Problems & Solutions

Our kitchen manager, Regina, recently pulled off some officious freezer re-organization and the problem has been determined. We aren’t eating in sufficiently aggressive quantities. More specifically, gallon freezer bags of kale and collards persist in tremendous proportions, along with a surfeit of raspberries and a glut of garlic scapes.

At the most recent count, we had eighty (80!) bags of greens remaining – and winter’s almost behind us. 12 bags of frozen raspberries have made it this far, and a whole crate full of garlic scapes continues to commandeer the freezer’s left-hand side.

And that’s not all. Just the other day, pitter-patter down the steps Regina descended, her arms full of long-pie pumpkins. The black and fuzzy blotches were visible from across the room. Her plea echoed the unfortunate state of affairs as the suffering squashes rolled lopsidedly on the counter: “Ai! how can we not have this happen?!”

How long do we have before the fifty or so remaining winter squash and pumpkins meet the same fate? This is our S.O.S. – save our squash! We need to feed more food to more people.

This is, mind you, a first-rate problem to have. We are cultivating more food than ever before here at D Acres, and the next season looks to be all the more productive. With new greenhouse space to extend the growing season, soil that is more fertile and rich with each year, established techniques & methods, and committed staff whose skills & experience improve with the seasons…the prospects are certainly not dire.

We don’t, however, eat more just because we raise more. This is where we need you. Come out to food events! Join us for a potluck! We can turn our stored delights into such a myriad of platters and dishes. Kale is easily tucked into much, no-one quibbles over raspberries, garlic scapes are the jackpot of flavor, and the squash varieties my oh my – delicata, acorn, hubbard, kobucha, red kuri, baby blue, and all manner of pumpkins…the dinner options are stupendous (not to mention all the other vegetables we grow and preserve in less daunting proportions!).

But listen, we need visitors with whom we can share the abundance. Pick the meal that best suits your style: how about wood-fired pizza the first Friday of each month? Or try our farm feast breakfast the first Sunday of every month, all-you-should-eat! Prefer being out in town? Join us at Mark’s Eatery in downtown Plymouth for seasonal soup and live entertainment every third Saturday.

And that’s not all! Join us for our monthly potluck the final Friday of each month, or learn our secrets to the best food around: join us for cooking classes the second Thursday of each month, then stay for dinner!

Our wealth is in our closets, and for this month of March it’s squash, garlic, and kale, along with potatoes and sauerkraut. We prefer sharing to hoarding, so consider this your invite. We’ll look to see you soon.

~Beth
as published in North Country News