At the Farm is located on Highway 5 in Carver County, Minnesota - 2.5 m. East of Waconia - 4.5 m. West of Victoria - 10 m. West of Chanhassen
Donna Frantz, Proprietor - 8880 East Highway 5, Waconia MN 55387 - imthefarmer@earthlink.net - 952-442-4816

At the Farm Newsletter

Sent May 27, 2009 Friends, Neighbors, Countrymen How does your Garden Grow? A shovel in one hand, And plants in the other, Bring beautiful flowers all in a row! Hello, Its almost time to enjoy the fruits of your labor! But the weeds are arriving too, a little hoeing and everything will be fine. Or if your weeds are big enough to pull, put them in a bucket as you pull and dispose of them away from your garden. If you pull weeds and leave them laying in the garden they can regrow! When planting bedding flower plants, if they are leggy be sure to pinch them back so they bush out. Petunias are one of the plants to keep short to start. I pinch a lot of flower blooms so the roots 'take' better and the plant's energy goes to the roots first, not the bloom. The roots need to be re-shuffled to wake them up so they grow outward into the soil, not grow 'round and 'round and stay root bound in the ground. Just loosen a few roots from the clump as you take them out of the pot. If you have a pot with really packed roots cut 1/4 inch off with a sharp knife. This is mostly found in 4 1/2 inch pots. Asparagus fern really can be tight and needs cutting. Did you start with fresh soil in your pots? Its best to dump the old soil every year and start new! I have wonderful potting soil for great success! And I have Peters fertilizer for your flowers, its the best! Thanks for shopping At the Farm! I'd like your feedback to help me serve you better. Please email me with your suggestions. Enjoy Spring! Donna

May Bonus Recipe - Rhubarb is a Spring-Time Favorite! RHUBARB BARS 3 cups chopped fresh rhubarb from At the Farm 2 teaspoons orange zest Juice of 1 large orange 1/4 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal (old fashioned, not instant) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a glass 9 x 13-inch pan. In a large pot, put the rhubarb, orange zest, juice, water and granulated sugar over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is tender and the mixture begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, salt and cinnamon, then work in the butter with your fingers to make a crumbly dough. Mix in nuts. Pat half of this dough into the greased glass pan. Turn the rhubarb onto the crust, top with the remaining crumbles. Bake about 30 to 35 minutes until nicely browned. Serves 14 to 16. Marilyn Dahl of Owatonna shared her mom's recipe, which dates back 100 years, in the May 7, 2009 Star Tribune. I made them with pecans rather than walnuts and they were fabulous! These bars are deliciously simple and timeless. Easier than pie (great with ice cream), they freeze well. Enjoy!