Thursday, December 11, 2014

Farm Stay 2, December 1-18, 2014

by Miguel
Thursday, December 4
         Today is Thursday and is day four of our Farmstay visit. It has been great so far and has not only been educational, but fun as well. It started off a little boring. We did math silently for about an hour but it only got more fun from there. We transitioned into a class called occupations. This is where the group was divided into two groups that both worked on things that improved the land school. There is the food group, which cooks lunch for the Farmstay, and there was the fibers group, which was getting wool from the sheep and using it to make crafts. I was in the food group and my friend and I were in charge of making bread dough. It was so much fun. We messed up the recipe twice but we made great dough in the end. It was then time for lunch. After lunch we did something called micro economy. It is where you start a small business with a friend and work on making crafts to sell at the land school event that comes up later in the Farmstay. After that we had some outdoor time. We played broom-ball on the ice. Everyone was falling every five seconds and we were pretty terrible but everyone had a great time. We had dinner and then study hall. This was a time not only to get work done, but also to get into a calm mood. We had closing where we each got a minute to tell stories about our lives. Some were really funny but it was nice to share an experience with the group. After that it was time to go to bed. We all fell asleep exited for the next day.

by Ben
Friday, December 5
Today is Friday and we are all super excited for the weekend. We have had such a great time and learned so much. I have been working in the food occupations group. I am doing a project on Portuguese food with Miguel and have already learned a ton. It has been very interesting and enjoyable to be able to research this country. Tonight we are also watching a movie. Some of us are very excited while others, mainly the boys, are not so excited due to the movie being Dream Girls. But regardless we all can’t wait for the weekend and just to be able to hang out together. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the Farmstay will hold in store for us. 

by Muriel
Saturday, December 6
When it’s cold outside, you have to find ways to occupy yourself. Whether that be ping pong or reading a book or eating, entertainment is essential for your sanity.
Even though the basement is chocked full of board games and cards, we have yet to touch them. The most popular activity has been needle felting. The boys have created what hey call “the bonnet.” And they worship it; along with Halos.
Us girls, on the other hand, have been busy drawing with markers and walking around when it’s really cold outside (which hasn’t been all that often).
Although we’ve been good at occupying ourselves so far, pretty soon we’re going to need to get a little more creative, and that’s when things get interesting. Stay tuned.

by Thea
Sunday, December 7
         Today was a very lazy day for us all until around 2:00 in the afternoon when we were guided to go on a hike. We all decided to go to the pine forest. Some of the girls were already on a hike so they met us there but me, not being one of those girls, got my outdoor gear on and trudged through the snow with the rest of the group that was still at the homestead. Once we reached the pine forest we winded through some of the trees until we reached a point where we all sat down and decided what we wanted to do next. We ended up passing up a game of thicket to walk to the climbing tree, which none of us had been to. Once we reached the climbing tree Donna kindly brought back the part of the group that was tired and cold, which included me, while a couple others stayed and climbed the climbing tree. 

Our long hike back turned into a quick one when the majority of us decided to begin running through the thick stomped down cornfields once we saw the homestead. Most of us came back to a little chunk of “free time” which most of us spent talking and drinking our elaborate cups of hot chocolate. Its was overall a nice afternoon which left us all ready to sleep.


by Noah 
Monday, December 8
         Today besides our normal activities, we had a special activity called the Mentor Lunch.  The Mentor Lunch is where our Farm-stay splits up into mentor groups and goes on a hike.  Before the hike, students pack a lunch to have on the hike.  Our group went to the Bird blind and back.  When we got to the bird blind, we went inside the blind to have lunch.  We saw many birds including Blue Jays, Woodpeckers, and Chickadees.  Over all, it was a really fun experience.
         We also are preparing our micro economy projects for the Holiday Craft Fair.  Right now, most groups have started the construction of their food and their craft items.  A few groups including mine made test batches of the food that we will be selling at the Holiday Craft Fair.  Over all, today was a very productive and good day.


by Kalina
Tuesday, December 9
Nothing very exiting happened today and I want to take a different approach on the blog so I am going to talk a little about Farmstay and what it is. 

Farmstay is about building community but at the same time becoming independent and finding your voice and where you stand. It is an interesting concept, when I tell people about it they either think it is very cool and say I am lucky to have such experiences or they ask me, “Where do you go to school?”

Living on a farm for three weeks with a group of kids you have usually only just seen around school and barely know is a very interesting experience. Usually you have a few friends too but it is mostly an unknown group. Sure you have been with these kids since pre-school but do you really know them. My answer is no, you gain a lot of friends and better acquaintances as the outcome but the process of getting there is usually painful and long. 

Like any community or household of people you get sick of each other, quarrel, disagree and misunderstand each other. The most important thing of Farmstay is to forgive and be open about your feelings. A lot of stress comes with Farmstay too and you learn how different people handle it. Basically you get an 18-day insight into how people live 24/7. 

A couple of the things we do on Farmstay besides learning about people and becoming a community are: Occupations- where we get to experience having a job that for the most part is the same day after day as well as do some farm work and help out the community, there usually is a project involved; Cook Crews / Clean Up Crews- learning to cook and clean a kitchen, basically learning life skills; Micro-Economy- learning about running a small businesses, profit, loss, overhead and crating a product appealing to customers (Please come to the Holiday Fair, 11-3 of December 13, to see our micro-eco projects and help our small businesses succeed); and then there are our Daily Cores- a time for us to have some experience having responsibility as well as cleaning up our environment and materials. 

I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Farmstay, 

Sincerely,
Kalina 


by Julia
Thursday, December 11
            On the 11th of December, everyone was busy preparing for our holiday event. Thea and I made blankets, and that day our fabric finally arrived…two days late. The previous day our occupations group (fibers) took a field trip to a store that had lots of yarn, felt, and looms. In occupations the next day we got to start our projects. Lily and I made a felted wall hanging; it is still in progress but looks good. For lunch someone from the food occupations group made Brazilian food. We had bean soup and other Brazilian cuisine.  We had outdoor play, much needed after our hard work during micro economy, and then our daily chores. For dinner we had enchiladas. At our evening meeting we told one-minute stories like every night, and then went to bed.  Two days until the event, we were all very excited, but very tired, so we fell asleep quickly.


by Zane
Saturday, December 13
          On Saturday December 13, 2014 we had a craft fair! We sold many crafts in preparation for the holidays. We sold a wide variety of crafts and foods; they included photo cards, snow globes, walking sticks, candy, brownies and many more! The event lasted from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Not only were there kids selling crafts but there were also other venders selling even more products! The Farmstay has been preparing for two weeks creating products, making test batches and deciding what to sell. At the fair many people came to see their children and to buy the goods of them as well as from their children’s friends. After the event was over we spent the time to clean up and bring everything back to normal.  

by Filippo
Monday, December 15
Nearing the end of our Farmstay, there is a bittersweet feeling going around. On one end you get to go home and see your family, but on the other hand you have to leave the community that we have created here on Farm stay 2. For me farm stay means a lot of things: To get the experience of working on a farm, to experience life away from home for awhile, you get to be independent and make a lot of decisions, but I think that the most important part of farm stay is the community and the people you’re on it with. Having a strong community can make farm stay an amazing experience, on farm stay 2 I have made many new friends with people that I didn’t really know before farm stay.  
Today was a pretty average day. First I got up and at 7 o clock dragged my self up to the red barn, where I fed and cared for the chickens. Then I returned and had a hearty breakfast of raisin bran. After my breakfast we had math. Then we transitioned to occupations; I am in the food occupation and in the food occupation we get to research on a certain country and we explore the part that a certain dish plays in there culture. Then after occupations we had CE/PE, which is physical expression. During CE/PE we played a game of broomball. I find broomball a rather violent sport. After our little game we had chore time during which I vigorously scrubbed toilets. After scrubbing MANY toilets I also scrubbed my hands vigorously… Then we had free time in which I was part of an intense ping-pong tournament. Then we had dinner, and because I am writing this quite a while late so I do not recall what was for dinner.


by Ara
Wednesday, December 17
        During Farmstay we have ce/pe (creative expressions/physical education) 5 times a week. During these times we do something fun and creative. At the beginning of our Farmstay the group brainstorms ideas. The things we have done so far are: tackle which is a game where you go out in the snow and tackle each other, broom ball, hike, sculpy /sledding/ tie die, another hike, snowflakes, block printing. Today we block printed which was where you take a slab of linoleum and you carve a picture into it and put some paint on it and slap it on a piece of paper and it’s block printing.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Farm Stay 1, October 13-30, 2014

Castor and Pollux
by Rachel
October 14
Today is the second day of Farm Stay 1. The weather is really nice. Some E1 and E2 students came out and helped with projects around the Land School. It was really fun and the E1 students made apple crisp and they shared some with us. It was really good. This summer we got two orange kittens. They are still smallish but really mature; except they are still working on landing on all their legs. Their names are Castor and Pollux. Pollux is more orange than Castor is. They really like chasing long plants and being held. They are really fun to have around and I think they like the farm.

The Hay River 100 Mile Local Food Challenge
by Sally
            For the next ten days, farm stay one will be participating in a local food challenge. This means that we will only be able to eat food that is produced within a hundred-mile radius of the Land School, with a few exceptions. These exceptions are that the group is able to choose ten exotic foods- foods that aren’t gown in a hundred- mile radius- to eat during this period of time. The exotic foods that we chose include: cinnamon, chocolate, salt vanilla, baking soda, rice, sugar, olive oil, pasta, cumin and pepper. (We realize that these are eleven exotics, but we decided that cumin and pepper were going to be combined into one…). Choosing these was very hard; we realized that we took so many things for granted, like spices that mainly do not grow very near to us. One thing that we enjoyed finding out was that we could remain eating cereal for breakfast- we had already gotten rid of the bagels an cream cheese, and the toast- because the malt-o-meal factory, which already supplied much of our cereal, turned out to be 98 miles away- located in Northfield, MN. This challenge has been very hard on us, even though it’s only the first day. The first thing that we realized was that, to have toast, we had to make our own bread. Then, during do-it-yourself dinner, we were struck with the fact that we couldn’t have as much freedom as we usually did in the kitchen. Instead of making Mac-and-cheese in a box, we were forced to make our own cheese sauce. By the end of this, I am sure that we will all be very grateful to have non-local foods again, although it will be a great experience.

To find out more go to…
http://www.hayriverti.org/announcements/hayriver100milelocalfoodchallenge


Cumin or Pepper
by Mehek
            I am a strong pepper advocate, “What else is going to flavor the food? ” I ask those who believe our last exotic food should be cumin. I suppose my viewpoint is because I don’t spend much time in the kitchen cooking meals, and apparently cumin is useful in that setting. But, for me, food is almost always bland anyway, and I would be in deep doo-doo if I didn’t have pepper to help a bit with that (of course hot sauce is the most optimal but that has too many ingredients be one of our exotic foods.) “They” insist that we need cumin for our chili tomorrow, I insist that is one meal, and pepper is used for every meal (and if it isn’t, it should be.) Apparently, this discussion was taking up too much of our morning meeting, so Katie decided that “cupper” would be our last exotic food item. No one could argue with that. Though it may look like we are cheating to a critical eye, this ten exotic food limit is meant for one family, and though we are like a family on farm stay, a twelve person one, is quite sizable. Coincidentally, we have twelve exotic foods as of now, because yeast was added on the next day when we started to make bread.

by Remi
October 18
Today was the last day of the first week of Farm Stay 1 2014-15. We are mostly settled in and adjusted to the schedule. We all went apple picking this morning for cider and sauce apples then we had an extensive free time where we played games explored the outdoors and some did micro eco work. We are still in our 10-day 100-mile challenge, there have been some mistakes but mostly we are doing well. Today was also the first snack day so we are able to eat the snacks that we brought from home.
by Will
October 19
            Farm Stay 1 closed out a great first week on October 19, 2014. We spent our first week getting used to our daily schedules. Working on the farm has proved to be a lot of fun. The first week was a mix of work, planning, pranks (a lot of time goes in to those), and more fun. It has been great getting to know everyone better.
            Today, we had great weather, just like we’ve had all week. We got to sleep in this morning (finally!!!). We had a great brunch, then had free time until dinner. A lot of free time was spent playing foosball or doing fun activities outside. Those activities included going to the tree house, the red barn, or exploring the woods. Many people took that time to work on getting ready for the “Spooktacular”. We finish the day with dinner, study hall and a meeting. All in all, it was a great week and a great day.

by Walker
            Over Farmstay one we’ve been doing a local food challenge. The challenge lasts ten days and we try to eat food that have only been grown and produced within 100 miles of where we live, or in this case the Land School. We are also allowed ten exotics per household, but because our group is so large we have 14 exotics. They were vinegar, ice cream, cumin, pepper, yeast, cinnamon, chocolate, salt, vanilla, baking soda, rice, sugar, olive oil, and pasta. It’s been hard and we have had to improvise and try new things like making mayonnaise, and buying venison sausage shot and processed within 100 miles. But I know many of us have broken the accidentally, like when we had do it your self dinner and I put soy sauce in my stir-fry or, some people sneaked ketchup on their burgers. But its really cool because it makes me feel better about my carbon footprint.


by Noah
October 21
            Today, we had a fun visit from the Class H students. All the kids came at around 10:30 and quickly got to our work. We had a blast harvesting, planting, and preparing vegetables. In small groups, we went off doing different things like harvesting corn, shoveling leaves, separating garlic, and planting it. They got the opportunity to work with the Junior High students on these activities as all of us got to interact with fellow classmates.
            The weather was perfect and sunny, and it was a fabulous experience for both the Junior Higher’s and Class H students.
           
            As we near the Spooktacular event on the 25th, everyone is beginning to work hard on their products for the store. There’s many food items, and craft items that we’re excited to sell. The micro-economy so far has been a crazy, but fun experience that is helping us explore and learn all about the economy with our products, on a micro and independent scale. There’ve been many test batches and experiences as we prep for a great event!

by Noah
October 22
Hi! At this point in time, there are two days until the spooktacular! People are starting to feel the tensions of living together for so long. Just like a family, we are starting to annoy each other. People have also been not getting enough sleep, just adding to the mix. Alone time, suggested by donna, is the only remedy, but it works wonders! Work for the spooktacular is coming along nicely. It is going to be truly awesome! It is taking place at 4 o’clock on Saturday, and will come to a close at 8. If you are open on that day, I highly recommend coming to enjoy this event. Three reasons why you should come:

a) there will be a store selling both all manner of deserts and snacks, and cool crafts.
b) we will have fun activities like a maze and a haunted hike.
c) one word. POTLUCK!!!!!!!!!

And your Saturday night is booked. Bam.  

Life on the farm is a great and refreshing experience. I realize how lucky I am to have the opportunity to come here.

by Eliana
October 25
            Today is the big day of the Spooktacular! All of the Farmstay students are very excited to host the Spooktacular, and sell our products that we have been working on since the beginning of Farmstay.
            Before we could even host the event we had to set it up. I worked on moving the couches and plants in the gathering room, moving the tables in the dining room and classroom so people could sit and have their dinner, and setting up spider webs to hang in the windows. By the time we were done working on the set up the homestead looked great. In the afternoon I helped get the apple cider press and the bobbing for apple’s buckets into the van so we could bring them over from the long barn to the homestead. After everything was done I was very exited to see my family and friends that were coming to the event.

by Sophia
October 26
            Yesterday was the Spooktacular event it was a lot of fun, and more people then I thought showed up. Everyone’s product sold and all of us enjoyed seeing our parents and friends that came. Today we had a clean up day but it was not that bad. After the Spooktacular we were all very tired and Katie was very nice and let us watch a movie.
            At the Spooktacular event I was in charge of the bobbing for apple station and on a half hour crew on potluck clean up and the out side casher. I really enjoyed seeing my family and friends and the event over all was a lot of fun
            We were all getting used to our new jobs because we switched our morning jobs yesterday. There is Animals, breakfast and breakfast clean up. I am on animal chores now and I am doing the llamas and sheep chores. The only thing I do not like is having to get up at 7:30 to do them.


by Davis
            The Lake Country Land School Farmstay was great. There were many challenges. Such as the 100 mile food challenge, but the challenges made the Farmstay a much more realistic experience.
            Interacting with all the animals was a cool thing to do. We got to feed the animals, pet the animals, clean up after the animalsL, and much more.
            Getting to know the other 11 people was great. I am excited to come back next year.

"Last Day" 
by Sarah
October 30
            Today is the last day of Farm Stay One, 2014. I have learned and experienced so many great things here, and I am sad that this experience is almost over, but I am glad to go home.
            Over the past eighteen days I have grown, both literally and figuratively. On October 19th I had my thirteenth birthday, and my parents came over and gave everyone a can of silly-string, and we had a silly-string war.
            But I have also learned a lot about independence, doing my own laundry, cooking meals, and so much else.
            Right now I am listening to a song called “coming home”, and I can’t think of a more suiting song.
“I’m coming home, I’m coming home,
Tell the world I’m coming home,
  Let the rain wash away,
All the pain of yesterday
Now my kingdom awaits,
And they’ve forgiven my mistakes,
Tell the world I’m coming home.” 





Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Last Market of the Season

This Thursday is our last market for the year. We will have :

Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Garlic
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint
Kale
Leeks
Onions
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes
Swiss Chard
Winter Squash

Harvest Baskets

Remember to pre-order your harvest basket. We will distribute them on Thursday, November 6, during the regular 4-6 pm market hours. Price is $50. They will include much of the produce listed above, as well as maple syrup and Wisconsin cheeses. You can give checks to me at the market, or to Brooks in the office. The maximum number of baskets we assemble is 50, so get your order in now to ensure that you make it on the list.


Thanks for supporting the Land School CSA program, and for welcoming me into my new role in the community!








Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Spooktacular Event!


Hold your plans for the upcoming weekend, on Saturday (the 25th) make sure you don’t miss out on the spectacular, spooktacular event. This gathering will include pumpkin carving, atlatl and dart throwing, bobbing for apples, a campfire with horror stories, a haunted maze, and a potluck. For the potluck, please refrain from bringing any desserts, they will be sold alongside crafts that the farm stay students have been working on. Please remember not to include nuts in your potluck dishes, as our facilities are completely nut free. Don’t skip out on this noteworthy, and annual event this Saturday, the 25th from 4-8 PM (potluck at 5:30). See you there!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Wednesday Market

We are shifting this week's market to fall on Wednesday afternoon, from the usual 4-6pm (as there is no school on Thursday or Friday). Here is the predicted harvest list for the week:

Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Garlic
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint
Kale
Leeks
Onions
Green Onions
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Sunchokes/Jerusalem Artichokes
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Watermelon?
Winter Squash

Farm Stay 1 began this Monday. We are enjoying coming together as a community and are beginning to settle into our rhythm. Each day one of the students on the Farm Stay will be writing a blog entry, so check back here often for daily updates on this special time!


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Sunny Autumn Days

This week's harvest:

Beets
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Garlic
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint
Kale
Lettuce &/or Mustards Greens Mix
Onions
Green Onions
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Japanese White Turnips
Winter Squash

End of the Harvest Season and Harvest Baskets

Including this week, we have four more markets for the season. We will be doing the Harvest Baskets on Thursday November 6th, which is the first week after the regular market ends. These baskets typically include produce (potatoes, garlic, onions, brussels sprouts, squash, popcorn, cabbage, +?), cheeses from our local dairy shop here in Wisconsin, and maple syrup. Cost is $50. They must be ordered and paid for in advance. Please let me know (in person or by email: lkosowski@lakecountryschool.org) if you would like one, so I can put you on the list. You can either pay me at the market, or send a check directly to Lake Country School (if you send a check directly to the school, please still let me know that you are ordering one). 



Farm Stay 1!

Farm Stay 1 begins this coming Monday. We look forward to all that we will get to share together during the next three weeks: cooking many meals, harvesting everything that is left in the gardens, planting herbs and tulip bulbs, working on the pizza/bread oven, hiking, getting ready for the Spooktacular Halloween Festival (which will be on the evening of Saturday October 25th), and of course much much more. Make sure to check the blog during Farm Stay for student-written entries!



 Class G Overnight

Class G was here last week for a rainy Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The rain did not stop any of the activities planned for our time together: hiking, pond study, tree identification, harvest for last week's market, and preparing for the Harvest Festival. Thanks to everyone in the class for their playful, positive spirits and for all the work that they helped us do!


Tuesday and Wednesday Visits

Children from E1 and E2 have been planning small visits out to the Land School on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings/afternoons. The trips always include some element of stewardship (work on the farm), as well as another activity that they have chosen and planned. So far this year, children have come to make beeswax candles, draw out in nature, hike on the trails and bake apple crisp. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Beautiful Broccoli and a Work Day Invitation

Another Bountiful Harvest

Beets
Broccoli 
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cut Flowers
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint
Kale
Lettuce Mix
Onions
Green Onions
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini and Summer Squash

Updates from the Farm and Upcoming Opportunities for Land School Connections

Autumn has boldly arrived here at the Land School: the pumpkins are orange, the woods are aglow with fiery leaves, the corn is beginning to rustle in the fields, and the land is alive with the voices of children. So far this September, we have had orientation visits with all of the E1 classes, day visits with Classes F and G, and a 2-night overnight with Class F. We look forward to Class G's overnight next week, as well as to welcoming Class H first for garlic planting in October, and then for their overnight in November. I am delighted by the additional interest from E1 and E2 students to organize smaller trips to the Land School on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This week we had a group from Class H who came to draw and collect seeds, and a group from Class E who made candles, hiked, and helped harvest dry beans.

The Harvest Festival is only two weeks away. It will be on Sunday, October 5; more details to come. In anticipation of this event, I invite you to come to the Land School this coming Sunday, September 28, to help with various projects around the farm. There are winter squash to bring in from the fields, broccoli, kale and tomatoes to preserve for use during the four upcoming Farm Stays, onions to bag, and more! Send me an email if you'd like to come, and let me know if you would like me to connect you with others who may be coming for carpooling options. We'll do a simple potluck lunch.

Sunday, September 28
Work Day                                                                                
10:30 AM - 2:30 PM

Sunday, October 5
Harvest Festival!

Recipe

One of our CSA members sent me this recipe to share with all of you a few weeks ago. We do not have any more napa cabbage in the gardens, but I think it would work well with regular cabbage too. Give it a try and let me know!

4 oz. thin rice noodles
6 Tbs. sweet chile sauce (I used red chile garlic sauce)
2 Tbs. lime juice
3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
2 rainbow carrots, sliced into thin coins (1 cup) (I used regular carrots)
¾ cup cooked chickpeas
¼ cup cilantro leaves
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup toasted unsalted cashews, chopped (I was so hungry, I didn’t chop the cashews)
1. Prepare rice noodles according to package directions. Drain in colander, and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.

2. Stir together sweet chile sauce and lime juice in measuring cup or small bowl.

3. Combine noodles, cabbage, carrots, chickpeas, cilantro, and mint in large bowl. Add chile sauce mixture, and toss to coat. Garnish with toasted cashews.

















Wednesday, September 17, 2014

This Week's Harvest

Beets
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots?

Cauliflower
Cut Flowers

Eggplant
Garlic

Green Beans?
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint

Kale
Lettuce Mix
Onions
Green Onions

Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini and Summer Squash


Photos and updates coming soon! 

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

A Harvest with Help from Class G!

Class G will be at the Land School for a day visit this Thursday and will be helping with the harvest for this week's market. We look forward to having them here. Here is the list of beautiful produce they will help bring in from the fields!
 
Beets
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cucumbers
Cut Flowers

Edamame
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint

Kale
Lettuce Mix
Onions
Green Onions

Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Corn
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini and Summer Squash


A Busy Week at the Land School

100 students and their staff members from Great River High School arrived here on Monday morning and will be here until tomorrow afternoon. Along with their own micro-economy projects, creative and physical expression, games, meals, bonfires, and other activities, they have been helping us work on many projects around the farm. These have included: cleaning out the new chicken coop and llama/sheep pen, organizing the lower level of the Red Barn, disassembling the temporary chicken coop in the Red Barn, drying herbs and preserving other produce, cleaning out the root cellar, taking down garlic from the rafters of the Long Barn and preparing it for market, mulching the raspberries, clearing trails, reinstalling bridges on the trails that had been washed away by the rain, and re-wood-chipping the trail between the Homestead and Farmstead. 

Class F came for a day visit on Tuesday. They harvested edamame, green beans and zucchini and did work on the trails alongside groups of the high school students. They were able to take a hike to the pond and do observations. My group found a log near the pond's edge on which we rested for twenty minutes, and after a very active morning, I appreciated the opportunity to sit in silence, to notice the ways in which these E2ers were engaged with their surroundings and each other, and to listen to the wind blowing gently through the woods. We certainly enjoy the day visits, and we also look forward to having more extensive time with all of the E2 students during each class' overnight that will happen this fall.
 
  Class F thoroughly enjoyed meeting the kittens yesterday. After lunch, one of the students exclaimed: if you haven't seen the kittens yet, you have to, because they are completely adorable.
 

























































            

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

As summer fades into fall...

A harvest from a land where the sky rains every day
The amount of rain that we have gotten this year, both this spring and now this ending of our summer, has made this a challenging season for farming. Despite the ongoing saturation of the garden beds, and an August that has felt lacking in sunshine, the Land School's plants are still offering us their abundance of beautiful fruits. Here is a projected harvest list for the week:

Beets
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots? (we may have an off week until the next bed's carrots size up a bit more)
Cucumbers
Cut Flowers
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans
Herbs: Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint,

Kale
Lettuce Mix
Onions
Green Onions
Hot Peppers
Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Corn?
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini and Summer Squash


Here are some preservation ideas to carry this season's bounty into the winter months:

Fermented Green Beans:

In addition to freezing and canning, green beans can also be fermented. The process is simple, and for those who enjoy fermented foods, such as kimchi or sauerkraut, the end result is delicious!

Wash beans. Snap tips off of ends and pack tightly into a clean quart jar. Mix together one quart water with 2-3 tablespoons salt. Pour this salt-water brine into jar, over beans. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 3-10 days, tasting occasionally and moving into the fridge when they have reached your desired level of tanginess. 

Sauerkraut:

Cut cabbage into very thin strips. Mix cabbage with salt in a ratio of 5 pounds cabbage to 3 tablespoons salt. In a large bowl, punch down on the cabbage-salt mixture until the juices from the cabbage are released. The salt will pull enough liquid from the cabbage to submerge it beneath its own liquid. When the cabbage is broken down to this point, pack into clean quart or gallon jar, or fermenting crock. Continue pushing down on cabbage until it is submerged beneath the liquid. Place a weight on top of the cabbage (a ziplock bag full of water can act as this weight) to keep it submerged. Leave at room temperature for 2-4 weeks, tasting periodically. When it has fermented to your liking, put a lid on the jar and move to the refrigerator. If any mold develops, simply scrape it off, clean around the mouth of the jar, and replace weight.

Updates from the Land School
Donna, Katie, Laura and the kittens in front of the new chicken coop


Donna is away for two weeks on the junior high odyssey trip, headed west to Crow Canyon, Colorado. Katie, Erin (this year's facilities intern), Jen and I will all be welcoming 100 high school students from Great River School this coming Monday for their annual fall visit. Lake Country class visits will also begin next week: Class F on Tuesday, Class G on Thursday, and Class E on Friday. We look forwarding to having students back on the farm with us!

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Thursday's Market, and a New Craft at the Land School!

Our Last August Harvest
The onions are being harvested and laid out in the
greenhouse to cure. They are a crop that we can
store and use all throughout the winter. 

Beets
Carrots
Cucumbers
Cut Flowers
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans (Purple Beans, actually)
Herbs: Basil, Dill, Cilantro, Parsley,
           Mint, Rosemary
Kale
Lettuce Mix
Melons?
Napa Cabbage
Onions
Green Onions
Pak Choi
Hot Peppers
Bell Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Corn?
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini and Summer Squash

Broom Corn!

This past February, Donna took a class on broom-making at the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Seeing this as an exciting new opportunity for nature-based craft at the Land School, we now have "broom corn" growing in the garden! You'll have to wait for photos of the finished brooms, but here are some captioned photos to pique your interest.

This photo shows the corn at it's full height - often 12 feet or more. The seeds are on the
top where corn usually only tassels. It's the seed stalks that become the bristles for broom making.
Erin, our Land School facilities intern, is cutting the stalk part way through
so that it can be bent down. This is important to promote straight bristles.
The beautiful yellow future bristles are visible here - now vertical, they
can become part of an excellent broom after drying and being harvested.


Saturday, August 23, 2014

Garden Photos

The plums are ripening; New mulch is going
in under the Land School's fruit trees

Lettuce beds beginning to grow!

Purple beans for next week's market

Our beloved Pippa

Arugula? Spinach? Dill? Are you coming?



Relief comes to the previously choked out basil

Raspberry season!

Gourds in the little hoophouse

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Harvest of the Week

Beautiful Beets
Carrots 
Cucumbers 
Cut Flowers
Eggplant
Garlic
Green Beans
Herbs: Basil, Dill, Cilantro, Parsley, 
            Peppermint, Rosemary
Kale
Lettuce Mix
Onions
Green Onions
Hot Peppers
Potatoes
Sweet Corn? (let's hope!)
Swiss Chard
Tomatoes
Zucchini and Summer Squash

Upcoming Harvests

With a wet, slow start to the season, and with an intention to shift the garden's major time of production to fall during the school year, there are many things growing in the garden which we have yet to harvest and bring into market. We are hoping to have sweet corn for tomorrow. Edamame, melons, our usual abundance of tomatoes, bell peppers, and all of the broccoli family crops (cabbage, cauliflower etc.) should be coming soon!

Edamame, dill, beets, and cilantro
Summer's Fresh Herbs

As usual, we will have a luscious array of herbs at the market tomorrow: dill, cilantro, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary and peppermint. Fresh herbs are one of my favorite gifts from summer's gardens. They encapsulate the season for me with their bright green intensity and their lively, energizing flavors. What can we do with these small yet exciting plants? I love to eat them in salad, chopping them up to add to lettuce mix. Rosemary is the perfect addition to roasted potatoes; parsley goes wonderfully with boiled potatoes. Here is another idea:

Chimichurri 

Chimichurri is a sauce whose origins lie in Argentina. It was introduced to me by my dear Puerto Rican sister-in-law; Puerto Rican cuisine has also adopted this lovely green sauce, and now it finds its way to our kitchens of the Midwest. Try it on top of rice, meat, on a sandwich, or as your favorite new chip dip. 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or 1/2 Land School jalapeƱo pepper
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a food processor or blender. While processing/blending, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Adjust seasonings to taste. 

The kittens have been named! They are Castor and Pollux,
named after the Gemini stars. This is Pollux, in his full cuteness. 

Eight rows of beautifully weeded carrots that
will feed us through the Fall and Winter!




Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Harvest for August 14

Bounty of the Week

Carrots
Beets
Green Beans
Kale
Chard
Lettuce Mix
Herbs: Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Mint, Cilantro
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Tomatoes?
Hot Peppers
Onions
Green Onions
Garlic
Cut Flowers
Potatoes

Pesto!

I made 10 cups of pesto this week with the leftover basil from last week's market. It is now packed into jars and nestled in the freezer, where it awaits us with the promise of another winter full of delicious meals from the farm. We will bring bulk "pesto bags" of basil into the market again tomorrow. The basil is looking beautiful right now, so if you are a pesto lover, this is the perfect time to stock up for the winter. 

2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, or other nut of your choosing)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt (if you like using parmesan cheese in your pesto, omit the salt. If you are freezing the pesto, don't add the cheese before freezing; add it when you thaw it, just before using.)
1 or 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil

Put the basil, nuts, garlic, salt, and lemon/lime juice in a food processor. Process until smooth. While running, slowly pour the olive oil into the food processor. 

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour (white, whole wheat, or gluten free)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup melted coconut oil or butter
1 1/2 heaping cups crushed pineapple, strained
2 1/2 heaping cups grated carrots (from the Land School!)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Rosemary Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 cups cream cheese
1/2 cups powdered sugar
juice of 2 lemons
1 teaspoon vanilla
1teaspoon chopped fresh Land School rosemary! 

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs and then add the sugar. Slowly beat in the oil/butter, vanilla and pineapple. Stir in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula, mixing just until incorporated. Add the carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Pour into lined muffins tins or greased round or square cake pans and bake for 25-35, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. To make the frosting, beat together ingredients until combined. Frost cake when it is done baking and is completely cooled. (Recipe adapted from happyolks blog)