September 8, 2016 by kharner

Preserving your Produce

The boys were busy teaching friends how to dig potatoes. A skill both boys take for granted.

We are “digging” into the harvest literally. Many potatoes, pumpkins and more will come out this weekend. We love the colors and seeing the fruits of our labor. Throughout the season, we want to provide you our shareholders with the opportunity to learn something more. As noted above, the boys have been teaching others how to harvest vegetables this season. A skill that we take for granted.

Also, I know it takes an effort to figure out how to preserve the vegetables that we are giving you. We are sharing a few ideas below. Don’t be afraid to email or text if you have a question when you are in the kitchen or trying to figure out how to prepare one of the vegetables. I enjoy visiting with all of you as each of you share different ways you are utilizing the produce. I take the experience and knowledge you share with me so that I can then reshare help the other shareholders.

Many thanks for the opportunity to grow for you. We all enjoy seeing youGood luck with preserving the produce to use in your kitchen throughout the year.

Garden Science

4 O'clocks were planted in our garden to help draw in beneficial insects to eat the bad insects. The great thing about these flowers is they self seed. Look closely by the flower and you will see the black dot which is the seed that forms after the flower dies. The seeds will fall out onto the ground and many end up lodged in the soil and then begin to grow next spring.

4 o’clock were planted in our garden to help draw in beneficial insects to eat the bad insects. The great thing about these flowers is that they self seed. Look closely by the pink flower, and you will see the black dot which is the seed that forms after the flower dies. The seeds will fall out onto the ground and many end up lodged in the soil, and then begin to grow next spring.

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating. Thank you for your support of our CSA. Enjoy the produce!

Black Seeded Simpson, Prizehead and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – The new crop is in. The ran sure went hard on it the last few days.

Kale – I use the Kale in moderation in my salads. It adds some beautiful color and more nutrients to the dish.

Green Beans – Jade green beans. Are you tired of green beans but you would like to preserve them to use this winter? Check out how to blanch them here.

Beets – Detroit Dark Red Beets in your box. Boil on your stove top for about 1/2 hour – take them out of the water, using a paper towel gently rub the paper towel over the beet and the skins will come right off, slice into pieces and serve with butter. Slice them and freeze for an easy accompaniment to a meal this winter or cut into chunks and place in Ziploc bag to use in homemade soup this winter.

Carrots – Nantes carrots – Do you cook the carrots and the family doesn’t eat them all? I will place the left overs in the blender and then freeze that mixture in ice cube trays. Once frozen, store in a bag in the freezer. I will then use one or two “cubes” of frozen carrots in my spaghetti sauce or in

Tomatoes – A variety of 4th of July Hybrid, Sweet Tangerine Hybrid and Sun Gold Hybrid tomatoes.

Hot Dragon Cayenne Peppers on the verge of turning red.

Peppers – The peppers are really starting to come in. You have sweet cherry stuffer hybrid pepper and green peppers in your box. You also have the option of some hot dragon cayenne peppers.

Garlic – Enjoy the fresh garlic. I use a hand-held garlic press to crush and peel my garlic. It is awesome and definitely the tool of the week! Here are some garlic recipes to check out.

Onions – yellow candy onions – last of the first crop – look for the second crop next week.

Butternut Squash – My favorite squash. Check out the recipes from Martha Stewart.

Spaghetti Squash – I love using this squash instead of regular spaghetti. Better Homes and Gardens shared ways to cook and prepare this squash. This week we are going to try either Rachel Ray’s recipe or toss with butter and Parmesan.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – Check out some squash soup recipes.

Zucchini – The zucchini is at the end of its season. Uff da what a season that was!

Red Norland Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad, and I have had success with them as French fries.

Kennebec Potatoes – Great baking potato.

Cilantro, Basil and Parsley – Plenty to share – take a snip or a plant home and freeze or dry the herb for use in stews, etc during the rest of the year. Here are some more ideas on how to preserve herbs.

Hydrangeas and Sedums are tonight’s arrangement.

Fresh cut arrangement – Hydrangeas and Sedums

Recipe of the Week

Summer Squash Soup

5 small yellow summer squash, seeded and cubed

2 green onions, cut into 3-inch pieces

2 tablespoons butter

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1. In a large saucepan, saute squash and onions in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

2. Cool slightly. Process in batches in a blender; return all to the pan. Stir in cream and heat through.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash - I always wipe them down with a Chlorox wipe before I cut them.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – I always wipe them down with a Clorox wipe before I cut them.

Take your Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash, cut down the middle and peel the outside – I used both a knife and a peeler.

Inside of the summer squash before removing the seeds.

Using a spoon, I then removed the seeds by scooping them out.

Cut into cubes about 1/2 – 1 inch in size.

Place in pan with chicken broth, butter, onion and garlic.

In a large saucepan, saute squash and onions in butter until tender. Stir in the broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cool slightly. Process in batches in a blender; return all to the pan. Stir in cream and heat through.

Serve with crackers if desired. We enjoyed this soup with Townhouse Crackers.

Butternut Squash

My family loves this recipe, and the boys eat it like crazy. I also use the prepared squash in place of pumpkin in many recipes. Butternut squash is in your boxes this week.

Butternut Squash – Before cooking I take a Clorox wipe and wipe off the outside. I then cut the squash lengthwise down the center and place the cut side down in the pan. I do NOT peel nor remove the seeds.

*Cut squash in 1/2 (do NOT remove skin or seeds). Place cut side down in cake pan.

Note: I will do several squash at one time so I only have this mess once, and I have squash to last the rest of the year.

*Add about 1 inch depth of water.

*Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. I will often times leave my squash in the oven for 2 hours.

*Take out of oven.

*Take a knife and gently peel back the skin.

* Flip the squash over and scoop out seeds. The seeds can be kept and roasted.

*Place squash in another bowl.

I have doubled the recipe in this picture:
Add:
1 stick of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar

Using a mixer, blend together until smooth. Serve or freeze.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the squash into cupcake tins. Freeze squash in cupcake pans.

Once frozen. Pop out of your cupcake pan and place in Ziploc bags. I use this squash as my “pumpkin” in pumpkin recipes such as pumpkin breads etc.

August 31, 2016 by kharner

Preparing for Fall

It’s that time of year to be starting to clean-up the fields. Sam started that for us this week by collecting stakes and row markers.

The end of the season is in sight, and Fall is near. You can see it in the plants and also in the cool nights. We have started the process of cleaning up and preparing for the end of the season. Watch your boxes as you’ll notice the winter squashes and other larger produce items weighting down the box. It will be a fun few weeks of surprises. We can’t wait to harvest the pumpkins and gourds.

Sam worked at the Minnesota Farm Bureau booth at the Minnesota State Fair this week answering farm questions from fair goers.

Sam and Keith worked at the Minnesota Farm Bureau booth at the Minnesota State Fair this week answering farm questions from fair goers.

Boxes of Produce

Black Seeded Simpson, Prizehead and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – The new crop of lettuce is coming in and is in your box this week.

Kale – I use the Kale in moderation in my salads. It adds some beautiful color and more nutrients to the dish.

Green Beans – The new crop of Jade green beans.

The last crop of carrots will be coming out of the ground for the remaining weeks of the CSA.

Carrots – Nantes carrots

Tomatoes – A variety of 4th of July Hybrid, Sweet Tangerine Hybrid and Sun Gold Hybrid tomatoes.

Pepper, Sweet Cherry Stuffer Hybrid

Peppers – The peppers are really starting to come in. You have sweet cherry stuffer hybrid pepper in your box. You also have the option of some hot dragon cayenne peppers.

Garlic – Enjoy the fresh garlic. I use a hand-held garlic press to crush and peel my garlic. It is awesome and definitely the tool of the week! Here are some garlic recipes to check out.

Onions – yellow candy onions

Butternut Squash – My favorite squash. Check out the recipes from Martha Stewart.

Spaghetti Squash – I love using this squash instead of regular spaghetti. Learn how to cook this squash from Martha Stewart.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – Check out some squash soup recipes.

Zucchini – The zucchini is still producing. So since we had extra, we made you some Cinnamon Zucchini Bread. See recipe below.

Red Norland Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad, and I have had success with them as French fries.

Kennebec Potatoes – Great baking potato.

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias, hosta leaves and sunflowers

Recipe of the Week

Garlic Bread

Sam helped me make garlic butter for our garlic bread this week. We love my OXO garlic press.

Garlic Bread

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic. Brush over cut sides of bread; sprinkle with parsley. Place, cut side up, on a baking sheet.

2. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 8 minutes. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 2-in. slices. Serve warm. Yield: 8 servings.

Source: Taste of Home

Cinnamon Zucchini Bread – In your boxes this week. Thank you to Sarah Durenberger at From the Farm Table for sharing this recipe. I used applesauce instead of oil.

Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

3 Eggs, beaten

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Vegetable Oil (I use apple sauce as an equal replacement)

3 cups Flour (opt: substitute 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour)

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

2 cups Zucchini, shredded

Beat together the eggs, sugars and oil.
Stir together all the dry ingredients and add to the egg-sugar mixture. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
Coat four mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Sprinkle sugar on the bottom. Pour batter evenly in all four pans. Sprinkle tops with sugar.
Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

August 17, 2016 by kharner

Nature’s Challenges

Finding the treasures in the garden like the largest white pumpkin that we have found yet. It's so fun to see what is hiding under the large pumpkin leaves.

Checking out the garden and finding the largest white pumpkin – bonus – a fun way to end the day. It’s always a treasure hunt to see what is hiding under the large pumpkin leaves.

Often times in agriculture, we don’t always talk about the challenges that occur with the crops. Simply because we like to be upbeat and look at the positive. Speaking of positive, you should check out all of the pumpkins, squash and gourds growing – that harvest is just around the corner and the sizes of the pumpkins etc and the colors are fun to look at.

Garden Science

There are always challenges every crop year, and each year is unique unto itself.

Sugar Snap Peas – Some of you may be anxiously awaiting more sugar snap peas. And to be honest so are we. It has been a frustrating year with these. I have replanted the intended 3rd crop no less then four times (pictured is one of the meek outcomes of one of those plantings). The previous three, I believe, may have had a germination issue with the seed. We have corrected it for this planting. We planted the seed in the ground this week with the hope that we will have at least one more crop before season’s end. Especially since it is a favorite for all of us. With the heat and humidity, the second crop matured so rapidly that unfortunately much was lost because it literally would mature before we had time to harvest it:(

Lettuce and Spinach – This crop has had actually 6 plantings. We have received 3 crops. The intent was have at least 2 more quality outcomes in new plantings but that was not what God intended. We are really happy to see two different varieties growing quite well, pictured, and are hopeful for a new crop in a week or two.

The potato bugs are again a challenge this year even though we plant flowers to bring in good insects who like to eat potato bugs and attempt to control them with other methods. They are eating potato plants, tomato plants and more. Learn more here.
Squash bugs are appearing in great numbers. We will be monitoring them and whether we will need to an insecticide to control them from damaging the pumpkins and squash. Learn more here.

Splitting of the carrot root is also occurring due in part to the excessive amounts of rain we have been receiving at one time over the last few weeks. The carrot simply receives a lot of moisture at once, grows fast, and splits.

We are also having these black spots on some varieties of the tomatoes. Check out more information here.

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating. Thank you for your support of our CSA. Enjoy the produce!

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I think God is trying to give you a break on lettuce. I have replanted this crop no less than 5 times. I see a variety is peeking through the ground.

Kale – I use the Kale in moderation in my salads. It adds some beautiful color and more nutrients to the dish.

Kohlrabi – Green kohlrabi in your box. Peel it and eat it like an apple.

Cherry Belle Radishes – Last of this crop.

Carrots

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – Check out some squash soup recipes.

Zucchini – The zucchini is still producing. So since we had extra, we made you some zucchini brownies – enjoy.

Tomatoes – A variety abound. Enjoy some BLTs.

Peppers – Green Bell Peppers

Garlic – Enjoy the fresh garlic. I use a hand held garlic press crush and peel my garlic. It is awesome and definitely the tool of the week! Here are some garlic recipes to check out.

Onions – yellow onions.

Spaghetti Squash – I love using this squash instead of regular spaghetti. Learn how to cook this squash from Martha Stewart.

Red Norland Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad and I have had success with them as French fries.

Kennebec Potatoes – Great baking potato.

Sweet Corn – Thank you to FarGaze Farms for sharing some extra sweet corn. Our sweet corn is between crops. Preserve the corn for winter eating simply by cooking it, cut it off the cob, place in Ziploc bag and place it in the freezer.

Cilantro, Basil and Parsley – Plenty to share – take a snip or a plant home and freeze or dry the herb for use in stews, etc during the rest of the year.

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias and sunflowers

Recipe of the Week

Cooking Spaghetti Squash

Spaghetti squash was in you box last week. Still wondering how to cook it? I have the best luck putting it in a large bowl of water and bowling it for about 1 hour or until I can easily stick a fork into it.

Take it out of the bowling water and cut open lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds.

Take a fork and scrape it out so you get the noodle effect that is naturally occurring.

Serve it up like a regular meal of spaghetti.

August 10, 2016 by kharner

Finding Commonalities

Enjoying the evening sunset together as we harvested sweet corn. In the end, we all just want more quality time with our loved ones. No technology, just Mother Nature and good conversation.

Whether at a baseball game or at the dentist office, we end up discussing summer activities with our kids, challenges as working moms balancing summer schedules, and concern for our kids as they enter into a new school year. We share a lot of the same concerns even though, what we have most in common is being parents, and the love we have for our children.

These conversation also end up including our CSA or questions they have about farming. Questions range from how our CSA is doing with the weather to what’s working and what’s not working compared to what they are experiencing or seeing in their area. These conversations are often times with friends that grew up in town and/or currently reside in town. We also discussed how the food is grown and technologies in agriculture. We, meaning all four of us, enjoy the conversations and the opportunity to help others gain a better understanding for how food is grown.

We are happy to answer questions that others have about what we do. What matters, is that in life we are always learning. After all, it is simply fun and interesting to learn how food is grown and raised to feed our families.

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating. Thank you for your support of our CSA. Enjoy the produce!

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I think God is trying to give you a break on lettuce. I have replanted this crop no less than 5 times. I see a variety is peeking through the ground.

Spinach – The spinach is in the lettuce salad mix this week. It doesn’t like the heat we have been receiving.

Kale – I use the Kale in moderation in my salads. It adds some beautiful color and more nutrients to the dish.

Kohlrabi – You either have a purple or green kohlrabi in your box. Peel it and eat it like an apple.

Purple Beans – Just a taste this week.

These were some overgrown beets.

Beets – Detroit Dark Red Beets in your box. Check out how to cook them here.

Cherry Belle Radishes – They may be small but their taste is mighty. Enjoy in a salad or a radish sandwich – on buttered bread.

Carrots

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – The best-tasting squash in Burpee’s taste trials for 2 years in a row.

Zucchini – The zucchini is still producing. Wondering when it will slow down.

Cucumbers – This crop is dwindling. You will get a break from cucumbers shortly until a new variety of this crop comes in.

Plenty of tomatoes to harvest.

Tomatoes – A variety abounds for you this week.

Peppers – Green Bell Peppers

Garlic – Enjoy the fresh garlic. I use a hand held garlic press crush and peel my garlic. It is awesome and definitely the tool of the week! Here are some garlic recipes to check out.

Onions – Snow White hybrid and Giant Red Hamburger onions.

Sam’s neatly stacked sweet corn.

Sweet Corn – One of summer’s favorites.

Spaghetti Squash – I love using this squash instead of regular spaghetti. Learn how to cook this squash from Martha Stewart.

Red Norland Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad and I have had success with them as French fries.

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Yukon Gold Potatoes – A beautiful golden variety of potato. Learn some fun facts about potatoes grown in Minnesota and the Northern Plains here.

Cilantro, Basil and Parsley – Plenty to share – take a snip or a plant home and freeze or dry the herb for use in stews, etc during the rest of the year.

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias and sunflowers

Recipe of the Week

These zucchini brownies are a favorite.

Zucchini Brownies

Ingredients

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1/3 cup baking cocoa

•1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•2 cups shredded zucchini

•1-1/2 cups sugar

•3/4 cup vegetable oil (I will substitute with applesauce.)

•1/2 cup chopped walnuts

•2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting

•1/4 cup butter, cubed

•1 cup sugar

•1/4 cup milk

•1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

•1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

•1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

•In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, combine the zucchini, sugar and oil; stir into dry ingredients until blended. Stir in walnuts and vanilla.

•Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° F. for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

•In a large saucepan, melt butter; stir in sugar and milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cook and stir 1 minute or until smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in chips and marshmallows until melted and smooth; add vanilla. Spread over brownies. Sprinkle with walnuts if desired. Yield: 2 dozen.

Source: Taste of Home

August 2, 2016 by kharner

Lessons from Weeds

The weeds are loving this weather. Check out this giant ragweed that they pulled out of the sweet corn field.

The weeds are loving this weather. Check out this giant weed that they pulled out of the sweet corn field.

This weekend the boys found this giant weed reaching towards the sky amidst the sweet corn. Even thought the sweet corn was trying to crowd it out, this weed just kept on stretching and growing. We had been keeping an eye on the weeds, but obviously this one snuck past us.

Weeds provide an interesting life lesson. Even when the growing conditions are challenging, keep reaching and striving to grow tall and strong. It is during these times that people are surprised by the personal growth.

Weeds also seem to take advantage of great growing conditions and thrive during these times. Again, a great lesson of when the conditions are right make the most of it.

Lesson from the Weeds – Life is worth living. Maximizing the opportunities that are presented will determine your outcomes for personal growth.

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating. Thank you for your support of our CSA. Enjoy the produce!

Black Seeded Simpson, Prizeleaf and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce Mix – Are you having challenges storing your lettuce? This is what I do. Wash it, place in a salad spinner, drain the water off the salad spinner, spin again and then place in a plastic bag in my vegetable crisper. It lasts me the full week or more.

Spinach – The spinach is in the lettuce salad mix this week. It doesn’t like the heat we have been receiving.

Purple Beans – Love the color and fun to cook with!

Kale – I use the Kale in moderation in my salads. It adds some beautiful color and more nutrients to the dish.

Kohlrabi – You either have a purple or green kohlrabi in your box. Peel it and eat it like an apple.

Love the color of the Bulls Blood Beets.

Beets – Bulls Blood Beets and Detroit Dark Red Beets in your box. I place the beets in a pan, cover the beets with about an inch of water. Bring to a boil and boil until a fork can be inserted easily into the beet. Remove from the heat and drain the water. Using paper towels I gently rub the skin of the beet off, slice them and enjoy!

Cherry Belle Radishes in your boxes this week. Love the color!

Cherry Belle Radishes – They may be small but their taste is mighty. Enjoy in a salad or a radish sandwich – on buttered bread.

Watermelon Radishes – This is the last of this crop. Interested to hear your thoughts.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – The best-tasting squash in Burpee’s taste trials for 2 years in a row.

Zucchini – The zucchini is still producing. Wondering when it will slow down.

Onions – Yellow Candy – These onions are beautiful. Enjoy!

Cucumbers – This crop is dwindling. You will get a break from cucumbers until a new crop comes in of a different variety.

The tomatoes are ready for harvest.

Tomatoes – Just starting to come in.

Peppers – Sweet, Thunderbolt Pepper

Sweet Corn – One of summer’s favorites.

Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad and I have had success with them as French fries.

Parsley and Basil are available for you to take home. Freeze or dry it to use in your cooking throughout the year.

Basil and Parsley – Plenty to share – take a snip or a plant home and freeze or dry the herb for use in stews, etc during the rest of the year.

Garlic – Enjoy the fresh garlic. I use a hand held garlic press crush and peel my garlic. It is awesome and definitely the tool of the week! Here are some garlic recipes to check out.

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias and sunflowers

Recipe of the Week

Freezing Corn

I keep it simple because I don’t have time for more when it comes to freezing my vegetables to feed the family throughout the year.

After peeling off the loose husk and clipping off the extra silk, I cook the corn on the grill, rotating it over about a 30 minute time frame.

After the husks are browned around the entire cub, I peel the husks off, and it is ready to eat.

What we don’t eat, we simply cut off the extra sweet corn. A bundt pan works great to catch-all of the corn. We then place it in a Ziploc bag that has been labeled and dated and place in the freezer to use this winter.

July 27, 2016 by kharner

July’s Bounty

While we are exhausted from the fair, we were happy to see bountiful produce to harvest.

It is post fair week, and while we are exhausted from the fair, we are excited to see new changes happening in the garden because it is the end of July! This means sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes and more to come. If you are walking around the garden, look for gourds, winter squash, watermelons and pumpkins growing.

Boxes of Produce

Spinach – The spinach is in the lettuce salad mix this week. It doesn’t like the heat we have been receiving.

Purple Beans – Plenty are growing – let us know if you would like any to can or freeze. Here are some recipe ideas.

The pea pod grows from the flower. Notice the white flower at the tip of the pod.

Sugar Snap Peas – A new crop is in.

Kale – Here are some recipes for this vegetable. Two varieties Dwarf Blue Curled Vates and Ursa Kale.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi – You either have a purple or green kohlrabi in your box. Peel it and eat it like an apple.

Beets – Bulls Blood Beets – Learn more about this variety of beets here.

Watermelon Radish

Radishes – Watermelon radishes – try some of these recipes out.

The Golden Egg Hybrid squash is plentiful.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – The best-tasting squash in Burpee’s taste trials for 2 years in a row.

The zucchini grows super fast in the weather we had this week. One zucchini was as big as Sam’s forearm and the other as long as his leg.

Zucchini – The zucchini is growing like crazy. Learn how to save it for use during the cold winter months From the Farm Table and try some of the recipe ideas from Taste of Home.

Onions – snow white hybrid – These onions are beautiful. Enjoy!

Cucumbers – Enjoy these in your box. Let us know if you are interested in canning quantities and dill for pickles.

Tomatoes – Just starting to come in.

Sweet Corn – Finally one of summer’s favorites.

Potatoes – Red Norland potatoes are versatile potatoes – great for boiling, potato salad and I have had success with them as French fries.

Garlic was harvested a few weeks ago and has been curing/drying for you.

Garlic – Check out our experiment on garlic explained here.

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias and sunflowers

Recipe of the Week

Freezing Herbs

This is step by step instructions that I posted a few years ago, but it was worth reposting. From time to time, I will be setting out additional herbs in case you don’t have those herbs in your pot, or you would just like more. Help yourself, and use this method to have a taste of the garden throughout the winter.

Wash herbs under cold water.

Cut or pull herbs apart and place smaller portions in the separate compartments in an ice cube tray. This tray I found in the $1 isle at Target.

A closer look at how Keith was doing this.

Run water over the herbs and place in the freezer.

Once frozen, take out of tray and place in labeled bag or container. These will come in handy throughout the year when a recipe calls for an herb. Just take the ice cube and place in the recipe. Fresh herbs throughout the year.

July 20, 2016 by kharner

Learning by Doing

This week is fair week in our house. Those that have been involved in county fairs realize this means chaos and exhaustion by everyone in the household. Some may wonder why we put ourselves through this. The short answer is we participate because our kids are in 4-H. The longer answer is: our kids are members of 4-H because we know it builds lifelong friendships, provides unique personal growth opportunities and the kids learn by doing.

The boys brought general projects and are showing animals. Some of their general projects like photography and shop projects could be done ahead of time. Projects like livestock are conducted over several months, over the period of the lifetime of the animal, and some general projects need to be done as close to project judging time as possible such as foods and vegetable gardening.

Sam sharing his Cloverbud general projects with a judge.

Sam's photo off of our deck following one of the recent storms. He framed the photo and said he like the different colors in the picture and if you look closely that you can see that the roads form different letters. Appreciate how he made me step back and look at his photo through a different lense - a good life lesson.

Sam’s photo that he was sharing with the judge was taken from our deck following one of the recent storms. He framed the photo and said he liked the different colors in the picture and if you look closely that you can see that the roads form different letters. I appreciate how he made me step back and look at his photo through a different lense – a good life lesson.

One of Keith's one hundred photos that sparked his idea for a theme of 4 on roads. The judge said she appreciated his perspective and understanding that you don't always have to take a photo standing up and that he chose a different perspective in how to look at his surroundings.

One of Keith’s one hundred photos that sparked his idea for a theme of four photos on roads. The judge said she appreciated his perspective and understanding that you don’t always have to take a photo standing up and that he chose a different perspective in how to look at his surroundings.

Allowing the kids to complete projects with minimal guidance does take patience for both parties involved, but it allows the kids to grow. For example, learning that sometimes you need to take over 100 photos to get four really good ones that you are happy with or being persistent to find the proper way to display an item such as vegetables.

Through this journey, they are learning the value of mentorship and seeking out others that are experts or have experiences in project areas helps them to understand the value in building a community of support. Thank you to all who have been willing to help. As parents, we see the personal growth, and the humbleness they demonstrate in learning from others.

As project judging time arrived, the kids said they were nervous about the judging. Through the judging process, they learned to shake hands before and after their interviews, remove their hats when conducting their interviews and say thank you at the end of their judging. Once completed, they said it was really fun, and they were so appreciative of how helpful the judges were in teaching them more about their projects and truly seeing what they had learned by doing.

Preparing for the vegetable project was a challenge as we didn’t quite know how to properly display the vegetables for a blue ribbon display. After looking at the vegetable and potato displays last year, Keith said he wanted to bring them. He was very nervous for this judging, but as you can see he enjoyed his discussion with the judge who was very helpful in helping him to understand the vegetable project and potato project. Keith was ecstatic to receive Reserve Champion in his potato project and Honorable Mention with his Vegetable Project.

As a parent living in the chaos of fair week and in my exhaustion, I question whether it is worth it. But I am reminded by take away comments and gestures throughout each day of the fair.

As Keith was selecting his pen of two laying hens and was contemplating the final decision, he said, “Mom today isn’t about winning. It is about learning.”

I asked Sam how it went in the show arena, and how did it go answering the judges questions. He responded with a big grin, “I got the best ribbon I could get – a green.” As a 4-H Cloverbud, they all receive green participation ribbons as an opportunity to learn by doing, to gain confidence in learning that participating, learning and having fun – is the most important thing.

Yesterday, the boys washed their 4-H chickens and pig – together, no fights simply building self-confidence and experiencing new things together. As the day came to a close, I complimented them on how well they worked together. They looked at each other and said, “Yes we did, and it was fun.” The working together carried over to the fair in their pride in caring for their animals and showing them to the fairgoers.”

So from this exhausted parent to other exhausted parents, 4-H and participating in the county fair is definitely worth the investment of time and effort. Watching your kids Learn by Doing is priceless. After all, in the end it is not about the blue ribbon it is about raising a blue ribbon kid.

Garden Science

Did you know that we are still planting seeds in the a garden? These will be some of the last crops planted this year. The plan is for these to reach maturity the last few weeks of the growing season and hoping to have a later frost.

Tilling up another area to replant with the final round of lettuce, spinach, kohlrabi and cucumbers.

This weekend we replanted peas and reinstalled the pea fence that had been twisted a bit in some earlier storm winds.

Boxes of Produce

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – Are you having challenges storing your lettuce? This is what I do. Wash it, place in a salad spinner, drain the water off the salad spinner, spin again and then place in a plastic bag in my vegetable crisper. It lasts me the full week or more.

Prizeleaf and Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – I love these beautiful lettuces – Prizeleaf is green with reddish tips and Red Oak Leaf is a red lettuce leaf. They add such a wonderful color to salads and sandwiches.

Spinach – The spinach is in the lettuce salad mix this week. It doesn’t like the heat we have been receiving.

Green Beans

Green Beans – Plenty are growing – let us know if you would like any to can or freeze. Here are some recipe ideas.

Carrots – Some beautiful purple carrots this week.

Sugar Snap Peas – A new crop is in.

Kale – Here are some recipes for this vegetable. Two varieties Dwarf Blue Curled Vates and Ursa Kale.

Kohlrabi – You either have a purple or green kohlrabi in your box. Peel it and eat it like an apple.

Beets – Dark Detroit Red Beets – Learn how to cook beets here.

Watermelon Radish

Radishes – Watermelon radishes – let us know what you think about this vegetable.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – The best-tasting squash in Burpee’s taste trials for 2 years in a row.

Zucchini – The zucchini is growing like crazy. Learn how to save it for use during the cold winter months From the Farm Table and try some of the recipe ideas from Martha Stewart.

Onions – Yellow Candy – These onions are beautiful. Enjoy!

Cucumbers

Cucumbers – Enjoy these in your box. Let us know if you are interested in canning quantities and dill for pickles.

Fresh Basil – some of you have basil in your herb pots and some do not. Check out these basil ideas.

Fresh Dill

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias and sunflowers

Recipe of the Week

Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 cup applesauce

3 large eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups shredded peeled zucchini

1/4 miniature chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each)

July 13, 2016 by kharner

Stand up, Stand Tall

Welcome Minnie and Daisy to the farm. Barn cats play an important part of controlling field mice and other rodents around our place. As you can tell, we all love having these kittens around.

Thank you to everyone who expressed concern over how our crops fared the storms. We are happy to share (see photo below) that they have recovered as much as can be expected. They have stood back up, standing tall and looking like a crop is in their future. I shared the photos last week as an opportunity to help everyone better understand what happens to farmers’ crops when storms roll through.

One comment from our blog post sticks out – “After all my years of farming, one thing I have learned, is that we do everything we can to ensure that the crop we put in the ground will grow and reap a harvest with whatever weather conditions Mother Nature gives us. If you were thinking positively when you planted it, chances are…it will be ok.”

This comment reminded me that farming presents more learning lessons than one realizes. In fact, it reminds me a lot of life and parenting. We do all we can to ensure that we are helping our children grow up to be productive, loving and caring people who provide back to this world more than they have been given. We think positively about their future. While we are preparing them, similar to preparing to growing a crop, we do the best we can hoping that whatever storms come their way in life that they to, like the corn, will stand back up, stand tall and reap a productive lifetime.

Garden Science

This is a photo of the top of the corn plant last week. Take time to check out the different plants. They really are unique.

The ornamental corn leaf feels different then the…

broom corn leaf…

then the field corn leaf. All are unique to the type of corn variety that it is.

Great news. All types of corn are standing back up on their own. When I refer to types I mean: sweet corn, field corn, ornamental corn, broom corn and popcorn. Corn genetics are an amazing thing. Thanks to plant scientists these plant varieties were able to withstand that strong wind and straighten back up to keep on growing. I think it also helped that we were all praying for this to happen. God is good!

Great news. All types of corn are standing back up and standing tall on their own. When I refer to types I mean: sweet corn, field corn, ornamental corn, broom corn and popcorn. Corn genetics are an amazing thing. Thanks to the plant scientists, these plant varieties were able to withstand that strong wind and straighten back up to keep on growing. I think it also helped that we were all praying for this to happen. God is good!

Boxes of Produce

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – With a lot of lettuce in your boxes, check out Martha Stewart’s lettuce salad recipes or this potluck taco idea for picnics and family gatherings.

Spinach and Beet Leaves – We thinned our beets and have combined them with the spinach for a healthy salad mix.

Carrots

Carrots – Some beautiful carrots this week.

Kale – Here are some recipes for this vegetable. Two varieties Dwarf Blue Curled Vates and Ursa Kale.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi – You either have a purple or green kohlrabi in your box.

Beet – Dark Detroit Red Beets – Learn how to cook beets here.

Picking green beans can literally be exhausting.

Green Beans – Plenty are growing – let us know if you would like any to can or freeze. Here are some recipe ideas.

Watermelon Radish

Radishes – Watermelon radishes – let us know what you think about this vegetable.

Golden Egg Hybrid Summer Squash – The best-tasting squash in Burpee’s taste trials for 2 years in a row.

The zucchini and summer squash harvest this week.

Zucchini – The zucchini is growing like crazy. Learn how to save it for use during the cold winter months From the Farm Table and try some of the recipe ideas from Martha Stewart.

Onions – red onions – These onions took a beating in the storms. They had stopped growing so we harvested them this week.

Fresh Basil – some of you have basil in your herb pots and some do not. Check out these basil ideas.

Fresh cut arrangement – Zinnias

Recipe of the Week

Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

3 Eggs, beaten

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup applesauce

3 cups Flour (opt: substitute 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour)

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

2 cups Zucchini, shredded

Shredding zucchini is super easy and fun with this salad shooter.

Instructions

Beat together the eggs, sugars and applesauce.

Stir together all the dry ingredients and add to the egg-sugar mixture. Stir in the shredded zucchini.

Coat four mini loaf pans with cooking spray. Sprinkle sugar on the bottom. Pour batter evenly in all four pans. Sprinkle tops with sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

July 6, 2016 by kharner

Mother Nature’s Reminders

Mother Nature always has a way of reminding us who is in control. It is certainly not us.

The past few days we were busy accomplishing a lot of jobs, and we were beginning to feel pretty good about how things were looking in the garden.

This weekend, we put up the electric fence around the sweetcorn to protect it from curious creatures like raccoons. The fencing is powered by a solar panel.

We irrigated the tomatoes this week to provide for more even moisture throughout the growing season as the tomatoes are starting to grow.

We irrigated the tomatoes this week to provide for more even moisture throughout the growing season as the tomatoes grow.

Rain water captured from the roof of our shop is used to irrigate the crops. We use gravity flow to move the water to the plants.

Last night, Mother Nature moved in with a vengeance with straight winds over 70 mph. The skies were green which usually means hail. We were fortunate to not have the hail or tornadoes at our place. Others in the area were not as fortunate. Rain came with the winds, but difficult to measure with the force in which it was upon us.

When the skies had settled and it was safe to emerge from our house and our basement. We felt blessed to only have branches scattered throughout the yard, no trees were down. We still had all of the buildings. The crops were there, while they were a mangled mess.

I was thankful that we made a mad dash to harvest a few crops that grow above ground before the storm hit. They would have likely been damaged from the winds and blowing debris.

Sweet corn standing tall tasseling this weekend. The thoughts of sweet corn in the near future.

The sweet corn was flat after last night’s storm. We are not real hopeful of pollination occurring from the tassel to the silks on the ears of corn after last nights storm.
In the background you will see our neighbors field corn. What this photo does not show, is that it to was affected. While the genetics on the field corn plants have been selected to withstand high winds, only time will tell what the end harvests will look like for all of these crops. We are thankful that we did not have hail or tornadoes last night.

The popcorn was not yet pollinating so there is still hope for a crop. We need to inspect the corn plant more closely to see if the tops of the plant are still intact.

Garden Science

Have you ever taken the time to notice the differences between the plant stems and leaves. It is really fascinating the shapes and textures.

Take a look at the spikes on the stem and the cucumber itself.

The burble beans stems are purple. While green bean stems are green (check those out in the photo below).

Pumpkin stems feel hollow compared to other plants. While they are round, they are not perfectly symmetrical. They to also have little prickles on them.

Boxes of Produce

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – With a lot of lettuce in your boxes, check out Martha Stewart’s lettuce salad recipes. Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So remember to wash your vegetables before eating.

Kale – Here are some recipes for this vegetable.

Kohlrabi – You either have a purple or green kohlrabi in your box. Look here for more information on how to use this vegetable.

Beet – Dark Detroit Red Beets – The University of Minnesota provides direction on how to pickle beets here.

Sugar Snap Peas – A healthy harvest for you – eat the pod and the peas. These are a shareholder favorite. Fact: Minnesota is the second largest state for growing green peas for processing (meaning the peas will be frozen or canned peas like we buy in the store).

Green Beans growing from the flowers of the plant.

Green Beans – Enjoy the first of the season. Here are some recipe ideas from America’s Heartland.

Radishes – French Breakfast radishes – radish recipes.

Summer Squash and zucchini – The zucchini took off this week. Here are some recipes to try from Taste of Home. Learn more about the golden egg hybrid.

Onions – Yellow onions this week.

Fresh cut arrangement – hosta leaves, lilies and sweet peas.

Recipe of the Week

Veggies on the Grill

Many of you have mentioned that you like to put your veggies on the grill. I simply combined a variety cut into 1/4 inch slices, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled some Kosher salt and arugula on them. The beets added a beautiful color to the dish.

June 29, 2016 by kharner

Science Abounds

Science abounds in agriculture that is why science experiments are a constant in agriculture and on our farm. We are always trying to learn and grow from what we are doing. Constantly trying to improve on what has been done before. Two experiments this year are cover crops and strip cropping.

Garden Science

Photo shows the area where we have planted the vines between the strips of rye grass/rapeseed.

What is a Cover Crop? Cover crops are plants sown to form a living mulch and are planted to provide seasonal soil cover on cropland when the soil would otherwise be bare—i.e., before the crop emerges in spring or after fall harvest.

Cover crops help reduce soil erosion and keep weeds in check. When cover crops are turned into the soil to provide organic matter and nutrients, they’re called “green manures.”

Common cover crops in Minnesota include rye and other small grains, buckwheat and hairy vetch. They are best suited to areas of the state with plenty of water available in the soil for both the cover crop and the main crop. Using cover crops in Minnesota can be difficult because of the small window of opportunity to establish them to grow. Minnesota farmers have nonetheless found creative ways to utilize cover crops.

What is Strip Cropping? Strip cropping is a method of farming which involves cultivating a field partitioned into long, narrow strips which are alternated in a crop rotation system. It is used when a slope is too steep or when there is no alternative method of preventing soil erosion.

We decided to leave some strips of our cover crops in the field through the growing season as a method of weed control between our rows of vines. It has been interesting to observe both the effects of the strip cropping and the cover crops.

The strip cropping of rye grass and rapeseed began as a cover crop last fall. We tilled the cover crop up this spring which then went into our soil as “green manure” to help provide nutrients for this year’s crops.

We left strips of the cover crop in the field area where we were planting vines. We then planted our vining crops, such as pumpkins, squash, watermelon etc, in the tilled areas.

Observations

1.The rye grass and rapeseed do appear to help control the weed growth and have also seemed to help suppress some of the insect pressure on the vining crops.

2. There was a section because of a later harvest of a crop where we did not plant a cover crop. The weed growth and weed pressure in this area is heavy.

3.We have harvested the rye grass for feed and bedding for our chickens and pigs. This has been a benefit to those animals.

Learn more from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and from the University of Minnesota Extension.

The Harner Brothers have been raising broilers (meat) chickens (white feathers). The chicken is naturally muscular because of the type of breed. NO hormones were given to the chickens. It is illegal in the U.S. to use growth hormones or steroids in any poultry production. It is interesting to observe how differently the chickens of different breeds grow. The brown feathered chicken is the same age just an egg laying breed so its energy will go into making eggs in a few months vs. into making muscle.

Also related to animal science…The Harner Brothers have been raising broilers (meat) chickens (white feathers). The chicken is naturally muscular because of the type of breed. NO hormones were given to the chickens. It is illegal in the U.S. to use growth hormones or steroids in any poultry production. It is interesting to observe how differently the chickens of different breeds grow. The brown feathered chicken is the same age just an egg laying breed so its energy will go into making eggs in a few months vs. into making muscle.

Boxes of Produce

Spinach – Remember to wash before eating.

Detroit Dark Red Beets

Beet – Dark Detroit Red Beets – Look here to find ways to cook beets and recipes.

Sugar Snap Peas – A healthy harvest for you – eat the pod and the peas. These are a shareholder favorite. You may have noticed peabine’s or pea harvesters in the fields around Northfield. They are harvesting peas for processing – this is a different variety of pea. Fact: Minnesota is the second largest state for growing green peas for processing (meaning the peas will be frozen or canned peas like we buy in the store)

Radishes – French Breakfast radishes – radish recipes.

The carrots are growing well in our raised bed.

Carrots – Enjoy some fresh carrots. Check out this video on how baby carrots become baby carrots that we buy in the store.

Golden Egg Hybrid – new summer squash variety we are trying this year.

Summer Squash and zucchini – I’m hoping this new variety of golden egg hybrid will show some more size as the season progresses. Thought that between the zucchini and the golden egg you could have a nice vegetable mixture on your grill over the 4th of July weekend.

White onion – love the braid pattern on their stems.

Onions – We had some white and purple onions ready. Enjoy on brats, burgers or in a vegetable dish this weekend. Check out onion harvest in Idaho.

Fresh cut arrangement – hosta leaves, lilies and sweet peas.

Recipe of the Week

Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame Seeds

1 pound sugar snap peas

Dark sesame oil

Black sesame seeds

Kosher salt

Toss sugar snap peas in a bowl with sesame oil, sesame seeds, and kosher salt, to taste. Serve.

Garden Science

Boxes of Produce

Recipe of the Week

Summer Squash Soup

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Garlic Bread

Garlic Bread

Cinnamon Zucchini Bread

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Garden Science

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Cooking Spaghetti Squash

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Zucchini Brownies

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Freezing Corn

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Freezing Herbs

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Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

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Veggies on the Grill

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Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame Seeds

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