Open (Hoop) House a Success Again

While the turn out of people was much more modest this year (compared to the more than a hundred people that showed up last year), I found this year's Brines Farm open (hoop) house on the afternoon of November 18th to be just as successful, if not more so. I felt like I had a good chance to talk to people who seemed sincerely interested and excited about trying something like this out, albeit at a smaller backyard scale. Hopefully I conveyed to them this methodology is not that difficult as long as you're not afraid of a little possible failure. It doesn't require that expensive of materials although it will require an investment of time. But you are rewarded with the freshest and best-tasting food. And the people you get to meet as you try to share that food feel like a true community. Not to mention they make you feel like what you are doing is valued and important. So a heartfelt thanks to all of you who came out this time, or other times, as well as to those of you who keep coming back to my stall at the farmers market. You are a big part of this.

You can read more about the open house from the perspective of people who visited: a) here at The Farmer's Marketer, b) here at the blog Pickles (which includes some nice photos from the open house), and c) apparently in the near future here at this blog Garden of Babylon. Thanks bloggers!

For more photos (thanks to Kim Bayer) you can have a look here.

There are also photos from last year's 2006 open house.

Ratatouille

Calling all foodies, if you haven't seen the movie Ratatouille, you might as well. It is true I paid 50 cents to see it, but I still think there is enough in there about food (as well as a few good tips on how to live ones life) to make it quite worth your while. Cute and fun. Check out the ~10 minute preview below from Pixar.

Backlog Post - RePlayGround Press

While I'm kudo'ing Tiffany Tomato I might as well catch up on a little backlog I have in things I've been meaning to post.... so I'll go right on and say kudos for this Treehugger press coverage of making toss-and-catchers out of materials formerly known as garbage

Out-Local'd by Tiffany Tomato....again

While I was the first to blog last year about doing a 100-mile Thanksgiving, it seems I was out-local'd (which is a new term I am coining) this year by Tiffany Tomato with her extravagant 100-mile Thanksgiving. Definitely better than my Thanksgiving dinner this year (although I did notice her meal may have been lacking fresh greens:). And be sure to note, her post includes recipes. Seems like she has been out-local'ing me a lot actually. Oh well, plenty of room for local'ing behavior from all of us in this here virtual local town I guess. Keep it up localvores!

Open (Hoop)House Again

Hi everyone! Once again I will open up the Brines Farm hoophouse to the general public in chilly November to see an example process for harvesting fresh, local food during the winter seasons. The "Open (Hoop) House" will be this coming Sunday (following a Michigan victory the previous day), from 2-4pm. Please spread the word and see brines.org for further details. Hope to see you out there. And don't be afraid to tell me you read the blog:)

Keeping Up With the Local Scene