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Carrie Seal-Stahl
- 34, Female
- Flat Rock, Michigan
- United States
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- Member Blog Posts (22)
- Discussions (26)
- Events
- Groups (9)
- Photos (46)
- Photo Albums (4)
- Videos (1)
Carrie Seal-Stahl's Groups
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Homegrown Michiganders
3 members
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I Could Ferment That!
35 members
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Aspiring Farmers
14 members
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BREAD!
75 members
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Food Preservation
75 members
Carrie Seal-Stahl's Discussions
USDA Rural Development Loans
2 Replies
Started this discussion. Last reply by Carrie Seal-Stahl Aug 25.
Mother Earth News
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Soon to be Landowners!
Latest Activity
Hi!
I'm an Agronomy student from Brazil. I work with composting since 2008.
I know that I'm posting this almost one year after you asked, but I have hope that you might still be interested in making a nice composting in your home.
My staff and ...
Hello Carrie, I am Vitoo here from Chennai City in INDIA. I am a Tea Planter with decades of practical knowledge in this field. I note what you write and I suggest that you try the VERMI_COMPOST Method of Composting, by using the locally available...
$0.02 worth-
I've always been a fan of the aerobic composter (rotary composter). Sure, worms are fun but bacteria can do the same work with just a few cranks a day.
The biggest key to success with any composting project is keeping your carbon (brown stuff) to nitrogen (green stuff) ratio correct. Ideally you want 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. An easy way to get this is to mix equal parts leaves and gras...
Profile Information
- What Kind of HOMEGROWN are You?
- Dirt Under My Fingernails City Slicker, Fill in the Blank
- Fill in the blank:
- Stop and Smell the Flowers!
- A bit about me:
- I'm 34 years old and am a life-long resident of SE Michigan. We grow many of our own vegetables and herbs here on our suburban lot, and hope to move to a bigger plot of land in the future. We also assist my parents with large garden. Some of my favorite crops to grow include broccoli, hot peppers, and cucumbers. I also grow culinary and medicinal herbs. I hope to sell some produce and organic eggs when we are able to purchase property. I try to get friends involved in growing their own food by sharing herbs/vegetables with them. When they taste the difference, it opens adialogue leading to the "How to" discussion. I also post info, photos and recipes on my personal blog.
Besides my garden adventures, I enjoy creative endeavors. I am an aspiring professional fine artist! Most of my work is nature inspired, mostly done in acrylic paint, colored pencil or watercolors! Here's my portfolio: http://csealstahl.daportfolio.com
- Latest greatest meal cooked at home:
- The favorite around here seems to be Bean and Cheese Enchaladas, or Marinated Chicken Breasts on the grill.
- Currently reading
- The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook, Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden
- Currently listening to:
- 80's Rock, 90's Grunge, Movie Soundtracks
- My latest DIY project:
- Just artwork, that is until we get property and start building LOL
The Many Benefits of Gardening
HEALTH:
* Healthy, chemical free food supply
* Healthier eating habits encouraged
* Low-impact form of exercise
ECONOMY:
* More cost effective than buying from grocery stores
* Donate extra produce to food pantries
* Sell some of your produce at farmer's markets
* Gardens raise property values
SOCIAL:
* Encourages dialog with neighbors
* Community gardens encourage pride
ENVIRONMENT:
* Eating locally reduces emissions created by shipment
* Organic methods improve quality of local environment
* Provides habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and wildlife
PERSONAL:
* Connecting with nature
* Personal sense of accomplishment
* Sharing your knowledge with the next generation
* Healthy, chemical free food supply
* Healthier eating habits encouraged
* Low-impact form of exercise
ECONOMY:
* More cost effective than buying from grocery stores
* Donate extra produce to food pantries
* Sell some of your produce at farmer's markets
* Gardens raise property values
SOCIAL:
* Encourages dialog with neighbors
* Community gardens encourage pride
ENVIRONMENT:
* Eating locally reduces emissions created by shipment
* Organic methods improve quality of local environment
* Provides habitat for beneficial insects, birds, and wildlife
PERSONAL:
* Connecting with nature
* Personal sense of accomplishment
* Sharing your knowledge with the next generation
Carrie Seal-Stahl's Photos
My Artwork
Added August 14, 2009 at 4:23am
Garden 2009
Added March 15, 2009 at 9:14pm
Garden 2008
Added October 19, 2008 at 5:39pm
Carrie Seal-Stahl's Blog
Stahl Homestead Quickly Becoming a REALITY!
I got news from USDA today. We have to provide some more documentation, but there should be no problems from there :) I am so stoked! Peace and quiet, here I come!!! We're all ready to order the house as soon as we get the final word, got the land picked, I can't wait!
Posted on September 25, 2009 at 5:10pm —
Closing on Land Sept 30!!!
As of the end of the month we will officially own "Stahl Homestead"! My sis-in-law's father owns a brush hog, so we've got to get them out there and get a culvert put in ASAP. Other than that, I think we're going to wait until spring to break ground on the house itself. There are a lot of other improvements we can do in the meantime!
Posted on September 16, 2009 at 8:29pm —
EXCELLENT NEWS!!!
Brian's boss found a buyer for the motorcycle!!!! You know what that means? That means that next Friday when the current landowner gets back in town, we will be the proud new owners of 3 acres of prime farmin' land! YES!!!!!
Posted on September 11, 2009 at 9:43am — 1 Comment
Hurry Up And Wait!
So we've got our Prequalification Application sent in to our local USDA Rural Development Office, we've got a price on the home itself, next up, getting my friend's uncle, who is a well known excavator around here, out to the land to give us a more specific estimate on the septic and partial basement. We are waiting on putting any money down on the land contract to see if we can just purchase it outright through the USDA loan. The current owner is aware of what's going on- he's a real nice guy a… Continue
Posted on September 5, 2009 at 9:51am —
Stahl Homestead Rough Business Plan
I know it's atleast a year away, but it's never too early to shamelessly promote yourself!!! Over the last several days I've been running numbers and making scale plans on paper... Most of my close friends know I am a fourth generation vegetable gardener/farmer and I have a special talent (besides art!) for growing some very tasty herbs and vegetables. If all goes as planned, Stahl's Homestead will be open for business. We will be offering health, organically raised produce for your family. I re… Continue
Posted on August 31, 2009 at 10:45pm —
Comment Wall (2 comments)
- At 9:07am on March 31, 2009,
Brian Stahl said… - hope the plants are still ok when I get home. Anything new sprouting yet?
- At 9:45am on October 14, 2008,
Cornelia said… - Garden porn! Hi Carrie - so happy you joined us!
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Staff Recipes: Roasted Heritage Breed Turkey
Even though my Thanksgiving will be a party of two, I like to prepare for the possibility of ten! When I heard Wendy was getting a Lilac turkey from Wells Tavern Farm in Shelburne, Massachusetts I jumped on board for a bird.Wells Tavern has raised about 30 of their turkeys for fresh Thanksgiving birds. They are selling heritage breed birds that have had access to pasture throughout the spring and summer, eating natural Vermont grain and scratch feeds – with no antibiotics or added hormones. The turkeys are kept in large fenced pastures, which allows them to naturally scratch and forage, and provides them with protection from predators.
Wendy has been talking about her delicious turkey for a while now, and I am excited to see if I can find success with my first attempt at making Thanksgiving dinner.
Here is her recipe from last year:
Whether fresh or frozen, bring the bird to room temperature before cooking.
Cover the breast with a piece of brown paper cut from a shopping bag, rub it with cooking oil, and tie it in place with cotton string. Alternatively, soak a piece of cotton cloth in unsalted oil, such as corn oil. Remove the covering about 30 minutes before the turkey is done so the breast will brown.Roast heritage turkeys in a hot oven pre-heated to 425F-450F and cook until an internal thigh temperature of 140F-150F is reached. Don't let the tip of the thermometer touch the bone. (Note: The USDA recommends turkeys be cooked to 160F-180F, but these temperature will dry out a heritage turkey. Heritage birds are much more free of disease and bacteria, unlike commercially-raised birds, and do not need extreme temperatures to make them safe for consumption).
Truly the thought of cooking at such a high heat terrified me but it worked out great. We had a 17lb turkey that cooked in 1 1/2 hours.
Cook any stuffing first and put inside the heritage turkey before roasting. Due to the reduced cooking time, stuffing won't become fully cooked. Alternatively, try adding a quartered orange, apple and/or pear inside the cavity instead of stuffing.
Let the roasted bird rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
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