WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

As promised a post full of the plants in the greenhouse and the progress they have made! I hope you enjoy them!

Broccoli- very ready to go out if we could ever get the rain to stop so we can get in the fields!

Calendula- One of our new herbs this year!

German Chamomile- this is a different variety than we have grown in the past. This is lower to the ground.

Sage

Thyme

This is what still needs to be transplanted into pots. The plug trays with the small holes have 280 plugs. So that means....we have a lot more work to do!

Lavender- It smells so nice! I was hoping the smell would calm the kids so we could get a little bit more done! Wishful thinking I guess it doesn't work that fast!

Tarragon- This is also another new herb we will be offering you this year!

Stevia- another new addition

Marigolds- Do you see the buds about to pop on them?

A sea of Marigolds! Ok it's just a table full.

Lemongrass

Dwarf Sunflowers- Sunny smiles and Big smiles.

Cilantro, sage and pansies

Dill and Parsley, there is 3 pots of savory in there too! Savory is another new herb we will have this year!

This is looking out towards the door. This is our heated section....no more room and we are busting at the seams! We are hoping and praying to god that we don't have anymore freezing nights!

Left side of the heated section as you are walking in the front of the greenhouse.

Happy Easter

I hope you had a Happy Easter! It was nice out for a little while.

We spent time in the greenhouse the first half of the morning transplanting. We have so much to do we had to take advantage of the nice weather.  We will be posting pictures of all the plants on Wednesday.

We are getting very excited and took some Cilantro and Dill plants to Ithaca Market on Saturday. You can plant Cilantro and Dill now, you just have to make sure that you cover it at night especially if it is going to go below freezing. Hopefully we will be done with that, but unfourtunately I do not think so.

We are in desperate need of egg cartons. If you have any that you want to get rid of please bring them to us at market. We would greatly appreciate it! The chickens have been laying like crazy! We are getting right around 30 dozen eggs a week! Sometimes more, sometimes less!

We have Ithaca Market on Saturday and Sunday this week and from here on out! So if you can't make it Saturday....remember we will be there Sunday!

Otsiningo  Market starts on May 14th! Make sure you come see what new vendors we have this year!

Things are picking up...markets both days every weekend! Fresh seasonal produce, herbs, plants, and meats will be available at the farmer's markets.

FACT FILLED FRIDAY

As we all sit here and wonder when spring will finally make it's arrival, there is amazing things going on! Have you looked at the trees lately? You can see that the buds are forming and everything is waiting to pop! The tulips and daffodils are poking through the ground waiting to show their beauty and color! Yes we have had some weird weather courtesy of mother nature, but it is amazing how every year, every season, things change they are different and as much as we (especially me) complain, it is a beautiful planet we live on!

Since today is Earth day I figured it would be a good Fact Filled Friday!                           

Earth day was originally started on April 22, 1970! The founder was Gaylord Nelson, but he enlisted the help of Denis Hayes. Earth day was created in hopes that if the public became very concious and interested in air and water pollution it would force the government to make some changes. It was a big task but as we know it worked. The first Earth day led to the creation of the "Clean air, clean water and endangered species act." 
                                                    
As years have gone on more and more people have been educating themselves and becoming more aware of what their actions and the actions of other people are doing to our earth! This day is being celebrated all over the world in many different ways. Ways just as diverse as the people that live on this earth! From parties, drummings, plantings, giveaways, protests and public teaching this day is becoming a day to show our appreciation for what the earth has to offer us if we take care of it!

What are you doing this earth day? Are you going to plant a tree, pick up some litter on the side of the road, share some information with someone that has no clue about Earth day? Anyway you do it just remember... "what we give we get back!" Clean air, clean water and lucious green!

Maybe we could get mother nature to decide that we deserve the warmer temperatures to get here! ;)

TRIVIA THURSDAY

WHAT OTHER HERB IS TARRAGON RELATED TO?

Remember to submit your answers by 8 pm on Friday 4/22/11 to receive a $1.00 off coupon good for use on anything.

TASTY TUESDAY

All last season we had rabbit recipes out for you to take at Ithaca Market. This year I plan on having that at Otsiningo and Ithaca. This is one of the recipes that we have for you.

RABBIT FRIED WITH GRAPEFRUIT JUICE

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp season-all
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 (3-4lb) rabbit, cut into pieces
Juice of 1 grapefruit
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped

Combine the flour with the seasonings. Dip each piece of rabbit in the grapefruit juice, then roll it in the flour mixture until the meat is throughly coated. Pour the oil and chopped onion into a deep, heavy pot and heat over a high flame. Place the floured rabbit in the pot and brown each chunk on one side and then the other. Lower the flame, stir together the remaining grapefruit juice and flour mixture, and add them to the pot. Cover and let everything simmer together until the meat is tender, turning the rabbit pieces from time to time to keep them from sticking.

*Remember it is very easy to over cook rabbit meat!

Great Weekend!

The wind was whipping, the rain was blowing in on me, and I was freezing. Yes, those were the conditions at Ithaca Farmer's Market this Saturday. It was supposed to be my day away from the kid's to get a mommy break, which I was at least hoping it would be nice out! Either way, it was nice to have a little break as any mom knows that is just what you need sometimes.

At Ithaca Market on Saturdays they generally always have a musician come and play for tips and things. Sometimes they sound great, others sound ok, and then some sound down right awful and you'd rather jump in the lake then listen to them! I know that is horrible to say but that is the truth!

However, this weekend they had a group of Cornell College students that came and did some Japanese Drumming. I have never heard of Japanese drumming before so I was very intrigued. They were putting on a little show to showcase their big performance on April 22 at Bailey Hall which half of their proceeds from that concert are going to help with the Japanese relief fund! They call themselves Yamatai, check out their website so you can see what I am talking about! Check out their media section. It was is very interesting and one I wouldn't mind seeing again!

While typing this I realized that last week I forgot to do a Thursday trivia and Fact filled Friday! Shame on me! Sorry guys! I did however this weekend revamp the Cross Creek Farm website!

There is a lot supposed to be going on at the farm, but this rain and whatever this spring is throwing at us this year is not helping! One day it is warm the next it is cold. Yesterday it was hailing, snowing, raining and wind was whipping all at once. Miserable, miserable day! The kids have been a little sick so unfourtunately I have not been helping too much in the greenhouse. We are also running out of space in our heated section! Which means that these warmer temperatures have to get here NOW!  I am very anxious to get into the flower beds...which yes I probably already should have done,  but the stuff in the greenhouse is a little more important than my flower beds!

Well let's see how this week pans out...the weather is supposed to be up and down all week, but I swear the weatherman is throwing a dart at a board and whatever weather icon it lands on that is what we are getting!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY



I have skipped wordless Wednesday the past few weeks due to the fact that I could not find my batteries for the camera! I went out and got some more batteries so we could give you lots of pictures this week! Hope you enjoy!





Our Belted Galloway Bull calf and Mama that are for sale! He is such a cutie!

Easter Bunnies!

Little little bunnies!





Dill









Catnip and Oregano







Catnip





Sure sign that spring is here! Salamander!!!!!!



Greenhouse bound!

First off I would like to say thank you to all of our customers that have made the beginning of this year a success!

I also wanted to give the answer for Thursday trivia! Binghamton's record Snowfall in April was 4.7" and Ithaca's record snowfall was 3.7" in April.

I am going to try to make sure I post the answers to the trivia. I always forget!!!! No one responded this week.

And now for our realization of what is going on on the farm. Between Ithaca market and Otsiningo we have pretty much sold through a lot of our stock of meat. We are now definitely getting things ready to expand.
This past couple of markets have shown us that we have developed a lot more of a customer base than what we originally thought!  Which is a amazingly great thing! We are so excited to know that you all are interested!

Now on to plants!!!!!! All of our herbs and flowers are starting to grow like crazy in the greenhouse. We are a little behind on transplanting. So today Eric, Sandy, Bela, Eric Jr, Julianna and I are going to be in the greenhouse transplanting like crazy!!! We are very excited to get our plants to market! We have a few different herbs this year that we will be bringing! We hope you enjoy them. We try to listen to you and add stuff that you have been asking for. That is another reason why we love feedback. It makes it easier to know exactly what you are looking for!

Luckily the weather seems to be starting to climb. There are signs that spring is actually thinking about showing up and getting rid of the snow! I hope I don't bite my tongue for saying this and we end up with snow again, but it is exciting. As Niechelle Wade from Sunny Hill Farm in Whitney Point  posted on Facebook, "PEEPERS!" That is a very exciting moment!  Hopefully things will dry out so we can get into the fields!

Anyways, off to the greenhouse we go! Better get out there and get stuff done!

Remember we still have one more Otsiningo Indoor Market on April 23rd. But we are also at Ithaca Farmer's market every Saturday from here on out!

TRIVIA THURSDAY!

With all this darn rain and snow going around. Wishing the weather would just be nice! I decided to do the trivia question on snow! I know we are all tired of snow but it is a little interesting.

What is the largest amount of snowfall on record for Binghamton NY in April?

What is the largest amount of snowfall on record for Ithaca NY in April?

All answers must be submitted by 8 pm EDT on Friday April 8, 2011. Winners will receive $1.00 off coupon good for 1 month to use at any of our markets. 

TASTY TUESDAY

Lemongrass and Citrus poached Salmon

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds salmon fillet
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 1 quart orange juice
• 2 cups white wine
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 cups chopped lemon grass
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions

1. Remove skin from salmon, then cut into desired portions.
2. In a large pot, combine chicken stock, orange juice, white wine, onion, garlic and lemon grass. Season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a low boil. Place the salmon in the poaching liquid until flaky and tender, about 5 minutes.

Starting off with a BANG!!!

Saturday was the beginning of our outdoor market season. We were at Ithaca market and went being unsure of how it was going to be considering it wasn't warm, it was a little breezy and the forecast said  it was going to be cloudy.

We got there set up and it looked like there were quite a few people coming in. It started a little slow but it's from 9-3 so we knew that there was a lot more time!

It ended up that we sold through 14 rabbit, 10 chicken, chicken hearts and livers, rabbit hearts and livers by NOON~!

We also had brought 33 dozen eggs and expected to go home with some. But we didn't!

We were out of everything except for herbs and sprouts by 1:30....making for a very awesome day! The best market we have had since we began in Ithaca in 2008! It made it a great day even with standing in the cold wind with a toddler who made us walk 6 miles between the 2 of us because he didn't want to stay in the booth! ;)

Now if the season follows in this pattern and increases, we will be ecstatic!

Thank you to all the customers who came out and braved the wind to enjoy fresh meats and produce!

FACT FILLED FRIDAY

Ithaca Farmer's Market

Being that we start the outdoor market season in Ithaca Tomorrow, I found it only fitting that we do today's post on the history of Ithaca Market and how we decided to sell there.

Ithaca Market first began in 1973 and was located in a space near Agway. They then moved near the hangar theater, Ithaca west end, Ithaca commons and then again to Dewitt Park.  In 1988 it found the site it is at now and began to build the pavilion that is currently there. 

All of the market was built, groomed and planted by Ithaca Market volunteers. It has become a place of diversity and tourism. With the dock being there it gives a chance for  boat tours on the lake. It offers a beautiful picnic spot and outdoor gathering for families. Music can be heard on Saturdays when local artists come to play.

You can find all kinds of vendors in their specialties. All the produce, cheese, wine, fruits and meat come from within a 30 mile radius of the market. Making it a very local market! From wine, cheese and breads to produce, fruit and herbs. Beef, buffalo, chicken, rabbit and pork. You can also get something to eat with the many different cultures of food vendors. Gyros, chinese, cambodian and burritos! Crafts: necklaces, pictures, woodworking, and hammocks! There is something for everyone, this is just a small list!


Visit Ithaca Farmers market website for a complete list of vendors and their specialties. 

Now how did we decide to start at Ithaca market? We started Ithaca market in 2008 and have been going ever since. We started as a EZ entry vendor and then became a full member in 2009. We just got our own booth last year. We are booth #75. We will always be in that booth when you come to the market. We did mostly Saturday's last year and plan to do Saturday's and Sunday's this year as long as we have the product!

We hope that you will come experience the ambiance of the Ithaca Market. It is definitely a market worth visiting.