Following Chapter 20, and Tiemann's memoirs of summer gardening, its all about blueberry season in Cavendish and how you can help the Cavendish Historical Society by picking the best organic blueberries in Vt.
For the prelude and links to
all of the chapters go to Coming to Vermont (Cavendish): Memoirs of Philip Tiemann.
We had kept the calf thru
the winter, planning to have “baby beef” the next fall. He was turned into the
pasture with the other animals and was doing nicely. I also invested in a
piglet to be fed on skim milk and later, on cull apples and corn, For him we
fixed up the low shed, which had sheltered the old water trough before I built
a new one. To hold this active little creature required a substantial board
fence, and his rather small yard had to be kept clean and as dry as possible
both for his health and to avoid objectionable odors. On the loose a pig probably
would be as clean as any animal-not considering a plastering of mud, as they do
enjoy wallowing - but when confined he will, if he can, clamber into his feed
trough, and roll in any much available. So he needed a good deal of care. In
the fall we planned to put him in an unfinished section of the chicken coop
until it became cold enough to butcher, probably around Thanksgiving. Two
sections of the chicken shed now wore-in use. The outside was partly unfinished
as I worked at it off-and-on, using roofing felt under shingles. The protective
material over the wire screening had proved excellent.
I started to plow a new
garden spot in the north-east mowing, turning over about half of its three
acres. This was not near enough to the house to be really convenient, but it
was dry, and following a good dressing of barnyard manure and ground limestone
it proved quite fertile.
The
difficulties here (along with the inevitable witch grass) were elm tree roots. The north boundary wall was lined with
fine old trees, and as I got over toward them 1 began to have. trouble. No one
would have believed how far those tough roots could extend, just below the
surface, except my neighbor: who stood
and laughed at me as they kept tripping the plow and I cussed. I had to
leave a good deal wider border than I had planned. Yet I had the last laugh,
as this land grew very fine sweet-corn.
The newly-broken ground (it
should have been done the previous fall so the sod could rot) I left for a time
while I barrowed hay-seed into the area
of the large. mowing where feed-crops had been the year before. A
bit above this (the field had an easterly slope) I put in an acre of field-
corn. “You can buy mixed grain cheaper than you can raise it” was the general
opinion. Not quite convinced, I put in half an acre of oats north of the
barn-yard. But this was the last time I planted small grains except as a nurse
crop (mixed with hay-seed, the heavier growth protects the tender new grass and
provides stouter hay the first year,) Cows unquestionably do better on a
balanced ration such as the commercial feed companies provide. And I had no
further need for oats as in the course of the summer I sold Dan and did not
replace him.
This
came about unexpectedly. A man from Reading Stopped by one day and asked if I would sell my horse. At first I said no but
upon thinking it over it seemed perhaps a good idea. The hay was\in
and for the rest of the year Dan would be pretty much a boarder with little to
do. Without him there would be more hay to sell or trade for labor. As he grew
older standing around in the pasture would do him no good, and the cows would
have better grazing. So I first made a deal with the second-mortgage holder
(as that mortgage included the live-stock) to pay something on account; and having
agreed on a price which suited both the buyer and myself the sale was made. I
missed the old fellow when he was gone but we were better off. We never again
kept a horse.
Speaking of pasture, this
always was a weak spot in our farming (and the same applied to many places.) A
pasture needs to be kept up. If grazed year after year with little or no
attention as ours had been, brush and scrub trees encroach and nutritious
grasses are replaced by light “June grass” and weeds except where animal
droppings have supplied fertility.
The Windy Hill pasture area
was about half woods, useful chiefly as a retreat on hot days and young growth
was damaged by being cropped when better feed was lacking, Being anxious to
have our present cows produce and also to build up the herd, I made an effort
to improve matters by top dressing with chemical fertilizers and ground
limestone. This helped somewhat but was not sufficient. The soil was hard and
should have been turned over and had organic matter added and then been seeded.
As I found with other endeavors, half-measures never are satisfactory.
This particular spring my
greatest interest was to have a good kitchen garden. I pulled out a great
number of severed elm roots, Then the sods fortunately were dry enough so that
they broke up easily under the disc harrow, and after repeating the operation a
couple of times I had a satisfactory bed. Then it was a bit late\for peas,
which should go in as soon as the ground can be worked,- preferably early April
altho this seldom is possible in this country of long winters. Succession
plantings made weekly apace out the crop. Being late, I got in only two
plantings, The same applied to spinach, which, when it comes fresh from the
garden, the family always has enjoyed. Then the seedlings started in February
in flats indoors could be set out, beginning with cabbages, broccoli, and
cauliflower which are hardy, Tomatoes, peppers, and egg-plant don’t stand frost
and so usually have to wait until Decoration Day [Memorial Day]. Meantime I
could put in the various root crops and lettuce; and toward the end of the
month beans and corn (“when the maple leaves are the size of a mouse’s ear”.) A
few pumpkins planted with the corn took no extra space and were nice to have
(the children liked to have big ones for Halloween) altho they prevented clean
cultivation when they began to “run.” And finally some varieties of squash;
cucumbers; melons; and citron. Several were experimental and we did not try
again. Both watermelons and muskmelons were doubtful as to maturity and
thereafter unless the planting season was unusually early we skipped them, The
same applied to eggplant. Citron and chard no one liked well enough to repeat.
Some varieties of tomatoes we liked better than others, and also squash. This
is all a matter of family taste.
Being city people we first
put in pea beans for drying and shelling, then one of Isabel’s friends
suggested Maine Yellow-eyes, a larger bean, and tastier, so this became our
standard, “Sojer” (soldier) beans are another local favorite but did not appeal
to us, - That year I also put in potatoes, We did not depend upon them as a
staple of diet as did most Vermonters and we came to the conclusion that the
small quantity we needed could be purchased
as cheaply as they could be grown, not to mention the labor of planting and cultivating and
spraying and digging with a chance of losing at least part of the crop to blight.
Then we set out our first
red raspberries,» two short rows in one corner of the garden. The canes as
received from the nursery were flourishing and the children couldn’t understand
why they had to be pruned back, nor why - after a long summer of weeding -
berries should not be picked the first year.
Later on, however, the fine fruit
made up for the trouble
and was one of our most successful
crops. Any kind of mulch between the rows, even old burlap bags or sawdust;
helped to control the weeds; the greatest labor was at season’s end when all
old canes had died and had to be cut out, and the rows well weeded and
fertilized. Raspberries are hardy and
subject to few troubles, They are readily salable, sometimes people coming to
pick their own at a reduced price or “on halves.” The birds are a nuisance and
steal a lot of berries, and in a very dry season all the creatures come to help
themselves to the nice juicy fruit, At such a time the deer are specially
addicted to the new green tips, which results in stunted growth the following
year.
Our friends next door
favored strawberries, and of course they are very good indeed; but when I had
observed the labor and the uncertainties involved I concluded they were not
for us. Later I was argued into trying a few but after a couple of seasons I
knew I had been right the first time. Yet some people make good money from
them.
In one way or another the
summer went very fast and before we knew it time for harvest had come. Most
things, were productive that year. We sold sweet-corn in addition to having all
we could eat and the sixty-four pints that Isabel “put up.” There were plenty
of blackberries and a good apple crop. Yet despite a long season we got very
few ripe tomatoes and perhaps a dozen squash.
By hanging up the green
tomatoes on the vines under shelter we hoped they would ripen but they only tended
to spoil. We had green tomato pickle practically running out of our ears. -I
was tempted to leave the field-corn out just too long and it was frosted, when the
temperature went below freezing one night, But those things we took in stride.
Interior work never did
seem to end, - there always was painting or plastering or something else
waiting for a rainy day. The kids helped at clearing brush from along the walls
in the mowing. An in the hope of getting a little bit ahead, I chopped and
stacked wood when not altogether too weary.
In mid-autumn we had a nice
windfall when an elderly cousin gave up housekeeping and sent us a truck-load
of much-needed furniture. Some pieces were immediately usable; others required
repair. But “beggars can not be choosers” and we were delighted with
everything,-the more because much of it had been in the family for a long time.
Nicest perhaps was an Empire-style sofa, which Isabel proceeded to recover wile
I repaired some of the chairs. It gave the house a new aspect.
Blueberries for Cavendish: As the Tiemanns picked blueberries; Mrs. Tiemann
turned them into a variety of delicious summer treats, as well as canned some
for winter use. We are fortunate that
CHS board member Bruce McEnaney, better known on Facebook as Bruce’s Berries,
has the best blueberries in Vermont (100% organic) and they’re ripe for the
picking. If you get there quick enough, there are even red raspberries.
As Bruce notes, The picking procedure is the same as last year...scale on the porch...honor
system...blah, blah, blah. Half of the proceeds will go to the Cavendish
Historical Society to supplement the funds that the good citizens of Cavendish
voted to give the Society. The money will go into a fund to repair and paint
the former Cavendish Baptist Church that is now the museum. Pick delicious,
healthy, never any sprays (except water) blueberries and help refurbish one of
the towns beautiful buildings. And remember Bruce's Berries are the freshest
and tastiest because YOU PICK THEM YOURSELVES!!!
So now that you have lots of this delicious goodness, what can you do with
them? Below are options to consider, most of which Mrs. Tiemann would have
tried-except for the freezing.
Freezing: These need to be dry.
Basically take Bruce’s Berries-no worries about pesticides and place in re
sealable plastic bags or suitable freezer containers and put in the freezer.
Some people like to do a single layer on a cookie sheet, freeze and then place
in freezer containers. Best to use these prior to six months. Be sure to
purchase enough to get you through the winter.
Drying Blueberries in the
Oven:
Don’t know as Mrs. Tiemann would have done this, but it’s very simple. Think
lower, slower temperature-closer to 135-for a chewier texture. Don’t go above
200 or it will cook instead of dehydrate. Put the berries on a single baking
sheet and pop them in the oven. 135 degrees for 10 hours or 6-8 hours at 200.
Check more frequently at the higher temps.
Recipes for Summer Eating: So if you want something
more than blueberries and cream, try one of the following:
• Blueberry Recipes from Vermont Weathervane: Blueberry Irish Bread
sounds yummy
• Grilled Quail with Blueberries: Combines two wonderfully locally grown
products, Cavendish Game Birds and Bruce’s Berries.
• Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam: Don’t forget the Honey
Fest (Golden Stage Inn, Proctorsville) takes place on Sept. 12.
• Blueberry Jam from the makers of Ball Jars
No comments:
Post a Comment