Friday, December 5, 2008

That Handy Potato

Anyone with a garden plot able to grow potatoes, should give it a try. The average large potato is high in vitamins C and B6, and the necessary mineral Potassium. They also provide moderate amounts of Thiamin, Niacin, Foliate, Manganese, Phosphorus and Magnesium. A large potato can even supply up to 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of fiber.

Being early December, most, if not all garden potato crops in the US should be safely tucked away in a nice, cool storage area for the winter. And, yes, if stored properly, potatoes can last through the winter.

Now, what to do with these handy, nutritious tubers? Well, you can bake them, mash them, boil them, or fry them in many different ways. After a few months of boiled or baked or fried potatoes, one can certainly become tired of them. Well, here are a few recipes to mix things up a bit. As with all recipes here, the focus is on using locally obtainable produce. Enjoy!
Potato Garlic Pie
  • 1 pound of boiled potatoes. Scrubbing the skin off is optional.
  • 5 or 6 cloves of fresh shredded or finely sliced garlic.
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs (Italian style is best but plain is fine)
  • 3 Tablespoons sweet butter
  • 1 cup whole milk (2% or skim is fine as well)
  • 3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (Other shredded hard cheeses will work as well)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Butter a 9 inch pie pan.
Cut the potatoes into thin slices.
Place the potatoes, garlic, cheese and slices of butter into layers.
Warm the milk and slowly pour over the top.
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
Bake for about one hour until the top is golden brown

Potato Onion Croquettes
  • 4 boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes
  • 1 medium or small onion
  • Plain bread crumbs
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Finely chop onion and lightly saute. The point is to soften the pieces, not caramelize them. Allow them to cool
Mix the mashed potatoes, egg whites, onion pieces and salt into an even mixture.
Roll into balls about one inch in diameter. Cover them with bread crumbs.
Deep fry in a high quality oil like canola or sunflower.
Drain and enjoy.

--Potato nutrition data obtained here.
--For more information about growing and storing your own potatoes, browse to the University of Illinois Extension Service website.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Why a Straw House?

To expound a little on a previous entry, I wanted to highlight some advantages of straw house building. Using straw as a building material is not a 'new age,' hyper-ecological idea. It actually came about sometime in the mid to late 1800's. Some sources say as early as 1800, but most point to later in that century.

Why did people start to build with straw? Two main reasons: 1) Straw was (and still is) an easily attainable agricultural byproduct; and 2) the late 1800's saw the advent of mechanized farming, allowing relatively large amounts of this byproduct to be collected.

Straw construction almost completely stopped in the early to mid 1900's as mass manufactured building material became inexpensive and widely available. It is commonly believed that the energy crisis of the 1970's prompted this method of building to be resurrected.

What are some advantages of building a straw house?
  • Raw materials availability - In most of North America straw is easily available.
  • Raw materials cost - Since straw is typically considered a waste material, the cost of build material is typically very low.
  • High insulating R value - Typical straw bale walls have an R value of 40. Some, with high quality, tightly fitting compact bales can have an R value of up to 60.
  • Flexible building options - Straw can be a very flexible material, allowing construction of buildings with conventional design through the gamut to artistic flowing designs.
  • Build as you go - Building with straw allows the builder to easily complete part of a building while other parts are un-started.
  • Ease of modification - Adding a room or garage or additional storage space is relatively easy with straw construction.
  • Straw is natural - Being a natural agricultural byproduct of growing oats, wheat, rye and other grass type grains, straw is natural.
  • Sound attenuation - Straw bales are very good acoustic insulators.
  • Non-specialized construction - Building straw bale structures require little training and few tools.
  • Fire resistance - Surprisingly, straw has a relatively high fire retardant ability due to the bales' ability to minimize air flow.
With all of these advantages, straw buildings may be an option for new farmers moving back to the country, or onto their own piece of land. Many areas are now recognizing the value of this construction medium and make allowances for it within building codes. However, before building anything, check your state, county and local building codes. It is also a good idea to discuss your building plans with your insurance agent.

Happy baling!

Will Credit Tighten for Farmers?

According to many economists it will. This article posted on the WLBT website states that while farmers felt little credit pain in 2008, planting time in 2009 may be an issue.

David Schweikhardt with Michigan State University says that even farmers with good credit may have difficulty. Why? According to Schweikhardt, lenders will likely raise their lending standards and ask many more questions.

John Anderson with the Mississippi State University Extension Service has some great advice: "Be prepared with a plan when you go to the bank. Have all your financial statements up-to-date and in order, and have as specific a plan as possible to demonstrate how the loan will be repaid..."

There is another good article about the possible agricultural credit crunch here, at South East Farm Press.