Corn Stalks

Corn Stalks!  We have cut, cured and bundled our select corn stalks and they will be available to decorate your porches and driveways for this fall season.  Unlike other corn stalks that you can by at the box stores, these are grown on our farm and contain field corn as well as select broom corn varieties (sorghum) that give it unique fall colors instead of dull brown. After spring harvest we plant these varieties in early July to ensure proper size and seasonal timing.  We only grow them for decoration so no ears are harvested from them (it's dent corn anyway which is really only suitable for animal feed and broom corn produces no ears).  After the seeds are up we only use a little bit of fertilizer as strong summer winds or tropical storms can blow over a row of very tall yet thin stalks which is what heavy nitrogen will grow for this particular crop.  At harvest we hand cut the stalks and dry them for two days in the field.  They are then bundled and stored in the dry barn to finish the curing process.  We will be selling them along with our other fall products at the McIntosh Fall Festival on Saturday, October 19th so we hope to see you there.  Below is some additional info on corn stalks.

Broom Corn- In 1797 Levi Dickenson, a farmer in Hadley, Massachusetts, made a broom for his wife, using the tassels of a variety of sorghum (Sorghum vulgere), a grain he was growing for the seeds. She thought Levi’s broom was exceptionally good and told friends and neighbors about it. As the demand for these brooms grew, Levi grew more and more of the sorghum.  By about 1810, the sorghum used in brooms, had acquired a new name, Broom Corn, as the British called all seed bearing plants, "corn." The sorghum also looks similar to the sweet corn plant, and its tassel had become the broom material still used in quality brooms today. 

Dent Corn-  Dent Corn (Zea mays var. indentata) is a variety of corn with a high soft starch content. It received its name because of the small indentation ("dent") at the crown of each kernel on a ripe ear of corn. It is a variety developed by northern Illinois farmer, James Reid in 1846. Most of today's hybrid corn varieties and cultivars are derived from it. This variety won a prize at the 1893 World's Fair.

Most of the corn grown in the United States today is Yellow Dent or a closely related variety derived from it.  Dent corn is the variety used in food manufacturing as the base ingredient for cornmeal flour (used in the baking of cornbread), corn chips, tortillas and taco shells. Starch derived from this high-starch content variety is turned into plastics, as well as fructose which is used as a sweetener (High-fructose corn syrup) in many processed foods and soft drinks.

Fall Bucket List

Sunday was the first official day of fall and although it doesn't fully feel like autumn outside, I have taken it upon myself to get this family into the spirit of the season.  The house smells of cinnamon, apples, and pumpkin, the air is set a little cooler (to give the full effect), I have been serving up pumpkin spice lattes like it's my job (iced of course. . .it's hot outside!), and I started my first fall bucket list.  Bucket list or not, do you have a list of things that you like to do, or would like to do, in the fall?  One of the biggies on my list is to go to the Pickin' Patch (https://www.facebook.com/pages/ThePickinPatch/133377916709927).  The Pickin' Patch is located in Dunnellon and owned and operated by a local farming family.  I highly recommend giving them a try if visiting a pumpkin patch is on your list this fall. They have different kinds of pumpkins, from traditional to unique (I loved the white pumpkins!) as well as a sunflower patch, photo opp spots, hay rides, and a small corn maze.    

I have included my "current" bucket list with this post, but I'm sure I will be adding things as fall continues.

What are your plans for fall?

Prepping for Fall

This week we'll keep it short and sweet.

We have been busy around the farm.  We've been planting, transplanting, finishing propagation in the greenhouses, prepping hydroponic systems in the shadehouses for lettuce production, seeding plants, and prepping the ground for strawberries.  We are doing all of this in preparation for produce sales this fall.  Produce will be sold via e-mail.  Once we get your e-mail we will pick your produce to order.  We will let you know week-by-week what we have available -- just check the blog and Facebook for updates.  The produce will be sold per pound or per piece, depending on the item.  

Also, look for us at the McIntosh Fall Festival on October 19.  We will be selling plants and decorative fall items.

Here at the farm, we are looking forward to fall.  Fall means less weeds to pull, fewer mosquitoes to swat, lower humidity, more family time, and good food.  What are some of your favorite things about fall?

Who's writing this anyway?

For the people who know Wet Hammock Nursery, the biggest question and/or confusion we get is related to who is posting on Facebook and who is writing this blog.  Well, let me to take a minute to introduce myself.  I am Mrs. Douglass.  I am a gator graduate and fifth-generation Floridian.  When I'm not moonlighting as a farmhand or social networking guru (<--ha!), I work as a speech-language pathologist.  I grew up in the country with country folks, but never lived on a farm or participated in 4H or FFA.  Growing up, my grandfather always had a garden and would grow and harvest cane, which we would then turn into cane syrup, but that was the full extent of my agricultural background.  I didn't even ride horses growing up, which if you know anything about Marion County, is unheard of.
I have known Mr. Douglass since preschool, but we did not become an item until I had moved to Tampa years later.  We began dating and after graduate school I moved back home to Marion County.  Since the start of this relationship I have been immersed in agriculture and have developed skills that I never thought I would have (heck, that I never knew existed!).  Now, don't let me fool you, I still have a lot to learn, but I'm getting there and I'm hoping to share what I learn and experience with our friends and customers.
As for Mr. Douglass. . . he is a graduate of the University of Florida.  He has a bachelor's degree in ag operations management and a master's degree in ag finance.  He was a member of both 4H and FFA, and won national proficiency in diversified agricultural operations in high school (such an overachiever, right? hehe).  He currently works as nursery manager at a local blueberry farm during the day.  After finishing his day job, he goes home to work on the family tree farm (Douglass Tree Farm) and our new nursery (Wet Hammock).  As if this were not enough, he also works as an adjunct professor at the College of Central Florida teaching agribusiness.  Personally, just thinking about all he does makes me want to take a nap.
Returning to the original question, who is doing all this posting?  All blog posts are written by me, Mrs. Douglass.  The Facebook posts could be posted by myself or Mr. Douglass.  Here's a tip though, if it's in anyway related to cooking, it was probably me.
I hope y'all enjoyed learning a little bit about us and hopefully we cleared up any confusion.  Have a wonderful week!

Mr. & Mrs. Douglass.  Circa 2012.

The Floridian

What they say about themselves:

We here at The Floridian have a relatively simple goal: to make really great food using local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients as much as possible, and to provide a comfortable and casual atmosphere in which this food can be enjoyed. We believe we can best support the local community, economy and environment by purchasing ingredients cultivated and crafted within the Northeast and North-central regions of Florida, thereby promoting the sustainability and growth of our region’s agriculture and artisan economy. It is our commitment and responsibility to provide truly authentic food, to reconnect this most important part of culture to its origins in the cultivation of the land and responsible plying of the sea.

Our menu will change continuously with the seasons, and will reflect our sincere appreciation of Southern cooking, with healthy notions. Keep an eye out for our featured Farm, Fish, and Artisan Partners as we do our best by their incredible product. After all, a restaurant’s menu can only be as good as the ingredients used to craft it.

What we say about them:

Yummy!  This weekend we went to St. Augustine, one of our favorite places.  I had done some "research" on Pinterest trying to find some new things to try while in St. Augustine and stumbled upon The Floridian.  I looked over the company website and read reviews on the Urban Spoon and Southern Living -- it looked like a winner -- now all I had to do was convince Mr. Douglass.  I explained that is was a "farm to table" restaurant and it would be good to try it -- you know, just for the blog.  ;)  By Sunday, we were all seated on their patio enjoying drinks and fried green tomato bruschetta.  We all chatted while we ate our appetizer and sipped our drinks, then came the main course.  Silence fell over the table.  It was amazing.  The boys had the Dixie Burger made from beef from the CartWheel Ranch and I had the FGT Hoagie made with fried green tomatoes, cilantro mayo, cabbage slaw, and Wainwright's pepperjack cheese.  Mr. Douglass had the Minorcan Datil-BBQ Sandwich which they describe as a "sweet, spicy, and boozy BBQ sauce" over slow roasted CartWheel Ranch pork, and served on a bun with pimento cheese, cabbage slaw, and house pickled vegetables.  My sister-in-law, Ms. Douglass, had the Shrimp Remoulade Po'Boy made from local shrimp.  As delicious as these descriptions sound, they do not even begin to do these dishes justice.  The only small warning I will give is that parties of 6 or more will not be allowed to split the check and there is a automatic 20% gratuity added to parties of 6 or more.  This certainly wasn't a deal breaker for us, but it was noted as a teensy annoyance.  With that small warning in place, we say to you, the next time you're in St. Augustine give The Floridian a try. . . you won't be disappointed. 

 



 


     

PSA

Good news. . . I'm not talking about Miley Cyrus or N*Sync today.
Today, we're talking about washing produce.  Always wash your produce.  No brainer, right?  I thought so too, but I can't tell you the number of times that I have seen people ask if produce is organic and then begin eating it without washing it.  Just because it doesn't have chemicals does not mean you can skip washing it.  You don't know what that produce has touched before it gets to you.  You don't know who has touched it before it got to you.  Take a U-Pick for example, it's organic, you're picking it, should be safe, right?  What if some other picker went to the bathroom, did not wash their hands, went to pick your fruit and then decided against it. . . now those dirty hands have touched the fruit you're about eat without washing.  I know this example seems extreme, but it could happen and the bottom line is you can avoid foodborne illness by using safe food preparation practices.  
Okay, time for me to step down from my soap box.  Before I get down though, I'm giving you a recipe for a produce spray that I found on, you guessed it, Pinterest.  The vinegar and lemon in this spray have natural anti-bacterial properties.

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp baking soda

1/2 of a lemon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a container and then put in a spray bottle.  **Do not put in a spray bottle and shake to mix.  Remember from school, baking soda+vinegar=volcano/blowing up balloons/chemical reaction?**  Spray mixture on produce and let sit for 5 minutes. Scrub and rinse.

**I've had weird reaction with peaches. . .I think it had something to do with the type of skin. . .but I have used this with cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, grapes (i.e., things with a waxier-type skin) without any weird reactions.**

Hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Very Pinteresting. . .

I don't know about you, but I am a HUGE Pinterest fan.  If you are unfamiliar with it, Pinterest is an on-line cork (or pin) board.  You can either search for ideas/information as you would in any other search engine or you can find information via your friends, which you can then put into a category and save for later use.  

**A word of caution, time speeds up when you are using Pinterest.  You may sit down at three in the afternoon, just to quickly grab that recipe you saw, and BOOM! it's five in the evening and your husband is coming through the door wanting to know what's for dinner. Consider yourself warned -- this could happen to you.**

For those of you who are already on Pinterest and those of you who are willing to try Pinterest despite my warning, please "follow us." http://pinterest.com/wethammocknurse/  We will be pinning recipes for your fresh Wet Hammock produce, ideas and information for your own garden, and anything else we find pertinent or interesting.

We hope everyone is having a great week and we can't wait to see you on Pinterest!

  

Goals and the Small Farms Conference

Long time no post.  First and foremost, I wanted to let everyone know that our new goal for this blog is to post at least every Tuesday.  It becomes so easy to push things aside when you're busy, even when your excited to tell everyone about your adventures, so hopefully this will help everyone out in the long run.  You will know when to look for new posts and we will have a specific deadline we need to meet.

Now that we have to "business" stuff out of the way, let's talk about fun things!  At the beginning of August, Mr. Douglass and I attended the Florida Small Farms Conference.  It was my first time and I had no idea what to expect, but I was hoping that I was going to have a good time.  We arrived early Saturday morning and were greeted by a beautiful Florida farm to fork breakfast. We had quiche made with local eggs and produce, fresh watermelon, and local stone ground grits.  Unfortunately, they didn't say where the grits came from, just that they were local.

  After breakfast I walked the floor and looked at various exhibits, then it was time for class!  I took three ag business classes, so that I could better understand our growing business and help Mr. Douglass to the best of my ability.  Plus, attending those classes help add bonus points with the hubby! ;)  After the classes and shows had concluded, they had a meet and greet for the participants, exhibitors, and experts which was amazing!  They had local chefs from various restaurants in Central Florida who specialized in farm to fork cuisine.  It was all wonderful, but by far my favorite dish was the goat taco made by Chef Kevin Fonzo of K Restaurant.  I know, you're thinking what I was, "Goat tacos?  Sounds sketchy," but they were delicious.  Seriously, you must check them out (http://krestaurant.net/).

It's hard to top the food, but I also have to mention (as a proud wife) that Mr. Douglass spoke as a "local expert" at a class on blackberries.  I wasn't allowed to attend his session (per his request), but I did sneak in at the end and get a picture.  It was a good day for everyone.

Southern Fried Rice

 



I will never understand why some people are opposed to leftovers. . . I love them and frankly when it comes to dinner, leftovers mean one less thing to do.  In the spirit of eating and transforming leftovers I bring you 'Southern Fried Rice.'

• Whatever is left from your blackberry pork loin (you could also use ham or sausage)
• 3-4 cups cooked rice (I used brown, but white would be good too)
• 1 carrot diced
• 1/2 cups soy sauce (Put in a little at a time. . . put in more or less to taste
• 2-3 cups okra cut into rounds
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 of a Vidalia (sweet) onion diced
• 2 tablespoons oil (peanut, canola, or vegetable)

1. Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat.
2. Add oil to the pan. 
3. Add produce to the pan and stir fry to desired tenderness. . .I cooked mine for about 10 minutes.
4. Add rice and soy sauce to the pan and continue cooking for another five minutes. 
5. Give it a taste. . . make adjustments as necessary and remove from heat. 

**Please feel free to alter this recipe to taste.  I was taught to cook by taste, so most of the time (always) the measurements for ingredients are rough estimates.  I am trying to get better at measuring my ingredients, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact me via comment.**

Blackberry Limeade

 

 

6 cups water

 

3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

 

1 cup sugar (or to taste)

 

2/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes) 

 

1. Place blackberries and about 2 cups of water into the blender; process until smooth.
2. OPTIONAL Press blackberry puree through sieve and discard seeds/pulp.
3. Add remaining water, sugar, and juice to pitcher.
4. Stir until sugar dissolves.

As blackberry season draws to a close, some of you may choose to freeze some of the berries you have bought or collected.  This is a great recipe because you have the option of using fresh or frozen. 

 

**Recipe from cookinglight.com** 

 

 

Grilled Okra

When selling okra, we often get the question, "how am I supposed to cook this?"  I often reply by giving my favorite way to eat okra -- with tomatoes.  Recently, we've had a TON of okra in the garden and I find myself asking, "how am I supposed to cook this now?"  After a quick search on Pinterest, I found grilled okra.  Looking at the picture only, because I hate following recipes, I gave it a whirl.  The result was pretty excellent. 

1.  Cut okra in half lengthwise.
2.  Thread okra onto skewers.
3.  Sprinkle with salt and creole seasoning (recipe to follow).
4:  Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side (until crispy, but not burned. . . just keep an eye on it).

**I liked dipping mine in ranch dressing like you would with fired okra. Yum!**

Mr. B's Creole Seasoning

1/3 cup paprika

3 tablespoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon granulated onion

4 teaspoons dried thyme

4 teaspoons granulated garlic

Next time you're grilling give it a whirl. It's easy, it's delicious, and by grilling your entire meal, you keep that kitchen a little cleaner a little longer.

Hope y'all enjoy!

 

**Also pictured, pimento cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers.**



Crock Pot Blackberry Pork

 

You will need:

 

For the Pork

1 (2 pound) Pork Tenderloin

Salt

Pepper

3 Sprigs Rosemary

Poultry Seasoning

1 (16 ounce) Jar of Blackberry Preserves

1/2 Cup Red Wine

1 cup Blackberries (optional)

 

For the Sauce

1/2 cup Red Wine

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Cup Blackberries

 

 

Directions:

1. Generously season the pork tenderloin on all sides with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Place the tenderloin, wine, blackberries, and rosemary into the crock pot. Set the cooker to high and cook for roughly 5 hours (until fork tender).
2. About 15 minutes before serving time, pour the wine, honey, and blackberries into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and some of the berries burst, about 15 minutes.
3. To serve, slice the tenderloin and spoon blackberry-wine sauce over slices.

Just for fun . . .the next time we make this we will be adding a tablespoon or two of "juice" from our whisky pickled jalapenos to give it a little heat.  You could add a jalapeno or two during the cooking process to do they same thing.  If you choose to try it, let us know how it turns out.

**Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-blackberry-pork-tenderloin/.**

Blackberry Dump Cake

You picked your blackberries.  What next?  Blackberry dump cake!  This recipe is super simple, but super delicious. 

You will need:

20 ounces of crushed undrained pineapple  (I only had fresh, so I winged it)
3 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries
3/4 cups of of sugar
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter

1 cup of chopped pecans

What to do:

Grease a 9x13 dish (I used Crisco, but you could use butter) and set it aside.
Layer the blackberries and pineapple in the dish.
Sprinkle the cake mix and 1/2 cup of sugar on top of the fruit.
Melt your butter and then drizzle it over the cake mix, fruit, and sugar.
Spread the pecans over the top.
Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the pecans.
Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees.
After 25 minutes use a butter knife or spoon in several places the let the juices up.
Serve and enjoy.



Welcome Y'all

Welcome to Green Acres. . .a little blog centered around life on our farm.  So, who are we?  We are Wet Hammock Nursery.  We began life as a citrus and cattle farm in the early 1900's.  In 1992, we became more closely related to who were are now, Douglass Tree Farm, a small family farm specializing in ornamental tress marketed exclusively to landscapers and developers.  After the downturn in the economy, we knew it would become important for us to diversify if we wanted to keep our farm alive.  In 2011, we began Wet Hammock Nursery to meet this need.  We moved out of our role as a wholesale tree farm and into our new role as a retail farm now offering native plants, edibles, pesticide-free produce, and of course, ornamental trees.  It is now 2013 and we are continuing to grow and find our place in our community.  As the fourth generation, Mr. Douglass and I are avid participants in social media and relish the idea of sharing our experiences and knowledge with our community.
Please tune in to learn more about us, our farm, share our experiences and journey, seasonal recipes, and any other ideas that may come to mind.