A Fabulous Year!

 July 1, 2011 marked our one year anniversary at Soul Flower Farm.  Wow...a year of sweat, laughter, aching muscles, amazing discoveries, hours and hours of digging, dreams realized, lots of bruises, bee stings, breathtaking views, uncountable cups of tea, wonderful neighbors, goat and chicken love, so much learning, and above all GRATITUDE!  Here are some pictures of our blessed first year as aspiring farmers...

a classic:  Yasir on his 1947 tractor

site of medicine wheel, before

medicine wheel in full bloom

Following are some pictures of the evolution of our south facing hillside.  From waist high weeds to shoulder high grains. 

 after scarification, before planting

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sheet mulching, first steps

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finished sheet mulched beds

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Some of the beds were then double dug, some we planted into the sheet mulch.  We tried out a variety of crops to see what would grow well in our soil.

red, orange, and green amaranth, quinoa on the right

cucumbers

sweet  and popping corn

watermelon

early pumpkin patch

Now:  zucchini, pumpkins, pink banana squash, kabocha squash and tomatoes

Original front yard turned into a perennial kitchen garden.

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tree collards in kitchen garden

Lima bean tepee

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lavender, mint and perennial vegis

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What a year.  Much love to all of you who helped and supported us.  All the new friends, advice, and company are greatly appreciated.  We are praying for and working toward another year of growth? and learning. 

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Purple tomatillo

Tomatillo flowers and fruit beginning to ripen

Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa) are another vegetable which comes out of South America.  Just like a tomato, eggplant or pumpkin technically speaking it is the fruit of the tomatillo that we eat.  The fruits of the tomatillo are enclosed in a papery husk which I think is part of their charm.  Sometimes people call the tomatillo a "husk tomato".

Apparently the Aztecs domesticated the tomatillo prior to the year 800 BC.  After the Spanish conquistadors went to South America they returned with most of the vegetables we eat today.  Both tomatoes and tomatilloes were brought with them, they are similar looking fruits with similar sounding names that were commonly shortened by Europeans.  Due to this there is a lot of confusion regarding historical manuscripts if they were referring to tomatoes, tomatilloes or some other vegetable.  Regardless we know that they were one of the first vegetables brought back by the Spanish in the 1500s.

Skeletonised tomatillo husk - I dont know what causes this but it is beautiful

For some reason the tomatillo never really took off outside of its home range.  Other vegetables which were discovered at the same time such as tomato, potato, beans, corn, pumpkin, squash, chilli etc now form the mainstay of our vegetable diet.  I honestly do not know why the tomatillo never gained favor as tomatilloes grow like crazy suffering no real pests or diseases, they produce huge amounts of fruit that is simple to harvest, it is simple to save seeds from tomatilloes, and they look kind of cool.  The paper husk (technically a calyx) that surrounds each fruit seems to prevent fruit fly, slugs and most other pests from damaging any fruit.  They are so productive that I have even heard and read in many places that 2 or 3 plants will provide more than enough tomatilloes for a family!

The texture is difficult to describe, kind of like an under ripe spongy tomato, perhaps that is not a great description, it is pretty cool.  They kind of taste similar to a tomato in some ways, but have a kind of citrus taste in there too.  When cooked they take on more of a citrus taste.  They are difficult to describe.  I am told that they are the main ingredient in salsa verde.  They can also be cut and put into salds, salsas or pureed into guacamole or gazpacho or used to flavor rice.  I have also heard of them being used to tenderise red meat.

 I have grown some green and yellow/green tomatilloes in the past and they were good but this time I wanted to grow some nice looking purple tomatilloes.  The plants grew well for me and flowered like crazy.  Each plant was covered in masses of yellow flowers but none of them were setting fruit.  I dont know why this is but some people say that their plants flower well but nothing ever comes of it, perhaps they remove the plant too soon and are not patient enough.  I have also heard that you need at least two plants to cross pollinate each other, I have never grown less than that so cant really comment.  These plants will cross pollinate with other varieties of tomatillo pretty easily so if you grow more than one type please take care if saving seeds.

After weeks of nice yellow flowers that did nothing I started to consider puling out the plants and then the first fruit began to form, then seemingly overnight I had hundreds of fruits forming!  The size of the fruit ranged quite dramatically on each plant, small ones in the beginning of the season and larger ones as the season progressed.  I have seen people on ebay selling seeds of "giant tomailloes", mine were reaching that size towards the end of their run.  They produced a huge amount of fruit in the end but they were not as dark purple as I had hoped.  Some were green, some were light purple, some were only purple where the sun hit the fruit, some had a mix of both on the one plant.  They all look really cool.  They kept on producing lots of fruit right until the frost killed them.

Tomatillo fruit, the paper husks are beginning to split open and show the fruit inside

I usually harvest the fruit after it falls from the plant by itself, the husk protects the fruit from damage so they can stay on the ground for a few days before I get to them if need be.  Some people harvest them earlier and I am told it does not affect the taste at all.  The one thing I have been warned is not to pick them before the fruit finishes filling out the husk otherwise it wont be ripe and apparently does not taste terrific.  

They store best when left in their husk, most people store them in the fridge but they can last a while on the bench or in the pantry.  When it is time to eat them the husk needs to be removed and the fruit will be a little sticky, I find that it is simple to wash this off.

Being closely related to tomatoes and potatoes and considering how simple it is to take cuttings from those I wondered how easy it would be to take a cutting from a tomatillo.  I cut a small branch off and put it in a cup of water on the kitchen windowsil.  In two days that small cutting had sprouted roots and a few days later I was able to plant it. This plant is still slowly growing, flowering and setting fruit as it is in a pot out of the frost.

I do sell seeds of the "purple"  tomatilloes on my for sale page.  If you do grow them please grow more than one plant so that you will have adequate pollination but resist the temptation to grow too many.  They are so productive that 2 or 3 plants easily provides more than enough tomatilloes for the family.

 

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The family photo shoot that rocked

Hugest thanks to Nikki at Virtual Memories Photography. Super happy with the photos and the service you get for your money is exceptional (definitely not a paid ad I really am super happy) Here are some of my favorite pics (you try picking from 155 or 310 if you include b/w photos)

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Shaggy Parasols

A brief mushrooming expedition through our local wilds, with a knowledgeable mycologist neighbor, led us to identify and harvest a small quantity of late flushing Shaggy Parasols.  The first two pictures are actually specimens I found down on the bottom of our property under some Eucalyptus trees the day before.  I pulled them out to get a proper ID from our friend who confirmed they were indeed Shaggy Parasols.  

These mushrooms can be huge with a pleasant aromatic odor, and taste to me like what I imagine beef would taste like (or maybe vegi beef from a vegetarians perspective).  

REALLY delicious and flavorful!  The Shaggy Parasol can be prepared the same way as the Chanterelle, cooking for a long period of time to break down the chitin.

It was exciting to find these first wild edible mushrooms on our hillside and now that I know where they will bloom I can check back in that spot each year.  

Remember, caution must be exercised when identifying the Shaggy Parasol, whose poisonous look alike, the Green Spored Lepiota can be very dangerous.  Of course always use the utmost caution when identifying ALL wild mushrooms! 

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New Guinea Flatworm Discovered In France

"One of the consequences of globalization and increased worldwide freight trade is the introduction of invasive alien species. In the list of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world, there is only one terrestrial flatworm: Platydemus manokwari, also called New Guinea flatworm. This species has now been found in France, Caen, and was identified by an international team led by Jean-Lou Justine of Institute of Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversity, Paris, France (Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle / CNRS / UPMC / EPHE). This is the first discovery of the species in Europe, reported in an article to be published March 4th in the open-access journal PeerJ.

The damaging effects of the New Zealand flatworm, Arthurdendyus triangulatus are already known in Europe. This species has invaded the whole north of the British Isles, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is responsible for significant reductions in populations of earthworms. To prevent its spread to other regions, measures have been implemented by some European countries. This species has so far never been found in France.

Now, another flatworm has been found in France and in Europe for the first time: the New Guinea flatworm, Platydemus manokwari. These flatworms were found in a greenhouse of the Jardin des Plantes de Caen (Normandy), and were identified by their characteristic appearance and molecular analysis of gene Cytochrome Oxidase Type I, often used to characterize animals. As one of the 100 most invasive alien species in the world any new discovery is clearly very concerning.

Platydemus manokwari, which was introduced – sometimes deliberately – in over fifteen territories in the Pacific, has become invasive and it consumes land snails, endangering endemic species. Indeed, although living on the ground, it is able to climb on trees to follow the snails. Very flat, it measures 50 mm long and 5 mm wide, the back is a black olive color with a clear central stripe, and with a pale white belly. The head is elongate, with two prominent black eyes. The mouth is in the middle of the belly.

The New Guinea flatworm, although from a tropical country, inhabits the mountainous regions of New Guinea at an altitude of 3000 meters, so it can survive relatively cool temperatures down to 10 ° C. Thus, it is not impossible that the species could spread into the environment in France and much of Europe. Moreover, it was observed in the laboratory to be capable of consuming European snails. Apart from the flatworm being a threat to snails, one of the main dangers of this case is that the diet of Platydemus manokwari is very diverse and in the absence of snails it can feed on numerous soil-dwelling species, including earthworms.

Platydemus manokwari represents a new and significant threat to biodiversity in France and Europe, which hosts hundreds of species of snails, some of which are endangered and protected. It is therefore important to consider the implementation of eradication and control of this flatworm."

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If youd like to read the full article, in case you have access to PeerJ, please visit this link here.

Article transcribed from redOrbit, New Guinea flatworm discovered in France, [http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1113086653/new-guinea-flatworm-discovered-in-france-030414/], last visited on the 05th of March 2014, last updated on the 04th of March 2014.

2nd image taken from Publico Online, Especie invasora de verme achatado descoberta pela primeira vez na Europa, [http://www.publico.pt/ciencia/noticia/especie-invasora-de-verme-achatado-descoberta-pela-primeira-vez-na-europa-1627045], last visited on the 5th of March 2014, last update on the 04th of March 2014.

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Xenophobic Britain drives foreign students away public hysteria and paranoia over immigration

It is indescribable what is happening to England. I wouldnt even dare say Britain. And even England is such a strong approximation for I dont believe that all English people share the views Im about to distill, but it is in England that Ive been sensing spontaneous and punctual acts of hatred towards migrant workers. Im not talking about Sports Direct or even Amazon, Im talking about going to the barber shop and the dentist. Two activities that in their nature should be harmless and plain simple to the extent of going in, being seen, paying up and leaving out. Wait!, thats it, the pay up part is whats really upsetting most of the fellows I have been sensing that. Suddenly for them I am the adequate receptacle of the constant moaning towards migrants, borders policies, the EU treaties and the incapability of British governments to stand up to I-dont-know-who-and-why. In all sums, Xenofobia and nothing else.

When I seek for the professional help of a dentist and suddenly from the entrance door, to the pain chair, and then back again to the pay counter I am greeted with "... the problem is that migrants come here and they dont have to pay for their treatments... and the government think that NHS can pay for everything, well it cannot... and the migrants come here and ask for treatments...". The same exact thing happened on my journey to the hairdresser, the same moaning, my same red hears to engulf this profound discontentment of the English workers towards the migrants that I happen to be one of.

Are this people insane or havent they noticed that I am no David Cameroon. I am not a political representative of your country. I am a person that happened to leave the house where I pay rent, to get in the car with petrol, insurance and car parking associated to high taxation taken from me (and I am not complaining at all), I used a service that the government for some reason believe should be made free for me, whether it is because I have a son, I am a student or just because my monthly wage doesnt even reach nowadays the minimum wage... and suddenly these people think I am the one to retrieve their political complaints and somehow take these long sentences of pure Ignorance (thats it) to the House of Commons/Lords, I dont know what??!! 

Are these people mentally challenged or just xenophobic? I am not even going to profess the immense oblivion that is having to listen to all that without feeling disgusted. History shows that the biggest powers in Europe have STOLEN, LITERALLY STOLEN from everywhere in the world with brutal force, ignominy, tremendous greed and inflicted terror, and when a migrant comes to England seeking for a better life he is shown intolerance? I am Portuguese, therefore I havent broken any rules in coming to England and looking for a better life. Whenever I asked for state support when I most needed, the governmental services had the chance to say no - NO, WE WONT HELP YOU! No one imposed altruism on them. It emerged from the need to dignify workers and citizens as in any other EU country that did sign for these practices to be applied.

My hairdresser spends more time complaining about Muslims and Chinese people than paying attention to my style requests. Then he goes on and on about the migrants from Europe. Hasnt he noticed that most of the people that actually sustain his business are students from Middle Eastern countries, Asian countries and European countries? Is everyone ignorant about the millions that are put in the English economy by students, researchers and other professionals that travel to England for whatever reason and bring their best talents to make this country the strong economy that we see?

My dentists receptionist complains that I take money from the system and I see everyday migrants generating revenue for this country. Paid miserably in comparison to their physical and psychological exertion. Universities are piling up with students from all over the world that get money flowing at high rates in this country. Suddenly I am forced to believe that you are only a welcomed migrant and student and foreigner in this country if you bring the dough. PAY FOR YOUR DIGNITY is the system, and that cannot be that far away from NAZISM, Im sorry but its not that far-off.

Everyday we have doctors, science researchers, managers, pizza fillers, taxi drivers from many different countries doing their best and serving you with the best, saving lives, providing quality of life to everyone who uses their products and services. But the dentist, the receptionist and the hairdresser in England think that its the migrants fault the idiotic options different governments have been negotiating with their different social partners.

PAYING FOR DIGNITY RESEMBLES NAZISM AND XENOPHOBIA. Can please someone tell them that?

If a migrant, who some English people state cannot even speak proper English, takes away English peoples jobs so easily, than my friends something is profoundly wrong with that pool of skills. You can only understand what it is to be a migrant when you become one and wear his shoes. I dont agree with people being given without even trying to give back as there is a social synergy that needs fulfilling, but someone tell these people that that has not been the case. The scale needs balancing but its not the migrants fault. When a taxi driver saves your life the moment that ambulance came a bit too late, when you were having a heart attack, what will you tell this lad? And why do we always have to go to extremes to justify the need to dignified lives.

Its not the migrants fault, its globalization, poorly discussed and poorly played, but if you are scared just wait for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, we will be on each others necks until we all perish due to ignorance and stupidity.

1st Image taken from The Telegraph, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10304634/Xenophobic-Britain-drives-foreign-students-away-claims-professor.html]

2nd image taken from hercampus, [http://www.hercampus.com/school/u-mass-amherst/response-sears-nazi-ring-anything-fashion-statement].

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Reusable snack wraps

Just wanted to share my funky new creations. Igloo will be starting preschool and to save on wastage I have made him some awesome little snack wraps and pockets. One set of just cotton, one lined with PUL.

He is going to have the best dressed food at preschool.

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