New opportunity...

Sunflowers

Some good news...I was talking to my friend at Meadowlark Heritage Farm and she said that I could grow my sunflowers at her farm!  I think she is so excited to have access to unlimited sunflowers all summer.  She would often buy 2 big bunches from me at the Farmer's Market...it seems she really enjoyed them and is excited to have them on her property.  There is no infrastructure so I will be starting from scratch but I already have a good idea of how I would like to proceed.  We are going to walk the property in March to determine the best placement for the flowers.  There is lots of space!

Click on picture of goat to go to their website.

Meadowlark Heritage Farm raises goats and sells goat soap at the Farmer's Market.  They also have several other products.  Check them out on Facebook by clicking on the picture below:

Palouse Clearwater Grower's Conference

Yesterday, I went to the first Palouse Clearwater Grower's Conference.  It was a nice round table discussion of local issues that pertain to small, sustainable farms in the area.  Some of the areas that were discussed included:  wholesale marketing, labor, collaboration, and a lot more that I simply cannot remember.  

One thing I learned about was Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).  It seems that lots of people have questions about the GAP codes that may be going into effect in the next couple of years.  Here is some information from the Food and Agriculture Organization:

What are Good Agricultural Practices?

 A multiplicity of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) codes, standards and regulations have been developed in recent years by the food industry and producers organizations but also governments and NGOs, aiming to codify agricultural practices at farm level for a range of commodities. Their purpose varies from fulfillment of trade and government regulatory requirements (in particular with regard to food safety and quality), to more specific requirements of specialty or niche markets. 

The objective of these GAP codes, standards and regulations include, to a varying degree:

ensuring safety and quality of produce in the food chain

capturing new market advantages by modifying supply chain governance

improving natural resources use, workers health and working conditions, and/or

creating new market opportunities for farmers and exporters in developing countries.

Good Agricultural Practices are "practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products" (FAO COAG 2003 GAP paper) (html).

These four 'pillars' of GAP (economic viability, environmental sustainability, social acceptability and food safety and quality) are included in most private and public sector standards, but the scope which they actually cover varies widely.

The concept of Good Agricultural Practices may serve as a reference tool for deciding, at each step in the production process, on practices and/or outcomes that are environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable. The implementation of GAP should therefore contribute to Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD).

Lots of great networking at the event and a chance to meet other farmers.

Some bad news...

Sustainable Small Farms Class

Saturday was the first all day Farm class.  We had webinars about Whole Farm Planning, Evaluating Your Resources, Selecting Enterprises and Assessing the Market.  Each webinar presentation had a farmer speak about their experiences with starting their farms.  I enjoyed this part the most - they were all very inspiring.  Here are the local farmers that presented from the Palouse area.  If you click on the picture, it will take you to their website:

Wilson Banner Ranch

Our landmark family heritage farm has been sustainably run and diversified for over 100 years. We grow many varieties dating back to the first fruit trees in the state. We believe in using environmentally friendly, scientifically proven methods of farming.

In 2006, Skylines Farm added beef steers and then feeder pigs to the operation, caring for them using the same management practices and attention to detail that the sheep were receiving. In 2013 I retired the sheep portion of the businees and greatly expanded the grassfed beef and pastured pig operations.

Deep Roots Farm in Moscow, ID grows vegetables, fruits, and eggs using techniques that promote biodiversity on their farm. They practice an intensive planting rotation to create diversity for plant health while increasing production on a small land base. They utilize laying hens for fertility and pest control. They provide open and untouched space for beneficial insects and wild animals.

This is one of the homework assignments for the Small Farm Class:

Choose a timeframe from one, five to ten years (or more). Revisit your values if necessary. Next, develop a description of your business and personal future using some or all of the questions that follow.Or if you prefer, write a story, draw a map. Dream a little! Don’t worry about the development of specific goals or action strategies—you will be setting goals and developing business strategies in the Worksheets and chapters that follow. For now, keep your vision fairly general and, if possible, address your critical planning need in some way. Remember—have each of your planning team members develop their own personal and business vision for the future. Most importantly, ask,What will our farm or business look like in one, five or ten years?

Dreaming a Future Business Vision

In 2 years, our dream for our farm business is to start looking to purchase a property with 5-10 acres. Then, after Mark completes high school (he is currently a Freshman), we will start to purchase equipment/housing to raise free range chickens for pastured eggs. We will probably start with 100 chickens and then increase a little each year, if we continue to see demand for eggs. We will actively sell these eggs at the Farmer's Market from May-October. During the winter, we may have a drop off time/location for people to come and get eggs each week.

In addition to the eggs, we want to explore a you-pick berry farm, you-pick pumpkin patch

and you-cut Christmas tree farm. This would continue to provide some additional income

when the market is not in session. We also make and sell jams/jellies from the fruit produce that

we grow or forage for. We have sold cut sunflowers in the past at the Farmer's Market and

we are not sure that we will continue to do this once we have the chickens going.

All our products will be direct sales.

Okay...now for the bad news that was promised in the headline.  The farm where we grew our sunflowers last year has been leased so a different farmer.  There will be no room for us to grow our sunflowers (sad face...).  So, we are not sure what we are going to do at this time.  Possibly locate a new farm to grow at???

Roasting a duck and starting small Farm class

In the Kitchen

We are roasting a duck today!  

No...this is not a picture of the duck I am roasting...it is still in the oven as I am typing this.  For some reason, Joshua just thought we should have duck to eat.  I don't think I have ever eaten duck.  So, this is quite a new experience for all of us.  Click on the picture above to go to the recipe that I am using.

Farm Business Update

So, last Monday, Mark turned 15.  I am not sure why but this seems like a major milestone to me...maybe it is because he is in high school now.  For some reason it is just getting so real that he is becoming a young adult and lots of changes are going to be happening the next few years!

So, I applied to the Secretary of State for a Certificate of Organization for a Limited Liability Company for ReMARKable Farms.  I also applied for an EIN number.  After I get the receipt of the Limited Liability Company being completed, I am going to open a Business checking and savings.

So, things are happening with getting the farm business organized.

Starting Your Sustainable Small Farm class

I have signed up for a class through the University of Idaho Extension.  It is called Starting Your Sustainable Small Farm.  My books arrived last week and we had a beginning webinar to explain how the class works.  There is an online Moodle site where we can get our assignments and even start forums.  There are 160 people throughout the state of Idaho taking the class.  Our first face-to-face class will be this Saturday from 9:00AM-4:00PM.  There are several reading assignments and worksheets to fill out before our first class.  I have made my family fill out a Business Qualities Checklist and a Family Needs and Preferences survey.  I also completed some worksheets about mission statements and goals.  

These 3 books were given to us as part of the class:

I wish I could share some of the worksheets that I filled out but I don't think I can share text documents.  They are saved as pdf's and I do not have the ability to make them into "pics" on this computer.  I will share more about the class next week after I have gone through a full day of class.

De-cluttering

I am doing great on the de-cluttering goal.  I have now realized that tossing a ton of stuff is going to be more of a challenge than I had previously thought...however, I am up for the challenge and have already tossed or donated 147 pounds of items and I am still working on the kitchen (I did donate one chair that was about 55 pounds...).  So, only 1853 pounds to go!

De-cluttering goal for 2016

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

I am starting the year with a resolution...de-clutter!  

I actually signed up for this challenge last year but never got around to doing it!  So, this year, I am dedicated and I even set a goal to purge a ton of items from the home...yes, I realize that this is a lot!  Maybe I won't make it but at least I have a goal!  I have already gotten rid of 50 pounds...and I have just started!

Click on picture above for more information on how to sign up to join the challenge...it's not too late!

In the Garden

I have 3 seed catalogs and I am having fun on trying to decide what to plant!  I have seen another double sunflower that I may try...I did not really care for the variety I had planted last year.  

This post is short...tired from all that de-cluttering...

Merry Christmas!

In the Kitchen

We had a lovely Christmas with prime rib and figgy pudding.  Joshua suggested that we make figgy pudding because it is a traditional Christmas dessert.  (I also made an apple pie; just in case the figgy pudding didn't turn out).  

The figgy pudding turned out great!  We even steamed it for 3 hours.  If this is to become a regular thing, I will have to get more appropriate hardware...click on the picture above to see the recipe we used.

Not too much else to say right now...here is the Christmas letter that Henry put together for this past year:

We hope that you all have had an enjoyable and productive 2015. This year will be remembered climate-wise as very unusual for us. We had very little snow. Henry was out doing field work the last week of January under temperate conditions. Last time something like this happened was when we were living in Florida. Winter rains tapered off in March. We had rainfall in mid-May and that was essentially the end of all precipitation until the last week of October. Overall, dryland crops struggled in our area. Winter wheat yields were far from their 100 bu/A average.

We had a very hot summer, so the long days, abundant sunshine, and late first killing frost, led to Denise having one of the best gardens since we moved here. Along those lines, this year Denise has been doing a lot of research as to what it might take to start a small farm so that Mark will have a job when he graduates from high school. She met a gentleman that provided her space to grow sunflowers. She would take these as cut flowers, along with jams and herbs that she prepared to our Farmer’s Market, Saturdays in July and August. It was very successful for her and she plans to increase her offerings each year. Her goal is for Mark to sell pastured eggs. They might also like to have u-pick raspberries/blueberries, Christmas trees and pumpkins on Mark’s farm, otherwise known as, reMARKable farms.

This summer, the boys transitioned into new schools. Joshua started middle and Mark high school. We had some concerns about Joshua as each year of grade school he would say things are getting too hard. To our surprise he is doing well and really seems to be enjoying 6^th grade. One thing that really helps is that he is able to get most of his homework done in his study hall. He has joined the Speak Out club which is appropriate as he is never short on words. He showed his Guinea pig at our county fair and won Grand Champion! He has continued participation in Special Olympics Bowling and Swimming. Mark started 9^th grade and has surpassed Henry in height. He finally discovered ice cream, thus we can’t keep enough on hand. Denise continues to make progress working with him before school on using his iPad to communicate http://remarkablecommunication.blogspot.com/ With it being such a hot summer, Mark took full advantage of our city pool, as well as the rest of us. Mark, as well as Joshua, has continued therapeutic horseback riding.

Grandmom Linda was out to visit for Mark and Joshua’s birthdays and to celebrate her birthday with Denise as they share the same day (September 14^th). Denise and the boys made their annual end of the school year visit to Kansas. The boys had a great time visiting all of their cousins. Denise and Henry got to see Shania Twain on tour in Spokane, WA on September 12^th. Denise completed her first year as the Executive Director for Families Together and had several successful events. She continues to work as a Support Broker to write Medicaid plans to help obtain services to assist individuals with disabilities.  She started knitting this fall and has made us all winter hats.

Wishing everyone a Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Henry, Denise, Mark and Joshua Wetzel

Sourdough bread

Sourdough Bread

I was reading more about fermenting foods and the sourdough bread was listed.  I started to do a little bit more reading and it was said that the probiotics that help with the fermenting eat some of the gluten and that "some" people can eat breads made using sourdough because the gluten level has been decreased.  I tried spelt wheat a couple of months ago because I had heard that the gluten levels were lower in that but it still did not agree with me.  I like the idea of eating more fermented foods so I am going to try this. 

 These probiotic microorganisms:

1. Digest and assimilate (properly absorb) the foods you eat. Without adequate beneficial microflora in your gut, you can’t absorb nutrients in the foods you are eating.

2. Are necessary in order to maintain a healthy intestinal tract.

3. Contain uniquely balanced proteins, fatty acids, cellulose, minerals, and innumerable other nutrients our bodies need.

4. Provide vitamins B1 through B6 from lactobacillus and B12 vitamins from wild yeast. Wild yeast multiplies aerobically. This is because they have oxygen in them (not free radical oxygen ions) that feed your blood cells and not cancer cells. Most plant proteins including grains, seeds, cereals, beans, nuts, and some grasses form gluten. However, sourdough microflora has all the amino acids available, without the protein that forms gluten.

5. Depletes damaged starch in bread, thus diabetic people should not get insulin shock. It is a misconception that whole wheat is better than white flour for diabetics (the Glycemic difference is only 1%).

6. Produce acids, which will break down and remove some of the glutens from the bread. Acids do not allow mold and most bad bacterial growth. Alkaline with high pH allows mold growth and toxins. Mold ferments at a higher pH, allowing bad bacterial growth and the secretion of toxins. The absence of acids is abnormal, even animals have acid stomachs to kill bad bacteria.

7. Offset the effects of phytic acid, which robs your body of precious minerals.

According to Wikipedia:

Phytic acid is found within the hulls of nuts, seeds, and grains. In-home food preparation techniques can reduce the phytic acid in all of these foods. Simply cooking the food will reduce the phytic acid to some degree. More effective methods are soaking in an acid medium, lactic acid fermentation, and sprouting.

Phytic acid is a strong chelator of important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, and can therefore contribute to mineral deficiencies in people whose diets rely on these foods for their mineral intake, such as those in developing countries. It also acts as an acid, chelating the vitamin niacin, which is basic, causing the condition known as pellagra. In this way, it is an anti-nutrient. For people with a particularly low intake of essential minerals, especially young children and those in developing countries, this effect can be undesirable.

“Probiotic lactobacilli, and other species of the endogenous digestive microflora as well, are an important source of the enzyme phytase which catalyses the release of phosphate from phytate and hydrolyses the complexes formed by phytate and metal ions or other cations, rendering them more soluble ultimately improving and facilitating their intestinal absorption

8. Dissolve proteins by producing protein enzymes, thus loosening multiple peptide bonds so that you can absorb more amino acids into your body. They dissolve four gluten-forming proteins: albumin, globulin, prolamin, and glutalin. They also produce alcohol that dissolves the most stubborn water insoluble protein bonds. These bonds are the reason why so many people have gluten intolerance.

9. Inhibit the growth of bad bacteria by: (1) creating a more acidic environment (2) producing anti-bacterial agents, and (3) absorbing all the B vitamins from their surroundings leaving none for the harmful bacteria.

10. Have most everything needed for optimum nutritional absorption. To absorb calcium, you need magnesium. To absorb magnesium, you need vitamin E, C, etc. Most of these are in the sourdough microorganisms, thus providing optimum absorption.

I ordered a FREE sourdough starter from 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter.  Click on the picture above to check out their website.  Here goes!  

It's alive!!!

Inventory

In the Kitchen/Garden

I have been meaning to start an inventory of items that we have on hand.  I am going to try and get a good idea about how much we eat each year so I have an idea of what and how much to grow.  I made a lot of applesauce in 2014 (because I had access to a free apple tree!) and we are still eating it (although we are almost finished...I think 2 jars left)...  

Obviously, the idea is to figure out how much we would eat and then store that amount.  Because of the applesauce issue, I started putting a reminder on my phone that just says "applesauce" and it repeats monthly and this will remind me to eat it!  It might seem odd that we would have that food and not eat it but I often get caught up in getting dinner on the table and a hundred million other things going on and sometimes forget.  I also made a "pumpkin" reminder to help me to remember to bake pumpkin items this winter.  We had 2 bags of pumpkin left over from last year and I used them right away so nothing has gone to waste.  Mostly the storage would be for the winter and spring months because once fresh veggies/fruits arrive, we go back to eating that most of the time.

Inventory

Speaking of Inventory...here is a nice short video on Recordkeeping for your garden...

I guess it is time to think about next years garden....look what I got in the mail yesterday...