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Right2KnowMarch.org – A MOBILIZATION FOR GMO LABELING

I have been thinking about the state of our national health and the health of our national food supply. Frankly, it is really pretty poor. We (the government) have been incentivizing corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola for far too long. Ironically, these are also the crops that the biotech industry has been promoting for years. And one could draw a parallel between the health of our people and the health of our food supply.

Sadly, legislative change is the only solution to America’s nutritionally void food crisis.  Farmers need to be encouraged to stop planting GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) crops and start planting more fruits and vegetables—more real food with real nutrients for the dinner plates of Americans. It is then that we will see the health of Americans improve. But this is no easy task. Half of the senators in DC are have constituents in the regions that grow GMO crops and the USDA is pro-biotech. And if half of the senators are going to vote favorably for GMOs in their district, it is nearly impossible to make meaningful legislative change.

What is the solution? Labeling, labeling, labeling! The only thing that will stop GMOs and this nutritionally poor USDA food policy is labeling. Give consumers the right to know what they are eating and stop hiding the GMOs in processed foods. We deserve the right to know if our food contains GMOs or not.

Starting this week, on October 1st, there is going to be a “Right to Know” march from New York City to our nation’s capitol.  For 16 days, concerned citizens are going to be marching to bring awareness to the importance of labeling. This is truly a fight, a good food fight, and our children’s children are beneficiaries. The biotech companies of the world do not want this to happen. They are adamantly opposed to labeling, but this is America and Americans should have the right to know if their foods contain GMOs or not!

You can follow along at right2knowmarch.org

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Not Until You Eat Your Veggies!

You know the routine. Opening up the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator to fill it up with produce from your box of good and, lo and behold, there are the beets from the last delivery—limp, wilted, and once again destined for the compost. You know that you would eat them, but no one else will eat them if you prepared them.

Now, growing up I didn’t like things like beets, kale, or other green things. For me, the only thing to do with beets was paint my plate, lips, and face with them, until my mom caught sight of it and then I still had to eat them, which I did, but with great reluctance.  (As a child, I discovered that if you plug your nose when eating foods you can’t stand, you can’t taste them as well so they’re easier to swallow!) My sister, however, loved beets and sometimes she was nice enough to eat mine for me. Today, I eat beets, along with many other veggies, probably largely due to my mother’s persistence in getting me to eat my veggies.

Good food should be something one enjoys! Often, certain veggies are an acquired taste—it takes time before we come to the point of enjoying them. If your family has recently made the switch to healthy eating, it can be a bit of a challenge changing your diet from processed, and/or high-sugar foods, to one that includes home-cooked meals with organic ingredients and more fresh vegetables.

A balanced diet is important when it comes to your personal health, but it is doubly important in your children’s. Diseases that were only heard of with adults over 50 are now a legitimate concern among our country’s youth. What your child is eating now is laying the foundation for later in life, and your behavior and attitude about food will make an impression on them every time you sit down at the dinner table.

For a three year old, a plate of veggies may not seem very exciting. Changing perception can go a long way in getting your children to eat healthy and balanced meals. A plate of veggies that is colorful and topped with a homemade cheese sauce can be very fun. Incorporating the flavors s/he is familiar with and enjoys may be the difference between food introduction failure and success, and first impressions are very important when it comes to introducing new foods.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!”  This rings true in the food world. Remember, taste buds do change over time. Also, by trying different ways of serving up the veggies your children may finish the entire serving the second or third try, despite having a declared hatred for it! The secret is to either make the vegetables tasty or go completely unnoticed. Serving up veggies on their own may not be that appetizing, but as soon as you throw a good dressing into the mix or pile them into a tasty casserole, you can enjoy watching as they are happily devoured!

Consider grating or chopping veggies to make them go unnoticed. Broth-based soups are a nutritional wonder and when puréed many things that have difficult textures are easier to swallow. Finding creative names for veggies is a great way to add a fun perspective to eating. Cool names can make cool foods: “dinosaur broccoli trees,” “elf trees,” “power peas,” or “X-ray vision carrots.” Getting them to try something new is 90% of getting them to like it!

In summary, when it comes to changing your family’s eating habits, Mom, you are the one who makes it happen. You are changing your family’s futures for the better. And you are doing an awesome job!

Cheers!

Marty, for the Klesick Family Farm

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What a Season!

I am thankful for this Indian Summer. It seems like we haven’t had one for a few years. And this is the craziest of all seasons. Our fields are literally bursting during this harvest season.  I usually think of spring as the busiest season, but with spring the weather is heading towards summer, but with fall it is the opposite. With fall coming, we are trying to get the farm to bed for the winter. Which means that, unlike spring, when winter comes the game is over.

So as we get ready for our last dance with nature this year, we are harvesting, applying compost, and planting cover crops, as well as the last plantings of vegetables. I will be praying for a mild first frost this year. Oftentimes, with warm weather like this, the first frosts can really do some damage, especially to the squash, beans, cucumbers, and, of course, tomatoes. But on the flip side, the frost also adds a measure of sweetness to the greens and does signal that my family will get a winter’s rest.

Oh, but the frost is still to come and we have lots of harvesting to do. This year we have had the most beautiful green beans and incredible basil. Our corn crop is plumping up and our fall raspberries are coming on. Potatoes are ready to dig and the winter squash crop is late, but gaining steam. We are going to have lots of beautiful Cinderella pumpkins and sugar pie pumpkins, in addition to our favorites: delicata, acorn, and carnival squashes.

While the spring was difficult this year, as soon as the weather warmed up our farm has never produced better. We have healthier plants, more fruit set, and flavorful crops. After three years of compost, soil microbe applications, and cover crops, we are starting to see our field fertility management kick in.  It is very rewarding as a farmer to know that the long-term investment in the health of our land is paying off with healthy food for you and your family.

Our farm is a part of the Good Food Revolution and it is because of customers like you who care, we are encouraged to press on – and press on we will!

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Savoring Summer

If you listen closely, you can just start to hear it. It’s the voice of fall whispering. She calls out through the cool mornings and evenings, through the few leaves starting to drop, and through the subconscious longing for apples, pumpkins and warm foods.

For now, I’m not listening. I’m tuning out her voice and soaking in these last beautiful sun-filled days. One of these days I’ll wake up with eagerness to make our annual trip to the orchard. I’ll be dreaming of pumpkin pie and kids in costumes seeking out treats. But not now.

Currently, I’m still enjoying bathing suits, iced tea, and simple meals that taste of summer. The kind of meal where you quickly run in from outside not knowing what to make, but finding yourself with plenty of produce, you have dinner ready in an instant. The one where you forage through your pantry grabbing at a few staples, your imagination going wild and your stomach rumbling in anticipation. These meals are like delicious Kodak moments that I tuck away into an edible memory bank, knowing that I will long for these tastes about six months from now.

I reach for a can of white beans and a jar of sun-dried tomatoes. I grab a zucchini, which I always have on hand and often don’t know what to do with the current bounty. A quick trip outside to my little garden and I have a small handful of rosemary. I open the can, rinse the beans, add a few hefty spoonfuls of the tomatoes and the flavorful oil that comes with it. The rosemary gets a tender mince and all is tasted and adjusted with salt and pepper. On top, a vegetable peeler slices perfectly thin and elegantly long strips of zucchini. If I happen to have feta, goat cheese, or Parmesan on hand, that gets tossed in as well. A hearty tug on a loaf of crusty bread and dinner is served.

All the while the splashing outside continues. The iced tea flows freely and we savor the last burst of heat, the sounds of gleeful laughter ringing throughout the neighborhood, and the tastes of summer. Soon there will be fall, I’m almost ready.

by Ashley Rodriguez

Chef, food blogger, and full-time mom. Read more of her writings at www.notwithoutsalt.com

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Labor Day Holiday Delivery Schedule

Our office will be closed September 5th in observance of Labor Day. Because of this closure, our deliveries for that week are scheduled as follows:

For delivery Wednesday:

Tuesday customers and Wednesday customers in Monroe and Anacortes.

For delivery Thursday:

Thursday customers, except south Marysville (south of 100th St NE) and remaining Wednesday customers.

For delivery Friday:

Friday customers and Thursday customers in south Marysville (south of 100th St NE).

If you are planning on being away during the holiday week, please inform us if you will need to skip your delivery or, better yet, consider having us deliver your Box of Good to a local food bank through our Neighbor Helping Neighbor Program.

Have a happy Labor Day!

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Know Your Produce – Kohlrabi

Have you ever eaten a kohlrabi? These little sputnik-shaped vegetables come in green or purple, can be eaten raw or cooked, and taste a lot like broccoli stems. The word kohlrabi is German for cabbage turnip (kohl as in cole-slaw, and rübe for turnip), though kohlrabi is more related to cabbage and cauliflower than to root vegetables. We usually eat them raw, just peeled, sliced and added to a salad, but they are also delicious cooked and are often used in Indian cuisine.

If the kohlrabi leaves are still attached to the bulb, trim the  m and store separately. If the leaves are in good shape—firm and green—they can be cooked but will need to be used within a couple of days. The bulbs should be stored, unwashed, in a plastic bag. They will hold for about a week in the refrigerator.

Simple preparation: Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressi  ng. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain.

If the leaves attached to the kohlrabi bulb are fresh and green, they can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then sauté in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

From www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-use-kohlrabi

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Old-Fashioned Farm Celebration! August 20, 2011

You are invited to come out to Klesick Family Farm for our annual old-fashioned farm celebration this Saturday! 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, good food, an espresso stand, and a produce stand. Bring a kite to fly, as we’ll have the room. Please bring your own picnic blanket or chairs.

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 20th

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: Potato Digging

11:00     Raffle  –  Farm Walk: Orchard, Vegetable, Cover Crop

11:30     Raffle  –  Music: Ben Booher (at the Hay Maze)

12:00     Demonstration: Juicer & Dehydrator

12:30     Raffle  –  Games: Tug-o-War, Balloon Toss, Gunny Sack Race, Pie Eating Contest

1:15        Raffle  –  Music: Ryan Foxley (at the Hay Maze)

2:15        Raffle  –  Farm Walk: Vegetable, Permaculture, Cover Crop, Beef

2:45        Demonstration:  Making Hay & Potato Digging

3:30        Raffle  –  Music: Spencer Clem (at the Hay Maze)

4:00        Ciao!

Please call us if you have any questions: 360-652-4663

We look forward to seeing you!

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Klesick Family Farm Festival

Come on out to Klesick Family Farm and join us for an old fashioned farm celebration!

Saturday, August 20th 10:00am-4:00pm


Celebrate the season with us by enjoying a fun-filled day with live music, wagon rides, a pioneer play area, tug-o-war, balloon toss, gunny sack race, raffle prizes, farm walks, good food, and a produce stand – all set in the picturesque Stillaguamish River Valley.

We’ll also have a farm tour with Tristan so you can see exactly where your fruits and veggies are grown.

Directions: Klesick Family Farm, 24101 Miller Road, Stanwood, WA

For more information, check out our Facebook event and be sure to RSVP!

We look forward to seeing you at the farm!

*Please bring your own picnic blanket or chairs.

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Fresh This Week Tips-August 5, 2011

BLACK FRIAR PLUMS

STORE: Refrigerating plums before they’re ripe results in a mealy texture, so allow firm fruit to ripen at room temperature up to 2 days, until the flesh is soft and the skins develop a silvery, powdery coating. After that, store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

PREP: Remove the pit by slicing all the way around the fruit, starting at the stem end. Rotate each half and the pit should come free.

USE: Plums pair well with both sweet and savory foods and make an excellent accompaniment for cheese, chocolate, and dessert wines.

PERFECTION APRICOTS

STORE: To ripen, keep apricots at room temperature in a paper bag until soft and fragrant. If you’re not eating them immediately, they’ll keep refrigerated in a paper bag for up to 5 days. Dried apricots can be kept in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

PREP: To pit an apricot, cut around the seam, then twist the 2 halves. The pit should pop out easily.

USE: Apricots are delicious in sweet tarts and other desserts, add a fruity touch to savory stuffings, and complement lamb, poultry, and pork especially well.

RASPBERRIES

STORE: Refrigerate unwashed in a single layer on a plate, covered loosely, up to 3 days.

PREP: Raspberries are very fragile. Right before using, rinse off with your sink sprayer or give them a quick dip in a bowl of water; don’t soak too long or they’ll get waterlogged and turn to mush.

USE: Raspberries are best eaten raw but also make delicious jams, muffins, and desserts.