Elmwood Stock Farm has been in the cattle
business as long as it has been a farm. Virtually all farms in Central Kentucky
raised beef cattle as a means of converting the grass on the hillsides into a
salable product or for their own consumption. The ridge tops and creek bottoms
were cultivated for tobacco and cattle grazed the rest. For decades the tobacco
quota system developed by Wendell Berry’s dad took into account the amount of
land that could be cultivated on a given farm without causing erosion problems,
and that determined how much tobacco each farm was allowed to grow. Now that
the tobacco support program has ended, we raise vegetables on the land
previously designated for tobacco with the same fundamental strategy not to
cultivate more acres than should be in a given year.
For several decades, Angus cattle were bred,
born, and raised on Elmwood Stock Farm’s rolling hills. As a breeder of
purebred bloodlines, each cow, and bull, has their family tree tracked back for
several generations as part of their registration with the American Angus Association.
The growth and performance of each of these animals, along with their
confirmation, was taken into consideration when deciding which bull to mate
with which cows to produce the best offspring. The factors to consider go way
beyond how fast they might grow and how big they will be when mature. In order
to develop a herd of high quality animals, knowing the best females born on the
farm will be kept for breeding stock, we look at birth weight of the calves,
birthing ease, mothering ability, udder confirmation and milking ability,
strong bone structure, temperament, and overall confirmation. Male offspring
are evaluated on growth characteristics along with temperament, scrotal
circumference, and muscle confirmation. Since each bull services 20-25 cows
each year it is important that the sire be properly selected. With the advent
of artificial insemination, we are able to select semen from the best breeding
stock around the country to further develop superior performance in our herd. Farmers from all over Central Kentucky
purchase bulls from us to breed the cows on their farm knowing they are
bringing superior genetics and performance into their herd, hence the name
Elmwood Stock Farm. The top rated
females are kept for our own use while some are sold to neighboring farms.
As vegetables have replaced tobacco, the
tradition of livestock being a key component of the fertility of the farm
continues. Since a particular field is only cultivated for three years out of
eight, the other five years the cattle are helping us re-build the soil and its
fertility that was harvested away with the crop. Commercial vegetable farmers
simply haul in salt generating fertilizers like 10-10-10, which means 10%
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium respectively. These fertilizer products
kill the microbes in the soil much like putting salt on an earthworm, which is
why they are not allowed in organic production, but it is a short term solution
to force a crop from the field, albeit a bit short sighted when developing a
sustainable system. The manure from cattle replenishes the nutrients in the
soil since the microbes in their digestive systems are designed to breakdown
plant tissue, and are deposited on the fields, which is the part the animal
does not need. It takes time, but most good things do.
In Your Share
Green Beans – organic
Beets – organic
Blackberries - organic
Potatoes – organic
Yellow Squash and Green Zucchini
Tomatoes - organic
Swiss Chard - organic
Garlic – organic
MelonRecipes to Enjoy
Moroccan Vegetable Couscous Serves
6, thanks to a CSA member for sharing this recipe!
For the spice mixture,
use 6 teaspoons ras-el-hanout or make your own blend:
1/2 tsp saffron
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
To finish the dish:
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with their juice,
chopped
1 zucchini, diced
1 15-ounce can chick peas
1 C couscous, cooked
Mix the spices in a
small bowl with a whisk. Heat a large skilled over medium heat and add the
spices. Toast them just until they are fragrant, probably less than a minute.
Pour the spices back into a bowl and set them aside.
Add the oil to the
skillet, turn the heat up to medium high. Add the onion and sauté until it
softens, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic,
carrots, and potato and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in the tomatoes
with their juices (or simply add a quart or so of home-canned tomato juice) and
the spice mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the potatoes
and carrots soften, about 20 minutes.
Add the zucchini and chickpeas
and heat until the zucchini has cooked and the beans have
heated through, about 5 minutes.
When the vegetables
have finished cooking, taste them and add more salt and pepper if you like.
Heap the couscous in the middle of a large shallow bowl. Spoon the vegetable
mixture over the top.
Pasta-Free Summer Lasagna Thanks to a CSA member for sharing this yummy summer recipe.
3-4 small yellow
summer squash or zucchini (about 8 inches long)
1C ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt, plus
more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp ground black
pepper
2 T finely chopped
basil
2 C shredded
mozzarella
1 slicing tomato
2 C pasta sauce
Preheat oven to 350
degrees F.
Mix together ricotta,
egg, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
Rinse salt off squash and pat dry.
Spread 1/3 C pasta
sauce on the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish. Arrange one layer of squash on top,
covering as much of the sauce as possible. Spread on half the ricotta, then sprinkle
on 3/4 C mozzarella. Top with 1/2 C pasta sauce. Repeat layers. Add a final
squash layer and spread on remaining sauce.
Slice the tomato into
approximately six thick slices and arrange on top. Sprinkle on any remaining
mozzarella.
Bake at 350 degrees
for 35-45 minutes, until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbly. Let cool at
least 10 minutes before serving.
Zucchini Grinders, our thanks to a CSA member for sharing this recipe
she found online.
1 T butter
2 medium zucchini,
cubed
1 pinch red pepper
flakes
salt and pepper to
taste
1C marinara sauce
1 1/2 C shredded
mozzarella cheese
4 (6 inch) sub
sandwich or ciabatta rolls, split
Note: Zucchini cubes can be larger for softer
rolls, which will tend to adapt to the size and shape of the zucchini; if using
ciabatta or similar “hard” rolls, make cubes smaller.
Preheat the oven to
350 degrees F.
Melt butter in a
skillet over medium heat. Fry the zucchini in butter until browned and slightly
tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir in the
marinara sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is heated.
Spoon a generous
amount of the zucchini mixture into each sandwich roll. Top with a handful of
shredded mozzarella. Close the rolls, and wrap individually in aluminum foil.
Bake for 15 minutes in
the preheated oven, until bread is heated through, and cheese is melted.
Sesame-Ginger Green Beans,
makes 4 servings, recipe adapted from Country Living.
1 C vegetable oil
3 small shallots, thinly sliced (if not
available, use a small onion)
1 pound fresh green beans, stem ends trimmed
1 T olive oil
1 T grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
2 T sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 400°F. Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium-high heat, heat vegetable
oil. Add shallots (or onion) and fry,
stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until golden brown, 12 to 15
minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined
plate to drain.
Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss green
beans with olive oil, sesame oil, ginger, and salt to coat. Roast beans until tender but still green, 5
to 8 minutes.
Transfer beans to a serving dish and toss with
sesame seeds. Top with reserved
shallots, or onions.
