Category: Newsletters

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Spring has Sprung

Spring Has Sprung  

Over the last few weeks, the weather has been a mix of warm, cold, wet, really wet, and hot! For the most part a typical spring! 

Local products are starting to trickle in and before you know it, we’ll be immersed in the full-blown local season. This week and last week we’ve headed up to Mt. Vernon to pick up local, just harvested spinach, and asparagus. Local carrots, kale, and chard are next!  And, before you know it, peas, cherries, and a full bounty of NW produce will be harvested and delivered in your Box of Good.  Remember that all items featured in our boxes are available as add-on item if you’d like more of something.  Consider ordering extra of your favorite in-season produce while it’s available! 

Are you a home gardener during the local season?  We love hearing your gardening stories and encourage you to give it a try if you think it’s something you’d enjoy!  Lettuce is a common home garden vegetable.  Earlier this week, I answered the phone and customer, Rebecca, asked if she could somehow pass on the lettuce this week, because she’s swimming in lettuce from her own garden. My answer? Of course! We have a few ways to handle this request.  

-First option is to set up and use our “never-send” option. We can set a never-send for any item, and when that item, in this case lettuce, is on the box menu you have chosen, we’ll take it out and replace it with a similar item of the same value.  $1 per never send will be added to your box price to cover the additional processing and handling of swapping items. 

-Second option, switch to a different box, like the fruit box or the fruit and vegetable box. Both of these boxes do not have lettuce, so switching to either of these boxes will help her avoid receiving MORE lettuce. 

-Third option, Rebecca can order the specific items she would like for her family by building her own box and we’ll custom pack it for her. 

-Fourth option is a hybrid and the one she ultimately chose. The solution for her was to order a fruit and vegetable box and add radishes, tomatoes and cucumbers to her order. This solution helped her get fruit and cooking vegetables, no lettuce, and then she added her choice of additional salad items to go with her own lettuce. 

Everyone’s family dynamics, circumstances, and preferences are unique! From years of serving many different families we have learned how to help our customers get just the right portions and selection to make the most of their delivery and make their work best for them! Don’t hesitate to call or email us if you have questions, or you find yourself running out of your favorite items or find a few items piling up. Together, we can strategize and find the perfect weekly mix of fresh, nutritious, organic produce for your family! 

Enjoy the spring (whatever the weather is doing)! 

Tristan 

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Sweet Smells, Sweet Memories

Spring is filled with so many scents!  It’s the beginning a of sensory overload. Last week, I was walking up to the house, deep in thought as a northerly wind was blowing… I had been contemplating the unfortunate timing of having just planted seeds right before the big lightning and thunderstorm, which brought on lots of rain. Everything is well watered now!  

Our soil is a “heavier” soil, with a little clay, which has incredible advantages, but also disadvantages. It holds water well and requires less irrigation than “sandier” soils. It also warms up later but doesn’t dry up as fast either. With that said, a big disadvantage of “heavier” soils is that in the spring, when the weather finally is about right and the ground is ready to plant, a really good gully washer like last week can undue all of the spring prep work causing you to have to re-till for optimum planting ground.  

When a storm like last week’s rolls through, it’s usually followed by a warm stretch and the newly soaked fields can become baked like clay in a kiln. If the fields haven’t been planted, we can get to work on the fields again, but when you have planted seeds, it gets more complicated. We planted beans, beets and more peas. Those seeds should still germinate, but they are going to have to expend a lot of energy to break through the crust.   

We will cultivate the rows and gently break up the surface around the seed, but for the most part the seed must do the hard work of breaking through!  

While I was deep in thought, and passing through the flower garden, the pleasant smell of a flower brought memories from 1994, when our garden was 32 square feet. It was the same dimension as a sheet of plywood. But that year, I sold my very first crop – lilac blossoms.  On my way up to the house, I was immediately transported back in time 26 years ago.   

Memories are powerful; farming was a mere thought and certainly not feasible on our small city lot. It was during that time that I met my first organic farmers, as they delivered fresh produce and flowers from the Willamette Valley to where I was working in Vancouver. I knew at that moment, meeting those farmers, I would be a farmer one day, too. That spring lilacs bloomed on our small urban lot next to our little garden.  The farming seed germinated, and I asked the market manager if she thought anyone would be interested in purchasing our lilacs.  She brought them into the market and was happy to provide the beautiful flowers for customers to purchase! And that farming seed grew!    

And for the last 26 years there have been lilacs on our farm and every spring when the wind blows from the north and I walk by the lilac tree, I’m reminded about those first meetings with organic farmers and how a few cut blossoms have changed our life. 
 

-Tristan and Joelle 

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Home Delivery with a Local Farm Connection

With so many new families joining us recently, we would like to introduce ourselves. We are Tristan and Joelle Klesick and we farm, with our family, on 37 acres in the beautiful Stillaguamish Valley in Stanwood, Washington. Here at Klesick Family Farm we grow about 5 acres of fruit and vegetables. The rest of our acreage is used to rotate our crops or is planted to grass, which is harvested as hay for local animals. 

Throughout the summer we’ll grow garlic, chives, cucumbers, chard, summer squash, winter squash, peas, beans, beets, kale, and more. On our farm we have raspberries, strawberries, and grapes growing, along with 100+ apple, pear, and Asian pear trees. We begin working the ground, as spring rolls around and the soil begins to warm.   We farm during the spring and summer months until late fall when the weather begins freezing. The PNW vegetable farm season typically runs from April until October.  

In addition to farming during the local season, we own and operate Klesick’s Organic Produce Home Delivery where we deliver our Box of Good. During the summer, our boxes are filled with fruits and vegetables from PNW farms, including ours! Our produce items are always as local as possible, and then supplemented with fresh, organic produce from warmer climates. We also like to feature items that are not available locally, like bananas, pineapple and oranges.  As an added convenience, organic grocery staples and meat items are also available to our customers. 

We’ve been both delivering and farming for 23+ years! We’re glad we can source great quality organic produce items, and also share the local harvest! We love what we get to do!  We’re a local home delivery company and a local farm

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for health inspiration, foodie information and to see what’s happening on the farm!   
 

Tristan and Joelle

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School at Home : Nutrition

Have you heard of eating the rainbow? There are different types of nutrients found in different colored fruit and vegetables. Parents, use the coloring page we created as a fun way to get your kids excited about fruit and veggies and to start thinking about what they eat and why! You could even have them create their own rainbow log of all the colors (of produce items ?) they eat throughout the week! Send us a pic of your child’s coloring page or post it on social media and tag us, and we will repost it in our Instagram and Facebook stories for all to see!

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How to Use Your Box of Good

Quick farm update: We are seeing the first splash of locally grown produce, Kale Raab and Chives. This is time of year where the vegetable farmers begin to move into higher gears. For us our first crops to be planted will be Sugar Snap peas and then lettuce. This week though we are harvesting our chives. We have been nurturing our chive plants for 17 years and several hundred of you have been eating them that long, too!  

I am also working with Kai at Hedlin Farms in La Conner to bring his Kale Raab to you. This is a once a year harvest. Every spring the plants get a burst of energy from the lengthening daylight and warmer weather and begin to produce seed heads. Kale Raab is harvested right at that moment before it goes into full seed production. Use the tiny flowers, the leaves, the top of the stems but not the woodier base (save those for stock). Kale is one of the most immune boosting foods we can eat, and immune boosting is definitely front and center now.  

Working with What You’ve Got: Have you found yourself having to alter your meal planning during this stay-at-home season?   We have a few tips we’d like to share that could help simplify healthy eating during this crazy time.  As a matter of fact, we think you might even take a few of these ideas with you into the future.  

Some of our favorite recipes aren’t really recipes; they’re techniques. We love things like soups, stir-fries, roasted vegetables, salads and smoothies!  Once you understand the premise of creating each of these, you can alter the ingredients, use what you have on hand, and still come up with a delicious outcome!   

Soups: With soup, start with a good broth or create one as your base. Decide if you’d like to make a clear soup, a cream soup or a puree.  Clear soups will use the broth as the foundation and then vegetables and seasoning to taste.  Cream soups often use milk, cream or even cream cheese blended with a portion of the cooked vegetables.  Purees are smooth, thickened by blending things like potatoes, cauliflower, rice or beans.  Use salt, pepper and your favorite seasonings to finish to your taste. 

Stir-fries: Stir-fries are so versatile!  We use stir-fried vegetables as a base to go with meat, beans or vegetarian meals.   They’re great in wraps, over rice, with pasta or with salads.  Start with dicing your vegetables small!  We find that everyone eats more veggies that way.  Heat oil in a heavy skillet or wok, add minced garlic, ginger, onion, and chilis (if desired). Add protein, vegetables, salt, pepper and seasoning, and sauté until cooked to your preference. Use taco seasoning for Mexican dishes, Italian seasoning for pasta dishes, Asian sauce or spice to be used over rice.   

Roasted vegetables: Roasted vegetables are a favorite comfort food and so quick and simple!  No recipe required, and virtually every vegetable can be cooked in this way.  Root vegetables are old standbys for roasting, but you can also roast broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, peppers and onions. Start by cutting vegetables into bite size pieces.  Toss them with a mild non-hydrogenated oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper and seasoning of choice.  We use lots of garlic powder!  Spread them on a baking sheet and give vegetable pieces lots of space.  Roast at 425 degrees until veggies get a bit charred around the edges.  Some vegetables are cooked much sooner than others.  Start with the root vegetables and then add softer vegetables a bit after, or roast like veggies in separate baking sheets, to easily take out when finished. 

I think everyone is familiar with the versatility of salads.  In addition to mixing up your salad fixings, try different homemade dressings as a great way to add variety! 

Smoothies: Smoothies are a super way to get a boost of extra nutrients and have so many possibilities! A kid favorite is always peanut butter-chocolate banana.  We start with a big handful of spinach leaves (shhh!) blended with coconut water, then add frozen bananas, peanut butter, a high-quality chocolate protein powder, and milk.  You can also add collagen, flax oil or whatever supplements that blend well and don’t over-power.  Frozen strawberries, blueberries and bananas are great to have on hand and combine well with leafy green vegetables.  A favorite of mine combines frozen banana, strawberries, avocado, spinach, kale, juice from hand squeezed lemon and oranges, turmeric, and ginger, blended with coconut water.  Give different combinations a try.  

Rest assured; you can use what you’ve got, and it’s going to be good! 

–Tristan

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A Seed of Hope

Wow! How did that happen? I just found out that it’s Easter this Sunday!  This last month has surely been a whirlwind!  Am I the only one that’s lost track of time?  I even look forward to Easter!  I find comfort in its message of hope.   

This international “pause” on life has given many of us an opportunity to reflect.  Hope is a great thing to reflect on during all this uncertainty.  Farmers are experts in hope.  Think about it; we take a little bitty seed and expect it to germinate, sprout, grow, produce fruit, and then harvest and share!  Unbelievable, really!  So many miraculous factors play into the whole process.    

I will admit that even though farmers are generally very hopeful and optimistic people, we do sometimes experience the unexpected, disappointment, and even hardship.  It might come in the form of bad seed that doesn’t germinate, pests that destroy crops, or weather that interferes with harvest.  There are a myriad of problems that can, and do, happen, in which case I give myself permission to grieve my losses and sometimes even get mad at the circumstances.  I reflect and think about whether there was something that I would do differently next time and sometimes there’s a valuable lesson to be learned.  But sometimes the circumstances are out of my control and I just need to know I did the best I could. 

Whatever the reason for hardship, it usually comes with a time to pause, grieve and reflect.  Oddly enough, when reflecting includes finding things to be thankful for, it leads to an optimistic future. That’s where the next seed of hope is found, and the next crop is planted, or a new season begins.   

Have you ever wanted to be a farmer?  Okay, so maybe not.  But you might need a seed of hope right now.  Maybe you’re doing okay, and you need to offer a seed to your neighbor (from 6 feet away, of course).  Plant a seed, water it, look for sunshine, dream of it sprouting, growing and producing fruit!  During this time of uncertainty, it’s okay to pause, grieve and reflect, but allow hope to bring you into the next season.   

We are thankful for each of you and wish you a happy Easter as we celebrate the message of eternal hope! 

-Tristan and Joelle

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Stable Ground

Everyone is looking for a firm footing. Each of our paths have a little “looser” rock to navigate than normal, requiring us to be aware of our surroundings and to plan each step carefully.   

And wouldn’t a normal walk in nature, down the street, or around town be nice; where we could exchange pleasantries and greet one another with a smile and a hug? But for now, we’ll digitally connect with friends and extended family, spend quality time with those at home, and look for ways to bring normalcy to our path!  

As we’re all keenly aware, our typical shopping habits are non-existent right now! As people look for ways to meet their family’s food needs, while avoiding the grocery stores, home delivery has become a way to navigate. We have been delivering produce to local homes for 20+ years, but never have we been more honored to serve our community in this special time of need. 

At Klesick Farms we have added several hundred new families and 4 new routes to our service in the last few weeks. To our long-time customers, we appreciate your patience as your delivery time may have changed as we accommodate the new families.  We will be arriving between 8am – dark. (smile) Don’t hesitate to call or email if you have any questions about your delivery. And as one customer commented after calling, “It’s so nice to have someone answer the phone instead of an automated menu to choose from.”  Yes! We do our best to get to all our calls as they come in, but if your call goes to voicemail, know that we’ll try to get right back to you!  

You matter, and your story matters.  Each of our paths are unique, but we share this journey.  Food has always been a source of connection.  Some of us are extreme foodies, health fanatics, and wanting to support local!  Some of us are just looking for a way to get fresh produce, while homebound (and we hope you’ll end up loving it and becoming some of our biggest fans!)  All of you take comfort in knowing that you’re feeding your family well and are providing a little stable ground during a time of uncertainty.  Good food is comfort food.  Gather around the meal table and cherish the people in your home.  Share your highs and lows of the day and think of the things you’re thankful for.  It will give you a moment to catch your breath, while nourishing your body and soul!  

Again, we are honored that you’ve joined our Box of Good community and it’s our hope that when your box comes it will feel like a big hug (if you’re a hugger that is)!  We love to be inspired by one another by sharing recipes and yummy, beautiful produce-filled creations!  Use our Facebook or Instagram page and let’s connect!   

And by the way, our team is incredible! The office staff, packers and drivers have all worked extra-long hours and have cheerfully done their part to provide our customers with the best possible experience and the highest quality. Thank you for allowing our family and our team to serve your family.  

Tristan and Joelle

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COVID-19

We’d like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves to the hundreds of new families that have signed up in the last few weeks. We are Tristan and Joelle Klesick, a local family living, and working on our farm in Stanwood.  We’ve been sourcing, growing, and delivering fresh organic produce for 23 years in our community. We believe that fruit and vegetables are vital to health and only deliver organically grown high-quality produce. Over the years we have developed loyal relationships in the food industry, and because of those relationships we have been able to serve additional families during this tenuous time. 

I am so proud of our packing team (Joanna, Tasha, John, Maleah, and Stephen).  This week they just kept working and working and working to keep up, as we added 50, 75 or 100 new families to our delivery service each day. The driving team (Nate, Stephen, Hanna and Preston) must have wings on their shoes. And last Saturday, we had to split a route because there was no way it would all fit in our vans. 

Alaina and I manned the phones, took orders, placed orders, answered emails, and worked long after the team was gone to make sure we would have the produce to be able to deliver to families the next day. And wouldn’t you know it, our grocery supplier called at 3pm on Friday and said, “See you Saturday instead!” Because they too are experiencing extra ordinary demand and couldn’t keep up. We needed those groceries for Saturday orders, but…  We appreciate your patience!

Even for a seasoned produce veteran as myself, I have never experienced such volatility in produce supply and pricing. This is happening for a few reasons.

First is the COVID-19 and self-quarantining that has been asked of our communities. And with the uncertainty, the extra ordinary demand from every corner of our country has placed a lot of unplanned stress on the produce/food system. Please remember, growing vegetables requires 2 to 3 months of lead time to ramp up, and no one was expecting this!

Secondly, this time of year is always a difficult season for the produce industry. The “salad bowl” of America is leaving Arizona and transitioning back to California. And to complicate matters, it has been raining nonstop in California and Mexico, impacting harvesting schedules.

This really is an unruly storm condition given COVID-19 uncertainty, and the rain in our southern growing regions.

I’d like to explain pricing, especially if you are new to our service.  For the last 23 years we have always provided our customers with high quality produce at fair pricing.  This will not change!  But naturally, as wholesale prices increase for individual items, retail prices need to increase, as well. Given the extreme volatility of product and pricing, we are actively working with our suppliers in order to get families the best pricing possible during this time. When a customized order is placed the price listed reflects the current price, but prices may change between the day your order was placed and when you receive your delivery. Pricing on our pre-selected boxes will remain the same, but the menus may flux daily, as needed, based on availability and value.  So, even though we pre-publish our menus, know that they are subject to change, but the value will always be the same.

We are honored to serve your family during this time of uncertainty.  Thank you!

–Tristan

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Health and Safety

We’d like to take a moment to address the COVID-19 concern.   

The US FDA has put out this statement regarding food handling and the virus.  “We are not aware of any reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging. However, it is always important to follow good hygiene practices (i.e., wash hands and surfaces often, separate raw meat from other foods, cook to the right temperature, and refrigerate foods promptly) when handling or preparing foods.” 

Please be assured that we are meticulously following the CDC’s guidelines. We are implementing all our usual sanitation practices and our employees are going above and beyond our strict standards to keep all our loved ones safe.   

What Can You Do to Keep Yourself and Your Family Healthy? 

The CDC guidelines:  

  • Take everyday preventive actions to stay healthy. 
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. 
  • Stay home when you are sick. 
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. 
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. 
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 
  • Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures. 
  • Stay informed. CDC’s COVID-19 Situation Summary will be updated regularly as information becomes available. 

We would encourage you to follow the CDC guidelines for avoiding sickness, and also purpose to provide your body with immune boosting support. Staying positive, exercising, taking quality supplements and eating lots organic fruits and vegetables are all important and empowering strategies to implement during this season!

Coming together prayerfully with our community,

-Tristan and Joelle Klesick

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Looking Back, Looking Forward

“The peas are coming on strong.   My nine-year-old son, Micah has beaten his dad with the first blossoms of the season.  Come to think about it his carrots are coming on sooner than mine, too. Around here there’s a healthy amount of weeding to do, and it is just plain work.  Some can be done with hoes, but a good portion is done by hand.  A few weeks ago the kids and I made a game of it.  We all started weeding and then after a bit, I would yell “tag” and then everyone would start running, very carefully of course, and I would try and catch them.  It was a “hoot”.  The other day we had some more weeding to do and the first thing Emily asked was, “Can we play that tag game, again?”  ~Tristan, May, 2000 

“I love Sugar Snap Peas. We like to grow big juicy peas that are bursting with flavor.  I remember one year when we farmed in Snohomish and Andrew was about 2 years old (that was 6 years ago, my oh my!!!!!).  Anyway, that little rascal had wandered off to the garden, without us knowing it.  After a headcount and a short panic, we went looking for him.  Guess where we found him?  He was smack in the middle of the Sugar Snap Peas, holding on to two fistfuls of peas and he had one in his mouth.  The whole scene was quite a sight!  We were all relieved and decided to sit down and join him for a nice evening snack.  And when we were done, Andrew got to ride back home in Dad’s arms.”  ~Tristan, May 2006

There’s something special about looking back and reading the newsletters my dad wrote to our customers over the last 22 plus years. There are so many fun memories I cherish. I was blessed to grow up with parents who were family-focused and passionate about health and farming! And now I don’t take for granite being able to bring MY kids to the farm and watch them enjoy all that grows during the summer. Hadlee, (4) is so excited for summer!  At each glimpse of sunshine, she excitedly asks if it’s summertime yet. She remembers last year running out into the fields and eating strawberries, raspberries, peas, and just about anything she could get her hands on.  She would often use the bottom of her dress like a basket and bring her finds to the house to share.  I think I can speak for all of the grandkids and say that one of the best things about summer is being able to go to grandma and grandpa’s house -AKA- “the farm”. This will be our 5-month-old son, Bazil’s first summer, and Hadlee is so excited to show him everything that grows on the farm. It brings me joy seeing my little ones enjoy the farm; from the pea patch to watching the sunset. I only hope we can continue to teach this generation, at a young age, the importance of organic farming, eating healthy foods and just simply enjoying the freedom of frolicking in the great outdoors! 

Thank you for allowing our family to bring you organic produce over all these years!  We appreciate each one of you!

–Alaina Klesick