Holiday Open House at Kate's Garden

Dear Friends,

It's that time of year again! I'm having my annual holiday shopping open house and you are invited to come see what the garden fairies and I have created.  There will be light refreshments and good company to share. 

There are wonderful culinary fruit vinegars made from the raspberries, strawberries & elderberries that were in abundance this year.  All of those cayenne peppers, basil, oregano, lavender and sages were put to good use in culinary salts, and more herbal vinegars.  I found some great new spice shakers this year.  They will easily fit in your spice drawer or cupboard and they come with dispenser shaker lids. 

Of course, there will be a great selection of my hand crafted natural body and wellness products available, too.  From lotions to butters, face care to hand and foot care, I am sure there will be something for everyone on your holiday gift list...and maybe even for yourself!

Invite your friends and come spend some time visiting and shopping in a fun and relaxing environment. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, December 8th!

If you need more information...give me a call at 245-9182 or send an email to  katescents@bresnan.net 
  

I guess all good things must come to an end, although I wasn't expecting the season to end so quickly!  The weatherman is predicting a freeze this Wednesday evening, so I have been  madly trying to get everything I can out of the gardens.  This coincides with your last share day this Thursday, so it's okay. 

There are bucket-loads of all of the peppers and eggplants for you, so why not take advantage of the bounty and use some of the recipes that I have been posting to preserve the harvest.  The roasted pepper ketchup is delicious, and quite easy to make.  If you want to make quick work of roasting or blackening all those peppers, just throw them on the grill to char them and then place in a paper bag to steam for a bit.  Then just pop them in a freezer bag and freeze for later use.  The peels will come off easily when you remove them from the freezer and run under cold water...just like tomatoes do. 

Other items in your share are kale, cucumbers, winter squash, carrots, tomatoes and hopefully some herbs, if I can get to them before the freeze.

It is my hope that you have enjoyed eating from my gardens this past season.  I am always eager to hear any of your comments or suggestions on possible ways to make next year's CSA and gardens even better.  It has been such a rewarding experience for me to visit with you these last 16 weeks.

Barbara and I will be busy over the next month cleaning out the beds, planting green manure crops, and putting the garden to sleep for the winter.  Planning crop rotations, studying seed catalogs and seed starting for next years garden will begin in late February.  I will also be experimenting with growing a few winter crops in the greenhouse.  I will let you know my progress with this new endeavor.  It is my hope that sometime down the road I will be able to offer a winter share with greens, herbs, and some root vegetables.  Wouldn't that be great?  We'll see how it goes.

The information on next years CSA will be sent out sometime after the beginning of the year.  Those of you who were members of this years share program will have first dibs on memberships for the new season.  I am hoping to increase the number of participants next season. 

I wish you all a bountiful winter and holiday season, blessed with good food, a warm cozy home, and wonderful family and friends.  See you next year....if not sooner! 

Keep in touch...I would love to hear from you.

Garden Blessings,
Kate

I am finally feeling and seeing the evidence of fall!  The gardens are winding down, but still  producing those wonderful tomatoes, peppers, and of course the winter squash. 

Speaking of tomatoes, I was watching the morning news on CBS Today and there was a short presentation on home grown tomatoes.  It was filled with gorgeous photos of gardens and their owners and took us to a California tomato tasting event.  Of course there were all colors, shapes and sizes and the science behind why we actually prefer those home grown tomatoes.  They are sweeter, as they contain more sugar.  Now you know why they taste so good!

The summer squash has given up its life and the last harvest of beans will be next week.  I harvested some Hubbard squash yesterday which will be cut up and in your share this week.  There will also be some acorn squash, chard, peppers, broccoli, beets, a few beans, eggplant and lots of tomatoes.  Take advantage of this bounty by canning or freezing so you don't have to spend extra money this winter at the supermarket on these items.

I gave a short presentation on CSA's and the importance of supporting local business last Saturday at the first Harvest Festival for Transition Billings.  It was a beautiful day, with information on chicken coops, composting,  alternative energy, raising chickens, greenhouses, and Vista.  I really enjoyed meeting others that have a passion for building a stronger community.

Next week will be our last share day, and as I didn't receive a response for any interest in a pot luck, I will put it on the back shelf for next year.

So for now, I am off to the gardens to start harvesting.

Week 13 – September 13, 2012

The long hot days of summer are starting to dwindle down…even though it is still hot.  The sun is coming up later and going down sooner and the evenings are cooling down.  Have you noticed that some of the trees are already loosing their leaves?  There are moments when I can smell fall in the air.  The weather man is predicting a nighttime temperature of 37 degrees on Wednesday night.  Yikes!  I was looking forward to a long fall, but not an early freeze!  We still have 4 more weekly baskets.

Are any of you canning this year?  If you need help with recipes and directions, just let me know.  I learned to can from my Grandma and my Mom.  It was a summer/fall ritual.  What we didn’t grow ourselves we purchased from local farmers.  My Grandpa had a root cellar where we stored all of our bounty.  I can still remember seeing the visual beauty of all the colors and shapes in the glass jars that lined the wooden shelves and smelling the damp musty aroma of the dirt floor where sand filled crates held carrots, beets, and his award winning Canna Lily bulbs.  Woven baskets were filled with sweet onions and burlap bags were filled with potatoes.  Those were the days!

Your basket this week will be filled to the brim with onions, carrots, beets, radish, cucumbers, eggplant, summer squash, broccoli, tomatoes, a selection of peppers and beans.  If you need dried dill seed for pickling or dried cayenne pepper, just ask.  I have some ready. 

As always, Thursday from 2-6 PM is your pickup day and time.  Last week was the first week that everyone actually showed up for their share!  Remember to bring your box or bags to carry your produce home and return the clam shells and plastic baskets too, so that I can continue to reuse them.

Kate’s Garden & CSA – Newsletter – Week 11, August 30, 2012

Lots going on in the gardens these last 2 weeks.  I don’t remember ever gardening in heat like we have had this season. My pump is running most of the time just trying to keep everything watered!  If this is the way it is going to be in the coming years, I believe those of us who are providing food for the local communities are going to face new challenges for more effective ways to conserve water and address the increase of insects and bacteria that are cropping up in some of our soils.  I know that here in my gardens I water with overhead sprinklers because I pump water from the irrigation ditch.  This increases the potential for fungus which will grow on the big leaves of cucumbers, beans, squash and tomatoes.  It seems that many gardens in the area have been affected by “powdery mildew”.  This is the first year that I have experience it in my garden and we have it now in the community garden.  Spraying with Neem Oil can knock it down, but it is not always affective, especially when we have to water so much in this heat.  This will definitely affect the yields this year for these crops.

Did I mention that I was consulting on the Whitetail Park Community Gardens here in the Heights on Sioux Lane?  It is a pilot project for the Housing Authority’s low income properties.  We have had a great year, and just last Saturday we had “Music in the Gardens”.  The activity brought awareness to the garden and it was fun to see the interest of those living in the neighborhood.  The young children painted rocks to place in their garden plots and there was good food and chatter! Hopefully these community gardens will be a new focus in the coming years for these types of housing projects.

This weeks share will provide you with an abundance of food…and I don’t want to hear any whining about “what am I going to do with all of these squash and cucumbers”!!! ;--))) With the cost of food certainly on the rise with the national weather challenges and crop loss, I think you need to consider freezing and canning all of those extra veggies.  I would be more than happy to teach you how!  It’s called sustainability, and self sufficiency!  Your basket will have lettuce, beans, broccoli, pattypan and zucchini squash, radish, beets, tomatoes and cucumbers.

I have lots of canning books here if you would like to peruse recipes.  I have already given you several pickle recipes to try, so I hope you are taking advantage of the cucumbers you are receiving.  I always have extras that I sell to the Fieldhouse Café and Good Earth Market, but I can certainly save some for you.  It’s salsa making time, too.  If you want tomatoes to can, let me know.

Remember to recycle those clam shells and baskets that I am sending you home with.  Bring them, along with your box or cooler on your share day.  See you on Thursday….2-6 PM. Please let me know if you are not coming.

Week 9 - August 16

Week 9 – August 16^th

As I sit in front of my computer, wondering what to say to you as we approach the second half of this seasons share program, I am amazed at how fast the time has gone by. Can you believe that the fair is here and we are already mid way through summer? The progress of the gardens through all of the weather challenges has been nothing short of miraculous in the amount of food that it has generated.  As I only see you when you come on your pick up day I am hoping that you are happy with your CSA subscription and enjoying the selection of fresh food that is coming your way each week. I always enjoy visiting with you on pick up days!  It would be great if we could all get together sometime during this season for a pot luck.  I know that  you have not all met one another.  We are certainly  a diverse group and I feel we are forming a little community of like minds here.  Would you be interested in coming to a pot luck on a Saturday or Sunday sometime this fall?  Let me know so  I can start planning?

We are continuing to succession plant certain crops so that we have a continual harvest for you.  The last planting of lettuce and spinach didn’t do too well.  They just couldn’t survive in the 100 degree heat even though they were under shade cloth.  We will try again when it cools down…maybe this week. The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants love this hot weather. There will be ample amounts in your basket this week, along with chard, beets, broccoli, cucumbers and of course, summer squash.  I hope you are experimenting with the recipes that I have included in the blogs.  If you have favorite ones that you would like to share, please send them to me and I will include them in the next blog. 

Kate's Garden was featured along with Danley Farms in an article on CSA's in the Billings Business publication.  It's a great article and I am honored to be recognized as a local producer of farm to table food.
Here is the link to the article.
Community Supported Agriculture 
http://billingsgazette.com/business/features/community-supported-agriculture-puts-farmers-in-touch-with-their-customers/article_992c6b2f-b881-57f3-98b9-ed58511a73c1.html

Please remember to bring your shopping bags or boxes with you to carry your produce home.  If you are sending someone to pick up your share, tell them to do the same.  I do not have extra boxes and bags for you.  If you wish to purchase a tub or wooden crate, they are available for a $10 which is refundable when they are returned at the end of the season.  You can also return the plastic containers that I am using for your tomatoes so that I can use them again.

The fruit and herbal vinegars that I have been making from this year’s harvest are almost ready to be bottled.  They will be available for purchase if any of you are interested.  They make great gifts, (think about the upcoming holidays) and will keep for a couple of years without refrigeration.  I use them all the time… not only in dressings for salad, but also to splash over fresh steamed or roasted veggies, or added to pasta.  You are only limited by your imagination!

It looks like it is going to cool down for a couple of days.  Won’t that be wonderful...and have you noticed that it is cooling down in the evenings?  It has made it much  easier to sleep! 

See you on Thursday!  

Cucumber Mint Salad

This recipe will work with whatever cucumbers you have, but if you find yourself at a farmers market confronted with ‘Sikkim,’ ‘Poona Kheera’ or ‘Lemon’ cucumbers, you’re in for a great treat, so don’t be scared away by their nontraditional appearance.

Ingredients 

3 medium cucumbers, any variety
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
coarse sea salt 

Dressing
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp lime juice 

Directions

Cut cucumbers into bite-sized pieces. Place in bowl with onion, dill and mint. In a separate bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Drizzle evenly over cucumbers, season to taste with salt, and serve. Serves 4. 

Quinoa, Crookneck and Mint Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Grape Seed Oil
• 4 Cups Yellow or Crookneck Squash, cubed
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1 1/2 Cups Quinoa
• 3 Cups Water
• 1 Tablespoon Lemon Peel
• 1/3 Cup Grape seed Oil
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Honey
• 2 Teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 Cups Mint, snipped
• 3/4 Cup Arugula

Directions

1. Heat the two tablespoons of grape seed oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and cook until crisp-tender; stir occasionally and then season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Rinse the quinoa in cold water and then add to a large saucepan with the 3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover; cook for 15 minutes or until grains are translucent and tender.
3. In a blender, combine the 1/3 cup grape seed oil, honey, and garlic. Pulse until completely combined.
4. Combine the cooked quinoa, squash, mint and arugula in a large bowl, then drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Kate’s Garden & CSA Newsletter / Week 7 / August 2, 2012

 It’s August already!  Can you believe it?  In a way the whole month of July seemed liked August because of the hot, hot temperatures, but I am certainly not ready for the summer to be half over.

The heat has been brutal, but the tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash and yes, the weeds love it.  Barb is coming to help me on Wednesday and Thursday and sometimes on Monday to help harvest and weed.  I have had to spend allot more time just keeping things watered.  Last year the gardens were watered every other day or so except when it was really hot, but right now I am watering every day and sometimes I even hand water certain tender crops in the evenings when it starts to cool down.

I direct seeded new crops this week of spinach and lettuce and covered them with a thick layer of grass clippings and shade cloth in the hopes that it will keep the soil cool and wet.  These crops don’t like to germinate in temperatures over 75!  I have had luck with the last two lettuce plantings, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.  I also planted new crops of radish, chard and beets.  I want to make sure that there is a bountiful fall harvest.

I am more than a little concerned about the state of our food system.  There is drought in all of our major food producing states and that means that when you go to the grocery store you will be paying more and there may not be the selection that you have become accustomed to.  You have the opportunity now, this summer, to make decisions that will affect your food budget and the quality of the food that you purchase.   The food that you receive in your weekly CSA share and additional purchases from local producers at the Farmers Market can be preserved in any number of ways, ensuring that you have high quality food stored for the winter and into next spring. This way of sustainable living has been lost to many of us, but I remember spending many hours as a young child in the kitchen with my Mom and Grandma putting up pickles, tomatoes, beans, beets, jams, jellies and syrups.  We picked chokecherries and scavenged wild mushrooms and asparagus in the wild.  We traveled to Flathead Lake to harvest cherries, and we had a favorite apple tree that was on a farm that allowed us to come and pick so we could make applesauce. This was such a wonderful, empowering way to live!  I think its way past time to bring back this way of living.  It is empowering to know that you are prepared for whatever comes down the pike. 

I know that many of you have never preserved food.  Some of you are just now learning how to cook using fresh herbs and veggies from the garden and some of you have stated that you really don’t have the time to cook.  However, food, high quality food, is vital for our health and quality of life. Can you really afford to rely on our industrialized food system?  I am just putting this out there for you to think about.  Hmmm. 

If, however, you would like to learn how to preserve some of your local summer food, I would be honored to teach some classes.  I was in the restaurant business for over 20 years (in another life, ;-) so have years of experience in the kitchen.  Cooking has always been one of my favorite things to do, besides gardening.  Canning, dehydrating, picking, freezing, making herbal vinegars and oils, are some of the topics we could cover.  Let me know if you are interested, and we can schedule some classes here in my shop.

I mentioned a few weeks back that raw milk was available from Ed Miller.  There are two slots still open.  Pick up is at Spring Blossoms Quilt Shop in the Heights and a gallon sells for $4.  He also has eggs for $3 per dozen.  This week he was selling 2 dozen for $3 as his hens are going crazy!  Such a deal!  Another great way to support local producers.  If you would like to find out more,  Ed’s phone # is 670-9414.

Your garden share this week will include leaf lettuce, golden and ruby Swiss chard, haricot vert green beans, yellow and green zucchini, yellow and green patty pan summer squash, suyo long and slicing cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, rhubarb, assorted herbs.  Please don’t waste those beautiful herbs!  Here’s a tip for you. If you are not using them fresh, place them in a bottle of white wine vinegar and infuse for several weeks.  Strain and use in salad dressings, to season mayonnaise, or to deglaze the pan after sautéing chicken or fish.  Yum!

Pick up is from 2-6 PM!   Please remember to bring your harvest basket, box or shopping bags to carry your goodies home.

CSA Harvest - Week 6

I had the best of intentions to send out a weekly blog with new recipes and news from the garden. However, the weather and the bugs have kept me so busy keeping things tended and cared for that I just have not had the time.  Making sure that everything is watered well in this heat has been of the utmost importance.  It also helps to keep the grasshoppers at bay.  I am not saying that they are not in the gardens; but at least there has not been too much feasting going on. This has been the worst year for bugs that I have seen in my gardening experience here in Montana in the last 10 years.  The drought is attractive to many insects, especially the flea beetles and the grasshoppers.

Never the less, there is such bounty and beauty out there!  Mother Earth never ceases to amaze me with her resilience.  Even though it has been challenging, I awake each morning with an inner knowing that I will be rewarded with wondrous new insights and gifts when I go to the garden!

Your food basket this week will contain long, skinny, French Haricot Vert Green Beans, Yellow & Red Beets, those cute little round carrots, summer squash (zucchini, yellow and patty pan), cucumbers (Suyo Long Japanese & slicers), leaf lettuce, small first harvests of a selection of heirloom tomatoes, scallions, basil and dill.

There are still some subscribers who are showing up late, or not showing up at all.  Please let me know if you are going to be late.  I can then put your share out in front of the gate for you to pick up. If it’s really hot out, the greens will suffer, but you will at least have your weekly share. If you are not going to pick up, let me know as soon as possible.  I can then donate your share to one of my neighbors or my garden helper, so that it doesn’t go to waste.  Your share can be picked up between 2 and 6 PM.

I hope you are all enjoying your organic veggies and herbs.  I know you are all pretty busy, but you are certainly welcome to spend more time here walking through the gardens, and taking in the visual beauty and fragrance of real food being grown…just for you!  Harvest days are really busy, so if you would like to come and help, Barb and I will welcome you with open arms!

News from Kate's Garden - Week Four

Out of the fry pan…into the fire!  Can you believe this weather?  Staying out in this heat to tend the gardens has certainly proved challenging.  By 2 o’clock in the afternoon Barbara and I have had all that we can take.  We try to perform the most labor intensive projects in the early morning and resort to hands and knees weeding during the late morning and afternoon.  Of course harvesting is always done in the early mornings, especially the lettuce and greens, as they are so tender and wilt very quickly once cut.

Everything in the garden is really coming on strong now with the heat.  I am planting new crops of lettuce, radish, beets and carrots every couple of weeks in the hopes that we will have continual harvests of these crops through fall.  It is always a little challenging with the greens, as they don’t like the heat, but I have been planting them on the shady side of the trellised crops and make sure they are kept cool with frequent watering.  So far…so good.

The flea beetles have really been a problem this year.  I had them a few years back, but then didn’t have them for several seasons.  They go for the Oriental veggies, radish tops, mustard greens, and are devouring some of my flowers.  They are usually gone by the hot summer months, but I guess no one told them, because they are still here!  I have tried soap and garlic/cayenne sprays, but to no avail!  I ordered some beneficial nematodes today so will apply to the soil this weekend. They are supposed to work on all soft bodied soil born insects.  We will put it to the test!  Organic farming is much more labor intensive and the botanical pesticides that we use tend to be more expensive, too.  At least you know when you see a few holes in you veggies that your grower has not used any nasty, toxic chemicals on their farm.

Your share this week will include lettuce mix, radish, beets, sugar snap peas, broccoli, summer squash, basil, dill and raspberries.  If you would be so kind as to return the clam shells that your peas were packaged in last week, I can re-use them again.  If you have other containers that would work for packaging bring them along. 

Please don’t forget to come and pick up your share between 2 & 6 PM on Thursdays.  Some of you have been late and others have not shown up at all! We work really hard on harvest day…from 6 AM until 6 PM.  It is a really long day and I do not have allot of refrigerator space to hold extra produce, and it is physically impossible for me to be available any later than 6 PM. I usually have morning appointments scheduled for Fridays.  Please call me to let me know if you are unable to pick up your share.  

I haven’t heard from any of you as to whether you are enjoying the blog. I welcome your comments and suggestions.  I am hoping that the blog is an easy format for you to receive updates and communications from Kate’s Garden.  If it works for you, great!  If not, please let me know.  Be sure and send me your favorite recipes to include in the blog.  

Enjoy this weeks harvest!  And...lets all pray for rain and a cool down in the temps. Bodie and I are getting a little grouchy!

First Harvest Day

Welcome back!  The garden is coming around nicely, even thought the weather has been going back and forth like a seesaw!  The only disappointment so far has been the first planting of broccoli.  It just did not produce like it should have and I think it is because the weather was so hot early this spring and then it became cold.  It didn’t know quite what to do, so it just bolted before it started to form heads.  New transplants went into the ground on Monday, so we will have a later harvest.  The cabbage and cauliflower are starting to head up the snap peas are sending up their tendrils in order to climb the wire fencing.

 

We have been spending the majority of our time WEEDING!  Hopefully our diligence at keeping them at bay early this season will result in not having too many of them this fall and again next spring.  I am not stupid though! They will still come back, but hopefully not as bad.  Of course the grasshoppers are a real issue this year because we didn’t have our usual cold freezing temperatures this past winter.  I have had to keep the kale, chard, cauliflower and even some of the herbs covered up under Agribon.  There will be a few holes, however.  This is just part of gardening without using pesticides.

At Kate’s Garden all of our vegetables are started from seed in the greenhouse and transplanted out into the garden at the appropriate time, or are direct seeded.  The majority of seed purchased is organic, heirloom and open pollinated.  Hybrid seeds are usually purchased because heirloom varieties are not always available.  Under no circumstances will GMO seeds be planted.  So, what does all of that mean to you?  I thought I would spend a little time and explain the differences between the seeds.

Heirlooms are open pollinated varieties that either pre-date or are unaltered by modern breeding work.  Many heirloom varieties are currently enjoying revivals as the public gains appreciation for their unique appearance, superior flavor, and importance in maintaining genetic diversity.

My grandfather, who was an incredible gardener, went back to his homeland in Italy just to bring back native seed.  My mouth waters when I think about the fava & Romano beans, huge tomatoes and beets that were served at our table.  Wonderful memories centered on the garden!

If properly isolated from other varieties in the same plant species, Open-Pollinated varieties will produce seed that is genetically “true to type”, meaning that the seed will result in a plant like the parent.  Open-pollinated varieties are important because they allow farmers and gardeners to produce their own seed supply, and to adapt specific variety strains to their region by selecting the best plants from which to save seed each year.

I don’t think I have to tell you how important it is that we have the ability to save seed.  Our food supply is at risk with more and more hybridizing and GMO seeds being planted.

Hybrids result from the deliberate crossing of two distinct parent varieties from the same species.  Plant breeders began producing hybrids as a way to combining the best traits of separate varieties into one.  Hybrid varieties often offer greater disease resistance, vigor and uniformity than open pollinated varieties.  If you plant seed saved from an F1 hybrid variety, you will not get the same result as the partner plant.

GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) refers to varieties that contain a genetic trait not normally occurring in the plant’s DNA.  Genes from one species are artificially implanted into the DNA of another species, the seeds of which contain combined genetics that would not exist in nature.  However, once artificially created, certain GMO crops have demonstrated the ability to pass along their modified genes to other plants within the species.  This inability to ultimately control the dispersal of genetically modified traits is just one of the concerns that exists about GMO seed.

There will ample amount of greens this week for you to enjoy in stir fries, salads, wraps and omelets.  Rhubarb, radishes, baby beets with their tops, scallions, beautiful Red Sails lettuce, Siberian kale, Hon Tsai Tai (Asian Greens), and an assortment of fresh herbs will round out your share.  I have included some recipes for the Rhubarb and Hon Tsai Tai for you to try!  Let me know how you like them.

***I have been working on making available to you other food products from local growers.  I am happy to tell you that I have made arrangements for grass fed Charter Beef to be delivered here for you to pick up on your share day.  To place an order you can message Merry Ann Peters on facebook, or call Merry Ann @ 406.860.7879. 1# chubs of ground beef are $4.50/lb and always available and 20 & 40 pound mixed boxes are available on a limited basis. Place your order with Merry Anne Peters.     

Miller eggs can be picked up anytime right down the street on Main, at Prairie Blossoms Quilt Shop.  $3 per dozen.  You don’t have to order ahead of time, as they always have them.  Ed Miller and his wife, Linda, live in Shepherd, and are hard working, wonderful people.  The store is open until 7 PM, so it should be easy for you to drop by for your eggs on your share day. 

And…if there is enough interest, Raw Milk is available. We have to guarantee that at least 1 gallon per week per client will be picked up.  Pick up will be at Prairie Blossoms, too!  The milk comes from grass fed Holstein dairy cows…no hormones.  There is no up front cost and the milk sells for $4 per gallon.  What a deal!  The owner of the farm has been challenged keeping the diary going as he

has no way to really advertise his product.  Of course, he can always have it picked up by Meadow Gold!  But that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it.  I am sure you can understand how hard it is as a farmer to both farm and market too!  That is why we need to support our local growers!  He is about ready to quit, but he knows the importance of making available high quality raw milk.  The farm is between Red Lodge and the Wyoming border, so it is a drive for him to bring the milk in.  We have ten clients so far, but need another 10.  Call me or send an email as soon as possible to let me know one way or another if you are interested so we can support him and get this going. 

Okay!  So, Bodie and I are anxious to see you on Thursday for the first share day.  Bodie is my German shepherd (some of you already know him) and can be a little rambunkious when he first sees you, but once he settles down, is a real lover! Pick up is between 2 & 6 PM.  If you have any problems getting here please give me a call.  245-9182. I am usually out in the gardens, but check messages periodically during the day.  The big double gate will be open on the driveway side of the house.  Walk back to the shop/greenhouse where we will be waiting for you.  You can park anywhere out front.  If you have the time and interest, I would love to walk you around the gardens.  They would love to meet you!

Kate's first blog

I am so excited to welcome you to Kate's Garden's first blog!  I am not the most computer literate person on the block, so forgive me if  my attempts are less than perfect.  I have come to realize that being a perfectionist definitely has it's drawbacks.  Life is to be enjoyed, one minute at a time and gardens have always kept me centered and at peace.  Now, if only sitting in front of the computer could do the same thing!

This is the second season for my CSA and I have doubled my subscription shares.  I have hired two wonderful wise garden goddesses to help me, Barbara and Sandy, and we have been working our tails off getting everything seeded and transplanted.  Krysta Brayko, who is a member of the CSA has been coming by too as we need all the help we can get. It is so much fun being together in the garden.  It doesn't seem like as much work, when you are in the company of friends.  I welcome you to come by for a visit, or some work time.  It can be a very rewarding spending time with the "plant people".

My new greenhouse allowed me to start more seedlings earlier this year.  I jumped the gun a little to early with the tomatoes, however!  They were ready to go in the ground over a month ago.  I was so glad that I listened to the nature spirits when they told me to "hold off" transplanting them into the garden until after the first of June, as I had frost here on May 29th.

Because we had such a mild winter, I knew we were going to have challenges with more bugs and weeds.  I have already seen grasshoppers chewing on the brassicas, the coddling moths have been hovering ready to lay eggs, and the flea beetles are jumping around the greens and radishes.  So I have had to cover all of  those crops with agribon, which is a spun polyester fabric.  It makes it a little more work to fertilize, water and check the growth, as I have to uncover them and cover them back up again, but I would rather do that than have plants with holes and little worms.

We are still on track for the first harvest/pickup on June 21st.  This last cold spell slowed down the growing a little, but I am hoping there will be greens, scallions, radish, lettuce, herbs, kale, chard and rhubarb in your basket.  There may even be some cabbage and broccoli.  I will keep my fingers crossed.  Pick up time is from 2 to 6 PM.  If you are unable to pick up your produce, please give me a heads up, or find a friend or neighbor to pick it up for you. We are really trying to form a strong community here, so once you have the opportunity to meet your fellow members, it would be wonderful to maybe car pool or pick up each others baskets when needed. We can share each other's contact information if you let me know that it is okay with you to do so.  We begin harvesting in the wee hours of  the morning, so it is a really long day for us.  By 6 o'clock we are ready to put our feet up and relax.  I do not have extra refrigerator space to store your produce for an extended period of time.  

I have wooden crates and garden tubs that can be used for your shares for a refundable $10 deposit.  However, if you would prefer, you can bring your own box, cooler or shopping bags to carry your share home.  I would prefer to not use plastic for packaging, so if you have fruit and lettuce clam shells, or larger plastic tubs from your purchases at the grocery store, be sure and save them.  We can fill them here, and that way they won't go to the dump!

The recipe corner will provide food for thought and experimentation with crops from the current harvests.  I would love it if you would share your recipes, too. I am sure you have favorites, maybe even passed down from your family, that would be a welcome addition to our selection.


That's it for now!  I hope  you  enjoyed the update.  I welcome your suggestions and critique.  As a said, it is all about forming a strong community.  Let's start the process.

I will send you a link for next weeks blog as soon as it is posted.  


Have a great week!