Plant Debut 2013

Hello Readers,

This will be a short post this time. We just wanted to give the you and the rest of the world a glimpse of our first crops of the season!

Aren't they just beautiful?!

Earth Day Event

Volunteers! (Click to make larger)

Hello Readers,

On April 13, about 100 people came out to the farm to help plant transplants commencing NC State's annual week-long Earth Day festivities. Students, faculty, staff, and community members came together to plant seedlings that will eventually be harvested and served in campus dining halls. The event was co-hosted by the NCSU Agroecology Education Farm and Campus Dining. It serves as a great beginning for more local and sustainable foods on campus.

In addition to planting transplants, students and community members watered crops, spread soybean mill, pulled weeds, discussed sustainable agriculture, and provided assistance to Green Planet Catering in their plots. Campus Dining provided delicious food and beverages as well!

Volunteers Planting Seedlings. (Click to make larger)

It was fantastic to see so many people come together and work to support a great cause and new initiative. We thank everyone who came out and hope to see many of your faces out at the farm this summer!

Cheers,
-Agroecology Education Farm Staff

WRAL and Earth Day

                                                                         

Hello Readers!

Camera Man with Stephen Ratasky and Angel Cruz

It has certainly been a long time since we've written anything on here and, for that, we apologize. We are still in the process of getting all our social media outlets up to date and of course winter happened. There was not very much going on at the farm at the time but now the growing season is upon us once again.

Just a couple days ago, we organized a visit from WRAL news. Reporter Brian Shrader came out to the farm to talk to our director, Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, our Farm Manager, Stephen Ratasky, and our newest partner NCSU Campus Dining. The interviews went great and the story was even better. If you are interested in seeing the story, go here: http://goo.gl/UImkl . The best part of all is our farm was exposed to over 120,000 people across area. Let's hope that this means more interest, more volunteers, and possible donations of any kind!

Brian Shrader Speaking to Campus Dining and our Director

Another piece of fantastic news is the new partnership with NCSU Campus Dining I mentioned above. We've established a portion of the farm to grow food for campus dining. In other words, we have joined the campus dining My Roots Are At NC State program. When harvesting food later in the summer, a large portion of it will be served in the dining halls at NC State University. Students will be able to eat foods grown by the pack for the pack!

The last thing we'll announce in this blog post is our Earth Day event which will take place tomorrow. We know it's early but shouldn't every day be Earth Day? The farm will open from 1-4pm and anyone is invited to come out to help plant transplants! We will also serve some light snacks and there will be plenty of photo opportunities. You don't have to RSVP but if you'd like to let us know you are coming, go to http://go.ncsu.edu/plantingmyroots and sign-up.

We have lot's planned for this year so be sure and check back in every so often for great pics, recipes, growing advice, updates on the farm, and more.

-Agroecology Education Farm Staff

Visitors!

Hello Readers!

We are finishing up the summer at the farm as our crops are beginning to cease production. This just means we will plant fall crops soon and enjoy an abundance of winter squash, pumpkins, leafy greens, sweet potatoes, and some herbs. With the end of summer comes the time to reflect and plan for the future. Recently, we hosted quite a few visitors at our facility off Mid Pines Road!!

The first group to visit the farm was NCSU Campus Dining Services. A group of dining service administrators visited with hopes of establishing a partnership with the farm. The goal is to develop a relationship so that Campus Dining may use various food items from the farm to serve the campus community. Though it rained very hard during the tour, discussions were commenced! This would be an initiative to really educate the campus community about the importance of sustainable, local consumption. ...and really, how much more local can you get?

The second group of visitors was from NCSU Sustainability. A few staff members took a tour of the farm from this office. During their visit we talked about our goals and initiatives at the farm. A great brainstorming session ensued and we have developed an unofficial partnership with this office! Who knows what the future holds for this blossoming relationship.

Lastly, the Crop Science Department head visited the farm to take a look at our work. Discussions over farm goals and necessities took place during the tour. The Department Head showed great enthusiasm towards our work while enjoying fresh, sweet watermelon and cantaloupe picked at the farm.

We are really excited to see the development of these relationships. It can only get better as we continue to develop the farm in a sustainable manner emphasizing education and community.

Check back later for Autumn Crops talk!



-Agroecology Education Farm Staff

Recipe for Sustainability: Marinara Sauce!!!

Yellow Pear Tomatoes at the Farm

Hello Readers!!

As many of you might be aware, we are well into tomato season. With this time of the year, we have more than our share of sweet, summery, tomato goodness! Tomatoes (solanum lycopersicum) are awesome plants that require little care, produce bountiful amounts of fruit, and usher in the best of summer!

Did you know that at one point in history tomatoes were considered to be a poisonous fruit? This is probably because the plant is related to the deadly Nightshade family. But nowadays we do not fear the tomato, nor should we, as it is packed with Vitamins A, C, E, B6, K, Thiamin, Niacin, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorous,Lycopenes and Copper. It's also a good source of fiber, Potassium, and Manganese.


There are no shortages of uses for this versatile fruit. Besides being one of Mother Nature's treasure troves of nutrition, it is also really delicious! Whenever I take a bite of a fresh, vine-ripened tomato, I feel like I can taste the hot sun and smell the sweet summer aroma. Unfortunately, tomatoes don't keep over long periods of times, so you have to enjoy the fresh warm weather flavor pretty quickly, else the fruit rots. Or do you?

One way of extending the life and flavors of your tomatoes is to make marinara sauce. Marinara sauce is a basic tomato sauce that dates back about 450 years to Spanish-occupied Italy. No one really knows who invented the sauce but there are two folk theories. The first says that cooks aboard Neapolitan ships invented marinara sauce after Spaniards introduced the tomato to Europe. The sauce is acidic and so could resist spoilage on long voyages. The other theory says that the wives of Neapolitan sailors prepared the sauce upon their return from sea. It doesn't matter who invented it; we just know that it is yummy and we love it!


The recipe below is something that I recently came up with when trying to preserve about 15lbs of tomatoes!
Try it out and tell us what you think in the comments section of this post!
Be warned though: this recipe takes a bit of time, so make sure you have plenty of it.
This recipe is also specifically for canning. If using fresh, leave out the lemon juice.

Makes You Drool Marinara Sauce


Yield: 4-5 quarts
Active work: 2 hours
Total time: 6 hours (give or take)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil
3 lbs of yellow onions chopped (about 3-4 large onions is what I used)
15-20lbs of tomatoes (Eye it)
1 cup of minced garlic ( herb of the gods)
1 bottle of red wine (Try a Malbec)
1/4 cup of sea salt
Tons of black pepper 


1/4 cup dried oregano
2 tablespoons of crushed fennel seed
2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes
2 bell peppers deseeded and chopped.
4 cups of fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, thyme, oregano, basil)
1 ½ cups of bottle lemon juice *

1) In a giant stainless steel pot, begin caramelizing the onions in the olive oil. Heat should be at medium (adjust heat as necessary so you don't burn them). Stir occasionally for 45+ minutes until the onions are a deep caramel color. 

2) During this time, boil the tomatoes 4 at a time in another pot for 2 minutes. Immediately place tomatoes in a large bowl of ice water after removing from boiling water. Remove peels and roughly chop the tomatoes. Don't worry about removing the seeds. They taste good!

3) Uncork bottle of wine to let it breathe. Get a wine glass and pour a bit of wine into it. Give the glass a gentle swirl. Begin drinking. There' not much chopping left. 

4) When the onions are caramelized and smell amazing, throw in your garlic and saute for about two minutes until the garlic begins to turn golden.

5) Add the tons of chopped tomatoes, the rest of the wine, the salt, and the pepper to the onions. Stir it! Take the oregano and crush it between your palms before adding to the pot. 

6) Here comes the long part. Simmer the sauce until it's reduced by a quarter to half. This will take about 3-4 hours. Make sure you stir it every so often. During this time you can nap, process some other vegetables for preservation, or open another bottle of wine :). There is a world of possibility and it's all up to you!

7) After about 3 hours you can begin to sterilize your quart jars. Do it in the dishwasher, it's much quicker. You should also begin to heat up 3 quarts of water in another pot. Make sure you heat your lids in water too so they are clean. 

8) Process the fresh herbs with lemon juice until chopped, about 15-20 seconds in a food processor.

9) Add the herb mixture to the sauce and simmer for about 5 more minutes. 

10) Add a teaspoon of lemon juice to each jar. Fill your sterilized quart jars leaving about half inch of head space. Wipe down the rims, center the lids, and screw on the ring until it's finger tight. Now we're working!

11) Pour the 3 quarts of boiling water into your pressure canner and follow the directions for your specific canner. 

12) Process the jars for 30 minutes at 11psi. This is the amount of time I processed at. You can check the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

13) Turn off the heat, move the canner off the burner, let the pressure completely go down to zero. Also, ensure that no steam is coming out of the canner. It will not be pretty if you don't. Then open the canner, take the jars out using your handy dandy jar lifter, and place them on a towel in a draft-free area. Let them hang out there for 24 hours.

14) Check your jars and make sure they have sealed. If they have, store them in a cool, dark place. If they haven't, well that stinks. Might want to use the sauce asap. 

*Bottled lemon juice only!! The reason: It is a known acidity, unlike fresh lemons or limes. You don't want botulism. 

This is great way to extend your tomatoes well into winter. Try it out and let us know what you think below in the comment section!

-NCSU Agroecology Education Farm Staff

Sustainable Eating!

Corn

Hello Readers!!

One of the purposes of the farm is to teach people the simplicity of growing food in a sustainable manner which, by default, means to eat in a sustainable manner. Now, eating in a sustainable manner can be very fun but it entails a few things.

1) Eat local...
        One of the most important things to consider when attempting to have a more sustainable diet is that you should eat local. Organic can be important for a number of the ingredients you might use but local is higher up on that ladder. By eating local, you are making the choice to purchase foods that were grown within the vicinity of the area in which you live. As a result, your food is fresher and healthier! But something a lot of people do not consider is how much carbon their food costs (food miles). On average, food travels 1500 miles from farm to plate. That's a lot of fossil fuels! So when you eat, you are also consuming fossil fuels. By eating local, you reduce your consumption of fossil fuels and your carbon footprint. That is not say all your ingredients should be local...just make attempts to use more local ingredients than non-local. You could even grow your own!

2) Know your impacts...

Volunteers at the farm!

        This part is simple, yet so complicated at the same time. Wendell Berry once said; "Eating is an agricultural act". Michael Pollan goes on to make the claim that eating is also an ecological and political act as well. Today, our vision is often obscure to the impacts we have on the world by the simple act of eating. But the choices we make, in regards to our diets, have a profound effect on our world. Whenever we eat, we our making a choice to indirectly endorse specific agricultural practices and their impacts on the natural environment. We also relay a message to our representative that certain practices or subsidies are acceptable. To eat with conscious rather than being oblivious to everything at stake with each bite can seem a bit daunting but can also bring great satisfaction.

3) Be creative...
        Eating local, at times, can take a bit of creativity. For most my meals,  I try to include the majority of local ingredients. This takes quite a bit of imagination. Don't be afraid to try new veggies or fruits. Mix things together that you might not never imagine being together. Remember that not all ingredients have to be cooked. For example, yellow squash, zucchini, and beets all taste great raw!! Take your mind outside of the standard meal box and create a new paradigm!!

Eating local is one of the easiest ways to begin living a sustainable lifestyle. Of course, doing so involves a lot more than the three things mentioned above! These are just a good place to start. Think local, be aware of your choices, and be creative! Once you do, you'll find eating sustainably is very rewarding!




Below, you'll find a couple pictures of food I've created using mostly ingredients from our farm. Enjoy!
(Interested in having the recipes to the meals shown below? Add us on facebook or join our mailing list!)

Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/NCSUagroedu
Listserve:      http://eepurl.com/nqySn

-Agroecology Education Farm

Green beans and chard topped with flounder (obviously not local) , a corn relish and bell peppers. Served with a tomato-basil salad. Garnished with an orange slice and fennel. 

Pizza with tomato, bell pepper, basil, and mozzarella cheese on top of  homemade pizza sauce and  crust.

Happy 4th!

Sunflowers in full bloom!

Hello Readers!!!

We, at the farm, would like to say thank you so much for all your support. Tons of progress is being made at the farm which we are excited about.

The crops are doing great and we are definitely reaping the harvest! At times, we've had so many beets and so much basil that we didn't know what to do with them. Green Planet Catering crops are also doing really really well with a bounty of beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelons!

This is what planning looks like! (Click image to make larger)

We had a really great volunteer recently which 16 volunteers attended. As a result of the volunteer event, we were able to get a lot of work done towards creating a communal space for picnics and barbecue. In addition, we will soon have a new pole barn erected, in which we will store machinery and implements.

Recently, the staff of the farm met to discuss projects for the rest of the summer. You can expect vermicomposting, composting, a picnic area, a welcome area, educational kiosks and placards,and permanent plant zones in the foreseeable future!!

Again, thanks everyone for your support! We hope you all have a fantastic Independence Day with your friends and family! America!!!