Welcome to Mary Margaret's Blog

It's harvest season on the farm! And there's a reason that from time immemorial, we humans have celebrated the harvests! A pile of harvested veggies like carrots, beets, onions, squash, and more represents health and comfort for the winter, right?  To me, it just feels good to see it there. We may go to the grocery store for most of our food nowadays, but we haven't forgotten our roots as humans who rely on the earth's bounty for our health and sustenance. And knowing where your food comes from is such a good feeling. Not to mention how good garden fresh tastes! It looks like a great year on the storage veggie front on our farm! Do you love fall harvested garden fresh taste but don't have time to do it all yourself? We're here to help! In fact, do you know what is the most common thing people say… Read More

Fall is harvest time on the farm and most importantly fresh garlic time!   I know I'm excited and so are many customers, too. But to be honest, garlic is a love-hate relationship for me.  The taste is amazing, especially roasted, but... Last year I wrote a blog post on the ways that helped me overcome my biggest barrier to using garlic in the kitchen. Dealing with PEELing the darn things!!! (If that resonates with you, here's a link to that if you missed it! They really do help!)   But, as everyone is aware, eating more garlic is a great natural way to boost your immune system for the cold and flu season ahead of us. And this year this is as important as ever, right?! If you're a garlic fan or if you're not sure, but still wanting to eat more garlic for health reasons, I've got a question for… Read More

Another trendy kitchen gadget?  ::eye roll:: If you're like me, you probably have the opposite problem! And you're looking to get rid of a few things, simplify a la Marie Kondo, right? A spiralizer is not just a fancy kitchen gadget that you’ll use once and then give away. If you’re honestly looking for ways to eat more vegetables, especially in gluten-free recipes, you’ll use this ALL the time. That's true for me and for many CSA members of our farm!   But first a little background about me I'm a simple girl when it comes to the kitchen. Well, mostly. Like, I still do my dishes by hand. I make bread by hand.  I don't use a microwave, or instant pot, or toaster oven, even! Just homemade goodness every meal on the table. (I AM a sucker for expensive ingredients, though! hehe) But that doesn't mean that I don't consider and even… Read More

We all know a picky eater, right? The telltale signs are frequent “No!” sounds and whining sounds combined with avoidance behavior, right? Heck, maybe we used to be one! I know I was! Because age is not necessarily a risk factor!   Confessions of a picky eater And many of you know my story, but if you don't, I confess, I used to be a picky eater. But, you're an organic veggie farmer!? I won't go into details... Ahem, ya know, pop tarts and sub sandwiches count as veggies, don't they? But what cured me of it was joining a CSA way back when I was 21 years old. My first experience with the look, feel, and taste of real veggies and a relationship with a special farm changed my life and that's a big part of why I'm here today to help your picky eater up their veggie consumption! Now having… Read More

It's hot and you want to be out swimming and enjoying the short summer in Maine, right? Now that my daughter is 5, she is begging to go swimming down at the pond 2 miles down the road practically every day! So I need to come up with dinners that don't have me inside preparing all afternoon. I'm guessing you might feel the same way! Here's a great way that has endless variations to get a meal on the table without spending too much time in the kitchen on anything elaborate. And guess what? It's even a hit with guests and kids alike. It's our family's go-to when we get home from a fun summer outing and don't have a dinner plan. Doesn't need to be a disaster! :)     How to make salad a quick, easy and satisfying dinner This is a riff on taco salad to be… Read More

Late spring verging onto summer on the farm (or in your garden) is a busy time of year. That is an understatement, right?? Do you find yourself making a list for the week that would literally take a month to do?? I totally do that all the time in the summer! That's why it's important to have some really fun easy recipes on hand so that you're not cooking all day long while you want to be outside gardening, hiking, boating, playing with the kids/grandkids... So to keep it short, here are two ideas that are getting me excited about cooking at the moment!     #1 Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette on Greens (either raw salad OR cooked!) This is the best dressing I've had in a long while! Make a huge batch, store it in the fridge and use it on whatever greens you have in your house! Two ways… Read More

It's that time of year again! If you have rhubarb in your garden or have ever seen it in a garden, you'll know that it is the most feel good plant ever in springtime! It's huge green leaves are a very welcome sight to see after a long winter. The plant comes up and grows so fast that it makes you feel like you're gardening already! And good at it! Right? That's always what I think! Who else thinks growing rhubarb gives you an ego-boost?     So before having kids I think we must have kept rhubarb around for that very reason. It made me feel like I was a good gardener to see it's vigorous dark green leaves before there was any other food in our gardens, green or otherwise. Plus it is practically impossible to kill, which is a great feature for convincing yourself you have a… Read More

Why would you be interested in getting local veggies? Perhaps because they... Help you know where your food comes from Are better for the environment Support local businesses/local farmers And they just taste way better. Hey, that's what it's really all about, right!? Over the years we have worked hard toward our goal of being the community farm providing our members fresh healthy food from their farmers. And in 2020 we got to our most recent goal: being a year-round veggie farm in Central Maine, supplying our farm's produce to our community all year long through our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) July through June! The CSA farm share program is the lifeblood and backbone of our farm. Your upfront support financially (and mentally) is what helps us have a stable income (and thus confident decision-making) to be able to support our family as well as the two full-time, year-round employees… Read More

Growing your own seedlings from seed is fun, rewarding and brings hope during the cold, early spring days while we wait for planting time! Seeing green is food for your soul for sure! It's true that growing your own seedlings can be tricky. It even happens that some of them die. And that is sad, but don't let it get you down! It happens to the best of us! I wrote this blog post to help set you up for success. To help take some of the guesswork out of it and let you know the things that we've learned over the years. Because, let's face it, we all make mistakes. But, that's how we learn!   So, here's to your success in starting your own seeds!     The most important thing about starting seeds is timing I can't stress this enough. When starting your own seeds and seedlings, rushing… Read More

Cabbage was once referred to as a poor man's food.  Often berated, underrated and never celebrated! Unfortunately, cabbage is usually overlooked at best and often pushed aside by children and adults alike. Why?  Likely because it was prepared in a "boring" way, boiled and rendered lifeless on the plate.   Luckily, the humble cabbage is making a comeback. But not because people have suddenly started embracing the austere. But because we're all discovering that boiled is NOT the only way to use cabbage!   Cabbage is becoming hip due to the many exciting and delicious ways to prepare and cook the economical, delicious and nutritious vegetable.       Cabbage basics There are several kinds of cabbage that all have their small differences and benefits, but ultimately YES you can substitute one for another! Green cabbage: most common cabbage you'll find at a farm or grocery store alike.  Most versatile cabbage, sweet, crunchy,… Read More