Farm/Art DTour: A Weekend In Reedsburg With Friends

Bubble Pub created by Jenny Hale and Gail Katz-James

My friends, Jami, Aaron, Molly, Betsy, Robin and I visited Reedsburg, Wisconsin earlier this month to see Farm/Art Dtour-a 50 mile drive through Sauk County with temporary art installations, local food vendors, performances and more!

On the way to Reedsburg from Chicago! Betsy and Molly in my glasses. :)

Invasive Species by Isabelle Garbani 

View above the corn.

Robin in a Farm Form titled, Listening-The Lost Art created by The Craker and Mittelstaedt familes

Too Much Pig by Brian Sobaski

An animated Robin.

Robin found this mushroom for me! Fungus!!!!!!

We visited Wormfarm and of course I was welcomed into the chickens home.

The Corner Pub. This picture expresses how good the day (and the beer) was.

We camped at Orange Cat Community Farm. Acorn squash at night!

In the morning a chicken got out and she liked being cuddled.

So we cuddled her.

Molly, Betsy and their corn. Waiting for the Amtrak home.

Passing through Milwaukee. A place I hope to visit next!

Sauerkraut!

When I visited Wormfarm I asked for a head of cabbage so I could make some delicious, simple fermented cabbage-sauerkraut, which translates to sour cabbage.

It's really simple. I cut up the 5 lb cabbage to my liking, mixed it with 3 TBS of salt, packed it tightly into the handmade Crock (made by David Smith), put the weight on, filled the top where the lid sits with water to keep bugs out, then place the top on. The kraut will ferment for 2-3 weeks. I'll check it every few days, pressing the weight down to bring out the water from the cabbage. When it's at the right crunchy, salty consistency I'll jar it, enjoy it and share it! Fermentation is a beautiful thing!  So nutritious and simple!

Summer 2014 Visit to Wormfarm

I visited Wormfarm for the first time since January with Jami, a friend and fellow artist-in-residence from last summer. It was a short visit but we got to say hello to Jay and Donna, and meet Lawton, a musician and current artist-in-residence, as well as this years Residency Manager, Loey, a flower essence therapist.

The Magical Barn-my home.

The swallow painting Pilar made last year. I thought it was fitting to photograph Pilar's favorite kitty, Jem under her work.

Dear Crookshanks.

I somehow forgot what a great friend he was to me last summer but he made sure I remembered.

Honey, lookin' a mess. I think she was molting.

Little Relly Belly (the black one) always looking so startled.

Dino.

Sunbathing!

This guy...Turkey the rooster was killed and eaten while this rooster remains...

We worked in the garden in the morning like old times.

Wormfarm from across the neighbors corn field.

Jami and Trouser.

Jami and I went foraging for black caps.

We visited Orange Cat Community Farm to see our friends, Laura, Katie and Little Anne (pictured above) and made delicious pizza with fresh ingredients from the farm!

Jami and I spent the night staring at the stars (and lighting sparklers with Lawton) and the day soaking up the sun (and meditating with Loey).

I am a Fartist. A farmer/artist. My friend, Nick gave me the title!

In the garden where we got our hands dirty every day last summer.

I was sent home with these beauties! I have only had one dozen eggs since I left Wormfarm last October. I don't see the point of eating eggs if they don't taste like these.

But not really...

Shades of Eggs finds a home!

I made this piece last spring while at Wormfarm. During the early part of June I'd spend each evening watching the sun go down adding more string to metal. The kittens, Crook and Jem would sit with me and play games with one another and I'd take in the fresh earthy smells. I am so grateful for these memories.

Shades of Eggs, 8.75 x 5.25 inches, thread, metal, 2013

I am happy to say this piece has found itself a home with a lovely friend of mine. It sits above a piece from Project Onward that reminded my friend of her two chickens she once had, Winkie and Annie. 

Planting the 2014 Garlic

Back in July we harvested the garlic.  We then hung them up to dry.  After they dried, we cleaned and sorted the garlic into three boxes, large, medium and small.  The largest garlic was kept to be planted. That way we will get more large garlic next year.  We ended up with 30 pounds of large garlic.

I separated all the cloves because each individual clove is a garlic seed.  The garlic will begin to grow in the fall and then stop through the winter months and resume in the spring to be harvested in the summer.  Such an incredible plant that is exposed to each season!

I placed the root side down into the ground, 6 inches apart in a bed of 4 rows.  It was my final planting at the Wormfarm.  And how beautiful that my work will grow into the next season.  

When I'm working in the garden outback, sometimes I get lucky enough to hear a "Meow" from a visiting Crook.  I'm gonna miss him so much.  He got in the way a bit by nibbling on my hand while I planted, begging to be pet but I still adore him.

For dinner I made Acorn Squash with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette.  I shared this recipe last season as well because it is so delicious.  Here is the recipe from smittenkitchen.com.