Beauty in the Branches

“Farming is a Profession of Hope” 
― Brian Brett

Beauty in the Branches

By Farmers Richard and Andrea

   You may be wondering why we offer bunches of decorative curly willow and pussy willow every spring with the first two CSA deliveries.  Didn’t I sign up for a vegetable CSA?  Yes, our focus is on growing vegetables, but the willows are an important part of creating biodiversity on our farm thereby adding health and vitality to our vegetable production.  

   One winter back in the early nineties, it was cold and windy with little to no snow cover.  We had had some fields with late fall crops in them and there wasn’t enough time to plant and establish a cover crop after the vegetables were harvested.  Richard remembers seeing precious soil blowing off the fields that winter, so he decided to put in a hedgerow to provide a windbreak and prevent further erosion.  Curly willow and pussy willow varieties were chosen because they also would provide a saleable decorative product.  Little did we know we’d discover much more value from having these plants as part of our ecosystem.  Not only do they add beauty to our landscape and provide a windbreak, they also serve as habitat for birds, beneficial insects and creatures that are an important part of managing pest insects and pollinating our fruit and vegetables crops

Organic systems require more complicated production techniques than simply spraying chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  However, if you let nature do its thing, you don’t really have to do much except let the intricate natural system unfold.  Our willow hedgerows provide a permanent area that serves both as a refuge as well as a habitat.  When you set aside an area as a permanent “refuge,” you provide a place for critters to go when you work the field.  If we can keep them “on the sidelines,” they’ll be ready to move back into the fields after we’ve worked the ground.  We want creatures, such as ground beetles, in our fields because they eat weed seeds and other predatory pests.  The other benefit with having undisturbed ground in the hedgerow is that it provides a place for other creatures to live.  Some, such as goldfinches, may prefer to make nests in the branches.  Many beneficial bees and wasps are often ground dwellers, so they need undisturbed ground to nest in and raise their young. 

Every spring the pussy willow catkins (little fuzzy soft things everyone likes to touch) are buzzing with bees and wasps.  The pussy willows provide these critters with a source of nourishment early in the spring before other spring flowers are in bloom.  Bees are important pollinators for crops such as strawberries, watermelons, melons and squash.  We like to see the wasps because they help to control pest insects by attacking the larval or immature stages of whiteflies, moths, leaf beetles, cabbageworms, slugs and other pest insects that might cause problems with the crops in our fields. 

There’s another cool thing happening with the wasps in the willow. The willow produces a protein-rich sap from its branches.  There is a black aphid that likes to feed on the sap.  The black aphid isn’t a pest in our fields and confines itself to the willow branches.  This aphid consumes the protein in the sap, and exudes a sugary “honeydew” from its back.  Beneficial wasps love to feed on the honeydew on the backs of the aphids.  These predatory wasps help us to control our cabbageworm populations.  They can be seen carrying cabbageworms out of the fields to feed to their young larvae.  Small parasitic wasps also control the worms by injecting their eggs into the cabbageworms.  The cabbageworm then is host to the young wasp larvae that feed on the body of the cabbageworm after they hatch. 

In the winter, after all the leaves have fallen off the branches, we go to the wintry wonderland of our fields and trim the curly and pussy willow trees.  We need to keep them trimmed back so we can maintain our field roads that run alongside the hedgerows.  We also trim them to keep them thinned so there is room for new growth.  We carry out the branches we’ve cut off the trees and bring them into the packing shed, making giant piles in our coolers.  Over the winter our packing shed crew bundles them into the beautiful decorative bunches.  We are careful to take enough to maintain the space and the tree, but also make sure we leave enough branches to ensure it is a welcoming place for birds, bees, wasps and other critters to return to in the spring.  Some years we may have a lot and other years may be more limited.  While we enjoy their beauty in our homes, we have to remember they have to first serve their purpose in the field.

Curly willow and pussy willow branches are a very low-maintenance decoration to enjoy in your home or office.  Display the stems in a vase or container of your choosing.  They don’t require water and can last for years!!  You may add them to a vase of flowers with water for a short time, but they may sprout and produce roots.  If that happens, find a place to plant it in your yard and see what creatures take up residence in your space!

  

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Let's Not Mince Words: Garlic Is Grrreat!

By:  Lisa Garvalia

   Green garlic is young, immature garlic which is harvested before the bulb forms. It looks similar to a green onion or scallion. It has a white bulb and green, flat leaves.  The flavor is more mild than that of green onions or scallions, and it has a pleasant garlic scent. The entire plant may be eaten, from the bulb to the green leaves. Green garlic should be stored in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in your crisper drawer and should be used up within 5-7 days.

   When we harvest mature garlic in July, we put it in the greenhouse to dry. Once dried, we carefully sort the garlic and set aside the bulbs with the largest cloves and no signs of disease.  This is our seed stock for the next crop.  When it’s time to plant garlic in October, we crack the bulbs and separate the individual cloves.  If there are any smaller cloves on a bulb, we set those aside and this is what we plant for green garlic.  We also save small bulbs of garlic and give them a purpose by using them for green garlic seed as well.  The cloves for green garlic are planted just 2 inches apart, in contrast to 6-8 inch spacing for regular garlic that we want to grow to a full-sized bulb.

   Green garlic may be used in many of the same ways regular garlic or green onions are used, either fresh or cooked. Green garlic has a stronger flavor when raw, but mellows a bit with cooking. To use the green garlic, cut off the roots and give it a quick washing. Chopped green garlic tastes great in risotto, adding the chopped greens at the end of cooking. Green garlic can be added fresh to salads, again don’t forget to add the greens. It is also a great addition to soups, or sautéed with mushrooms and onions to eat with grilled beef or chicken. Drizzle a little olive oil on asparagus and whole green garlic stalks, add a little salt and freshly ground pepper and grill. Green garlic also makes a wonderful tasting aioli to add to your favorite sandwich. Green garlic is one of the many spring treats we get to enjoy after a long winter!!

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CSA: It's Not Just for Veggies Anymore!

It's not too late to sign up as we do still have shares available!

Yes, we have our hearty Vegetable shares that people have loved for over 20 years. But we also have Organic Fruit, Meat & Coffee shares available, so don't delay! Bring in a friend and you'll receive a referral coupon for each new member who lists you on their sign-up form.

We still have room at all of our CSA sites in all delivery locations  including the Twin Cities, MN; Madison, WI; and our local area including Viroqua, La Crosse & Onalaska, WI.

See our Sign-Up Form for share options and pricing.

We look forward to being your CSA farm for the 2017 season!

We Bring You Our Meat Clubs - And a Special Offer!

This week we’ve focused on sharing with you the different aspects of the meats we offer through our CSA – from how it is raised to how to best cook our certified organic, 100% grass-fed Angus beef and organic pastured pork. So what’s the best way to get some of this delicious meat into your freezer at home?

Let us introduce you to our Meat Clubs! No worries, there is no password or secret hand shake to this club – all are welcome equally. So what are these meat club shares that we are so excited about? Our meat club shares allow individuals to sign up for multiple 15 pound meat packages to be delivered throughout the year. With the meat club you are able to sign-up for these deliveries with one easy purchase and at a discounted price! We deliver our meat shares five times a year: May, June, November, December, and January. Our 3 delivery meat club signs you up for a delivery in June, November and January, whereas our 5 delivery meat club gets you a delivery on each these five deliveries. You can choose to start whenever it is convenient for you! The packages will contain either all beef or a mix of beef and pork. 

Wondering if you’ll have freezer space? Here is a picture of our own freezer with a 15-pound meat share tucked inside! It only takes up a 10”(L) x 10”(H)” x 14”(Depth) space! Plenty of room for all your other frozen goodies!

 

Why sign-up for our Meat Club? There are plenty of reasons! Here are a few that we think are worth highlighting:

1.  Save money - When you order up front, you’ll save money versus buying individual packages before each month’s delivery.
2. Order once and be good to go for the year – No need to pay attention to deadlines for sign-up. You’ll be scheduled across a whole year so you can sit back and relax
3. These shares were designed to better meet the needs of smaller households or for those with limited freezer space - 15 pounds takes up very little space in your freezer but it will always be stocked with freshly frozen meat.
4. You can spread your payments out over 6 months when you sign up for our meat club.

So now that you know all the reasons why the meat clubs are a great option, what comes with each of these deliveries? We have preselected different meat packages for each meat club option. Below is a list of the different packages for each club and their delivery month (The descriptions of these different packages can be found here: http://www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com/HVFMeatOrderForm.pdf

3 Delivery Meat Club (all packages are 15 pounds each):

June: All-Beef Mixed Pack

November: Beef and Pork Variety Pack

January: Beef and Pork Family Pack

5 Delivery Meat Club (all packages are 15 pounds each):

May: All-Beef Burger and Steak Pack

June: All-Beef Mixed Pack

November: Beef and Pork Family Pack

December: Beef and Pork Variety Pack

January: Beef and Pork Variety Pack

If this doesn’t have your mouth watering yet, wait until we tell you our special offer that is running through the end of September:

Sign-up for either our 3 or 5 delivery Meat Clubs by September 30, 2013 starting in November, December or January and receive a free copy of Shannon Hayes’ “The Grass-Fed Gourmet Cookbook.”

Not only is this cookbook a great resource for recipes, it is loaded with tips on cooking grass-fed beef and pastured pork in addition to educational materials surrounding a grass-fed and pastured lifestyle. Visit Shannon’s blog to learn more about this cookbook: http://www.shannonhayes.org/farm-and-book-store/shannons-books-hard-copies/ Use the coupon below or mention ClubCookbook when ordering to take advantage of this offer. (Offer is valid on orders post-marked by September 30, 2013. Meat club must be started with either our November 2013, December 2013, or January 2014 meat deliveries. Not valid on previous orders. Coupon or coupon code must be included to redeem offer. No cash value. Limit one cookbook per customer.)

 Find our Sign-Up Form Here: http://www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com/HVFMeatOrderForm.pdf

A Day in the Life of a Pig on Pasture

We have always enjoyed having animals on our farm, both for the ambiance they add to the farm as well as the multiple purposes they serve.  But then there is just the sheer enjoyment of watching their behaviors.  If you were to take a moment to observe our pigs, you would quickly learn that their days are not so rough, they are very happy and content creatures and quite entertaining as well.  So just what exactly do our pigs do all day?  More than you would think!  They are very busy creatures, or at least they appear so!!!

Pigs in a wallow

Their day starts out once the sun is up.  They don’t rise and shine quite like the chickens that share their pastures, there’s a little more grunting involved.  Once they’re up and moving, they wait for breakfast, which is their modest morning ration of organic barley, corn and flax meal.  They get just enough to take the edge off and give them some energy to go exploring.  Seldom do you see them at “home” during the day.  There is far too much excitement up on the hillsides.  They busy themselves rooting around their 20 acre wooded hillside and pasture, exploring every nook and cranny to see what treat they can find.  Eating a bite here, a dug up root there.  They look like they enjoy it and they are just doing what pigs are naturally inclined to do—root around and use their snout to dig up underground treasures!   These days they make a special effort to check the hundreds of wild apple trees and berry bushes every day to find fallen fruit.  They also like to check their favorite nut trees for acorns or hickory nuts, but once they’ve had their fill of roaming around, it’s time to work in a nap.  Depending on the weather, they nap in their straw-lined huts or in the shade of trees when the sun is shining.  They like to make dirt “wallows” to lay in and cool off when it is really hot.  If you look at their pasture, you might think it looks a bit like a “pig sty.”  Don’t hold this against them, it all goes along with their natural behaviors!  Muddy patches and some uneven, dug up ground is just the way they like it!

Running to the their culled vegetables!

While we seldom hear our cows “moo,” you can often hear a myriad of sounds coming from the pigs.  Squeals, grunts, snoring, snorting…these are all very common sounds for pigs to make.  The time of day when you’ll hear them squeal the loudest is when they hear the skidsteer making its way to their pasture with culled vegetables from the packing shed.  They aren’t shy either, they’ll throw themselves right into the pile…literally!   They are very good vegetable eaters, eating most any green or root crop, but it is clear that they do have favorites, like melons, tomatoes and carrots.  (Check out the pictures!)  They don’t seem to mind if the vegetables aren’t perfect, as long as they are organic.  They are just a plain “riot” to watch, especially when they have pink lips after eating beets!  

Just as with other animals and food crops, the way in which an animal is raised is directly related to how the meat tastes when it gets to your plate.  Our pigs are very active and eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and roots in addition to their organic grain.  As a result, the meat they produce is often darker in color with a rosy hue and is very flavorful.   If you are accustomed to eating conventionally raised pork, you will notice a difference in not only the appearance and flavors of certified organic pastured pork, but also in the way it cooks.  Here are a few things to consider when cooking Certified Organic Pastured Pork.

Tip number one...Don’t overcook the meat!

Pastured pork is very flavorful and juicy, but you can easily overcook it by using too high of heat or cooking it for too long.  Don’t forget that meat continues to cook with the residual heat held within it even after you remove it from the heat source.  If you think your pork is not quite done, remove it from the heat right then.  By the time it finishes cooking it will likely be perfect.  Checking the internal temperature of the meat is a good way to gauge the degree of doneness so you know when to take it off the heat.  The USDA recommends cooking pork to an internal temperature of 170°F, but that will likely result in a very dry piece of meat.  A range of 145-165°F will give you a juicier, more tender piece of meat. 

Tip Number Two…Choose an appropriate cooking method!

The second important thing to keep in mind is to make sure you are using the right cooking method for the cut of meat you are preparing.  There are two main cooking methods, moist heat cooking and dry heat cooking.  

MOIST HEAT COOKING

Cuts of meat that come from a part of the animal that is used and exercised more will be tougher and may have more intramuscular connective tissue and gelatin.  To tenderize these cuts, you should use a moist heat cooking method which will use a longer cooking time and lower temperature with added moisture or liquid to help tenderize the meat.   As the meat cooks, the connective tissue and gelatin in the meat will melt down making the meat tender, moist and very delicious. 

• Moist heat cooking methods include: braising, stewing, boiling or cooking in a crock-pot. 

• Cuts of pork that are most appropriate to use with this cooking method include: Pork Shoulder (Roast or Steak), Country Style Short Ribs, Spare Ribs, Ham and Pork Hocks.

DRY HEAT COOKING

Cuts of meat that come from muscles of the animal that are not as active will be more tender.  These cuts of meat can be cooked for shorter periods of time at higher temperatures. 

• Dry heat cooking methods include: grilling, sautéeing, roasting, broiling, stir-frying, pan-frying and deep-frying. 

• Cuts of pork that are most appropriate to use with this cooking method include: pork chops, pork tenderloin, bacon and ham.

Tip Number Three….Let the meat speak for itself

Don’t forget that pastured pork is very flavorful, so let that flavor work in your favor.  Use simple seasonings, herb and spice rubs or just a little salt and pepper to season the meat.  Simple marinades and sauces are nice accompaniments to pastured pork as well.  Whenever possible, make the sauce in the pan that the pork was cooked in, or cook the pork in the sauce or braising liquid.  The flavors of the pork will seep into the sauce adding a fuller pork flavor to the sauce.

Cooking Grass-Fed Beef...A Few Basic Tips for Success

The way in which animals are managed and raised does directly impact the qualities and characteristics of meat.  It is important to realize this because it will directly affect how you cook your meat to get the best quality end product.  Grass-fed beef from animals that have led stress-free lives grazing on pastures tends to be more lean and flavorful when compared to conventionally raised, grain-fed beef.  If you are accustomed to cooking conventional, grain-fed beef, or have had less than delicious results cooking or eating grass-fed meat previously, there are a few things to consider that might make a difference in your end result.

DO NOT OVERCOOK THE MEAT…TIME & TEMPERATURE ARE IMPORTANT!

The first thing to remember, and possibly the most important, is do not overcook the meat!! Grass-fed beef is more lean and has less marbling than grain-fed beef.  Since fat is an insulator, and grass-fed meat is so lean, it will cook faster than grain-fed meat and may be less forgiving without the fat to cover up a little bit of overcooked meat.  When you are reading recipes, take the guidelines for how long to cook a piece of meat with a grain of salt.  The time it takes to cook a piece of meat will depend on other variables including the size and thickness of the piece.  There are other ways to test the doneness of a piece of meat as well.  One way is to test the doneness of some pieces of meat, such as a chuck roast or stew meat, to see if it is “fork tender.” When a fork is inserted into the piece of meat, the meat should slide off the fork easily.  If it does, the meat is done.  If the fork doesn’t come out easily, the meat needs to cook longer.  Other ways to judge the doneness of meat include touch and temperature.  Learning to judge the doneness of meat by touch takes practice and time to master.  If you’ve ever wondered why chefs are always poking meat on a grill, it’s because they are feeling the resistance the piece of meat gives to touch.  The more the meat is cooked, the more firm the meat will feel.  This is something you will just have to practice and master over time. 

Checking the internal temperature of a piece of meat while it is cooking is a more reliable way to monitor the degree of doneness.  The USDA recommends cooking beef to a final internal temperature of 140-170° F, however most chefs would recommend a range of 120°F for rare meat and an upper range of 165°F for well-done meat.  You can use a simple meat thermometer or meat probe to test the internal temperature.  Insert the thermometer into a thicker, more centrally located place on the piece of meat.  If the piece you are testing contains a bone, make sure the thermometer is inserted away from the bone.  Also, remember that meat continues to cook even after you remove it from the heat source.  This is called carry-over cooking.  Don’t forget to take this into account when you are cooking and remove the meat from the heat before it reaches your final desired temperature.  Smaller pieces of meat, such as a rib steak, will continue to carry-over cook for about 5 to 10 minutes and the temperature can increase another 5 degrees.  If you are cooking a larger piece of meat such as a roast, the meat can continue to cook for an additional 15-30 minutes after being removed from the heat source.  The temperature of a larger piece of meat can rise as much as an additional 10-15 degrees. 

The next thing to remember is that you control the flame.  What I mean is that you have control of the temperature at which you are cooking your meat.  Remember, grass-fed meat doesn’t have as much fat to insulate it so it will cook more quickly.  If you are cooking grass-fed beef over a high temperature, you can cook the meat too quickly and cook the moisture and fat right out of the meat, making it dry and tough.  

COOKING METHODS:

Another important factor is to choose the correct cooking method for the cut of meat you are preparing.  Cuts of meat that come from a part of the animal that is used and exercised more will be tougher.  To tenderize these cuts you should use a moist heat cooking method which will use a longer cooking time and added moisture or liquid to help tenderize the meat. 

• Moist Heat cooking methods include braising, stewing, boiling or cooking in a crock-pot. 

• Tougher cuts of beef include the following:  Chuck Roast, Arm Roast, Rump Roast, Round Steak, Stew Meat and Short Ribs.

Cuts of meat that come from muscles of the animal that are not as active will be more tender.  These cuts of meat can be prepared using dry-heat cooking methods

• Dry Heat Cooking methods include grilling, sautéeing, roasting, broiling, stir-frying, pan-frying, and deep-frying. 

• More tender cuts of beef include the following:  Rib Steak, T-bone Steak, Sirloin Steak, Sirloin Tip, Flank Steak and Skirt Steak. 

FLAVOR:

Finally, lets talk about flavor.  Yes, it will ultimately come down to a matter of personal preference.  Grass-fed beef has been described as having more of a juicy, rich, robust “beefy flavor” in comparison to grain-fed meat.  The flavor of grass-fed meat has also been described as “clean” in comparison to grain-fed meat.  The higher fat content and marbling in grain-fed meat may leave more of a coating in your mouth and an after-taste that you won’t experience with grass-fed meat, which may be why some people describe the flavor as “clean.”  Animals that are grass-fed have a distinctive, sufficient flavor that can stand on its own without a lot of additional seasonings and sauces.  Let the natural flavor of the meat stand out by using simple salt & pepper seasonings or simple herb rubs for starters.   For braised dishes such as pot roast, the flavor of the meat will be infused into the cooking liquid creating a flavorful rich stock or sauce.  As you begin to experience the flavors of grass-fed beef, we encourage you to keep it simple so the true flavor of the meat comes out and you can taste the difference for yourself.

 

 

This video clip from The New York Times and Mark Bittman discusses and shows you some of the differences between cooking with grass-fed and grain-fed beef. This video does a great job of  highlighting some of the differences that we have mentioned in this post.

There are a lot of resources available to guide you in your endeavors to cook grass-fed beef.  One of our favorites is Shannon Hayes’ book called The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook .  She offers a lot of really simple, down-to-earth and resourceful ways to successfully prepare grass-fed beef.