Birdsfoot Farm

Dear Friends,

it is sunny and I want to go out soon to spread manure mulch on the planted garlic.  This is the last week of SLU students to come and help in exchange for the experience and class credit and we had a lot of fun.  We will be planting the last of 6 beds of garlic with a total of 7200!  We still have abut 100lb for sale.
The sunchokes did not make lots of big tubers and we are not digging any for the first time in 40 years.  That makes November /December work easier.  On Sunday I rolled up the sides of the big high -tunnel for the winter so we don't have to worry about snow load on it.
I have had a lot of pain and numbness in my left had for the past 5 month and will get surgery for carpel tunnel syndrome on December 5th with not doing anything for two weeks and not much for the 4 weeks after that.  It is going to be interesting how I will manage the cows with one hand.  I was planning on getting big round bales to not have to carry square bales around; Len , dear Len will do the milking the first few days after.
I have so much bookkeeping to do on the computer that I am looking forward to not have any excuses outside for two weeks.  And I have not spent much time at the Hugging House this year because we are always going to help Kira move, looking for a new car

Goldie seems to be doing better, no fever, less coughing, but still some. I let them out to the gardens every day for a few hours, eating cover crops and grass and Kaleidoscope the calf likes to run full speed around and then back to the mommies.  She is growing fast.  They walk like dogs on leashes to the assigned spot with a t-post in the ground and a 20'rope to graze long.  I love the cows!
The greens you got last week were brusselsprout leaves, to be used like collards or kale.  We have cabbage this week.  The cold 18degree F last week did take out a lot of greens.  We will have Mixed salad greens for this week, no more leafy greens or onions, one more time beets next week.  As the season goes on we tend to run out of some crops along the way.  Lots of potatoes, carrots, squash and garlic.
here is a squash soup recipe:

Easy Squash Soup

• 2 tbsp butter or oil
• 3-4 cloves garlic, mashed with side of thick knife
• 1/2 – 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 1/2 – 3 lbs butternut squash, halved, seeded, and baked until soft
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock.
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/2 tsp or more of curry powder
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups milk (low-fat or skim)

 

1. Heat butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium flame. Add garlic and onions; cook, stirring often, 7-10 minutes.
2. Puree the cooked squash in a food processor and stir into onion mixture. Stir in stock, bay leaf, sugar, curry powder, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer 20-30 minutes.

Remove bay leaf. Add the milk; heat but don’t boil. Makes 6 servings


have a great week, Dulli

Dear Friends,

we have a new calf "Kaleidoscope" born on Wednesday or Thursday!.  Mom was hiding it and since it was a week early I did not check her as much.  All are well and up and running.  The students wanted to " play cow" after harvesting so many carrots and the cows did not come when called.  So we went into the field and found them with the new calf already dry and nursing, what a surprise.

We had planned to go to Plattsburgh to visit Kira this weekend , but then she came here to see the new calf.  It is all black, because the father is a Holstein bull, they are called "Black Jerseys".  It lets us pet it especially under the chin.

Christoff of Birdsfoot got his new bakery "Earthbound Breads"  approved by ag and markets and is baking up a storm.  The sourdough bread is available at the Natures Storehouse.  If you would like a bread with your CSA box you can let me know and we sign you up with him.  Loafs are $6 each. 7 weeks left after this week=$42 for the remainder of the fall season.  Currently he making a wheat rye bread called the common loaf and a maple spelt bread, both organic ground grain and sour dough.  It is really yummy!

The fall share is well under way and the Canton pick up will stay at 56 Judson Street.  If it gets too cold, veggies will be inside.  We got all the carrots, beets, celeriac and fennel harvested and are on to the last potatoes and parsnips and of course the sunchokes that will be dug until frost permits it.
Hopefully we will get all the garlic into the ground the next two weeks. And then it is bookkeeping time!
I hope you all enjoy those fabulous fall days.
Here a recipe for the winter squash:

Birdsfoot squash soup:
Soak 1/2cup of red lentils                                                                       pinch`salt
1 onion, dice                                                                                                 pinch pepper
2 cloves of garlic                                                                                         1tsp. nutmeg
Celery or celeriac, cut into 1” pieces                                                      parsley
One squash, take out seeds and cut into 1” cubes                                                                                                           

1. Fry onions and garlic in oil or butter, add celery/celeriac and squash
2. Add water till barely covered, add lentils , salt, pepper and nutmeg(1tsp) to taste
3. Boil until squash and lentils are soft
4. Blend smooth add parsley on top of hot soup
Enjoy with some rice if you like!
peace, Dulli