Summer in All Her Glory

Four days after the summer solstice, over 60 people gathered on our farm to celebrate the sun with good food and music. The Summer Solstice Show on June 25th was our first community event on the farm! This has been a longtime dream ever since I wrote into my vision statement — “Our dream is to foster a thriving perennial polyculture and to share it through art, music, education, and community gatherings.” That we did. Four bands performed from the front porch, including Steve Rekstad, Delma, Kyle Lyons, and the Sowash Family Band. We served 90 burgers from beef raised here on the farm, German potato salad, and baked beans, along with lots of food brought by friends. The hot and sticky day turned cool as the sun slowly settled on one of the longest nights of the year. After my family finished our set and brought the evening to a close, I walked off “stage” and couldn’t stop smiling from the high of performing, the sight of friends and family gathered on our lawn, the new connections made between musicians, the beauty that surrounds me…

Needless to say, summer is here in all of her glory! The zucchini in the garden grows so fast that I’m tempted to put a video camera out to record it. We recently harvested the garlic that we planted last fall and we’re eager to try the three “hard neck” varieties we planted once they’ve properly cured. We’re curious if we can make a homemade version of canned minced garlic for easy cooking. Next we’ll plant more potatoes for a late fall harvest. Our goal each year is to produce more and more of our own food for year-round consumption. This also involves making time to process it into something shelf stable, so we anticipate much pickling, canning, freezing, and drying in our future. In addition, I have been purchasing local fruit at the Chesterhill Produce Auction to be washed, frozen, vacuum sealed and eaten all winter long. I feel lucky to live in an area where we can grow so much of what I consume and I find myself buying less and less grocery store food from the global food system. Something about an oversized, white, watery strawberry just doesn’t cut it anymore.

Next weekend I will be getting a few more yearlings to add to the herd! These will be the red angus / gelbvieh crosses. I’m curious to see how they integrate with the others. Stay tuned on Instagram for live updates. I move the cows to fresh pasture roughly every-other-day for soil and cattle health. It’s been fascinating to see the pastures respond to two seasons of intensive grazing, two seedings of red clover, and one spreading of lime. The deep-rooted carbon-sequestering grasses flourish best in the areas that are most heavily grazed, then given a long rest period. As an experienced dairy grazier reminded me at the Solstice Show, “the more animals you have, the better the land becomes.”

Beef Pre-Orders Open!

Beef is available to order through my website on the Buy Beef page. You’ll find information regarding amounts, pricing, dates, etc. The next butcher date is in late November, so you can expect to receive the meat sometime in December. Here is a brief overview of the process:

• make your $100 deposit → submit your cut sheet → pay invoice based on weight → pick up or have meat delivered (*in Columbus or Athens)

There are three sizes available (whole, half, and quarter) for two different breeds. You can also choose to go in on a quarter with a few friends. Please email me with any questions! I’m happy to walk you through the process or help you make a decision about how much you should order, as there are many options available.

MoSo Jewelry Shop Update

Head over to my MoSo Jewelry Etsy shop to find 36 new pairs of bone, seed, and wood earrings! Treat yourself to a fresh pair this summer or give a thoughtful gift out of the blue. Thanks for spreading the word when you can — it makes a big difference for my small business.

What I’m reading…

A Small Farm Future | Book by Chris Smaje | Making the case for a society built around local economies, self-provisioning, agricultural diversity, and a shared Earth.” I highly recommend this sobering yet inspirational book! I couldn’t put it better than Vandana Shiva’s review: “We are facing an existential crisis – with species extinction, climate catastrophes, desertification of soil, disappearance of water, pandemics of infectious and chronic diseases, hunger and malnutrition. Industrialized, globalized agriculture based on the myth that it feeds the world is driving the multiple, interconnected crisis. Eighty percent of the food we eat comes from small farms. Chris Smaje’s A Small Farm Future shows that the choice is clear. Either we have a small farm future, or we face collapse and extinction.”

Black in Appalachia | Website & Podcast | “In 2017, Black in Appalachia began documenting African American life and history in Lawrence, Gallia, Athens & Perry Counties, with a particular focus on the region's Emancipation Proclamation celebrations.”

What I’m listening to…

My Summer playlist is accompanying me on the drive to work, in the garden, and occasionally, on the tractor too.