If you had told me how far we’d come back in 2012 when we bought our farm, I wouldn’t have believed you. Each year as the new growing season begins, I think back to where Dizzy Lizzie’s Farm all started. My husband, Tractor Man, and I started Dizzy Lizzie’s to give our daughter, Farm Manager, a simple life that would provide her with healthy food and fresh air. That was our only goal!
But what do you DO with 102 acres?! I’m actually still trying to figure that out . When we first started planting, it was only a 1/2 acre plot growing simple vegetables and plants…that was really it. This plot then grew to host a perennial butterfly garden. Some of our flowers, like our gladiolas and tulips, became our first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) items that we sell more regularly now.
Believe me when I tell you, spices, jams and syrups were not even a thought in the back of our heads when we began. However, when I looked at the ‘leftovers’ of our farming, I knew there had to be a way to do more with what we had. Each year, it just seemed like we were coming up with new ideas and offerings born out of the ‘waste’ of our excess production.
Our garlic scape pesto? Simple really! Garlic scape is a false, but edible flower that gets cut to encourage garlic bulb growth. Instead of just composting it, we’ve created our unique pesto. If a garlic bulb comes out of the ground and is too small to be sold as cooking or ‘table’ garlic? Well, our garlic powder, garlic salt, and spices were born!
If you know me, I love me a spicy kick! Excess plants and herbs? Hello, Magic Dust spice blend, born in 2019! We started planting serrano and jalapeno peppers. Yes, we can grow them here in upstate NY. No stopping this West Coast girl! (That’s a story for another blog) We always have extras…candied peppers and jams anyone? We even started tapping the sugar maple trees for sap just for kicks, and the ‘sugar shack’ was born on the Dizzy Lizzie farm, cranking out maple syrup each year.
Even the pandemic created an unexpected opportunity for growth. It allowed us to slow down and plan how we want to use the land, and we’re looking forward to consistently creating new offerings each year for you! We have projects planned for 2022 as the farm thaws including pollinator and picnic gardens, and some more spices planned toward the end of the season.
When we first started digging in the dirt in 2013, I can’t really say I knew exactly what we were doing – but our Farm Manager is growing, and she’s healthy and happy. Our farm continues to grow as well, and Tractor Man and I couldn’t be more grateful for the love and support of all of you in our community, and all that Dizzy Lizzie’s dream has provided. We hope you all continue to grow along with us!