Well, the Santa Rosa Barricklows and the Northridge Barricklows have left the farm, and we do miss them so. Our only consolation is that we will all be together again in Santa Rosa in about a month. Spring is the main organizer of an event called the Handcar Regatta, and I’m sure you could learn more about it by google searching it, or her TED talk about it. (She is kind of amazing!) Those Barricklow brothers sure did marry well.
Colin and his brother Todd were able to harvest about 1.000 pounds of Crimson Clover seed from the one acre patch on field two that was planted in the fall of 2010. That amount of seed is just about right for our needs for cover crop planting on all of our vegetable fields, about 15 acres at 50 lb per acre seeding rate, thick! It pleases us immensely to be on our third generation (3rd year) of seed from this particular Crimson Clover, not buying in seed from anyone else for this one thing. The acre that they just pulled the seed off of will be next years squash field, so in addition to producing a seed crop, we are preparing that spot for next years cash crop of squash. The seed crop follows the broccoli crop the previous year, and so we just are constantly moving along this farm spiral.

Fennel is really wonderful! It is a vegetable that tastes and smells like licorice candy! Most of us here at the farm prefer to roast our fennel in quarters, either alone or with other root vegetables in olive oil, with salt and pepper. You can toss with pasta and parmesan after the roasting, or just enjoy chunks of roast fennel. Or, you could enjoy fennel shaved into thin slices with parmesan and olive oil, raw.

Carrots, Pecans, and Fennel – Friendly Foods
2 cups carrots, julienned 1/4 cup roasted pecans 1 tbsp. Olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced fennel 2 tsp corn starch 1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Steam carrots until tender-crisp. Heat oil in skillet, add fennel and saute 2 minutes. Add maple syrup, pecans, and carrots, and simmer briefly. Mix cornstarch and 1 tbsp. Of water and stir into carrot mixture. Stir in parsley and serve. Four servings.

Beet Burgers – Rose Valley Farm Food Book
2 cups grated beets 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 cups grated carrots
1 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/2 cup grated onion 3 tbsp flour
1 cup cooked rice 1/4 cup oil 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds 2 eggs, beaten minced garlic, cayenne, parsley to taste
Toast sunflower and sesame seeds in a dry skillet several minutes, tossing often. Mix ingredients, form into patties, and bake at 350 degrees. Unless patties are very large, it should not be necessary to turn them. Makes 6-8 burgers.


Quick Beet Greens – A. Donsecz
1 pound beet greens, shredded
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sunflower seeds, toasted
Toss beet greens, garlic, and oil in large sauce pan or skillet. Cover and saute until greens are just wilted. Add a splash of water if necessary to prevent greens from sticking to pan. Toast sunflower seeds in dry skillet or hot oven several minutes, tossing often and stir into greens. Four servings.
This recipe can include Rainbow Chard. Or you could make it separately with each green and find out which you prefer.

Kirsop Farm Calendar of Events

Kirsop Farm in the Food Summit Farm Tour August 27th.
Join us here at the farm at 9:30 AM Saturday, August 27th to tour fields one and two for about an hour. Call or email Halli Winstead to reserve a seat for the entire day of farm tours at 360-752-3874, halliw@gmail.com. The other farms on the agenda are Left Foot, Boistfort, and Lincoln Creek Ranch.

Outstanding in Their Fields September 17th, Saturday
Tickets available through Acqua Via Restaurant 357-3677 or their website.

September 19, 5-7pm Chicken pick up!! Call to reserve your chicken today! Many fine fat delicious broilers available for you!

Kirsop Farm CSA potluck dinner and farm tour, October 8. Saturday, 4 pm-8pm.

November 21, 5-7pm Turkey pick up!! Call to reserve.