Health and Nutrition for Life

Queensland non-hearting leaf lettuce:​
​From start to harvest to reproduction
Queensland lettuce seed came home with us from Brisbane, Australia in March of 1990. Since then, we have generated seeds every year and spread the message as far as we can. It is tolerant of heat and cold, and delicious for a longer term than other lettuce. Enjoy, save seeds, and replenish your supply.

  1. Gather equipment: Seeds, cup-size container with holes in bottom, saucer to hold water, shower bonnet to cover.
  2. Fill cup with best soil or vermiculite, sprinkle a few seeds on top, cover with shallow layer of soil or vermiculite.
  3. Moisten from bottom and carefully from top, cover with bonnet. Place in warm place. Keep shallow layer of water in saucer.
  4. In 3-5 days, you will see small sprouts. Take off bonnet, place in best light, any lamp directly on top of it is best, south location is seldom the best.
  5. In 7-10 days have planting pots filled with best soil and with seedlings showing two true leaves. With a pointed pencil, dig deep next to a seedling, lift one plant a time, use sharpened pencil to make a center hole in the potted soil, insert seedling, smooth soil around plant, water.
  6. Set in light, even in a protected outdoor location. Keep moistened, let it grow until you see a sturdy plant in 2-3 weeks.
  7. Plant into garden area: one plant per square foot. Secure soil around, moisten. Mulch for soil to retain coolness and moisture.
  8. In 6-7 weeks, harvest bottom leaves only. Always leave the top leaves for continued growth. Start as many plants needed to serve your needs. Eat from each plant for two months or more if you like the flavor.
  9. REPRODUCTION of SEEDS: Save a couple plants to continue growth to provide seeds for continued planting cycles. The plant will grow tall, stake it in, give it protection. It will produce small yellow flowers, which in turn will die and form fluffy gray seedheads.
  10. SAVE SEEDS: Individual seedheads may be harvested as they ripen or wait until almost all of the seedheads are ripe, harvest and store in a dry place. Or, when you see the top start of seeds, cover with a large net bonnet, and allow to go to complete ripe seedheads. Dry the seeds for a month or two. Assemble the seeds only, not the branches, in a winnowing bowl. Select an outdoor area protected from wind to winnow (lift and drop seeds) to collect the best seeds for the next plantings.

Enjoying Food from Garden to Table 

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For the life of yourself and your chickens. Yes, chickens produce wonderful delicious eggs for humans and for reproduction of the flock. Along with that the ‘end product’ manure for your garden!  This manure mix, including bedding materials, makes great HOT compost for your gardens that has to mature over a couple of garden seasons.
 
We are in the learning process on raising chickens; although we already know that chickens can be raised in 8 weeks for meat for the table OR for the eggs starting around 5-6 months and up to 3 years for best production of eggs.
 
Prince, the beautiful rooster, knows how to CROW about his harem of 14 GRACIOUS hens who come in multi-colors from white to black, and all in-between, with crowns on their heads and on their feet.

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Feta Cheese

Many people enjoy KALE chips; however, here is a favorite recipe to enjoy the fresh product.
Kale Salad recipe:
  • 6 cups chopped fresh kale leaves
  • 1/3 cup sliced radishes or turnip, any such veggie, like rutabaga
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup pecan halves chopped/toasted
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese​
Combine, drizzle with dressing, and sprinkle with feta. Toss gently to combine and serve.
Apple & Pumpkin Muffins 
Add raisins or dried cranberries for extra zest.
  • 2 eggs beaten lightly, to this add:
  • 1 can pumpkin, 2 cups prepared mash
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp. vanilla, next blend in: then
  • 2 cup sugar (I use less)
  • 1 tbsp. pumpkin spice, use your variety
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • Finally, 2 cups apple finely chopped.
 
18 greased muffin tins ¾ full
350 degrees 30 minutes. 
DELICIOUS, best cooled!

Twin ZUCCHINI Cakes: Delicious alone or with a topping

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Fudge Zucchini Cake
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 ¼ c. sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • ¾ c. butter, softened
  • 3 c. flour
  • ½ c. cocoa
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • 1 c. buttermilk (milk, add 1 tsp. vinegar)
  • 3 c. shredded zucchini
  • 1 c. walnuts, chopped
  • 1 ½ c. raisins, opt. (use both)
  • 1 ½ c. choc. chips. opt.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy. Add the sugar, beating until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Stir in the vanilla and butter. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda and salt in a separate bowl and mix well. Add half of this slowly to egg mixture. Add buttermilk and the other half of the flour mixture. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat smooth. Fold in zucchini, walnuts, raisins and chocolate chips.

​Pour mixture into 2 round or 8-inch square pans with bottom lined with wax paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 25-30 min. For a 9”x13” pan, bake 50-60 min.
Tropical Garden Zucchini Cake 
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 ½ c. vegetable oil
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 ½ c. coconut
  • 2 c. grated zucchini
  • 1 c. grated carrots
  • 1 small can crushed pineapple with juice 

Mix sugar, eggs, vegetable oil. Add flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Add coconut, zucchini, carrots and pineapple. Pour into a 9”x13” pan or 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min.

Adjust sugar and oil in both recipes to your liking.
Sharing ideas for better gardening... yours and ours!
Seed catalogs are in; seed packets are in the stores. What is on your garden calendar?
Queensland non-hearting leaf lettuce is an amazing lettuce. Many of our garden friends have tried it; this is your year to grow QLD! After spending time in Brisbane, Australia in 1989-90, we came home with QLD seed and have propagated it every year since by allowing a couple plants to go to seed, taking the seed harvest. Last summer I shared seeds with new friends in Bayport WI; will you want some? Send in your request.
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Here I am last February 2019, setting 3 lettuce plants in place in a tire garden in Haiti. This variety withstands heat and cold; plant in the spring, again in mid-summer and in your greenhouse, grow year around. Enjoy 2020!

Homeplace Beef

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Healthy Soil, Healthy People, Healthy Animals - 
All This Leads to a Healthy YOU!
In 1972 Laura and Marvin Bihl began raising organic beef on their farm south of Hasty, Minn. Laura’s background in public health nursing gave her a wide knowledge on the health of people, which then added becoming informed on the health of animals. Marvin was an engineer and quickly immersed himself in organic farming.

HEALTHY SOIL: To develop healthy soil the Bihl’s made the decision to never use herbicides and pesticides as use of these would destroy all the living organisms in the soil. Along with this they employed rotational grazing and crop management.

HEALTHY PEOPLE: In the spring of 1991, Laura and Marvin took the Square Foot Gardening class from Pat and Connie Lahr of Maple Lake. This led them to switching from row gardening to bed gardening and adding mulching to their vegetable gardens. From this they raised amazing fresh vegetables which they enjoyed year around; along with fruit from their apple and pear trees and grape vines.

HEALTHY ANIMALS: Rotational grazing during the summer provides the best food for the animals. Timely harvesting of hay grown on their land preserves the nutrient content for the winter hay. Year around the animals have free access to minerals and salt for health.

The Bihl family, including sons Tom and Mike, provide daily management of the farm; daughter Jeanne assists with the promotion of the beef sales and marketing. In the fall of each year, the beef is processed at local lockers and sold by halves, quarters, packaged bundles, and pounds.

Call 320 558 6392 for price and availability or email homeplacebeefmn@gmail.com   
Visits to the farm are most welcome.

Family Gardens

2020 has seen a growing interest in better health through fruit and vegetable growing. For me, growing up on a farm in Central Minnesota where the garden was an integral part of the  farm, the family grew every vegetable and fruit possible and then ate, canned, stored, froze, all they could for winter enjoyment. Today, with large acreages and expensive machinery, farmers have less time to devote to family home gardens; yet the desire is there for quality food for our families and friends. As a result CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture), Farmside Stands and Market Gardens have grown in supplying quality produce for the increased desire for nutritious fruits and vegetables.

Meet the Marquette Family Gardens
The Marquette Family Farm, in Wright County, has been in the family since 1875. The flower and vegetable gardens are surrounded by the farm buildings creating a beautiful productive scene indicating that the garden is an important part of the farm.

Gordon and Shirley Marquette took over the farm in 1961 raising their six - now adult - children, who now have stepped in to grow and share in creating their own venues of providing produce for Home and Market Gardens.

HOME GARDEN
Shirley tends the Home Garden, from which vegetables are also grown for market. However, from it Shirley feeds the family and puts aside fruits and vegetables in jars, freezers, dried and in cool storage.

MARKET GARDENS
Family members do various methods of Market Gardening:
  • ​Dave raises beef, and runs the farm growing corn, hay, beans, grain and along with that he also grows popcorn, and sweet corn. Maple syruping keeps him busy in the spring.
  • Dianne, in a nearby town, steps in wherever needed, such as pulling weeds and whatever task happens to need help at the time.
  • Valerie makes goat cheese with the milk from goats raised on the farm. She is also very helpful with maintenance of the fruit and vegetable gardens for home use and for market.
  • Timothy and family have their own garden about 10 miles from the home farm. They especially enjoy eating and sharing tomatoes from their garden.
  • Kevin and family have a Market Stand next to their home on County 37 close to the Maple Lake Township Hall. Along with this, they take lots of produce and canned goods to the Farmers Market in Buffalo. Cucumbers sell out fast along with the dill; and later canned pickles.
  • Larry has a large vegetable garden on the home property and sells at the Saturday Buffalo Market. This year he ‘sold out’ early on the sauerkraut that was put up last fall. He has been a participant in this Market for several years and the entire family gets involved in preparing the produce.

All six siblings of the Marquette family learned when growing up that food and farming go hand-in-hand creating a joyful beautiful setting in the hills surrounding Buffalo, Minnesota.