Folk Lore and Tales of Christmas Past

CELEBRATION OF ST. MARTINSTAG IN ERMLAND, PRUSSIA

My mother, Margarete was born in East Prussia in 1923. Her homeland is located in the north eastern portion of what is now Poland. Historically in recent centuries this is a predominantly catholic part of the world. The traditions and observances are a rich mix of blending Christian systems with ancient pagan customs and ritual. During my mother’s childhood she knew of no one who wasn’t catholic and grew up being told and believing that anyone not of the catholic faith would look like a monster. She was very surprised and happy when she ventured forth in the world that this was not true.

My mother grew up in a very different time, ripe with old, observed customs and traditions that shaped their lives. I am fascinated by the stories she tells me of life back then. It is really quite remarkable how recently this way of life was lived and yet it seems like a life from a century and time much older than my mother.

A few weeks ago I asked her to tell me about some significant memory she might still have about Christmas. Well, well, well, little did I know what a fascinating tale she was about to enter me into.

St. Martinstag, November 11. As a child she remembers living in a kind of excited anticipation and fear of this day. A man on a white horse carrying a switch brought children apples, nuts and sweets. So why the fear? I will tell you all later as the history of this day unfolds.

My Tante Trudi, mother’s sister in Germany has privileged me with quite detailed memories which she and my uncle have written down for me and sent me by email. They gave me an incredible insight to some of the customs and traditions that were observed during the Christmas time. With the help of friends and internet to assist with some of the more difficult translations I have been able to piece together some insights and understanding to the unbelievably rich and colourful practices that were part of life back in the days. Life may not have been easy but it was deep with traditions and rituals that guided how the year was lived.

St. Martin was a saint who existed from c.317 – 397. A roman soldier who legend has it became significant for his kindness to a beggar. Story told that he took his red cloak and cut it in half to share with the beggar who was freezing in a snowstorm. Feeling unworthy of becoming a bishop Martin hid in a stable full of geese that made such a cackle that the people of Tours found him and consecrated him as a bishop. This is why the eating of goose became tradition in Germany and other European countries at Christmas time. My aunt wrote that the slaughtering of the geese on St.Martinstag was a significant event in each village and household on this day. Every part of the goose was made into something delectable. A favourite was “Blutflinsen” (pickled web feet) of the goose. Some of the geese were hung in the frost to cure in time for Christmas dinners. Geese were also used to pay taxes and wages and leases and more. What?? Please explain.

St. Martinstag marked the end and beginning of the “natural” year. It indicated the end of harvest, the completion of the farming cycle. It clearly became the “natural” day on which to pay taxes, sign and renew leases, begin and end employment contracts. Not many people actually had money so much was paid in what was called “Naturalien”, goods that were naturally produced. It was also the one day a year you could leave your employment and you would be given a goose as a bonus. New maids, helpers, farm workers were hired on this day as well. Young women were always accompanied by their fathers or head of household to the new employ and were given coffee and bread and the father even a Schnapps! Once business was taken care of the slaughtering of the geese began and was the “high point” of this festive day! Delving into some of the mysteries behind these customs reveals connections to pagan rituals of animal sacrifices from long, long ago. There were also sacrifices to the wine.  This was the day on which the Martinsminne was drunk. The first wine drunk from the vintage year. It was believed that this wine taken at Martinmas would bring beauty and strength to all who took it. Needless to say the young men and women imbibed! The traditional toast was “ Raise the glass at Martinmas, Drink wine all through the year. “It was a time to drink, eat and celebrate before the strict observance of the 40 days of Lent and fasting before Christmas.

November 11, Martinmas made it officially winter and lamps and candles could now be lit so the spinning and weaving and knitting could begin. The women and girls would work feverishly until Christmas to complete pullovers, socks, gloves and scarves in time for gift giving. All gifts had to be practical and needed. The men set about making spoons and bowls and other useful items. Spinning and weaving traditionally carried on until February 2 and then stopped.  Candlemas, the end of winter and a new season of cultivation and harvest would begin.

So now we are getting to the story of my mother being frightened on St. Martinstag. When it snows on St.Martinstag (which it usually did), the saint would ride in on a white horse. The Schimmel reiter would appear. The ghost horse rider. In my mother’s region he was more ominous than other parts of Europe. He was called the Peltzmartin, the Skin Martin. He would have a blackened face and wore a cow bell on him and he would run around wildly along with the symbolic bear and stork and they would nip at the heels of the children and snap the beak at the children’s faces and rap their feet with the birch tree sticks. The symbolic chimney sweep would have his hands in the kachel ofen and with his smeared hands blacken the faces of the hausfrauen, wives and women. Use your imagination, how frightening this would be. They would finish by leaving the children apples, nuts and Pfefferkuchen, a traditional sweet.

This annual visit and custom is more reminiscent of ancient pagan rituals than a visit from a Christian bishop. The folk ritual of using boughs and branches from sacred trees to hit the children with were not forms of punishment but a way of driving away evil influences.  The birch endowed the qualities of purity, light and new beginnings. Farmers traditionally flogged, slapped and beat everything with young birch branches in the spring that was to flourish. So in a cultural sense children were being blessed with these qualities. These “loving” floggings were a symbolic form of making a physical connection with the life-giving virtues of the tree. In this way the treats the children were given in the form of apples and nuts were a way “ingesting” and “internalizing” the nature spirit and virtues of the sacred tree.

So today, in modern times St. Martinstag is observed as a children’s affair throughout Germany, Austria and a few other countries. The children wear costumes and make lanterns to light the way. This evening procession is often led by the red cloaked rider on a white horse. These processions usually culminate with a Martinsfeuer, a huge bonfire at the end of the parade. Everyone is merry with food, singing and dancing. Christmas is coming soon and not far off.

Little thought is given to what we do and how we do it. It seems like it has always just been done that way but everything had a “first time.” Those first times are steeped in culture and ancient knowledge of why a thing must be done. For myself the unearthing and discoveries of these exquisite morsels of experiences connect me to myself, my family and my ancestors. I am those people, those traditions, those experiences. They are passed on to each and every one of us in vitro and flow through us and our spirit each and every day. What is so astonishing is when we find the stories that reveal us to our past.

“Thank you Mom for sharing your fears.”

Earth and Soil

There is a lot talked about and written about the secrets to good soil. Are there really secrets ? Soil isn't trying to hide anything from us. Its all there, all the time just doing what it does. It doesn't really care what you know or don't know. What is important is that you want to use it so you can grow good, strong ,healthy plants in it without trying to harm it and kill it. Intentions are important because consequences, good or bad are a given. It is important that I am aware that I am borrowing a place in  time upon which to make a momentary impression. I should do everything I can to keep this "borrowed" space as balanced and healthy as possible for future use. I am able to come, go, leave if I wish, soil and it's living, breathing community do not have this option. What I do to this place will affect what comes after me. I am only one, the community of soil contains countless living, breathing, functioning organisms. Soil is the "skin" of the earth and a sensitive, delicate one at that. It is a living mantle that inspires and exhales just as y
At the market when we are selling our vegetables we often get told that the customer is impressed with how long it keeps once they have it at home and how intensely good the vegetables taste. How do we do it ? Is there a secret ? I have said this before and will say it again. Food crops are the high maintenance plants of the plant kingdom. Seeds have been bred and hybridized to the point of being unrecognizable from their original source. Once seeded and planted these crops are over indulged with fertilizers, sprayed with herbicides and fungicides so that the plants really don't have to do anything on their own to survive. Here at the farm the vegetables and fruits have to cope in an environment that forces them to adapt and play a role in their own survival. They compete with weeds, insects, weather and neglect on our part. Its impossible, no matter how hard we try to get to everything all the time, on time. The beauty and perhaps the secret is that the plants grow in spite of it and are hardier and more robust because of it.

The next step is that when we are able to save seeds from these plants we are actually creating future plants that develop chemical signals to better cope in the natural environment. They will store this information in the seeds we collect. Soil and seed will collaborate and create the proper environment for growth.

I like to use the analogy of a walk in the forest. I haven't met anyone taking a walk through a natural forest who wants to start cleaning it up and organizing it into straight, organized rows and such.  Most of us come away in awe and admiration for these beautiful spaces. Forests don't need us to keep them healthy and vibrant. These environments are living examples of how nature looks after itself. Everything in nature has a role and a purpose. The trees, plants, animals, insects, the water, the rocks, the fungi, everything helps to ensure that the cycle of life continues.  We need to take a little more of this example back into our own man made environments. Create an environment in our yards and gardens that allows nature to do more of the work for us. The soil will re balance itself if you let it. Plants will grow and be healthier and more robust.

You don't need to be a scientist to understand soils and agriculture. You need to get back to basics and common sense.  You need to just look and observe our natural environments and keep being reminded that we should and could adopt a much more "HANDS OFF" approach to our yards and gardens.

Soils take a long, long time to create. It only takes moments to destroy and kill. A teaspoon of natural, healthy soil is teeming with more life and incredible interactions than you can even begin to imagine ! It is a most magnificent example of co-operation and adaptability. It is able to morph and create within itself limitless possibilities. Soil is endlessly fascinating and magic and that is how I want to see it being looked at.

In many ways our ancient ancestors were at an advantage. Everything not understood was "magic" and therefore honoured and celebrated. They didn't understand the why and how of things but they instinctively understood that they were at the mercy of it and depended on it to feed, clothe, house and protect them. They knew to stay away and keep away from the parts of nature that were simply "greater" than anything they could be.

 I know that I cannot make the world what is was forever ago or even yesterday but I can keep exposing myself to nature and let her remind me to be conscious of my footprint and how I move through this world on a daily basis. I make sure I don't close my eyes to the horrid examples of what is being done to the planet. The pain I feel seers through me and I cry and rage and that is a good thing because it keeps me raw and passionate and fighting for kinder, gentler ways to live on the land and share the planet. There is also the incredible beauty of all life and nature that overflows my senses with awe and love.

I have seen firsthand how working the land and physically immersing yourself with the soil and plants influences the mind and spirit. Not only for myself but the hundreds of people who have come and worked on the farm over the past 15 + years. It manifests itself into a more compassionate, thoughtful, mindful  human being. I say this with the utmost confidence. The experience becomes a part of you and the 5 volumes of testimonials written by our farm stays are proof of it.

Soil is epic ! Lets take care of it !

A Two Day Montage of Activity at the Farm

Not going to write too much to go with this video montage. I think the photos will speak for themselves. I will say that fall has always been my favorite time of year. As much as it is a time for slowing down the pace it is the best time of the year for me to be inspired and creative. Maybe its the cooler weather but my head always feels clearer and brighter as fall approaches. As much as I love the warmth that summer days bring I really love the shorter day lengths as it means we don't have to be out working so early and so late. Farming is really ruled by the rhythm of the days and nights and the weather. As long as there is daylight there is always something you could and probably should be tending to. I appreciate the changing seasons and the different day and night lengths.  From the photos I think you will see that there is lots to see and do and observe at this special time of year. Enjoy and be kind to each other.

Making Pies for Thanksgiving

I "LOVE" making pies. Wasn't something I grew up with and didn't know how to do until I became an adult. I love making pies and I love eating pies ! Sweet, savory, doesn't matter.
A lot of people are hesitant to make pies saying they are too difficult and the pastry doesn't turn out very well. There are countless ways to make the pastry and countless ways to create a pie. I have different recipes and techniques depending on my mood, the amount of time I have, ingredients on hand and what kind of pie I am making.
My mother in law, who I had the privilege of knowing only a short time, taught me a lot about making pies. She made pies for the families' small restaurant in northern Saskatchewan from 1952 until about 1968. This woman made A LOT OF PIES !!! My husbands' personal favorite is raisin. For some reason I don't make this kind too often but many, including husband, say I make the BEST butter-raisin tarts in the world. They are better than raisin pie I think.
Pies like so many things that are worked and created by hand take practice. They take practice and more practice. You do it until you become familiar with it and comfortable with it and eventually you can't help but be proud of your handiwork. I think pies are an incredibly artistic type of food. There is a lot you can do with the pastry to make the pie look appetizing and beautiful.
I have my tried and true recipes for pastry and fillings but I also like to attempt new recipes that intrigue me to see what comes out of it.
In Canada we have spent the last two days celebrating Thanksgiving. It is time of celebrating the harvest and abundance of food from the season. It is a time of family and friends coming together to share and celebrate over a feast of roast turkey and all the wonderful foods that go with it. Our traditional meal is usually turkey, potatoes, squash, brussel sprouts, red cabbage. Lots of gravy and turkey stuffing and of course cranberry sauce to go with the turkey. For dessert OF COURSE there is PIE, pumpkin pie and apple pie are probably the favorites.
Next day is the best. We get to eat left over turkey made into.......TURKEY PIE !!!
When my daughter was in school we used to go every year for spring break to Victoria for the day. One of our indulgences was to go to the Dutch Bakery on Quadra Street and eat CHERRY PIE with ice cream. It was something we really looked forward to and became a special memory for my daughter and me. Then we would go to the best used book store ever, next door. Wow, that was a great time.
Special holidays and occasions and good food go hand in hand and create some of the most precious memories of our lives. I LOVE to create wonderful foods for my family and friends. This is a gift my mother handed down to me as well as a number of other special elders throughout my life. These women showered their families with a most amazing talent for LOVING to cook for and feed their families and friends. It is truly a fine and generous way of displaying your love and affection. It satisfies both the cook and the eater(s).
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE.

Stormy Days

So fall has come on with a vengeance. One day we were experiencing temperatures of 28 - 29C and the next, BAM !!!!, the fall rains and sou'westers begin. We had ONE terrific storm sweep the whole of the west coast here the past 24 hours. Winds were clocked at 169km per hour off the top of Vancouver Island and the rain was torrential. Power went out all over the place. We lost electricity here for almost 24 hours. 

Its interesting explaining to the apprentices what happens here when the power goes out. There is no water, no toilet to flush, no heat, no light, no telephone and NO Internet until the electricity is restored. All these things require electricity to function. Fortunately out here in the rural areas we have our own wells from which to draw water. When you have water you can flush the toilet with a bucket of water, you can have something to drink. You can put on extra clothes to keep warm. There are candles and flashlights and we all have transistor radios so we can listen to CBC radio ! 

We have experienced so many power outages over the years that we did invest in a generator a few years ago. With it we can turn on a few lights and turn on a hot plate or coffee maker. Even the television works with the generator ! This makes Bryne especially happy. Most of us have gas BB Q's and so it is not difficult to cook a meal either. We enjoyed a supper of rice, hamburgers and corn. After supper we boiled water and did a reasonable cleaning of the dishes.

What I am really excited about is that next time we have a storm and power outage we should have the outdoor clay oven operating. We are just waiting for some decent weather to put a roof on the building and then we can uncover the oven and start laying some fires in it. Thanksgiving is in just over a week and we would like to have the oven conditioned by then so we can roast the turkey and squash in it and bake some bread.

Storms are a regular occurrence here on the west coast throughout the winter. They can be very frightening and intense at times. Mostly its the falling trees that present the biggest hazard. I do not like hearing the trees crack and groan as they break in the wind. It always makes me sad. Fortunately most of the trees here are programmed to handle the wind. Its quite a beautiful experience to watch the wind move through the trees and the sounds that emanate from it. You can actually hear the wind building momentum when its gaining strength and the gusts "hit" the house and trees. Its a very "wild" experience that forces your attention.

When I read "HEIDI" as a child I remember most vividly the part of the book that told of the wind in the trees. It was my favorite part. I really do love listening and watching the wind move through the trees and the dance that is orchestrated.

So for me storms are an adventure. They create the chaos needed to excite you into a flurry of activity as you prepare to "hunker down" and wait out the storm.

Holding Patterns of Energy

Oh my goodness. You have no idea how many times since early August I have attempted to find the time to update the blog. There just hasn't been time or energy up until now. I have to confess its mostly been a lack of energy after a long day on the farm.

The farm really comes into full production from August through September. There are two big Farmer's markets to attend and we've had a stand up at the farm most of the season. Getting the produce picked and cleaned and ready for markets is a big job in itself . Today we picked 100 lbs or so JUST of spinach. Now the winter squash are coming on and the last of the major planting of potatoes is being dug. There are up to five apprentices on the farm at any given time who need to be taught and coaxed continually as to what, how, where, when, why any particular crop has to picked and dealt with. Right now we are harvesting radish, carrots, leeks, winter squash, zucchini, patty pans, potatoes, corn, onions, parsley, spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, kale, swiss chard, strawberries, apples, cabbage, kohlrabi, basil and flowers. Everything has to be picked, sorted, washed, rinsed, rinsed, rinsed and rinsed. We use a lot of water so we can take very, very clean produce to the markets. Fortunately we have the water. Then everything has to be put into the containers and into the walk-in- cooler. All this is done as quickly as possible so the produce stays fresh and beautiful.
Its really a very exciting time to be on the farm. To see the fruition of all the work that was put into seeding, transplanting, growing, weeding, tending and harvesting. 

The best part is that we get to eat and enjoy so much of what is produced here. I am not sure how to put into words the feelings and sensations that course through my system when I am so actively involved in all aspects of field to table to mouth.
Often when I am out in the field or in the kitchen preparing a meal memories of the day we planted or seeded a particular crop will come back to me. I can feel the energy of that day and how the weather was and who was participating in the work. Energy fields, patterns, frequencies and the memories they hold are something I am very interested in and have studied a lot about over the years. Being conscious of this brings a whole other dimension to the craft of assisting what is essentially a very natural thing to do; GROW. Simply put this awareness infuses itself into every morsel of food we put into our mouths.

I cannot think of a more positive form of growth than to nourish ourselves through good food grown in the most conscious, aware way. Plant foods have the most incredible ability to guide and influence our well-being. Like most things; if plants are treated with care and respect and are nurtured in an environment that allows for their growth and free expression then they will reward us with the same.
The awe I experience daily from the interactions with the living environment inspires me, fuels me, guides me and has been my best teacher for my continuing growth and expansion as a human spirit.
Many, many of you have your gardens and love them. As you prepare your meals and eat I encourage you to allow the "memory" to surface and those energetic vibrations to become conscious within you.
Please, Have a feeling for the organism.

Update and Map of the Farm

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WOW ! its been awhile since I looked at the blog or had enough time to write anything. We are over the seasonal hump. Still lots and lots to do but the worst of it has been done. The last few weeks have been some of the most demanding ever !

Decided to open the farm to the public for a first annual cycling event on August 6. Along with all the daily jobs of running and operating the farm we needed to tackle a major clean up of the farm. We moved, discarded, bush whacked, weed whacked, mowed, trimmed, weeded, poured cement and more during the last few weeks. I was often out at 6 a.m. and still on my hands and knees at dark trying to get certain tasks accomplished. There were things we did that we haven't done since we came here in 1996. Nothing like an event to get you motivated to do stuff you can't otherwise justify doing.

The cycle event turnout for our route was very disappointing. I was SO ready and proud to show off the farm and only 9 cyclists showed up. They were all great and I SO thank them for coming. There were three routes to choose from and we were on the longest route.

The positive outcome is that we did get a lot accomplished and that makes me happy :-D

We have started operating a farm stand at the front road to the farm. It is going very well. My mom, who just turned 88 years old, is tending the stand most days. She really, really enjoys running the stand and talking to people who stop by. She always has her knitting with her and has even sold some of her wonderful socks and shawls.

Whats ready to harvest at this time ? Picked the first beans today, tomatoes are beginning to ripen, second wave of strawberries are ripe for the picking. What I am really excited about is the corn. We planted out about 2000 plants. Its the most we ever done and they are about 10 days away from being ready. Certified Organic corn, YUM, YUM !

To give you some more detail of the little map I drew. The rows at the very top of the page are about 80+ metres in length. The rows below it running north and south are about 70 metres in length. The tomato hoop house is 30 metres and houses about 300 tomato plants, the timber frame hot house is about the same size and is housing tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers. The hot house with basil is about 15 metres in length and there are at least 300+ basil plants in it. There are about 50 dahlias planted alongside the basil hot house. The strawberry field contains about 1000+ strawberry plants. They are ever bearing and are just starting to fruit again. The berries are huge and sweet ! We are in the process of taking off the runners and starting new plants for next year and extend the amount of berries.

The chicks we hatched earlier this year are well on their way and looking almost like full grown laying hens. Bryne extended the yards for the birds and they will start laying late this fall. We now have a concrete pad for our produce washing station and it certainly keeps things a lot cleaner underfoot. Soon we will build the roof over it.

That is about all I can say for this time. Hope all your gardens are growing well and that you are enjoying the outdoors in whichever way you can. The weather has been glorious and Bryne just informed me that the weather network is showing rain ALL next week. If it so then I want to enjoy the sunshine and warmth for the next few days. 

Good night and sweet dreams to you all. ;-)