Newsletter

Source: WNEP – Farm Share Program Growing

This past winter was not particularly severe, yet I could see it take its toll on our old rooster. Incredibly, the old geezer has been with us for well over a decade which is really ancient for a chicken. He happened to be one of our many fortunate accidents. Ordinarily I buy replacement chicks that are sexed. Females, or pullets, lay eggs after approximately twenty weeks from hatching which was my intended purpose. Males, or cockerels, do not lay eggs at maturity, they fertilize them, a better deal it seems to me from a biased perspective. Chickens do not form bonded pairs. If there are several adult males they will fight relentlessly until a dominant rooster prevails and reigns over his harem. The lesser males lead a beleaguered existence . Nature is generous  but not kind, unless we humans are included in the mix and that can be an iffy proposition.

As there is no functional purpose for squabbling male redundancy, few cockerels can look forward to a leisurely life as the cock of the walk. Sunday diner is the more likely destiny for most. So, as this relates to our flock, it happened that I purchased a late bloomer, or the sexer had an off day as this is apparently not a zero defect process -- though remarkably accurate most of the time based on my  past experiences. After several weeks there was no mistaking the fact that there was an odd fellow in the flock. Intention  went out the window because I was now faced with reality and not perceived purpose. We kept this guy even though our Rhode Island Reds were not good setters and we would not be hatching their eggs. Bacon, sausage, and pancakes were to be the eggs future mates.

Clearly, our boy had won the chicken lottery big time. He kept the hens content and maintained order in the court yard. He was vigilant and warned of any passing change. A sound remarkably like ours for hawk, though extremely drawn out would upon an aerial inspection reveal a circling red tail. A comical Chinese fire drill followed with mad dashes for the safety of the coop, and akin to the lore of the captain and his ship, the rooster was always last critter in, and with a strut that oozed defiance for the hawk.

Over time the rooster gained squatter’s rights and just belonged . He took his place along with the other creatures who have found a haven at Dreamcatcher Farm.  Not unexpectedly, I found him hunched over in the corner of the coop at the beginning of our crazy summer-fall-spring. His job was finished, he was now going to be placed under a bush, undisturbed where no hawk was going to chase him again. This passing poses a question in regard to his replacement. Conventional Ag economic thought as advocated in the Ag colleges and through their extension agents holds that if the animal does not return an income above its cost of production then it should not be on the farm. If the return is a penny or two, then add thousands. To my mind this is a calloused calculus that favors maximized commodity production above any other consideration. It is the rationale behind the removal of tree lines and the consequent pheasant habitat destruction and a host of equally mindless economic enhancements.

This all brought to mind a feature I had recently seen about a biologist who was heroically working to preserve the Mexican forests that serve as the migratory home for the Monarch butterfly. The cash calculus is operative there also as logging is threatening these miraculous creatures existence. When questioned about the superior human requirement for the timber resources, the biologist gave a provocative response.. He said, in effect, we could survive without Monarchs, and we could survive without Bach, Beethoven, or Shakespeare, but we would be much less human without them. I also believe we could exist without Smokey Robinson, Bob Dylan, or Patsy Cline. We could maximize production without any need for e.e. cummings, John Steinbach or Barbara Kingsolver. You could easily name your own choices to make my point and change it frequently. Our capacity for choice is guided by many considerations and that quality that moderates economic maximization is what separates us from bees, locusts, and a pack of jackals.

So in the end, the choice is no choice at all. I could enable the production of more stuff, future land fill if you will, or get a replacement rooster whose contribution to the farm has no economic value, and is therefore priceless.

In an old flick, Born Free, a European family living in Africa finds an orphaned lion cub, raises her, and eventually returns her to the wild. It is a wonderful story illustrating the communion we share with the creatures cohabitation this earthly home with us. The lioness name was Elsa, and that is how our orange tabby, Elsa, came to be named.

Elsa came into our lives the very first year we moved to Pennsylvania. Apparently someone had dropped her off in our field . She had been farmed out, we assumed whoever it was thought she would fend for herself, or be adopted by us, or simply just go away for them. Attracted to her feeble cries, I found this little bundle of fluff in the high weeds. Dreamcatcher Farm was at that time, just that, a dream. We had ,of course, a notion that we wanted a farm, that we would like to grow our own vegetables, and that some chickens roaming around the place would be nice, but many, if not most,  of the specific details had not quite been worked out yet.

Never having owned a cat, if I can abuse that word, this was as much an adventure for us as it was for Elsa. Her first introduction to home was when cupped in my hands I approached our back door and rang the bell for fear of dropping her. Puzzled, Jackie answered the call and upon opening my hands shared with her my find. I believe it was love at first sight, though not really understood by us as yet.

Elsa’s journey started in the garage where we put her until we sorted out what we were going to do: keep her, take her to a shelter, or find her a home. Elsa had already figured this out far in advance of us. One inadvertent lapse in leaving the interior door to the garage open and in a flash, and I mean a mili-second Elsa bounded into the house and ran like a demon from room to room. She was possessed. Up the couch, down the couch, up the drapes, down the drapes, jumping in the air, doing loop de loops, around the coffee table, finally, coming to rest in Jackie’s lap. We were so struck by this show that we knew the next stop was the vet.

Dewormed, vaccinated, checked out and “fixed”, our first native rescue came home. We discovered at this time that female orange tigers are extremely rare cats. We were informed that 99% of them were male and  that the females were almost always sterile. Unfortunately this tid-bit was gathered after the operation. I am assuming that the vet did not want to take any chances on almost.

Our time with her from day one has been a pleasurable delight. She is the queen of the critters. All her fellow orphans who have come and passed through Dreamcatcher Farm have deferred to her reign. We have learned much from her. She inspires me with the affection she returns in appreciation for the care and nurture we give to her. Were it so that all the world’s orphaned creatures were so fortunate to have found such circumstances. But, that is not the case Too many cats ans dogs are left to reproduce unchecked and then left to fend for themselves in an environment that can not possibly support them. A cruel fate awaits most. For our kind we find ourselves in a situation where the uncaring ones outnumber the caring, the impoverished outnumber the more able, and a mutually rewarding communion goes unheeded and diminished.

We have a responsibility, it seems to me, to limit the unfettered increase in the numbers of these animals so that an equilibrium of possibility and potential is created. Elsa inspires these thoughts, and heaven knows what an extension of that thinking would produce if it were expanded to humankind. Imagine, functionally planning and organizing our lives with the express purpose of maximizing the potential of all within the bounds of necessity. That is a dream.

Ingredients:

• Crust

• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cold margarine or butter
  

• Filling

• 8 to 10 cups zucchini, peeled, seeded and sliced (may also want to pat dry)
  
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

• Crust

1. Combine ingredients in bowl until crumbly.
2. Reserve 3 cups of mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into a greased 9 by 13 inch pan.
   

• Filling

1. Bring zucchini and lemon juice to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and cook until tender.
2. Add cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
3. Spoon over crust. Sprinkle reserved 3 cups of crumbs over top.
   

• Bake

1. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

• 2 (9 inch) pie dough rounds
• 2 pounds beefsteak tomatoes (about 4 large), cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 scallions, sliced thin

Directions:

1. Roll Dough: On lightly floured surface, roll 1 dough round into 12 inch circle (if using store bought dough, you do not need to roll either crust). Transfer to 9 inch pie plate, letting excess hang over edge. Cover with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll second round into 12 inch circle and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Drain Tomatoes: Arrange tomatoes on paper towel lined baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 30 minutes, then press tomatoes with additional paper towels until very dry.
3. Assemble Pie: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place empty rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, cornstarch and 1 cup cheese in bowl until well combined. Sprinkle remaining cheese over bottom of dough lined pie plate. Arrange third of tomatoes over cheese. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture over tomatoes and sprinkle with half of scallions. Layer with another third of tomatoes, remaining mayonnaise mixture, and remaining scallions, then top with remaining tomatoes.
4. Crimp Crust: Arrange top crust on pie. Press edges together, then trim, fold, and crimp edges. Cut four 2 by 1 inch oval vent holes in top. Place pie on heated baking sheet, bake for 10 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until crust is golden brown, about 40 minutes. (If using a store bought dough, bake for 30 minutes.) Cool on wire rack at least 3 hours. Serve at room temperature. Serves 8.
   

Ingredients:

• Easy Cheesy Pie Crust

• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1 (9 inch) Pillsbury Read to Roll Pie Crust
  

• Zucchini Filling

• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium zucchini, grated (grate only the flesh of the zucchini and discard the seeds and core)
  
• 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  

• Custard

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese (if you cannot find fontina cheese, monterey jack is a good substitute)

Directions:

• Pie Crust

1. Combine Parmesan cheese and flour. Sprinkle half of Parmesan mixture over one side of dough and gently roll mixture into dough with rolling pin. Flip dough and repeat with remaining Parmesan mixture. Roll dough out into 12 inch circle.
2. Move dough to 9 inch pie plate, gently pressing into corners to secure and fluting edges as desired. To prevent shrinkage, refrigerate dough for 20 minutes, then transfer to freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Spray two 12 inch square pieces of foil lightly with cooking spray and arrange, grease-side down, in chilled pie shell. Top with pie weights and fold excess foil over edges of dough. Bake on lower-middle rack at 375 degrees until surface of dough no longer looks wet, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove hot weights and foil and continue to bake (uncovered) until just golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before proceeding with recipe.
   

• Filling

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add zucchini, onion, garlic, and salt and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender and have released their liquid, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook until bottom of pan is dry, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer zucchini mixture to bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Toss with basil and flour until combined.
   

• Custard

1. Whisk eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in large bowl.
2. Stir in zucchini mixture and cheese and pour into pie crust.
3. Bake until crust is golden brown and center of quiche is just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Serves 8.
   

The quiche will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature or reheat before serving.

Alternate Preparation: French Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche

• Substitute 1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced leeks (about 5 medium, whie and light-green parts only) for zucchini and onion.
• Substitute 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme for basil.
• Substitute 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese for fontina.
  

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/rigatoni-with-swiss-chard?autonomy_kw=rigatoni%20with%20swiss%20chard&rsc=header_2

2008 was an overall good year for our CSA as we assess our efforts. We had a 24 week season that started with asparagus and ended with broccoli and cauliflower. The experience should lead to improvements for the new season. We have made adjustments in our seed and supply orders , generally ordering more and planning for greater variety and quantities with a few surprises.

I think part of the value of a CSA is the opportunity to try new and different foods and our feed back supports that view. The greatest value though is the community that is built both through the creation of a local alternative to industrial ag, and the fellowship and friendships that develops through the conversation and contact on distribution days, special events, and volunteer opportunities.

We have struggled with the necessity to raise our share price this year especially given the state of the economy, but we really have no choice. All of our costs have risen dramatically and it will be necessary to hire some extra help as well as expand our work share program in order to make the quality improvements that we need to implement for the coming season. We believe a share is still very much in line with comparisons to comparable sources and superior to supermarket alternatives. We hope you understand that our commitment to provide our membership with full value for their share has not diminished but is in fact is a major priority.

As always, we welcome your feedback and look forward to another season. Thank you for all your support, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.