Closer than I thought

The local food movement is definitely closer than I thought. I had originally thought that the idea of growing all my own food, supporting other local producers and creating a network of farmers in this rural area devoted to producing quality healthful foods was a long way off. I mean in the middle of Kansas there are simply as many people doing market gardens as there are fingers on my hands. However, much to my surprise I recently found one right in my own backyard. Not my garden, but my neighbors less than two miles away are doing such a thing. I don't know how I've never met them, seen their garden or heard about these people doing what they can to live off the land. It was seriously one of the most exciting finds in a long time. I'm pumped to learn more from them and check out their garden. Tuesday night I grasped three heads of lettuce from them that are amazing. They also raise several different animals and have a great system of renewing the soil with organic fertilizer from them.

Wow. This news is exciting.....even if they put my garden to shame.

Still here

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'm still in the Bake Lab. I think I might be becoming more and more like this supervisor, advisor, father, giver of much great wisdom, teacher, comedian man named Dave. I know he spends much more time in here than his own home and although I do not think that to be ideal, I can see how it happens.

Today was a day of cake gone awry. It was definitely my own fault; the result of me trying out new formulas on the day of production. This is definitely not a good idea, but it has worked before so I figured it could work today. I'm also learning that I am not very productive when people I enjoy are around me. This would mean I happen to be a fairly chatty person and have not quite mastered the technique of scaling, mixing, and baking things while holding conversations. That and the fact that making my lunch, going to ice cream, and planning out life was a little more exciting than the task at hand. In the end, the greatest cake ever, Power Cocoa Cake will come to my rescue. I don't know why I even think about making anything else anyway.

Have I mentioned I think I'm over this cake baking business idea?

The Thunder Rolls

Just in time to water my garden. Praise the Lord my parents and I spent the entire day outside on Saturday working to get every last empty space in the garden filled with something promising a bounty harvest. I believe we have about 75 pepper plants in the ground. They vary from a standard California Wonder Pepper, a mini yellow bell pepper, purple beauty, and chili peppers. I'm just hoping that we don't have another experience like two years ago when the plants got large and beautiful but no fruit came. We also planted two long rows of tomatoes, probably about 30 plants. That leaves around 80 more that are still sitting out there in their flats waiting for me to find another place to put them. We planted nine plants in the side yard, as in right outside the back door. They shall be quick and convenient for my snatching up for a meal. We also put in five squash hills, okra, and more rainbow chard. I have more squash seeds to plant another acre I think, but that might have to do. I'm thinking about planting them at the base of fruit trees. Something I read recently recommended that, anyone?

So life in the planting mode has come to a big of a slow down. Until these crazy storms go away, I can plant no more. Another exciting bit of information: the chickens came out this weekend and all went back in the coop at the end of the day. Victory!

The L'oven Awards

Today was our last lab day for the Bakery Science II class. It's kinda crazy how fast the semester has gone and it has really been a most enjoyable experience as Bakery Lab Manager. Although the majority of time I feel as if I'm managing nothing, but simply following Dave around trying to be useful, I suppose my position is important. In honor of a great semester and the end of Bakery Lab for many students I decided to give awards to everybody. Sometimes I feel like being cheesy and today my cheesiness came at hopefully the right moment that the students felt special. One thing I have learned from Dave is that the students are our customers. They do pay a lot of money for this education and it is our responsibility to assist making their experience a good one. So today, the 1st ever L'oven Awards, everybody is a winner!

Oh and to make the day even more lovely, Mountain Bread and Challah! Mountain bread is definitely my favorite and will always be repeated with a slight raising of my voice while saying bread as if defeating a mountain.

Good News

After a not-so-great experience with the chickens last weekend, I would like to report that I have re-named my favorite chicken. She was the one free specialty chicken that I got with my order. She has feathers on the top of her head that stick up and she was the last live chicken I found after the massacre. I have officially named her "Princess Laya" because she's a laya! I think you have to say it with the ghetto thug accent to understand why the name is so great. On Monday I also built them a roost for their chicken coop; I figured since they'll be locked up in there for while now until we build a fence a roost would be nice.

The good news in the garden this weekend: We have tons of earthworms! I decided to forget about using the ancient, hard to manuever, really spastic rototiller. Therefore we have moved onto the no-till method of attack. As I transplanted my brussel sprouts and planted our four giant rows of corn, squash, and beans, I noticed that honestly 50% of the random holes I dug contained worms. Definitely good news!