classes

Seed saving + free class!

/ Elizabeth / 4 Comments

Mid-October and still no hard freeze here yet…not even a frost. We had such a late start to our growing season this year that I can’t really complain about the extended warmth, but it’s time to wrap things up. The forecast for this coming weekend shows that we might be in for a big downward shift in temperatures, and we are ready. But! Before then, there is much to do, including harvesting everything and collecting all our seeds for future planting.

And to that end, I am teaching a free class on seed saving at our local library on October 22. We’ll talk about how easy yet how important seed saving is, and you’ll learn how you can benefit our local foodshed’s seed sovereignty as well as help the library’s seed bank! The class is free but advance registration is required; more information here, if you’d like to attend. No matter where in the world you are, please consider saving and sharing your seeds!

Hello + free class!

/ Elizabeth / 3 Comments

Hello there. It’s been a minute, no? This growing year has presented a new array of challenges and learning opportunities. We will shortly mark the fall equinox; like most (all?) farmers, we pay close attention to these seasonal transitions and how the gradual changes in light and warmth impact everything we do. Things are winding down here and we can tell that our bodies and minds are ready for the natural rest offered in late fall and winter. Humans may think they’ve evolved ‘beyond seasons,’ but the truth is, we are still agricultural beings at heart, and paying close attention to those shifting rhythms benefits everyone.

Before the much-welcomed slowdown, however, there is still lots of preserving to be done for the (hopefully long) winter ahead! And to that end, I’m teaching a free canning and preserving class this weekend at our local library. More information can be found here. If you’re in the area, please come out and say hello!

We’ll be back again soon with tales of our growing adventures, book recommendations and project highlights. Wishing you all a safe, healthy and pleasant fall.

Farm update: February 24

/ Elizabeth / 6 Comments

Greetings! We are currently stuck in that awkward phase between winter and spring. Some days it’s all teasing warmth and perfect blue skies, and some days it’s bleak and grey with icy, biting winds. Most of our snow is gone, though we expect (and hope for) one or two more storms, at least. It’s a changeable season, but spring is definitely in the air and we’re starting to hear more songbirds and see new growth everywhere we look. Here are a few things we’ve been up to recently.

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A prairie falcon (Falco mexicanus) in one of our towering cottonwoods.

We still haven’t captured a photo of our shy Northern harrier, seen regularly hunting mice in our pasture on sunny afternoons, but N did snap this lovely photo of a prairie falcon. The prairie falcon is about the size of a peregrine falcon, but with a much different hunting style (low swooping over the ground, rather than rapid dives). Unfortunately for the songbirds we’ve been hearing, much of the prairie falcon’s winter diet is the Western meadowlark, but we hope this one will focus more on our ground squirrel population. As with all falcons, the female is substantially larger than the male. Continue reading →

Save our seeds

/ Elizabeth / 13 Comments

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Our first hard frost is forecast this week, so there is much to be done. In addition to lots of canning and preserving, autumn on a small homestead means saving seeds. We’ve talked about the importance of seed saving previously, and each season we’re working on expanding our seed bank. Never before has it been so important to save our own seeds and thereby take responsibility for our own food supply; as seed companies are again and again snapped up by massive agrochemical conglomerates, our control of our own seeds – our fundamental birthright, and the source of our food supply – becomes ever more tenuous.

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Most lettuces and other salad greens encase their seeds in little windblown puffballs.

As I wrote in our previous seed post, “Today, nearly three-quarters of all seeds planted in the U.S. – both unmodified and genetically engineered varieties – are privately owned and controlled by three large agrichemical corporations. Growing food is a basic human right, and we are quickly moving towards a future in which we will no longer own the source of our food. Lack of food leads to hunger, which leads to unrest, which leads to revolution, which leads to profitable wars benefitting those same corporations. Building our own seed banks, even if technically illegal, means we still have some say in our food supply. Seed saving is a small but powerful act of resistance.”

Continue reading →

Two free classes!

/ Elizabeth / 1 Comment

Thank you all so much for your kind words and your good wishes about our purchase of Quiet Farm. We have a ton of work ahead of us but are exhilarated by the challenge.

And in other news, if you’re in the Denver area I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaching two cooking classes at Broomfield Public Library this fall! Both classes are free and open to the public, but you must register in advance due to space limitations. Please see registration details below.

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Just some of the local produce awaiting the canning pot.

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Yes, you can!

First up, I’m teaching all about canning & preserving on Wednesday, September 26 from 6:30-7:30PM. Learn more and register here, or call 720.887.2350!

Savoring summer’s freshest fruits, vegetables and herbs well into the cold weather is easy with a little canning and preserving knowledge – and preserving is a lot less intimidating than you think. There is nothing like opening a jar of fresh, sunny peaches or rich, flavorful tomato sauce in the middle of cold, dark January! Join Chef Elizabeth Buckingham for this fun class where you’ll learn the basics of preserving, including water bath canning, freezing, pickling and dehydrating. We’ll taste lots of delicious jams, chutneys, salsas, pickles and more, and you’ll leave class ready to preserve your own seasonal bounty. Recipe handouts and generous food samples served! (Please note that class is lecture and demonstration – not hands-on – and is geared towards guests twelve years of age and older.)

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What will you be for Halloween? I plan to be deeply angry about our compromised food system. Or a Killer Bear. Not sure yet.

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Mmm…plastic food in plastic packages.

And in October, we’ll talk spooky Halloween treats! Come see me on Wednesday, October 24, again from 6:30-7:30PM. More info and registration here, or call 720.887.2350!

Interested in upping your Halloween treat game this year? Join Chef Elizabeth Buckingham for this fun class where you’ll taste a variety of new Halloween treats. We’ll talk sweet and savory, snacks and beverages, and you’ll leave with plenty of great ideas for all of your spookiest Halloween gatherings. Recipe handouts and generous food samples served! (Please note that class is lecture and demonstration – not hands-on – and is geared towards guests twelve years of age and older.) 

I’d love to see you at one of these classes this fall! Thanks to Broomfield Public Library for hosting my classes, and please support your local library system no matter where you live.