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Experiencing Farm-Fresh Produce

The sun was warm and the kids were ready. Their eager feet carried them out of the car and into the sprawling field, without stopping until well into our drive back home when their weary heads finally succumbed to sleep. A chance to run around, play in the dirt, and to see, feel and taste where their food comes from is such a treasured experience for my little city kids. 
 
Those of you who were at the farm day had a chance to see my two boys eagerly “assisting” me throughout my demonstration. To them it was as if we were at home in the kitchen helping mom with dinner. But this time was a bit different – I was sharing with you all. Not the voice behind a newsletter, but face-to-face and it was such a joy.
 
At the event, I shared three salads that use raw vegetables. I could go on and tell you how eating raw preserves many of the nutrients in your food and that eating raw can reverse or stop the advance of many chronic diseases. But instead I’ll tell you why I love using raw vegetables in salads – it is so quick and easy. In the course of my twenty minute demonstration I made these three salads, while trying to wrangle my “assistants” and talk into a microphone. Making the salads was the easy part. 
 
I also love the taste of raw produce. As I opened up the box of fruits and vegetables that I was to use during the demonstration, I was giddy. There is little better than a sweet carrot just plucked from the earth. Or fresh fennel, so crisp with a soft licorice flavor. With great produce there really is so little you have to do to elevate it. 
 
These salads are also a great way to get a bite of freshness in the dead of winter when you want nothing more than a crisp, bright taste to remind you of summer’s bounty. 
 
Thank you to all who joined me at the demonstration. It was so great to meet a few of you. And for those who couldn’t make it, I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do.
 
by Ashley Rodriguez
food blogger
 

 

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Your delivery the week of Labor Day

 

Our office will be closed Monday, September 3rd in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Because of this closure, our deliveries for that week are scheduled as follows:
 
For delivery Wednesday:  Tuesday customers. Wednesday customers in Anacortes and Oak Harbor.
 
For delivery Thursday:  Thursday customers, except south Marysville (south of 88th St NE); remaining Wednesday customers.
 
For delivery Friday:  Friday customers; Thursday customers in south Marysville (south of 88th St NE).
                                                      
If you need to skip your delivery that week, please remember to let us know so that you do not return home to find your box of good gone bad. If you’d like to donate a box of good to the food bank in your absence just let us know.
 
If you have any questions about your delivery please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
Wishing you all the best for a safe and happy holiday!
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Teamwork

 

Coming off the heels of our farm festival, I am reminded of how important it is to work together or, more importantly, how important each piece is to completing the puzzle. Our annual festival and our weekly “box of good” only happen because people come together and complete the puzzle.
 
Accomplishing these two things is much easier when it is not the farm season. The farm season, at times, seems like a tidal wave crashing upon us, especially when we are planting, harvesting, weeding and trying to maintain some semblance of family life. As the farmer, I am constantly surprising my team with extra vegetables or fruit that they were not planning for because I happen to discover a patch of strawberries or onions or spinach that is ready earlier than I expected. My team is very nimble and can change menus and directions in seconds. 
 
The other day was a prime example of teamwork. Maleah and I are the flower farmers. We have a system in place when it is time to pick flowers. She runs around and gets the asters, cosmos and dahlias and I get the sunflowers, amaranth, calendula, marigolds and straw flowers. She has quite an eye for picking beautiful flowers. Well, the other day she was at a sleepover birthday party and had left earlier that afternoon. The rest of our family was doing some last minute weeding and harvesting for the festival. Maleah and I always start harvesting flowers about a half an hour before dark. Of course, out of habit, I started the flower harvest like normal. At that moment I thought to myself, “What was I thinking, letting Maleah go to a birthday party during harvest time?!?!?” I ran around cutting my usual flowers and then I ran around getting Maleah’s usual flowers, barely finishing as the sun left the horizon. Then it took twice as long to bunch them.
 
That night, I experienced the importance of my seven year old’s help. I got the flowers harvested and arranged, but pinch hitting for Maleah isn’t nearly as much fun or efficient as working with her. I will still let her go to birthday parties, but I will definitely start earlier next time!
 
Farming as a family and a team, 
 
 
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Now that was a Party!

Over 500 of you came out to the farm on a beautiful, pleasantly cool afternoon and based on the smiles and photos on Facebook, people were having a great time.  The Klesick Family Farm festival is the perfect venue for us to connect with our customers.

From farm walks, hay rides and family games, to digging in the dirt with an excavator, this place was hopping, especially during the gunny sack races J. Kiddos were building wooden boats, felting, searching for lost mice in the haze maze and many were getting a farm makeover (AKA face painting)—oh my, we have a host of talented painters on our staff.
 
During this event, my job is to get the farm looking beautiful and make sure the crops are getting harvested and planted as well, but on the day of the festival my team frees me up to visit with you. I am so thankful for the 45 volunteers who give a Saturday to serve our customers—the  are an amazing bunch of people.  Every year we see a lot of the same families, like the Hopkins, Pappases, Monsefs, Fullers, and Elis, rolling in at 10 a.m. and rolling out at 4 p.m..Their kiddos are getting so big and, my, do they look healthy (I am sure that it has to do with their organic home delivery service J)! The connections are so rich, our customers have become friends and that is beautiful.
 
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the potato digging. It almost didn’t happen this year, but our team, at the last minute, added it back in and, voila, a horde of eager future farmers followed me over to the potato patch. I love that moment when I tell the children we are going to harvest potatoes and to stand back as the tractor begins to unearth the bounty. And all of a sudden, as if by magic, these yellow tubers pop out of the ground and time seems to stand still for an instant as a wave of awe comes over the children and there is this palpable energy. And then the kiddos turn that energy into their own personal harvest and for that moment they have become farmers bringing in the harvest. For me, that is the sweetest moment, when our farm brings back memories of the good old days or introduces the wonders of it all to a future farmer.
 
Thank you to my team and thank you to those of you who could spend a Saturday with us, I am truly blessed to be your farmer and host.
 
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Old-Fashioned Farm Celebration!

You are invited to come out to Klesick Family Farm for our annual old-fashioned farm celebration Saturday, August 18th! A fun and wholesome event for the entire family! Free admission!
 
Meet the people behind your “Box of Good” and celebrate the season with us. We will enjoy a fun-filled day with live music, wagon rides, a pioneer play area, face painting, tug-o-war, a balloon toss, a gunny sack race, a pie-eating contest, volleyball, wiffle ball, raffle prizes, farm walks with Tristan, an espresso stand, and a produce stand. Bring a kite to fly, as we’ll have the room.
 
Please Note: We were unable to secure a vendor to BBQ to be at the event this year, so no lunch options will be provided. Please pack a picnic lunch, picnic blanket, chairs, and smiles!
 
The weather is going to be great, so jump in the car and enjoy the drive to our little spot in the picturesque Stillaguamish River valley!
 
Saturday, August 18th
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
24101 Miller Rd
Stanwood, WA 98292
 
Schedule of Events
10:00     Let the Fun Begin!
10:30     Demonstration: Goat Felt by Holly Barnes
11:00     Raffle  w  Farm Walk
11:30     Games: Farm Olympics, Tug-o-War
12:00     Raffle  w  Music: Ben Booher
12:30     Demonstration: Ashley Rodriguez, food blogger  w  Storytelling: by Eldrbarry 
1:00        Raffle  w  Farm Walk
1:30          Games: Gunny Sack Race, Balloon Toss
2:00        Raffle  w  Pie Eating Contest
2:30        Demonstration:  Juicer & Dehydrator  w  Storytelling: by Eldrbarry    
3:00        Raffle  w  Music: Spencer Clem
4:00        Closing of Event
 
Thank you for coming!
Schedule is subject to change
 
Please call us if you have any questions: 360-652-4663
We look forward to seeing you there!
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“It is not Farmland without Farmers”

I see bumper stickers from time to time with this message. However, this message just doesn't resonate with me. Granted, it takes a farmer to bring the land into production, but the farmer doesn't make it farmland. The bumper sticker is attempting to get at an issue, a very real issue—that we need more farmers, especially younger farmers. The average age of the American farmer is 57. Yikes! That means there is a lot of really old farmers getting ready to retire. For sure this is an issue, but this bumper sticker, directly or indirectly, incorrectly places the focus on the farmer and not on the land. 
 
It is true that the land and the farmer are tied together, but one really is not a farmer without land. And even more important, one is a better farmer with farmland than most other kinds of land. I would contend that farmland is farmland with or without a farmer. It would be more appropriate to say, "It is not farmed land without a farmer." And just because a farmer no longer wants to farm the land doesn't make it any less farmable or valuable for farming.
 
Not all farmland is the same. There is no perfect soil type for all crops (e.g., vegetables, dairy or berries), but there are some good general soil types that support a wide variety of farms. The most valuable farmland is what we farmers call "bottom land" and in Western Washington this is typically found in the flood plains. This land is rich and has been traditionally productive for centuries because of the flooding.
 
Bottom land is the most important land to save for future farmers or “stewards,” if you will. I don't want to conserve this land, I want to actively manage its uniqueness and allow it to feed generations to come. This is the big difference between a conservationist model and a stewardship model. Both have their place, but farmland has a different purpose than a national park or even an industrial park. Each of these uses are important for society and need to be planned for, but farmland is the bedrock of civilization and our nation should work hard to make it difficult to change the use of farmland to other uses.
 
Thoughtfully, raising food in a very wet year,
 
A steward of the land
 
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Farmland = Food

The other day, I was driving through our valley and noticing the diversity of crops and farms. Our valley in the lower Stillaguamish hasn’t changed much since the 40s. We are, relatively, newcomers to this section of the river, having arrived in 2003, which is longer than any other place we have lived.  When we found this farm, we were super excited and got to work restoring an 1892 built farmhouse and building our legacy of farming. 
 
Surrounded by several generations of farmers, we moved into the “old Martin place” and started the process of learning how to farm this ground. We knew the ground had potential, we studied the soil maps and talked to farmers who had farmed it and gleaned stories about when to work it and when not to, and most importantly how it floods!
 
The reason we were able to buy this farm is because the Stillaguamish River frequently overruns its usual meandering path and covers the whole valley. Oh my, what a shock to actually experience the power of the Stillaguamish River. But it is the Stillaguamish River’s propensity to flood that has actually preserved farmland or else I wouldn’t be writing this newsletter.
 
But isn’t this the crux of the issue, we have a farm because the river demands us to share the land, otherwise it would look like a city! It is more though—our farmland is a community resource.  No farmland means no food and no food means no people.  We, as community, have a personal and collective interest in preserving our farmland.  More than food is produced on our farmland. There are other creatures that have their homes and lifestyles preserved because of the river and the farmland. I believe we need to switch from chemical farming and GMO farming to organic type farming. It will be better for our health and the health of our world.
 
From the beginning of civilization, farms and cities have coexisted in proximity and community. The Klesick Family Farm and you represent the future of farming and the future of good nutrient-rich food for future generations. Organic farmers and organic consumers are providing sanity to a system that is bankrupt, where farmers act more like miners robbing our soils of the nutrients we need to live.
Your weekly support of home delivery service impacts the future. Essentially, consumers of organic food today are preserving the healthy farmland for tomorrow (with the help of the Stillaguamish River, of course). 
 
And maybe, just maybe someone will look at my farm in a 100 years from now and pick up the soil and look at its tilth and smell its life and want to farm the “old Klesick place” and continue to feed their neighbors nutrient-rich food.
 
My goal is to raise nutrient-rich food and one day leave this farm more fertile and more friendly to all those who call this place home.
 
Farming “the Old Martin Place” with an eye towards the future,
 
 
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Ahhh…the smell of fresh coffee!

I love the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. As it percolates and fills the air of my kitchen this morning, I’m reminded of my recent visit to Camano Island Coffee Roasters. I’ve been to the roaster many times before, but this time was different. Just recently, CICR had a research company conduct a study on coffee. This research uncovered some astounding things. I thought to myself, “Why not share some of these insights with the Klesick Family Farm community?”

One of the first things I learned was that coffee is one of the most absorbent crops on the planet. Pesticides used on food today are carcinogenic. Because of the carcinogenic nature of pesticides and coffee’s high absorbency, organic coffee is essential to protecting our health.
 
Second, modern coffee farming techniques have led to damaging levels of acidity and caffeine in your coffee. If you have experienced heartburn, acid reflux, or stomach pain after drinking coffee, then you need shade-grown coffee. Shade-grown coffee grows much slower than modern sun-grown coffee farming, and develops much less acidity and caffeine — no more stomach ache!
 
Third, over-roasted or burnt coffee results in high levels of carcinogens. An astounding study conducted by the FDA found the levels of Acrylamide, a known carcinogen, to be 50 times higher than the EPA’s safety standard for drinking water.
 
Lastly, most grocery store coffee is stale and moldy. Why? Because of the logistics of distribution and time spent on the grocery store shelf. In fact, studies have found Ochratoxin, a toxin produced by mold, in grocery store coffee. It’s a common industry standard that most grocery store coffee has been sitting for at least 3 months before you buy. How can you know this? Check the roast-on-date on the bag.
 
Because of these reasons, and the fact that I love the flavor, we only offer Camano Island Coffee. Today, I am pleased to announce that we have come to a special agreement with Camano Island Coffee Roasters. We will now carry 2 lb. bags of coffee for $25.95. This is the direct from the roaster rate, and since we’ll deliver it with your box you save on shipping charges. Just let us know how often you need it: weekly, bi-weekly, etc. This saves you $1.94 over 1 lb. bags. You’re going to buy coffee anyway, so why not let us save you some time and money, and put some freshly roasted organic coffee from a local company in your box. 
 
Your farmer and partner in good health,
 
 
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The Exquisite Cherry

Grandpa would hoist me deep into the branches. Suddenly I was surrounded by a forest of fruit-heavy limbs with hundreds of plump cherries at my disposal. My arms blurred in hurried motion as I picked as fast as I could before Grandpa’s arms grew tired. I looked as if I had come from battle, descending the tree with every inch of me stained with flecks of blood red juice.  
 
Many years later, my husband and I bought our first home. It met much of our criteria, but it was t  he two cherry trees in the front yard that had me signing on the dotted line. Disappointment hit initially as the summer brought forth berries of a light pink hue. They weren’t the cherries that I remember eating with grandpa. I mourned the idea of eating the cherries straight off the tree only briefly, as I quickly learned that sour cherries create the most lovely preserves and pie. We’ve since sold that home and each year I think of those trees hoping that the current owner realizes the treasure they  now have.
 
Chef and author Nigel Slater says, “A bag of cherries is a bag of happiness.” I could not agree more. There is nothing wrong with simply plucking the dense berries from their stem and placing them directly into your mouth. No recipe could be easier or more rewarding. But there are hundreds of creative ways you can incorporate cherries into meals, sweet or savory. 
 
At the end of a summer meal, a large bowl of cherries over ice, served with another large bowl of whipped cream, creates the perfect dessert. Guests are encouraged to dunk the berries deep into the subtly sweet cream, then straight into their mouths. A light dusting of cinnamon onto the cream transcends the dessert even further, as cinnamon and cherries create an endearing union. If chocolate excites you more than cream, simply replace one for the other. Cherries dipped in chocolate –what could be better? You could do this ahead and serve as a lovely after-dinner treat. Simply melt a bowl filled of chocolate, dip cherries in leaving a bit of their brightly colored flesh showing, refrigerate, then bring out to a table filled with happy people upon seeing the arrival of fresh fruit and chocolate.
 
Atop a bed of peppery arugula, cherries soften the greens with their sweetness and add a brilliant pop of color. Shavings of Parmigiano-Regiano are highly recommended. Or start the meal with a platter of cherries atop fresh goat cheese. Serve with crackers or bread. 
 
If the cherries are a bit lacking in flavor it is a tragedy, but not all hope is lost. A bit of time in the oven brings out their natural sweetness and changes the flavor to something new and quite exciting. Toss with a bit of sugar or honey and enjoy over ice cream, yogurt or alone with a spoon.
 
Lately, our cherries disappear too quickly for me to do anything except enjoy my own children getting as much pleasure with them as I do. If we do have a few stragglers or some berries that are less than perfect but still needn’t be wasted, they have become part of our lemonade. A quick muddling of a few cherries with cold lemonade splashed over top instantly feels of summer no matter what it looks like outside.
 
by Ashley Rodriguez
www.notwithoutsalt.com
 
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Will Wonders Never Cease?

On a drizzly midnight, the house was all quiet, not even a mouse was stirring. Joelle and I were winding down from the day’s onslaught of activity or maybe it was ramping up for the next day’s adventures. Okay, we were cleaning up from dishes and laundry, so we wouldn’t have to do it in the morning. Anyway, as we were playing some Chris Tomlin in the background we went about our chores. Our home is a constant buzz of activity, like many of yours, but on this night we were treated to a special announcement.

Many months ago, we got two new farm kittens—a male and female, of course. And the children all clamored for future kittens. Outwardly, I was reluctant to concede to those dear faces. I think they had been taking lessons from our labs, with those pleading eyes. But inwardly, I was on their side. So I let nature take its course and our dear sweet Bessie, who has the markings of a Holstein cow, was soon an expectant mother. The children were so excited.

Then one day she had the kittens, but could we find them? No. We told the children that sometimes first time momma cats don’t know how to take care of their litters, but we did hunt around like private detectives trying to find those kittens, but, alas, it was not to be. Yet for some reason, she was still overly protective and had the signs of a nursing momma. She had to be hiding them, but where?
 
So as Joelle and I were finishing up and getting ready to retire, with the June rains gently dancing upon our roof top, the clock struck midnight, and to my astonishment what did I see? My-liss and Bessie curled up on front porch chair with not one, not two, not three, but four little kittens fast asleep. A pleasant little surprise indeed for us all. Now the children want to keep all of them, of course.
 

Other Farm News

What is growing on the farm is really doing well and what isn’t growing is not so happy. It all depends upon when they were planted and whether it rained or got hot or cold. Which is why we just keep planting. Some plantings are better than others and some make it and others don’t.
 
We will have peas soon and lettuce and spinach. The potatoes are making me nervous because the plants are already huge. But the onions, cilantro, carrots and dill are in desperate need of some heat units, like every other living organism in Western Washington.
 
Here’s to local food!