Archive for June, 2012
Farmers Markets Gave Birth to the Idea of Carolyn’s Country Cousins
Did you know that the idea for Carolyn’s Country Cousins and Pumpkin Patch was born from our days selling our produce at area farmer’s markets? We heard a longing from many of our customers to return to the farm lifestyle. Of course farming is pure hard work that’s non-stop. Yet the lifestyle and work of farming is thriving despite the increase of imported produce and meat.
We still farm today and you might have enjoyed our sweet corn grown in the rich Missouri river bottom. If you haven’t, stop by any of these farmer’s markets and say hi while buying corn. We’re at these area farmer’s markets:
History Downtown Liberty Farmer’s Markets
Gladstone Farmers Markets
Check our page on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for updates on where you can buy our delectable sweet corn. You can also purchase large quantities of sweet corn ahead of time by appointment. Call Gieselle at 816.809.3344 to set up an appointment.
In the meantime, here’s a recipe from thekitchn.com for sweet corn.
Elote
makes 4 servings
Elote or Mexican Corn on the Cob
4 ears of corn
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Cotija cheese (Parmesan will work if you can’t find it)
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
salt
Prepare a grill or grill pan with high heat. Keep corn in husks, or remove one strip of husks. Place directly on grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until husks are well blackened and the kernels are bright yellow.
If serving on the cob, remove husks and slather each ear with a generous spoonful of mayonnaise. Add the juice of one lime wedge per ear, followed by a pinch of salt, a healthy sprinkle of cheese and a light dusting of cumin and chili powder.
If serving off the cob, cut the kernels off of each ear. Place into a jar or small cup and top with remaining ingredients.
If you prefer, serve the corn with the toppings on the side and let everyone dress their own.
101 Uses for Poop
(Source: Arizona Museum of Natural History)
Next fall we’re going to have a Poop Museum. Here are some ways that poop is used by animals.
Crab Spiders disguise themselves as poop to catch moths.
- Latrines or community toilets also act as message boards. “A quick sniff can tell an animal who did the poop, how old they were, what sex they were, and if they were head of the pack or at the bottom of the pile.” (Davies)
- Groups of animals use poop to mark their territory. It’s their way of saying, “This is our area, stay away!”
- Some insects disguise themselves as poop. Crab spiders do this to catch moths. Swallowtail Butterfly larvas do this to keep themselves from being eaten by predators.
- Scent marking: Some animals poop on the trails that they walk on to let other animals know that they have been there. Hippos use this method for navigation to find their way back to the river after a night of feasting on land.
- Secretary birds use dried Zebra poop to build their nests.
- The Maasai Tribe in Africa mix cow poop with ashes to make the walls of their huts.
- Millipedes make their nests out of their own poop and coat their eggs in poop to protect them.
- After animals eat fruits and berries, the seeds from those fruits and berries come out in the animals’ poop. As the animals poop they are actually depositing fertilized seeds that can grow into new plants.
- Some birds, like the turkey vulture, squirt poop on their legs to cool off.
- Termites mix poop with chewed wood to build termite mounds; making termite mounds the largest structure made of poop. They also use poop as fertilizer to help their food grow.
Plan to visit us in the fall to see our Poop Museum. Of course this is just one of the many activities you and your friends and family can enjoy while visiting us.
Poop Museum to Open Fall 2012
Did you know that there’s a branch of science devoted to the study of poop? Scatology is the study of feces or poop. Scientists can learn about the animal’s diet, health, DNA and behavior by studying their poop. The scientific word for poop that has been fossilized is “Coprolites.”
Ancient coprolite
We will have a Poop Museum on site this fall. Here are some fascinating historical facts about poop from the Arizona Museum of Natural History.
The oldest known human poop or “corprolite” in North America was discovered in Oregon’s Paisley Cave. The fossilized poop is about 14,000 years old and contains squirrel bones, bison hair, fish scales, sunflowers and protein from birds and dogs. This means that the person probably ate squirrel, bison, fish, sunflowers, birds and dogs.
Dinosaur poop has been discovered in Saskatchewan Canada. The coprolite is 20 inches long and weighs over 15 pounds. The poop was packed with bone fragments and is believed to be from a T Rex. Yikes! I would not have wanted to be around when T Rex was going to the bathroom.
Next week we’re going to talk about the 101 uses of poop. In the meantime, plan to visit Carolyn’s Country Cousins to check out their poop museum this fall.
Relay for Life Fundraiser on Facebook
We’ve started a fundraiser for Relay for Life in Liberty on Sunday at midnight. For every new like on our Facebook page and new follower on Twitter, we’re donating $1 to Relay for Life. Relay for Life is a life-changing event that helps communities across the globe celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight against the disease.
This year, Relay for Life in Liberty is celebrating the caregiver, a key player in the fight against cancer. “They can be going through just as much as the loved ones in their care,” said Julie Davidson, Relay For Life of Liberty co-chair. The Relay for Life in Liberty will be on Friday, June 22 at the South Valley Junior High School track.
On Saturday, 22-year-old Alisa Funk will share her story of being a 16-year-old caregiver to her parents who battled cancer. Funk will speak at the survivor’s dinner in the South Valley Junior High School commons area. Today her parents are cancer free in Princeton, MO.
Our fundraiser ends midnight June 11th. Please share with your friends and family so we can help families and caregivers like Alisa.
