Showing posts with label wnc. Show all posts

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Root Bottom Farm LOVES garlic

Our new license plate arrived.

We love garlic at Root Bottom Farm. Garlic Fest in Asheville was a huge success and a lot of fun.

At Garlic Fest we sold garlic, garlic samplers, our homemade garlic butter, I LOVE Garlic buttons, Root Bottom Farm stickers and root crops.

Root Bottom Garlic Butter. Our organic garlic, our herbs. Great on EVERYTHING

The Spring and Summer gardens have been pulled out, tilled and composted in preparation for our big 2015 garlic planting this week (Projecting about 8,000 bulbs)

This weekend we cracked all 80 lbs into individual pieces to be planted.

We currently grow 13 varieties for garlic. Above: (top L to R) Elephant, Red Russian, Music & Creole Red. We sell our garlic at local farmers markets, Asheville restaurants and online.

Below is a great article from Earth Flavors about Root Bottom Farm and all things garlic. https://mountainx.com/food/hardnecks-and-softnecks-talking-garlic-with-root-bottom-farm/

Hardnecks and softnecks: Talking garlic with Root Bottom Farm

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Carla Seidl

THE SPICE OF LIFE: The two basic categories of garlic are hardneck and softneck, and there are numerous varieties running the flavor gamut from mild to spicy-hot. Photo by Carla Seidl

“Garlic can be hot or spicy,” says Sarah Decker of Root Bottom Farm in Marshall. “Or it can be hot AND spicy.” In their 12-variety garlic sampler, she and husband Morgan sell varieties with names like Thai fire, Sicilian silver and German red.
“I like the heat, and I like the robust flavor that you can get while cooking,” says Sarah. In contrast, the garlic you buy in the supermarket is milder, with a less complex flavor. As she puts it, it’s “consumer-safe.”
There are two general categories of garlic: hardneck and softneck. Hardnecks have an edible stalk, called a scape, growing through the center of the bulb. You can eat the scape raw or sautée it. “It’s almost like a bean — a garlic bean,” says Morgan.
Supermarket garlic is usually of the softneck type, which stores longer than hardneck and lacks the hardneck’s defining scape. California silverskin is the most common supermarket variety and has extra-good shelf life due to its tightly wrapped skins. Hardneck is more commonly found at farmers markets.
Garlic’s health-promoting reputation is deserved: It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties as well as cardiovascular benefits. In addition, it’s rich in trace minerals manganese and selenium, as well as a variety of other vitamins.
In her book, Eating on the Wild Side, Jo Robinson recommends either eating garlic raw or letting it rest for 10 minutes after chopping or pressing before adding it to your cooking in order to reap maximum health benefits. While any kind of garlic is good for you, Robinson explains that hardneck garlic, being closer to wild garlic, may have retained more medicinal properties.
Before starting Root Bottom Farm four years ago, Morgan Decker farmed garlic in Vermont and Utah. Sarah was a photography professor and grew up on a small farm in Virginia, where her dad hunted and raised animals and had a small garden. “I like eating food that I know the source of,” she says.
The Deckers farm 5 1/2 acres of bottomland along a creek. Such flat land is rare in hilly Madison County. The property was formerly a tobacco farm, which the couple revitalized over a two-year period with, among other efforts, 65 trips to the landfill.
The couple farm organically, spraying nothing, and not even using a tractor. They even plant by the moon — a habit that comes from Sarah’s father and to which Morgan has agreed, though qualifying, “only if it works out.” So far, it’s always worked out.

VARIETY PACK: With their 12-variety garlic sampler packs, Root Bottom Farm owners Sarah and Morgan Decker hope to spread the word about the many types of garlic that can be grown in Western North Carolina. Photo by Carla Seidl

Still, the lack of a true cold snap in this area can be challenging for garlic, especially hardnecks, and the Deckers have found it’s best to leave some varieties to the folks in Maine and Minnesota. “This is kind of on the warmer side of the garlic-growing spectrum,” Morgan says, “so you have to choose the right varieties.”
Normally, garlic undergoes a curing process, in which the paper skins become fully formed for storage and the flavor intensifies. The Deckers cure their garlic in the rafters of the old tobacco barn, but they also start to sell garlic as soon as they dig it up (in June or July, depending on the variety). Morgan says fresh garlic is juicier. He explains that chefs, especially, like it because freshly dug garlic’s paper isn’t fully formed, so they don’t have to go to the trouble of peeling the skin off each clove.
Garlic’s ability to store means the Deckers don’t have to sell their garlic right away. Softneck garlic can be stored in a cold, dark, dry environment for six months, hardneck for three to five. With the right conditions, they can last all winter in a cellar or fridge. “We like the longevity that root crops provide,” says Sarah.
The couple specialize in root crops and grow carrots, potatoes and beets, in addition to garlic, but they also grow and sell other crops, including microgreens, berries, herbs and flowers.
“We like to use everything,” Sarah says. From leftover, small garlic bulbs not big enough to sell for seed or consumption, she started making an organic, herbed garlic butter, which is one of their main value-added products.
The Deckers want people not just to buy and eat their garlic cloves but also plant them. They sell their garlic sampler in part to spread the varieties of garlic that do well here and to keep the diversity of garlic strains alive.
Reading the descriptions on Root Bottom Farm’s garlic sampler, I’m especially intrigued by their Music variety: “An aromatic, slightly spicy, incredibly flavorful garlic. Potent heat that is balanced by the spiciness. Good in mashed potatoes.”
I will have to catch up with them again soon to try it out.
Find Root Bottom Farm at the West Asheville or Mars Hill tailgate markets, or visit rootbottomfarm.com.
This story was originally posted at Earth Flavors, a website profiling local ingredients in Asheville and Western North Carolina. Carla Seidl is the founder and producer of Earth Flavors.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Root Bottom Farm at Asheville's Garlic Fest & Venture Local Fair

We are so excited to be a part of Asheville's inaugural Garlic Fest and Venture Local Fair. Come on down to the South Slope of Asheville Saturday 26 from 12-6pm. See you there!

Root Bottom Farm will be selling Garlic Butter, garlic, I ❤︎ GARLIC buttons & our Garlic Samplers.

Check out the Venture Local Fair site for more information: http://venturelocalfair.com/

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

What are microgreens? Tiny plants. Giant flavor.

Even from the beginning, microgreens have been a big part of Root Bottom Farm. When I first met Morgan, he was growing microgreens (among other crops) year round at 7,000 ft outside of Park City, UT. When we bought our derelict Madison County, NC property in 2011, microgreens were one of our first crops we could grow while we cleaned up the farm after years of neglect. Heading into Root Bottom's fourth season, microgreens continue to be a big part of our production and we love the fresh taste and nutrition we get from these little plants.

What are microgreens?

A microgreen is a tiny vegetable green that is harvested after only a few weeks of growth. Unlike water grown sprouts, microgreens are grown in potting mix. Microgreens have an intense flavor and higher nutritional value than sprouts or salad greens. The tender stems and leaves are a great addition to salads, sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres. These flavorful greens add color, freshness, and distinctive flavors to dishes. They can also make a tasty and attractive garnish to sushi, soups or main dishes.

Where can I get Root Bottom microgreens?

Root Bottom Farm offers a weekly harvest of microgreens from May - October.

You can buy our microgreens at the West Asheville Market on Tuesdays from 3:30-6:30 and

the Madison County Farmers & Artisans Market (Mars Hill) on Saturdays 9:00-1:00.

We also deliver to Asheville restaurants on Friday afternoons. Contact us for more information.

What type of microgreens does Root Bottom Farm grow?

China Rose Radish

A spicy radish flavor that adds color with its pink stem. Great addition to sushi or any dish needing a little color.

Sunflower

A large, nutty microgreen that is a delicious addition to salads and sandwiches.

Purple Cabbage

A smaller microgreen that adds a splash of color and a mild cabbage flavor.

Sweet Pea

A sweet, crunchy green that explodes with pea flavor.

Morgan's Mix

A delicious mix of radish, sunflower & cabbage. Great all around mix for any dish.

New this year: Sarah's Mix

A sweet mix of kale, bok choy and pea microgreeens.

The Life of a Sweet Pea Microgreen

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Spring Farm. End of April - Beginning of May

Strawberries have made their first appearance. In the first week, it starts slow. A pint or so a day. Then it increases exponentially for about a month and we start picking every day. We harvested about 7 lbs of strawberries the first week...and 6.5 lbs just on Sunday morning! When I was a little girl growing up on our farm in VA, I loved eating strawberries from our little patch. I also loved all things "Strawberry Shortcake" and my Mom painted strawberries on my dresser and bed frame. Morgan's PopPop was known for his strawberries in New Jersey and his family members have shared fond memories of picking strawberries with him. We love having fresh berries on our farm. This year, I will also be producing a series of jams from our harvest. Coming soon: Root Bottom strawberry, blackberry, mixed berry and strawberry jalapeno jams.

We went to our first week of markets and started our ESA deliveries. Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, beets, carrots, peas, radishes, turnips, scallions, cooking greens, and broccoli are planted. This week we will plant sunflowers, corn, peppers, beans, basil and cucumber starts. The annual flowers are seeded and this week, we will seed over 800 perennial flowers for around the yard. I have built three raised flower gardens this Spring. I only have one more (huge) flower garden to build and work on for the rest of the summer to cover up our septic boxes. The herb garden is weeded and being doubled this year. The property is looking awesome these days...and Morgan is pretty stoked about it.

We had six current AT Thru Hikers come stay with us for a few days. I picked them up in TN and they enjoyed two days of rest and a little work on the farm before I dropped them back off on their journey. This is the second time we have done it and it is so fun. By no means do we want to become an AT hostel, but once a season is awesome. With 12 extra hands we moved the greenhouse, put new plastic on it, worked on filling raised flower beds, worked on rock walls around new gardens, thinned beets and harvested microgreens. This week we also had our first weekly volunteers, Leigh and Tyler. You guys rock! If you know anyone looking to trade half days for veggies, let us know. We would love to have you!

Many hands make light work.

The next big project is also underway. Year 4 and we finally get to work on the "Garlic Pearl," our old tobacco barn. Our friend John is renovating the front. We were scrambling on the roof a few days ago (redid nails, screws and filled holes with tar). Sealing it next week. Building flower boxes in front, reinforcing the back wall AND we are getting a barn quilt installed from the Madison County Barn Alliance!!!

Clearing off the roof so we could seal it.

We continue to feel lucky to be in such a great place. Marshall is often called "Magic Town"and for good reason. It is a "mile long, a block wide and full of heck" as the old saying goes. It is home to some pretty amazing folks we call friends. We celebrated our third wedding anniversary and soaked in the local natural hot springs. I went to a Sisters of Marshall Potluck, we had wood fired pizza at the first pizza night of the season at our friend's Smoke Signals Bakery, I had a successful photography show opening in downtown Marshall and last night we went to a square dance at a friend's farm down the road. Love Life..

Three years of marriage and we still like to work together everyday :)

Greenhouse babes

Young microgreens

Kale

Sweet pea shoots ready for harvest

Scallions

Our first market we had: scallions, salad Burnette, thyme, winter savory, dried gourds, sunflower microgreens, Morgan's mix and pea shoots.

The new Sarah Mix! Sweet pea shoots, kale and bok choy

Lower strawberry patch. Weeded.

Morgan flame weeding the garlic. A great way to kill young weeds.

Justin "giving the garlic some ocean". We don't spray anything on Root Bottom Farm. Not even organic sprays. We do, however, fertilize with liquid fish emulsion. It stinks....but the plants love it!

Tomato starts going in the new greenhouse

Annual flowers are seeded

Cardboard on the blackberries for weed control

Cutting seed potatoes for planting

Potato planting supplies

Dried gourds from last season

Good morning, farm.

We have found some giant worms this year!

Still had some early frosts

Where the worms go...Morgan's creek catch one afternoon

Having a bad day? Is it a mouse trap on your elbow kind of a day?

There is no Root Bottom Farm uniform....but...

Dried flowers from last season.

Working on connecting it all. There will be a walkway between the two gardens. This started as two small patches of plants that came with the house. Now it is three large planting areas. The one around the telephone pole is going to be ALL yellow flowers.