Eating Floyd: Once Upon A Time...

... the USDA Knew the Right Thing To Do.

While looking for vintage images for posters I came across these government posters encouraging Victory Gardens and food preservation.  The posters just precede WWI and continue up to WWII.  After that as far as active encouragement from the government goes there's just... crickets.  So yes, these posters gear toward a war effort but it is amazing and ironic how pertinent they are to the current movement toward sustainability and control over our food sources and content.

Cooking Floyd: Winter Squash, Spinach & Goat Cheese Lasagna

A little of both, please! A bit of winter and a bit of spring.

 Winter squash and leafy, green Spring spinach!

It's cold enough to crave a bit of winter comfort food yet we are impatient with our slow spring and want new fresh greens.  There were a couple of containers of winter squash puree left in the freezer, odds and ends of cheese in the fridge needing to be used, and... a whole bag of new spinach!

Preserving Floyd: Make Your Own Vinegar Class

Please join me on May 15 to learn how to

Make Your Own Wine Vinegars

It’s easy to save money and make your own red and white wine vinegars at home.  Don’t throw out that unused portion of wine- turn it into a tasty vinegar!  Learn how to flavor vinegars with herbs, fruits, and spices.  Find out how to pasteurize vinegar and bottle it for gifting.  Various home made vinegars will be available for sampling.  As an added bonus find out how to make my in-demand Maple Vinegar!  Participants will take home their own “vinegar mothers”.  Please wear comfortable closed toe shoes.  An apron is suggested but optional.  Class size is limited so please register early.

Location: Farm Bureau, 335 E. Oxford St., Floyd, VA  24091

Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm

Fee: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, space providing.

To register contact: Rebecca Shannon at 540-745-8514

Payment may be mailed to or dropped off at 153 Gracie Lane NW, Floyd, VA, 24091

Please remember, the only reservation is a paid reservation.

Husbanding Floyd: New Girls in Town

Anita was moving to her new home around the same time that our flock got decimated.  Since our girls were gone and she couldn't take hers with her a few of her hens (she had around 60!) moved to our coop!

Anita's hens are truly free range.  They've been out foraging and flying all their lives although they do know what a coop is for and come back to it at night.  "Born Free" is they're theme song.  Other descriptives might be "wild" or "feral".