All of a sudden, we looked around, and so many things were blooming!!!!!

Are you guys tired of rhubarb recipes? I hope not. I'm just getting started. :)

I forgot this one from our website - it's an oldie but a goodie. Lavender Rhubarb Lemonade. YUM!

How's about some Rhubarb Ketchup? or, Rhubarb Lavender Jam!

Rhubarb Martini?

So I was reading the She Simmers blog, which I love, and all of a sudden she's talking about how to make spruce-tip infused olive oil. And I was like...woah. TREES! I tend to look down a the ground, when thinking about wildcrafting...looking at leaves, maybe mushrooms. BUT TREES! Yeah. Eat the trees.

Which led to this great blog about wildcrafting spruce (or fir or pine) tips and the million bajillion ways you can use them.

How about a spruce rhubarb cooler?

An Evergreen Martini, or an Alpine Martini? (before you laugh..remember that gin is flavored with juniper berries! same taste family)

And there's loads of recipes for Spruce Beer.

I have alot to learn about wildcrafting from trees....

So, I tried to pick some nettle the other day. I ended up having a LOT of help. It went something like this.

Head out to the pasture. Notice six small horses watching curiously. Notice six small horses following you.

Get to pasture, set down laundry basket. Horses immediately commandeer basket as their new favorite toy. They kick it, sniff it, pick it up, haul it around, and generally mess with it, ingnoring the fuming human saying "knock it off guys".

Horses finally get bored with laundry basket, until I bend down to start harvesting nettle. As soon as I put nettle in the basket, they eat it. This goes on for a while.

Eventually they decide to see if the laundry basket game is different/more fun if there is plant matter in the basket. Apparently it is, as they have a new round of mini horse laundry basket soccer. Complete with fuming human (being ignored).

Eventually the soccer match ends, and I can go back to picking nettle. This time *I* am the object of their attention.  They pick the clippers from my pocket, sniff me up one side and down the other, gently nibble my clothes and hair. At one point there was a snuffly soft horsey nose down the back of my pants (they gap when I crouch down). WHOO! that's an experience.

See little Del here? Note my hand? that is my pushing him far enough away to even get him in the picture. I got about 10 photos of just white horse fur before I pushed his head back a little. "Up close and personal" is the mini horse motto, apparently.

At some point the get bored with me and I can actually get some nettle harvested.

Some of it, my bunny ate. He likes fresh nettle. Some of it got put into a crustless nettle quiche, and the rest got blanched and frozen for later. Yum. nettle!

Donna snapped this picture of her pond yesterday - doesn't it look fabulous?!

May soap of the month is HERE! Euphoria! 

This soap is allll about springtime. Fresh clean breezes laden with the scent of fruits and flowers. "Euphoria" soap is scented with lavender, ylang-ylang and tangering. DELICIOUS! We have 40 bars of this fantastic soap - when it's gone, it's gone, so enjoy it while it lasts!

Prairieland Herbs is hosting a free Meditation and Breathwork class on Sunday, May 23, at 11 AM!

The lovely and talented Deniece Gaudineer has offered to once again lead us in a fantastic meditation/breathwork/movement class. This class is FREE (thank you Deniece!) and will be held at Prairieland Herbs. ANYONE is welcome! She will lead us in a heart opening meditation/breathwork workshop, or....see what happens when we all gather and what we need and desire. Please bring a yoga mat and/or sitting cushion, if you have one. Coffee, tea, scones and fruit will be available after, feel free to stay and chat, visit, craft or just enjoy good company with likeminded people. No experience is necessary for this class, if you've never done breathwork or meditation, don't worry - just come and enjoy. It's a wonderful experience.
 

Today's post is a love letter to nettles. Yes, stinging nettles. Yes, they will sting you. Yes, they are common weeds. Yes, I saw them for sale (!!!) in the local greenhouse this weekend and laughed and laughted and laughed! They are so common, that really, you do not need to buy them. Most people can find them nearby to wildcraft (harvest from the wild). They are wonderful for so many reasons: food, medicine, and fiber.  I love nettles. This is a great time of year to harvest them because they are young and tender and especially yummy.

If you don't know what nettles look like, or how to harvest them, I'd start here. I typically harvest them bare-handed, but I am in the minority here. Most people will want to use gloves and long sleeved shirts. They WILL sting you when fresh, but when dried, wilted, or cooked, they do not.  Even the "sting" is good for some people - I personally know several people who deliberately "sting" them selves with nettle to relieve their arthritis symptoms. They swear by it. So...there you have it.

Still want more info? Okay - here's some more nettle info and pics.

Now. Are you convinced that nettles are indeed a) extremely good for you (a traditional spring tonic and one of the healthiest greens you can eat, and b) delicious? Okay, now it's time to cook. I love this non-recipe for
nettle soup. It's foolproof and versatile.

Susan's recipe for Nettle Spanakopita  shows that nettles can be as highbrow or lowbrow as you like.

And here's a veritable treasure trove of nettle recipes: Nettle risotto, nettle frittata, nettle with pasta, and more! 

You don't NEED to have a specific nettle recipe to use them. Simply replace nettles your favorite recipe that utilizes cooked greens. My favorite ways to use nettles are usually in a crustless quiche (beacuse I am extremely lazy), and sauteed with garlic and olive oil and put on pizza or over pasta.

Eating fresh young nettles is just the beginning. They're also tinctured and made into teas,the mature stalks are  used for fiber, or the mature seedheads are collected and ground as a yummy and nutritious grain. And of COURSE it has many applications in skin and hair care. So this is just the first post on nettle...as the season progresses I'll be adding more information about how and why to use nettles.

Today is a busy day.

The classroom is cleaned and ready for our Natural Cleansers class. (We still have room available - if you want to take it, be here by 1 :) ). For those of you who can't take it but are interested - check out our Laundry Soap recipe. That's one of the things we'll be making in class today.

Our herb plants have arrived, and are for sale!!

Becky at Willow Avenue Pottery brought us these super cute plant decorators...only $3 each! There's frogs and ladybugs too! Get 'em while they last!

Sally Kilkenny will be here with her fantastic gourmet jams! New varieties include: Strawberry, Spiced Strawberry, Blueberry-Cherry, Cranberry-Pepper, and Strawberry Rhubarb. YUM!

We have a few bars of the April Luxury Soap of the month left, so I"m leaving those online for a day or two.....if you liked Clear Mind, this is your last chance to grab a few bars. The new May soap of the month is SPECTACULAR...stay tuned!

And here's what's happening at Northern Prairie Chevre, our neighboring farm to the north, this Sample Sunday, 12-5!

• Meet Meg Fisher, owner/designer of Lincoln and Lexi children’s clothing and apparel.  Her items are amazing and SO SOFT!!!!
• Enjoy a juicy Sheeder Farms burger while listening to the jamming of Sweet Tater and Friends: The Home Brewed String Band
• Snus Hill Winery will sample several of their award-winning wines.
• Several new items in the store.  Make this your stop for gourmet foods that go well with goat cheese, wine, and more.
• Spruce up your favorite dog with Iowa made collars, leashes and harnesses – great designs and very well made!  All are 25% off!!
• Dreesman Buffalo meat in a variety of cuts – very healthy!!  Several cuts of Sheeder Farms meats and Skeeter Creek Elk.
• Baked goods from Country Lane Bakery
• Chair massages and hooping lessons
• Beautiful jewelry by Sun Creek Jewelry and interesting leather items by Saadja!!
• Many in-store specials!!!  For a limited time, Peppercorn Pyrenese - a new sharp aged cheese.
• LOTS of new kids!!!  Tours of the barn!  The kids, girls and Honeybump are waiting for some loving!
• Kids, the giant chalk board is back!  Enjoy the swing set while mom and dad listen to the music.
• Come in to Miss Tillie’s for samples of our cheese and MUCH MORE!

Sample Sunday, May 2, 12-5..WOW. There's just so much going on! Here's a rundown of what's happening at Prairieland Herbs.

Enjoy hula hooping with Candy Hoops! She will showcase her new Diva and Karma hoops...we guarantee you've NEVER seen hula hoops like this before!

How about tarot card readings, henna tattoos or a chair massage from Dawn of Morning Rain Massage?

Or a delightful reflexology treatment with Melodie, of Mind and Body Massage Therapy!

Lynn Marie Parkey will be offering reiki treatments, and will have beautiful aromatherapy pendants for sale - ask her to custom create a scent blend just for you!

Rebecca Brandow with Willow Avenue Pottery will have her gorgeous, locally made pottery available for sale.

And check out the wonderful gemstone jewelry from Compassionate Creations!

Laura Hess will be on hand to give you SHIMMERLITES! washable, wearable beautiful shimmering hair highlights!

Randi Stone of Lovin' Oven has baked DELICIOUS homemade cookies, bars and treats for you and your family.

Sally Kilkenny will be sampling her gourmet handmade jams and jellies, including some new varieties!

Angie of AKC Collectibles will have her fantastic recycled/upcycled crafts and home goods!

Meet "The Magnificent Seven" - the seven beautiful fostercats from Panora P.E.T.S rescue organization. They're friendly, spayed/neutered, vaccinated, sweet, loving, and ready to be ADOPTED!

Check out our May luxury soap of the month, and pick up a Mother's Day gift - Moms love handmade herbal bath and body items. We have FREE giftwrapping!

And - there's loads going on at Donna Jean's, Picket Fence Creamery, and Northern Prairie Chevre as well! Please visit Centraliowasmallfarms.com for a listing of events, deals, specials and samples and the other farms, plus a printable map. 

We had 2 celebrities visit the farm, Saturday.

First, the fantastic Miss Effie.....she drove all the way from Eastern Iowa to teach us how to make CHEESE! She taught 12 students how to make mozzarella cheese, then we feasted on 100% made-from-scratch pizzas afterwards. We hope to lure her back with promises of Picket Fence Ice Cream...she teaches a fantastic array of classes on local foods, canning and preserving,and more. It was a fantastic class, and we hope to offer it again in the fall. (Just pick a day, Miss Effie - you have a permanent standing invite to Prairieland Herbs!)

Abby did such a good job blogging it...I suggest you go check out her fantastic post :)

The other celebrity to visit PLH was the infamous CHICKEN HAT!

The chicken hat was made by Claire, and lives with Jill.... but has a life and personality of her own! She has an astounding presence....and inspires people to make very bad puns, apparently :) We are pleased she visited Prairieland Herbs!

Please note: We still have room in this Saturday's Classes - Enchanted Gardens, with Donna, and Natural Home Cleansers, with Maggie. PLUS! We have a FANTASTIC new lineup of classes announced! Sacred Spaces, Freezer Jams, Making and Using 5 Minute Bread Dough, Natural Dyes from the Garden, Sewing 101, Papermaking, and Pressed Flower Cards! Visit our Events Page for more information or to sign up.

Want to listen to Maggie yak about herbs, bodycare products, and more? Well, okay. :) I'll be interviewed tonight, 5pm CST, on the Renegade Farmer! Here is the link - in case you can't listen live, don't worry! It will be archived, you can listen at your leisure.

Renegade Farmer Radio Interview.

I also write for the Renegade Farmer, monthly, and one of our FANTASTIC friends, Karly, is a weekly writer (check out her chilling first post - the CHICKEN MURDERS!)

So...this is what I saw when I drove home from the post office yesterday.

As soon as I stuck my head in the door they were like "uh oh! BUSTED!" and they tried to hide. As if three mini horses could hide in a 24x30 room?!?!

We are hosting a plant swap! Saturday, May 29, 2 PM at Prairieland Herbs! This is a fun, informal community event, perfect for both new gardeners and those with lots of experience.

How it works: Bring any extra plants you would like to trade. You can bring leftover annuals, extra veggie plants, perennials that you divided out, excess bulbs, houseplants, even small trees if you like. Have extra seeds you don't want or need? Feel free to bring those too! Please, have your plants in a pot, box, or bag, so they can be easily transported and safely sit for a day or two until they are transplanted. PLEASE, if you can, have the plant marked (to the best of your knowledge). we will try to have some plant markers available at the swap, too.

If you have a ton of plants to donate, but don't want any in exchange, that's fine! You may bring them before the event if you like, you do not need to stay.

If you don't have anything to swap, but want to come and take home some plants to start or fill in your garden, that's okay too! Come on, join the fun. Gardeners are friendly fun people and are always willing to share.

We'll see how many people plan to show up, and then organize as needed...

Feel free to post here if you have specific plants you know you will be bringing to share, or if you are looking for anything in particular.

We'll provide snacks and a nice shaded comfortable area for swapping. This will be fun! Look forward to seeing you!

Tell your friends! This is a fun event open to ANYONE!

And *today's* post is inspired by my friend Jill, who asked about rhubarb recipes! I LOVE rhubarb. Alas..I am surrounded by rhubarb-haters. *sigh*  So mostly I see good rhubarb recipes, sigh, and put them away. But now at least I can blog them and hope you all make the rhubarb-ey goodness....

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Carmelized Rhubarb topping pretty much combines my love of fermented foods, food in jars, AND rhubarb. It's PERFECT!!

Look how gorgeous this rhubarb liqueur is! I AM making this. Rhubarb-haters be damned.

And I AM making this gingery rhubarb chutney, too. Because, as she says, it is pretty  much heaven, when placed on top of good dark bread with a sharp cheddar cheese. ('scuse me while I wipe drool of the keyboard..)

This post is inspired by my super-creative friend Becky, who posted THE MOST GORGEOUS photo of lilac sugar the other day.

Lilac sugar, you say??

Why yes! Lilac is an edible flower. It has a strong, distinctive, fantastic scent....that is very in-your-face when standing next to a fresh lilac bush...yet nearly impossible to capture. All lilac scented bodyproducts are synthetically scented, as you cannot capture the scent of lilacs with the distillation process.

This spring trifle looks simply AMAZING. !!!

This fun blog has some easy and fun ideas for making lilac sugar, lilac muffins, and lilac syrup.

I think this recipe for lilac panna cotta sounds pretty amazing too.

How about lilac jelly? With a wonderful recipe for using it with (wait for it...) chicken breasts.

There's a few ideas to get you started. Now, go eat your flowers!

Saged Pear Butter! *swoon* I hope our pear trees produce well this year....

A Woman Unscensored  has a great product review for us. And we didn't even pay her to say nice things about us. :) She particularly liked our shampoo bars and facial serums.

....and now the dandelions have come out! Time to make dandelion jelly!! Recipe and photo tutorial here.

Another young herbalist in training......

The yard EXPLODED in violets! Time to make violet jelly!  Here's our tutorial for making violet jelly - complete with photos. ENJOY!

We are excited to have adoptable kitties from Panora P.E.T.S at Sample Sunday!

These kitties are looking for indoor homes. No de-clawing. The adoption fee for any cat is $75. Each cat and kitten has been:
▪ altered (spayed/neutered),
▪ vaccinated (age-appropriate) - rabies, distemper combo, & FeLV
▪ microchipped,
▪ tested for FeLV/FIV (negative unless previously noted),
▪ treated for fleas, ear mites, and worms.

Come on out to the farm and meet these fantastic kitties! You might find the perfect addition to your family.