Posted on 07/24/2009 3:37:21 AM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)
Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.
To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.
The Frugal Roundup
How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)
Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)
Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)
Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)
40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)
Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)
5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)
A Few Others I Enjoyed
* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance
Hmong Red Cucumbers & A Refreshing Cucumber Mint Cooler
A very unusual cucumber and an equally unusual drink that will cool you down on those hot summer days.
I love to try new things in my garden each year. This year, when looking through the Baker Creek seed catalog, I noticed an unusual orange-yellow cucumber called a Hmong (pronounced Mah-ng) Red. Intrigued, I decided to try them this year and I harvested the first one this weekend.
The Hmong Red cucumber is named after a specific ethnic group (The Hmong) who originate from Asia: China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. About 200,000 ethnic Hmong currently live in the United States, many of them arriving in the mid 1970’s as refugees from the Vietnam War.
Although the Baker Creek catalog did not state this specifically, I suspect that these immigrants brought seeds for this unusual cucumber with them, and this is how they made their way into the Baker Creek catalog.
The Hmong red is as easy to grow as any other cucumber — which is pretty easy. They also grow to an amazing size; the one shown in the attached picture weighed 2 pounds 4 ounces. When young, the cucumber is green, but it gradually turns yellow, and then orange.
PlanterTomato_HmongRed
Many cucumbers are quite sweet. The Hmong Red (when harvested at the yellow/orange stage) has a mild sour/bitter flavor. You can use it as a salad cucumber, but I wanted to see if I could find a more interesting and authentic way to eat it. And here it is....
Hmong Cucumber Mint Cooler
This recipe was developed by Andrea Nguyen, an author, freelance writer and cooking teacher who lives in Northern California. The below cucumber mint cooler recipe and drink photo are printed with her permission, www.vietworldkitchen.com.
Andrea has won high praise and a numerous awards. Her cookbooks including Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors and Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More can be purchased through Amazon.com or other book stores.
Cucumber Mint Cooler Recipe
The Hmong cucumber is halfway between a cucumber and a melon. It doesn’t taste like much on its own until you add sugar. Then it is transformed. Without a Hmong cucumber, use honeydew melon.
Ingredients:
One whole or a half Hmong cucumber
Sugar
5 to 8 large mint leaves
Ice
Filtered Water
Instructions:
1. Halve the cucumber lengthwise, in needed. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.
2. Use the tines of a fork to scrape out the flesh, depositing them in a bowl. Try to get down to the cucumber skin. Discard when there is little flesh left. The flesh will be in pale green pieces. (If you want a smoothie-like texture, puree the flesh in a blender before moving on.)
3. Measure how much flesh you have. For every cup, stir in 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons sugar and 3 or 4 mint leaves. Your stirring will dissolve the sugar and bruise the mint. Don’t be alarmed as the cucumber flesh gives off some bubbles. Taste to make sure there is a pronounced sweet flavor.
4. For each 1 cup of flesh, add 1/2 cup water, stirring to combine. Serve over ice, stirring a few times to chill the mixture. (Alternatively, chill the mixture and then serve it over ice.) Present this cooler with a spoon for guests to eat the flesh.
Interesting site:
Tuesday
Using and Growing Lemon Eucalyptus
Lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora) has a scent similar to that of lemon verbena, lemon balm and even lemon thyme, but the fragrance is stronger and more pungent. It isn’t a typical herb, though. It’s really a tree in the eucalyptus family that can grow large - very large (60 feet and sometimes a lot taller). It’s only hardy outdoors year round in zones 9 and higher.
Because it can grow big, to keep it under control many savvy herb gardeners keep in a pot, especially in cooler regions — where it can overwinter indoors.
Potted Lemon Eucalyptus
There are benefits and disadvantages to this method of keeping lemon eucalyptus. A potted specimen that’s been pruned regularly can be attractive and fragrant on a deck, patio, or even in a lanai, but it needs lots of light so make room for it in a southern facing window and give it a grow light if you see it getting leggy.
Another potential problem is that lemon eucalyptus will eventually need to have a root pruning. This is commonly known as bonsai pruning. It’s a way of making the plant’s system adaptable to the limited space. Just top pruning it won’t work forever - but it may get you through a season or two. Learning a little about bonsai trees can be fun and rewarding, though. I wrote an article about it a while back. You can visit it at: How Bonsai Works.
Learning bonsai techniques with a fragrant and interesting herb (tree) like lemon eucalyptus will expand your gardening horizons in a good way. Give the idea some thought.
Lemon eucalyptus grows readily from seed and shoots up fast in spring if you keep it in a sunny spot. Your potted eucalyptus doesn’t have to be tiny either. I have a nice seven foot specimen that hangs out in my dining room over the holidays.
Where you may know lemon eucalyptus from bug sprays and aromatics to fight chest congestion, it also makes a very nice ingredient in potpourri. Together with dried orange peel and cardamom seed, it’s an olfactory feast you can easily make yourself.
As a specimen plant, lemon eucalyptus will make a nice addition to your collection too. It’s an import with personality. If you give it some special care and attention it will reward you with years of very fragrant service, bowls of potpourri and lots of gardening conversations about the unique and dramatic properties of herbs.
Special Notes Caution — Lemon eucalyptus shouldn’t be ingested unless under the guidance of a medical practitioner.
The small plant in the photo was grown from seed this season - started in March. By the middle of June it was four feet tall and the largest leaves were three inches long.
http://nourishedkitchen.com/beetroot-relish/
Probiotic Apple & Beetroot Relish
Posted By Jenny On January 6, 2010 @ 12:30 am In Autumn,Dairy-free,Fermented & Cultured Foods,GAPS-friendly,Gluten-free,Paleo/Primal,Recipes,Vegan,Vegetable Side Dishes,Vegetarian,Winter | 22 Comments
probiotic beetroot relish
Beetroot relish – savory, sweet and spiced with with cloves and star anise – nuzzles its way onto our supper plates every winter. A near-perfect side to pan-fried pork chops seasoned with sage or to a classic roast beef, beetroot relish provides an intensity of flavor coupled with nourishing micronutrients including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This version of beetroot relish incorporates another wintertime staple: fresh apples which contribute a sweetness without the inclusion of the nutritional void that is sugar. Moreover, my beetroot relish is a probiotic food, rich in beneficial bacteria due to a natural, traditional fermentation process that anyone can apply in his or her own family kitchen.
Beets and apples are both dense in antioxidants, ensuring that the combination of these two primary ingredients convey significant nutritional benefits to the beetroot relish. Indeed, apples are rich in myriad phenolic compounds: quercetin, catechin, procyanidin and phlorozin among others. Perhaps these compounds contribute to the near-global perception of the humble apple as a food critical to health maintenace. Beets also contain powerful nutrients. Betacyanin, which accounts for beets pronounced color, may show promise in the treatment of cancer according to some researchers.
Probiotic Apple & Beetroot Relish
This recipe yields approximately twenty-four 2-ounce portions. Don’t let the high yield of the recipe deter you; this apple and beetroot relish is rich in beneficial, lactic-acid-producing bacteria which naturally preserve the dish, ensuring that it will keep for approximately six weeks or longer when refrigerated. This recipe was featured in December’s Recipe Cards by Nourished Kitchen. For more naturally fermented recipes like this probiotic beetroot relish, check out these fermented and cultured food recipes.
Apple & Beetroot Relish: Ingredients
* 3 large apples (about 1 ½ pounds), cored but not peeled
* 3 large beets (about 1 ½ pounds), peeled
* 2 star anise pods
* 1 tablespoon whole cloves
* 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt
* fermented vegetable starter culture, if desired (see sources)
Apple & Beetroot Relish: Method
1. Shred apples and beets by hand, or in a food processor.
2. Toss the shredded apples and beets together until well-combined and mixed together.
3. Add the star anise and whole cloves to the apples and beetroot, and continue to toss until the spices are evenly distributed among the shredded fruit and vegetables.
4. In a mason jar or, preferably, a vegetable fermenter (see sources), layer the apple and beetroot.
5. Periodically sprinkle unrefined sea salt or vegetable starter culture over the layers of apple and beetroot and mash with a wooden spoon or mallet to encourage the fruit and vegetables to release their juices, creating a luscious brine to encourage the proliferation of beneficial bacteria.
6. Ferment in a mason jar or vegetable fermenter for a minimum of three to four days, or longer, depending on the level of warmth in your kitchen.
7. After your apple and beetroot relish has sufficiently cultured, remove it from the vegetable fermenter and gently pick out the star anise pods and whole cloves.
8. Place the apple and beetroot relish into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
YIELD: Approximately, 24 2-ounce portions.
TIME: 10 to 20 minutes (active), 3 – 4 days (minimum fermentation time)
NOTE: If, after mashing the apples and beets with a mallet or wooden spoon, the brine created by the salt and juice fails to completely submerge the vegetables, prepare a separate brine by dissolving 1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt in 1 quart filtered water and pour this salty mixture over the apples, beets and spices until they are completely covered. Doing so minimizes the risk of contamination by undesirable bacteria, mold and fungi.
Article printed from The Nourished Kitchen: http://nourishedkitchen.com
URL to article: http://nourishedkitchen.com/beetroot-relish/
Copyright © 2007 - 2009 Jennifer McGruther. The Nourished Kitchen. All rights reserved.
KIFLI (HUNGARIAN WALNUT COOKIES)
DOUGH
4 3/4 c Unsifted all-purpose flour
2 c Butter or margarine
4 lg Egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 c Sour cream
FILLING
1 1/4 lb Shelled walnuts (about 5 Cups), ground
1 c Granulated sugar
1/2 c Milk
1 tb Almond extract
GLAZE
1 lg Egg, beaten
Confectioners’ sugar
Make dough: in a large bowl, place the flour and the butter.
Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until
the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolks and sour cream; stir with a fork
until
combined. Turn the
dough out onto a lightly floured board or pastry cloth. Knead the dough with
your
hands until it is smooth and can be shaped into a ball. If dough is too
sticky, knead
in more flour. If
desired, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Make filling: in a medium-sized bowl, place the ground walnuts, granulated
sugar,
milk and almond extract. Using a wooden spoon,
stir in walnut mixture until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Preheat oven to 400F. Grease baking sheets with solid vegetable shortening.
To shape Kifli: divide the dough into quarters; wrap three of the quarters
separately
in plastic wrap
and set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the remaining quarter of the dough
to a 15”
x 12” rectangle that is 1/8” thick. Using a pastry wheel, cut the rectangle
of dough
into 3-inch squares. Place a heaping teaspoon of the walnut filling in the
center
of each square; bring one corner of the dough over the filling to the
opposite corner;
pinch edges together. Place Kifli on baking sheets; brush with the beaten
egg.
Bake for 10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.
Remove from the baking sheet. Fill the bottom of a pie plate
with confectioners’ sugar. Roll Kifli in the sugar. Let cool on wire racks.
Repeat
steps with the remaining three quarters of dough.
My grandmother use to make these cookies and I could never find the recipe.
Thanks
to a friend, I have it now and plan to bake them this week. I have also
passed on
the recipe to other family members who were thankful to have it.
Enjoy.
To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vintage-Recipes/
Milk & Honey Sprouted Wheat Bread
Posted By Jenny On August 17, 2009 @ 10:32 am In Any,Breads,Recipes,Vegetarian | 16 Comments
sprouted-wheat-bread-loaf
Sprouted wheat bread has a bad rap: it tends to be chewy, dense and coarse unlike those lovely, light sandwich breads to which we’re usually accustomed. This version of sprouted wheat bread is unlike the others: it’s soft, mild and pleasantly sweet. Great for sandwiches, this sprouted wheat bread recipe is flavored by whole milk and fresh honey and is easily sliced, toasted and slathered with fresh raw butter.
Sprouting, like souring and soaking, helps to reduce antinutrients and enzyme inhibitors naturally present in grain. Sprouting also reduces overall carbohydrates and increases both protein and fiber. (Learn more about sprouted grain and baking with sprouted grain flour.)
Sprouted Wheat Bread: The Recipe
Ingredients for Sprouted Wheat Bread
* 4 ½ Cups of Sprouted Wheat Flour (see sources)
* 2 ¼ Cups Whole Milk
* ¼ Cup Honey
* 2 Teaspoons Unrefined Sea Salt
* 1 Package Yeast
* Extra flour for kneading.
* 2 Tablespoons Cream to baste the bread
Instructions for Preparing Sprouted Wheat Bread
1. Warm honey and milk together until they reach blood temperature.
2. Add yeast to the milk and honey mixture. Set it aside for five minutes or until it becomes foamy.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together unrefined sea salt and sprouted grain flour.
4. Add the milk, honey and yeast mixture to the flour and salt and mix until it forms one solid ball.
5. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
6. Knead for 10 minutes.
7. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes and then knead the bread for 10 minutes more.
8. Set the dough on a clean towel and allow it to rise until double in volume (about 1 ½ – 2 hours).
9. Punch the dough down, form it into a loaf and put it into a greased loaf pan.
10. Allow it to rise again until double in volume.
11. Baste the top of the bread with cream.
12. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 ° F for about 45 minutes or until the bread achieves a golden brown color.
13. Cool on a rack and serve.
sprouted-wheat-breadShared at Pennywise Platter.
Article printed from The Nourished Kitchen: http://nourishedkitchen.com
URL to article: http://nourishedkitchen.com/sprouted-wheat-bread/
Brown Soda Bread with Currants and Caraway
Posted By Jenny On March 9, 2010 @ 8:57 pm In Any,Breads,Recipes,Spring,Vegetarian | 33 Comments
Brown soda bread offers nourishment, a rich flavor and is quite simple to prepare in any kitchen – emboldening the the repertoire of even the novice cook. While the Irish are known for their traditional soda bread which combines little else but flour, buttermilk, salt and baking soda, many home cooks have adjusted the recipe with the inclusion of raisins, currants and other ingredients. This brown soda bread with currants and caraway is no exception.
A tradition that may predate the popularization of soda bread in 1840s Ireland, the combination of an acid (buttermilk) and a base (baking soda) creates a reaction that causes the bread to rise without aid of baking yeast or sourdough starter. Some evidence indicates that combining an acid with a base to leaven bread may have also occured in the Americas with the traditional methods of baking employed by Native Americans who used potash in place of baking soda and another acidic medium in place of buttermilk. Regardless of the method’s earliest origins, the Irish have, undoubtedly, made it their own. It is a fast, simple and humble bread that appealed to Ireland’s poor and working class families.
Serve brown soda bread with home-cured corned beef for a nourishing meal.
In my version of soda bread, I prefer to soak the flour – a soft wheat – with buttermilk overnight or longer. This practices helps to mitigate the effects of phytic acid, an antinutrient naturally found in whole grain that binds minerals and preventing their full absorption by the body. Soaking flour in an acidic medium, such as buttermilk or soured milk, for several hours not only improves the not only the digestibility of the grain, but also the body’s ability to absorb whole grain’s natural, full array of micronutrients. Moreover, soaking flour helps to acidify the dough which produces a pleasantly tender crumb when baked.
brown soda bread with caraway and currantsRecipe for Brown Soda Bread with Currants and Caraway
While this recipe resembles Spotted Dog more than a traditional Irish soda bread as it’s dotted with whiskey-soaked currants and caraway seeds, both of which contribute to the simple bread’s full-bodied rich flavor. Slather a slice with fresh butter and serve it alongside a mug of hot red tea.
Ingredients for Brown Soda Bread with Currants and Caraway
* 5 ½ cups whole grain white wheat flour, preferably sprouted (see sources)
* 2 cups fresh, additive-free buttermilk, preferably cultured at home (see sources for a starter culture)
* 1 cup dried currants
* whiskey, to soak currants (optional)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
* 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
Method for Brown Soda Bread with Currants and Caraway
1. Gently sift five and one-half cups soft white wheat flour, then stir two cups fresh buttermilk into the flour. Combine the flour and buttermilk well until the two are thoroughly mixed together to form a soft, shaggy dough. Cover well and tightly, allowing the dough to sit at room temperature overnight or up to eighteen hours – a process referred to as “soaking.”
2. In a separate bowl or small container, pour out 1 cup dried currants then pour enough whiskey over the currants to cover them. If you do not have whiskey on hand, or do not wish to use it, cover the currants with filtered water brought to room temperature. Allow the currants to soak in the water for the same amount of time you allow the flour to soak in buttermilk – overnight to eighteen hours. While this practice doesn’t improve the nutrient profile of the currants, it does improve their flavor and texture.
3. The next day, after the dough and currants have sufficiently soaked overnight or up to eighteen hours, strain the currants from the whiskey reserving the whiskey for another use as you see fit.
4. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. While the oven preheats, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead one tablespoon caraway seeds, the whiskey-soaked currants, one teaspoon baking soda and one teaspoon unrefined sea salt into the dough.
6. Flour your hands, as needed, and shape the dough into a nice, full and round ball. Cut a deep cross into the top of the dough.
7. When the oven has reached a temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit, place the dough in the oven and bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes.
8. After the soda bread has baked at 425 degrees for twenty-five to thirty minutes, reduce the heat of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue to bake for another fifteen to twenty minutes.
9. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool thoroughly before serving.
soda bread sough
YIELD: One loaf.
TIME: 8 to 18 hours (for soaking), 40 to 50 minutes (baking)
Article printed from The Nourished Kitchen: http://nourishedkitchen.com
URL to article: http://nourishedkitchen.com/brown-soda-bread/
Copyright © 2007 - 2009 Jennifer McGruther. The Nourished Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Rustic Sourdough Noodles
Posted By Jenny On February 16, 2008 @ 11:36 pm In Recipes | 16 Comments
noodles13.jpg
One search continually brings viewers to this blog: the search for a sourdough noodle recipe. Perhaps they’re curious about flavor, or about reducing phytates in their grains or just want to try their hands at one more new thing in the kitchen, but my blog–until now–always left them wanting for I never posted the sourdough noodle recipe until now.
I like my noodles rustic. Thick. Chewy. Hand-cut. If you’ve more refined tastes, you can always use a pasta machine.
To make Rustic Soudough Noodles, you’ll need:
* 1 Cup Sourdough Starter
* 3 Cups of Organic, Whole-grain Flour (I used freshly milled spelt flour.)
* 6 Egg Yolks
Instructions:
1. Pour one cup of sourdough starter into your mixing bowl. This is a good opportunity to use up that cup or so of starter you toss out when you add more flour and water.
2. Add the flour to your starter.
3. Add the egg yolks too. The mix the ingredients together until it forms a ball.
4. A ball that looks like this! Now leave it to soak overnight so antinutrients like phytates can be neutralized or–at the very least-mitigated.
5. Now dump the ball onto a floured counter top and pat it down.
6. Roll it out very, very thin.
7. Trim up the edges so you have a nice thin rectangle.
8. Slice the noodles in whatever shapes please you.
9. And they’re finished. Like that. Now you can either leave them on the counter to dry. Or boil them immediately to serve them with dinner.
[nggallery id=41]
Article printed from The Nourished Kitchen: http://nourishedkitchen.com
URL to article: http://nourishedkitchen.com/rustic-sourdough-noodles/
Copyright © 2007 - 2009 Jennifer McGruther. The Nourished Kitchen. All rights reserved.
ATTRAnews
August 2010
Volume 18, Number 3
Newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agricultural Information Service http://attra.ncat.org/: A project of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) http://www.ncat.org/. This issue of ATTRAnews is available online. http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html#attranews
GROWING SMALL FRUITS
As farmers and ranchers search for ways to stay competitive, they often consider adding new crops and products — or new markets such as organic. Variety can attract new customers and spread out production risks, so farmers don’t “put all their eggs in one basket.”
Small fruits such as berries are in demand because of their delicious flavors and their nutritious anti-oxidant properties. In this issue we look at some considerations of growing and marketing small fruits.
(Small fruit crops include: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, loganberries, boysenberries, tayberries, dewberries, gooseberries, currants, kiwifruit, pawpaws, cranberries, lingonberries, huckleberries, elderberries, bilberries, chokeberries, buffalo berries and honeyberries.)
In this issue:
* Marketing Blueberries
* Resources for Marketing Blueberries
* Bramble Fruits: Berries Enhance Crop Mix
* Cool Post-Harvest Techniques for Strawberries
* Pick-Your-Own and U-Pick Enterprises
* Resources About Small Fruits
* ATTRA Resources for Fruit Producers
Marketing Blueberries
—Adapted from the ATTRA publication Blueberries: Organic Production
Consumer demand for blueberries has boomed over the last 10 years, ever since scientific research showed the fruit’s special health benefits. Blueberries are a good source of anti-oxidants and vitamin C. The tannins in blueberries can help prevent urinary tract infections, and half a cup of blueberries contains only 40 calories.
Growers may want to consider organic production to ease consumer health concerns both on and off the farm.
Producers will find a number of marketing options. Fresh blueberries can be sold at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, or “U-pick” operations. There are well-established wholesale markets for fresh and frozen blueberries.
Blueberries are a popular U-pick crop. When acreage exceeds the capacity of U-pick customers, hired labor becomes necessary. One rule of thumb suggests that 10 to 15 pickers per acre are required during the height of the harvest season.
As local retail markets become saturated, many growers also sell their berries through growers’ cooperatives. Value-added processing options include jams, juice, and frozen berries.
On-farm value-added blueberry products require setting up a rural enterprise with considerable planning, management, and start-up expenses. Working with co-packers may be a viable alternative to doing your own processing.
Because blueberries are highly perishable, efficient post-harvest handling is important. Berry flats should be quickly refrigerated after harvest. For commercial growers, a walk-in cooler is a must, as is a grading and packing shed.
Highbush blueberry plants typically start producing in the third season, with yields increasing for the next four years. When the bushes are mature, blueberries yield about three tons per acre.
Because blueberries are expensive to establish and maintain, growers often do not realize a return on their capital investment until the seventh year. Well-maintained blueberry bushes remain productive for at least 15 to 20 years.
Resources for Marketing Blueberries
Blueberry Marketing Options are presented in this publication from the Northwest Berry & Grape Information Network:
http://berrygrape.org/blueberry-marketing
Go Blue! is a good article from New Farm about a New Jersey blueberry farm’s marketing strategies
http://www.newfarm.org/features/0803/NJblue/index.shtml
Wild Blueberry Association of North America promotes marketing and good production practices
http://www.wildblueberries.com
Blueberry budgets from state extension services show costs of production and projected returns. These are useful planning guides when adjusted for local conditions or organic practices.
* California: http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu/files/blueberry_org_sc2007.pdf
* Kentucky: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/budgets.html
* Oregon: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/em/em8526-e.pdf
* Pennsylvania: http://agalternatives.aers.psu.edu/Publications/highbush_blueberry.pdf
* Iowa: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/html/a1-25.html
Bramble Fruits: Berries Enhance Crop Mix
— Adapted from ATTRA’s Organic Culture of Bramble Fruits
A favorite summer treat, berries are increasingly in demand for the healthy anti-oxidants they provide. The delicate ripe fruits are consumed locally, since they do not ship well. These and other small fruits may be good candidates for direct-market sales, either on-farm, U-pick, or at farmers’ markets.
Bramble fruits — blackberries, raspberries, dewberries, tayberries, boysenberries, and loganberries — can be a good crop to add to the production mix for the small-scale and/or part-time farmer. Once established, raspberry plantings, for example, should produce for at least six years, with some types bearing for more than 20 years. Bramble fruits can extend the small producer’s offerings and harvest season. However, since bramble fruits have special production requirements and a very short shelf life and marketing season, growing them is not appropriate for everyone.
High costs of establishment, labor, and irrigation often discourage growers from getting into the bramble market. Economically, raspberries or blackberries are considered to be a medium- to high-risk crop because of the large initial investment, high fixed costs, biological uncertainties such as climate, and the fact that returns are delayed for two or more years.
Can You Make Money Growing Cane Berries?
To help decide, first consider where you will market the berries. Options include wholesalers, cooperatives, local retailers, roadside stands, U-pick operations, farmers’ markets, and processing firms. Many small, independent fruit producers find it increasingly difficult to market their berries through commercial channels. High labor costs and the lack of a profitable wholesale market can make direct marketing much more attractive to small growers.
Before you plant fields, make your marketing arrangements. Since costs are high, it is crucial to locate markets that will pay the premium prices required to turn a profit. U-pick marketing is highly attractive as a low-investment alternative. However, these operations may be required to sell at relatively low prices. See below for more about U-pick enterprises.
It is advantageous to organic and low-input growers to select well-adapted species and varieties, especially those that are genetically resistant to common diseases. By doing so, growers find they have more time and resources to spend on other critical areas, such as weed control. Cultivar information is readily available from state or county cooperative extension services and from local nurseries. It is important to buy from reputable suppliers to ensure virus-free and nematode-free planting stock.
Cool Post-Harvest Techniques for Strawberries
—Adapted from ATTRA’s Strawberries: Organic Production
Strawberries must be picked and handled very carefully. The fruit should be firm, well-colored, and free from rot. When harvested at the right time and handled properly, strawberries will remain in good condition for many days.
Most California- or Florida-grown strawberries found in supermarkets are picked three-quarters ripe to withstand shipping. The color of these strawberries is a full red but the taste can be disappointing. Small-scale growers who pick fruit when it is ripe can easily compete with supermarket berries by offering a tastier, fresher berry to local consumers.
Proper post-harvest handling of strawberries is essential. Cooling the berries will remove field heat and increase shelf life. Harvest early in the day while temperatures are cool and then pre-cool the fruit before shipping or sale. Forced-air cooling is the most common method used for strawberries. The flats are stacked parallel to each other in a cold room with an open space between the stacks. A tarp is then placed over the top and ends of the stacked cartons, with a fan located between stacks. The fan pulls cold air between the stacked flats, removing the field heat from the berries.
It is vital that the fruit be cooled as soon as possible after picking. The more the delay between harvesting and cooling exceeds one hour, the greater the losses to deterioration. Water loss from strawberries can be a problem, so it is critical to maintain high humidity in the cooling facility. Avoid wetting the fruit, though, which can cause decay problems.
Fresh-market strawberries are usually sold in pint or quart baskets. One-piece molded plastic containers called clamshells are also becoming popular. Packing the fruit in traditional pint-size plastic baskets requires considerable time and labor, because buyers grade the fruit according to its arrangement in the flat. This puts additional burden on farmworkers to pack the fruit correctly. Clamshells make the strawberry pickers’ job a little easier. Wholesalers are not as concerned with the appearance of the fruit pack since it looks uniform with the clear lid.
One drawback to the clamshells is the greater difficulty of cooling the fruit. The holes in the containers are not big enough to allow for rapid cooling, so extra time in the forced-air cooler is necessary. The clamshell containers also hold less fruit than the pint baskets and are sometimes sold at a lower price. If you sell wholesale or directly to stores, the buyers may require this type of packaging.
Pick-Your-Own and U-Pick Enterprises
— Adapted from the ATTRA publication Entertainment Farming & Agri-Tourism
Less popular now than in the days of large families and stay-at-home moms, U-pick operations still have the potential to provide some on-farm income. Today U-pick — also known as pick-your-own — enterprises are often part of entertainment farms that offer many family-oriented rural activities.
Pick-your-own farms do best when they are located within an hour’s drive of a population center of at least 50,000 people. Even so, customers will be adversely affected by cold or wet weather or any dramatic rise in the price of gasoline.
Pick-your-own operations bring added responsibility for the grower. Farms must provide restrooms, adequate parking, and a safe entertainment area for small children. Farmers must work with an insurer on liability issues. Organic practices fit well with U-pick operations because the risk of exposure to pesticides is dramatically reduced.
Farm fields and facilities must be kept tidy and attractive. The best mix of vegetables and fruits will depend on customers’ tastes — which are becoming more sophisticated — rather than on what can most easily be grown. Attention to these basics will help build repeat sales, a primary goal of all direct marketing.
Resources for U-Pick Operations
Comprehensive national website for promoting and finding local food: http://www.localharvest.org
Guidelines for Farmers
* Pick Your Own Marketing: http://www.uky.edu/Ag/NewCrops/marketing/pyo.pdf(University of Kentucky, 2010)
* Pick-Your-Own Operations and Farm Stands: Options for Your Business: http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Assets/pdfs/A3811-14.pdf (University of Wisconsin, 2006)
* Pick-Your-Own Markets: www.ag.arizona.edu/arec/pubs/dmkt/Upick-ShouldIgrow.pdf (Oklahoma State University & University of Arizona, 1995)
Websites and Maps for Consumers
* PickYourOwn.org (by state): http://www.pickyourown.org/index.htm#states
* Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources - Pick-Your-Own/U-Pick Farms: http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/pick-your-own.htm
* New Jersey Department of Agriculture — Pick Your Own Fruits & Vegetables: http://www.state.nj.us/jerseyfresh/searches/pyo.htm
* Vermont Agency of Agriculture - Where to Find Vermont Pick Your Own Farms: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/buylocal/buy/pyo_map.html
* Wisconsin Online Apple Orchards and Pick Your Own: http://www.wisconline.com/attractions/orchards.html
* Grow NYC Pick Your Own: http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/pickyourown
* Connecticut Department of Agriculture - Pick-Your-Own Fruits & Vegetables (by county): http://www.ct.gov/doag/cwp/view.asp?a=3260&q=399070
Farm Trail organizations make it easy for consumers to find on-farm produce and agritourism operations. Here are links to some good examples for regions considering this kind of marketing.
* California Farm Trails: http://www.calagtour.org/California_Farm_Trail_Links
* Cranberry Harvest Trail Guide of Cape Cod, Massachusetts: http://www.cranberries.org/cranberries/bog_tours.html
* Homegrown Handmade , Art Roads and Farm Trails of North Carolina: http://www.homegrownhandmade.com
* Michigan Apples Countryside and Backroad Tours: http://www.michiganappletours.com/
Advice for New Agricultural Entrepreneurs
Starting any new enterprise can be risky. Before investing money, time, and energy in an unconventional agricultural business, new entrepreneurs should complete personal, market, project feasibility, and financial evaluations. Workbooks are available to help with questions that arise in enterprise planning.
Technical and managerial assistance is available from a wide variety of sources. These include county extension agents, small business development centers, economic development agencies, banks, tourism agencies, state universities, local community colleges, state departments of agriculture, and local and regional organizations committed to rural economic development. A business plan can then be developed to evaluate the enterprise financially.
Resources about Small Fruits
National Agriculture Library’s Alternative Farming Systems Information Center provides links to the best current information on sustainable and organic production - click Alternative Crops and Plants, then click Specialty, Heirloom and Ethnic Fruits and Vegetables and then click Fruits and Nuts. Or call (301) 504-6559.
http://afsic.nal.usda.gov
Small Fruits Resources website gives numerous links to newsletters, production guides, and information across the country. From Cornell University’s Tree Fruit and Berry Pathology Group
http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/smallfr.shtml
Midwest Small Fruit and Grape Network provides information on management, commercial production, harvesting, and marketing of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, highbush blueberries, and grapes. http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/%7Esfgnet
North American Fruit Explorers is a network of individuals in the U.S. & Canada who share information about growing well-known and minor fruit such as mayhaws, kiwis, persimmons, and pawpaws.
http://www.nafex.org
Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research is a collaboration of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon agricultural experiment stations, USDA-ARS, and the small-fruits industry: (541) 758-4043.
www.nwsmallfruits.org/contact.html
Ohio State University Extension offers links to a large number of newsletters and other resources for small-fruit growers across the country.
http://newfarm.osu.edu/crops/berries.html
Resources about Currants and Gooseberries is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/protecting/sustainable/mfo/mfo-fruit-veg/currants.aspx
Southern Region Small Fruits Consortium offers newsletters, conferences, and strategic marketing for small-fruit producers. From N. Carolina State Univ., Clemson Univ., Univ. of Arkansas, Univ. of Georgia, Univ. of Tennessee, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ.: (919) 515-6963.
http://www.smallfruits.org
ATTRA Resources for Fruit Producers
The following publications can be downloaded for free at the ATTRA http://www.attra.ncat.org website, or you can call 1-800-346-9140 for a free print copy.
* Agroforestry Overview: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=62
* Community Supported Agriculture: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=262
* Direct Marketing: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=263
* Finding Land to Farm: Six Ways to Secure Farmland: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=174
* Holistic Management: A Whole-Farm Decision Making Framework: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=296
* Introduction to Permaculture: Concepts and Resources: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=298
* Keys to Success in Value-Added Agriculture: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=271
* Market Gardening: A Start-up Guide: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=18
* Moving Beyond Conventional Cash Cropping: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=104
* New Markets for Your Crops: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=268
* Organic Market Farm Documentation Forms: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=23
* Organic Orchard, Vineyard, and Berry Crop Documentation Forms: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=68
* Organic Crop Production Overview: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=66
* Postharvest Handling of Fruits and Vegetables: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=74
* Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=52
* Selling to Restaurants: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=266
Small Fruit Publications
* Blueberries: Organic Production: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=14
* Organic Culture of Bramble Fruits: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=15
* Pawpaw Production: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=9
* Organic Production: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=13 Strawberries:
* Tree Fruits: Organic Production Overview: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=2
ATTRA Publications to Guide Farm Enterprise Planning
* Agricultural Business Planning Templates and Resources: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=276
* Adding Value through Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship: Overview and Resources: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=275
* Adding Value to Farm Products: An Overview
: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=270
* Enterprise Budgets and Production Costs for Organic Production: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=187
* Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=264
* Evaluating a Rural Enterprise: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=277
Small-Fruit Pest Management
* Biorationals: Ecological Pest Management Database (online): Reduced-risk materials and ecological management strategies for diseases, insects, mollusks, vertebrates, and weeds.
http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biorationals/
* Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control explains how to employ biodiversity for pest management.http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/farmscape.html
* Biointensive Integrated Pest Management outlines techniques of IPM: http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/ipm.html
New and Updated Publications
* The Organic Chronicles No. 1: Mysteries of Organic Farming Revealed (Hmong-language version): http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=335
* Organic Poultry Production: Providing Adequate Methionine: http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=336
* Worms for Bait or Waste Processing (Vermicomposting): http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=256
ATTRAnews is the bi-monthly newsletter of The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA - which was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The project is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture’s http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/index.html Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the http://www.ncat.org/sarc_current.php NCAT Web site for more information on our other sustainable agriculture and energy projects.
Teresa Maurer, Project Manager
Karen Van Epen, Editor
Mary Ann Thom, e-newsletter production
Subscribe to ATTRAnews
https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/427/personal2.asp?formid=signup
Comments? Questions? Email the Weekly Harvest Newsletter editor Karen Van Epen at karenv@ncat.org.
ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
PO Box 3657
Fayetteville, AR 72702
1-800-346-9140
1-800-411-3222 (Espanol)
http://attra.ncat.org
Copyright 2010 NCAT
NON-DIOXIN-LIKE PCB’s IN FOOD AND FEED - EUROPE: SURVEILLANCE
*************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010
Source: European Food Safety Authority, EFSA Journal 2010; 8(7):1701
[abridged, edited]
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/scdocs/doc/1701.pdf
Results of the monitoring of non dioxin-like PCBs in food and feed
In 2002, the European Commission prescribed a list of actions to be
taken to reduce the presence of dioxins and PCBs in food and feed and
Member States were recommended to monitor the situation. A total of
12 563 food and feed samples collected in the period 1995 - 2008 from
18 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway were retained for a detailed
analysis of the occurrence of the 6 indicator NDL-PCBs (# 28, 52,
101, 138, 153, and 180). Overall, 18.8 percent of the results for
single congeners were below the limit of quantification (LOQ) but
their distribution varied highly between food and feed groups.
PCB-153 and PCB-138 were the most commonly detected congeners.
In food, the highest mean contamination level was observed in fish
and fish derived products followed by eggs, milk and their products,
and meat and meat products from terrestrial animals. The lowest
contamination was observed in foods of plant origin. A similar
pattern was observed in feed where high contamination was reported in
feed containing fish derived products and comparatively very low
levels in feed of plant or mineral origin. The sum of the 6 NDL-PCBs
was on average close to 5 times higher than the sum of the 12
dioxin-like PCBs. This relationship varied across food groups and is
presumably related to the origin of samples and the contamination
source. Country-specific clustering has been observed in several food
and feed groups.
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail
promed@promedmail.org
[PCB’s have been known to penetrate skin and latex gloves. PCB’s are
persistent and do not easily degrade. Health effects from contact or
ingestion cover most of the systems of the body, including skin
rashes and break outs, liver, thyroid, and stomach problems or organ failure.
Many areas in Europe and the America’s have high concentrations in
the environment.
It is probably a late, but proactive move to try to control PCB’s in
food. One has to wonder why this move was not made 20 years ago. - Mod.TG]
Wow, you gave me enough patchwork, quilting projects to last another lifetime. LOL Thanks..
Got a second email today about this - I am sure many here would like to send their best wishes to Jackie for her quick recovery.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/BehindTheScenes/
Jackie Clay injured after fall from roof
August 6th, 2010 by Dave Duffy
The magazine’s most popular writer, Jackie Clay, will be sidelined for a while after fracturing her sternum and compressing three vertebrae when she fell off a barn roof. She was released from the hospital Thursday after a three-day stay.
I talked to Jackie this morning. She’s in a lot of discomfort, but her spirits are upbeat and she’s hoping to get back to blogging Monday. Right now she has difficulty even sitting up and is doing a lot of sleeping to allow time to help with the healing process.
Lisa, the BHM Editorial Coordinator, posted a statement about the accident on Jackie’s blog yesterday.
Here’s what Jackie told me this morning: Will was putting metal roofing on their new storage barn. It was threatening to both rain and blow so she wanted to help him get the roof fastened down. Over Will’s objections, she went up on the roof to help him.
It then started to sprinkle and Will began to slide off the roof. Jackie reached out and grabbed his shins in an effort to stop his slide, but both fell off and hit the ground eight-feet below. Jackie landed on her feet “like a cat” she said, but the impact broke her sternum and compressed the three vertebrae. Will was bruised but broke nothing, and he is back out haying today. Jackie said he just missed landing on a metal trash can, which could have injured him seriously.
Jackie was ambulanced to a local hospital, then helicoptered to St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth when her oxygen numbers went too low and doctors feared her sternum was bleeding into a lung. A CAT scan revealed it was just fluid from lying down, not blood.
They sent Jackie home yesterday wearing a medical corset and told her to rest until she sees the orthopedic surgeon again in about a week. She said she can take a few steps but is otherwise not able to sit up for very long, so she is doing a lot of sleeping. Luckily, she said, Will is a good cook.
Jackie said there is a moral in this story: “Don’t be in too big a hurry to use a safety rope. We give advice to others about how to do things, but then we sometimes neglect to take precautions ourselves.”
This message consists of the following:
1. Fisher-Price Recalls Little People Play ‘n Go Campsite(tm) Due to Choking Hazard,
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10313.html
2. Belle Vanity Benches Sold Exclusively at Tuesday Morning Stores Recalled By LaMont Limited,
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10314.html
3. CPSC Public Calendar, http://www.cpsc.gov/calendar.html
OK, got a question to everyone out there....
I heard an extended advertisement on our local Conservative talk radio from a Liquor Store down at the beach. The owner is pretty creative and includes some very unusual things.
Anyway, he was talking about 101 things to use vodka for other than drinking...
One of those he mentioned was for long term storage of grains and dehydrated foods. He said that if you laid a piece of waxed paper over your food in a 5 gallon (or other size) container, and saturated a couple of folded paper towels with vodka, put it in on top of the waxed paper, then sealed the pail, that there would be no spoilage or insects at all... Initially my thought was hmmm, great idea, then thinking that vodka was 50% or so water, so maybe 95% grain alcohol would be better...
So, question is - has anyone tried, heard of, or thought of doing this? If you did, what was the outcome - or share your thoughts?
Curious minds want to know... Well, at least I do... LOL
Man, I haven’t a clue! I’ll be curious to see what others have to say about it, though.
I always have several bottles of Clear Springs grain alcohol on hand for tinctures. I never heard of it being used for strong grains. I wonder why this would work.
I just put some bay leaves in my buckets or gallon jars of grains for bugs and try to rotate and use up stuff before it goes bad. In several years I’ve only had a few things go bad, usually things that got “lost”!
Never heard that before. Thanks.
Well, the main thing you want to do with grain storage is remove the oxygen and keep out pests and humidity. I’m not sure that vodka would kill pests (unless they were somehow attracted to the smell, crawled onto the paper towels, and died or got drunk and passed out), and I don’t see how the vodka would remove oxygen.
Got a second email today about this - I am sure many here would like to send their best wishes to Jackie for her quick recovery.
http://www.backwoodshome.com/blogs/BehindTheScenes/
Jackie Clay injured after fall from roof<<<
Jackie will be in my prayers.
This has to be a disaster for them, so much to do and half the team down.
She will be missed, for there are many other groups that watch her for guidance.
Thank you for letting us know she needs prayers.
Wow, you gave me enough patchwork, quilting projects to last another lifetime. LOL Thanks..<<<
Good, for you have heard that it is not good for the hands to be idle...
Hope some of them suited your needs.
Thanks for the valuable list of links, one of these days, I will take time to chase some of the freebies out there.
Using a throw away mailbox, for it will generate a lot of spam.
The best Chili powders that I ever used, came from a free sample ad, when I first went on the internet.
>>>Well, the main thing you want to do with grain storage is remove the oxygen and keep out pests and humidity<<<
Well, let me add another thing I heard somewhere -
If you put a very fine steel wool pad (the kind you use for ultra fine finishes between coats of lacquer paint) in an envelope in your bucket, the small bit of moisture (because it is never 0%) will oxidize the steel wool and lock up the free oxygen in the container.
>>>I’m not sure that vodka would kill pests<<<
I am assuming that the vapors destroy the avioles in their thorax like gasoline does to wasps, dropping them fast.
Maybe a combination of the two - should be cheaper than a whole handful of oxygen absorber caps...
P.S. I currently buy Bay Leaves by the pound and use them liberally.
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