I started out by making just one map—for Trade Secrets’ garden tour, a annual charitable event in Sharon, Connecticut.

Then the organizers decided that they wanted to give finished paintings to each host or owner, to show their appreciation.

I can paint at any time, though I prefer the summer. What I get down on paper using photographs as a guide is the structure of the garden. What I provide in the end is a portrait, of house and garden.  It helps that I spent a year at the Monserrat College of Art.

Many farm wives must work full time off the farm, but I’m lucky to be able work at Whippoorwill Farm full time. The art is something extra that I enjoy tremendously.

The Irish potato famine laid waste to Ireland in the 1840s. The stories of deprivation, disease and death are staggering to read.

The blight hit Ireland particularly hard for two reasons. Most of the population depended on the potato as the only staple for food, and only a handful of potato varieties were grown (making the crop more vulnerable to pathogens).

Today’s small sustainable and organic farmers maintain a diverse mixture of crops and products. But tomatoes are one of their most profitable. Generating $4.00-7.00 or more per pound, organic and no-spray tomatoes, especially delicate heirloom varieties, are the profitable turf of smaller farmers. Even small farms can grow from 1,500 to 20,000 plants in a summer.

Then a top cash crop fails in a matter of days.

We do everything organically at Paisley Farm. We try to keep it real. People who buy from us trust us. We always think about our customers in everything we do and provide a quality product. We have 150 families in our CSA program in New York and we also have about 30 really great restaurants in Manhattan and Westchester.  We are not certified organic at the moment but will be again by this time next year.

One of our first and oldest customers client is Waldy Malouf, chef at the Beacon, former chef at the Rainbow Room and Hudson River Club.  Daniel Boulud, Stone Barns and the Blue Hill people, Felidia, Gramercy Tavern, Gotham Bar and Grill and Angelica’s Kitchen are just some of the chefs and restaurants who are really dedicated to what we’re doing.

I first experienced stinging nettles on a hike in Cornwall, England.  I didn’t need a guidebook to tell me that my bare leg had rubbed against this herbaceous plant.  Or know that Latin root name means “I burn.” My first brush with this plant was an irritating day-long experience.

Gardeners on every continent, except Australia, curse the plant as they rip it out.

Big mistake.

When cooked stinging nettles make a delicious meal with a flavor that is cross between spinach and kale. Cooking, drying, crushing or chopping disables the stinging hairs.

Unlike spinach, I found that nettles don’t give off all much water. They cook down well and absorb other pan flavors as they do. My first recipe, Stinging Nettles with Pancetta and Pasta, comes from Dominic at Moon in the Pond Farm.

Nettles it turns out are packed with nutrients, including A, C, D, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium.  For a leafy green vegetable the plant contains absurdly high levels of protein – 40%. And the medical uses are off the charts.

Medical Value of Nettles

Extracts can be used to treat arthritis, anemia, hay fever, kidney problems, and muscle pain. For men of a certain age, nettles are useful for an enlarged prostate. Nettle is commonly used as part of arthritis treatment in Germany.

Finding Nettles

Nettles appear twice a season starting in early spring and then again in the fall. I bought a pound for $3.00 at the Millerton NY farmer’s market, a huge amount and a bargain. But foraging is more fun, especially if it’s in a neighbors’ garden.  Look for them near water and rich soil.

According to University of Maryland medical website, nettles can alter the menstrual cycle and may contribute to miscarriage. Pregnant women should not use nettles. I do wonder how much you need to eat to have that kind of impact.