Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Winter

The big freeze hit our gardens after Thansgiving.    Now is a time of renewal.    We are incorporating the organic matter produced on farm into selec cells of the garden.    Depending on what is needed to prepare the individual cell, we are either:
  • tilling in compost produced this summer
  • deep digging and burying leaves, worms and stalks, stover, straw or uncomposted field waste using the French trench method
  • tilling in the crop freeze-killed to reincorporate the vegetative matter and nutrients.
We are also in process of tilling, when the soil is not frozen, to produce beds that will allow us to triple our production in 2011.  

Our goal is to increase production of salad greens (our specialty) and to produce commercial quantities of radishes, carrots, onions, garlic sweet potatos, herbs, peppers, squash and sweet corn.

Our customers can purchase our jams, apple butter, dried herbs and syrups at Tomato-Tomato.    The store is located at West Center Road in Omaha.

Our delivery service to select customers will resume in the Spring, when the first plantings of radishes, spinach and salad greens are harvestable.     Our jams, syrups, breads and apple butter are available on-farm, as well.    Please call ahead, to assure we are present and to check on the items available.

Thanks for your patronage and we hope to see you at Farmer's Markets in Harlan, Exira and Atlantic this coming Spring.    As always, if it is not fresh, we won't sell it.    If it is not prime, we won't sell it.     If it is not organically produced, it is not fromNishnabotna Naturals.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

September 7,2010 - What's happening naturally at Nishnabotna

We've been selling at Atlantic and Harlan Farmer's Markets now since the markets started this year.  

The offerings varied by month.    First were the Tongue Tickler Salad Greens Mix, fresh rhubarb and our radishes.    The Atlantic market visitors quickly became regular purchasers of the salad greens and radishes.    When Harlan started, we were done with radishes, starting to sell cucumbers, squash, our raspberries and raspberry canes to plant in home gardens.    We continued selling rhubarb, both fresh and frozen.    We had progressed to the Summer Savory Salad Greens Mix and won some devoted customers with Doris's jams, breads and pies.   

We now are offering our Autumn Savory Salad Greens Mix:
  • Arrugula leaves-tangy, with long frilly three dimensional leaves
  • baby Swiss Chard leaves-colorful , packed with nutrients and antioxidants and just a mild taste
  • Amish Deer Tongue lettuce-shaped as advertized, tangy, with a low sweetness
  • Green Oakleaf lettuce-that special sweet aroma and taste you have enjoyed in the other two mixes
  • Rouge de Hivre-romaine like reddiwsh green leaves that predominated in Tongue Tickler mix
  • Beet greens-small leaves from late-developing beets with unmistakeable beet flavor
The Autumn Savory mix would benefit from a sweet dressing, with a vinegar base.     Our Vinegarette is easy to make:     1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
                  1 tbsp olive oil
                  1 tsp dried basil leaf (we use purple basil)
                  1/2 tsp italian seasoning dried
                  1/4 cup water
                  1 tsp honey or sugar.
Mix vigorouosly and allow to set 10 minutes.    Mix vigorously again and serve.

We will be selling raspberry canes and spearmint plants at the markets beginning September 14.  

Pumpkins are in.   We have two types:   Jack O' Lantern and sweet pie.

Blue and purple potatoes are in and very popular.    They have blue or purple meat, as well as skin.   Tasty and fun.

In late September, we will be selling some of Doris's quilts, taking orders for her Ukranian decorated Easter Eggs and taking orders for wood toys for holiday gifts.    As always, we have Doris's jams:
Apricot, Strwberry-Rhubaqrb, Raspberry-Rhubarb, Cherry-Rhubarb, Apple Butter and Apricot-Pineapple......Enjoy!