Fried okra

Despite being a vegetable farmer and promoting heathy eating, I love all things fried! It’s finally okra season, and I’ve really been enjoying air-fried okra. Here’s my very simple (and flexible) recipe for the breading I use on everything: fried okra, fried green tomatoes, fried eggplant or zucchini or squash slices, onion rings, etc.

 
 

First, slice whatever you’re going to be breading. Look at the cute little star shapes okra makes! Next, prepare 3 bowls:

  1. flour + spices (I like Italian seasoning and Adobo, but you can do whatever you like—garlic salt, parsley, etc)

  2. egg + milk (about two parts beaten egg to 1 part milk)

  3. breadcrumbs + cornmeal (about half and half, or whatever ratio you like; or substitute cracker crumbs)

Drop your slices into the first bowl and make sure they’re well-coated with flour.

 
 

Drop your flour-coated slices into the bowl with egg & milk and stir them around.

 
 

Fish your slices out of the egg mixture with a fork and drop them into the cornmeal & breadcrumb mixture and stir to coat.

 
 

Air fry at around 400 degrees or deep fry in hot oil until breading turns golden brown. ENJOY!

We're hiring!

 
Vegetable farmer transplanting crops in the field
 

We’re hiring!

Come work with us this summer!

Part-time job available at West End Farm

Position Title: Field Crew Member

Position Details:

  • Job type: Part-time, seasonal (May through October)

  • Schedule: Up to 3 days per week: Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays. Some flexibility is available for the right candidate.

  • Start date: May 1

Farm Summary: West End Farm LLC is a diversified specialty-crop farm that provides local food to the southeast Nebraska community. The farm raises over 50 different vegetables, herbs, berries, and melons, and also sells honey from beehives on the farm, as well as value-added food products. Products are marketed directly to consumers via a Community Supported Agriculture (produce subscription) program and at the Beatrice Farmers Market and Sunday Farmers Market in Lincoln. The farm is a tobacco-free and drug-free environment.

Responsibilities: Primary duties include transplanting plant starts, weeding by hand and with hoes, harvesting vegetables, and washing/packing produce. Other farm tasks as assigned.

Qualifications:

  • Ability to perform repetitive physical work with endurance

  • Strong attention to detail in a fast-paced agricultural environment

  • Ability to follow directions and work independently

  • Willingness to work in all types of weather, including cold, heat, and rain

  • Ability to lift 25 pounds regularly and 40 pounds occasionally

  • Punctuality, efficiency, and time management skills

Compensation and benefits: $14 per hour, paid monthly. Workers’ compensation coverage. Access to free excess produce. This is an excellent opportunity to learn about small-scale commercial vegetable production!

To apply: Send a resume and 3 references to Katie at westendfarmne@gmail.com

2025 Farm Tours

Five opportunities to visit the farm this summer

 
 

The Center for Rural Affairs is putting on a series of online classes and on-farm tours this year called “A Day in the Life of a Vegetable Producer”. West End Farm is one of the farms they’re highlighting in the series. I’ll be hosting one tour per month this season, each focusing on a different aspect of vegetable farming.

Here’s the schedule (each tour is on a Saturday from 1:00-3:00 pm):

April 5: Soil preparation
May 10: Extending the season
June 14: Plot layout and developing agricultural ecosystems
July 12: Tools and machinery
Aug. 9: Closing out the season

ADDITIONAL TOUR ADDED ON MONDAY, AUG 25

If you’re considering starting a vegetable farm or if you want to dive deep into these topics so you can improve your garden at home, this will be perfect for you.

If you are just curious about raising vegetables, you’re also welcome to come! If you’ve never been out to the farm and want to see where your food grows, please come! This will be a great chance to see the farm and to observe how the crops grow and change throughout the season. Come to one or come to all the tours as your schedule allows.

Each tour will start with an overview of the whole vegetable operation plus the beehives. Then we’ll get into the nitty gritty of the topic of the day. (If you just came to see the farm and don’t want all the details, this would be a good time to find some of the barn cats to play with!)

This entire vegetable production series is bilingual, so the tour will be translated into Spanish. Feel free to bring a Spanish-speaking friend or a student you know who needs to practice!

Click here to find the farm.

Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan

Have you heard of the “technology adoption curve” or “innovation adoption lifecycle”? It describes how quickly different proportions of a population accept new technologies and practices. It looks something like this:

That’s right. I’m usually so far behind the rest of the population that I can pick up the “new” technology at thrift stores for a fraction of the price once everyone else has moved on to the next new thing. How far behind am I? My tractor is turning 72 years old next month. My car is older than I am. I’m still using my 12-year-old printer (it was free!) And, fourteen years after its introduction, I finally bought an air fryer.

I was pretty hesitant to buy one for several reasons. Did I really need another cooking gadget? Surely my ancient toaster oven (an excellent thrift store score) would suffice? If I bought an air fryer, would I immediately slide down the slippery slope of buying junk food like frozen onion rings, mini corn dogs, and mozzarella sticks?

Even accidentally winning a trivia contest about air fryer cooking two years ago didn’t convince me to purchase one. So thank you to the CSA members who finally convinced me to go for it!

My very first experiment in the air fryer: eggplant parmesan. Delicious! (Plus, convenient to use up the last of the eggplants and tomatoes of the season).

Subsequent experiments indicate I still have some work to do to perfect sweet potatoes, salmon, and egg bites. Grilled cheese was amazing, though! Up next: experimental air fryer aloo gobi (an Indian cauliflower dish).

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 large or 2 small eggplants

  • 1/2 cup flour

  • 2 eggs

  • splash of milk

  • 1 cup bread crumbs

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

  • 1 cup marinara or tomato sauce

  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

  • Chopped basil or parsley for garnish (I used parsley and oregano)

directions

Slice eggplants into 1/2” thick rounds, lightly salt both sides (optional), and let sit.

In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Put flour in a third bowl. Preheat air fryer to 370-390 degrees, depending on settings available.

Pat eggplant slices dry with a paper towel. Dip each slice first in the bowl of flour, fully coating the slice. Then, dip in egg bowl. Finally, place in bowl of bread crumbs and ensure the slice is fully coated with bread crumbs.

Arrange slices in single layers (you’ll need multiple racks or to do several rounds of cooking) in the air fryer, and air fry for 6-8 minutes (check regularly to ensure they’re not too brown). Flip slices and air fry another 4-6 minutes.

While eggplant is cooking, warm the marinara sauce. Or, if like me you don’t have any, make your own tomato sauce by sautéing onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and spices/herbs. Allow to simmer while eggplant is cooking.

When eggplant is done, spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the plate. Arrange eggplants on sauce. Immediately sprinkle with cheese so it melts and then top with herbs.