Sunflower Savannah: Baby it's Cold Outside, but ...We Still Have Christmas Markets

Temps dropped this week and we have had more gloomy days in the last month than we can stay awake to count. Still a lot of exciting things have been happening on the Farm. Already the ducks have been laying for almost 3 weeks and the Flossie the goose started laying yesterday. It's unusual for the ducks or the goose to be laying this early. Normally they start late January. So we will have duck and chicken eggs at the St. John's Winter Market this weekend.

.All season long I've been growing Lemon Grass and Lavender in the greenhouse for Winter Markets. Here is a pic of the Lemon Grass circlets that I have wrapped for tea. There is a lot of research in the middle east for Lemon Grass as a way to fight cancer. It may be used in the treatment of acne, athlete's foot, excessive perspiration, flatulence, insect repellent, muscle aches, oily skin, scabies, and stress. Also I will have some roots for Thai cooking There will be Lavender for hanging in your closets and hopefully if I don't run out of time, decorative items for stockings.

Another thing that we have been growing all season, even if it hasn't been in the greenhouse has been Lamb. Yes, that's right, more lamb at the market this weekend! Our lamb is grass fed all summer and fall. The mothers are given sweet feed or oats w molasses during the last 2 months of pregnancy to prevent toxaemia and then during the first 6-8 weeks after lambing depending on the weather to insure good milk production. After that, all grass, all season. This is one of the reasons that it takes them so long to get to mature size for processing. Our lambs are processed at Swiss Meat Company, a Federally inspected facility. Get your lamb this weekend.

We will have Leg of, chops, stew meat, shoulder steaks and more.

So I think that's the new and exciting but YES there's more. Look for our familiar but exciting standards, Cherry Serrano Pepper Jelly, Smoked and Charred Tomatillo Salsa, Dill Relish, Autumn Pear Chutney and Granola.

Chipoltle Peach Jam, Summer Harvest Jam are both made w/fruit from here, Murray's Orchard and my parents property.We will also be offering yummy crunchy refrigerator dills sold cold.

Local pesticide free, Christmas greenery again will be an offering. We will have Boxwood, Holly, spruce, other various evergreens that I can't ever keep straight and Bradford Pear branches. All grown here on our non polluted property.

Again from the bootheel as from previous years are LOCAL MO PECANS. Now these pecans are NOT Certified Naturally Grown Pecans as they are grown near surrounding farm land but they are FRESH, this year's crop and cracked.

Whew, I don't know how we are going to get this all on a 6 ft table space! Good thing I will be bringing my niece Anne again to help. Ask her if she has read Anne of Green Gables yet.

Hope to see you at St. Johns Winter Market, here is the info.