During lockdown we had time to pick almonds. You don’t actually pick them, you use long sticks or PVC pipe, and wack them off the branches so they land on a tarp. Just don’t get hit as they fall. It hurts! Then the work of taking off the skin and cracking the shells begins. We’re still looking a good for a good almond cracker, so if anyone knows of one, let us know. Right now, we’re doing the cro-magnum technique of smashing them with a river rock. After they’re out of the shell, we’re ready to make almond butter, almond milk or even eat nuts! We have about 6 almond trees here at Mountain Spirit, and since the nuts keep well, unlike the sweet chestnuts we have, we’re able to enjoy them throughout the winter. @purenewzealand
Yesterday we had an interesting and serendipitous discovery of Cedar Circle Farms in East Thetford, Vermont. We had planned to stop by the Lebanon Coop after a spontaneous ride in our little Boston Whaler where we put in just south of Lyme, NH and headed north to where we didn’t know on Connecticut River. It was a hot afternoon, and after putting along we decided to give the 25hp Merc all she’d do, and skimmed along the calm waters. Never having been on the river before, we thought we’d do a little exploring, complete with our 1-yr old on board.
After about ten miles, we happened upon a boat landing on the Vermont side of the river, and decided to hop out and find out where we were. We met someone in the little village who told us we were in North Thetford. We happened to mention we were starting a juicing fast, and had to get back to Hanover, NH before the Coop closed. She responded with, “ Hey, why don’t just get back in your boat and head south again a few minutes to Cedar Circle Farm. They have a small boat landing and (more…)
The Movie Fresh attracts 106 people in small town Good food, an idea whose time has come By Randall Richards
Joel Salatin, Organic Farmer, Visionary
The small town of New London, New Hampshire, saw one-hundred and six people turn out for the screening of the new movie Fresh, an uplifting documentary about the local organic food movement in the U.S. The event was co-sponsored by the New London chapter of the Weston A Price Foundation, and Mountain Spirit Institute on Saturday November 21st. In addition to the showing, local vendors and food producers were invited to display, who had tables with samples and brochures, where the audience could browse and learn about the good and local food available in their community. A brief “Q&A” discussion followed the film, (more…)