Category: Newsletters

I have been contemplating many changes on the farm. For the last several years our apples and pears, always have a good fruit set, but for some reason the Italian Prunes, aren’t as happy here. Italian Prunes are mostly self-fertile, meaning that they do not need an additional plum variety to cross pollinate.  

Our plum blossoms are awesome, the trees are loaded with white flowers. But they start blossoming earlier than the apple and pear trees. The new weather pattern seems to be warmer earlier, waking up the trees followed by a cold snap. The new weather pattern for our farm appears to be not as favorable for early plum blossoms and fruit set.  

I love Italian Prunes, but when they don’t pollinate and set fruit it is disheartening. Then the trees switch to growth mode and instead of growing fruit, they grow more WOOD! And as much as I love pruning and its peacefulness, pruning to prune is not a productive use of a farmer’s time.  

We have been getting a crop every 3 to 4 years. I could spray pollen, but even that requires pollinators to spread it from tree to tree. And I am the type of farmer that works with nature and, if I need to manufacture an environment to grow something, I am less willing to do it. There are plenty of other crops that like to grow around here. 

I think if my farm was on a hill, the plums may pollinate better. Farming in the valley bottoms is colder and damper and, maybe, the reason they are less conducive to an early fruit set. When Gary Lund at S & S Mowing was out this winter to mow the blackberries around the fence line, (no Roundup used around here) I asked him, “do you have bucket attachment for that mower?” If you know Gary, he got that smile and asked me, “Why?” At that moment the die was cast and the next day he dug up all 36 trees. Ten years of work gone in a few hours and all that was left was a pile of branches that would make every beaver west of the Mississippi green with ENVY! 

When you farm, making choices like this come down to dollars and common sense. This year I am going to grow lettuce and cucumbers where the plums trees once graced our farm. It is good, a new chapter if you will.  

And our first seedlings of lettuce are already up and will be ready to go out at the end of March. Let the growing begin! 

-Tristan 

We love hearing the enthusiasm from our customers when they receive their Box of Good! We often hear: “It’s like Christmas and feels like opening a gift of health!” Some people tell us they eat more nutritiously when they get a box delivered, and their kids will even try new things! Customers appreciate that we take the guesswork out of finding high quality, organic, in season produce, and love the convenience of having it delivered right to their door! 

We want our customers to carry out that excitement throughout the week, while they use their fresh produce! So, it’s important to know how to best store your produce and how to plan to use it.  This week we’re including a link to our Helpful Produce Storage Tips.  We’ve found a few storage bags that we love, so we’ve made them available to our customers.  We now offer organic cotton produce storage bags as well as biodegradable produce bags.  Both are great, environmentally friendly, options for keeping your produce fresh longer.   

We’d like to also mention that, in order to increase longevity of your produce, it’s important that you unpack your box shortly after receiving it.  Don’t let it sit on the counter for an extended period of time.  As you unpack your items, assess what items should be used early in the week, and which items have a longer shelf life.  For example, oranges will last longer than berries, so plan to use the berries first.  Tender greens will not last as long as broccoli, so plan to use the greens earlier in the week.  Check your fruit for its readiness.  Ripe fruit can usually go in the fridge to slow down the process or, if fruit is unripe, you’ll want to set it on the counter.  Some items like carrot s, broccoli, or cauliflower can easily be cut up and stored in a sealed container making them easy to use raw as a snack, or to make a quick side dish.  Greens store well in the organic cloth bags and can be washed ahead of time but must be thoroughly dried before storing. If using biodegradable plastic bags for greens, wrap them in a paper towel before placing in the bag.  Proper attention and storage of your fresh produce will keep you enthusiastic about eating healthy from your Box of Good! 

Be sure to check out our Produce Storage Tips link below for helpful information about specific items! 

Klesicks.com/how-to-store-your-box/

Or click the storage link at the top of the klesicks.com homepage.

-Tristan and Joelle Klesick

The feel-good messaging has been loud from venture capital funded mega companies encouraging consumers to purchase produce that is ugly or imperfect in order to address our country’s food waste epidemic.  However, an efficient system already exists to use blemished products. It goes to our food banks or is used for frozen foods, canned goods, juices, pet foods, and every type of processed food you can imagine.  

We’d like to share some of the long-term benefits of choosing to support local farms and businesses, and the environmental and benevolent impact it has in our own communities. Consider the Box of Good.

We are passionate about keeping local farmland viable!  Through the platform we’ve been given in our business, along with community involvement and countless volunteer hours, we’ve been able to play a pivotal role in impacting future generations, through farmland preservation initiatives, right in our own Stillaguamish and Snohomish Valleys. (Ask us about this if you’d like to know more!)

The number of for-profit family farms is shrinking at an alarming rate! We need local farms. In the PNW commercial fruit and vegetable farming in the winter is nearly impossible, however, the home delivery business model makes it possible for us to farm and source local in the spring, summer, and fall, then outside source in the winter. This model keeps local farmland in production, which helps maintain future food security and habitat spaces.

In addition to farming in this community, we are honored to partner with our customers to help meet the local needs of those experiencing financial hardship. Before we started donating to our local food bank, 23 years ago, they told us they almost exclusively supplied canned food for their customers, and only a few produce items. Last year alone, in partnership with our customers, over $32,000 worth of high-quality organic produce was donated to 12 local food banks! Our imperfect produce also goes to the food bank twice a week. NOTHING goes to waste!  We supply trimmings to local animal farmers, and we also compost in order to provide additional soil nutrients for next year’s crops! It’s a win for everyone!

Included in your Box of Good is our weekly newsletter providing information about our farm, farming and land use issues, PNW agriculture, understanding our government food policies, nutrition, the how and why of healthy eating, inspiration for healthy living, recipes, and tips for preparing your produce.  We love sharing our passion for farming, healthy living and community!

Our produce is always certified organic because that’s what we believe in!  When ordering from Klesick’s, produce will be fresh, carefully selected, and handled with care, both in our packing facility, and in our own delivery vans while en route to your home. Orders can either be simply placed online, or our helpful office staff is available to work with you to create the perfect box for your family. We are always happy to address any concerns or answer any questions!

At Klesick’s we offer high quality and nutrient dense home-delivered organic produce at competitive pricing!  We are a local farm and a local business with a heart for the people and the community we live in. We are honored when you choose us to supply you with not just a box of produce, but with a Box of Good!

-Tristan and Joelle Klesick

Unlike any period of time in the past, we have access to countless food options, as well as unlimited information on how that food works within our bodies. We know more now about specific nutrients, what purpose they serve inside of our bodies, which foods contain them, and how to eat in order to help target our specific ailments or needs. And while there are certainly all kinds of new and inventive options for processed, sugary, and packaged foods, more and more people are choosing to leave those on the shelves and opt for healthier options for their families.

The reason? When you know better, you do better!

At the same time, there are things about our food culture that still baffle me. Such as recently, when a new set of policies were proposed to update the USDA food system for American public schools. Among other things within this proposal, there were new guidelines suggested for classifying foods offered to students with their meals. One such change would allow for hash brown patties to now be classified as an option for fruit in a school-offered meal.

That may surprise you, but it is only a portion of the proposal that looks to minimize food waste in schools by recategorizing foods and ultimately, removing or reducing a great deal of healthy options for students. However, while I’m saddened to see this proposed as an option for the children in our school system, I am not all that surprised. Our nation’s food system is struggling and is in desperate need of some help!

This is why I think Klesick’s is such an important part of our local Western Washington community. When we see how the “standard American diet” is failing our nation’s overall health, we have the ability to make better choices right here at home. We can make healthier lifestyle choices, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going for a walk on our lunch break. We can choose to drink water over other beverage options that are laden with sugar or artificial ingredients. We can choose to incorporate more whole fruits and vegetables into our diet and limit our intake of processed items. And in an era where convenience is key, what better way to do that than to have an affordable box of organic produce delivered to your door?

As a mom of three young boys, I am thankful to have access to quality fruits and vegetables to fill their bellies and sustain their bodies. It is a challenge to nourish little people and ensure that they are offered the best that I can give them, but it is worth it. It is my hope that we don’t find ourselves discouraged about the big food decisions in our world that we cannot control, but instead feel empowered about the small choices we can make at home. They truly do make all the difference!

-Emily Marie Klesick

Hey, Klesick customers, Alaina here! I am excited to announce our brand-new “Family on the Go” box. We know life can get busy, so we wanted to create a simple box of good that allows your family to still eat healthy while doing all the things!

This assorted box has easy to eat fruit and vegetables that can simply be washed and cut, and ready to serve throughout the week! This box avoids items that typically take more time to prep or cook. The Family on the Go box has higher volumes of fruit and will consistently have easy to eat vegetables! A sample of a Family on the Go box would include approximately 10 apples, 8 pears, 8 oranges, 3lbs bananas, carrots, broccoli, cucumbers and celery. So, if life keeps you moving and it’s difficult to find time to meal prep, you don’t have to sacrifice feeding your family nutrient rich foods!  If you want your kiddos to get fresh fruit and vegetables, this might be the perfect box for you. The items in this box are simple and easy to take in the car, use for school lunches, or to throw together a quick snack or meal!

I always find my little one eats healthier when I chop up all the items and have them ready to eat. On the day I get my box I set aside 20 minutes to chop up the veggies, so they are ready for the whole week. This box takes little to no prep time to get healthy food ready for the whole week.

Also, one other thing I wanted to highlight! You may have noticed on the back of your newsletters there have been more recipes. We wanted to start highlighting a variety of ways you can use your box, aside from the typical one recipe. The recipes will start being posted on Friday for the upcoming week, so you can always go to klesicks.com, click the blog tab and then click the “Recipes” option. You can check out the recipes before your box comes and add on any extra items you may like to include in your order. I will be adding some of my favorite recipes to the back, as well.

And most importantly, THANK YOU for choosing to support local and for choosing fresh organic produce. We are thankful for every one of you, and here at Klesick’s, we are always here for YOU. We are happy to help you when it comes to customizing your own box, substituting items out of your box, adding items onto your order, or just figuring out what works for your family! We are just a quick call or email away. ?

-Alaina

Last week I wrote about seasons, farming, and cover crops. It would be very easy to make a similar analogy about our health.  

Planning is happening all the time. It is also overlapping, with multiple stages and events. One of those activities is eating. How do you plan for fueling your body? What is your eating strategy? Isn’t eating one of the most confusing things to figure out? Paleo, Keto, Plant based, Truly Plant based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dr. Atkins, eat for your blood type, Mediterranean, High Fat, Low Fat, Fruit only, Starch only, No sugar, No carbs… when to eat, how much to eat, and how long to fast. 

It is flat out confusing. I do believe that eating plants is the most important part of the diet. But we sell plant-based food. Some meat proteins, but mostly plants. Big surprise that I would think that plants should be a large portion or your diet. But not just any plants. Plants that are recognizable and minimally processed, not food made in a factory or laboratory.   

High fructose corn syrup is plant based, much of it from GMO corn. Does that make it healthy? Eating mostly plants that we prepare ourselves is healthier than the premade, sweetened, and salted versions at the store or restaurants. I am not even sure how food manufacturers are even able get that much salt into bowl of soup! Of course, there are exceptions, but if America is going to change its health trajectory, it is going to have to change the way it eats. Exercise, while important, is not going to be the solution. The solution to our health crisis is at the fork. It is what we eat that will make Americans healthy again. 

Thankfully, in America we still have the freedom to eat what we want, most of what we are being offered as food is edible, but is it healthy? Klesick Farms started out 23 years ago offering organically grown fruit and vegetables. Today, we are still offering organically grown fruit and vegetables, but we also offer an assortment of organic groceries and grass-fed, organic, or wild meat. Healthy eating is an option, the hard part is getting our beliefs, our behavior, and our schedule to line up. Easier said than done.  

We are here to help support your health goals and, at the same time, help the environment by growing sourcing and delivering organically grown food to your home.  

Thankfully we still have the freedom to eat what we want, when we want. Thank you for choosing Klesick Farms as your partner in health. 

-Tristan

It is winter in the NW. For those of us who have been juggling kiddos, school closures, and late starts, it sure is nice to get back to cold, wet, and gray! Although the white, while a challenge to navigate, is beautiful, and our region is dependent upon sufficient snowpack to keep our watersheds happy and functioning properly. 

I am really proud of our team and their commitment to pack and safely deliver your boxes of good! The packing team made it every day and our driving team chained up when necessary, and safely delivered 95% of the orders. A few of you live on the less travelled and moderately travelled roads and we couldn’t quite get there, sorry. 

On the farm, this weather is just fine. We take it in stride because we mostly focus on the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons. The only crops actively growing are our cover crops and garlic. The garlic is happy as a clam, not sure what that means, but it is a NW saying. They have poked through the mulch and are about 3-4 inches tall.

This year we are experimenting with a new mulching material. Normally we use organic wheat straw, but this year we added leaves from our walnut trees. Our farm produces walnut leaves in MASS! Normally they end up in the compost and then spread on the fields in the spring, but this year we raked them up and spread them out on top of the garlic. The work to gather and spread the leaves is comparable to the work to purchase, pick up, bring to the farm, and spread the wheat straw.  I will be evaluating how they decompose, weed suppression, moisture retention, and soil structure under each mulch. So far, I am pleasantly surprised. 

The cover crops we plant are to nourish the soil, hold nutrients in the plants, and protect the soil from compaction. Cover crops are a vital part to farming, but they do have their limitations. We use them on 90% of our soils and leave that remaining 10% “open” or “uncovered.” One of the purposes of a cover crop is to prevent the leaching of nutrients like Nitrogen or Phosphorous out of the root zone, and also out of the aquifers or watersheds. Think the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.  

Why do I not cover crop the remaining 10%? Through experience, I have learned that cover crops also have a downside. In a wet spring, they can grow, REALLY GROW, and once the weather warms and I can get into the field to till them in, it will take a few weeks for them to break down. The soil bacteria are busy breaking down the cover crop and won’t get to work on growing vegetables for a little while longer. So, we intentionally leave that 10% uncovered for our early plantings of peas and lettuce. It’s just that simple! 

Stay warm, 

-Tristan

When I farmed with Susie, Katie, and Karen, I had to learn to work with them, and at their pace. They were the most willing workers, and farm work is hard work. It will leave your body sore for days until you get farm fit. Those girls were amazing and made farming a unique experience. It has been half a dozen, or so, years since I worked with them.  

When I first got the bug to farm, I knew it would be organic, and it would involve Draft Horses! A friend named Lynn Miller shared some great advice about getting my first team. He said, “When you look out into a big herd of horses, which horse catches your eye?” Romance and farming go hand in hand. I was always drawn to brown with a splash of white. I knew if I ever got to farm with horses, it would be Belgians! Practically every Hallmark movie used to have horses in them. Susie and Karen were my trained team, and Katie was just learning. 17 hands and 2 tons of horse, they could pull a plow and never get stuck.  

When I worked with them, time stood still, and so would we. The horses need rest when we were working, and rest was the perfect time to contemplate the next steps, the next project, the last conversation with my spouse, or maybe just nothing. Sometimes we would stop under the old snag and watch the bald eagle peer down on us and, as we moved on, he would move on. 

Last week, I delved into will power and how hard it is to change a habit; how we only have a limited amount of will power at our disposal, and the harder the change you are tackling, the harder it will be to accomplish. That is why will power, which has about a 15-minute reserve, will quickly get used up if you tackle several lifestyle changes at once. 

What I learned from farming is also important to making lifestyle changes. When I would harness the horses, I would make sure that all their equipment fit well, especially their collars. Having a smooth, well fitted collar was key to working long days and not getting sore shoulders. 

Equipment aside, I wanted to talk about “leaning into” your new goals or lifestyle changes.  For the horses, when we were going to tackle a big project, everything became important. I knew what the goal was, and how long it would take. After my team was brushed, harnessed, and hooked to the single trees, we would calmly walk to the field. They knew it was going to be a good day of work ahead.  

The very first moment I set the plow, it was always the same. We would pause, then I would cluck to the team, “Susie, Karen ‘step’.” I would release the lines a little, and they would ease into the harness and begin to move the plow. Slow and steady, leaning into the harness, we would get the work done. When you tackle those lifestyle changes, know your goal and how you are going to get there, then “lean” into your work slow and steady. 

I believe in you!

-Tristan

Last year in partnership with our box of good community, almost 1100 boxes of high quality organically grown produce was donated to 12 different local food banks in our delivery areas totaling over $24,000 in giving.  In addition to the high quality organic produce that is donated to local food banks every week, Klesick’s also donated last year a considerable amount of #2 imperfect produce to local food banks. We make sure that none of the edible food goes to a landfill.  

And what produce doesn’t meet our quality standards for our customers and isn’t food bank quality is composted on our farm, where the soil bacteria convert it to nutrients for our crops completing the circle of life (think Lion King here). If you started singing the CIRCLE of LIFE you were not alone (SMILE)! 

It has been our passion to serve alongside the tireless volunteers and staff at our local food banks and recovery kitchens partnering where the most vulnerable and those teetering on the financial edge could extend hope to them. This is one of the primary reasons that we call our organic home delivery program a box of good! 

For the last 23 years, we have tried to extend hope in tangible ways through our box of good community. If a customer loses a job or has a financial crisis we offer a discount or deliver produce at no charge. We have a Health discount we apply to customer orders for families battling Cancer. We also found a way to serve the local food bank community creating the Neighbor Helping Neighbor program. And lastly, we believe in prayer. there is a web form on our home page that you can fill out and send your prayer requests to us and that are only seen by our team members. 

A box of good truly embodies our family mission and is how we serve you and your family, other local farmers and the local food bank community. Together (Klesick’s and you) for the last 23 years have made a difference in the lives of those around us and 2019 was another banner year of giving that reached many vulnerable families in our local communities. 

If you would like to partner with us in 2020, consider adding a Neighbor Helping Neighbor food bank box once a month and extend nutrition and hope to the less fortunate in our communities. We have 12 different food banks to select from. Pick one and we will do the rest. 

Thank you for partnering with us. 

Tristan 

This is the time of the year that change seems so possible. For many of us change is going to be absolutely necessary, especially coming off a 5-week dessert binge. And we better get after it, because football parties and Valentine’s day are right around the corner!  

On the brighter side, every day is a new day, and a chance to commit or recommit to a healthy new regime. Exercise, drinking more water, eating more vegetables, Eating less sugar. 

Goals or changes can be broken down into two basic types. There is the “get to” and “have to”. “Get to” are more like increasing a habit you really like. If you like to exercise, adding an extra workout is not a big deal, because you like to exercise. The “have to” goals are when you add exercise, and you rarely, or never, use your treadmill, rowing machine, or gym membership. The “have to” changes are the hardest to start and maintain, but more than likely they are the most important thing you need to work on! 

This comes down to will power. There appears to be a 15-minute reserve of will power. It is not a muscle that you can build up, and that is why it is important to tackle any new “have to” goals one or two at a time. If you add exercise, drinking more water, drinking less sugary drinks, and eating more vegetables to your regime you will definitely be healthier and in relatively short time to boot. Sadly, that will probably give your healthy goals the boot all to soon too. 

If the aforementioned goals were in the “get to” category, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we (wink)? We admire people who can train like no tomorrow or are not tempted by dessert, but that doesn’t mean they have more will power, that just means that those areas aren’t triggers. Rest assured, they, too, have their own “have to” goals that are extremely hard for them, they just don’t happen to be the “coveted” exercise or diet related ones. 

The long and the short of all of this is, we all have areas of our lives that need improvement, and most of us have a pretty good idea what areas those are. 

I would like to encourage you to pick one, two at the most, lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes fall into the “have to” category and they are going to require you to say “no” to something and when you say “no” it will drain your will power reserves. The beautiful thing is that once you start to win at that “have to” goal it becomes easier with time and requires less and less of your will power. YEAH! And then you can apply the same technique to another lifestyle change! 

Embrace change and get after that first goal, you know exactly which one to tackle first! 

You got this! 

-Tristan