Maryland Archives - Grounded by the Farm

Growing Tofu Soybeans, Grapes, Grain & More: The Planning It Takes to Be a Truly Diversified Farm

Janice Person — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 11:45:23 +0000

As someone who loves an abundance of Asian cuisines, tofu may be on my plate or in my soup more than some Americans. But I haven’t had many chances to sit down and talk to someone about growing tofu soybeans. We can check that off the list as the conversation with Jennifer “Jennie” Schmidt about her family’s Maryland farm allowed us a chance to talk about diversification, how they determine what to plant, and more.

In 2021, they grew corn, soybeans, tofu soybeans, wine grapes and green beans for the fresh market. And a nephew is once again raising pigs on the farm. In the past they have grow several other crops including processing tomatoes (tomatoes that will be cooked down for sauces, etc). Understanding how farmers choose what to plant and how it has to be organized, is the central topic in this latest episode.

Note: An AI generated transcript of this episode is available at Talking Tofu with Jennie Schmidt.

Background on Schmidt Farms

Jennie’s family farm — she points out it was her husband’s family farm before she got so involved — is on the Delmarva Peninsula, the Eastern Shore. Her husband and his brother were running the farm for the most part.

Jennie, who trained as a registered dietitian and worked at a hospital as an RD, got involved in the farm with wine grapes. She ended up planting some and doing custom work with some wineries and others in the state for several years before her husband Hans was approached about a job in the state’s department of agriculture, working with conservation programs. Jennie laughs and says she told Hans he needed to work that job for the benefits and next thing she knew, she was partnering with her brother-in-law Alan in the farm’s day-to-day!

For generations, the Schmidts have been looking at various options for the farm. They had pigs for a while and later focused on crops. Now a nephew is choosing to get back into pork. Jennie says they look at a lot of factors when they consider what mix to have on the farm — labor is a piece for some crops, the ability to partner with others who can supply the unique equipment needed for crops is a big piece as well. And like every farm, Jennie looks at the crops adapted to the environment, weather and soils that they are in.

Grain (corn, soybeans and wheat) play a big part in the operation as the poultry farms nearby need feed. Jennie says it’s probably for some people to believe now, but her favorite job is driving the combine for harvest. She puts hours a day in the seat for weeks on end and while she welcomed me joining for a couple of hours, for weeks on end. She says not only does she get a great feel for the results of the year, but it gives her time to think, listen to books, etc. I was lucky enough to join her in the combine for a ride this fall, here’s the video.

Choosing What to Grow

Jennie said labor, equipment, and the environment all play different parts in the decision of what to plant. And of course, knowing perennial crops like grapes, the commitment is for many years.

In fact, Jennie gave us a laundry list of some of the considerations on what goes where on the farm and some of the realities that can impact the choices they have.

Growing Tofu Soybeans

As I mentioned, I’m a fan of Asian cuisine and find the growing of tofu soybeans so interesting I asked a lot of questions! How they began growing them intrigued me though. Jennie pointed immediately to the geography she’s in. DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York are all an easy drive and there are a number of companies specializing in Asian foods.

A group of farmers in the area formed a coop and went out seeking buyers when there was some question about the commitment to poultry in the area. The same equipment used for soybeans for grain can be used on these which was a great connection point. They also offer a high price for the crop. But alas, the market is only so big which means each farmer in the coop is given an allotment to plant rather than having endless opportunities to grow it. Jennie also mentions that harvest needs to be prioritized too as there can sometimes be some staining on soybeans and that is undesirable for tofu uses.

Growing Vegetables

As a registered dietitian, no doubt vegetable crops appeal to Jennie. They have planted tomatoes and green beans both in the hundreds of acres at a time. She points out that means harvesting several 18 wheelers full of either crop in a day. And which much of the crop management is easily done with irrigation that serves whatever is planted in the field, etc. The reality that specific planting and or harvesting equipment is needed means only planting the crops when contracts that also provide the expensive equipment and labor for the critical times. Planning allows farmers and the contractors to work together on timing so harvesting crews move from farm to farm.

Vegetable crops have rules that require the crop not be planted in the same field more than on a four year rotation, means long-term planning too! If you plant green beans in one field this year, you will be eligible to plant them there again in 4 years. Tomatoes have the same requirement. Limiting the likelihood of disease issues is the biggest reason for the requirement, which is a practice a lot of urban gardeners are familiar with!

Growing Wine Grapes

Growing grapes for wine is something that is a lot more common around the US now. Small acres are needed but the amount of labor required is high when it comes time to harvest. Jennie says they have expanded the vineyard and are growing several varietals. There are always more wineries interested she says, so the only limit is getting grapes harvested when needed. This was their biggest year ever and knowing there are some mechanized harvesters coming that will get tested, who knows what the future will do.

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A post shared by Jennifer Schmidt (@dirtdietitian)

Growing Grain

The largest acreage on Schmidt Farms is in grain — both corn and soybeans. It has a really good market locally with the number of chicken farms in Delmarva. The family likes to rotate corn and soybeans as corn contributes great organic matter for the soil — ie the plant parts that don’t get harvested stay in the field and biodegrade creating something like compost for future crops. And as legumes, soybeans add nitrogen to the soil.

Planting Cover Crops

The Schmidts also plant cover crops on the farm. Cover crops help improve soils, they are not harvested so they add a lot of organic matter. Jennie said wheat is planted as a cover as are a mix of radishes, rye, etc. She shared a photo of one of the tillage radishes she pulled in the vineyard to show her Instagram followers. They have the deep root and as Jennie points out, they can help reduce compaction and make it easier for roots to grow unrestricted.

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A post shared by Jennifer Schmidt (@dirtdietitian)

Find Jennie Online

Jenni can be found on social media in several places:

The post Growing Tofu Soybeans, Grapes, Grain & More: The Planning It Takes to Be a Truly Diversified Farm appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Hosting Farm Stays: A Love of Travel & Curiosity about Food Led Dana Zucker to Sugar Water Manor

Janice Person — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 11:55:27 +0000

Farm stays on Maryland’s Easter Shore may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of Maryland or a vacation, but maybe they should. There is a lot of curiosity to be tapped there and I certainly enjoyed my visit!

(AI transcript of the episode available Agritourism & Farm Stays on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (Episode 302 Grounded by the Farm Podcast Transcript)

For decades, Dana Zucker says she was absolutely out of touch with how our food is grown, but curiosity and a passion for food kept getting her to ask questions. Now she and her husband David have entered the world of agritourism by purchasing Sugar Water Manor on the Minokin River on the Eastern Shore.

The farm of 70 acres struck Dana at first sight and she felt drawn to it and the idea of sharing what she’s learned over the years.

Learning About Agriculture

Dana has immersed herself in food and has found a range of experiences as she traveled to far away lands like China, Iceland and Spain learning about tea, sheep and wine. And found herself living in Omaha with the chance to really explore agriculture in Kansas where she learned about farmers and ranchers growing corn, soybeans, beef and pork too.

Looking around the Eastern Shore, Dana sees farmers growing those animals and feed crops as well as farmers growing pumpkins, fruits and vegetables. Her farming is small scale — the type of operation many of my friends dream of getting. Room for numerous raised beds, fruit trees, an apiary and lots of room for various animals. Dana is leveraging her curiosity to learn and share simultaneously — she laughs saying she can’t help but ask all the questions, continue digging into knowledge but understands she’s a rare breed. But she’s happy to share what she has learned or can do more work to better understand a topic is someone is interested.

Farm Stays & More

With two houses and a loft to offer guests, Dana and David have been sharing Sugar Water with a lot of visitors. As she tells us in the podcast, she’s helped children harvest their first fresh carrots and explained meat goats, ducks, and more as people greeted the combination of animals living in the farm’s barn & barnyard.

Dana says it is a great way to go beyond the casual conversation with a vendor at a farmers market, for people interested in knowing more. And more farmers are beginning to offer properties like this on Air BnB and other sites.

The farm stay at Sugar Manor comes with incredible breakfast service too! As well as access to paddleboards and kayaks. There are such amazing sunsets to be enjoyed with s’mores to be enjoyed! The video below gives you a feel for the place, as well as a bit of insight into the visit Dana and I made to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the research farm nearby.

Finding More Information

Learn more about Sugar Water Manor at:

Find Grounded by the Farm on social media at:

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The Right Way to Cut a Watermelon? A Watermelon Knife?

Alicia Schmitt — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 16:06:22 +0000

Watermelon, the fruit of summer, no matter how you slice and dice them, they are always refreshing! But have you ever thought to yourself, I need a watermelon knife for all that slicing and dicing? Pay attention. Trust me.

This post includes affiliate links that may result in some compensation to help fund the site.

In our last podcast episode Growing Watermelons and Connecting Consumers, we talked with watermelon farmer, Rachel Syngo of Melon 1 where they proudly grow watermelons on multiple farms in southwestern Florida and work with farmers across the eastern US.

Right Way to Cut a Watermelon? Really?

I love getting the scoop from farmers. So as we talked, we raised all the questions like how do you cut a watermelon? It’s funny but something so simple can become controversial at times. However, I asked because several years ago a watermelon farmer showed me a way to do it that I hadn’t seen before. And I love it!

The answer: The cutting method depends on how you will be eating it.

If you’re serving watermelon at an event or want a piece to hold onto you cut the watermelon in quarters lengthwise then cut it in slices so the rind serves as a handle.
If you will be eating at home, maybe using in salads, etc. you kind of peel the melon with a knife. You cut the rind off first, then slice into cubes, wedges or whatever. A friend in Wyoming recently discovered it & shared on Instagram so here you go!

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Today I learned a new way to cut watermelon I can’t believe how easy it was, and truly I think it was way less wasteful too…tho the chickens still seemed happy with what they got

A post shared by Prairie Wife (@prairieheels) on Jul 4, 2020 at 9:56am PDT

There technically isn’t a correct way to cut a watermelon but there is definitely more than one way to do it!

Watermelons: The Fruit that Deserves it’s own Knife

There is a wonderful tool that we BOTH agreed was essential to cutting watermelon (and to avoid cutting a finger), the watermelon knife! I hadn’t even heard about them until I went out on a watermelon farm… then I saw them several times.

I had to ask if this was watermelon universal. We both had watermelon knives, and agreed that this tool is a lifesaver when it comes to cutting up that juicy watermelons. I will never use a butcher knife or something again.

This knife is long and made of stainless steel allowing you to get through the entire watermelon without the knife bending or you having to turn the watermelon to ensure you’ve cut all the way through. It also boasts a pretty solid blade (though there are holes in it like seeds), it won’t bend while cutting! The handle is made of comfortable silicone and is ergonomic for great leverage.

If you look closely, the serration is a bit deeper and longer than most knives, this allows you to gracefully slice through the tender insides of the watermelon. Rachel points out its a lot like a bread knife but with more heft for the serious job it takes on.

The post The Right Way to Cut a Watermelon? A Watermelon Knife? appeared first on Grounded by the Farm.

Growing Watermelons & Connecting to Customers: Rachel Syngo is Big On Watermelon

Janice Person — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 12:53:17 +0000

Can you imagine July if someone wasn’t growing watermelons?

Summertime wouldn’t be the same without watermelon! It cools us down, hydrates us and brings smiles to faces! Few of us have had the chance to visit a watermelon farm or talk to a farmer, but Rachel Syngo’s family has been “in the biz” of growing watermelons for generations.

They proudly grow on multiple farms in southwestern Florida and work with farmers up the East Coast to provide the tasty fruit as much of the year as possible! We talk about how and where watermelons are grown, the trends that seem to be gaining traction, food safety, how you get seedless watermelons and more!

Links Mentioned in this Episode Include

See how watermelons are harvested and transported (embedded at the bottom of this post)

A vodka watermelon cocktail from FarmWifeDrinks.com

Where to Find Melon 1 Online

Grounded by the Farm Online

GroundedbytheFarm.com for photos, blog posts, show notes and more
Ask the Farmers Facebook Page
Groundedbythefarm_ on Instagram
Grounded by the Farm on Youtube
@groundedbythef on Twitter

Growing Watermelons & Harvesting By Hand

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