The Jam Junkie Alert!

I just wanted to take a quick minute to say THANK YOU for giving Bald Knob Farm a GREAT YEAR thus far!  YOU my farm friends have been great and inspiring support for our farm.  Just yesterday we had a couple stop by the farm and remind us that they are expecting to see us again at Easter and that is "their families tradition" to visit our farm.  It is interesting to hear all the stories from all of our farm friends through the years.  Keep them coming.  They put a smile on our face.  Well, our season is nearing a close, and it's hard to believe.  We are only 7-8 weeks away from season's end and that means NO MORE fresh veggies from the farm and NO MORE jams or jellies at farmer's market!  That's right!!!!  You should know, we HATE season's end.  It means we go for months without seeing your smiling faces and it also means that if I don't sell all these little beautiful jars of goodness, they will sit on my shelves and nobody will get to enjoy them quite like they should be enjoyed.  So, over the next few weeks, I am going to be doing something I've never done before.  I am going to be offering these once a week in special and unique packages like these here.  I will post them with a link and you can simply go in, select what you might like and make arrangements for either pickup here at the farm or directly from farmer's market.  The packages are a SUPER fab way to try new and exciting flavors that you might otherwise shy away from OR a great way to buy ahead for Christmas gifts.  I appreciate you supporting our FARM and our FAMILY and most importantly keeping your money LOCAL!!!!

So, here is the link for this week's Jam Junkie Alert . . .  Click Here for The Jam Junkie's LIMITED EDITION Specials for August 29th!

on the farm February 1st

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A few highlights from this week's newsletter . . .

Mark your calendars . . .

«     February 20^th ROOST Seed Swap & Farm & Garden Fair - click here for details

«     February 27^th Strawberries from the Field to the Kitchen - On the Farm Class - click here to register

«     March 12^th  EGGcellent Adventures! on the Farm Kids Event - click here to register

«     March 26^th On the Farm Easter Event - Egg Hunt in the Carrot Patch - click here for details 

The newest farm flavor…

This week’s FEATURED farm flavor

Adam’s Salted Caramel Apple Jam

This amazing jam features Arkansas Black Apples ripened to perfection with an undertone of salty, sweet caramel.  This would be fantastic spread on toast, used as a dessert topper or simply eaten with a spoon.  Click Here to Order a Jar Today! 

Vegetable Venison Stew

Let me start by saying, I was a bit skeptical during my first tasting of venison aka deer meat. It's now a flavor which I thoroughly enjoy. If you don't have any available, an inexpensive cut of beef will work just fine. You will also note that this recipe is so flexible on measurements, ingredients and makes quite a bit. I usually freeze half of it for a later meal.

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs venison loin or tenders cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon oil (I used olive oil)
1 cup chopped onions (not exact, just a medium onion)
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Sea Salt
Italian seasoning
1 can tomato paste (optional)
About 4-8 cups peeled and chopped veggies
In this stew I used about 1 cup each of frozen corn, frozen green beans, turnips, potatoes, frozen Italian roasted tomatoes, carrots, frozen peas, bok choy

Directions:
In a skillet, drizzle oil into pan, add deer meat, chopped onions and generously sprinkle with Cavender's, italian seasoning and sea salt. Cook till meat has browned, about 6 minutes.

While meat is cooking, add the remainder of the ingredients into a large crockpot or stockpot.  Then add the cooked meat to the stockpot and additional seasoning if desired. Cover all with water or chicken stock for additional flavor.

Cook on low 6-8 hrs. I usually test broth after about an hour of cooking to see what additional seasonings might be needed.

On this particular night we enjoyed this stew served in big bread bowls, but a great way to serve is in a bowl with cornbread on the side.

Enjoy!

No Frills or Bows 2015

As I sit here this morning, still in my pj's, drinking coffee and refusing to move forward with my day, I am reflecting upon 2015.  Last year at this time I imagined I would be sitting here with a smile upon my face with eager anticipation for 2016.  This year was supposed to be a year of positive changes, exciting new adventures and moving forward in a big way.  I had such great visions in my head and knew "this would be the year" for our farm and our family.  I just knew it.

You know what happened?  Our farm was flooded over and over again causing us to lose 80% of the crops planted.  We faced bug challenges, like the kind you read about in the Bible. Seriously.  We endured intense heat partnered with wet conditions which promoted plant diseases like blight. The bird flu hit an area farm which then shut down our egg sales for a while. Every piece of equipment we owned which aided in our gardening, broke.  I swear this.  This was the year we introduced a CSA program to our community.  Trying to ensure we provided quantity and quality to each and every member through these trials almost killed this farm girl.  

In addition, we faced some personal trials.  The kind that you can't hide or put in a box and pretend they don't exist.  The kind that deplete you and leave you feeling desperate and afraid.  The kind of trials that can break a person.  I struggled. I mean I really struggled to even get out of bed and face the day.  My feet felt heavy, my heart was empty and I felt my prayers weren't being heard.

I was reminded of how desperate I felt this summer as I talked to our youngest daughter, Aggie.  You see, we have a cross in the middle of our gardens to always remind us that God is the reason any of this life is possible. I made mention that it was time for another coat of weather protectant on the wood.  Aggie said "Yep, you can't let that cross get rotten mama.  That's your strong place.  That's where you went to cry about the beans and corn this summer. Remember how God met you there?"  I distinctly remember that day well.  It was the day I couldn't stand on my own two feet anymore.  I fell to my knees at the cross and cried out, no, SCREAMED to God "why?" I couldn't understand why any of this was happening.  

It was following my screaming fit, as I sat in the heat at the foot of the cross, that God did meet me there. He has always met me "there", wherever "there" might be. His love and provisions never stop. I was reminded of the new friendships forged this year with members of our community, other farmers and visionaries.  Individuals who supported us in word, prayers and actions.  I was reminded of Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another". The expectations of our farm customers forced us to keep moving forward, learning new techniques and striving for a better way of production.  Other farmers pushed us to implement processes to better our farm.

John 12:24 says it all, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."  

We were stripped of all and stretched beyond what we thought possible and it forced us to acknowledge God in the most pure and simple way.  He is our protector, our keeper, our friend, our provider.  I do not understand it all and don't claim to "get it", but I do understand this, all things work together.

I am grateful for every single person in our lives.  My thank you's are endless. This I know, my life is full of good people and a good God.  Many good things and fun times have happened this year as well.

As we enter into 2016, my expectations and plans are different.  Things have changed at our farm, within our family and inside of me.  I look forward to 2016 and all it brings.  This is the life of a farmer . . . planning, expecting, modifying, praying, changing, growing.  

Goodbye 2015.  

xoxo
Farmer Carrie
and the gang

    
 
  

Bald Knob Farm Holiday Goodie Guide

To order any of the following items, please call Carrie @ 870.204.0216.  Thank you!

Grandma Lucille's Chocolate Covered Coconut Balls		5	/	$   7.00
		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Sticky Fingers Peanutty Cornflake Cookies		5	/	$   7.00
		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Chocolate Pecan Pretzel Thumbprints		10	/	$   7.00
		20	/	$ 12.00
		30	/	$ 15.00
Thyme for Lemon Bars		5	/	$   7.00
		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Cranberry White Chocolate Crunch		5	/	$   7.00
		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Southern Bell Bourbon Balls		5	/	$   7.00
		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Stuffed Ritzy Cookies		5	/	$   7.00
		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Mama's Favorite Ever Pistachio Bites		10	/	$   7.00
		20	/	$ 12.00
		30	/	$ 15.00
Grammy's Favorite Fudge		5	/	$   7.00
Plain or with nuts		10	/	$ 12.00
		15	/	$ 15.00
Bald Knob Farm Sampler
Includes 2 each of items 1-9 (18 total pieces)		18 pcs	/	$ 20.00
Includes 3 each of items 1-9 (27 total pieces)		27 pcs	/	$ 25.00
Includes 4 each of items 1-9 (36 total pieces)		36 pcs	/	$ 32.00
Includes 5 each of items 1-9 (45 total pieces)		45 pcs	/	$ 40.00

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Wearing my big girl panties today!

It's been a while since I have taken the time to blog, as this has been an intense growing season and mostly all of my time has been spent working in or worrying about the gardens.  You know the saying "when it rains, it pours"?  Well, that has been the case thus far this year.  We started our season with a bang . . . cool temps, drizzly rain and overcast skies, which led to some amazing root veggies and lots and lots of greens.  This was following by continuous rains which brought on blight, flooded areas, weeds which couldn't be managed and lots of flea beetles.  We then entered our garden one morning to the sound of loud buzzing which proved to be millions upon millions of Japanese beetles.  I had never seen one before this day and to see them swarming everywhere eating everything . . . oh my gosh!  I wanted to sit down and cry (and I think I did at one point).  There really are no words for what I felt.  It took us a few days to locate an organic source for eradicating these nasty beetles and while we were traveling to Fayetteville to pick-up the remedy, a wind storm hit and knocked over mostly every corn stalk which had just begun the tasseling process.  We experienced a few good days of weather at which time we worked diligently, 12-16 hour days, to transplant growing items to higher ground, work on the beetle and blight issues, dig our way through the weed patches and begin again on replanting.  As we really started seeing progress this week, we have again been hit by continuous rain and flooded fields and wind which tore plants right out of the ground.

As I begin this morning poking seeds back into the ground which are floating on puddles in the fields, salvaging plants which were uprooted during the storm and taking inventory, I will admit, this has been a tough growing season thus far, but I will not complain.  I am thankful for the opportunity to learn better, more efficient ways to garden.  I am thankful to have a strong back.  I am thankful to wake each morning to the sound of birds chirping.  I am thankful to have strong community support and fantastic farm friends.  I am thankful to have lots and lots of seeds as my backup plan.

Today, I feel accomplished, knowing that though storms have and continue to hit the farm, I keep putting on my big girl panties and heading out to the fields day in and day out.  I love gardening and feeding families.  I love to taste the first sweet corn and perfectly ripened tomato. I love to see my children enjoying homemade pickles and veggie pizza.  I love learning more and more about better ways to produce food.  So today . . . . I am happy, thankful and grateful to Garden like a girl.