Plantings 2015

For the last 25 plus years, only non Gmo - heirloom, organic and sustainable practices have been used on this farm.  I have not certified organic due to the initial cash outlay, and annual paperwork involved.  Just another "racket".  we would use that term to mean sham.

New stakes for the tomatoes - Gene made from locust trees knocked down by the storm last year.  250 plants

...........................................the garlic looks good too!

TOMATO VARIETIES
Pearly Pink - cherry
Pineapple - beefsteak
Amish Paste - paste
Pincipe Borghese - cherry
Martino's Roma - plum
Gezahnte - paste
Cour di Bue
Pink Brandywine - beefsteak
Pink Ponderosa - beefsteak
Plum Tigris - plum
Pantano Romanesco  - my favorite
Black Elephant - got seeds, no plants
Rio Grande - beefsteak
Beefsteak

In addition, there are yukon gold, and blue potatoes, silver queen corn, kale, lettuce, herbs,winter squash.

still to go in are cucumbers and zucchini!

here the pizzas are lined up awaiting the wood fired oven...the pies can't be too close to the intense heat as they cook, or it will burn before the dough cooks....and to make the bottoms crusty, keep the floor of the oven clean and do not touch the pies often, let them sit, spin only when it's time.



pizza dough

(I used only 00 flour, but use AP , whole wheat, spelt, in combo for a really good crust)
the wood fired oven makes everything tastes fantastic!

1 cup plus 1tbl   00 flour  + 1 cup AP
1 tsp honey or sugar
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup water = 105 - 115 F
salt to taste

combine water yeast and sugar until foams
use kitchen aid
combine flour , salt , olive oil with yeast mixture and with dough hook, mix, until pulls away
coat with olive oil
let almost double in size
punch down and shape

portable wood fired pizza ovens are popping up all over the place!

UPICK ASPARAGUS

We picked asparagus yesterday, May 9th, at Greig Farm in Red Hook, NY - in the Hudson Valley...visiting, I decided to "do a little digging" on local sustainable farms that grow asparagus. Tis the Season!  Since I have a UPICK farm of my own,  I support other farms in picking items I don't grow on my own.

The following series - The UPICK Series - reviews my findings.  Happy Picking!

... see my previous UPICK post on blueberries in Cooperstown area.

to learn more about Greig farm - here is a link
greig farm

the farm provides boxes and bags - you pick any one asparagus of your choosing at least 6in tall, they weigh it...  Cash only, the 2015 price was $3/ pound compared to their 3.50/lb retail.

What is a sustainable farm? - in brief, a farm that does not use pesticides or herbicides, and practices techniques that are sustainable to the ecosystem - less monoculture, more diversity, non GMO, preservation of land for wildlife and other natural life forms.