Blog - Page 33 of 37 - Five Feline Farm

Making Herb Butter

Five Feline Farm produces not only vegetables and fruit but an array of herbs to complement any dish. Unfortunately, the growing season is coming to a close in Central Illinois, so it is time to pick some herbs to be held over for winter use.

Herbs can be dried and stored in glass jars or chopped and frozen in ice cube trays. Both of these methods provide a warmth of flavor to winter meals enhanced by knowing there are no fertilizers or pesticides. The down side to dried herbs is a bit of a change in the flavor. Fresh flavor is diminished and although superior to herbs bought in plastic shaker, it is still a dried herb.

Herbs frozen in ice cube trays offer an advantage of holding onto some of the fresh flavor, but the cubes tend to frost over and stick together in time. Plus the added bit of water can be undesirable.

Both of these methods have a place, but recently I started making herb butters to preserve and utilize fresh herbs. Wrapped in waxed paper and sealed in freezer bags these have kept for several weeks. Since butter freezes well, it seems that herb butters should also freeze well.

To start, wash and air dry the herbs. Select a handful of herbs to snip into tiny pieces. Judge both the size of the pieces and the amount of herb by what you would want to find in your finished dish.

Mix the herb thoroughly in one stick of softened butter.

Spread the butter into a rough log about 2 inches from the edge of the waxed paper.

Fold the waxed paper over the log and lightly squeeze into a log.

Roll up the log in the paper and twist the ends.

Label and store in a freezer bag.

To use, unwrap and slice off the amount desired.

The freezer now contains butters with chives, basil, oregano, thyme, curry and rosemary. The options for using these butters is only limited by the cook’s imagination. A slice of chive butter on a baked potato or a bit of basil butter melting over sautéed chicken breast will warm the winter months with a reminder of summer.

What would you put herb butter on? Drop us a comment with your ideas.

Farm Tours and Future Plans

Two weeks ago we hosted a tour of Five Feline Farm for the EIU Academy of Life Long Learning. Twenty participants were treated to a presentation about the bees and life on the Farm.

One question posed by a number of participants was “where are you going with this hobby farm concept?”. The honest answer at this time is “we don’t know” but we plan to keep doing it and see where it leads. So far growth has been organic. What interests us and motivates us is to learn or experience new things. Sometimes you really just don’t know what your destination is until you arrive.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the history of the Farm and seeing the progress that has been made in such a short period of time. The land was a wreck, wild and untamed in 2002. After being able to move here in 2008, more progress is made every day.

We do have plans to increase bee friendly plantings. The south garden area will be expanded in the spring to include a series of raised beds with more flowers, pumpkins, gourds and anything else that strikes our fancy. This area will likely also see a garden shed with a porch and swing.

Another priority is to refurbish the John Deere Box wagon and convert it to a produce stand. It is time to start finding ways for Five Feline Farm to generate some income.

Drop us a note in the comment box and let us know your suggestions for the future of Five Feline Farm.

Natural Pest Control

On Five Feline Farm we strive to do things as naturally and organically as possible. To this end we use a natural pest control system across the Farm. This involves companion plantings, sprays that are made of natural sources and working with nature instead of against.

In the garden we had put up clanging pans to keep the birds from picking the newly planted seeds out of the garden. This was effective just after planting until the seedlings came up. At this point we noticed worms in the garden feasting on the plants. Removing the pie pans did the trick. Now the birds eat the worms and we have no need for a chemical spray.

Japanese beetles will destroy many plants and our first concern was grape vines. The traps for these pests seems to draw them instead of fight them, so we have concocted a spray that will address this. A solution of chopped onion, minced garlic, cayenne pepper and Dawn dish soap in water misted over the plants effectively repels these pests. The beetles drop off as soon as they are hit with this stinky spray.

In February, the fruit trees require a dormant spray as a pest repellant. Before the trees start to bud, this spray will prevent eggs from hatching that have been laid in the tree. This prevents disease and infestation. This spray is done early before the budding so that it does not interfere with pollination. The natural spray we use is Dawn dish soap, canola oil and water solution.

For weed control we have nearly discontinued the use of Roundup in favor of rock salt. A strong salt solution will kill weeds. In a brick sidewalk, just sweep the salt into the cracks allowing rain or ground moisture to saturate. For a spray, dissolve salt into warm water and spray as needed to kill weeds.

As a small test for the followers of Five Feline Farm: what is in the picture below and how can it be used to control pests? Post an answer on our Facebook page or below this post.

5 Reasons to Start Keeping Bees

You can ask any beekeeper why they started keeping bees and each will have a story to tell. Below are our top five reasons for beginning an apiary in order of importance.

Honey

We are interested in eating local food as much as possible. Since there is nothing more local than your own backyard, keeping bees is a good way to ensure a good supply of local honey. Two hives produce more than enough honey for personal use plus extra to share or sell. The majority of the honey we use is liquid but we are starting to experiment with creamed honey and comb honey. More information about those products in a future blog post.

Fun

Honeybees are fascinating to watch. They are active from sunrise to sunset, coming and going from the hive. If you stand about 15 feet from the hive just slightly off to the side you can get a good view of the hive entrance. Standing directly in front of the hive entrance is ill-advised. This blocks the way and interrupts their flight pattern. Bees will buzz around our heads as warning when we are in the way. While watching the hives, it is fun to pick out an individual bee and follow her as she lifts off, flies a circular pattern above the hive then wings her way to gather nectar. At the same time, other bees are coming in for a landing to unload their nectar or pollen. Careful observation reveals orange, yellow or white pollen on the bee’s hind legs.

Inside the hive, each of the workers has a different task. As they move through their lifespan, worker bees take on different jobs. Some feed the young bees, some care for the queen, others clean out cells. The foragers collect nectar and pollen, then bees working inside the hive fan the nectar to reduce the water content until it becomes honey. An exciting moments recently was spotting the queen. The queen is elusive as she is busy laying eggs and there is only one queen in thousands of worker bees.

Pollination

Honeybees are critical plant pollinators. Some estimates place the honeybee as the primary pollinator for at least 60% of food crops. Almonds are one crop that is solely pollinated by honeybees. Bees will fly up to three miles to collect nectar and pollen but the more distance involved the less any one bee can collect. By keeping healthy colonies on the property, we can ensure our flowers and vegetables have good pollination. This encourages better production.

In mid-August, Echinacea, thyme, basil, oregano and cucumbers are in bloom at Five Feline Farm. Forager bees flit from flower to flower without a care for the human hand reaching in to pick something for the supper table.

Preservation

The honeybee population has been declining over recent years for a variety of reasons, some known, some unknown. Theories for this decline include increased use of pesticides and genetically modified seeds. Loss of habitat is another potential reason as land is converted to housing or large mono-crop farmland. Colony Collapse Disorder, the sudden death of an entire colony of bees without explanation is also being explored to identify cause. Although we can not determine the cause of honeybee decline, with responsible management, we can help increase the population of bees.

Income

There is an initial investment in keeping bees; however there is also income potential. The sale of strained liquid honey provides the majority of income from keeping bees. One colony of bees can produce 50 to 100 pounds of honey per year depending on nectar flow and the health of the colony. Fifty pounds of honey equals about 44 of those cute little bear containers.

Other products from the hive include honey comb, wax, propolis and pollen. Creamed honey, essentially a controlled crystallization process that makes the honey semi-solid and spreadable. These products may have a niche market that can be lucrative; however our intent is to focus on liquid honey and a bit of comb honey.