As Kerry Trueman pointed out earlier this week in her post about young farmers (and would-be farmers), there are a lot of them out there, but most lack the funding to realize the dream of contributing to a cleaner, greener, more sustainable food system. While some may be inclined to give up, others get creative, investigating a variety of programs designed to help young agrarians gain experience and even find land to steward. These sites include but are not limited to World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service and the Greenhorns’ Serve Your Country Food site. (Find more on page 20 of Cultivating the Web, available for download here).

It really works. Witness Kristen and Nate Johanson of Wolf Lake Farm outside of Pittsburgh, who I met at this year’s Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) conference, where they presented a panel called “Start Farming with Virtually Nothing: unique arrangements between existing and entering farmers.” Almost exactly one year prior, the Johansons had just returned to the US from a stint in England with a small nest egg, but not nearly enough to buy a place of their own. Shortly after attending their first PASA conference, they placed ads on a few sites, looking for someone who might be willing to share their land with a pair of enthusiastic newbies. It was the note they posted to the PASA listserv that finally connected them with Kim and Dianne Miller, a couple of established poultry farmers who were looking to buy a second farm but needed more hands to keep up the farm they already had.

The Millers didn’t want to take on interns, with the belief that everyone who works on a farm deserves to be called a farmer. After deciding to make a deal with the Johansons, they didn’t want to see them fail and in addition to passing on their customer base, they helped guide Nate and Kristen through their first year of farming.

A year later, speaking at the conference about the experience, all of them agreed they would happily repeat it. Nate and Kristen shared some of what worked well (recycling durable but landfill-bound billboard ads as covers for mobile pens, white side up to keep the birds cool). Diane Miller related some of the organizational tips she’d shared with them over the course of the year, and it was clear that she was proud of how far they’d come.

About halfway through the discussion, the man seated behind me raised his hand and said that he, too, had land to share with a young farmer. At the time, the Johansons were planning on moving to a different farm, so the Millers chimed in, saying that they were looking too, and then about a half dozen other established farmers stood up so that the prospective farmers in the room, many of whom looked quite excited at this point, could identify them and talk to them afterwards.

As an aspiring farmer myself, it was an incredibly hopeful moment, to witness the potential beginning of so many “unique arrangements.” I decided then and there that the Johanson/Miller story needed to be told to more people. What follows is the interview I conducted with Nate and Kristen Johanson, who’ve since decided to stay on another year at Wolf Lake Farm. At next year’s conference, I hope to hear the success stories of the people who stood up during their panel, inspired by their story and in hopes of making a similar connection.

LH: What kind of farming experience did you have before you started your poultry operation at Wolf Lake Farm?

K & N: We had no farming experience whatsoever. Once we decided that we wanted to farm, we read several of Joel Salatin’s books about farming and raising animals naturally on pasture. We also attended our first PASA conference in February, 2008 where we attended several workshops on pastured poultry as well as a hands-on track where we learned how to process chickens.

LH: What sold you on farming in general and poultry in specific?

K & N: Our desire to farm was fueled by our suspicion that this economic failure was on the horizon and by our disgust with the commercial food system. We were in search of a more self-sustainable lifestyle and give credence to the proverb, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Poultry farming wasn’t something we had ever considered but in reading Salatin’s books we learned that poultry was good for beginners who want to make a living farming. This was important to us since we didn’t have a lot of the necessary farming skills and we wanted to start out with something that had the potential for success during our first season. Learning about the horrors of confinement poultry operations contributed greatly to our becoming vegetarians. Due to health reasons we decided to start adding meat back into our diets but were dissatisfied with the quality of natural meat available. To us it was a motivating dissatisfaction which led us down this path. We became excited and inspired to learn about alternative, natural and humane methods of raising poultry and felt drawn towards it because it was so different from any type of farming we had heard of. Farming is hard work but being able to provide ourselves and others with high quality, natural and humanely raised food is well worth it.

LH: What were the sites you looked at/posted to?

K & N: Upon returning from our first PASA conference we posted an ad on Craigslist, on the Western region PASA listserve and in the Horse Trader. The ad stated that we were a young couple looking for small acreage to start our own natural, pastured poultry operation. We mentioned that we were looking for a situation in which we could use the land in exchange for work on the farm. We knew we couldn’t buy a farm nor did we want to having no farming experience. Kim Miller, the past president of the board of PASA replied to our PASA ad immediately.

LH: Were you surprised at how easily you managed to find established farmers who were willing not only to lend you their land, but also help you get started?

K & N: In addition to the Millers, we got several other responses and yes, we were very surprised. Our hope was that there were older farmers who were having trouble keeping up with things on their own. We had heard the story of the folks at Blackberry Meadows who purchased the farm from the owners who were ready to retire. They spent a season working alongside the owners and transitioned to owning and running the farm themselves. That particular situation was very inspiring to us.

Our particular situation was a little different. The owners of the farm, Kim and Dianne Miller, very generously offered us use of their land, tools, equipment and poultry experience in an effort to help new entering farmers. We feel extremely lucky to have found a situation like this and spent our first season learning a lot.

LH: Now that you’ve got a year of farming under your belt, what’s next?

K & N: We’re going to spend another year here while expanding our operation slightly with more broilers, layers and hopefully some pasture-raised lamb. It would be great to start growing some vegetables as well. Our dream is to have our own farm so we will spend this season searching for our next destination. We would love to eventually have a farm co-op with several people involved. That way we can really diversify while having shared responsibility.

LH: What advice would you give to someone who was looking to start farming?

K & N: I think our advice would be to just see what’s out there. Put the word out and see if you can find a farmer in need of some help or who wants to share their land. We feel it’s a great way to get your feet wet and to see how you like farming without making a huge investment. Talk to friends and family about your dreams and see if you can gain their moral and/or financial support. Otherwise, learn how to write a business plan for use in applying for a loan. We really feel that there is a bright future in sustainable farming. Unlike a lot of professions where bigger is better, small local farms that focus on niche markets will undoubtedly have an upper hand in this new economy.

Photos courtesy of Nate and Kristen Johanson.

Tough times provide a good opportunity to simplify your lifestyle and use what you have on hand. It can be as easy as seeking out fruit trees growing in your neighborhood that are yours for the picking, or challenging yourself to whip up a meal with whatever you have in the fridge. Try Inviting friends over for weekly potlucks, like Lynne Oliver, a New Jersey librarian and editor of The Food Timeline, who notes that “potlucks are all about community and human exchange, their purpose is bringing together communities of people.”

The concept of taking food matters into our own hands has been around for centuries. Consider The victory garden movement that arose during the Great Depression and both world wars. The movement reduced pressure on the public food supply and had the added benefit of boosting morale during hard times. Today the movement is making a comeback.

Another time tested practice, is Gleaning-the gathering of leftover crops in a farmer’s field-which has been around since biblical times (Lev:19-9-10). A contemporary form of urban gleaning is freeganism, which makes use of second-hand food and goods. For some, being a freegan is a matter of necessity. For others, it is an ideological or lifestyle choice. The idea is to buy only what you need, and to recoup everything else by bartering through Web sites such as craigslist and freecycle, or by scouring public alley ways for food discarded by restaurants and super markets.

Freeganism may gain traction as the economy sinks and the price of food rises. Grocery stores throw out large amounts of cereal, produce and baked goods every day to make room for newer, “fresher” items. This food can be perfectly safe to eat since it is often tossed because of minor damage or impending expiration dates. Some items may be wrapped in protective packaging, meaning it never touches a dumpster. Think of all the perfectly good bananas that are thrown out because they are considered overripe. Brown bananas make yummy banana bread!

But freeganism is not just about dumpster diving. Here are some tips for some other ways you can join the effort-and save money:

1.Furnish your apartment with items your neighbors left out on the curb, free for the taking. Or go to garage sales, church bazaars and Salvation Armies to find perfectly good second hand items.

2. Adorn yourself with second hand clothing. Hooray for hand-me-downs!

3. Host a clothing swap with friends. Your trash may be another person’s treasure.

4. (Free) fresh food can sometimes be found at farmer’s markets. Wait until the end of the day and ask farmers if they have any leftover produce for you or your pooch. You will often find bruised fruit or the tops of fennel or beet leaves. I once found a whole apple pie!

5. Host a potluck. This way you can cut down on groceries and restaurant bills-and catch up with those dearest to you. After all, food tastes better with friends.

As children, we’re told not to judge a book by it’s cover, but by it’s content. Beauty is skin deep, and inside the frog awaits a prince. Hunger is primal, though, so we’re often tempted to abandon our higher culinary ideals in favor of instant gratification. In the produce section, I’ll admit that sometimes I’m seduced by asparagus over squash, even in January when I know that the former is feeling jet-lag after it’s long journey from South America. It’s easy to visualize the transformation of asparagus from shelf to plate. Squash? Not so much. It takes more work to make a squash dinner.

Doesn’t it?

Safely away from asparagus-spear temptation, I love that winter squash is tender and sweet under it’s hard, bumpy surface. I relate. And when I’m cooking a squash, it actually does all the work for me. A friend of mine recently marveled how tasty a butternut squash was that I had roasted simply with salt and olive oil. I took all the credit, although I’m not sure I deserved it. But who was going to challenge me on it? The squash?

Recently, I went out to dinner with another vegetarian, at Flatbush Farm, a non-vegetarian restaurant committed to supporting local farms with sustainable practices. They post their food suppliers on their homepage, something that any sustainable diner should appreciate. Meat is still hard for me to deny, and believe me when I say I could have managed the grass-fed Steak-for-Two as my own Steak-for-One. In times of weakness, it’s good to have someone to keep you in check, and I had that someone sitting across from me. And the menu offered plenty of winter squash. Acorn here. Butternut there. Who needs meat when you can have a hearty serving of squash? The wine was nice too.

My frog, winter squash, is getting me through this cold weather. I’ll wait patiently for local asparagus – and the sun.

Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

Serves 6
I like to cook on a budget, so I omitted white wine (a common risotto ingredient). I was more than happy with the result and so was my wallet.

1/2 Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 T olive oil
3/4 t salt ( 1/4 t for squash and 1/2 t for risotto)
1/2 t pepper
1 shallot, finely diced
2 T garlic, minced
2 T rosemary, rough chopped
16 oz (1 box) Arborio Rice
64 oz (8 cups) vegetable stock
Juice and zest of lemon half

Heat oven to 400°F. Toss squash in 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven until fork tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring vegetable stock to simmer. Heat medium pot over med-high heat and add 1 T olive oil, shallot and garlic and stir frequently until shallots are translucent and garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Add rice and rosemary, stir to coat with oil. Add enough stock to cover rice (about 2 ladles) and stir rice until the pot looks almost dry. Repeat the process several times until rice is cooked. Risotto should be done in about 30 minutes.

Once squash is removed from oven, place half of cooked squash in a blender with 2 ladles of vegetable stock. Puree until smooth.

Combine risotto, squash pieces, puree, lemon juice and salt in pot and stir to mix evenly. Serve immediately and garnish with lemon zest.

seasonal food, local food, flatbush farms, squash, asparagus, squash recipe, risotto, joseph baker, eating well on a budget

It’s a cliché, but true — if something looks pretty on the plate, it’s more appetizing and appealing to the palate! I’m not one for constructing elaborate garnishes — carving radish rosettes and deep-frying sage leaves have never been my forte. But I do love to serve vibrantly-colored and contrasting dishes together! This has two benefits: the plate looks lovely and the meal is packed with nutrients!

A classic combination is orange vegetables with dark greens, as shown here. I can’t ever seem to get enough of this combination in the wintertime. When I’m planning a meal, I try and imagine what color the dish will be, and then think about what foods would provide good contrast–in flavor AND color.

And then there’s the economical side of eating lots of colorful vegetables! If you’re steering clear of hothouse strawberries and air-freighted asparagus by eating vegetables and fruits that are in season, they are going to be pretty affordable. Cheaper than chicken or beef, anyway! Plus, winter season vegetables are delicious, and our bodies seem happy to eat all those wonderful roots, tubers and hearty winter greens!

This is one of my favorite suppers (not to mention great lunch leftovers), and it couldn’t be simpler. The slow-roasted caramelized sweet potatoes go so nicely with the savory broccoli. I encourage you to try my parsley pesto recipe–it’s got fantastic flavor contrasts, and it’s especially inexpensive because I use Italian parsley–you don’t have to mortgage your house to buy fresh basil in the middle of winter!

roasted sweet potato or yam slices

This recipe is based on one from Cook’s Illustrated. First, let’s get our terminology straight. Sweet potatoes like the ones I’ve used in this recipe are usually called yams in the grocery store–for example, garnet yams. Starting the sweet potatoes in a cold oven keeps the temperature lower at first, to allow more of the starches in the sweet potatoes to convert to sugars. Then the 425 degree final temperature browns and caramelizes them. Trimming the small ends of the sweet potatoes prevents them from burning. If you prefer not to peel the potatoes, just scrub them well before cutting.

3 pounds yams or sweet potatoes (about 6 medium), ends trimmed, peeled, rinsed, and cut into 3/4-inch thick rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Toss sweet potatoes in large bowl with oil and salt until evenly coated. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil or cooking spray.

Arrange sweet potatoes in single layer on baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Adjust oven rack to middle position and place yams in COLD OVEN. Turn oven on to 425 degrees and cook sweet potatoes 30 minutes.

Carefully remove foil, and return sweet potatoes to oven and cook until bottom edges of yams are golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. If they are very tender and brown, they are already done! (Whether they are done or not will depend on how fast your oven heats up.). If not tender yet, go to Step 4.

Use a spatula to flip slices over. Continue to roast until bottom edges of sweet potatoes are golden brown, and they are quite soft in the center, 10 to 20 minutes longer.

Remove from oven; transfer to platter and serve.

broccoli with parsley pesto

You can make this recipe with my parsley pesto, or just use prepared pesto from the store. Either way, it’s great with the sweet potatoes! And it’s great left-over, as well.

2 pounds broccoli

½ to 1 cup parsley pesto

sea salt or kosher salt

freshly-ground pepper

Make the pesto, or if already made and frozen, put a nice-sized hunk of frozen pesto in the bottom of a large bowl to thaw. (I usually put it in a big ceramic bowl and nuke it for a minute in the microwave.)

Peel the broccoli stalks if the skin is tough, starting from the bottom of the stem, using a paring knife–the thick skin will peel away from the stalk. Then slice the stalks into coins less than ¼” thick. Cut the florets into bite-sized pieces.

Put about an inch of water in the bottom of a pot that you can put a steamer basket in. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. When the water boils, put the broccoli stems in the steamer basket and steam for 4-6 minutes until barely tender. Check them every minute after 4 minutes, poking with a sharp paring knife.

Remove the stems, shake excess water off, and toss them in the bowl with the pesto.

Put the broccoli florets in the steamer, and steam for 3-5 minutes until just tender, keeping a close eye on them. Toss them with the stems and pesto. Taste for more pesto and add more if you like. Season with salt and pepper if needed, and serve!

Parsley Pesto

This recipe makes more than you’ll need for the broccoli recipe, but you can very easily freeze the extra. Make sure to label it “parsley” because you don’t want to mistake it for basil pesto, later.

2 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

4 cups packed parsley leaves

½ cup pine nuts

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor, chop the garlic with the salt.

Add the parsley leaves and pine nuts, and turn on the motor, beginning to grind the parsley. It’s OK if all the leaves aren’t incorporated yet.

While the motor is running, pour in the olive oil gradually. Let the blade run for a while to puree the mixture. It won’t be very smooth, but it’s hard to get the parsley pesto smooth, anyway–the leaves are very tough, and it’s almost impossible to get the blender to get it smooth.

Taste for salt, and add more as needed. Use what you’d like for tonight’s dinner, then scoop the rest into a freezer ziplock bag and freeze flat.

Originally posted on Alison’s Lunch.

alison’s lunch, broccoli, economics, food budget, parsley, pesto, recipe, seasonal food, sweet potatoes, yams, vegetarian