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