Check it out at www.prairie-roots.coop

What's coming to town?

Have you heard about the efforts to bring a full-service, consumer-owned grocery store to the Fargo/Moorhead area?  Prairie Roots Food Co-op is a cooperative dedicated to doing just that.

A food coop store will make it more convenient for farmers (like us!) and consumers to meet in one place.

Grow Local.  Eat Local.  Support our Local Producers.  We like the sound of that because it is good for the local economy and good for our health, too.

Do you want to hear more?  GrassStain Farm is hosting an event for you to hear a short (like 10 minutes or so) presentation about the Prairie Roots Coop and ask questions and find out about membership.

AND...the Petry Pickers family bluegrass band will entertain while you eat cookies and drink coffee/apple cider and visit with other GrassStain Farm people.

We are very excited about this food coop coming to town, and we think you might be, too.
If you live in the FM area, you'll want to attend this fun event:  Tuesday, Nov 27th at Salem EFC East Campus (fellowship hall) on 30th Ave S, Moorhead  (east of Speak Easy) at 7pm.

Another new calf

A brand-new calf just minutes old in this photo.  Now, at 1 hour of age, it is already standing up and looking good.  I think its too cold outside for the precious little newborn, but the wise Farmer Bob assures me this weather is perfect.  Even with the very cold wind.

I think we should consider names like Arctic or Windy for this little guy.

Some Farm Produce

Farm Produce harvested in September.

Hey! Haywagon got a facelift.

This is cause for great excitement!  Karl rebuilt the bed of the haywagon.

It may not seem like that big of a deal.  However, after using it last year while watching your step to avoid one of two holes, or hoping not to make a new hole, a solid, sturdy, and even pretty flatbed is a thing to rejoice over.  This is a much used tool on GrassStain Farm.  It is good to have it ready for work.

Too bad our bluegrass band isn't around; it'd make a great stage.

Pine View

The green, green grass of home!  These pics are from the top of a pine tree looking northeast.  The cows you see as small dots are in paddock #2 having already grazed paddock #1 just to the south.

Did you know that grass can have more protein than grain?  Bob uses intensive grazing methods so the cows are run into a small pasture (paddock) to eat the top half of the grass.  Then, depending on the size of the paddock, 1 or 2 or 3 days later they are run into the next paddock to eat the grass there.  This way they are always getting new growth grass which is the best.  The most nutritious.

Makes ya wanna eat a salad or something! :)

The Feast Nearby

Entertaining. Witty. Factual. Educational and Inspiring.

That's the new book I'm reading, The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather. I stumbled upon it at one of my local libraries and read only a chapter (sometimes two) a day. I could easily ignore other tasks at hand and devour much more, however I think I'd miss some of its life and forget the good lessons and information that I want to retain and use.

Like the asparagus chapter early in the book. Ms Mather has plainly (my kind of language!) described exactly what she does to put up asparagus for future use while its in season. Each chapter has recipes and how-to info which I can readily apply in my own kitchen pursuits. (If you've read previous blogs, you already know I'm not too adept at the 'preserving now to eat later' thing but intentionally working at it.) I think I need to purchase my own copy as a resource -- one to mark up, dog-ear, highlight and keep in the kitchen.

What a delight to discover this book. It so helps to find a fellow sojourner who has plowed before me and seems to be stretching a hand back to bring me along. Thank you, Robin, for the hand up!

Now we'll all be watching to see if I have pictures to post of asparagus this spring!