Week 5

This has been the weirdest summer of my life. Weather wise we have been in a cool, rainy pattern since spring. While it is officially summer now and after the Fourth of July, it has warmed up only just this week. Many crops are coming in later than usual, or not at all. Hay production has been an ordeal. To get just part of a field in you need three days of clear weather, and four is better. Unfortunately, it seems to rain every other day. Most farms that grow strawberries have had mold problems because of the wet weather. If you like broccoli, you are in luck. It has been an outstanding year for this vegetable. All around, this has been a difficult year for growers.

It has been weird for my family in more ways than the weather. We are doing some renovations on our house which has caused quite a bit of upheaval. Due to the chimney fire we had in the spring, the whole chimney will be torn out in September and redone. Since we rely on the wood stove for our heat and cooking this is making me anxious, because I like things all settled before the cold weather sets in. Our wood supply is not in yet, and we are going into the winter with no cows in milk, which has never happened in the ten years since we have had cows. Also, my whole focus has shifted from outside on the farm to taking on more management responsibilities at the practice. We have taken on an associate veterinarian to help us, and the business is growing fast. I have more responsibilities than I ever dreamed of. None of this is necessarily bad, just different.

What’s this have to do with the blog, you say? Nothing really, but part of the weirdness is the way we are eating, and the project that goes along with it -- the project my husband is now starting to call more often than not “the weird local eating, not going to the store project that my wife is doing.” Tristan calls it “the blog thing.” I am sensing a small loss of interest on their part, and a wish to go back to the store. (Yes, some slight sarcasm here.)  Really, we are not eating that weirdly. We are eating meat, fish, excellent cheeses, a lot of veggies, and our bread products which are all homemade from whole wheat flour. Some of the meals we have are successes and some are complete bombs. The meals that bomb are the reason we have a lot of homemade ice cream in stock. If what I make completely sucks I just tell them you can have ice cream after dinner and the pout faces usually clear up.

But wait. All this food came from New Hampshire, didn’t it? Much of it is also home grown and organic. That is weird. No one eats like that. A month ago I would have said we eat pretty well, I now look back and realize I had no clue. Almost every food item coming into the house now doesn't have a label on it. That is because it is real whole food. The pantry is now down to glass jars filled with what we use. Jars that can go back to the health food store, and be refilled. There are no more jars of stuff from the store. Most of our store-bought can goods are gone except beans, pumpkin and cans of tomatoes. Our freezer is filled with our own meats and berries, and whatever veggies I have started to put up. The fridge has milk, cheese, butter, jam, vegetables and a few stray condiments. There could possibly be a beer or two in there as well. No one is starving. We are now eight hundred dollars ahead in the checking account because I have not been grocery shopping at a “normal” store. I have lost seven pounds. No way in hell am I stopping this little project right now. I just keep saying to myself, “one more week.”

This was week five, and we had wonderful surprises in our veggie box this time. Two eggplants, which I have never cooked with, and some bok choy, also something I have never used. We received two heads of lettuce, which I gave away because we have tons coming in from our garden. Cucumbers! My absolute favorite vegetable of all time. Those I polished off for lunch. Basil and kale -- I knew I would have to deal with it at some point. I have been looking up recipes for the eggplant and I’m thinking Baba Ganoush. I can make some pita breads from our flour share to go with it. For the bok choy I found a recipe for bok choy with garlic sauce. Snow peas -- I forgot about those! These are Tristan’s favorite and he will munch on those raw for snacks. Scallions too, we love them, and three tiny zucchini. A great veggie week. All the vegetables were fresh and clean and well packed, and they came very early.

For dairy we chose two raw milk cheddar and one smoked cheddar, which is the best smoked cheese I have had anywhere. At some point in time we are supposed to get some broiler chickens which we are really starting to look forward to. I think maybe they haven't slaughtered yet. Our one dozen eggs came along with three bags of flour, I didn't get the message to them in time about what kind of flour I wanted. So they sent all three kinds, which was very nice, but I need to send two back. I will call them about this. If they are willing, maybe I can just keep them and not get any more flour until week thirteen. I was going through a lot of flour at first, but now it has slowed down due to the boys waning enthusiasm for whole wheat bread products. Our most fantastic meal of the week was Brookford’s pork chops on the grill with homemade BBQ sauce, and roasted beets with lemon and cultured butter. Sweet beets, and yummy porky goodness. It tasted like a very happy pig.

My next little bit of housekeeping is about the farm’s customer service, their quality, and the flurry of messages on our answering machine. Evidently the employees at Brookford have been reading my blog. (Hi, guys.) I am flattered. Actually quite a lot of people have been reading it. I am surprised. Anyway, I have had a few messages on the machine responding to some of the things I have said here. My understanding is that the managers at the farm are trying very hard to get things under control and are starting to do a good job at getting it all sorted. The quality of the vegetables have improved, and the farm now calls us back if we have a question or problem. It is my understanding that in addition to managing a particular part of the farm’s operation these employees go to farmers’ markets and could possibly be doing some other chores as well. This is possibly the biggest problem they have, if this is true. I have found in a business the manager must do just that, manage. The manager needs to have a working knowledge of all aspects of the business, but not be expected to routinely help with the general operations.

Some of our milkers, enjoying their hay.

After returning phone calls and emails, dealing with customers who are dissatisfied with their products, checking on quality control, meeting with the other heads of departments they must be tired. Is their manager spending anytime visiting drop off sites? Maybe dropping in to the Concord Co-op to see why they are telling customers that they are out of Brookford farm eggs and don't know when there will be more, as we overheard when we were there? Riding along for a day with one of the delivery people? Doing some random calling to families who have the expensive whole diet share to ask how it's going? If the answer to these questions is, "I would but I don't have time because I am going to the Farmers’ market today," then there’s a problem. Maybe a farm is different? No, it shouldn't be. It is first and foremost a small business. A business’ purpose is to make money, and for its employees to be able to earn a living. If a business is also a sustainable farm, that is providing a secure food source for a lot of New Hampshire residents, and providing a source of employment for people whose lifelong ambition is to farm, awesome.

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The front garden, with potatoes, onions, garlic and leaks.