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I am Cecilia. A New Zealander who farms in Illinois.
My farms are organic and regenerative and full of stories. I have been writing here about environmentally sustainable farming and food and travel since 2011.
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LATEST POSTS
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Salmon and Shrimp Chowder because I can’t go Fishing on the Prairie.
I have a friend, who lives by himself in a beach house on stilts, up the East Coast, in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. It is a beautiful bay, deserted for most of the year. He is on the beach every day . Surfing mostly. Or looking for surf. When he goes away to work he…
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Frozen swimming pools, cats, chocolate, cows and other things
OK, Update time. The yeast is definitely active in the grape juice. The Snug (the snug is a tiny room with a couch, a beanbag and a TV in it, this is where John makes the wine, cider etc as he can regulate the temperature in there and sit with his wine whilst watching the…
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A Small but Robust Sticky Crush
Yesterday we picked out first little crop of Vidal Blanc grapes for wine. We hauled everything out through the orchard into the teensy vineyard (10 vines to pick), set up the harvest table, (made from old recycled barn timbers) and numerous vessels. Gathered the troops and began. This is our first pick of these grapes…
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Spinach Soup for the Pickers and Crushers!
Today we are going to pick and crush the grapes. These are a Vidal Blanc grape on a root stock that will deal with the extended freezing temperatures here in the winter. I can leave the grapes on the vine until they are frozen (resulting in a really sticky white dessert wine) however I don’t…
The Kitchen's Garden
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