Black Trumpets

By no means are we mushroom experts, so we stick to the easy to identify varieties.  Last weekend, we found one of our favorites- black trumpets.  Having no poisonous look-alikes, these were the first mushrooms we foraged from our woods.  They are beautiful mushrooms, looking more like a flower than a traditional mushroom.

According to our guide book, one should look in mixed woods under such trees as oaks, beech, or hickory.  It also says they are often found in mossy areas or in leaf litter. For us, the tree variety didn't seem to matter so much.  The area where the mushrooms were most concentrated is generally populated by white pines, hemlocks, and birch mixed with a few other varieties.  This time of year, with the trees dropping their leaves, there is dense leaf litter- making it harder to find these mushrooms.  Even without the leaf litter, they are difficult to spot at first since they blend in with their surroundings.  We have found that they seem to grow in clumps or groups, so you usually find more than one at a time.

They are a delicate mushroom, so they should be used right away or dried.  We usually saute some right away (delicious!) and dry the rest for winter use. 

 By the way, if you are not positive in identifying your mushrooms, it is best not to eat them!  Better safe than sorry!

Rendering Lard

After sharing my thoughts about lard, many have wondered how is it rendered.  While it is not difficult, it is a long process.  Here is how I do it:

1)  Cut the lard into small chunks (or better yet, grind it in a meat grinder).  The smaller the pieces, the better.

 2)  Heat the oven to 250 degrees.  Put the lard into a baking dish.  Place in the oven (uncovered).  As it heats up, the fat will begin to melt.  The goal is to extract as much of the liquid from the chunks of lard as possible.

The dish on the left has been in the oven for around 5 minutes.  The dish on the right is just going in.

3)  I have found this process takes me 5-6 hours.  Don't rush it!  Think low (temperature) and slow!  Being short on time during the day, I have even rendered lard overnight.  I get up every hour or so to check on it and stir it.  When you are left with crispy, brown bits in your liquid fat, strain it through several layers of cheesecloth.

 Ready for the freezer!

Leaf Lard and Fatback

Lard/fat has such an awful reputation... or does it?

While it may be easier to cook the regular cuts of pork (chops, roasts, sausage, etc.), we have asked to have  nothing go to waste- including the leaf lard and the fatback.  A few people have purchased some of these packages, but most don't know what to do with them or are afraid of them!

Leaf lard is the highest grade lard and is prized for baking.  It is soft fat found around the kidneys and loin of the pigs.  It is pretty neutral, lacking a pork flavor.  When rendered, it is used for making flaky pie crusts and biscuits or in recipes calling for shortening.

Fatback, the next highest grade of lard, is a hard fat from the back of the pigs.  It may come with or without skin (ours has skin on).  It is often rendered for use with more savory dishes as it will add its own unique flavor, adding to the richness of a dish.  It can be especially delicious when used to saute veggies.

Caul fat is the lowest grade of lard as far as rendering goes.  Found around the digestive organs, it is often used instead to wrap lean cuts of meat for roasting (to prevent them from drying out).

Lard fell out of favor when people became worried over health concerns, but is making a comeback.  Despite its terrible reputation, lard has less saturated fat and cholesterol than butter (along with more unsaturated fat).  If you are looking for an alternative to partially hydrogenated oils in vegetable shortening, lard is an excellent option.  By the way, unhydrogenated lard has no trans fats!

Making Butter

As a teacher, I have made butter with my class many times.  This fits in nicely with our Colonial America unit and in learning about states of matter.  The kids are always amazed at how easy it is to make butter and some have reported they made it again from scratch for special occasions.

Recently, I have taken to making my own butter at home.  We don't have any milk producing animals (yet), but we do get delivery from a local farm.  This is a small, grass-based, dairy farm which offers whole, 1%, and skim milk, some flavored milks, 1/2 & 1/2, heavy cream, along with yogurt, kefir, and sometimes farm fresh cheese and butter.  We cannot buy grass-based (or even local) dairy products in our grocery stores, so we appreciate this local dairy- especially since they deliver!  Granted, they don't deliver to the city we live in or the town our farm is in, but they do deliver to the town my husband works in, so we get delivery there.

Anyway, as I mentioned, butter is sometimes available.  This means I either need to stock up and freeze the butter when I can get my hands on it, buy regular butter from the grocery store if it is unavailable, or make my own.  Since I know it is not difficult, I have chosen to make my own.

A pint of heavy cream.

Each week, we get a pint of heavy cream delivered with our order.  When we are ready to make butter, we let it sit out for a while to warm a bit.  Then one of us (my husband has taken to making butter) pours the cream into a quart sized, wide-mouth canning jar and secures the lid .  Who needs to buy an expensive butter churn?  At that point, whoever is making the butter shakes the jar (or you can take turns with multiple people and share the shaking).  In about 20 minutes or so, you are left with butter and buttermilk (traditional buttermilk).  The pint sized jar will give us just under 1/2 pound of butter and about 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk.

Sure, the food processor or stand mixer could do the job, but why use the electricity?

Ready to shake.

I pour the buttermilk into a pint sized canning jar to store in the refrigerator.  The butter goes into the refrigerator to cool for a bit, and then I will strain it further (trying to remove as much buttermilk as possible).  It can be kneaded and rinsed under cold water to further remove the excess buttermilk. I make unsalted butter, but salt can be added to make salted butter.  At that point,the fresh, higher quality butter is ready to be used, or can be frozen.

Butter floating at the top.

Separated butter and buttermilk (almost 2 cups) ready to go!
We use the buttermilk in baking- buttermilk bread, buttermilk pancakes,
biscuits, coffee cake, etc.

Just Ducky

As a teacher, I always hatch chicks (and this year, turkeys and guinea fowl) in my classroom.  The kids love it and are so excited to learn about them.  When we were invited to check out a kindergarten class' ducklings, I was intrigued.  We didn't have any ducks on the farm and the closest I came to them was when I fed them at local parks.  They were so cute!  I asked the teacher what she planned on doing with them.  She had a couple of messages left with a few local farms, but had no definite plans yet.  I offered to take them if she didn't find anyone else... and here they are-

The white duck is a Pekin and the other (I am guessing) is a Pekin/Runner cross.

Of course, they aren't little ducklings anymore.  She kept them in her backyard for a few months, but her dogs wanted their yard back and she was worried the neighbors may start to complain (she is in a city which does not allow livestock).  I got them at about 11-12 weeks old.


Since we put in our well, we have water readily available which makes having all of our animals easier since we used to bring the water from home.  This is especially true for the ducks.  We gave them a 50 gallon stock tank to swim in.  We top off the water daily (since they splash a lot and drink some) and change it completely at least once a week.  


They are living in one of our pasture pens that we usually use for turkeys and meat chickens, but they seem to be lonely and long to be with our chickens, turkeys, and guinea fowl.  When I let the ducks out, the first thing they do is run for the chicken yard.  They will lay next to the fence (sad, really) and watch the other birds.  I have allowed them to go into the chicken yard during the day, but have to send them home at night.  It amazes me that they will give up their little "pond" to spend the day with the other birds.  It seems they would rather have the company than swim!

Everyone enjoys being with the ducks, even the dogs!  Well, actually, I think they were jealous over all of the photos I was taking of the ducks and had to get some camera time too!

I have enjoyed having them, they are easy to care for, and I like variety, so I ordered 10 more.  I ordered 4 Khaki Campbells (to complete my laying flock since they are great layers) and  6 hatchery assortment.  Today, the ducklings arrived!  The hatchery sent 11 total- 6 Khaki Campbells, 3 Rouen, and 2 Fawn and White Runners (I was so hoping for Runners).  All appear healthy and lively!  As soon as I put them in the brooder, they all started to drink (way easier than chicks and turkeys).  After about 30 minutes, I put in their food and they happily ate (and continued to drink, and drink, and splash, and drink).

What's happening on the farm

Our first round of Cornish X in their pasture pen.  They are moved daily to ensure fresh grass is always available.  You can hear the turkey hens in the background!

The pigs have grown so quickly!  As you can see, they love their wallow.  We ended up having to make it bigger so everyone has room! 

When feeding the piggles, it is important to make sure everyone gets their fair share!

Our Farm

from The Country of Marriage...

Sometimes our life reminds me 

of a forest in which there is a graceful clearing

and in that opening a house,

an orchard and garden,

comfortable shades, and flowers

red and yellow in the sun, a pattern

made in the light for the light to return to.

The forest is mostly dark, its ways 

to be made anew day after day, the dark

richer than the light and more blessed,

provided we stay brave

enough to keep on going in.

Wendell Berry




In 2003, with a desire to build our own home, we went looking for a home site.  With Allan's grandfather's property as inspiration, we looked in Russell (thank you, Onofrio).  Luck (or fate) would have it that a large piece of land abutting that property was for sale.  
We purchased it.

Our field back in August 2003

Our wedding in July 2004

The land was our hiking and camping spot.

Then, I hatched chicks in my class which were supposed to go back to 4H...

They were never returned.  Instead, I bought more- who wants to look at a flock of all White Leghorns?  As more and more people requested eggs, we expanded...

 The Chick Inn R & B
(Established June 2011)

meat chickens and turkeys

The addition of the orchard- started April 2009 (and continues to expand).










Our garden was added.

Late Spring 2011-

We added our 

5 beehives

For a few winters, Allan has tapped a few maple trees and made syrup for us.  This year, he bought an evaporator and put in 130 taps!

So far, the feedback has been positive!!

Spring 2012- our latest additions...
Just arriving on the farm

Hard at work

Our field now

Publicity we have received:


http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/22227-1


http://www.massteacher.org/news/archive/2011/11-21a.aspx

Root Cellar

This year, for Christmas, my husband decided to build me a root cellar.  More the size of a root closet, it has 2 sets of shelves (enough to hold vegetables through the winter for us and then some), and it doesn't take up too much space in our basement.  It occupies the northeast corner where the old oil tank used to be (before we converted to gas).  Part of the pipe from the tank which is in the upper part of the exterior wall is still in place, allowing for ventilation.  The interior walls and ceiling are insulated.  An old door which was not necessary after some renovations is being reused as the entry door into our root cellar.  The temperature remained in the mid 40's until we hit a cold snap of single digit temps and even getting below zero.  During this time, it is holding consistently at 38 degrees while the rest of the basement stays around 60 degrees.