Nettle Beer

This morning there was a random dry spell and we were able to plant out the rainbow chard, adult lettuce, and celery. So far we’ve only planted a few other vegetables (onions, peas, broccoli) but starting next week, planting will really start to pick up, as will lots of other things around here. I feel ready for it, and am thankful that we’ve been easing into farm life so far. The days have been challenging, yet manageable, structured by physically active mornings and lighter afternoons - which makes sense as we build stamina and bigger muscles. 

Clearly, we're new at this!

 

Tonight, Ashley’s friend, Digit, came out to help us brew beer. We harvested nettles from the backyard to give our beer an herbal aspect – nettles are a potent source of minerals and have been used medicinally to treat all kinds of ailments including kidney stones, arthritis, digestive issues, menopause, etc. I have a feeling it’s going to be quite a step up from me and Cory’s Mr. Beer attempt at peach lager. Lol. 

Before we brewed the beer, I had a moment of acknowledgment: my body had officially passed a tolerable level of dirty. My hair was clay-like as if it had been dipped in beeswax and my face, arms and hands were a significant shade darker than the rest of me. Since it’s been cold and rainy all week, there's been no hot water; therefore, I hadn’t allowed myself to even fantasize about a shower. But tonight, even though the idea of a freezing bath in the rain absolutely terrified me, I decided: the mess that was me could not go on. So. I boiled three gallons of water to pour over me for when the cold water became unbearable. Went to my room, did five minutes of jumping jacks to get my heart rate up. Ripped off my clothes, whipped a towel around me, and ran out the back door. Later, when I shared my experience with everyone, Ashley said she remembered hearing something across the fields that had worried her one of the chickens was being attacked by a raccoon. That’s to say, I expressed my extreme discomfort vociferously. Anyway, it feels AMAZING to be clean. If only for tonight…

Tomorrow is Pie Friday! It’s Horton’s tradition to end each week with a farm meeting over pie (or some kind of dessert). As I’m sure you’ve gathered thus far, pretty much everything we do around here involves food! 

Harvesting Nettles!