Livingston farmers market is jumping!

Children are everywhere at this seasons Livingston market. As you walk through the market area, you will dodge many young people, walking, pushing bikes, chatting. An entire section of discounted tables is set aside for young entrepreneurs to sell their creations.

You wont see dogs running around because of health regulations, but I found two vendors who are raising money for the Stafford Animal Shelter in Livingston. One is a young gal selling cupcakes, cookies, and items made from duct tape, who is first saving money for an iPod. But she is optimistic it wont take long. After that purchase, the rest of her profits during the summer will go to the shelter.

Shelter volunteers run a lemonade stand at the market. Other fund-raisers during the year include the Bark in the Park event on August 19 and the Fur Ball in May. Check out the shelter website for heart-warming stories of adoptions and ideas for doing your own fund-raiser—like the girl who sold hot chocolate and raised $100!

The best thing about the market today was seeing all the lovely fresh produce.

I love tomatoes, and heirlooms really rock. Here is a basket of green and red zebra striped heirlooms.

I also learned about garlic scapes, which are only available for about two weeks in June. They are the long green stems of garlic plants and smell and taste slightly of garlic. They contain a seed pod and are plucked off to allow the garlic plant to get big for its harvest in July.

You can use the garlic scapes in stir-fries or in any way you would a green onion (scallion). The vendor told me that they make a tasty pesto that can be frozen to use all year round. One woman told her she mixes a thawed ice-cube-size piece into a homemade loaf of bread for extra flavor. To make the pesto, simply substitute garlic scapes for basil in any recipe. Using pecans instead of pine nuts is tasty, too.

Tumblewood Teas offered refreshing samples. The new My Yer Lemony is very nice!

That tea would go with these nice cupcakes. I ate a red velvet one (third from left in this photo).

Or why not grab a bag of kettle corn. This vendor loves his job!

There was a lot more, of course, from friendly bears . . .

. . . to hot ready-made food, like Zs Gyros. Z wasnt here today, no doubt being busy in her new restaurant, Zs Meze, in Bozeman. Be sure to check that out—the Mediterranean and Turkish food is terrific!

It was a lovely hot afternoon. I didnt stay for music, but each week an area musician will entertain on the park stage nearby.

Be sure to stop by!

Livingston Farmers Market

Sacajawea Park bandshell

June 6 - September 26

Wednesday, 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm (music 6:30 pm - 9 pm)

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Is it coffee

Look around and youll see many non-edible items that are tempting to eat. This candle by Shannie looks and smells like the real thing, a glass mug brimming with the finest of coffee beverages.

And its made from soy rather than petroleum products. Although soy is healthy, Shannie warns that the candle is not edible because of scents and other additives.

You cant eat any of her other soy-based products either, but Id recommend you try them as cosmetics, especially if you are sensitive or allergic to commercial lotions and lip glosses. Shannie found herself in that position and carefully created products that she could use on her own skin.

The scent-free lotion absorbs easily into my skin, and the lip gloss is smooth and soft. I find it difficult to get used to a lip gloss with no taste because I enjoy trying ones made for kiddies and that smell like grape juice and bubble gum. But if youre all grown-up, youll like Shannies version.

I havent tried the soap yet, but the Pink Rose Petal bar I bought is calling to me from the bathroom shelf where it is stored.

I sampled Shannies products at the Spring Fling in Big Timber, a first-time event that promoters hope will become annual. Similar to the popular November Big Timber Womens Bazaar, vendors were selling a variety of handmade jewelry, felted items, handcrafted furniture, and -- of course! -- baked goods and other edibles.

To order any of Shannies products, contact her at:

Country Bumpkins Candles

P.O. Box 603

Bridger, Mont. 59014

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How I washed My IBC tote for Aquaponics

   I had washed my tote out the first time, but it was quick wash and rince but no hot water.
I work a lot and didnt take the time. That was a very big mistake. There seem to be a reidue left I think because I had a smell to it and my water stayed cloudy.   It is important to use hot water. I now use a  propane cooker to boil water .
   Also I did not know what was in the tote previously. Just because someone says its food grade doesnt mean they know for sure. Lets just say it did not smell like apple sauce. lol.
   HArd lessons learned are always the best lesssons.
   I now have other fish tanks and raft systems made from these totes. Washed them VERY well.



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What Is and What Will Be In My Greenhouse

Beginning in April of 2011 I began to make plans to turn my existing greenhouse into an aquaponics garden.  At this point, late November of 2011 I have accomplished an initial harvest in the grow bins pictured on the lower part of the graphic above.  I am still harvesting tomatoes from the three bins pictured on the lower right and herbs including beet greens, mint, parsley and dill from the three bins pictured on the lower left.  I have yet to experience a success at growing fish.  State regulation of fish suitable for eating are a major block to stocking my pond with trout or other edible fish and since I have decided that koi will best suit, and I dont want to waste the lives of anymore fish until I have my other items in place, I have sustained my plants with occasional supplements of chelated iron and other minerals and soluble plant food. 
I am now ready to set up the next two sections of the growing area.  These include hanging tubes for vine plants along the north wall of the green house and trays for lettuces and similar plants along the center.  The growing trays are made of rain gutter with an electrical cable along the bottom to heat the water as it flows past the roots.  The lettuce will be planted in coco fiber contained in plastic cups. 

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Market season is underway!

New in 2012, the Big Timber Kraft and Farmers Market began today under grey clouds. But spirits were bright, with most of the 8 vendors saying the day had been pretty good for them.

The market has a good location right on the main highway into town, and clear signage points the way at each end of town, so no doubt more customers will arrive as the summer season gets underway.

Today there were two tables piled high with delectable baked goods, with plenty of pies, rolls, and the ever welcome maple bars. Some tomato plants were being sold, a reminder that early markets are a good place to stock your Montana garden.

There was also a good selection of crafts available, including jewelry, pottery, blankets, and crocheted items.

Market manager Shona Wieting made sure to add "kraft" to the market name to allow for a wide variety of goods sold.

Shona is known at local markets as the Berry Bandit, with her jellies made from mostly foraged fruits. Because she makes her jellies from scratch each year for market season, Shona often has her freezer full of fruits shes found throughout the year: grapes from a back yard, apples and plums from abandoned trees, chokecherries from wild bushes in the area.

She explained that she picks 50-100 gallons each year to make chokecherry jelly and syrup. In general, she carries a stick with a hook at the end so she can grab high branches of trees or bushes, but she also uses it to prod the ground around the place she will be picking, checking for rattlesnakes.

Shes happy to leave fruits or berries for any bears that appear, preferring to flee rather than fight for her share. One year she felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle; something was watching her. It turned out to be a baby bear whose mother had been killed on the nearby highway. Shona left quickly, figuring the bear needed the chokecherries more than she did.

Shona proudly displays the first-place award she received for her chokecherry jelly at the 2011 Lewistown Chokecherry Festival. Theres a lot of tough competition at that festival, so this is indeed an honor.

Stan and Norma from Wilsall appear at many area markets selling their odds and ends of imaginative items. For example, you can find many people selling lights stuffed into wine bottles, but Stan found a giant beer bottle for something different.

Stan also showed me the spinning wheel he refurbished, figuring out how to create new parts by looking at pictures of other wheels. At $200, youre getting a real bargain.

It was Stan who reminded me why vendors sit in the hot sun at farmers markets, even when theyre not making much money. "You meet nice people, thats the thing," he said.

Yes, you do meet nice people. Be sure to visit as many farmers markets as you can this year!

Big Timber Kraft and Farmers Market

West 1st Ave & Hart Street, next to Car Quest and across from American Bank

June 2 - September (depending on weather)

Saturday, 9 am - 1 pm

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Spring is Springing

Ive been kept off my game by a persistent cold that made me want to stay warm.  Meanwhile my aquaponics system has plugged along through subfreezing nights.  In several senses it has been successful.  Mint has taken over one of the grow beds.  Mint is something I want to grow, but it has a tendency to spread too far in a garden.  In a grow bin it will hopefully be isolated to a particular bin instead of spreading through the system.  My parsley is also responding to the warmer temperatures and before long I might be able to use my own mint and parsley when I make tabbouleh, a dish which features bulgur wheat and various vegetables and greens including parsley, mint, green onions and tomatoes all diced up and mixed together with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil. 
I scattered some peas on the surface of the three bins where I had  tomatoes growing until fairly late.  They have responded to the casual treatment by growing!  I planted some beets last year in a similar manner and had beet greens for quite a while.  There are still some rather stunted beet greens growing amidst the parsley and mint.  Now I need to plow ahead and get the other parts of my system up and running.  The fish have come out of hibernation and flit around.  I will purchase more feeder gold fish since Im not all that hooked on fish as part of my diet.  I get an egg or so a day from my chickens and that usually meets my minimum needs for animal protein, although now and then I poach a bit of salmon or make a tuna sandwich.  Or, when Im feeling self indulgent, go for coconut shrimp.

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Pickle Soup

Yes, there is such a thing as pickle soup, although cookbook author Ginny McDonald suggests serving this as an appetizer, in a cup eaten before the meal.

The recipe comes from Ginnys cookbook, "Recipes to Warm the Heart: Soups, Stews, and Breads." She has also written two others, "Recipes from the Heart" and "Recipes from the Heart of Montana." All three books contain original recipes, most from the kitchens of her grandmother and great grandmother.

Ginny says it was a lot of work translating the recipes for modern cooks. After long experimentation she decided that "butter the size of an egg" meant about 1/3 cup and a "teacup" of something measured out to 1/2 cup.

Some recipes came from other sources through Ginnys unrelenting efforts to discover how to make things she has enjoyed eating while dining out. The Dill Pickle Soup, for example, was originally savored many years ago at a gourmet restaurant in Oregon.

Over occasional protests from her then-teenagers, Ginny persevered to test each recipe on her family until it met unanimous approval. Because of this, I can highly recommend these as tried-and-true recipes that come out tasty every time I make something.

And all ingredients are things you are likely find in your own kitchen; if not, feel free to substitute.

"Be creative," Ginny urges. "I do that a lot. If I run out of this or that, I use something else."

Ginny also recommends finding ways to cut back on trips to the store. One tip she finds helpful is to buy bulk cheese, shred it, and store it in serving-size bags in the freezer.

"Through the years you kind of learn all these tricks," Ginny says.

One trick youll like is to make this soup and watch the expression on your guests faces. "Surprise" is the key word here. I took a pot to my churchs Lenten Soup and Bread night, and everyone agreed it tastes way better than it sounds. I describe the flavor as heavy on the dill but not "pickley."

[In the following recipe, my comments are in brackets.]

Dill Pickle Soup

This soup sounds unusual, but it is a delicious surprise.
Traditionally, a winter soup, it can be served all year.

1 cup butter [yes, this is a lot of butter, but Ginny insists it is necessary for the roux that is the basis of the soup; you can experiment with less.]

1/2 cup flour

1 - 1/2 quarts chicken broth

1 - 1/2 cups dill pickles, shredded or finely chopped [about 3 large pickles]

1 cup white wine

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 to 4 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

2 bay leaves [in my opinion, optional]

2 cups warm milk

Dash of green food coloring [I left this out, preferring the natural yellow color, flecked with dark green dill]

Croutons

In a large kettle, melt butter. Add flour; cook and stir until bubbly. Gradually add broth. [Use a whisk to incorporate flour and broth. Keep those lumps away!] Add next 12 ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; add milk. Remove bay leaves. Add food coloring and garnish with croutons. [In the photo, you see my clever idea was to add more pickles.]

Yield: 2 quarts, or 8 to 10 servings.

Find all of Ginnys cookbooks at:

neecees

2821 2nd Avenue North

Billings, Mont. 59101

(406) 248-1722

Note: Neecees is a fascinating shop filled with unusual womens clothing and accessories. Youll need to ask for the cookbooks, which they are happy to show you, since they are selling them as a special favor to Ginny.

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Different types of Aquaponics

Some of the descriptions and images come from The Aquaponic Store 

NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) - A method of growing plants in which a thin and even film of  aerated nutrient solution flows down a channel into which the roots of the crop are suspended. It is very important to filter the water well before sending it to an NFT trough since fish waste in the trough and on the plant roots will negatively impact the plants growth.  NFT aquaponics requires separate solids and bio-filtration.  While the reduced amount of water needed to fill the system may seem like a benefit, it can mean greater temperature and water quality fluctuations in a short period of time.

DWC (Deep Water Culture) - DWC is often referred to as Raft where the plants grow suspended over a tank of water in which nutrient rich water flows with supplemental aeration.  In most situations filtration needs to occur before fish water is sent to the raft area of the system.

CHIFT PIST (Constant Height In Fish Tank Pump In Sump Tank) -  Maintaining a constant volume/height in the fish tank with a sump tank at the lowest point and a fish tank at a higher point.  The pump lifts water from the sump tank to the fish tank and water flows from the fish tank to the grow beds which drain back to the sump tank.

CHOP (Constant Height One Pump) - Basically the same thing as CHIFT PIST.  With CHIFT PIST there has not normally been a distinction between the variation where the fish tank drains back to the sump directly and the pump pumps to the grow beds and they might drain to the sump or the fish tank.  With CHOP it was normally assumed that the fish tank got the water from the pump and drained to grow beds which drained to the sump.
CHOP2 - The variation of CHIFT PIST where both the fish tank and grow beds drained to the sump and the sump pumped to both the growbeds and fish tank
Flood and Drain- The plant growing space is allowed to flood and then drain either by the use of a pump on a timer to fill the bed and then allow it to drain while the pump is off or by the use of a siphon or other intermittent outflow device where the bed is constantly filling and then the siphon will drain the bed quickly.
Advantages: providing ample oxygen to plant roots and bio filter bacteria without the need of extra aeration.  Many plants like some dry time especially if the water is not super aerated.
Disadvantages: Water level needs to fluctuate in the system to provide the water for flood and drain.  Flood and drain offers more media to air than media to water interface which can have an exaggerated heat exchange effect on water temperatures.

Ebb and Flow - The same as Flood and Drain except you are usually pumping up through the bottom of the grow bed and then when the pump turns off, you are draining back down through the pump.

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My project is started 1

Modest beginnings perhaps, but we are moving in the right direction ..... maybe

......One Fish Tank ...in dowen ...and  in up the grow bed.s ....the fish tank have 33 m3 water....and we passing .....the water on diffrent kind from grow bed.s .....vertical plants tower...app and flow.....NFT......

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irrigation hoses and drip irrigation valves

 irrigation hoses and drip irrigation valves ...

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my project is started 2

The fish tank ....Reinforced Concrete.....

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What is needed to test my aquaponic water

   Before your Aquaponic system is completed and you buy your fish, it would be handy and cost effective to pre-buy all the test that you will need before your set up is done and for your weekely maintenance.

   There are plenty of digital gauges out there from $20 to $1500. To start out I recommend just getting basic test strips. You can get the five in ones or you can get the individual ones. Ph is the one you will need the most of. But besides Ph you will have to test your ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, oxygen, and even light, come winter time, or if you are growing indoors.
All these can be easily purchased at a pet store but may be cheaper online at amazon, e-bay, or the aquaponic source. Pool supplies carry some also, but can be higher.

   This way if you have all the test strips before hand, you will be able to kick your system off faster and if problems come up, you will get a general idea of whats wrong just with some basic test.

   May be wise to get some ph up or down for aquariums too, just in case, but no need and making it too complicated right off.

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Wacky cake

Kids have eclectic tastes, and we must admire them for it.

The Big Timber Grade School Cookbook (2008) is a unique collection of kid-approved recipes that you might like to try yourself even if you dont have kids. Guaranteed the kids in your life will find plenty to enjoy.

The book was compiled as a fund-raiser for the Big Timber grade school, and it is the best community cookbook I have tried. Among the classic recipes are brownies, fried bologna sandwiches, and pizza, all kid pleasers no matter how you make them.

But recipes you might not find anywhere else (or hardly anywhere else) include Vanishing Oatmeal, Sparkly Cupcakes, Dinosaur Chow, and (would you want to leave Santa out?) Magic Reindeer Food.

To give you a real taste of what this cookbook can do for you, I chose to make Wacky Cake -- or Whacky Cake, depending on which recipe you use; I combined the two recipes found in this cookbook. All you do is dump ingredients in a pan, stir a bit, and bake. If I can do it, so can you! Or at least your 5-year-old could.

W[h]acky Cake

Put in ungreased 8x8-inch pan and then stir to combine:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

Make three wells in the dry ingredients.

In one, place 1 teaspoon vanilla;

in another, place 1 tablespoon vinegar;

in another, place 5 tablespoons oil.

OK, this looks like one-eyed Pete, the spitting fool, but carry on . . .

Pour 1 cup cold water over all, and stir to mix all ingredients together. Do not beat.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes or until center springs back at a touch.

I did a slap-dash stir, which resulted in a wackier cake than the student who submitted it probably intended. Or maybe not. Make it yourself and do it any way you please.

One thing I must warn you about is that this is not a bakery shop cake. One recipe variation said: "No need to beat (this ruins the texture)." I am not sure what "texture" they are worried about ruining. It is a pretty chewy cake and even if you beat it, I dont think that will change much. But again, you be the judge in your own kitchen.

Its a nice cake, easy to make, and could be improved with a slathering of homemade chocolate frosting. (The recipe on the can of Hersheys Cocoa has been a long-time favorite of mine.) I mean, what wouldnt be improved with chocolate frosting??

If youd like a copy of this delightful and oddly useful cookbook -- for the price of postage and a donation to the grade school (any amount) -- write a comment (I wont publish it unless you want me to), and well get the process going.

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There are Fish!

I tried putting 20 goldfish in my fish tank several months ago and as far as I could see at the time, there were no survivors.  Yesterday while redoing some plumbing on the fish tank I discovered two healthy gold fish.  I havent really fed them, but there is algae growing in the tank and I guess they were doing fine as cold water vegetarians.  Someone at the aquaponics association meeting told me that it might be disease and not water quality that killed the initial batch of fish.  Apparently they were right.  Go figure. 

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Death of a Tree

My neighbor on the north died this past year and now the great tree in his yard is also going. It is a mighty Chinese Elm. It has taken nearly a week for the tree to have all but the major branches removed. Perhaps I should mourn for the tree, but it had long since passed the dimensions common to the breed. Towering far above the 60 maximum. It is likely it was nearly the end of its life span in any case. But though I should feel some sorrow for the passing of such a magnificent specimen, I cannot regret it. The tree produced prolifically, sending the white discs of its seeds drifting through the neighborhood like a pernicious snow. The bottom picture shows the seeds caught in a coco fiber basket. This is not atypical coverage, and each seed can produce a little weed with a strong root that invades gardens and lawns. Somehow it even produced seedlings in my aquaponics grow bins which I seek out and remove. Good riddance tree.

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Is it cheez

"We Cant Say Its Cheese" is a mouthful of a name to ask for at the store, but if you dont see this Bozeman-made Wayfare Foods product in a refrigerated case, do make an effort to find it.

This non-dairy spread is a real treat. Dont expect it to taste exactly like cheese, for of course it isnt, but it is close enough to be satisfying. And naturally, it is healthy, with ingredients like non-GMO oatmeal, pimentos, and cane juice.

There are a variety of flavors, and I can say the Hickory-Smoked Cheddar-Style Spread is, like, wow! Pictured on this blog post is the plain Cheddar-Style Spread. If you like that processed cheese spread stuff that comes in small glasses, this is similar in texture.

I bought one container, and now I wish Id really stocked up. Its a long way to the Billings co-op, but as soon as I get a chance, Ill be on my way to pick up more of this.

I tend to be a purist, so I looove it spread on crackers or bread, but you probably can think of other ways to use it. Maybe put it between Ritz crackers and make your own cheese crackers. There are recipes on the company Web site, so check that out. For example, the Cheddar Pie Crust, filled with apples, is an intriguing idea.

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