A few weeks ago we purchased and transported onto our farm three Yorkshire/Hampshire piglets from a local breeder!  We have enjoyed getting to know these unique animals and their fun personalities.  Pigs bring a whole different aspect to the farm and provide a great solution to the reduction of waste, such as food scraps the chickens won't eat, old or bolting garden produce, and much, much more!  So thankful for these new creatures.

We are excited to announce a new, Greens Box CSA membership program we are making available for 2020!  

WHAT IS A CSA​​?
CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture”.  CSA programs are designed to build a relationship between the farmer and community.  When you become a member of our CSA, you are essentially buying shares in the farm's output before the season starts, and then reaping the benefits of the harvest each week as the season progresses.  We are cutting out the middle man and you are getting beyond-organic, local food, grown and harvested, using sustainable farming practices.
The benefits of a CSA are endless.  Typically, consumers buy fruits and vegetables from the grocery store that have been shipped from all over the world, regardless of the season.  By choosing wholesome, locally grown food, it is ensured that you are eating the freshest, most nutrient dense and best tasting food possible!

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN OUR GREENS BOX:
Each member will enjoy a weekly box of fresh greens and herbs.  Members can enjoy peace of mind knowing that everything is grown beyond organically.  

Our produce is always free from:
-Chemicals
-Pesticides
-Herbicides
-GMOs

An example of a box might include: Salad mix, Arugula, Head Lettuce, Herbs, Swiss Chard, Kale.


Seasonal Vegetables:
Non-GMO, Beyond-Organic, Chemical-Free:
Arugula, Herbs, Kale, Head Lettuce, Spinach, Salad Mix, Swiss Chard, Green Onions,  Pea Shoots, Cut Flowers

PICK UP DETAILS : 
All weekly shares will be picked up by each member at chosen locations.  Please let us know if you are ever unable to pick up your box and we will happily make other arrangements for you.

SPRING SALAD BOX CSA INFORMATION
Cost is $20/week, paid up front.  $200 for a 10-week subscription.  Pick up (depending on location) begins May 3 and runs until June 28.
 
2 Pickup Locations

• Two Boy's Creamery - pickup on Fridays  (279 McClure Ln, Rock Spring, GA 30739)
• Grace Reformed Baptist Church parking lot  (2624 Lyndon Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37415)

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It's apple season!!  We all love making a trip to the orchard to buy "seconds" for our different apple "delights", but let's talk about applesauce!  You can transform those grainy, cooking apples into something healthy for you and your family without canning!  Raw, cultured applesauce is about as easy and nutrient dense as it gets, plus it's quick to make and something adults and children will enjoy!  See below for the recipe!   

6-8 medium to large apples of your choice
2 tablespoons whey
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt

​Directions:
1. Skin, peel and chop your apples and place in a blender or food processor.  Puree to desired  texture. 
2. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well to combine. 
3. Place the applesauce in a clean quart size jar, covering with a coffee filter and canning ring over the top to allow air flow. 
4. Keep on your counter or other shelf for 1-3 days, but no more than three or it will become alcoholic. 
​5. Place in fridge or cool storage and enjoy!  Yields 1 qt.

As the tomato bounty comes rolling in, the question arises, "what am I going to do with all of these?"  You can't just let them rot on the counter, all that fruitfulness going to waste before your very eyes!  But, a lot of days, we don't have the time or maybe even resources to preserve our lovely tomatoes through the most common method of canning.  Did you know you can ferment your whole tomatoes?  It's quick, easy and affordable!  Not only that, but where canning kills enzymes and nutrients through its heating process, fermenting increases the  nutritional value, becoming full of beneficial bacteria that can help heal your body and give you energy.  How exciting!  Once your tomatoes are fermented, they store well in a cool place for up to 6 months and are ready to pull out,  puree and use as pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce or anything else you would like!  We hope you give it a try!  Drop us a comment if you do!

Fermented Tomatoes - Per Quart

• 3 T  Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, Realsalt, or salt of your choice (DO NOT use white table salt, as it will kill the good bacteria in your ferments... the very thing that is preserving your tomatoes.
• 1 garlic clove (optional)
  
• Whole tomatoes - as many as you believe you can squish into the jar, still leaving 1 inch of head space.
• 3-4 basil leaves/ fresh herbs of your choice (optional)
• Water (filtered or distilled)
  

Directions:
-First, clean your jar with hot soapy water before using.
-Put salt in jar, add garlic clove and fill about half full with water. 
-Stir well to dissolve salt, then add whole tomatoes and fresh herbs if using, one at a time, pushing, or "squishing" as many as you can into the jar - Medium size tomatoes work best for this. 
-Top off with water, if needed, leaving 1 inch of head space at top of jar.  Add a weight, if needed, to keep everything under the liquid and then cap off, screwing the lid loosely to allow gas to escape.  Set on counter or shelf and leave for 3 weeks to ferment, then put in refrigerator or cool area to store. 

Summertime is almost here!  We are so thankful for God's abundant blessings in every direction!  Anyone who farms knows the difficulties that can arise when you grow produce for your family and others and/or raise meat for the freezer.  Our heavenly Father is ever faithful to send rain when we need it, allow the gardens to produce to their fullest, keep the meat birds safe from a multitude of predators, as well as, protect the individuals who plant, pick and butcher meat birds.  Praise to the LORD, the Almighty!
​
"Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honor and majesty.  He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.  He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.  He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;...  O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."  Psalm 104
 
Here at Reformation Farms, we have mainly been busy picking green beans and cucumbers, harvesting lettuce and rainbow chard, weeding and tending to the bee hive and meat birds.  The tomatoes, wild blackberries, raspberries and peaches are just beginning to come in, and before we know it, the wild elderberries will be fruiting - waiting to be harvested and frozen for winter use.
After taking a few weeks off from the market, we are starting up again this week!  In addition to non-GMO lettuce, arugula and herbs, we will also have non-GMO green beans and non-GMO cucumbers for sale when there is an over-abundance.  Come and see us at the Collegedale Commons on Wednesdays from 4-6pm! 

Georgia peaches, raspberries and wild blackberries.

A recent harvest - 35 lbs. of onions!

Reformation Farm's latest venture - beekeeping!

Our batch of 40 Cornish Cross meat birds are almost ready to be butchered and put in the freezer!

A pretty poppy with one of Reformation Farms' honey bees collecting pollen.

It's that time of year again when we start freshening up our gardens for another season of growing!  Here at Reformation Farms, we are busily preparing for another year of producing fresh greens and veggies and all of that starts with... the soil!  What an amazing setup right under our feet.  Simple yet complex, humble yet so stunning, Gods beautifully designed system gives such an abundance if we give to it abundantly with the resources our Maker provides!   As you all may be "digging" into your garden plans (pun intended ; )  we thought we would post a few of the things we are doing to achieve maximum fertility this year:

1. Take A Soil Test                                                                                                                            This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but it's amazing what you learn about your particular soil needs after getting a soil analysis (we are not talking about a local university lab where they only test N, P, K and PH levels.)  Logan Labs, located in Lakeview, OH, is the company we have had great results with and they have affordable prices with straight forward instructions anyone can follow.   We definitely recommend them!
2. Get a Soil Recommendation                                                                             ​It's one thing to get a soil test, but it's a totally different thing to decipher what all of those numbers mean.  Having someone else give you a professional reading and recommendation is absolutely the easiest and most stress free option out there.  They not only interpret the soil test, but they also tell you what to buy and how much to apply to get your mineral levels where they need to be.  Here is a link to the gentleman we consulted.  www.soilminerals.com/soiltestservices.htm​​
3. Apply Extra Compost                                                                                                      Adding extra compost to your soil - especially if it's a first year garden - really boosts soil health and overall yield.  Also, feeding the organisms living in your garden is a very important part of sustainable agriculture.  When you put compost and organic material down, worms, nematodes, fungi and other micro organisms attack and process it, turning it into something your plants can utilize.  Without organic material to attract and feed these little power houses, your dirt (i.e. minerals) are just sitting, waiting to be mined.  How does this affect your plants?  Well, they either are stunted in their growth, or they die all together.  We can see then that these macro and micro-organisms are really the key to a successful garden.
4. Cover The Soil With A Mulch                                                                                    In addition to compost, we have found another amazing boost to overall soil health is always keeping it covered, especially in the hot and humid summer months.  A covering, whether it be wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, landscaping fabric, or even compost, keeps the soil moist for your plant's root systems.  This allows you to water less, keeps your beautiful soil and mineral amendments from washing away, provides a welcoming environment for all of your beneficial insects to hide, and much, much more.  This is also one of the best ways to attract earth worms if you don't have a large population already established in your soil.

​Hopefully this was helpful to someone today!  May God Bless and happy Gardening!