National Ag Day 2020

Happy National Ag Day!

The world, the news, and most of our lives have been wildly different in recent weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The important thing to know, though, is that it takes far more than a global pandemic to disrupt the farms that grow your food.

Farms all across the country, and especially locally, are busy right now starting seeds, prepping plots, and taking CSA signups to ensure that you have plenty of access to local food. At West End Farm, we currently have exactly 1,002 transplants growing under grow lights, with another 175 seeds due to be started in the next couple of days.

Ag Day is a great day to celebrate the farmers (and others in the ag industry) in your community. This year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it's especially important to support local farms. When you buy local food, you directly support a farmer in your community, and you know exactly where you food comes from--it's food that has not been touched by many, many different hands in many places before it got to you.

To get local, healthy food, visit our online farm store or sign up for a CSA share. To find other Nebraska farms, check out the Buy Fresh Buy Local guide or the Nebraska Dept. of Ag. vendor search.

COVID-19 and baby broccoli

Unless you've been living under a rock, you’ve been bombarded lately with news and emails about COVID-19. At this time when there’s a lot of uncertainty out there, I want to take a minute to explain what the farm is doing and how this relates to you.

First, it’s important to understand the severity of this pandemic. My friends in the health care profession have been stressing the importance of preventive measures like hand washing, social distancing, and staying home if you’re sick. To make a serious matter slightly more lighthearted, here's a drawing of cats that explains why this is important.

Lots of science-y folks are posting this graph. But if there is one thing I have learned from being on the internet, it is this:

Data/graphs: Not compelling to many.

Kitties: Compelling to many.

So I present: #Catteningthecurve.#scicomm #epitwitter pic.twitter.com/Cr1xQXMppr

— Anne Marie Darling (@amdar1ing) March 11, 2020

(The actual article that explains this chart is here, and another good graphical representation of slowing the spread is here.)

Many of the recommendations like hand washing (basic food safety protocol) and social distancing (there are no big crowds out in the field) are just the way farms work naturally. So we're on top of it already! But seriously, food safety is a big deal on farms. Produce growers undergo many workshops, trainings, and certifications to make sure we're providing safe food to our customers. In addition to food safety, we continue to care a lot about providing nutritious food to our community, and this evolving medical situation highlights the importance of that.

It's especially important now and in the near future to be eating well and building a healthy immune system. Fresh produces contains lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients important for immune health. Our vegetables, fruits, berries, eggs, herbs, and honey are raised to be as nutritious as possible, and eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to boost your immune system.

There's never been a more important time to know where your food comes from. Think about the food that's produced on local farms--not only do you know what country it's coming from, you've probably even been to the farm! As people are considering supply chains (and how many different people touch their food in the process of getting it halfway around the world), local food is suddenly looking a lot safer (not to mention fresher, healthier, and tastier as always).

We want you to know that we're committed to providing you with good food locally. You can see what's available for purchase right now in our online store, with options for pick up on the farm (a very non-crowded place), or in Beatrice. More products will be added to the online store as spring progresses and crops grow.

If you're serious about having a local supply of healthy food, check out our CSA program. This is a win-win for you and for the farm--it's a way for you to support a local farm and to reserve your spot for weekly boxes of fresh produce all season long. The CSA even has a home delivery option in Beatrice (social distancing at its finest).

As with all scary and uncertain times, life does go on, and this is easy to see on the farm. The rhubarb is coming up, the garlic looks great, the baby broccoli transplants are exceptionally cute, and the raspberries are in the process of being trellised. We are busy growing food for you!

Garlic out in the field, unperturbed by snow.

Broccoli growing inside, cozy under grow lights.

A big shout out goes to our long-time customers who continue to support the farm no matter what's going on in the world.

And we'd love to answer any questions you have about how we can become your farmers. Please contact us!

Tacos de Lengua

This one is for the adventurous folks out there. “Lengua” means “tongue” in Spanish, and this is a traditional recipe for beef tongue tacos.

Tongue, especially when slow cooked, is extremely tender and delicious. If you buy a whole or half beef locally, ask to have the tongue (and liver and heart!) when it’s processed. You can also find tongue at some local lockers. I got mine from Dageforde Farms (they come to the Beatrice Farmers Market!)

If you grew up eating tongue and hating it, give it one more try with this recipe…you’ll probably change your mind! The secret is using only the tender inner part of the tongue, and cutting it into small cubes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 beef tongue

• 1 onion, chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, mashed

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 T. pepper

• 1 T. salt

• 1 large sprig fresh thyme

• broth to cover (or water with beef bouillon)

Topping options:

• Diced white onion

• Chopped green onions

• Chopped cilantro

• Green tomatillo salsa (or red tomato salsa)

• Cheese

• Thinly sliced radishes

• Lime juice

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in crock pot with enough broth or water to cover them, and cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove tongue to cool, peel/cut off outer layer, and cut off any rough spots. Slice into small cubes, and sauté in frying pan until browned. Add meat to corn tortillas and top with diced onion, cilantro, green salsa, and thinly sliced radishes.

West African Ground Nut Stew

I love trying new foods and especially foods from different countries. I first ran across a recipe for Ground Nut Stew in college when I was assigned to make a dish from west Africa. If you're looking for a hearty soup for a rainy day, definitely try this one. I sometimes make it in a crock pot, which makes it even easier. This is a great recipe to try if you still have some sweet potatoes hiding in your basement from the last CSA boxes last year!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can chicken or several pieces leftover chicken, shredded

• 1 T oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 green pepper, chopped

• 1 tsp fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (or 1/2 tsp powdered ginger)

• 1 sweet potato, peeled & chopped

• 2 cups chopped spinach (fresh or frozen, or other greens)

• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed

• 2 cups water or broth, divided

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 1 can tomato paste or tomato sauce

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp pepper

• cayenne powder to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Add 1 cup of the water or broth, onion, carrot, green pepper, ginger, sweet potato, spinach, and garlic to crockpot. Saute chicken (if raw) in oil, then add to crockpot. In a bowl, stir together remaining cup of broth, peanut butter, tomato sauce, and spices. Add to crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 8 hours, until ingredients are tender. Add more broth/water to make a thinner soup. Serve over rice, and garnish with cilantro, roasted peanuts, or hot peppers.

NOTES:

• You can leave out any ingredients you don’t have or don’t like. This is a flexible recipe.

• Substitute chickpeas for chicken to make a vegan version.

Traditional Sweet Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 lbs orange sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cubed

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 6 T butter

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp ground allspice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 2 cups mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

Place cubed sweet potatoes in large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes, or until just tender. Drain. Mix together brown sugar and spices. Grease a 9x13 pan and spread half of the potatoes in the bottom. Grate or cut the butter into small pieces and spread half of it over the potatoes. Sprinkle half of the sugar/spice mixture over the potatoes. Repeat the layers with the remaining half of the ingredients. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until glaze begins to form. Spread marshmallows in a single layer on top and bake another 5-10 minutes or just until marshmallows begin to puff up and brown.