For the cooking school, the Counting Chef made a "healthy parfait" called Parfait Ole'. It was a taco style salad with brown rice, black beans, cheese, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and a cherry tomato on top. Homemade salsa was drizzled over the salad for the finishing touch!

At the St. Paul Farmers' Market, fall vegetables filled the stands. The Counting Chef "eyed" the beautiful cabbages, carrots, and green peppers. He knew it was time for his "Cow-slaw" salad. Find the recipe on the Farm Kitchen blog.

The FriendChip Farmer baled 48 more big round bales of hay for his beef cattle. He had help from Jenell and Adam. She drove the big farm truck while Adam used the front-end loader to put them onto the truck.

The FriendChip Farmer reports they had 5 ½ inches of rain since September 1. It will take at least a week to ten days to dry out so the farm machinery will not get stuck in the fields.

At the Market: The Red Buckets Are Here!

The farmers at the market look forward to meeting the little Counting Chefs on the Good Health Scavenger Hunt!

On the FriendChip Farm, the organic peas and barley crop has been harvested and is stored in a steel grain bin. It will be sold to another organic farmer to be used as feed for the animals.

Check back for more fun on the FriendChip Farm!

The FriendChip Farmer then takes a grain sample to measure the moisture content. When it reaches 13.5% it is time to get out the combine and harvest the grain. A combine removes the wheat (grain) and "spits out" the chaff (straw). At this point the FriendChip Farmer can sell the grain at the local elevator or store it in one of his grain bins and sell it when it reaches a good price.

Next he bales the straw into big round bales. Straw bales are much lighter than hay bales. The FriendChip Farmer uses some of his straw bales to make "beds" for the animals on the farm or he might sell some to other farmers.

Some farmers straight combine their wheat crop. The grain is not put into rows to "air dry". This grain will have a moisture content of 17%-18% and they will have to pay the elevator to dry it to 13.5%. This costs more money, but saves other costs.

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We '"served up" good food, good fun, and good health at our cooking school. Kids learned how to use fresh Italian tomatoes, basil, and parsley to create individual pizzas with a Five Star rating! (Find recipe on Farm Kitchen Blog)

Many families enjoyed the Good Health Hunt around the market. Our vendors (farmers) enjoy visiting with the kids and are very generous with their fresh produce.

Fun on the Good Health Scavenger Hunt!

Cucumber Salsa Canoes

b. Tabby

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This little kitten is just watching and waiting for his turn to be King of the Grill!