tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16600844411715253522024-03-04T20:54:47.425-08:00Slow Hand Farm - the very small CSASlow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.comBlogger337125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-62668941139251946472016-12-01T11:47:00.000-08:002016-12-01T11:47:02.924-08:00Beans and Squash Sold Out! Some corn still available.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zn96XIyyd4YSweMPuD6ziDjj0EOS51kXIINLZ5WOtpb8O5qOgmLb6HlgWXLSy34TFUz3N07ewiECHozDEG2VenMzqpO2_3YGZnUM4BMnGKnptaaQ_oCq3ZrzZxLYI-8lPK4UGjNX0FTY/s1600/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2239+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zn96XIyyd4YSweMPuD6ziDjj0EOS51kXIINLZ5WOtpb8O5qOgmLb6HlgWXLSy34TFUz3N07ewiECHozDEG2VenMzqpO2_3YGZnUM4BMnGKnptaaQ_oCq3ZrzZxLYI-8lPK4UGjNX0FTY/s320/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2239+-+Version+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I still have a bit of the dry choclo corn available (see the previous post) but all of this year's corn and squash is spoken for at this point.<br />
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I packed up the final 130+ pounds of squash and 20 pounds of corn this morning and sent them off with a friend who will get them to Standing Rock to help feed the camp. It feels good to be able to donate to the cause there, and donating corn and squash feels to me very much like giving back and the best way to say thank you I have.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-16714009561930794812016-11-25T10:18:00.001-08:002016-11-25T10:18:13.422-08:00Black Friday Thank You Donation!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Today, Black Friday, I am <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/11/23/how-give-and-give-thanks-standing-rock-166566">donating</a> all proceeds from any sale to aid the peaceful protests of the indigenous water protectors at Standing Rock.</i></div>
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Yesterday was Thanksgiving, a holiday that loosely remembers the generosity of the native people and a shared feast between the Wampanoag and the Plymouth colonists. I am thankful for so much and I really do sit in a place of privilege so I'm inspired to make a small offering today, Black Friday, inspired by the generosity the Wampanoag modeled at the first Thanksgiving, the specific example that Patagonia is setting by <a href="http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/11/23/how-give-and-give-thanks-standing-rock-166566">donating</a> all of their sales today to environmental causes, and so many more who work to make this world a better place for everyone, I am donating 100% of any sales today to help the peaceful protesters at Standing Rock.<br />
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I still have a couple hundred pounds of delicious Marina di Chioggia winter squash in sizes ranging from about 4 - 14 pounds and about 20 bags of Otto File polenta corn (whole kernels) to sell. These are both named Italian varieties but are crops that were originally brought to Italy from the americas, shared by the indigenous people on this continent. The photo above is of the 18 pound Marina di Chioggia that I stuffed for Thanksgiving (in retrospect I wish I had stuffed it with cornbread, but alas, it's just old sourdough crusts and vegetables - still incredibly tasty). I also have whole ears of dry choclo corn which have big, long kernels that are delicious cooked whole and eaten as a side, or in a stew. The squash will keep for at least a couple of months, the corn will keep for at least a year.<br />
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Prices and ordering information and more tips on how to use the corn and squash are in the <a href="http://slowhandfarm.blogspot.com/2016/11/corn-beans-and-squash-for-sale.html">previous post</a>. The choclo ears yield about 1-2 cups of corn and are $4 each. If you would like it cleaned and shelled it is $8 for a 2 cup bag. Please <a href="mailto:josh@slowhandfarm.com">let me know</a> if you have any questions.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-64586503296148461312016-11-09T17:00:00.000-08:002016-12-01T11:31:40.735-08:00Corn, Beans and Squash for Sale!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GdLYMLnHcfJa2bLCnD-snZMYAAjNmWi4eLkdLSEqsCZO_t07N84Xe7JiNt6iJVJWBJYRAvLd-eZXZ0Q_EXVWjRp3F5iaVDlu6nFZF1_2gtibIB8yISYHG7CZbsTlO3UQNtSBndPr01u4/s1600/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4GdLYMLnHcfJa2bLCnD-snZMYAAjNmWi4eLkdLSEqsCZO_t07N84Xe7JiNt6iJVJWBJYRAvLd-eZXZ0Q_EXVWjRp3F5iaVDlu6nFZF1_2gtibIB8yISYHG7CZbsTlO3UQNtSBndPr01u4/s320/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2243.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three sizes of Marina di Chioggia ranging from 2 to 17 pounds, a small butternut, and a coffee mug for scale</td></tr>
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<i>Dec. 1, 2017 update: All of the beans and squash are now spoken for. There is still some choclo corn available. I'm planning out next season right now so let me know if you're sad you missed out this season and I'll try to get you some next year. I'm leaving the rest of this post as a historical record...</i><br />
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Ooops, scratch the beans, they’re already sold out! But I do have Corn and Squash for sale, and a small bit of a few other items.</div>
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Here’s the back story, it’s been a while since there’ve been any posts on the blog so I’ll catch you up quickly. For the past three years the original CSA was transitioned to Our Table in Sherwood and they have now expanded that program. Meanwhile, this year I’ve been working with Cully Neighborhood Farm, keeping my fingers in the CSA movement that way. As a side project, I’ve been growing corn, beans and squash together for a number of years now and this year I leased a small plot in the Cully Neighborhood where I grew two types of corn, a few different squashes and seven different beans that I’ve collected over the years. Now that it’s harvested, cured and cleaned (mostly), I’m selling it (‘cause that’s what farms do – they sell what they grow! – except for the bit I’m saving for next year’s seed.) Mostly I just want people to get to eat these incredible foods!</div>
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<b>Marina di Chioggia <strike>and Butternut Squash</strike></b> (as of 11/10 the butternut is sold out)– sold by the each with a wide range of sizes available. Approximate price is $2 per pound. (300 pounds total inventory – bulk pricing available)</div>
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The butternut are small, ¾ to 1 ½ pound squash, 1-2 servings each and very limited in quantity. They were part of a trial where almost all of the seed planted was eaten by the crows, so I don’t actually know what the variety is.</div>
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The Marina di Chioggia is my favorite winter squash. It’s a great keeper, with peak flavor between November and January, and often storing well into March. The skin color changes over time in storage from dark green to a gray blue with orange highlights and the exterior ranges from bumpy to smooth as exhibited in the photo. The flesh is deep orange, sweet and meaty with medium moisture and very little stringiness. It can be eaten raw or cooked (see below for more information) I have sizes ranging from about 2 pounds all the way up to about 19 pounds. Typically the smaller ones are slightly less sweet than the big ones, but sweetness isn’t the only flavor here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguwZDyjrjFVkZjzZgIYO-khqAFULhgxdXopUMLZ9mXlReKtpbWpHhyphenhyphenPJ8uJGV1Yh85x-xdtZdp-t-XEKbYfK2oVSHBHLA1-tEYz6r8K74tWhqMdUXVg3BXaowa2wsoryOAkAcfzJrq0AL/s1600/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2246+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguwZDyjrjFVkZjzZgIYO-khqAFULhgxdXopUMLZ9mXlReKtpbWpHhyphenhyphenPJ8uJGV1Yh85x-xdtZdp-t-XEKbYfK2oVSHBHLA1-tEYz6r8K74tWhqMdUXVg3BXaowa2wsoryOAkAcfzJrq0AL/s320/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2246+-+Version+2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b>Otto File Corn</b> - $4 a bag (2 cups of whole kernels, a bit more than ¾ pound – 25 pounds total inventory – bulk pricing available)</div>
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A few years ago I was in Italy and visited a wonderful little biodyanamic market farm in Lucca. The farmer gave me an ear of his golden polenta corn (otto file, meaning eight rows in english – because there are eight rows of kernels on the slender cobs). I ended up planting it in my garden and it made amazing polenta - tons of corn flavor, beautiful golden color, slightly sweet - so I grew more. Read on below for my suggestions on how to use the corn.</div>
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<b>How to get Corn and Squash</b></h3>
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Simple, place and <a href="mailto:josh@slowhandfarm.com">order by email</a> and come pick it up. Tell me how much of what you want in the email and I'll confirm with the prices and availability. The pick up location is on my porch in St. Johns, relatively near the library (I’ll send details once you place an order). To pay for your order put a check in my mail slot, (or cash in an envelope with your name on the outside), or you can pay by paypal (which means you can use a credit card). </div>
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If you’re a Cully Neighborhood Farm CSA customer and you order at least 24 hours before your last pick up for the year I’ll deliver your order to the CSA pick up at the farm and you can drop your payment there.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfSUd5zQ3EyOMxz2HPz05OgMfHkl-2AwuRHso9NikE4odscx4_RlKTQhYHnAAuIpJ4LDFw7buW8ymrtyHlUBBRRLDWN7MS7HBiPakGSKjlafaayZFVMVmNQDKStPbgRIAgvneMf0Hyk4K/s1600/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2249+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfSUd5zQ3EyOMxz2HPz05OgMfHkl-2AwuRHso9NikE4odscx4_RlKTQhYHnAAuIpJ4LDFw7buW8ymrtyHlUBBRRLDWN7MS7HBiPakGSKjlafaayZFVMVmNQDKStPbgRIAgvneMf0Hyk4K/s320/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2249+-+Version+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Szechuan pepper with seeds and stems. It's related to citrus and has a somewhat citrusy aroma. There's a unique heat that comes with it and when it's directly applied to the tongue it is slightly numbing.</td></tr>
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<b>Other items of interest…</b></h4>
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I also have a small quantity of Szechuan pepper, French grey shallots, and garlic for sale. The Szechuan pepper is dry, and is not deseeded or de-stemmed, but could be - $10/oz. I have a small quantity of French grey shallots that need to be used soon. These are small in size, but big in flavor - $4/ quarter pound. I have a small quantity of an un-named soft neck garlic with rose tinged skins and mild flavor, medium sized heads - $1 per head.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_LbqDSFz74iZ4SjjUu2TQPo7yPe0dH91BNL03wJWrh64ktDA1IWLZEs35_6gpY9zMs_uq-57ug-udA8nvvlPem9w_Z6_ShOhFZHnzyl0cmE5fvcGE8YS4OQajeKX8bBI2ZdTpRPPKX2z/s1600/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2250+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_LbqDSFz74iZ4SjjUu2TQPo7yPe0dH91BNL03wJWrh64ktDA1IWLZEs35_6gpY9zMs_uq-57ug-udA8nvvlPem9w_Z6_ShOhFZHnzyl0cmE5fvcGE8YS4OQajeKX8bBI2ZdTpRPPKX2z/s320/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2250+-+Version+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shallots on the left, garlic on the right</td></tr>
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In addition to all of that, I have a number of ears of dried Choclo corn. This is not typically the way it is used (as far as I understand it’s typically eaten fresh, but it’s an experimental crop for me). If you’re interested let me know, the price would be similar to the Otto File</div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4pfSXhpfKUiaQzj708YbBLy1qsNFZlwvrzv5nXGLpjuU5wJ2jNjO_cKRVyQL4Ph7gofOKlnDRJxRBFUqBviUd_V_wKnE50EmY_VEDdgwPFqj2cZSXF-ajRJq2m90k64NAjwtyUpzMi0b/s1600/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2239+-+Version+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4pfSXhpfKUiaQzj708YbBLy1qsNFZlwvrzv5nXGLpjuU5wJ2jNjO_cKRVyQL4Ph7gofOKlnDRJxRBFUqBviUd_V_wKnE50EmY_VEDdgwPFqj2cZSXF-ajRJq2m90k64NAjwtyUpzMi0b/s320/2016-11-09_CornSquash__DSC2239+-+Version+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px;">A typical ear of Choclo. Yes, it's very fat, heavy and the kernels are very deep. I'll be experimenting with in the kitchen soon and I'll try to post my thoughts soon.</td></tr>
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<b>More details on the Corn and Squash</b></h3>
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<b>Otto File</b></h4>
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I typically use the corn one of two ways, but it works for a number of other preparations as well. Personally, I grind it coarsely using an inexpensive hand crank Corona grist mill (a clean coffee grinder will usually work for small quantities, or a good blender - food processors don't usually work). I sift the grindings into coarse and fine using a simple, large wire mesh strainer, the kind you use in the kitchen. You can skip that step if you want to. The fines are flour and I like to make short bread cookies with them. The grits I use to make polenta by pouring them slowly in boiling water while stirring and then turning the heat down and stirring occasionally until the polenta is the consistency I want. I usually use 2-3 cups of water per cup of grits, and I add salt to taste (and a bit of cheese at the end on request). I like my polenta somewhat soft, but not totally pourable so I keep stirring until the mix starts to come away from the back of the spoon. Then I pour/spoon it out onto a wooden cutting board, spread it to an even layer and let it set up for a few minutes before slicing out wedges. It’s excellent the next day sautéed in a hot skillet, or baked in a sauce.</div>
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The whole kernels can also be cooked whole, with or without pickling lime. Cooking with pickling lime is an essential step in making posole (corn stew), or nixtamal, which is the basis of fresh tortillas and tamales. I’ve used this corn this way and the flavor is very good, but the texture is a little gummier than the traditional corn used in this process.</div>
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<b>Marina di Chioggia</b></h4>
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Chioggia is a town on the east coast of Italy, just south of Venice. I visited there on the same trip where I was gifted the corn, it’s a beautiful spot, and much less touristy than Venice. I had already been growing the squash for a while, but I was there looking at radicchio, another specialty of the area. </div>
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I’ve used this squash, with good success for just about every possible basic squash recipe. As with most squash, it’s easiest just to cut it in half, clean the seed cavity and roast it, cut side down until the flesh is fork soft. It can then be cut off in chunks and eaten just like that, or pureed and used to fill ravioli, make squash gnocchi, for pie or pumpkin bread, etc, etc… I sometimes cut very thin, raw slices to add to salad, or just to eat plain. I’ll cut slightly thicker slices and pan fry them if I don’t want to heat up the over and cook the whole thing all at once. Once I’ve sliced into the squash it usually keeps for a few days on the counter without any problems. If I want it to keep longer than that I’ll roast the whole remains and then freeze the puree.</div>
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Let me know if you have any questions and I always love positive comments as well. Sorry for the long absence, we'll see if I can start posting a little more regularly again.</div>
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<br />Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-82518815267282013302015-11-30T14:45:00.000-08:002015-11-30T14:45:03.661-08:00Late 2015 UpdateThis blog isn't dead yet, but in reality it's most useful right now as a look into the first four years of the Slow Hand Farm CSA. Many of the links over there in the sidebar are historical, and no real production has been done under the Slow Hand Farm name since the beginning of 2013. In 2013 I folded Slow Hand Farm into Our Table Cooperative, and set up the first vegetable production there. In 2014 that expanded and I continued to develop and manage the vegetable production systems there. In 2015 I transitioned my role back to one of a consultant on that project and it's basically in their hands now. Our Table is a great project and is doing important work, but it didn't completely fit the kind of production I want to be focusing on and I wasn't ready to move out of my home in St. Johns, Portland, to be closer to Sherwood (or continue the long commute). <br />
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I've got a few urban agriculture projects brewing for 2016, but I'm not sure what they'll look like exactly, yet. I'm pretty sure none of them will be tiny CSA shares like Slow Hand Farm, but you never know. I still think that's a great model and maybe I'll find a good location to get back to that at some point (if you know of a property between 0.5 and 5 acres close to St. Johns, Portland, that's suitable for agriculture, definitely let me know, that's part of what it would take).<br />
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Meanwhile, I leave the archives of the original CSA project up here for anyone who wants to see what it looked like (including myself).Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-26141690380143016602014-05-06T09:44:00.000-07:002014-05-06T09:44:14.165-07:002014 Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This blog has been quiet for over a year now. The final CSA share under the Slow Hand Farm name went out last March at which point I fully transitioned my production over to the <a href="http://www.ourtable.us/" target="_blank">Our Table</a> site in Sherwood. For the past year I've been producing the same style shares that I developed on the Slow Hand Farm site out at Our Table.<br />
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There are some really exciting opportunities I've been taking advantage of by folding my production into the Our Table project. This is a project with more infrastructure, in terms of buildings and storage spaces, than I've ever worked with. I've also had the opportunity to go back to a bit of training of newer growers. Last season I worked with three fantastic folks (Karen, Louis and Forrest) which allowed me to quadruple the number of CSA shares I was offering.<br />
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This year Forrest has stepped back into his life as a bike mechanic and gardener, but continues to support the farm by hosting a pick up spot in Kenton. Louis is working with the construction crew for the summer, learning some new skills to bring back to the farm. Karen has become a super solid grower, helping us make the transition into even more production this season and also branching out into growing cut flowers. With Forrest and Louis out for the season we've hired two new great crew members, Jen and Dawn (also known collectively as Jawn).<br />
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The <a href="http://www.ourtable.us/" target="_blank">Our Table site</a> has lots more information about the new project. In the meantime I continue to work under the <a href="http://slowhandfarm.com/" target="_blank">Slow Hand Farm</a> name for the consulting work I do (and a little seed and culinary herb production to support my other projects). Our Table moves us away from the hand scale nature of the original project, but keeps a lot of the same intentions and increases the scale of what we're able to accomplish. I'll keep the hand scale for my seed and culinary herb production for now and maybe Slow Hand Farm will return at some point for larger hand scale projects.<br />
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In the meantime, I'll keep this blog around for occasional updates but for current CSA information head over to the <a href="http://www.ourtable.us/news.html" target="_blank">blog</a> and <a href="http://www.ourtable.us/vegetables.html" target="_blank">store</a> at Our Table.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-86062489841942488682013-03-18T15:00:00.002-07:002013-03-18T15:00:27.443-07:00Final Winter Share for 2013<div apple-content-edited="true">
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Wednesday marks the equinox and start of spring and this last winter share is already showing that first flush of spring growth with more raab and fuller greens than we've had for a while. I pulled most everything that was left out of the gardens and even thinned out the garlic in order to spice up the shares. in the share this week is a bit of raab from different plant, some kale, some purple sprouting broccoli, some cabbage. Raab has little florets kind of like broccoli but really the stem and leaves are the best part. Like most things in the share it's best sauteed with a bit of olive oil or just eaten raw. For chicories there's more catalogna and frisee. There's a turnip with greens, and also a bunch of collard greens. To round things out we scrounged a bit of mache which has naturalized in the gardens. Mache, also known as corn salad, makes a great little side salad with just a little oil and salt. It does hold soil closely in the florets of leaves so make sure to clean it well before eating.<br />
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This is the last CSA share post I'll be making on this web site, after this it's all moving over to <a href="http://ourtable.us/">ourtable.us</a>. The farm will go on a two week spring break from harvest and we're hoping to be back to harvesting the second week of April. A peek under the row cover this morning showed germinating radishes and mustards and recently transplanted lettuces doing nicely. Favas have also come up and there are lots of plants germinating on the heat table in the greenhouse. It's going to be an exciting spring. We'd love to see you at the open house on April 7 from 3-5pm. Head over to the events page at <a href="http://ourtable.us/">ourtable.us</a> for more details.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-44461270123463063532013-03-04T14:11:00.000-08:002013-03-04T14:11:38.575-08:00Winter turning into spring<div class="mobile-photo">
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This is the fifth of six planned harvests for the winter CSA and it's already starting to feel like spring. Today's share is mostly greens, as the roots and alliums are pretty much played out for now. In the share is a big bunch of Lacinato Rainbow kale, a bit of escarole, a second chicory which might be radicchio (pictured) or sugarloaf or castlefranco depending on the bag, there are a few sprigs of rosemary (I was pruning today), and finally the first of the raab. Raab is the flower bud of brassicas, and most of the raab today comes from the cabbage, which never did head properly, but is now sending up flower shoots. I'm hoping that we'll have lots more raab in two weeks for the final share of the winter. It's a very delicious, extremely nutritious vegetable.</div>
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I'm excited for the longer days and more fresh greens. Roots roasts are great in the winter but come this time of year I'm ready for some tender greens. With the longer days, and especially with warm sunny days like today, the over wintered greens are taking off, and soon we'll have seeds germinating in the ground.</div>
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If you haven't signed up for spring shares yet, please hop over to our new website, <a href="http://ourtable.us/">ourtable.us</a>, and put yourself on the list. Let your friends know too, we're expanding and so we have lots of shares we'd like to have spoken for by the end of the month.</div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-38166844261208542022013-03-01T16:09:00.000-08:002013-03-01T16:09:07.531-08:00New Blog Too...Everything about the CSA is gradually making the shift over to the new <a href="http://ourtable.us/">OurTable.us</a> site and that includes this blog. I've put a new post up on the <a href="http://www.ourtable.us/vegetable-csa.html">new blog</a> and you should redirect your reader there, or at least add the new blog. Until the end of March I'll continue to update this blog for the winter CSA shares, but after that I'll be concentrating all of my CSA energy on the Our Table site - meaning website and piece of land.<br />
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If you're a fan of Slow Hand Farm on Facebook, become a fan of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OurTableCoOp?fref=ts">Our Table Cooperative</a> to keep following the blog and all of the other farm news.<br />
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Slow Hand Farm isn't completely going away, it's still the name that I'm doing consulting and other farm related education under, but it will no longer be the CSA site.<br />
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I hope you'll come follow me over at Our Table as well, and tell all of your friends too!Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-57207612578198595372013-02-25T17:20:00.000-08:002013-02-25T17:20:10.115-08:00Our Table<b>The Farm Has a New Name!</b><br />
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And a new location, and new employees, and lots of news! But we're still offering the same individual sized shares, and four separate harvest seasons in 2013.<br />
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<img align="none" height="160" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/f67227e96b92a72edbe468485/images/our_table.png" style="height: 160px; width: 160px;" width="160" /><br />
<span class="subTitle" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">Our Table Cooperative</span><br />
The new name is, "<a href="http://slowhandfarm.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67227e96b92a72edbe468485&id=6d1f97d781&e=bec6ac5bb2" style="color: #17488a;" target="_self">Our Table</a>", and yes, as of a few days ago we are now officially part of a larger cooperative venture down in Sherwood! I'm really excited about this development as it is allowing me to continue offering the same CSA shares, to deliver by electric cargo bike, and at the same time to do more new farmer training, have more events on the farm, and to grow a few crops we haven't had space for in the past. (Check out the new crew bios and photos by clicking <a href="http://slowhandfarm.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=f67227e96b92a72edbe468485&id=0bbf69f6e9&e=bec6ac5bb2" style="color: #17488a;" target="_self">here</a>).<br />
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For you, the CSA members (and potential members and general farm fans) this change also means you'll have better access to the farm, and access to more products from other enterprises in the cooperative. This includes pick your own blueberries from "old growth" berries, and even potentially meat and eggs. Eventually there are plans for all sorts of enterprises to all work cooperatively on the same piece of ground down here in Sherwood.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">Sign up for the CSA now!</span><br />
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Please sign up for all of the 2013 CSA seasons (and winter 2014) now. It's easier than ever with <a href="http://slowhandfarm.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67227e96b92a72edbe468485&id=5cbf75abeb&e=bec6ac5bb2" style="color: #17488a;" target="_self">online sign up</a> now a reality. Please let all of your friends know too. We are quadrupling production this year which means we need four times the members we've had in the past. All of the same pick up locations from 2012 are still available (except for Sauvie Island) and we're adding extra pick up locations in the corridor between Sherwood and North Portland.<br />
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If you know of a location in that corridor that would be a great pick up location let us know. We need at least 10 shares to create a new location, but we're definitely looking for new spots to distribute the shares.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">New List</span><br />
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This is the last email you'll get from this list about the CSA. But don't worry, I've moved all of your addresses over to our new list and you'll be getting a note in a day or two from that list with a lot of this same information and perhaps some more details about the larger operation.<br />
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Please help us start spreading the word and check out our new website at <a href="http://slowhandfarm.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f67227e96b92a72edbe468485&id=8e796958df&e=bec6ac5bb2" style="color: #17488a;" target="_self">www.OurTable.us</a>. Also, tell all of your friends to go there and sign up for our mailing list and to like us on Facebook.<br />
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Thanks so much for all of your support over the past four years and here's to many more under our new name!<br />
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Oh, and for those of you who are more interested in the other things that I've been doing under the Slow Hand Farm name, like workshops, consulting and tool development, stick around. I'll continue to use this list for occasional updates on those topics. The Slow Hand Farm name isn't completely going away, not just yet.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-21693525320282591972013-02-18T12:35:00.002-08:002013-02-18T12:35:39.432-08:00Foraging the back forty<div class="mobile-photo">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; font-family: Helvetica;">Winter harvests feel very much like foraging to me. In the summer, harvest is pretty straight forward. Crops ripen relatively predictably and evenly. I can see what's coming the following weeks, and I can tell at a glance what's good to harvest. Maybe it's because I'm only harvesting every other week in the winter, but after every winter harvest, which is always messy and a bit of a hunt for what is surviving the weather, I always wonder if there'll be anything for the following harvest.<br /><br />Today the castlefranco chicory was looking very nice, certainly partly due to the dry weather. I found a few carrots in what was mostly a failed winter seeding. The turnips are a nice size and with good greens. I harvested the last of the leeks, and the collards had grown back enough for another good bunch.<br /><br />For lunch today, before deliveries, I ate one of the turnips along with tortillas and beans, and a bit of salsa. I sautéed the chopped root and then added the chopped greens and a bit of white vineagar. Now I'm off to ride the boxes of bags to town.</span></div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-44470047293995167582013-02-08T09:05:00.003-08:002013-02-08T09:05:16.217-08:00New Farm, New Farm Crew!<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Yesterday was the first day for the new farm crew and the first day working up some of the ground at the new farm site! The weather was unbelievably beautiful and we got more done than I was expecting to. The above map is the full property (outlined in red and you can see more photos by clicking <a href="http://www.communitybydesignllc.org/farm/">here</a>). The property is 58 acres and we're just using a small swath on the west end, 2/3 of an acre. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">This is the first year for employees on the farm and I'm excited to work with a great crew: Louis, Forrest and Karen. We'll be doing more proper introductions soon on the website, which will be getting a major overhaul, including online ordering (welcome to the 21st century)!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Forrest and I rode the nearly 60 mile round trip commute from Portland. He and I plan to continue the bicycle deliveries. I'll be making the run up into North Portland and Forrest will open up a new corridor into the area around SE 60th and Division. Louis and Karen were more conventional, arriving by car. They'll be opening up potential for pick up sites in NW Portland, Durham and the Tualatin areas. We'll also be working with the larger, soon to be named co-op, to market our CSA shares. Gianna will be helping us with all of that.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">Finally, save the date of April 7 in the afternoon for the first planned open house of 2013 for the CSA, should be a good time for all!</span></div>
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<br />Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-48027035845952020332013-02-04T14:28:00.002-08:002013-02-04T14:28:42.739-08:00Share 3<div class="mobile-photo">
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Third share of the winter and I'm already out of clever titles. There's a nice variety in this share: kale, catalogna, salsify, carrots and frisee. The carrots have a bit of back story, but I'll start with a few notes on the salsify and catalogna first, since they're the more obscure vegetables in the bunch. </div>
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Salsify was in the first share of the winter and in the past has been a winter staple. It didn't do very well this year showing some disease that I haven't bothered to identify yet. This is the last of it. It's also known as oyster root and it does taste a little like oysters when it's boiled. I put small chunks in a thai curry last time I harvested it. It's really excellent fried, but be careful because it browns and then blackens quickly.</div>
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The catalogna is new for this year, although we've had it in years past. The first time I grew this it was a mistake and I was thinking I was growing escarole. Fortunately an italian cook stopped by the farm and got really excited before we turned in under as a crop failure. It looks very similar to dandelion, but it has thicker ribs, which are slightly bitter, but nice and crunchy sweet, much like the rest of the chicory family. I like this one best cooked, either chopped up into a vegetable stew, or sauteed with olive oil. </div>
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The carrots are from a trade with Danny Percich from <a href="http://fullplatefarm.com/">Full Plate Farm</a> in Ridgefield, Washington. Danny worked with me during the first season of Slow Hand Farm and then moved up to Washington to start his current operation and a family. This summer he had a garlic crop failure and I had more than I had intended to give out. I had a bad carrot year this year so he agreed to trade me garlic for carrots. Sunday I took a visiting <a href="http://future-farmers.net/2012/12/20/peasant-farming-in-ireland/">Irish farmer</a> out to his place for a tour and the three of us quickly dug these beautiful Red Core carrots before sitting down to an evening board game and a bit of farm talk.</div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-34098538405236354582013-01-29T16:04:00.000-08:002013-01-29T16:04:06.008-08:00Sneak PeekI updated this site yesterday, including the sign up information for 2013. That means you can now officially sign up for the spring 2013 through winter 2014 seasons (and take a look at what the plan is projecting). I'm putting this out there in a low key way because the name of the farm is changing soon, very soon, and so when that happens there'll be a big announcement. But you don't need a big announcement do you?<br />
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The other thing that will be changing is that I'll continue to add new pick up sites as options, no timeline on that one yet though. If you have a spot you'd like to have vegetables delivered definitely let me know. And let all of your friends know, we've got a lot of shares to sell this season, plenty to go around.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-32711633000277504032013-01-24T12:45:00.000-08:002013-01-24T12:45:43.731-08:00Post Freeze Harvest<div class="mobile-photo">
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A few days late, but still looking pretty good. The parsnips look better than I've ever had them, big and fat and a nice bunch for the shares. This is all of them and they keep well in the fridge if not used right away. For example, we've had a mass of parsnips in our fridge for about three months now, which we are slowly making a dent in, and they are still delicious. There's a leek in there for some allium goodness, and also a small bunch of collard greens and a head of sugarloaf chicory, also known as pan di zucchero. </div>
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The sugarloaf usually keeps pretty well but it definitely has signs of frost damage. I ate one earlier and it was delicious, but they may not keep very well. Some of them have a little browning on the leaf tips, which can just be torn off. There may also be translucent sections, which if eaten right away are fine, but are essentially dead and will allow decay to start if stored warm for too long. Sugarloaf is very much like other chicories, good raw, but also a fine candidate for cooking either by roasting whole or halved, or tossing into a stew. </div>
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The collards are small and haven't grown well, mostly due to slugs. This cold weather should have sweetened them up quite a bit. They are like kale but I find them tougher and so they need a bit of extra cooking.</div>
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If you haven't had parsnips before they are like an incredibly sweet, soft carrot. I don't know anyone who eats them raw, they're slightly fibrous for that, but cooked in almost any way they become very sweet. Before sugar was commonly available I've heard that parsnips were used to sweeten pies and I believe it. I also like making latkes with them, either alone, or mixed with potatoes.</div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-46399424322506602982013-01-23T15:08:00.000-08:002013-01-23T15:08:00.128-08:002012 Financials<br />
No photo today, just a few cold hard numbers. Every year I try to do a little analysis of how the farm did the previous year. This year the numbers are a little warped due to the extra work of starting the farm move, but they're in the ball park I think. As an average of all hours worked on the farm, including field work, harvest, deliveries, and office time in 2012 I made about $7.50 and hour - definitely not hitting my goal of $11/hr.<br />
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It is somewhat unusual, in my experience, for new farm owner/operators to keep track of their hours and I talk to a lot of young farmers who have no idea how much they're making per hour. I also meet with too many farmers who don't pay themselves at all, and all they have to show for their significant labors each year is whatever value their is in the business and the assets that the farm owns. I can understand if folks aren't making money in the first few years as they invest in the long term success of the business, my understanding is that this is common in many business start ups. Regardless, it's been important for me to track my numbers so I can understand how I'm doing with some level of detail, and what it is that I need to do better.<br />
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This years number of $7.50/hr was definitely impacted by extra work developing new beds in town for the winter harvest and having to rework the plan mid season to accommodate the move. Adding bicycle delivery to the mix was probably the biggest single piece of downward pressure on the dollars per hour numbers. It's interesting to note that if I took out just the extra time spent on the bike and instead considered them recreation (isn't that what going on a bike ride is?) my hourly income for 2012 would be closer to $8.50 per hour. Even knowing that, I'm much happier taking the pay cut and riding the bike, which goes to show you can't just look at the numbers.<br />
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2012 was also my heaviest administrative cost year. I scaled back the farm this year, which didn't significantly change the planning work required, but did reduce the number of shares paying for that planning. Next year, 2013, that trend will reverse as we quadruple in size, and it will be interesting to see how much it saves the farm.<br />
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For comparison, in 2011we had a good year and made about $9.50 /hr, which is talked about in <a href="http://slowhandfarm.blogspot.com/2012/01/final-numbers-for-year.html" target="_blank">this post</a>. In 2010 we doubled the farm size from the previous year, but didn't do a good job of selling the extra shares, and in fact we reduced our delivery range which also made it harder to sell more shares. That year we only made about $6.50 per hour. On paper 2009 was our best year with an income of $9.80/hr. I think one of the major contributing factors there was that we did a good job of selling all of our shares and not having extras. We also really scrimped on tools and supplies that year and so while we made a little extra money because of it, we suffered a bit physically as a result. To put it mildly our set up was not very ergonomic in many cases that year. We paid for that a bit in 2010 as we upgraded systems.<br />
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A couple of other interesting numbers, at least to me. The farm grossed about $60,000 per acre in 2012, and expenses were about 25% of the gross. With a little work I think we can actually drive that gross per acre up a bit, although in 2013 I think it will go down, as the new site encourages us to spread out a little more than we would have in the past. I'm also guessing that our expense as a percent of gross will continue to grow, as it's quite low right now, and has gone up slightly every season.<br />
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Looking ahead to the 2013 season, we're being very optimistic with our projections. By taking advantage of some of the equipment available to us on the new property and by increasing our labor to management ratio I'm hoping we'll be able to come close the $11/hr average that has been my goal since starting the farm. I'll let you know how it goes next January.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-51217369595379681992013-01-22T11:38:00.000-08:002013-01-22T11:38:14.557-08:00Bicycle Deliveries<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwepYqL0yMzPM7UgZQBdyyR42-O7KhC7-djPBk6ldEQCvPRY2yVyCtotbgFuBlrjEicXDYKlyVeuOAXehvrMAx-zSZsfa-EsN0ljAim9M2pdgNA4mjBy-NsbjSnsUjRjh1AB9A29iwOLu/s1600/IMG_2169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwepYqL0yMzPM7UgZQBdyyR42-O7KhC7-djPBk6ldEQCvPRY2yVyCtotbgFuBlrjEicXDYKlyVeuOAXehvrMAx-zSZsfa-EsN0ljAim9M2pdgNA4mjBy-NsbjSnsUjRjh1AB9A29iwOLu/s320/IMG_2169.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike share station in Washington DC</td></tr>
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"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;"><i>I got hooked on biking because it’s a pleasure, not because biking lowers my carbon footprint, improves my health or brings me into contact with different parts of the city and new adventures. But it does all these things, too — and sometimes makes us a little self-satisfied for it; still, the reward is emotional gratification, which trumps reason, as it often does.</i></span>"I ran across this great quote by David Byrne today from an excellent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/opinion/sunday/this-is-how-we-ride.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank">article</a> he wrote in the New York Times last May and I immediately connected with it. </div>
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If you've been reading this blog you know that I started delivering all of the CSA shares by bike this year. I've been doing this in all kinds of weather, with all kinds of loads, since I got the bike in June. Doing a straight forward cost analysis of bicycle delivery vs. car delivery there's no way it makes sense over the distance I travel, not that's it's particularly expensive, but my car was just so cheap the way I used it. Like Mr. Byrne, I got hooked because it's a pleasure, and I appreciate all of the other benefits as well, none of which come with doing deliveries by car. </div>
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In 2013 the farm is moving, and expanding, and even though the ride will be a little longer I'm still planning on doing deliveries by bike. Some folks think I'm nuts, and maybe I am and I'll realize my folly. Probably some of the shares will end up being delivered by car, just because of the expansion and I won't be the only one doing deliveries any more. Those details are still being worked out, but I'm optimistic and I think we'll be able to deliver most my bike.</div>
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I just got back from Washington DC where I was really impressed with the bike share program they have there, and that folks seemed to actually be using it (based on a short walk I took where I saw two separate users within just a few blocks). It's incredible to see the change in bicycles and bicycle culture here in the US in the past decade. Change like that makes me very optimistic for the future, not just that folks will live in a more environmentally responsible way, but that they'll live more pleasurable lives. Part of the thinking behind the farm is to not only look at how we can produce and distribute good, clean, fair food, but also how we can do it in a way that's more pleasurable for everyone involved. </div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-4212552120672996032013-01-21T13:46:00.000-08:002013-01-21T13:46:09.462-08:00Frosty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The above photo was taken on the ground in the "fields" at 1pm, still frosty. This means I'm rescheduling this week's harvest for Thursday and hoping that it thaws by then. I can't really assess the crops until things thaw out, and the yards aren't getting a lot of sun these days so they really need it to warm up for a few days before they can come out of this extended freeze. The forecast isn't clear on when that'll be, but right now Thursday looks like our best bet. </div>
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Meanwhile, planning and set up for the spring continues with office work and more seed orders being delivered all the time. I'm a bit late on announcing 2013 prices and availability, but let me just say that my target is to have it out by the end of January, and we're quadrupling the number of shares available in 2013 so I'll be looking to all of you good readers to spread the word when I get that posted. Stay tuned...</div>
<br />Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-15786520099393876502013-01-09T12:01:00.000-08:002013-01-09T12:01:13.175-08:00Farm in a box<div class="mobile-photo">
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I just unpacked three of six of my seed orders today. It's like Christmas all over, very exciting. Always crazy to think that basically all of the plants for the entire farm will come from that box of seed. </div>
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I got a nice little note on a sample pack from Dan at <a href="http://www.growitalian.com/" target="_blank">Seeds From Italy</a>. I've actually tried the variety in the past and if you're looking for stand out radicchio check out the special selections from Franchi available through <a href="http://www.growitalian.com/" target="_blank">Seeds From Italy</a>. I'm still waiting on some of my other chicories from my friend Frank at <a href="http://www.wildgardenseed.com/" target="_blank">Wild Garden Seed</a> - not as flashy, but they've been solid performers, especially in the cold. </div>
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Now I've just got to get the propagation house up and running so we can start seeding.</div>
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Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-75725840284398321692013-01-07T14:29:00.001-08:002013-01-07T14:30:20.251-08:00Winter 2013<div apple-content-edited="true"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div><br></div></span> </div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnob3ycVR7E_FhlSGi25B17spgzaIbLrZHQIpDfWVuzsQprti7po3Eknl_KeuxkQMTuKS_uO_DsijN5XbCWCEb_ZV97U3ZmPxook6WI0qHqt-jxBFKP47UQT2Kw2KNBc5qBMMBMl7m-wbM/s1600/photo-747721.jpeg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnob3ycVR7E_FhlSGi25B17spgzaIbLrZHQIpDfWVuzsQprti7po3Eknl_KeuxkQMTuKS_uO_DsijN5XbCWCEb_ZV97U3ZmPxook6WI0qHqt-jxBFKP47UQT2Kw2KNBc5qBMMBMl7m-wbM/s320/photo-747721.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5830837924672265890" /></a><br><br> <br><div>The first winter share of the year, the first share of 2013, and the first Slow Hand Farm share harvested entirely inside the Portland city limits. As a transitional strategy between the Sauvie Island farm location and the new Sherwood location, I planted the winter crops in my backyard and my neighbor's backyard. Today's harvest was interesting, figuring out new little systems for packing the shares in a new space, and figuring out what survived the wet, warm fall and the holiday freeze. Winter harvests are always the biggest guess of all the seasons. I already have seen some crop failures, which is par for the course every year, but I can never really tell what's going to be good until it's actually harvested. Today's share has leek, escarole, radicchio, kale and a sample of salsify. </div><div><br></div><div>Salsify is probably the most unusual vegetable in there, although I do grow it every year. It's also called oyster root and typically I scrape off the skin of the root with a knife (at which point it bleeds white, sticky sap that browns easily) and then I either chop it up and boil it until tender, or slice it and fry it until golden. Boiled it does taste a bit like oyster. Fried, it's very sweet and you have to be careful not to burn it.</div><div><br></div><div>The escarole, radicchio and kale all have a little freeze damage, dead spots on the leaves which can easily be torn out before cooking. They should be dealt with right away as they will shorten the storage life of the vegetables. The freeze did help sweeten them up though. I really like the escarole and radicchio in salad. They are slightly bitter, slightly sweet, and crunchy. I liked them sliced fairly thin. Soaking in cold water helps crisp them up and remove bitterness. Oil, lemon and salt makes a great dressing. I like kale sauteed and for that it helps to cut out the stems, chop them up and cook them a little longer than the leaves.</div><div><br></div><div>Leek, excellent sauteed like onion, used in soup, baked in bread or biscuits, baked whole by itself... It's just a fantastic vegetable.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope you all had a great holiday. I'm excited to be back to harvests and there's lots of work coming up getting the new farm site up and running.</div>Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-26568007422476465592012-12-20T15:35:00.000-08:002012-12-20T15:35:33.920-08:00Happy Holidays!<br />
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I was going to title this post, "worst day of the year," but that was when I couldn't find my keys this morning and then rode to the farm in some of the windiest, wettest conditions yet. Actually besides those two things, which weren't all that bad, it's been a pretty great day. A leisurely breakfast with friends from Canada (before searching for my keys for an hour), and a final harvest of the year (and the final harvest from the Sauvie Island farm site) that wrapped up the season nicely. We'll see how the ride into town goes, it was a killer headwind getting off the island, but the electric assist makes that much less of a problem. It did actually dry out a little so that's good.</div>
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Today's share is the same as Monday's, in case you were wondering. I'm now on a two week break from harvest before winter CSA shares start. There's lots of planning that'll be happening in that time, as well as a bit of clean up and end of the year accounting. I may also take a bit of a break from the blog for the next two weeks (or maybe not). Hope you all have a great end of the year. </div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-42966090960507784022012-12-17T13:40:00.001-08:002012-12-17T13:42:21.256-08:00Final Week of Fall<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KHiCfi3A1YgVicJeBYBA2InTPrlcqnu4XB1OTx5gQGcketDYoE3Munl9FINnfW-f5tbUdLjjp6S1QmrKt2_YfS5Sq_FWtllVHedFcDARA2MYOnnqHNahX2qEjCX4S_VbJVYjlPTg7iqS/s1600/photo-729935.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7KHiCfi3A1YgVicJeBYBA2InTPrlcqnu4XB1OTx5gQGcketDYoE3Munl9FINnfW-f5tbUdLjjp6S1QmrKt2_YfS5Sq_FWtllVHedFcDARA2MYOnnqHNahX2qEjCX4S_VbJVYjlPTg7iqS/s320/photo-729935.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5823032608115636194" /></a><br /><br />The weather forecast had me a little worried about today's harvest but its actually been very nice out, for the most part. I can say that partly because I'm fully suited up in rain gear and I wore nice cozy mittens on my ride to the farm this morning. <br /><br />Today's share has two chicories, frisée and sugarloaf (pan di zucchero), a small leek and a few small Egyptian flat beets. I haven't grown this beet (successfully) before so I'm curious to try it. The sugarloaf is one of my favorite chicories, very crunchy and sweet, and mildly bitter. These heads are slightly immature, which means they haven't reached full sweetness yet. I ran out of time though, and they're still good eating. I used to always roast these heads, split in half and drizzled with olive oil and coarse salt, but I've been enjoying them like escarole in salads recently. <br /><br />This is the final week of fall shares. The next two weeks will be a winter break before getting back to the harvests in 2013.<br /><br />Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-33357197540154639722012-12-13T14:55:00.000-08:002012-12-13T14:55:01.180-08:00Blue Sky<br />
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Today's share is basically the same as Monday's. I was a little short on escarole so one lucky member gets a head of frisee that was growing with the escarole. It was a beautiful day on the farm. I realized how warm it's been up to this point when I was packing the vegetables in the barn. My fingers were getting quite numb, which is the usual case for this time of year although it hasn't actually happened that much this year. </div>
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One more week of harvest before the Sauvie Island site is put to bed and harvest moves into town for the winter. Kji was out today cleaning up his side of the field. It was nice to see him out there. I've been solo in the fields since he stopped harvesting at the end of October.</div>
Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-25658980793484805742012-12-10T14:47:00.001-08:002012-12-10T14:49:28.440-08:00Penultimate Week of Fall<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fLNWtIQ-GgzSlzN3sVs5Qz0obeQ137mURj2L72TOJQwiMSCPiG1yk7cDNzecJVl-rgCR1ZYJu-fCVTjCkauIs7T8SpLO-cUCERm3CD4ian7zKCih1Jf3gKV1iwjeymNnqbp5jVTB4_kr/s1600/photo-755690.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fLNWtIQ-GgzSlzN3sVs5Qz0obeQ137mURj2L72TOJQwiMSCPiG1yk7cDNzecJVl-rgCR1ZYJu-fCVTjCkauIs7T8SpLO-cUCERm3CD4ian7zKCih1Jf3gKV1iwjeymNnqbp5jVTB4_kr/s320/photo-755690.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5820452304517182562" /></a><br /><br /><br />Another lovely share today, benefiting from the warm weather we've had so far this fall. The last of the celeriac is in this weeks bag and mâché makes a first appearance. The mâché is a delicate salad green, which does take quite a bit of rinsing to get clean. I've also put a head of escarole and the tops of the kale, which you'll want to strip the leaves from. <br /><br />Planning for next season is well underway. Last week I made my first serious pass through the seed catalogs and picked out a few new items. You'll have to stay tuned for more details on those, but I will say I'm excited.<br /><br />Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-63229657787872238642012-12-06T16:06:00.000-08:002012-12-06T16:06:36.639-08:00WhoopsNo photo today, I apologize for that, it's been a bit of a crazy day. The share today is the same as Monday, although the been greens were looking better so I added them in as well. You might have noticed a couple of unintentional blog posts earlier today (I've taken them down now), the result of autofill in the email address line. I make my blog posts by email, which is convenient and also gives me a backup copy just incase something happens. I've had blogger loose too many posts while I was working on line so it seems safer to do it through e-mail. Except, the address that it gives me to upload is too similar to some other addresses I use and so I've always been worried that I would unintentionally post something. Today it happened. Fortunately it was just notes to the CSA telling folks that I'm short on bags, which happens every now and again. There was also a reminder in there that today is the last day to order T-shirts. if you want one don't delay, let me know now.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1660084441171525352.post-34599047452717477592012-12-04T18:17:00.000-08:002012-12-04T18:17:20.391-08:00T-shirts, Finally!<span id="goog_258161852"></span><span id="goog_258161853"></span><br />
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I just sent out an announcement, which you can see <a href="http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f67227e96b92a72edbe468485&id=090cc0ccd0&e=bec6ac5bb2" target="_blank">here</a> letting folks know that I am taking orders for T-shirts, but only until the end of the day on Thursday! If you didn't get the email you definitely want to sign up for the mailing list (see that little widget up there on the sidebar?) You also want to click on that <a href="http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=f67227e96b92a72edbe468485&id=090cc0ccd0&e=bec6ac5bb2" target="_blank">here</a> to get the details on how to get a shirt.Slow Hand Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04986457748377914397noreply@blogger.com0