The Rhubarbhito, a spring cocktail with some real spring to it
We recently discovered Art in the Age Spirts, organic neutral spirits infused with different vegetables and herbs. So far we’ve been captivated by the Rhubarb Tea and the Ginger Snap, and have been mixing them and re-mixing them with various herbs and other flavors coming up around the farm this spring. Our latest concoction is something we like to call the Rhubarbhito. It’s refreshing and full of spring. Here’s the recipe:
2 oz. Art in the Age Rhubarb Tea spirits
2 oz. Bomaby Sapphire Gin
4 oz. Lemonade
fresh mint
rhubarb stalk
Crush the mint in the bottom of a highball glass with a spoon.
Fill the glass halfway with ice.
Add the Rhubarb Tea, gin, and lemonade.
Stir with a stalk of fresh rhubarb and a stem of mint.
Enjoy!
This past weekend's goat hike. Photograph by Sonja Florman.
We had a great spring goat hike on Saturday, and we’re looking forward to seeing the article (and web video we’re told) that will be running in the Outdoors section of next Sunday’s Maine Sunday Telegram. The goats had such a good time, not to mention the hikers, that we decided to add regular afternoon goat hikes to our workshop schedule through the Spring and Summer. We’ve scheduled a bunch of them for May through August, and we’re also happy to schedule private group hikes for your group, with the option to include lunch from the farm. The next scheduled hike will be Saturday, May 4 from 2-4pm. More information and dates can be found on our 2013 Workshop Schedule page.
Special thanks for Sonja Florman and the Florman family for these great goat hike photos.
The paperback version of Living With Goats features a new cover with Ten Apple goats Flyrod, Chansonetta, and Joshua
We are very excited to announce the re-release, in paperback, of our book Living With Goats: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Backyard Herd. The paperback version sports a snazzy new cover that features 3 of our first 4 goats, Flyrod, Chansonetta, and Joshua (Lawrence Chamberlain).
To celebrate the release of the paperback version, we’re giving away signed copies during the month of April. We want to hear from you! Just send us a message: a blog comment, a facebook comment or post, or blog post of your own, and tell us why you want to live with goats. We’ll choose our favorites and send signed copies t0 the winning answers!
This week we mourn the passing of one of the greatest Mainers we have known personally, Maine Organic Farmer and Gardner Association’s former executive director Russell Libby. We didn’t know Russell well, certainly not as well as many, but we knew him, and he was a hero to us, as he was to many. Russell did more for organic sustainable agriculture, and agriculture in general, in Maine than anyone I know. One of the reasons we decided to take up farming in Maine (in addition to the fact that I grew up here) was the support system and resources that existed in Maine for new farmers and young farmers, and much of that is thanks to Russell’s work and advocacy. He will be greatly missed.
This afternoon I’ve been reading from Russell’s book of poems Balance: A Late Pastoral. I had planned to attend the memorial for Russell in Unity today. But last night one of the goats went into heat, and had to be taken to Saco this morning to be bred. And with yesterday’s terrible news from nearby Connecticut, I wanted to stay home and close to Charlotte, Bea and Sadie. Staying home to take care of farm and family, I think Russell would have been fine with that.
Two poems in particular jumped out to me just now:
Obligations
Sometimes I think I’m the only person embarrassed
by the shrinking of the fields, saplings becoming trees,
sugar maples I hope to tap one day
creeping into the pasture nearest the barn.
Yet if we’re supposed to think seven generations forward,
shouldn’t we also go back at least a few?
I found George Washington Gordon’s walking stick
in the haymow of the old barn,
a short piece of apple wood deliberately shaped to the job
over several growing seasons.
.
If a man about five foot six could clear this land,
lay stone walls,
haul and hew timbers,
raise the big barn,
milk cows by hand twice a day,
plow with oxen,
shear,
mow,
pitch on,
stow away,
work taxes out by building roads,
and keep doing it for fifty years,
it seems the very least I should do
is keep the stone walls in clear view.
.
And on the following page:
Spring
My shelf is bulging with seed catalogs
and all I can see ahead is
abundance.
Margaret, Beatrice and Charlotte carefully decorate
It’s that time of year again: the Hanukkah table is set up in the living room and ready for the menorah and the presents, Songs in the Key of Hanukkah and Hanukkah Rocks! are on stereo rotation, and several pounds of gingerbread have been rolled and baked for the creation of this year’s ginge-a-gogue (the spelling, like Hanukkah/Chanukkah, is up for debate). Slathered with royal icing and loaded down with as much stale candy as it can bear, the ginge-a-gogue seems to get more elaborate every year. And as the girls get older, the vision has become collaborative (though the mama retains veto power). This year’s additions: melted Jolly Rancher stained glass and crusty Halloween-peep snowmen. Next year, watch for a sour patch chimney sweep….
May the light of the ginge-a-gogue shine on you this Hanukkah–wishing joy, peace and light from our family to yours!
Shalom and Happy Hanukkah! Welcome to the Ten Apple Farm Ginge-a-gogue!
Leftover ghost peeps from Halloween become Hanukkah snowmen (built by sour patch kids)!
Beatrice puts the finishing touches on the ginge-a-gogue roof
Something else to be thankful for: The great crew from Rich Exterior Solutions at work replacing the old weatherbeaten, leaky, barn roof, with a solid layer of plywood and nice new shingles.
April 30, 6:30pm: Margaret will be speaking at the Falmouth Public Library about the Portland Maine Chef's Table Cookbook and other work.
May 4, 2pm-4pm: Spring Goat Hike: Come hike through the Ten Apple Farm woods with our herd of 8 Alpine dairy goats. After the hike, try your hand at goat milking, and sample some of our Ten Apple Farm goat cheese. This hike is full! Please see our other dates!More info
May 19, 2pm-4pm: Goat Hike: FULL June 9, 2pm-4pm: Goat Hike: FULL June 22, 2pm-4pm: Goat Hike: SPOTS AVAIL.
Portland, Maine Chef's Table: Extraordinary Recipes from Casco Bay. This beautiful cookbook gathers Portland’s best chefs and restaurants under one roof, featuring recipes for the home cook from nearly fifty of the city's most celebrated restaurants and showcasing full-color photos of mouth-watering dishes, award-winning chefs, and lots of local flavor. Read more...
Food Lovers' Guide to Maine is the ultimate guide to Maine’s food scene providing the inside scoop on the best places to find, enjoy, and celebrate local culinary offerings. Written for residents and visitors alike! Read more...
Living With Goats: Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Own Backyard Herd, came out in October 2009, and is specifically targeted to the beginning goatherd or anyone considering a life with goats. Read more...
This is how it all started! The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese, tells the story of our journey from New York City to a farm of our own. Hop in the "goat-mobile" and join us on our cross-country goat trek across America. Read more...
