu or use your favorite seafood.) 2 kaffir lime leaves, coarsely torn (I skip this, hard to find) 1 lemongrass stalk, finely chopped (asian market in Portsmouth always carries this, and you can grow it in your garden!) 1 cup canned coconut milk 16 baby eggplants, halved or 8 ping tung eggplants 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce Fresh Thai basil sprigs to garnish For the green curry paste: 16 fresh chili peppers (pick mild or super spicy ones, I love it spicy) 2 shallots, sliced 4 kaffir lime leaves 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root or galangal 1 tsp grated lime rind 5 black peppercorns 1 Tbsp sugar salt 2 Tbsp peanut or corn oil First make the curry paste. Seed the chiles if you like and coarsely chop. Place all the paste ingredients, except the oil, in a mortar and pound with a pestle. Alternatively, process in a food processor. Gradually blend in the oil. Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in a preheated wok or large, heavy-bottom skillet. Add 2 Tbsp of the curry paste and stir-fry briefly until all the aromas are released. Add the chicken, lime leaves, and lemongrass and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, until the meat is starting to color. Add the coconut milk and eggplants and let simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, or until tender. Stir in the fish sauce and serve at once, garnished with Thai basil sprigs and lime leaves. | AuthorAudrey Gerkin, is a gardener gone wild, after teaching in special education and raising 3 beautiful girls, ages 5 - 10, she has found a new calling in farming. ArchivesMay 2012 CategoriesAll |
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