We host a number of parties each year on the farm. Currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not hosting any gatherings at the farm.
Usually we’re leading guests in some kind of activity to help us on the farm. In 2008, farm broadcaster Ken Root suggested we host a farmers market cook-off between his family and then Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey’s family. They spent Saturday morning shopping at the Des Moines Downtown Farmers Market and then prepared four courses each at our farm in a head to head match-up. With our friend Diann joining us in the judging, the match ended in a tie with each couple winning two courses apiece. We were the real winners though with our guests cooking a fabulous meal for us to enjoy on our lawn.
Chicken Butchering Party
We’ve hosted several chicken butchering parties when we had laying hens. Killing is a regrettable but necessary part of a sustainable farm with livestock. Laying hens produced eggs for about 18 months before they come to the end of their productive life. We invited family, friends, and customers to come help us “retire” the girls. Everyone who helped got to take stewing hens home to put in their freezers for winter soup. In 2010, we butchered the day after a blizzard and assumed none of the 20 people who’d sent an RSVP to the party would be able to make it. Eight people braved subzero wind chills and drifted roads to come experience butchering their own chickens. As we no longer have poultry, we haven’t hosted a chicken butchering party for several years.
Planting Parties
Over the years we’ve had garlic and potato planting parties. We plant by hand and try to pick a Sunday to have a planting party. Friends and customers are a great help with this labor intensive job. Separating the garlic cloves and cutting seed potatoes are nearly as much work as the planting itself. 2009 was our largest planting of garlic and in 2010 when so many vegetable crops failed, garlic saved the season for us. While we’ve cut back on our produce production, we continue to grow three varieties of garlic: one soft neck variety–Inchelium Red and two stiff neck varieties Spanish Roja and our biggest seller German Extra Hardy.
