Our last few days at the farm were amazing and we seriously considered drastically changing our plans and staying there for a few more weeks. We spent Saturday at the market pawning our puppies, and Sunday hanging out at the farm reading. By late in the afternoon, the four of us (Rose, Abby, Rebecca, and me) were even feeling slightly stir-crazy without the structure of morning work and shared meals that happen on the week days. So we decided a blackberry expedition was in order. Buckets in hand, we strolled down the street in search of the huge ripe blackberries we had all seen in bushes along the side of the road. Within an hour we had picked half a bucket full … enough for a gigantic blackberry pie.
(BELOW: Strolling down the road in search of some berries. Blake with the stash. Rebecca showcasing the pie.)
As many of you know, Rebecca has been studying the book “Wild Fermentation” and has spent the last year devoted to harvesting her own sourdough starters and making sauerkraut using all kinds of vegetable combinations. We had noticed that little cabbages (a varietal about the size of softballs and the shape of round mangos) were looking pretty darn ripe and so Rebecca asked Josephine if she’d like her to leave a bottle of freshly made sauerkraut for them to enjoy while we are gone (it takes about 3 weeks for the kraut to pickle).
As part of our Spanish lessons with Viviana, Rebecca had just written out the full recipe for sauerkraut in Spanish for Viviana (a mutually beneficial assignment). Rebecca can now rattle off the names for carrots, beets, cabbage, parsnips, celery root, and a whole host of other vegetables that can be used in sauerkraut. I’m about 75% there. It has had the major added benefit of taking much of the guesswork out of ordering meals in restaurants.
Josephine liked the idea so much that she made it Rebecca’s morning work to make sauerkraut with Rose. They picked the veggies, chopped them up (far more labor intensive without the cuisinart), salted them (3 tbs. of salt per 7 lbs. of veggies) and put them in an unsealed jar to ferment.
(Rebecca behind her sauerkraut, with Josephine and Rose.)
That same morning Blake and Abby joined Fabio to get manure from some of the surrounding farms to bring back for fertilizer. We first went to their friend Bequi’s place to shovel some chicken manure into the back of the truck. Then to another house down the street to get some sheep manure. Back at Chacra Millalen, Abby and I began shoveling the manure out of the truck into a pile next to their compost pile. Not once … but twice … Abby managed to shovel manure out of the truck bed and directly onto Fabio’s head. I’m sure it is moments like these that they must wonder whether it really is easier to have volunteers from the WWOOF network. But, other than a half-joking mean look, Fabio took it in stride. Abby, if you're reading this, I just had to get in one last jab, it was so funny ;)
Our last morning on the farm, we decided to take a horseback riding trip with their friend Bequí (same Bequí as above). Bequí is short for Bernabe. He raises horses and has about 40 at the moment. His handwritten note explaining the different tours he offers for folks staying on the farm had been enticing us all week. His tours ranged anywhere from 4 hours up to a nearby lake to 5 or 6 days. We only had a half day to play with, to catch our bus to Bariloche at 6pm. So we joined up with another couple, John and Jessie who had just arrived at the farm the day before, for a trip up to Lago Patriada, nestled in the hills surrounding the valley.
Bequí met us at the farm with his own beautiful white stallion and brought over our four horses: “Tractorcito” for Rebecca, “Blumentópf” for me, and “Lola” and “Patón” for Jessie and John. They were amazing horses – incredibly well trained and fun to ride (except for a minor ongoing feud between Lola and Patón).
(First stop, looking out over the valley of El Hoyo.)
(Bequí is one of the most jovial, friendly people we have ever met – and he definitely has the quintessential Argentine countryside look going on.)
(Another view of the Valley – middle left is about where the farm is. Josephine and Fabio bought their farm 25 years ago – when they were both in their mid-20s. Josephine, from Switzerland, had been traveling in Brazil where she met Fabio’s brother. He invited her to come stay with his family in Argentina. The rest is history.)
(Blumentópf, which I believe is the german word for flower pot, and Tractorcito.)
To get to the lake, we went up through beautiful forested areas along paths just big enough for us. Cantoring through the forest was amazing. We reached the lake, and Beckí quickly made a fire to boil up some maté water, John and Blake dove in the lake, and we all lounged around on the beach. It was a totally gorgeous day and we were wishing that we had signed up for a multiple day trip!
(BELOW: The edge of the lake, Blake taking a swim, Rebecca, Beckí, Jessie, and John on the beach drinking maté. Traditionally, when a cup of mate is made, it is shared with everyone.)
We got back to the farm, quickly showered and changed, said our goodbyes, and then hopped in a cab to the bus station. We got to the bus station a little early and so I went over to check the internet to see if there was any word yet from UCSF. Ever since March 1st (the day they were supposed to have sent out the letters) I had been periodically calling and emailing Corina to see if anything had come yet. She very sweetly started sending me an email after the mail came each day letting me know “nothing yet.” Finally! I got the email from UCSF – giving us the whole 3 hour bus ride to begin making our plans for STAYING in the bay area (yay!) and for what we would do to celebrate that evening.
We are still missing the farm. These are some photos of what we miss most.
(Below: Abbie and rose picking tomatos, crates and crates of heirloom tomates … in March!, Tola guarding the house, Josephine and Fabio, picking elderberries for jam, watching butternut squashes flower even as we got to eat the very first squash of the season, fresh kale from the garden, beautiful flowers…)
(BELOW: … and, El Jefe, the cutest kitten ever … next to Scarlet of course.)
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