Farming from a cook's perspective- Part 1

I moved from Chicago back home to Alabama four years ago to get my family's farm back up and running again. I thought long and hard about leaving the kitchen behind. I looked deep within myself to make sure I was making the right decision. I loved cooking, but it did not come naturally to me. Farming does. There were so many times when I would check produce in and look in disgust at the produce and the herbs. The produce and herbs were lifeless. The best food and technique in the world are for nought if the food you are buying is of a low standard. So seeing so much sub-standard food was a catalyst for me. I also knew there was a ton of potential with the farm here.
One of the biggest catalysts for me is the chef Michel Bras. His book Essential Cuisine struck a deep chord in me. His talk about deep connections with the land through food and foraging really made me want to get the farm going.

Baby Goats

Say hello to Groucho and Harpo! They were born in the wee hours of Monday morning.

Advice from a Old Farmer

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered…not yelled.

Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

Don ‘t judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honorable life.. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

Don ‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.

If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.

Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

–

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

Fatliter

Fatliter goes by many different names. Pineheart, fat wood, or heart of pine are some of them. Whatever you call it, it makes for a great fire starter. I burn a lot of wood during the winter time. Mostly hickory, oak, and lately chestnut. I can't imagine starting a fire without it.

Basically fatliter is the very center of a pine tree. Over time the sap in a pine tree hardens into a rock hard substance that is very resinous. The fatliter never rots. Often times it is the only thing left from a pine tree. It will get a fire going really hot. It will burn even when wet. If you break a piece in half it will smell piney. It's just great stuff that is indispensable.

Reflecting back

During the winter time things slow down on the farm.  Vegetables don't grow as fast.  It's colder outside and the days are shorter.  So, it's a time to reflect back on the year and to think ahead for the coming new year.

As I reflect back on the year, two things come to my mind.  The wetness and warmth of the year.  Those two things played the biggest part in the garden.  It was warm earlier than usual.  It snowed the first day of March and then was in the 70s for the rest of the month.  The early warmth meant that the bugs appeared sooner than usual.  Then it rained and rained and rained.  It has been one of the wettest on record here in Alabama.  You might think that tons of rain is good for vegetables.  Well think again.  They like moderation.  Tomatoes succumbed to disease early on thanks to the rain.  Rain brings on disease quicker.  It was a horrible watermelon year.  If a watermelon gets to much rain right before it is ripe it will explode.  The rain will also wash all the flavor out.  So the spring and summer pass and you start thinking how great the fall will be.  Then it starts raining again and again.  So the soil is to wet and the fall vegetables are late getting going.  

Things are looking up now.  Everything is doing well.  But let's not just think back on the year and commiserate about how bad it was.  Some things did well.  The Music garlic, cannellini beans, flowers, and potatoes were standouts.  This has been the 2nd year for the farm.  We are steadily making improvements.

Winter time is a great time for working on projects.  We will be putting up a greenhouse and getting all the infrastructure ready for laying hens come March.  Seed catalogs also start coming in the mail.  It's always exciting to get new catalogs.  I love pouring over them.

As I look ahead to next year I see the farm growing by leaps and bounds.  It has come a long way since I moved back in 2005.  As each year passes by the soil gets better, the vegetables become more consistent, and income for the farm grows.  

And last but not least.  I am very thankful for my family, whom I would not be able to do any of this and to a new member of the farm, my girlfriend, Elizabeth Sanfelippo.  Elizabeth has been instrumental in helping the farm grow.  One of the biggest things she has done is implementing a email list.  Through the email list people are able to buy vegetables and or flowers when available.  

Flowers

Zinnias and Cosmos ready to be delivered.

Writing

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  I've got so much to write about.  So much just waiting to be written about.  I promise post them soon.  But for now check me out in the Hot and Hot Fish Club cookbook!  It's in stores now!