Getting Ready For Fall Festival

We are just 2 days away from our 4th Annual Fall Festival. We are busy bees getting ready for lots of Fall Festival fun.

We are out and about the Farm building the Haycastle, freshening up the landscaping, baking cakes and pies, gathering pumpkins to decorate our stage, setting up our Pick your own Pumpkin Patch, making signs, and mowing a big field for parking!

It is supposed to be 80 and sunny...Perfect weather for a fall day out at the farm. Come on out this Saturday and win a cake in our cake walk, pet a goat, pick a pumpkin, get your face painted, and enjoy Farm Fresh Food.

Maiden Radio will be playing some great music along with Trapper's Keepers, Jonathan Glen Wood & Andrew Ifrate, and The Spinning Leaves. Proceeds from the festival benefit Maryhurst too! Thank You to our Sponsors PNC Bank, Greenebaum, Doll, and McDonald, Sterling G. Thompson Insurance Company, and Two Guys With Tools.

Bum leg and Happy Cows

I have had a lot of time to reflect recently. Sitting, sipping tea, while watching the cows munch on Fall's bright green grasses. Normally, a few weeks leading up to Fall Festival, I am out and about racing around planning, weeding, hanging signs, posting posters, tidying up the farm. Instead, I am catching up on much neglected computer time (hints the blogging), reading, thinking, sitting, and twiddling my thumbs. I have a bum leg and am supposed to "take it easy" for a few weeks and stay off my feet. I am officially confined.

This got me thinking...I am so glad that we let our cattle graze the pastures of this beautiful farm. I love hiking around the farm and exploring all the picturesque nooks and crannies of this piece of land. So, that leads me to conclude, the cattle must like it too. I am so glad that our animals have the freedom to roam. Why shouldn't they get to eat what this earth intended them to digest for their nourishment? And on that note, why would we try to ingest and digest meat that was eating something they had a hard time digesting in the first place? Talk about indigestion.

So...Why Grass Fed Beef?
First of all, the cattle get to enjoy the great outdoors. They can explore the piece of land that is dedicated to them and meant for them to eat from, nourish, and sustain. They get to wake up to the most stunning of sunrises and eat their favorite forages for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They never have to have scary injections of antibiotics or hormones. They love the land and the land loves them!
So... Why Eat Grass Fed?
The nutritional benefits of Grass Fed beef are enough to make me switch over but the taste alone is a huge cherry on top (and not a fake bright red cherry. A real, freshly harvested, pint of Michigan black cherries). Grass Fed Beef is naturally lean, therefore, it is lower in fat and calories. In fact, according to eatwild.com it has a smidgen less fat than a skinless chicken thigh (Side note: who wants skinless anyway?). 100% Grass Fed Beef is very similar to Bison's fat and calorie count. It makes since because they are eating grass...not a bunch of hormones, corn, and animal by products. Grass Fed Beef is also rich in Antioxidants and has high levels of Omega 3s (very heart and brain friendly). High levels of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) can be found in Grass Fed Beef. Wikipedia says CLA can be good for belly firmness in pigs but Eat Wild definitely has some "firmer" facts.

Now let's get to the taste. Beefy is the first word that comes to mind. There is a rich, satisfying, full bodied all around greatness to grass fed beef. The other night I had a local grass fed beef steak at Harvest and the first bite was pure yum. It was juicy, cooked to perfection, and so simple yet satisfying. Grass Fed Beef burgers are absolute perfection. No seasoning needed. The flavor is in the meat. It is an absolute shame that I am not eating one right now. Once you taste the deep beefiness of Grass Fed Beef you will be mooooved!
Happy Cows, Happy Land, Happy People!
Now I must give a Shout out to the man behind it all. Derek Lawson is our oh so fabulous, highly enthusiastic, so so smart and willing to learn, dedicated head cattle farmer. Thank you Derek for being so wonderful to all the animals here at Foxhollow!

Thank you to three very very important folks. My Mom, Janey, for coming up with the idea to bring cattle to this land. Sarah, for being the most enthusiastic, friendly, and lovely person and for marketing and selling our beef. And last, but definitely not least, Luke. Luke is the muscle behind our beef sales and marketing. He puts a smile on all our faces and is always up for a creative challenge.

So, next time you find yourself craving a burger, a Sunday pot roast, or a t-bone steak, make it a grass fed night.

Food Truckus Ruckus

The 2nd Food Truckus Ruckus at Fresh Start Growers Supply was a huge hit this weekend! Slow Food Bluegrass Partnered with Fresh start on the event. It was the Slow Food National $5 Meal day. The food trucks offered delicious options for just $5 or less! Proving that you can eat good, clean, fair food for $5 or less and you don't have to eat fast food and processed foods from a microwave. Thank you to everyone who supported Slow Food Bluegrass at this event. Cake flour donated a wonderful Cake to be raffled off! The Soup Bicycle was my favorite vendor but the Lil' Cheezer's line was pretty long too. If you would like to become a member of SLow Food this month you can become a member for whatever price you choose. Visit to become a member!

Sweat Treats

Summer is coming to an end and Fall is fast approaching. The Farm Store has been a great success this season with families coming out to shop, hike our nature trail, and tour the farm. There is always lots of Fresh Grass Fed Beef for sale but we thought we might want to add a little something extra this Fall. It is now time to start thinking about what we want to do with the store now that cold weather is almost upon us. Nancy had a great idea the other day to offer Free WiFi and coffee shop treats and drinks. Starting this week Farm to Fork Catering will be baking lots of treats, Nancy will be rearranging the store and bringing in some bistro tables, and Maggie Galloway will be perfecting her Heine Brother's Brewing and gathering an array of teas. Stop by, bring your laptop or book, and enjoy a nice cup of Joe or a Slice of Quiche at the Farm.

Calling All Bakers! We are busy researching scrumptious cake recipes for our Cake Walk coming up in October. The Cake Walk is always a huge hit at our Fall Festival. This year our goal is to have 100+ Cakes. In the past we have run out of cakes in the first hour. So, if you love to bake or know anyone who does please let us know. We would love for you to be a part of our cake walk treat bakers. You can deliver your delicious creation on October 7th or at the festival on October 8th. Please call (502)241-9674 to reserve your cakes spot in the cake walk! Thanks so much for all your support and sweat treats.

Getting Ready for the Fall Festival

Last week I headed over to Maryhurst to Pick up the Art work for the front of the 4th Annual Fall Festival T-shirts. For 3 years in a row, Mari, a dedicated art teacher at Maryhurst's main campus, has kindly volunteered her time to lead her students in an art project for the front of the Fall Festival T-Shirts. I have the artwork from the past 2 years hanging in my office and every time I need a little pick me up I just glance over at the beautiful fall paintings framed on the wall. The bright orange pumpkins, smiling scarecrows, shimmering yellow straw hair, and golden sunflowers in these paintings remind me of the joys of fall.

We have 6 eager interns and three wwoofer volunteers helping the Head Market Gardner this season. Yesterday the team transplanted a whole field of basil, tomatoes and eggplant AND prepared for the Saturday three farmer's markets that we go to every week...LaGrange, Beargrass christian church in St Matthews and the brand new market at Douglas Loop on Bardstown Rd.

The Farmer's Market Season has begun and we are thrilled!

Janey

Chickens

Well our chickens are growing out of their small indoor nursery...time for a brand new home! Our market garden team have been building a moveable chicken house that will be pulled from one yummy grassy area to the next. They are putting on the final touches...then off they go....A MOVEABLE FEAST!

Looking forward to Foxhollow eggs in the Farm Store.

Janey

Rainbow

OH MY I couldn't help sharing this with you. We actually saw two double rainbows yesterday as we were locating spots for the new stones carved by Marko Pogacnik and his students.

Blessed by a storm!

Janey

Stones

Marko Pogacnik has returned to Foxhollow with a group of his students

to carve a series of stone pillars to be distributed around the farm. Each stone represents an aspect of the land. If you have visited our stone circle on the farm that was installed by Marko in 2008, you will know that he designs and places these stones on a landscape in order to support the health of the earth.

Marko will be giving a public lecture here at the Farm Center tomorrow night (Saturday) at 7:30pm. The cost is $15.00 at the door. All of the stones will be installed by May 9th , so please stop by on a Saturday when the store is open ( 10am -5pm) and you can walk around and enjoy them first hand!

More later as the stones are carved! Janey

This weekend I tromped over to our latest creation in process...an education garden for children. Two years ago we started raising the funds to support a garden and nature based education program for children. With the help of a huge yard sale and half of the proceeds from last year's annual Fall festival (the other half goes to Maryhurst) , we are ready to begin!

The garden will have lots of examples of gardening styles from raised beds pictured in this photo on your left to an earth spiral (pictured above). The earth spiral will continue to spiral up to the top and will be filled with herbs. Jamie and Dylan have been working throughout the winter designing the garden and the curriculum for this exciting program. There will be a small pond in the center of the garden and tons of vegetables, herbs, and flowers for visitors to smell, touch, and taste!

School groups, family groups, any groups of young folks are invited to sign up for a hands on gardening session by emailing jamie@foxhollow.com.

OK Tromp Tromp...off to visit the chickens!

Ramp Hike and Cooking Class!

Last Saturday Dylan Kennedy, Resident Outdoor Educator, and Sherry Hurley, Owner of Farm to Fork Catering, joined together to offer a Ramp Hike and Cooking Class. Below are some highlights of the adventure and the delicious food that was created!

Dylan carrying Ramp harvesting tools on the hike to the creek

The class digging for Ramps

Dylan demonstrating how to sustainably harvest Ramps.

Success!!

Bowl of Ramps, also known as wild leeks.

Sherry Hurley demonstrates how to incorporate seasonal wild edibles,
such as Ramps, to make any meal extra delicious!!!

Foxhollow Grass Fed Beef Chuck Eye Steak marinated in Bourbon Barrel Foods Kentuckyaki sauce plus minced Ramps!! And yes! You can eat those things that are growing in your yard including dandelions!

Cheese Ravioletti with Ramp Pesto garnished with violets, wild chives,
and Foxhollow hoop house grown nasturtiums! Yumm!

Today I spent some good quality time in our TOMATO HOUSE. We have created a lovely home for our heirloom tomatoes. We started with a large hoop house...covered it with a double layer of plastic sheeting and then attached a little hut at one end with a wood burning stove. VOILA a warm and cozy nursery for our young tomatoes.

Many thanks to our interns for stoking that wood stove at 2am!!

I tried to capture the sequence of their growth pattern... there is the leaf and stalk stage...then the little flowers bloom out ...as the flower fades it gives way to the small green tomato toddler stage. (This is where we are now in the Foxhollow T House)

Next step...more swelling, growing greener and greener until finally that yummy tomato red starts to appear. We will let you know as soon as Tomato Harvest Days begin. Until then, I will cherish tip toeing into the T House...listening to the classical music playing on the radio chosen especially for the sake of the young ones...and drinking in the beauty and soul warmth of

new growth in the Spring.

As I stroll throughout the farm I am greeted by so many Spring Babies. This is a close up of some of the baby vegetables that were planted as seeds in the greenhouse last month and are awaiting their big day to be transplanted to the gardens. It won't be long...just a few more weeks of growth and daily watering until they are ready to find their new home in the Market garden.

Enjoy Spring at Foxhollow Farm!

Check out our April Newsletter for fun ways to enjoy spring at the Farm!

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Foxhollow-Farm-April-Newsletter.html?soid=1102184300628&aid=cf59FyK4z2U

Beekeeping Workshop

There is a lot of activities happening at Foxhollow Farm this Saturday. There will be a Beekeeping workshop, Lunch at the Farm Store, and a Ramp hike/cooking demo with Sherry Hurley from Farm to Fork Catering! Facebook message us to sign up for the Beekeeping workshop or Ramp cooking Demo (special $30/car load!)

Gunther Hauk, a biodynamic gardener and beekeeper and founder/director of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary, will be joining us to share his life long dedicated sustainable beekeeping practices.
Cost: $50 pre-registration fee, $60 at the door. To pre- register: send a check payable to Foxhollow Farm Center:
8905 Hwy 329, Crestwood, Ky 40014
For more information email us or call 502.241.9674

Also join us for a film viewing of "Queen of the Sun," a documentary of Gunther's life long dedication to the health of the Honeybee, on April 1st, 7pm with Gunther there to answer questions and chat with folks. $50.00 donation with all proceeds going towards Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary.

“QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us?” is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, director of THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions.
Learn more about the film here: www.queenofthesun.com

The first hints of spring are coming with the warm weather, the songs of the birds beckoning the emergence of the spring flora and fauna.

The buds are swelling as the sap slowly rising from the heat of the sun. The warmth penetrating the earth, gently waking up the spring, springing forth new live.

We are hurriedly preparing the earth for the new arrivals. Twenty-one new beds have been prepared, composted and planted with spinach, and snow peas. Our greenhouse is full to the brim with our garden starts. The tomatoes, nasturtiums, and basil are almost ready to plant in our high tunnel, where they will settle into their fruit. The new greenhouse is under construction, and almost complete.

Spring brings the anxious excitement and expectation of new life. Inspiration from new emergences and creative forces arising from within the earth and ourselves give us new momentum to carry out our winter’s dreams.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A little peek at Foxhollow Market Garden's flock of baby chicks - 149 of them. They were born on Saturday morning and shipped to us immediately, arriving around 5 a.m. on Monday morning at the post office. Just in time for Valentines! Hope this warms your hearts on this gorgeous late winter day.

Meet Greta and Elwin, Part of the Foxhollow Farm Community

John Nelson, our head Market Gardener, came to the Foxhollow Farm Community with his beautiful wife and son, Greta & Elwin. We love having them here as a part of our community!!

 Cayenne pepper string hanging in the Farm Store. Jamie and Dylan made these!

 A jar a dilly beans with a Cayenne decorating the rim

 Dressed up rice with a dried Cayenne pepper

 Cayenne peppers for sale at the Farm Store. Dresses up the winter produce table.

 That is one HOT pepper!

 More bedazzled canned goodies.

Remember where they once were...Jalapeno pepper's growing in Foxhollow Farm Center's Market Garden in August 2010.

After a little winter get away to Mexico I came back with a new found love for peppers. In  In the middle of January, there is nothing more beautiful than a bright red hanging strand of dried Cayenne peppers. When winter is gray and dark, a pop of color can brighten up the gloomiest of days. No longer can I step out my backdoor (usually minutes before supper) and pick a bunch of bright pink peonies to add beauty to my table setting. There are no more tangy orange Nasturtiums waiting for me in a pot on my back stoop begging to dress up a salad. The ability to snip a few squash blossom, gently stuff them with chives and fresh goats cheese, and add atop an already fancy grass fed beef steak is out of the question these days. Fortunately, we do have red hot cayenne peppers. One tiny (and hot, very hot) cayenne pepper can dress up a whole room, a bowl of plain rice, a jar of canned beans, a winter table setting, and even a kitchen sink... (well kind of). Here at Foxhollow Farm we are lucky to have pepper enthusiasts, Jamie and Dylan. Jamie and Dylan smoke, dry, can, roast, and grow all sorts of pepper in the summer. Thanks Jamie and Dylan for adding a little spice to our winter life!