You can contact us though the following email address: porthudsonorganics@gmail.com

Thursday, December 16, 2010

MouseyTongue Takes Matters into His Own Hands – Er, Paws


It's not unusual to find little "gifts" on our doormat in the morning or late afternoon, left by our wildest cat MouseyTongue. In fact, it was the regular presence of these sometimes whole, but usually parts, of various rodents, amphibians, and reptiles that caused us to change his name from Mao Tse-tung to his current moniker. When parts show up regularly, you remember to look before you step. When the pace slows - and you forget - you get to play the game of "what was that I stepped on/in?" Then I get to examine the little multi-colored lumps of guts and gristle and use my Comparative Biology 101 skill set to try to identify the organism that they came from before I take the whole mat to the dock and dump the parts. Always me, because Thais won't go near it - and this is one of the truly masculine jobs at the farm with no contest. Usually it is mouse or frog parts. Sometimes only a hide. On occasion, a detached head sitting upright, eyes unblinking like something out of a Godfather movie.


Mousey is the cat we used to fish for on a regular basis. He likes his fish whole and flipping. Mercifully, he usually eats the small bream (his favorite) from the head down. If you go anywhere near the pond when he is in sight, he bolts for the dock, singing his desire for sushi. We haven't been fishing in a while... Now, how he managed to get this one-pound bass out of the pond and to the doorstep I can only guess. And my guess is that either the fish launched himself out of the pond while chasing prey or, more likely, a blue heron speared it but the fish was too large to manage and the cat took over. I would like to believe that the cat pulled it out by himself - and the mental picture is hilarious - but I don't think he could manage that. Anyway, Mousey was very smug this morning as I stepped out, and wasn't at all interested in his dry food.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

And This Is Late November

I cannot believe we've been this lucky....we transplanted these from the field, where a gazillion zinnias were sprouting - but Will had to plow. They've had the chance to completely do their thing this time; thought I'd grab the images while I could...maybe fill the whole house with zinnias for Thanksgiving (thanks for the idea, Erbel!)






Monday, November 15, 2010

New Endeavors

Here We Go!!!!!!!!!!
...Work So Far On The Greenhouses
Over The Past Two Weeks!!


Many many thanks to the CSA Members who came out to help.
No end-pieces yet - no coverings yet
but I think this was the hardest part
and now it's raining...so we got this done just in the nick of time!

Saturday, November 06, 2010

Early November Farm Update


Well...it is finally and definitely fall...leaves on the ground, little piles of dead branches etc. raked up. The zinnias we transplanted from the field to the fencerow gave a mighty spurt of flowers before our first frost, which was last night; we covered them with black plastic, and although they are a little worse for wear, they'll go a while longer. Will traveled down to Cameron, La. (for those who don't know, it's south of Lake Charles, kind of almost in the Gulf - and there's very little left down there since the hurricanes). He picked up a ton of...well...it is basically fish gut fertilizer - it's in a big plastic 'tote' on the back of the truck...because getting it OFF of the truck is a problem for now. But Will cannot go anywhere near a body of water without trying to catch fish - because that's just the way he is. Luckily, there was another dude hanging around by the edge of the water, and this guy had some bait with him - and he was willing to share. Will caught his limit of redfish in no time at all! very nice.

So that was Tuesday.

We spent most of yesterday (into the night) hauling potted plants hither and yon; first frost of the season has us scurrying. You bring what you can inside, putting plants in every possible spot by a window. Then you cram everything you can into the tiny greenhouse (which has to be cleaned out first) and then you STILL have stuff that won't fit in either place so you just drag it into the pool room and line em up. Hopefully you find time the next day to haul them back outside. It's all quite a job. I had no idea those avocado plants were taller than the ceiling in our front room - and that is VERY tall. I did most of it, because Will was out in the field putting black plastic on two long rows (greenhouse prep). Covering rows with plastic is not a one-man job, but it can be done. I felt kind of guilty not being out there with him, but there was just too much to do before dark. And it all got done.

Also, this week, we planted the garlic. The way that happened is like this: Will comes in from work and says...'you can come out and help plant the garlic, or you can desert me in my hour of need!' I suppose this doesn't leave room for much decision making on my part! Now those rows have to be mulched. But we can't do everything! At least not in one day. Now that I look back, I guess it was a pretty busy week.
And now it is Saturday, and Day One of the great High Tunnel Construction Effort.
We have your pieces and parts. We have the field preparation done (lots of dirt moving and row making). At some point (and I can't even remember which day it was), Will unloaded this GIANT piece of felt he got from Georgia Pacific. It was so heavy that the two of us could not even spread it out flat. But we did the best we could. The idea was to get on your hands and knees (that would be me) and, using one of those handy-dandy little razor knives, work your way backwards and cut a STRAIGHT line all the way down until you have a 42" strip about 80 feet long. Geez. I did that twice. That was all I had in me. Then it rained. and the felt is still there and i need to do at least two more. Maybe I'll get out there and give it a try. don't know how wet it will be...nasty job. The point is to have long strips to lay between the rows inthe greenhouses to cut down on weeds. A laudable concept - difficult to bring to fruition, but a lot of what we do is like that.
So we put out 'the call' to start greenhouse construction. Thankfully, somebody just showed up. This should take a couple of weeks, but it will move us in a new direction here on our little farm. Winter greens, planting peppers and tomatoes in January (more or less). Much more about all that later, I'm sure. I should quit writing and get out there and see what I can do to help.




Monday, October 11, 2010

Just Checking in...


...and now it is October! My oh my time does fly doesn't it? The hay is in - quite a beautiful lot I must say. Back in the summer, we were so excited to have the red clover hay. We assumed it would be soft and nice. not. It was scratchy and sticky sticky sticky! Live and learn. This time, there wa no special planting...just your regular mowing and baling of the grasses that live in this field. The hay is very, very nice. In addition, we finally got our order of honey jars. That took until mid-September. So we've been slowly decanting the honey, and have it for sale. A we all know, if you leave honey sitting around for any time at all, it begins to crystallize. We had ours in 5-galon buckets. Most people store it this way. But the honey at the bottom of each bucket had begun to set. So we had to figure out how to warm it up. Once you warm it, it achiees it's beautiful fluid state again, and all is well. No harm done. But we were concerned about heating up the plastic buckets. We didn't want to take a chance and accidentally overheat it, so placing them in the crawfish boiler outside, in the end, didn't seemlike a good idea. Will did a lilttle research and checking around, and in the end built this groovy box and hung a lightbulb in it. Voila!We are awaiting our 'government greenhouses' - ordered and now shipped. Two high tunnels that we will put up in the very near future. We'll be having a 'Greenhouse Raising' weekend. Much more on that later, I'm sure.


in the meantime, the field is plowed, it won't ever rain again, seems like, and the garden is resting.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Time To Rest


...you would think.
The 2010 CSA season was a resounding success - the final Saturday was the second week in July. Time to sit back and catch your breath. Never. Time instead to take care of those things that we had no time for during the season. Honey harvesting was this past Saturday. Thanks to CSA members once again - they came, they worked, they got us through the day - and they stayed for the long haul. What would we do without them? Will and I would be slowly taking care of this task and it would have taken us many days, many days. More than four hours in the kitchen...moving bee boxes around, uncapping, spinning, straining...30 gallons of honey later, the bees now have their (empty) boxes back. They seem to be settled in - although I must say, they were NOT happy with the disruption!
Then there is the mowing. Why do we have a drought all through the growing season, then have all the rain you could ever want once it really doesn't matter anymore? who knows - but the pond does need to be re-filled - I guess so that next year we can pump from it again during the growing season. We mow. It rains. We mow again. And so on.
And of course the garden itself. As always, a complete mess in August. It looks like the aftermath of a big big party. No, it looks like an abandoned piece of property. Very intimidating. Our nephew was here for a week - and got out there, dismantled the entire cucumber fence (a chore of many parts) - then pulled up ALL of the stakes. Fabulous. Now for the plastic. Melons and berries and such on black plastic - this is a wonderful thing for keeping down weeds. But getting in there and pulling it up is quite the project. And nothing can be plowed until this is done. The herb beds - also a mess. Well, we'll deal with all of this a little at a time. In a month or so, the field will be clean and then cover-cropped for the fall. And the cycle begins again.
In the meantime, we can remember the garden...even the Kitty Witty looks a little wistful.

Friday, July 16, 2010

butterfly moth on a spider lily

this guy let me get very close...he was, after all, busy.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Bailey Needs A Home!


Yvonne works for a local vet here in Zachary...and when an animal is in need of a home, she always works to make sure that happens; Meet Bailey - a sweet, sweet dog. Abandoned, and headed for the pound if a home cannot be found. Yvonne has taken Bailey for a week or so to prevent her from this fate, and is trying to find a loving owner. Please let us know if you can help!

from Yvonne:


Quiet

Clean

Sweet

2 year-old

mixed breed female

calm, loving stray

has had vaccinations

needs spaying

good with other dogs and cats



call Yvonne:

(225) 324-3756

Friday, July 02, 2010

A First...

Watermelons actually ready for the 4th of July!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

We Have Officially Moved On...

..It is now time for the late-season vegetables to make their appearance...
The garden is not as pretty - actually the garden looks kind of terrible(!) but only if you take a wide view...corn and beans uprooted and mowed down...peppers kind of fallen over from a storm or two: but up close, there is as much beauty as before...
The garlic is just about cured...enough to use anyway. although still a little sharp

The basil REALLY needs to be trimmed, but to do the job correctly would give you a garbage can full of basil, and that's too much to fool with all at one time. I had to fight the bees for this, even: It's the time of year when you have baskets and wheelbarrows and boxes and bins of vegetables kind of everywhere...not to mention all over the kitchen(!)
-
tonight's menu:
stewed okra and tomatoes
purple hull peas
fried green tomatoes
icebox melon
Didn't get around to pictures of the eggplants and peppers this morning: purple hull peas was the goal - enough for dinner. Calling on our CSA members to come on over and pick before the rains come. T.S.Alex should give us plenty of rain - it will mess up the garden, but the garden is halfway messed up already - and it will put water back into the pond, which is a good thing...



Wednesday, June 23, 2010

It Did Rain

...and I have proof: this is for Will, cooped up in his office today. We haven't had rain in many weeks, and then only a little. So, Will, this is for you.

Oh Wait!!

This one has thunder!


The Transitional Garden


It's so easy in the spring to take pictures of the developing garden...pictures that show order and beauty and all that is (at least for a little while) 'under control'. Before the weeds, before the drought, before the maturaton of anything planted for this season. I'm always amazed at the rapidity of change...so here we are, third week of June. Here are some 'then and now' scenes: Sunflowers: first they look up - then they hang their heads...heads of sunflower seeds will be on our CSA list this week for our families... (The sunflowers are beautiful in both stages)
First there was corn: ...and now there's not!
(takes a little getting used to, all this change)
First there was garlic, and in their place we now have field peas Once, you could walk through the flowers, and now you certainly can NOT!
This is just a taste of what's happening out in the garden - some things are just now coming into their own in the heat (eggplants, peppers...)
it's a transfomation - a little sad, but life is change, right?





Thursday, June 17, 2010

Bird and Cat


...It's that time of the year

the baby mockingbirds are hatching out

and the parents are all about terrorizing the cats!

look closely...that cat can't even figure out where the bird is....

Monday, June 14, 2010

Hard Work and Fun on a Saturday Morning

...but lets begin with Friday, shall we? We all know we will remember this year as the Amazing June Heat year - let us not think about August, ok? On Friday evening, csa members began to show up around 6 to help pull red beans off of the plants...a LOT of people showed up! This picture does not show the entire group, which expanded as time went on - and when we ran out of plants, we had to truck on out there and pull more - because Will was busy back there in the potatoes. It was beYOND hot. No breeze stirring; just sitting there in a chair, and sweat pouring off of you..and nobody complained. Beans were pulled and piled into carts, then boxes...ready for the Saturday baskets.
We had an amazing number of members come out to lend a hand on Saturday morning...much work to be done. Digging of the potatoes, picking up, hauling, sorting; a truly grimy task!
There was the second round of sweet corn...some people just like to pull the corn...when it was all said and done, we (for once) had extra corn - AND - it's not exactly 'all said and done' - there's still corn out there!
Then there was 'the weighing of the beans'...accomplished by the boys - who do love scales...3 lb bags...ready to go
Always - I ask the first two women who show up to be the flower-gatherers. Although it is truly beautiful out there in the zinnias, one must cut and trim each and every bouquet, then get it back to the packing area and put into a mason jar of water - this makes for many trips...and it is getting hotter by the minute...but the results - oh my.

And then there are the kids - the ones too young to work really enjoy meeting each other and playing all morning...I mean, how cute is this?.This morning (monday), I picked (or cut, rather) the cucumbers...beginnings of week 4 ...

About Our CSA


We are entering the sixth season of our CSA (Community Support Agriculture). What began as an experiment for the creative marketing of our produce has developed into a fulfilling experience for us and our members, one that we so look forward to each year. What you will find below is an explanation of how we operate the CSA, the cost, length of season, expected commitment, etc. We ask that you read it carefully before responding. We have dedicated members that stay on year after year, but for a number of folks, it is challenging to come out every Saturday for nine weeks running and to have time to participate. For those who love the quality of the vegetables, herbs, and flowers – and who like the experience of planting, harvesting, and interacting with others who have the same likes, it is a very rewarding experience. Please read on…

What is Community Supported Agriculture? (CSA)

Community supported agriculture is a movement that got its start in this country in the mid-1980’s, driven by a desire by neighborhood groups to re-connect with local growers and producers. The CSA movement is enjoying increasing popularity and availability with each passing year. The goal of CSA is to involve the vegetable-eating-public more intimately with “their” farm. Why do I use “their” in that description? Because in CSA, members buy a share of the farm which, in effect, provides them an ownership stake in the vegetables produced. In that respect, the farmer and consumer become partners. There are many benefits from this relationship to the farmer and consumer alike. For the farmer, it provides a guarantee of sales so he can plant to supply his contract. It also minimizes the time required to market the produce, freeing him up for what he does best, which is…farm. For the consumer, it guarantees a steady supply of farm fresh produce for a fixed price, encouraging healthy eating, and promoting a sense of participation and community around the farm that has been long lost in the age of industrial agriculture. For both the farmer and consumer, it promotes a bond based on trust and mutual interest. For those interested in information on CSA and farms that have set up these systems, the web has worlds of information available with a simple word search.

Why did Port Hudson Organics decided to become Port Hudson CSA?

For most of you who have spent any time visiting our farm and talking with us, you are aware that Thais and I both work full time, maintaining our little farm, bee hives, yard, and other farm-related activities in our “spare” time. This means that virtually every waking hour that we are not at work you would find us in the field or manning the produce tent (or carport). As we expanded our farm-related enterprises to areas such as biodiesel, berries and bee hives, the farm demands finally exceeded our available time. So in 2009, in order to continue our farm sustainability effort and reduce our time commitment (primarily the time spent selling), we tried a concept that is becoming increasingly popular across the country in the “Eat fresh, Eat local” movement, that is, the CSA farm. In the spring of 2009, we enrolled (what ended up to be) 25 CSA member families, and were blown-away by the success of the venture. Member enthusiasm, assistance, and clear appreciation for the unsurpassed quality of our produce resulted in an excellent experience for everyone involved. Since then, we have expanded our enrollment to approximately 40 member families, which is a comfortable carrying capacity of our one acre garden. At this point in our lives, with regular jobs and other commitments, we have no plans to expand further.

What kind of vegetables are grown and how are they distributed?

We grow a wide variety of Spring and Summer vegetables (generally about 20 different varieties). At any time during the season, you can expect around 12-15 different offerings, and 6-8 culinary herbs. We also grow cut flowers, usually zinnias and sunflowers. Each week members will receive a selection list by email. Members then make 7 selections of vegetables and 2 selections of herbs from the list. Members can check off their first and second preferences and we will make every effort to supply the members with their selected items. In cases where we are short on a particular item, say, yellow squash, we will substitute another available vegetable (for example, zucchini) from member’s second choice selection if at all possible. Members are free to make notes on their list if there is a particular vegetable they do not want (for example, zucchini) and we will try to honor their request. The amounts (pounds or numbers) of vegetables or herbs per selection were based on an approximation of equal value based on the prices we have charged for these items in the past. And as last year’s members know, the amounts of produce on the list are the minimum amount you will receive. Often, when there is a surplus beyond what has been selected, we will throw in some “lagniappe”. Members should note that there are a couple of exceptions on the selection list: a bouquet of flowers, when available, counts as two selections from the herb list; similarly, watermelon, when available, counts as two selections from the vegetable list. Each week, a basket with all of your produce and herbs will be made up with your list attached. Blank lists will be available for you to fill out for the following week, as the mix of produce and herbs change with the weather.

Can I select more than one of a particular item?

Yes, if you want 6 pounds of tomatoes one week, you can simply put the number “3” next to the selection “2 lbs. tomatoes” on your sheet and pick four other vegetable selections to make a total of seven selections. If we have enough tomatoes to satisfy your request, we will provide that amount. If we are short, we will attempt to at least provide you with one selection of tomatoes and make up the rest of your basket with other choices. We will let members know each week which vegetables we expect to have in abundance. For example, due to space considerations, we have limited plantings of corn and each planting is generally available for only one Saturday, so we will be encouraging members to select as much corn as they can from the list on the weeks that corn becomes available (we try to send out weekly emails on the state of the farm). Of course, members will also be given preference for the purchase of additional vegetables if, for example, you want to freeze a bushel of corn when it comes in and there is surplus available.

How will the CSA Baskets be distributed?

Members choose to come to the farm either Friday evening or Saturday morning each week during the season. Once you arrive, you can choose from a variety of garden activities in progress and lend a hand. This can range from planting and/or picking vegetables; washing, weighing, and bundling produce; cutting and arranging flowers; cutting and separating herbs to order; helping to pack baskets with weekly selections; sitting under a tree with other members and stripping beans off of plants. Occasionally there is a bigger project at hand, such as erecting the cucumber fence or helping to mulch rows with hay. There will be weeks when you are not able to help due to your schedule, but we find that most of our members help out almost every week. The process takes about an hour, and when you leave you bring your weekly basket with you. Many find this outdoor activity in the garden a respite from their work week in an office!

Members are asked to pick up their CSA baskets each Saturday by 10:00 AM. This is probably the biggest commitment you will make as part of the CSA. We understand that it may be difficult to come every Saturday for 9 weeks, but there are a couple of strategies you can employ to make this easier. (1) you can buddy-up with one or more members in your area and go on alternate Saturdays, each delivering or holding the other’s basket for pick up at their house; (2) you can send a family member or close friend; or (3) you can come Friday afternoon to help with the harvest and bring your basket home with you then (we had a lot of members take this option, as we do a lot of harvesting on Friday in advance of the Saturday bedlam).

What if you have a crop failure or natural disaster?

A CSA is a partnership between the farmer and the consumer, and within this partnership is an understanding of shared risk. That said, we do not expect members to bear the full cost of a catastrophic failure, nor have we ever experienced a completely failed season. Should the worst happen, members will be reimbursed a portion of their investment and we will do all in our power to make it right with members through a combination of refunds and discounts on following seasons.

What time commitment is asked as part of the CSA?

CSAs, by definition, include member support. Each week, literally hundreds of pounds of produce must be harvested, hundreds of bunches of herbs must be clipped and tied, and dozens of flower bouquets must be picked. Without member support, this is logistically impossible for part time farmers. Hence, we ask members to commit to help in some fashion (picking, sorting, filling orders, etc) according to their abilities every other weekend or so (we are not rigid on this). We have found that members enjoy becoming involved in the process. Learning about how food is grown and harvested is an uplifting and educational experience. After all, that is why we do it. And it is an integral part of CSA farms across the country. We are assuming that you found us because you appreciate this connection, and we hope that you can find the small amount of time to required to experience that connection.

What is the cost?

Cost of the CSA membership is $350. This covers 9 weeks of farm fresh vegetables, herbs, and flowers of your choice. This comes out to about $38 per week, probably more than you would pay at the grocery store for conventionally-grown produce, but less than you would pay for organic produce at Whole Foods. The quality of the produce, however, cannot be approached by any supermarket, and the experience is priceless. Also, membership in the CSA includes a pint of our farm honey when it becomes available.

In Summary

So that about covers it. If you want to experience first hand the pleasures of seeing, smelling, picking and eating truly wholesome food, please respond quickly to this email. We would appreciate some information on you and your family, and why you want to join the CSA. We will let you know within a few days, and will ask for payment at that time. We ask that you understand that we have about twice as many families on the waiting list as we have openings. However, if you do not make in into the CSA this year, we will give you first shot at joining next year if you are still interested.

Thank you so much for your interest in our little farm. We hope to see you this spring.

Will & Thais Perkins

Port Hudson Organics CSA