Sunday, March 29, 2009

Critters








All the farm animals are doing well...including Maynard!

Last night it got down to 30 degrees.

The crops of carrots, mustard, kale,collards and radishes look good but the potatoes are a little wilted.

The Chickasaw plums seemed to have suffered a little damage also but overall I think we are OK.








Squeeky has been spending a lot of time out doors. I think he is looking for a girlfriend!







I caught this cute little racer snake in the garden.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Fire ants cover rabbits





One of our female rabbits "Thumper" had 10 hairless pink babies last night. By the time we checked on her this morning all her little bunnies were covered with fire ants. We hand picked off all the ants and moved them inside were it was safe. On the living room floor, Kristine quickly made a safe bunny nest and placed them inside. The momma bunny was stressed out due to the ants and the new move....but soon calmed down and started nursing again. We have our baby rabbit formula and bottle ready in case of an emergency.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Graham's Green Garlic Soup

Chef Graham Dodds at Bolsa placed an order for organic heirloom green garlic today. Green Garlic Soup is on the menu! Make some for yourself, or go down to Bolsa in Oak Cliff and order some.







It is spectacular!!!

Graham's Green Garlic Soup


1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 leak, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped
4 heads of organic green garlic, coarsely chopped
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, juiced

In a heavy 6-quart pot over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onions, leeks and garlic. Saute', stirring occasionally,until soft about 8 minutes. Add potato chunks, chicken stock, salt, pepper,and 4 cups of water. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until potatos are soft, about 20 minutes.

Working in 4 batches, puree soup in blender until smooth, then pour through mesh strainer into clean pot. Set over moderately low heat and stir in lemon juice. ENJOY!


Saturday, March 14, 2009

Edible Flowers


This year Steve and I are starting for the first time an edible flower garden. I have grown beautiful huge roses in the past. The horses loved to eat them. They are very high in vitamin C.





This year we have included Calendulas,Carnations, Day Lilies, Gladiolus and Bachelors Buttons. All Edible!!!!!!!!





They make a great topping for a desert or salad!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Singing in the rain


Steve and I have been inside today, It rained all night and is still raining. We have been working on our new web-site (edencreekfarm.com) and writing some new music.





The pond out back was completely dry. But now it is half way full.

Our dogs Henry and Maya are having fun tromping through the mud puddles. Yahooooo it finally rained!!!!! The garden won't need watering for weeks.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Sound of Thunder



I was awoken by the sound of thunder this morning! The spring rain has come and the thirsty land drinks.
Being a farmer...the drought and anxiety has temporarily lifted.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

CSA Membership





Community Supported Agriculture is for community members who invest in a local farm's production of fresh, local, chemical-free fruit, vegetables, herbs and nuts.


As a Eden Creek Farm CSA member you will receive your weekly share of produce at one of our designated drop offs.


Half share is $400/ Full share is $800


The volume and variety of produce will vary with season, weather, and pest problems, but should typically include 1/4 bushel once a week. You will receive 6 to 10 different fruit, vegetables, herbs and nuts.


Spring(April-may) lettuce, totsoi, arugula, mizuna, baby greens, potatoes, peppers, dew berries and herbs.

Summer(June-July) plums, cucumbers, beans, squash, tomatoes, peppers, okra, melons

August-September: Two month break due to heat

Fall(October-December)peppers, eggplant, beans, winter squash, collards, spinach, mustard, greens, lettuce, baby salad mix, pecans, persimmons, pumpkins…

How to Join


Membership is available on a limited first-come, first-served basis
We have 20 shares available

To be a member email us at Kastlestone@hotmail.com
If you have any questions call 903-695-0730

Monday, March 9, 2009

Grass-Fed Beef Pricelist




EDEN CREEK FARM
903-695-0730

Eden Creek Farm beef is always 100% all Natural and grass fed. No hormones, antibiotics no harmful chemicals what so ever! All beef is USDA inspected and has never been fed any grains such as corn or oats. Grass-Fed beef is higher in Omega Fatty Acids and lower in both total and saturated fats than grain fed beef. It also contains higher levels of such nutrients as B vitamins, zinc and iron. Additionally, because grass-fed beef is by its nature free range beef, It is not exposed to many of the bacteria and health problems that animals crowed into feeding pens experience. Grass-fed animals are eating what nature intended them to eat so their immune system and their digestive tracts are healthier…with out the use of antibiotics.

Grass- Fed Beef

Price/Lbs.*
T-Bone Steak $ 12.99
Rib Eye Steak $ 13.99
Beef Round Steak $ 6.99
Sirloin Steak $ 11.99
Short Ribs $ 6.29
Seven Bone Roast $ 6.29
Rump Roast $ 6.29
Beef Stew Meat $ 5.99
Beef Chili Meat $ 5.99
Ground Beef $ 5.99
Chuck Roast $ 5.99
Heal of Round Roast $ 6.99
Top Beef Butt Sirloin $ 6.99
Beef Skirt $ 6.29




Whole calf, Primal cut, Hanging weight $5.55 per lbs

Sunday, March 8, 2009

When Bee's Attack






The movie crew showed up around 11:00am....the short story being filmed here today is about Chef Graham Dodds culinary expertise. He is the head Chef of Bolsa's in Oak Cliff. Graham enjoys using Eden Creek Farm's fruits, vegetables and grass-fed beef in his award winning recipes. His other passion is bee keeping and rescuing. All the eleven bee hives at Eden Creek Farm have been brought here by Graham. He actually will rescue honey bees from peoples homes, barns and buildings who want them removed... Without the use of any harmful chemicals!


Everything was going great until...the bees started stinging and swarming everything that moved. Everyone started running, swatting and screaming...(it was hilarious)! We all ran for the safety of the house, including the dogs who you could hear yelping from the bee stings. Anyway, this hive has started to "Africanize!" I have never seen anything like this before...one hour later, the bees were still circling the house waiting to sting anyone who walked out.
Don't worry we did manage to get some of the plum blossom honey! Yummy! Yeeeee-haw!

Soil Sample



This year we expanded our farming area, in doing so the proper soil test were taken to help us determine what kind of soil and nutrients we have. The new field is a sandy loam with a little organic material. I started out by taking a mason jar and filling it with dirt I collected from the new field. Add water and shake. Wait a day or so, and the soil will settle leaving you a clear picture of what you have...I have sandy loam. Now, I test the PH and nutrient contents. This piece of land ended up being slightly alkaline(8.0). To lower our PH we will add composted horse manure and oak leaves. Our Nitrogen, was low. The horse manure along with our other organic fertilizers will help bring up our Nitrogen. The Potassium and Phosphorus were at a good level. It will take us a few years to get ideal soil...but well worth it!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Sprouting seedlings


The weather has been a bit extreme this year...we have lost a few seedling do to morning freezes and windy hot days. (Not to mention the drought we are in) But, all and all a good percentage of our seeds did germinate and were not eaten by the wild, cotton-tail bunnies and the seed eating bird population. I learned a little trick when I lived in Indonesia. Hang recycled white plastic grocery bags in the garden(temporarily). This will keep birds and rodents out of the garden and give the seeds more time to germinate. The seed eaters think the swaying white bags are some sort of predators and keep them at bay . Seeds can be wiped out in a few hours by a big flock of birds, so out here...I need to protect the seeds until the are well established in the dirt.

Today I picked
my second harvest of asparagus this season...it will go great steamed with butter with my sandwich for lunch.
Kristine and I spent today top watering the seedlings in the garden, while hand pulling weeds and putting down a mulch of oak leaves and hay. Mulch helps hold in moisture and nutrients for our garden veggies...and also cuts down on weed pulling.

We sure need rain!



Friday, March 6, 2009

Eden Creek Muffin's


Don't forget edible seasonal flowers!
For a snack today, Kristine baked some Eden Creek Farm muffin's, then she drizzled them with our raw, plum blossom honey and sprinkled them with fresh cut red bud flowers.

Rain Dance




The drought here in central Texas is starting to get pretty serious. Dry and windy with extreme weather patterns! One morning it may be still, with frost on the ground and the same afternoon, windy and over 80 degrees. At least our water well still has a little water left to sprout the seedlings for the farm. We really need a big rain to fill it back up!



Eden Creek is all dried up and beggin' for a drink...there may be some relief on the way! The weather is calling for a chance of rain this coming week. Let the rain dance begin!

Country Breakfast







I was up before the sun rose....off to the chicken coop for some fresh farm eggs! On my way back from collecting eggs, I noticed the asparagus has just starting to come up, so I collected a big hand full....That means for the next five weeks or so I'll be harvesting and eating a lot. I love asparagus!


Okay, so I went back to the house and cooked up breakfast of freshly picked asparagus, farm eggs and left over Eden Creek Meat Loaf (it tasted even better than the picture I took... looks), cooked in organic virgin olive oil and garnished with mandarins.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Squeeky the Squirrel

Squeeky fell out of a tree when he was only 2 weeks old. He had no hair and was still pink. We bottle fed him every two hours all day and all through the night for almost 2 months. He is now 9 months old!

Squeeky is an indoor squirrel, who ventures outdoors every now and then.




Some of Squeeky's favorite foods are carrots, pecans, mandarins, bannans, sunflower seeds, hibiscus seeds, totsoi, honey nut cheerios, snap peas, grapes, acorns, pine cones, dewberries, and wheat bread.




To keep his teeth filed down he loves to chew on pecan wood and persimmon wood that we gather from our forest.









CSA














There are ten CSA shares left for this year...let us know if you are interested in supporting us, your local organic farmer.

Call 903-695-0730 to sign up!


Come see us at the Farmer's Market, Sunday April 5, 11:00-4:00 at BOLSA in Oak Cliff. Come down and get some fresh veggies and grass fed beef from us and let Chef Graham cook you up some healthy food for lunch... You will love it!