I have been thinking about the act of giving. Giving is an opportunity to participate in making some thing, some place or some one’s circumstances better than could be accomplished by itself. Giving requires sacrifice, a lot or a little, but you have to be willing to deny yourself something in order to give. This […]
This week, it looks like we are going to have a decent stretch of good weather and every farmer is going to be hard at it working the ground. As much I try every year to get ahead of or prepare for the farm season, I never feel that I am quite ready for it […]
My family is from the Oso community. My cousins have been among the many volunteers on the ground doing an amazing work. Being “locals,” their understanding of the area has been absolutely critical to the relief efforts. Their knowledge of the location and usability of back roads, the location of heavy equipment and where to […]
I often quote to myself (and to others) that simple prayer by Francis of Assisi, “Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” As the farm season starts to unfold, there are bound to be […]
I often quote to myself and to others that simple prayer by Francis of Assisi, God, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. In light of the recent mudslide tragedy in Oso, we are remembering those […]
The time has come. All winter long I wander around doing this and doing that almost aimlessly, but not quite. During the winter, our family tends to rest and recuperate from the previous farm season. (We even went to Disneyland for the first time in 23 years, which was not restful, but it was fun.) […]
In a far away land, there lived a fisherman who fished and fished and fished. The salmon he caught were sold at the marketplace. He was an early rising and hard working fisherman who had learned the habits of the fish. He understood their cycles and seasons, like when they would return to spawn. He […]
We’ve renewed our Salmon-Safe Certification! This means that Klesick is: Maintaining a buffer of trees and vegetation along the stream banks Controlling erosion by cover cropping bare soil Improving the passage for migrating fish Applying natural methods to control weeds and farm pests Using efficient and non-wasteful irrigation practices Protecting wetlands, woodlands, and other natural […]
What’s the rub when it comes to GMO free and organic? Understanding where the organic and GMO free movements connect and do not connect can create some friction or rub some people the wrong way. I would like to tackle the organic, GMO free definitions. This opinion is my own, shaped by 20 years in […]
Last year, we “top worked” some Comice pear trees in our orchard—36 to be precise. We saved 12 of these trees to pollinate the Buerre Bosc pears. I planted the orchard five years ago, but the Comice pears have not performed well and seemed unhappy in our microclimate. The Bosc pears, however, took to the […]
I have been at three farm conferences in three weeks and the amount of information is overwhelming. Literally, I feel like I have been drinking out of fire hose. The first was the Eco Farm Conference in Monterey, CA. That was a tough place to visit :). This is the conference where the hardcore organic food […]
We rolled out our new Recipe Box last week and are pleased to see that it is meeting a need for many of our customers. For some time, I have been ruminating on a new box for our customers to try and this is it. A few years ago, we introduced the Essentials Boxes, then […]
As Chungo, our friendly black lab, and Myliss, our friendly cat, were soaking in the sun from our front porch this beautiful winter day, one couldn’t help but feel a little touch of spring in the air, but I am not easily fooled. As I walked up the steps to the ever-inviting tail wagging of […]
I mean, really, if you think about inhibition, it is a form of self-control, as opposed to prohibition which is a form of outside control. Personally, I am more of a fan of inhibition and self-control than the other. I know, I know, some prohibition is necessary, but I would prefer less than more. Well, […]
What’s The Difference? JUICING Juicing is a process which extracts water and nutrients from produce and discards the fiber. Without all the fiber, your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to break down the food and absorb the nutrients. In fact, it makes the nutrients more readily available to the body in […]
During this season, I have a little more time on my hands and get to do a little more cooking. One of my favorite squashes is Delicata. Its delicate flavor and edible skin make it a great addition to roasted vegetables or as a standalone entrée. Well, for Christmas, I decided on a roasted Delicata […]
