#Lemongrass Farms

[farmerstrend]

The Current State of Lemongrass Farming in Kenya

“Discover the potential of lemongrass farming in Kenya, a lucrative venture offering high returns through essential oil production, herbal tea, and more. Learn about market trends, challenges, and growth opportunities.” “Explore the growing industry of lemongrass farming in Kenya. From essential oils to herbal teas, find out how this aromatic herb is transforming local agriculture and boosting…

[davidstortebeker]

The Permaculture Spiral Garden - A Great Starting Point

There is probably no other structure as popular for illustrating Permaculture in practice as the Herb Spiral. Okay, I guess I could mention the lasagna sheetmulching method or also the cob oven that tends to be the first hands-on project at a typical Permie intro session. But when it comes to showing how landscape design, zones and sectors, stacking functions, and efficient use of space and water come together in one unique structure, the Spiral Garden is unbeatable.

Turning Theory into Practice

In typical Permaculture Designer Certificate courses, but even in brief intro weekends to Permaculture, there tends to be a lot of theoretical discussions. Since the numerous design principles can be applied to any climatic region, from the tropical to the subarctic, and on any scale from the humongous to the tiny, the practical aspects of the ideas can easily get lost. That's where a good hands-on application comes, where the participants get to move around rocks and dirt, while realizing how much it ties in to the concepts they've just discussed. This way the apparent "main purpose" of "building something to grow all your kitchen herbs on", becomes a neat side feature.

Adjust Your Landscape!

The first thing to realize that landscape is welcome to be modified and adjusted to bring out the best in it. Clearly, while it is important to work with what's there already, it doesn't hurt think about mounds and valleys. And before you bring out the excavators for your large-scale farm, it makes sense to start small… say on a circle of 2-5 meters (6-16 feet) diameter. In other words, the Spiral Garden is a hill with a spiral shaped surface, leading down to ground level, or further down into a water hole. It can be made out of rocks, bricks, concrete debris, or anything else you have lying around that can hold your soil.

Design According to Your Scale

Looking around for existing Herb Spirals it's easy to get confused. Some are so big you can actually climb on them (that is, you have to in order to reach what's growing on top). Others are so tiny that you may not even want to step on them. The question is: which size is the right one for you? Since this is something you will have to decide almost daily in Permaculture, it doesn't hurt starting out with this important question.

Organizing Your Spiral Garden

While there are seemingly endless types of Spiral Gardens, there are a few things they all have in common: They all start out with a region on the top, where water is bound to run off right away, leaving the soil relatively dry. This area is also the most exposed to the wind. Keep this in mind when choosing the plants that are going to live here. Ideally, the spiral should start sloping toward the East from here. Delicate plants that benefit greatly from the morning sun will appreciate this region. As the slope continues toward the South and West, it becomes more suitable for sun loving species. Finally, as the spiral reaches the ground level in the shady Northern part, it will be perfect for herbs that prefer less sun, more shade and more water, since the soil tends to be wetter here. (Note: This is for the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere North and South are reversed.) To make full use of the runoff water, many people add a small pond at the base of the spiral, where additional aquatic plants, such as watercress, can be grown.

The given illustration offers a good number of herbs for a nicely diverse kitchen. Depending on what else you want in your Herb Spiral, you can add it in the most suitable region. Mint and lemon balm love the cooler, shady part with more water. Lemongrass is great in the sunny area, and tarragon and estragon prefer the dry top of the spiral. Of course, the idea is not limited to kitchen herbs. For maximalists, the same theory can work with a mountain you might want to terraform into a spiral farm. But right now I'd prefer to stay small scale.

Plenty of Benefits (That's Why It's Permaculture)

As explained above, the main purpose of the Spiral Garden is not only to increase your gardening area by making use of the vertical, but also to create diverse climatic conditions, which do make a difference on the smallest scale. But as Permaculture tends to be, there are many other benefits to it. The structure itself offers great habitat for numerous animals, such as frogs, salamanders, lizards, but also pollinating insects, and of course others that may not directly benefit us, but by feeding on others they all add to the stability of our ecosystem. The structure itself will suppress weeds and make use of material that you're not likely to use elsewhere. Finally, depending on the size and location, it will be an ideal place to grow all your kitchen herbs right where you can access them most easily.

Some Things to Keep in Mind

When building the structure, make sure it will contain the soil in a nice trough, slanting slightly inward. That way bits and pieces that fall off will roll towards the center, until contained by the main mound.

Make sure the slope is always nice and gradual, avoiding sudden drops where the water can rush down quickly, eroding the soil.

If you're going to walk on your spiral, include a separate walkway that won't compress good soil. Most importantly, it should be sturdy enough to provide stability and make access safe.

Don't forget that while the structure is important to keep the soil in place, it is the soil that you'll be growing plants in. So it should have a good depth of 20-50 cm (8-20 inches) throughout the entire spiral. This can be the trickiest part!

Apply your own observation to which plants do better in which parts of the spiral. Also, with time you will find many other plants growing in it that you didn't plant. Before removing them, consider how much they actually bother your herbs, and whether their benefits may not outweigh their drawbacks.

Go Out and Build Your Own!

I hope this brief overview got you inspired to go out and try building an Herb Spiral yourself! I would love to hear your experiences with it!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

[bluetraverser]

FL chapter 58 is ALSO here!

Elliott sat down in the armchair and wrapped the blanket around himself again.

He was scared.

Her temperature was high but not high enough to call Harvey again. He had given her medicine. So far she hadn’t spit up the latest bottle yet. Of what little she had been willing to drink. She would probably be okay. But it was so hard to deal with this. It was bad enough when Robert was sick but Ayleen! Ayleen! His sweet baby girl…

He felt so helpless…

He curled back up and tried to will himself to be okay. Whatever his girl needed, he would be here. She would be okay. She would definitely be. Okay.

--------------

Robert woke up too early. The clock told him it wasn’t even 5 am yet.

He sighed and got up, too antsy to keep lying here. Elliott had insisted he go to sleep, given he couldn’t really take breaks from keeping the farm running. But he’d felt guilty and worried and finding sleep had been no easy errand. He had startled anytime Ayleen had made noises, worried if she was okay. He knew Elliott was with her and would do anything he could for her. But he felt like his heart physically tried to drag him to her anytime he heard her cry out.

He got dressed quickly and went downstairs to check on them.

Ayleen was breathing okay. He couldn’t see her face well in the dark, but her breathing sounded stable and she was still lying on her back. Good! He wanted to touch her, but he worried she would wake up if he did. He tiptoed over to his husband who immediately startled awake, despite his efforts to be quiet.

“Hey. Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you.” He tried to whisper as quietly as possibly.

Elliott relaxed again, sighing. “’S okay.”

Robert pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Need anything?”

“mh-mh.” He indicated negative.

“Okay.” He squeezed his hand, then tip toed away again.

Robert shredded the chicken meat and put it aside, then checked how the broth was doing. He sipped a little bit of it, added more lemongrass and decided it needed to stew a little bit longer before he would add the chicken to it.

He cut up some fresh herbs to go with it, then started preparing a tray…

“Guh…”

Robert turned and went over to his child a moment. “Hey you. Woke up again, huh?” He gently took her hand for a moment, and smiled at her little pink face, then let go again. Much to their relief, after two weeks of back-and-forth her fever had finally gone down again in the past few days. She was still cranky and not very hungry but her color and general well-being had improved so much…

Robert tried the broth again, then added in the chicken and some herbs, putting a lid back on to let it simmer another two minutes.

Elliott lumbered into the kitchen. “It smells tasty.”

Robert smiled, turning back to him. “Hey. I was going to bring you some when it’s ready.”

Elliott briefly hugged him, then sat down. “’S okay. I’m good to eat here.”

“Guess this means your appetite is returning. I’m glad.”

“Mhmh. My temperature is almost normal again.”

Robert sighed in relief. He usually dealt with sickness around him okay, but the way Elliott had continuously cared for their daughter the first week, staying up almost every night with her before falling sick himself, had made him feel guilty and gnawed on him. It had made it harder to be okay.

“Well. That is a relief. I hope the soup will do you good.” He cut up a lime and drizzled it into the stew, then turned off the heat and put the pot on the table.

“It does smell delicious, darling.”

Robert smiled and was just about to ladle out soup for both of them when the phone rang. He groaned. “Eat. I’ll get it.”

“Llyr farm, who’s disturbing my lunch break?”

“Oh Robert, that is really no way to answer the phone.”

“Yes, it is. Hi Mum. The greeting makes clear that whoever is calling has gotten a hold of me but is, in fact, disturbing me, and should maybe call me back at a later time.”

“Now that is just impolite. I wanted to ask about Christmas this year.”

“Uhm… I…” He thought about Christmas. Did he want to go to the city with an 8-month-old, be annoyed and stressed and mostly miserable? Or did he want to stay home and maybe actually set up a tree with Elliott and be comfortable and…

“I don’t think we’re going to make it. Sorry.”

“But Robert, that is the second year in a row. Really, I barely see you and you barely call!”

He sighed. “Mum. I am sorry. But we live far away, I have a very busy job and honestly, coming to the city is really stressful. And the last time I called you, you didn’t have time.”

“Well, that is no excuse! Your cousin Judith also has quite a way to come here and she comes by regularly.”

He felt the anger boil up in him again. He had a sick child and husband around and she had called him during lunch break and-

He took a deep breath. The whole thing was annoying as hell but he should really finally tell her-

“Ooh, I have someone at the door, hold on, deary!”

Robert stared at the phone, dumbfounded. He had just made up his mind about finally telling her and now-

“It’s Kathleen from across the hall, she needs my help at the bake sale after all so I have to go!”

“Uh. Okay, but mum I-”

“Bye!”

He put down the phone and let out a long groan. He had just. Tried. To tell her. And YET.

He harrumphed and went back to the kitchen where his husband was sleepily staring at him. “Mmmh? Couldn’t get a word in?”

“No.” He sighed and sat down. “You should have eaten. It’s best when it’s hot.”

“You weren’t gone long; it should still be hot.”

Robert smiled, then put out soup for both of them. He was about to put out rice when Elliott took his bowl in hands and sipped a little bit of the broth. He let out a long, warm sigh, then sipped more of it. “...mmmmh...yes.”

Robert smiled. “Don’t you want rice with it?”

“In a moment… but the ginger...the broth...I can feel it just… being good for me.”

Robert felt lighter again, hearing it. “I’m so glad.”

Full chapter at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28793223/chapters/152092765#workskin

[so-caffeinated]

It’s been a bit! I’ve deleted my Twitter but I am keeping my Tumblr, and I thought I’d give a brief look at what we’ve been doing.

Just over three years ago, we started on a never-ending journey toward self-sufficiency. I have learned SO much since then and there’s still so much to learn.

We raised our first pigs this past year and just sent them to butcher, though we will likely do the deed ourselves next time. We have about 25 dairy goats, which we breed, compete with, and milk. I make cheeses, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and ice cream. We also sell some of the milk. We have about two dozen chickens at the moment after butchering roughly half of them. Next year we intend to drastically up that number and add butchered farm-fresh, never-frozen chickens to our offerings, along with eggs.

We built a massive raised bed garden which produced a ton of… well, produce! On top of your usual tomatoes and peppers, we had a huge variety of herbs, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, strawberries, nasturtiums, chard, Brussels sprouts, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, chickpeas, pinto and black beans, grapes, rhubarb, figs, artichoke, melons, squash, cucumber, buckwheat, blueberries, cranberries, pumpkins, bay laurel, lemongrass, and amaranth that all produced for us this year. Obviously some did a lot better than others but we are experimenting with unusual varieties that better withstand extreme temperature and drought.

We use 100% water capture for our plants and animals, though we did run out once this year and had to truck in some water. We also have a large solar array that covers most of our electrical use.

While I am planning to write again very soon, what I’m planning to write next is a cookbook of difference recipes using chèvre (aka goat cheese). I’ve experimented with it a lot, as I frequently have a lot of it, and I’ve got everything from drinks and soups to main courses and desserts that I make all the time.

We pressure and water bath can, dehydrate, and (soon will!) freeze dry goods. I’ve tried - and failed - at making a sourdough starter, but Dan has had great success making mead.

All of this is to say, if any of you have questions or want advice on how to be a little more self sufficient (even if that just means growing some herbs in your windowsill. Start where you’re at!!), I’m always here to ask questions of or tell you what lessons I learned the hard way.

My kids are great and I’m super proud of all three of them (youngest is a foster kiddo who has been with us over a year). I won’t be discussing them online anymore, with very very few exceptions, for their safety.

❤️

[loupgaroualejardin]

Will be yapping about headspace here for fair warning to everyone who doesn't want to read this, it may be long.

Our headspace is very, large, with about seven layers (give or take) that are all about the size of Alaska (With one being the size of a mid-sized mall and another being about as big as Switzerland), with The Void surrounding all of them.

Our most well documented two are The Garden (The primary layer which most headmates reside in and can easily transport to) and The Blocks (The layer just above The Garden that is materialized aspect of Minecraft, where, really only minecraft sourced/related headmates can reach).

The Garden is the largest amongst the layers, with five different sections, and roughly eight areas in each section that are well known about. The sections are divided amongst the areas from start to finish, which would be:

The Garden - A open long grass field surrounded lightly by pine and coniferous trees. Most heavily populated due to existence of the Teleporting City in it.

The Mountains - A rocky mountain that splits The Garden from the rest of the layer, a bit hard to traverse.

The Garden Pt.2 - A area primarily packed full with forests of deciduous and oak trees, with a trail between a few locations. It thins out when getting to the border of the Moss Sea and near Lemongrass' farm.

The Moss Sea - A sea reminiscent of Cayos Cochinos in Honduras with a island in the middle (though, it's much too far out to see from land). At Lemongrass' farm, they have a pier and boat for crossing the sea.

The Sahara - Across the Moss Sea there is a desert. It's one of the least populated places in the whole system, with only four beings residing there.

Done yapping for today. Um, Ask questions if you want, we love talking about our headspace!

[alex51324]

Farm box week 19!

Fruits this week are watermelon, peaches, and a brand new one, grapes!

Vegetables are yellow squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots (with greens), baby bok choy, lemongrass, green beans, and onion.

So I'm thinking stir fry, obviously, and maybe potato & sweet potato hash, with fried eggs on top. I've never cooked with lemongrass before, but I imagine that goes in the stir-fry somehow. (Some of it, anyway. Can I dry the rest? Does anyone know? I guess I can look it up.)

And it's a cheese week, so I got these, too!

Feta, cheddar, and Dew Drop--I just started the other Dew Drop they sent me a few weeks ago; it's a sort of brie-type thing, very good. I might try this one in a baked brie recipe. And I've been waiting for feta; I have several recipes that I put aside for When They Send Me Feta, so I'll have to find them & think about what I want to do.

[selfshipping-haven]

Still thinking of goldie....she has more agency to me than chantecleer. He was kind of whiny and mopey the whole movie, even unconscious for a big chunk, and then meanwhile goldie has this strong sense of self preservation the whole movie, doing the best she can with her circumstances, knowing in her heart she's not just a chorus girl, and fucking throwing this giant ass flower vase that probably weighs as much as she does

My s/i, still named lemongrass, would show her around the farm and be really sweet with her. Her roger rabbit perhaps. I was thinking i'd be cute if their voice makes the flowers bloom in springtime

[tastesoftamriel]

A Very Merry New Life Banquet

By Chef Talviel of Riften

Starters

Argonian-style grilled seafood tapas selection, with pandan saltrice vol-au-vents

Babaganoush, tzatziki, and hummus tasting platter, with Bergama seeded flatbread and haloumi

Markarth rabbit meatballs, with smoked juniper mousse

Scrib and saltrice arancini, with an oozing spiced scuttle centre

Breton roast pork belly, with apple sauce and comberry jelly

Old Orsinium echatere tartare, with chub loon egg

Mains

Black Marsh fragrant salad, with exotic herbs and lemongrass-ginger dressing

30 day dry-aged Gweden Farm wagyu steak, with Russafeld Heights pinot noir reduction

Fragrant paella à la Summerset, with fresh seafood and Russafeld Heights pinot grigio

Greenshade wild boar koftas, with duck fat and bacon dip

Traditional Betnikh honeyed wolf pie, with bitter goat cheese

Rivenspire gnocchi gratin, with speck and Eidar cheese

Desserts

Khajiiti steamed lotus seed bao, with condensed milk

Hew's Bane deconstructed baklava, with coconut gelato

Shimmerene peach tartlets, with champagne jelly

Snowberry and apple sauce, with custard and cinnamon rusks

Bosmeri frozen yoghurt, with honey, condensed sugar mammoth milk, and bacon bits

Marshmerrow sponge cake, with gold kanet whipped scuttlecream

Potables

Russafeld Heights Grand Cru champagne

Surilie Brothers 4E selection: Pinot noir, merlot, pinot grigio, chardonnay

Eastmarch jazbay ice wine

Black-Briar mead

Elden Root jagga and rotmeth

Evette San's New Life mulled wine

Selection of Orcish, Argonian, Breton, and Nord ales

[glitterandmoondustofficial]

Alarm went off at 6:30 slept until 6:40. I’m really trying to wake up earlier but my chronic fatigue is at its worst.

Fairly normal morning routine other than the pull tab on KitKat’s food broke off and I couldn’t open the can. It’s in the fridge now and I’ll use a can opener tonight.

Bangs look a lot better this morning even thought I took my roller out in my sleep. Wore long sleeves today because the temp was very fall-like this morning.

The babies weren’t as upset this morning about the stall. They were naughty though. When getting them fresh water they knocked over the bucket and got water all over my feet. Luckily I was wearing farm crocs instead of my nice ones lol.

This was the playlist I started at work this morning.

Breakfast is yogurt, a KIND bar, and a V8. Ate it all 🩷.

Did not get that position in the company which everyone involved was disappointed about. The only reason I didn’t get it was because it’s not remote and I don’t want to relocate to Utah lol. Disappointed but not really surprised. I had multiple people reach out and apologize which is really disappointing because of this many people are involved it means I was definitely in the running for it.

Did double work until lunch. Did take time out to watch the Dragon Age gameplay preview and I’m very excited for it. It looks fun! Will preorder and take time off work to play lol.

Lunch consisted of vegan spring onion noodle soup, a mandarin orange, and more sugar free sparkling “water”. Ate the orange and half of the noodles.

Work continued to be busy throughout the days. I had a snack of peanut butter and pretzels. I did talk to work friends about Dragon Age throughout the day as well.

Left work early because I got frustrated. Since I’m covering for a coworker I didn’t really expect anything out of it but work told me they’d buy me lunch. I told them what I wanted and they said they’d order it for me but I’d have to be the one to pick it up instead of just having it delivered. I know this is a dumb complaint but with the disappointment of that position and the added stress of doing two people’s work I was just done.

Went to Kroger after work to check if there was a specific type of soap my roommates needed but also picked up some clearance croissant and the ingredients to make my knockoff pizza rolls.

KitKat greeted me by yelling of course.

Opened the windows in my room since it’s so nice outside.

Spent a few hours grazing the sheep and hanging out with friends. Had an easy quick dinner of cheesy crescent rolls followed by a few bites of iced cream. Ate all of the rolls lol.

Took a quick shower and then took half of my vitamins. Fed KitKat. Turned on my humidifier that doubles as a diffuser for an hour with lemongrass oil.

Horoscope for the day

And tarot card of the day

A good card! All of my cards the past week have been work related so I really hope this means that things will go well despite not getting that position. I’m just trying to stay positive when life is so stressful.

Will take my meds and the rest of my vitamins at 9:30. Windows are open again tonight since I don’t believe it’s supposed to get down to 43° again.

Stress level: 7/10

Motivation to eat: 5/10

Exhaustion: 8/10

[not-poignant]

Hey Pia! Hope you're well (very new reader here).

I gather that you live in quite a rural area (?) what do you like about living there? What is the flora/fauna like? I'm from the UK and haven't really experienced other climates so I'm interested heh

˶‘ ᵕ ‘˶

Hi hi anon!

I'm in what's classified as 'semi-rural' here in Western Australia, but basically it means that I am smack in the middle of dense suburbia, and then 10 minutes away from farmland and bushland on all sides, lol.

It's weird! Because it means we have a lot of amenities close by (though no hospitals or emergency care, they're all around 30-60 minutes away), but it also means when we travel out of the suburb, we often see kangaroos or alternatively alpacas and sheep (there's a lot of fleece farms up this way).

The weather here is actually quite Mediterranean (literally, Perth is classed as a 'Hot-summer Mediterranean climate' in the Koppen system). We can go months without rain. And we get around 139 clear days per year (no cloud cover), which means we're one of the sunniest capital cities in the world (to my endless dismay).

As to the animals *thinks* it's fairly normal to see kangaroos around here, at large parks and on farmland and clearings in bushland, and sometimes on the side of busy roads (which is not great). They are most common at dawn and at dusk. We also used to see wild emus for a while, but that was a few years ago, and I think this area is now too built up for it!

There are lots of parrots, and they're probably the most common birds we see, outside of like doves, Australian magpies (they are not Corvids), Australian ravens (they are Corvids), and birds of prey. The most common parrots we get up here are Carnaby's cockatoos, rainbow lorikeets, corellas, and pink & grey galahs. We also have a decent population of wood ducks, lol. And a lot of small songbirds. We get a lot of singing honeyeaters and brown honeyeaters in our garden.

Most of our trees aren't deciduous, so they keep their leaves all year round. And Eucalyptus are flowering trees. Right now all the jarrah trees are flowering all at the same time, with puffy huge white and cream blossoms, turning the bushland into the sound of lazy buzzing. Every day this week will be over 36C, so we make sure our birdbath is full, and the birds do actually use it. We have a garden, and I have mostly native plants in there, as well as some pots with curry plant (karapincha) and lemongrass, as well as rosemary, thyme and lavender.

When the weather is hot and there's clouds in the sky, we get the most amazing sunsets. My userpic is of a sunset that happened in my back garden.

These, for example, were all taken in the back garden:

And this is what most of the surrounding bushland around us looks like in summer:

And some extras:

[nvrcmplt]

A favourite snack is that of a spiced cabbage roll with a hefty venison steak fillet.

Often made on the go when he's caught a fresh deer on his travels. Works with all the parts of the body, dicing slabs of meat for his consumption is a downtime for his rush of the hunt so when he gets the chance to make himself a decent meal, this is it.

For a normal person, this'll be a large meal - for several days but for Beo' it's like cheese board. He'll eat a whole deer shamelessly with spice cabbage rolls. The cabbage rolls tend to go out of a date faster than the meat, so in his eyes it's best to eat them all together within one - two days of prepping the spiced cabbage leaves.

Another snack is sun dried jerk meats, doesn't matter where it's come from. He always has a jerky stick or slither on him to munch on the go. He's just gotta graze so much throughout his life so he's got his snacking game to a T.

He isn't just a meat head too, he loved his vegetables, raw or steams the best. He'll trade metals for vegetables sacks in a heartbeat, even till someone's whole ass farm for a little piece of their harvest. He's favourite raw vegetables are carrots, celery, yam, onion and radish. The rest he prefers steamed or tossed into a stew.

He is also capable of chewing on many grasses, lemongrass his favourite out there. But, when times are called, he'll eat handfuls of grass from the floor to keep him going on a battlefield or in sparse lands.

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

Potentially silly question regarding Grima: You've discussed before the idea of him loving to have pineapples around as a status symbol on account of them being something weird and exotic that no one else has, but if given the chance to not just have them kicking around for symbolic purposes and actually be served to him, do you think Grima would taste them, and if so, if he'd like it or not? And what other foods (fruit or otherwise) do you think might he consider a status symbol?

I live for silly Grima questions!

And Grima would love pineapple! it's so sweet, he'd be gung-ho for it. He would be that person who would receive one and then be grieved over whether or not he wished to put it on his table or eat it. Like receiving a work of art as a rug - do you hang it on the wall or put it on the floor and use it as it was meant to be used?

In this world with the anachronistic pineapple, I think initially Grima would never eat them. He would keep them until they weren't aesthetic anymore then they'd be fed to the goats or pigs or chickens.

However, once he had been in a decently powerful/wealthy position for long enough I think he'd take a pineapple and try and figure out how to eat it.

There would be a debate: can you eat a pineapple?

Eomer says no - they're prickly on the outside, sharp, pointy, clearly a sign they're poisonous and not to be eaten.

Grima says yes - there are prickly pointy sharp plants that are perfectly edible. It's a matter of knowing how to do it.

Eowyn has no opinion on the matter, but she holds that Grima should be the one who tries it first.

Theodred is just confused about why this matters. They have perfectly good, delightful food. There's no need to try and eat the table decorations.

Grima: but what if they taste good? Who knows. It could be fun for us.

Being a reasonably intelligent man, Grima makes his least favourite person eat a bit of the pineapple first then they all wait and see if he dies. When it's determined that he will live, Grima tries some and is like 'it's terrible. None of you should have any. I'll take care of it, don't worry.' And hoards the pineapple like the wee dragon wyrm he is.

Figuring out how to access the inner flesh of the fruit involved Grima carefully cutting small bits off then they were like 'ah, the outer layer isn't that thick so this is easy'. They were also all mightily pleased that there was no stone inside which means more pineapple to eat.

Figuring out how to propagate a pineapple would be a past-time Grima would undertake and if he managed to successfully figure it out he would be like, 'they are absolute freaks of a plant. I love them even more. Eomer, build me a greenhouse.'

---

Other status symbol foods for Grima?

Certain herbs and spices would be: cinnamon, vanilla, saffron, cardamom, lemongrass, sumac, caraway, nutmeg etc.

Citrus in general - I don't see Rohan doing orangeries or anything, that would be a Gondor-style invention. So all citrus is imported which makes it rare and expensive.

Grima trying to convince Eomer to build an orangerie is now my new favourite mental image.

Grima: we could have oranges in winter, my lord! just. think about it.

Eomer is like, 'you really took on the decadent living full force, didn't you?'

'I was born on a farm in the north, my lord. I grew up living off turnips and seasonal produce that can grow in cold climes and whatever we foraged. Not that we ever foraged or poached on the local lord's land. Never.'

Anachronistic tomatoes! Certain tree nuts would be strictly imports and so therefore a delicacy (e.g., almonds).

I don't know if Rohan did class based consumption (only royalty can eat certain meats etc.), but if they did - whatever was determined to be for nobility alone would be something he'd put great stock in now having access to.

Man, this guy's diet really improved when he joined the king's household.

Grima: I ate a lot of pottage. Bread soup. Meat but more so in the autumn when we slaughtered the animals that were right for it. Turnips. Carrots. Roots for days. Cabbage. Ruffage of that sort. Berries if they were in season. Apples, when they were in season. Fish from the river sometimes. Cheese. Most everything was salted, pickled or fermented.

Eomer: I see.

Grima: but now I can eat fruit whenever I want! also we have meat with every meal and it's fresh meat, too. Not to mention wine. Also food is spiced so fancy here. Look at this ginger. This would cost five of my father's sheep. I never new cardamom existed until I came to Edoras. You even colour your jellies random colours solely because it amuses you to have them coloured! Wild.

Eomer:

Eomer: you know, I get it.

Grima: and you have white flour! Wheat! It's not rye or barley - amazing. And white ale! ugh, the lap of luxury, my lord. I will never grow tired of it. Oh, and fancy tea that I've never had before arriving in Edoras.

Other things would be jellies and custards - anything that is time and labour intensive would be a status symbol. Figs, dates - dried fruits that had to be imported would cost a pretty penny and be for the wealthy alone. Not to mention grapes and olives. Peacock and other more fanciful poultry, of course. Like the feasts would be certainly something.

I sometimes imagine, like, twenty-two year old Grima arriving in Edoras and getting absorbed into the king's household because he's one of the few fully literate people in the city and seeing a royal feast up close for the first time.

Mind blowing.

Grima: how do I eat this?

Theoden: it's an orange. Have you never had an orange before?

Grima is like, Do you think I've had an orange before?

Theoden:

Theoden: fair point.

Grima has more than one shirt in his possession and thinks he's basically a lord, now.

---

Things to also consider is if there were any social constraints to when you ate certain food - such as religious festivals. Was fasting during a certain period part of Rohan's culture? Were there restrictions or taboos around grouping certain foods together? Did those restrictions apply to everyone equally or only certain groups? Was there a gendered aspect to food consumption and access?

E.g., in early medieval Scandinavia (think vikings), boys were favoured and so in lean/starvation times they were given the good food and the daughters were not. We can see in skeletal remains that within the same generation women were more likely to have suffered a starvation level of hunger at a greater percentage to men.

So, like, in Rohan if there was a lean time during his childhood was Grima fed more in comparison to his sister(s)? How does that impact someone's relationship to family? to food? etc.

-

Also what was the meal structure like? Did they do two meals, as was common through much of the medieval era in Europe (broad brush stroke, of course, regional variations existed and things shifted over time. E.g., Venice did dinner and supper but there was a secret, third meal between the two that was like a sort-of tea/snack break)? I suspect at a minimum it was three in Rohan since we know Gandalf et al arrived in Meduseld in the morning and Grima makes reference to Theoden's meat (i.e., his meal) being at the board. So, likely breakfast of some variation.

However, Theoden was old and infirm and that might mean he was eating different meals than he would be otherwise. How illness and age are treated in terms of food consumption is another impact to what you eat and when. (Allen Grieco was a historian who wrote a good amount about this - granted he was more in the early modern period, but his writing on food in early modern/renaissance Italy is super fascinating. Recommend Food, Social Politics and the Order of Nature in Renaissance Italy as a good starting point.)

(granted, anything from Harvard Press' "Villa I Tatti" series is worth reading if you're into the early modern and renaissance period.)

---

Ok I've gone on for too long. I just. fucking love thinking about food habits and rituals and all the weird little things that impact how and what we (or Grima) eat! It's so cool!

Thank you so much for the ask! <3 <3

[edgewaterfarmcsa]

CSA WEEK 3

P i c k l i s t

GREEN PEPPERS - JALAPENO PEPPERS - CELERY - LETTUCE - FENNEL - CARROTS - 

ONIONS - PLUM TOMATOES - SAGE - WINTER SQUASH - SWEET POTATOES

BREAD OF THE WEEK:  APPLE CIDER BREAD

THIS WEEK AT EDGEWATER…

Welcome frost!  I am shocked at my exclamation and openness to this event, but jeez we are tired and plants are tired.  Both fields and humans are ready to button up, cover up, and take a long winter nap.  However, pre naptime, there is much to do. Since Friday of last week, we have been busy sweeping the fields of any non frost hardy fruit.  This list includes peppers of every variety, tomatoes, lemongrass, etc… the kol crops and carrots can handle a cold snap and often sweeten up with every below 32 degree night, so thankfully there is no hurry on that harvest.  But the rest is on go-time as our crew is seasonal and our honey-do list is long.  So as soon as frost arrived Tuesday morning, we began to break down the fields: Cut plants, pull drip tape, remove rebar, remove posts, etc… This is absolutely the less glamorous side of farming, but there is a feeling of completion and renewal in this field breakdown and tidying up.  

Another area of completion we hit yesterday was the Halloween carving of the very last of the pumpkin crop.  It feels good to say, what we did not sell, we carved and stuck a candle in.  

As far as other crops go, we have a cooler stacked high with bins full of already harvested beets and carrots, and watermelon radishes.  Soon leeks and cabbage and the rest of the carrots will be picked and join the cooler party.  Outside the cooler are bins of onions, sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, and we remain beyond fortunate to have greenhouse space to grow greens.  All that said, we will not go hungry this winter, and there is always plenty of food for all.  

Ok, I need to step away from this computer, put on 10,000 layers of wool, top it off with some fancy neoprene gloves and go finish the CSA pick.  I see flurries outside.  

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

WINTER SQUASH WITH CRISPY SAGE AND HONEY VIA EDEN GRINSHPAN

Winter squash cut into ½ inch thick slices (i keep seeds in!)

15 fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

Pre heat oven to 425

On a baking sheet, toss the squash and sage with the olive oil, honey, salt and pepper.  Roast until the squash is tender and golden, 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once about halfway through.  Serve

Mirepoix Is the Foundation of Stews, Sauces, and More—Here's How to Make It:

The savory combination of celery, onion, and carrots (and sometimes other vegetables) is the silent MVP of so many recipes.

By Victoria Spencer  Updated on October 3, 2023

A big bowl of warm, hearty stew is typically full of flavors that go beyond the focal point (think: Beef Stew, Vegetarian Gumbo). If you've ever wondered what makes up the backbone of these liquid-based meals, then it's time to learn about mirepoix, one of the first things chefs learn in culinary school, and the foundation of flavor in so many dishes.

What Is Mirepoix?

A mirepoix is a combination of finely chopped aromatic vegetables that gives a subtle background flavor to dishes such as soups, stews, sauces, and braises. It's a French term that was reportedly devised in the 18th century by the cook to the Duc de Lévis-Mirepoix, a French field Marshal.

The classic mirepoix is made up of onion, carrot, and celery, but this version is only one of many possible variations. Mushrooms, parsnips, leeks, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic are all considered aromatic vegetables and can be used in endless combinations in a mirepoix. Other cuisines have flavor bases allied to the mirepoix:

Soffrito

The Italian soffritto is similar to a mirepoix. Like a mirepoix, it calls for onions, celery, and carrots, and sometimes pancetta and garlic.

The Holy Trinity

The "holy trinity" is used as the base of most soups and stews—including gumbo—in Cajun and Creole cooking in Louisiana. It includes onions, celery, and—instead of carrot—a bell pepper. Green peppers were substituted because they're easier to grow in southern Louisiana—plus they're delicious. It also differs from a mirepoix because the holy trinity uses equal amounts of each vegetable.

Sofrito

A sofrito is a Spanish flavor base. It is similar to the mirepoix in that it uses finely chopped vegetables but the vegetables used are different: onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, and garlic. This sofrito is the base of many recipes including paella, sancocho, and rice-and-bean dishes. A Puerto Rican version of sofrito is known as recaito, and often includes ajíes dulces (small sweet chile peppers). It is used in dishes such as the island's take on arroz con pollo.

How to Make a Mirepoix

For a classic mirepoix, use 2 parts onion to 1 part carrot and 1 part celery.

Rinse, trim, and peel the vegetables.

Chop them into uniform pieces. The shorter the cooking time of your recipe, the smaller the pieces should be, so that they effectively infuse the foods with flavor.

Using a Mirepoix

You can add the mirepoix uncooked to stocks and broths for a light dose of flavor.

To add richness to heartier stews and braises, "sweat" the vegetables first, cooking them with a little oil or butter over low heat until they start to release their juices into the pan.

Recipes that start with a mirepoix are many, from rich French chicken stews and French-style pork stews to those that start with a sofrito, like Spanish-style shellfish dishes. Almost every vegetable soup starts with a mirepoix. Once you know about this flavor base, you'll see how ubiquitous it is.

PICKLE YOUR JALAPENOS!!

Store-bought jars of pickled jalapeños are perfectly delicious. But if you feel like doing more work than unscrewing a cap—or if you bought a glut of peppers at the farmers market—you can make quick-pickled jalapeños (or anything) at home too. First, slice your peppers into rounds. There’s no law against using whole jalapeños, but smaller pieces will soak up the brine faster. Bring 1 cup distilled white vinegar, 2 Tbsp. kosher salt, 2 tsp. sugar, up to 2 Tbsp. spices (e.g., peppercorns, ­coriander seeds, and/or ­mustard seeds), chopped fresh herbs (like cilantro), and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. You’ll want enough liquid to cover the peppers, so feel free to scale this ratio up or down as needed.

Transfer sliced peppers to clean glass jars and pour over the brine, leaving ½ inch of headspace between the liquid line and the rim. Screw on the lids and let the jars cool before transferring to the fridge. Your pickled jalapeños will be best after 48 hours and last up to two months refrigerated. 

[falseandrealultravival]

Motorization and store size

Even in the remote area in the eastern part of Gunma Prefecture where I grew up, the wave of globalization has come. In Chiyoda-cho, where I lived, a powerful Gunma-branded chain of stores, Joyful Honda, opened a store. When I visited a blog friend in Chiba before, I noticed the goodness of Costco, but once you get used to it, it seems that going to other supermarkets can be a bit silly.

Meiwa-cho is a farming village with mainly fruit trees that does not even have a railroad running. At the home center "Komeri" (headquartered in Niigata City), which is within walking distance of me, there are many opportunities to get what I want, even though it is a small store, and I think I can't make fun of it. Today I got the herb "Lemongrass" at a bargain price of 30 yen. This price is, well, poorly sold, but this is a bargain. It can be used for homemade tom yum kung.

When it comes to motorization, Amazon has become indispensable. I don't drive a car, but I can't help but be satisfied with Amazon's good footwork. Recently, I bought a hand-rolling cigarette maker. By loosening the butts and making them into cigarettes again, you can smoke without waste. As a side note, tobacco smoke contains niacin (VitaminB3 ), an important nutrient. The product niacin is also made from tobacco. Discussions about the harm of tobacco pass by when it comes to niacin. There are plausible arguments about wasting vitamin C, but even if that's true, niacin is more valuable than vitamin C, and the lost vitamin C can be replaced later. I will enjoy cigarettes today as well.

Babylman

[morimox]

"'Tis but a thing of straw' They say,

Yet even straw can sturdy be

Plaited into doll like me.

And in the days of long ago

To help the seeds once more grow

I was an offering to the gods.

A very simple way indeed

Of asking them to intercede

That barn and granary o'erflow

At harvest time, with fruit and corn

To fill again Amalthea's horn."

— Minnie Lambeth (1957)

  

A little corn dolly for "farm" :3 I remember making these as a kid! But that's lemongrass from my garden as a prop, because I hella failed at growing corn, lol. I wanna git gud, though, because I would love to make my own homegrown dollies! I might just try to fashion my lemongrass into one~

[bionaturalsindia]

Embracing Eco-Friendly Practices in the Tea Industry

Sustainable Tea Farming

The foundation of eco-friendly lemongrass green tea online starts at the farm. Sustainable tea farming practices are essential for reducing the environmental impact of production. One of the key methods is organic farming, where tea is grown without synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. This not only preserves the quality of the soil but also reduces water contamination and helps protect local ecosystems.

Another sustainable farming practice is shade-grown tea, where tea plants are grown under the canopy of larger trees. This method preserves biodiversity, prevents soil erosion, and reduces water usage, making it a more sustainable option compared to conventional farming. Additionally, adopting rainwater harvesting techniques and improving irrigation methods can minimise water consumption, helping to conserve this precious resource.