Week 21: Pine Stump Farm

Carey Hunter leads her milking goats from pasture to their evening pen at Pine Stump Farm.

It's a Beautiful rainy Monday morning here at 8^th Street Greens.  The weather is finally matching the time of season.  The smell of dampened sage and dust is lovely.  My kids are so cute in their rain coats.   The salad has really slowed its growth.  The lettuce misses the longer days of sunlight.  I planted extra for the fall season but it still isn't enough.  The quail ate my last planting of greens.  There's some little stubs re-growing, but it's sparse.  Those little buggers!  We are cutting the salad for the stores and restaurant orders only, yet again going light on the little plants.  However, the field is abundant with chard, kale, and the bok choy family of greens.  Providing the CSA with stir-fry greens instead of salad gives the plants time to grow for next week, in the hopes of putting it in your box once more.  Also, we must not be hard on us harvesters.  When we are “scrounging for greens”  it stretches into a very long morning and can feel tough on the knees and backs. 

This lucky doe got to keep her glamorous horns.

Thanks to all the harvesters this year.  We've gone through several crews this year, due to their own life schedules they come and go.  But they've all been wonderful folks with strong bodies and good smiles and a love of healthy clean food!  I've survived training, and training again, and training again.  I think it makes the business less economically sustainable and gives me stress from uncertainty, but at least we're staying reliable.  A Big Thank-You to Heather!  She wins The Stead-fast Harvester Award of 2011.  She's been here, without fail, every Wednesday morning by 6 am or so, since early May.  And thanks to all the box-packers, who so intelligently work the “rubiks cube” that is packing, every Thursday morning.  They figure out my lists, I ask how I can help, then they get it done and then I go zooming off on deliveries – to Tonasket then Mazama, yee hah!  There's actually only ever one packer, plus me, but yes, we've been through a few this year because of college and stuff.

Carey noticed this doeling kneeling too much, and promptly trimmed it's hooves to make the goat more comfortable.

So, I tried to find Eggplant but didn't find any farmers with enough so you get tomatoes one more time.  I'll be planting lots of eggplant next year.  Along with many other crops.  Summer squash, even!   I miss growing all the pretty food.  Eggplant makes such an amazing flower and fruit.  It is Truly Captivating in its appearance. 

This week's box:  braising greens (rinsed 3 times) and garlic from 8^th Street Greens; carrots, #2  tomatoes and sweet peppers from Yonder Farm; and Dapple Dandies from Bartella's Orchard.  

Fruit Share:  extra Dapple Dandies, Concord pears from Bunny Laine and Canadice Sweet Grapes from Bunny Laine.  The cheese this week is from Pine Stump Farm. 

This week's chesese from Pine Stump Farm: Aged Gouda.

I've sure been enjoying my kale bunch.  It sits as a bouquet, on the kitchen counter in a canning jar of water, all perked up and crisp.  I use a few leaves as needed in a fry of potatoes, leftover rice, or bowl of soup.  It's quite convenient and watches sentinel over our good health.

Pine Stump's herd is a mix of many different breeds of goats. 

Phoebe, the photographer for the blogspot, went on a tour of Carey and Albert's farm (Pine Stump).  She took photos of and visited with the goats who give the milk to make the cheese.  So if you wanna see cute pictures of cute goaties, check it out!  And a “thank-you so much!” goes out to CSA shareholders Kathy and Parker for hosting a sweet and savory dinner for myself, Chuck and Samantha (also shareholders) and Phoebe.  Parker chef-ed up a delicious meal from his and Kathy's  ½ share produce CSA box and Chuck's full share box with fruit and cheese.  Phoebe took photos.  Kathy made a delicious pear and apple tart.  I was wishing I had brought crackers from the Okanogan Bakery for the black pepper and garlic chevre.  Then we would have had a 100% local meal, the wine was even from Lost River. I'm hoping the blog will help enlist CSA members for the 2012 season, as they'll be able to see the radiant food on display via the pictures.

This goat gets her evening meal after working so hard to give us cheese. She eats fresh hay made by Albert, Carey's husband, under the farm's namesake trees.

Well, folks, I hope you're all doing well.  The pumpkins are looking good and Watershine says the Red Kuri squash will be ripe for next week's box.  AND, you might just get beets one more time! :)

Best  ~~shannon

Carey is not only a goat herder and cheese-maker, but she also teaches therapeautic horseback riding classes. She is standing in front of some artwork that is built into the side of her home.