Author Archives: Virtual Farmgirl

How is war related to the aisles and aisles of junk food lining our grocery shelves? Watch Food Fight for the answer. I won’t spoil it here. But I will say that if you get a chance to see Chris Taylor’s new documentary, take a few minutes. If you’re a buy local fanatic, you’ll seeContinue reading “Vote With Your Fork, We Are”

After my post Thursday about root cellars, I picked up a new follower on Twitter: Food Storage Made Easy. It’s an interesting emergency food storage resource site. It’s chock full of ideas for literally shelving and keeping the food you need at the ready. Plus the site is super cute, with a clean design (noContinue reading “Food Storage Made Easy?”

Anyone who doesn’t live in California or Florida who has become addicted to local, fresh food from farmers markets, dreads November and the bitter cold, barren months ahead. In the Midwest, if you don’t have a plan for saving food through the winter or have a CSA that will deliver root veggies until Spring, you’reContinue reading “The Root of the Problem: Food Storage”

I got this note from Hoosier Outsider. It’s been circulating among the sustainable farming enthusiasts. I can totally relate to all of this and I think it essentially applies to life in general…except I don’t have an extension agent to help me with issues in my neighborhood. The note to new farmers is from TracyContinue reading “Advice for New Farmers: Make Friends”

Here we are at the Obama rally in Grant Park.http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swfWe didn’t stay the whole time, just until the kids started getting sleepy and the crowds oppressive. What a night. We’re glad we made it.

Update: I had almost no line at my polling place. If I had asked for a paper ballot, instead of an electronic one I would have been in and out in less than 15. Still, I wasn’t there, line and voting more than 20 minutes. Considering that the iFarmer reported that at 6:15 a.m., afterContinue reading “Didn't Need All These Provisions After All”

I love it when other people do all the work and all I have to do is upload the pictures. Here’s a shot of the kitchen window at The Farm. Look carefully and you’ll see the pioneer-era hand drawn logs (8×12 black walnut) that frame the window. Yes, that’s the original log cabin beneath thatContinue reading “This House is Old”

Thanks to Matt, who’s doing PR for Chevron Delo’s FFA Tractor Restoration Competition, I now have before and after pix from the kids who competed this year. Amazing…check these out. Before:After, the 2008 individual winner, Matthew Dehlinger:Before:After, the winners from the Eufaula H.S. FFA:

Future Farmboy woke up this morning reminding us that this weekend has been set aside by our brothers south of the border as a time to remember loved ones and as a time to face our own mortality. [The powers that be aligned the holiday on Nov. 1 & 2 with All Saints Day andContinue reading “On Dias De Los Muertos: Oyster Stew for Omi”

I pulled together a happy hour this evening for new and old friends and whipped up some appetizers with a so-so Michigan cherry wine from Chateau de Leelanau. As part of the offerings, I served up my ham rolls, one of my favorites. But I didn’t realize until tonight that the iFarmer has long hadContinue reading “Good Friends, Not So Good Wine”