It’s a brand new season!

Greetings,

We were teased into thinking that spring was around the corner……..and then snow!  Along with rain, and lots of rain.  Rest assured that spring weather will be here & planting will begin.

Oma and Gibson inspect the onions.

Here at Dutch Masters the seeds have been ordered and and have arrived.  Oma says that opening those seed packages is kinda like Christmas.  Opa says it’s more like Labor Day.  I’m a bit of a glass half empty at times.  Planting in the basement is well underway.   We’ve been busy reassembling the growing racks, hanging lights, plugging in the heat mats, and making soil blocks.  Germination, went well this year and soon our little seedlings were taking off, demanding more light and water.  It’s kinda like having children in that way, but nothing like having grandchildren, which is way more fun even than gardening!   (Unless the grandchildren are helping in the garden, which is fun.)

Several varieties of shallots, leeks, onions, lettuce greens, spinach, swiss chard, squashes, and basils are now close to being ready for transplanting into the garden, but we don’t want to jump the gun, what with the crazy weather we can get here in Michigan.  We don’t want another tomato massacre like the one we had back in 2010.  (That’s a little father/son humor)  Speaking of tomatoes, we’ve a dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes, those bright and beautiful and delicious garden gems.  I owe my love of these beauties to my son Chris, who first introduced them to me about five years ago.  I never knew that a tomato could be such a wonderful thing.  They’re so good fresh, canned and sauced.  This past year, we had more than we could sell at one point, I tried dehydrating them.  Whoa, if you’ve a dehydrator, you should try drying your tomatoes.  Home-made sun dried tomatoes, wonderful!

Gibson--growing faster than our garden.

Lumber and soil have been ordered for more raised strawberry and raspberry beds.  The current nine beds are all weeded and looking very promising and we’re hoping to be able to sell even more this year.  (I admit to being a bit of a hoarder last year.)

We are looking forward to getting our hands dirty in the garden.  More than that we’re looking forward to the luscious tastes of fresh produce.  How I long for a salad of mixed greens picked, washed and spun dry that day.  We hope that you , too, are looking forward to the summer sun & activities, the sweet and savory tastes of fresh fruit and vegetables.  Our desire is to share the blessing of our harvest with you-our family, friends, fans and Gleaners.

Boys in a Deere.

We will update our webpage & facebook status’ as the season progresses and the fruit of our labors grow.  We anticipate salad greens, spinach and swiss chard to be available by late may.  Please follow us on Facebook (Dutch Masters Artisan Farms), dutchmastersfarms@gmail.com, and here at the blog.  We’re look forward to sharing the bounty and goodness of the garden with you.

Until then, Dig deep

The Marlinks

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There is a Season for Everything…

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…

As the weather begins to cool off, we begin to wind things down on the farm. That’s not to say there’s less work to be done (as Oma and Opa can attest), but most crops are past the vigorous growth stage and have either given of their bounty, or are preparing to do so in the coming days. The season of uprooting is upon us once again.

It’s been a very good year for us on the farm. We’ve eaten and canned to our hearts’ content, sold much produce to our growing list of friends, fans and devotees, and we’ve had produce enough to share with those in need through Gleaners. Thank you to all who’ve enjoyed the tastes of the seasons along with us.

Before we uproot, till, and sow the winter rye, we’ve got a few items left for you. In no particular order, they are:

• Tomatoes – heirloom varieties $3.5/lb, and grape tomatoes by the pint for $2.5.
• Eggplant – $1/lb
• Beets (red), Carrots, Parsnips – all $1/lb
• Raspberries – $2.5/pt, $4/qt
• Onions, Shallots, Scallions – $.5/pc
• Potatoes (mix)- $2/pt
• Leeks – $1.5/bunch
• Kale – $3/gal
• Swiss chard – $3/gal
• Peppers – jalapenos and Anaheim – $.5 or 3 for 1$
• Herbs – tarragon, basil, sage – $.5/bunch

Feel free to send your orders to us via email (dutchmastersfarms@gmail.com), Twitter (@DMArtisanFarms) or Facebook. Thanks again, and until next time…

Dig deep.

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Sweet Summertime

Wow. That must have been the world’s fastest summer! Granted,  it’s only August and there are plenty of dog days left to soak up the sun. But what a rush. Mercifully, August presents a good opportunity to slow down and enjoy the edible blessings that gardening brings. Like bruschetta made from our own heirloom tomatoes and sweet onions. Out of this world. And don’t even get us started on the vegetable soup with tarragon or the grilled zucchini and summer squash that accompany nearly every barbecue. (Mouth watering? We’re happy to share our favorite recipes, just ask!)

So that’s it then. I guess we garden because we love to eat. And August is some mighty good eating.

Here’s what we’re enjoying now, in no particular order:

• Tomatoes – both saucing and heirloom varieties – $2.50 and $3.50 per lb respectively
• Eggplants – $1/lb
• Pole beans – we’ve decided these are the steak of beans – $2.50/lb
• Zucchini and Summer Squash – $1/lb
• Carrots – $1/lb
• Beets – $1/lb
• Bulb fennel – $1/bulb
• Kale – $3/gal bag
• Swiss Chard – $3/gal bag
• Peppers: Green bell peppers, jalapenos, and Anaheim peppers (great for roasting) – 3 for $1 or $.50/piece
• Green onions (scallions) – $1/bunch
• Bulb onions (red, white, yellow and sweet) – $.5/piece
• Shallots – this staple in French kitchens is a cross between garlic and onion – $.5/piece
• Herbs – basil, tarragon, oregano, thyme, mint – $.50/bunch
• Raspberries – $2.50/pt or $4/qt
• Fresh dug potatoes – several varieties $2/pt
• On the horizon – leeks, winter squash, Brussels Sprouts, tomatillos and pears.

In family related news, we welcomed the first grand-daughter, Campbell Marie VanSlooten, into the family this summer and found out that we’re expecting grand child number 6 in January. The VanSlooten boys certainly love their new sister, but our boys are quite convinced they’re having another brother. Gibson assures us he will also be named Crew. Or cookie. Depending on his mood. Oh, and did we mention Opa almost burned up the canner…whose job was it to add the water anyway? What a mess! Thankfully, all was not lost and the canning of salsa, pizza sauce, and tomatoes continues. Thanks to Mason and Ball, we’ll be enjoying the fruit of summer all year long.

We’re always tinkering, trying new varieties of vegetables, new methods of weed control and we’re learning as we go. Case in point, don’t put your tomatoes out before Memorial Day, and do monitor your grandsons intake of raspberries–or suffer the consequences! If you’ve got suggestions on vegetables you’d like to see us grow, want to share your recipes with us, or have questions about best practices for your own garden, drop us a note: dutchmastersfarms@gmail.com.

As we wrote back in May, our family continues to support Gleaners once a month with whatever item we have in abundance. If you’re looking for a practical way to serve your community, we’d encourage you to consider becoming involved in this great ministry in some way. Growing anything you can give away, or have an hour or two to carry groceries? Then you can help make a lasting difference for an individual or family in need.

And when it gets hot this month and you feel like throwing in the towel on your garden, just remember, nothing goes better with an afternoon of gardening than an ice cream sundae. With fresh raspberries if you can get them…bon apetit! Until next time.

Dig deep.

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