LoCAL ProduCe?

Transcription

LoCAL ProduCe?

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A monthly publication with your good health in mind
Co-op Community
NEWS
June 2011
FOOD CO OP
In This Issue
A Worker Cooperative—Page 3
Spring Frog Farm—Page 6
When Will We See
Local Produce?
Photo by Joanne Plucy
Habiba Sial, Cordata Co-op Produce Assistant Manager
The sun is peeking through the clouds, the days
are getting longer, and you may ask yourself, where
is all the local produce? From member surveys and
conversations with Co-op shoppers, we know that
many of you are interested in purchasing local
produce whenever it is in season. Here in Whatcom
County, summer and fall are the most abundant
times for local fruits and vegetables.
It is interesting to note that our local growing season is somewhat short.
According to the Let’s Grow Veggies
website (letsgrowveggies.com/washington/98225/frost_dates), our approximate last frost date in the Bellingham
area is May 10. That leaves home gardeners and farmers roughly 150 frostfree days before freezing temperatures
arrive again in late September. With a
short growing season, we depend on
the rains and the sun equally to provide
us with an abundant harvest which begins in June and July and continues to
its peak in mid-September, right before
the first frost.
The Co-op is proud that we buy
produce directly from farms in Whatcom County as well as elsewhere in
Washington state. For crops that thrive
in Eastern Washington’s climate, we
have direct buying relationships with
various organic orchards that supply
us with cherries, apples, and pears.
From Whatcom County, we buy directly from a number of farms, many
of whose names you will recognize
from shopping at the Co-op: Hopewell
Farms, The Growing Garden, Highwater Farm, Terra Verde, Dominion
Organics, Rabbit Fields Farm, BroadLeaf Farm, Cedarville Farm, Sunseed
Farm, Moondance Farm, and Spring
Frog Farm at Holistic Homestead, just
to name a few.
In spite of our short growing season,
we enjoy a variety of high quality, delicious produce items that are vigorous
and abundant in our climate. Over this
harvest season, keep an eye on the Coop’s produce departments’ changing
selection of seasonal items.
Early season veggie crops start to
trickle into the Co-op’s produce departments’ as early as May. These items
include quick-growing cool-season
crops like arugula, mustard greens,
radishes, and bunches of fresh herbs.
As the season progresses into mid-July,
start looking for longer-harvest veggies such as kales, chards, lettuces, and
broccoli. Although these longer-season
vegetables become available later, their
harvest season lasts longer, often into
early October. For example, Hopewell
Farm’s delectable carrots make their way
on to our shelves in late July, but are
hardy enough to stay with us through the
fall and into winter. Some years we get
to enjoy those crisp sweet carrots all the
way into the New Year.
Many seasonal items, like berries,
peas, and even corn, are best enjoyed in
abundance when available locally. These
delicious taste-of-the-season crops have
a narrow harvest window and are often
only available locally for three to six
weeks, depending on the specific weather
conditions of each year’s growing season. Strawberries have a notoriously
short and fickle harvest window ranging
from mid-June to early July. Raspberries
are more reliable, starting in mid-July
followed by blueberries in early August.
Start looking for corn in late August and
eat as much as you can until it slows
down in late September.
The local produce season reaches its
peak in September. In that blissful window of local produce perfection before
the first frost hits, more items are ripe
for harvest simultaneously than any
other time of year. Although you won’t
find any local strawberries or sugar
snap peas at the Co-op in September,
you will find raspberries, blueberries,
apples, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes. In the vegetable arena, enjoy
summer squashes, basil, cucumbers,
beans, chards, kales, lettuces, onions,
potatoes, garlic, hot peppers, sweet
peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbages, and the first of the winter squashes.
In September, both Co-ops’ produce
departments are bursting with fresh, local abundance.
The fruit selection begins to narrow
in late September as the berries and
stone fruits begin to drop off, but the
apple season more than makes up for it.
Early transparent apples like Gravensteins, Golden Delicous, and Ginger
Golds find their way to the Co-op first,
followed quickly by Galas, Honeycrisps, and Sonatas. A bit later, in early
October, apples like Pink Ladies, Braeburns, and Fujis come rolling in along
with a wide variety of unique heirloom
apples. The Co-ops are also briefly revisited by the same short cool-season
crops that we started off the season
enjoying—the local tender greens like
arugula, mustards, radishes, and herbs.
Vegetables that store well like potatoes,
onions, and winter squashes, combined
with frost-hardy greens, keep locavores
well fed through the late fall and early
winter.
To make the most of the local season, enjoy all the produce our unique
growing region has to offer while it is
ripe and ready to eat. As each delicious
crop comes into season, plan meals
around what is available for that week
or month. Many people also like to
can, freeze, and preserve our local harvest to be able to continue enjoying it
into the cold winter months.
If you’re wondering if something is
local, take a look at our produce signs
to find out. All of our produce signs indicate a place of origin and local items
are marked accordingly. If you want a
recommendation or have any questions
about any of the local items we carry in
the produce department, feel free to ask
any of our friendly produce stockers or
submit a customer comment.
1220 N. Forest St., Bellingham WA • 315 Westerly Rd., Bellingham WA • 360-734-8158 • www.communityfood.coop
Co-op Community News
is a monthly publication
produced by the
Community Food Co-op
1220 N. Forest St.
Bellingham WA 98226
315 Westerly Rd.
Bellingham WA 98225
360-734-8158
(both locations)
is published as a service
for members. Letters from
members are welcome
(see guidelines below).
The deadline for submissions of letters is 8 pm on
the 5th of the month
preceding publication.
Editor:
Diana Campbell
Design/Production:
Joanne Plucy
Opinions expressed in
the Co-op Community
News are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the
Co-op Board, management, staff or members.
Nutrition and health information is provided for
informational purposes
only and is not meant as a
substitute for a consultation with a licensed health
or dietary practitioner.
Acceptance of advertising
does not indicate endorsement by the Co-op of the
product or service offered.
Letters to the Editor
Guidelines
Letters must include your
name, address, and a
daytime phone number.
Please respect a maximum
of 150 words. Due to
space considerations, we
regret that we may not be
able to publish all letters.
Please send your letters to:
Newsletter Editor
1220 N. Forest St.
Bellingham WA 98225
[email protected]
May 11, 2011
Board of Directors Meeting Summary
Jean Rogers, Board Administrator
The meeting began with a presentation by
Derek Long, Executive Director of Sustainable Connections, about the organization’s
current and upcoming projects. Sustainable
Connections is launching an Eat Local First
campaign this summer, and Jim Ashby, the
Co-op’s GM, is participating on the advisory committee. The campaign will help
restaurants and retailers source local food
and attempt to increase consumption of local food. Derek also suggested a potential
to develop the Co-op’s triple-bottom line
report and share it with the community on a
wider scale. Another area for potential collaboration could be finding ways to connect
local businesses with local investors.
The Board approved two proposals by
the Finance Committee. The first was to allocate profits to members and non-members
based on the percentage of sales to each
group. Secondly, the board decided that a
patronage would not be declared for 2010.
While the Co-op generated a small profit
in 2010, it was not enough to offset the
significant net operating losses the Co-op
experienced in 2009, a necessary condition
for declaring patronage. Based on current
projections, the 2009 net operating loss will
have been offset by 2013, at which time the
Board will make a decision whether to declare patronage.
The Board agreed to establish a standing
Strategic Planning Committee. The
Complete minutes for this, and all Board
meetings, and a complete copy of the governing policies are available at the service
desk. You can also find complete minutes
of the Board meetings posted on the Co-op
website at www.communityfood.coop.
The first 10 minutes of every Board meeting are reserved for member input. Our
next meeting will be held June 8, 7 pm at
the Downtown Co-op Connection Building.
Hope to see you there.
New York Times columnist Mark Bittman,
who specializes in writing about the nation’s
food system and nutritional issues, has
published an online piece arguing for the
mandated labeling of products that contain
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Some excerpts from his article that were
featured on Morningnewsbeat.com:
“…the USDA has approved three new
kinds of genetically engineered (GE) foods:
alfalfa (which becomes hay), a type of corn
grown to produce ethanol, and sugar beets.
And super-fast-growing salmon—the first
genetically modified animal to be sold in the
U.S. but probably not the last—may not be
far behind.
“It’s unlikely that these products’ potential benefits could possibly outweigh their
potential for harm. But even more unbelievable is that the Food and Drug Administration and the USDA will not require any of
these products, or foods containing them,
to be labeled as genetically engineered, because they don’t want to ‘suggest or imply’
that these foods are different.
“In the long run, genetic engineering may
prove to be useful. Or not. The science is
adolescent at best; not even its strongest advocates can guarantee that there aren’t hidden dangers. So consumers are understandably cautious, and whether that’s justified or
paranoid, it would seem we have a right to
know as much as Europeans do.
Who benefits from the
Co-op Farm Fund?
We all do!
Donations accepted at all
registers, by mail, or phone.
For more information, contact
Farm Fund administrator Jean
Rogers at 360-734-8158 ext. 217
or [email protected].
Co-op Community News, June 2011
The Co-op Board of Directors
Meetings are on the
second Wednesday of every month.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, June 8, at 7 pm
Downtown Co-op Connection Building
1220 N. Forest St.
Members are welcome to attend.
If there is something you want to discuss
at the meeting, contact Jim Ashby,
General Manager (360-734-8158) or
Deborah Craig, Chair (360-738-9015)
by the first Monday of the month so your item
can be included on the agenda.
Jim Ashby
General Manager:
360-734-8158
Board of Directors:
Deborah Craig, Chair
360-738-9015
Steven Harper, Vice-Chair
360-441-2728
Brent Harrison
360-398-7509
Brooks Dimmick
360-758-7610
Matt McBeath
360-510-6908
Megan Westgate
360-592-5325
Michael Elkins
360-305-4952
Rosalinda Guillen
360-381-0293
Beau Hilty-Jones
360-318-7517
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GMO Food Labeling
Farm Fund
2
committee would coordinate the Board’s
strategic planning process, helping to ensure that the Co-op’s long-term trajectory
meets member needs. The Board agreed
that the SPC will join the GM and the
Member Affairs Committee in monitoring
the Board’s ends policies.
Finally the group discussed whether
to make a change from using the term
“member-owner” to simply using the word
“owner.” There are other stores with memberships that are very different from Co-op
membership, and we want to continue to be
able to differentiate ourselves and empower
member-owners. The group expressed a
range of views about the concepts of membership, ownership, and investing in the Coop, as well as how best to present the Co-op
to current and potential member-owners.
The Board will get more information about
what other food co-ops are doing and revisit
the issue at a future meeting.
Store hours:
Open 7 days a week
Cordata—7 am to 9 pm
Downtown—7 am to 10 pm
Swan Café & Deli hours:
Cordata—7 am to 8 pm
Downtown—7 am to 9 pm
Visit us on the Web at
www.communityfood.coop
“Even more than questionable approvals,
it’s the unwillingness to label these products
as such—even the GE salmon will be sold
without distinction—that is demeaning and
undemocratic, and the real reason is clear:
producers and producer-friendly agencies
correctly suspect that consumers will steer
clear of GE products if they can identify
them, which may make them unprofitable.
Where is the free market when we need it?
“A majority of our food already contains
GMOs, and there’s little reason to think
more isn’t on the way. It seems our regulators are using us and the environment as
guinea pigs, rather than demanding conclusive tests. And without labeling, we have no
say in the matter whatsoever.”
To read Bittman’s full article, see opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/whyarent-g-m-o-foods-labeled.
Cooperative
Principles
• Voluntary and open
membership
• Democratic member control
• Member economic
participation
• Autonomy and independence
• Education, training, and
information
• Cooperation among
cooperatives
• Concern for the community
Third Thursday Local Music Series
Vibram Souls
Thursday, June 16, 6–8 pm
Downtown Co-op Swan Café
The Vibram Souls are a North Cascades acoustic
music group. Their earthy folk rock sounds are
a rich mix of vocal harmonies sparkling with upbeat rhythms and evocative lyrics. Amy Mann,
Tristan Currin, and Tom Chisholm voice song styles ranging from high energy alt-country to oldtime blues to traditional ballads. Inspired by the rich natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, the
Vibram Souls bring their music down from the mountains to the unamplified café stages of their
beloved hometown—Bellingham.
Photo courtesy of Vibram Souls
A Worker Cooperative:
Bellingham Bay Builders
Volunteer
Thanks
The local construction industry, a
major driver in the local economy,
has seen better days. According to the
Washington Employment Security Department, local construction employment in 2006 peaked at 7,877 jobs in
Whatcom County and dropped to 5,433
at the beginning of 2011—a 31 percent
drop. While it might seem that the construction industry in Whatcom County
has slowed to a near halt, Bellingham
Bay Builders (BBB), a worker-owned
construction co-op in Bellingham, is
running out of office space due to the
demands of their growing business. In
June, BBB will be moving into their
new home, conveniently located on
State Street in downtown Bellingham,
giving them a much larger office area
and a connected 1,200-square-foot
staging and shop space. Ross Grier,
one of three BBB member-owners said,
“We wanted more exposure with signage and convenience for our customers and subcontractors. Our business
volume is growing, and we need more
space, too.”
In many ways, BBB and other worker-owned cooperatives are businesses
like any other—they produce goods or
services in a competitive market. However, in cooperatives, unlike traditional
businesses, the members producing
the goods or providing the services
do so as owners and managers of the
operation, instead of as employees.
Being a worker-owned co-op, BBB
enjoys a unique business structure in
the contractor world. Currently consisting of three worker-owners and
two apprentices, the co-op
provides the
structure for all
members to be
equal partners
in the business,
sharing in the
responsibilities
of the organization as well as
sharing in the
profits. At BBB,
members take
turns serving in
the administraOne of Bellingham Bay Builders member-owners, Ross Grier,
tion of the busiadjusts the arrow on the large blue, green, and orange sign at their new
ness; learning the
location on S. State Street.
business from
all angles. New
has LEED-accredited professionals on
members join the co-op as apprentices
staff and has worked on many green
and, based on the skill set they bring
projects.
to the table, make their way through a
Worker-owned co-ops have an intrintrial period to become member-owners.
sic local and democratic nature. Being
Profits from the co-op are distributed to
worker-owned increases the likelihood
the member-owners through patronage
that the business, along with its revbased on hours worked.
enues, will remain in the community
Established in 2004, BBB started
where the workers live. The democratic
with a mission that set them apart from
decision-making processes related to
other local construction companies:
personnel, finances, and other business
“to be non-exploitive of others and
decisions are built into the structure of
provide our clients with an honest,
a worker-owned cooperative creating a
good value.” From the beginning, the
pure form of democracy—one person,
member-owners also shared the goal of
one vote.
construction with a low environmental
footprint. Using cost-effective green
For more information about this
building strategies, BBB specializes
local worker-owned co-op, see www.
in eco-friendly remodels and new
bellinghambaybuilders.com.
construction and has a special interest
in the craft of timber framing. BBB
Deborah Craig, Co-op Board Member
Significant Changes Likely in 2012 Farm Bill
a better safety net.”
“A safety net for 21st-century
American agriculture must be
more publicly accountable, more
market oriented, and it must focus on risk management,” says
Scholl. He says that one measure
of public accountability is to
require producers to suffer an
actual loss before they receive
payments from the government.
“Within Title I of the farm bill,
only one program makes such a
requirement—the Average Crop
Revenue Election, or ACRE program, first introduced in the 2008
Farm Bill.”
“The biggest problem we have
on the farm is extreme economic
volatility. Factors totally beyond
our control can have a devastating impact
on our ability to keep our farm in operation. It also makes it much more difficult
for farmers and ranchers to invest in the
long term practices necessary to protect
the productivity of our land and the quality of our environment,” Scholl adds. “It
is a legitimate role for government to
provide an effective safety net that helps
producers manage such risk to assure
a productive agricultural system and a
clean environment.”
“Moving away from pre-determined,
fixed, immovable target prices such as
those in the current counter-cyclical
and marketing loan programs will
bring market orientation to farm support programs,” Scholl says. “Most important, the real role of the government
in the private business of agriculture
Adam Garman
Carol Waugh
Carolyn Miklavic
Carrie Rolfe
Cynthia Ripke-Kutsagoitz
Diane Blake
Diana Swann
Edith Dahl
Elizabeth Thielicke
Ellen Murphy
Erika Jett
Erin Thompson
Gabriella Andrews
Ginger Oppenheimer
John Lawler
Kate Birr
Katie Chugg
Lynn Marek
Nancy Steele
Robin Hammond
Sharon Souders
“Changes in the 2012 Farm Bill appear
both likely and may be significant, if not
radical,” says Jon Scholl, President of
American Farmland Trust (AFT). “Our
country’s economic situation will be
the most significant driver and agent of
change in the 2012 Farm Bill.”
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Standard & Poor’s has lowered its outlook on the government’s
debt level to negative, the first time for
such a rating. The article also notes the
federal government is close to hitting
its $14.2 trillion debt ceiling authorized
by Congress.
“This news is a significant warning
bell,” says Scholl. “It makes clear that
our country must address the national
debt level—with no options left off the
table. Indeed, politicians like Senator
Chuck Grassley, R-IA, and farmer leaders
like National Corn Growers Association
Committee Chairman Tony Bush have
already made the connection that agriculture will have to take its fair share of
cuts.”
In recent days these farm leaders
have noted, for example, that the direct
payments program first authorized
in the 1996 Farm Bill as a temporary
measure is likely to be cut. “The direct
payments program—in which farmers
receive payments without regard to
need—has long been a staple in farm
policy, but appears likely to change,”
Scholl says. “Numerous producers
across the country have told AFT that
they would welcome change in farm
programs, and I believe the 2012 Farm
Bill represents an opportunity to create
We want to express our gratitude to our volunteers. These
folks helped out with various
tasks in the stores, newsletter
distribution, a new member
mailing, and participated in
the Member Affairs Committee.
We appreciate you.
must be to help producers manage risks
that are beyond their control, not to
manage every single risk a farmer faces. As an added benefit, making these
changes creates a less distorting support system which will benefit producers, taxpayers, and the environment.
“I believe the reality of the extenuating federal budget situation offers
American agriculture an opportunity—
to create a better safety net that will
allow us to produce the food, fiber, and
fuel to feed ourselves and the world
for decades to come, while we are also
doing our fair share in addressing the
budget,” says Scholl.
Source: American Farmland Trust
www.farmland.org. Originally appeared in the Southwest Farm Press.
Shirley Jacobson
The Nutritionist
Is In
Tuesday, June 14
4–6 pm
Downtown store
Thursday, June 16
4–6 pm
Cordata store
Bring your questions on
nutrition and health to the
Co-op’s nutritionist, Tom Malterre.
Available at a table near the front of
the store, he'll be ready to answer your
questions about nutrition,
healthy eating, and diet.
3
June 2011 Community Shopping Day Organization
People For Puget Sound
Robin Elwood, CCN Staff
“Spartina grass-removal work parties were one of a kind. We’d be out
there breaking our backs making
sure the whole plant was removed
so it couldn’t re-root. Volunteers
did great work, but we never got the
same volunteers to come back for a
second Spartina party. It was all new
faces, every time!”
Mike Sato is the regional communications director of
People For Puget Sound.
The organization, based in
Seattle and Olympia, is active throughout the Puget
Sound area. Mike, who
lives in Bellingham, helped
me learn more about People
For Puget Sound and we
enjoyed a wide-ranging
conversation that touched
on invasive species like
Spartina, the importance of
collaboration, and the challenges of being the biggest
environmental group in the
room.
works to protect and restore
Puget Sound. They mix educational
campaigns with lobbying and habitat
restoration. Founded in 1991, they
have been instrumental in such
victories as stationing an oil-spill
response tug at Neah Bay, restoring
hundreds of miles of degraded shoreline, and creating boat-free safety
zones around resident Orca pods.
With about 30 employees on staff
and nearly 2,000 volunteers last year,
they have the clout to take on many
of the challenges facing Western
Washington’s inland coastlines.
2011 is People For Puget Sound’s
20th anniversary; in May, supporters and organizers sailed throughout
Puget Sound on the schooner Adventuress to celebrate 20 years of saving Puget Sound and to re-dedicate
themselves to future work. A big
Pier Peer is a
popular education program in which marine
naturalists drop a light
into the dark waters of
Puget Sound and talk
about the critters that
appear.
Citizen activists from
around the state descend
on Olympia every year to
meet with legislators (right).
Restoration Ecologist Rachel
Benbrook trains volunteer
paddlers in monitoring the
invasive weed Spartina in the
shallow waters of north Puget
Sound (below).
Photos courtsey of People For Puget Sound
two-masted schooner was a great
way to take stock of the organization’s accomplishments, but much of
the work of this organization takes
place from smaller craft—kayaks
and small motor boats.
Mike told me about People For
Puget Sound’s Spartina eradication
program. Spartina is an invasive
grass which colonizes mudflats and
tidal zones. It’s extremely hard to get
rid of and it affects the ecosystem
in negative ways. Throughout the
Sound, however, eradication seems
possible; most infestations are under
control and will recede with on-going monitoring and removal. People
For Puget Sound educators train
boaters to record sightings of remaining clumps of grass; volunteers
and county agencies can then remove
the threat. Since 2007, volunteer
kayakers have surveyed more than 250
miles of shoreline in
Puget Sound, locating
unknown infestations
in every county they
have worked—including Whatcom County,
which is threatened
from seed drifting
down from a growing
infestation in BC.
“One of the absolute
best ways of mapping
invasive species is
What are Community Shopping Days?
Each year the Co-op invites organizations to apply for a Community
Shopping Day (CSD). This year
organizations were selected for
their service to our community in
the following areas: Community
Health and Social Justice, Ecological Issues, Education, Food &
Sustainable Agriculture, Health
4
and Well-Being, and Peace and Human Rights. The Co-op’s Member
Affairs Committee (MAC) reviews
and recommends 12 organizations,
and the Board of Directors gives
final approval. For more information, contact Laura Steiger at 360734-8158, lauras@communityfood.
coop.
from a bunch of small boats out
enjoying nature. Kayaks and small
boats get to hard-to-reach areas,”
Mike said. “There are many people
who go out on the water for recreation, and they are happy to do some
good at the same time by mapping
invasive weeds like Spartina. The
group plans to use the proceeds from
their community shopping day to
help offset the cost of training kayakers and mapping Spartina infestations.
Sometimes kayakers and motor
boaters end up on opposite sides
of the environmental debate; but
programs like this spin on an entirely different pivot; everyone on
the water is the eyes and ears of the
Sound—boaters can all be on the
same side because we all love the
Sound.” Mike’s words about finding
common ground illuminated another
aspect of People For Puget Sound’s
work. As an organization trying to
garner broad support for their goals,
they try to get as many people on
board as possible. Mike described
the importance of education and
finding common ground.
“You can win in the short term by
passing a regulation. But it really
takes a shift in belief and resulting
behavior to achieve change. You can
pass a law, but it’s really hard to get
compliance if there’s not a common
agreement on the basics. There are
times where we’ll end up on the opposite side of the table from an industry
or group. But there’s no need for us
to start there. We look for the ways
improving our Sound is in everyone’s long-term interest, and start
from there.”
People For Puget Sound has many
employees who work region-wide,
but no local office. I asked Mike
to comment about what makes the
group’s work compelling locally. He
said, “We’re a regional organization,
and we don’t have a North Puget
Sound office anymore; but I work
from my home in Bellingham, and
we’ve had a lot of discussion about
what we can offer this community.
We held a meeting with local organizations working on environmental
issues locally and identified three
important roles People For Puget
Sound can fulfill in harmony with
local groups. They are 1) don’t duplicate things already being done locally, 2) use state influence to move
local issues, and 3) help raise money
for local groups.
To end our interview, I asked Mike
what he’d like everyone to do to
improve Puget Sound. His response
was: “Write a check, write a letter, plant a tree…donate, activate,
restore.” Anyone interested in taking part in the Spartina Survey can
contact program coordinator Rachel
Benbrook at 360-333-0651, [email protected], or see www.
pugetsound.org. Trainings begin
in June and more volunteers are
needed.
2011 Community Shopping Day Schedule
January 15
February 19
March 19
April 16
May 21
June 18
July 16
August 20
September 17
October 15
November 19
December 17
Amy’s Place (Old Town Christian Ministries)
River Farm of the Evergreen Land Trust
Rainbow Recovery Center
Traditional Foods and Plants Program (Northwest Indian College)
Appliance Depot (ReUse Works)
Food To Bank On (Sustainable Connections)
Hearing Loss Association of Whatcom County
Whatcom County Library Foundation
United Blind of Whatcom County
Local Food Works!
Transition Whatcom
More Conversations with Co-op Managers
Shop at the Co-op—Make a Difference
Kate Nichols
If there is a crop loss, Dave explained, then he calls around to
find a different local producer.
Early spring is the slowest
season for local crops, after
Downtown Co-op
Produce Manager
stored root crops are gone and
Dave Sands—
the fresh produce that members
always enthusiastic
are eager for isn’t available
about local.
yet. But, starting in April, early
crops start coming into the Coop. Crops such as wild-crafted
fiddlehead ferns, salad mixes,
and shallots. In June and July
produce “really starts popping.”
Dave said he gets at least 10
calls per day from farmers and
during the summer he will talk
to some farmers daily.
His department is also responsible for flowers, plants, and
seeds. He said they use Washington Floenvironmentally friendly card comral Service for safe, clean flowers. Over
pany, Tree-Free.
Valentine’s Day, the florist asked for
What if you could wear only one pair
roses with smell, even though they were
of socks your entire life? “With Darn
a higher price, members got the real deal.
Tough Vermont socks, their lifetime
Plant starts and seeds are local.
guarantee would allow you to do that,”
Local farmers “start out with someErica said. In addition to the guarantee,
thing amazing and it only gets better,”
the socks are really made in Vermont.
Dave said. Although he is very enthusiSmartwool socks come in a rainbow
astic about the crops the local farmers
of colors and the Merino wool used in
bring in, he said that he tries to give his
making the socks is helping farmers in
“over-the-top comments sparingly” so
New Zealand maintain a sustainable
they take his compliments seriously.
lifestyle. And the socks are so wonderI went out to the Cordata store to
fully soft, my teenage daughter adopted
meet with Erica Dudrow, mercantile
the pair I brought home.
manager. She walked me through the
Erica believes she is responsible to
store pointing out colorful products and
the membership, so she pays attention
telling me the stories behind them.
to what sells and what doesn’t. She
The walk around the Co-op revealed
orders books on edible gardens, permaa world market: brooms from Uganda;
culture, and raising chickens because
Onno’s socially responsible T-shirts
people ask for them. Most of the kitchmade from hemp, bamboo, and organic
en utensils are made in China, but only
cotton; bowls made from sustainably
because when Erica brought in good
grown bamboo. Erica found a source of
quality from Switzerland, she found
soccer balls from Pakistan that are Fair
that members wouldn’t pay the higher
Trade Certified.
price for those utensils. If there are loKiondos are hand-woven bags crecal utensils, she hasn’t found them.
ated by Kenyan mothers to pass on to
As I walked out of the Co-op, I read
their daughters. Now these wonderful
the tags on the One Mango Tree bags
one-of-a-kind bags are available at the
hanging near the door with stories of
Co-op because two Bellingham women
helping women in Uganda. Next time
formed the Tembo Trading Co. to bring
you walk into the Co-op, think of the
these bags to the U.S. They hope to
stories behind the products. Who made
help the women who make them beit? Who are your dollars helping? Who
come self-reliant and they donate all
grew it? What I learned from talking to
net profits to the education of children
the store managers is that shopping at
in those communities. Erica said that
the Co-op does make a difference.
usually there is a 50 percent markup
on products, but with Fair Trade ProdKate Nichols is a freelance writer
ucts, they are one-of-kind and she can’t
who is passionate about food and commark it up that high.
munity. She strives to eat organically
She gets cards that people create
and locally, but sometimes eats chocolocally from photographs, paintings
late, bananas, and drinks coffee this is
and letterpress, and some from the
not grown locally—but is Fair Trade.
Volunteer Opportunities
Members who volunteer for Co-op
activities or events receive one $5
coupon each time they volunteer
for half an hour or longer. We don’t
have openings for ongoing volunteer jobs at the present time, but
sign up for volunteer email alerts,
look for volunteer sign-up sheets
for special events, or stop by the
service desk to fill out a volunteer
application.
Summer party at Boulevard Park
The summer party will be Sunday,
July 31. Keep your eyes open for
signup sheets at the service desks in
both stores, or email [email protected] if you want to be on the
party crew.
Backup crew for
newsletter distribution
Get on the list for on-call newsletter distributors, in case of sickness or
vacations. Getting the newsletter out
in the community is a vital job as it is
our most effective communication and
education tool. Help spread the word…
Co-op.
Get on our volunteer email list
If you’re not already on the volunteer
email list, please send your preferred
email address to [email protected]. After you’re on the list,
you’ll get an occasional update on
volunteer activities with the Co-op. It’s
a great way to get involved with your
Co-op and meet other members.
Join the MAC
The Member Affairs Committee
(MAC) meets every month, usually
on the last Wednesday from 5:15–7:15
pm, to consider questions raised by our
members and to work on board and
community-based activities. If you are
interested in joining the MAC, please
call Jean Rogers at 360-734-8158.
Mailing party list
If visiting with other interesting
Co-op members while stuffing envelopes sounds like a fun way to spend
a few hours, contact Laura to add
your name to the mailing party email
list. We get together once every 2-3
months at the Cordata store, usually
on a weekday.
Organic Industry
Survey
Last month I shared my conversations with Co-op managers Brooks
Dimmick (bulk), Lucinda Bédard
(wellness), and Eric Schuster (grocery). This month I had more conversations with managers Dave Sands (produce) and Erica Dudrow (mercantile). I
learned that one of the most interesting
aspects of the Community Food Co-op
is the stories behind not only getting
the products, but who creates them.
Spring is a busy season for Dave,
downtown produce manager, because
he is talking to farmers about their incoming crops, but Dave took a break to
talk with me in the deli.
He explained that he works with
Wynne Marks, Cordata produce manager, to plan for their first choice of
produce—local, certified, organic. To
achieve that goal, in November they
review their records of what they sold
during the year. They discuss about
150 items and decide what worked and
what didn’t. They ask questions such
as, “Were the bunches big enough? Did
the product keep well? How much did
they sell?” The produce that sold well
they reorder adding an additional 15 to
18 percent. Produce sales at the Cordata
store are increasing a whopping 15 to
25 percent a year, compared to a regular
grocery store’s two to four percent.
After fine tuning their list, they write
letters to the farmers to let them know
their findings and what they will be
buying. “We meet some people in person to project out what we want to see
next year,” Dave explained. “It’s a jumble to organize.” They buy the majority
of produce from eight or nine farms.
These farmers are making their living
at farming. The Co-op buys enough to
make a difference for them. Although a
farmer can’t survive only selling to the
Co-op, the Co-op buys enough to be a
major part of their business plan.
Dave and Wynne also order from
an additional fifteen farms, including
newer farms. Dave said now he works
with two farmers who started out as
interns, but now own their own farms.
Sometimes there will be a “straggler”
crop and he’ll call a new farmer and
ask them to grow it for the Co-op, for
example, 1,200 pounds of green beans.
They make growing agreements
with the farmers so the farmers will
plant what Dave and Wynne think Coop members will buy. Although there
is not an actual contract, Dave says,
“We’ve never been burned,” using the
agreements. In this way, the Co-op is a
partner with some of the local farmers.
The Organic Trade Association
recently released their 2011 Organic
Industry Survey revealing that the
industry has grown from $3.6 billion in 1997 to $29 billion in 2010.
Despite the nation’s worst economic
downturn in 80 years, the organic
industry has come out of the recession hiring employees, adding
farms, and increasing revenue.
Among the findings from the
survey:
• The organic sector grew by 8 percent in 2010, dramatically outpacing the food industry as a whole
which grew at less than 1 percent
in 2010.
• The organic industry supports
14,540 organic farms and ranches
across the country. A total of 4.1
million acres of land are currently
in organic management, and there
are organic farms in all 50 states.
• Since 78 percent of organic farms
report planning to maintain or
increase organic production levels
over the next five years, the organic sector will continue to play
a contributing role in revitalizing
America’s rural economy through
diversity in agriculture.
• Forty percent of organic operations added jobs in 2010. In addition, 96 percent of organic operations are planning to maintain or
increase employment levels in
2011, and 46 percent of them are
planning to increase employment
levels three times the rate of businesses as whole.
At the OTA 2011 Policy Conference in April, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told participants,
“Organic producers are very entrepreneurial in nature. They’re in a
position to create value-added products that provide a wealth of opportunities in rural America.” Vilsack
further noted, “Organic farming is
an important part of the U.S. agricultural landscape. The USDA is
creating financial assistance for organic because we recognize organic
as a part of the strategy to rebuild
rural America.”
For further information about the
survey, see www.ota.com.
Volunteer in the community
Co-op members who volunteer with
the Bellingham Food Bank, Small
Potatoes Gleaning Project, Whatcom Land Trust, Nooksack Salmon
Enhancement Association, or The
Food Bank Farm are eligible for a $5
Co-op coupon. These organizations
determine how to distribute the set
amount of coupons they receive each
month. Check directly with the organization you’re interested in before
volunteering.
Contact Laura Steiger at
360-734-8158, ext. 129 or
[email protected].
5
Spring Frog Farm at Holistic Homestead
Same Farm, New Land, New Name
Wynne Marks, Cordata Co-op Produce Manager
Local farm Holistic Homestead has
moved to new ground. After years of
searching for the right piece of property, local organic farmer Gretchen
Woody is starting her seventh year
farming in Whatcom County on new
land. Moving from the Everson area
to near Nugent’s Corner, Gretchen is
starting out the new season on new
ground with a new name: Spring Frog
Farm at the Holistic Homestead.
The Co-op is really excited to see
this longtime growing partner make the
move and expand her acreage. Land
is one of the main struggles for small
growers. When space is an issue it can
be tough for small farms to dedicate
space to crops for wholesale accounts
like the Co-op.
Spring Frog Farm is starting out the
2011 season as both certified organic
and certified transitional. “The farm
had partial acreage that was already
certified organic,” says Gretchen, “and
the rest of the land will be in transition
to organic until 2012 when it will become 100 percent organic.”
This has been a big move for Gretchen
and Holistic Homestead. Supporting
farms like Spring Frog is how we create our own food security. We wanted
to get the word out about Spring Frog
Farm and what transitional means so
that when you see it on a sign at the Coop you can pick up a head of Gretchen’s
romaine lettuce and know that you are
supporting the growth of organics and
the future of a family farm.
What does transition to organic
mean? Transition describes the time
period between the last prohibited-material application and when the land becomes eligible for organic status. The
National Organic Standards require
that all land used to produce organic
crops and livestock must have had no
prohibited substances applied to it for a
period of three years immediately preceding harvest of the product.
Holistic Homestead
offers a picturesque
setting for Spring Frog
Farm (above).
A family affair—Gretchen
Woody with her husband and
son check out the greenhouse (above). Gretchen ties
off potato sacks bound for
market (right).
To learn more about new additions
to Spring Frog Farm, CSA, and farm
stand, see their website at www.holistichomestead.net.
Photos by Wynne Marks
Cooking with Fresh Herbs
Robin Asbell
There are
a few things
that distinguish
a great dish and
the cook behind it.
Of course, the quality
of the ingredients, the
energy of the cook,
and the inspiration of the recipe
will all come to bear
on the finished dish.
But in the course of
putting food on the
table there are a few
things that will lift
your food from the mundane to the sublime. One of those things is a skillful use
of herbs. In fact, I’d say that using fresh
herbs is one of the easiest and most natural ways to make everything you prepare
taste just a little bit better.
Dried herbs have their place, but most
of them are pale shadows of their fresh
counterparts. When fresh herbs are available, they are undeniably more flavorful,
more nuanced, and even more nutritious.
Don’t be intimidated. Over the years,
I can’t tell you how many people have
come to cooking classes, and confessed
that they “don’t know anything about
herbs.” Instead of enjoying the flavors,
they worry that they aren’t doing it right.
Well, one step to doing it right is to use
fresh, and with a few concepts, you don’t
have to worry about anything.
There is a general rule about substituting fresh for dried and vice versa. Three
6
times the amount of fresh to dried, so
a tablespoon of fresh stands in for a
teaspoon dry. It’s just a suggestion, and
in many cases, wrong. In herb-centered
dishes, like say, basil pesto, you just can’t
do dried. Maybe you could use parsley
and add a bit of dried basil for flavor, but
a mouthful of basil flakes doused with oil
is missing the whole point.
In looking at herbs, it is illustrative to
divide them into two groups. There are
the leafy herbs, which are delicate and
tender, and then there are the twiggy
herbs, which are resinous and sturdy. In
the leafy category fall all the ones you
eat raw or just barely cooked, like basil,
cilantro, parsley, dill, chervil, tarragon,
arugula and mint. These are the most
fleeting and delicate, and you don’t want
to simmer them in a long-cooking stew.
Leafy herbs are the ones you can be
the most liberal with. Many of them are
associated with summertime, although
good old parsley is a year round standard. If you have ever made pesto, you
have seen a big pile of fresh herb turn
into a small amount of sauce, and it is
so delicious that you can eat it with a
spoon. Just about any of the leafy herbs
can jump into that pesto-like mode.
These herbs can be added by the handful to green salads, although you might
want to start slow with some of the more
intense ones, like dill and tarragon. Just
take a bite and see if you think it might
overwhelm.
The twiggy herbs are the most assertive, with their decidedly strong scents
and tastes. We associate them more with
cold weather cooking, where they hold
their own with rugged roasts and long
simmered pots of beans. The twiggy
herbs include rosemary, thyme, sage,
lavender, and to some degree, oregano.
These are the ones that are almost too
much when eaten raw, and that really
sing when they are sautéed in a copious amount of olive oil before adding
to a dish. They can be thrown into a pot
of beans and cooked along with them,
perfuming the beans and broth. All flavors are carried within the plant in small
amounts of oil, and then released as the
oils of the plant spread throughout the
dish. Twiggy herbs are a little more oily
and their flavors hold up to cooking.
Once you have that part down, the
best thing to learn about herbs is what
cuisines they are used in and which foods
complement them. In general, light herbs
are used with milder foods. Rich and
creamy foods are often accented and
offset by a spark of herbiness, whether
a handful of parsley or a teaspoon of
thyme. A spark of tarragon cuts the richness of a creamy cheese or white sauce.
These general guidelines are a start for
choosing herbs to add to your favorite
cuisines, so start there and see where it
takes you!
Robin Asbell is a longtime contributor
to the Mix newspaper (from the Twin Cities co-ops) and as the former head chef
of the Wedge Deli in Minneapolis (www.
wedge.coop), she developed many recipes for popular foods still sold today. She
is the author of The New Whole Grains
Cookbook and The New Vegetarian Cookbook. Robin also writes for magazines
like Vegetarian Times, Better Homes and
Gardens, Heart Healthy Magazine, Experience Life, and Health Magazine. For
more about Robin, see www.robinasbell.
com.
Herbal Flavors from
Around the World
• South of the border—cilantro,
mints, oregano, made often with
citrus, chiles, and garlic
• France—tarragon, basil, thyme,
rosemary, chervil, parsley, with
olive oil or butter, wine
• Italy—fennel, basil, thyme,
oregano, sage, tarragon, with
olive oil, garlic, wine
• Northern Europe—dill, marjoram, combined with sour cream
or vinegar
• Southeast Asia— Asian basils,
cilantro and exotic herbs, with
lime, chiles, fish sauce, soy
sauce, coconut
• Japan—shiso/perilla/beefsteak
leaf, in pickled ginger or with
sushi
• India—cilantro, mint, with
yogurt, coconut milk, spices
Wine Notes
Looking at Summer through Rosé-filled Glasses
Vic Hubbard, Downtown Co-op Wine Manager
Nothing says summer like rosé
wine. Although suitable for yearround consumption, most rosé is
drunk during the warmest days of
the year. There is something about
the chilled fresh zesty lightness of a
good rosé, along with its affinity for
summer foods and picnics that make
it an ideal summer wine. And, with
the warmest days of our summer still
ahead, this is the time to remember
this uniquely delicious category of
wines.
Even though rosé has been a bit
slow to catch on here in the U.S.,
with domestic rosé sales increasing
at 15 to 20 percent a year, the times
are changing. More and more wine
drinkers are discovering this most
beautifully colored of beverages.
Every major wine region in the
world makes rosé. It is made the
same way as red wine, except the
skins of the grapes are removed after
only brief contact with the wine during fermentation, resulting in extraction of less color and less in terms of
flavor profiles. Rarely do you find the
dark fruit aspects of red wine in rosé.
Instead, flavors lean toward bright
red fruit, raspberries, strawberries, or
maybe crisp watermelon.
Rosé is considered one of the most
difficult of wines to make. As with
any wine, there are many variables to
deal with, and in rosé, any flaws or
missteps are accentuated. These are
not big forward reds or oak-driven
whites; the beauty of rosé is in its
subtle lightness and delicate purity.
Rosé and food? Try it with cold cuts,
fresh berries and whipped cream, raw
foods, burgers, Caesar salad, potato salad,
fruit salad, salmon, spicy foods, and
cheeses. In other words, rosé is an
easy match with almost any summer
fare.
The following wines are good representative rosés to amaze and delight
you. But, don’t forget the plethora of
rosés that will grace the Co-op wine
shelves throughout the summer. These
are the go-to wines of summer.
Moulin de Gassac, Guilhem
Vin de Pays de Herault Rosé
2010, $11.95
Aimé Guibert is an iconoclastic winemaker in the Languedoc region of Southern France,
home base to benchmark rosés
that set the standard for the rest
of the world. This outspoken
75-year-old winemaker makes
no bones about his opposition
to the commoditization of wine
and led the fight against the
California corporate wine producer Mondavi trying to locate
a huge vineyard in the region adjacent
to his family vineyard (see the documentary movie “Mondovino” for more
on this).
This rosé from Mr. Guibert’s Moulin
de Gassac represents incredible value,
a classic artisan rosé from the heart of
what is historically the womb of rosé
production in the world. It is very dry
with striking pink-reddish color that
looks almost too good to drink. Transparent flavors of fresh strawberries and
bing cherries lead to tropical flavors,
orange peel, and lemon peel notes,
with a clean, dry finish that lingers. In
addition to the foods mentioned above,
the Guibert family particularly recommends this wine with the classic Mediterranean dish couscous.
Charles & Charles
Rosé 2010, Columbia
Valley, Washington,
$9.95
This wine represents a
collaboration between
Charles Smith (of
Walla Walla-based K
Vintners, Magnificent
Wine Co., and Charles
Smith Wines) and
Charles Bieler (Three
Thieves wines, Bieler
Pere & Fils). These
guys wondered why 75
percent of rosés consumed in the
U.S. were imports from France,
Spain, and Italy. They decided it
was a matter of quality—domestic rosé was usually made as an
afterthought, drawn off fermenting red wines to further concentrate
the finished red wine. With Charles
Bieler’s years of experience coming
from his French winemaking family,
the two Charleses set out to make a
high-quality domestic rosé at a price
that would wow. And, this 100 percent
syrah-based Washington rosé delivers.
This pale pink colored wine has
a bit more body and viscosity than
the Gassac rosé, still it is pretty dry,
but maybe more quaffable and easy
drinking than the French version.
Look for red berry and cherry flavors melded with watermelon and
tropical fruit notes.
Secco Italian Rosé Sparkling
Wine Brut. $10.95
Sisters Ginerva and Olivia
Casa created this sparkling rosé
in the traditional manner of Italian
Prosecco, but with a difference.
Instead of using 100 percent Prosecco
grapes, they blended theirs with about
40 percent pinot noir (called pinot nero
in Italy), left on the skins just enough
to develop a nice bright crimson-pink
color and add plenty of fruity notes to
their wine. It is just called Secco—
according to Italian wine law, they
aren’t allowed to call it prosecco.
This is a low alcohol, low budget,
delicious and festive sparkler. Although called brut (the driest version
of sparkling wine), it comes across
with a bit more fruity sweetness
than the last two wines. Very
easy to like, this wine is a crowd
pleaser. Serve it in a bucket of
ice alongside fresh berries, melons, Asian foods, sushi, or try
with chocolate-covered cherries.
Cloud Mountain Farm Opens New Doors
Cloud Mountain Farm is opening
new doors to the farm and garden
community. Tom and Cheryl Thornton are working with local nonprofits
to create the new Cloud Mountain
Farm Center (CMFC) which will
focus on providing hands-on learning opportunities for beginning and
existing farmers and gardeners.
For more than three decades Tom
and Cheryl have been growing, selling, researching, and teaching about
plants best suited to our region.
These services and activities will be
enhanced through the operation of
the CMFC.
“Our dream has always been to
provide a place where people can
learn about growing plants and experience the processes that food goes
through to get from farm to table,”
said Tom Thornton. “Our focus has
Fresh Cherry
Picnic Salad
Photos courtesy of Cloud Mountain Farm
always been education and this new
center will allow us to develop programs even further for growers as
well as consumers,” added
Cheryl Thornton.
On the outside, Cloud
Mountain Farm may look
and feel the same: the retail
nursery will continue to sell
the varieties of plants best
suited to our region, groups
will gather for important
classes and workshops,
on-site dinners and celebrations will bring friends and
families to the farm, fruits
and vegetables will continue to be grown for sale, and
the Annual Fruit Festival will feature
more varieties of fruit and vegetables
than ever before.
New and exciting opportunities
will be offered as the CMFC works
with market farmers, Sustainable
Connections, Kulshan Community
Land Trust, WSU Cooperative Extension, and other nonprofits to build
an even stronger “growing” community. They encourage everyone
to come by and share your thoughts
and ideas and hear about the exciting
new Cloud Mountain Farm Center.
Cloud Mountain is located at 6906
Goodwin Road in Everson. For more
information, see www.cloudmountainfarm.com.
• 1 c. sugar snap peas
• 2 c. pitted Northwest fresh sweet
cherries
• 1 medium cucumber, halved,
seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 c. red radishes, cut into wedgeshaped pieces
• 3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. each toasted sesame
seeds and grated fresh ginger
root
• 1/8 tsp. ground pepper
Blanch peas in boiling salted
water 1 minute; plunge into iced
water to cool. Drain. Mix cherries, cucumber, radishes, and peas.
Combine remaining ingredients
and mix well. Pour over cherry
mixture and toss to coat. Marinate
in the refrigerator at least one hour.
Makes 4-6 servings
Recipe from the Northwest
Cherries, Washington State Fruit
Commission.
7
Healthy Connections
Cooking, health, and well-being classes
offered by the Community Food Co-op
All classes (unless noted) are held at either the Downtown Co-op’s Connection Building (on the south side of the parking lot on Forest Street) or the Local Roots Room, which is upstairs at the Cordata Co-op. Registration requires payment in full. Some classes are
co-sponsored with Whatcom Community College. To register for these classes, call 360-383-3200 or go online to www.
whatcomcommunityed.com For all other classes stop by the service desk at either store location, or call
360-734-8158 (credit card payment only). See each class listing for location and registration. For any other class
information, contact Kevin Murphy at 360-734-8158 or email [email protected].
Canning 101
with Susy Hymas
Wednesdays: June 1, 8, and 15
6:30–8 pm
Learn how to stretch your food dollars
and enjoy seasonal flavors all year long
in this three-session demonstration class.
Course covers the equipment you will
need to safely can fruit, quick pickles,
salsa, jams, vegetables, seafood, and
meats. Instructor Susy Hymas has been
a Certified Master Food Preserver for 14
years. The harvest is coming.
$49 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Spiritual Activism
with Marcia MacLean
Thursday, June 2, 6:30–8:30 pm
Join Marcia and guests for an interactive evening of dialogue and exploration
into the ways we can each be a positive
force for good. Topics will include unity
in diversity, re-framing and forgiveness,
affirmative communication, collaboration, meditation, and more. A portion of
the proceeds from the evening will be
allocated to charitable organizations and
projects chosen by those attending.
Summer Songbird Walk
with David Drummond
Saturday, June 11, 7–9:30 am at the
Stimpson Reserve
Meet at 6:30 am to carpool (location to
be determined)
Join ace birder David Drummond in
a bird watching and listening outing.
Enjoy the peak song time of resident and
migrant singing birds, and learn to recognize these colorful neighbors by voice
and sight. Subtle cues to family, genus,
and species identification will be conveyed. Bring your curiosity, notebook,
and binoculars.
The class takes place at the Stimpson
Reserve on Lake Louise Road, carpools
to be arranged.
$20 members, $24 non-members/register at
Co-op by noon, Friday, June 10
with Kim Haustedt, DC
Monday, June 6, 7–9 pm
This workshop is for everyone who
wishes to understand and master the science and art of fundamental change. The
central focus of this workshop is the application of the Epstein Triad of Change.
Knowledge of your personal Triad—your
use of behavior, structure, and perception—will help support, encourage, and
optimize your personal success strategy
for progress in your health, wellness, relationships, business, play, and life.
Free Event—Registration Requested/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
Smoke and Fire:
The Art of Barbecue
with Robert Fong
Tuesday, June 7, 6:30–9 pm
The season of sizzle approaches.
Enjoy guava-smoked chicken, grilled
Korean Kalbi ribs, and barbecued king
salmon with pineapple and berries.
Stove-top grilling followed by smoking outside-the-back-door—barbecue
is Chef Fong’s forte. Optional $8 wine
fee is payable at class.
$39 members and non-members/Downtown
Asian Leafy Greens
with Mary Ellen Carter
Thursday, June 9, 6–8 pm
Mary Ellen Carter, author of Accent on
Asia and At Joe’s Garden, serves up leafy
green vegetables with flair, emphasizing
greens associated with the cuisines of Asia.
Recipes include spinach and spring onion
dumplings, shrimp and crunchy vegetables
rolled in a mustard leaf with a sweet and
sour sauce, and stir-fried bok choy and
mizuna with sesame seeds. In addition we
will discuss the choices of wine that pair
well with vegetables. Everyone knows we
don’t eat enough greens—these recipes will
leave you wanting more. $7 wine option,
payble at class.
8
Improve Your Sleep
Naturally
with Mystique Grobe, ND
Monday, June 20, 6:30–8:30 pm
Can’t sleep? Is your snoring keeping you or your partner awake? Do you
wake up in the morning feeling unrefreshed? Dr. Mystique Grobe, ND, LAc,
will discuss the multiple causes of sleep
disorders and healthful treatments available to us as alternatives to nightly sleep
prescriptions.
Childhood and Spinal
Development
with Barney Roca, DC
Tuesday, June 21, 6:30–8:30 pm
Jennifer Hahn
Wild Seaweed Cuisine
with Jennifer Hahn
Monday, June 13, 6–8:30 pm
Join author and adventurer Jennifer
Hahn in a culinary exploration of our local wild sea vegetables. After a slide show
on seaweed identification and harvesting,
Jennifer will demonstrate the creation of
Sunomono (cucumber/seaweed salad),
Cream of Sea Veggie Chowder, Kelpwrapped Baked Salmon, Ginger-sesame
Rice with Wakame, and Chocolate Ocean
Pudding (thickened with red Turkish
Towel seaweed). You won’t believe your
taste buds. Jennifer is the author of Pacific
Feast: A Cook’s Guide to West Coast Foraging and Cuisine.
Olive Oil: Gift from the Gods
with Robert Fong
Tuesday, June 14, 6:30–9pm
Taste, evaluate, and eat delicately prepared Mediterranean-style dishes graced
with the oil from the gods as Robert
Fong uses specially selected olive oils
with summer vegetables, fish with lemon
and capers, and seared steak. Enjoy a
fun, blind tasting of six carefully chosen
extra virgin olive oils from Spain and
Italy. Special guest Eric Stone, purveyor
of exquisite olive oil, will provide further
insights into this most special ingredient.
The wine option, payable at class, is $8.
Hot Topics in Women’s Health
with Elan Keehn, ND and
Kim Sandstrom, ND
Thursday, June 16, 6:30–8:30 pm
Making sense of changing women’s
health recommendations is really challenging. Join us for a discussion on
issues including treatment options for
menopausal symptoms, HPV vaccines
(for cervical cancer prevention), management of abnormal pap smears, contraceptive options, preconception care, infertility, chronic pelvic pain, and anything
Susy Hymas
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
$5 members, $6 non-members/Cordata Coop/register at Co-op
Donations accepted at time of class—Registration Requested/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
Mastering Your Triad of Change
else about women’s health that interests
you. Elan Keehn, ND, ARNP; and Kim
Sandstrom, ND, LMP; of Bellingham
Natural Family Medicine will provide
their perspectives and answer questions.
Dr. Barney Roca, of IN8 Family
Chiropractic in Bellingham, gives a
chiropractic perspective on skeletal development in early childhood, providing
insight on how to foster spinal health in
a child’s first years. The pros and cons
of different types of birthing will be discussed. He will also touch on the health
of the mother and the effect of hormones
on her body, childhood vaccinations, and
a holistic approach to caring for your
baby.
Free Event—Registration Requested/Cordata Co-op/register at Co-op
Sports and Chiropractic: A
Hands-on Approach
with Robert Curtis, DC
Wednesday, June 22, 6:30–8 pm
Muscle and joint problems commonly
disrupt work, sleep, health, and athletic
pursuits. Soft-tissue treatments coupled
with chiropractic can deliver a rapid drop
in pain or discomfort, and offer better,
long-lasting results. Learn specifically
about the Active Release Technique. We
may have time to offer treatment to one
or two attendees. If you are interested in
treatment, please come five to 10 minutes
early to fill out paperwork. Robert Curtis,
DC, practices at Advanced Sports Chiropractic.
Free Event—Registration
Requested/Downtown Co-op/register at
Co-op
Birthing in Bellingham
with Deborah Craig and
Mary Burgess
Saturdays: June 25, July
16, and August 6, 1–4 pm
Ethiopian Cuisine
with Mulu Belay
Monday, June 27, 6–9 pm
Join Mulu Belay of Ambo Ethiopian
Cuisine as she makes Ethiopian favorites including doro wat (a spicy chicken
stew), misir (spicy red lentils), spinach
Ethiopian style, and, of course, injera,
the sourdough flatbread that accompanies
traditional Ethiopian menus.
Fermented Drinks and Natural
Sodas
with Daravan Marith, Carla Witham,
and Tanja Kanoa
Wednesday, July 6, 6:30–8:30 pm
Cool yourself off this summer with
old-fashioned, healthy soft-drinks. Fermented drinks can boost energy and immunity, aid in digestion, stop sugar cravings, improve your skin, ease digestion,
and cleanse your liver. Taste-test and see
how to make kombucha, ginger ale, root
beer, beet kvass, orangina, punch, and
coconut keifer.
Wild Hawaiian Fish
with Robert Fong
Thursday, July 7, 6:30–9 pm
Robert Fong provides a lesson on the
delectable fish of his home state of Hawaii. Get expert tips on preparing and
eating ono, opah (moon fish), mahi mahi,
and ahi, all flown in direct from the
Honolulu Fish Auction by Vis Seafood.
Grilled, pan-fried, seared, steamed, or
made into poke, these Pacific ocean fish
are especially tasty. Optional $8 wine fee
payable at class.
$49 members and non-members/$8 wine option/Downtown
Co-op/register at WCC (360-3833200)
A Summer Feast—Eat
Local
Learn about choices and
with Charles Claassen
services related to pregnancy,
Charles Claassen
Tuesday, July 12, 6–8:30
birth, baby care, and breastpm
feeding with specific informaMenu includes roasted whole chicken
tion about what the Bellingham comfrom Osprey Hill with herbs and garlic,
munity has to offer. Class 1 deals with
carmelized sweet onions from K&M Red
choices for childbirth education, midRiver Farm, sautéed sweet peas and carwifery, doulas, prenatal yoga, and masrots from Alm Hill Gardens, and samples
sage. Class 2 is devoted to information
of the acclaimed Ladysmith Cheese from
about breastfeeding, and Class 3 covers
Samish Bay Cheese. It adds up to an allinfant massage, mom and baby yoga,
local mid-summer feast prepared by Chef
cloth diapering, baby-wearing options,
Charles Claassen of the Book Fare Café.
and making your own baby food.
$10 per class members and non-members
Optional $8 beer and wine fee, payable
or $25 for all three/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
(continued on page 9)
Healthy Connections
Continued from page 8
at class, entitles you to samples of local
beer and wine from Boundary Bay and
Mount Baker Vineyards respectively.
Sustainable Outdoor Cooking:
An Evening with the Phoenix
with Tim Flores
Wednesday, July 13, 6:30–9 pm
Join wilderness educator Tim Flores in a
class combining delicious food, fire-crafting, and storytelling. Tim will demonstrate
how to start a cooking fire using primitive
friction fire techniques. Students will then
have the opportunity to cook their own
plank-grilled salmon or chicken, and local
berries and vegetables using skewers and
various coal cooking techniques. Sustainable wood gathering and clean air cooking practices will also be discussed, and
throughout the demonstrations, stories related to fire lore and cooking from cultures
all over the globe, will be shared.
feta; white bean salad with fresh-off-thevine tomatoes; country-style tart with tomatoes and basil; a classic onion tart; chocolate
mousse and lemon tart. Optional $7 wine
fee payable at class.
Birthing in Bellingham #2:
Breastfeeding
Mary Burgess
Saturday, July 16
1–4 pm
with Charles Claassen
Tuesday, July 26, 6–8:30 pm
Learn about choices and
services related to pregnancy,
birth, baby care, and breastfeeding with specific information about what the Bellingham community has to
offer. This class, the second
of three, is devoted to information about breastfeeding.
Learn how to preserve food
through both fermentation and
hot-pack canning techniques from
Charles Claassen, chef and owner
Mary Burgess
of the Book Fare Cafe. We’ll taste
cured sour dill cucumber pickles,
process spicy cabbage kimchi, put up tomatoes, make balsamic golden beet pickles,
and create a batch of berry preserves. Save
money and enjoy the fruits of the harvest
year-round.
$10 members and nonmembers/Downtown Co-op/
register at Co-op
Bastille Day Picnic Menu
Berry Bliss
Celebrate Bastille Day with a Frenchaccented picnic menu. Karina Davidson
shows how to make Gruyere cheese puffs;
green bean salad with pine nuts, olives and
Summer in the Pacific Northwest is
berry heaven. Karina Davidson demonstrates some of her most luscious berry
desserts including raspberry clafoutis,
Deborah Craig
with Karina Davidson
Wednesday, July 20, 6–8:30 pm
10 Things You Can Do About GMOs
There has been a lot in the news
about GMOs and how bad they are
for us and for our environment. Recently three GM crops were partially or
completely deregulated: alfalfa, sugar
beets, and a type of corn used for ethanol production. GE salmon are awaiting a decision by the FDA next.
It may seem confusing and overwhelming and unclear about what to
do. According to the GoodFood World
network (www.goodfoodworld.com)
there are many things each of us can
do. Check this list to see what you can
do in your own home, neighborhood,
and community to learn and share information about GMOs.
• Get smart—Read as much as you
can about the issue. See a list of
books of interest on the GoodFood
World reading list at www.goodfoodworld.com/category/good-reads/.
Get to know about the issues on both
sides of the fence.
• Get political—Contact your congress reps and senators and tell them
how you feel. Let the President know
by calling the President Obama comment line at 202-456-1111 or fill out
the email form at www.whitehouse.
gov/contact/.
• Get active—Comment on all the
blogs, Facebook pages, and websites
you can find that are even closely
related; and tweet away. Make your
voice heard.
• Get legal—Donate as much as you
comfortably can to the Center for
Food Safety—those folks are working hard on the legal front. There are
several lawsuits in action right now
and for a small group they are making a big difference (www.centerforfoodsafety.org).
Canning and Pickling:
Putting Up with Summer
with Karina Davidson
Thursday, July 14, 6:30–9 pm
strawberry crumble bars, blackberry lattice pie, blueberry cream tart, strawberry
mousse, and berry smoothies. Karina will
also share her favorite recipes for berry
crisp, strawberry shortcake, and blueberry muffins. It’s a berry bonanza.
• Get cooperative—Many food coops are certified organic retailers for
one or more departments. Many coops have signed on to the Non-GMO
Project (www.nongmoproject.org).
• Get apps—Here are three iPhone/
iPad apps that you can use while
shopping to select products that
are GMO-free. Search for: NonGMO Project Shopping Guide, True
Food—the Center for Food Safety
Non-GMO Shopping Guide, and
ShopNoGMO.
• Get labeled—The USDA and FDA
do not require labels on GMOs or
products containing GMOs. Talk to
your political representatives and
support the Center for Food Safety in
their effort to use the legal system to
require labeling of GMOs. It worked
for BGH in milk. You can now buy
conventional milk that does not
come from cows treated with bovine
growth hormone and is labeled as
such.
• Get organic—To date, the best way
to ensure that you are not consuming GMOs is to buy organic food.
The National Organic Program does
not allow any GMOs in fresh or processed foods.
• Get planting—Grow your own.
There are dozens of seed companies
across the U.S. that offer organic
seeds to farmers and consumers.
When you grow your own food—
even if it’s just lettuce in a patio
pot—you control your own food.
• Get together—Find other people
who feel the same way you do. Learn
more. Teach more. When faced with
insurmountable opportunities, grab
one and get going.
The Art of Live Desserts
with Julia Corbett
Thursday, July 28, 6–8:30 pm
Julia Corbett of Port Townsend demonstrates how to make delectable sweets
with raw ingredients supplemented
with nutritious superfoods. The menu
includes Berry Cream Mandala Pie
made with local berries, walnuts, coconut, raw honey, and maca; Raw Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream Bars layered
with raw cacao fudge and vanilla coconut cream, enrobed in a white chocolate glaze; and Strawberry Lucuma
Shake, made with local strawberries,
the South American superfood lucuma,
and Brazil-nut mylk. Julia is the author
of Sweet & Raw Pie Mandalas.
Birthing in Bellingham #3:
Babies, Babies, Babies
Mary Burgess
Saturday, August 6, 1–4 pm
Learn about choices and services
related to pregnancy, birth, baby care,
and breastfeeding with specific information about what the Bellingham
community has to offer. This class, the
third of three, covers infant massage,
mom and baby yoga, the ins and outs
of cloth diapering, baby-wearing options, and making your own healthy
baby food.
Non-GMO Speaker Training Webinar
June 14, 21, 28, July 12, 5–7 pm PST
$80 Individual, $140 Couple
Join international bestselling
author and filmmaker Jeffrey M.
Smith to learn how to speak about
genetically modified organisms
(GMOs) and to organize effective
activism on the issue. Whether you
want to give complete presentations or simply add a GMO section
to your current lecture, whether
you’re planning to discuss GMOs
in a professional setting with clients or just with friends in a casual
way, or whether you want to be
a leading anti-GMO campaigner
or simply want to help out where
you can, don’t miss this unique
opportunity to learn from the leading spokesperson on GMO health
dangers.
You will learn:
• The five components of a GMO
presentation, and the studies,
quotes, statistics, and concepts to
convey each
• Why genetically engineered
foods are dangerous for our
health and environment
• How to customize PowerPoint
slides (provided) for desired
length and focus
• Proven ways to motivate people
to change their diets on-the-spot
• How to facilitate an “activist circle,” converting a first meeting
into an organized campaign in as
little as 30 minutes.
During the workshop you will:
• Receive a scripted PowerPoint,
sample recorded lectures, a facilitators’ guide, and comprehensive
list of reference materials
• Practice presenting in small
groups
• Have plenty of time for questions
and answers to gain confidence
in the material.
Workshop graduates can:
• Join a GMO Speakers Bureau for
increased presentation opportunities
• Participate in ongoing teleconferences and webinars
• Team up with others in your area
and join the network of active
campaigners reclaiming a nonGMO food supply.
The webinar is presented by the
Institute for Responsible Technology. For more information and to
register, see www.responsibletechnology.org/speaker-training-calendar. Partial scholarships are available by contacting scholarships@
responsibletechnology.org.
9
Hosted by Sustainable Connections
Tuesday, June 14—Friday, June 17, at WWU
We know that people in
Bellingham and Whatcom
County like to Think Local First. We know that 72
percent of the people in our
community recognize Sustainable Connection’s Think
Local logo and report that
they’ve changed their shopping behavior to
prioritize independent, locally owned
businesses. We also
know that so many
of you make a great
effort to support
one another when
making choices every day.
We have a great
opportunity to learn what next steps
we can take to deepen our local living economy and to be inspired by
others doing this same important
work at this year’s BALLE Business
Conference to be held in Bellingham. BALLE is a national network
of socially responsible businesses
working to connect organizations
like Sustainable Connections and our
best ideas.
The conference, themed “Place
Matters,” will include more than 80
speakers, 16 plenaries, 24 interactive
sessions, three intensive pre-workshops, four local living economy
Photos courtesy of Sustainable Connections
Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
(BALLE) Conference
tours, and a variety of networking
and social events.
This don’t-miss
event brings together more than
600 independent
business owners
and innovators, local living economy
entrepreneurs, community investors,
government economic development
professionals, and sustainability
leaders to spotlight the most innovative and entrepreneurial approaches
to growing healthy, resilient local
economies. The conference will give
participants the inspiration, guidance, and tools needed to address
issues facing communities and to
encourage local economic development.
For more information and to register, see www.livingeconomies.org/
conference-2011.
Spring Sustainability Conference in Mexico
Engineers without Borders, The
Center for Appropriate Technology
and Indigenous Sustainability-Mexico
(CATIS-Mexico), and the Earth and
Lime Institute are hosting a monthlong spring workshop in San Miguel
de Allende, Mexico. The Organic
Consumer Association’s (OCA) sister
organization, Via Orgánica, has been
invited to teach during the Small
Scale Sustainable Farming week,
June 20–24. A solution-based course,
this program teaches skills in smallscale organic food production for
both urban and rural dwellers. Participants will have the opportunity to link
Organic Transitions
“As I travel, I meet young people in
every part of this country who are taking up the challenge of building a postpetroleum future: a 25-year-old farmer
in New Jersey who plows with horses
and uses no chemicals; the operator of
a biodiesel co-op in Northampton; a
solar installer in Oakland, California.
The energy transition will require new
thinking in every field you can imagine,
from fine arts to banking. Companies
everywhere are hiring sustainability
officers to help guide them through
the challenges and opportunities. At
the same time, many young people are
joining energy and climate activist organizations like 350.org and Transition
10
practical skills in a variety of locales,
as well as analyze how overarching
global issues like climate change and
food scarcity can be confronted.
OCA extends an invitation to
participate in this exciting course.
Combine your spring vacation with
an enlightening and authentic educational experience in the outskirts
of beautiful San Miguel. Meet OCA
Director Ronnie Cummins and the
Vía Orgánica staff. For more information, see www.organicconsumers.org/
VO_CATISposter.pdf, www.iCATIS.
org, or viaorganica.org.
Initiatives. So
here is my message to you in a
nutshell. Fossil
fuels made it
possible to build
the world you have inhabited during
your childhood and throughout your
years in the education system. Now it’s
up to you to imagine and build the world
after fossil fuels.”
Richard Heinberg, senior fellow of
Post Carbon Institute. For the full article
“Building a World That Can Run Without Fossil Fuels Will Be the Challenge
of Our Lifetimes,” see www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_23235.cfm.
Home &
Landscape
Tour
June 25–26
10 am–5 pm
Admission $12
Photo courtesy of Sustainable Connections
The 9th annual Home & Landscape Tour brings you the best in sustainable materials, affordable design,
and eco-friendly construction. Tour
beautiful, innovative, and sustainable
Northwest homes and landscapes.
See brilliant design from the ground
up and old-fashioned-meets-contemporary evolutions. Meet Whatcom
County’s finest pioneering green
builders, creative garden designers,
and aesthetical gurus. Get the inspiration and ideas you need to launch
into your own home, lawn, or do-ityourself ventures with ease.
Admission includes access to all
tour stops, and a detailed tour map
and resource guide to all about the
products and services featured by local design enthusiasts. Come see why
this is NW Washington’s favorite
eco-home tour.
Tickets are available at sustainableconnections.org, or at Village
Books, Community Food Co-op, RE
Store, Garden Spot Nursery, and
Bakerview Nursery & Garden Center.
For more information, see sustainableconnections.org, or call 360-647-7093.
Prenatal Pesticide Exposure and Brain
Development
Three independent studies just
published found that children whose
mothers are exposed to common agricultural pesticides are more likely
to experience a range of deleterious
effects in their cognitive development, including lower IQ, as well
as impaired reasoning and memory.
Organic agriculture prohibits the use
of these pesticides, and all other toxic
and persistent chemicals.
“Less pesticide exposure during
the maternal life stage means less
risk to your babies for a variety of
diseases that will only manifest years
later. Since women eat more during
their pregnancy, one significant way
to reduce their pesticide exposure is
to eat organic foods,” said Dr. Chensheng (Alex) Lu of the Department of
Environmental Health at the Harvard
School of Public Health. Dr. Lu led
previous research that found that pesticide residues, which show up in the
urine of children eating conventionally produced fruits and vegetables,
disappeared from children’s urine
when they switched to organic produce.
The peer-reviewed studies, all
funded by grants from the National
Institutes of Health and published
online in Environmental Health Perspectives (http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/
home.action), found links between
delayed cognitive development and
both dietary and environmental exposure to some of the most widely used
agricultural pesticides. The studies
examined individuals from a range of
ethnic backgrounds, and those who
lived in both rural and urban settings.
The lead researcher of one of the
studies, Professor Brenda Eskenazi of
the University of California at Berkeley, likened the effects of prenatal
pesticide exposure to that of high
lead exposure. Lead has been shown
to disrupt brain function in young
children.
“Consumers should know that
organic practices prohibit toxic and
persistent chemicals being applied
on the farm. For those seeking to
minimize their exposure to these
chemicals, it’s worth it to seek out
foods with the USDA Organic label,”
according to Christine Bushway,
CEO and Executive Director of the
Organic Trade Association (OTA).
“Label claims abound, but organic is
the only system that uses certification
and inspection to verify that these
chemicals are not used on the farm
all the way to our dinner tables,”
added Bushway. For more reasons
why it’s worth it, see www.organicitsworthit.com.
Organic production is based on a
system of farming without the use of
toxic and persistent pesticides and
synthetic fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced
without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering,
and other excluded practices. Organic foods are minimally processed
without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the
integrity of the food.
The full studies are located on the
Environmental Health Perspectives
online journal at http://ehp03.niehs.
nih.gov; search for articles by title.
The three studies are: Prenatal Exposure and Cognitive Development
in Childhood, Prenatal Exposure
and IQ in 7-Year Old Children, and
7-Year Neurodevelopmental Scores
& Prenatal Exposure to A Common
Agricultural Pesticide.
Source: Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com.
New Farmers Face Unique Challenges
New farmers account for about 10
small- and mediumpercent of the value of domestic prosize family farms and
duction, according to a report from
reverse a long-standing
the USDA’s Economic Research Sertrend toward fewer and
vice. While their share of production
larger farms. Also, in
varies significantly by agricultural
some regions farmland
commodity, principal operators that
could be converted for
are beginning farmers make up a
development. There is
fifth of all farms in the U.S. But bean old saying that you
ginning farmers often face obstacles
can only sell the farm
that can make it difficult for them to
once. Having farmstick with farming for the long haul.
ers ready to take over
Since 1992, USDA has provided
farmland will keep it
special assistance to beginning farmproducing crops iners and ranchers, due to congresstead of condos. Of
sional concern about the increasing
course, having a sysage of U.S. farmers and ranchers.
tem where farmers can
The average age of principal farm
make a good living is
operators in 2007 was 57, compared
a fundamental part of
with an average of 50 years in 1978.
this,” says Stephenson.
Farmers over 55 own more than half
OSU’s successof the country’s farmland, and apful beginning farmer
proximately a third of beginning
education program is
farmers are also 55 and older.
called Growing Farms:
However, young farmers are startSuccessful Whole
ing to make their
Farm Managemark as well. In
ment. Like
...we will
2002, there were
their program,
106,097 farmers
programs
see continued most
in the 25 to 34across the
growth in the country that are receiving
age range; in 2007
that figure rose to
government funds have a fonumbers of
106,735. Though
cus on the business aspects
young farma small increase,
of farming to better prepare
at half a percent, it
young farmers for managing
ers and he
demonstrates that
stronger farm businesses. It
expects to see is not just about growing a
government-sponsored programs, like
of course the
more women crop—though
the one at Oregon
crop matters too.
and minorState University
New farmers and ranchers
(OSU), are helping
face two primary obstacles—
ity farmers
new and young farmhigh startup costs and a lack
among them. of available land for purchase
ers stake their claim.
The 2008 Farm Bill
or rent. Since farmland is a
distributed $18 milfixed and critical input into
lion to educate young growers across
agriculture, land costs can be high.
the country last year.
In fact, the national average value
Dr. Garry Stephenson is coordinaof an acre of farm real estate is now
tor for the Small Farms Program at
in excess of $2,300. That’s the bad
Oregon State University (OSU). He
news. The good news is that the old
says that, for small farms, starting up
conventional wisdom that “you have
is like starting any small business.
to marry it or inherit it” doesn’t necCapital is a hard necessity to come
essarily apply to farming anymore.
by. Also, since many new farmers
Many young farmers are willing to
do not have direct connections to a
start small and bootstrap their way
family farm, access to training may
into farming.
also be a challenge. Additionally, it
Challenges for new farmers vary
is important to remember that much
with geography. Access to land can
of the transfer of farmland will ocbe very difficult and expensive in
cur in multi-generation farms. This is
some regions. New farmers in these
another pathway into the business as
regions depend on rented land until
a young farmer.
they can afford to purchase. There
“The transfer of farmland in the
is a similar issue with mentors. In
coming decades will be a subtle
communities with a critical mass
but important process. It is an opof farmers and farm business inportunity to expand and strengthen
frastructure (implement sales, farm
suppliers, and so on) there are more
opportunities for engaging more experienced individuals. On the other
hand, in communities where competition between farms is high this may
be harder.
On average, beginning farmers work on farms that are smaller
than established farms—174 acres
compared with 461 acres. The most
common way beginning farmers
acquire land is to purchase it from a
non-relative, rather than inherit it or
receive it as a gift. Interestingly, new
farmers are less likely than established farmers to rent farmland, and
they are just as likely as established
farmers to own all of the land they
operate. The USDA considers a “beginning farmer” as one operated by
a farmer who has operated a farm or
ranch for 10 years or less.
Photos by Joanne Plucy
Stephenson says that we will see
continued growth in the numbers
of young farmers and he expects to
see more women and minority farmers among them. For many young
farmers, having access to the tools
to build their farm businesses will
help with the growth in numbers. To
this end, the OSU program facilitates
networking between groups of beginning farmers and with more experienced farmers.
“The greatest challenges are the
riskiness of starting a new enterprise
and the incredibly long hours needed
to make it successful. The big reward is creating something that is
yours. To many, that is worth a lot
more than a big paycheck working
for someone else. Also, one of the
good things about the time we live in
is that most farmers and ranchers are
held in high regard,” says Stephenson. “That may help make the long
hours more satisfying.”
This is part one of a two-part article on new farmers from Food, Nutrition, & Science from the Lempert
Report, www.foodnutritionscience.
com. The May 2011 issue of Food,
Nutrition & Science features Part
II of this story, including interviews
with two dynamic, young farmers
who are making important strides in
agriculture.
Classified
Ads
Gentle Tai Chi
And Japanese stretches to improve
balance, breathing, and general wellbeing. Fridays, 1 pm, Bellingham
Unitarian Fellowship. $10, sliding
scale. Contact Lee Seaman, 360527-2585.
Co-op
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Advertising Sign-up Dates
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Information to place an ad is available
online at www.communityfood.coop/
resources/newsletter.htm.
11
How Inconvenient is Your Food?
Pam Mehnert making
tortillas from scratch.
Diana Campbell, CCN Editor
“A
s Outpost’s general manager my work responsibilities keep me at the
office, in meetings, or in front of my computer more than a simple
40 hours each week. My passion, however, as a foodie has driven me
to take on a challenge… a culinary experience of a lifetime—to live without the
convenience of convenience foods. For one year I will cook most all of my meals
from scratch, shopping primarily the fresh departments of my co-op. So this is
it. Goodbye cheese puffs. See you later frozen pizza. Catch you in a year canned
beans. This girl is making it all herself.”
—Pam Mehnert
further commented that her mother did a
lot of cooking from scratch. “We had four
kids in our family. We joked she could
stretch a chicken further than anyone else
we knew,” said Pam.
Growing up in the 1960s, I recall my
own mother using every part of a whole
chicken and making it last for many
meals. But we also used canned tomatoes,
canned soup, and lots of frozen veggies.
With that same childhood background,
Pam decided to use some of her Mom’s
recipes, but adapt them to be completely
made-from-scratch. She developed guidelines for her project—no canned or frozen
food and no boxed mixes. She purchased
a few exceptions—things that were not
available fresh—like canned tuna and
frozen peas.
Making her own cheese turned out to
be one of the biggest challenges, but Pam
soon discovered that it was easier than
she thought. She commented, “The more
reading I did, and watching videos online…I learned that you can make cottage
cheese, cream cheese, ricotta cheese—
and it’s not that hard to do.”
Nancy reported that Pam had a eureka
moment about the 18th week. “What
makes this whole thing work,” Pam
said, “is to create your own convenience foods.” With a freezer stocked
with homemade chicken and beef
stocks, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, and extra servings of homecooked meals, she found getting dinner on the table much easier.
Pam knew she would save money on
some things but didn’t realize just how
much. Big money savers included bread,
lunch meat (such as real turkey sliced
from a whole roast bird), and salad dress-
Photo by Kristyna Wentz-Graff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
ings. But, time, of course, is the tradeoff.
Nancy noted that, with a stocked up
freezer and pantry, Pam estimated she
spent six hours more in food preparation
each week than she did before starting
the project. Sometimes it meant giving up
other things she enjoyed. In order to do
what she was doing, Pam acknowledged,
“You have to love to cook.”
Here’s a sampling of Pam’s posts:
Week 8 (June 13): I’m in a food routine
now. Sunday is my production day for
the week…I get up early Sunday morning, start a pot of coffee and then begin
preparing for the week baking a loaf or
two of bread, and perhaps granola bars or
crackers.
Week 27 (Oct. 25): Warning: side effects
of living inconveniently may include frequent cooking, baking, freezing, blending, slicing, sautéing, simmering, frying
and chopping. These symptoms may be
accompanied by pots, pans, spatulas, colanders, measuring cups, spoons, bowls,
baking sheets, and more measuring cups.
These may all be signs of a more serious
condition. Call your friends for support if
symptoms recur.
Week 42 (Feb. 9): Here I am now with
42 weeks behind me and only 10 more
weeks to finish the year. My freezer is
pretty well stocked and I have my regular
routine…I’m feeling pretty good about
managing my time around food preparation, other than totally forgetting I had a
bread rising in the warm bathroom last
night.
Pam wraps up her year of living inconveniently, saying, “What I absolutely
loved about this year was the discovery,
although I feel like I still haven’t discovered what I need to know about dough,
and flavors, and techniques, and canning,
and growing food. I discovered for instance, that a lot of the food processing
we take for granted really takes a lot of
time (like turning a bushel of tomatoes
into future ingredients). While others,
such as making corn tortillas from scratch
really aren’t a bother at all. But the discovery doesn’t really end here, does it?”
To read all of Pam’s posts along with
the made-from-scratch recipes she produced at every step of this project, see her
blog site at http://outpostcoop.wordpress.
com. It’s a fascinating read and a year of
amazing achievement. Congratulations,
Pam.
For Nancy Stohs February 2011 article
in the Journal Sentinel, see www.jsonline.
com/features/food/116624068.html.
Leslie Williams and Orion Polinski of
Wildroot Botanicals (3rd year Food
To Bank On farmers).
Farm Fund Spotlight 2011:
Food To Bank On
Week 52 (Apr. 23): I’ve been putting
off writing this post all week. I guess it
was too hard to envision some 52 weeks,
365 days ago that I would be lamenting
the end of an experiment that at times
brought me to tears and frustration. But
I actually am a little bit sad. There’s a
routine I think I’ll miss, and other parts
that I hope will stick, like the discipline I
learned in planning out our food options
each week.
Photos courtesy of Sustainable Connections
This is how in April 2010 Pam Mehnert signed herself up for a year of inconvenience—that’s an amazing 365 days of
breakfast, lunch, and dinner for herself
and her partner, Lisa Malmarowski. At
first, I thought, well sure, I’d be okay with
giving up chips and canned soup and especially frozen pizza. I mean I don’t buy
much of that kind of thing anyway. But
then when I realized that she was talking
about making her own bread and crackers, canning her own fresh veggies, and
even making her own cheese and yogurt,
that sounded like a much bigger commitment. Now I was curious and intrigued.
As general manager of a thriving threestore operation—Outpost Natural Foods
Co-op—in Milwaukee, Pam works long
days and, like most working people, often
picked up convenience food—including
take-out. Pam admits to being inspired
by the Julie & Julia blog, then book, and
finally movie about a blogger cooking
every recipe in the famous Mastering the
Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. I
was inspired by that too—but, in my case,
it only led to buying an old copy of the
cookbook. Pam felt compelled to actually
make the commitment.
In addition to cooking what I envisioned would be every moment of her
free time for this adventure, she also
found time to record the entire experience in a weekly blog (http://outpostcoop.
wordpress.com). My curiosity led me to
sign up and follow her progress. Nancy
Stohs recapped Pam’s progress in a February 2011 article in the Journal Sentinel
in Milwaukee. She quoted Pam saying,
“I have a lot of customers who have this
commitment to cooking—I thought I
should to try to be an example here.” Pam
Sara Southerland, Food & Farming Outreach Coordinator, Sustainable Connections
One of the first projects the Farm Fund
has helped this year was yet another
brainstorm by Sustainable Connections’
Food To Bank On (FTBO) program.
Founded in 2003 by the Community Food
Co-op Farm Fund, FTBO is a training
program for beginning sustainable farmers that offers business training, mentorship, and fundraising to pay farmers to deliver a portion of food to a local food bank
or shelter. In the three-year project, participants create and refine a business plan,
get marketing and promotional assistance,
and receive valuable feedback as a part of
a close-knit peer group with mentor support to help grow their enterprises.
Sustainable Connections embarked
on a new partnership this year, linking
the FTBO business-planning workshop
series with the WSU Whatcom County
Extension’s Cultivating Success Agricultural Entrepreneurship class. Workshop topics ranged from financial and
Mary Liz von Krusenstiern owner
Neighborhood Harvest Farm
(FTBO and a 2011 farm fund
loan recipient)
budget planning to marketing strategies
and insurance options. The Farm Fund
grant specifically helped fund classes for
farmers on Quickbooks and Cashflow
Analysis.
“A lot of time, as farmers, we focus
on farming and production, when we
also need to have the business side of
things rolling smoothly, too,” said FTBO
farmer Mary Liz von Krusenstiern. “The
entrepreneurship classes were extremely
valuable to my business. We learned
about business structures, how to read financial statements and plan for the future.
It’s affected what crops I grow, and how
I market—it’s kind of been like farmer
grad school.”
Direct market farming is not easy.
Farmers work hard to grow and produce
their food, but they also have to figure
out how to best promote themselves and
make the business viable at the same
time. Our goal is to help farmers with the
community resources they need to be successful from the start.
Currently ten beginning farmers are
participating in the program, offering a
fantastic mix of vegetables, beef, and
poultry:
• Nooksack Delta Cattle Co., Bellingham—grass-fed beef sold in quarters,
halves, or whole
• The Sandy Spade Farm, Concrete—
pasture-raised chicken,
turkey, lamb, eggs, and
mixed vegetables
• Rustic Moon Farm,
Bellingham—pastured
pork, chicken, turkey,
lamb, and eggs
• Neighborhood Harvest, Bellingham—
mixed vegetable CSA, farm stand
• The Carrot and Stick, Bellingham—
mixed vegetable CSA, workshops/
events, farm stand
• Heritage Lane Farm, Lynden—heritage-breed pork, lamb, turkey, goose,
duck, and chicken
• Misty Meadows Farm, Everson—organic eggs
• Jordan Creek Farm & Gardens, Ferndale—mixed vegetables, farm stand
• Bellingham Urban Gardens, Bellingham—urban farming organization
whose mission is to promote, sustain,
and advocate for urban agriculture in
Bellingham
• Wildroot Botanicals, Bellingham—
artisan teas, tinctures, salves, lotions,
products for the childbearing years and
babies
FTBO has supported 34 fledgling
farms since 2003. Seventy-five percent of
program graduates have gone on to become strong, viable operations grounded
in sustainable business practices, and
many are now Co-op suppliers. In
2010, nine participating farms provided
$7,214 worth of food to area food banks
and shelters, and this year Sustainable
Connections expects this amount to
exceed $10,000. To date, local hunger
relief agencies have received more than
$50,000 worth of fresh, high-quality local food through FTBO, and many have
developed strong relationships with local
producers who will bring them good food
for years to come.
Thanks to all the Co-op shoppers and
members who have supported Food To
Bank On from its early days to the present.
You can donate to the Farm Fund at
any Co-op register. For more info about
the Farm Fund contact Jean Rogers at
360-734-8158 or jeanr@communityfood.
coop. For more information on FTBO or
to donate, call 360-647-7093 or see www.
sustainableconnections.org.

LoCAL ProduCe?

Transcription

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