Yesterday, we took another trip out to the Ballard Market. We left with three 1/2 gallons of milk (for cheese making), two of Deborah's savory meat pies (we could hardly contain ourselves), 6 pounds of nectarines and peaches (for preserves), and two months or so worth of pasta (because we love fresh pasta from our friendly pasta maker who always throws in more food for free). It might be time to invest in a grocery cart....
Going to farmers markets to shop for our weekly groceries has been a treat, but come October most of these markets will be closed until next spring/summer. It's now time to prepare for winter. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. We may be in over our heads. Whether I'm ready or not, we have entered a new way of life.
Michael recently ordered a manual covering the topic of spin farming. Ever since, he's been completely spun over the idea. He decided to install a produce cooler in our garage. The plans are in the works, and I'm pretty sure he hired his brother to complete the construction. Without any warning, a canning kit arrived in the mail along with The Complete Book of Home Preserving. Michael already canned two jars of pickles, all made from ingredients from our garden. The cheese making kit is a bit more of a mystery to me. The box came in the mail with a big smily face sticker on the front. Inside, the materials are packaged in "happy meal" like boxes. Clearly, the market is geared toward a younger crowd. Michael can hardly wait to make cheese, yogurt, and cottage cheese. I, on the other hand, am not so sure about playing with milk products.
Now, if our garden would just cooperate. Our tomatoes still hang greenly on their vines. Our dreams of tomato sauces galore are quickly fading. Our pole beans continue to show off their pretty white flowers. No beans in sight. The brussel sprouts are growing, but they're still too small to harvest. Clearly, it's time for a visit from Farmer Colin.
-Trisa
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Monday, September 13, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Well, I've gone and done it
I've officially become obsessed with urban farming and (self) sustainability.
I've been on the cusp for quite some time, but I find my mind wanders more and more to the ideas and ideals of that sort of simple life. So while I'm working - writing procedures for power plants, pouring over financial information to glean if they're covering up any maintenance issues, drawing plant instrument and flow diagrams, I find that in VERY short order I'm distracted and reading Grist, or looking at Amazon for a new kitchen gadget to help make better use of our harvest, or thinking of where else to put in a new garden bed, or how I could use the small green patch between a sidewalk and a street...
Today, I bought some educational materials to once again step up our farm's production. I'll read it and review it on the blog as soon as I'm done, but it's giving me all sorts of ideas. Since start of work this morning, during my lunch and breaks, I've read 3 of 7 "chapters" and also bought those new kitchen gadgets from Amazon.
Which brings me to another conclusion - we're going to have to go to a cash/envelope method of handling our personal finances. We definitely spend way more than we need to. I just looked at our monthly bank statement and in about 4 weeks we spend like crazy on lunches, beer/drinks/movies - etc, small store purchases, gas, consumables, and all sorts of various and sundry items. Seriously there's probably about 75 transactions that average $7.50 that we can and SHOULD do without. By we, I mean me. I'm horrible when it comes to using my debit card and I'm finally convinced that the cash/envelope method could be the answer.
Today, at Amazon I bought some things that we really could use, things we've been thinking of purchasing for a while and just haven't yet. I ordered a sauce maker - basically it's a food mill to process our fruits and tomatoes. In the long run it'll save us tons of time when we're making red sauce, jams, jellies, fruit mush, etc. No coring of apples is necessary with this bad boy. Simply quarter and drop them into the hopper and twist the crank and whammo: apple sauce. So, we do "need" it and it was time to order it as harvest is quickly approaching.
I can't wait until it comes in the mail and I get to go to a market for 100 lbs of tomatoes to make 100 quarts of spaghetti sauce.
I also can't wait to start utilizing the tips and techniques I'm finding in this urban farmers guide.
If anyone knows of someone who wants to install a small scale intensive farm, or wants to learn how to do it at their own property, or wants someone like me to farm their property (or a piece of it), please please please let me know. I'd love to get started soon teaching/coaching and working on more space(s) soon so we're ready for next year.
That's all for now.
Mike
I've been on the cusp for quite some time, but I find my mind wanders more and more to the ideas and ideals of that sort of simple life. So while I'm working - writing procedures for power plants, pouring over financial information to glean if they're covering up any maintenance issues, drawing plant instrument and flow diagrams, I find that in VERY short order I'm distracted and reading Grist, or looking at Amazon for a new kitchen gadget to help make better use of our harvest, or thinking of where else to put in a new garden bed, or how I could use the small green patch between a sidewalk and a street...
Today, I bought some educational materials to once again step up our farm's production. I'll read it and review it on the blog as soon as I'm done, but it's giving me all sorts of ideas. Since start of work this morning, during my lunch and breaks, I've read 3 of 7 "chapters" and also bought those new kitchen gadgets from Amazon.
Which brings me to another conclusion - we're going to have to go to a cash/envelope method of handling our personal finances. We definitely spend way more than we need to. I just looked at our monthly bank statement and in about 4 weeks we spend like crazy on lunches, beer/drinks/movies - etc, small store purchases, gas, consumables, and all sorts of various and sundry items. Seriously there's probably about 75 transactions that average $7.50 that we can and SHOULD do without. By we, I mean me. I'm horrible when it comes to using my debit card and I'm finally convinced that the cash/envelope method could be the answer.
Today, at Amazon I bought some things that we really could use, things we've been thinking of purchasing for a while and just haven't yet. I ordered a sauce maker - basically it's a food mill to process our fruits and tomatoes. In the long run it'll save us tons of time when we're making red sauce, jams, jellies, fruit mush, etc. No coring of apples is necessary with this bad boy. Simply quarter and drop them into the hopper and twist the crank and whammo: apple sauce. So, we do "need" it and it was time to order it as harvest is quickly approaching.
I can't wait until it comes in the mail and I get to go to a market for 100 lbs of tomatoes to make 100 quarts of spaghetti sauce.
I also can't wait to start utilizing the tips and techniques I'm finding in this urban farmers guide.
If anyone knows of someone who wants to install a small scale intensive farm, or wants to learn how to do it at their own property, or wants someone like me to farm their property (or a piece of it), please please please let me know. I'd love to get started soon teaching/coaching and working on more space(s) soon so we're ready for next year.
That's all for now.
Mike
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