Gardening the Amana Way

Chapter 3. Gardening in Old Amana

e3d ———————————————————————————— Gardening in Old Amana I f you have ever had the good fortune of raising your own vegetables , you know how wonderful they taste when they’re whisked out of the garden and onto the table in short order. Imagine the coordinated effort it would take to accomplish that act for an entire village, to say nothing of seven villages. The Amana settlers did just that, and they did it well. Fuelling the bustling activity in the seven villages was the wonderful food prepared in the communal kitchens. The kitchens, in turn, depended on the communal gardens for many of the dishes they served. This meant that the lives and duties of the Kichebaas (kitchen boss) and the Gardebaas (garden boss) were tightly interwoven. They cooperated with one another in a friendly, helpful manner, but each one ruled over her own domain with great authority, a somewhat stern demeanor, and a kind heart. The Garde­ baas also conferred with the Farm Mennetscher, who was in charge of the village farming operation, which included preparing the garden plots for planting in spring and planting and harvesting the potato and onion fields. Elders assigned each kitchen a plot of land—usually two or three acres— on which to raise its produce. Villages had anywhere from three to twelve communal kitchens, depending on the size of the village. In all, about 100 acres were devoted to raising produce within the commune. Called Garde­ schwestre (garden sisters), the women who comprised the garden staff generally worked from 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the direction of the Gardebaas. They had time off for lunch and for snacks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. If one of the garden sisters had pressing business elsewhere for the day, the Gardebaas excused her. All the garden sisters were excused from duty on very hot summer days, but they might also be asked to work late during the busiest times of the gardening season. 18 chapter thr ee Produce was not only grown in large quantities but also in great variety. Following is a list of varieties grown, how the Gardeschwestre grew them, how the kitchens prepared them, and whether they were stored or preserved. Information about growing, preparing, and storing all vegetables listed here is courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Chapter 4 will detail varieties in this listing that are included in our modern seed bank. .asparagus (Sparchel) Planted in large beds, asparagus shoots were harvested until early June. They were served cooked and creamed, fresh from the garden. No attempt was made to store or preserve them. .Beans (Schtangebohne) String beans were planted around poles, other varieties in rows. Included were yellow beans, navy beans, and lima beans. Excess string beans and yellow beans were either blanched and dried, canned, or pickled for winter use. .Cabbage (Kraut) Sown in cold frames, cabbage plants were set out in rows, harvested by the wagonful, shredded, and fermented to create sauerkraut. Surplus sauerkraut was shipped to markets in Chicago. Full heads of cabbage were Plowing and raking a kitchen garden in early spring. Gardening in Old Amana 19 stored in earthen basements in the kitchen houses for winter use. Heads stored with roots intact were replanted in the spring to produce seed. .Carrots (Gellweriewe) Sown in rows, carrots were harvested in the fall. Some were left in the ground to go to seed the second year. They were eaten raw, cooked, or pickled. Whole carrots were also stored in basements for winter use. .Cauliflower (Bluhmekohl) Like cabbage, cauliflower was sown by the Gardeschwestre in cold frames and then set out in rows. They sowed a fall crop in late summer and harvested it in late fall. The plant’s large leaves were tied over the heads to prevent bitterness. Kitchens served the cauliflower cooked and creamed. Occasionally it was canned or pickled for winter consumption. .Celeriac (Knolletsellerie) Celeriac is a type of celery with a bulbous root. Sown in cold frames, it was set out in rows. Kitchens used the bulbs extensively in soups. The stalks, as such, were inedible, but would occasionally be chopped finely and used as flavoring. Bulbs were stored in kitchen basements. Some were reserved for replanting in spring in order to produce seed. .Celery (Cellerie) Sown in cold frames, regular celery was set out in rows. The stalks needed to be shaded with boards, newspaper...