Feb. Events - Food&Farm, Book&More
Date: February 2nd 2010
Hello Everyone, and Happy Ground Hog Day, Candlemas, Lupercalia, and/or Februa!
[For those of you who have signed up for Food & Farm Notes recently, I write intermittently in the winter months, and then weekly from mid-May to Thanksgiving with news of what's happening on the farm, and recipe ideas for how to prepare what's in season.]
Just last week Henry told me he feels behind already (what with the new packing shed that he needs to build before the season of delicious vegetables -- and the sun-up to sun-down labor they demand -- is at hand) . . . but I am finally feeling almost on top of things, and wanted to share with you the half-dozen engagements related to The Seasons on Henry’s Farm that I have scheduled for this month. See list below, and please pass on to friends of local food and farms.
But to start . . . here’s an old English poem, the first two lines of which my Dad repeated just last week as the mercury plummeted, though the days were bright and each a few minutes longer than its predecessor.
As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and snow
Winter will be gone and come no more
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and snow
Winter will be gone and come no more
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop
There’s so much nearly-lost agrarian wisdom in this little verse . . .
First there's the notion that things are often not what they seem, or what we think they should be. The shortest days (around the winter solstice in December) are not the coldest, just as the longest days (in June) are not the hottest.
The next two couplets are the origin of our Ground Hog Day rituals. February 2 was previously known throughout the Christian world as Candlemas, but its origins go far back into pre-Roman times. The februa ("expiatory offerings") were a time of purification that resulted in renewed health and fertility. The Lupercalia, a pagan Roman purification ritual, also took place in February.
A thousand or so years later, the Roman Catholic church designated Candlemas the time of Mary's purification, taking place 40 days after she gave birth to Jesus, when the baby was taken to the Temple by his parents according to Jewish custom. (During the time of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), there was an obligation to bring a korban (offering) forty days after the birth of a boy.) Over time, the Catholic church marked the day with a candle procession, hence the name Candlemas.
Whether the groundhog sees his shadow or not, the next couplet is crucial -- because even though spring may be "just around the corner," a farmer still needs half his corn [in Europe "corn" means small grains such as wheat, oats, or barley] and half his hay because Feb 2 is only about midway between the last season’s last harvest of hay and corn, and the next season's first harvest of the same. If the farmer has less than half his corn and hay in early February, his animals are unlikely to survive the remainder of the winter.
And finally, if Feb. 2 is damp, we’ll have a good crop of early peas in June -- and I, for one, hope so!
Upcoming Events we hope to see you at.
At all events I will have copies of my book (The Seasons on Henry’s Farm), Henry’s book (Solstices and Equinoxes), as well as some of sister Teresa’s aronia jam and jelly, and sister Jill’s wonderful organic goat’s milk soaps.
To start . . . tomorrow morning . . .
Feb. 2 (Tues) -- Tune into WBEZ’s "Eight Forty-Eight," which airs from 9-10 AM and again from 8-9 PM on 91.5 FM to hear an interview I did with Donna Seaman. WBEZ also streams the program live online, and the segment will be available for download. (The segment may be delayed and air another day if there is breaking news.)
Feb. 2 (Tues) 7 p.m. -- Join the new “Green Chatter Matters” book-group in Geneva, where I’ll host a discussion of The Seasons on Henry’s Farm at Inglenook Panty, 11 North Fifth Street, Geneva IL 630.377.0373 This is a free event, with coffee/tea provided!
Feb. 3 (Wed) 7 p.m. -- Join Terra at the Skokie Public Library for a slideshow presentation of Henry's Farm, with a tasting of Henry's Purple Carrots and a book signing. Program is free, but registration required. Click here to register or for more information.
Feb. 16 (Tues) -- If you want to learn how to grow great food, come in person, or via the web, to the Midwest Permaculture classes in Stelle, IL. I’ll talk about Henry’s and Teresa’s farms, and help new growers apply permaculture thinking and design to small scale farming ventures.
Feb. 24 (Wed) 6 p.m. – Join Terra and Judith Dunbar-Hines of the Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs in a culinary conversation at Chicago's Downtown Farmstand - 66 E. Randolph St. Here’s the scoop:
Feb. 24 (Wed) 6 p.m. – Join Terra and Judith Dunbar-Hines of the Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs in a culinary conversation at Chicago's Downtown Farmstand - 66 E. Randolph St. Here’s the scoop:
On Wednesday, February 24, join us at Chicago's Downtown Farmstand from 6 pm - 7:30 pm for a special free event. Terra Brockman, founder of The Land Connection and author of The Seasons on Henry's Farm: A Year of Food and Life on a Sustainable Farm, will join Judith Dunbar-Hines, Director of Culinary Events and Programs at the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs for a conversation about the challenge
s, opportunities, and importance of local food production and consumption, followed by a reading and book signing. The event is free, but capacity is limited and advance registration is required.
For information and reservations, click here or call 312.744.TIXS (8497).
Presented in partnership with Edible Chicago magazine, promoting local and seasonal food, farms and cuisine.
Presented in partnership with Edible Chicago magazine, promoting local and seasonal food, farms and cuisine.
And finally . . .
Feb. 26 (Fri) Join me and 2500+ organic farmers and organic entrepreneurs at the Midwest Organic Conference, in Lacrosse, WI (it’s easy to take Amtrak from Chicago to LaCrosse) I’ll speak at the Author’s Corner at 3:30 on Friday, and also be at the conference bookstore to sign books.
And finally (really) . . . If you missed Michael Pollan on Oprah, you can catch it here via 3 online video segments.
http://civileats.com/2010/01/29/we-need-a-food-revolution-oprah-with-michael-pollan-video/
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Food and Farm Notes: A weekly peek at what's happening on Henry's Farm and what's coming to market, and what to do with it (with a side helping of poetry, science, philosophy, and what have you) For more information: http://www.terrabrockman.com/Henrys_Farm/welcometohenry%27s.html
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