Slow Down Your Travels

The days are getting noticeably longer.  I don't really pay attention for a few days, then miracle of miracles: we're doing chores at 5 pm and don't have to wear headlamps to see the cows.  I can't recall having enjoyed the winter quite so much in the past.  I'm finding that if I dress warmly enough and keep active, the cold doesn't bother me too much.  Sunshine, fresh air, and physical exertion in January are most definitely the antidotes to the winter blues.  I admit that it's also been unseasonably, weirdly warm (45 degrees and sunny today), which also helps even though I'm not a big fan of climate change.

In addition to business and crop planning classes, this week we visited Ron Mott, of Mott Iron Works, for welding lessons.  Welding is a good skill to have if you decide that you want to repair your own farm equipment, or even if you're just interested in using an incredibly hot torch to melt pieces of metal together wearing a cool helmet.  Ron is a second-generation fabricator and does mostly custom ornamental work throughout New England.  Check out his portfolio - he's amazing: http://www.mottironworks.com/index.html  He lives with his family in North Orange, not even 2 miles from the school!  What a great resource for us to have.  Oh, and he's also a really nice guy and a good teacher.

Here you can see what "laying down a welding bead" looks like when newbies practice.  Ron assured us that we did a good job.  See...nice guy. 

                                          

His best advice?  When laying down a bead, take your time and go slow to make sure you get a good weld. He would frequently tell us, "Slow down your travels."  Excellent advice, Ron Mott.  Excellent advice.

Here's a photo of Ron's studio.  The wood structures are molds for iron railings.

From left, in disguise: Theo, Grace, Keith, Jason, Liz.  May the force be with you.

Readying for Spring

The North Orange fields are getting a makeover.  Trees and brush have been slowly encroaching on the open spaces, limiting the sun exposure and good airflow that are so important for the healthy growth of vegetable crops.  Our growers, Stephen and Tyson, are ecstatic about this project.  We've spent many a January day felling trees, cutting and burning brush, and bucking and splitting firewood.  The beautiful stone walls that line the fields, ubiquitous in New England, are starting to reveal themselves in a big way.

This type of maintenance work is constant; in a few more years the process will have to be repeated.  Good news for future student farmers...lots of chainsaw and wood splitting practice!

                

I'm happy to report that I've successfully learned how to split firewood.  Nothing beats the right axe and a few good teachers.

Winter on the Farm

The best way to describe my week is in pictures.

Monday sunset...

Moving hay...

 

 Grace checks out the view

 Keith at the helm

  Small engines class...

  Theo, Josh and Grace

Maggie with Keith and Jason  

Baking and freezing the rest of the squash harvest...

 Amber and Nathaniel

 Eliot Coleman has sketched out my ideal farm...

Friday's weather becomes seasonable...

Good thing the ladies have all that wool

A New Year

We've just arrived back on the farm after a break for the holidays.  Boy, did we pack it in this week!  We cleared and burned brush to make new pasture for the cows in the spring.  We transported a huge amount of hay down to the Waslaske Barn for the cows' winter diggs.  Our business consultant Ray gave us a great class on farm accounting.  We felled trees and split firewood.  We fortified cow and sheep fences.

We had our first session on crop planning with Tyson and Stephen.  Here's the homework assignment:
You have a farm with 6 contiguous acres of sandy loam somewhere very near Orange, MA.
You have a 100 member CSA. Work to create the following: A CSA box plan for 6 weeks (2 early season (mid to late June), 2 mid season (Late August/Early September), and 2 late season (Mid October – Early November).  The average value of your shares should be $30 though it is OK if your early shares are a little lighter and your later shares are a little heavier – that’s the nature of the season.

Carlin started a five class series on "The One Acre Farm."  In the spring we'll be expanding our kitchen garden!  Our first assignment?  Determine how much we need to grow and store to support the farmhouse community of twenty people in the winter from October to April.  This includes storable crops like root vegetables and canned/frozen/dried items.

And on Friday, my classmate, Grace, and I made lunch.  And not just any lunch.  Pulled pork sandwiches from a Farm School-raised pig.  Home-baked buns.  BBQ sauce from scratch.  Squash and roasted potatoes.  Spinach fresh from the hoop house (in January!) with a cilantro lime yogurt dressing. Chocolate coconut cream cheese cookies and snickerdoodles.  A hearty winter meal...too bad naptime wasn't scheduled in the afternoon.  I've never been a huge fan of pork, but our pork is pretty amazing.  Here's the recipe:

Perfect Pulled Pork

1 whole Boston butt

Dry Rub
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp paprika
1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 qts cold water
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp dry rub mix
Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.

Pork shoulder preparation:
Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family!

From http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/perfect-pulled-pork-slow-roasted-seasoned-savory.html 

We didn't use a thermometer but just cooked it straight through for 12 hours at 225 degrees. Perfect.

Le chef. Le sous chef is taking photo.