Don't Let Your Children Grow Up to be Farmers
This is the title of a recent New York Times opinion piece that has gotten quite a bit of attention in the last few days. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/dont-let-your-children-grow-up-to-be-farmers.html?referrer&_r=2
While the title is a bit dramatic, the article outlines a lot of the challenges of trying to make it as a small farmer these days. High capital investments with low returns, long hours and the daily risk of losing everything due to weather makes farming a relatively poor choice for a financially stable career - no surprise there. But the author, Bren Smith does a good job of addressing many of the issues that may not be part of the regular conversation about the growing local food movement. Most farms operate at a loss every year making saving money very hard to do. Most small farmers have second or third jobs. Smith is right that the proliferation of CSA programs and small farmer's markets do force farmers to lower prices for their products. and creates serious competition between local farms. Farms funded by wealthy landowners and non-profits make it almost impossible to compete as a start-up or a small family farm. All of these things are true and are the reality of lives of so many small scale farmers in this area. Smith offers quite a few solutions that would certainly help turn the tide:
"We need to fight for loan forgiveness for college grads who pursue agriculture; programs to turn farmers from tenants into landowners; guaranteed affordable health care; and shifting subsidies from factory farms to family farms. We need to take the lead in shaping a new food economy by building our own production hubs and distribution systems. And we need to support workers up and down the supply chain who are fighting for better wages so that their families can afford to buy the food we grow. "
These are tall orders, but ones that we have to demand in order to make the farming part of our local food system work. I know that we are on our way in the right direction and it feels very exciting to be a part of it. In fact, just today I received a letter from the Commissioners of Bucks County about the launch of a loan program for agricultural projects in Bucks County. The tides are beginning to change, and being aware of what the real issues are is the first step in getting involved. Despite it's current financial challenges, there is nothing I would rather be doing then full-time farming. Let's encourage our children to grow up to farmers, but let's ensure that they'll be making living wage.
Enough words! Check out some pictures from the week!
Bees bearding for ventilation. So happy to have these girls on the farm.
Sunset.
They're just so stinkin cute.
Taters!
The share!
swiss chard
kale
radicchio
onions
beets
carrots
cabbage
salad mix
head lettuce
eggplant
peppers
cherry tomatoes
heirloom tomatoes
beans
summer squash
cucumbers
potatoes
parsley
dill
cilantro
Grilled Swiss Chard and Tomato Wraps:
http://www.thesavagefeast.com/2011/10/grilled-tomato-mozzarella-swiss-chard-wraps-burst-with-flavor/
Ingredients:
- 12 medium to large Swiss chard leaves
- 3 medium roma tomatoes
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 24 basil leaves chopped
- Coarse salt
Directions:
- Wash the Swiss chard leaves and remove the center stalk
- Stack the Swiss chard halves and steam in a large pot with a steamer until just wilted, about 1 minute. Remove and let cool.
- Slice tomatoes into 12 slices about 1/2 thick. Cut the mozzarella into 12 slices.
- Lay one of the wilted Swiss chard halves on a cutting board and cross over it with a second half.
- In the center of the Swiss chard cross place one tomato slice, one mozzarella slice, a tablespoon of diced onion, top with 1/12 of the chopped basil and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Wrap the Swiss chard around the tomato and cheese center until bundled up tightly.
- Repeat steps 4-6 until all 12 wraps are complete.
- Preheat grill and oil the grill so the wraps don’t stick.
- Brush a little olive oil on the outside of the wraps and place on grill. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Summer Squash Pizza
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/summer-squash-pizza-10000001816309/
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
- Cooking spray
- 1 (12-inch) packaged pizza crust (such as Mama Mary's)
- 2 plum tomatoes, cut into (1/8-inch-thick) slices
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, zucchini slices, and yellow squash slices in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Place squash mixture on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until tender.
3. Reduce grill temperature to medium.
4. Lightly coat pizza crust with cooking spray; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Arrange zucchini and squash over crust. Arrange tomatoes over squash; sprinkle with pecorino Romano cheese. Grill 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from grill; sprinkle with basil and oregano.
Apple and Raw Beet Slaw
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/apple-and-raw-beet-slaw-recipe2.html
Total Time:
20 min
Prep:
5 min
Cook:
15 min
Yield:
6 servings
Ingredients
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 pound beets, peeled
1 large Granny Smith apple, or similar flavored and textured apple
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coarse grain salt
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
In a medium sized salad bowl, using your microplane grater (or the smallest holes of a cheese grater) grate fresh ginger directly into bowl, about one teaspoon. Grate beets and apples, add them to the bowl with the ginger, and toss until ginger is evenly distributed. Add sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper to bowl and toss to coat evenly. Add olive oil, stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/apple-and-raw-beet-slaw-recipe2.print.html?oc=linkback