http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=31 Letters from Mariquita Farm Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:04:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=31#comment-94 Joan Griffin Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:26:42 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=31#comment-94 Andy, Do you remember the "Pigpen Tree" (grey pine),down below the house in Applegate. It was important in Dad's thesis as one of the research trees that he kept track of. He measured it, counted the pine cones, and generally petted and scrutinized it for years. Barbara McRoberts did a wonderful pen and ink drawing of one of the gnarly cones, which I still have.Early this summer, Ruth heard an ominous cracking sound, and went outside to investigate. She witnessed half of the now quite large tree split and come thundering down to the ground, happily not near any structures or people. I remember that tree when it actually hung over the pig pen. Once my brothers, a friend of theirs, and I climbed that tree and had a picnic consisting of a bag of chocolate chips that we snagged from the kitchen. We sat in the saddle of the two largest limbs. Fifty-five years later the limbs parted company. Love, Mom Andy, Do you remember the “Pigpen Tree” (grey pine),down below the house in Applegate. It was important in Dad’s thesis as one of the research trees that he kept track of. He measured it, counted the pine cones, and generally petted and scrutinized it for years. Barbara McRoberts did a wonderful pen and ink drawing of one of the gnarly cones, which I still have.Early this summer, Ruth heard an ominous cracking sound, and went outside to investigate. She witnessed half of the now quite large tree split and come thundering down to the ground, happily not near any structures or people. I remember that tree when it actually hung over the pig pen. Once my brothers, a friend of theirs, and I climbed that tree and had a picnic consisting of a bag of chocolate chips that we snagged from the kitchen. We sat in the saddle of the two largest limbs. Fifty-five years later the limbs parted company. Love, Mom

]]> http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=31#comment-95 Steve Lospalluto Tue, 21 Aug 2007 03:31:04 +0000 http://www.ladybugletter.com/?p=31#comment-95 Andy & Julia, I always enjoy the stories. I started reading them back when Andy was doing a column for the New farm website. Then an old friend and housemate from Santa Cruz, Susie B., came by our farm up here in northwest Washington and started telling us about the great newsletters that their farmer friend wrote. Hey, I know who you're talking about! My wife Katherine always makes a few batches of pesto with the mortar and pestle, especially early in the basil crop. But pine nuts are a problem. The past few years, most of the pine nuts we see for sale up here (including organic) are imported from China.Don't want to get into a lengthy discussion about trade, but suffice to say that my wife draws the line there. So we do resort to the use of walnuts in the pesto. I might not be worth listening to, but hey I can grow walnuts in the northwest and don't have to wait forever like if I was planting Italian stone pines. By the way, I enjoy your thoughts on the Italian vegetables. I was wondering if the Erbette chard you often mention is the same as what they call Verde da Taglio Chard? I have bought a few things from Seeds from Italy that I know you have mentioned as well. A couple of varieties we have enjoyed are the yellow Romano pole beans - Meraviglia di Venezia and the winter squash called Padana - very cool looking and tasty! Cheers, Steve (or stevie in Susie vernacular!) Andy & Julia,
I always enjoy the stories. I started reading them back when Andy was doing a column for the New farm website. Then an old friend and housemate from Santa Cruz, Susie B., came by our farm up here in northwest Washington and started telling us about the great newsletters that their farmer friend wrote. Hey, I know who you’re talking about!
My wife Katherine always makes a few batches of pesto with the mortar and pestle, especially early in the basil crop. But pine nuts are a problem. The past few years, most of the pine nuts we see for sale up here (including organic) are imported from China.Don’t want to get into a lengthy discussion about trade, but suffice to say that my wife draws the line there. So we do resort to the use of walnuts in the pesto. I might not be worth listening to, but hey I can grow walnuts in the northwest and don’t have to wait forever like if I was planting Italian stone pines.
By the way, I enjoy your thoughts on the Italian vegetables. I was wondering if the Erbette chard you often mention is the same as what they call Verde da Taglio Chard? I have bought a few things from Seeds from Italy that I know you have mentioned as well. A couple of varieties we have enjoyed are the yellow Romano pole beans - Meraviglia di Venezia and the winter squash called Padana - very cool looking and tasty!
Cheers,
Steve (or stevie in Susie vernacular!)

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