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"Well Vittled" Your weekly Vegetable CSA box companion!
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       Winter Vittled CSA Newsletter

Sleepy G Farm
RR#1 Pass Lake, ON
(807)977-1631
www.sleepygfarm.ca
THUNDER BAY PICKUP:  Wednesday Gathering Table Church, 228 Pearl Street, 3-6pm
FARM PICKUP: Anytime Thursday-Saturday in Farm Shoppe
ITEMS TO CHOOSE FROM:  Red Potatoes, Yellow Potatoes, Russet Potatoes, Carrots, Gold Beets, Red Beets, Red Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Yellow Onions, Shallots, Parsnips, Frozen Item
* Large share 10 items
* Small share 5 items
Volume 10 Issue 17
January 15th, 2020

 
You would think that winter is a time for us to enjoy a bit of break from the hectic schedule that we keep during the growing season.  And to a certain extent it is – our daily schedule is a little less rigid at this time of year.  But as it turns out it is no less busy!  Over the last month Marcelle and I have both found ourselves getting more and more behind in our work.
 
People often ask us what we do in the winter that keeps us so busy.  I can answer that question in six words:  chores, calving, bagging, planning, administration, and volunteering.  Though this is a vegetable farm first and foremost, our work does not end when the ground freezes.  It simply changes.  And unlike the other 6 months a year when we have 3 fulltime staff to help with the work, during the winter it is just the two of us plugging way each day with the help of Sarah 1 day per week to prepare for the CSA and retail deliveries.
 
The fall and winter months are when we do the bulk of our volunteer work with the National Farmers Union as well as in our own community with the fire department and Pass Lake community hall.  Though all of these jobs are unpaid we prioritize them because we see value in making an impact outside of our farm business.  The truth is that farming is a pretty isolating occupation due to both its rural nature and all-consuming workload.  For that reason I think it is healthy to engage in something beyond our own 160 acre "bubble".
 
Besides the volunteer work that is ongoing throughout the winter, we have an enormous amount of planning to prepare for the upcoming season.  We learned a long time ago that the hectic and urgent pace of work during the growing season is not conducive to sound impromptu decision making or problem solving.  Plus, time spent deliberating in the field costs valuable time and labour.  Therefore the plan needs to be made before the snow melts so we can focus on executing the plan when the time comes.
 
I am always amazed at the amount of administration that our small business has.  Between emails, bookkeeping, taxes, CRA and WSIB obligations, invoicing, grant writing, marketing, and record keeping there are always a few urgent administrative tasks on the “to-do” list.
 
This is the first winter using our amazing new winter storage building.  This above-ground cellar is a phenomenal piece of farm infrastructure that has allowed us to expand the winter CSA program as well as serve our retail partners through the winter months.  The upside is that we continue to have some revenue throughout the winter rather than receiving our annual income in just 2 or 3 big lumps.  The downside to having revenue through the winter is that there is a lot of extra work added to our already busy winter schedule.  For example, each year we spend thousands of hours bagging vegetables.  The amount of labour spent bagging vegetables is a key reason why we’ve moved to distributing our produce loose whenever possible.  Reducing single-use plastic is the other reason.  Unfortunately, we cannot eliminate the use of plastic bags for sales through our retail partners.  Each week we must bag carrots for Maltese Grocery, George’s Market, Brent Park Store, and as of this week Safeway at the Dawson Road and Arthur Street locations.
 
Finally, the thing that really keeps us busy in the winter – the thing that defines the other half of what happens at Sleepy G Farm, is caring for our herd of beef cattle.  By the time the snow flies in November we are feeding hay fulltime and bringing the cows in and out of the barn each day.  On average, there are about 3 hours of work each day to feed and water the cows and chickens, and to muck out the barn.  The reward for all this work is a giant pile of manure that we affectionately refer to as “Mount Turdmore”.  The manure that is collected each winter is composted for 24 months before spreading on our fields to help grow more vegetables.  A by-product of all that poop is of course beef, which we love to eat and we will sell to our CSA members when we process animals each spring.  I jokingly tell people that we are vegetable farmers in the summer and poop farmers in the winter.
 
In an effort to balance our workload from the cows and vegetables across the 12 months of the year we intentionally breed our cows (using Artificial Insemination) in late winter in order to have calves born in January and February.  While winter calving has certain challenges, the reward is that it affords us an opportunity to take a more active management approach at a time of year when we are not focused on producing crops. 
 
Calving season is an exciting time on the farm.  It is very rewarding to see our cows give birth and raise a new calf each year.  What I enjoy most is watching how the calf grows up to be like it’s mom, and over time we can really start to see a pattern of looks and behavior.  Within our herd we have 3 distinct cow families.  And every individual within each family shares a lot of the same traits.  We use artificial insemination because it gives us access to a wide range of top-quality bulls while avoiding the headache of actually having a bull on the farm.  AI is a tool that allows us to deliberately breed each cow with a specific bull to produce (or avoid) certain traits in the offspring.
 
We expect to have 8 calves born this winter.  3 of them were due on January 4th, and the first 2 came within 2 days of the due date.  The third calf arrived 10 days overdue.  For the last 2 weeks we have been out to the barn to check on the expecting cows every 2-3 hours around the clock (even through the night).  I have not had a proper sleep in 2 weeks.  Though most of the time cows will calve by themselves with no problem, the risk of not being there if there is a problem is usually fatal for the calf.  At 1 am on Tuesday morning our cow named Deedee had a difficult (but successful birth) that required me to help pull a very large calf out of her.  I believe that in this instance had I not stayed up all night with the cow we would have lost the calf.
 
We are not expecting any more calves for another 2-3 weeks, which means we can look forward to sleeping through the night and being a little more productive during the day and hopefully get caught up with the pile of work on this quiet little farm that is buried in snow!
Despite checking on the cows every few hours sometimes the labour goes quickly and we miss it.  This little bull calf was the first of 2020.  His mom Violet had a quick and easy birth without our help.
At 19 years old this is probably going to be Janice's last calf.  She is a very fertile cow with great structure and nice temperament.  We bred her to a Scottish Highland bull hoping that we would get a heifer calf to carry on her legacy in the herd.  We are so excited that we got what we hoped for.  Say hello to Jackie!
Marcelle and Lowell checking on Deedee about 12 hours before she had a heifer calf.  We still have not named this calf.  Any ideas?  The name must start with a 'D'.
Recipe of the Week

Bierock Casserole

 
Bierocks, or stuffed meat buns popular in many plains states, are known for their savory meat and cheese filling encased in slightly sweet dough.  This is an easier casserole version of a Bierock is a great way to cook a small cabbage and some of your potatoes!
 
We have made this casserole twice recently and absolutely love the subtle flavours and fresh-baked top.  Eating this dish feels like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket – perhaps it should be called “comfort casserole”.


INGREDIENTS for the DOUGH
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted 
INGREDIENTS for the FILLING
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into ½ in pieces
  • 1 small head green cabbage, cored and chopped fine (8 cups)
  • 2 onions, chopped fine
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
  • 6 oz Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water
INSTRUCTIONS
  • FOR THE DOUGH:
  • Heat milk in small bowl until it registers 110 degrees, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir in yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar and let sit until mixture is bubbly, about 5 minutes.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 5 teaspoons sugar together in large bowl. Stir in melted butter, and yeast mixture until dough forms (dough will be sticky). Transfer dough to well-floured counter and knead until smooth ball forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to greased large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let rise for 30 minutes.
  • FOR THE FILLING: Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, cabbage, potatoes, onions, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 2 1/2 teaspoons pepper; cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Uncover and continue to cook, breaking up beef with spoon, until beef is no longer pink and the potatoes can be pierced easily with a paring knife, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Stir in flour until fully incorporated and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in cheese and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer filling to 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
  • Roll dough into 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush rim and interior lip of dish with egg wash (reserve remainder).
  • Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and unroll it over dish. Trim overhanging dough to 1/2 inch beyond lip of dish. Fold overhanging dough inward so folded edge is flush with inner edge of dish. Crimp dough evenly around edge of dish with your fingers.
  • Brush top of casserole liberally with remaining egg wash. Using paring knife, cut nine 1-inch vent holes in dough. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Transfer casserole to wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes. Serve.
We see some of our CSA members taking home their veggies in reusable produce bags.  This photo was posted on Instagram by one of our CSA members who found these bags on sale at the Thunder Bay Superstore.

Fresh Eggs for Sale


Needs eggs for the egg-wash on the Bierock Casserole?  Fresh eggs will be for sale at the CSA pickup.  $6.50 / dozen
Partners in good food!

Brazil

 
Fazenda Cachoeira Da Grama

The Yellow Bourbon coffees come from Mogiana region in the state of São Paulo, one of Brazil’s most important coffee regions. Brazilian coffee can be a significant component in a roaster’s menu. Traditionally, most espresso recipes have included Brazil due to its characteristics.
 
Tasting Notes:  Higher citric acidity, fruit and chocolate notes, and more sweetness which produces complex cups and espresso.

 

The Bakeshop on Boundary


Potato & Rosemary


This bread was made with Sleepy G potatoes and rosemary. These beautiful yellow potatoes lend a subtle sweetness to these loaves. Fresh rosemary offers a floral bouquet with earthy undertones. Well developed crust and tender crumb.
Having Sarah come help us 1 day per week makes a big difference with getting stuff done!
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Maple Inn Janice the 4th pictured here as an awarding dairy cow in her early life.  She retired from dairy production at 9 years of age in 2010. We bought her and a young cow named Blossom from a dairy farm in Manitoba in 2010 using our wedding gift money.  Today, our herd of cattle has grown to 25 head thanks in large part to these 2 prolific cows!
Copyright © 2020 Sleepy G Farm, All rights reserved.


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