YWCA Community Garden Contest Update!

WOW! You folks just keep coming through for the YWCA. They are currently leading the Umpqua Bank click4acause contest by over 1000 votes...SWEET!! We can't stop the momentum yet though. Let's see if we can't break 10k votes by Monday. I have a feeling that the folks from the Chico, CA Boys & Girls Club are going to come on strong at the end and we need to help the YWCA keep their lead. So keep on clicking!

click4acause

Dee Creek Farm/Locavore Delivery Update!!

I got word from Ryan of ProFarm Produce out in Eastern Washington, and he has some certified organic freestone peaches and nectarines that we'll be getting a delivery of on Friday. If they're anything like their cherries, they'll be huge and juicy!

These peaches and/or nectarines are $25 for 20 pounds. They should already be weighed out, but you need to bring your own box to transfer them into to take home as we will not have containers for you to go home with.

We will be meeting THIS Friday from 1:30pm - 2:15pm in Vancouver. Confirm your order with me for directions.

We MUST have all of the orders in by 7pm TONIGHT. Ooo, and specify if you are wanting peaches or nectarines.

Here's to lots of canning over the weekend! I know I plan to put up a LOT. Peaches are one of my favorites (I say that about whatever specific thing is in season, but I really DO mean it!).

Summer
Email
Farm Phone: 360-225-9711
Cell Phone: 360-903-6956 (no service at the Farm)

Lawn to Food: Converting Grass to Growing Space - 9.17.2009

The Urban Farm School & the Fruit Valley Sunshine Garden present:

Lawn to Food: Converting Grass to Growing Space
Thursday, September 17
6:00 to 8:00pm

Learn how to convert existing lawn to suitable space for planting a garden! Autumn is the ideal time to prepare new and existing garden beds for the spring season. Class will include how to easily suppress or remove grass, appropriate materials, amend soil, and encourage microorganisms. This will be a hands-on class held at the Fruit Valley Sunshine Garden where we will prepare a bed for this neighborhood project as part of the class. Bring your gloves and questions; it will be a great evening!

Fee: $15/person
Location: Fruit Valley Sunshine Garden, 2903 Weigel Avenue, Vancouver 98660
Registration and payment required: 360-852-3728 or e-mail

Locavore Delivery Service and Dee Creek Farm News - 8.27.2009

Here's the word on this week's Locavore delivery service, brought to you by Summer @ Dee Creek Farm:

We have a pretty well-rounded, full list of delivery items this week below! Be sure to check through to find anything new that may be of interest to you!

With a wee bit of luck, I'm hoping for more extra fresh veggies from Storytree Farm, but anything other than below will be on the fly, as they pick it moments before our delivery starts! Their pickling cukes are amazing heirloom cucumbers that are sweet and delish! We may also get some veggies from NW Organics also, and that I'm hoping to know by tomorrow night's email.

Also, heads up: tomorrow I'll be sending out bulk peach/nectarine purchasing information. After having thought we missed out, we're in luck! It'll be $25 for a twenty pound box, but don't pre-order until you get the delivery info - it will be on a Friday (not normal deliveries), either this one or next one. 'Til soon! Meanwhile, check out what's available for Thursdays delivery below, send me an order, and we'll see you then!

*****

Bronze Pastured Turkeys, whole, $3.85/lb
We are harvesting tomorrow (Wednesday), and will be doing a couple extra this week that are up for grabs. Last week they ranged from 20-25 pounds. This week should be similar. You cannot pick your weight until deliveries - the sooner you get there, the better chance you have at your pick. But you're welcome to email me back and let me know if you want your name on one (so to speak)... Check out our website for info on how we raise our poultry.

Dee Creek Farm Cheeses, from start to finish
Our cheese can also be found at our Thursday deliveries, or, thanks to Mom and/or other lovely 'hosting' farmers, at:
Wednesday afternoon/eve at the Camas Farmers Market
Wednesday at the Portland Farmers Market
Thursday 3pm-7pm at the Portland Farmers Market
Friday at Wahkiakum's Two Islands Farm Market
Friday, 3pm-7pm at the Woodland Farmers Market
Saturday, 9am-3pm at the Vancouver Farmers Market
Feta, $5.00/container - Creamy and salt, fresh and pasteurized. Raw coming soon again!
Plain - block or crumble
Fresh Chevre, $5.00/container - Creamy - great on crepes, bagels, crackers, veggies... pasteurized
Original (Plain)
Dill
Garden Mix
Garlic & Chives
Black Pepper
Herbs de Provence
Marionberry Lavender Chipotle

Blueberry Delight - layered granola (from Pdx Farmers Market), sweet cheese (with Honey House honey), and blueberries on top (also from Pdx Farmers Market)
Caperphilly, $4-$6/wedge - Firm, dry table or melting caerphilly-style cheese, with a clever play on words for a title. Young and mild in flavor. Pasteurized.

Eggs,
$5/dozen, ($4.50 per dozen for egg CSA'ers)
$2.50/half-dozen (limited)
First come, first served on extras. Our chickens are fed only natural feeds and lots of pasture - you can find lots of info on our poultry-raising on our website. Be sure to recycle egg cartons that you pick up at our deliveries with us!
SOY FREE EGGS, $4/dozen - limited
Rainbow Egg Farm in Brush Prairie has raised a flock on NO SOY, and continues to feed a no-soy diet to her laying hens. These eggs are small. I was surprised how dirty some were from last week, and so have gone through to make sure what we're passing out are clean and un-cracked.

Fresh Emmer Salad,
$4/8-ounces
A yummy lunch or side salad to take home made with whole grain organic emmer, heirloom tomatoes from Storytree Farm, organic onions from NW Organic, feta cheese from Dee Creek Farm, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. I'll bring forks :-)

Fresh Farmer Fare,
Zucchini, yellow & green, 3 for $1.00
Heirloom Pickling Cucumbers, $2.00/lb
$1.50/lb if you order 20# or more

These (and much of our extra's lately, including those amazing figs!) come from Storytree Farm in Vancouver.

Raw Honey,
Quart/$12, Pint/$7
Raw honey in glass jars form Honey House Farm in Brush Prairie - super local!

Wild & Naturally Preserved Eats,
Mushrooms, Fresh (1/4# bags) -
Maitake $4.50
Lobster $4.00
Shiitake $3.00
Fresh Huckleberries, $4.50/half-pint, $24 for half flat (6 half-pints), $45 for full plant (12 half-pints) -- Bill says they've sweetened up this week!!
From Nature's Choice, a couple-owned business in Vancouver, these wild eats are amazingly well-gathered, fresh, and nutrient-dense!

Heirloom Organic Grains,
From Bluebird Grains in Eastern Washington, we have some left overs from our last bulk order that you're welcome to. You can go ahead and pre-order any of the following until it's gone (then we can do a new order):
Organic Whole Grain Emmer (Farro), $7/1.3 pounds, $19/5 pounds
Emmer Pancake and Waffle Mix, $8/2 pounds
Old World Cereal Blend, $7/1.3 pounds
Sage Biscuit Mix, $8/20 ounces
Organic Dark Northern Rye Flour, $11 for 4.5 pounds

Cultures,
Kombucha, $5/scoby
Dairy Kefir, $5/grains
These are the ones I've been using at Dee Creek Farm, and they've started to multiply (finally!) since I've gotten back on the task of keeping them happy and well. There should be enough to get you started.

Handmade Soap,
$4.00/bar - Limited amount
Both of the soaps below are crafted by Summer at DCF with quality coconut, olive, palm, and essential oils. Handmade & individually cut, these bars are mild on your skin, and amazing to your nose!
Egyptian Geranium, $4.50/bar - Fresh floral scent, similar to rose. Geranium is said to have psychologically balancing effects and some like to use it for skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, and shingles. Historically it was used to treat menopausal and other women's problems.
Bittersweet Almond - This light pink colored, cherry-smelling mild soap is great smelling, and full of quality essential oils.

Coconut Oil,
Non-Certified-Organic Expeller Expressed, $100/5-gallon-bucket
This is a bulk purchasing opportunity for those who use coconut oil at home. They are 5 gallon buckets from Tropical Traditions. This is a great price. You can find friends to split it with, or separate and cool-storage what you don't need. Let me know right away if you want a bucket! They won't come in until next week or the week after.

Northwest Redworms and....Chicken Coops!

Doug Knippel (Northwest Redworms), the man who has been leading the way for vermicomposting in these parts, is expanding his repertoire. If you've seen any of Doug's worm bins, then you know that he's all about the marriage of form and function. His hand-built coops are no exception. Read on to get the details straight from Doug:

The Camas Coop $320 and the Camas Mini coop(er) $250

The "Camas coop" is large enough to fit 4 to 6 chickens (or more with an enclosed run). 3 nest boxes and two roosts, side chicken door for access to a run. The dimensions are 42" tall, 42" wide (+14" for nesting boxes), and 35" deep. It's preassembled in seven pieces for easy transport and assembly. Once assembled the coop is sturdy and relatively light for easy placement. Sides are interchangable so the chicken door and nesting boxes can be where you want.

We also have the Camas mini coop"r", it's made for 2 to 4 chickens, $250. This coop looks exactly the same as the large with the following modifications:
The height, width and depth is 6" smaller. There are two nest boxes and one roost bar.

To get the coop painted $75

Chicken run 3 panels 1/2" mesh, 30"x 30" x 6' one panel with door and end piece $130

Chicken run 6' extention 3 panels no door or end piece $100

You must call to order. 14 days build time.

Call Doug
360-513-7251 or E-MAIL
for more details go to:
http://northwestredworms.com/chickencoop.aspx

Get Your Winter Garden On With the Seed Ambassadors!

The totally awesome folks from the Seed Ambassador Project (I love these folks!) will be offering all of us garden slackers a unique opportunity to purchase some of the most unique and region specific winter vegetable starts for our cold season gardening endeavors. You'll have to take a little road trip to get the plants, but I guarantee it will be worth it! Here's the scoop:

This Friday (Aug. 28th) and next Friday (Sept 4th), from 10.00 a.m. thru 2.00 p.m., the Community Transitions Nursery will be selling organic veggie starts at the Springfield Farmers Market – on Main Street between 5th and 6th (map). Their offerings focus on fall, mid-winter and over-wintering vegetable crops, and include many Seed Ambassadors Project varieties.

Anticipating that most gardeners are unused to fall and winter cropping schedules and will have missed the early August transplant window crucial for sizing up most of the mainstay vegetable crops that will feed us through the forthcoming winter, the nursery ‘potted up’ many of these seedlings into 4” pots to grow them on, in past weeks. Transplanted into your gardens within the next couple of weeks (there is still time to prepare ground), an array of these thriving plants will feed you October thru May – the eight month period making up the longest ‘harvest season’ of the year. For those of you as yet unsure about the wherefores of fall, mid- and over-winter cropping, I will be giving a public talk on the subject at this Friday’s market at 12.00 p.m. and will, of course, be happy to answer questions there.

We are quietly confident that no nursery in the PNW currently comes close to offering the diversity and quality of winter food plants we are now making available. Our current selections reflect the results of extensive winter trialing, selection and breeding programs by public domain plant breeders in the S. Willamette Valley working with collaborators throughout the PNW and Western and Eastern Europe, in recent years.

All our transplants are raised in N. Springfield at our nursery (a program of the Community Transitions Program of the Springfield Schools District) by young-adults and adults with special needs, who come to us from Springfield schools and Lane Community College. All proceeds from nursery sales support our greenhouse.

All material offered by the nursery is open-pollinated. Varieties locally stewarded by the Seed Ambassadors Project (SAP) are noted. For cultural information see our fall and winter cropping table.

Please click HERE for a full listing of varieties.

Did I mention I LOVE the Seed Ambassadors?

Keep On Clicking!

You folks are AWESOME!!

The response to the call for you to participate in the click4acause campaign being sponsored by Umpqua bank and help the YWCA Community Garden is yielding unbelievable results. The YWCA has pulled ahead by 28 votes as of this morning! But we can't stop yet. It's a new week and now's the time to vote again. Let's see if we can't get another 1000+ votes in for the YWCA this week before this contest ends! It only takes a few seconds. Pass this along to everyone you know and let's make sure that everyone knows that Clark County loves the YWCA, loves community gardens, and supports Umpqua Bank's commitment to our community. Remember, the YWCA gets $15,000 for their project if they win.

click4acause and cast your vote NOW!

WSU Harvest Day Celebration - 9.22.2009

9th Annual Harvest Celebration Day
Saturday, September 19
10am to 3pm

Spend the day touring 13 Clark County farms
Enjoy the bounty of your local farms and chat with farmers
Bring family and friends

Last year, over 20,000 people toured farms around Washington. There is no charge for this event For a map of participating farms click HERE.

For a detailed list of participating farms and activities click HERE.
If you don't already have a program to view .pdf files, you will need to download Adobe Reader to view this file.

NW Organic Farm Annual Garlic & Heirloom Tomato Fest - 9.19.2009

Here's an event you do not want to miss. Greg Valdivia & Joyce Haines of NW Organic Farm are once again opening their doors for their annual Garlic & Heirloom Tomato Festival! Greg and Joyce operate one of the Pacific Northwest's finest family farms and their product is second to none. Get on out there, eat some delicious food and have a good time!

Here's the scoop from Greg & Joyce:

NW ORGANIC FARM Annual Garlic & Heirloom Tomato Fest
in conjunction with WSU’s Harvest Day Celebration
When: Saturday, September 19
Time: 10 AM - ??
Admission: FREE!
Where: 17713 NW 61st Avenue
Ridgefield, WA 98642
(Directions WA I -5; 179th St/Fairgrounds Exit 9; West to (Directions WA I -5; 179th St/Fairgrounds Exit 9; West to
61st Ave, then left on 61st Ave)

Live Music includes:
Runs Real Good
BobbyLee®
and more!

Vendors & activities include:
Onion Burgers, Hot Dogs/Sausages, Espresso Drinks, Sinful Brownies, Real
Mexican Tamales, Fresh Tomato Sandwiches, Face Painting by Joyce Ross,
Stampin’ Up by Kristi Froeber, Temporary Tattoos by FantasyEffects.com
Caliente Alpacas, Yarn Fiber & Wool Spinning demos, and more! Master
Gardeners will also be on site to answer any questions. Plus taste a variety of
Heirloom Tomatoes, Garlic and other organic veggies!

Want to be a vendor? Do you have musical talents? Need more info?
(360) 518-6807 or email nworganicfarm@yahoo.com

Time Magazine vs Big Ag

Check out this great article over at Grist about the latest Time magazine cover story, "Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food" .

I guess we should all be happy that the mainstream media is finally calling attention to and validating the things that those of us on the fringe have been screaming about for decades. I find it to be rather bittersweet, but I guess you can't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Now the questions are; Will this resound in the halls of Congress? Will our elected officials finally get serious about these issues when they start the fall legislative session? And will family farmers, folks that practice sustainable agriculture, and programs that support local agriculture finally get a fair share of our taxpayer dollars that are tossed around for agricultural spending and subsides?

We'll have to wait & see...

Canning/Preserving DVD update from Harriet @ Preserve

Here's an update on the release of the long-awaited DVD from local home economics maven Harriet Fasenfest @ Preserve.

To all of you out there waiting for the Canning DVD to come out, hold tight! The DVD will be out in Spring 2010. Filming is taking place as you read this. Besides step by step instruction on how to can, the video will feature Sandor Katz, Linda Zeidrich and other experts in the food preservation field. It will be fun, informative and informal -- definitely something that will inspire you to trust your own creativity and skills.

Also, Harriet is currently working on publication of a book on householding which is also due to be released Spring 2010. Sign up here to be notified of the actual release date. I am super excited about these projects! If you are even remotely interested in the subjects of food preservation and home economics I can't recommend highly enough that you grab onto anything associated with Harriet. While you wait for the release of these projects, I'd like to suggest some reading of a tome published by Harriet available for download and free of charge at the Preserve website:

In Search of the Seamless

Writer, teacher, home ec expert, preserving wizard...is there anything Harriet can't do???

The Canvolution Is Coming!

I love putting up food. Making jerky, curing meats, pickling, jamming...the whole shebang. In fact just yesterday I put a big bag of "too much zucchini" to work as bread & butter zucchini pickles thanks to Linda Ziedrich's awesome The Joy of Pickling and the very cool Oxo V-Blade mandoline slicer my mother-in-law gave me for my birthday this year. Gotta love the crinkle cut!

I've found very few things as satisfying as sharing the bounty of the harvest via preserved foods. And nothing brightens up a dreary winter day like pulling out a jar of strawberry jam or salsa secco and reliving a bit of summertime. I'm sure many of you are aware that home food preservation has become quite en vogue again and in my mind, that's a mighty fine thing. Here's the scoop on the folks behind a very cool movement called Canning Across America:

Canning Across America (CAA) is a nationwide, ad hoc collective of cooks, gardeners and food lovers committed to the revival of the lost art of “putting by” food. Our goal is to promote safe food preservation and the joys of community building through food. We believe in celebrating the bounty of local and seasonal produce and taking greater control of our food supply. Together, we can.

The weekend of Aug. 29-30 is our kickoff, with how-to classes, demos and home canning parties in cities around the country. Think of us as a one-stop resource for events, recipes, inspiration and safety how-to on anything under the canning, preserving and pickling umbrella that will continue throughout the year.

City of Vancouver - Urban Livestock Advisory Group - The First Meeting

The Vancouver Urban Livestock Advisory Group had it's first meeting yesterday afternoon and as promised I want to give a quick debrief to you folks.

First off I want to say that it seems like we have a very insightful and concerned group working on this project. I am very impressed with not only my fellow advisory group members from the community and I am equally impressed with the folks from the City Planning Department as well as the Code Compliance Department. The City has gathered data from numerous communities around the country that are dealing with urban livestock and will be using that data as a reference for our process. Considering that there are communities that have already come up with some truly innovative and interesting ways of approaching the subject, I'm looking forward to reviewing that data. Overall I am excited and I think we're going to do some good things for our community.

Our first objective is to identify portions of the current code that may need clarification and/or changes made. We talked a little about that during the meeting and it seems like we're onboard with the idea that we want to keep this process as simple as possible. If there are codes that exist that cover or could cover issues that arise from keeping urban livestock then we're going to try to utilize them rather than try to reinvent the wheel. For example, the most common complaints being dealt with by Code Compliance officials are noise and odor. These are subjects that are already addressed by current nuisance codes and could easily be amended to address the same subjects with regards to urban livestock.

We are also being asked to go out to the community and find out if you have experienced any issues with keeping urban livestock that you had a negative experience with regarding code enforcement or code issues.

A specific topic they'd like input on is dealing with lots that are currently being used for urban livestock, but are bordered by residential or commercial structures. What problems exist or could exist that may need to be addressed?

If you have any input, questions, or concerns about what we're doing during this process and/or about the topics I mentioned above, please contact me and let me know so I can bring them to the table at future meetings.

On a side note, we digressed a bit and talked about the subject of urban agriculture with regards to crop cultivation. It was an interesting and informative discussion and I think we'll see the City addressing some shortcomings in the current code in the near future that will expand the potential of urban farming for personal or commercial purposes. That sounds mighty fine to me.

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, September 1st. In the meantime, here is a link for you to some good stuff for you read and think about. This link will take you to the Urban Livestock Advisory web page that will give you information about what we're doing and links to portions of the current code that we're working on :

Urban Livestock - Farm Animals In The City

Cold Weather Gardening Chart From The Seed Ambassadors

The ag wizards over at the Seed Ambassadors and Adaptive Seeds are at it again and they've just electronically published a positively first rate guide to cold weather planting in the Southern Willamette Valley. A little tweaking and those of us up here in the north country can make good use of this information as well. Check it out!

Chart for Gardening Autumn through Spring in the Southern Willamette Valley

The Seed Ambassadors ROCK!!

Last Craft In The Village for 2009

Chris Stevens, the hero behind the Main Street Craft In The Village event that we've all enjoyed so much this summer, has just sent this e-mail regarding the last event for 2009. Read on for more info.

Hello folks

Just getting the feelers out there again and seeing who is interested in coming out for Sept. 4th's event. This will be the last one of the season and we've done a bit of outreach to the neighborhood associations in Vancouver so the turnout could be pretty good this time. We have roughly 26 booth spots available and lots more table space out on Main st, so there should be plenty of room for everyone, if not in the lot then out on the street.

We also will have the accoustic booth out in the front again. We'll be running power out it this time, only for one amp and mic though. The idea is to keep the noise nice and mellow so the artists in their booths can still talk to their customers while enjoying the music as well. I feel like I have to clarify that so that people don't start showing up with Marshall stacks and amp's that go to 11. We are pretty limited in musician slots so get a hold of me quick for those, your music needs to be acoustic and non offensive.

So that being said, hit me back if you want a spot and I'll start making the map out.

Thanks
Chris

--
"Bringin' it to the streets!"
Craft in the Village
http://www.myspace.com/craftinthevillage
e-mail

Greener Pastures @ Facebook

The truly AWESOME folks from Greener Pastures Farm in Camas are now on Facebook. Get on their Friend list to keep up with the latest happenings and future events!

Click for Community Gardens!!

There are only 15 days left in the Umpqua Bank Click 4A Cause contest and the YWCA Community Garden project has fallen from a commanding lead to trailing by over 1000 points. If they win this contest, they'll get $15,000 to devote to their project and they need your help TODAY. You can vote once per week, so that means you still have time to get a couple of votes in. Please click on the link below, cast your vote, and help the fantastic folks at the YWCA win some serious money to help them with their community garden project!

Click 4A Cause

Camas Farmer's Market is Looking for Farm to Table Gala Volunteers - 09.25-26.2009

The Camas Farmer's Market is looking for volunteers for the 2nd annual Farm to Table Gala! This is a great opportunity to get out and volunteer your time for an event and a group that is doing great things for our community. Here's the details:

We have received e-mails from many of you asking how you can help with the Farm to Table Gala that is taking place at Farside Farms (west side of Prune Hill) on September 26th. The board is very excited to have eager volunteers!
Thank you so much for offering to help with this event to benefit the Camas Farmer's Market.

We have lots to do on the day of and day before. Please review the jobs and times below and email us with which shifts you would like to cover.

Friday September 25th
Site Clean Up
10:00am-3:00pm Minda Coombs, Karen Lasher, and 2 open spots
10:00-noon 3 open spots
11:00-1:00 3 open spots
noon-2:00 3 open spots
1:00-3:00 3 open spots

Saturday September 26th
Parking
5:15-7:15 6 open spots

Wine/Beer Service
5:00-7:00 4 open spots
7:00-10:00 2 open spots

Food Runners
5:00-7:00 2 open spots
7:00-10:00 10 open spots

Kitchen Prep/Serving
3:00-7:00 8 open spots
7:00-10:00 8 open spots

Ticket Sales
6:00-9:00 2 open spots

Check-in
5:00-7:00 3 open spots

Crisis Manager
5:00-10:00 1 open spot

Financial
5:00-10:00 Shannon Van Horn

Clean Up
9:00-midnight (need muscle and trucks) 5 open spots

It is always fun to volunteer as groups, whether it be friends, church groups, scouts, etc. Please ask your friends to join you!

Sincerely,

The Camas Farmer's Market Board

Lapellah - Gus & Co. Harvest Dinner - 08.19.2009

Here's the scoop on the upcoming Harvest Dinner at Lapellah featuring produce from superstar farmer April Jones and her crew at Gus & Co. This info comes courtesy of my friend and member of the Gus & Co. crew Hillary (also of Pikku Maatila/Little Bunny Hill Farm).

Lapellah Harvest Dinner Menu August 19, 2009

Oh, the deliciousness will ensue again in just a few days. This ridiculously lucky/blessed/fortunate farmgirl gets to go to the second Harvest Dinner at Lapellah, too!!!!!! Life just gets better all the time. The April Jones crew will be representing, big-time.
Fifteen minutes of yesterday were kind of crummy. But I'm over it. It's hard not to laugh at someone that leans out of a car window and yells horrible things at a complete stranger standing half-a-football-field away. Really? Who does that?
How can I keep making the world a better place one jar of delicious canned goods at a time if I dwell on such things? I can't.
Enjoy the menu. Try not to salivate on your keyboard.

Amuse Bouche: Chilled Cucumber Shot

1st Course: Tomato and Bread Soup with Basil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Wine: Argyros Estate Santorini 2004

2nd Course: Frisee and Arugula Salad with Colorado Rose Potato and Beet Chips
Wine: Trinity Viognier 2007

Amuse Bouche: Water Melon Granita and Ice Plant

3rd Course: Stuffed Green Chili with Fresh Mozzarella and Tomato Jam
Wine: Cermeno Tinta De Toro 2006

4th Course: Whole Rotisserie Bone in Pork Loin with Indian Shell Beans and White Carrots
Wine: Beresan “Buzz” Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah Blend 2006

5th Course: Tapioca Pudding with Black Berries
Wine: Inama Veneto Bianco Vino Dolce 2006

WSU Master Gardeners Present : A Potato Hybridizing Workshop With Tom Wagner - 08.28.2009

I can't even begin to tell you what an amazing opportunity this workshop is for you folks. I've raved about Tom here at CCF&F before. Whether you farm for a living, are passionate about your home veg plot, or have a fascination with plant breeding and genetics this will be an event not to be missed. I'm guessing that this workshop will be a bit of a prelude to Tom's upcoming departure for his European tour. He'll be speaking in a number of countries and presenting his work with potatoes and tomatoes. Hopefully we'll be treated to a dry run of the presentation he'll be giving across the pond. I guarantee that once you hear Tom speak, you'll understand why I'm so enthusiastic about this workshop...and it's FREE!

Friday
August 28, 2009
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1919 NE 78th St. Vancouver WA 98665

Cost : free
Registration required: Class size limited to 30
Call: 360-397-6060 X7718 or e-mail to register for the workshop

Independent researcher Tom Wagner of Everett, WA will join us for an informative talk on his work breeding and hybridizing potatoes in the Northwest.

After a sack lunch we will head out to the fields to help harvest and label the tubers for next year’s planting.

If the harvest is good—there should be enough spuds to take home samples.

Bring: a lunch, water, pitchfork, gloves, shoes & clothes for digging, and dress for the weather.

For more information visit Tom Wagner’s blog at:
http://tater-mater.blogspot.com

The Seed Ambassadors Present - A Seed Saving Workshop - Eugene, OR - 8.16.2009

Here's a late breaking announcement about a seed saving workshop being presented by the AMAZING folks of the Seed Ambassador Project:

Hi Everyone,

The Seed Ambassadors Project will be giving a Seed Saving workshop this Sunday, August 16 from 1pm - 3pm at the Skinner City Farm in Eugene.

This workshop will include discussion of the importance of saving seed, guidelines for population size and isolation for seed saving purposes,as well as demonstrations of wet, dry, and fermentation seed processing. If you have seed that you don't know how to process, bring it and we will get it taken care of.

The event is free and is hosted by the City of Eugene Parks and Open Space Division. Light snacks will be provided, and as always, some seed will be available to those in attendance.

Skinner City Farm is located in Skinner Butte Park, at the corner of Lawrence Street and Cheshire. (Two blocks north of 1st Ave.)

We hope to see you there!

Sarah and Andrew

The Seed Ambassadors Project
www.seedambassadors.org

Adaptive Seeds
www.adaptiveseeds.com

North Bank Magazine Winter Edition

The North Bank magazine is in the process of bringing our community another fine issue and the winter edition will be focusing on "artisan foods of the homemade, shop-made or restaurant-made quality — think Dee Creek Farm goat cheese, Crippen Creek Inn pizza and Julia Bakery table breads". They're looking for suggestions for "amazing, off-the-beaten-path, heretofore undiscovered artisan foods and food makers to show off in the next mag". Here's the link to the web site:

North Bank Magazine

Give Jessica a holler with your suggestions! I'm pitching the Solstice Wood Fired Cafe in Bingen, Russell's Bread, the handmade Russian baked goods and halvah from the cool little grocery store on SE 164th...so many treasures in our own backyard...

Urban Livestock In Vancouver

A few weeks back I was contacted by John Manley, a senior planner for the City of Vancouver, to ask if I'd like to participate in an Urban Livestock Advisory Group. After about three seconds of intense deliberation, I accepted. We are not going to be a decision making body, merely a discussion group that will help the City explore the topic of keeping livestock in the city. Most you you may know that I was recently peripherally involved in a similar scenario with Clark County as a concerned citizen. I am looking forward to being more directly involved with this process for the City of Vancouver. One of the things we are being asked to do is to act as a "sounding board" for the concepts and proposals that come from this process. I want you all to know that I plan on representing you folks, your ideas, and your concerns to the best of my ability. I'll let you know what's going on and you let me know what you think about it. Our first meeting is next Tuesday, so I'll have more to report next week.

In the meantime I'm going to do some reading so I can get up to speed on everything and I'd like to recommend you do the same. Here's a link to the City's official web page for Urban Livestock and this process they are beginning:

Urban Livestock - Farm Animals in the City

**78th Street Draft Concept Plan Update**

Seems like the folks over at the County are indeed going to make a live appearance tomorrow evening at the Public Service Center information display for the 78th Street Draft Concept proposal. I know it's not much notice, but I guess we've all come to expect this sort of thing. Here's the note I just got from an "anonymous" individual here at CCF&F.

On August 13th from 5-7pm the Public Service Building will be open with staff there to answer questions about the three concepts.

Clark County Public Service Center, 1300 Franklin St., Vancouver

Wish I could go, but I'm going to see rock star farmer, and agricultural pioneer Joel Salatin tomorrow. I'm sure that my not being there won't break many hearts, but I hope YOU can make it out there. If you go, be sure to ask some good questions. Let 'em know that you're not too keen on the idea of spending the money on developing a bunch of infrastructure until they figure out just how the agricultural land will be used at the site and that you're in favor of Concept I until they get a better plan for ag in place. Also, ask them if they realize that the best land available at the site for use for four season crop production is being proposed as an area of expansion for Hazel Dell Park.

Southwest Washington CSA Farms @ the Clark County Fair

News from the Southwest Washington CSA Farm group:

Southwest Washington CSA Farms will be the Featured Agriculture event at the Clark County Fair this season. We are super excited to have a large stall to showcase what your local CSA farmers are doing. We will have hands-on dirt digging for the children, as well as a raised bed to see. Come by and see us! We're very excited to be given this opportunity, and to be sharing it with you!

The Clark County Fair starts Friday and runs from August 7th to August 16th.

Locavore Delivery & News from Dee Creek Farm - 8.06.2009

I spent today with other local CSA farmers, setting up the Featured Ag exhibit at the Clark County Fair (which starts Friday, btw). Come by and visit! One of our customers with Sunshine Gardenhouse donated a fantastic greenhouse to use. You should swing by and see it, as well as the rest of the display - it's turing out pretty cool!

Don't forget that it's the first of the month, so egg CSA's are due! And returned cartons would be grand.

We'll have several kinds and quantities of produce Thursday evening. Here's what I know, tho' we may end up with more at deliveries (and I'll email order confirmation emails shortly!):

I'm back from an amazingly relaxing trip to Idaho! My grandma said that a glass is heavier the longer you hold it, and suggested that I set mine down for a little bit, that it will feel lighter when I pick it back up. Alas, I feel refreshed and excellent! Since I've only been home a day, I haven't wrapped my mind around everything for deliveries, but will add more to Wednesday nights Quiz Results email. I know we should have several veggie and fruit options.

Anyone up for helping me make an online shopping cart to make delivery stuff easier? ~S

*****

Dee Creek Farm Cheeses, from start to finish
Our cheese can also be found at our Thursday deliveries, or:
Wednesday afternoon/eve at the Camas Farmers Market
Wednesday at the Portland Farmers Market
Thursday 3pm-7pm at the Portland Farmers Market
Friday at Wahkiakum's Two Islands Farm Market
Friday, 3pm-7pm at the Woodland Farmers Market
Saturday, 9am-3pm at the Vancouver Farmers Market
Feta, $5.00/container - Creamy and salt, fresh and pasteurized.
Plain - block or crumble
Fresh Chevre, $5.00/container - Creamy - great on crepes, bagels, crackers, veggies... pasteurized
Original (Plain)
Dill
Garden Mix - seems to be new best seller, along with garlic/chive
Garlic & Chives
Black Pepper
Spicy
Chelby Crumbles, $5/each - Mild, pasteurized, crumbles
CheVin, Blackberry, $1.75oz, 4-8oz. each -semi-hard, unpasteurized, aged 60+ days, soaked in Blackberry wine from The Rusty Grape in Battle Ground.

Eggs,
$5/dozen, ($4.50 per dozen for egg CSA'ers)
$2.50/half-dozen (limited)
First come, first served on extras. Our chickens are fed only natural feeds and lots of pasture - you can find lots of info on our poultry-raising on our website. Be sure to recycle egg cartons that you pick up at our deliveries with us!

Fresh Farmers Fare
Squash (yellow and green zucchini, crook neck), 2 for $1.00
Slicing Cukes, (Japanese, English or Lemon) $2.50/lb.
Pickling Cukes, 5 for $1.00 --- I tried them today, and they are amazing
All of the above is from Storytree CSA Farm in Vancouver.

Organic Heirloom Tomatoes, $2.60/lb.
Organic Blueberries, $32/flat
Organic Garlic, small, $2.50/lb.
Organic Walla Walla Onions, $1.40/lb.
Organic Greens, $
The above comes from NW Organic Farm in Ridgefield

Heads up: Next week we could have large quantities (for preserving) of organic peaches. They MAY be around $25 for a twenty-pound box. Will let you know!

Wild & Naturally Preserved Eats from Nature's Choice,
Mushrooms, Fresh (1/4# bags) -
Lobster $4.00
Maitake $4.00
Shiitake $3.00
Pure Mushroom Seasoning Powders, $5.00 - 4.4oz glass jar
Porcini, Chanterelle, Matsutake, Shiitake, or Maitake
Pure Ground Elderberries $10/half-pint jar (ready to use for teas, tinctures, etc)

Dried Herbs, $4/packet
From Garden DElights in Brush Prairie, these herbs were hand prepared from chemical-free herbs. There are several mixes available - Ask if you want to have a look/smell/feel at deliveries!

Canned "Preserves", low sugar
We will have Strawberry, Raspberry, or White Grape jellies for $5 each (from Garden DElights in Brush Prairie). A multi generational farm, this Mom and daughter team work hard on creating healthful, local, and delicious foods. Generally known for their herb packets & natural doggy treats, they are also a produce CSA farm and have value-added products!
Wild Huckleberry Jam, 7oz., $5.00
Wild Huckleberry Syrup, 8oz., $6.00
These two huckleberry delights are wild-gathered by Nature's Choice, and are made with white grape concentrate. Both are almost sugar free!

*****

Remember that in an effort to be more efficient, and less wasteful, we do not write individual receipts, but instead keep a book. If you specifically want a receipt, please let us know when you place your order, if possible.

Anyone and everyone can order from our deliveries, not just "subscribers"! To any newcomers on the e-list, welcome! Also rest assured that all farms contributing to our deliveries all meet several standards: chemical-free, sustainable, natural, family farming... If you have questions about any of them, don't hesitate to ask, or check them out yourself!

To order, click here and specify what you would like.
All checks go to "Dee Creek Farm", or bring cash.
**BRING YOUR OWN BAG**
We fill pre-orders first, then it’s first come, first served!
We do mostly pre-orders at deliveries, rather than Farmers Market style.
Please help us in this by pre-ordering what you can!

Summer & Spark
E-mail
Farm Phone: 360-225-9711
Cell Phone: 360-903-6956 (no service at the Farm)

Slow Food Southwest Washington Potluck - 8.10.2009

Monday, August 10: Informal Potluck Gathering 6:30 pm

306 W. 21st St. Vancouver 98660

This month's informal potluck gathering will be hosted by Amy McFall Prince. Thanks for having us, Amy! Please join us for a relaxed evening of great food and conversation. Please bring a dish to share. Kids are welcome. Please RSVP via e-mail to Amy.

Clark County Food Bank

A couple of items about the Clark County Food bank:

They are in desperate need of assistance with weeding/thinning their carrot patch at 78th Street. E-mail Bill Coleman if you can lend a hand.

Many people end up here at CCF&F when doing a web search for the Clark County Food Bank, but I have limited information and no links to forward you to the Food Bank...but that all going to change soon! The folks at the Food Bank are on the verge of launching their web site and when they do, you can bet your britches I'll have a link to it here.

Sustainable Living On A Budget Workshop - 8.27.2009

Thursday, August 27, 2009
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Pioneer Grange Hall
3803 N.W. 199th Street
Ridgefield, Washington

A few of the topics this workshop will cover include:

How to save money on groceries and all household items, big and small
Eliminate trips to the grocery store
Shop and cook in season, how to stock the pantry
Voting with our dollars
Eliminate plastics (how to replace them with green materials) and purify your home
Shop with alternatives in mind
The importance of daily and weekly rhythms
Conscious consuming
Small changes that have a big impact on the earth
The value of supporting our local economy, buying direct from the producer
Involve your children of any age in these daily tasks and much more

All of this for only $35 per person!

Sign up at www.SustainableBudget.com to reserve your place.

Questions? E-mail Us

To maintain an atmosphere free from distraction, please no babies or children present.

This is the first workshop in the series. Other workshops include:

Homemade Dairy Products
Grain and Meal Planning
Whole Grain Bread Baking
Fermented Foods and Condiment Making
Full menu cooking classes.

Register for this class and other classes here

Camas Farmers Market - 8.5.2009

August 5th - The 1st Annual Veggie Derby

This Wednesday the market is having the first annual Veggie Derby to celebrate National Farmer's Market week. Come register your vehicle made from veggies from 3pm-4pm in the Kid's booth in front of City Hall. You can make it at home or build one at the market - veggies are provided. Races will begin at 4pm and continue throughout the market. Read more...

Also on August 5th, Bills Baines will be at the market to sharpen your kitchen knives, food processor blades, gardening tools and lawn mower blades (please remove from mower) at very reasonable prices.

The market is gearing up for the 2nd Annual Farm to Table Gala on September 26th. We need lots of help to put this fabulous evening of farm fresh food and music together in the beautiful setting of Farside Farms. Please email us to get involved in the fun!


Market Events

Kid's Activity - 3pm-7pm, Veggie Derby - build a car and race for prizes!
Chef Connection - 4pm, Watch the chef demo and learn some new tips
Music - 5pm-7pm, Richie Bean www.myspace.com/RichieBeanSolo
WSU Master Gardeners - will be at the market information booth with plenty of literature and knowledge to answer your gardening and composting questions

Farmers and Vendors

Around the Table - turkey sandwiches, baked goods from Truly Scrumptious Tarts
Brun's Bakery - French white loaf, French rye baguette, apple cake, chocolate cookies, gluten free chocolate cookies, hot lips soda
Draper Girls' Country Farm - apricots, cherries, lamb, pork, dried apples, apples, pears, cider
Duyck's Peachy-Pig Farm - produce! zucchini, cukes and more. Also, cherries, berries, hazelnuts, walnuts, prunes, berries, honey
The Garlic Lady - hand stuffed olives, pickled vegetables and garlic, drink mixes and gourmet natural cooking and beverage sauces
Gumbo Goddess - cajun cuisine with a southern twist - gumbo, jambalaya, fried catfish, offering vegetarian and flourless options
Heather's Toffees - eight flavors of gourmet, hand-made toffee made with organic ingredients
Hill Tree Farms - flowers, green beans
Iko Farms - corn! watermelon, cantaloupe, onions, potatoes, beets, carrots, zucchini, green beans
Lacamas Lavender - lavender plants and items, eggs and honey
Mac's Garden - lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, berries, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, potted plants
Nature's Choice/Dee Creek Farm - mushrooms (fresh premium wild porcini & morels, organic shiitake & maitake), cheeses, wild huckleberry jam & syrup, raw unfiltered honey, spring peas, pure mushroom seasonings, pure, dried ground wild elderberry powder
Nutz-R-Us - candied nuts, iced teas
Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters - artisan roasted specialty coffee beans, iced and hot coffee
"Pop-a-Bak" - variety of fruit filled baklava and Greek gyros
Rosemattel's - tomatoes! green tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, heirloom beans, kale, parsley, potatoes, tomatillos, fresh harvested herbs
Russell's Breads - garlic parmesan, kalamata olive, challah, brioche, scones, cookies, sweet breads and biscuits
Svitoch European Bakery - baked goods, bread, cookies, pastries
Xiong Farms - tulips, irises, wallflowers, and many more flowers
Zabor Mexican Grill -tamales, quesadillas, tacos, burritos and strawberry water.

We welcome your comments - please send an e-mail or leave a comment on our blog.

The market is every Wednesday from 3:00pm to 7:00pm, in front of the Camas Public Library, on Fourth Avenue between NE Everett and NE Franklin until September 30th. No sales will be transacted before 3:00pm.

The Fast Food Rockers vs Democracy Now

Joel Salatin @ the Urban Farm Store in PDX - 8.13.2009!!

JOEL SALATIN TO VISIT THE URBAN FARM STORE

Popularized recently in Michael Pollan’s ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma’, Joel, a Virginia farmer and author, has been one of the leading figures in the effort to reform the way we produce and distribute our food.

I am very pleased to announce that Joel Salatin, respected farmer and author, will make a free appearance at The Urban Farm Store (1925 SE Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214) from 4:30-5:30 on August 13th. He will be signing his books and promoting a lecture later that night. Joel will be speaking on the importance of the plant-animal symbiosis to heal the landscape, the community, and the eater.

The lecture, 7-9PM at 5626 NE Alameda, will benefit the Hollywood Farmers' Market. Tickets for that lecture will be available at our store and at the door for $25 per person.

Tickets are also for sale at the Hollywood Farmers’ Market booth, Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. Or you can reach the market at 503-709-7403 or tickets@hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.

Event Location: Friendship Masonic Center at 5626 NE Alameda Street (located at 57th and NE Sandy Blvd.) Parking is across the street on Alameda St. and the Masonic Center is serviced by bus lines #12 and #71.

Hands-On Poultry Processing Workshop - 8.23.2009

Hands-On Poultry Processing Workshop sponsored by the WSDA Small Farms & Direct Marketing Program, the Mason Conservation District, and Heifer International

When: Sunday, August 23 from 9:00am to 2:00pm, please register no late than August 19th!

What: Learn the step-by-step process of humane, on-farm chicken processing from small-scale poultry farmers. Participants are encouraged to practice the process.

Why: To help new producers learn or improve butchering skills and learn about licensing options in Washington.

Who: Small-scale producers interested in butchering chickens for onfarm
sales or for yourself and family.

Where: Homegrown Pastures in Olympia, WA. Detailed directions will be sent with registration confirmation.

Cost: $35.00 per person or $50.00 for two adults from the same farm. Includes refreshments and a processed chicken to take home.

Participants will be eligible for a $40.00 rebate towards their 2009 WSDA poultry permit.

QUESTIONS?
Nate Lewis & Melissa Barker
Homegrown Pastures
(360) 867-9333
e-mail

or

Colleen Donovan at
(509) 306-0059
e-mail

*Space is limited to 20 people so that everyone has an opportunity to process chickens*