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Off to the Races

Well, sort of off to the races. We have started the first 1000 lettuce and onion transplants. We will be planting transplant trays of lettuce every 10 days for the next two months. Round two is in the queue! We have a mountain of compost that needs to be spread and we will need to start mowing the cover crops to feed the soil, and eventually the plants, and eventually our customers!

We will be holding off any field work until the ground dries a bit more. Okay, quite a bit more! When I walk out in the fields it is more like a slog; squish, squish, squish. I am fine with it for now. Last year it heated up in April and sucked all the moisture out of the soil, which was great for April, but when August rolled around, that April heat wave didn’t leave much moisture. And I really don’t have any control of the weather anyway. But we are ready when the timing is right!

Managing moisture is one reason why cover cropping is so important. A cover crop is a crop of wheat, or rye, or vetch or weeds, that is planted in the late fall, to protect the soil from rain (compaction), to store nutrients and to feed the soil bacteria and mycorrhizal fungal populations that break down the nutrients that the plants need to grow. 

Currently, the cover crops, like most of your lawns, are loving this wetter spring. While it can be challenging to find a dry time to mow our yard, I want the cover crops to grow as much as possible.  And then when the timing is right, we will mow them down, spread the compost, and begin to till the fields. It will be a feast for all those bacteria and fungi I mentioned earlier. 

Healthy soils are the key to healthy people. 

International troubles are being felt on local farms

The Ukrainian-Russia war is highlighting how interdependent the world has become. With Russia’s vast oil and natural gas supplies and the Ukraine’s farmland, we are seeing the ripple effect everywhere. I just ordered the first round of diesel for the farm season and a pallet of organic fertilizer –Ouch! (I would gladly pay more if it would end the conflict). For us the costs are felt, for sure, but I can only imagine the farmers who farm thousands of acres. And then you have to factor in the types of farms, wheat, corn, and soybean farmers will see higher input costs, but will also see greater demand from the shortage, especially if the conflict doesn’t resolve before planting season in the Ukraine. 

And if the war is resolved, then all of us farmers will have paid a premium for our fuel and fertilizers with prices decreasing. The other challenge is that while U.S. grain farmers will likely benefit from the shortage caused by the war, dairies, poultry, hog, and beef type farms will be adversely impacted due to the increasing cost of fuel and feed. But then next year, the grain farmers will have to save their seed or buy more to plant their crops and the cost of the seed will then be higher for them because of the farm costs from this year, but hopefully fuel and fertilizer costs will stabilize.

I could write and write about this. Nothing is simple any longer. For now, we are praying for peace and planning to grow food. 

Tristan, Joelle and the Box of Good crew

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Time to Start

I have been sitting on my hands. For the first time in as long as I can remember we haven’t fired up a tractor this late into the season. I am not anticipating starting for another 2-3 weeks. And while we are a few weeks away from working the soil, we will start to seed our transplant trays with lettuces and onions with the hope having them ready to go out by the end of April. Of course, it is all weather dependent and I have been at this long enough to the 2022 farm plan loosely.

I have seen April’s as wet as the wettest of wet months and I have seen it as dry as August. But as the calendar moves forward, I am confident that the combination of warming weather and rain will work itself out and we will find a window or two to get those first crops planted. We are about to get busy and then it will all cascade from there.

Since we are talking about farming, this season tends to be a bit rough on the salad farmers in AZ and CA. You can set your clock by it. The salad bowl of America begins to transition, the lettuces in particular are the most challenged. Every week we work hard to find the best quality produce from our organic network of farmers and suppliers. Lettuce and spinach farmers are more impacted by the rising heat of the desert and the still colder fields of CA. This year has been no exception. We have been featuring a lot of red butter lettuce, mostly because it is the best quality right now. 

As a rule, we rotate through the vegetables and types of lettuce, but during this transitioning season, we never deviate from our high-quality standards. We may even skip a week or two if we are not happy with the quality of a produce item. 

Our high standards are not unreasonable, but they are high. For me, having run my own produce store, before I became a farmer, is just a part of me. I judge quality by sight, touch or smell. There are a handful of organic farmers that always deliver the highest quality and there are others that we won’t touch with a ten-foot pole.  

Last week, I was walking the floor and picked up a lemon, its feel, its intense smell delivered this farmer/foodie a wow moment. And last weekend we made a lemon cake with lemon filling and lemon glaze. It also happened to be an Australian themed project for our daughter’s homeschool co-op. Sunshine was on the menu! 

Earning your trust, every time we make a delivery is important to us.

Tristan, Joelle and The Box of Good Crew

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Train Your Taste Buds

You can train your body to crave healthy food. First, get in touch with how healthy food makes you feel.  Nutrient dense food gives more energy, helps with mood, aides in gut health, makes you less sluggish, improves quality of sleep, and helps with weight management! 

Eating healthy also helps prevent, delay, and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The more conscious you become of how healthy eating literally fuels your body and brain, the more you will want it.

Don’t burn yourself out, you don’t need to switch your eating habits 180 degrees overnight. Start to incorporate new healthy habits to eventually create an overall healthy lifestyle. I am a big proponent of stating goals in the affirmative. I never thrived in a “buck up, buttercup” regime.

Save your will power for when you really need it. Take a few minutes and write down a list of things you know will be better for your health. Drink more water or eat an apple or veggie snack every day rather than a processed treat. Make meals with veggies or salad each day. Eat clean and lean meats, and whole grains. Eat meals between noon and 6pm to give your body a break, intermittent fast.

The list can be as long or short. I would encourage you to keep it short and specific, something that you can easily check off in your head. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is overly processed and filled with sweet, salty and sugary foods, and it can be so hard for your taste buds to get past all those, dare I say addictive, flavors. Which is why I am encouraging you to add in, on purpose, foods in their preprocessed form. It can be hard to retrain our taste buds, but it’s possible!

If you are feeling the need for change, start small, be kind to yourself and don’t give up. Adding healthy food is always a win and if you find yourself eating the old way, take a deep breath and assess why, and then start again.

Your health is so important.

We’re all in different places and our lists will look different. What’s on my list? 1. Drink a fruit/veggie smoothie 5x/week, 2. Drink herbal tea 5x/week, 3. Eat between noon and 6pm most days, 4. Create meals that are made up of 75% fruit, vegetables and salads.

Thank you,

Tristan, Joelle and The Box of Good Crew

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A Look Back

When we moved to our current farm, it was about as close to heaven on earth, as one could get. It had a great building where we could pack all of our produce, and use it as a home base. The initial 23 acres that came with our farm were idyllic. The kids had so much room to roam. You might be wondering why I haven’t mentioned the farmhouse. 

Funny story about that, the land and out buildings were the jewels of the 130-year-old homestead. We had been hunting for a farm to buy for 5 years. Land is so critical for a farm. It literally will define what type of farm you are going to be. Dairies and crop farmers staked out claims in the river valleys and beef, chicken, lamb and Christmas tree farmers made the hillsides their homes. We looked long and hard from Okanagan to Goldendale to Montesano, even as far south as Scio in Oregon. 

It was exhausting, everything just out of our reach or didn’t have the right soil type. We finally just paused and prayed this simple prayer, “Lord, if you want us to farm in Snohomish County, you are going to have to provide a way.” It wasn’t more than a week later that a friend of ours was out planting trees on the river banks and had parked across the street in the driveway of what is today our farm. 

I had let all of my farming friends know that we were looking. It just so happened that this particular farm was a rental and the renters had moved out unannounced.. Our friend just happened to be taking a break when the owners, took a break from working and wandered out and struck up a conversation.

She asked, “Do you know anyone looking to buy a farm?” That encounter changed our lives. It had a great building, incredible land, and it was in a part of the flood plain that didn’t have any dikes. Joelle grew up in the Snohomish River valley and she remembered the horrific floods of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and how devastating it was for those families with flood waters flowing through the rafters. We knew we didn’t want to be buying or moving to a farm that was situated behind dikes you can’t see over. 

This farm checked all the boxes, occasional minor flooding, a great barn to work in, and rich soils. The old farmhouse, to quote my mom when we showed her what we had just agreed to buy said, “Are you going to tear it down and put a mobile home on it?” It was in pretty bad shape. To quote another friend of ours, “Fools rush in, where pro’s never tread!” We didn’t know enough to make an informed decision or we didn’t care. WE HAD FINALLY FOUND OUR FARM!

My mom and our dear friend were both right, it was a fixer, but the house had good bones, and we had considerable energy back then (today not so much). 

We no longer use the out buildings for packing, and have since moved that part of our operation to downtown Stanwood. And now the farm is where we grow food for you. It is also where we live. It’s become a place where the third generation runs and plays, recreating many of the same memories that their parents had.

As we draw closer to our 22nd year of growing vegetables, that one prayer back in 2003, changed everything.

-Tristan, Joelle and the Box of Good crew

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Nice and Cold

I must chalk all this crazy weather up to- well – winter! One of our team members commented that she was ready for some warm weather – so am I. I do, however, like winter with its own brand of beauty and its own rhythm. 

I like shoveling the walkways and stacking firewood for the winter fires, but there is one winter chore that must be done in a timely manner or else! It is keeping the snow off the greenhouses, thankfully that is an infrequent occurrence. One of the challenges in our area is that the snow is wet and can flatten a greenhouse quickly. When I, unexpectedly, woke up last week to 4 inches of snow, my first look was out towards the greenhouses. All was well.

We are about 3 weeks away from starting our lettuce and onion transplants and then hopefully, weather permitting, those seedlings will go out into the field at the end of April. This planting schedule is a bit later than normal, but when I look back through the seasons, it just makes sense for us, to start a little later and avoid all the unpredictable weather that is associated with the winter and spring tug-a-war.

Mind you, this is my plan, and it is subject to change. Mostly because we have always started early, and it is so hard to not take advantage of good weather, when it pops up. But, more often than not the early planted crops usually harvest about the same time as the later planted crops, because they struggle in the early weeks. So, my strategy is to skip that first transplant window in early March and wait till the first day of spring to start. I have also asked Joelle to hide the tractor keys till March 21st! 😊 

This week’s Box of Good.

When I look at this menu, I immediately start thinking about roasting vegetables. Carrots, parsnips, sweet onions, green beans and broccoli. Oh my! But I am also partial to steaming all these as well. If I were going to steam the vegetables, I would cut up the carrots and parsnips into ¼ inch rounds and steam them for 10 minutes and then add in the green beans and broccoli and cook for another 10 minutes, drain and add a dollop of butter a pinch of salt and dig in. 

Bon Appetit,

-Tristan, Joelle and the Box of Good crew

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A Little History

Monsanto won, or so one would think. They have controlled the USDA and the FDA for decades. There is a revolving door of legislators, VP’s and consultants that have traveled from Monsanto to the USDA, FDA or even higher places like John Ashcroft, the once Attorney General, and back to Monsanto. It is a game as old as our government has existed, but in the post WW2 era, big business has had way too much influence on our food and farm policy. This is wrong, but I can only do what I can, and becoming an organic farmer and proponent of a different food system, was something I could do. 

The first ‘back to land,’ modern organic farming era, came during the 70’s, coming on the heels of Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring. Another ‘back to the land’ was brewing in the 90’s. That is where Joelle and I began our organic farming journey, or more precisely, where the seeds of our organic farming journey were planted and germinated.  

I remember it as clearly as yesterday when I met my first organic farmer. We were recently married and were trying to find our way as young adults. We had two children and 3rd on the way. I fortuitously stumbled upon a job as a produce person at a boutique retail produce store in NW Portland called Kruger’s Specialty Produce. At that time, we sacrificed financially, leaving a good job, but with little upside for growth. We needed to subsidize our income, so I started my own janitorial business working evenings to make ends meet. I ended up cleaning the offices at a farm chemical plant. I remember when I started the manager told me, “If you bring in any employees, we do not want any pregnant women working in the warehouse.” I could not get that out of my mind. It was ironic that I had two paths before me, working for a company that sold products that killed versus working for a company that promoted growth and health. I could not stay at that warehouse. 

Almost immediately, at the produce market, I was introduced to organic farmers delivering their beautiful produce. They were working with nature; they were committed to not using chemicals and toxic chemistry to grow food for people. They believed that soil health was of paramount importance and eschewed conventional/chemical practices. It was not easier for them, but it was the only way forward. Many were farmers that were sick and tired of farming with chemicals, who watched their soil health deteriorate, and others were looking for a way out of corporate America. No matter what the path, they were committed to a different food system. 

Their conviction was infectious and that inspired the beginning of our home delivery journey. We started delivering organic produce in 1988 and with every delivery, my passion to find a way to farm increased. It took Joelle and I another 5 years before we planted our family at our Stanwood farm and started to grow food! 

24 years later we are still at it. 

Tristan, Joelle and the Box of Good crew 

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Farming

During the winter months we are busy planning and preparing for the upcoming farm season. We look through farm and seed catalogs and choose some tried and true varieties and look for fun, new varieties! This year we’ll purchase seeds from our local supplier, Osborne Seed plus High Mowing and Peaceful Valley. We purchase only certified organic seeds – to support organic farming methods that align with our values and those of our valued customers. 

This warm weather is getting the farming juices flowing through my veins, and as the days get longer, these telltale signs point to the fact that soon it will be time to grow food. For over two decades we have let weather dictate our farming schedule and that has worked well. But the downside is that crops take longer to grow when planted earlier, we often must till and re-till the soil due to sporadic weather, and hope for a good weather window to plant those early transplants.  

When I factor in my desire to farm and the realities of weather, the early spring feels more like running on a hamster wheel. I have winter’s worth of energy and desire all pent up! But when I surveyed the previous 20 farming seasons, I approached John, our main farmhand, about intentionally starting a little later. We decided back in December to not fall prey to the Siren’s Song of early spring. We are going to start seeding crops in trays on the first day of spring! This is a big shift for us, because normally we would be planting out our trays on the first day of spring.  

Our soil is heavy and, while it responds fine to early tilling, it really works up nicely later in the spring. Starting later will also create better seed beds and facilitate quicker crop growth. One major advantage to starting later is there will be less weeding. In the early spring, weeding is more akin to relocating the weeds as we hoe, (moving clumps of weeds around) compared to having them dry out and die off. Starting just a little later we will be able to skip one whole cycle of weeding. 

We are also going to focus on multiple varieties of salad crops this year, and we plan to bring back the pumpkin patch for 2022!  

Tristan 

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Grace Harbor Farms Dairy

We are excited to announce that starting the week of January 31st we will be adding Grace Harbor Farms from Lynden to our mix of local farms we work with. You are going to love their healthy, locally produced yogurts, kefirs, goat, and cow’s milk. Visit our website to order for your family. I am sharing a snippet from their website so you can get to know them. You can also visit their website at https://graceharborfarms.com

We have been family owned and operated by the Lukens Family since 1999.

All of our products are made without the use of artificial flavors or gums. Our dairy products are true whole milk, 4.5% butterfat on average. We never separate the cream out or homogenize the milk. Because we don’t remove anything, we don’t have to add synthetic vitamins back in.

All of our products are vat pasteurized and ready to eat. Please keep refrigerated, consume or freeze by the “use by” date.

*We have used organic style farming before organic was cool. We still do today. We promise that the animals will have pasture access (weather permitting) and grass to graze on. We believe we are stewards of the land and animals, and we do our very best to keep everyone healthy and happy.

Box of Good Daily Curbside Pick-Up Now Available

And starting the same week, Customers will be able to schedule same day pick up of fresh produce, by choosing “Curbside Pick-Up.” This feature allows customers to swing by our packing facility in Stanwood, and pick up their order, during our office hours of 8:00am – 2:00pm, Monday-Friday.

Thank you for supporting our family farm, our online grocery store, and the other family farms and local producers who we partner with.         -Tristan, Joelle, Alaina and the Box of Good crew  

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Deja Vu

This past week has been all too poignant for me. As a farmer and resident in one of many flood plains in WA state, seeing what was unfolding in the Centralia and Chehalis area last week brought me right back to the mid-December Floods of 2007.  

That year our valley was spared, much like this year, but in 2007 the Chehalis River ravaged that community. It was a freaky event, that was exacerbated by a mudslide caused by a clearcut. With little to no warning the river left its bank. The losses were significant to both livestock and property. Our family helped with cleaning up a few of the farms in that community. So much pain and resilience and community was on display. 

Fast forward a few years and my valley got hit hard. Our farm was spared but, many of our neighbors did not fare as well. It took a week for the water to drain from behind the dikes. It gave the community time to develop a plan and begin the cleanup. Sadly, no, thankfully, what I had learned from helping in Chehalis a few years earlier became important to help my valley get back on its feet. 

Fast forward 15 years. We have not had a serious flood for over a decade in the Stillaguamish River Valley and the City of Stanwood (proper) hasn’t flooded since 1956. But this year has not been kind to Whatcom and Skagit County families that were overwhelmed by a deluge of water. And now Lewis County is getting flooded. Flooding is never easy on anyone, but farm families understand the risks and have lived through many floods. There is institutional knowledge that can span 3, 4 or 5 generations.  

Joelle and I live in the flood plain, we expect it to flood at some point. The folks who live behind dikes have shorter memories and for good reason, flooding is not very frequent. But when a dike overtops, or heaven forbids breaches flooding becomes very scary and quickly. Or for residents of cities like Sumas or Centralia who also live in the flood plain, but they are slightly higher in elevation and/or protected by dikes the flood risk is not top of mind either. My heart goes out to those folks, the flooding that is happening this year is devasting.  

In a strange Irony, I now have two daughters and their families living in the City of Centralia. Both sandbagged their homes. And even though this flood is going to have a significant impact, one daughter commented that it is scary to get a call from the city to evacuate, but still amazing to see the community working together to sandbag and serve one another.  

I know all too well that our valley will have its day and I also know that our community will rally just like in Sumas and Centralia to serve and begin to move forward.  

Life is full of twists and turns and opportunities to serve and build community happen all the time. 

-Tristan

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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 

Joelle and I wanted to take a few moments and say “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays” to the Box of Good Community. 

Your spirit of generosity throughout the year and this holiday season is inspiring. Together we have made an impact in our local communities. Next week I will recap the amazing amount of “good” accomplished with your support and purchases of fresh organic foods. We are grateful and honored to participate with each of you to extend kindness to those experiencing food hunger, battling cancer and to many PNW local farm families. 

Autumn Frost. Many of you will be getting the Autumn Frost squash in your boxes this week. We are at the tail end of our fall harvest and this beautiful Butternut squash variety is a newcomer to the vegetable world. There are so many choices when it comes to growing vegetables and the Autumn Frost made the cut this past year. I hope you will love it as much as I do. I have made butternut soup, both pureed and with cubes, I have made them into “fries” with feta and garlic and I have also just roasted them and added them to a salad with goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and an olive oil dressing. Bon Appetit! 

Wishing you the Merriest Christmas and the Happiest of Holidays this season. 

Tristan, Joelle and the kiddos still at home.