Why Buy Local?

It's a popular question these days. One I think we are all even more aware of due to the worsening economy. When I think back, to when did I first hear this popular refrain or more likely when did it actually start to creep into my subconcious mind, I've got to hand it to my dear old Dad. He has been in business for himself, in a region that is depressed in all ways, not just economically, and in a state that is heavily taxed and not too friendly toward small business, my whole life. ( 30 years )
He has always been a staunch supporter of local business and keeps it local as much as he can. Even though it pains him to see community members travel 60-100 miles away to buy a cheap lawn mower or trimmer from Walmart and Home Depot then bring it in to his shop for repairs. If he can get it local , he often will- even it means paying a higher price.

Why buy local? Local food tastes a whole lot better and is a heck of a lot fresher than food that has travelled from other states and even countries ( scary ). Buying locally keeps your hard earned money in your community and state. It isn't just savvy consumers that need to keep it local, it's also businesses and farmers themselves. Ask your local farmer where they buy their seeds, or grain, or get their equipment serviced. Think of how much money could be kept in circulation in your community if every resident vowed to spend just $10/week on a local product or service that they may have been tempted to purchase online or from a great distance in order to save a buck.In a small community like mine with just 2-3000 residents that would be an additional $20-$30,000 a week or $80,000 -$120,000 a month put right back into your county and state. You may even see new industry and growth spring up, if businesses decide to hire local contractors for their services or goods. Buying locally creates jobs, lessens enviromental emissions by sticking closer to home, and not burning fuel trucking in produce from 3,000 miles away just so we can eat fruit out of season. Hasn't anyone ever heard of seasonality? You know it tastes better in season, purchased or picked locally. Why not pick extra in season and can or freeze it, or how about just relishing the memory of how delicious those June strawberries were, and just waiting for that season to come around again.
Small changes really can make a big difference.

Camden Market Menu, Saturday April 11th

Camden Winter Market 9-12

Heritage Organic Pork
Osso bucco
Stew Meat
Pork Kebabs
Nitrate Free- Ham steaks, Bone -in and Boneless Hams
Nitrate Free Thick Cut Bacon
Nitrate Free Canadian Bacon
Boneless Boston Butt
Thick cut Pork Chops
Baby Back, St. Louis style and Country style Ribs
Tenderloin

Premium Organic Sausage Links
Dante's Hot Italian
Sweet Italian
Chorizo
Maine Maple Breakfast
Andouille
Bratwurst
Garlic

Rails to Trails

Yesterday, while in East Machias waiting for Veda's speech therapy session, the kids and I decided to take a walk on the relatively new rails to trails. Here are all five kiddos at the beginning of the trail, East Machias River in the background. To say it was windy is an understatement! We still had a really nice time, hoping for less wind next time, though. The water was raging, I was a bit on edge making sure the kids stayed right near me.

An interesting sidenote, totally unrelated to this post. We just found out 2 days ago that our beautiful twin cream colored sister cats, have testicles. Oops, I am having a really hard time transitioning to calling them boys! They need new names, and probably a visit to the vet very soon too.

Raw Milk

This is a picture I took one morning of our breakfast. The eggs, bacon, sausage, and milk were all our own, grown and produced right here on the farm.
Raw milk is always hotly debated. Raw milk is basically milk straight from the cow, completely unadulterated. It hasn't been pastuerized or homogenized. It is vitamin and mineral rich and raw milk from cows grazing green grass is also a good source of essential fatty acids, CLA's, beneficial bacteria like probiotics plus loads of active enzymes. Many people who are lactose intolerant find they can drink raw milk.
It makes sense to me, you want to eat food that is as close to its natural state, with as little processing as possible. That is no secret, so why should milk be any different?
There are some cautions, however. Milk that is produced in large confinement dairies for instance probably shouldn't be consumed raw. There are different standards in place for milk that is to be pasteurized, lower standards, and raw milk, higher standards to adhere to. In general large dairies are supplying milk to processors who are going to pasteurize and homogenize. Organic Pastures in California is perhaps the largest raw milk dairy and have excellent quality milk.
Raw milk tastes better too. If you've never had it before, at first it will seem so rich and earthy. You never knew milk tasted so complex and delicious! The flavor can change daily according to what species of plants the cows grazed that day. It certainly changes with the seasons. If you are lucky enough to find raw milk from pastured Jersey cows you are in for a real treat. If not homogenized a thick layer of rich cream rises to the top and can be skimmed off for your coffee, or to make butter, or just stir it back in and enjoy your whole milk.
There is an article at www.chelseagreen.com titled " After Illicit Drugs, Raw Milk is the most briskly traded illegal commodity" you can read about it here.
http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/after-illegal-drugs-raw-milk-is-the-most-briskly-traded-illegal-commodity/

It is illegal in 42 states but luckily not so here in Maine. You can purchase raw milk from us and others in Maine, on the farm and at Farmer's Markets and even in retail stores from those of us who are licensed to sell raw milk.

Who Left the Light On?

In my house I am the " lights police". I patrol the back bedrooms, the bathroom and the cellar looking for any offenders brazen enough to leave a room without turning the lights off. Not only is it better for our wallets, but it is also something that we need to be conscious of and instill in our children - energy conservation.
So imagine my surprise one night, while I was roaming around checking on sleeping kids, when I notice there is a light left on out in the barn, that I just happen to only be able to see out that child's window. " Who left the light on?" I grumble to myself. Of course I pull on a coat and go schlup through the mud to the barn and turn off the light. Next night, same thing. Next night- you guessed it. Night four it is definitely beyond annoying! I interrogate the kids, my husband. All plead innocent and now I'm bound and determined to figure it out.
Next morning I caught the culprits red handed. Or red-hooved. It was the calves standing in the aisle in the barn, licking the light switches and turning it on. The really funny thing is, the light that was repeatedly left on is a light that shines out behind the barn precisely where the hay feeder is located. Maybe calves are afraid of the dark too.

In the spirit of energy conservation and peak oil here are two websites definitely worth a read. Of course I don't agree with everything, but that would be boring anyway. Thought provoking to say the least.

www.grist.org
www.theoildrum.com

Clean Sheets

These are the first line dried sheets of 2009! The smell was pure heaven. That little pixie admiring them is 2 year old Ayla. We've decided it's spring even if it doesn't look it. Technically it's Spring. The calender says so. The animals say so. We have spring piglets being born, and cows getting ready to calve and shedding their thick winter coats. Admittedly, today, is definitely more reminiscent of Spring, with rain showers and MUD. Terrible stuff, but all I can think of is green grass and sunshine! It seems a little futile to be brushing the cows knowing they are gonna go slog through the mud to get to the hay feeder but I do anyway. Beretta and Chia, our biggest girls like to forgo the clean wooden platforms covered in fragrant pine shavings in the barn, in favor of a more " comfy " perch atop the good old expanding manure pile. all that cushion and therapeutic heat from decomposing hay and manure. Luckily I'm not milking either of them, and the cows may be moving out on a sacrificial pasture tomorrow to spend their days, coming back to the barn at night. Even though there isn't much green out there they still like to at least stretch their legs and go through the motions.

Brined Herb Rib Chops

These chops are from some of our Tamworth/Berkshire pigs. You can see the marbling in them. This is one of my favorite chop recipes. Taken from Bruce Aidell's " Complete Book of Pork ".

Brown Sugar and Molasses Brine

3 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon dark unsulphured molasses

1 cup ice cubes

4 bone in rib pork chops, thick cut

Fennel Seed and Fresh Herb Rub

1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1. To make the brine. Pour the water into a large bowl or plastic storage tote. Stir in salt and continue stirring until salt dissolves. Stir in brown sugar and molasses until they dissolve. Add the ice cubes and stir to chill down the mixture. It should be 45 degrees or cooler. Add the prok chops, cover, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Remove the pork chops and discard the brine. Pat them dry with paper towels.

2.To make the fennel and herb rub, put all ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times to blend. Coat each brined chop generously on both sides.

3.To grill the chops, heat to med high and lay chops directly over. Sear the chops over the hottest area for 1 1/2 minutes per side, then transfer to cooler area of the grill. Cover the grill and cook 8-10 minutes or until and instant read meat thermometer says 140 -145 degrees. Let them rest 5 minutes to reabsorb any juices and complete cooking.