Clark County Agriculture: Do CSAs Count? - Jim & Diane Hunter

In the August, 2008 issue of the Vancouver Voice, Reporter Ossie Bladine asks the question: "Is farming dead in Clark County?" About a year and a half ago, our County Government was poised to answer "yes" to this question, and they had a Globalwise, Inc. study to back it up. As the land use debate heated up, plans to receive public comment on the study and its conclusions were dropped and the study was buried in an appendix. Without the controversial study, the main text of the County's Comprehensive Plan EIS contained less than half a page addressing plans to convert four thousand acres of agricultural resource lands to McMansion style development.

Back in early 2007, Jim and Diane were poised with pages of comments to submit to the hearing regarding the Globalwise study, but that hearing never came. So Ossie's article, dusting off this important question, offers us another chance.

First, allow us to point out ia glaring hole in the Globalwise study's data: fresh fruit and vegetables. The study admits that its data on Clark County contains no numbers on the value of fruits and vegetables grown in Clark County for fresh rather than processed consumption. And there we have Globalwise's answer to our title question: CSA's don't count, because Globalwise didn't bother to count them. Farmers like Joe Beaudoin of Joe's Place Farms or Bill Zimmerman of Bi-Zi Farms don't count because their businesses involve selling fresh produce direct to the public. Farms that sell fresh produce at Farmers Markets in Vancouver or Portland weren't counted. Even the rare large commercial farm that may have a contract with a supermarket for fresh produce doesn't count. None of us count from the Globalwise perspective.

Now, all the blame doesn't rest with Globalwise. They were just processing and manipulating the data that the U.S.D.A. census provided them. Fresh local produce didn't get on the U.S.D.A. census counters' questionnaire until this year. We anxiously await their results.

How much this changes the numbers Globalwise was working with is not the most important issue. The important issue is that the study glossed over the emerging nascent agricultural sector that offers the greatest hope for Clark County farmers and consumers.

But small farmers like ourselves were most alarmed by how Globalwise chose to define "commercial agriculture." The definition of "commercial agriculture" was critical to the County's plans, because in the Growth Management Act, it is "commercial agriculture" that is protected by the "agriculture resource lands" zoning designation. Globalwise chose to define "commercial agriculture" as agricultural business enterprises that generate forty thousand dollar per year "family wage" jobs.

Now in the hard nosed world of the neoclassical econometric measurement of the high tech North American economy, forty thousand dollars may seem a reasonable figure to apply to public policy choices. There's only one problem: agriculture never has and never will fit neatly into that econometric model. Ignoring this fact has far reaching and dire consequences.

Relying on the same U.S.D.A. source as Globalwise, somewhere around seventy percent of farms in the United States have GROSS receipts of less than $25,000. That is for the business. Net family income from the business that would meet Globalwise's "family wage" standard must by definition be a fraction of this figure. Conclusion: seventy percent of the farms nationwide don't even come close to this standard, from which we can infer that the percentage that do is a single digit figure.

In other words, measuring " commercial agriculture" by a forty thousand dollar family wage standard leads to the conclusion that commercial agriculture is viable in only two places: on a tiny number of U. S. mega farms that rely on mechanization, chemicals and a poorly paid transient labor supply to generate enough net dollars to pay for the overseer's family wage job, or in the third world where no such standards apply. The only conclusion that to be reached using the Globalwise standard is that agriculture is dead, not only in Clark County, but in ninety-nine out of a hundred counties in the nation.

Is this a standard by which we want to plan for the future of our food supply?

It's time for Globalwise, Inc. and the Clark County Commissioners to get "LOCALWISE".

Diane & Jim Hunter, greens@huntersgreens.com
Hunter's Greens CSA,
http://huntersgreens.com
Brush Praire, WA.
(360) 256-3788

Clark County Agriculture: A Fresh Voice - Jim & Diane Hunter

A special thank you from Jim & Diane Hunter of Hunters' Greens CSA

Clark County Agriculture: A Fresh Voice

We want to send out a huge thank you to reporter Ossie Bladine of the
Vancouver Voice for jolting our muse out of her late summer slumber.
Check out his article: "Is farming dead in Clark County?" in the August
issue. And a thank you to Hunters' Greens CSA member Mike Williams
for providing us with a clipping service during our harvest madness.

Ossie is brand new to town, and as such is able to approach the
agricultural crisis in Clark County with the fresh eyes of an outsider
(like an anthropologist describing a remote Pacific Island culture for
the first time).

What Ossie has done for the jaded eyes of our muse is to raise a whole
range of issues to which she is dying to sing, such as: "Do small CSA
farms count as commercial agriculture?", "Bringing Schumacher Home to
the First World", "Development Rights: Who's Selling What to Whom?",
"Medium can be Beatiful Too". So let's get started. And Thanks again
Ossie.


Diane & Jim Hunter, greens@huntersgreens.com
Hunter's Greens CSA, http://huntersgreens.com
Brush Praire, WA. (360) 256-3788

Farm Connect Availability List for 8/14 Delivery

What is Farm Connect you ask? It's the BEST way to get farm fresh products from local farmers...at least when one of our excellent farmers' markets aren't open for business. I wrote all about it here

Be sure to order today if you'd like something tomorrow. And remember, anyone can order anything. Notice the extended times, and new location!

The "CSA" discount pricing options are for people who pre-pay for the month, and pick up weekly. Ask for details! You’ll find us this week in our brown/grey minivan. ~S

To order, send e-mail to summer@deecreekfarm.com 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!

Grassfed Beef
Sold out! More coming in late-September! Do you want on the waiting list?

Pastured Poultry
Chicken - $3/lb and up
Turkey - $25/bird deposit to order for Fall, $3.50/lb at harvest (minus deposit)
We are now taking orders for DCF chickens, mid-August through late-October, turkeys for Fall. Possible delivery options with other produce CSA farms as well. Email for info!

Cheeses,
Aged Feta, $5.50/container retail, $5.00/container CSA
Creamy crumbles of unpasteurized aged feta from DCF to top your salad, pasta, or olive ciabatta from Julia Bakery(yum!). The perfect treat for a warm summer day! We’re hoping to have milk & soft cheeses by late-August!

Eggs,
$4/dozen retail, $3.75/dozen CSA
$2.75/dozen for the "small and/or stained" eggs
We will fill DCF egg CSA's first, but this week we have extra from our farm, as well as the Greyfields Farm, so email if you'd like some. Also recycle your DCF egg cartons with us!

Raw Honey,
Pint $7
Quart $12
Half Gallon $18
Gallon $32
Honey in Comb, $12 per package
Packaged in glass or plastic jars, this delicious raw honey comes from Honey House Farm in Brush Prairie.

Kombucha Scoby,
FREE
For anyone up for the task, I’ve a couple of kombucha scoby’s. If you don’t know what it is, Google it!

All-Natural Soap,
$4/bar
Garden Guardian from DCF is full of wonderful essential oils that are beneficial for hard-working hands, and is a great exfoliant for those dirty finger nails. Go and dig in, you can still look nice for dinner guests! Friendly to sensitive skin, as it's all-natural.

Produce,
Garlic, $3/lb. small heads (7-8 heads)
Walla Walla Onions, $1.50/lb
Red Torpedo Onions, $2.10/lb
Cipollini Onions, $3/lb
Blueberries, $3.75/pint, $2.60/half-pint (or $38/pint-flat, $25/half-pint flat -- 12 per flat)
All of this produce comes from NW Organic in Ridgefield, certified organic!

Pickling Cucumbers, 5 for $1, or 60 for $10 -- requested that they be smaller than last week
Slicing Burpless Cucumbers, $.65/each
Zucchini, $0.50/each
These are spray-free (not certified organic, but otherwise up to par) and come from Wiggins farm Woodland. They have them in boxes, and so you can take a bundle to pickle, ferment, or slice up at home. The pickling cukes are about 3", the slicing are up to 16"+! Everything will be picked tomorrow morning! Since working with us, they've connected with the Camas Farmers Market - they'll be there Saturday!

Nourishing Traditions Cookbook, $20
I'll be placing an order in two weeks (hopefully) for a couple of boxes of Nourishing Traditions "cookbooks". Since we are buying in bulk, we can get them for 30% off, at $20 each, no shipping/tax. Great price! If anyone wants to pre-order one, let me know! We need 8 to get at least one box.

Produce & Poultry CSA's Reminder
For those who have signed up for monthly or seasonal CSA's with Dee Creek Farm, don't forget to pick up your fresh produce straight from the gardens, and natural, pasture-raised poultry, eggs, and cheese! Any extra will be available for sale at deliveries.

Email: summer@deecreekfarm.com
Farm Phone: 360-225-9711
Cell Phone: 360-903-6956 (no service at the Farm)

This Lawn Is Your Lawn...

...a YouTube video made by some folks who are double-dog daring the next dingus who will be be our President to plant a vegetable garden at the White House and utilize the produce to feed his family. Can't say I've heard of a better idea lately....aside from installing taxi cab meters in police cars...but that's a whole other story. Anyways, it's well worth squandering four minutes and fifty two seconds of your life to watch.

This Lawn Is Your Lawn

P.S. - Anyone know if our "Green" county commissioner Steve Stuart or Mark "Good ol' Boy" Boldt has a vegetable garden planted? Or maybe they are members of one of Clark County's many fine CSA farms? Both claim to be very concerned about preserving local agriculture....

Eat the View

Food Preservation Hotline

Wondering what to do with an abundance of fruits & veggies from your garden this year? Always wanted to "put up" some jam or tomato sauce like Grandma used to do, but not sure where to start? Well you're in luck! The good folks at WSU Clark County Ag Extension offer a Food Safety Hotline that you can call and get qualified help. Here's the scoop:

Food Safety and Nutrition Hotline

An educator or a trained volunteer can answer your questions about food safety, food preservation or basic nutrition issues Monday through Friday 9am – 4pm, at 360-397-6060. If no one is available to answer your call, please leave a message and you will receive a return call within 24 hrs.

Also, here's a link to the Extension's Frequently Asked Questions page on their web site:

WSU Extension FAQ web page

Another Vermicomposting Class @ NW Redworms

This just in from vermmeister, Doug Knippel of NW Redworms:

September 15, Vermicompost Class, 1 pm.
Seats available - $12 (Camas)

Redworm Compost (Vermicompost) Class

I have enjoyed meeting many of my customers and now friends in the process of getting them started on composting. I have given many facility tours while answering questions, due to a lack of time I can no longer do that for each customer. So, I have created this class for those who want to: I will be posting additional information on my website www.northwestredworms.com under vermicompost class. Learn about composting organic waste, types of compost, types of compost systems and how they work the use and benefits of composting and using redworms, soil biology and chemistry, worm biology setting up a compost system, building up your compost and harvesting your product.

This Seminar will include approximately one hour of instruction, visual displays, handouts, a facility tour, and time for questions. About two hours total time. There is room for 10 adults (sorry no minors).

The meeting location will be at the "In The Woods Cat Chalet" at 806 NE 202 Ave, Camas WA 98607. The cost is $12 per person. If you wish to attend you may call (360)513-7251 or e-mail to reserve your seat.

Credit card payments are accepted through PayPal and by phone. Seats are paid for in advance (non refundable unless cancelled 3 days prior to class date or the class is cancelled).

I will be posting additional information on my website www.northwestredworms.com under vermicompost class. Don't let springtime catch you unprepared for your gardening fun. Also check out the Giant pumpkin contest.

Northwest Redworms
806 NE 202 Ave
Camas WA 98607
360-513-7251
To go to our website to sign up follow this link http://www.northwestredworms.com

Got Bees? How about Cucumbers? Ready to be a Farmer?

Want Bees?

I'm going to pass on a local source for bee hives to you. Here's his craigslist ad:

Bee Hives (Vancouver/Hazel Dell)

Reply to: sale-785276638@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-08-06, 7:41AM PDT

I got beehives for sale. Honey is GOOD. If interested please let me know 503-702-5938. Tony

Want to make pickles but can't find a good, affordable source of fresh pickling cukes? Give these folks a ring:

CUCUMBERS (Woodland)

Reply to: sale-787003364@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-08-07, 10:33AM PDT

No commercial fertilizer and no pesticide spray. Just picked this morning!
Pickling ten for $1.00. Slicing and burpless extra large $0.50 each.

793 Whalen Rd
Woodland, WA 98674
360-225-9380

Ready to give up the cubicle and try your hand at farming? (I heard a rumor that this site is also the location of the future Vulcan Spirits tasting room...talk about a great location!)
Check this out:

free organic garden

Reply to: sale-784712181@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-08-05, 5:56PM PDT

Organic farm/garden on 3 level irrigated acres. Must operate natural/organic gardens and maintain acreage. Produce stand included. Water and irrigation drip system included. Small orchard. Excellent location in center of historic Amboy village. Part of 4 acre complex including winery/distillery operation, tasting room, art gallery and crafts and local products market. Overall complex includes two historic homes, outbuildings, a winery/distillery building and barn/warehouse. Owner operates distillery, gallery and event/music venue. Formal tiered flower/herb gardens and patios. 360-686-3342

Camas Fresh Produce

Man oh man...I never cease to be amused by the old adage, "You learn something new every day." In fact, if you just keep your eyes & ears open, you'll probably learn two or three things every day. So one of the very cool things I learned today was that the folks in Camas have the good fortune of patronizing a locally owned, sustainably conscious, US farmer supporting produce market. I am positively green with envy. I have to shop at Fred Meyer if I can't make it to the Farmers' Market or the garden isn't producing....and let me tell you folks, even if you live close to the new, fancy Freddie's at Grand Central, the produce selection is usually sub-par, over or under ripe, and often over-priced (even when compared to New Seasons or Food Front).

Enough about me and more about Camas Fresh Produce. Apparently this small, locally owned market has only been flying under the radar for since 2004 and is being extremely well-received by the community. In fact, rumor has it, that they are optimistic enough about the future that there are plans for moving to a larger location and adding a bakery and butcher. Nice!

Here are a couple of links that will tell you a bit more about Camas Fresh and how to find them:

Article from the esteemed Vancouver Business Journal

Google Maps Info

NW Organics Farm New Website

OK. I'll admit the new NW Organics Farm website may have been up for a few months already, but I just found out about it today. Anyways, it's always nice to see another local farmer staking out a piece of virtual real estate on the WWW.

So now you know about the new website too. Go check it out, head on over to the farm, buy some of the best tomatoes this side of anywhere, and support the good folks at NW Organics.

FYI, if you're in the restaurant biz, NW Organics would looooooooooove to take on your produce needs. If you care about serving your patrons the highest quality product, then you owe it to yourself to see what Joyce & Greg can do for you and your kitchen.

NW Organic Farms
17713 NW 61st Avenue
Ridgefield, WA 98642
360-573-4868

Tour d'Organics Bike Ride/Farm Tour in Clark County

2008 Ride Details
OrganicAthlete Portland invites you to join us on September 6th, 2008 for the Tour D' Organics Portland. This year we are going to explore Vancouver and Clark County, Washington. We will have three ride options, 35, 65, and 100 mile routes.

Start/Finish Location:
All rides will start and finish in Portland at the Natural Capital Center, 721NW 9th Ave. Click here for a map.

Routes:
The ride options will all follow the same route into Vancouver and the first stop. From that point the 35 mile route will split from the 65 and 100 mile route. The 65 and 100 mile riders will ride on to the second stop at that point those routes will go in different directions. The 100 mile route will then join back with the 65 mile route on the way back to Portland. The course is a gentle rolling course with only a few short climbs.

We are currently working with the local farms to set up rest stops. We will have full details of each stop in the near future. Lunch will be provided after the ride and details of this will be posted soon.

Registration:

The 2008 Portland event fees are as follows:
35 mile - $40
65 mile - $50
100 mile- $55

10% discount if you register before June 30, 2008.
5% discount if you register before August 1st, 2008.

On the Road:
This is a fully supported ride. Bicycles are expected to be in good repair and riders should have a patch kit, pump, and tire irons. Helmets are required.

More informationContact Ride Director, Jim Stuck.

North Vancouver CSA Festival - August 16th

North Vancouver CSA Festival
Saturday, August 16, 2008
10:00am - 4:00pm

Rosemattel’s CSA (10311 NE 72nd Ave) and Storytree Farm (6227 NE 124th St) will host a tour and festival at their North Vancouver farms, the weekend of August 16th 2008.

This free event illustrates the growing popularity of the CSA system of food production and distribution while celebrating small, diverse farms in Clark County. Attendees will learn about intensive low-input farming on the urban fringe, while discovering the benefits of eating healthy, local food.

For more information, go to http://www.localharvest.org/member/M18289

Farm Connect - Local Food from Local Farmers

Well, it seems that the awesome and innovative folks from Dee Creek Farm and the Vancouver Food Coop have joined forces to bring our fair community a new and ingenious plan to get the freshest food from our local farms to your table. The new venture is called Farm Connect and every week a variety of farm fresh produce, meats, and other locally crafted delicacies will be available for order/pick up. These products are delivered to multiple drop off locations weekly. In order to stay updated, be sure to subscribe to the "vfc_buyersclub" Google group http://groups.google.com/group/vfc-buyersclub/about . Also, please visit the Coop website and see what they're all about. The VFC is working very hard to open a physical location in the near future and could use your support. Please consider becoming a VFC member. It is ABSOLUTELY one of the best investments you can make in our local food system.

Here's a sample of what you might find expect if you sign up for info. from Farm Connect:

Anyone can order for Thursday deliveries, not just CSA’ers. For those who are new to this, the "CSA" discount pricing options are for people who pre-pay for the month, and pick up weekly. Ask for details! You’ll find us this week in our brown/grey minivan. ~S

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!

Grassfed Beef $2/lb. hanging weight + processing fees. This meat won't be ready for pick up at deliveries, but I wanted to share a good opportunity for anyone interested. Email me off-list and I can connect you to the farmer that has the cows ready for harvest, and you can go from there! Nearly all sold!

Pastured Poultry Chicken - $3/lb and up Turkey - $25/bird deposit to order for Fall, $3.50/lb at harvest (minus deposit) We are now taking orders for DCF chickens, mid-August through late- October, turkeys for Fall. Possible delivery options with other produce CSA farms as well. Email for info!

Cheeses, Raw Aged Feta, $5.50/container retail, $5.00/container CSA Creamy crumbles of unpasteurized aged feta from DCF to top your salad, pasta, or olive ciabatta from Julia Bakery (yum!). The perfect treat for a warm summer day! We’re hoping to have milk & soft cheeses by late-August!

Eggs, $4/dozen retail, $3.75/dozen CSA $2.75/dozen for the "small and/or stained" eggs. We will fill DCF egg CSA's first, but this week we have extra from our farm, as well as the Greyfields Farm, so email if you'd like some. Also recycle your DCF egg cartons with us!

Raw Honey, Pint $7 Quart $12 Half Gallon $18 Gallon $32 Packaged in glass or plastic jars, this delicious raw honey comes from Honey House Farm in Brush Prairie.

Kombucha Scoby, FREE For anyone up for the task, I’ve a couple of kombucha scoby’s. If you don’t know what it is, Google it!

All-Natural Soap, $4/bar Garden Guardian from DCF is full of wonderful essential oils that are beneficial for hard-working hands, and is a great exfoliant for those dirty finger nails. Go and dig in, you can still look nice for dinner guests! Friendly to sensitive skin, as it's all-natural.

Produce:

Garlic, $3/lb. small heads (7-8 heads) Walla Walla Onions, $1.50/lb Red Torpedo Onions, $2.10/lb Cipollini Onions, $3/lb Blueberries, $3.75/pint, $2.60/half-pint (or $38/pint-flat, $25/half- pint flat -- 12 per flat) All of this produce comes from NW Organic in Ridgefield, certified organic!

Produce & Poultry CSA's Reminder For those who have signed up for monthly or seasonal CSA's with Dee Creek Farm, don't forget to pick up your fresh produce straight from the gardens, and natural, pasture-raised poultry, eggs, and cheese! Any extra will be available for sale at deliveries.

To pre-order or for inquiries, please contact Summer @ Dee Creek Farm
E-mail: summer (at) deecreekfarm (dot) com
Farm Phone: 360-225-9711

Just Say No to Ethanol

Why? Here's the simple truth:

1) It's driving up the cost of a gallon of gas.

2) It reduces fuel economy.

3) While the use of ethanol may reduce CO emissions, burning ethanol also contributes to other emissions that contribute to smog...so it's actually trading one form of harmful emissions for another.

4) The cost of food is going up and that's having a seriously negative effect on the health of a nation that already suffers from the highest rate of child hunger in the industrialized world. That's right. Tens of millions of American citizens are going hungry every year and most of them are under the age of 18.

5) A significant increase in petroleum consumption is occurring due to the increase in farm machinery use (like tractors), the increased manufacturing of pesticides and fertilizers (to help "grow" the ethanol), and ethanol must be shipped by rail, tanker truck or barge due to the potential for contamination by moisture if it is pumped through pipelines.

6) We're further jeopardizing our nation's food security and mortgaging the future of our children to grow gasoline. It would take 212 billion bushels of corn to produce enough fuel to meet current annual US gasoline demand...the entire world only produced 2.1 billion bushels of grain last year. Where the hell is the rest of our food going to come from if all of our arable land is being used to produce plant material for bio fuel???

7) Your tax dollars are being used to subsidize the production of ethanol and subsequently contributing to the overflowing coffers of some the slimiest petrochemical agribusiness giants (like ADM) and at the same time providing them a mandate to continue the rape and ruin of our nation's farmlands, water supply, and natural environment.

My sincerest apologies to the great Willie Nelson for this rant on bio fuel. I know some of the farmers he's supported so proudly and for so long are finally seeing some of the red ink disappear from their books due to the increase in grain prices and the agricultural subsidies, but most folks aren't...and that includes a hell of a lot of folks who aren't benefiting from inappropriate, taxpayer funded subsidies. I also know that Willie has his own bio fuel company going strong back home in Texas. They're not producing ethanol. They're producing bio diesel. I don't much care for that either for many of the same reasons I'm against ethanol spiked gasoline. It's going to take a seriously enormous shift in the way we operate to recognize the benefits of bio diesel over fossil fuel and, being the individual that I am, I just don't see it happening in Willie's lifetime or mine. Anyways, just wanted make it clear that I'm not intentionally stepping on Willie's toes. He's always been my hero. And he still is, it seems.

Don't believe me? Well here are some links to folks that took the time to write about this very subject...complete with footnotes and all of the good stuff that fact checkers like to see:

The conservative folks from The Heritage Foundation published this article by Ben Lieberman, 'The Ethanol Mandate Should Not Be Expanded' .

The more progressive minded Grist published this nice piece from one of my favorite journalists, Tom Philpott, 'A revolt against ethanol?' .

Fuel Ethanol Subsidies: An Economic Perspective, is a nice read brought to you by BIPAC. The Business Industry Political Action Committee...Board of Directors members include executive officers from Bollinger Shipyards, Weyerhauser, Lockheed-Martin, General Motors, Sun Microsystems, Goodyear, Exxon, JELD-WEN, Verizon...and the list goes on.

Sustainable Shopping Class

This just in from one of Clark County's hardest working naturalists and sustainablility proponents, Gary Bock. Sounds like a great class and it's only seven bucks! Nice....

Hi Friends,

I hope you can join me for a class on Sustainable Shopping this Wednesday July 30 at 6:30 p.m. at Firstenburg Community Center. I will be talking about some of the principles from Dr. Ellis Jones' book "The Better World Shopping Guide" and may even have a copy or two to give away. I will take his well researched ideas and combine them with my experiences in the trenches (and strip malls) of Clark County to deliver an entertaining and educational evening. To register for the class call 360-487-7001 ext. 0 and register for class# 49619. The $7 fee covers Firstenburg's expenses and doesn't go to me or any of my pet programs.

I hope to see you there!

Gary Bock

Laughing Buddha Brewing Co. @ By the Bottle next Saturday!

Another awesome beer tasting coming up Saturday the 26th! Offered by Dave & Arlene Nunez and their beer-saavy crew at By the Bottle. Save your gas dollars and buy more beer by shopping locally. By the Bottle is located in downtown Vancouver. Here's a reprint of their e-mail notice:

Meet the pioneers of Modern Asian style beers, Chris Castillo & Joe Valvo, owners/brewers of Laughing Buddha Brewing Company at By the Bottle's Meet the Brewer Tasting.

Saturday, July 26, 2008
3:00pm to 6:00pm

Laughing Buddha is new in the Seattle area, but no laughing matter. They focus on incorporating Asian ingredients such as ginger and pandan leaves into their highly unique beers and are already creating quite the buzz. If you haven't heard of Laughing Buddha Brewing, you will. At the recent Brewer's Festival in Seattle, it wasn't hard to notice that they had the longest line for most of the day. Come and check out why on the 26th. More details will follow. For now, get it on your calendar!

Salud!

By the Bottle
360-696-0012
104 W. Evergreen Blvd.
Vancouver, WA 98660
bythebottle@aol.com
Google Map Link

Smithsonian exhibit coming to Clark County Museum

The Smithsonian Institution’s exhibit Key Ingredients: America by Food, covering 500 years of American food culture, will be shown for six weeks beginning Saturday, July 26, in the Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main Street.

There is no admission fee on the opening day, which begins at 3 p.m. with the sale of a classic cookbook, according to museum executive director Susan Tissot. On opening day 16th Street just north of the museum will be closed to make way for restaurants and food vendors.

Clark County Historical Museum Website

Pluck You

Alright, so maybe the title of this post should have been you pluck, but either way here's a link to some great folks who will rent you the equipment you need to process your own poultry at home...just don't let your homeowner's association find out. And even better than that, it will only set you back $50 for two days. Such a bargain!

http://www.portableplucker.com/

FEATHERMAN plucker, scalder, cones and dunker/shackles for rent.
For chickens, turkeys and other medium to large birds.

Simplifying life for the small poultry farmer and the family farm.

Featherman Poultry Processing Lending Program
Serving the Portland and Salem, OR areas

Tel / 971 327-8509
info@portableplucker.com

The Featherman plucker and scalder allow you to process more birds more efficiently. Simply fill the scalder with water the night before, and let it bring the water to the perfect temperature for scalding (or fill it with hot water in the morning). You can dunk your birds by hand, or use the dunker/shackle apparatus. This allows you to submerge four birds at once. We like submerging the birds because you end up with nice, clean chicken feet for your bone broths.

Then move the birds to the plucker, which completely plucks the birds in seconds, sending the feathers down a chute into a bucket. Your birds are now ready to finish.

Both machines are relatively easy to move. It takes two moderately strong people to lift them into the back of your truck or van. Also included are two cones for broilers, one for turkeys, instructions on how to work the machines, and even a booklet on how to butcher chickens. You will also be asked to fill out a lease agreement and leave a $50 deposit, which is refundable if the equipment is returned undamaged and thoroughly cleaned.

For more information on the plucker and scalder, visit http://www.featherman.net. For more information on butchering your own chickens, visit http://www.butcherachicken.blogspot.com/.

We are located in Aurora, OR. Call or email today to reserve your rental! Rental is $50 for two days ($50 refundable deposit)

A Penny Saved... Wisely?: Farming on the Forty-fifth Parallel by Jim & Diane Hunter

About thirty years ago up in Bellingham, Jim asked a friend out to a movie. Big brother John was just home for the summer from grad school at U.S.C., and asked to tag along. This annoyed Jim, as the friend was of the female variety. We were going to the late show, and as we emerged from behind St. Lukes Hospital, a beautiful sunset could be seen over Holly Street and Bellingham Bay. A couple of blocks down Holly on the northwest side of the street was a burger joint called the Arctic Circle Drive-In. "Wow, remarked John, "you guys sure are close to the Arctic Circle up here." As he recalls it, Jim is sure that he and Kathleen both rolled our eyes and said to ourselves, "SO.... " Brothers can be so annoying.

Eventually we figured out that scientist John wasn't talking about the drive-in.

Every year around the summer and winter solstices, Jim gets to thinking about latitude. We have lived on the farm longer than anywhere else Jim has lived. Being settled in one location with the same landmarks year after year, has allowed us to understand and appreciate where we set on the globe's surface.

If you drive south on Interstate 5, somewhere around Salem you will see a sign announcing that you are crossing the 45th parallel. It may even point out that it means that you are half way between the North Pole and the Equator. So what Jim is wondering is whether everyone else thinks that this is the coolest latitude around for understanding the seasons. For instance, we always say the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But at our latitude, this is really only true on two days of the year, at the equinoxes. Our property doesn't allow seeing the sun actually appear over the horizon at sunrise and sunset, but Jim's feeble grasp of geometry tells him that at the summer solstice on the 45th parallel the sun should rise in the northeast and set in the northwest. On the winter solstice it should rise in the southeast and set in the southwest. Such symmetry can be had at no other latitude. Is that cool or what?

Also, our latitude is the easiest to figure out when the sun will rise and set (except for at the poles and equator). As we understand it the sun rises and sets at the same time every day at the equator. While at the poles it rises at the spring equinox, circles the horizon for six months and then sets on the fall equinox. So, half way in between, the sun will rise at six A.M. and P.M. on the equinxoxes, 4 A.M. and 8 P.M.(standard time) on the summer solstice, and 8A.M. and 4 P.M. on the winter solstice. So did everyone else have this all worked out, and we're just slow, or what?

So what's all this got to do with farming and saving pennies? Well first, we pay attention to where shade is, because often we want to take advantage of it to keep plants cooler. It's cheaper than investing in shade cloth. It took us a while to figure out that the north side of a building is not a cool place on a summer evening. But this summer solstice, Jim's got to thinking about latitude and photoperiodism, and that's a whole 'nother essay. So stay tuned...

Diane & Jim Hunter, greens@huntersgreens.com
Hunter's Greens CSA, http://huntersgreens.com
Brush Praire, WA. (360) 256-3788

More Good Stuff from Jim & Diane Hunter of Hunter's Greens CSA!

Clark County Agriculture: Drop the Appeal

Do Commissioners Steve Stewart and Mark Boldt care about farming in Clark County? Do they care about the community food security of our urban residents? Well maybe it's time to stop beating around the bush and ask them.

If Boldt and Stewart do care, they will join together, assert their independence and vote to halt the appeal of the Growth Management Board's ruling on farm land in Clark County. This action could save at least a thousand acres of prime farmland from being paved over.

Some may ask, "But what about the poor farmers who can't make a living on their land any more?" Well, we need to care about them too, but selling to developers isn't the only answer to their plight. The County could utilize designated funds, which can be matched with State and Federal dollars to offer these farmers a cash settlement to agree to keep their land in agriculture. Under this plan, called purchase of conservation easements. the farmers could withdraw at least a portion of the development value of their land now. When they decide to retire and sell the farm, they can capture the remainder of the value in sale to another farmer, at a price the farmer could afford.

Will it be as sweet as the deal the developers are promising in their other ear? Probably not, but given the state of housing economy, farmers need to ask whether that deal will come through in time to do them any good.

We need to save farm land in Clark County. Then we need to start building up our local farm and food economy.

The world and our economy are on a crash course for some serious hurt. When the hurt comes, do, we, the people of Clark County want to be able to feed ourselves? Or will we be content to spend more of our declining dollars lining the pockets of a few world traders, buying food of questionable safety, grown by poor people who don't have the right to protest the injustice of their working conditions?

Every crisis offers danger and opportunity. Write Commissioners Boldt and Stewart and tell them which future you would choose for Clark County's food system.

(We plan to submit this to the Vancouver Columbian)

Diane & Jim Hunter, greens@huntersgreens.com
Hunter's Greens CSA, http://huntersgreens.com
Brush Prairie, WA. (360) 256-3788