<![CDATA[White Rose Farm ]]>http://www.whiterosefarm.comen-ushttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssCopyright 2012White Rose Farm <![CDATA[Preview of the Upcoming Season at White Rose Farm ]]>Next week I will be learning about how to cultivate sacred practices for working on the land at the Rudolph Steiner College in Sacramento. As I have farmed, I have become increasingly aware of how our consciousness and our intention affects the quality of our food and our environment. I plan to offer more opportunities to explore these dimensions throughout the coming season at White Rose Farm

This year, our focus will be on raising consciousness about how to promote wholeness and health, much more than a narrower focus on growing food (what is food anyway? What feeds us?).  We expect to offer educational programs and rooms so that people can spend the night at the farm, either to learn more about  gardening or to have personal retreat in a quiet, safe setting.I will be posting more information in the month of February, but in the meantime, let me say that we will have a

Full Moon Celebration, this Sunday, February 5 at 4234 Ruggles Road. We will gather at 6:00 p.m., share a meal, and then Leah Ruzek will lead a program starting at 7:30 p.m. The program usually lasts about 90 minutes. We will ask for a free-will donation.

Our next delivery to Catonsville and College Park will be on Sunday, March 4.

While I am away, friends will be tending the farm. If you are interested in picking up pork, please call the farm phone (410-756-9303 and make an appointment.Thanks and happy February!

Sally

 

 

 

 

 

 

]]>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:32:37 -0600<![CDATA[Welcome to our 2012 Season!]]>Wake up! Wake up! At break of day
The Sun is on his golden way.  

If the Ground of our Being is shifting, then isn’t a relationship with that new ground the basis for a new Culture, for a new agriculture? This season at White Rose Farm, we will focus on discerning that new relationship.   

Land everywhere is calling for a conscious connection with human beings. No longer can we take earth, air, light, water, wind for granted. They are insisting on our attention. When we respect, listen and respond to these elemental forces, every field of our culture will shift.  Active engagement with the forces of nature is our essential work at the farm this year, as we grow food to feed ourselves and others.   

White Rose Farm is now a living whole--a place where one can experience solitude nestled within community, stillness that is both empty and full. Such space allows each of us to explore the connection between our inner consciousness and our outer world.

Visitors can listen to themselves and for themselves to find their own authentic response to their soul’s calling and to the land. They can learn about biodynamic agriculture and gardening. They can do art, share art, be quiet, be creative, be active, be still, just be--open and free.    
 
I am seeking a core group of two to four people who will live at the farm and work part-time--in the garden, welcoming guests, leading educational and group activities and managing the farm. Each person will have their own room, food from the farm and the freedom and space to recreate.  Members of the group must have an active spiritual practice and want to participate in a community experience.  

This group will then welcome others to the farm for shorter visits.  Together we will form a new culture based on conscious relationships with the land and its forces.  

May this season awaken in us deeper and lighter connections with each other and with the natural world!  

In anticipation,

Sally Voris

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:15:25 -0600<![CDATA[Jams & Jellies]]>jams and jellies

We are offering a variety of jams and jellies this 2012 season. All are made on the farm; most are made from fruit and produce from our farm. Biodynamic produce pops with flavor. We harvest our fruits when they are fully ripe, and process them immediately to maintain that flavor.

We bought a lug of concord grapes from Peters Orchard and rhubarb from a farm in Gettysburg when our crop failed. As a nod to those who are becoming more conscious of sugar in our diets (and now that new pectin is  available that gels with less sugar), we have added some low-sugar, raw-sugar and honey sweetened products--these products are lighter in flavor and texture.


Traditional:

Grape Jelly
Hot Pepper Jelly
Strawberry Jam
Strawberry/ Rhubarb Jam

Exceptional:

Anise Basil Jelly
Grape/Rhubarb Jam

Health-Conscious:

Grape with Honey
Low-Sugar Grape
Hot Pepper with Raw Sugar


All are $5.00 per 8-oz jar or 3 for $14.00.





]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:14:15 -0600<![CDATA[Delivery Sites and Times]]>We will be delivering to these locations:

Sunday, March 4 to the Christian Community in College Park and to Catonsville from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the parking lot where the farmer's market had been (behind the Friendly's at 730 Frederick Road) Click here for a delivery order form.

We generally make a mid-week run into Westminster and can make a delivery there most easily on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. at the Center for Healing Arts, 112 E. Main Street.We plan to deliver throughout the winter to Catonsville, Westminster and College Park.You are welcome to arrange a pick-up at the farm in Taneytown. 

Available February, 2012:


Chicken: We are sold out. Sorry. The foxes enjoyed your chicken. 

Eggs: We sell our own free-range eggs at $4.00/dozen.

Honey: We sell local, unpasteurized honey in one, two and three-pound jars. They are $7.00, 13.00 and 19.00 respectively.

Jams and Jellies: $5.00/8 oz. jar or 3 for $14.00

Traditional: Grape Jelly, Hot Pepper Jelly, Peach Jam, Strawberry Jam, Strawberry/ Rhubarb Jam
Exceptional: Anise Basil Jelly, Grape/Rhubarb Jam
Health-Conscious: Grape with Honey, Low-Sugar Grape, Hot Pepper with Raw Sugar

Pork:
$5.00/pound:               Scrapple ( in pans of approximately 2 pounds each);ham hocks
$6.00 / pound cuts:    Shoulder roasts (including Boston Butts, approx 3-4 lbs.)
                                          ground pork, rope and loose sausage
$7.00 / pound cuts:    Spare ribs; ham roasts, cured and fresh, 2-10 pounds
$8.00 / pound cuts:    Pork chops (2 or 4 to a pack); center-cut ham steaks
$9.00/pound cuts:     Loin roasts
$10.00/pound:            Cured bacon

Vegetables: We have a variety of pumpkins and squash—Blue Hubbard, Acorn and Sweet Dumpling for sale at competitive prices depending on the size of the squash.

 

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:13:10 -0600<![CDATA[Chicken for Sale!]]>Krissy with a red roaster 

 

We raise red roasters at White Rose Farm in small groups in chicken tractors which we move around the garden.  The red roasters have been bred to graze on grass. They are fed no chemicals or additives. They are the tastiest chickens I have ever eaten. Their bones make a great chicken broth. Due to Maryland State of Agriculture regulations, we can only sell our birds from the farm. They are frozen, whole and bagged. Click here to download the meat order form.

Our chickens are sold out!!!!

Yesterday I made dinner and the main attraction was one of your chickens--delicious and everyone "Loved It" today we had the sausage and it received rave reviews.                                                            Sherry

 

 



 

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:11:04 -0600<![CDATA[Become Part of the Story]]>We are actively responding to climate change at White Rose Farm. We hold beauty, bounty and balance as touchstones, and engage our intelligence, heart and will in responding to the Earth, with the intention to heal and balance the Earth.

There are so many levels on which to work! One very practical aspect is that as the weather gets more extreme, we need to respond more urgently and often with more effort. My farm has red clay soil: working it when it is too wet or too dry damages the long-term structure of the soil. As we get drenching rains, then strong winds, then drying sun, the window of time in which to work is narrowing.

We want to involve and engage others in helping in the garden and in healing the Earth. Here are some options:

    Be part of our gardening team: come once a season, or participate all year—on an occasional or regular basis.
    Take on a particular crop. (We now have a volunteer who is tending the rhubarb: another tends the tomatoes; another is focused on herbs. )
    Take on a particular task—tending chickens or hogs or fertilizing the garden.
    Bring a group to the farm for a morning or evening of work, and then enjoy your own picnic on the farm.
    Help us connect to others—by blogging or helping in our office.
    Come for at least 6 weeks and be part of the gardening team. We need people to:
o    Work in the garden
o    Prepare and sell vegetables for our members and at our farm stand.
o    Help with seasonal events, public and educational programs.
o    Tend the animals (chickens, Guinea hens, turkeys, and ducks.)
o    Prepare and spray biodynamic preparations
o    Communicate our work and our vision to the wider world.
   
The farm has a collegial, communty atmosphere in which we work together and learn from each other. I teach about biodynamics and gardening as we work—introducing plants and gardening practices that share what I know. I also hope to learn from others.

Hope to see you soon! Come to the farm and find what feeds you!

Sally

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:10:11 -0600<![CDATA[Become a Member of White Rose Farm!]]> 

Volunteers enjoy lunch on the front porch of the farmhouse.


Become a member of White Rose Farm and take your own step towards wholeness.  Explore  aspects of yourself, others and the natural world. By becoming a member acknowledge and appreciate not just the product of the farm, but the process of creating food.  As climate change accelerates, White Rose Farm is becoming an active partner with nature. We are learning to respond with sensitivity and intelligence to those changes and the natural world.

This year, we will offer educational programs about biodynamic agriculture, about simple practices, mental, physical and emotional, that you can do to participate in healing the earth. We may also teach specific skills: raising chickens, building compost; keeping earthworms; canning; preserving; gardening and drying herbs and flowers. Become involved and participate in the process of creartion!
 
This is what we have planned for members this season. Members will:

  • Become part of a vibrant community of people focused on healing themselves and the earth.
  • Get weekly e-mails about farm produce and events.
  • Get preference at all events and educational programs.  
  • Reserve limited crops for their own picking, (i.e. Strawberries and raspberries)
  • Visit the farm from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., except Sundays when we open at 4:00 p.m. and Wednesdays when the farm is closed. (The farm honors siesta time from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. every day: limited staff is available then.)
  • Meet other people in the garden, on the farm, and enjoy tea and conversation.
  • Get first dibs on extra plants and seconds from the garden.
  • Network with others about your farm experience.
  • Come work in the garden and learn about food and land.
  • Pick their own food from the garden for $15, 25 or 25 for a small, medium or large tub of food.  

Click here for a membership application.

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:05:09 -0600<![CDATA[Premium Pork for Sale!]]>

"...the best ham I have ever tasted!" Geri Cao.

We have raised small groups of local hogs in open fields where they root in the dirt, bathe in the sun, and enjoy crops grown for them. Because they are raised in a natural environment on a biodynamic farm, their meat is both tasty and tender. We use a local USDA-certified butcher, Stoney Point Farm Market, in Littlestown, a family-owned business. 


Individual Cuts Available:

$5.00/pound:          
Scrapple ( in pans of approximately 2 pounds each),  ham hocks


$6.00/pound:
Shoulder roasts (including Boston Butts, approx 3-4 lbs.), ground pork, rope and loose sausage

$7.00 / pound:
Spare ribs & ham roasts (fresh and cured) 4 to 8 pounds

$8.00 / pound:       
Country-style ribs(not in season), pork chops (2 or 4 to a pack), Center-cut ham steaks

$9.00.pound:
Loin roast (approximately 3 pounds)

$10.00/pound:
Cured bacon(in one-pound packages)

Discounted packages: at $6.50/pound

Small package: 2 pork chops, 1 small fresh ham roast, 1 ham steak, 1 pound of loose sausage, 1 pound of rope sausage (6-8 pounds total)

Large package: 6 pork chops, 1 center-cut ham steaks, 1 4-5 pound ham roast, 2 pounds rope sausage, 2 pounds loose sausage (approximately 12-14 pounds) 

 
Order Form
Click here to download our pork order form, then e-mail it back to us, mail it or call with your order. We can bring it to our delvery sites or arrange a pick-up at the farm for another time we agree on.

These prices are effective July 15, 2011. Please note that our prices are now subject to change without notice! 

]]>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 19:58:17 -0600<![CDATA[Full Moon Celebrations]]>

 

At White Rose Farm, we honor each full moon, recognizing that the moon reminds us of the cycles of life. The events are scheduled on a weekend evening, except when the full moon falls on a Wednesday. Then we celebrate on Wednesday. 

We invite you to gather with us starting at 6:00 p.m. We enjoy a shared meal at 6:30 p.m.. A formal program starts at 7:30 p.m. The programs are designed to be engaging and respectful of a wide variety of traditions. They include some meditation, prayer and reflection. 

Sunday, January 8, 2012: Renee Deiaco will introduce us to the Radiant Lotus Qigong. This practice is a loving way to relate to our entire beings and to awaken our Divine Feminine. She will also lead a form called "Awakening the Soul" developed by Master Li Jun Feng.  

Renee began studying Qigong & Tai Chi in 2000. She recently attended at teacher's certification training workshop with teacher, Daisy Lee. For more information, please go to Daisy Lee's website: http://www.radiantlotusqigong.com/questions-and-answers/

Please note that this event will be held at 4234 Ruggles Road, Taneytown, MD 21787.



]]>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:18:29 -0600<![CDATA[Happy New Year! ]]>A strong west wind blows clear, crisp air across the farm, the sun warms the land.  My cat has pulled chicken bones out of the compost pot( I forgot to put the lid on it); my dog sits outside looking at my neighbor’s newly-arrived pregnant heifers. Earlier in the week, he chased the cows across the field: I chased him.   Now he is tied up until I can get obedience training for him. The chickens are clucking, pecking and still laying about a dozen eggs a day.

I am half-way through a process of discernment to find a clear focus, the right structure and enough support for the next chapter of White Rose Farm.  After the extreme weather of last year, I wanted to reflect deeply on what the farm is meant to be.  

The discernment process has been rich and telling--a weaving of inner and outer dimensions: dreams, emotions, healing, chance encounters, planned activities, ideas and conversations.  I have felt tremendous support from friends far and near.

Over the last two weeks, several people have suggested that the farm may have been used by the native peoples as a sacred site. My father may have disturbed the site when he built the house at Ruggles Road.  This raises questions about how we Westerners, relative newcomers, honor and acknowledge places that native people held sacred. How do we or can we, with our different foundation of faith, acknowledge and respect these ancient foundations? I do not know; I do not know how to know—except through an inner discerning—and an opening to new dimensions.   

Marko Pogacnik, in his book, Touching the Breath of Gaia, wrote that “Past peoples sought out locations where, by the nature of the landscape, conversation runs freely between the inward space of earth’s centre and the universe of the stars.”

For a specific location, he suggests that we reach our hands deep into the earth, find the ball of perfection and bring it to the surface of the Earth.  We used that exercise in our meditation on New Year’s Eve. The ball did not want to surface for me, but I did have a sense of connecting with an inward space. I was reminded of the closing lines from the set of Qigong exercises that Renee led on Friday, a set developed by Master Li Jun Feng:

          There is only consciousness, a deep profound stillness
          The seamless silence that is both empty and full

I had experienced such seamless silence in the events hosted at Ruggles on December 30 and 31st. Could it be that the farm is meant to be a place where one connects with such silence? A place that is both empty and full? What a magnificent, mysterious possibility as the New Year dawns!

Happy New Year!

Sally


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