Saturday, May 23, 2009

Farm Tour

Went to a Farm Tour this afternoon at (certified organic) New Town Farms in Waxhaw, NC -- the farm in whose CSA program I participate. Here are a few pics from the tour:

Sammy (standing on steps, facing toward camera) welcoming the group:

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Sammy's glass greenhouse used for plant starts each spring:

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Sammy demonstrating the soil blocker used to make soil squares for starting seeds:

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Melon starts hardening off before being transplanted:

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Small pig herd, a heritage breed descended from Spanish pigs left on the Georgia coast by Spanish explorers. Sammy's came from Mt. Vernon, descended from a herd owned by George Washington:

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Most of the laying flock, about five different breeds producing different kinds of eggs:

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One rooster rules the roost:

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The fields -- between four and five acres under cultivation:

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Nearly waist-deep in garlic:

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HUGE heads of Romaine lettuce:

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Celery coming up:

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Broccoli crowning:

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A funky Italian broccoli:

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And some Italian beets:

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White, sweet turnips and greens:

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Ten different varieties of fingerling potatoes:

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Courtyard of Sammy's late father's home, now The Inn at New Town Farms:

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An amazing farm operation, the result of 20 years of learning and hard work. Sammy's foodstuffs are sold at the Matthews Farmers Market, a 40+ member CSA program, and 10 Charlotte-area restaurants.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

CSA This Week

What a pleasure to receive my weekly box from the New Town Farms CSA! This week's offerings are baby carrots, turnips and greens, broccoli (barely visible on left edge of pic), rainbow chard, two kinds of beets w/ greens, two heads of baby bok choy, kohlrabi, mixed mustard greens, and two heads of lettuce (the largest head of Romaine I've ever seen in my life). Thanks, Sammy!

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Kruidenier Coat-of-Arms

Crest cropped

My neighbor, John, prepared a .jpg image for me of the Kruidenier coat-of-arms that I received from my father. (Thanks, John!) After posting it to the Kruidenier Family Group on Facebook, Sebes Kruidenier (Netherlands) wrote the following:

William - this is indeed the coat of arms of the Kruidenier family.

From a footnote from the "official" Kruidenier geneaology book:

"This is a 19th century wax print from a collection, that the Mayor of West- and East-Souburg (named Kruidenier) started using in 1941 as coat of arms for the Kruidenier family."

So unfortunately not an ancient registry, but claimed in Worldwar II.

Cheers. Sebes.