Frieaster Sunday, CRAFT & Tomato Mountain

Friends + Easter = Frieaster!

It's been a very busy week since my last post and things are starting to show signs of returning to normal. A bulk of last week was spent preparing for a Easter Sunday dinner, what seemed like last second to me. Once the guest list had been put together we ended up with a great group of friends who were not heading home for the holiday. My friend Kelly (who made pretzels a post or two ago) and I got busy putting together ideas and sending out the appropriate emails. Once the decision was made to host at my place, this became especially challenging because I was not 100% moved into my new apartment yet or ready to host such an event. I still had several boxes to unpack, decorations to hang, chairs to paint and add those personal touches that make it feel like home. Home it was beginning to feel like for sure, but it won't feel 100% until I turn in my old keys and take care of a few loose ends at my old place. Update: Everything is all complete! Yay!

In keeping with one of my themes for this summer, we made Easter dinner a potluck social meal. Everyone brought delicious food. A big hearty thank you to Brad & Brigid, Brooke, Kelly, Tony & Barb, Kelly's parents, Jamie & Mike for a wonderful Frieaster. While it wasn't really a house warming party, it for sure made my home feel warm.

CRAFT

I decided a few months ago that I was going to join CRAFT this year. In a step towards joining the state line farm beginnings program that doesn't start till the fall each year, at least I can do some workshops on topics that interest me. I've found the weekly newsletters packed full of information to think about. This week the workshop list was sent out. I am particularly excited about the Farming with Horses one after reading the book The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristen Kimball . There are so many reasons why I would love to farm with draft horses. I grew up around Standardbred's since my mom was a horse trainer, I love the smell of them, big gentle eyes and sharp personality. I'd like to limit my use of large machinery with the uncertainty of fuel, the costs and being more ecologically friendly.
Here's the list:

• Saturday in April To Be Announced, 2012 - 9:00am-12:00pm
  Biodynamic Dandelion Pick
  Zinniker Farm, Elkhorn, IL
  Potluck - 12:00pm
•  Saturday, May 19, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm
  Permaculture and Diversity on the Farm
  King’s Hill Farm, Mineral Point, WI
  Potluck - 12:00pm
• Tuesday, June 5, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm? (Date may vary due to weather conditions)
  Farming with Horses
  Equus Oaks Farm, Huntley, IL
  Potluck - 12:00pm
• Tuesday, June 19, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm
  Poultry, Beef & Pork for a Meat CSA
  (Working Field Day: Load chickens for trip to processor)
  Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm, Ottawa, IL
  Potluck Dinner After Field Day
• Monday, June 25, 2012 - 10:00am-1:00pm
  Growing & Selling Herbs
  Wind Ridge Herb Farm, Caledonia, IL
  Potluck Lunch After Field Day
   
• Monday, July 9, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm
  Dairy & Meat Rotational Grazier (Organic & Biodynamic)
  Krusen Grass Farms, LLC, Elkhorn, WI
  Potluck - 12:00pm
• Sunday, July 22, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm
  Flowers!
  (Working Field Day: Bring your weeding tools and gloves!)
  Brightflower Nursery, Stockton, IL
  Potluck Dinner After Field Day
• Monday, August 6, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm
  Incubator/Co-Op Farming
  Fondy Farm Project, Milwaukee, WI
  (Beginning Farmer Field Day)
  Advisors: Mike Sands, Senior Associate, Liberty Prairie Foundation, Grayslake, IL
  Jay Salinas, Farley Center for Peace, Justice and Sustainability, Verona, WI
  Potluck - 12:00pm
• Saturday, August 25, 2012 - 10:00am-1:00pm
  Farm Machinery
  Angelic Organics, Caledonia, IL
  Potluck Lunch after Field Day
   
• Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 1:00-4:00pm
  Soil Fertility, Composting, Cover Crops and Crop Rotation on a Vegetable & Poultry Farm
  Tempel Farm Organics, Old Mill Creek, IL
  Potluck - 12:00pm
• Saturday, September 29, 2012 - 1:30pm-???
  Biodynamic Preparations
  Zinniker Farm, Elkhorn, WI
  Potluck Dinner and Bonfire After Field Day
• September or October Saturday Date & Time to be Determined
  Urban CRAFT Field Day: Urban Farming & Aquaponics
  Growing Home & The Plant, Chicago, IL
  Potluck Time to be Determined

Tomato Mountain CSA

I received a email late last night that my Tomato Mountain CSA is one week away! This is exciting! I'm not prepared for it to be here so soon, but here it comes. I have a busy week of getting the kitchen ready and cleared out after all the food that was left behind from Sunday's dinner. I'm eagerly awaiting the news of what might be coming to start planning what I want to preserve from it.

Food on the Dole

Tonight I headed over to Food on the Dole, a salon style cooking experience with a bunch of random people lead by Hugh Amano. It was really last minute, and I forgot my camera but this exactly in line with my summer social dinner plans. http://foodonthedole.blogspot.com/ The meal was outstanding and I'm happy to find someone, in this case a chef, with a similar desire of social cooking. His manifesto is posted on his blog, it's a interesting read. No pictures though, but I assure you, the homemade pasta, bread, young garlic butter, roasted asparagus w/poached eggs, roasted tomatoes and artichokes was simply outstanding. I learned a few new tricks for the pasta machine, excited to make another batch of pasta now. One of the couples at dinner was the owner of a food truck called The Slide Ride, I know where I'm having lunch next week!