This summer has been great. Instead of doing a traditional field experience like a lot of students do, I decided to do my own thing and get experience in the field (quite literally) that I feel is important. I have dedicated about 100 hours this summer helping 2 local farms: Brookford Farm in Rollinsford (a dairy farm) and Leeks and Bounds in North Hampton (a CSA farm). I honestly believe that the very best place we can spend our money is with local businesses, especially local farmers. With farmable land quickly being sucked up and developed with vinyl-sided condos, and oil prices sky rocketing, I can see a future where food is very expensive, and grown thousands of miles away in countries with lax standards. Our nutritional future depends on local farms, and I set out to help them and learn where food comes from in the process.
Brookford Farm
For Brookford Farm, I have been doing mostly marketing-related things. First, I have shot about 1,000 photos of the farm, some of which you can see here. I used these photos to create 2 posters (here and here) for them to display at the Slow Food Picnic on July 2nd. The feedback was great - people learned a lot, and it helped to get the word out. The following week, Brookford Farm said they were selling out of milk every day! I then turned the posters into a brochure and had it professionally printed. It came out great! Last, I created a website for them based on the same design. Brookford continues to enjoy success from my design and marketing efforts, and that feels so good.
In the process of working for Brookford, I learned a LOT about dairy farming and milk. Lots of things affect the quality of milk: Grass-fed vs grain-fed, Jerseys vs Holsteins, organic vs conventional farming. I also learned a little bit about raising and caring for the cows - rotational pasturing, healing the cows when they are sick, leaving the horns on the cows, raising them humanely. There are a lot of things we, as consumers, never even think about.
I'm also learning about cheesemaking! Brookford has graciously been paying me in fresh raw milk and cream. Since I can't drink milk, I have purchased some cheese making equipment. last week I made ricotta, and this week I made Gouda. The Gouda is currently in the wine fridge aging, but I hope to pull it out around Christmas time.
Leeks and Bounds
Leeks and Bounds is a CSA farm in North Hampton NH with about 100 members. They are exclusively CSA, unlike most farms around here which do markets in addition to CSA. I've spent the summer doing work for Jay and Melissa, the farmers at Leeks and Bounds. They have degrees in environmental conservation and horticulture from UNH, and have been teaching me all about growing food, building your soil, keeping members happy and saving the world. I usually spend a few hours there on Monday and help them with the weekly harvest (wash vegetables, bundle them, get pick-up room ready). I also do some picking and weeding. Each week I bring my camera and photograph the farm to create a permanent record of the season. I've also helped them conceive of and plan a fund-raiser to raise money to buy a new hoop house (unheated greenhouse), which costs about $5,000.
Mondays are the highlight of my week as spending this time with Jay & Melissa has been such a pleasure, and I'm learning a TON. They have really made this the best summer ever.
Bathroom Remodel
On a personal note, we've also been remodeling the master bathroom this summer which has been an exhausting amount of work. There are so many decisions! I have spent countless hours designing and planning: tile arrangements, fixture placement, lighting design (placement, wattage, switches), making sure everything meets architectural standards...
Picking out the tile has been a nightmare as we order tile from a very beautiful looking sample, and we are shipped crap. Then I have to fight with the vendor to return it and get a refund. At this point, I have arranged to go to the stone yard myself and hand select the tiles. I'm very particular, what can I say?
I drove down to Taunton, MA (about 2 hrs away, toward Cape Cod) to purchase an antique clawfoot tub. It's 5 1/2' long and gorgeous. Since hauling it home, I've spent hours stripping, sanding and priming it. It's about ready for paint now, then I need to buff the porcelain inside. It's been a really labor of love, but it will be worth it the first time I take a soak, I am sure.
After hours of searching, I still have not found a vanity that I like so at this point I think we are going to build our own out of mahogany wood with a white marble top. I found the perfect antique marble top on eBay for $80, but it's in Ohio and I have no way to get it home. *sigh*
And then there is the shower... We're going to so much trouble and expense we decided to do it right and put in a ridiculous shower system with body sprays and the whole bit. But, this all costs a lot so we haven't purchased anything yet - I'm still scouring for a good deal.
Other Stuff
My mom came to visit for a week - that was nice. I also planted some vegetables in the garden - sweet potatoes, acorn squash and dried beans - for winter storage (buy local!). I've done some needlepoint, and am currently working on my first pair of socks.
Oh, still no wedding plans yet. Bill thinks he wants the big traditional wedding (big because he has a LOT of friends and family, traditional because I think he's never thought about it and how else do you feed 150 people?). I, on the other hand, really hate the idea of spending $15,000 on a day. Frankly, I would rather spend $5,000 and go to Provence for 2 weeks and get married in a field of lavender, and donate the other $10,000 to save the manatees, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, feed the hungry and/or pay off some student loans. There are much better things I could do with $15,000 than have a big party with dry chicken for people I barely know. So, until Bill and I can come up with something that will please both of us, we have no wedding plans.
So, it's been a busy summer and it's gone by much too fast. But I really accomplished a lot. I learned how to raise food, helped out 2 wonderful organic farms, made some cheese, preserved some food for winter, refinished an antique tub and improved my house.
The one thing I didn't do was find time to relax and take time for myself. Oh well, there's always next summer.
Archives
Summer Break
Been a long time since I blogged and bowled
U5 & Rebecca's Big Fat TEP Wedding
Kitchen
Best moments in life
Right to Birth, to Hell with Life
Workplace Noise Distractions
Mega Update - Photos!
Mega Update
Mando Update