Boiling Brew of elderberry and ginger!
Well we slipped away to Florida for a few days in our travel trailer and this lovely weather welcomed us home! The best news is our farm sitter did an amazing job and everything was well taken care of in our absence! What a Blessing! However the last 36 hours wasn’t all that easy. Thankfully, our Creator, who orders everything (even if it’s not always they way we plan it) was in charge today, as always!
We had a bit of a rough drive home, then we unloaded and worked until the wee hours of the morning getting our snow plow equipment ready, then up before dawn to start again. The animals were all healthy and we were able to get more cover on the outdoor veggies, harvest from the greenhouses (did you know you can’t harvest greens when the temps are below freezing?), get the morning chores done, extra hay and water to all the animals……so we started packing CSA bags in the sleet and were still smiling.
We were thinking of the yummy dishes you will make with the veggies. Since we planned to harvest some outside greens this week and we couldn’t we packed more storage crops instead. We packed some baby ginger (so exciting!!-its baby so it needs to be stored in the fridge for a few days or the freezer long term, it doesn’t need peeling since it’s tender), cabbage, arugula, two winter squashes and finally some red carrots! I was so hungry by the end of packing, I didn’t notice that the sleet was really not making things easy. I was just excited to come write to you about all the nice things you could make this week.
I was thinking ginger carrot soup, or rice with a nice winter squash cream sauce over it, and cabbage steaks or roasted cabbage. Oh, some arugula salad with carrots, or stir fried with ginger! Wow folks, I was also going to tell you all about how to make the lovely elderberry ginger syrup I had going on the stove today. Here is the quick run down of it: 1 part fresh or frozen elderberry and or ginger, 1 part water and simmer until reduced by half, then strain and add equal parts honey. This lovely smell greeted me each time I trudged in and out of the house. It kept my spirits up! We also spent time this morning washing and bagging your ginger and our personal ginger stash for the winter. You will see some syrup in your shares and for sale in the cabin soon.
Well as the afternoon wore on and the first snow plow broke down, the boys headed back out with the tractor. We went to check animals again and begin evening chores. We had a cow due, but were unsure of her due date (the bull had a visit with her and forgot to consult with us first so we didn’t know the exact date). We were keeping an eye on her and I sent one of the farm girls to check her for the third time today just before dark. Wouldn’t you know, just as I sat down to tell you the wonderful things you could make this week the door burst open and farm girl Grace said, “It’s bad, we need to move fast”!
Not the most exciting thing when you think the day has been long already. But she and I work great under pressure so we got the two border collies, some towels and good farm/snow gear and headed with the RTV to the back pasture at the grandparents farm. By then it was dark and we had to collect this little half frozen (or maybe 3/4 frozen) heifer calf from under a spruce tree. Not sure why the run in shed didn’t seem a better place to have her calf? So we load her up in the bed of the vehicle and hope the momma cow follows us. She did, for about 10 feet. So we headed to the gate and I sent the famous, Cadi, to bring the cows along to.
I don’t know how to describe the feeling of hope, wonder, fear and joy of sending an animal into the dark without the benefit of warm clothes and head lamp that I had. Waiting and listening to see if she would be successful, and then to see a group of 6 pairs of cow eyes shining back as they moved from out of the darkness and lumbered towards me at the gate. She did it, what an amazing dog. Ok, then the harder part, how to make only the right cow come through the gate. I can’t speak dog and Cadi knows only some English. And Ruby (the cow mama) only wants to know where in the world we put her baby!
The rest of getting through two gates and cutting(farmer word for separating) Ruby away from first her herd of cow friends, then two calves in the second pasture, in sleet and darkness while breaking ice on the gate latches to get them open and closed again, is really a blur to my tired mind. But with joy and thanksgiving we got them both back to the farm. Ruby went into the barn to be milked with the other cows and was happy to be with some old “friends” she hadn’t hung out with for awhile. And “Pearl” was carried into the house, almost lifeless, to be cared for and adored by the Baker children. The heating pad, favorite blankets and hair dryer were brought out. No comfort was spared this tiny creature.
Even when the fire was lit in order to warm her faster, and someone didn’t open the flu and the house filled with smoke and the smoke detectors were blaring for many minutes, little farmer Timmy sat down and covered her hears for her. Soon the smoke cleared and the comfort of all the little hearts loving her brought her around. She isn’t out of the woods yet, but we are praying this special little calf will have a happy ending. She has had two warm meals (one through a tube while she was too weak to suck) and the other moments ago with a bottle.
These farmers are going to bed with minds and bodies stretched to new lengths and hearts over flowing with gratitude to the One who created us and blessed us with this crazy life. Things aren’t always peachy y’all, but we have a good time when we all remember we are on the same team, God’s team. Trying to get it all done well, not always succeeding, but having a grateful heart and enjoying the trails along with the blessings. Hoping you are warm and cozy!
CSA farm pick up will go on as scheduled Thursday and Saturday, feel free to come Saturday if you don’t want to drive out Thursday. No need to let us know, we will hold your items. We will have the road plowed, but it’s likely to be slippery still.
Blessings,
The Bakers
Micah 6:8 KJV He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Tired farmer taking a nap with the newest “dairy girl”, this one was easy to name. Her mom is Ruby and she was born literally on the snow so here is “Pearl.”