Welcome to Mary Margaret's Blog

It’s warm August and you’re spending time in the lake, in the kayak, and outside picking berries… Winter is the furthest thing from your mind. Everywhere you go, people are talking about the heat--and this year, the dryness. You join in, but you have a nagging feeling in the back of your mind reminding you that soon things will change. Soon enough we’ll all be complaining about the cold and snow. Late August and early … Read More

You’ve heard of garlic. You’ve used it. You love it! But when you add the word “scape” at the end of garlic, you’re confused. What the heck is a garlic scape? I totally understand. Garlic scapes are not something I’d ever heard of until I got into farming. They look like this:

And they are the flowering tops of hard neck garlic plants before they’re ready to harvest. They grow out of the top … Read More

“Hey, this kale is all limp!”

"These carrots are all rubbery!"

Have you ever said that? If you have, this post is for you! If you haven’t, then either you already know some of this (yay!) or you haven’t had fresh greens or other veggies in your fridge very often. Wilty greens or limp carrots aren't just unappetizing, they're also not as nutritious either.  And they plain just don't last as long or taste as … Read More

When I signed up for my very first CSA share as a customer back in 2004, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I was taking a leap of faith based on a paper brochure and a phone conversation with a farmer.  Maybe you know what I felt like? Of course, this was back before it was common for most small businesses to have a website full of more information on their … Read More

With the holiday season right around the corner, I'm thinking about how I can squeeze more homegrown and locally grown veggies into my family's meals. Yes, veggie side dishes, got that. Yes, fresh salads, got that. But, going a little further... Have you ever tried using the “real thing” when making your holiday pumpkin pies? I mean not canned, but the real veggie straight from the garden or a local farm? Why should you care? … Read More

“Mmmm! What is in this soup?” Soup is one of the things I serve that I get the most complements on. Why? It’s kind of like building a house. It needs to start with a solid foundation or else it won’t be very successful. Soup is the same way. And broth is that foundation. Broth is a magical ingredient in soup that you can’t see, but makes it taste so much better. Because I love … Read More

I love this time of year! The garden's bounty is at its most generous with things like tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, winter squash, root veggies, onions, garlic and more all piling up. My house is often filled with veggies I am supposed to somehow cram into the freezer, into jars, into the dehydrator, and best of all straight into my family's tummies! If you're like me and you love veggies fresh from the garden and … Read More

If you’re like us, you’ve been babying those precious tomato plants in the garden for months now. Since Memorial Day to be exact! Seems like forever to wait for a ripe tomato! Then, all of a sudden, your tomatoes start to ripen. And by September, you’re swimming in tomatoes! That’s how we feel on the farm, too! Farmer Gene and the crew harvested well over 1000 pounds this week alone.     No complaining since … Read More

How To Harvest Fresh Basil So You Can Enjoy It All Summer

Basil is one of those veggies that we can all pretty much agree that we love!

In fact, the taste of fresh basil with tomatoes is the quintessential taste of summer, don't you think?

And luckily basil is really not that hard to grow…

Or is it?

Have you planted basil seedlings, in anticipation of making quarts of pesto and jars of perfectly …

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Do I Need To Harden Off My Seedlings Before Planting?
Yes and Here's How

I did not grow up farming. Not even close! (Suburb outside of Austin, Texas)

I had no idea what “harden off” meant as a kid until I started working on a vegetable farm in my early 20's.

Now that I've run my own organic vegetable farm with my husband for over 15 years, I do know a thing or two about …

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