The summer is coming to a close. At the farm we processed tons (literally thousands of pounds) of tomatoes. We’ve made lots of sauce and I even attempted making sun dried tomatoes for the first time. We also just got into apple season and have already had one fun pick and press with the farm friends. We harvested 6 full crates and got close to 20 gallons of juice. Half the juice is fermenting in the cellar. Soon enough we will be sipping on some crisp cider in front of a fire on a cool fall evening. There is an abundance of wild apple trees on ATG’s property, most of which are not the best eating apples. Although few apples make the cut as eating apples, surely any can be pressed into juice.
Earlier this month I visited my friend Taylor, who is working at the farm Spikenard in Floyd, Virginia. Spikenard is a Biodynamic farm dedicated to the preservation of the honey bee and other pollinators. It is a one of a kind, non profit bee sanctuary, designed to educate and celebrate. ATG's very own Biodynamic mentor, M, has studied at Spikenard over the years, and it holds a place deep in his heart. The farm is fairly small and easily walkable, but a palpable energy of peace and vitality flows through the air. Its a gallery of bee hives, each of which have their own name. There are a variety of hives (all active) on display, many of which were hand made.
Taylor has been learning to keep bees for a few years. She visited ATG last fall, when I first arrived on the farm. A conversation with M catalyzed her to seek out this unique opportunity at Spikenard. While visiting Spikenard, we harvested rosehips and I decided to infuse them in honey, a gift from Taylor’s bees in Connecticut. Preserving in honey is an elegant way to fuse a flavor into this mineral rich nectar. Almost anything can be infused into honey. Take for instance a garlic clove. Simply peel the clove, chop it up and put it in a jar of honey. Make sure to refridgerate, otherwise the garlic will secrete its water and cause the honey to spoil. Another fun combo is preserving roasted red peppers in honey.
Here's to many more adventures in food preservation, agricultural exchange and friendship.