As you can see, this blog has been static since early October.  Andy, the guy that had been doing it for me, is one of our CSA (community-supported agriculture) members and did an awesome job!  We traded him 22 weeks of vegetables for his IT knowledge and we probably owe him.  No, I know we owe him.   He as been strongly suggesting that I get out of my baby crib and start learning to crawl with this blog stuff.  Of course, he implied it in a very nice and laid-back way.   I am just excited that I finally learned how to add content to my own blog!  Pictures and videos are next when I figure out how.

Sauerkraut – I made a batch Sunday.  It should be ready in 6 weeks or so.

The moon was waxing and the signs were right.  Does that make a difference?  I don’t know, it sounds archaic.  But is it?  Planting by the signs developed over hundred’s of years from our ancestors watching the movement of the stars, observing plant growth, and paying attention to weather patterns.  They spent most of their days outside and sheltered in humble cabins and houses.  Most of us have parents or grandparents that grew up in homes with no electricity or running water and living on a dirt road or close to one.  Now we are constantly attached to our cell phones, the internet, cable or sat. tv  that we feel lost if we cannot have instant access to whatever we want immediately.  We no longer spend time looking at the night sky or paying attention to plant growth because we don’t have to.  But does that make our lifestyle better?

Check out these pictures of what they are doing.

The kicker is that this project is a finalist in the Tom’s of Maine’s annual “50 States of Good” grant program where they award 5 projects $20,000 each to continue working on their vision.

Here is the good part. You don’t have to open your wallet, purse, or checkbook to participate. All you have to do to go to Tom’s of Maine and click on Friendship Trays on the list. And you can vote once a day through the month of October.

How cool is that? You don’t have to spend one dime, just a clickity click of your mouse once a day to give a great Charlotte organization a chance of some much needed funds.

You may have to hunt for Friendship Trays on the list. The location varies each time you visit the link.

More details from Underwood Family Farms:

Have you ever wondered how molasses is made? Well here’s your chance to come see this southern tradition from start to finish. Underwood Family Farms will be harvesting their acre patch of sorghum cane the week of Sept. 27-Oct.2. They are looking for volunteers to help strip the fodder (leaves), cut off the seed heads, and cut down the stalks of cane to be milled that weekend (Oct.3-4).

If you don’t feel like coming for the work, then come for the fun! The milling and cooking of the cane will take place at Elliott Family Farm’s second annual Heritage Days which boasts a hit and miss engine, blacksmith, grist mill, and a general store full of farm fresh wares, plus a village of 1800’s cabins and outbuildings. It’s fun for the whole family!

For more details and directions talk to Christy Underwood at the Yorkmont Market on Saturday morinings. Underwood Family Farms ph: 704.538.5742 website: www.underwoodfamilyfarms.net

September 21, 2009: The Food Historian in the Kitchen;
Lecture by Sandy Oliver, Time: 7:00-9:00pm

Eliot Coleman at Winghaven
Eliot Coleman is sort of the guru of small-scale market farming. Starting out 20 years ago, I got his book, The New Organic Grower, and literally wore it out.

I still have it, held together by rubber bands but now keep a revised later edition handy that I still reference frequently.

Wednesday, I had agreed to be part of a panel discussion with two other local growers on Local farms/Local food at the Area 8 Soil Conservation District spring meeting in Kannapolis. The Area 8 Soil Conservation district is made up of 12 counties in our area.

The other two guys on the panel were amazing. Brent Barbee and Lee Menius. Not only did they make me feel old, they were natural speakers. When the wireless mike came my way, I was a deer in the headlights, muttered a couple sentences shaking like a leaf and decided I was done. I sat there like a knot on a log.

Doing a little research on public speaking the night before, I learned that no one has actually died from public speaking and the worst that could happen would be I would look like a fool. I didn’t die and accept the latter.

The lunch provided at this meal was a local meal. It was catered by Hollace Stephenson of Tastemakers in Charlotte.

She used pork from the Grateful Growers, herbs from Rosemary Pete, beef from Wild Turkey Farms, and our eggs for the cornbread. There were local collards also but not sure who provided those. The pecans for the pecan pie was provided by Barbee Farms.

It was held at the Piedmont Biofarm. The farmer, Doug Jones, has 38 years growing experience. First, in upstate NY and now NC. Doug started off the walk by stating that he would proudly show off his winter growing methods any February but this one. He had lost a lot of stuff to cold and wind.

Still, there were a quite a bit of crops growing. I was very impressed and overwhelmed with new information.

Jenifer will have eggs on Saturday, lots of eggs, but no greens. We are looking forward to hopefully some warmer weather in February and re-growth from the greens that have survived.