Posts Tagged ‘Food’

10 Jul

So You Want to Start an Organic Farm?

Posted by gigisorganicgardener in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

As we approach our one year anniversary here at Gigi’s Organic Gardens, I had to pause and reflect on the ups and downs of the past season.  As most of you know GiGi and I have been gardening organically for years.  The key word there is “gardening”.  There is a distinct difference between “gardening” and “farming”.  Before we grew our own vegetables and canned some, froze some: a leisurely pursuit no doubt!  But now it’s become a lifestyle, a business and our passion.

Organic Farming has been a journey that has taught us many lessons.  It has taught us patience.  It has reinforced our strong work ethic, and it has most of all it has taught us that nature does not adhere to our plan. No matter how well thought out or precise, nature does what it does.  Don’t get me wrong.  Sometimes our plan and Nature’s do mesh, but not always.

Take the extreme drought we have been experiencing for instance.  We knew it could happen, but did not expect it.  And what about those temperatures?  100+ degrees is not good for most varieties of vegetables.  We feel so lucky to have a reliable well to irrigate our produce.  It has saved us!

Most plants do not like hot dry conditions, but insects seem to love them.  Those little guys have kept us on our toes all year.  I have seen some insects this season, that I have never seen before.  Some of the old reliable pests have had a great year.  There numbers are up and they are relentless.  We keep pushing on with our organic controls and have at least reached a truce with most.  The dry conditions have added a new pest…..animals.  we have always had the occasional deer, rabbit or ground hog, but the lack of food sources have made our farm a magnet to those critters.  We don’t mind sharing, but come on guys, eat a weed or two and lay off our tomatoes!!  Something new at the farm this season is BEAVERS!  They keep damming up the creek flooding the lower fields.  It’s like a game.  every other day or so I breach the dam to let the water flow and they build it back.  I can picture them laughing at my efforts as I remove the sticks. rocks, and logs and our beloved farm hound “Samson” brings them right back to me.

With all the frustrations and set backs, there have been many, many more positive experiences.  Some veggies have responded to the weather with unexpected results.  Our eggplant has gone crazy! Squash has been amazing and our sunflowers are spectacular!   Such is the life of a farmer.  As we reflect and laugh at how dirty and/or tired we are, Gigi and I feel good in our souls about what we are doing. Being so connected with the rhythms of nature and learning to let go and let it unfold has been quite the *”growth” experience for both of us. *(Pun intended)

Be sure to check out our new and improved website http://www.gigisorganic.com!  We are currently taking orders for Fall beds.  Space is limited! So reserve yours today.

5 Jun

Farm Report

Posted by gigisorganicgardener in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

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Good Morning! 

As the growing season progresses, I thought that I might let everyone know exactly whats been going on “down on the farm”. Our latest excitement is over our bees.  Honey has been harvested and will be available by the end of the week.  We have tasted it and it is AMAZING!  It was so delicious that it made us almost involuntarily bake a batch of biscuits on Sunday.

The cool season vegetables are being harvested.  Broccoli, Cabbage, Greens, Peas, Lettuce and Garlic have produced nicely.  As the summer heat sets in, these plants will slow and eventually stop producing.  They will then in August be replaced by their Fall counterparts.

Summer means SQUASH here at Sinking Creek Farm.  We are growing several varieties and all are doing great.  Tomatoes are kicking as well as beans, peas and onions, just to name a few.  Our corn is almost waist high and looks great!  We are so excited, as we start to see the results from all our hard work.  Planting is tough, but when you harvest those wonderful veggies, it’s all worth it! 

As the Summer continues we will start to harvest our potatoes, parsnips and continue to harvest carrots and other root vegetables.  Oh, and don’t forget Sunflowers.  In just a few short weeks the Farm will explode with color, as the hundreds of Sunflowers come into bloom.  Check out our website for pics and info.  http://www.gigisorganic.com  If you have any questions or want to sign-up and start receiving your vegetables, just shoot us an email at solfoodg@gmail.com

Who’s Your Farmer?

4 Jun

Organic Rules!

Posted by gigisorganicgardener in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , .

Organic Farming  has many challenges.  Some times I am tempted to just go ahead and spray some Round-Up or Sevin.  Tempted only!.  Not that I ever would, but occasionally the amount of work involved and the limited number of hours in any given day makes that path seem easier.  Then I come back to my senses and see the value of pesticide and chemical free farming.  So what if I am out at night with a flashlight plucking slugs off cabbage.  Never mind that GiGi and I are “squashing” squash bugs and looking for their eggs, constantly.  Organic is the path that we have chosen.  With all the “hands-on” work we continue to stand firm in our belief that organic farming is worth it.  When we deliver produce, we are confident that we know exactly what has gone into it’s production, from seed to fruit!

As we move forward with our adventure in Organic farming, we are motivated by the positive feedback that we get from our customers.  They, like us, believe that preventative nutritional health care is key, and that starts with clean food.  Sure you can get organic produce at your local supermarket, but only by shopping with a local farmer  (Gigis Organic Gardens) can you be assured that your produce is fresh and that the varieties of vegetables are grown for taste and nutrient content.  Most supermarket vegetable varieties are grown for their ability to be shipped across the country, and may have sat on a truck for days.  Not exactly fresh.    At Gigi’s Organic Garden Club, your vegetables are picked in the morning and most times delivered the same day.  Our varieties are grown for their taste.  Delicious and nutritious.

Gigi’s Organic Gardens will be taking Fall bed orders for the next few weeks.  So check out our website, http://www.gigisorganic.com and see what all the “Buzz” is about.

16 Apr

Jack’s Magic Co-Op Beans

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While shopping at the Co-Op one rain rainy day, Jack was approached by a slick salesman, dressed in Carhart overalls. For those of you who do not know Carhart overalls, while high quality farm wear, are expensive and therefore “slick”.  This guy slides up to Jack and softly asks, “Wanna buy some beans?”  To which Jack, a young card carrying former FFA member replied, “What cha got?”  “My dear boy I have some “magic” beans” the salesman whispered.  Jack knew this was serious, he’d watched a ton of HGTV.  ” What are they going for?”  Jack replied casually.  The salesman cracked a crooked smile and said $100 a pound.  “The hell you say!”, barked Jack.  “Son, these are Magic beans.  I could charge double.” the salesman said cockily. Jack asked, “What kind of magic do they do?”  ” Oh Lots of things, my dear boy”, the salesman quipped.  Like grow a giant stalk that I can climb up?”, Jack joked.  “That’s crazy, but I did hear Monsanto was working on a GMO for that.  Here boy let me tell you about these magic beans.  You see this dried up bean here?  This thing is a wonder of nature.  This bean can do all sorts of things.  Take this bean home.  Plant it in the ground.”  “Nothing so magic so far.” Jack interrupted sarcastically. ” I do not take well to sarcasm, Einstein.” the salesman replied. ” Shall I continue?”  “Go on, get er done!” snapped Jack. ” After a few days a plant will emerge.”The salesman pressed on, as a small crowd started to gather.,” but hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen. This plant will remove Nitrogen from the air.  Use some, and then store the rest along the roots in the soil for next year’s crop.   Now what do all plants need to grow?” he asked the crowd.  They, as if mesmerized, responded loudly in “amen corner” unison “Nitrogen!”

This did startle two other Patrons.  Old Man Webb, nearly dropped his bottle of fish emulsion, and that weird lady with the hair did drop some crystal cowboy figurine.  Shattering it near the front counter. The crowd paid no attention as they were transfixed by the bean sermon.  The salesman carried on, ” Next this plant will produce flowers.  The bees will travel from bloom to bloom and take a small amount of nectar.  During this “Bee Happy Hour”  pollen, the flower love powder, will be spread, from one bloom  to another. This will then cause the bloom to “magically” transform into a bean.”  “Preach on brother!” was heard from over by the dog food. “Not just any bean.  A “Blue Lake” bush bean. You can pick these beans, steam, grill, or bake them, eat them, and they will magically turn into vitamin packed energy.”  The crowd was starting to push forward past the large scale near the grass seed bins. ” And that’s not all friends!”, he exclaimed. “The bees will make honey, sweet, sweet honey.  So who’s in?”  he shouted, sweating like T.D Jakes. The crowd rushed forward, including young Jack.  Jack planted his Co-Op magic beans, and all the things the salesman had said came true. Every now and then you can see Jack, while inspecting his rows, sneakily measuring the stalks for mutant growth.  You never know about Monsanto.  This story is totally fictional.  Beans are not $100 per pound.

7 Apr

Patience is a Virtue!!

Posted by gigisorganicgardener in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , .

As we have started the journey to “full-time” organic farmers, many lessons have been learned. One lesson in particular keeps popping up. That one is the need for patience.

We live in a society where everything is immediate. If it takes more that 10 seconds to load a website, “My Internet is so slow!” can be heard throughout most homes. Fast food is a mainstay and can be delivered in mere minutes from the time you roll down the window at a drive-thru. As consumers and in our everyday lives, we have given ourselves over to the “I want it now!” mentality.
If you would like to see the forces of the universe get a huge laugh at your expense, try to incorporate that into organic farming. Nothing is fast and everything has its own schedule.
Take compost for instance. We collect kitchen scraps and yard waste. Pile it up. Turn it and do everything we can to speed things up. Compost still takes time and no matter how much you want it to speed up, it cooks at it’s own pace. Have you ever planted a seed? Those days between planting and the first sign of the plant can be excruciatingly slow. Even after the plant has emerged, you must still wait for a bloom and fruit to set. On the farm things are measured with a calendar not a stopwatch. I have been forced several times to take a deep breath and just wait (and wait some more). A lesson well learned. Patience IS a virtue especially here at Sinking Creek Farm. Be sure to check us out on the web at http://www.gigisorganic.com. We are currently taking orders for Summer beds. Plan it Well….Plant it Well…..Planet Well!!!

30 Jan

Organic or Nothing!

Posted by gigisorganicgardener in Uncategorized. Tagged: , , .

The sun was shinning bright and the bees were buzzing yesterday at Gigi’s Organic Gardens. Our ‘Open House” here at the farm was a huge success. It was fun sharing our farm and gardening techniques with some new and old friends. Gigi served up some delicious items from the garden and all was good. Good until later that evening.

Later that night, at a suggestion from one of our Garden Club members, I sat down and watched “Food Inc”. I was sickened by what I saw. Food Inc is a film that uncovers the truth surrounding our food supply. I thought I had some idea, but was “floored” by the exposed reality.

I have never been one of those who blamed the government or “big business” for anything, but after watching this documentary, I have a different view of things. I won’t go into all the details here, but subsidies, GMO’s and the power of large companies over the small farmers is an outrage. Every time you purchase a food item, you are, in essence, casting a vote for either the status quo or a vote for change. Americans and people all over the world deserve a clean, healthy, affordable food supply.

Organic Farmers in America are fighting an uphill battle. Our view has to change. We must DEMAND to have our food supply move back to a more natural state. There was no need to change things. Only greed and the desire for convenience has prompted the food industry to find ways to deliver an inferior and unsafe product to American tables. We, as consumers, must learn to value clean foods. One eye-opening moment in Food Inc was an interview with a “renegade” Organic farmer. While selling his free range, antibiotic free, organic eggs at a local Farmer’s Market, a potential customer balked at the $4.00 per dozen cost. (While holding a $1.00 can of cola, no less)

Organic Farming is tough. It takes more time and labor to do things naturally. It would be more convenient and much easier to buy bags and bags of chemical fertilizers and spray chemical pesticides indiscriminately on our crops, but we are standing up and saying “NO”. At Gigi’s Organic Gardens, it’s ORGANIC or NOTHING. We refuse to put anything less than delicious, clean food on our members and customer’s plates.

Cast your vote for TODAY! Sign up and support local farming. Your body and your planet will thank you!!!!

Food Inc. is a” must-see”!

To contact us at Gigi’s Organic Gardens go to http://www.gigisorganic.com for information on how to sign up and start receiving your veggies.