2012 season recap & off season happenings with NMEP

So... we haven't written our end of the year post, mostly because it just doesn't feel like an "end" quite yet. Our fall crops are still growing happily, looking perky and delicious in our hoop house and raised beds. Last Friday and Saturday we met a few folks at the Gifford Park plot to share our bounty, and we intend to do this a few more times as long as our plants keep growing. We also sold some greens to V. Mertz in the Old Market and started planting rye.

But now seems like the perfect time for an end of the growing season recap. Coupled with the recap is exciting news about our new partnership with No More Empty Pots, whose leadership believed months ago that we could start an urban farm and CSA program in Omaha. For some reason they didn't think we were crazy... or maybe they thought we were just crazy enough!

So, before the season summary let's rewind a bit here and get the whole story -- back to last December. In sweaters and scarves, with coffees and teas in hand, we sat down with the visionaries behind NMEP (Nancy and Susan) at downtown Blue Line. We told them (gulp) that the seven of us wanted to start an urban farm, and basically had no idea how to go about it. We didn't even have any viable land. After our little spiel Nancy and Susan offered us all their connections and support. They said, "Whatever you do, dream big! What's your big picture? It will happen. The universe provides." 

We left the table that day feeling really encouraged, like somehow this actually was going to happen. The biggest wrench in our plans at that time? We had no land and less than three months to throw it all together before our seed arrived and needed to be put in the ground. But, we did have farming skills, building skills, heaps of creativity, a passion for growing food and being connected with our land-base, some marketing skills, some financial skills (Ali studied economics), and a good community in near-North Omaha where we all lived.

Needless to say, it was a struggle and it was incredibly interesting at times. There were moments when we almost killed each other (while building raised beds, during dragging meetings that went for hours, while spreading mounds of dirt taller than any of us sans skid loader and arguing about how to do it, during times of high relationship drama, the day we realized all our tools were missing... et cetera). Somehow at the end of the day we were fine. We had our friendship to fall back on.

So, where are we now? Well... we can't support ourselves by selling what we grow (yet), but we were able to withstand a heinous drought and deliver produce and herbs weekly to our members. We foraged mulberries, gooseberries and cherries in the spring, peaches and plums in summer, pears, apples, and mushrooms this fall. We canned and preserved a lot of our harvest, which we will feast on all winter. We sold to a few restaurants who seemed to really like our veggies. We grew pumpkins for Upstream and they brewed a delicious pumpkin ale. We got to explore gardening, eat pizza, and sing songs with folks at the Gifford Park Community Garden's free summer youth program. We had two really successful community events; our Secret Cafe in the winter and our Hoophouse Hoedown in spring. We took ourselves out for lunch once a month to celebrate and relax (mostly at Dixie Quicks because we are obsessed with that place, but also at Big Mama's and the French Bulldog). We made some new friends doing work and/or supporting the local food movement in Nebraska and Iowa, and deepened connections with old friends. We refined our future dreams as individuals and as a collective. We pondered what it really means to function collectively and how we can create a business model that is collaborative, healthy, relationship focused instead of solely profit-oriented, yet still reasonable and able to support its workers. Further, we became a new source of naturally-grown produce in North Omaha and offered support to those who were curious about growing their own food. Ultimately our hope is that everyone can be more involved in the cultivation and/or collection of their own food sources.

Some of us will probably move into other "career" paths and not pursue urban farming (or rural farming) forever. Some of us really want to farm. Some of us want to someday move beyond farming and into more natural, mutually beneficial relationships with land and animals (read permaculture or re-wilding). However, we hope that Big Muddy Urban Farm continues for whatever period of time it needs to.

Right now we are excited to see increasing food security and organic practices in and around Omaha. We loved our CSA members this season and look forward to seeing returning members next year and also new faces. We will continue to attend the Benson Farmer's Market because in a lot of ways it feels like home to us, as does Jane's Health Market who supported us and provided us with processing space this year. We also wouldn't trade the kiddos and adults at the Gifford Park Community Garden for anything.

Big Muddy Urban Farm wouldn't exist without our CSA Members. Friday nights and Saturday mornings feel strange now because we are all so used to seeing and chatting with a group of 20+ folks. We like the CSA model because it emphasizes relationship, which makes a lot of sense to us.

We also wouldn't exist without Chris Foster (Gifford Park's Community Garden Co-coordinator) who we plan to shower with pies in the near future in thanks for all he offered us this growing season (tools, a truck, land, connections, etc.)

You know who else Big Muddy Urban Farm wouldn't exist without? Stephanie Ahlschwede of the Big Garden, because without their partnership (and offering their little greenhouse behind the Blue Flamingo Thrift Store) we wouldn't have had seedlings. The Big Garden was incredibly generous to us, but to no surprise, they are a rad organization helping folks start their own community gardens inside and outside Omaha.

And who else? City Sprouts. Without a failed proposal for a similar urban farm project (albeit a completely different model -- non-profit versus business) we would have never pursued starting our own urban farm.

Now back to No More Empty Pots and our future ... Thanks to their generosity we now have an office space. Yes, our very own! We also will do work for them during the off season (and even possibly during the growing season) in the areas of entrepreneurship and mentoring, marketing, and aiding in the design and build of their urban agriculture demonstration site. No More Empty Pots shares our vision for greater food security in Omaha as well as skill sharing around food, and mentoring folks who are interested in growing food in the city.

Wow, it's been a whirlwind. We've pushed ourselves to some crazy limits, and we've really enjoyed ourselves. Winter projects are on the horizon. We promise to keep you updated... even when we are buried in snow.

hip hip hooray,
cait & the big muddy crew (ali, brent, matt, james, dan, & tyler)

Pumpkin Harvest Ale now on tap at Upstream Brewery!

We are really excited to announce that our punkin's are being featured in a delicious brew at Upstream Brewery... and it just went on tap yesterday!

Two growlers of this delicious, peppy brew with pumpkin undertones have already been consumed by yours truly. Stop in today to enjoy and/or join us on October 30th for its official release party at Upstream's West Omaha location (yeah, it's kind of a drive for us "in-city" folk, but worth it).

Nebraska Beer - Release Party: Big Muddy Urban Farms Pumpkin Harvest Ale

Also, stay tuned for our 2012 season recap. Wowie, we learned SO MUCH! We can't believe the CSA & markets are all over. Now we can hang out with friends on Friday evenings again and stay in our pajamas and eat pumpkin pancakes on Saturday mornings. Woah, weird.

We really enjoyed participating in Food Day at Aksarben this last Sunday. It was a great finale to a crazy growing season. Now it's time to rest, eat greens, store the squashes, can our remaining abundance, and savor everything until frost finally comes (we heard tonight's temps might be a killer).


love & growlers,
cait & BMUF

CSA weeks 19 & 20: sweet potatoes & frost

Greetings CSA Members! We decided to transition our newsletter over to our blog. We have been neglecting this site and it is such a great avenue for sharing. It is also much easier because we don't need extra computer programs to create our newsletter, just the internet. :)

We have entered the final three weeks of our CSA (week 19, week 20, and the BONUS week 21). This is week 20. We are anticipating the first (well, second actually) frost and thinking of all our little baby plants. Our first frost was about a week ago at our McKinley Plot, none of our other plots were hit. Our sweet potatoes frosted so we quickly dug them up. They are so beautiful. So far our fall crops are surviving the cold temps.

Both markets ended last week. We enjoyed the celebration potlucks at both Gifford & Benson markets and look forward to being back next year.

After the CSA ends we will have plenty of greens, so if you'd like please come visit us outside of Jane's Health Market every Saturday morning from 10:00AM to noon. We are also growing fall and winter crops (kale, collards, brussels) in our hoop house. This is its trial run, we are interested to see how things grow in there.

We look forward to seeing you for our very last pick-up next Friday & Saturday! Stay warm.

love BMUF crew,
Ali, Caitie, Matt, James, Tyler, Dan, and Brent


Here's what was in your box this week --

week 20

sweet potatoes

apples

pears

1 pint tomatoes

1 quart peppers

1 quart bintje potatoes

1 eggplant

1 bag mixed greens

recipes:

sweet potato, ginger & carrot soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 C low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 5 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 tbsp jarred ginger, chopped
• Plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt (optional)

1.

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion and cook until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add stock plus 2 cups water, then add sweet potato, carrot, and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

2.

Strain out vegetables and put them in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth, adding a bit of broth if needed. (If you're using a standard blender, allow the mixture to cool first; hot liquid may cause the blender to squirt out contents. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches.)

3.

Pour vegetable puree back into the saucepan and stir until well blended and smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of yogurt on top, if desired.

 

sweet potato cheesecake

• 12 ounces sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 15 gingersnap cookies
• 3/4 cup fiber one cereal
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, softened
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 3 egg whites
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9" springform pan with cooking spray.

2.

Combine the potatoes in a large saucepan over high heat with enough cold water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil; cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and mash; cool. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the apricots and let stand for 10 minutes; drain.

3.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the cookies and cereal; process until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add the butter; mix well. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and 1" up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes; cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

4.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the mashed sweet potatoes, cream cheese, and Neufchatel cheese and beat on high speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, egg whites, sugar, ginger, flour, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt and beat well. Sprinkle the apricots over the bottom of the prepared crust. Pour the potato mixture over the apricots. Bake until the cheesecake is almost set, about 42 to 45 minutes. Turn the oven off and let stand for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

 

curried sweet potatoes

• 4 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, (8 or 9 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 cup dried apricots, (3 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch slivers
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Place sweet potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until tender but not mushy, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, combine apricots, raisins and boiling water in a small bowl; let sit until plumped, about 10 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked sweet potatoes, apricots, raisins and the fruit-soaking liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Stir gently over medium-low heat until warmed through.

 

 

when fall rolls in

together we thrive

Midsummer night's dream

It's been a while since our last update, so we thought you might be curious to see how we are doing:

We had some volunteers come do a farm tour, at the end of July. Together we prepared some of our raised beds at our 33rd and California site to get ready for fall planting (which we have been up to for the past couple weeks), we watered our beds of kale (surely you remember it was super hot and dry in July!) and we saved seeds from some radishes we let bolt (here is Tyler explaining the process of seed saving to our volunteers). 

Despite the hot conditions in July, when the temperatures shot above 100 most days and we had less than 0.01 inches of rain, our plants continue to grow and produce! Thank you Mother Earth for your abundance! Here are some of our veggies: thai hot peppers, baby bells, Japanese eggplants, zucchini, crookneck squash and edelrot tomatoes! 

These days, we are busy planting fall crops, including beets, carrots, peas, radishes, turnips, and the like. We are excited to improve our techniques from our spring harvests of these things. Also, we have been busy picking fruits from various trees throughout the city: plums, peaches, pears and apples! Thanks to all of our friends who have shared their bounty with us. We have also been canning and preserving a lot of tasty things: pickles, jams, preserves, and sauces. Yum! 

Thanks for supporting us through the journey of this season-- more to come soon! 

xo

the Big Muddy Urban Farm kids

how's it growin?

 Edelrot and Juliet tomatoes, fresh from the vine

Onions, potatoes, crookneck squashes, eggplants, tomatoes, beets and more! 

 Peruvian purple potatoes (say that ten times fast...)

 Blooms and herb bouquets

A  CSA harvest from a few weeks back :) 

Despite the hot, dry (very, very dry) weather, we are still growing. A bountiful harvest this weekend, which we were happy to share with Gifford Park market-goers on Friday, Benson market-goers today, our CSA members and also with the locally-minded chefs at V.Mertz and La Buvette! Thanks for your continued support.

xoxo,
Brent, Caitie, Tyler, Matt, James, Dan, Ali, and of course Catalpa!
Big Muddy Urban Farm

summer eats: day lily blossoms

One of my favorite books on foraging, is Euell Gibbon's Stalking the Wild Asparagus. If you are unfamiliar with Gibbons, he is essentially the founding father of modern-day foraging. Though he wasn't the first to forage (obviously there were many before him, prior to the advent of agriculture) but he was one of the first to write about it in the 20th century. In doing so, he shared the art and joy of foraging with the general public.


I love the chapter on the daylily. Most of you are probably familiar with the daylily, as it is often used in landscaping, as it is a relatively low-maintenance plant. The daylily is unique in that it produces new flowers every day. The golden blossoms open in the morning and close at dusk. Luckily for us, their delightfulness does not end at dusk.

The blossoms of the daylily can be harvested in all three stages of bloom: as a bud, as a flower blossom and as a closed blossom. There are many recipes for each stage, but today I thought that it would be best to focus on the initial stage of the blossom's life cycle; the bud. One of my favorite ways to prepare day-lily buds is to bread them and skillet fry them! 

Sauteed Daylily Buds1 egg1/4 cup of flour (or more or less depending on how many little buds you foraged!)Chili powderSaltGarlic Powder1/2 tablespoon of butter

1. Beat egg in a small dish. In another dish, mix flour with other seasonings to taste. Surely you can experiment with different spices and levels of spices. (Just a heads up, the final product tastes similar to a fried zucchini; perhaps this might guide you in the right spice direction!)
2. Dip each bud in the egg, and then in the flour mixture and set aside. In a fry pan, heat butter over medium heat. When all the butter is melted, place the coated buds in the pan and cook for about 1 minute on each side, or until the batter is browning.
I've enjoyed buds along side of some "fajita-tacos". With the remaining flour and egg, we blended them together and cooked them in the same pan we used for the buds. Then, we put the eggs in our tortillas with cooked corn, onions, peppers, avocado, cheese and salsa. Delicious!

Because daylilies blossom for most of the summer, I am hoping to experiment with this delightful flower for many dinners to come. Also, in my research of the daylily, I learned that there is food below the surface as well. In fact, the roots of the daylily produce edible portions as well. I will save for another foraging adventure!

Happy eating (and foraging!)
Ali

7 Young Farmers Get Down & Dirty, Establish Big Muddy Urban Farm to Supply Sustainable Produce to Omahans

Our first interview, check it out!

                                                   ----- Cross posted from seedstock.com -----

In just under three months, seven young farmers have taken the germ of an idea to create a sustainable urban farm to supply a community in Omaha, Nebraska with fresh vegetables and herbs and made into a reality in the guise of Big Muddy Urban Farm. Big Muddy Urban Farm consists of five decentralized plots situated in North Omaha. The urban farm’s founders, who collectively brought Big Muddy to life and work its urban fields, aspire to create a new source of sustainably grown produce and herbs for their city, to become a self-sustaining farm operation and inspire other area residents through educational and volunteer opportunities to grow their own food.

I recently spoke to Tyler Magnuson and Ali Clark, two of the founders of Big Muddy Urban Farm, to learn more about the story behind the farm, how it operates, the farming practices that it embraces, the challenges that it faces and more.

our farm through the looking glass

Things are growing more and more each day. Here is a little squash sprout! 

We have been busy watering the plants this week, as it has been quite hot in Omaha, with little rain. We are all doing a little rain dance in hopes of some rainfall tomorrow night! Join us in the dance for rain.

As we continue working, we finished up some details at the Sahler Street Community garden, where we are growing some of our crops. 

Join us next Saturday, the 16th at this site for a garden work day and clean-up!

At the Benson farmers' market. 

Brent, Dan and Tyler, holding down the fort at the market. Its all business, no fun at the market... can't you tell?

 

Some of our bounty from this week! Garlic is coming in and some green onions, kale, chard. We also had herbs, radishes and wild flowers! 

And we have been eating pretty well too! Our friend shared these with us from her yard!  

Omaha is blooming! 

And so are our farm sites.  

Thanks for your continued support. We couldn't do this without you!

From our farm to you, 

LOVE

Snaps!

We have been busy as bees:

Our plants are happily growing at our site on California St.

Prepping the "pizza garden" at the Gifford Park Community Garden!

After a long day's work

Rain barrels!

And here are some other shots from our adventures throughout the city:

 Working on the beds

 Plants growing

 and growing

 and growing!

 and going to the market!

And a sweet little treat, from Mother Nature

Special thanks to Chris Foster of the Gifford Park Neighborhood Association for taking some of these!

Spring eats: Rhubarb

I grew up not liking rhubarb too much. As a kid, the tangy-tartness so characteristic of this springtime treat, was not on the top of my list for favorite flavors. But ask me today if I'd like some rhubarb, and I'd be crazy to say no! I have really grown to love its versatile flavor that pairs well with sweet strawberries or savory spices. Better yet, rhubarb is a perennial crop that produces more and more each year, and has a lengthy spring season with multiple harvests.


The recipe that turned me onto rhubarb was my mom's Rhubarb Cream Pie; the ultimate spring treat! My grandpa has a pretty large rhubarb patch at his farm and conveniently lives adjacent to a pick-your-own strawberry farm, lending itself to many a tasty mom-made pie.

Momma Clark's Rhubarb Custard Pie
Beat slightly 3 eggs

Add 2 2/3 T milkmix together and stir in 2 cup sugar4 T flour3/4 t nutmeg

Mix in 4 cups of cut-up pink rhubarb. Pour into a pie crust. Dot filling in pie pan with 1T butter and cover with thin lattice. Bake at 400 degrees for 50-60 minutes! Enjoy with friends Another tasty dessert option:Rhubarb cake
1 cup sour milk (1T vinegar + milk to make 1 c--use whole milk)1 t vanilla1 1/2 cup raw rhubarb--cut fine1/2 cup butter or margarine1 1/2 cup brown sugar1 egg2 cups flour1/2 t salt1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon1/4 cup sugar Cream butter and brown sugar and stir in egg. Stir in dry ingredients. Then, add sour milk & vanilla, then rhubarb. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan & sprinkle cinnamon & sugar mixture over top.Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.



Other ideas for your rhubarb:
You can freeze it, can it, pickle it!


Happy spring eating,
Ali

tomato starts available now!

Hello friends!!! We have organic heirloom tomato starts available. The varieties are from the Sand Hill Preservation Center (enterprize, edelrot, langada, and more varieties will be available soon). The plants are 6 inches tall and ready for early planting (or you could put them in a bigger container and save them for May). $2.50 per plant or $12.00 for 6 plants. Email us if you are interested! We can also give more info on the varieties. bigmuddyfarm@gmail.com

rain and shine

So it has truly began; with some of our plants growing vibrantly in the ground, we are feverishly working to prepare the rest of our plots so the soil will nourish any future plants that we plant.

Peas, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, greens, hello little sprouts!

What a fun adventure, we are glad you are on it with us.

Want to help out? Stay tuned! We will be planting lots and lots (over 100 pounds) of potatoes here soon, and your help would be tremendously helpful!

Spring eats

There are about a billion reasons why my body and soul feel revitalized in the spring time. Green trees and flowers. Warm rain, and longer days. Birds chirping everywhere! If you ask me, I think spring is dreamy. Among the many things I love so much about spring, I especially love the burst of new foods in my diet, especially in contrast to the hearty winter foods I have spent the past few months nourishing my hibernating body with. And while 80 degree days make me think of lemonade and fresh greens, there are many other hidden foods that are popping up everywhere, even in our own back yards. Friends, let the foraging begin! 


Urban foraging is one of the most rewarding hobbies, because so many things grow in great abundance throughout the city, and because not everyone is thinking of harvesting these wild edibles, there is generally plenty for the taking. 


Two of my favorite spring eats are violets and dandelions. Weeds to some, but treats to me! With both, I like to use the flowers for jam. Both plants also have edible leaves that are a tasty addition to a salad. Violet jam is very quick and yields a vibrant-colored jelly with a little tang. Some people also like to use violet flowers as a burst of flavor in their salads or otherwise candied. Dandelion jam is a bit sweeter and tastes a lot like honey to me (it even looks like honey!). 

Violet Jam
1 cup of violet flowers, packed
1 1/2 cups of water, divided into 3/4 cups and 3/4 cups
2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 package of pectin

1. In a blender, blend violet blossoms and 3/4 cups of water. After blended, add the lemon juice (note: the lemon juice changes the color of the violets, so pay attention for some color-changing fun!) Slowly add in the sugar and blend until it is a consistent paste.

2. In a small sauce pan combine the remaining 3/4 cup of water and the package of pectin. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly for 1 minute (this is time sensitive, so watch the clock). After one minute, remove from heat and pour into blender, and blend for 1 minute. The jam will begin to set at this point, so be sure to blend for only a minute or your jam will be lumpy.

3. Pour into jelly jars and store in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.

Dandelion Jam
4 cups of dandelion blossoms (removed from the greens of the plant, see photos below)
4 cups of water
4 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 package of pectin

2 1/2 cups of sugar

1. Separate the yellow petals from the base of the plant, saving only the yellows and composting the rest. 

2. Bring the water to a boil, and add the dandelion blossoms. Boil them for about 10 minutes, and then strain the blossom tea, and return to a boil. 

3. Add lemon juice, pectin and sugar, and follow the directions according to the particular pectin's instructions (using pectin is an art in itself, and not following the directions, can cause a failed batch! Be sure to follow the directions.) The cooking jelly should boil up in the pan (careful not to let it overflow!) and this is a good sign that your jelly will set. 

4. Boil until the jam is thickened and then pour into sanitized jars and quickly lid them. Allow the jars of jelly to set in room temperature for 24 hours, so they can set. 

**As for all foraging, you have to be careful that you are harvesting the plant that you think you are harvesting. Be sure to check once, twice even three times, with different resources to make sure you are harvesting the right plant, as some plants may have look-alikes that are not tasty and may even be poisonous. Also, with urban foraging, be sure you are not harvesting from areas that are sprayed with pesticides or herbicides and wash your harvest before using.**

Also, consider these other spring-time urban eats:

Garlic-mustard

Nettles (careful! they sting) 

Day-lily buds and blooms

Clover blooms

... to name just a few. There are many more! 

Happy April and happy foraging!

Ali