• growing your own food

    Keep Improving Your Situation

    There used to be a show on the television where they dropped two guys off in the middle of nowhere and saw if they could survive. One of them had a coin phrase and it was to “keep improving your situation.” Each day and sometimes each hour he’d look for ways to better his surroundings. Did he have water? Yes. Great. Now let’s work on shelter. Did he have shelter? Yes. Now let’s set some traps to get something to eat. To quote Disney, “He kept moving forward.” And that’s what we like to do here on the Farm. Do we have a garden planted? Great. Now, let’s look at…

  • growing your own food

    Plan for your Winter Storage Now: The Root Pit

    Plan for your Winter Food Storage Now: The Root Pit Before refrigerators, people used many different methods to preserve their food. Many of which we have or will go over in detail on this site: Canning. Salting. Curing. Fermentation. Smoking. Food Cellars. And this, probably the most primitive of all: The Root Pit. It’s just how it sounds, a pit is dug, lined with straw, and root veggies (and a cabbage or ten) are stacked there, only to be covered with more straw, where they wait until the day a hungry farmer loosens the straw and pulls out the slightly brine-ee veggies for him and his family to have for…

  • raising farm animals

    Plan For Your Winter Poultry Needs NOW

    Plan your winter poultry needs NOW We have a small flock at the farm—about twenty-five chickens and fifteen turkeys. Of those, eight will make it to the new year: five of them chickens (four hens and a rooster) and three turkeys (two tinas and a tom—our breeding stock for the upcoming year). The rest will grace our table and for that we give thanks. And these eight will need to be fed. Now, in the Summer, that’s easy. There’s plenty of grass and grubs to go around. But in the Winter… Which leads me to the topic I’m addressing today. How do you keep that level of good nutrition up…

  • Farm Life

    The Runner

    And, in case any of you wanted a bit of a sneak peek of the next The Farmer and his Wife book (The Farmer and his Wife’s Second Year on the Farm, scheduled to be released in May of 2022), may I humbly present to you, the Runner: The Farmer’s Wife has taken up running, this very day. She’s purchased the shoes and the clothes. See her there as she stretches her arms and legs? That’s how she she’s getting ready. Wow. She gets ready better than anyone I know. It’s been fifteen minutes and she’s still stretching. Wait a minute. Is she stalling? We better go ask her before…

  • Farm Kitchen Recipes

    Zucchini Boats

    The Zucchinis have started. And now we need to try to come up with ways to use each and every one. And our very fa-vor-ite is to make them into a boat and stuff them. And this is how it’s done: The tips and ends of each zucchini—you should have six small—are sliced off and set aside. What is left is placed in a pot of boiling water until the zucchini turns a brilliant green. They are removed and set aside to cool. And while that’s happening, a red pepper (or tomato, if that’s what you’ve got) is chopped coarsely along with a medium sweet onion and a clove or…

  • Farm Kitchen Recipes

    Morning Time Saver: Instant Oatmeal Lots of Ways

    Time gets away from us all, even those on the Farm, so little short-cuts are a big blessing. Like this jarred instant oatmeal—it’s all ready to be whipped up some busy morning when they have a million other things to do besides making breakfast. And it makes a great gift, too. There are several different versions, but they are all made the same: First, it is decided exactly how many servings are to be made, and the math done accordingly. I know, I know, but I have full faith in you. You can do this. Once it’s figured out exactly how much is being made, a large bowl is set…

  • Farm Kitchen Recipes

    Cod Fish Filet de Mornette

    There are a few dishes the Farmer’s Wife grew up with which still grace her table today (and from talking to a cousin or two, it appears Mema grew up with these recipes as well). Now, there are some the Farmer’s Wife never cares to eat again—that patty made from canned salmon, creamed with flour. Or that dried beef. No. Wait. She still makes that. But not the salmon. Salmon needs to be fresh or smoked or not at all. And then there’s this Cod. It has been known to be called Creamed Cod Fish, but that does not sound nearly fancy enough, so the Farmer’s Wife goes with the…

  • Farm Kitchen Recipes

    Breakfast Potato Bake

    Okay. Some things made on the Farm are nourishing to both body and soul—and some are just for the later. This is one of those. There is zero nutritional benefit for the following recipe, nor should you look for any. But…you will close your eyes and savor each and every mouthful. That’s a promise. Now, isn’t that worth a few thousand calories? The Farmer’s Wife says yes—on special occasions. And how you make it is this: Three large potatoes of the white variety are peeled and grated coarse, setting the final product into a bowl of cold water while all the rest of the recipe is being carried out—otherwise your…

  • Farm Kitchen Recipes

    Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

    Bread is made well and made often on the Farm in every variety you can imagine—Brioche, Challah, A Good Loaf, Plain White, Thanksgiving Bread, and the like. There is often so much one family could not possibly eat it all! That’s why we have parties. To eat all that bread. And that’s why we make this, Bread Pudding. To begin, you’ll need old bread, any kind will do. Well, maybe not the Thanksgiving bread. I’d pass on that one (too much Sage). However, every other kind is just fine. Although, the richer breads do make a richer bread pudding. So, extra Brioche is often made, just for the excuse of…

  • Farm Kitchen Recipes

    *Swoon Cookies Two Ways

    *gluten free Not everyone on the Farm likes a good cookie. I know, I know, it’s hard to believe, but none-the-less, it’s true. There are actually those who live and visit here who prefer having their lives free from that beautiful and glorious grain some like to call wheat. So, this cookie is made for them and made often. And since every good cookie and soul who consumes them needs a bit of variety, it’s crafted two ways. And for the first: One third cup raw honey is placed in a saucepan with an equal amount virgin coconut oil and left over low heat a bit until all is melted.…