Holidays on the Farm

Just a short message to let everyone know what is going on right now, on the farm. We are like busy elves, with quite a large difference this year. We are taking a pledge to only shop local this holiday season, to help our local economy. Since our wallets are tighter this year, than they have (ever) been, most of our holiday gifts will be handmade. We are hoping that others will follow suit and this holiday will be a happy one for small local businesses. Roses Ridge Farm will be at the following locations, for perfect holiday shopping:

Nov 19: Old Beach Green Market, Cypress Ave, VA Beach 9-1. The Farmers Market will also be going on across the street.

Dec 3-4 : Fair Trade Festival, Waterside Marketplace, Norfolk, VA
10th anniversary of this great event- lots of variety to choose from

Dec 17: Old Beach Green Market - same place, same time

The new holiday fragrances, Sugar Cookie and Cranberry Fig will also be available at these markets, as well as holiday gift packages.

Another great event is going to be Roses Ridge Farm's Handmade Holidays on the Farm. Everyone goes to cookie swaps but what about an ornament swap? Ornaments were always handmade in the old days...and they are calorie free.:-) Hoping to have a few people demo their craftiness, eat great food shared by all, fire, and drinks...if this sounds good to you, visit the event on Roses Ridge Farms FB page by Thanksgiving, and RSVP.

Happy Holiday crafting season!

Why You Should Can Your Own Food

The Food and Agricultural Organization (www.fao.org) published a report in June 2011 showing that worldwide, the price of food jumped 39 percent in the last 12 months. If you are responsible for keeping the pantry stocked in your household, you have probably seen the price of your groceries creeping upwards. In the not too distant past, families such as yours coped with the same issue and had a solution in place: food canning.

Food canning allows you to grow or  purchase as much as you want, even if you can't consume it before it spoils. It also allows you to store food that is only available during its season and use at your convenience.

If you decide to create your own soup stock, tomato sauce, soups or dishes, you will know the exact ingredients that went into the dish. When you preserve these dishes through canning, you won't need to worry about allergies related to dyes and preservatives used in modern food processing. Keep in mind that in canning, you are not limited to fruits and vegetables alone because meats are suitable for canning also.

Another advantage to canning is that there is no electricity requirement to store your food, just a suitable environment. Take a moment to open your refrigerator and see what you have inside. What would perish if your electricity went out for a few hours? How about a few days? Odds are that you would have to consume everything that wasn't frozen right away and then finish the frozen food within the next day or two. Canned foods have been known to last for years and remain as delicious as the day it was canned. 

This scenario outlines an ancillary benefit of food canning, which is a step towards increased self reliance. You will be the owner of skills that will keep your family fed in times of crisis. Depending on the severity of the crisis, these skills might also keep your neighbors going as well. In the event of a long term food shortage/disaster not only will you be fed but also have items to barter with. In this unstable economic climate having a backup is not just smart, it is a survival necessity. 

Commercially canned food has come under increased scrutiny recently and toxic levels of the chemical BPA (bisphenol-A) has been found within these very foods we bring home to our families every day. This toxic chemical is found within the lining of commercially canned goods, and it wasn’t until just recently that researchers from Consumer Reports discovered that it had been leeching into the food from the cans themselves. 
The canned good companies having the highest concentration of BPA were found to be Del Monte Green Beans, Progresso vegetable soup, and Campbell’s condensed chicken noodle soup. Over 100 independent studies have proven BPA to be damaging to the human body. Prostate and breast cancer, diabetes, sexual development, obesity, and adversely effects our learning abilities. All 49 brands tested were leeching BPA into food at some level.

Take control of your food and the health of you and your loved ones. Canning is easy. Do not be intimidated. There are books, videos, and neighborhood classes being held. Roses Ridge Farm recently just held our first and hopefully more to come in the future. If you can boil water, you can can. :-)

Life On the Funny Farm

So I have been a bit busy and caught up in daily life goings-on. What am I so busy with anyway? Well, here is a little once over of what life is like over here and what we do...

If you didn't already know my "real" job is as a licensed veterinary technician, which I have been for 11 years. I am an animal person and so is my Hubby. Currently our farm consists of our dog, cat, parrot, cow, 2 goats, 13 chickens, and a bunch of quail. Luckily my Hubby does most of the animal care, unless an emergency arises (which in our house is more often than not.)

Roses Ridge Farm is my business, artistic outlet, and passion. Started out of necessity for our son and then nudged ( or swiftly kicked I should say) into existence after being laid off, RSR is a huge part of my day to day life. In the beginning there were 6 bars of unscented goats milk soap laid out on our kitchen table. Currently there are 50 bars drying on a rack in what was once the parlor of our 18th century home, in a variety of scents (pumpkin pie is the recent fave). Lotions, scrubs, lipbalm, dog shampoo, and baby powder have all been added to the list, along with a new line of glycerin kid soaps, Beach Bubbles. It takes me about 45 minutes to make one batch, after I get setup, and I've been trying to get in 4 a week. Eventually I would love to crank out 10 batches a week...that is my dream right now.

Typical day "off" ( I still work as a tech)- consists of sending child off to school, Roses Ridge Farm production, chiropractor appointment ( I am very much a believer of holistic medicine), canning (new hobby!), chores, picking child up, little league, cooking, and maybe a second to breathe. Maybe. Weekends consist of all of the above, minus school, but also possible markets, such as The Old Beach Green Market, gardening, researching, repairs, chores, chores, chores. Did I mention chores? Because when you have a farm, whether large or small, they never end!

Living in an old house has its quirks, some a little more "adventurous" than others. Recently I some how busted the cold water on our kitchen faucet. It only runs hot now. Our kitchen/dining area is not heated or air conditioned. We are an energy auditors worst nightmare with the seams and tiny holes everywhere. The recent hurricane ripped asphalt shingles off the oldest part of the roof exposing wooden shingles underneath :-/. But its worth it. It's worth the craftsmanship (the beams are huge and put together with wooden pegs), the history, the feeling of stewardship of keeping something for generations to learn from in the future.(its having the old "haunted house" of the neighborhood ;-) ) So sometimes my chores are a little different or difficult. Did I mention our dishwasher died over a month ago? My hands are VERY clean.

We are a green family. We recycle. We garden. We compost. Our diet has drastically changed after watching "Food Inc". No fast food, no additives, no processed garbage.( ok sometimes it does sneak in there.) We shop farmers markets and local farms for all our produce and meat. We use only our own homemade soap. Plastic is a dirty word. Except for our son's room, I don't think any of our furniture is less than 10 years old. Antiques are wonderful to us. Our son has never eaten an egg that was not laid on our farm. Our heat is mainly supplied by a wood stove and we are slowly learning how to "plug up" the holes in the house. Canning and dehydrating are next on our list of things to accomplish. My husband is into learning to make our own solar panels. Someday we would love to live "off the grid".

So that is some of our little slice of "heaven" here. It's a crazy little farm and we love it. Let's see what else we can get into...

What Is On Your Skin?

We first started making our own soap at Roses Ridge because our son had eczema. He has not had eczema in 2 years since. What began as a solution to our son's health problem turned into an educational experience of huge proportions and changed the way we looked at mass marketed items forever. If your not looking at labels, you are slowly toxifying yourself and your family. The first barrier toxins touch, before reaching your bloodstream, is your skin, hair, and nails. Skin is the largest organ of the body and for some reason we are taught that unless we have a "break" in our skin, it is impenetrable, like plastic. So far from the truth!! Your skin, hair, and nails absorb up to 60%, depending on area of the body and chemical used, based on research. Some areas, like underarms and genitalia, may absorb up to 100%. (Connection with the increase in prostate and breast cancers? Hmmm...) Long ago I did work for a lab that tested pharmaceutical and some cosmetic products. Guess how inaccurate the testing was?! One of the cosmetic companies was a large corporation too. My point is do not expect the FDA and other government agencies to be looking out for your best interest. Don't be lazy and look for the list of ingredients. (I will be posting the toxins list soon.) I was told if you can't eat it safely, should you be slathering it all over your body? (Petroleum anyone?) The below video is one that really had me thinking about how the cosmetic industry works. I hope you will take the time to watch it.

Watch "The Story of Cosmetics (2010)" on YouTube

DIY Dishwasher Detergent

I want to share a natural recipe for washing dishes in homage to my recently deceased dishwasher. Sadly I was only able to use the borax a few times but it cleaned spotlessly! Not only is it safer (safe for septic too) for the environment but it is sooo much cheaper!

Powdered Dishwasher Detergent
         
1 cup borax 
1 cup baking soda or washing soda
Mix ingredients in a container with a removable, snap-top lid. Add 2 tablespoons per load along with a splash of white vinegar in the rinse chamber of your dishwasher to prevent spots and/or residue. Add several drops of your favorite essential oil (naturally antiseptic tea tree oil is an excellent choice) as an optional finishing touch.

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent 
2 cups vegetable-based castile soap (such as Vermont Soap Organics or Dr. Bronner’s)
½ cup water
½ cup white vinegar 
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 drops essential oil of your choice
Pour ingredients into a recycled plastic bottle with a squirt-top and shake until thoroughly incorporated. Before using, shake liquid well and measure out 2 tablespoons per load.

On the Farm

We are very busy at Roses Ridge, trying to get projects going, since the heat seems to have abated somewhat. The fall and spring are always the busiest times; I'm sure that is true for anyone in agriculture. Time to start and then hurry up and finish all those projects before the freezing weather returns. In my mind the winter returns far too quickly.
Each season is a learning experience for us.
This fall we will be stocking up on wood for the woodstove, learning  canning, and trying to weatherproof the oldest part of the house that has no ac or heat.(If you wonder why that is and what the history of the  farm is all about check out our old blog at rosesridgefarm@wordpress.com. The history of our 200+ year old plantation farmhouse is under the top tag "Warden Plantation".)
In addition to our Dexter cow, 2 goats, dog , cat, African grey parrot, and chickens, we will also have quail...which will need a new home built. The chicken coop needs a serious overhaul as well as the pasture fence. Our business is growing. Pete has also started investigating building solar panels...
These are just things that need to be done now. Nevermind the 101 things that we would like to do.(actually finish a knitting project!) Time and money are of short supply, the latter being critical.  In this economy it is essential to learn how to be self sufficient. People need to learn how to take care of themselves, as well as help others. The Virginia Urban Homesteaders League,www.VaUHL.com, is trying to help bring people together, to share skills and help others with "back to basics" living.  Please consider joining if you are in the Hampton Roads area. We all need to come together and help each other. And if I sound like a 70's throwback song, you are right.

The Ultimate Reuse/Recycle

What do you think is one of, if not, THE largest thing that you can reuse/ recycle? Furniture? Power equipment? Vehicles? How about a.... House! Seriously, buying an old house over a brand new one, or having one custom built (unless by a certified eco- friendly builder) is one BIG way that you can help the planet. Why is this? Well there are several reasons:

1."Pave Paradise, Put up a Parking Lot" Over the past few years the amount of open or forested land is quickly disappearing. In Hampton Roads, including Chesapeake, developers are eager to buy up land and plant the "piano keys" of houses, on what was farmland. There is no longer a "green line" it seems. Run off, poor grading causing flooding, and the destruction of open land for wildlife are just a few effects.

2. Landfill - Have you ever watched a house being constructed? Have you looked at the dumpster sitting next to it? Have ever really looked in that dumpster? I have. It is full to the brim with wood!  Whole sheets of plywood and 2x4 big enough to construct your own mini house. Stuff that anyone could find a use for but at the end of the job they throw it away. (note...we are not advising anyone to go trespassing!) We were aghast at the waste! And in my "neighborhood" alone there were 5 of these dumpsters at five building sites. Multiply this by the 100's of developments going up in our area alone ...its just staggering how much landfill space that would take up. It made me sick how wasteful this is. According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) study, in 2009, an estimated 8,000 lbs of waste is created from the construction of a 2,000 square foot home.  The majority of the 8,000 is wood, cardboard, and drywall.  Almost all of that waste ends up in landfills.  The EPA has estimated that waste from construction accounts for up to 40% of the nation’s solid waste.

3. Fumes - That new house smell is off gassing of construction materials. Toxic formaldehyde and styrene from new carpets, paint, particle board. These fumes can cause headaches, flu symptoms, and long term exposures can cause cancer. This topic will be expanded at a later date, since this also includes that "new car" smell.
 
What you can do?
Buy old and remodel smartly. Reuse what you have ( save money & the earth). Habitat for Humanity has building materials, sometimes new, donated from the green building companies (@ a fraction of the price!)

If you must by new:
Go to www.lowimpactliving.com to find green builders in Virginia. This website is also a source for green living home companies in our area, everything from lighting to geothermal heating. Research. Think about your impact on the planet.

Look for low off gassing materials and furniture. Use sustainable hardwoods. Paint with low voc paints. Use carpet sparingly, better yet don't use it at all.

Be Green.