Elmwood Stock Farm is one of over 85,000 farms
in Kentucky, more farms than any other state.
There is a lot of diversity in what each produces, though it wasn’t
always that way. Kentucky has more farms than any other state, in part from the
previous tobacco production quota system. Many of you are aware of Wendell
Berry’s writings on the value of farmers and farming, the need to maintain the
culture that agriculture brings to the fabric of Kentucky. You may not be aware
that Wendell’s father, John Berry, is the father of the quota system for
tobacco production. Under the program, every
farm that grew tobacco would agree to limit its production in exchange for a
fair price. The amount a farm was entitled to grow (its base) was related to
not only the acreage of the farm, but also the productive capacity of the
property, without causing environmental degradation of the land. A highly erodible
hilly farm would have a smaller base than a flatter farm of equal size. The
highly productive soils of the Central Bluegrass (along with the available work
force of area horse farms) helped make Lexington the epicenter of burley
tobacco marketing, processing, and politics. The farmers knew how many pounds
of burley they could sell, when it would sell, and what it would sell for. The
bank also knew this and could comfortably loan farmers money for equipment,
supplies, and labor to “make a crop”. Every farm had a Ford 5000 tractor, an
International Farmall cultivating tractor, barns were measured and referred to
by how many sticks of tobacco they would hold. (A stick is a 1”x1”x 4’ oak
stick that held several plants. It
would hang across tier rails to allow the stalks to hang upside down and dry or
cure in the barn. Some hand split sticks are still around, but the last 75
years, most were cut at sawmills.) Every farm also had to round up a work crew
to tend the crop from pulling plants from the seed beds, to planting, chopping
out weeds, topping the flowers off, cutting, housing, and stripping the leaves
off the stalks, though much of the work was done by family members and
neighbors. The tobacco quota program allowed
even the smallest farm to generate a moderate income and kept KY farms intact
when so many others across the country were forced to “get big or get out”
during the farm crisis of the 1980s.
Since Congress ended
the tobacco program, only a small fraction of Kentucky farms still grow
tobacco, and the free market system has moved most of the production overseas.
Years ago,
Elmwood Stock Farm began growing vegetables as a way to keep good tobacco
workers employed over the entire growing season, by having more work avail-able
such as harvesting vegetables. The large acreage, single variety, wholesale
marketed, vegetable crops were planted and harvested around the schedule of the
more profitable tobacco. Later, as the
farm grew less tobacco, an interest developed in raising smaller volumes of
multiple crops over a longer season for direct sales – this brought new
management strategy issues. The ever-evolving decisions around what equipment
is needed, where do you get it, how many people do you need, what do they need
to know, insect problems, what is the best variety to grow, what variety tastes
best, what price will it receive, and on and on … Today, each of the crops grown at Elmwood are relatively small
scale by commercial vegetable production standards, yet quite a large scale
when there are thousands of kale leaves to be picked, or beets to be pulled, or
tomatoes to harvest and box for delivery to you. Most commercial equipment is
not appropriate and too expensive. We have purchased a few key pieces of
specialized equipment, modified some of the older tractors, and built a program
of production around them both. Mostly, we have developed systems of harvesting
and handling with homemade ingenuity while still depending on hands-on labor to
ensure the care that a quality food crop requires.
We touched on this topic so you can better see how
your role as a shareholder in Elmwood benefits not just your family, and not
just Elmwood Stock Farm, but your partnership keeps a former tobacco-dependent
farm intact and sustainable. As the
current generation of Kentucky farmers age and the tobacco program funding ends, there will be more and more Kentucky farms faced with development
or consolidation – either one will reduce the number of viable farms. With your support as a partner in Elmwood’s
CSA program, one
of those 85,000 Kentucky farms will continue to flourish!
In Your Share
Cabbage-
organic
Celery
– organic
Eggplant
Onion
-organic
Bell Pepper -organic
Heirloom
& Hybrid Tomatoes – organic
Green
Beans-organic
Garlic - organic
Recipes to Enjoy
Grilled Celery Salad with Tarragon Dressing,
recipe from Country Living Magazine July 2012
1
head celery, stalks separated and ends trimmed
3
T olive oil, plus more for grilling
¼
C red wine vinegar
2
T roughly chopped fresh tarragon
3
oz shaved Parmesan (about 1 cup)
salt
and freshly ground black pepper
Heat grill to medium. Lightly brush celery stalks with olive oil. Grill celery until marked and partially
softened, about 12 minutes, turning once halfway through. Transfer to cutting board and cool, about 5
minutes. Slice celery on the bias into
¼ inch thick pieces.
In a medium bowl, combine celery, olive oil,
vinegar and tarragon and toss to coat.
Season with salt and pepper. Top
with Parmesan. Serve at room
temperature; or cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
Quick Moussaka, a Martha
Stewart recipe using feta and ricotta rather than the traditional white flour-butter-milk
sauce.
Butter,
for baking dish
1
large eggplant (2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
7
tablespoons olive oil
Salt
and pepper
2
onions, chopped
2
cloves garlic, minced
1
pound ground beef or lamb
1
can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, drained OR equivalent fresh
2
teaspoons tomato paste
1/3
cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2
teaspoons dried oregano
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1
cup (9 ounces) ricotta cheese, room temperature
3/4
cup (4 ounces) feta cheese, room temperature
1
large egg, room temperature
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 4-quart
ovenproof dish. On a baking sheet, toss eggplant with 6 tablespoons oil and 1/2
teaspoon each salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer, and roast in the oven
until soft and golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to prepared dish,
spreading in an even layer.
In a large saucepan, warm remaining tablespoon
oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ground meat; cook, stirring to
prevent sticking, until meat is browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in drained tomatoes,
tomato paste, parsley, oregano, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and
pepper. Simmer, crushing tomatoes with the edge of a spoon, 15 minutes. Spread
the mixture evenly over the eggplant.
Heat broiler. In a small bowl, mix ricotta, feta,
egg, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of salt. Pour mixture over the casserole,
and spread evenly to the edges. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 5 to
10 minutes. Serve hot.
For
the crust:
·
2 cups all-purpose flour
·
1 T baking powder
·
3/4 tsp salt
·
6 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
·
3/4 cup buttermilk
·
2 T butter, melted
For
the Pie:
·
1 3/4 lbs tomatoes
·
salt
·
2/3 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
·
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 oz)
·
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
·
2 garlic cloves, minced
·
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
·
2 T snipped fresh chives
·
2 T fresh lemon juice
·
freshly grated black pepper
·
1 1/2 cups fresh corn (from 2-3 ears)
To
make the crust, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl,
then blend in cold butter with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it
resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk, stirring until mixture just forms a
dough, then gather into a ball.
Divide dough in half and roll out one piece on a well-floured counter into a 12-inch round. Either fold the round gently in quarters, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and gently unfold and center it or, roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to the pie plate. Pat the dough in with your fingers and trim any overhang. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling. Wrap the second half of the dough in plastic wrap and chill as well.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut an "x" in the bottom of each tomato. Have a large bowl of ice water ready, then add the tomatoes to the boiling water. Cook for about 10 seconds then transfer to the ice water. When cool enough to handle, peel the skins from the tomatoes.
Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels or a lint-free kitchen towel. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices and arrange in a single layer over the paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and allow to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Blot the tomatoes with more paper towels (or another kitchen towel).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the mayonnaise, cheeses, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the piecrusts from the refrigerator. Layer half the tomatoes on the bottom of the pie. Scatter half the corn over the tomatoes, then drop spoonfuls of the cheese-mayo mixture over the top. Sprinkle with half the basil and chives, then repeat the layers: tomatoes, corn, cheese, herbs.
Roll out the second piecrust into a 12-inch circle. Fit over the filling, pinching the edges of the two crusts together to form a fluted edge, or use the tines of a fork to fit together. Use a small knife to cut 4 slits in the top of the crust, then brush with melted butter.
Bake pie until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, 30-35 minutes (place a cookie sheet on the rack below the pie in case any of the filling boils over).
Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.
Divide dough in half and roll out one piece on a well-floured counter into a 12-inch round. Either fold the round gently in quarters, lift it into a 9-inch pie plate and gently unfold and center it or, roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer to the pie plate. Pat the dough in with your fingers and trim any overhang. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling. Wrap the second half of the dough in plastic wrap and chill as well.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cut an "x" in the bottom of each tomato. Have a large bowl of ice water ready, then add the tomatoes to the boiling water. Cook for about 10 seconds then transfer to the ice water. When cool enough to handle, peel the skins from the tomatoes.
Line a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels or a lint-free kitchen towel. Cut the tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices and arrange in a single layer over the paper towels. Sprinkle generously with salt and allow to stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Blot the tomatoes with more paper towels (or another kitchen towel).
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the mayonnaise, cheeses, garlic, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the piecrusts from the refrigerator. Layer half the tomatoes on the bottom of the pie. Scatter half the corn over the tomatoes, then drop spoonfuls of the cheese-mayo mixture over the top. Sprinkle with half the basil and chives, then repeat the layers: tomatoes, corn, cheese, herbs.
Roll out the second piecrust into a 12-inch circle. Fit over the filling, pinching the edges of the two crusts together to form a fluted edge, or use the tines of a fork to fit together. Use a small knife to cut 4 slits in the top of the crust, then brush with melted butter.
Bake pie until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling, 30-35 minutes (place a cookie sheet on the rack below the pie in case any of the filling boils over).
Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before cutting into slices and serving.
