By Scott “Goat Guy” Bice

Redwood Hill olives ready for pressing

This past Thanksgiving, our family gathered around more than just a dining room table.  We also gathered around an olive grove for our very first harvest of the beautiful Tuscan olive trees planted two and a half years earlier.  In Italy there are many festivals in November to celebrate the olive harvest, when family and friends gather to harvest the plump green and purple fruit by hand.  On a cold but sunny morning, we started a new Bice family tradition: picking the fruit to make “green gold”—the buttery, peppery, and s delicious olive oil.

In 2008, we were able to purchase the 10 acre property that bordered Redwood Hill Farm. This new land for us consisted mostly of old neglected apple trees. We went right to work on trying to revitalize the orchard and we enjoy our “annual cider press day” every late summer. We began to spread the goat manure in the orchard certain times of the year and it has done wonders for feeding the apple trees as well as retaining moisture for the organic, dry farmed apples. The extension to our property also gave us space for our solar panel system, which powers 100 percent of the dairy, barns,and housing around them; once again continuing our commitment to sustainability. Later in 2009, after touring some of our fabulous local olive oil producers, Jennifer along with our Dad- Kenneth, decided we should dedicate a small piece of the new property to the ancient Mediterranean fruit.

Planting the olive grove. Rich, composted goat manure at the base will feed the young tree

That winter I planned the planting of the new grove, although it was a difficult time for us because our mother Cynthia passed away after a long bout with ovarian cancer.  Like the olive trees, our mom was always strong and lived much longer than the doctors first predicted.  I am grateful that she was with us to welcome the arrival of our son Colton, who was born six months before she passed away.  The staff at Redwood Hill Farm thoughtfully and appropriately gave our family an olive tree as a memorial gift; the olive branch is a symbol of peace, and although we were deeply saddened by the loss of our dear mother, it was a relief to know that after an arduous battle, she is now at peace.

Father and Son after a hard days work

The darker days of winter turned into the renewal of Spring, and it was time to plant the young olive trees. Dad, horticulturist and drip irrigation extraordinaire, came up from Arizona to help me with the project. We purchased 35 trees of Tuscan varietal from local oil producer McEvoy Farms. Mom’s tree is a Frantaio varietal and went in first. We also planted Leccino, Pendolino, and Maurino varieties. Our orchard is composed of the famed Goldridge soil-a rich, sandy loam ideal for many fruit trees, including olives. This along with our Mediterranean climate, a south easterly sun exposure, and ample amounts of composted goat manure, was the perfect recipe for the vigorous growth of the juvenile trees.  We pinched off the tiny olive flower buds the first two springs the trees were in the ground so all the energy could go into branch growth. The third spring we allowed the buds to turn into tiny white flowers that would soon be wind pollinated and create the fruit that would lead to our first harvest.

The olive harvest crew- back row L to R-sister Shelley Mills,David Bice, sister Janet Wilcox, Asst. Farm Manager Amber Hall,Don Lipmanson,Jennifer Bice, Cristi Bice,Kenneth Bice. Front Row-L to R-The author, Colton Bice, Nicole Bice

It was nice to have harvest time right after Thanksgiving as Dad was here for the holiday and could help with the harvest of the trees he planted two and a half years earlier. The various olive varieties ripen at different times. For optimum complexity of the oil, it is best to harvest the olives when you have a good mix of green (not fully ripe) and purple (ripe) fruit. The green fruit will add more “grassy” and “peppery” notes to the oil while the purple fruit will add “floral” and “buttery” notes. Timing of the fruit was perfect as well as the weather, as the sun warmed our bodies while we plucked the fruit.  Laughter and the pleasant conversation of three generations of Bice’s could be heard as we moved down the rows. The plump fruit were gathered into buckets that later would be brought to a community press where it would be crushed into the pungent, fresh green oil. We had a contest to guess the total weight of what we picked and sister Sharon won, being only one pound off of the 160 pound total. Not bad at all for such young trees.

Nicole and Colton were excellent pickers!

We hope to one day incorporate our homegrown olive oil with our artisan cheeses. In the meantime we will enjoy the oil with our favorite crusty bread, atop salads made of homegrown greens, and with our raw milk feta cheese (see recipe below). There is an old Italian saying that “You plant an olive orchard for your grand children”. This came about due to the slow growth of trees and the many years it takes for them to reach full production. It may be true that yields will be small for now, but being seeing my children out with their Granddad, as well as there Aunties and Uncles on a beautiful morning on our special farm makes me so Thankful for all we have now. Wishing you and yours many Thankful moments for this New Year!

Yum!

Raw Milk Feta with Olive Oil, Lemon & Pepper

Share this elegant and simple presentation of our Raw Milk Feta at your next gathering

• 12 oz. Redwood Hill Farm Raw Goat Milk Feta
• Zest of 1/2 lemon, preferably Meyer
• 1/4 c. top quality Olive Oil
•  Fresh ground black pepper

Slice or cube the feta and arrange on a plate. Brush with olive oil, top with fresh ground pepper and lemon zest. Garnish with olives and roasted red pepper. Provide toothpicks for serving.

By Sharon Bice

Thanksgiving is upon us…

and right on cue are blustery days, intense fall colors, and a sprinkling of rain showers to green up the fields on the farm. Recently on an extraordinarily fine day, I spent the afternoon with Jennifer and we made pie. Jennifer and I share a passion for cooking, along with Scott, David, Shelley and a few other siblings! As a large family growing up together on Redwood Hill Farm, cooking with fresh goat milk and seasonal produce from the garden each year became a natural part of our life. Now, some 45 years later, we all have favorite recipes when it comes to gathering for holiday meals and this pie is very special.

Jennifer heading up Apple Blossom Lane to select a Sugar Pie pumpkin

The farm is beautiful right now. The apples have long been harvested and though “apple blossom time” in the spring is spectacular with the white and blush pink clouds of blossoms covering the 350+ trees in our organic orchard, fall is really my favorite time on the farm. The tomatoes are now finished after the recent rains, along with most of the warm weather produce. The farm’s figs, pears, and apricots have all been harvested as well. But the chard is red, beautiful and resurging in the cool fall weather. The kale is thriving too…dinners have taken on a new taste and texture these past few weeks.

Scott's daughter Nicole in her backyard farm garden. Who let the goat out?

Scott, the Redwood Hill Farm manager has a beautiful garden in the backyard for his growing family. He was planting garlic in a new raised bed on the day I was taking pictures. As I watched him work and admired the beautiful greens and butternut squash ready for harvesting, I asked him about his favorite fall greens to grow and prepare. “The Dinosaur kale has exceptional flavor, and I really prefer it, even over the chard.” In the photo above, Dinosaur kale is the deeply textured leafy greens.

Selecting a beautiful Sugar Pie pumpkin from one of the "free range" vines

Scott composts heavily on the farm (as I do at my Forestville home). Scraps from the kitchen, zucchini that quickly grew out of control, and of course the manure from barn cleaning, all gets heaped into the compost pile to let the earthworms and other insect composters work their magic. Each spring there is finished “black gold” to mine from the piles and use in the gardens, both for planting and mulch for newly sprouted vegetable seedlings. This year’s composted Halloween jack-o-lanterns will emerge next season for yet another delicious crop of Sugar Pie pumpkins.

Of all the kids in our large family, Jennifer was the only one who never left the farm; she couldn’t conceive a life without her precious dairy goats. She has harvested many a pumpkin over countless seasons…

Cleaning the cut pumpkin to bake for puree (and roasted pumpkin seeds)

Back in her beautiful farm kitchen Jennifer launched right into preparations for pie. It’s a bit of work to prepare the pumpkin but oh so worth it…the fresh puree lends a fantastic dense texture and full, fresh, pumpkin flavor to this pie. I learned something new from my big sister on this day: She soaks her cleaned pumpkin seeds in sea salt water for 15-20 minutes before roasting them. It imparts a lightly salted crunch to the finished seeds…

The Sugar Pie pumpkin is ready for roasting. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, roast for approximately 40 minutes or until fork tender. While the sweet aroma of baking pumpkin warms the kitchen, prepare your pastry.

Do you have a drawer like this? All your "gadgets" in one place!

The gadget drawer! I couldn’t resist getting a picture while Jennifer began gathering utensils needed to assemble her pie.

Skilled hands preparing the whole wheat pastry

The base of any pie is a delicious crust. Jennifer likes to use an all-butter recipe that includes organic, whole wheat pastry flour. After making your crust, shape into a disk, wrap and chill. For ease of handling while rolling out, try using a marble slab to keep your pie dough cool and work quickly!

Delicious alternative to evaporated milk: Redwood Hill Farm Plain Got Milk Kefir

Jennifer’s recipe was adapted from Camille Glenn’s classic cookbook “The Heritage of Southern Cooking”, given to her by friend and fellow goat person, Judy Schad. I love this cookbook! After borrowing it from Jennifer countless times, I had to get my own copy. Fresh organic eggs from the farm hens are essential for this classic pie, your finest brandy, and of course the delicious ingredient that makes this pie very special, goat milk kefir.

Cooking Tip: for any of your favorite recipes that call for milk, try substituting yogurt or kefir, it works beautifully in cooking, especially in cakes and breads lending a tender, moist crumb.

After combining puree, spices, and kefir, blend well and pour into partially baked crust

Jennifer combined her ingredients and used a handy gadget that I need for my kitchen, (holiday hint to brothers and sisters reading this) a hand-held immersion blender. In no time she had creamy, smooth puree ready to pour. All that’s left is baking, cooling and enjoying! We also make Green Valley Organics Lactose Free kefir, yogurt and sour cream in our solar-powered, organic creamery located just a few miles from the farm. For an easy to digest alternative to whipped cream this  year, try this: a decadent dollop of Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream, lightly whipped with a bit of maple syrup and vanilla. Luscious!

Select here to get the recipe: Brandied Pumpkin Pie.

We’d love to send you a few coupons to purchase Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Kefir, Yogurt, and Green Valley Organics Lactose Free Sour Cream! Select this link, www.RedwoodHill.com, and fill out the form with your address using BLEAT BEAT in the promo code box.

The olive grove on the farm will be harvested this Sunday

Once again our family will be gathering on the farm for a homegrown, Thanksgiving dinner. Dad is coming up from Arizona to celebrate with us and inspect the newest addition to the farm he helped plant two years ago, the olive grove. We’ve got our first olive harvest scheduled for Sunday. Similar to our day on the farm spent apple juicing last August, the harvest will be a family affair…a chance for all of us to be together again on the farm that nurtured us as children and continues to do so today.