Tremendousness
Trees of the Bluegrass have
played a tremendous role in defining the culture and fabric of the region. From
the venerable beauties that dot the landscape to the stout trees in the active
fencerows and the younger trees throughout small wood lots, managing the trees
is foundational to our land-stewardship principles. It is also integral to our
organic way of living within an ecosystem, not forcing our will upon the land
we have been entrusted with.
Looking around Elmwood Stock
Farm, one thing that may catch your eye is the huge trees, randomly scattered
in a pasture or near dwellings. These are the venerable, or pre-settlement
trees, unique to the region we farm. As the land was settled, writings tell of
finding native grasslands with these big
beauties interspersed, probably evolving with bison herds and wildfires.
Settlers built their farms among them, with reverence. It is mind-boggling to
think what these trees may have witnessed, back when Native Americans chose to
encourage their growth. We find quite a few arrowheads, or pieces of
arrowheads, on the farm each year. Those hunters may have counted on these same
trees for food and shelter.
Trees
for Wildlife
Really big trees often act as
anchors of fencerows, even being named in deeds of properties. Fencerows are an
active part of our management schemes and provide a host of resources. Not only
do they provide shade or a wind break for livestock and crops, the microclimate
they form has a tremendous impact on the wildlife they foster. Obviously, the
birds seek refuge there to rear their young, but those same birds forage on
insects, which helps keep the populations in check. Birds also eat weed seeds,
of which we have our share.
Additionally, fencerows with a
good diversity of plant species is the over-wintering habitat for the many
beneficial insects we cohabitate with. We actually purchase and release various
types of beneficial parasitoids or predatory insects to help keep the bad bugs
at bay.
Underneath all of this,
fencerows are like highways for wildlife, such as raccoons, fox, coyotes,
skunks and the like, to access water from Elkhorn Creek, which borders the
farm. Invasive plant species, such as bush honeysuckle and spotted hemlock, are
threatening the diversity of many fencerows in the region. We fight them back a
little every year.
The
Challenge of Trees
Our interaction with the trees
is considerable within our farming business. Each spring, or often after big
summer storms, we have to cut up fallen limbs, if not whole trees. These trees
do provide firewood for one greenhouse and for our homes, but the clean-up—essential
though it may be—takes a lot of time that could be used for other projects or
jobs on the farm. Running up on a hidden limb can damage hay-making equipment.
Limbs left in fields can allow weeds to grow up around them. Fallen limbs and
trees will quickly damage a wire and post fence, as you might guess.
We have lots of Wild Cherry
trees on Elmwood, which when damaged in a storm, the wilted leaves are very
toxic to livestock (but not when fresh). Wild Cherry are also home to the
dreaded tent caterpillars of such concern to horsemen in the region. Cattle do
keep the lower branches pruned back while they browse as part of their eating
habits, making it easier to actually access the fence for which it is so named.
Since cattle seek the shelter
and security of trees in herds, they can compact the soil under these trees, if
allowed to congregate over long periods of time. The roots are starved of
oxygen in these conditions. The quick rotational-grazing management plan we
employ allows smaller plants to regrow under the trees between grazings, which
loosens up the soil again. We are seeing the benefit to the trees already.
Trees
of the Bluegrass
On
June 9th, we will look more closely at the trees of Elmwood Stock
Farm on our Trees of the Bluegrass farm tour. Please join us to learn how our
tree-stewardship program is integral to our
organic-farming systems. See how the venerable trees strive to regain the shape
they are genetically coded to, even after losing limbs years or decades ago.
(You can register for the event on Eventbrite.com by going HERE or through a link on our
Facebook page. Two children are free with each adult ticket.)
We feel a strong sense of
responsibility for these trees, as they have watched over many changes since this land was settled.
We want the growth rings to reflect how respectful we are of them. It is
obvious to us where the word tremendous came from.
In Your Share:
Asparagus
Rainbow Swiss Chard
Garlic Scapes
Lettuce
Strawberries
Sugar Snap Peas
Spinach
Recipes
Asparagus Pesto, adapted from The New York
Times
Pesto goes far beyond the traditional Genovese basil pesto that we are often first introduced to in life. You
can make pesto with just about any vegetable-nut-cheese-oil combination.
salt
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
and cut into 2-inch segments
1 clove garlic, or more
to taste
¼ c. pine nuts
¼ c. olive oil, or more
as desired
¾ c. freshly grated
Parmesan cheese
black pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon, or
to taste
Bring a large pot of
water to a boil and salt it. Add the asparagus and cook until fully tender but
not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving some of the cooking liquid,
and let the asparagus cool slightly. Transfer the asparagus to a food processor
and add garlic, pine nuts, 2 tablespoons of the oil, Parmesan, a pinch of salt
and a couple of tablespoons of cooking liquid. Process the mixture, stopping to
scrape down the sides of the container, if necessary, and gradually add the
remaining oil and a bit more of the reserved cooking liquid to moisten, if
necessary. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste, pulse
one last time, and serve over pasta, fish or chicken (or cover and refrigerate
for up to a day).
Strawberry Sorbet, adapted from Local Flavors
1 quart strawberries
grated zest and juice of
1 blood orange, orange or tangerine
⅔ cup sugar
Combine zest, juice and
sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, until the sugar
is dissolved. Let cool. Reserve a few strawberries for garnish. Remove leaves
and stems from remaining berries. Purée in a food processor. Stir into citrus
syrup. Process in your ice-cream maker according to machine directions. If you
do not have an ice cream maker, freeze mixture in a loaf pan. To serve, break
sorbet into chunks and process in food processor. Serve with a strawberry or
two on top.
Garlic Scape Yogurt Dressing, adapted from Food52
1 c. plain yogurt
2 T. white-wine balsamic
vinegar (or white-wine vinegar)
4 garlic scapes, minced
1-2 T. fresh herbs,
chopped
1-2 T. extra-virgin
olive oi
½ tsp. sea salt
pinch of black pepper
In a small bowl, whisk
together yogurt, white wine balsamic vinegar, garlic scapes and basil. Slowly
stream in olive oil while stirring, then season with salt and black pepper. Serve
over a green salad or steamed spring vegetables.
Black Bean and Swiss Chard Burger, adapted from Not
Eating Out in New York
If you’ve used up all of the garlic scapes in your
share, substitute leeks, green onions, onions or garlic for the scapes in this
recipe.
1 bunch Swiss chard,
finely shredded
1 bunch green garlic,
minced
3 cups black beans
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 T. grated parmesan
cheese
2-3 T. extra-virgin
olive oil
Heat 1 T of the olive
oil on a sauté pan and cook the garlic scapes and Swiss chard, along with a
pinch of salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until all moisture from the
chard has evapor-ated, about 5-6 minutes. Slightly mash the cooked beans with a
fork in a large mixing bowl. (Mash more thoroughly for an even, creamy
consistency, or mash just slightly for a chunkier, bean-ier consistency.)
Stir
in the beaten egg, salt, pepper, spices and cheese. Stir in the cooked and
cooled Swiss chard mixture. Combine with hands until thoroughly distributed.
Form into four patties. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe
pan over medium and coat the bottom thoroughly with about 2 T of olive oil.
Place down the patties. Don’t move for 1-2 min., then push them around a bit to
make sure they aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan. (Add more oil, if
necessary.) Cook 2 more min., and carefully flip the patties. Cook on this side
1-2 min. Transfer to the oven to cook another 8-10 minutes. Serve on a bun,
lettuce wrap or salad.
