LOTM: Greens on the Margin

© 2012 Joshua Stark

I took the kids out to a nice greens spot yesterday, took some photos, and posted a piece at my Lands on the Margin blog on picking greens and what you can find right now in California.  The link also adds to my collection of Useful Plants of California's Edgelands.

Living Wild and you - building a native plant community

© 2011 Joshua Stark

Alicia Funk over at Living Wild has posted a couple of articles on upcoming Fall field edibles.  I was asked, and provided an article on my favorite, wild roses - although it was very hard to choose just one.

If you are interested in native plants, and would like to get in touch with others like you, Ms. Funk's website is a great start.

My wife, the Poet

© 2011 Joshua Stark

My wife is actually quite the renaissance woman, and that includes waxing poetic.  Really.

For a taste of what she hath wrought in the smithy of her mind, check out her poem, "Fertile Valley", over at Living Wild.

You rock, honey.

Lands on the Margin is back! kinda...

© 2011 Joshua Stark

Last year, I stopped posting to my third blog, "Lands on the Margin", because I couldn't juggle all of the ideas I'd had, and something had to give.  However, I didn't give up on the concept, and I kept the links to the blog live, just in case.  I believed the theory was sound.

Earlier this year, I decided to revive the Lands on the Margin concept a bit, as a component of Agrarianista.  In California, the added bonus from the wild seems a natural extension of agrarianism, even of the urban variety, because we are blessed with such a rich diversity of plant life.

So, I've begun a project that combines the earlier blog with a couple of new pages here at Agrarianista around LOTM (that's "Lands On The Margin"):  A page explaining marginal lands (with links to the older blog, gear recommendations, and useful plants), and a small (soon to be growing) list of Useful Plants of California's Edgelands, with suggestions on identifying and gathering, and a couple of recipes or tips on how to use them.

The old LOTM blog will be used to post the newest entries to these or other related pages I create, so if you are interested in some information about California's bounteous edgelands, please follow the LOTM blog, too!

As always, I'm interested in getting feedback on these pages, so shoot away here (or at the relevant page, itself).

New Page: Green Walnuts & You

© 2011 Joshua Stark

Just beneath the title, you may notice a couple of links to stand-alone webpages.  My newest one, on green walnuts and what you can do with them, is now up; let me know what you think.

And, thanks to Fragmentary Green for lighting a fire under me to get it done.

Friends and walnuts

© 2011 Joshua Stark

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to come upon a walnut tree with a good number of easy-to-reach, ready-to-pick green walnuts - that is: green, about the size they will reach when mature, and with no hard shell within the hull.

I picked about 100, and gave half to Hank Shaw.  He suggested we both pickle some with different recipes and compare notes.  Right now, my batch of knife-pricked walnuts is brining in a 1:5 (or so) salt-to-water recipe, which I'll shake every day (or so) for about 9 days.  After this time, I will pickle, so stay tuned.  Also, if you have any suggestions for a good pickled walnut recipe, let me know; though I've made ketchup and chutney, I've yet to just pickle 'em. 

And speaking of foraging, I've got a new member of my blogroll.  Author, forager, and fellow lover of the Sierra Nevada, Alicia Funk has an online presence:  The Living Wild Project, A Collaborative Native Plant Community.  Alicia puts it best:

"I want to invite you to participate in this collaborative site by adding your recipes and plant discoveries. It is essential that we work together to revive the living libraries of information on how to live sustainably with this land. This will provide independence, health and food security for our grandchildren."

When you get a chance, head on over and sign up to be a part of the conversation.  You will definitely see me there.

By the way, Alicia's book can be purchased here, and she's donating 100% of her profits. 

Hank Shaw's new book is out!

© 2011 Joshua Stark

My copy arrived yesterday, and it looks great! 

Pick you up one.  While you are at it, see if you live near where he'll be stopping by on his tour.

New UN report: Sustainable ag. can double world food production

© 2011 Joshua Stark

Except for my blog posts suffering, I'm very glad I have work.  That said, thank you all who check in with me from time to time. 

Still no nettle video, yet - it is hard to get our schedules arranged, what with three kids between the two families, plus work. 

This quick post is a link to the great folks at PANNA; specifically, it's a blog post about a United Nations report on how we can feed the world:  through agroecological farming.

Of course, my favorite line:
"In Japan, China, India, Bangladesh and the Philippines, farmers are integrating ducks and fish into rice systems and enjoying benefits of natural insect and weed control, improved nutrient cycling, reduced labor needs and extra animal protein for families."

Thanks to Mr. Fashion House for pointing out that this isn't a recent integration for these communities.  However, modern practices greatly inform the methods and manners; we aren't talking about throwing back to the "good ol' days", we are talking about using scientific methods to better understand and relate to locales, and in in doing so, to double production.

Getting back on the horse...

© 2011 Joshua Stark

There's nothing like a New Year's resolution to give you a kick in the pants.

I jest.  Although I did make a resolution to to tie a dozen flies per week, I've quickly fallen behind.  No, what did get me back to the fly bench was a combination of events and, as Frost might put it, "promises to keep."  But, in a good way this time. 

Last year, a very good friend of mine got married.  She'd invited us to the wedding, but it being in Massachusetts, we were unable to attend.  Instead, I began making some presents to send their way.  I packaged up some nocino and some green walnut ketchup and some fig preserves.  I also endeavored to tie them some flies, since he is a fly fisherman, and I believe she is now, too.

I sat at my bench with the idea of tying some impromptu salmon flies from some beautiful feathers that Holly had given me, as well as some feathers from our ducks and a couple of snipe unlucky enough to have flown in front of my shotgun last season.  I looked at my cache of feathers, floss and thread, and after a few attempts, I realized that I needed to practice some of the basics.  It had been probably two years since I'd really tied any flies.

Other life events quickly overtook me.  I lost my part-time job, and we had our baby boy.  The weeks ticked by, turned into months.

At one point, I commented on some birds that Chad Love had taken, mentioning that I'd love to tie some flies with those feathers, and he responded with an offer to send me some.  Then, Holly started photographing feathers, and I offered to tie some flies for her, too.

What was I doing?

Today, it hit me:  I was getting myself into trouble, that's what.  Not really; really, I was subconsciously kicking myself into doing something I love to do.  I love tying flies.

Many writers better than I wax poetic about the endeavor; all I can say is that there is a poetry inherent to it, a chance to make something beautiful and functional out of some beautiful and functional materials.  It is amazing, and quiet, and reflective.

So instead of trying to jump back in with the more complicated salmon flies, I backed down a bit.  I tied two elk hair caddis and an adams. 

I hope to get back into the fly-tying swing of things soon, and I'm finally off to a good start.

Righting a wrong... sorry, Albert!

© 2011 Joshua Stark

For the past few months, I've been meaning to add a great blog to my blog list, but I was on the fence about whether to put it here, or at my Ethics & the Environment blog.  Over time, to visit this blog, I'd just type in "tr", and Firefox would fill in the rest.  And so I forgot to put it up on my blogs!

Well, after his last two entries, I think Mr. Rasch's "The Rasch Outdoor Chronicles" fits just fine here at Agrarianista.  But, don't let the fish smoking and fruit drying entries fool you: at Albert's blog, you can get everything from foods to tuning a Ruger 10/22 to beekeeping to saving a baby mockingbird.  And don't forget the articles in defense of hunting and hunters.  Or the regular Florida fishing updates.  He also does a great job of getting around in both virtual and real reality; Albert regularly updates people on blogs in his "Saturday Blog Rodeo", and he works in Afghanistan.

So if you get a chance, check out Mr. Rasch's blog.  And, if you feel like it, you are more than welcome to buy me the gun in his title pic.

Friends' blogs and sites

© 2011 Joshua Stark

You'll notice the addition of a few sites to my blog list over on the side there.  I just thought I'd mention the who/what/where of 'em.  In no particular order then:

This Old Blog
Two good friends, one of whom is a darn good videographer (see the good work she can make out of some poor content here), have a nice blog up about, "the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of owning our first home."  It's got nice recipes, good tips on home improvement, and a fun vibe.

ASpinnerWeaver
Annie MacHale is the real deal.  If you take a look at that video I linked above, in fact, you'll see some of her wonderful work - the strap to my pickin' basket.  That strap will eventually become my 30-30's gun sling, because it is the only thing I've found to be beautiful and soulful enough to adorn it.
Those two words describe her work.  Annie spins yarn and weaves straps and other things, and they all have a great look and feel to them.  She can occasionally be found at mountain man rendezvouses, and also prowling the visitor centers of the various state parks of Santa Cruz, where she manages their gift centers for the local friends' organization.  Her blog (above) details the works of her craft, and also has links if you care to buy any.
 
Erratic Sewer and Crafter
Yes, I know:  Kari hasn't updated her blog in some months.  I don't care, it's full of fun, creative ideas, and I know how busy she is, so I'm bucking the "constant content required" trend and linking her awesome blog.  Kari makes great, creative period costumes, riffs on period costumes, some amazing art, and the best strawberry brandy jam you'll ever taste.

Hippo on the Lawn
Tom is a British ex-pat living in Angola, with some great culinary skills acquired the hard way (in actual battle), and a perspective on life from which we all can draw inspiration and knowledge.  This blog is a narrative of things going on in his life in Angola, a very fascinating read.  He also has a blog (Cooking in the Front Line) with some great recipes and amazing stories.

Suburban Bushwacker
My first oversees blog acquaintance, SBW (as he is known in virtual reality) has a goal:  To take an elk with a bow and arrow.  His blog is his journey, as he puts it, "from fat boy to elk hunter."  I'm still wondering if he means a moose, but that's for another time.  His writing is witty, the products he reviews show that he has an eye for craftsmanship and things of functional beauty (he really should buy a strap from Annie!), and if you are ever interested in reading English as it is blogged by the English, his is a great place to start.

Last, even though she's been on my blog list for a while now, I wanted to point out that Holly at NorCal Cazadora is selling some beautiful photos of feathers.  Definitely check them out, they are amazing!

I keep my blog list short, and haven't really branched out much in my reading, either, though I've found Phillip's and Albert Rasch's lists particularly intriguing and informative.  I don't plan to have a huge list, because I can't keep up, frankly.

If you get a minute, or if you have an eye for quality writing and crafts, then please click over to one of my friends.  I get no money from these promotions, either (yet...)

Some dairy ideas

© 2010 Joshua Stark

Smarter people than I know why buttermilk (and yogurt!) make better biscuits, cornbread, and cakes.  Smarter people have shown me how to easily make them.

My Dad would occasionally set out some buttermilk with regular milk out to "clabber" (sometimes he wouldn't even put the buttermilk in it for a real taste treat!), but I didn't know it was just making more buttermilk.  Now, I do.

For a great website on making everything from buttermilk to good, hard cheeses, check out Dr. Fankhauser's cheese page.  It is as informative as you can get, yet it is still very accessible.  He starts with buttermilk, goes to yogurt, and then on to cheeses. 

I don't use the good Dr's. yogurt recipe, though.  My sister pointed me to Crockpot365's yogurt recipe in a crock pot.  It is very easy, if a little finicky.  The yogurt is a bit runny, but that's how yogurt is supposed to be; if you want it firmer, squeeze out the liquid.  If you are as cheap as I am, you can use that liquid for making pasta or rice. 

Right now, I've got a half-gallon of milk sitting next to the wall heater, hopefully clabbering, and I'll be whipping up a batch of yogurt in a couple of days. 

Making these things takes a little leap.  Of course we have a good reason to be nervous keeping milk out of the refrigerator, or heating it just a little and letting it sit.  But it is only by taking these little leaps, putting ourselves into slightly uncomfortable places with the hope of accomplishing something, that we learn.  We might fail, but we learn.  (see my myriad pages on trying to grow a garden with three ducks).

Cheese (and dairy products) is one of these places where we can feel a little uncomfortable, learn some hands-on chemistry and biology, and feel like we've accomplished something special when we are done.  It can be a very rewarding process, even when the end result is less than desirable.

I made queso blanco a couple of years ago, and though I didn't fail at the recipe, I learned that I do not like queso blanco, not one bit.  I also learned that many, many people on the internet think that queso blanco and queso fresco are the same thing, and I'm here to tell you that they are absolutely not the same thing.  Queso fresco is fresh tasting, wonderfully fresh tasting, creamy with little ridges where you cut it, while queso blanco is the dairy version of rubber. 

I will definitely try for queso fresco soon, as well as mozzarella (also not queso blanco!) and ricotta.  Perhaps next year sometime, I might even make a cheese press and see if I can get a nice feta or cheddar. 

Have any of you had fun with dairy lately? 

Foraging update: Gather your acorns while ye may

© 2010 Joshua Stark

I found a great little tip about gathering acorns.  Taking a cue from the blog "Ramshackle Solid", I checked out some of our Valley oaks a couple of days after rains had come through.  Sure enough, many of them had split right open, making about one-third of the process of getting acorn flour so much easier.

Click on the pic. for a closer view of split acorns.

With such a great harvest, I thought I'd make my first try something special.  However, Hank Shaw's acorn honey cake was a tad expensive on our current budget, so I made a variation.  I replaced the 1/2 cup of honey with a mix of honey, molasses, and brown sugar.  I also substituted canola oil for the olive oil (ouch!).  Last, I used our duck eggs, rather than chicken eggs.

It is said that one cannot get stiff peaks from duck eggs, and although that is true, it is only true to a degree.  By beating the whites thoroughly and adding sugar a bit at a time, I get something pretty close to stiff.

I used the only springform we've got (10"), and poured in the batter.  After 17 minutes, I started watching it like a hawk, but by about 28 minutes it was done, and looking good!  It didn't rise as much as it would have with the chicken eggs, I'm guessing, but I will say that the mix of sweet substitutes worked so well that I renamed my variation.

The four sweets acorn cake

The acorns didn't just provide a filler, either.  This cake has a toasty nuttiness, and the slightly inconsistent grinding from my blender added tiny, flavorful chunks of toasted acorn.  It was really a treat!

We here have been so impressed with the acorn flour that after today's rains we plan to hit the fields to gather this amazing nut.

I will definitely be adding the Quercus (oak) family to the list of Lands on the Margin's edible plants list.  Keep an eye out for that and all the other plants I'll be adding to a stand-alone page, soon.

Changes (resisting stealing from David Bowie)

© 2010 Joshua Stark

Though I love Bowie, I just couldn't bring myself to title my post what it was screaming to be titled.

Anyhoo, I want to point out some changes I've made to this blog, and some changes to my blogging, in general.

First, notice that you can subscribe to my blog, so if you are comfortable with that sort of thing, go right ahead and sign up.

Next, although I'm going to keep it on my blog roll for awhile (so people may still access old content), I'm actually not going to post to my 'Lands on the Margin' blog separate from this one.  Now, I love that blog, and it's difficult to stop posting, but as a good friend suggested, I can easily roll posts about marginal lands into Agrarianista here, especially considering what I've come to realize about urban homesteading in California.

In California, we have a long, distinguished history of effective foraging, hunting and fishing.  We have more plant varieties than all other states in the U.S. combined.  We have a fairly close proximity to a huge variety of climates and microclimates, and the elevation changes (here around Sacramento, we are less than three hours from coast to alpine climates) provide a gigantic range of seasons (we pick elderberries from June through September).  Historically, as Brian Fagan points out in his book, "Before California", for 12,000 years our region had no need for agriculture, and by the time the first Europeans arrived,  California housed ~350k, all from foraging, hunting and fishing (including ~ 60K tons of acorns per year).

With the arrival of us Europeans came other forage-able species:  Blackberries, mustard, fennel, and many roadside weeds and ornamentals (like rosemary), often highly prized in culinary circles, are had by simply sloughing off one's pride and stopping at the abandoned lot with a paper bag and a knife. 

So for me, urban homesteading in California definitely involves a lot of foraging.  Besides, I know the edgelands better than I know how to coax squash out of my backyard soil, and I'm able to trade, from time to time, for those wonderful cup-&-saucers and other squashes we love.  The trade of things one has made, including one's store of knowledge, for others' well-wrought expertise, is the cornerstone of homesteading; it builds the community people realize they crave when they find it. 

Soon, I'll also set up some stand-alone pages:  "How to start homesteading"; and compilations (w/ additional materials) of two occasional series from my 'Lands' blog, "Edible and Useful Plants of California's Edgelands", and "Marginal Reviews:  Gear for California's Edgelands".

"River Nature Tours" (already up), is a page on my guiding service around Central California.  If you are interested in getting an up-close look at our local river habitats, please check it out and shoot me an email.  Soon, I will post information on an upcoming weekend getaway on the Sacramento Delta, with guided trips for birdwatching, learning some basic California edgeland foraging (there's more than just stuff to eat, too!), and some local flavors, both literal and figurative.

For those of you who have found some interest or entertainment here, please pass along my blog to people you think may be interested.  Also, please feel free to comment with tips, questions, suggestions, disagreements...  I'm very interested in hearing which have been helpful, what you might like to read, and the expertise you have for me and others who are also interested in urban agrarianism.

A great post on making your own trellises

© 2010 Joshua Stark

One Michelle Gervais has a great article at Fine Gardening on building a bamboo trellis.  What I like about it is that it's easy, and gives a person the feeling that they can do it, themselves.  Also, it comes with a great video.

My trellises are river reed, because that's the local material we have, and though they don't last nearly as long as true bamboo, they do a fine job.  I'm sure I could extend their lives with some kind of paint job on the part that sticks into the ground.

We also have rose shoots and willows in abundance, but I've yet to use them for trellis material.  Soon, though.

BlogHer Food '10

© 2010 Joshua Stark

Last Saturday, I found myself surrounded by women.  Typically not an uncomfortable thing for me (I've two sisters, a mother, a wife, a daughter, and four female pets), it was a tad disconcerting that they all were looking at me.  In fact, I was sitting on a stage of sorts, behind a table and with a microphone, a la' Congressional hearings.

I glanced to my right, but no lawyer.  Instead, there sat Margo True from Sunset Magazine!  Next to her sat Novella Carpenter of Ghost Town Farms, and last at the table a frightfully hideous woman with a well-trimmed goatee and... wait, that's Hank.  Whew!

But, how did I end up in such knowledgeable and skilled company?  Then I remembered:  back in the Summer, I'd agreed to sit on a panel at the BlogHer Food '10 conference in San Francisco.  This must be it.

Well, that's what a newborn baby will do to you.  Different parts of my brain have to take naps at shifts, and obviously the few cells holding this tidbit of information had been dozing.  Nevertheless, here I was.

I had an absolute blast the precious few hours I was able to attend the conference.  The morning welcome and breakfast was full to the brim with people way smarter about food than I would ever be.  I know enough about food to be dangerous, but only to myself (I know the minimum temperatures and boiling water bath times).  These folks are the real deal.

I arrived earlier than most, driving and taking BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit... I can't wait for Fresno's version) to the InterContinental Hotel, a swanky, beautiful place.  When the folks started setting up breakfast, then, I had my pick of tables (nearly all of them empty), and I chose the one farthest to the back.

Soon, the only person I knew there, Hank, came along with a friend of his, a gentleman from Atlanta.  Then a third man sat down with us.

After a bit, the place was full.  Engrossed in fun and interesting conversation, I didn't look up from my table much.  But occasionally a person would walk by, glance at our table and declare, "ah, this must be the guys' table."  And walk on.  After the fourth such comment, I glanced around the room, and, well, we did stand out.

Thus, BlogHer.

Hank had invited me to speak at a panel on food values, with the focus being urban farming/homesteading.  I consider myself a part-time homesteader-in-learnin', so I felt comfortable talking about what I'd learned about raising ducks and a garden and the like.

The panel format was awesome:  Fast-and-loose, and definitely audience-focused.  The room was filled with a mix of folks, all of them astute food-minded folks, a few farming and homesteading experts, and all of them positive and excited about the topic.

Of course, I was outclassed by the other panelists - authors, James Beard Award winners, and the like.  But they were gracious to me, and I provided something they simply could not:  Since I'm new and not very good, I was living proof that anybody can do this!

Thank you to the BlogHer folks for putting on a great show, and thank you especially to the Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, for providing me a grand opportunity.

P.S.:  If city folks think that urban livestock are problematic due to the smell, they should walk down Mission Street in San Francisco and take one big, long inhalation of that aura.  There are spots along the City (which I love), that if you smelled that on a farm, you'd start culling animals for fear of some horrible virus.

Pickled purslane, and some good friends' blogs

© 2010 Joshua Stark

Blessed with a bag of purslane from Dave and Abby of This Old Blog, and inspired by the Joy of Pickling by Linda Ziedrich, I decided to pickle a pint.  In about two weeks, I'll pop that jar and see what we have.

I didn't really stray from the recipe, except I had to use sharper regular distilled vinegar, rather than the wine vinegar for which it calls... thus, I'll let it mellow a bit longer.  It also reminded me that I need to start infusing some vinegars for the winter.  Last year, I did a blackberry vinegar that is just getting better with age, and this year I'd like to do some herb-infused numbers for Christmas gifts and for trying with marinades and pickles.

When trying to get a picture of the jar, I kept having trouble with my camera's focus.  So, I decided to take a couple of other pictures with the 'super macro' setting, which usually gives me good pictures.  They turned out fine, so I'll have to re-fiddle to get a good shot of the jar.

In the meantime, here are the couple of pictures I took.  The first one is a shot of my attempt at a wedding present to a good friend of mine.  I'm designing pretty salmon flies, because the newly-wedded couple are fly fisherfolk.  This is a snipe-and-teal:

The next picture also caused me to do a quick google search, and I'm glad I did.  This, here, is a picture of a sash woven by a friend of mine, Annie MacHale:

An Annie MacHale original that I use on my picking basket

When I decided to post the picture, I thought I'd quickly google her name to see if she was up to anything online.  Sure enough, she has a great blog of her own, ASpinnerWeaver.  Annie spins and weaves, and often makes great period pieces for mountain men, as well as other beautiful works.  If you are interested in weaving, or in art at all, I highly recommend stopping by her site.

A little bit about my blogging

© 2010 Joshua Stark

When I began blogging, I felt I should have a theme.  "Outside stuff" was too big, so I first created a blog focused on much of my work, on ethics and the environment.  I also spend some time at urban homesteading, so I created this site, Agrarianista, mostly as a sounding-board for ideas and questions, and to keep some notes for personal reference.  I also considered my love for the little, out-of-the-way places along urban and farmland corridors, nooks and niches where wild things lived and grew, and thus was born "Lands on the Margin". 

Most people do well with a mish-mash of ideas on their blogs, but I need some focus.  I'm going to keep the three separate-yet-related ideas as separate blogs for now.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. 

My new digs here

© 2010 Joshua Stark

Well, I've been poking around here for a bit, trying to get it in order and presentable, and I must confess, it is because I've been invited to speak at the BlogHer Food '10 Conference.  There is nothing like the threat of publicity to get one's rear in gear.

So with this in mind, please let me know what works and what doesn't work considering my changes and content.  I originally intended this site as a place to bounce off a few ideas and keep some notes for my expanding attempts at gardening, and later, raising laying ducks.  Now, I'm moving it up a few notches.

One thing I'd like to offer are a few recipes.  I'm no cook nor chef, but I put together a few things now and again, and I'm pretty good at running down fine, easy-to-use recipes from the internet.

I will continue my experiments with nocino, and I'll provide a page dedicated to this great drink and its amazing offspring, the Thrifty Italian.

I will also blog more about my canning and preserving experiences.

Last year, I set a goal for my family garden/ducks/"orchard": one meal per week completely from our place.  It has yet to come to fruition, but I'm confident the theory is sound, and I hope to start hitting this mark as soon as practicable.  I'm also including barter and gift-foods from the likes of Hank & Holly, as we do provide some surplus products, in particular eggs from the three sisters:

So help out as you like by offering suggestions, answers to my questions, and questions of your own.  Are you interested in urban farming/homesteading?  Are you interested in dabbling with ducks?  Do you have a desire to try new things in the dirt, or learn new things about your neighborhood?  Please stop on by and share.

A new blog from Wifezilla!

© 2010 Joshua Stark

At least, that's her name to me.

When we decided to go with ducks last year, it was in no small part due to the conversations I read over at the duck forum at Backyard Chickens.  Everybody there is so helpful, and many intelligent and well-written folks make their way onto that forum.

One in particular is known as Wifezilla (I have no idea why).  Well, I just poked my head onto the site today, and lo and behold!  She has her own blog and small farm - Blue Feather Micro-Farm.  I do recommend you check it out.  If you do and you comment, please let her know you found her here. 

Good luck and thanks, Wifezilla!