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This is a week of firsts and lasts! This is the last friday drop off as both the Farmers Market at Libby and the Troy Farmers Markets begin next week in May. For the entire market season, you can order online and choose which market to pick up at. This weeks begins the flower season! The first daffodils are blooming and they will be in the online store available for pickup along with the eggs and microgreens. And speaking of microgreens, there is a new bag in town: cinnamon basil! They are a warm, earthy variety of basil that is a favorite in Mexican cuisine and tastes fabulous. You can use them just like the other micros or as you would the larger basil, but this requires no chopping! Other than that this week the regular farmer life of soil, sun, & sweat has begun, where tasks and time management are dictated by the weather, plants, and animals more than me. I do it all for my love of nature, those same plants and animals, and the ones that were here long before I was; because it helps the land heal and thrive; and for you, so you can feed yourself and your family the best, healthiest, tastiest food possible!  Much of the week has been taken up with planting and transplanting, so much so I didn't stop to take many photos :0, but I was able to capture the lushness of these Snapdragons before they got pulled out of their plugs and dropped into their forever homes  All that fluffy soil is now full of seedlings putting down roots and seeds getting ready to germinate! Before you can plant, you gotta prep. Kinda like painting, it's called painting but maybe more than half of your time is preparing to paint.  A bit of rain gives a nice respite from the growing warmth (and helps those newly planted and seeded future food and flowers a great welcome to the world!) And rainbows are never unwelcome. I have many rainbows on my farm to help welcome the *real* ones to stop by often.   The Old Girls, Rosemary & Iris, (10 year+ hens from my original flock) also get to get out and roam free now that the weather is to their liking, but they only sit under their lilac, do a jigsaw puzzle, sip a g&t, and complain about the youths.  When all the fun and running around outside gets to be too much, Hella retreats inside her house to take a break on her bed and does her best bagel impression.  What's available this week?
Get your own Farm Buck$ card!
Use to buy anything from Dragon's Breath Farm, online or at the farmers markets! Save 10% on all cards over $50! That means you can buy more veggies!!! Eat Healthy! Be Healthy! Feel Great!
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It's that time of year when the rows get filled up seeds and transplants, even as more flats of seedlings fill every gap in the greenhouse. It's go time on the farm. The barn gets the last of it's upgrades of more outlets and lights (there were only 2 in the whole place before), the wires get to go underground (nothing like having live wires suspended over the farm), and no more running to the breaker box over and over as we overload it just with trying to plug in a saw. For the last two weeks of the Friday deliveries, the duck eggs are gonna be half off! The ducks have been busy, busy and I can't eat them all. Through the end of April you can get a half dozen for $2. And after that the Farmers Markets begin! The Farmers Market at Libby starts Thursday, May 7th from 3-7pm and The Troy Market starts Friday May 8th from 330-630pm. That week the online store will be updated so you can choose which market to pick your order up at. Both markets are making temporary changes and precautions to keep everyone safe!  The barn gets another upgrade. More power!!! The hens appreciate all the backfilling as the soft dirt is just right for scratching in.  The skies get clearer and the nights warmer over the Valley of the Rainbow Huts  The hens enjoy their free evenings and have gone so far as to head for the trees!  Jimmy Hendrix, the big bad rooster with his big bad spurs that get long enough to rub together as he walks which sharpens them, like spiky bones sticking out wasn't scary enough! Don't let his bedroom eyes fool you   Transplants and more transplants are going in the ground along with these red leaf and butterhead lettuces. So many transplants that I start to dream about it even after it's done.  And then there's Hella who gets to spend her days napping in the sunshine and rolling in the grass as she taunts the hens who don't pay attention to her anyways. What's available this week?
Get your own Farm Buck$ card! Use to buy anything from Dragon's Breath Farm, online or at the farmers markets! Save 10% on all cards over $50! That means you can buy more veggies!!! Eat Healthy! Be Healthy! Feel Great! Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze! The familiar weekly routine of moving chicken runs, adjusting seed flats with baby plants, opening the greenhouse, small tunnels, and frost fabric in the morning and closing them in the evening begins. Even if the normal routines for most people are disrupted, the routines of nature, plants, and animals goes on and so does mine right along with them. The hens are happy for the sunnier weather and fresh ground, even if it isn't that green yet. The young plants are happy for the sun too, but I have to slowly increase their exposure each day so they don't get sunburned, yep just like us humans! And the soil is warming up and drying out enough to begin planting into. In a few more weeks there will be more green things to harvest than just microgreens! Check out the online store for what's available this week. I'm working on adding the handcrafts that much of the wintertime hours were spent working on, so keep an eye out for when they show up! Stop by Friday, April 17th, from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park parking lot to pick up your online order, a pre-order (you can email or message me), or just to see what's left! I'll have free cotton masks available, if you or anyone you know needs one. I've been working on some templates for masks that work well for people with glasses (like me 🤓😎🧐) and think I have found some winners!  They finally get to move! The intermittent spring snows are gone (hopefully!) and the huts, coops, and runs get to move to *greener* pastures.  The ducks are enjoying their new digs and get to splash in their oversize water bowls and gobble up all the green bits!  The two bantam bachelors finally get out of the barn and into the light! The are tiny, pint sized handfuls of fluffy feathers and sassy beaks!  The guineas get moved to their new, growing-season space. After a week or two to help them learn this is their 'home' now, they will get out during the days so they can roam, eat lots of ticks, and other bugs, and generally be the farm watchdogs with their ever watchful eyes and super loud calls. When they call, I come running!  Even if their huts and runs are on fresh ground, they still enjoy checking out the previous spaces of their neighbors because for chickens the 'grass is always greener' and sometimes they had better dust bathing spots.   Afternoon playtime allows them to run wild! Fun, fun, chickens on the run!  What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze! Spring is one of the busiest times of year on any farm, but it is always welcome after the waiting of winter where most of the work is indoors. Now it is time to get out in the field and start prepping the soil, tunnels, and seedlings for sunny days! The hens are happy to see the snow gone (maybe finally, but maybe not, this is Montana) and to get onto fresh ground and dig for worms and chase butterflies! I'll be in Libby tomorrow, Friday April 10th, with eggs and microgreens at the drop off from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park parking lot. If you want the quickest, easiest pick up with the most amount of social distancing possible, order and pay online (plus you'll be able to secure your order early! The rainbow eggs sell out fast!) Plus, I'll have some homemade cotton masks available free for those who need some and can't get to sewing. They are made with some fun & funky fabric that was planned for more hen saddles, but the hens will have to wait. Stay safe & healthy!  At the end of last week this is what the fresh 6" of snow looked like. Thankfully, it didn't stay long since it's time to get planting!  The hens are eager to officially start roaming! The first step towards that is to remove their plastic covers that keep the snow out and the tethers that kept the runs from flying away in high winds! A few more 'winter time' modifications to remove and they will be ready to roll!   While planting and field prep is just getting started, the final runs & huts to let the barn chickens roam are just getting finished!  Bae is really getting into their fermented whole grain feed!  Hella, aka the shadow kitty, since she always likes to be near where I am working. Plus she finds the comfy spots, like here on the chair next to my loom which is always covered with the llama fabric so she can't climb onto the weaving and play with the yarn. What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze! The recipe and hints mainly come from inspiredtaste.net, and I added my own farmer info and tips about using duck eggs! Enjoy!  Mayonnaise Ingredients - the basics The ingredients to make mayo are simple — we bet you even have them in your kitchen right now. You will need the following: Egg — You need to use egg to make mayonnaise. Duck eggs are great as they are creamier than chicken eggs. Mustard — I know that not everyone loves the flavor of mustard, but when it comes to making homemade mayonnaise mustard is sort of a magical ingredient. Mustard adds a bit of flavor, but it also helps to keep the mayonnaise stable. Along with the egg yolk, mustard helps emulsify the mixture, reducing the risk of our mayo breaking. Vinegar or lemon juice — Not only does a little acid like wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, and lemon juice add incredible flavor to the mayonnaise, it also helps to stabilize the mixture. Neutral Flavored Oil — By neutral flavored oil, I mean use an oil that is light in flavor. Quite a bit of oil is added to make mayonnaise, so it’s important to like the flavor of the oil you use. For a clean tasting mayonnaise use something like grape seed, safflower, avocado or canola oil. Since posting the recipe, quite a few readers have asked about olive oil in mayonnaise. You can use olive oil, but it can be a little overpowering so I prefer to use a brand that’s light and fruity. I think robust or spicy olive oils would be too much. You might also consider only replacing half of the oil called for in the recipe with olive oil and use something more neutral for the rest. The Five Steps For Making Mayonnaise - the method Prepare your food processor. I prefer to use the small bowl attachment that came with our food processor to make mayonnaise. Add an egg to the bowl of your food processor and process for about 20 seconds. Add mustard, vinegar, and salt then process for another 20 seconds. Slowly add the oil, in tiny drops, until about a quarter of the oil has been added. Adding the oil slowly is really important. If you were to dump it all in at once, you’d have mayonnaise soup! Taste the mayonnaise and adjust with additional salt and vinegar or lemon juice. Mayonnaise Variations I love this classic mayonnaise as-is, but love it even more when I make it my own. I almost always add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten things up a little. I love how fresh it makes it taste. Fresh herbs, roasted garlic, chipotle, Sriracha or curry powder are all amazing options, as well. How to Fix Broken Mayonnaise When making mayonnaise, the worst, but not unfixable, thing that can happen to you is that the mixture breaks, leaving you with a curdled mess. The recipe we’ve shared tries to prevent this a few ways: we use a whole egg, which adds a little more liquid to the mix, mustard acts as an emulsifier from the get-go and we are careful to stream our oil in slowly. While we have never had this particular recipe for mayonnaise break on us, if it happens to you don’t fret! You really should be able to fix it. To fix broken mayonnaise, add about 1 teaspoon of mustard to a bowl then use a whisk to slowly beat the broken mayonnaise, bit by bit, into the mustard until it becomes emulsified and creamy again. Another trick is to add an egg yolk to a large bowl and slowly use a whisk to beat the broken mayo, bit by bit, into the yolk. Homemade Mayonnaise
Makes approximately 1 cup YOU WILL NEED 1 large egg at room temperature 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste 1 cup (240 ml) neutral flavored oil, grapeseed, safflower or canola are best 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, optional DIRECTIONS PREPARE EQUIPMENT
TIPS
It's official! The Dragon's Breath Farm Online Farm Store is open! You can now order today and pick up tomorrow at my normal drop off from 12-1230pm at Fireman's Park parking lot in Libby. The online store will be open for purchases from 8am on Thursdays to about 10am on Fridays. If you don't want to pay online, you can also email or message me to preorder and I'll have your items set aside, bagged or boxed up and ready to go! I'll also bring anything not already sold or preordered to the drop off, in case anyone wants extra or wants to see what's still available. The snow and cold have, hopefully only briefly, returned as I am anxious to get some seeds and transplants into the ground! As more items become available they will be added to the online store and available for each weekly purchase. Also, check out the lasts blog articles on my website to find great recipe ideas for using microgreens (some of these are fancy, but feel free to use the basic idea even if not the whole recipe) and for making homemade mayo! Duck eggs work really well for mayo, a personal favorite! I hope everyone who can, is staying safe and warm and healthy inside and everyone who can't is staying safe and warm and healthy wherever they are!   It started off small and ended with a fresh 5" of snow. The hens will be very happy to see the back of it!   Hens pecking around the chopping block! Luckily for them the only that gets chopped is firewood!  Hella can be a super helpful farmhand! Just not the most efficient, especially when she turns important tasks into playtime! What's available this week?
Where to find it all?
The winter egg/microgreen delivery is every Friday from 12-1230pm at the Fireman's Park Parking Lot. I'll be there rain, snow, shine, or freeze!  Click on 'Download File' below to download the document with active links to each recipe. 
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AuthorI'm Farmer Megan with a life full of cackles, clucks, quacks, weeds, crazy kitten, and one tiny, senior, blind dog. Archives
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