My First CSA!!!

Greetings all!
Today I wanted to share with you my first forey into a CSA (Community-supported agriculture).
What is a CSA you ask?

To quote from Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community-supported_agriculture )

"Community-supported agriculture (in Canada, community-shared agriculture) (CSA) is an alternative, locally-based socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA also refers to a particular network or association of individuals who have pledged to support one or more local farms, with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members or subscribers pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme, and also sometimes herbs, cut flowers, honey, eggs, dairy products and meat, as well. Some CSAs provide for contributions of labor in lieu of a portion of subscription costs."

As I started researhing locl CSAs to my area I came across Evergreen Meadow Farm ( http://www.greentowns.com/initiative/community-supported-agriculture/evergreen-meadow-farm-rockwell-nc ) in Rockwell NC, which is not even 5 miles from my house.

Yesterday (Satruday, April 7th) I made my first pickup of goodies. Katiue French is the propritor of Evergreen and met me at the main gate to her farm with a basket full of Easter Cheer!

This week the package contained, Challah Bread, Angel Food Cake, Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs (Hard Boiled), 1 Dozen Farm Freesh Brown Eggs and a Bag of Lavender Heads (which smell so good!)

These Lavender Heads just make a room smell good!

and yes the bread is as good as it looks! We also had some of the eggs with breakfast this morning as they were devine!















Cant wait to see what goodies ill get next week!!

Until then...

Cheers!

Garden Update (Early April 2012)

Just wanted to share some photos of my new expanded Garden for this year. I have gone from 1 plot to 2 plots and Hugelcultur bed, and another ground strip for planting. I have also expanded by herb garen and made it into a raised bed.

First the original plot..

Next, the new 2nd plot with a bag soil experiment

Here yo can see that these two plots are side by side..

In the bags I have already panted onions and potatos.

Here is the Hgelkultur bed with new soil and my radishes coming up..

Here is the new and mproved raised bed herb garden....

In which I have Scallions, Thyme, Oregano and Rosemary...

I will post more at the end of the month so you all can see the progress!

Until next time....

Cheers!

Beer with Fritz: Kegging

How to make a Kit Beer...Part Three

Is the beer ready to rack to the keg?

THAT...is the question!

OK, So I opened the Secondary fermenter and MAN...IT SMELLS SO GOOD!! The beer looks good, no contamination noted and the aroma is spot on!

I fish out the Hop Bag (which contained my cascade hops) that has been dry hopping the beer for the last week.

At this point I break out the Hydrometer and get it into the beer to take the readying. Remember last time we have a Specific Gravity of 1.012. If it is the same we can go ahead and keg the beer as that reading indicates that the beer has completed fermentation.

and what is the reading?

I know its hard to read but it is infact 1.012. Its good to keg!

 OK, at this point I sanitize the keg and the racking tubing I will be using. Once clean and sanitized I get everything into position.

and let the beer flow! Now keep in mind I am not splashing this into th ekeg. I still want to keep oxygen esposure to a minimum. So the racking tube is at the bottom of the keg and is filling it up from the base of the keg.

Now I bleed off the air and let the CO2 get in and do its magic. It should be fully carbonated within the next couple of days. But of course , it has to wait fo rthe upcoming Loch Norman Highland Games!!

On the next Beer with Fritz...taste tests and kilts!!

Until then....

PROST!