It’s maple season… for a moment.

Together, Mother Nature and maple farmers plan and pine all year for a brief two-week to month-long harvest.  The maple trees go dormant during the late summer and fall, ceasing growth and storing their starches for as long as the trees maintain an internal temperature less than 40 degrees F.  Then, as Spring nears and temperatures rise, the trees’ changing internal pressure causes sugar to flow into the tree sap again.  Farmers tap the trees in anticipation of this moment, capturing the sucrose sugars as they flow through the trees’ vascular system.  It’s all over for the year when the trees hit an internal temperature of approximately 45 degrees F, maybe two or three weeks after the sap begins to flow.

Mountain Winds Farm in Berne was ready for maple season this year.  Formerly the Williamson Family Farm, the Grippin Family has owned this maple and chicken farm since 1961.  Today, the farm is operated by second-generation farmer Randy Grippin, his wife Sally, and his three children comprising the third-generation of Grippin Family Farmers, Christina, Daniel and Laura.  Randy is a Master Forest Owner trained by Cornell University.  He started his maple syrup operation in 2005 with 50 pails, and has been growing the operation slowly and sustainably ever since.  Today, the farm boasts 50,000 feet of pipeline and 1,300 taps with the capacity to produce 500 gallons of syrup each Spring.  Together with his wife, kids, brother and nephews, Randy makes each batch of maple syrup with his wood-fired evaporator by hand.  Randy spent the last few months trudging along the hillside of the mountain behind his house, tapping trees and checking miles of pipeline for leaks and gaps.  He tinkered with his equipment, and prepared for the sap tsunami.

Early last week Mother Nature turned it on.  Then… CRASH, BANG, BOOM… catastrophic failure at Mountain Winds Farm.  Randy’s rear evaporator pan burned out.  It was a rustic piece of vintage equipment that fit like a jigsaw with the rest of the wood-fired evaporating system.  After-market parts for a like piece of equipment do not exist.

I rose early Monday morning to find a distressed email from Randy.  ”Just had a major screw-up with evaporator, could very well put me out of business if I can’t get it repaired.”

“What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?” I replied.

The return email: “Got $25,000 in your pocket?”

Well, no- I didn’t.  Nor, does anyone I know who works in the farm industry.  What’s more, it is nearly impossible for any farmer to leverage any kind of credit or financing these days, especially on short notice.  Banks, by and large, do not lend to farmers- it’s too risky of a business.  This may seem counterintuitive, considering that food is literally the only thing humans can not live without.  Furthermore, Randy has sold out of 100% of his maple syrup in each of the last few years, signifying that he does possess a business plan you SHOULD be able to take to the bank.

Randy needed money immediately, as maple season may only last a few days.  Furthermore, as the only maple producer participating in New York’s Statewide Maple Festival in Albany County, Randy was anticipating the arrival of hundreds of families on his farm for tours and tastings over the next two weeks.

Having previously experienced the frustrations of dealing with traditional banks when assisting small farms in financing challenges, I skipped a phone call to a banker.  Immediately, I reached out to Senator Gillibrand’s office, who has been extremely supportive of the small farms FarmieMarket works with.  Her local agriculture liaison was helpful, putting Randy and I in touch with some potential resources available through the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and New York State Maple Producers Association.  However, this was not going to be a quick fix.   I also reached out to the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has been refreshingly supportive and eager to help advance the local food movement in the Capital Region.  They were glad to help; but still, time constraints were tight.

With no time to waste, and no alternatives, Randy bit the bullet and leveraged his future for his future, borrowing from his retirement to keep his business afloat.  Working with his retirement manager, Randy was able to attain a promise that they could transfer funds to his account to cover the costs of new equipment by early the following week.  This, however, did not solve Randy’s predicament of being able to host maple demonstrations on the farm that weekend.

Thankfully, although the banks won’t extend farmers any credit, at least other farmers will!  Randy called a maple equipment manufacturer based in Swanton, Vermont, about 200 miles from home.  The people at Leader Evaporator Company, Inc. were happy to work with Randy, understanding his precarious position as a farmer with thousands of gallons of collected sap in danger of spoilage due to lack of access to processing equipment.  Randy and the owner set up an appointment for Wednesday for Randy to pick up two new pans.  The trusting owner of Leader Evaporators graciously let Randy leave his facility without putting a dime down on nearly $20,000 worth of equipment.

By Thursday morning, Randy was back to work in the sugar house with his brother Jeff, a welder, creatively working to retrofit his wood burner with the new evaporator pans. And by Saturday morning, I was eating freshly made maple syrup from Mountain Winds Farm on my pancakes at the Berne Reformed Church public pancake breakfast.

Farming is a lot of things- planning, sweating, anticipating.  The thing you can never count on, though, is the harvesting- no matter how experienced a farmer you may be.  In my short 28 years I’ve seen harvests lost to blight, newborn calves lost to flood, barns lost to heavy snow, feed lost to fire, maple seasons lost to global warming, and livelihoods lost to freak Upstate hurricanes in one year and drought in the next.

What does my heart good, though (and I consider myself lucky for) is that I’ve never seen one farmer hang another farmer out to dry.  Farmers give each other credit where credit is due, because we can all count on the fact that at some point down the road it will be our own livelihood on the line.

In close, I’d like to encourage all of you to visit Mountain Winds Farm for the second weekend of the New York State Maple Festival, March 23rd and 24th.  Eat a pancake breakfast at the Knox Fire House from 9-1 on Sunday (the 24th).  Then, make your way over to Mountain Winds Farm at 12 Williamson Road in Berne to learn more about maple syrup, buy a gallon, restore a retirement, and congratulate Randy on a job well-done.  He’ll be very glad to see you!

Sauerbraten has long been a favorite in the Gordon Family.  I most recently had it at my Aunt Pam’s for our weekly Sunday Lunch, attended by my aunts, a handful of local farmers and helping hands, and any men-folk who dare to brave a kitchen full of ladies enjoying eachother’s company and a bottle of prosecco.  Pam is also a FarmieMarket farmer, proprietor of Trefoil Farm- she raises beef, heritage breed pork and turkey, as well as lamb and chicken.

Inspired by the sauerbratten Pam made a few weeks ago with her own farm’s bounty, I picked up a grass fed bone-in sirloin steak from my dad (Sandy Gordon of Gordon Farms) to whip up my own batch.

Here’s what you need to make enough to feed 4-5 people:

• 2+ lbs of grass fed sirloin steak (or chuck roast) from Gordon Farm cut into 1″ cubes
• 1.5 cups of water
• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. brown sugar
• Sea salt
• Mill blend from Baitsholts Farm
• Ground nutmeg
• 2 small Stuttgarter yellow onions from Wild Thyme Farm
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/3 cup cornstartch
• 1/3 cup half-andhalf
• Whole wheat egg noodles

Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn your stove down to low, cover the pot, and simmer for two hours.  A long slow simmer makes the beef soooooo tender!

It’s that time of year- the blustery days of February when greens are scarce, maple is highly anticipated, and our refrigerator crispers are stocked with root veggies.  It’s time for french onion soup!  Here’s what you will need:

• 3 Tbsp. of butter
• 1 quart of yellow onions (from Wild Thyme Farm)
• 4 cloves of garlic (from Wild Thyme Farm)
• Sea salt
• Mill blend (from Baitsholts Farm)
• 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
• 6 cups of veggie or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup apple cider
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. sherry vinegar
• A few slices of bread (from All Good Bakers -Sourdough, Rye, Whole Wheat or the Specialty Surprise loaf)
• Jarlsberg cheese

I used my quart of Stuttgarter yellow onions from Wild Thyme Farm for this one.  Farmer, Julie Samson is pretty generous in what she deems a quart- mine had 7 medium-large sized onions in it!

Half your onions, then slice them into long thin strips.  Mince your garlic, too.

Next, melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add your onions, garlic and about a 1/2 tsp. of salt.  Cook them for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Turn the stove down as low as it goes, and continue to cook the onions for about one hour, stirring occaisionally, until they are brown and very tender.  Don’t rush this- the longer and slower the onions cook, the more flavorful they get!

Once brown, stir in the flour and cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, constantly stirring the flour into the onions.  Then, add your broth, cider and mustard.  A lot of recipes call for cooking sherry, but I like using cider because it gives the soup a light sweetness, and apples are locally available!

Turn up your heat to bring the soup to a light boil, then cover the pot and simmer for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat.  In the meantime, toast your bread and shred your cheese.  Last week, I purchased the All Good Bakers’ Specialty Surprise Loaf, which turned out to be a delicious Kalamata Olive loaf.  I’ve been pushing through a busy schedule for days, waiting to pair it with french onion soup!!

Next, add a teaspoon of sherry vinegar to the soup and stir it in.  Be careful not to overdo this- you don’t want an overly-vinegary final product.

Ladle your soup into oven-safe bowls, and set them on a cookie sheet to keep them stable in the onion.  Add the toast into the top of each bowl, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Then, pop them into the broiler on the pan for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just starting to brown.  Remove from the oven, let cool for a minute or two, and enjoy your homemade Farmie French Onion Soup!

For our followers who don’t typically spend hours in the kitchen, but still want to support local farms and businesses, we thought we would share a few of our favorite no-fuss FarmieMarket items with you…

First, a fave from All Good Bakers!

Then, there are these tasty little morsels for our furry friends!

Rachel Ginther from Lady Liberty Farm makes these treats with herbs to protect dogs and cats’ skin and keep a healthy coat. They are  made from 100% natural ingredients, including wheat, chicken, beef or pork, egg, garlic, brewers yeast and parsley.

Next, this has turned out to be a breakfast favorite.  I’ve never really been an eater of big breakfasts (save for french toast and frittatas on the weekend).  This breakfast option is jam-packed with nutrition without being overwhelming in size.  If you’re like me, I bet you’ll love this…

Wild Thyme Farm’s Oats and Groats Breakfast sprouts are delicious toasted (put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes on foil) with a little maple syrup and honey.  They are also delicious in a little yogurt! And, one serving includes 15% of your daily protein, plus Vitamins B, C and E Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, and  Amino Acids!

Next, Lady Liberty Farm’s Cosmic Chai Tea is a deliciously spicy, but non-caffeinated pick-me-up for your afternoon!

And The Peanut Principle’s Almond Butter on toast makes a delicious afternoon snack!  (If you’re an almond butter fan, you’ll also notice this variety is a steal at $10!)  Top off your afternoon recharge with a little raw honey for your tea from Partridge Run Farm and Apiary!

Lastly, protect your smoocher in the cold winter months by using a protective lip balm when you’re out in the elements, or snuggled up by the fire.

Last week’s bitter cold left me craving hot, slow cooked stew.  So, with a quick peruse through http://heldebergmarket.farmiemarket.com I filled my virtual shopping cart with some root veggies and short ribs to get down to cooking.  Here’s what you’ll need for this delectable one-pot recipe:

• 2 – 2.5 lbs of grass fed beef short ribs from Gordon Farms
• 2 medium Stuttgarter Yellow Onions from Wild Thyme Farm
• 8 rainbow carrots from Eight Mile Creek Farm
• 4-5 watermelon radishes from Eight Mile Creek Farm
• 4-5 medium norland or russet potatoes (we had them, but sold out already, so I got mine from the Carrot Barn in Schoharie)
• 3 cloves of garlic from Purple Gunder Farm
• A small bunch of fresh thyme (out of the South window box)
• 2 bottles of good beer- I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
• Olive Oil
• Mill Blend from Baitsholts Farm
• Salt
• Water

Start out by chopping your veggies, and crushing your garlic.  I like to chop my veggies into about 1/2″ cubes.

Chop your watermelon radishes the same way.  These radishes have a mild peppery flavor, and are full of vitamins- making them perfect for a good winter stew.

Once you’re all chopping, get down to focusing on your beef.  Remove your short ribs from the cryo-vac.  You’ll notice they fall apart into one-rib sections, some larger than others.  I like to coat the ribs in flour before searing them on the stove.  This is a trick from my beef farmin’ father, and a great secret to help seal in the juices of the short rib, and collect some nice briney brown bit at the bottom of the pan to add to the stew’s flavor.

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat on the stove with about 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in it (just enough to coat the bottom of the pot).  Gently lay your short ribs one by one into the pot to sear each side.  (You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pot.)

Keep a close eye on your ribs.  You want to cook them until the outside is JUST briney-brown.  Flip them and sear them on each side, then set aside for a few minutes.

Next, add another Tbsp. or two of olive oil to your pot.  Add your crushed garlic and onion to the pan and sautee until the union start to look a bit clear.  You’ll notice that those briney-brown bits are collecting on your veggies – YUM!  After about 4-5 minutes, add your carrots, radishes and potatoes.  Cook all the veggies together, stirring every few minutes, until the just start to get a little tender (about 6-8 minutes).

Next, add your broth.  I used two bottles of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but any decent beer will do- other people prefer lager, brown ale, or something dark like a stout.

Pour in your two bottles of beer, and then refill the bottles with water and pour that in, too.  Add a little salt and a few cracks of Mill Blend for seasoning.  Next, bring the whole mixture to a boil.

After boiling, toss in a small bunch of thyme and reduce your stew to a simmer.  Let it simmer gently on the stove for a few hours, stirring it periodically and adding a cup of water at a time if the liquid level gets so low that all the ingredients are not submerged.  After about four hours, you should have something that looks like this:

Look at that!  That’s some falling-off-the-bone-short-rib-deliciousness!  Add a little salt and mill blend to taste, if needed, and serve!  This is a one-pot recipe that’s sure to make your house smell delicious all day, and please your family and whoever is doing the dishes, too!

It was cold in the Heldeberg Hilltowns this past weekend… One of my favorite things to do when it gets cold is to crank up the woodstove and make some soup. With butternut squash, pie pumpkins, carrots, onions and garlic galore available from our local farmers right now, I settled on this recipe from Sunset magazine. It instantly became a new favorite in our household!

First, gather your ingredients. You’ll need a pie pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, onions, garlic, butter, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, salt, chicken broth (I made mine with veggie broth to accommodate Farmie Headquarter’s resident vegetarian- it was still 100% delicious ), and cardamom (which I left out because I didn’t have any in the house- with the ginger and cloves, I honestly didn’t miss it, either).  A lot of these ingredients are available now on FarmieMarket.

Next, get down to business roasting your squash.  You’ll need a very sharp knife, some muscles, a couple roasting pans, your stock and some aluminum foil.  Cut the pie pumpkin and butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and stringy goop, then put them skin side down in your roasting pans in about a 1/4″ of stock.  Then, pop them into the oven at 375 degrees for about an hour.

Organic Rainbow carrots from Eight Mile Creek Farm and butternut squash from Wild Thyme Farm

While the squash is roasting,  chop your onions.  You’ll want about 2 cups, chopped.

White onions from Purple Gunder Farm

Melt 3 tablespoons of  butter in a large pot over medium heat on your stove. Add your chopped onions and a teaspoon of salt. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and creamy looking. Then, reduce your stove heat to low and cook the onions for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until they turn a caramel color. Set them aside when they look like this:

While your onions are caramelizing, you can chop and grate your other ingredients, including the about a cup-and-a-half of carrots, four cloves of garlic, and two tablespoons of grated ginger.

Organic rainbow carrots from Eight Mile Creek Farm, elephant garlic from Purple Gunder Farm, and ginger (from the co-op:) )

By now, your squash should be just about done.  Remove it from the onion to reveal a soft, steamy, fragrant combination of roasted squash.

Let the squash cool for a few minutes so you don’t burn yourself, then scoop the flesh out and discard the skins.  Hold onto the stock from the roasting pans to add to the soup later. Put the squash and pumpkin flesh into a large bowl and mash it up.

Next, put your big pot with the onions in it back on the stove over medium-high heat.  Add your chopped garlic, and two-thirds of your grated ginger (keep 1/3 aside for the browned butter later), then cook the mixture for about two minutes while stirring it constantly.  Then, add your teaspoon of nutmeg and about 3 or 4 cloves.  Stir that mixture for about a minute, then add about 8 cups of broth (including however much you have leftover form your squash roasting pans), plus your carrots and your squash.  Stir it up, bring it to a boil, and then simmer it for about 15 minutes.  Now we’re cooking!!

Next, transfer the soup in batches to a blender to puree it smooth.  Be careful blending it- hot liquids will expand in a blender, so only fill the carafe about half way and hold a towel firmly over the top to protect yourself from getting burned.

If you like your soup ultra-smooth, pass it through a strainer once before returning it to the pot on the stove.  Once everything is pureed, you’ll want to put it back in the pot over low heat to keep it warm while you brown your butter.

Next, its time to prepare your finishing touch.  Browned butter is so delicious, and so easy to make!  This particular browned butter is amazing with some fresh grated ginger added in.  With a cup on hand nearby to transfer the browned butter to when it is done browning, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Once melted, toss in your remaining fresh grated ginger.  Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it starts to foam; then, continue to stir it constantly until it browns.

Transfer the browned butter into your reserved cup.  Ladle your soup into bowls, and top with a swirl of browned butter for a slightly sweetened finish that is sure to impress your family and guests!  This is a great soup for cold season, with tons of nutrition!  Enjoy!!

The final product: Spiced Pumpkin Soup with Ginger Browned Butter!