Weekend Enjoyed

I curled soft thoughts from a weekend enjoyed. My weekends seem to have gained length since I have began working at the BVI. I am not sure why this is. I think because while working there, there isn't the ability to slack off like at other jobs. (You know what I am talking about.) So when I get time off it seems like such an enjoyable release. This weekend I spent most of my time putting siding up on my house. Oh it was lovely. I was worried I was making some terrible unknown mistake while embarking on the clapboard endeavor. Remember, learning carpenter. It looks great! One day was sunny and warm, the next cloudy and chilly. Each memory great feelings between body and mind. Leaving my house I had staging setup to continue the siding for next week.

I also got to pull porcupine quills from one of my grandfather's cows. It isn't the most exciting story, but there is something so unique about the acts of farming. Taking pliers to the face of a large animal, who is scared, because what you are doing will be an act of healing. That is a great thought. Curling inwards to soft, warmed soul.

Chocolate Panna Cotta

Today was my day off. I had a split weekend this week. So I worked on the house for a few hours putting in windows with a past coworker. I did not get as much done as I had wanted. He showed up pretty hung over. So was still thankful for the help, but any heavy work in the barn wasn't happening. So after putting in most of the downstair windows, I retreated to the garden for some fun weeding in the misty rain- bug free! And then decided that it was time for a heavy whipping cream run. I went off to Hanafords, and got some white chocolate, some cream, and then walked around looking at pudding, yogurt and fruit cups as cheap Panna Cotta molds. I couldn't decide which ones would be best, so I ended up buying a couple yogurts and some really really cheap pudding. I then spent the rest of the day listening to Chopin and Beethoven, making sauces, and eating pudding. It was perfect. Although I have to admit negated my workouts from the last couple days. (I think I'll be fine)

So above is the desert finale. My biggest critique is that the ganache was spread too thickly. Kills the presentation. Otherwise I was very happy. It was my first attempt at a PC. It was perfect. The crisp (cookie that looks like a fin) was tacky. It was practice to make it gluten free, but tasted good. I completely messed up making a white chocolate mousse. I was attempting to mix it with a homemade ricotta. The chef at the BVI was making a ricotta, and had to ask him how he got his so fine. And then later I asked how I could blend it with a white chocolate. Well, considering the process involved several cooking techniques I have never tried, and I was able to salvage a sauce in the end, then I am very very happy.

I invited over a couple friends for tonight to enjoy. I think it was quite good. It was a lot of fun making three different sauces, an emulsion, and the ganache. One sauce I did not use. I overcooked the ricotta, and decided that Kavia would fair better with it. =)

So that is my near perfect weekend day. I got more of my house done, and realized that I really need to just hop to for the water and electrical when I get some cash next month, I got to relax inside after the garden, learn a bit more about confectionery, and had a couple friends over.

I hope whoever is reading this is well and wonderful. If not (or even if you are!) I do have three extra panna cottas ready to go... first come, first serve. I guarantee one is not making it beyond breakfast.

Zac

Can't Remember that Song!

I have ZERO musical abilities. So I am often in the bind of hearing a song I like, but I cannot remember the lyrics. So I am at work, in the kitchen, trying to sing what lines I can remember to a cook, out of tune mind you, and then asking- do you know that song?

There is a song that goes "She wants my body" only line I can remember, any help?

This one took me a bit

Looking around the house.
Hidden behind the window and the door.
Searching for signs of life but there's nobody home.

Well, maybe I'm just too sure.
Maybe I'm just too frightened
by the sound of it.
Pieces of note fall down, but the letter said, - better than ezra, good

And possum kingdom

Enjoy the sun!

Lets kiss the sun when she comes out.

If I was a Horse

Then I'd colic. Good thing I'm not, 'cept this parabola of butterfly wings fabricated into the stitches of hooting night owls- a sliver of torn, cool, night air; a slow evening toad making his way to the warmth of the blacktop of route 11.

May 1

Well here is the house coming along! Tyveked the lower level completely. I have some time off, and will be finishing the other grabrel end, and then tyvek the upstairs, windows, and doors! The place is also looking very green.

And those yummy things above are an Orange Manier Truffle covered in dark chocolate and candied orange peel.

And It All Starts Over, Again

Theory of Butterfly Wings

It's difficult to see the value of an Oak Tree during sugaring season.

You might be a farmer if...

So I was picking up eggs tonight, and thinking about what I would write if I were to write a book about farming. I will quickly note that I am too young, and far too inexperienced to write on such a topic, but still I thought about it. Quickly here is what I came up with:

The Modern Day Small Farmer: 3000 Things NOT to Do!
A Memoir of Things Gone Wrong

And here are just a few of the headlines.

1. Headlamps are for emergencies, not for everyday use; go to bed.
2. Roosters do not lay eggs- so don't have more than one.
3. Your wife is not always right, but most of the time she is or knows better; so listen.
4. Count your pennies, but if you are relying on them, then you're doing something wrong.
5. There are 168 hours in a week. At least 56 of them are for sleep.
6. Build your nest boxes before you get your hens.
7. It doesn't get better, and easier, unless if you take the time to make things better and easier.
8. I processed about 1200 chickens last year, and made some money doing it, but it wasn't fun, not at all. Refer to #9.
9. Put a calendar on the barn wall, and put a tally on each day that you got frustrated with something. Then see how many tallies it takes for you get a clue. Refer to #3.
10. 5 gallon buckets are glorious, wonderfully industrious things, but don't be a dumbass lugging water three times a day to 900 meat birds with them.

Good-Night. Morning will come soon enough.

A Good Day Spent

Today was gorgeous. I had the day off, no egg deliveries or CSC. I ended up picking up inside my barn quite a bit, and then called it a day. I was off to make cheese. The above is a picture of the curds that have been cut, and then heated. I made cheddar from about 7 gallons of fresh cow's milk.

Bellow is a picture of the drained curds.
And bellow the 'cheddaring' process. The curds are cut into slabs, and then flipped every 15 minutes in a warm pan. This part is still going on. It is the first time I am making a traditional cheddar recipe. Usually I make an abridge version: a Farm House Cheddar. However, today I decided the day would be best spent, inside, making a traditional cheddar.

A friend asked why I liked making cheese when I commented that I enjoyed the actual work of it. My reply was: It is the only work on the farm where there is no chance in being covered with fecal matter. In this there is a reprieve.

Mumbles

The above picture isn't terribly spectacular, albeit it being a spectacularly gorgeous morning. This was last week. My grandfather had found some pump staging on craigslist. They regularly retail for $70 each, but a contractor had just purchased a lift and was willing to let 6 of them go for a clean $100. Both of us wanted the staging, and not wanting to pass up the inexpensive opportunity, my grandfather milked for me that Monday morning and I borrowed my grandmothers car for Littleton, NH.

I got up at 4:30 to feed/water my chickens and chicks at my farm, and then scoot over to a McDonalds in Littleton by 7:30. I got there with a half hour to spare, but needed to stop for gas, and a coffee to keep me going. I have not been getting to bed early. After work I drive to my farm in Franklin- finish collecting eggs, put out the morning's grain, break out the frozen water buckets, and tend the 300 or so peeping chicks which will be my summer flock. Admittedly I usually fall asleep in my little truck when I pull up to the farm. The night of the pump staging adventure I pulled over at a stop sign on North Road to catch a little shut eye, and then dozed off in my little driveway at the farm. I am only writing it, because I am acknowledging how annoyed I am getting with this poor habit of rushing about.


The following two pictures are from the house. The first is from sometime in May/June? I had just raised a section of the post and beam frame. It was the first act of building upwards out of the basement ceiling; going skyward from the floor.


This next picture I took to send to a friend, and represents the current condition of the house. Still a little drafty without the windows and doors, but looking much like a house of course, and largely out of weather. I had intended on finishing the Tyvek, but I got very sick for about a week in January, and have not dared pushing myself too much with house, farm and work. It can wait a little. I am very hopeful with warmer weather, doors and windows. It will be a house.



And what would a farm blog be without a farm picture? Can you guess what is going on in this picture? Well, the benefits of having a property with full southern exposure, is that the winter sun is remarkably pleasant. The hens, inside the barn, dig into the unfrozen floor and hover. Yes, all winter, dust bathing themselves! They look happy and wonderful- now lay more eggs!

What would be wrong with moving to France?

Except at best I (was) conversational in Spanish? Out of curiosity I clicked on the link for "Raw Milk Availability in Other Countries" on the Weston A Price Foundation's site. Here is France' gorgeous post.

France

• Brittany: Certified organic raw cow's milk. Ferme de Kerheu, 29510 BRIEC DE LµODET, 02 98 57 92 67. Their milk is even distributed by two local supermarkets: Inter Marché in Briec and Leclerc in Quimper where it costs 0.94€/liter and 0.84€/liter respectively.
• Tournus: There is a raw milk vending machine on the southern outskirts of the center of town across the street from "Simply Market." If you take the main road out of town going towards Mâcon you will see a small sign for Simply Market on your left. The milk comes from La Ferme de Chantebaud.
• A reader alerts us: "Raw donkey milk is going great guns in France and Belgium. Marie Tack in Belgium sells donkey milk that meets European bacteriological standards. I visited two farms in France and drank milk directly from many burros (delicious!). I will go to Belgium next year to visit Marie myself who milks 50 head of mammoth jennets each day. Donkey milk is the closest milk to human breast milk and is ideal for feeding infants. It is in a state of rediscovery in France and Belgium and will be available here in the future.Visit www.asineriedupaysdescollines.be to see her operation. Donkeys don't carry Bovine diseases."
• Another reader says: http://lelaitdelaferme.com/ --This is the only raw milk vending machine I have come across, there are three in the Lyon region, but of course I continue to purchase raw milk freely from cremeries in the French Alps. There seems to be no restriction on sales from cheese-making factories here in Haute Savoie, I am not sure about other areas of France, but I assume where artisanal cheese is made, raw milk is available. A post by me: http://constantstateofflux.com/2010/02/01/raw-milk-vending-machines- in-europe-what-a-great-idea/
• Vending Machine Raw Milk (Lait Cru) And Bottles If You Need Them (Inside A Decrotive Small Wooden Chalet) - Main Entrance - Le Clerc Supermarket - Villeneuve Sur Lot - Lot Et Garonne- France -(The Dispenser Even Moos As It Delivers The Milk). Material - Raw Milk - Lait Cru Farm Name - Ferm Du Gaec De La Croix De Balen Farmers' Names - Familles Martinet & Laurante Address 47140 Trentells - France

Really! Raw milk vending machines? Hold on. I think we just found the answer to most chronic childhood diseases in America!
Actually, I like farm to consumer purchases of raw milk. It forces us to be unbelievably cautious with how we handle the milk, the cows, the equipment. Literally our patrons are outside our doorstep. It is a very nice reminder. Although I just like the idea of something as wholesome coming from the vending machine as raw milk. Who needs a redbull when some Jersey Cow is just a buck twenty-five away?
Night.
p.s. I'd try the donkey milk, but "it's the closest thing to your mother's breast milk" just isn't a good sales pitch to me.

S510

Dear S510, I bet you've never had a cat kneading your lap so delicately, and rubbing its fuzzy head against the warm belly of a cow as you are bent over trying to milk her. Sincerely Yours.

I can't believe my mom and sister. They are still out shopping. That'd be ok if there was drinking involved, but really?! Do we all need that extra gift that badly? I ended up doing all my shopping at one local shop this year, and walked out very happy, albeit with a lighter wallet. But they are still out there. She should have just stayed in Kansas instead of flying all the way here just to shop our local Walmart...

No. 7

My grandfather about 6 weeks ago picked up a Mccormick Deering Model 7 when we made a Craigslist run to Rochestor. We had a blast, fun trip, but he definitely got the steal of the day- a mower in great shape for $100. I picked up a pair of horse drawn harrows, which had been on my wish list for the longest time.

But of course- I have been jealous. So below is proudly presented my very own #7.

The story doesn't begin here, but rather with my digging the wheels out of the frozen ground earlier this week. A guy down my street had this parked in his yard. It belonged to his late cousin Dick. At first he thought I was a scrapper, and after some lengthy talks, and helping him split wood, he decided to sell me the mower. I gave him what he got for a cord of wood, plus $25 extra for plenty of new in box knives. The only missing part is the outer shoe.

The story actually begins much earlier. His brother? used to live in the house below my great grandmothers, and my great uncle BD used to babysit them. These are old machines. There is a lot of history with each piece. You can even have an idea of the terrain they mowed by the condition of the machine. Oh the scars..


Here is my grandfather's machine. It is in pieces. Except for a missing footpedal and the two axel bearings worn out, the machine is in great shape. Just to tease my grandfather....Mine's not missing a foot pedal and my bearings aren't worn out. hehe


Here is the push bar, yolk, inner shoe and cutter bar seperated from the machine. I needed my brother to help disengage a pin while I lifted the piece off the machine. Notice the push bar is still attached. This was threaded out about 10 minutes later.

Every piece being taken off is getting a pink ribbon. Helps discern pieces from the two machines. I am mildly heating up the half moon and draft bar. These need to be threaded apart. All the pieces are being taken off for two reasons. #1. Most importantly, pieces like the one below are used to adjust lead, timing etc. when cutting. So the seized threads need to be loosened. Two- going to sand down and paint everthing. So apart they come. Rebuild- grandpa and Zac and Two #7's.

She kisses the snow. The sun comes up. She kisses the snow. I can see edges of trees now. She's bent over kissing the snow.

A yard is a dangerous place for
children.
Between the picket fence, and the peering windows of
mothers.
I once heard of a child who got lost in the
forest.
He was playing along a stream;
lost in some silly little dreams.
We never saw him again.

Still a Bit Drafty on Breezy Days

This isn't the most up to date shot. The front of the house is completely sheathed, the east side is done up the the header, and the South side is framed and sheathed to header. Need to get going and get the whole darn thing covered up for the winter. It's just getting on...





I must have missed the joke?

Cow on the Cob

I have given this rant a couple times, but am always amazed at how interested and hooked people are to the content. The last time I talked about the corn-cow marriage it was with a group of students who were doing a virtual tour of the farm. This isn't a newly discovered subject of course, just a clear way to make a description.

Why corn is good for the cattle industry.


When you feed corn to cows, whether it is in the form of a grain or silage, you're supporting a whole array of industries. First to get corn you have to set aside acreage for the corn. This is going to take up an allotment of land from May until it is harvested in the fall. So your cows can't graze that area. When old man winter gets tired around here our snow melts away and our grass begins to grow, but if you're growing corn then you're going to get out there when the soil is workable and disc the piece in, and plant. So you have to purchase in your corn seed. Now you're supporting a seed company-Pioneer, Monsanto, Latham, etc. Now if you are going to raise corn, you are going to raise a lot of it. And you're not going to have the time to stoop over with a hoe and take care of the weeds. Instead you'll go and get an applicators license from your state authority, and buy in Atrazine, RoundUp, 2-4,D, whatever. So now to get your cow feed you've supported a large seed company (because you're running a large dairy now and you don't have time to be messing around with saving seed. Would you really want to risk next year's crop on your frugility?) and you're supporting a chem company. But if you're going to be feeding your cows corn, and taking up your fields and pasture with corn, then you're going to be keeping them corralled or housed all the time. Feeding corn and penning up your animals you are probably going to have more sick animals than you are used to, so we're going to go ahead and pick up some antibiotics just to be on the safe side. Now half the antibiotics in this country go to animals and not humans. With the milk cows we have now you can see why they might need a little help now and again. The average milk cow in a dairy operation lasts 4.5 years. That means she's born and bred to calf at two years of age. She has one full lactation, and calves again at three years, and four years, but at some time before her next lactation she didn't make the cut. She became sick, wore down from being such a high producer, her teet might have been split from being stepped on by another cow, or barn ridden mastitis or pneumonia might have got to her. Now if you're going to keep your cows in a barn or corral, then you might as well pack them a little tighter than you'd normally expect since you have the overhead of a building, fans, the concrete, the automatic waterers. We are here to mak as much milk per acre as possible. Milk is equal to money. In the 1950's a 20 cow dairy was considered large enough to provide a good living for a full family and a retirement. Today farmers with a herd of 200 are wondering where their next paycheck will come from. In the last three years good milk prices have been fleeting amid lengthy lulls. But what can you expect from an industry which will take all of the product produced, whenever. So to produce a gallon of milk from cows fed on corn and roughage, you need to support a seed industry, a chem industry, a pharmaceutical industry to make a single gallon. Now if you take a grass based farm.....that 1950's grass based dairy- you have cows that can sustain longer because they are larger assets on the farm, and are treated as such. They are consuming a diet fit for them. But the real problem is that grass is a farmer's asset. It comes up in the spring. There is no distribution of costs. The industry is largely self supported, and that is where corn comes in. Now support your local grass farmer- its like eating sunshine.

Look Me Haz Maked Pretty

There was no point to this post.