​I had the great honor and privilege of attending the session “Farming While Black: African Diasporic Wisdom for Farming and Food Justice” given by Leah Penniman as part of the OAK farming conference this morning. Her book, Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land is a must read if you’re interested in racial justice in the food system. She discussed practices they incorporate  on her educational and production farm, Soul Fire Farm. They are truly doing incredible work.
 
Here are just a few nuggets from the session:

• Honor and build relationships with the indigenous people whose land you’re on. Her farm, Soul Fire Farm, developed a land easement for the indigenous people of the land they farm where the people have permanent access to the land for specific uses such as ritual, hunting, fishing and more.
• In African farming tradition there is an obligation to build soil. Imagine the difference if our culture thought of restorative land practices as an obligation, rather than seeing land as an economic resource.
• Here is an abbreviated list of all the organic/regenerative farming practices that have roots in Black/African traditions. Here she named specific dates and peoples where these practices were developed. I didn’t get all of these, so this is an area for me to research more! All of the ones I’m listing are part of the practices here on Barr Farms.
  • Composting
  • Transplanting
  • Pastured chickens
  • Raised beds
  • Work parties/ trade labor with other farmers
  • Tools: lots of types of tools, but the hoe is a prime example, and one of the most useful tools on our farm
  • Refrigerated trucks
  • Food preservation techniques
  • University Extension services… the first was out of Tuskegee University
  • Organic/regenerative agriculture practices… Fifty years before the Rodale Institute, which is typically credited as the beginning of the organic movement, in the late 1800s, George Washington Carver was advocating practices to Black farmers like compost, silvopasture. Rotating crops, eliminating chemical use and more.
  • And possibly most important for us… the CSA model!

 
 
There were more practices listed, like food hubs, coops, both farmer coops and buying clubs, cooperative financing (if anyone has ever used a credit union!). The bullets listed above are the practices we use on our farm.
 
She also spoke of “spiritual technologies” and said her teachers in Africa think we are crazy here in America that we don’t have regular practices of song, dance or prayers when planting seeds and harvesting, and how important those rituals are.
 
She also brought my attention to a bill in congress called the Justice for Black Farmers 2020, which would be incorporated into the next farm bill.  She asked us to learn more about it and consider supporting it.
 
There was a question: what can white-led organizations do? The first step? Ask! Ask how you/we can support Black-led organizations. There was much more in the presentation, but this was just a brief synopsis.
 
 
So my take-away action steps from this session are to:

• look more deeply at the Justice for Black Farmers bill,
• look into ways of building relationship with the Cherokee people/nation, with an eye toward how we can support
• look at ways to actively support Black farmers,
• join with organizations I’m part of to support Black-led farmers and institutions
• give credit where credit is due on all the amazing farming practices that are in use on our farm,
• continue to build and develop spiritual practices of gratitude and humility into our farm and life. This is maybe a longer future post, but we’d like to develop further the rituals that have already begun thanks to Sustainable Agriculture Louisville and a Latina woman named Valentina who asked to come do a “Mother Earth honoring ceremony” as part of the Three Sisters planting of corn, beans and squash, (an indigenous planting method) that we do here every year.
• Continue to learn, especially in the "racism in agriculture" farmer group Adan and I are part of. Act where we can, individually and collectively.
• Look at Soul Fire Farm's action steps and choose at least one to act on.

 
 
Thanks so much to OAK for the conference and for bringing in Leah Penniman as one of the keynote speakers. And thanks to Leah for all you’re doing to educate, reconnect and lead the way in land and food justice.

Choose one of the following two pathways:
 1. Roasted in the oven... or
 2. In the Instant Pot directly from frozen

Roasted method
This is a good choice if you want to feature the dark meat as the first meal. I can still get away with serving my kids the legs and wings, and Adam and I eat the thighs, (and clean up whatever the kids don't eat). With a large chicken like this, you may want to spatchcock it, to keep the breasts moist in the oven.

Serve that first meal with whatever veggies are in season, and maybe a side of rice if you want it.

During clean up, before you put the leftovers away, pick the rest of the chicken! Pick all the chicken off the bones. Be sure to get the back meat! You can shred it with a fork, or chop. Separate into two containers, and refrigerate.

Now you have chicken for two separate meals of your choice: chicken soup, white chicken chili, taco night, chicken salad, chicken casserole, or just plain chicken for young kids (if you have young kids, you get it!)

With the chicken carcass, put it in a slow cooker and let cook overnight, and you'll have stock in the morning. Or you can refrigerate the carcass for up to 3 days, and pull it out when you're ready to make stock on the stove by simmering it for a few hours. Be sure to strain the stock. You can either use that stock immediately for the chicken soup, or freeze it for later use.

Instant Pot method (you can do this from frozen!)

When I go this route, I usually have a hankering for white chicken chili. For some reason I can't get enough of this!

Here's what I do: In the morning, cook a very large chicken directly in the instant pot. (If I forgot to thaw one, I cook in instant pot directly from frozen. I use this site just for a time guide for how long to cook it.) I use 2-3 cups water and season just with a little salt and a little olive oil. When it's done, I remove the lid to let cool until ok to handle.

Early afternoon (at nap), pick chicken. Remove legs/thighs and put in fridge for another meal. Note the dark meat cooked this way tastes just fine, but doesn't look quite as impressive as a roasted chicken.

Shred or chop breasts. If you started with a large enough chicken, you should have enough for two meals! Keep half the white meat for the chili, and store the other half for another meal. (Tacos, anyone?)

Strain liquid and return to instant pot. Voila, here's your soup base for your first meal. Make chicken soup, or white chicken chili.

The next day, you can have the legs, thighs and wings, and finally, you have more chopped or shredded chicken for the meal of your choice.

Sometimes I don't feel that creative in the kitchen (or have much time for meal prep), so I really love having chicken ready to go during the week.

So there's one of my chicken secrets! Want to tell me yours?

What does racial justice have to do with the food we eat?
 
Does the following intrigue you?
The history of U.S. agriculture is inseparable from the history of U.S. racism. Indigenous land dispossession, slavery, the ongoing exclusion of racial minorities from federal agricultural programs and support systems, present day exploitation enabled by lack of labor protections for agricultural workers, and disempowering immigration policies are all examples of the ways in which racism has been woven into agriculture on every level since this land was colonized. 
 
We got into farming because of environmental stewardship, raising healthy food and building healthy communities. As we've grown as people, we've been deepeing our understanding of racial justice as integral to healthy communities, and a deepening awareness of agriculture's roots in systemic racism. We have a long way to go in truly understanding this. Let’s learn together!

In January, I’m starting a discussion group. Will you join me? Check out the Young Farmers Coalition Racial Equity Toolit  

My vision is for CSA members or farm supporters who want to learn more about racial equity in the agricultural sector to join together and engage in this work.
 
I will host monthly video meetups to discuss the reading for each month, and possibly… depending on who is interested and what platforms you’re comfortable with… we can start a private Facebook group (or other platform?) to share written responses throughout the month.
 
Note, I have not done this toolkit all the way through myself yet… I’ll be learning alongside you. But I can facilitate the discussion. I’m excited to engage in this work with you.
 
If you’re interested, please fill out this short google form.
 
Thanks!
Rae

My Draft Thanksgiving Menu for 2020
​
​Whole Roasted Large Chicken (possibly spatchcocked to keep it juicy)
 
Stuffing: your family's favorite recipe, add mushrooms and celery
 
Stuffed acorn squash (with stuffing, ground sausage and whole fresh cranberries)
 
Sweet potato casserole with pecan topping
 
Lacinato kale salad with sliced almonds and dried bing cherries
 
Roasted/caramelized brussels sprouts
 
Rae’s cranberry sauce

Butternut/Sweet potato pie. (Trust me on this one. Skip the pumpkin and go for this combo for a light yet deeply flavorful pie). CSA members should have a recipe for this in their renewal/signup gifts!

There are three versions of cranberry sauce in one recipe here.  Just do the cooked, just do the raw, or do both and combine them (my favorite!). If you combine them, you can also half the recipe to make less sauce overall… but it’s nice to have leftovers! Use Barr Farms ginger and celery in this recipe!
 
Ingredients
 
For cooked part:
4-6 celery stalk, divided
2 packages fresh cranberries
1 cup orange juice
½ to 1 inch fresh baby ginger, sliced
1-2 T. maple syrup
 
For raw part:
1 package cranberries
1-2 T. orange juice
1-2 celery stalks, chopped
½ to 1 inch fresh baby ginger, diced
2 apples, peeled and chopped
1-2 oranges, peeled, deveined and chopped
Handful of chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts or a combo), for sprinkling
 
Directions
 
Boil 2-3 celery stalks in 1.5 cups water for 20 minutes to make 1 cup broth. Remove celery from broth.
Add ½ of cranberries (1/2 bag if using one bag total, or one whole bag if using 2 bags total) to broth. Add orange juice and sliced ginger. Boil until cranberries pop and sauce becomes a bit gelatinous. Remove from heat, remove ginger if desired and add maple syrup. Set aside to let cool.
 
(Note: you can stop here and this is a delicious cranberry sauce on its own. Let cool and serve. To go the extra mile try the following too)
 
In a food processor, pulse cranberries and ginger until cranberries are small.  Add celery and apple and pulse a few more times until mixture is combined, but there are still recognizable pieces of celery and apple. Add orange pieces if using. (If just serving the raw salad, combine nuts when you’re about to serve so they stay crunchy.)
 
Combine raw salad with cooked sauce.  Serve in a beautiful bowl, and top with nuts just before serving.
 

I have to be honest with you… learning to eat seasonally is an adjustment. It’s a lot different from going to the grocery any time of year and be able to pick up lettuce, strawberries, sweet potatoes, kale, turnips, broccoli, tomatoes and zucchini all at the same time because that’s what you need for specific recipes you’re planning.
 
Eating locally and seasonally is an experience… one where you learn what’s in season at certain times of the year and not others… of the incredible flavor of an actually-ripe strawberry… one picked at the peak of ripeness and not when it’s white then gassed till it turns red…. of learning how to pack an abundance of greens into absolutely everything, and then all of a sudden they’re gone and you’re left thinking, “wait, I was getting used to kale salad and now I miss it! Now what do I do with the onions, garlic, zephyr squash, okra and tomatoes?” It’s meal planning from what you have, and building your meals from what’s fresh, ripe and delicious. It’s an experience of learning what the heck those curly thin green things are in your box (garlic scapes).
 
Learning to eat seasonally takes time. We’ve learned it takes two to three years to really get the hang of becoming a CSA member. The first year is all about new experiences… learning what each vegetable is, what’s in season when, maybe even beginning to freeze some greens for winter, and the “oops, I didn’t get to the okra in time this week” moments. (Don’t worry, those moments still happen to me occasionally!)
 
The second year is about becoming accomplished with the seasonal recipes from the veggies you learned about in year one, and the third year is about learning preservation techniques to extend the life of your veggies.
 
I recently heard from a second year CSA member, Karen. She describes actually being a person who doesn’t like vegetables that much, but knows they are good for her and wants to incorporate more into her diet. She described seeing garlic scapes for the first time and not really knowing what to do with them…  She says, “speaking of learning new things - garlic scapes! … when I saw garlic scapes coming back this year, it was like meeting an old friend. I love just adding them to whatever I'm cooking or a salad, and so I ordered extra!” 
 
I know I’ve had that experience… for me it was fennel. It actually took me three years of not really know how to cook it. I would add it to pasta sauces or caramelized on top of pizza, and it was good, but I was just getting through it (or avoiding it altogether). Then I discovered fennel apple salad, and now whenever see fennel in my share, I get so excited. I can’t have fennel-apple salad anytime I want to … I have to wait until it’s ready.
 
Becoming an expert CSA member means learning new veggies and the ways you can cook them that get you excited. It means learning to freeze greens or make stock, and adapting your cooking what’s in your share and using what you need to use first. For example, I know that fennel bulb will keep for a couple weeks, so if I also have lettuce in my share, I know I need to make green salad in the beginning of the week, and fennel apple salad later in the week.
 
I think CSA members at any stage can relate to the experience of being so excited to open up the box! Karen says, “When I unpacked the lettuce (two different times), it was like a religious experience - hard to describe, ..but the structure of the leaves, the color, and so fresh... I was in awe. The scent and colors of the Swiss chard seemed to nourish me before I even ate it. So now I need to figure out what's the best way to use lacinato kale - chips, salad, steamed -- I was shocked at the texture and color of this new acquaintance!” (I told Karen to try this raw kale salad)
 
I love how Karen describes these veggies as acquaintances that become friends over time, as we get to know them. I hope for your CSA journey that you continue to grow in your knowledge of veggies, your expertise in eating seasonally, your courage in experimenting with new foods and storing foods, and ultimately more fun in the kitchen as a creative home cook.

Rae's Go-To Kale Salad
I really love this kale salad anytime I have kale. I love it the most with either lacinato or green curly kale, though it could work with any kind of kale. Here's my basic kale salad, and variations below.

Ingredients:
1-2 bunches kale
2 T. Balsamic vinegar
2 T. olive oil or avocado oil
1 T. maple syrup
Handful of dried bing cherries
Handful of sliced or slivered almonds

Process:
De-stem kale, chop small, and put in a large bow. In a jar with a lid, add vinegar, oil and maple syrup. Shake vigorously until well combined. Pour dressing over the kale, and "massage" it into the kale. Yes, massage with your bare hands! This helps break up the kale and get the dressing into the leaves. Let sit for 10-30 minutes. Add cherries and almonds on the top just before serving.

Variations:
Dressing ideas: you can use any kind of vinegar, oil or sweetener you have. Vinegars could be apple cider vinegar, white balsamic, rice vinegar or others. Sweeteners could be honey or sorghum, or even black cherry juice. You can also add herbs and spices to the dressing, or even a spoon full of hummus to thicken it up!

Accents: Think fruit, nuts/seeds or a couple select cheeses.
Fruit: Dried cranberries, dried blueberries, raisins, fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries all work well. 
Seeds/nuts:  pepitas, pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, chopped hazlenuts, slivered or sliced almonds or whatever you like!
Cheese: feta cheese, or goat cheese would both work
Other: if you want your kale salad to have more of a bite rather than a sweetness, you could omit the sweetener and add mustard to your dressing, radish slices, garlic scapes, green onion, shredded carrots or other veggies chopped small.

As you can see, with kale salad you can get creative! Let me know what you like!

From Mallory Froman

​​I've had such an abundance of peppers lately (from out garden and the CSA) that I decided to pickle some!  The kids love them.

Ingredients:
1 C. White Vinegar
1 C. Water
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 TBS Honey
2 Bell Peppers Sliced thinly

Directions:
In a pot, bring water, vinegar, and honey to a boil.  While the vinegar mixture heats up, place pepper slices and garlic in a glass jar.  Once the vinegar mixture is boiling, remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Pour into jar with peppers and garlic, cover with a lid, and refrigerate.  Wait about 3 days and then enjoy!  Peppers are good for up to a month!

By Mallory Froman

Ingredients:
3 pound Beef Roast
1 Jar of Ricante Chimichurri Sauce (or make your own)
1 head of Cabbage (roughly chopped)
2 bunches of Carrots (washed and peeled)
2 TBS Avocado Oil 
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
• In an Instant Pot place roast and 1 cup of water (salt and pepper to taste) in and pressure cook for 1 hour on high.  Let it naturally release pressure. 
• While beef is cooking, place carrots on roasting pan (making sure they're not touching) and drizzle with avocado oil.  Roast for 45 minutes or until browned. 
• Take the cooked roast out, leaving the liquid in the pressure cooker.  Shred beef and add jar of Ricante Chimichurri Sauce to the beef and coat well. 
• Place chopped cabbage in pressure cooker (with leftover juice) and pressure cook for 5 minutes.  Release pressure after 5 minutes.
• On a plate, add cooked cabbage.  Layer Chimichurri shredded beef on top!  Serve with a side of roasted carrots and enjoy!