Category Archives: Uncategorized

2919 So Far

I’m a terrible blog poster. Sorry for not posting sooner.

We are enjoying our “semi-retirement”. It seems we picked a good year to start. Family issues, truck repairs and the weather just to name a few definitely have impacted or would have impacted our growing for our Farmers markets and CSA if we had continued with them this year.

Although we have not enjoyed a hike yet, we have definitely enjoyed a slower start up to the season. Keith actually was able to get away for a couple days with a friend and went to Maine.

As you can see in this picture, so far we have been able to control the weeds. Now that we have planted in the field, we shall see if we can keep it up. Enjoy the picture. I love it. Michelle

Pups

Some of you may know we have two Australian Shepherds. We bred them recently and have been enjoying the pups

now for 5 weeks. It’s like having kids all over again! 5 of them. Lots of sleepless nights!

CSA DAY FEBRUARY 23, 2018

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CSA Day Offers Second Chance for New Year’s Resolutions

Celebrate Community-Supported Agriculture on Feb. 23 with Still Seeking Farm

Are your New Year’s resolutions already in the rearview mirror? If so, you’re not alone, but you still have time to make good on those resolutions. We are pleased to join other farms from around the country for the third annual CSA Day on February 23, when you can join other like-minded people around the country who are committed to:

  • eating healthful foods and preparing them for their families;
  • supporting their local farmer;
  • being kind to our planet;
  • learning something new; and
  • being adventurous in the kitchen.

CSA (community-supported agriculture) is a subscription to a season’s worth of sustainable, locally grown produce that is distributed to members throughout the harvesting season. It is a form of investment that allows small farmers to continue growing on a scale that may not be sustainable without the CSA model. CSA members enjoy the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables for their family, while supporting their local farmer.

According to Small Farm Central’s CSA Farming Annual Report, the most popular time to join a CSA each year is at the end of February. To promote this important time for farmers, CSA Day was coined, and each year it falls on the last Friday in February. It’s an entire day dedicated to the celebration of community-supported agriculture, and CSA farmers enjoy an influx of sign-ups from members, which gives them revenue when they need it most for the growing season.
Getting food from a CSA is different from going to a farmers market or using a grocery delivery service. As a CSA member, you make a seasonal commitment to a small farmer in your area, and the produce is either delivered to your door or you pick it up at a local distribution point. CSA members take pleasure in knowing where and how their food is grown, and typically have an open line of communication with their farmer.

“Community-supported agriculture is all about relationships and feeding families,” said Simon Huntley, CEO of Small Farm Central, a company that provides marketing support for small farms and started CSA Day. “CSA farmers typically teach members what’s in season throughout the year, and help them appreciate and cook food to which they may not otherwise be exposed.”

How to Get Involved with CSA Day

If you would like to celebrate CSA Day and support Still Seeking Farm, sign up for a share on February 23, and use the hashtag #CSAday to join the online conversation.

Sign-up is easy. To learn more and to join us for the 2018 season, you can sign up here:

https://csa.farmigo.com/join/stillseekingfarmscsa/csa

 As an added incentive and to pass along our appreciation, anyone who purchases a CSA share on February 23, 2018 will receive an additional 10% purchasing power and a half-pint of maple syrup.  And to those of you who have already signed up, you too, will receive a half-pint of maple syrup.

Thank you for your support!  Keith and Michelle

Maple Syrup Sale-up to 15% off

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We are offering a sweat heart of a deal good through Valentine’s Day.  Ten Percent (10%) off all of our maple syrup.  Heck, if you order at least $100’s worth, we will even deliver it (limited to a 20 miles radius from our farm).  Otherwise, you will pick it up at the farm.

Some of you may know that we are associated with Gilmanton’s Own.  So if you order anything through any of the farmers/vendors associated with Gilmanton’s Own, we will even take 15% of any maple syrup you order through us.  Same deal applies.  If you order over $100’s worth we will deliver it (limited to the 20 mile radius of our farm).

To order your maple syrup go  here and apply the code “Yum!” at checkout (don’t use the quotation marks).

To see a list of Gilmanton’s Own farmers/vendors go here.

Thank you for supporting local!  Michelle and Keith

Paleo Challenge Update

Quick post on how we are doing.  We are just about half way.  Michelle has lost 5 pounds.  Keith has lost 10 pounds.  Not much movement on the body fat though; actually Michelle’s is going up (makes no sense).  We pretty much just eat vegetables and meat and herbs/spices.  We use good fats such as avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil.  Lots and lots of eggs.  I’ve never eaten so much eggs and meat!  I am finding it hard as far as meal prep.  I like to cook what I know.  Now I am having to plan and find recipes and figure out my meals for the day the night before.  Just made Paleo Shepherd’s Pie last night.  A picture below shows the mess in the kitchen and the final product.  It was good.   The stuff that looks like potatoes is actually cauliflower.  Wouldn’t even know it huh? Michelle feels much more mobile – aches and pains are gone.  We will post a final post at the end of the month.  Stay tuned….20180113_17505320180113_182641

Tomatoes in June?

Tomatoes in June_As many of you know, our 30′ x 76′ greenhouse was put up at the end of 2017. We were very fortunate to get a grant for two greenhouses last year.  The second one, will be going up in the spring/early summer.

We will have spring veggies in this greenhouse that will be ready in the spring (April/May).  Yum!  Can’t wait!  Also in this greenhouse, we will be growing, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, basil and green peppers.  So….what does this mean?  It means, that we should have these crops ready one month earlier than they are typically ready in this area.

I know, I hear you saying, yeah but greenhouse tomatoes – they don’t taste like anything!  Ours, will have taste and they will actually taste like a tomato because of the way that we grow.  So look for us at the markets this summer with crops a bit earlier than the other folks.  Oh yeah, if you want to make sure you get some and don’t miss out if you come late to the market, think about signing up for our free choice CSA (you pick what you want) and your bag will be already set aside with the products that you want that week so you won’t miss out!  If you sign up by February 1st, you get an extra 10% in purchasing power.  Check it out here.  If you want to learn how to get a free CSA, check it out here.

HEALTH & NEW YEAR

Happy 2018!!!!.  Lots of info in here.  Please read.

Happy New Year!

We got a jump start on 2018 by starting last month analyzing our year and what we hope to accomplish in 2018.  Many changes are in store for us, some we can’t quite let out of the bag yet.  As you already may know:

So many of our discussions with our customers at the market is about health and how eating our vegetables makes people feel better.  It’s amazing the positive reaction people have and it really makes us feel good that we are able to help people that way.  So in order to further educate our customers, we have created a page on our website where we come across things that are inspirational to us, such as books, movies, facts, websites that further promote what we are doing here and where our beliefs are.  We want to pass this information along to you because sometimes at the markets it’s just too busy to take the time and chat for a period of time.

Keith had the pleasure of attending the annual Bionutrient Food Association conference at the end of November.  He met many people and listened to great people who are leading the field in soils, nutrition and health.  In particular, Kathleen DiChiara.  Keith attended her lecture, while walking into the room, she looked at every participant’s hands and could tell if you were low in magnesium or not.  Of the 100 in the room 3 were OK, 7 were severe and everyone else low levels.  She urged the 7 severe people, to immediately go to the doctors or they would end up like her.  She had a successful career, children, athletic and then her body decided to quit.  After having surgery, and waking up, she was paralyzed.  Every symptom you could think of, she had it.  She decided to heal herself and her family and take matters into her own hand.  I am currently reading her book “Hidden Connections”.  Looking at her now, you would never she was sick.  This book will be listed on our webpage.  Takeaways:

You must improve your gut health – it is the place to initial all forms of healing.

  • Seed oils such as canola, corn, soy and margarine are all genetically modified and high in Omega 6 fats, which cause inflammation.
  • There has been a dramatic rise of multiple chronic diseases, since the introduction of GMOs in 1996.  At that time it was less than 50,000 deaths attributed to these diseases, now it is over 350,000.
  • Foods labeled 100% UDSA organic cannot lawfully contain GMOs.  Look for labels with this wording, otherwise there maybe GMO in there somewhere.
  • Familiar with the dirty dozen?   www.ewg.org
  • Look for BPA free can liners if you buy canned food.
  • Did you know our store receipts have BPA on them??????  True, rubs easily off the receipt onto your hands and said hands are sure to make it to your face,mouth?
  • BPA free plastics?  May not be so BPA free – stick to glass or ceramic.
  • Avoid parabens in your health & beauty products.  Check out the Skin Deep database for brands that avoid parabens.  www.ewg.org/skindeep.
  • Don’t use perfumes.
  • Don’t use fabric softeners.
  • Do you have wrinkles, stretch marks or cellulite?  The smoothness of your skin comes from connective tissue.  Bone broth makes skin supple.  Cellulite is not from excess fat.  Cellulite comes from the lack of connective tissue.  Collagen-rich bone broth will supply the skin with the tools it needs to support itself.
  • Soak your nuts before you eat them.  Nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can strain the digestive system.
  • Look into Oil Pulling.  Amazing!

Hoping we haven’t lost you yet and you are still reading.  Beginning January 1, we will be doing the 30-day Paleo challenge.  We’ve heard about this way of eating for many years now but figured it was time we tried it out.  This is pretty much a meat and vegetable way of eating.  No sugars, no grains, no white potatoes.  There seems to be great success in loosing inflammation, inches and weight.  People who are on medications, come of it.  So to keep us accountable, I will be posting weekly updates on weight loss, inches lost, how we feel, what we are eating.  If you want to follow along, these will be posted on our blog.

That’s it – hope this wasn’t too long for people.  Just a reminder that if you haven’t signed up for our CSA yet, to grab the extra 10% in purchasing power, you need to do so by February 1st.  We wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2018.

Michelle and Keith