Cosmo spring garden 2023

[Cosmo spring garden]

Your garden is absolutely amazing! A greenhouse too! And goats! Oh, when the first kids are born, you will fall in love like never before. Then milking, cheese and all the goodness they bring. You are awesome!

Thank you for the kind words, they being me encouragement. I am really looking forward to having goat kids! I have so many plans for the milk too!

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Not gardening related but I want to share this. This is a song a good friend of mine wrote and sang. Please have a listen. It will sure bring encouragement!

 

[SPedigrees]

I'm just now reading Zeedman's and digitS's observations about farmers markets. A lot of good points made here.

Steve wrote: "What happens in a farmers' market after a few seasons is that things do become sorted out. Growers have to be willing to make something of a commitment and those are the best vendors for the customers and market, anyway."

I've seen this happen. The first time I visited this market a few years ago, I went there to see if anyone was selling pasture-raised chickens. There were a couple people at a booth near the entrance promoting their chicken, but the various packaged cuts of meat had a commercial look to them. When I asked if their birds were raised on pasture, the answer was no, so I passed. Next I found the booth run by a farming couple from a town next to mine, displaying their homemade maple candies and syrup and having a cooler that contained two of their pasture-raised chickens. I bought one! Later I got to know these people better and they have expanded their product lines, raising multiple species of herbivores. Bought some lamb chops a couple weeks ago that were to die for! And they promised that if I contact them ahead of time they can have specific cuts of meat to order. Had a nice conversation with the wife about the sad state of today's kids not knowing where their food comes from.

But long story short, in subsequent return visits to this market, there has been no sign of the booth selling "commercial-looking" chicken parts, only the couple with the pasture raised meats, clearly doing a great business with customers voting with their dollars for humanely raised meats. So yes, this market seemingly sorted itself out in this instance.

Another thing that may determine types of product sellers (just guessing here since I have nothing to do with the operation of this farmers market) is that because of the small space afforded by this little city park, perhaps permissions/rental agreements are selected so as to have a mix of garden produce, baked goods, and other homemade items. So this may prevent the market being taken over by crafters. Just a guess. I definitely like the variety. At my last visit I was delighted to find a lady selling homemade bread (not organic, but baked with very few and good ingredients). I bought a loaf of sour dough bread and it was exquisite. Also I patronized another baker selling homemade organic dog treats. These were especially great, because these were soft treats that my 16 year old chihuahua with the bad teeth can easily manage, and they were a big hit with both dogs. Then there is a jewelry maker's booth that causes me to stop and look, but since I have a lifetime's worth of jewelry with less and less occasions to wear any of it, I reluctantly don't stop here. There is usually a musician singing and busking, and I always toss some $ in his guitar case. Music is always good! It's also worth mentioning that it is still early here in northern New England, so those offering harvested produce will doubtless put in a stronger appearance later in the season.

I am looking forward to another farmers market visit later this week for more pasture-raised lamb, potatoes from the booth "next door," another loaf of locally made bread, more doggie treats, and then to the supermarket for the organic produce and dairy they do offer. Here's a photo of organic supermarket produce bought on my last trip, soaking in the vinegar bath - most not local, but yummy nonetheless.

 

[baymule]

@SPedigrees you might ask the couple about purchasing a whole lamb. They could sell you a live lamb, take it to slaughter, either they or you pick it up and pay the processor. Then you get chops, roast, ground meat, leg of lamb, or have the leg cut into round steak, tenderized, for chicken fried steak, and lamb shanks, those make great soup. The good thing about a whole lamb, is they are small, not like buying a steer, and they don’t take up much freezer room.

I used to sell whole lambs and deliver them to the processors. The customers picked them up and paid the processing fees. Then I figured out I could wean lambs and take to auction, it was much easier! LOL

 

[SPedigrees]

...you might ask the couple about purchasing a whole lamb.

I don't have freezer space for an entire animal. I live alone and have just a small (3.6 cu ft) upright chest freezer in the cellar (Actually I have 2 identical appliances, but only one is in use as a freezer. The other is unplugged and serving as a storage cabinet. When my 1990 vintage freezer dies from old age, the two will exchange roles. I plan ahead!) Also I have freezer compartments on my two refrigerators upstairs.

Basically all my space is filled most of the time with frozen vegetables, pasture-raised meats I purchase online from Northstar Bison (an outfit in Wisconsin), raw food from HareToday for my one dog, home-cooked food for my little dog with the picky appetite, as well as casseroles, soups, and other foods I've prepared for my own consumption later.

Mostly I am looking forward to buying some cuts of meat with the fat NOT trimmed from around the meat. This is the main draw for custom ordering from these folks.

Visiting a farm and seeing all their animals and how they are kept is nice, but I really wouldn't want to have a "meet and greet" with a specific animal that I was planning to eat!

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

To me nothing is more beautiful than freshly harvested/preserved produce from my garden!
We are making good progress on digging up potatoes but still have 6 more rows to go. I feel so blessed that we have hardly had any vole damage this year! The size of potatoes is small but that is probably my fault for planting so close.
The color of the potatoes against the house siding is beautiful to me! One variety of red almost looks pink in person. I have no idea what variety they are!
I will also have 30 jars of salsa canned by the end of day today!
Oh and Cherokee purple tomatoes because they are gorgeous!

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

OK finally done digging. It was hot, sweaty and dirty job but so glad to have it done. I plan to go to the market on Thursday and sell some ppotatoes. I'll also share and trade some with friends.
Last batch of salsa is water bathing now. I'll have 28 jars total! Neighbor wants to buy some so plan on making more in the near future.
We are tired but I'll sleep well tonight knowing I don't have to dig potatoes 😂

I need to give my attention to the onions. Short day onions do not store well so I need to preserve them before they go bad.

 

[flowerbug]

...
I need to give my attention to the onions. Short day onions do not store well so I need to preserve them before they go bad.

we usually do a few batches of onion soup and freeze portions of that.

 

[SPedigrees]

To me nothing is more beautiful than freshly harvested/preserved produce from my garden!
We are making good progress on digging up potatoes but still have 6 more rows to go. I feel so blessed that we have hardly had any vole damage this year! The size of potatoes is small but that is probably my fault for planting so close.
The color of the potatoes against the house siding is beautiful to me! One variety of red almost looks pink in person. I have no idea what variety they are!
I will also have 30 jars of salsa canned by the end of day today!
Oh and Cherokee purple tomatoes because they are gorgeous!

I always select red or purple potatoes. I can't tell the difference in taste between yellow and red, but the reds are so much prettier. Actually I guess they are more nutritious than their non-red counterparts because I usually cook them with the skins on (even mashed potatoes) and dark colored produce is supposed to contain the most nutrients.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

I am really excited for market today! I had fun filling these baskets at home just to make sure I had enough veggies to fill them up. It was so hot when we harvested these. But I'm glad they are inside and ready for market!