Happy Thanksgiving

YellowTree Farm wishes everyone a happy Thanksgiving! ...and for your entertainment, check out these "turkeys" from the 4th annual Todomundo Thanksgiving Turkey Molding Competition!

Quote of the Day

From celebrity chef Eric Ripert, on his outing to Costco...

"I am freaked out. Costco depresses me. I know everybody doesn't have the same opportunities I do to visit farm stands and little markets, but I will fight to the end for inspirational shopping. Costco doesn't even look like it belongs on our planet. It could be on the moon. It has no relationship to the outside world as I know it. The lighting, the temperature, the outrageous abundance. The store has no life and no contact with anything that comes from the earth. Everything is packaged, sterile, clinical. Nothing about the food is emotional. And there is a wicked genius at work, mixing the organic with the terribly processed."

The Making of an Industrial Turkey

The folks over at The Business Insider compiled a little slideshow providing a glimpse into the world of the typical Thanksgiving turkey. Take a look, and this year be thankful for what it took to get that bird onto your plate.

Fall's Bounty

As the nights grow longer and the weather turns colder, there's still work to do on the homestead. This is how our kitchen cabinets look these days. We've been canning a lot: turning crabapples into mustards, making jams and butters, and finding various ways to preserve our green tomatoes.

We're still waiting on our fall crops of broccoli, beets, and kohlrabi to grow bigger. Meanwhile, our daikon radishes have gotten huge! It's surprising to look around the garden and discover what's still growing: leeks, onions, peas, beans, and chard. Some vegetables seem to thrive better in cold weather, like our lettuces which are finally coming in, and it's interesting to note the differences in taste through the various seasons.

All the unseasonably pleasant weather lately has been a blessing for our chickens. After the raccoon attack last summer, the egg supply in our fridge looked dismal. However, now our younger hens have matured before the cold weather sets in, and we're collecting more eggs daily!

Farm Aid

The folks at Farm Aid and Homegrown came to town last weekend and it was a huge success. We were graciously invited as guests to the Farm Meets Fork dinner that Friday night. Chefs and farmers from all over the area came together to provide delicious bites to eat in the Central West End that evening. The food was great and it was nice to see so many familiar faces. Saturday was the Homegrown Urban Country Fair at Tower Grove Park. We provided information about YellowTree Farm's success so far, and we met so many inquisitive people who wanted to learn more about urban homesteading. We brought one of our hens, Bill Murray, along and she was a hit with the crowd. The weather was perfect for the Farm Aid concert the following day, and we had a fun time enjoying the music with our friends. Thanks again to Cornelia of Homegrown.org, and the rest of the Farm Aid staff!

For Sale

Herbs (fresh, for drying, herbal teas, and/or already dried):

black opal basil
chamomile
genovese basil
lavender thyme
majoram
nasturtium
oregano
purple basil
sage
shisho
summer savory
szechuan buttons
tarragon
thyme
tulsi tea/holy bail
winter savory

Locally foraged pears