Days 2-4 Michigan Adventure '09

By our second day of camp, we had found our stride. We were more organized and cooking better meals. And coffee came quicker in the morning.

We'll definitely do this again, though we've learned a few lessons, like this Farmgirl needs to be comfortable or nobody's going to have a good time.

I bought a blow-up mattress from the Betsie River camp store, aka the mini-Wal-Mart, one minute before the store closed. Second night was much better, except for the bitter cold. Temps dropped to the low 40s, so we were up a bunch making sure the kids were warm. And I ended up sharing a sleeping bag with Future Farmgirl. Good gravy that kid can squirm.

Pix below tell the story of our trip highlights. Except there's no pictures from Glenn Puit's visit to our campsite. Was great to see our old colleague from the Flo Mo in South Carolina.



More pix later, if I have the energy to lift the camera. I'm beat and, tonight, have taken to my bed. It'll be room service or starvation tonight.

Day 1 of Michigan Adventure '09

We finally got out of Oak Park around 10:45 a.m. after a quick trip to the bike shop to be sure we weren't going to rip the spoiler off our van and cause an accident on the interstate.

In no time we were across the border an at Redamak's in New Buffalo, Mich. We learned to stick with the legendary burgers. The rest of the food is just so so.

We missed a key exit at one point after that, which led us to explore a bit of Paw Paw Lake and the cute little towns that surround it.

By 4:30, we were in Manistee. We'd driven through this lovely little river village last year and vowed to return. Sadly, many of the interesting restaurants have closed. Michigan is hurting in this economy, but I had no idea the resortish areas were being hit so hard. It's like a ghost town in some quarters here...and it's Saturday in high season.

We're benefiting from the quiet beaches, short lines and no traffic.



Tomorrow we head to Sleeping Bear Dunes after we set up camp near Franfort and Betsie Bay. More pix...probably later in the week after we get to Traverse City.

Biggest CSA Challenge: How Am I Going to Use This on Vacation?

I'm very pleased with my 1/2 share, week two.

But I'm thinking I may need to give a big portion of it to a neighbor or co-workers unless I can figure this into our camp menu for the coming week.

I'd hate to have to give away this red cabbage. Maybe we'll do fish tacos tomorrow and whip up a batch of cabbage & kohlrabi coleslaw to take with us on the road.

Here's this week's box inventory:

1. Red Cabbage
2. Cauliflower
3. Bulb Shallots
4. Mini Onions
5. Kohlrabi
6. Sage
7. Cucumbers
8. Zucchini
9. Snap Peas
10. Kale Medley
11. Garlic Scapes
12. Lemon Balm
13. Bunched Turnips

Skip the Canned Foods Aisle and Give Beets Another Try

If you think you don't like beets, my guess is that you've only ever been exposed to the pickled and canned varieties.

But I urge you to set aside those smells and flavors and pick up one of the red, yellow and/or orange varieties at your farmers market. You can boil or saute them. But if you want to be wowed by the flavor, set your oven to 375 degrees and roast.

Roasting draws out the natural sugars in the beets. And if you chop them and toss them in olive oil, sea salt and a bit of balsamic vinegar, they'll caramelize. [Next time I'm going to try them on the grill.]

With any remaining vinegar and oil, I toss in some walnuts and toast those after the beets for about five to 10 minutes.

Serve with goat cheese and mixed greens and you'll surely impress your spouse, your guests and your taste buds.

Check out this great combo in January's New York Times. Here's the NYTs recipe for Beet and Radicchio Salad w/ Goat Cheese and Pistachios.

Photo from skrockodile's flickr photostream.

Cooking Up a Pepper Spray to Ward Off My Furry Neighbors

I'm glad to learn that I'm not the only one in my area with a squirrel problem....not because I want to share the misery, but because I want to learn how they've overcome this gardening threat.

These pesky little rodents will eat just about anything. They dig for my bulbs and, it turns out, they love my tomatoes. I have an added concern about raccoons, which I know for certain (see photographic evidence) are spending time in my backyard.

I'm guessing these furry critters will steer clear of my jalapenos. But I really would like a tomato crop this season. So I'm on the hunt for a good animal repellent.

One my fellow Twitterers @OakParkerr pointed me to a cayenne spray, Bonide Hot Pepper Wax Animal Repellent, that she bought at Good Earth Garden Center.

Then I came across a post from another Oak Park gardener, MicroFarmer, who provided a link to an eHow recipe to make my own.

When I get my energy back, I'll whip up a batch and see if that does the trick.

93 & Still Baling Hay

Great feature in the Chicago Tribune today about Harold Bergman, who is one of the last 184 farmers working the land in Cook County.

And he's doing more than just driving the tractor. This scrappy 93-year-old is still wrestling 200 50-pound bales of hay a season.

The iFarmer can attest that baling is not a job for the faint of heart.

Sadly though, his last 38 acres is up for sale. [The Cook County Forest Preserve condemned 150-acres of his land in the 1960s.]

Because of encroaching residential development, the property is likely destined to house houses.

Too bad really...we have enough housing stock in the region. But with estimated values hitting a max of $13 million, it isn't likely that these last 38 acres will remain farmland. That's an irresistible price.

One thing the article doesn't address is where horse owners will get their hay once Bergman officially retires. It's getting tougher and tougher for animal owners to find hay suppliers.

Click on the above image to see the Trib's photo gallery of Bergman.

Water Wars Break Out in California

I'm taking advantage of my down time from what is apparently a nasty summer cold to catch up on my ag news.

Turns out I've missed a lot, namely the water wars that are well underway in California. Nearly 4,000 farmers, farmworkers and their supporters took to the streets in Fresno to protest regulations that have cut water supplies to one of the nation's most bountiful regions. Check this AP story in the Mercury News for more.

Anyone who's looked at a map or has seen the Milagro Beanfield War knows that access to water is literally the lifeblood of modern agriculture. Without irrigation, large corporate farms and growing such diverse crops in far-flung areas would be next to impossible.

Indeed, the AP story has this quote:

"Water makes the difference between the Garden of Eden and Death Valley."

That observation was from comedian Paul Rodriguez, who is speaking on behalf of the Latino Water Coalition, which is lobbyiing for a change in water delivery policies.

In California, one of the big conflicts is between farmers, who are pressing for more water for irrigation, and fisherman, who've been suffering for years because of drought conditions in the area's delta region.

But if you think this is an issue only isolated to these groups in this region, think again.

"The reality is that the amount of water available for agriculture — and not only in California — is going to shrink," writes Susan Crowell for Farm & Dairy.

Crowell's advice for the Midwest?

Preserve and conserve.

Getting the Most of My CSA

Had my first bite of Swiss chard tonight. I sauteed it up with chopped garlic in a buttery olive oil mixture. The taste was strong, so I softened it with a little lemon squirt.

I served it with pan fried scallops.

My side dish was another farm-fresh favorite: zucchini, diced tomato and Basmati rice heated through. That's one of my favorite ways to cook up zukes (and okra). Toss in some hot pepper flakes for an extra kick or some basil for a fresh flavor.