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Come Celebrate the Beginning of Summer with us
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Spring is almost behind us; we seem to be out of the rainy and cool weather pattern, so it's time to celebrate and welcome the arrival of Summer.  I want to invite everyone to join us here on the farm to celebrate the change in seasons. For many of us, especially our children, it means a time to take a vacation; here on the farm, the Summer Solstice Celebration is an opportunity to take a short breather between all the hard work already put in and the big harvest months ahead.

This is a great day for getting to know the farm. We have many activities planned for everyone to enjoy.  From tractor rides with me touring the fields, to milking the goats, to making cheese and ice cream, to learning how to bake in our traditional cob-oven; you can help plant pumpkins, or visit the animals (goats, chickens, and sheep) grazing on the pasture. Kuzanga, an eight member marimba band, will be playing again as they have for the last 10 years, with incredible music we can all dance to, as we light our traditional bonfire at dusk and enjoy the wonderful spread food everyone brings to the potluck (see schedule below for more details).

We celebrate as a community, acknowledging our commitment to the land, the food it offers, the mystery of seed and soil... and together become more aware of how we are able to enjoy a more harmonious relationship with the Earth and with each other.  I invite you all to take a short break from your respective busy lives to come and join us in kicking-off the Summer Season this coming Saturday, here on the Farm!

- Tom

What's Up in the Fields
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With the start of Summer some of you might be interested in knowing what future harvests my murky crystal ball is showing that are new and exciting. With the longer and warmer days ahead, cucumbers and summer squash will soon be a staple. Summer squash is still in limited supply; some of the boxes will have them this week, but a larger block is scheduled for harvest in 7-10 days. We are growing four different varieties of summer squash this year: Magda (pale green, nutty), Romanesco (pronounced ridges, mottled dark green), Zephyr (pale yellow with green tips) and a more 'normal' green zucchini. Green beans are blooming, and small pods are already showing - which means by the end of June we will start harvesting them. Next week we'll have freshly dug potatoes. The pepper and tomato plants are all developing nicely, with lots of flowers and little fruits. The "Extra Fruit" option members will start seeing blackberries and raspberries next week in addition to our sweet and juicy strawberries.

The seasonal menu is in transition, but you can always count on your staple of greens, roots, and shoots. Thanks for being patient and creative with the gifts the land and climate has to offer right now.

- Tom

Cherry tomatoes green but getting there; potatoes ready to harvest; immature Magda squash and green beans with blossoms; raspberries almost ripe!

Summer Solstice Celebration this Saturday June 18th!

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Here is the nitty-gritty - everything you need to know about our celebration. But first, some answers to the most frequently asked questions! (Please don't call the office Saturday with questions - no one will be there; we'll all be outside for the event!) ;-)

<> YES, both members and non-members (friends of the farm!) are welcome; we just ask for a $10 - $15 donation per carload for non-members. Donations benefit our non-profit education arm, the Live Earth Farm Discovery Program.

<> NO, it doesn't otherwise cost anything to attend - except everyone should bring something to share in our potluck (more details below)

<> NO, you don't need to RSVP ;-) Just come!

<> And PLEASE do not bring your dogs with you to the farm. Leave them at home.

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When: this Saturday June 18th, from 2 - 9 pm
(You're welcome to arrive a little early, but please do not come before 1pm as we will still be setting things up! - thanks!)

Parking: Please follow the signs. We have two parking areas, one at 172 Litchfield Lane (main farm entrance), and an overflow parking area at 1275 Green Valley Road. Parking at 1275 Green Valley Road means you will have to walk a ways - about a quarter mile, including a short distance up a fairly steep hill - to get to the main area of events.  Save gas and carpool!

Directions: http://www.liveearthfarm.net/locateus.aspx

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Farm tours with Farmer Tom (there will be two tours): 3pm and 4pm
Take a tractor ride and visit the fields, orchards and the farm's renovated redwood barn. Learn about our growing practices, the crops, and how our produce makes it from the fields to your dinner plate. Your chance to meet the Farmer himself, bring your questions, stories, and don't be shy to give feedback.

Self-guided walking tours: all afternoon (map will be provided)
You are welcome to visit at your own pace the animals, the children's garden, our Permaculture garden and solar areas, our native grass and hedgerow plantings, the farm equipment, and of course, the ever-popular all-day-long Straw Bale Climbing Fort!

Strawberries:
No U-pick, however you are welcome to browse (pick and eat) as you walk the farm or are on tour with Farmer Tom :-)

Ongoing Games and Activities (for children of all ages!): 2pm - 6pm
· Scavenger hunt - please bring your own tote bags or baskets for collecting in!
· Tours of the farm animals
· Strawberry chocolate-dipping - pick berries from the field and dip them in melted chocolate ganache from The Buttery! YUM!
· Face painting
· Climbing on our straw-bale fort
· Ice-cream making
· Popcorn shucking and popping
· Planting in the LEF Discovery Garden - visit our Education Garden, help plant this year's pumpkin patch and learn about our farm's educational programs.
· and more... there are always a few surprises!

Bread-baking in the Farm's traditional wood-fired cob oven: 2pm - 5:30pm
We will have dough on hand but you are encouraged to also bring your own yeast or sour-dough to bake with.

Milking and Cheesemaking: 2:30 - 5:30pm
Participate and learn more about goat husbandry, milking and basic cheese-making techniques.

Music with Kuzanga Marimba: Starts at 6:00pm to bring us all together for the potluck dinner, and continues until 9pm.

Welcome Circle: 6:15pm

Potluck Dinner: 6:30pm
(details below)

Bonfire: lit at Sundown
Tradition dictates that the children gather with Farmer Tom, and all get to help him light the fire. Music and dancing around the fire continues until the end of the evening!

Remember to bring jackets and sweaters as it gets cool after dark, and a flashlight for navigating back to your car if you stay until after dark!

 
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Potluck Details
<> Everyone please bring something to share - an entree, a salad, a dessert - whatever you like! We never organize it more than that and always seem to have a nice variety.
<> How much to bring? If in doubt, bring more, as we always seem to eat it all up! ;-) In all my years at Solstice Celebrations I have not seen folks going home with lots of left-overs!
<> Please bring a serving utensil to go with your dish!
<> Put your name on your dish and serving utensil with some masking tape or something, in case they get separated, and so we know who they belong to if they get inadvertently left behind.
<> Please provide an ingredient list for your dish on a piece of paper or 3x5 card so folks with food allergies or special diets will know what they can and cannot eat.
<> Where to put your pot-luck items when you arrive? We will have several tables for placing your pot-luck items on out near the fire circle. If you have something that needs to be refrigerated, you can pop it into our walk-in cooler to the right of the breezeway in our "upper barn". If it just needs to stay cool (not in the heat of your car), you can also put it on a table inside the breezeway/classroom area until pot-luck time. If you arrive closer to pot-luck time, simply bring it to the table area. We have extremely limited facilities for re-heating anything, so please don't plan on that if you can help it.
<> There will be water and lemonade, but feel free to bring additional beverages for your own consumption or to share.
<> We encourage you all to bring your own picnic plates, cups, bowls, silverware etc. in order to minimize unrecyclable garbage. We will have a washing station, where you can rinse them when you are through eating.
<> And bring a blanket to picnic on, or your own chairs if you prefer.

YES people can still sign up for our CSA! Spread the word.
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Ever since those few years back when we had a waiting list, people have assumed we were 'full' once the season began. But times have changed, and we have a much better structure in place for supporting additional sign-ups throughout the season than we did back then, so please continue to let folks know: YES they can still sign up! ;-)

Can you help? We are particularly interested in spreading the word for new membership in the following areas, places with new pick-up sites and/or plenty of capacity still:

in Santa Cruz County
West Santa Cruz - Companion Bakers

in South County
Moss Landing
Marina
New Monterey
Salinas
Prunedale - Royal Oaks

in San Jose
South San Jose - Emlyn (very close to our other South SJ site)

in points north
Palo Alto - Barron Park
Redwood City
San Francisco - Bernal Heights
Oakland - Temescal

If you would like brochures to give out (we even have door-hanger bags if you're motivated!), or flyers-with-tear-offs (we have those too) to post or otherwise get out into these areas, please contact Taylor and she will gladly get them to you.

If you just want to email your moms group or church group or neighborhood group or mention us in your blog, the easiest thing to do is to tell people they can "simply go to our website at http://www.liveearthfarm.net and click on 'Join' and that will take them directly to our Sign-up Wizard. Once there, the steps are very easy to become a member!"

Companion Bakers Grand Opening, New Website and Workshops
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After a long haul, Erin and her husband Jeremy have FINALLY opened their new bakeshop in West Santa Cruz! They welcome everyone to come visit them any time, but will be holding an official GRAND OPENING this Saturday June 18th from 8am-1pm. Yes that's the same day as our Solstice Celebration... but the timing is great, because their opening is in the morning, and our celebration is in the afternoon -- so make a day of it! If you're coming over the hill to the farm, come a little early and swing by Companion Bakers new bakery first!

The address is 2341 Mission Street. Stop in and get an espresso drink from their vintage machine and enjoy some pastries and sourdough breads. Erin and Jeremy wish to express their million thanks for everyone's support (this has long been a dream of Erin's, to have her own bakeshop and on-site wood-fired bread oven), and so hope you will take a moment and stop by and see their setup!

Companion has a new website too - www.companionbakeshop.com - and Erin teaches a lovely variety of workshops: you can take anything from Sourdough Basics to Baking with Alternative Grains to Pies to Holiday Baking... visit their new website for a complete schedule of days and times. If you are a bread lover or have always wanted to learn how to make the real thing yourself, Erin will teach you what you want to know!

Debbie's Quick-n-easy Vertical Chicken Roaster
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Since some of us are getting our pasture-raised meat chickens again this week, and since a few people inquired as to how one goes about cooking a whole chicken... I thought I'd share my favorite easy-peasy down n' dirty no-frills vertical chicken roaster technique! A friend taught me this years ago and I've done it this way ever since. The nice thing about vertical-roasting your chicken is that no part of the skin sits on the pan surface and gets soggy. I love crispy chicken skin, and this way you get max crispy chicken skin!

So the 'secret' vertical-roaster tool? A glass jar. Use any jar that will fit snugly into the main cavity of the chicken. Insert it open end down, and then 'sit' the chicken in a roasting pan as shown.

Steps to roast a whole chicken:

1) if your chicken is frozen, you'll need to thaw it first. How soon do you want to eat it? <> You can let it thaw over a couple days in your fridge, planning on eating it 2 or 3 or 4 days after you take it out of the freezer. When thawed slowly this way, it is fine to leave it 'thawed' in your fridge for an additional couple days, so you have some flexibility here. Put a plate under it as it will sweat as it thaws.
<> You want to eat it same day? If it is a 4 or 5 lb. chicken, it will probably need to be taken out of the freezer in the morning and left at room temperature. Check on it in the afternoon; if it seems fully thawed, stick it into the fridge. If, on the other hand, it still seems frozen, see next option.
<> Need to thaw it even sooner? Stick frozen bird, in its wrapper, into a deep pot filled with cold tap water and weight it down so it stays submerged. This will still take a couple hours, but not a whole day, and it is the safest 'fast' way to do it. I wouldn't recommend trying to thaw any faster using hot water, or the microwave. If you're in that big of a hurry, thaw it for tomorrow night's dinner and have something else tonight!

2) whichever way you thaw it (make sure it is all the way thawed; if it is still frozen in some areas, you'll have under-cooked chicken!), bring it to cool room temperature before roasting (take it out of the fridge an hour or so before cooking)

3) preheat oven to 450 degrees F

4) remove bird from packaging; blot away excess moisture. For extra-crispy skin, lightly coat bird over all with a little olive oil. Sprinkle liberally inside and out with salt.

5) insert jar into cavity as shown and sit bird upright in a roasting pan. Place in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350 degrees.

6) roast/bake for approximately 12 minutes per pound (a 5 lb. chicken will take about an hour)

7) have a handkerchief ready to catch the drool as the aroma of roasting chicken wafts through the house!

(in the picture below, I did not use the additional olive oil; just sprinkled with salt!)

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(click here for cost and scheduling info)
We'll be engaging campers in creative expression among our 100 organic acres of fruits, vegetables, farm animals, and wild spaces. During the week campers will plant, harvest, and create in the kitchen and beyond; make cheese, make masks, print, paint, and sculpt with natural materials.