There is no I in TEAM _ unknown
Simple Definition of team
- : a group of people who compete in a sport, game, etc., against another group
- : a group of people who work together
- : a group of two or more animals used to pull a wagon, cart, etc.
When the idea of purchasing a TEAM for farmwork appeared to me, I never thought of it as being a TEAM. I just thought of it as two horses.
When my friend Georgia and I went to pick Mack and Madge up, we went to a sale in Missouri. They were selling TEAMS of horses. We went for equipment, but loved looking at all the teams for sale. Mostly we were fascinated that these huge horses were kept two together at all times. The teams of horses ate together, stayed in the same stall together, were lead together, turned out together – basically, they were never apart.
When I bought my team from a friend he said – keep them together. Lead them together, work them together, don’t let them be apart.
It has been a journey working with Mack and Madge. I have only had them two years, but I have learned so much. Mainly that – even with them being so old and well trained – I had to be a member of the team too. Working together to get the job done. I had to spend time with them and learn their quirks. Curtis helped me hook them up and he learned too. We were all a TEAM.
Mack fell ill about a month ago. One day he just quit eating. After several vet visits and watching him waste away, Curtis and I decided it was time. We put him to sleep today. Throughout his illness, Madge never left his side.
A sad start to this fall season, but we will keep moving.
What’s in the bucket: summer squash, baby cucumbers, basil, sweet potato greens, peppers, beet greens, shelled soybeans, tart pie apples.
Following – some idea’s on sweet potato greens from Epicurious.com
A few weeks ago, Gourmet Live‘s Kemp Minifie mentioned that she had been seeing sweet potato greens at her farmers’ market. Intrigued, I went in search of them at mine and lo and behold, I found them for $3.50 a bunch. Taking a cue from Kemp who braised hers (leaves and stems) with some onion, I followed suit and then added it to my pasta. Like spinach, sweet potato greens cook down a lot, but unlike spinach, sweet potato greens lack the oxalic acid that often leaves a funny, unpleasant astringent feel and taste in my mouth. And although kale, chard, and collards can also be found at the market, they’re much tougher and possess a strong flavor; the sweet potato leaves, on the other hand, are tender and mild tasting.
NutritionData.com shows that sweet potato greens are extremely high in vitamin K and a good source of vitamin A. Abstracts available on PubMed.com indicate that sweet potato greens have been underutilized as a source of food with preventative qualities. But perhaps most interesting is that sweet potato greens have been readily consumed by different cultures primarily in Asia and Africa.
Here are a few traditional and not so traditional recipes I’ve found online:
– Kadirecipes.com’s Sauce Feuilles de Patate (Guinea)
– Heart and Hearth’s Sweet Potato Greens (Camote Tops) Salad (The Philippines)
– Ravimbomanga sy Patsa Mena (Sweet Potato Leaves with Dried Shrimp) Recipe (Madagascar)
– Cook Rock Farm’s Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Leaves
– Permaculture College Australia’s Sweet Potato Tips in Coconut Cream
Happy eating and thanks for buying local produce from Circle S Farm
We send our caring concern as you grieve for Mack.
David and Tara
It is such a hard decision to make. We understand your pain.