Dropstone Farms

There are like a half-dozen almost-completed saved draft posts that are now hopelessly out of date. And so it is time yet again for what is now apparently our monthly (ugh) catchup post.

We have been going to the Bainbridge Island Farmers’ Market pretty regularly, Saturdays 9am-1pm. Last week we finally had a sign with our name, and two local folks recognized us from our twitter, so that was nice. We’ve been selling plums and figs, as well as whatever small amount of squash, cukes, herbs, etc we have on hand. The fruit sells well and is a good draw for our boothmates, the friendly ladies of Terra Bella Farm. I’m working on getting them to get a website.

The nuggets have come and gone and are very tasty. It took us about 4 hours to process the 25 birds with just one helper and a plucking machine. This is probably because it took me some time to hit my stride with eviscerating, but I did eventually and I was moving through them pretty quickly. I expect the next session to go yet faster.

… and that next session will be the week ending October 30, as we have ordered 150 chicks that will arrive next week and be ready to process and sell that week. We’ll have a signup form ready soon, so if you’re interested in fresh, local, organic chickens, watch this space!

We went to see Food, Inc. last night at the Firehouse Theater in Kingston, which is brilliantly also a video rental place, and which was enjoyable. The movie itself was nothing new for us but I’m so glad to see it out in the world making people talk and think. Plus, that Joel Salatin can gut a chicken FAST. I took notes.

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Tomorrow morning from 9am-1pm we will be at the B.I. Farmers’ Market to sell plums. Any and all local readers, come say hi! We should have a sign with our name but if not look for the booth labeled Terra Bella (we’re sharing) — or just look for the plums!

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Don’t ever let anyone tell you* that it’s too hard to eat local and organic in the winter! Look at this variety! Each of these photos is of a different vendor (except the turnips and the squash immediately following; those are from the same one).

I didn’t take a picture of my haul but I got: plums; Asian pears; tomatillos (admittedly late-season — they are usually a summer-ish crop as far as I know); parsnips; shallots; cauliflower. I also stocked up on sausage, and got a goat shoulder roast, and a package of lamb chops as a present for G.

* Where “you” are a Pacific coast resident. I know we are super lucky to have the growing season we do, but that’s why we stay here … woo, privilege.

Beets, leeks, chanterelles, etc. (Day 16), originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

Beets, leeks, chanterelles, cilantro. Carrots? Potatoes, onions.

Squashes, carrots, beets, tomatillos, green tomatoes, broccoli, originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

Delicata, acorn, and other squash; tomatillos, green tomatoes, purple potatoes. Carrots, beets, broccoli, and a smidge of kale in the frame.

Awesome turnips, originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

Does anyone have advice on cooking and eating turnips? They are so pretty; I would love to learn what to do with them.

So many squash!, originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

The variety in the foreground is called Long Island Cheese Pumpkin! Apparently it is quite tasty.

Olsen Farms potatoes!, originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

We love Olsen Farms potatoes! We got all our seed potatoes from them one year; it was great. They have a huge variety and they are so knowledgeable about all of the flavors.

Cabbage “flowers” for bouquets, originally uploaded by laurenipsum.

(Cross-posted from my silly blog, where I am doing a silly photo-a-day-for-the-month-of-November thing.)

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