Brookview Farm Update

Brookview farm has an e-newsletter and I thought I would pass on the most recent updates.

Brookview Farm
P.O. Box 126854 Dover Road
Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103
Website - www.brookviewfarm.com
Tel: (804)784-3131
Fax: (804)784-2697
SATURDAY HOURS 9 A.M. - 1 P.M. Credit cards accepted

MISSION STATEMENT To sustainably produce the highest quality food and farm products, in a manner that preserves and enhances our community and natural resources.

Saturday, May 3, 2008
Dear Customers, We hope all of you who joined us last Saturday during our Earth Day Celebration enjoyed the day as much as we did. Everyone seemed to be having fun, especially the little ones. For those of you who had to wait for the burgers, we apologize for the delay due to our grill not working properly. Thank goodness our friend Freddie showed up and helped get the grill going. We appreciate all of you who came out and supported your local farm. If you missed this year, we hope you can make it for the next one.

BEEF We still have plenty of your favorite cuts of beef in stock as well as a few you may have missed such as the flat iron. We are very pleased with the new thicker cut filets which look very delicious. If you are cooking grass-fed beef remember it is best cooked slowly and try not to lose any of the juices which keeps the beef tender. Many of us like to squeeze the juices out of the burger when cooking on the grill, but you don't want to do this and dry out the burger. If you are cooking a roast, a crock pot set on low all day is perfect for a delicious tender meat for dinner. Sandy likes to throw in a few pieces of rosemary, some orange slices and a few potatoes to add flavor to his roast.

We carry in our market The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes - Healthy cooking recipes with grass-fed foods which is full of recipe ideas. The internet is also a great source for tips on cooking with grass fed beef. Remember we are here to help answer any questions.

EGGS
The egg situation seems to be improving tremendously. We are now getting almost as many eggs daily as we were getting in a whole week this past winter. The new pullets have started laying which has helped. To those of you who hate to drive out just for one dozen eggs, we are happy to say that the limit of a dozen per customer has been lifted until further notice. Sandy says the chicks we received in the mail on April 1, at two days old are growing quickly. Stop by and see them when you come out. Keep your fingers crossed that most of them are not roosters, because that will determine how many pullets we will have laying eggs this fall. Sandy says it will be a couple more weeks before he will be able to tell.

IN THE MARKET

We will have the following in the market this Saturday:

Organic Grass-fed beef - New Arrival with all your favorite cuts
Eggs from our free-range chickens (NO LIMIT) - new price $5.00/doz.
Beefsticks
Raw honey with or without the comb - also whipped honey great for spreading on toast or bagels
All-natural, free-range chickens produced by Shenandoah Valley Family Farms
Fauquier's Finest Country Butcher Shop Products: Sausage (Sage, Maple & Sweet Italian), Pork Chops and Bacon
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon - full of nutritious & healthy eating ideas
The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes - Healthy cooking recipes with grass-fed foods
Brookview Farm logo items - hats, t-shirts and tote bagsGoat's milk soap & lotion from Breeze Hill Farm - These scented soaps and lotions make great gifts
Old Dominion Root Beer and Ginger Ale
Goochland County Chamber of Commerce 2008 Directory (with Sandy and Bunny on the cover) - free
GOOCHLAND RURAL MARKET - OPENING This Saturday is the opening day of the Goochland Rural Market. Brookview Farm, along with the Center for Rural Culture, is proud to sponsor the market again this year. After visiting our market, why not drive just 10 minutes further west of Brookview on River Road West (Route 6) and you will find the market, located on the lawn of Grace Episcopal Church, across from the Goochland County Courthouse. The hours are 8 a.m. - 12 noon. If you have never visited the market, you will enjoy the rural experience while shopping for fresh, local, sustainably grown produce and artisan crafts. Visit the Center for Rural Culture's website http://www.centerforruralculture.org/ for more information. EDIBLE GARDENThis week Chef Ed is again featuring Brookview Farm's beef. You will find on the lunch menu a Warm Sliced Rare Roast Beef, Sautéed Onions, Munster Cheese & Seasonal Lettuce on a fresh baked Toscana Hero. Also on the lunch menu, you can order a delicious, rich yellow quiche which is made with Brookview Farm's eggs. The quiche is always a good choice for a light lunch. What a wonderful place to visit after you leave the farm. On the dinner menu, you will find a Grilled 1/2 lb. Beef Burger with Charred Onions, Blue Cheese, Lettuce and Cajun Aioli made with our Brookview Farm ground beef. For more information, click on their link below. http://www.ediblegarden.org

If your family and friends would like to be notified of news about Brookview, please pass this email along to them. We would love to share our farm with everyone and spread the word about providing local food to our customers.

PLEASE VISIT SOME OF OUR FRIENDS Edible Garden - serving local fare for lunch and dinner http://www.ediblegarden.org/ Center for Rural Culture http://www.centerforruralculture.org/Breeze Hill Farm www.breezehillfarm.comGoochland Land Alliance www.goochlandlandalliance.orgGood Foods Grocery http://www.goodfoodsgrocery.com/ Remember, local food is miles better! See you on the farm,The Fishers and the Brookview Gang Brookview FarmP.O. Box 126854 Dover RoadManakin-Sabot, VA 23103Tel: (804)784-3131Fax: (804)784-2697Website: http://www.brookviewfarm.com/Email: bviewfarm@aol.com

Vegetable Garden Update: late April

I admit - I took these photos, and the peas have done gone and flowered, and the eggplants all got eaten by a pesky rabbit. So sad when the plants you have known since they were seeds get taken before their time - sigh. Here's to hoping you have better luck with your invaders...

Here is a photos of the perennial chives and the lost eggplants -


If, however, you are planting a spring or summer vegetable garden, here are some ideas of what can go in the ground now:

seed potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and all herb plants.

Squash, cucumbers, melons, beans, radishes and corn can go in as seeds.

These lettuce and peas were started as seeds in February, and will be harvested soon -


Don't forget your lovely pollinator attractors- plant loads of flowers in your garden to insure visits by neighborhood bees and butterflies!

What to expect at the market now

Although each market has something different, at this time of year look for fresh spinach, spring onions, parsley, leaf lettuce, asparagus, eggs, goat cheese, fresh baked breads and desserts, and a wide variety of meats including breakfast, hot, and sweet Italian sausages. My husband likes the spicy chorizo sausage from Faith Farm.

You can check out my March 10 post on Manakintowne Farm for specifics on their upcoming May market offerings. Hint: baby beets and micro greens just to start.

If you go to the William Byrd Market, as a nice treat to yourself pick up a bag of mixed chocolate chip cookies from "Simply Delicious." This little bag of six all natural, homemade bits of heaven includes two of each white chocolate, chocolate chocolate, and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

At this time the markets also have organically grown herb and veggie plants for you to grow your own throughout the season. I picked up some great looking oriental eggplant plants, as well as compact tomato plants perfect for containers, and even a giant tomato plant that promises to get well over 8ft. tall!

Market Mania!!!

This is it: the week we have all been waiting for!

Tomorrow night -- Tuesday April 29 -- the Renegade Market at the William Byrd House will continue on from 3:30-7:00pm. I LOVE this market. All of the vendors are great, the shoppers, the little kids, people with their pets, and of course the yummy yummy food. Bill's Produce is always there and they say that all but one item, the summer green beans, is grown organically.
Two days later is the 17th St. farmers' market from 8:30-2:00. Two days after that there will be markets galore!!!

This Saturday marks the opening of two new markets: The Forest hill park market from 8:00-12:00 and the Lakeside Ave. Market from 8:00-12:00.

The Lakeside Ave. market will also be open on Wednesdays starting May 7th for both a morning(8:00-12:00) and evening market (3:00-7:00)!

Hope to see you all there. Have fun and eat well!

Urban Gardening Video

Lately I feel like I've been hearing everywhere about urban gardening operations like the ones depicted in this video -- people farming in their own backyards and a few of their neighbors'. Apparently there are a few people who have started businesses doing this kind of farming, traveling around town stopping by locations in a network of gardens. I also heard something about it while listening to this podcast, an episode on peak oil from the Living Green: Effortless Ecology for Everyday People podcast. André Angelantoni, founder of an organization called Inspiring Green Leadership, claims that this kind of farming may become a necessity as our system of food production changes to reflect the energy crisis resulting from a gradual, inevitable extinction of fossil fuels. I think the U.S. could really benefit from initiatives to encourage members of suburban communities to participate in or at least support projects like this.

Lewis Ginter Plant Sale

I feel like I dropped the ball a bit when I neglected to write a post about the 'Herbs Galore' sale yesterday -- though I imagine most people in Richmond already know about Maymont's day of herb sales and gardening events. Now I'd like to announce another sale you should visit -- Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens' spring volunteer plant sale! The sale will be held on May 1, 2 and 3 (see the website for hours on each day). Vendors from all over the area will be in attendance selling herbs and ornamentals, including A Thyme to Plant Herb Farm. I especially encourage you to buy from the Tricycle Gardens booth, where vegetable and herb seedlings will be available. Not only will you be able to buy some great plants that Erin and I continue to water and care for, you will be contributing to a great cause -- developing community gardens, educating children, and assisting in 'urban greening' throughout the city. Good luck with your gardens this year, and we'll see you there!

Documentary Showing -- Seeing Through the Fence

This Sunday at 7:30PM, Gallery 5 will hold a showing of the indie documentary Seeing Through the Fence, which promises to "explore the role of food in modern society and our connection, or lack of connection, with both the processes and animals from which our food originates." Watch the trailer below:



Admission will be $5 and includes snacks. Click here for Gallery 5's page about the event, and go to http://www.porchlifeproductions.com/ for more information about the film.