Wyebrook Farm

One of the beautiful buildings at Wyebrook Farm

In light of the fact my kitchen is still a total mess of boxes making a recipe/food post virtually impossible, I thought it might be a good time to introduce everyone to one of my favorite finds of the summer.  While Dan and I were in Chester County, Pennsylvania in May, we paid a visit to Wyebrook Farm.  For anyone who believes in and supports sustainable agricultural practices and happens to be in the greater Philadelphia area, this is an absolute must see.

Dean Carlson tending the lamb

Dean Carlson is the force behind Wyebrook having arrived at sustainable farming after a fifteen year career on Wall Street.  Wall Street's loss is the world of healthy eating's gain.  On a personal level, I was thrilled to meet Dean and visit the farm after my three year journey of healthy eating which began after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.  While visiting the farm, Dean was tending a leg of lamb over a open fire, and we got to chatting about the books and activists who inspired us....Michael Pollan, Nina Planck, and Eliot Coleman to name a few.   He mentioned that he created Wyebrook as not only a working farm, but a learning opportunity for children and adults alike.

In addition to the farm, there is a market located in the upper portion of the beautifully restored barn and a cafe' on the lower level.  The market is open Friday through Sunday and offers a selection of the farm's meat, cheese, eggs, produce, and plants.  When we were there, we purchased some of their hamburger and a carton of eggs.  I had frequently read about being able to judge the freshness of eggs based on how high the yolk sat.  When I cracked these eggs in the pan, not only did the yolk sit high, but the white did as well.

Finished on grass

As a lacto ovo pescatarian, I didn't try the hamburger, but both Dan and my Mom said the flavor was exceptional.  The two things I did notice when I was cooking the burgers was that there was virtually no grease that cooked out of the meat and the burgers did not shrink at all.  Frequently, we non-meat eaters get a bad rap as people who don't think anyone should eat meat.  The bottom line is I don't mind if my husband eats meat.  He can eat all the meat he wants.  My one stipulation is that it must be humanely raised, finished on grass, and void of hormones and antibiotics. 

When we visited, the farm had just posted their summer concert series.  Wyebrook can also provide a magical backdrop for your private party or wedding complete with ingredients fresh from the farm.  Also in the works is a series of chefs dinners hosted in the renovated barn.

The market in the renovated barn

 But rather than waiting for a special occasion, give yourself the gift of visiting a farm that stands firm on the philosophy that our food should be safe and healthy.  Sadly, many people have no idea that a great deal of their food supply is from CAFOs or farms that choose grossly unhealthy practices for the animals, workers, and consumer.  Go see how it should be done.  Take your children for a fun day on the farm and celebrate and support Dean and his staff at Wyebrook Farm. 

Let me leave you with a quote from Wendell Berry's What Are People For? that is posted on the farm's website, "I dislike the thought that some animal has been made miserable to feed me.  If I am going to eat meat, I want it to be from an animal that has lived a pleasant, uncrowded life outdoors, on bountiful pasture, with good water nearby and trees for shade."

Wyebrook Farm: 150 Wyebrook Road, Honey Brook, PA  19344  (610) 942-7481.  wyebrookfarm.com

 

A Most Magical Day

While Dan is off in Charleston collecting images for his next painting series, I was whisked away by Ridge for an afternoon outing.  First the new IMAX movie, Born to Be Wild 3D, followed by a leisurely stroll through the Rose Garden at Exposition Park.  What could be better?

Okay, it's official....I'm a big crybaby.  My tear ducts are very close to the surface where animals are concerned and this was no exception.  No, I didn't have to resort to the two packs of travel tissues I brought, but I was discreetly wiping tears away from behind my ever so attractive 3D glasses.  Maybe it was the trailer for the polar bear movie, maybe it was the magnificent Morgan Freeman's narration, or maybe I'm just a goof.  No matter, the movie itself was a joy.

Angels truly walk among us.....or, in this case, among the orphaned elephants and orangutans.   Elephant expert, Dame Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya and primatologist, Dr. Birute Galdikas in Borneo have spent their lives rescuing, rehabilitating, and returning elephants (Sheldrick) and orangutans (Galdikas) to the wild.  Heartwarming, moving, and thought-provoking, this is a must see for anyone who loves animals and is outraged by poaching and the disappearing rain forests.

 

You now exit the IMAX theater via the upper level where you can fully appreciate the awe-inspiring dichroic skylight in the central pavilion.  After winding our way up to the top of the Science Center and observing a young man test his balance on the high wire bicycle, we made our way back down to the ground floor and out to the Exposition Rose Garden.   Ridge and I were trying to estimate the size of the garden and came to the conclusion it has to be well over 2 acres.  Brides and young women celebrating their Quinceanera posed for photos, lovers wandered past the fountain holding hands, and young children ran laughing wildly.  And to top it all off, an explosion of color and fragrance abounded thanks to the stars of the show. 

As we were leaving, I noticed a monument at the edge of the garden that read, "Flowers are the poetry of the Earth as stars are the poetry of Heaven."  How perfect is that?  As perfect as my day.  To my dear friend, Ridge, thank you for a most magical day!

Eggshell Seed Starters

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.  The first time I tried this it failed....miserably.  In fact, it failed so badly I wondered if we had to survive on anything I grew from seeds if we would make it through the first season.  Truth be told, the seeds were probably old and hadn't been stored proper- ly.  The second time with new seeds, however, worked like a charm.

One Sunday morning I was making breakfast and as I was cracking eggs in the bowl I got the idea to use eggshells as seed starters.  I've never liked the little black plastic things you buy at the garden center and certainly didn't want them sitting on my kitchen windowsill.  Little egg shells cradled in their carton would look much more cheerful.

I've always had a fondness for nasturtiums and sweet peas.  They were the first seeds I planted in the backyard when I bought my first house.  Nasturtiums never fail to bring a smile to my face when I see them and sweet peas have the most intoxicating aroma and have always attracted hummingbirds to my gardens.  As I wasn't sure how this experiment would turn out, I only planted three shells of nasturtiums and three of sweet peas.  Within ten days, the nasturtiums had pushed through the surface and the sweet peas followed a few days later.

If you want to give this a try, it's incredibly easy.  With a sharp knife, gently tap around the top of the egg.  Once you break through, carefully pick off enough of the shell to empty the contents.  From there, continue to pick off a fair amount of shell so that the opening is large enough to fill easily with potting soil.  Before you fill it with soil, rinse out the shell and let it air dry.  After filling the shells 3/4 full with potting soil, place two seeds in each shell and water.  A tablespoon of water a day seemed to be just the right amount for germination.  Simply place the shells in a warm, sunny location and the seedlings should sprout in the time indicated on the seed packet.  You may need to water the seedlings more as they grow.  As soon as they are well established, transplant to a pot, window box, or flower bed.

Nasturtiums and sweet peas in my first garden

The mantra in our home is "Grow baby, grow" as opposed to "Drill baby, drill". 

Seed Porn

It seems fitting my first blog post pertains to seeds.  Seeds represent a beginning, new life, not to mention all the seed idioms we've grown up with...."sowing the seeds of love" (thank you, Tears for Fears), "seed money", "seed of an idea", but who am I kidding?  When the title of the post is "Seed Porn" it's probably best not to get too philosophical.

Back in December when I found myself letting my subscriptions to Vogue and Bazaar lapse, only to be replaced with Urban Farm, Mother Earth News, and Chickens (who knew such a magazine existed?), I also started ordering tons of seed and gardening catalogs.  Over the last few weeks, as we shiver against the cold winds of January.....okay, not really, here in L. A. it's usually sunny and 75 degrees, but it sounded good.....I've gotten accustomed to listening for the ka-thunk that heralds the arrival of our mail as it gets shoved through the slot and plops to the floor.

Hutterite Soup

The first catalog to arrive was Seed Savers Exchange and just about rendered me speechless....which, had that occurred, would have made my husband very happy as silence is not something he gets to experience often when I'm home and awake.  That was the day I started referring to all seed catalogs as porn.  How could I not?  The photos make my vegetarian mouth water.  The colors make my eyes dance.  And the descriptions make me say to myself or anyone within earshot, "how can I not grow this too?"  A month ago I had never even heard of Hutterite Soup Beans and now can't imagine my future garden without them as they are said to produce an excellent creamy soup.

Bumble Bee

Not to mention Bumble Bee Beans (a Maine native), Hidatsa Shield Figure Beans (described in Buffalo Bird Woman's Garden), or Lina Sisco's Bird Egg Bean (a family heirloom brought to Missouri by covered wagon in the 1880s).  Can you imagine what my head will be like by the time I get to the tomato section?

Hidatsa Shield Figure

 The world of heirloom seeds is amazing and vitally important to our health and agricultural diversity.  To have the opportunity to leaf through one of these catalogs is to stroll back in history.  Thanks to the preservationists and keepers of these seeds, we may very well also be gazing into the future.  I hope it will be my future.

P.S.-- The mail just came......guess what I got?

Lina Sisco's Bird Egg