Farm Connect Delivery - 8/21/08

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

We'll be at the Vancouver Farmers Market on Saturday!

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
Taking a waiting list for grassfed beef to be harvested in September. They are Limousin cows, fed from a pasture and orchard ground fall - no grains ever. Anticipated price is $2/lb hanging weight (approx. 500lbs whole), plus butcher fees (Battle Ground butcher shop). More coming, but you can join the waiting list now for details!

Pastured Poultry Chicken
$3/lb and upTurkey - $25/bird deposit to order for Fall, $3.50/lb at harvest (minus deposit)Our weekly CSA is SOLD OUT. We are taking orders for 10/16 and 10/31. If you order 5 or more, you get 10% off. Remember we will have NO chickens again until May!

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 soft cheeses possibly as early as next week!

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

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

Produce
Blueberries, $3.75/pint, $2.60/half-pint (or $25/half-pint flat, $38/pint-flat -- 12 per flat)These berries come from NW Organic in Ridgefield, certified organic!

Pickling Cucumbers, 5 for $1, or 60 for $10Slicing Burpless Cucumbers, $.65/each

Zucchini, $0.50/eachThese are spray-free (not certified organic, but otherwise up to par) and come from Wiggins Farm in Woodland. You can take a bundle to pickle, ferment, or slice up at home. The pickling cukes are about 3", the burpless are up to 16"+! Everything will be picked Thursday morning!

Dill Pickles, Naturally Pickled, $5/pint ($.50 refund w/returned jar)Made here at DCF with Wiggins' Farms delicious cucumbers, mustard seeds, and dill from the Martinez Farms, who 'booth' at the Vancouver Farmers Market.

Wild Eats
Fresh Picked Wild Mountain Huckleberries, $4.50/half-pint (or $25/half-pint flat, $45/full-pint flat)]Mushrooms, Fresh -Cultivated Maitake (Hen of the Woods), $4/bag
Organic Shitake $3/bag
The above comes from Nature's Choice, a Vancouver business, operated by a couple who collects & sells wild eats. The mushrooms come in white paper bags, weighing 1/4# each. We are very excited to have these to offer! As all things, varieties will change with the season!

Fresh Herbs
$2/bundle 3 large sprigs of sage, or 6-8inch sprigs of rosemary. These are organically grown (no chemicals, sprays, etc). "My pesticide is ladybugs and birds" says this city gardener - with an extra large herb garden! She'll be at the downtown delivery only with these yummy fresh herbs!

Nourishing Traditions Cookbook $15 - note better price than expected!I'll be placing an order in one week (hopefully) for a couple of boxes of Nourishing Traditions "cookbooks". Since we are buying in bulk, we can get them for 40% off, at $15 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.

Kombucha Scoby
Dairy Kefir "Grains"FREE For anyone up for the task, I’ve a couple of extra kombucha scoby’s and some dairy kefir grains. If you don’t know what it is, Google it!

All-Natural Soap,
$4/barGarden 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 & 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.

WIN FREE FOOD THIS WEEK – How Well Do You Know Your Farm?

Quiz Question:
As per a few questions last week, what does "DCF" stand for throughout this email?

EMAIL YOUR ANSWER!

The first person that emails me the right answer* will win a bag of FREE organic Shitake mushrooms from Nature's Choice, to be redeemed at Thursday deliveries. The correct answer will be emailed shortly!

*1 answer per email address.

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

Clark County Agriculture: CSAs Matter - By Jim & Diane Hunter

When Ossie Bladine of the Vancouver Voice was out to interview us for his "Is farming dead in Clark County?" article, we handed him the Globalwise, Inc. study. If we'd been scripting the scene for a movie, Jim would have slapped it down on the table and said, "Read it and weep, kid."

And Ossie did us proud, evoking our own angry tears with the following,

In the section about the future of agriculture in Clark County, the 2006 report stated "agriculture as a 'side line' or lifestyle activity will probably continue" The tone of that kind of thinking negates many farms' reason for existence.

Right on, Ossie! The "lifestyle activity" characterization of farming angered Jim long before we took up the gauntlet and bent our backs to the hoe twelve years ago. It's just another way for those with other agendas to dismiss what we do as unimportant or irrelevant. But until the last year or so, we have sometimes had difficulty justifying our tiny existence in the big picture. How does feeding vegetables to forty of the tens of thousands of families in Clark County make a difference in a globalized food system.

To fully appreciate the difference made by Hunters' Greens, Davie Maxwell's Hidden Oasis and the umpteen new CSAs that have popped up in Clark County, it might be interesting to take an IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE look at Clark County if we weren't here.

First of all, if the Hunters and the Maxwells hadn't gone out on a limb and started their farms over a decade ago, where would the CSA movement be in Clark County today? It would be the Storytree Farms and Rosemattel CSAs of the next wave, that would be breaking new ground, and the CSA explosion of the last year might be another ten years off. The CSA movement might be serving a couple dozen families, rather than pushing the thousand mark.

And if the Anne Lawrences, Brenda Stantons and Summer Steinbargers were busy breaking new ground starting the first CSAs, would they have the time to be out starting new farmers markets, advocating for agricultural preservation and building the food co-op movement.

And if all these folks weren't out ringing the bell for a local food system in Clark County, would any of us have anything to answer to the question: "Is farming dead in Clark County?"

But let's back up and look at the small but significant difference that these farms are making to other aspects of life in Clark County. Growing veggies for forty families may not seem like a lot, but over ten years that's one big "manure" load of lettuce. And speaking of manure, growing all that lettuce has converted uncounted pick up loads of manure from a non-point pollution source to a valuable resource. Now multiply that lettuce and that manure by the umpteen CSAs that are now operating in the county. And at the current rate of growth of CSA's we'll be multiplying those lettuces by a hundred before you know it.

Now take the ten acres of prime wildlife habitat that Hunters' Greens is providing, contributing to the riparian buffer along Salmon Creek. Now multiply that by umpteen, now multiply that by a hundred.

Now take those ten acres times umpteen or a hundred, and times that by the six Mcmansions to the acre that would pop up if we all had thrown up our hands, said farming is dead in Clark County and sold out to developers. Think about the roads, schools, police and fire protection, sewer, water, power and telephone lines that all of our taxes would be stretched to provide. Think about the two wage earners in each of those houses that would be commuting across interstate bridges to jobs in Portland, generating wealth and tax income for Oregon, and likely spending a lot of their consumer dollars there.

As farmers we don't earn and spend the $40,000 family wage jobs the County thinks will solve our problems, but we earn our humble umpteen thousands by creating wealth from water and sunlight right here in Clark County, we spend it here, we pay taxes on it here, and we don't need new Interstate bridges to create it. And perhaps the modest umpteen thousands that we live on may seem like a "sideline" to the hundred thousand dollar executives that want to run our lives, but they provide enough for us to live humbly and sustainably. That's two times umpteen or a hundred family wage jobs that the County doesn't need to chase asphalt plants and sprawling industrial parks to create. And what if some umpteen thousand of those $40,000 family wage earners saw how happy and fulfilling our humble lives were, decided to jump off the corporate commuter treadmill and decided to start small, sustainable, home grown Clark County businesses of their own. How would that change the face of Clark County? So to paraphrase Bob the Builder and his crew: "Do CSAs matter to Clark County?"

"YES WE DO!"

Diane & Jim Hunter,
Hunter's Greens CSA

Brush Praire, WA.

(360) 256-3788

http://huntersgreens.com
greens@huntersgreens.com

Wedding Bells Are Ringing...

So I got a call from my good friends Laura and Bill today asking me if I'd dust off my frock and officiate at their marriage ceremony in November. Many of you know Laura as a former mover and shaker at the Vancouver Farmers' market. Bill is the proprietor of Nature's Choice Wild Foods, but many of you probably know him as the Mushroom Guy from both the VFM and other local farmers' markets. What many of you may not know is that I'm a licensed minister. Pretty neat stuff, right?

Anyways, the reason I'm blogging about this is that my good friends would really like to have their ceremony at a local farm...but don't have a personal enough relationship with any of our local farmers to ask if they would be willing to rent some space in their barn (or their historic granary building...hint, hint). If any of you good folks are interested in helping out a couple of late-blooming lovebirds, who have a desire to join their families together on the fertile ground of a Clark County farm, please shoot me an e-mail and we can talk about it.

Thanks for entertaining my request and thanks for reading Clark County Food & Farm.

Free Farm/Garden Space Still Available

free organic garden

Reply to: sale-795310060@craigslist.org

Date: 2008-08-13, 1:00PM 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

Nice Tractor, Jim!

Here's a picture of local philosopher, activist, animal rescuer, and author, Jim Hunter...Oh yeah, I heard a rumor that he moonlights as a CSA farmer as well. I guess this photo does provide a modicum of proof about the farmer thing. Check out the most current version of his ever-evolving and very cool website and sign up for a subscription to Hunters Greens CSA while you're at it. And it really is a nice tractor, Jim.

Drop the Appeal - by Jim & Diane Hunter

Drop the Appeal
Written by Jim and Diane Hunter
Sunday, 06 July 2008

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.

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

A Cool Day in the Woodland Bottoms - by Jim & Diane Hunter

We thought it would be a freezing cold day in the deep, deep South before we would find ourselves on the same side of an issue as property rights activist Chuck Cushman. It turns out it was just a seasonably cool June day in the Woodland Bottoms.

The issue is whether the Army Corp of Engineers should intimidate a family of local farmers with the threat of eminent domain. The Corps want the Colf family to sell them some of their land for the purpose of either dumping spoils from dredging the Columbia shipping channel, or mitigating the damage that that dumping will do to wildlife habitat.

The issue is complex. The Corps, local port authorities and state government all have a role to play in the negotiations. At stake are wildlife habitat, local farmland and a shipping channel that serves the ports and which happens to serve apple and wheat farmers east of the mountains who would like to export more of their produce to Asia. It is a Machievellian dream. The opportunities to divide and conquer are nearly endless.

Mr. Cushman has weighed in on the issue in the past few weeks in editiorials and full page advertisements in the Battle Ground Reflector. He is urging voters to contact their Port Commissioners and voice their support for preservation of prime farm land and family farms. This is a first step with which we wholeheartedly agree.

Unfortunately, it appears to us from his most recent editorial that Mr. Cushman's interest is more in dividing and conquering, than in helping work toward a satisfactory solution to the matter.

Mr. Cushman would like to place the blame at Governor Gregoire's feet in an election year. He accuses Gregoire of not supporting farmers and supporting the use of eminent domain to take their land. He states, "If the ports don't use eminent domain, The Governor Gregoire will try to take the land and get the blame."

You see, the property rights movement supports the right of any landowners to do what they please on their land regardless of the consequences for other people or the environment, without interference from government. This movement is generously funded by large resource extraction companies who would like to be able to poison the ground and surface waters that farmers depend on to water their crops and livestock. They would allow mineral right owners to continue the practices of destroying the land of the surface owning farmers with minimal compensation, and without restoring the land to its former productive capacity.

So it doesn't surprise us that the goal here is to defeat a Governor who might control that activity, rather than work with that Governor to save farmland.

And so we offer Mr. Cushman this challenge. Engage the considerable resources of your organization toward working with the Corps, the ports, farm organizations and state government to find a workable solution to this problem. Do so and we will regard you as friend of the farmer. Refuse the challenge and at least these two humble farmers will continue to regard you as our lifelong opponent.

As for our fellow voters, we urge you to contact your port commissioners, Governor Gregoire, your Congressional delegation and President Bush and ask them to quit this kind of political game and sit down together to find a solution that will save wildlife habitat AND prime local farmland.

Diane & Jim Hunter
greens@huntersgreens.com
Hunter's Greens CSA

Jim Hunter's Back!

Here's an editorial piece sent to me by my favorite farmer/philosopher/activists, Jim & Diane Hunter of Hunter's Greens CSA. Give it a read...

This letter was submitted to the Battle Ground Reflector on June 16, 2008

Dear Editor,

Does property rights activist Chuck Cushman really want to save the family farm, or is he just playing an election year game of pin the "tale" on the donkey? His Colf Farm editorial (June 11) appears to suggest the latter: "If the ports don't use eminent domain, then Governor Gregoire will try to take the land and get the blame." Note that this strategy does nothing to solve the problem, but only re-assigns blame. As farmers, we aren't suprised by this shell game. The property rights movement has historically been generously funded by mining companies who seek to strip farmers' land of coal without restoring it to productivity, or threaten our livestock wells with cyanide from heap leach mines.To Mr. Cushman and his movement we offer the following challenge. Join the humble voters of our community and engage your considerable resources toward bringing together the Port Commissioners, the Governor, our Congressional Delegation and the President, who all share jurisdiction in this matter. Ask them to stop playing political games and find a solution that saves farmland AND wildlife habitat. A parcel of land can surely be both. After all, the first and only time these farmers have seen sandhill cranes was in another farmer's field in the Woodland Bottoms.With or without the property rights movement it is time for producers and consumers of local food to act now to save our precious farmland. Write your elected officials.

For more information on this issue visit huntersgreens.com or clarkfoodfarm.blogspot.com.

Jim and Diane Hunter

Home Sewn Re-usable Grocery Shopping Bag Workshop

Home Sewn Re-usable Grocery Shopping Bag Workshop Sponsored by the Vancouver Food Cooperative
Date: Saturday, July 12th
Time: 1:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Clark County Genealogical Society,
717 Grand Boulevard, Vancouver
(one block south of Mill Plain, behind the International Air Academy)

Instructors: Barbara and Dotty of Columbia River Sewing, the Portland, Oregon, chapter of the American Sewing Guild.

Contact: Carol, caframe8...@yahoo.com

Required Materials: 3/4 yard of fabric/recycled cloth suitable for a carrying bag, 30-inch by 45-inch minimum size. Your fabric should be flat, ironed, for easy handling.

Optional Materials: Rulers/tapes, scissors, pins, sewing machine Skill Required: Beginners welcome Class size is limited to 20, so preregistration is required. There is no charge for this class. There will be some sewing machines provided for those who are not able to bring a machine. You are encouraged to bring your own if you wish to do so.

Beginner or expert, join us as we learn how to recycle cloth into a practical usable new item. Help the earth, eliminate plastic bags (and save that plastic tree!)

Vancouver Food Cooperative - Share the vision, buy a share

Clark County Farm Tour This Weekend

Summer Solstice in the Country
June 21st, 10am-3pm
Brush Prairie, WA

FREE!

Get out into the countryside. Visit three farms on a short loop through colorful Brush Prairie. Conveniently located between Vancouver and Battle Ground. Each farm showcases unique offerings:

Scented Acres, 360-921-9737, lavender and goats

Half Moon Farm, 360-514-9223, plants, honey, and chickens

Garden Delights, 360-892-4479, herbs, horses, and veggies

Vendors Wanted @ Battle Ground Farmers Market

Battle Ground Farmers Market has moved to our new surroundings at the Battle Ground Village. We are in the courtyard within the village and have room for more produce vendors! Pleasant upscale surroundings, not your typical venue. Directions-from East Main take a right on to Grace and a left onto Rassmussen, drive up two blocks in to the village and you will see the charming courtyard.

From 503 take a right (or left) onto 199th heading east, take a left on to Grace and a right on to Rassmussen, drive in two blocks to your right, and there is the courtyard. Hours 9-3 every Saturday through October 18th.

For more information see www.battlegroundfarmersmarket.org or call 360 576-9767

CSA Subscriptions Available

I am not in any way associated with the poster of this craigslist ad or the farm, just wanted to pass it along...

Organic CSA Opportunity (Vancouver)

Reply to: sale-715623536@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-06-10, 9:13PM PDT

Hey everyone, there is a certified organic farm down in Sandy, OR who is offering a CSA opportunity for $105/month (just under $25/week) for the next three months (starting the first week in July). They will give you about a fruit crate's worth of veggies (some eggs and honey in the mid-season too!) every week (I was told to plan to be able to feed 2-3 people, but maybe more). You could take any extra organic veggies, eggs, or honey and save it for the winter, or give it to neighbors/friends/co-workers, etc.

The reason I have posted this ad is because they have agreed that if 5 people in Vancouver sign up, they will make a new drop point for us here in Vancouver over where Mill Plain crosses I-205. I have 3 people so far (including myself). You can contact Debbie or David at 503-320-2995 or www.nworganicfarms.com for more information about the farm, and let me know if you want to sign up so I can coordinate the drop-off point here in Vancouver! I figure I'll be forced to eat healthier this way and save some money on eating out and buying organics at the same time.
Location: Vancouver
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

NW Redworms Composting Class (Vermicompost)

The folks at NW Redworms are hosting a vermiculture/verimicompost class. If you're interested in composting, dramatically improving the health of your garden or farm soil, and you can't hardly stand the thought of paying big buck for tiny bags of worm castings, then this is an excellent opportunity...AND IT'S ONLY $15!! If nothing else, I recommend that you at least check out the NW Redworms web site, peruse what might be the widest selection of worm bin compost containers available anywhere, and see what the fuss is all about.

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. Don't let springtime catch you unprepared for your gardening fun. Also check out the Giant pumpkin contest.

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, 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 $15 per person. If you wish to attend you may call (360-513-7251) or email 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://northwestredworms.com

Meadow Tilth Farm Ad from Craigslist 6-3-08

Sorrel, Greek Oregano, Sunchokes, Asters flowering more - $1

(Near Costco and Home Depot)
Reply to: sale-707013611@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-06-03, 11:51PM PDT

Our methods are organic*, almost biodynamic, permaculture. Healthy soil, remineralized, use filtered water for our garden. Compost and composted manure from organically fed chickens. Glacial rock dust for mineral enrichment/replenishment.

Blue grape Hyacinths. Perenial bulb $1 each
Sorrel - lovely perennial green that has a sour lemon flavor -- great for salads, green smoothies and sandwiches. small starts $2.00
Greek Oregano -- herb, small starts $1.00
Sunchokes 1-2 foot tall $3 each
Locust tree -- 15' tall in laarge pot - $80.00
Asters large bunch about 10" tall 2 years old.
Perennial bulbs $30

Parsnips in pots $2.00
Bare root parsnips dug fresh for you $1.00 each.Parsnips are edible roots, can be juiced and great when mixed with potatoes to mild them out. Parsnips also break up clay fairly well. If they are small or crooked then they may be woody. Let it go to seed and it will reseed itself. They are easy to weed out if you get too many the next year.

"Sustainable Vancouver" Presentation TODAY!

The Vancouver Planning Commission Presents "Sustainable Vancouver"
A First Tuesday Presentation
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
4 to 6 p.m.
Vancouver City Hall, Council Chambers
210 E. 13th Street, Vancouver, WA 98660

The City of Vancouver and members of the Green Ribbon Panel will provide an overview of the City of Vancouver's Sustainability planning process; its Greenhouse Gas Inventory; a general overview of sustainability; its joint study with Clark County and the U.S. Green Building Council to identify Regulatory Barriers to Living Building Challenge standard residences (Beyond LEED Platinum); and upcoming Southwest Washington Sustainability Conference, Trade Show and GreenFest - July 10, 11, and 12th.


Intended only for informational purposes - No policy decisions will be made

Open to the Public

Please RSVP Terry Lenhart @ 360-487-7955 terry.lenhart@ci.vancouver.wa.us

Replay Dates on CVTV Channel 21: Wednesday, June 4th, 10:00am; Thursday, June 5th, 7:00am; Tuesday, June10th, 7:00am Channel 23: Friday, June 6th, 2:00am; Wednesday, June 11th, 9:30pm

CHEESEMAKING CLASS THIS SATURDAY

The Clark County Dairy Goat Association is pleased to offer a cheese making class with the talented Northwest Cheese Maker, Mary Rosenblum, as our instructor. This class will focus on Blue Cheese. The class includes informational handouts, up-close observation, cheese sampling and a light lunch. We will be offering a selection of cheese making supplies for sale.

Saturday, May 31st at 11am
CASEE Center, Bldg B11104
NE 149th Street, Brush Prairie, Washington

$15/person - pre-registration(or sign up for an annual membership for CCDGA for $15, and get in to classes the rest of the year for free)

Call Candy for RSVP and info: 360-687-3259

Clark County Permaculture Event Tonight!

NatureScaping SW Washington

Greetings!

You may have seen this announcement in our April e-newsletter, but just in case you missed it:

There will be a lecture on Permaculture Basics, May 13th at 6:30PM at WyEast auditorium. This lecture is co-sponsored by NatureScaping, the Master Gardener Foundation, WNPS and Naturally Beautiful Backyards and it is free to the public! Our guest speaker will be author Toby Hemenway.

You may register at naturescaping.org http://www.naturescaping.org/classes.php

However, doors will open at 6:15 and please arrive on time, because even though you may be registered, seats cannot be saved and the auditorium only holds 300 people! This will be a popular event!

See MapQuest link for a map. http://www.mapquest.com/maps/1112+SE+136th+Ave+Vancouver+WA+98683/

Also, right here in Vancouver we have an example of permaculture living and organic gardening on a city lot. The next FREE tour is May 31st from 1:30PM -3PM. To register, please call Bev Doty at 360-574-1343 or email bevesalt@pacifier.com

See you Tuesday night!

Sherry Lambert
360-687-0686
Volunteer & Events Coordinator
sherry@naturescaping.org

FYI

Farm land for lease (Salmon Creek)

Reply to: sale-661745643@craigslist.org

Date: 2008-04-29, 9:46PM PDT

Five Acres of farm land for lease on Seward Rd. $100.00 per acre

Location: Salmon Creek

it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOUSES AND FARMLAND FOR LEASE (vancouver)

Reply to: sale-663021244@craigslist.org

Date: 2008-04-30, 8:04PM PDT

SUSTAINABLE GREEN HOUSES AND FARMLAND FOR LEASE

We have 1 possibly 3 green houses and farmland for lease.

Please e-mail for more info.

Putting Meat on The Table: Industrial Farm Animal Production in America

The following is an excerpt of an AP article. The article pertains to a final summation of a 2 1/2 year study by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production. I realize that this report is merely justifying what many of you have been preaching for years, but it's always nice to have more facts on your side. Interesting note about this report is it's recommendation of some form of disease-monitoring program that allows rapid traceback of animals....NAIS anyone?

Pew Commission Says Industrial Scale Farm Animal Production Poses “Unacceptable” Risks to Public Health, Environment

(Washington, DC – April 29, 2008) The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), in a study released today.
Commissioners have determined that the negative effects of the IFAP system are too great and the scientific evidence is too strong to ignore. Significant changes must be implemented and must start now. And while some areas of animal agriculture have recognized these threats and have taken action, it is clear that the industry has a long way to go.

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.ncifap.org/

You can also read a summary of the report here:

http://www.ncifap.org/_images/PCIFAP%20EXECUTIVE%20SUMMARY.pdf

Or the full report here:

http://www.ncifap.org/_images/PCIFAP%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf

Interesting Clark County Rural Initiative Essay

The following is a letter written to the Reflector by Rich Carson. Mr. Carson also maintains an excellent web site, "Common Sense", which contains a collection of informative and entertaining essays he has written on the subject of and/or related to planning and community development.

The Problem with the Rural Initiative

by Rich Carson, former Planning Director for Clark County and a resident of Hockinson


The Board of Clark County Commissioners recently announced that they have decided to delay its rural planning program until after this November’s election. The obvious question for the voter is, “Why is this program so politically sensitive that the board doesn’t want to talk about it before the election?”


The so-called “rural comprehensive plan” program is to be a two-year review of rural land uses that could shrink minimum lot sizes, enlarge the county’s seven rural centers, and find ways to improve the viability of rural resource activities in timber, agriculture and mining. So why wait for an election? 


The public relations answer was that since Commissioner Marc Boldt is up for election, it would be prudent to wait for the outcome, the theory being that a new commissioner might not think the rural initiative is a good thing to pursue. The problem with this answer is that the other two commissioners are committed to the rural initiative no matter what the election outcome is.

Many property owners in the rural area have long waited for this promised initiative in the hope that they could reduce their minimum lot sizes, in terms of rural zoning, and create more rural residential lots. As the former planning director for the county, I know that (1) the commissioners have promised many rural land owners that a new day is coming in terms of rural land development, and (2) the board knows that it would face an insurmountable legal challenge in allowing more rural lots. 


The problem is that in the process of separating urban from rural planning in the 2007 comprehensive plan process, the board of county commissioners transferred the future rural land development potential to the urban area. Unfortunately, no one told the rural land owners that “the cupboard was bare.” And that certainly is not a very good message to deliver to the voters of a very rural district before an election.


The facts are these:


·The 1994 comprehensive plan acknowledged that population trends in the county had historically been 80 percent urban and 20 percent rural area, and they planned for that.


·The 2004 comprehensive plan update validated that the urban-rural population split had historically continued at 80 percent urban and 20 percent rural.


·As part of the 2004 comprehensive planning process, I asked for an unofficial estimate of how much capacity the rural area had in terms of allocating population to the rural area. The answer was that there were enough vacant, buildable lots to accommodate an estimated 40,000 people. And at 20 percent the land supply matched the population demand exactly.


·But in the 2007 comprehensive plan, the board adopted a policy that allocates land for the future population at 90 percent urban and 10 percent rural, and at 10 percent, the 2007 comprehensive plan artificially projected the rural population need to be only 19,000 people. 

So the obvious question is, “Why did the board of county commissioners cut the rural land allocation in half?” The answer is they wanted more people to live in the urban area. That is their right as our elected representatives. However, it is also our right, as rural land owners, to question the wisdom of their ignoring reality in favor of inflating the urban growth boundary.

Unfortunately, the historic demand for rural property is actually increasing nationally. According to the 2000 Census, more people are moving into the rural area than in the past. There are several reasons for this. First, technology now allows people to access the Internet and television programming via DSL and satellite. Second, more and more people are telecommuting. The advent of Internet access means that people can spend part or all of their time working from home with full access to their organization’s computer data bases. Third, people can now do business over the Internet from their rural home and have their purchases or business documents delivered to their home by UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service.


The board should have addressed the rural land issue as part of the 2007 comprehensive plan update process. That would have solved any legal issues and forced a discussion about what was a fair urban/rural allocation. However, their decision to separate the urban versus rural land questions has effectively and legally closed the door to that possibility. Even county’s planning staff noted that they were going to have to be careful of running afoul of the Growth Management Act. 


I applaud the board of commissioners for taking a hard look at how they can improve land use activities in the rural area. It is important to find ways to make rural resource activities such as farming, forestry and mining operations, more economically viable. They can also look at making changes to rural centers in terms of allowing different commercial and employer uses.
However, they also need to be upfront with rural property owners that there is no possibility of increased rural residential development. It is no longer a realistic legal option. The only way to create more rural land development capacity is through the comprehensive plan update process – which won’t happen again for probably at least five years. The lessons to be learned from this experience are:

(1) that it is never a good thing to ignore historical fact as a matter of public policy, and

(2) that a “comprehensive” review of the county’s land use must include a discussion with urban and rural property owners at the same time. Rural landowners should not be put in the position of being second class citizens.

2nd Annual SW WA Sustainability Conference

From the Conference Web Site:

The 2008 Southwest Washington Sustainability Conference and Trade Show, set for July 10-12, at the LEED-certified Vancouver Hilton Hotel and Conference Center will inspire, engage and challenge you to reach for higher levels of ethical stewardship and ecological, economic and social success. Thought-provoking speakers from across the country will share global knowledge and practical experience during two full days with three separate tracks focusing on climate, commerce and community. In addition, this year's Sustainability Conference and Trade Show also will feature a public festival, Saturday, July 12, with free workshops and activities designed to engage everyone in learning and making day-to-day practices more sustainable.

Who should attend the 2008 Southwest Washington Sustainability Conference and Trade Show?

Anyone interested in creating a more sustainable future will be interested in attending. Professionals engaged in the built environment, design, building, commercial business, retail business, industry, transportation, energy, natural resources, environmental services, community services, social equity, diversity, government policy, education, and just plain living will especially find the speakers and topics relevant, inspiring and motivational.

For more info visit the conference web site:

http://www.cityofvancouver.us/conference/main.htm

Rosemattel CSA Open House

Rosemattel's CSA Open House
Rosemattel's CSA producer - (Vancouver, Washington)

Rosemattel's CSA 2008 open house invites the public to see what our farm is all about. Mini tours, visit the hens, learn about what is growing and demonstrations while await you! Featuring local vendors and food samples to boot!

Start Date:
May 24, 2008

End Date:
May 25, 2008

Start Time:
10:00 AM

End Time:
4:00 PM

Organized by:
Rosemattel's CSA producer

Address:
10311 NE 72nd Ave
Vancouver, WA 98686

Phone:
360 576-9767

Nothing Like Homegrown!

Grow Your Own Cooking Herbs

Garden Delights - (Brush Prairie, Washington)

Join Garden Delights for a fun evening class on how to grow culinary herbs. We will begin with the herb garden, learning about growing culinary herbs. Learn where and when to plant perennial and annual herbs, how to and when to pick and dry them for future use. You will also get to take home an herb plant to get your garden growing.Class will be located at the Firstenberg Community Center Trapedero Lounge. Registration opens April 18th online (go here: http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/index.asp) or you can phone in your registration beginning April 22nd by calling 360-487-7001.

Date:
May 14, 2008

Start Time:
6:30 PM

End Time:
8:30 PM

Organized by:
Garden Delights

Web site:
www.gardendelights.mysite.com

Address:
Firstenberg Community Center - 700 NE 136th AvenueVancouver, WA 98684

Phone:
360-487-7001 (to register)

Farm-to-Table Workshop

SAVE THE DATE!

Farm-to-Table Workshop
Clark County

Connecting Local Producers with Local Buyers...because LOCAL business is BETTER business

April 21st, 2008, 1-4pm
4600 Se Columbia Way

Vancouver, WA

Water Resources Education Center
Vancouver, WA

Farmers, rancher and artisan producers:

Learn what buyers are looking for when selecting food for their business. Come, share your experiences selling locally, learn about new ideas and strategies for overcoming old problems, and mingle with other producers and local buyers.

Chefs, caterers, and grocery store representatives:

Producers need your advice and input when growing, raising and/or developing their products. Come, connect with local farmers and discover new products for your business.

To register or for more information, please contact Mark McIntyre at farmtotable2008 (at) gmail (dot) dom

A New Farmers Market in East Clark County

Conveniently serving our east county residents and providing a much needed east side outlet for our local farmers and producers, I am pleased to introduce the newly established Camas Farmers Market! Thanks Carren!

Announcing: The Inaugural Season for the Camas Farmers Market

Camas Farmers Market invites prospective vendors for a tour of the downtown on April 8th, 2008. Lunch will be provided at Around the Table. Come be our guest and see how Camas Farmers Market can be a part of your marketing plan in 2008. Please RSVP to Carren Senn Walker at 360.838.1032. We are seeking vendors who grow produce in a sustainable fashion, individuals who produce food products from the farm, and individuals who produce sustainable fish, meat, and cheese. We are also considering a few concessioners who support the goals of the market.

We are seeking farmers to join our market for the 2008 season. The market opens May 17th and runs through October 4th. Each Saturday the market will be open from 9am to 1pm. The market will feature music, chef demonstrations, and full marketing support. This market will be agriculturally based and designed to meet the needs of farmers. For years citizens of Camas have been asking for a local market. The vital and pleasant shopping district of downtown Camas provides perfect ambience for a thriving market.

Applications are available at camasfarmersmarket.org

By the Bottle is Turning Two!!

Get on out and taste some great beer, say howdy to Dave and Arlene, and check out the BEST selection of craft brews around. I'm proud to say that I've been a loyal customer since the day they opened. Happy Birthday Numero Dos and best wishes for many, many more!!

Here's the scoop:

By the Bottle is very happy to announce our 2nd Anniversary as Vancouver's premier bottle shop. Come and celebrate with us at a special Belgian beer tasting event and experience some of the world's most distinguished beers.

When: Saturday, March 15, 2008
Where: By the Bottle, 104 W. Evergreen Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98660, 360-696-0012
Time: 5pm to 8pm
Tasting Fee: $5.00 Cash only, please
Parking: Free, ok to park in the lot across the street
Must be 21 years old to sample, valid photo ID required

By the Bottle opened on March 17, 2006 with only 99 different brands available...true story. Even with such a limited offering, there still wasn't any other place in town with any meaningful selections of local, regional and imported beer. It was clear from day one, that local residents needed a bottle shop of their very own.

Today, over 1,000 different brands have been available for your tasting pleasure. THANK YOU so very much for your continued support of our efforts to supply you with your favorites and new finds. It's been our pleasure to serve you for the past two years and we look forward to more beer adventures in 2008.

Web Site

Vancouver Food Co-op March Newsletter

http://vancouverfood.coop/weblog/2008/02/vfc_newsletter_009_march_2008.html

"Meet the Farmers" Event

Local Food Choices in Southwest Washington

Please join us for this free event at:

7-8:30 pm
Thursday, March 27, 2008
WSU Extension Clark County
11104 NE 149th St
Brush Prairie, WA 98606

Help to create a prosperous local agricultural community
Reduce your "food miles" and help create a green future
Find out about the Vancouver Food Co-op
Learn about the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) concept, and how you can join.
Learn where to purchase local meats, eggs, produce, herbs, flowers and more
Browse informational tables
Discussion panel with local CSA farmers
Q&A Session

Questions?Contact either of the following:

Sunrise O'Mahoney, (360) 694-FOOD
Luisa DePaiva, (360) 256-8658

Sponsored by: the Vancouver Food Co-op, Southwest Washington CSA Farmer, and WSU Extension Clark County

I'm Baaaaaaaaaack!

So we've been busy enjoying the joys of parenthood and neglecting most of the non-family related activities in our life for a while now. However, I received an e-mail from a nice fella (Thanks Chris!) the other day who reminded me that I had a blog and that is was horribly out of date. Mea culpa, mea culpa. Apologies aside, I just wanted to get a quick post in to get the ball rolling again.

First order of business is urban gardening. Have you seen the price of food in your local grocery store lately? Unbelievable. Shouldn't come as a surprise to any of you folks who have been preaching the errors of relying on a petrochemical fueled, corporate agribusiness model of food supply. So what are you going to do about it? How about planting a garden? There are a multitude of innovative citizens who have come up with any number of novel ideas to maximize gardening space and food production in their regular old urban lots and you can too. At our place, we've got five 4' x 8' raised beds, twelve apple trees just planted using the Belgian Fence espalier method, and as usual, we'll be squeezing whatever won't fit in the raised beds into any little sunny spot we can find in the yard. And this is all happening on a five thousand sq. foot urban lot. Need more inspiration? Check these folks out from the Dervaes Institute! They've turned their standard, urban lot into an income producing farm and doing it in ways that you have to see to believe.

http://www.pathtofreedom.com/

Along the same lines, read about how our federal government is making it harder for small farmers who want to supply their communities with good, safe food in this NY Times article written by Jack Hedin, a small, organic farmer from Minnesota.

My Forbidden Fruits (and Vegetables)

On a parting note, I'd like to throw my two cents in on the subject of bio fuel. I know it's a big, complicated issue, so I'll keep it short. Converting productive farmland to growing gasoline isn't doing a damn thing to improve the security of our national food system. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I wonder if they'll label the gas pumps with "Genetically Modified" stickers? I'm holding my breath waiting for the first Powered by Monsanto eco-vehicle to roll off the line in Detroit.

Alright, enough bitching and moaning. Now get out there and play in the dirt, support your local farmers, tell your local politicians to support initiatives that will preserve local farms, and don't let your neighbor with the F350 convince you that he's doing anyone any favors by filling that hog with bio diesel to get to the McBurger joint...

Sustainable Small Farm & Ranch Course

WSU Wahkiakum County Extension is proud to present the Cultivating Success:

SUSTAINABLE SMALL FARM & RANCHING COURSE

This program provides beginning and existing agricultural entrepreneurs with the planning and decision-making tools, practical information, and support necessary to develop a sustainable, small-scale agricultural enterprise. The course includes guest lectures by farmers and other community resource experts, field trips to local farms and other agricultural venues, classroom discussion and the opportunity to form farmer-student/farmer-farmer mentoring relationships. This class is a unique community-based education program where you will learn about whole farm planning, direct marketing, soils management, crop & livestock production systems, enterprise budgets, integrated pest & weed management, and MUCH MORE!!

When: Wednesday evenings, October 17th through
December 19th; 6 — 8:30 p.m. (there will be Saturday field trips).

Where: Wahkiakum Extension Office, 25 River St., Cathlamet, WA

Cost: $50 per person, or $100 per farm/family

**Scholarships Available**

CONTACT: Carrie Kennedy, WSU Wahkiakum County Extension, 360-795-3278,cakennedy@wsu.edu