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Always Organic ~ Always GMO Free

2-19What’s the rub when it comes to GMO free and organic? Understanding where the organic and GMO free movements connect and do not connect can create some friction or rub some people the wrong way. I would like to tackle the organic, GMO free definitions. This opinion is my own, shaped by 20 years in the good food movement (my oh my, where did the time go?) and countless conversations, workshops and books I have read. I have been blessed to know and interact with some of the most incredible farmers, food activists, and conservationists during this time.

The organic movement was founded in direct response to the abuse of the soil and continual decline of the nutritional value of food. In the early days, the farmers or visionaries behind this movement recognized that there is a big difference farming with nature versus trying to conquer nature. These die-hards respected the soil and recognized that a functioning farm should resemble a healthy eco system. From this foundation, the organic food movement has developed a list of what can be called “best management practices.” These practices govern what can be applied to the soil and when it can be applied, and it is governed by third party certifying agencies and the USDA.

It is important to know that organic does not mean “no sprays,” no pesticides, or no herbicides because there are naturally derived pesticides (like bt) or herbicides (like vinegar) that can be used. Organic does mean that no synthetically derived sprays, pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers can be used. Organic farming is a system of farming and it requires different management principles than non-organic farming, but organic farmers still have an arsenal of sprays, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers at their disposal. The difference is from what source they are derived—natural or synthetic. They are also GMO free by definition, since GMOs are prohibited by National Organic Program (NOP) standards.

The GMO free community is an important movement that is gaining lots of traction. We are seeing labeling initiatives springing up all over the place. But is GMO free better for you? Yes and no. It is true that a GMO free label means that these food products have been processed with beans, corn, or canola that have not used genetically modified organisms in the seed stock. But if the label doesn’t also say USDA Organic, it means that that product is grown non-organically using synthetically derived pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. So while the seed itself is not laced with pesticides or herbicides, the plants are more than likely sprayed with them. This is an important distinction, which means that GMO free products fall into the same category as non-organic fruits and vegetables.

Your best bet is to eat organically grown fruits, vegetables, grains and organic processed foods to avoid food that is farmed with synthetically derived pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Organic is better for you and better for the soil.

Which is why Klesicks is always organic and always GMO free!

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Time to Prune

Last year, we “top worked” some Comice pear trees in our orchard—36 to be precise. We saved 12 of these trees to pollinate the Buerre Bosc pears. I planted the orchard five years ago, but the Comice pears have not performed well and seemed unhappy in our microclimate. The Bosc pears, however, took to the microclimate like a duck takes to water. So this winter, I cut some scion wood from the Bosc pears and am going to “top work” the last 12 Comice pear trees. Last year, we grafted the Comice pears over to Conference pears and four Asian pear varieties. The picture in this article is Stephen cutting off the “nurse” limb we left to stabilize the tree from the aggressive pruning.

Definitions:

Top working is a term that refers to grafting a new variety onto an existing tree. In a sense, you are working on establishing a new “top” for the tree. It can save a few years in establishing a new variety  and  lots of dollars.  “Top working” makes sense if you are happy with orchard layout, irrigation tree spacing, and if the new variety is compatible with the existing root stock.

Nurse limbs are designed to allow the tree to funnel energy to the new shoots that have been grafted onto the top of the “stump.” It works well because the “nurse” limbs are lower and the tree begins to put energy into building a new top. In the following spring we come back through and select the best of the grafts and cut off the “nurse” limbs.

Grafting is the process where one variety is grafted into or onto another tree. As mentioned earlier, it can really speed up the process of getting back into fruit production by 2-3 years.  It is a relatively straitforward process, but you need to be ready to do it when the weather is right, towards the end of April. You also have to gather the scion wood in the dead of winter and store it at near freezing to keep it dormant.

Scion wood is the wood that is grafted onto the existing tree. We typically use a 4-6 inch piece of wood with 3-4 good buds (buds become the future branches). Amazingly, as the main tree adopts the grafts, they will grow 2-4 feet over the summer. And now we are selecting the best “grafts” from last year to grow the new tree.

If all things go as planned, we should see a small crop next year of Conference pears and a larger crop of Buerre Bosc pears in two years from the “top worked” trees this year.

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My Head is Swimming!

imagesI have been at three farm conferences in three weeks and the amount of information is overwhelming. Literally, I feel like I have been drinking out of fire hose.

The first was the Eco Farm Conference in Monterey, CA. That was a tough place to visit :). This is the conference where the hardcore organic food movement gathers annually. Lots of great classes on food systems, local agriculture and environmental initiatives. At this conference I was able to connect with other growers, buyers and foodies. Lots of optimism and hope for the future of organic food. And I wholeheartedly concur that the good food movement is alive and well.

The following week I found myself in Coeur d’Alene, ID at another meeting. This one was a part of a the local farm bank that I work with. At this meeting I found myself sitting among farmers who farm thousands of acres. This agriculture group refers to themselves as Agribusiness or production Ag. Even though I don’t farm that kind of acreage, I had been invited to the table to get in there and talk about healthy food and healthy farming practices and also listen to the wisdom these farmers have to offer. Also, this group is dealing with Succession Planning, so a good amount of time was spent on the importance of “planning to pass” the farm onto the next generation of farmers. The big take away for me at this conference was to ensure that as I plan for the future, I update our wills!

But, sadly, I have to admit that coming from CA to ID, the two conferences were more like the weather in more ways than one. You could say that one group drinks Bud and grows the Hops for it and the other is more likely to grow the bud and smoke it. I will let you decide which group does which (just for the record, I do neither). Tragically, both groups view each other as enemies. I think there is a lot of common good that can be shared between both groups if we could be less democrat and republican, liberal and conservative, or quite frankly, just plain civil.

But the last conference in Spokane was about growing nutrient-rich food! Now this is a breath of fresh air! The growers here are giddy with the results they get farming with nature and not against it. It is about using soil and foliar biology to build nutrition in the plants that feed YOU! Now this is right up my alley—large growers, small growers, organic or mostly organic growers, all focused on not only replacing chemical inputs with organic inputs, but farming with a whole different set of principles that put the soil first, not profits.

This is why I farm biologically, why I farm the soil, because the soil is everything. Benjamin Franklin said it best, “A nation that destroys its soils, destroys itself.” This famer and the farmers we work with to feed you every week are a part of the solution, farming living soil and producing living food.

Hurry up spring, as I can hardly wait to start farming!

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A Box and a Quest

We rolled out our new Recipe Box last week and are pleased to see that it is meeting a need for many of our customers. For some time, I have been ruminating on a new box for our customers to try and this is it. A few years ago, we introduced the Essentials Boxes, then came the Northwest Box, then the Harvest Box, and last year the Juicer Boxes. All of these boxes originated because of customers like you communicating with us about what best met your needs.

The Recipe Box is built around its own recipe and contains all the ingredients available to make the recipe. The box is unique in that it may have pasta or beans or salsa or olive oil, in addition to the fruit and vegetable portions necessary for making the meal. It will also be portioned to serve 4 people. I am very excited for this new box and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

food-rulesOur Annual “K” Quest

It is that time of the year again! Time for the “K” Quest! Once again, we give our customers the chance to win a prize by embarking upon our virtual quest. Each day of the quest, we will hide the Klesick (our seedling logo) on a new page within our website. When you find it, click on the logo, enter your name and e-mail address, submit, and you will be entered into the prize drawing (one entry per day per customer). Two lucky “K” questers will receive a copy of Michael Pollan’s latest book, Food Rules!

Follow Klesick Family Farm on Facebook daily to receive clues on where to find the hidden “k”. The quest will take place February 3-11, 2014. The prize drawing will be February 11th and the winners will be notified immediately thereafter. Happy Questing!

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Crocuses!

1554468_734052239963100_1809979314_nAs Chungo, our friendly black lab, and Myliss, our friendly cat, were soaking in the sun from our front porch this beautiful winter day, one couldn’t help but feel a little touch of spring in the air, but I am not easily fooled. As I walked up the steps to the ever-inviting tail wagging of Chungo, calling out to me for a scratch around the ears, I was treated to the first flush of crocuses! On our farm, they are the first telltale sign of what is to come. I love to see them as they start to peek through the flower bed mulches that have been keeping them warm and nourished since October. Those first shoots are so green, with that dark vibrant green that is overflowing with life. It is invigorating to my soul and serves as a reminder that spring is just around the corner.

And with the encouragement of the first crocuses, comes a little extra energy bump and reminder to pick it up a little. We still have fences to mend, gates to build, trees to prune, raspberries to tie off and transplant, and scion wood to collect for this year’s grafting. We are still busily deciding where to plant what, when and how much. We are going to try some early greens in one of our greenhouses and some baby ginger in another one. It is amazing how a little sunshine can provide the burst of energy to get those winter projects buttoned up! Stay tuned.

The Recipe Box

This week, we are rolling out the new Recipe Box. I have been ruminating on a new box for our customers to try and now we have it. A few years ago, we rolled out the Essentials Boxes and then we introduced the Northwest Box, which features only locally grown items. Next, we introduced the Harvest Box and last year we introduced the Juicer Boxes. But all of these boxes originated because of customers like yourselves communicating with us about what worked and didn’t work for your needs.

In that same spirit, the Recipe Box has come to life and is now available. This box will be built around its own recipe and will contain all the ingredients available to make the recipe. The box will be unique in that it may have pasta or beans or salsa or olive oil, in addition to the fruit and vegetable portions necessary for making the meal, and it will be portioned to serve 4 people. I am ultra excited for this new box and I hope you will enjoy it as well.

Cheers to your Health!

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Inhibition can be a Good Thing

potatoesI mean, really, if you think about inhibition, it is a form of self-control, as opposed to prohibition which is a form of outside control. Personally, I am more of a fan of inhibition and self-control than the other. I know, I know, some prohibition is necessary, but I would prefer less than more.

Well, when it comes to potatoes, inhibition has gone wild. As a farmer, I would encourage you to eat as many as you like. There are so many great ways to eat them: boiled, roasted (my favorite), baked, in soups and even in pancakes. There are also many different sizes, colors and shapes. We have reds, blues, yellows, bakers, fingerlings, heirlooms and hybrid. One might conclude there is a different potato for every palette.  So, toss all inhibition to the wind, but don’t overdo it and fall into the trap of gluttony—nothing worse than ruining a good meal by eating too much. I know that they taste incredible, but a little inhibition on over doing it will go a long way toward not feeling stuffed! And everyone knows that things that are stuffed don’t usually have much life in them!

Now, sadly, the chemical minded farmer shows very little inhibition on something that should definitely be on the prohibition list. They grow the beautiful potato from seed and abuse it with chemical fertilizers and sprays all season long. Then at the end, as if adding “salt” to an injury, they spray the potato with sprout inhibitors. That is terrible. Most of the potatoes Americans are eating have been sprayed with sprout inhibitors, unless you buy organic or local from a farmer direct.

Storing potatoes is big business and keeping those “fritters” from sprouting is of paramount importance to the USDA, the potato growers, and the grocery and restaurant supply chains. But is it more important than our nation’s health, your health? I say not, so I won’t use them!

Now, don’t let a little sprout here or there become the inhibitor to eating my potatoes. A sprout just means that a potato is being a potato—you know, acting just like God intended it to.  So, if you see one of those sprouts “peeking around the corner,” do the same thing as farmer Tristan and his clan—“pop” it off and get to cooking a mess of something awesome, like Tuscan soup!

And if you ever do spy a sprout, you can send a thank you to your farmer for showing some inhibition to using a chemical sprouting inhibitor on the food he is growing for you.

Cheers,

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Juicing vs. Blending

THANKWhat’s The Difference?

JUICING

Juicing is a process which extracts water and nutrients from produce  and discards the fiber.  

Without all the fiber, your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food and absorb the nutrients. In fact, it makes the nutrients more readily available to the body in much larger quantities than if you were to eat the fruits and vegetables whole.

This is especially helpful if you have a sensitive digestive system or illness that inhibits your body from processing fiber. The fiber in produce helps slow down the digestive process and provides a steady release of nutrients into the blood stream.

Freshly squeezed vegetable juices form part of most healing and detoxification programs because they are so nutrient rich and nourish and restore the body at a cellular level.

A word of caution: When you remove the fiber from the produce, the liquid juice is absorbed into your blood stream quickly. If you are only juicing fruits, this would cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and unstable blood sugar  levels can lead to mood swings, energy loss, memory problems and more!

Fiber is also filling and without fiber in the juice, some people tend to get hungry again quickly.

THE BENEFITS

  • Makes nutrients more readily available to the body in larger quantities.
  • Nourishes and restores the body at a cellular level.
  • Gives the digestive system a break so cells can focus on rest and repair.
  • Makes it easier to consume an adequate amount of fruits and vegetables daily.

TIP: Swish your juice or smoothie in your mouth for 20-30 seconds before swallowing it to facilitate digestive enzymes in your mouth and prevent bloating and gas.

BLENDING

Unlike juices, smoothies consist  of the entire entire fruit or vegetable, skin and all and contain all of the fiber from the vegetables.
However, the blending process breaks the fibre apart (which makes the fruit and vegetables easier to digest ) but also helps create a slow, even release of nutrients into the blood stream and avoids blood sugar spikes. Smoothies tend to be more filling, because of the fiber, and generally faster to make than juice, so they can be great to drink first thing in the morning as your breakfast, or for snacks throughout the day.

By including the fiber in your smoothie, the volume will increase. Also, you can pack more servings of fruits and veggies into a single serving of juice than you can into a smoothie.

THE BENEFITS

  • More filling than juice, so you are likely to stay satiated for a longer period of time.
  • Can often serve as a meal replacement.
  • The high fiber content helps balance blood sugar levels.
  • Helps to regulate and support digestion by pushing toxins out of the colon.

Juicing and Blending Rules

1. It’s best not to combine fruits and vegetables (unless it’s apple). This can affect how well your digestive enzymes function. 
This doesn’t seem to matter too much in green juices and smoothies, but vegetables like carrots, beetroots, broccoli and zucchini don’t combine well with fruit due to their high starch content. In his book Food Combining Made Easy, Dr. Herbert Shelton explains that starchy foods have to be eaten alone because starches are digested with enzymes different from those used for any other food group. Combining starchy foods with fruit may cause fermentation and gas. However, Dr. Shelton found that green leafy veggies combine well with pretty much everything.

2. Try to drink your juice or smoothie straight away. After 15 minutes, light and air will destroy much of the nutrients. If you can’t drink it straight away, transfer to a dark airtight container until you’re ready.

TIP: Swish your juice or smoothie in your mouth for 20-30 seconds before swallowing it to facilitate digestive enzymes in your mouth and prevent bloating and gas.

Sources:
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/juicing-vs-blending-which-one-is-better
http://lucasjamespersonaltraining.com/juicing-vs-blending/3087/

 

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Happy New Year!

During this season, I have a little more time on my hands and get to do a little more cooking. One of my favorite squashes is Delicata. Its delicate flavor and edible skin make it a great addition to roasted vegetables or as a standalone entrée.

Well, for Christmas, I decided on a roasted Delicata and pear dish. Don’t you just love the Internet for finding great recipes? I stumbled upon the one listed below. It was the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The chili powder really helps the squash to engage those taste buds. I didn’t have any pears on hand, so I substituted apples. The apples worked great, but knowing how pears roast, I would definitely opt for pears as my first choice. Overall, I would rate this recipe a smashing success. Enjoy!

What entrée was your favorite this holiday season?

Chili-Brown Sugar Delicata Squash with Pears from www.eatingwell.com
Pears and delicata squash tossed with brown sugar, chili powder and bacon is a delectable combination. To make this vegetarian, omit the bacon and toss the squash and pears with the brown sugar and chili powder during the last 5 minutes of roasting.
(4 servings, about 3/4 cup each | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes)
Ingredients:
1 pound delicata squash (about 1 large)
2 medium ripe but firm pears, sliced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 slices bacon
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Toss in a large bowl with pears, oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a large baking sheet.
Roast the squash and pears until just tender, stirring once or twice, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Discard all but 2 teaspoons fat from the pan. Over medium heat, stir in water, brown sugar and chili powder. Add the squash and pears; toss to coat. Crumble the bacon on top.

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Cleanse, Detox, Reboot!

ID-100219272If you have seen Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. You were probably as impressed as we were with results of juicing! Here are some of Joe’s tips and recommendations for a successful reboot:

What is a Reboot?

A period of time where you commit to drinking and eating only fruits and vegetables, herbal teas and water in order to regain or sustain your vitality, lose weight and kick-start healthy habits that recharge your body and get your diet back in alignment for optimal wellness.

Is a Reboot for everyone?

Rebooting is for almost everyone with a few exceptions. Please don’t attempt a Reboot if you are pregnant or nursing, under 18 or have a severe medical condition. Check with your doctor if you are unsure. If you are currently on medication, ask your doctor before starting this or any diet program.

Get Your Questions Answered.

Juice or smoothie? How should I navigate social events? Can I chew gum? Check out Joe’s FAQ for answers to commonly asked questions.

Get support.

Rebooting can be hard but you don’t need to do it alone. We recommend having a Reboot-Buddy to help you through the process.

Purchase a juicer (if you don’t already have one!)

We can personally attest for the Champion Juicer – An easy to use, versatile, powerful and durable Juicer. Designed with simplicity in mind, the Champion 2000+ Juicer doesn’t require nuts, bolts, screws or clamps. Assembly can be completed in seconds. Cleaning is equally quick and painless. In addition to fresh juices, this unit can also make fruit sauces, baby foods, nut butters, ice cream, sherbets and everybody’s favorite – fruit smoothies.

Get juicing.

A copy of the Juice Revolution Cleanse Plan with all the recipes will be included with each order. For details and more information please visit: http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/cart/index.php?route=product%2Fproduct&path=7&product_id=1500

Get moving.

Just because you are on a Reboot doesn’t mean that you have to stop your regular exercise routine. Nor does it mean that you have to start one either. However, we strongly believe that fitness is an important component of a healthy, happy, and vibrant life, and key to helping you maintain your weight loss. So fill up on those fruits and veggies, get off the couch, get your heart rate up (it only takes 20 minutes) and get moving!

Share your success.

Congratulations. You’ve done it. The plant-powered energy you’ve been consuming during your Reboot has given you the mental and physical awareness to leave the junk foods behind and live a healthy, vibrant life. You deserve to share your success and help inspire others on their Reboot. Share your story with us.

Content inspired and adapted from: http://www.rebootwithjoe.com

Image courtesy of tiverylucky / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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Year in Review 2013

Supporting Local Farms  Since the inception of our home delivery business in 1999, we have always focused on purchasing our fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers first. Every week, we contact our farmer friends to find out what they currently have available for our boxes. If we need to find more produce, we then source it from farms outside our area. As your personal farmer, I really appreciate your dedication to the local farm community. With your purchases this year, you have blessed several local farm families:

Bartella Farm, Beld Family Farm, Blue Heron Farms, Bunny Lane Fruit, Earth Conscious Organics, Filaree Farms, Hazel Blue Acres, Hedlin Farms, Highwater Farm, Horse Drawn Farms, Living Rain Farm, Middleton Organic Specialty Foods, Moondance Farm, Motherflight Farms, Neff Farm, Okanagan Producers Marketing Association, Paul & Janice Madden Orchards, Ponderosa Orchards, Ralph’s Greenhouse, Rents Due Ranch, Skagit Flats Farm, Skagit Valley Farm, Viva Farms, and of course, the Klesick Family Farm.

Helping Local People  Another core principle at Klesick Family Farm is to give back to our community. One of the ways we do this is by offering our customers the opportunity to donate a box of good to local area food banks. We currently support food banks in Anacortes, Stanwood, Camano Island, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Everett, Monroe, Snohomish, and Edmonds. For every four boxes donated by our customers, we donate an additional box. This year, with the generous support of our customers, Klesick Family Farm delivered over 859 boxes of good (approximately $22,000 worth of quality organic fruits and vegetables) to local area food banks! This number includes the donation of 165 Thanksgiving Holiday Boxes and 35 Christmas Blessing Boxes. There is no way our farm could meet this need without your help. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of our business. I love meeting local needs with local resources! Thank you for partnering with us.

If you would like to join us in helping provide quality organic produce to local food banks, either give us a call or order a food bank box under the Boxes category of the Product page of our website.

Thank you for a great 2013! We look forward to next year!

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