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A month of good friends, good harvests and a road trip to Washington DC

August, 2008 - Issue #87

 

WE ARE RICH IN FRIENDSHIPS

 

Jack and Adah stopped by at dusk and before we knew it they were showing us their chipmunk lips.

As the summer intern program drew to a close, instructors Matt, Bob and Girl Mark realized we would have to say goodbye to Susannah, Joanna and Mark.  From left, Susanna, Joanna, Matt, Marc, Bob and the girl they call Mark.  Click on the photos to see larger files.

 

END OF SUMMER OVERFLOWING

  

We've got so much produce coming our of our garden and from our CSA we often find ourselves wondering what to do with it all.

 

GLAMOUR SHOTS

  

It's all so pretty, though and wonderful to cook with - turns out we know exactly what to do with produce this time of year.  For more exciting garden pictures, go to End of Summer Abundance

 

BEATING THE SUMMER HEAT WITH A BRAIDED MOHAWK

    

Link and Jack dropped by the morning after Adah had given Jack a "beat the heat" Mohawk.  Jack was wondering why Bob kept looking at him so weird, so finally, Bob got the camera out.  For posterity, you know.  Click on the photo for a closer look.

 

MUSHROOMS ARE LIKE MAGIC AND SO ARE HOPS

 

Bob saved the sawdust he drilled out of some of the logs he inoculated with Shiitake spores and put it in a baggie.  Last month he took the baggie to his Mushroom Workshop for show and tell.  A week later, a little mushroom began pushing its way out of the bag so Bob cut a little hole in the plastic and out came a shiitake!

Jason, from Edible Earthscapes gave these hops to Bob for brewing beer.  Hops are used to preserve and finish the beer.  Bob used these hops to finish a batch , imparting it with a citrusy, floral aroma.  Hops are magic, too.

 

SOURDOUGH

 

As mentioned last month, we've been baking sourdough.  It all starts with a sponge which sits for eighteen hours, doubling in size.  Next, we add some flour to the mostly liquid dough and rise it again for an hour and a half.  We bake it in a Dutch oven with the lid on, steaming the dough and giving it a wonderful crust.  The only problem is how fast this bread disappears after it is baked!

 

CAMELINA FLORA AND FAUNA

 

The wild grasses Bob has been nurturing in the garden threaten to overtake Camelina.  We now have guineas.  There were eleven and then there were three.  They like to take dust baths behind the house and they roost in the trees on the other side of the garden.

 

BREAKFAST BEFORE A LONG DRIVE

 

It's a good thing we ate a nice breakfast before hitting the road.  Washington DC is five hours north of Moncure.  We did pretty good, only getting stuck in traffic once.  For more on this story, go to A Trip to Washington DC

 

POGOIL

 

Piedmont Biofuels and Central Carolina Community College sent their portable biodiesel plant to Maryland for a biodiesel workshop.  We decided to go too because we had never been to see the farm where Frankie brews biodiesel.  More photos here:  Clean Tech Goes to Pogoil

 

BEE BEDS

   

Back at home, Camille resumed work in the biodiversity beds which were designed to encourage pollinators like these bees.

 

DAVID DID VERY WHALE

 

Bob picked up a cute post op graphic in the hospital while we waited for David to come of surgery on his knee last month.  When David stopped by late one afternoon, Bob knew it was the right time to give him his "I did very whale" sticker.

 

BUBBLE MIXER

 

Lyle Estill of Piedmont Biofuels called the first ever State of the Bubble Address for the last Friday of the month.  Many of us got up and spoke about our corners of the bubble.  When we were all done, Lyle broke out the beer.  From left, Doug surveys the scene, Jeremy discusses important stuff with PJ while Damian and Sefira listen raptly to the old gray haired man.  Greg looks up something on his laptop in the background.

Andy wowed the group with a vial of actual algae oil and another of biodiesel he and Bob made from that oil in their laboratoy at Central Carolina Community College.  Here he and Bob talk about stuff between beers.

   

Greg has got great hair.  Camille tried to capture it with her camera but didn't quite do it justice.  Lyle enjoys the after affects of open communication and Tim works helps himself to a glass of beer.

THIS MONTH'S QUOTES:

"When the choice comes down to industrial organic or local, I opt for the local, because it supports much more than good agricultural practice. "- Michael Pollan"

People who go to work for corporations essentially abandon their integrity as individuals in order to serve the corporation." Wendell Berry, horse farmer, teacher, writer

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” - Benjamin Franklin

 

Our personal musings can be found on our blog: Plastic Farm Animals

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