Haven

  • Day after day throughout these very different times since the start of the pandemic, my writer’s block had taken over. Unable to focus all of the tumultuous thoughts into text, I have instead been doing what I always have done…..work. Physical work has saved me time and again from difficult times and situations. My farm is what it has always been: a stable, grounding earthly force.  A place of refuge. A place of safety. A secure spot. A haven.  It is this reason why I decided to name the sweet little filly born in the midst of this crisis,  HAVEN.  We have been working hard here every day caring for our animals,  starting seeds, planting, repairing fences and barns, cleaning livestock living areas, and all the myriad other routine and preparatory jobs that keep us operating and moving forward towards creating healthy food for our customers.  Although the work itself can be intense and more days than not, the to do list simply gets longer, the magnitude of the work keeps you focused and grounded on the present. We hope you all are finding balance and we hope we can be a part of your focus on good health!

A practice in patience: planting, growing, weeding and harvesting onions. Pictured here, young onions just transplanted from our greenhouse to the field

Available from the farm this week:

Onions, microgreens, spring salad mix, Baby bok choy, tatsoi, komatsuna, carrots, eggs, beef

Baby Bok Choy

Asian Greens Sauteed with Sesame Oil and Ginger

This recipe can be used for any of the Asian greens including baby bok choy,  tatsoi,  komatsuna, choi sum.

Trim bottom centimeter off the bunches. Wash. Heat sesame oil in a large skillet or pan over medium. Add fresh minced ginger to taste. Roughly chop greens and add them to the pan. Toss to coat with oil. Cook on medium low until crisp tender. Season with sea salt.

Note: Any of these greens can also be chopped and eaten raw as a salad or put in soup. They can also be cooked in olive oil and garlic rather than sesame oil and ginger!

All of our hens are laying now and we are getting a multitude of color variations from our diverse breeds of laying hens! All beautiful. All of our hens are free roaming and can meander anywhere on our farm, eating grasses, bugs, scratching and exercising. This all makes for happy hens and healthy eggs!!

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope

Martin Luther King

1 thought on “Haven”

  1. During this pandemic there is not much that can calm my heart or settle my worried mind. The birds do, sometimes, especially when the hummingbirds arrive, or when I’m treated to the song and sight of a pair of wood thrushes that recently paid a visit to our back yard. And one more thing— the thought of Eight Mile Creek Farm and the new life that is brought forth there every day, be it a filly or a calf or a tiny seedling that will grow to be the “toddler-sized” romaine lettuce that will grace our table someday. It’s the steady presence of a place from which good things come, nourishing and beautiful, rich on so many levels, and mostly, life affirming. Thank you to the farmers who have made it so.

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