I interviewed Paul, a very involved farm member, who told me a little information about Flemish Desem bread, which is made at the farm. He emphasized the importance of temperature in the bread making process, and indicated that burying his bread in flour was the best way to accomplish this. Paul also stated, “Unlike Amish bread, which has bacteria in its’ processing, Flemish Desem bread consists only of living organisms. Since Paul was in a hurry to plow the field, he directed me to a website: www.LaurelsKitchen.com, for more information. This website is very thorough, relating all of the information about the process of making Flemish Desem bread, and the importance of pure organic ingredients, which are the key.
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On a second visit to the farm, Paul explained the baking process to me. The loaves of Flemish Desem bread, each weighing 1 ½ pounds and consisting of 100% whole wheat, are baked in an old brick oven. This oven looked similar to an old fashioned brick barbeque pit, but was totally enclosed to fully encompass the heat. Early in the morning, a wood fire was started inside the oven which burned continually for 5 ½ to 6 hours. After this amount of time the oven had reached optimal temperature of approximately 550⁰ to 600⁰ Fahrenheit. Next, the oven was cleaned, removing the ashes, and then mopped with a mop head on a stick which had been dunked in clean water. Finally, 28 loaves of bread were placed in the oven, and after 25 minutes it was fresh bread for all! We also shared organic apple cider, from Kapnick Orchards, which is located nearby, in Britton, Michigan.
On my visit opening day, I had the opportunity to work with Krista, a 7 year apprentice. From her, I learned the layout of the land. There are 6 different fields, all having different soil content. Each field has its own name: Old Pasture, Love and Mist, Heron, Redwing Blackbird, Killdeer, and Toad. Old Pasture holds the richest soil, and Toad has the most clay, which is often wet. Some of the crops grown in these fields are spinach, garlic, beets, carrots, strawberries, potatoes, pumpkin, squash, and many more. The farm also has 2 barns, 3 tractors, and a number of small green houses, as well as 8 bee hives, 3 goats, 2 cows, and a number of chickens. Before the Maypole celebration, I had the opportunity to weed the strawberry field, socializing as I worked. It was a lot of fun!
I also spoke with Mark, a farmhand of 15 years, who explained that none of the animals on the farm are eaten. He told me that the female cows still have their horns because it helps in the digestion of their food, and produces better manure. This manure is very rich and has much less odor than normal. Mark also shared with me that they use a solar powered tractor for much of the farming. This tractor is an old John Deere which has been converted to batteries, which are powered by a solar pane. They plan to use solar energy for more farm chores in the future.
As I was leaving the farm, I spoke briefly with Ann, who was busy protecting several praying mantises’ cocoons. She told me how the ants, spiders, and snakes will try to get into the greenhouses and kill the cocoons. She was making sure the greenhouses were completely sealed to provide protection for the cocoons. Her efforts were rewarded, as the following week, when I returned to the farm with my class for our group day, all of the praying mantis cocoons had hatched.
