What They Leave Behind

It has been a quiet week here at Green Mountain Girls Farm. Statistics from Royal Butcher help us understand why…not only are the 13 “piglets” no longer with us, but they had a bigger presence than we knew.  Our “piglets” had grown even bigger than we predicted producing over a ton of pork! Chores are easier, feeding time is quieter and the farmers’ adrenaline associated with outsmarting them into the trailer has subsided.

Art by Liva Coe

But as we ready to drive to Green Mountain Smoke House with the hams and bacon and to rush the rest to the freezer, we realize these pigs left us so much more than this! Fife’s five were the survivors. In early July, Fife’s litter struggled due to her acute, sudden onset mastitis. Those that survived were hypoglycemic and sunburned by the time Dr. Stuwe confirmed the need to bottle feed them.  Many helped nurse them, first in the bathtub, then under the apple tree, until they could join their 8 cousins out in the back pasture.  Then we all enjoyed the months of silliness, curiosity, determination and joy these pigs demonstrated on pasture, digging in the woods, playing in the snow, enjoying an ear scratch and sleeping peacefully in big piles of warmth. 

As we ready to support Fife, Madison and Checkers who will all farrow in late March, we first must contend with another legacy of the 13.  Their bedded pack is a rich arc, 18 inch deep and 100 square foot area, where they left their marks.  Our team carefully layered in sawdust to capture the nutrients and spent hay and straw from their bedding area to keep the area dry.  Now the trick will be to add water and pile on wood chip to initiate the hot compost phase which will ready this material for fall garden beds.  Before even the next round of piglets, the full cycle of life is visible, even in the quiet emptiness where last week 13 good looking pigs stood.  Each litter makes a mark on our hearts, land and lives.  We thank them for all they provide.

And as Madison plowed her way through the deep snow this week [video link] we wondered if they are getting in shape to build their nest (video) and bring us the next litters to who will in turn leave their imprint on this farm community.  

Eat.Stay.Farm

Introducing our new logo!
We hope our logo will help us extend our invitation to share our farm wider than word of mouth! Soon to follow will be our new website which will allow easier access to what is for sale each week and news from the farm. It will also better express our offers for farmstays and events at the farm. Keep an eye out for www.EatStayFarm.com. Technology improvements abound here..you can also now find us on Facebook.

Music at the Farm

Mary Bonhag & Evan Premo,
Artistic Directors of Scrag Mountain Music

Scrag Mountain Music debuts its winter series this Friday,
January 21st at 7pm at the Farm!

Experience excellent music in a cozy venue—the barn (finished part with heat of course!) Scrag Mountain Music seeks a new approach in classical music by creating a space of warmth and welcome to everyone, especially newcomers to the genre.

Audiences are encouraged to “Come as you are, pay what you can” in an effort to make live music affordable to everyone.  Through this series (which continues in Feb & April) Scrag Mountain Music seeks to help audience members and performers move beyond experiencing classical music as an intellectual exercise, and rather approach music from the heart.  For more details, see scragmountainmusic,weebly.com
 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! We are starting 2011 recommitted to our health – a focus emerging from year end reflections combined with holiday excess! We were lucky to enjoy far-flung family and friends during the holidays but our road-trips make clear how much we have turned into food snobs! Let’s just say we feel lucky to have lots of unadulterated, nutrient dense and delicious calories here at our finger tips.

Roast chicken with potato/turnip latkes and chevre chaud salad

Even in January, we find we can eat the tastiest most satisfying food at home...and certainly in Vermont!  There are a growing number of Vermont restaurants using well raised local food and talents beyond ours in the kitchen. 


Besides offering good food we want to expand our connections and contributions to our neighborhood and local region in the coming year. Our barn was a significant hook attracting us to this property and it seems it continues to inspire! We are delighted that Lydia Russell will continue to offer a weekly Anusara yoga class (Wednesdays at 4pm sharp).  She leads an inspiring class - those in the region, check her out at our place or the several other spots where she teaches.  (SapremaYoga for details)

We are also thrilled that Evan Premo and Mary Bonhag’s winter chamber music season will include two Friday night concerts in the barn, January 21st and April 22nd.  Checkout their site for all the details.  We got a sneak peak of what the Scrag Mountain Music series will offer and it was beautiful and inspiring.   For our part we admire Evan and Mary’s own community building ambitions and find the partnership a serendipitous step. If you are interested in volunteering for the series or otherwise helping as Evan and Mary launch Scrag Mountain Music contact them.

Sometimes it is OK to play with your food

Sometimes the farmers just get a little silly.  This piece of fine work was inspired by an extraordinary daikon radish and the birthday of one of our Farm Share members.  It just so happens that the Birthday girl has a certain fondness for our odd shaped vegetables.  So combine those two things with some long fall days on the farm and you get Dolly the Daikon Radish.  She is lovely and generated some laughs.  Hopefully she and her red-hot habenero lips will please you as well.  We think sometimes it is ok to play with your food!

Food Processing Continues

Megan & the pickled beets

The kitchen has been busy!  Every week the options for this winter's share get more expansive.  In addition to canned tomatoes (in many forms - whole, puree, sauce & puree), there is already red salsa & salsa verde and now the pickling family.   Pickled beets, which are really beautiful and probably tasty as well.  Mixed veggie pickles, bread and butter pickles and the newest addition -- Green Tomato Pickles.  Rumor has it they are excellent on burger or other sandwich. 

Green Tomatoes on their way to pickles

So the pantry is getting stocked and it will be open and available as part of our Omnivore's share later this fall once the field vegetables start to fade.  Winter eating will be tasty!

Hoop House #2 is going up

Bit by steel bit, our second hoop house is on its way up!  Yesterday space was defined as all of the bows were launched in the air and then nicely bolted to the groundposts. Then began the more tedious work of the cross braces and purlins supports (to add stability).  It is exciting to think about this as an additional growing space this winter and throughout the coming seasons.  Flats of greens are already seeded in anticipation. 

 

This second hoop house is being made possible through a grant from USDA and their Know Your Farmer program.  And of course through the help of many hands! We are only on day 4 of this modern day barn-raising, but so far so good.  Now if the rain could just hold off a bit.