​We planted our native plants! Everyone had a hand in it, dogs included. We decided to experiment a little bit and direct seed some of the R. pinnata this fall to see how it goes. Exciting!

Wasps! These are my guard wasps that live by my kitchen door. Did you know that they can recognize human faces? Any way, I have had a great year of watching these creatures live. Here they are sharing a meal. Not how you imagine dinner with the family for humans but community none the less. ​

Ahoy!

Enjoy the last of the lengthy days. Enjoy the golden sunlight and the warm evenings. Enjoy the tomatoes and the dishes with every ingredient. Summer is bowing out. But we can love it until it is over. 

Onward folks, doing the things we can do. 

Cheers,
Helen
she/her/hers
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes
  • Whelp, maybe we will be at Stockbridge! Not this week but seeing what we can sort out. 
  • A link to our Stockbridge Community Outreach Project 
  • Here is link to a list of resources to aid in effecting positive social change. Keep your  chin up. 
• Fresh From the field
• Recipe: Napa Cabbage and Daikon Soup with Pure Umami

Fresh From the Field- 
​
Greens:
Collards
Kale
Micros: Types to be seen!
Pea shoots

Herbs
Basil- on it's last legs! Make those tasty pestos to freeze while you still can! (Or take a cutting and keep it on your window sill)
Parsley

All Manner of Deliciousness
Acorn Squash
Beets
Napa Cabbage
Cabbage: personal and LARGE for your kraut needs
Cabbage sprouts "basically brussels"
Delicata Squash
Eggs!! From Hen House Farm- Clare!!
Eggplant (limited)
Garlic
Ground Cherries
Kohlrabi
Kabocha squash!
Onions
Peppers: Shishitos! Snackers, Bells, friers!
Potatoes!
Fingerling Potatoes
Watermelon radish
Daikon radish
Big tomatoes: slicers, paste, heirlooms. 
Cherry Tomatoes

Coming Soon
Arugula
Broccoli!
Cone and Savoy Cabbage!
Broccolini
Turnips

Napa Cabbage and Daikon Soup with Pure Umami

From Kikoman 

*From Helen* This recipe is from the Kikoman website. You do not have to use everything Kikoman. They're good! Use what you have. Also, I would triple this recipe. And maybe exclude the pork. And maybe add tofu and a high protein micro (radish micros, I'm looking at you!)
 
Ingredients

• Napa Cabbage 6 oz
• Daikon Radish 6 oz
• Kikkoman® Sesame Oil 0.5 tbsp
• Thinly Sliced Pork 4 oz
• Grated Ginger 0.5 tbsp
• Kikkoman® Shiro Dashi 2 oz
• Water 20 oz
• Ground Black Pepper A pinch

Instructions

1. Cut the napa cabbage into bite-sized pieces. Peel the daikon and slice it into 0.5-inch thick strips.
2. Heat sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the pork and grated ginger and stir-fry until the pork changes color.
3. Add the napa cabbage and daikon. Stir-fry until they become slightly translucent. Then add 20 oz of water and the shiro dashi. Simmer for 7-8 minutes.
4. Serve in bowls, drizzle with an additional 0.5 tbsp of sesame oil (optional), and sprinkle with black pepper.

Notes

TOMATO SALE on only for Romas and seconds!

2nds: Scratch and dent. An excellent canner's deal.
1/2 bushel for $15
Bushel (53 lbs) for $40

Roma (paste tomatoes):
1/2 Bushel $28
Bushel of $50

When ordering these, be sure to let me know which type of paste tomatoes you want:

• Amish paste- Big, meaty tomatoes that are usually 8-12 oz. They are a soft heirloom and a Slow Food USA Ark of Taste variety. Being heirloom means you can save the seeds, among other things.
• Grandero- similar to San marzano. Very firm and thick walled weighing in at 4-5 oz.

Pre-order by emailing or come pick out what you like at market! We have various boxes and bags to help you get them home. ​

​Look at that milkweed spreading seeds! This is on our farm. I can't wait for how many more native plants will be dropping seed over the next couple years.

On that note, we have all the plant material for the native seed production trial we are doing. I am so excited. Picking the transplants up from Wildtype was so encouraging. Everyone I spoke with there had so patience and good information to share. I had a lot of questions about how to successfully grow Lupine from seed and all of them have been answered. It is such a gift that they are only 30 minutes from us and willing to share the wealth of knowledge collected over the decades of cultivating native plants.

​Whoops! I got a flat tire! And then I scaled up my flat tire fixing knowledge. Thank you bike for giving me the chance to practice on something a little smaller. Thank you Terry for letting me borrow some of the specific tools that make this job easier and for sharing your encyclopedic knowledge of repair.

I got the tube replaced and the tire back on the tractor just as the sun was setting on Wednesday. I could choose to be disappointed that I didn't get to do the work I intended. But I am choosing to be happy that everything went smoothly. Not a stripped bolt in sight! 

​Ahoy!

Native plants.
Fixing things.
Looking towards next year.
Witnessing the wild creatures in my life. 

Autumn Equinox!
Although it didn't feel it this week (hawt), the seasons are shifting. Autumn is inviting us to welcome shorter days, changing scenery, cooler weather, increased silence, increased stillness. We are still deep in the bustle of preparation for the stillness of winter, but it is coming. 
Of course, we could choose not to welcome the shift, and then just get dunked when the time comes. I think I will make time to lay on my back on the edge of the forest, shielded from the sun, and appreciate the sounds while they last. To appreciate the green. 

And let it rain as scheduled the weekend, for all that is good. 

Onward folks, doing the things we can do. 

Cheers,
Helen
she/her/hers
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes
  • Because of constant staff changes, we won't be at Stockbridge for the rest of the season. It was tough but the best choice for our ongoing success.
  • A link to our Stockbridge Community Outreach Project 
  • Here is link to a list of resources to aid in effecting positive social change. Keep your  chin up. 
• Fresh From the field
• Recipe: Kale Apple Slaw with Dijon Vinaigrette

Fresh From the Field- 

Greens:
Collards
Kale
Micros: Types to be seen!
Pea shoots

Herbs
Basil- on it's last legs! Make those tasty pestos to freeze while you still can! (Or take a cutting and keep it on your window sill)
Parsley

All Manner of Deliciousness
Acorn Squash
Beets
Cabbage: personal and LARGE for your kraut needs
Delicata Squash
Eggs!! From Hen House Farm- Clare!!
Eggplant (limited)
Garlic
Ground Cherries
Kohlrabi
Kabocha squash!
Melon- some like a cucumber, some so sweet you'll drown.
Onions
Peppers: Shishitos! Snackers, Bells, friers!
Potatoes!
Fingerling Potatoes
Red Radishes
Scallions
Big tomatoes: slicers, paste, heirlooms. 
Cherry Tomatoes
Watermelon

Coming Soon
Cone and Savoy Cabbage!
Broccolini
Napa cabbage
Watermelon radish!!

​Kale Apple Slaw with Dijon Vinaigrette

From Minimalist Baker

Quick kale apple slaw with a zippy Dijon vinaigrette. A simple, plant-based side for fall and beyond! Just 1 bowl, 10 minutes, and 9 ingredients required!
 
Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp minced shallot
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, grated or pressed
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 loosely packed cups shredded kale (we like curly kale // 1 bunch yields ~4 cups or 100 g)
• 1 medium sweet, crisp apple (such as Fuji or Honeycrisp), sliced into thin matchsticks (1 apple yields ~170 g or 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional but recommended)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic, salt (starting with the lesser amount), and pepper.
2. Add the kale, apple, and parsley (optional) and toss to coat with the dressing. Taste and adjust, adding more salt to taste, olive oil for richness, or parsley for herbiness and to balance the vinegar.
3. Best when fresh, but leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Not freezer friendly.

Notes From Helen

1. If I was short on time, I may rough chop the apple or shred it, whichever felt easier in the moment. I never have the patience for matchsticks. I may also use 2 apples...
2. I don't see any nuts in this salad. I would include (toasted or raw): pecans, walnuts, pepos, sunflower seeds, or if I am feeling totally fancy, pine nuts.
3. If you are lazy on dressing, get a bottled one or sub powdered garlic
4. It is okay to substitute a small red onion for the shallot, in my humble opinion.

Delicata squash comin' at cha! See this weeks squash recipe for just one way to eat them. ​

Here are the current people of Lake Divide! I wanted to do a Brady bunch block of us, of course including the dogs. It turns out that requires more time than I have. I wanted to do a write up of each person, and all the wonderful things they do here and wonder ways that they are. I also don't have time for that (right now.)

For now I will say, we have had so many different people and personalities on the farm since we started in 2017. I suppose we will have many more. Lake Divide wouldn't be here without each and every contribution over the years. This group of people is so lovely to work with. I learn so much from each of them every day and every day. Thank you Clare, Fergus, and Scott!  ​

Carla is quite the companion. She is continuously watching, following, snuggling, and communicating. It didn't mean to get such a little dog but here she is filling a big space on the farm.

Where's Boomer, you may ask? He is working. Just recently he: got sprayed by a skunk, ripped up the truck, barked into an irrigation line for 1 hour plus, dug a whole that so deep he was almost under ground, and slept in the field truck. What else will he get into? Whatever he wants, and more! ​

As seen above, our mower is fixed! The side of it was banged to all get out and interfered with the blades. Scott fixed it up proper.

I mowed the potato field, one of the best first steps to getting them all out of there and stored for winter. There was so much ragweed. Yuck. . But its pollen, despite messing with mind and sinuses, is such a remarkable yellow. And it leaves such an impressive coat!

And then our napa cabbage again. It seems that the revamp of the fence is helping to hold the deer off. Not much longer and some cabbage will be ours. Here you can see water (maybe you have to zoom) flying out of the sprinkler head. It is dry. Like DRY dry. Thank goodness for irrigation. ​

Ahoy!

​All I've got was poured above. 

Onward folks, doing the things we can do. 

Cheers,
Helen
she/her/hers
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes
  • We are back at Stockbridge this Friday and hopefully for the rest of the season!
  • A link to our Stockbridge Community Outreach Project 
  • Here is link to a list of resources to aid in effecting positive social change. Keep your  chin up. 
• Fresh From the field
• Recipe: Delicata Squash Agrodolce

Greens:
Collards
Kale
Micros: Types to be seen!
Pea shoots

Herbs
Basil
Parsley

All Manner of Deliciousness
Acorn Squash
Beets
Cabbage: personal and LARGE for your kraut needs
Delicata Squash
Eggs!! From Hen House Farm- Clare!!
Eggplant (limited)
Garlic
Ground Cherries
Kohlrabi
Melon- some like a cucumber, some so sweet you'll drown.
Onions
Peppers: Shishitos! Snackers, Bells, friers!
Potatoes!
Fingerling Potatoes (back next week)
Red Radishes
Scallions
Big tomatoes: slicers, paste, heirlooms. 
Cherry Tomatoes
Watermelon

Coming Soon
Kobocha Squash
Broccolini
Napa cabbage

Honey Roasted Delicata Squash

​From Eye Swoon

I am obsessed with delicata squash, plain and simple—and I do mean simple. Thanks to their tender, edible skin, prepping them is beyond easy: just slice, scoop the seeds, and they’re ready for the oven. The flesh of the delicata—which is harvested for just a few weeks in early September— is creamy and sweet, making it ideal for roasting. Once golden and caramelized, the rounds are delicious straight up, but doused with this agrodolce reduction, they’re downright addictive. The syrupy sauce melds chili, honey, lime, and vinegar for a sweet, spicy, tangy flavor profile that both adults and children go crazy for.

Ingredients

• 2 delicata squash (about 2 pounds/910 g total), seeds removed and cut into ½-inch (12-mm) rounds
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) honey, divided
• Salt and freshly cracked pepper
• ½ teaspoon minced red habanero chile, or 1 red Fresno chile, minced
• ⅓ cup (75 ml) white wine vinegar
• 1 large lime, grated and juiced
• 5 or 6 fresh sage leaves, very thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted

Instructions
​

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190˚C).
2. Place the squash in a large bowl and drizzle it with the oil and 2 tablespoons of the honey.
3. Season with salt and pepper and toss until evenly coated.
4. Transfer the squash to two large-rimmed baking sheets, spreading it in a single layer.
5. Roast until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes per side, flipping the squash halfway through baking.
6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the habanero, vinegar, lime juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons honey to a boil. Season with a pinch of salt.
7. Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture is syrupy, 8 to 10 minutes. Just before serving, spoon the agrodolce over the squash. Garnish with the sage, pepitas, and lime zest.

Notes. 

1. I haven't done this one yet. I did chili powder and honey the other nice and it was fabulous so I was looking for a recipe that roasted the squash with a sweet and spicy sauce. This one sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it. If you get to it first, let me know how you like it!

Allow Fergus to introduce our newest worker, Tom the tomato!  Tom's not the best worker but has a knack for the hot gossip, he's nosey enough to hear a lot through the vine. ​

Here's Carla over a field of cabbage. This dog. She reminds me of Exie. When I first started farming, Exie would sit in the shade and watch me while I did tractor work. She'd even wag when I waved. Carla is still working on her wag and learning how to be safe around the tractors. This is a good start. I took this picture while I was cultivating the aisles of the cabbage field. 

The farm from uptown! The field in the foreground is home to all our daikon, turnips, and radishes. The first four beds were in the midst of being reworked when this image was captured. I came back and cleared the aisles, and now they are ready for Arugula, tatsoi, and sweet turnips.

The white blob in the center is the tent we have set up out there for playing and sleeping. The splotches of yellow are clumps of goldenrod. You also get a good view of our larger pollinator plot. It is loaded with the non native queen anne's lace, giving it a white hue.

You can see the white tipped posts from the tomato field, close to the white blob of a 2009 pounds of chicken manure and the lime green of the still unplowed ragweed in just about every quadrant. ​

​Our fall kale is on point! The crew weeded it this week and it should be producing strong until t-day. 

Big Brussels or mini cabbage? These are called new cabbage. They are harvested after the main head of cabbage. If I had been timely about getting this field flipped, we would have the opportunity to enjoy these. And lucky we do, because we lost our actual Brussels sprouts to the weeds. We've known for a while and planted some alternatives (beans, sunflowers, dill.) Hopefully it all comes in. 

We're having good luck with fall beets. The plants are healthy and the roots are balling up. The deer tracks are passing through. If it wasn't for the deer, I'd wait another week for them to size up. But I've been burned by waiting before. You may not remember but just a month ago, we waited a week to bulk harvest our fennel and by the time we went back it was gone. It was sad, to put it mildly. So look forward to some gorgeous beets this weekend. 

As for the deer. The fence is back online, so hopefully that's enough to hold them off. We've also got our tent set up out there and as soon as me and the kids wade our way through yet another cold, we'll be sleeping under the stars and defending the fall harvest.

Ahoy!

Preorder tomatoes
Eat tangy sauteed peppers
Howl at the moon. 

Somehow we made it to September. We only have one greenhouse seeding sheet left for the season and our whole transplant list fits on one page. And while I take that in, and feel the relief, I am also going to refocus on the coming months. 

Goals for the next 2.5 months:

• Prepare our fields for the spring either by cover cropping, mowing, plowing, or tarping.
• Seed and plant the last of our fall and winter crops
• Flip our hoop houses so they are ready to host the plants that will feed us this winter and build the tunnels for the field that will do the same
• Get our native plants in ground for the seed production project!
• Get our storage crops safely tucked away
• Crack and plant our garlic for next year's crop.

Onward folks, doing the things we can do. 

Cheers,
Helen
she/her/hers
 
In this email:

• Generally important notes
  • We are back at Stockbridge this Friday and hopefully for the rest of the season!
  • A link to our Stockbridge Community Outreach Project 
  • Here is link to a list of resources to aid in effecting positive social change. Keep your  chin up. 
• Fresh From the field
• Recipe: Basic Sauteed Peppers

Fresh From the Field- 

Greens:
Kale is back!
Micros: Types to be seen!
Pea shoots

Herbs
Basil
Parsley

All Manner of Deliciousness
Acorn Squash
Beets
Cabbage: personal and LARGE for your kraut needs
Cucumbers- Ugly but delicious
Eggs!! From Hen House Farm- Clare!!
Eggplant
Garlic
Garlic Scapes! 
Ground Cherries
Kohlrabi
Melon- some like a cucumber, some so sweet you'll drown.
Onions
Peppers: Shishitos! Snackers, Bells, friers!
Potatoes!
Fingerling Potatoes
Scallions
Big tomatoes: slicers, paste, heirlooms. Buried. Preorder in quantity.
Cherry Tomatoes
Watermelon

Coming Soon
Collard Greens
Delicata squash
Red radishes.

Basic Sauteed Peppers

I cook them up and eat them as a side or use them through the week with other meals. 

Ingredients

• A glug of olive oil
• 1 or 2 quarts of sweet peppers (all colors good including green), deseeded and chopped to uniform size
• vinegar (I like rice wine vinegar for this)
• salt

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add peppers and put lid on
3. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes, checking occasionally and stirring
4. When the peppers are the texture you like (I like my soft and a little burnt), add 2-3 T vinegar and some salt. 
5. Replace lid and allow to steam in there

Notes. 

1. It is ok if the peppers get a little burnt. It has a caramelizing effect.
2. Add more vinegar if you like more of a kick.
3. These are great for adding to any meal, pasta, potato salad, you name it. Or just eating plain