Circle M Farm

Last night I was just finishing milking my goats on our front porch when the rain hit. I was thrilled, of course, having been praying for precipitation for weeks now. My does however, hate to get wet, so rather than return them to their pasture in the downpour, I enjoyed a half hour or so or watching the rain while snuggling with them under the wide eave. Goats are a lot like dogs, curious and loyal, only they prefer to sniff you rather than lick you when they are feeling affectionate. And, they smell like cream. Wonderful rain, delightful goats. Life is very very good here at Circle M. Hope you can taste it in these veggies. continued »

You’ll laugh to read this post and compare it to the post on the last local delivery. Then, we were under water, and now – nothing! We’ve had pretty much no rain since the flood. It’s certainly feast or famine when it comes to moisture this year. But, thankfully, we can irrigate when we’re dry. We’re also thankful that the gardens are yielding some spectacular romaine lettuces, which are just the thing to eat when you come in from this hot parching weather. continued »

You can tell the insane workload of spring has lifted slightly, because here at Circle M we’re finally getting around to some of those tasks that are important, but not urgent – like shearing Howie! continued »

The theme of this week’s box is Grace. Today’s harvest was such a celebration – everything looking so fresh and good in spite of the fact that the plants have been through such a late and harsh spring. If you can picture me kneeling beside crisp rows of multicolored lettuce, slicing through each rosette with a satisfying crunch, and saying in measured rhythm as I cut, “Thank you, thank you, thank you…” you have some idea of what our time in the garden has been like in the past few days. continued »

I’ve decided to write down each week’s harvest list in order of what should be consumed first, in terms of longevity in storage. As you’d expect this time of year, the garden is all about fresh, raw and green! Salads and stirfrys, sautés and crispy snaps. I’m thankful for every last bite, as these tender veggies have weathered floodwaters, tornado winds and torrential downpours in the past two weeks. Not to mention the heaviest insect pest load I’ve ever seen on this property. Bugs always move in when the plants are stressed. But don’t panic, it’s organic! Ignore those little holes and enjoy – they’re proof that you aren’t eating pesticides! continued »

We bid a somewhat reluctant farewell to Piggy Lou, our friendly and gigantic sow, this morning when she went away with the butcher. We were only somewhat sad to see her go, for as endearing as she sometimes was, her size and strength had made her a bit of a danger in our fenced gardens. continued »

Like so many of you offering moral support this past week, a lovely friend recently posted a message of sympathy for our flood trials and closed with a surprisingly shocking admonition: “Remember to breathe.” Wow. And so I am, today. Thanks to a heroic outpouring of effort from both neighbors and our dedicated crew of WorkShare farm members this weekend, Plan B is now planted and the gardens are off and growing for the second time this season. continued »

What with the panic of flood clean-up and all of the uncertainties of a first-of-the-season CSA delivery, I ran out of time yesterday to put together recipes for the boxes. So here, straight from the rather fishy-smelling Circle M farm fields, are some terrific ways to use the first bounties of the spring garden. continued »

Well, last night’s nightmare of flooding and destruction has all but disappeared with this morning’s lovely sunshine and gentle wind to lift the moisture off the gardens. And boy, are they full! We’ve got a box packed with greens coming out to you today, with a few surprises tucked in. continued »

Thank God for the songs of Johnny Cash to give voice to our sufferings. We’re living “Three Feet High and Rising” here at Circle M where the fierce storms of the weekend, and our bucolic location at the junction of a creek and river, have conspired to give us lakefront property. Too bad the lake had to be on one of our gardens. continued »