You missed Us & We missed You!

We were excited and tired while we packed up the big ol' blue van for the market on Saturday. There is a bumper crop of Cherokee Purples, Amish Pastes and Black Krim. We had jars, tables, baskets and blackboards. All set for the last Saturday market!
Or that's what I thought....
When I got into the trusty van early Saturday morn' to make the trip to Milwaukee...she only lasted for about ten seconds and then went dead. And then started and went dead again. And again and again. Ohhh man!
So we missed the market today on account of massive van failure. We really wanted to be there and see everyones smiling faces, to thank y'all for the great, encouraging year of veggies and friendship!

We got the right part for the van and are fixin her up tonight. SO, we will be in town tomorrow for the Sunday Market at Garden Park in Riverwest.
Please come out to see us and say hi!

 Sorry we missed you, we really wanted to be there....

One saturday market left!

Wow this season really has flew...
We are coming up to the end of market season and the last Saturday market happening at Cathedral Square next week 9-1pm.
The beautiful Riverwest farmers market will be continuing for another 3 weeks, with the last market Sunday the 27th from 10-4pm. 

We are still getting good, ripe tomatoes out of the field and the purple tomatillos are still kickin'. Ground cherries are still producing in numbers and a bunch of tasty fall greens and root veggies for these cool fall days.

We also have been busy preserving the harvest with jars of roasted heirloom tomatoes and a new Chili Tomato Jam. If you have never tasted tomato jam before, give it a try. It's a bit like BBQ sauce and a bit like sweet roasted tomatoes. Try it on biscuits, toast, sausages, eggs, tarts.......

Here are some more photos from the season!
xo Mary and Sam

Falls a commin' but there is still a bit of summer left....

Here are some recent pics of the beautiful heirloom vegetables that we are all enjoying this summer. Stop by the market on Saturdays and Sundays in Milwaukee to chat and get a few special treats while you still can! 

This week we have really special and delicious Anjou pears- both red and green. As always un-sprayed, organic and hand-picked when (just about) ripe!

New in Jars:  Heirloom tomatoes=== roasted cherries in balsamic, slow roasted crushed, whole blanched, whole slow roasted. Pickles=== spiced cucumbers, dilly baby green tomatoes, dilly cucumbers, hot garlic cucumber pickles.

The how and why of Sapling Farm...

When we talk to y'all at the markets, there are a lot of questions about where we farm and what it might look like. SO, here are some good pics of the stand and the land. Also, a bit about how we farm and why we do what we do.

We are beginning farmers, so we have pieced together some land and resources to bring our dreams to light. This dream is to grow intentional, heirloom vegetables and herbs for the people. This "for the people" motto is more than just talk.

We use little/no petroleum fuels in our farming ( most of this fuel use comes from driving/delivering veggies to the market). We use hand tools and our bodies for all the work. We have no employees or outside foundation/non-profit support. We grow every plants and vegetables from organic seed. We do not use plants imported from out-of-state or Mexico to get a head start on the season. We farm seasonally with the earth and climate of Wisconsin and our bio-region.

We only use heirloom. organic seed to protect the genetic legacy of our food systems and also to say f-u to Monsanto and the big-Ag seed producers. We do not spray our food with toxic chemicals, nor do we use chemical fertilizers. This protects health through non-toxic foods nourishing our bodies and keeping chemicals/toxins out of the ground water that we all drink.

This is mostly because we are so small and starting out, but also because we want to cut out the "middleman farmer" or the "expert/older farmer" concept. Having mentors is great, but wanting people to pay thousands of dollars for "beginning farmer training" is bogus. On soooo many levels. We do it because we love the earth and the bounty that it can (and does) supply to all of us. So we do it ourselves & for you- the people. Creating your dream is only scary if you let it be. So just let it be good.

xo mary and sam

Heirloom tomatoes on the vine

Stoughten field early in the year..all of those rows are now crazy with tomatoes!!

Hand watering cabbages and brussel sprouts

This guy was living in the green house for the spring...here he is in the chard babies.

Crushed Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Apple cider Vinegar Cucumber Pickles

Farm stand at the east-town market, MKE

Small sampling of heirloom tomatoes

Farm stand in Milwaukee, bursting with heirloom vegetables

Heirloom tomatoes and veggies!

The summer bounty is here!

Come see us at the Saturday and Sunday markets in Milwaukee for local, organic and ALL Heirloom foods. 

We have been busy this summer with growing all of our plants from heirloom seed, creating a growing space (moving a lot of clay soil, digging turf and tilling in organic matter), and now a bit more planting and harvest!

Right now we have a bunch of really exciting and beautiful vegetables to share with y'all. 

Beans: Rattlesnake, Cranberry, Provider, Cherokee Trail of Tears, Scarlet Red runner

Cucus: Soyu Long and Boston Pickler

Greens: Flodhook Giant Chard, Ruby Red Chard, Lacanto Kale, 

Di Cicio Sprouting broccoli, Lemon Sorrel, Purple Mustard, Southern Curled Mustard

Chilies: Serrano, Alma's Hungarian, Jimmy Nardello Sweet Italian, Woolsey Espanola, Criola

 Husk Fruits: Aunt Molly's Ground cherry, Purple Tomatillo, Goldenberry

Tomatoes: Myona, Mortgage lifter, Peach Blow Sutton, German Johnson, Amish Paste, Stupice, Peace-vine cherry, Whippersnapper,

Chadwick cherry, Large Yellow Pear, Amazon Chocolate, Tsygan/Gypsy, Black Krim, Brazilian Beauty, Schimmeig Striped Hollow, Super Sioux, Cherokee Purple

Carrots: Purple Haze, Solar Yellow, Chantalle

Miscellaneous

Wonderberries, Sunberries, Moon & Stars watermelon and multitudes of squashes if the squash bugs ever leave them alone. 

Jars:   Balsamic Pickled Veggie Mix, Mulberry Jam, Mint syrup, Crab-apple Butter, Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Purslane

 Thanks to all of our customers and friends that we see at the markets each weekend....it makes it all worth it!

                          

 xo Mary and Sam xo

Here are some photos from the farm land and veggies

Summer Markets!

We are starting up our summer market season with our farm stand in Milwaukee farmers markets. 

Check it out--->
  
Saturdays we will be at the Easttown Farmers Market. Located at Catherdal Park from 9am-1pm June 1st-October 5th.

Sundays we will be at the Riverwest Garden Market. Located at Garden Park, at the corner of Locust and Fratney. We will be selling heirloom veggies and wild treats from 10am-4pm.

Here are some pictures of the farm-ables from this spring.....

Our spring/early summer selections include:

Swiss chard, Lacanto kale, garden & wood sorrell, di cicio sprouting broccoli, lettuce mix: red sails&black seeded simpson, southern curled mustard mix, seven top turnips, wild lambsquarter, wild ramps, spearmint, lemon balm, sugar snap peas, Bulls Blood beet tops, rat's tail radish pods....and much more to come. 

 

Thanks to all of those who have visited us at the farmers markets ~we are beginning farmers who are committed to feeding city folks off the land. 

 

Please help us to continue to farm...buy fresh, seasonal directly from your farmer. Bypass the big whole-co-op deal and get some really local, fresh food and some good conversation too!

Seedlings! Seeds! Sprouts!

Tomato Seedlings from the Garden Park Heirloom plantings- Seed collected circa 2010.

Green Sprouting De Cicco Broccoli. Seed Saved 2012  Berkeley, CA.

Tomato Seedlings from the Garden Park heirloom plantings. Seed collected circa 2010. Possibly Baltic/Gyspy varietal.

Kathy's Red chard-  Seed hand collected from Ukiah, CA. 2012 - Kathy's personal red strain.

Red Beet Seedling- Collected the seed from a Berkeley Community Garden 2011

I decided to cull through my seed saving collection and start some of the mystery seeds that I have collected through my travels. Here are some of the stories from my personal heirloom collection....enjoy!

 Last summer I collected and grew a BUNCH of the De Cicco broccoli seeds and they are turning out to be great offspring of the parents. The parent plant had lots of room to sprawl and stretch out in the Cali sun, resulting in some of the biggest, sprout-iest broccoli I have seen! I can only hope the same for this generation of tasty, nutty Italian heirloom broccoli.

When Sam and I lived and farmed in the Mendocino mountains we met a wonderful friend Kathy. She has a beautiful vegetable garden with some of the brightest red chard I have seen. We were lucky to be there in the fall, so I could snatch some seeds from the chard plants. I stuck the seeds in the back of an envelope and mostly forgot about them. Thousands of miles and many stories later- the chard is blossoming in Beloit, WI. It is beautiful and hearty reminder of the open connection between people and plants.

The red beet is from a garden bench in a Berkeley community garden. There were a couple of stray seeds that were floating around in some brush and leaves. I snatched them up and stuck them in my purse, thinking they were chard. Surprise- its beets! I only have one or two if the seeds....so it will produce a tasty experimental snack.

I encourage all of you to start a few experiment seeds of your own!