Dear Friends,

 

We can't start this Farm newsletter without acknowledging the devastation and tragedy that a huge swath of America is attempting to recover from. Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented damage and trials to people who have never before had to prepare for a hurricane. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone still recovering, whether they're waiting for power and communications to come back, rebuilding a home, or mourning a loved one.

 

We were relieved to wake up Friday morning, after a night of vicious winds, to endure a power outage, communications outages, flattened sugarcane, damage to our hoop house and several pole barns — but that's it. The cabin owners living on the farm didn't even experience any of this. Their Generac whole-house generator kicked on within 30 seconds of the outage, and their Starlink internet kept them connected so they could work as they needed to. The solidly built cabins sustained no damage whatsoever. When they weren't working their day jobs, our residents pitched in with cleanup, offered water to those still without electricity, and shared their internet. As I said to Doug, when he called to ask how we were, “We're working together exactly as designed.”

 

The photo above was taken at 8am Friday morning, after the hurricane passed, and is used with the residents' permission. 

 

Even before the hurricane, I've worked with Jeff and Doug on an emergency protocol and infrastructure to ensure this kind of safety and security to all cabin owners. We finished it after Helene showed us a few weaknesses and triumphs in our plan. Please see below to read the plan.

 

Warm regards,

 

Marissa Ames

General Manager, The Farm at Okefenokee

 

 

 

The Farm at Okefenokee has developed a comprehensive plan to ensure the safety and shelter of its residents during emergencies. Most of these measures are already in place, with a few still in the planning and implementation stages.

 

 

 

Not everyone works well under pressure. Richard Nelson, who leads a construction team at The Farm at Okefenokee, is the opposite. Faced with hard deadlines for construction of resident cabins and the smokehouse, he has performed admirably while leading a team of talented laborers. And he does this all with an amazing attitude that is shared by his team. If you drive by one of Richard's construction projects, even during the tensest of deadlines, you'll receive a smile and a wave. Richard is from the southeast Georgia community and is the epitome of Southern Hospitality and respect, a great representation of the neighbors and community that our future residents can expect.

We're delighted to include chestnuts in the recent Farm Box sent out to lot owners. About 80 years ago, previous residents on this land planted pecan and chestnut trees. After harvest, they would take the chestnuts down to Jacksonville to sell at a higher price than they would get locally. Current residents enjoy walking up to the historic trees in early autumn and foraging fallen nuts.

 

Did you know: Most chestnuts eaten in the United States are a Chinese variety. When Mel Tormé and Robert Thomas wrote about chestnuts roasting on an open fire, the American chestnut tree still produced nuts in southern Appalachia. It used to tower above settler cabins from New England to the Mississippi River and was a valuable source of wood for building, along with a food source for Native American people and colonists. A blight traveled overseas and decimated the native tree, working north from New England. By 1950, the blight won. Only about 100 American chestnuts remain. You can now find American chestnut trees in some yards, but they almost never produce nuts, and most die once they top 12 feet tall. But the American Chestnut Foundation is currently working with scientists to create a blight-resistant variety, so the tree may experience a comeback!

 

 

Choose chestnuts that are still tight in the shells, avoiding those that flex when you squeeze them. Keep chestnuts refrigerated until ready to roast, as they may become moldy, and use within two weeks for the best quality. 

 

Different cultures and households have different methods of roasting chestnuts. Some people soak the nuts beforehand while others just toss them into the oven or a hot cast iron skillet. No matter what else you do differently, always “score” the hull. This means cutting through the exterior while avoiding slicing the meat inside. You can do this with a sharp knife or scissors, making a single cut or an X. If you don’t score the nuts, they will explode as they heat, due to water pressure.

 

I prefer to soak mine to increase the water inside, which allows them to steam and peel easier. I combine warm water with some Farm honey and a splash of spirits like brandy or bourbon. I threw in a home-smoked chipotle pepper in my latest batch, and though the nuts weren’t spicy, they had a luscious depth of flavor. Some people even soak them in red wine. If you’re only soaking them in water, let the nuts sit for at least 20 minutes. If using flavorings, you may want to soak for 2 hours. When it’s time to roast the chestnuts, lift them from the water but do not rinse them. Place them on a roasting pan or inside a cast iron skillet.

 

The way you roast your chestnuts is up to you. Some people steam them on the stovetop, with a lid on the pan. I use my oven. Heat until the meat inside expands and pushes the score open. This takes about 20 minutes within a 400-degree oven. Stir a few times, whether heating on a stovetop, on a grill, or in the oven, so the nuts heat evenly.

 

Once roasted, remove from the heat and wrap in a clean dish towel for about 10 minutes so they can steam some more and loosen the shell. Then peel them all while still warm, even if you don’t intend to eat them immediately. If you wait until cold the nut will be difficult to peel. Store in the fridge or eat immediately!

 

 

 

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