Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I cannot keep this blog without taking a moment to tell everyone how much I appreciate all your support – through the rise and fall of garlic (hopefully to rise again!) – through all the follies of this backyard “bigger-than-a-garden/smaller-than-a-farm” pursuit of living closer to the earth, working to be more self sufficient, growing enough to share, connecting enough to give, understanding enough to see what is truly important: love, laughter, friendship, doing what we can to make this world a better place.

I am so overwhelmed at times at how fortunate we are to have such an abundance of the good things in life – because the world is not a fair place, and it is so very sad to see that as a species, we still have not been able to overcome our differences enough to eliminate hunger and sickness.

It strikes me that one way each of us can help to change the world is to think a little differently about our food and what we eat – where it comes from, who grows it, how it was raised, whether what we pay for it is supporting a living wage or supporting what amounts to slavery. It is so easy to overlook the hard work that it takes to get the food from a tiny seed to the market, and so very easy to take for granted this food that is so accessible to us. Is it food that nurtures? Did it come from good soil? Is it free from poisons? Can we even recognize it? (so many “foods” look nothing like what is grown in the field!)

Garlic? Are you there?

Oops. No protection. Maybe just as well.

I am glad I didn’t get around to covering certain beds with hoops of plastic, because it all would have been blown away or shredded. When the snow melts, we’ll see what survived and what will be an “oh well” moment. It may be too late for the red wigglers.

But there are bright spots. I have seldom seen so many birds at our bird feeder — they barely waited until I finished filling the feeders, scattering seed on the ground, and filling up a small dish of water before they were there in great numbers. Finches, sparrows, nuthatches, chickadees, juncos, towhees, woodpeckers, jaybirds, mourning doves, quail … large and small, they all eat together. They are obviously thankful for the abundance of food.

(Note to self: plan on growing some birdseed next year!)

Mmmm. Homemade pies and cranberry sauce.

And speaking of abundance, I have three pies in the oven: apple, pumpkin, and green tomato mincemeat, all made from the fruits of the garden. We are looking forward to a large family gathering, full of chatter and a high level of chaos.

It is something to remember – just how blessed we are in this country. This holiday tradition of celebrating the harvest and taking a moment to be thankful for what is meaningful in life is one that can be extended to every day of our lives.

And with that thought, may I extend a happy Thanksgiving today and every day to anyone reading this. May your day be filled with many blessings: good food, a wealth of love, laughter, and good health, a warm place to be, safe travels.

And, as always – grow your own when you can, but when you can’t grow your own, thank a farmer who makes your meal possible — buy local and support family farms!

Have you herd? Farm Tour this weekend!

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 2, is the 14^th Annual Harvest Celebration Farm Tour in Clallam County. If you are on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, this is a very fun event that gives you a glimpse of what the Peninsula has to offer.

This year, nine different farms are opening their barn doors and throwing a party – hayrides, music, great food, farm animals & produce, demonstrations – a ton of down-home family fun.

It’s a great opportunity to see not only the resources we have here, but also a chance to see how people are making it work from home.

• Lazy J Tree Farm grows Christmas trees and all kinds of organic produce. They’ll have apple cider, hay bale mazes, and Coleman Byrnes’ Heritage “Chocolate” turkeys (order now for Thanksgiving!).
• Bowers’ Blue Mountain Belgians will be giving demos on farming and logging using draft horses and mules, as well as how to turn logs into lumber using a portable sawmill.
• Trade Winds Alpacas will give spinning demonstrations and offer opportunities to buy products made from this finest of fibers – and there is nothing more adorable than baby alpacas!
• Freedom Farm specializes in horses in all shapes and sizes. They will be giving pony rides to kids, making hay and silage, and will have lots of kid-friendly activities.
• Lökalie Gaare (Lucky Sheep Farm) will give demos on sheep shearing, spinning, and herding sheep using Border Collies (they make it easy!)
• Dungeness Valley Creamery offers raw milk, locally made cheese, farm-fresh eggs, whole grain breads, and other locally made basics at their store. They’ll give demos on how to separate the cream from milk and churn it into butter. Their big brown-eyed jersey calves are pretty hard to resist!
• Nash’s Organic Produce is pretty much legendary in these parts, offering some of the largest assortment of fresh veggies this side of the Cascades. They’ll give demos on all aspects of beekeeping, and we won’t want to miss the organic shepherd’s pie, green salad, and fruit crisp!
• Bekkevar Family Farm has been in operation since our pioneer days (Happy 100^th Birthday!) Hayrides, antique tractors, unique breeds of cattle, pigs, and other farm animals, wool spinning, and just about everything you can think of on a self-sustaining farm operation – along with a little toe-tappin’ bluegrass – await visitors here.
• Sunshine Herb & Lavender farm will give talks on growing, processing, and distilling lavender and other herbs. Registered mini Southdown sheep and rare poultry from the Barking Beak Farm will also greet onlookers.

The sign says, "Homegrown Vegetables," and they don't get any better than that!

I am always amazed at the number of varied agricultural enterprises we can find right here on the Olympic Peninsula. Of course, Sequim has built quite a reputation in the last few years around its lavender farms, but there is so much more available: all kinds of fruits and vegetables, grains, livestock, poultry, seafood, herbs and flowers, field and seed crops, bees & honey, grapes & wine, hay and livestock feed, mulches & compost, and an assortment of nurseries – not to mention local markets and community gardens.

You know, I’ve always wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible, to “live off the land,” to work from home – and maybe this dream is just a kickback from a 60’s-era idealism, but I have to say – these people are making it work. Some are carrying on traditional methods, such as using draft horses or herd dogs – some are approaching modern markets with unconventional crops, such as lavender – some are combining the old with the new – all are demonstrating how wholesome, home-grown, small-family-farm goods are better for you, better for the environment, better for our community. These folks have my utmost admiration, and there is so much we can learn from all of them.

As I get older, I am rethinking my ideals of being completely self-sufficient. Sure, I will always have a family garden – and I will always share my passion for unique varieties of garlic – but I also know that being completely self-sufficient is a lot of work. Maybe it’s time to rethink this concept. Maybe self-sufficiency is more efficiently accomplished at a community level. That means reaching out. Supporting our neighbors.

This support has never been more important.

Anyone who lives in the Sequim-Dungeness Valley knows how recent population growth and developments have taken away a great percentage of our farmland, and with it, some of our heritage. It’s a sad story told across the country. But all is not lost. We have a resurgence of people who are showing us that it can still be done – but they can’t do it alone. We all need one another.

The alternative means being dependent on outside sources for our food supply. It’s a scary thought. We get complacent about the availability of cheap food in large markets, the availability of which is largely dependent on cheap energy. That cheap energy will not always be available.  And as big business and outside interests gain more control of our food supply, that cheap food may not always be available, either. “Cheap” has hidden costs beyond the obvious health impacts.

We are incredibly blessed to have such an abundance of “real” food and local products available to us. It’s up to us to insure that availability. By supporting our local family farms, we are supporting our independence, our self-sufficiency, and our communities. Our health – and our quality of life – defined on so many levels – depends on it.

So when you check out some of our local farms this weekend, take time to get to know our farming neighbors. We’re all in this together.

And remember to

* * BUY LOCAL * *

P.S. Can’t make the tour? Consider donating to Friends of the Fields, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving farmland in Clallam County, WA.

Thank you!

The point is, we know these pin-up centerfolds can’t possibly be real, but every year, we buy into the fantasy. Readily. Greedily, in fact. They hit our doorsteps at a most vulnerable time. We are tired of another heaping plate of turnips and kale. These companies are blatantly feeding on our craving for a fresh salad with 6 different varieties of lettuce, topped with carrot shavings and spicy nasturtium blossoms …. Or maybe a simple, sweet, succulent strawberry – a bowlful would obviously be better … or maybe a fresh, vine-ripened-in-the-backyard tomato – the kind that explodes in your mouth and juices run down your chin….  This is why the Internet is full of support groups for people like you and me.

But in all honesty, I am one of the privileged ones. I’m not stuck in a snowbank at all. It could still happen, but so far, we’ve hardly even had a winter here in the Maritime Northwest. In fact, the days have been so warm, we are having the opposite problem: the illusion that spring is already here. It’s an easy one to slip into when rhubarb, pussywillows, and crocuses are up. Hold on to your shovels, though; we are officially still within the first 10 days of February.

I retreat to the comfort of my seed catalogs. Here are a few that are guaranteed to wake hibernating gardeners. Some are tried and true – some I am sure will be new friends. Check them out, drool into your keyboard, take normal precautions not to electrocute yourself in the process, and succumb to a little retail therapy.

Renee’s Garden: I came across Renee’s when looking for the source of a green-tomato mincemeat recipe that my family just loves. What a find! How did I possibly miss her over the years? Renee’s Garden is an information-packed website with lots of gardening tips and ideas and recipes for enjoying the harvest. She specializes in gourmet veggies and heirloom cottage flowers. I particularly like her kitchen garden design page with plans for long- and short-season veggie gardens. A community forum lets readers talk with each other about what’s happening in their plant worlds. Renee Shepherd donates seeds all over the world – Kenya, Nepal, Honduras, Bolivia, Uganda – and also to community & school gardens in the U.S. – to help people be more self-sufficient and to promote sustainable agriculture. Personally, I will be growing 16 new 2010 varieties of vegetables and flowers from her garden and will be posting the progress on these pages. Obviously, I am a huge fan.

Territorial Seed Company: This is our Northwest classic go-to seed company for all things garden related: over 200 varieties of new seeds for 2010, all kinds of tools, kitchen supplies, instructional videos, and more. I buy their seeds every year and have never been disappointed.

West Coast Seeds: A Canadian company – a good source of untreated seeds; good growing guides for everything from achillea to zucchini; handy planting chart. I have not tried them yet, but they come highly recommended. I am located close to the Canadian border, so their seeds should be a good fit.

Uprising Seeds: You can’t help but love this family and their adorable son! Seeds are grown in Acme, WA – definitely acclimated to northern areas of the Pacific Northwest (Acme is located east of Bellingham, west of the Cascades). Perhaps they don’t have the varieties of larger seed companies, but the basics are covered, and it is fun to support young people trying to make a go of it.

The Thyme Garden: I admit, I have a certain weakness for herbs and dye plants. At one time, I was growing over 100 varieties, thanks mostly in part to The Thyme Garden. They describe themselves as “an eclectic, earth friendly family business working with nature to provide organically grown seeds and plants…” Their gardens showcase some 700 varieties of useful plants from all over the world, and is a place I definitely want to wander around in one of these days. For now, I wander through their catalog that is full of brilliantly written descriptions of intriguing must-have plants.

Seed Savers Exchange: A non-profit membership organization dedicated to conserving and promoting heirloom vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. This 850-acre Iowa farm must be absolutely phenomenal. They permanently preserve over 25,000 endangered vegetable varieties. You can spend hours on their catalog, but becoming a member gives you access to 13,571 MORE varieties, in addition to being able to buy seeds from other members and knowing you are doing a good thing for protecting the diversity of our food supply. Seriously, I don’t think I could handle the choices.

Nichols: Located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where just about everything grows. I remember ordering my very first elephant garlic from Nichols back in the 70s, and I have been growing it ever since.

Seeds of Change: These guys are located down in New Mexico, so not even close to the Pacific Northwest – but they are Certified Organic, have done a lot of research on sustainable agriculture, and provide lots of growing how-tos as well as top-quality seed. I admire what they’re doing.

Jardin du Gourmet: Aka, Artistic Gardens. Years and years ago I came across this seed company that offered hard-to-find herbs and specialty vegetables. I confess, I have not ordered from them in awhile, but I am glad to see they are still in existence. What I really liked was that you could order these little trial packets to test out a particular variety. Guess what? Seed packets are just $0.35! And I see they are offering a package deal of herbs: 50 (Yes FIFTY) herb varieties (they select which ones) for only $17.50. Wow. Where can you get that?!

The Cook’s Garden: More varieties of lettuce and greens that you ever knew existed. If you aren’t craving a fresh salad now, you soon will be! This is a new find for me – one I am sure I will return to.

Seeds from Italy: Tuscan, Roman, Venetian …. Hmmm. Anything in this catalog would pair well with my gourmet garlic collection. How have I missed this source? I like a catalog with a niche!

Local sources: Last but far from least! We are seeing a lot more locals saving their own seeds and offering them for sale or exchange. The nice thing about buying local is that you know the plants are already acclimated to your region. In my neighborhood, Nash’s Organic Produce is offering local seeds (Seed Dreams) in addition to all the fresh fruits and vegetables they carry. I am anxious to see how the Walking Egyptian Onions do! (You can’t order the seeds online; you have to stop in at their store in Dungeness.)

That’s all for now. I’d be interested in hearing about what are some of your favorites!

Just a reminder to everyone out here on the Olympic Peninsula that the 4th Annual Farmer’s Breakfast is THIS WEEKEND, FEBRUARY 7, at the Sequim Prairie Grange, aka Macleay Hall, located at 290 Macleay Road in Sequim.

You get very fresh local foods – ham, eggs, toast, jam, juice, & coffee – lively entertainment – a silent auction – good company – and the good feeling that comes from knowing you’re helping to preserve farmland in our region.

The event is sponsored by volunteers at Friends of the Fields, who work tirelessly to help protect what we too often take for granted — the availability of fresh food. Some of our most fertile land (the flat spaces!) is being divided up into neighborhoods. In fact, 3/4 of our original 76,000 acres of farmland has been sold to housing or commercial development!

Taking steps to protect our ability to feed our own community just makes sense.

But it is so much more. It’s preserving a part of our history and a way of life; it’s protecting open space, wildlife habitat, and our groundwater; it’s reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring our independence … in addition to ensuring a supply of nutritionally superior food.

If you can make the Farmer’s breakfast, you can help this cause, eat a great meal, and have a good time all in one!

If you can’t make the Farmer’s breakfast, consider donating to the Friends of the Fields, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving farmland and supporting sustainable agriculture in our region. It’s an investment in our future.

Directions to the Grange:

If you’re coming from Port Angeles, follow the Old Olympic Highway toward Sequim. Where it makes the S curve in Carlsborg, instead of turning right to follow the Old Oly (going straight turns into Cays Rd.), make a left. Can’t miss the Grange on your right. Coming from Sequim, take the Old Olympic Hwy to where you come to the main intersection with Cays, and instead of following the Old Oly to the left, go straight.

Hope to see you there!

But back to the weekend bash at Nash’s: you can register for the event on the PCC website. I think tomorrow is the last day, but you could call to make sure. My understanding is that not only do you get a close-up tour of Nash’s 400 farmed acres, including the Delta Farm, which was PCC’s first preserved property, but also a meal goes with the deal – and you won’t get anything fresher than that!

Go to Nash’s website to see more of what he’s got going on around the farm (and some good recipe ideas, too). Nash has a sustainable operation that includes a well-fed herd of pigs. Very fun to watch their antics! Nash’s winter farmshare program is starting up later this month and is an excellent deal. Personally, since I grow a lot of our own food, the Nash Bucks is a better option for us — pay $350 upfront and get $400 worth of fresh organic produce that you can buy whenever.  You get a discount and the farm crew gets added money upfront, which is particularly appreciated when they are gearing up for spring plantings.

And by the way, if you’re in the area, drop in and see the Dungeness Valley Creamery at 1915 Towne Road. The Associated Press recently released a very misleading article about e. coli bacteria that were implied to have come from the Brown family’s cattle. In reality, there has never been ANY e. coli found in the Dungeness Valley Creamery raw milk. I drink it all the time and have never had any problems. My husband is lactose intolerant and does just fine with the raw milk, which, as Jeff Brown explains to me, is because the lactase enzyme that helps you digest lactose is not destroyed through pasteurization. Their dairy and bottling area is impeccable. Their cows are open pastured and treated like members of the family. This milk is obviously nutritious, real food.

Unfortunately, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) is not held accountable for the damage. Such action seems unconscionable, but apparently they can get away with it. The Browns ended up having to throw away hundreds and hundreds of gallons of good milk. They have no recourse other than to keep doing what they do best: produce quality milk. Interestingly enough, outside sales might have dropped, but local folks who know the Browns and know what an outstanding dairy they run, came out in record numbers to support them. So, if you’re in the area, if you’re visiting the Delta and other farms so critical to the security of good food in our region, stop in at the Dungeness Valley Creamery while you’re at it and show your support.

It’s no secret that the Sequim-Dungeness Valley has practically been inundated by new housing developments with expansive lawns, box stores, and parking lots. Truly, we are very fortunate to have the farms we still have. We can save the future of our region by supporting our local farmers, donating to organizations such as Friends of the Fields, a nonprofit dedicated to saving farmland, and spreading the word as to the importance of having access to locally grown food. We are at a crossroads. Where does your food come from? And do you know where your children’s children’s food will come from? We’re losing land to development right now at the rate of 1000 acres/year. It’s a valid question.

Meet Nash Huber and his crew. See up close how he does it. Stop in and meet Jeff and Debbie Brown and Ryan and Sarah Brown McCarthey. Meet the hands that feed us and thank them first hand.