Spring/Summer 2022 CSA subscription is now open!

Back by popular demand!

Its been a few years since we have done a CSA program at Shiloh Farm. We have explored different marketing styles over the years, and after some contemplation we have decided to give this one another shot.

We aren’t setting up at a farmer’s market, and don’t love the idea of driving our food all over the state looking for wholesale outlets. Meg’s Bread has become our hub, between the products we can make there and the fact that Luke and Meg are both there every saturday to bake bread and make pizzas. A CSA pickup seemed like a natural way to offer our seasonal produce in a way that is both simple and effective, for those who want to have a steady supply of vegetables in their homes. If we didn’t have a farm, we would probably sign up for this. And Meg’s Bread is the perfect pickup location, out of the elements and with a cooler to keep things fresh if needed.

We decided to offer a 10% discount on bread to CSA members at Meg’s Bread. We love the idea of folks coming and getting a lot of their grocery shopping done in once place, and its so much fun to be able to offer something like this.

Head to the CSA tab to sign up for the spring/summer 14 week session. If all goes well, we will likely offer a fall/winter CSA later on in the year, so keep an eye out for that if the spring/summer doesn’t work for you.

Summer 2020

Wow what an interesting year so far, to say the least. It was going to be a year of change for us anyway, with Meg’s Bread opening this past March, but when the business opened at the same time as pandemic struck we had to react quickly.

We decided to make Meg’s Bread pre-order only, with no-contact pickup. Instead of going to the farmer’s market as planned, we began to market our produce alongside the bakery items. This made since in a couple of ways:

-We could sell produce without the risk of spreading or receiving the virus

-Both of us could focus our attention on the shop on saturdays instead of being spread apart at different locations

-We began to think of Meg’s Bread as an opportunity it showcase our farm. Not only are the farm ingredients used to make pies and pastries, this location can be our farm stand in town and a platform to interact with the public.

Managing orders and predicting harvest has been difficult, with more time spent on a computer than usual. But it is working and we have been happy to provide some of our usual customers with produce, and meet some new customers to add to our collection of quality produce enthusiasts.

The growing season so far has also had its share of ups and downs, as any normal year does when you are at the mercy of the weather. We have had some visits form the local hogs and crows that cut our sweet corn short, and even had a couple of sheep escapes where they mowed down the kale and cabbage. That was disappointing, but will make the lamb we eat this fall taste even better…

I had hip/leg strain that began in March and continued throughout the spring and summer. I kept working but it limited my ability to keep up in certain ways. However, I got with Ky Yu at Acu-athletics in Cookeville for some acupunture. It was my first exposure to acupuncture but after a couple appointments I have been able to heal and understand the mechanics of my body in new ways. I would highly recommend Ky! So I’m back in action.

Finally, we have added a sawmill to the property where we live and manage. This had been very fun to learn and finally get to sawing up a lot of logs that we have built up over the years of clearing, silvopasture establishment, and storm damage. Most of the lumber is being installed into farm buildings and additions. Its very cool to see logs turn to lumber, then to watch it be installed by professional builders who really understand how to work with our local materials. The sawmill is a new division of labor for me to figure out, but we have had some part time help start recently and its really helping me to keep it all rolling. 2-3 acres vegetables, 5 species of livestock, milling lumber, making and maintaining roads, clearing and establishing 20 acres of silvopasture from overgrown invasive species. The work is endless, so thankfully I love the work and I feel lucky for the opportunity to engage with my environment to create sustainable food and building materials.

As of early August, cucumbers are coming in hot and tomatoes are on their tail. The bulk of our tomato planting should be arriving in the next 2 weeks, then produce into the fall. Our delicata, butternut, and spqghetti squash plantings are close to harvest, and sweet potatoes are growing well. They have filled out and won’t need any more weeding, just will grow until the fall harvest.

We saw an opportunity last week to get in an early fall planting of greens, and went for it. The results were perfect germination. This cool spell is a good start for them but I know it will turn hot again and I will probably need to get some irrigation out to keep them growing nicely.

Summer crops in--Bulk Store open!

We have had a good and busy year so far, and we have a lot of great produce to show for it.

Beets, carrots and onions are all out of the ground, and sweet corn and tomatoes are the heavy producers right now. Keeping up with the tomatoes is a full time job, picking three times a week and trellising the new growth on top. Then there is a lot of sorting to make sure we get all the ripest ones to take to market.

We are excited to offer some bulk pricing this year, starting with beets, carrots, and tomatoes. This is perfect for those who want to can or pickle, or just want to have a huge bounty to eat from in the fridge. Check out our Bulk Store to see what is available—pay online then pick up from our stand at the Downtown Green Market in Cookeville, saturdays 8-12.

2019 Season has begun! Ready to Plant Onions

We officially began 2019 on the farm by preparing our onion beds this week!


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We plant our sweet onions as soon as we can work the soil in the spring. Onions bulb according to day length in late spring/early summer—-and the more leaves it has at that point, the bigger the bulb.

We want HUGE onions so here we go in mid-February! The plants will arrive this week and it will be a full day of planting when they get here.

Look for these to start showing up at the market sometime in June. They will be the sweetest onions you’ve ever had.

Poplar Bark Basket Workshop

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Join us as we emBARK on a journey into wildcrafting. This is a hands-on class in which participants will be guided through the steps of making their own basket out if tulip poplar bark. All materials will be harvested directly from nature utilizing the unique properties of three native hardwoods: tulip poplar, hickory, and white oak. We will cover identification, harvesting and preparation of all materials, then take you through the process of assembling them into a beautiful basket. Bark baskets are ideally suited for picking berries and other wild foraging, but also right at home at the farmers market or on the wall.

This is a traditional craft right out of Appalachia and has been used by generations of folks who lived in deep connection with the land. By the end of the class you will have your own handsome basket ready to take home and fill. 

This class will be held at Shiloh Farm and taught by Josh Barnwell.

*To purchase tickets go to (please purchase tickets before)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/poplar-bark-basket-workshop-tickets-44954846155?ref=estw

Farm to Table Dinner

We are so excited to share that Shiloh Farm and Chef Rodney Laulo have planned a Spring Farm to Table dinner hosted by Red Silo Brewery! May 20th from 4:30-6:30 tickets are $30 per person and beer will be purchases separately at dinner. Come enjoy a night out on the town and eat fresh, local and seasonal meal with local brews. Tickets should be purchased ahead of time can be found at https://shilohfarmtotablecookeville.eventbrite.com

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Colder Weather Equals Sweeter Vegetables

As the nights keep getting colder, certain vegetables keep getting sweeter.  This sweetness is actually a defense mechanism for the plant against cold temperatures--converting starches into sugars makes their sap more viscous and less susceptible to freezing.  We reap the benefits of sweeter vegetables.  It reminds us of the importance of growing plants when they  want to grow.  It makes our job easier, and food grown in season just tastes right.

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We are stocking up on some supplies to extend our season a little bit and get things prepared for next years gardens.  We are going to try to grow a late planting of beets, carrots and radishes by placing metal hoops over the crops and covering with a row cover held down by sandbags.  It could be enough help to get a crop when otherwise it would be killed by frost.

We also picked up some minerals to ammend our soil with.  We apply rock powders that provide long-term release of organic nutrients to our crops.  These nutrients become available to the plants after being biologically activated by a soil ecosystem.  It takes a whole world of activity to break down rock into a plant-available nutrient.  Luckily, if the farmer can set up the right conditions, microbes and micro-organisms do this work on their own.

Vegetable Fritters and the First Harvest of Carrots and Cabbage!

There is nothing better than the sweet smell of a carrot that is just harvested from the dirt. Today we harvested a lot of carrots and two different kinds of cabbage for market tomorrow! Luke likes to ferment the cabbage and radishes so we can enjoy these fermented foods all winter long. If you are interested in learning how to lacto-ferment vegetables we are hosting a workshop at the farm November 12th. Check out our "shop" tab on our website and read more about it. And as always if you have any questions just let us know

 

- Recipe -

Sweet Potato, Daikon Radish and Bok Choy Fritters

 

These fritters are quick and not hard to make. Fritters are a nice way to use some vegetables you may not know what to do with. Daikon radishes have a really nice mild flavor and great texture that pairs well with the sweetness of a sweet potato. I used bok choy in this recipe but you could use any cooking green in its place. I hope you all enjoy!



Ingredients
1 lrg. sweet potato (about 2 cups)
2 small (or 1 large) daikon radish, peeled
1 cup bok choy finely chopped
1/2 cup onion finely chopped
2 eggs
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup flour ( may need a little more if mixture doesn't hold together)
salt and pepper to tase


1.  Grate sweet potato and radish, mix with chopped onion, bok choy, and garlic
2. Add two eggs, cheese, flour, salt and pepper. Mix together. You should be able to form mixture into a ball and it will hold its shape, add more flour if needed. 
3. Heat up pan to medium/ low and add enough oil to coat bottom of pan. I used coconut oil but you could use any other oil or butter. 
4. Make patty with fritter batter about the size of a hockey puck and a 1/4 inch thick.  (If to thick the outside will burn and the inside will not cook.) 
5. Let each side cook for about two minuets or so until browned and crispy. When done set on plate lined with paper towel to cool. 

*will make about 8-10 fritters depending on size.


**I made a mayo dill sauce to go with my fritters. I mixed 1/2 cup mayo with 2 tbps. apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp. dill and salt/pepper to taste! You could also use sour cream instead of mayo

 

 

Settling into Fall

As of now, we almost have all of our planting done for 2017! We put in over 1.000 strawberry plants this past week. Garlic will be our last planting of 2017. In the mean time we have really been enjoying the shift from cooking with summer vegetables to fall vegetables. It's more roasting, soups, and comfort food. This week we made a dish I like to call, 

"Shiloh Farm Fall Vegetable Hash". 

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Hash basically means "A course mixture of ingredients, meat or vegetables". This is a no muss no fuss recipe and is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner

 

Ingredients

2 cups butternut squash ( or one medium sized winter squash)
2 cups sweet potatoes
1 watermelon radish
1 kohlrabi
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 bok choy
eggs ( however many you want to add)
2 tsp. rosemary
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. preheat oven to 375*
2. Peel vegetables as needed and chop. The smaller the better because they will cook faster. 
3. Put all chopped vegetables into pot. Add olive oil, water, rosemary, salt and pepper. Give the vegetables a stir to make sure they all get a light coating of oil.
4. Put lid on pot and put in oven for about 20 to 25 minuets. ( give it a stir halfway through)
5. Pull the pot out of oven and crack your eggs directly onto the vegetables. Put the pot back into the oven without lid for another 10 mins until the eggs are cooked. 
6. Enjoy!

 

As always see you at the Cookeville Downtown Green Market this Saturday from 8-12

Fall in Abundance

We have been enjoying these cooler days and so have the vegetables. We have two rounds of root vegetables and salad greens planted along with broccoli, kale, cabbage and more! We are busy around the farm trying to get strawberry beds prepped and seeds planted before the rain this weekend. 

We wanted to share one of our favorite radishes with you, daikon radishes! These beauties contain high amounts of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus and calcium. You can eat these raw, roasted, salted, slawed, as a topping on sandwiches or tacos and in soups. Give them a try!

This week at market we will be bringing:

  • salad mix
  • head lettuce
  • bok choy
  • green peppers
  • cooking greens
  • onions
  • sweet potatoes
  • butternut squash
  • delicate squash
  • cooking pumpkins
  • radishes
  • turnips
  • kohlrabi
  • daikon radishes 

and as always our wood fired bread!