Oh boy, it's Okra!

Oh boy, it’s Okra!

     
         Experimenting in the garden is a family pastime.  We try to plant new things each year.  This year we planted okra.  Now, I am an Ohio girl a.k.a. a NORTHERN girl who has never tasted okra.  I did not grow up eating Cajun food, or good Southern cooking, which included okra.  I have read about how to cook it and use it, but this will be the year that I try.

       However, I am writing to you today because I think that people should start to look at okra in another way.  It is beautiful!  According to the University of Illinois Extension website the plant is from the same plant family as hibiscus, hollyhock and Rose of Sharon.  Our plants grew to be approximately three-to-four feet high. The blossoms are off-white with scarlet veins.  It is a very “showy” plant with good structure and leaves. 

       Growing okra is like having my own sculpture garden.  The finial shaped pods reach toward the sun and provide a bulky contrast to the blooms.  The branches are thick and well-spaced, allowing you to see both the blooms and the vegetables.  I have always interspersed flowers and vegetables in my gardens.  We call it edible landscaping.   Rosalind Creasy coined that term and we love it!

       As sculptural as okra is, I plan to dry it for holiday arrangements.  The pods seem to be cracking open to disperse seeds so I am trying different methods.  Some pods are outside, drying in a shaded area.  Others are inside drying away from the sunlight. The pods I put in the dehydrator on a low temperature seem to be working the best.  They have not cracked and are holding their color and shape.  Once they are dried I plan on painting them for ornaments and garlands.  Maybe that will be a holiday blog?

Learn more about growing okra  at the links below and enjoy your own edible sculpture garden!

Learn more about okra:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/okra.cfm

http://www.goerie.com/article/20130320/LIFESTYLES04/303209991/Edible-landscaping

http://southernfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa081401a.htm

Connie's First Blog Post

Hello!
This is my first blog post EVER!  I felt inspired to learn how to blog because this morning I made the best butter pecan fudge I have ever made. Smooth and creamy. I needed a fourth flavor for our fudge sampler and the lucky winner was butter pecan.

Here's the large box fudge sampler: Chocolate, Butter Pecan, Chili Chocolate and Peanut Butter

As the family tries to re-adjust with Alan working full-time, I thought that I would start to take on the farm business.  It's a lot of work but with help from friends and family I think that I can do it.  Here's my plan:  First, I am learning the fudge making process and monitoring the Local Harvest store site.  Next, I will take on full animal care but this needs some infrastructure development.  More on that later. Third, I have signed up to sell fudge and crafts at the St. Andrew's Christmas Bazaar in Columbus on November 9.  Come and visit us on Saturday and you can see (and buy) some fudge, hand-dyed silk scarves and handmade ornaments.
If you have any ideas for new fudge flavors please let me know.  Someone already suggested butterscotch.
Thank you so much to everyone who keeps us moving forward!
Sincerely,
Connie and the rest of the Roost

Crafty Kid

I've been trying for a couple of days to post the latest instalment of the ongoing Mouse Wars saga, but I couldn't get the video to load.  I'll get it figured out soon.

So, I'm going to show off what JJ has been up to.  She got inspired by Kim's felted bag, and decided to make some.

Here are three she made. All from Goodwill sweaters. Hand done by JJ  (age 12)

cashmere bag with needle felting

handbag with a rose

needle felted small shoulder bag

needle felting

JJ will be selling her bags at the Spinners and Weavers booth tomorrow at the Coshocton September First Friday.  You can also find her bags, weaving, jewelry and other crafty things at our farm shop.

In the shop - three weeks till we open

Our plan is to re-open the farm shop the first of February. There is still a bit to do to get things ready. (A lot to do actually...!) We decided to change the location. We love the garden shed by the back door. It has all kinds of charm, but it doesn't work as a shop for several reasons.

First, people have to walk too far. Yes, it's paved (buried in snow right now...) and it is only about 100 feet from the parking area, but, it is definitely in our yard, past our gardens, and well protected by our rather large, not very fierce dog. The dog is one of the main issues. He is too friendly. It is also impossible to exclude him from the area.

Second, cleanliness. The charm of the garden shed comes from it's rustic nature. The old exposed framing and siding look lovely, but they let in all kinds of dust, spiders, and other undesirables. Not the kind of place you would want to go looking for fresh produce, fudge, bread, etc.

Third is climate control and lighting. The only way to effectively do either of these in the garden shed would be to finish the interior. Then we have lost the charm factor.

So we are closing in one half of the garage and making it into a shop/weaving room. It will be bright and clean, warm and dry, and easily accessible from the parking area. The garden shed will be more of an entertaining space, and maybe a showcase for my stained glass (if I ever find time to do more.) JJ envisions using it as a tea house. Could happen.

At the farm shop we will be selling fudge, baked goods (on a limited basis), eggs (if the chickens ever start laying again...), produce, and what ever crafts are currently being produced. We are going to push a bit harder on advertising/marketing, and on keeping a variety of things in stock. Should be a lot of fun for everyone.

The only hang-up is the fact that it is still only framed in, not finished. Tomorrow I will get the drywall, and start hanging it. Hopefully by the end of this week the basic space will be finished. Then I can start working on the details. Still need some display cases, some storage cabinets, and something to sell.

Three weeks, No Problem (unless life gets in the way...)