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HAPPY
SPRING!
2 grow
Northwest March 2016
In this issue
march 2016 • Volume 6, Number 11
On the Side
5 Field Notes: Related news,
business and happenings
10 Local Life: Photo submissions
from readers
14 Events: Community calendar
19 Junior Growers: Kids page
22 Marketplace: Local buyer’s
guide & service directory
6
23 The Last Row: The taste of
honey
Community
6 Farmland Preservation: A
look at Whatcom County’s
PDR program
8 The Local Dirt: News bits
9 Chicks: Where to get them
Cooking
10 Making bacon: How to cure
10
and smoke, nitrate-free
Growing
11 Carnivorous Plants: Enjoy
these different plants
14 Plant Sales: Conservation
District sales and more
15 Mason bees: Learn about
this friendly pollinator
Craft & Home
14
16 Spring Shows: Home and
Garden events, Craft &
Antique Show, and more
17 Wild About Plants: Taking
on fungus
18 Common Threads:
Spring, summer camps
18
Next issue: APRIL • Deadline: March 22
To place an advertisement or submit information, call (360) 398-1155 or
e-mail [email protected]
March 2016 grow Northwest 3
grow
NORTHWEST
March 2016
Volume 6, Number 11
P.O. Box 414
Everson, WA 98247
phone: (360) 398-1155
email: [email protected]
online: www.grownorthwest.com
Grow Northwest is locally owned and
operated by Becca Schwarz Cole and
Brent Cole. The magazine is published
12 times a year, and is a sister publication of What’s Up! Magazine. Grow
Northwest is a member of Whatcom
Farm Friends, Washington Tilth Producers, and Sustainable Connections. No
content can be reproduced without the
expressed written consent of the publishers. Copyright ©2010-2016.
Subscriptions are available by
mail for $36 per year (12 issues). Grow
Northwest circulates copies through
Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan, Snohomish and Island counties. For advertising
information, or to submit press releases,
events and other materials, please send
to [email protected] or call
(360) 398-1155. All opinions expressed
in Grow Northwest are the opinions of
the individuals expressing them and
not necessarily the opinions of Grow
Northwest.
co-publisher / editor /
design director
Becca Schwarz Cole
co-publisher /
business manager
Brent Cole
contributing writers
Mary Vermillion, Corina Sahlin,
Bruce Vilders, Suzanne Jordan,
Chris Elder, Beth Chisholm
contributing photographers
Carol Kilgore, Steve Lospalluto,
Bev Rudd, Mary Vermillion,
Corina Sahlin, Kristi Hein,
Julie Hagen
Advertising
Becca Schwarz Cole,
Victor Gotalaere
circulation
David Johnson, Brent Cole
JUNIOR GROWERS
Harrison Cole, Ruby Cole
office support
Harrison, Ruby, Autumn, Lulu
ON THE COVER
Spring crocus and a bee covered
in pollen, as photographed by
Carol Kilgore.
grow Northwest March 2016
4 editor’s note
March madness
“March is the month of
expectation.” -Emily Dickinson
H
i everyone, welcome
March. Spring is here,
and like the saying goes,
March truly came in like a lion.
The weather was surely windy and
rainy, but the more lion-like activity happened in-house. Shortly
before press time at the start of
the month, we had some major file
losses, disappearing into the digital
abyss. Long story short, the March
issue was rebuilt and is a little late,
and will go down in memory aptly
named March Madness. I’m sorry
for the inconvenience and thank
you for your patience.
In good news, we have an inhouse project happening, making
Spring cards for Meals on Wheels
recipients. If you want to participate, or send along your Happy
Spring cards and wishes, please
contact me at [email protected].
The Whatcom Conservation
District and Whatcom County
Public Works are hosting a free
Small Farms Expo on Saturday,
March 12 to help connect small
farmers, homesteaders and others
with local resources. Stop by our
booth and say hello! The event
runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the
Northwest Washington Fairgrounds.
Work on our Grow Guide continues, and it will be published in
parts over several issues, the first
part includes meat sources/listings
and community gardens in our
April issue. Please contact us with
your submissions or questions.
Hope you enjoy March and the
coming spring, and enjoy a slice of
pie on Pi Day 3.14!
Thanks again for reading and
supporting Grow Northwest, and
helping to keep this community
paper chugging along.
Happy growing, Becca
[email protected]
Field Notes
A brief look at related news, business and happenings
Local farmer Nate Youngquist named
Outstanding Young Farmer
SKAGIT – Local farmer Nate Youngquist, owner of Sky Harvest
Produce in Mount Vernon, was honored as a 2016 Outstanding
Young Farmer by the Outstanding Farmers of America (OFA) during
the group’s ceremony in Cincinnati, OH on Feb. 13. Youngquist was
among four winners from across the nation, and is the first Skagit
farmer to be awarded (he is the third Washingtonian). He manages
250 acres and grows berries, pumpkins and corn. The honors are
given to successful farmers under the age of 40 who practice conservation and contribute to the community. For more about his farm Sky
Harvest Produce, see www.skyharvestproduce.com.
March for Meals campaign raises funds,
awareness for Meals on Wheels
Blooming fields
la conner – The daffodil fields in the Skagit Valley are in full bloom,
and as of press time the tulips were also starting to show – another early
season. The 2nd annual La Conner Daffodil Festival is under way, and residents and visitors are coming to see the blooms. La Conner Kiwanis will be
celebrating their 101st anniversary with The Kiwaffodi, an old fashioned
Hoot’nanny with bluegrass music at Maple Hall on March 12 and includes
an open mic from 5-10 p.m. The 2nd Annual Dandy Daffodil Tweed Ride
takes place Saturday, March 26. For more information about the festival,
including a Bloom Map to show the locations and varieties planted, see
www.lovelaconner.com.
In other news, Tulip Town has announced they will officially open for the
season on March 19. RoozenGaarde is open regularly and will likely start
charging around the same time. For complete events of the month-long
Tulip Festival in April, see www.tulipfestival.org. The Bloom Map shows up
to date information.
COUNTY – March for Meals, a month-long campaign to raise funds
and awareness about the Meals on Wheels programs delivering
nutritious meals to homebound seniors, will hold special events with
local chapters this month. The Whatcom/San Juan chapter hosts a traditional Irish dinner fundraiser on Saturday, March 12 from 6-8 p.m. at
the Bellingham Senior Activity Center, and “What’s Next? A Healthier
You” on March 30. For more information, contact (360) 733-4030 ext.
1030. The Skagit chapter will host special bowling nights in Anacortes
on March 12-13, and March 16. For details, call (360) 416-1500 or see LYNDEN – The 27th annual Whatcom County Youth Fair, a 2-day
learning fair open to all ages 6-18, will be held April 8-9 at the
www.bowlingbash.org.
Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden. All local youth welcome to participate and attend. The deadline for entries is March
16. Categories include animals, country crafts, horticulture, dairy,
LYNDEN ‑ The Whatcom Conservation District and Whatcom County
photography and more. Entries are available online and at many loPublic Works are hosting a free Small Farms Expo on Saturday March
cations around Whatcom County. For more information visit www.
12 to help connect small farmers, homesteaders and others with local whatcomcountyyouthfair.webs.com.
resources. The event, held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds, will have indoor and outdoor exhibits, products,
services, and seminars. Visitors can engage with vendors, experts and
other small farmers, and learn about resources for healthy crops, ani- BELLINGHAM – Larry Korn, educator and author in permaculture
mals, pastures and more. Free tarps and free soil tests will be available and natural farming, will come to the Bellingham area on Tuesday,
to qualifying farmers, while supplies last. Presentations include: 11:30 April 5 for a tour at Inspiration Farm and a reading at Village Books.
Korn was a student of Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka, and
a.m. Scratch and Peck Feeds: Feed requirements and S&P offerings;
helped translate and edit the English version of Fukuoka’s book The
noon, Dr. Gale DeJong, Kulshan Vet: Trimming and Disease; 12:45
One-Straw Revolution. Korn’s new book, One-Straw Revolutionary,
p.m. Dr. Amber Itle, WSDA State Vet: Protect your Livestock & Poultry
examines natural farming and permaculture, and discusses the
from disease; 1:30 p.m. Dr. Susan Kerr, WSU Ext Livestock Specialist:
Establishing your Herd or Flock; 2:15 p.m. Liam Shaw, Gallagher Fenc- philosophy and work of Fukuoka. The tour at Inspiration Farm will
ing: Using electric fence. A number of exhibitors include local service be from 1-4 p.m. with a suggested donation of $10 per person (all
welcome). For more information, visit www.inspirationfarm.com
providers and organizations. No farm animals will be present at this
or call (360) 398-7061. Following the tour, Korn will read from Oneevent. For more information, visit www.whatcomcd.org/upcomingevents or contact Aneka Sweeney at (360) 526-2381 x103, asweeney@ Straw Revolutionary at Village Books starting at 7 p.m. For more
about Korn, see www.onestrawrevolution.net.
whatcomcd.org.
Entries available for Whatcom County
Youth Fair; deadline March 16
Small Farms Expo coming up March 12
Larry Korn: Tour, reading in Bellingham
PHOTO BY ANDY PORTER/andyporterimages.com
Nourishing All Kids: Spring Forum set
CONCRETE – 1095 Skagit, a group of parents and citizens, nonprofits and food and youth organizations throughout the county,
present Nourising All Kids: Spring Forum on March 25 in Concrete.
During this forum, community members will have an opportunity
to present and discuss Farm to School Initatives, Backpack Programs, and School Garden Projects in the county. The meeting will
be held from 2-4 p.m. in the Concrete High School Commons. The
mission of 1095 Skagit is to ensure all kids get three meals every
day of the year (3 meals x 365 days = 1095 meals). For more details
or to sign up for the mailing list, contact Tessa Bryant at [email protected].
Three candidates seek WCD Supervisor
LYNDEN – The next election of the District Board of Supervisors for
the Whatcom Conservation District is Tuesday, March 15. Candidates are current supervisor Richard Yoder, Theresa Sygitowicz, and
Roderic Perry. All registered voters in Whatcom County can vote in
person from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the District office, 6975 Hannegan
Road in Lynden. The Whatcom Conservation District, formed in
1946, is governed by a board of five supervisors, all local residents.
For more information about the candidates visit http://www.whatcomcd.org/board-elections.
Find more Field Notes and updates at www.grownorthwest.com. Have news
you’d like to share? Send submissions to [email protected].
Community
viewpoint
PDR: A look at Whatcom
County’s program for
farmland preservation
Twelve mixed-use farms
have currently applied to
sell development rights
by Chris Elder
I
t’s a cold day this winter and I
drive on to my heated office.
As I pass through Nugents
Corner farmworkers have almost
finished pruning and tying up
raspberry canes. Vegetable producers have already ordered their
seeds and many have already
planted some. It is harvest season
for many of our porcine and
bovine companions, while the
dairy heifers enjoy their well-lit
shelters and steady supply of
silage and more. Another season
begins for most farms, but not for
all of them.
According to the Agriculture
Census from 1954, Whatcom
County contained 4,036 farms
producing crops on 197,184
acres. Look at the census data
from 2012 (the most recent
statistics available) and Whatcom
County reports 1,072 farms producing crops on 115,831 acres.
6 The numbers aren’t exact but the
trend is clear. Over the past 60
years approximately three-quarters of the farm businesses have
called it quits and at least 80,000
acres of farmland has been converted to non-agricultural uses.
Given a changing world, many
recognize the need for a good
plan. County and city governments within Washington State
are required to plan under laws
such as the Growth Management Act (GMA). The GMA,
for the subject matter of this
article, essentially states that we
must protect our resource lands
and clearly identify our urban
or concentrated growth areas.
These items, plus many more, are
contained within our Comprehensive Plan. Whatcom County
staff have spent a significant
amount of time meeting with
advisory committees comprised
of Whatcom County residents to
discuss and shape a Comprehensive Plan that represents the will
of the people and complies with
our state mandated requirements.
The Comprehensive Plan Update
is currently underway. Visit www.
whatcomcounty.us for more
information.
Dave Kreft, NRCS ACEP coordinator (Agricultural Conservation Easement Program), Myrle Foster, owner of Squalicum Ranch who has
applied to the PDR program, and Karin Beringer, PDR Program Administrator for Whatcom County, walk the acreage in eastern Bellingham. PHOTO/PDR
Whatcom County elected officials and staff have recognized the
value of our agricultural economy
and farmland for some time.
Resolution 2009-040 resolves
that 100,000 acres of land remain
available for agricultural use as
the minimum goal for ensuring a
land base necessary to support a
viable agriculture industry in the
county. Furthermore the Agricultural Strategic Plan, Resolution
2011-023, has identified the tools
available to achieve the 100,000
acre minimum. One of the
strongest tools is zoning. Zoning
dictates the number of houses
that can be built per area and the
types of uses allowed on a piece
of ground. Whatcom County
currently has an 87,412 Acre
Agriculture Zone that allows for
1 house per 40 acres. This density
requirement was developed in order to protect prime farmland for
farming and reduce fragmentation of the agricultural landscape.
Local numbers
Prime farmland is one of several kinds of important farmland
defined by the U.S. Department
of Agriculture. It is of major importance in meeting the Nation’s
short- and long-range needs
for food and fiber. Because the
supply of high-quality farmland
is limited, the U.S. Department
of Agriculture recognizes that
responsible levels of government,
as well as individuals, should
encourage and facilitate the
wise use of our Nation’s prime
farmland (Soil Survey of Whatcom County Area, Washington,
USDA, Soil Conservation Service,
1992). Whatcom County is home
to some incredible prime and
productive soils. According to
Natural Resource Conservation
Service, Whatcom County contains approximately 222,000 acres
of prime soils and 58,300 acres of
soils of statewide importance.
Given an agriculture zone
of 87,412 acres and prime soils
numbering somewhere near
222,0000 acres, we can quickly
see that many more acres of good
farmland are located outside of
the designated agriculture zone.
Many of these acres are actively
being farmed without long term
protections in place. This means
that there is a significant amount
of acreage at high risk for conversion to non-agricultural uses. Enter the Purchase of Development
Rights (PDR) program, another
tool of the Agriculture Strategic
Plan. Simply, this program pays
farmers to keep farming their
land and protect it as such. Don’t
subdivide, don’t sell off for development. Protect it.
The PDR program is a voluntary program where property
owners of land with prime soils
and additional development
potential can cash in on that
potential and protect their land
in perpetuity. For many farmers
and property owners, the land
is their retirement plan or their
savings account. The PDR program aims to compensate these
individuals for this development
potential and still obtain value
from their land without having to
reduce its agricultural functions.
The end result is the protection of
the ground for farmers today and
tomorrow. Many farmers reinvest
The land of long-time farmer and mentor Dusty Williams, of Broad Leaf Farm, is being
considered under the PDR program. PHOTO/PDR
these funds into their farm business and further strengthen our
local agricultural economy.
Current applicants total 853
acres, 70 development rights
Whatcom County staff (the
PDR office includes two part-time
positions) are currently working
with the owners of 12 different
properties that have applied to
the PDR Program. Each one of
these properties has near 100
percent prime soils, supports a
family business, and contributes
to our local agriculture economy.
The properties represent a mix
of farming around the county –
conventional, organic, vegetable
production, cattle, berries, and
dairy.
The County is currently working to purchase the remaining
development rights on these
properties and permanently
protect the land for continued
agricultural use. These 12 proper-
For more
information
Do you own property in R5, R10, or
Ag zones? Is the property actively
being farmed or has it been farmed
up until recently? Would you like to
see that property farmed by your
kids, grandkids, or by some other
future farmer? If you are interested
in more information or would like
to apply to the PDR program, visit
http://www.whatcomcounty.us/573
or call (360) 778-5932 for more
information.
ties represent a total of 853 acres
holding an estimated 70 development rights. The value of a
development right is determined
through a two part appraisal. The
appraiser valuates the fair market
value of a property and valuates the agricultural value of a
property. The difference between
these two amounts is determined
to be the value of the remaining
development potential. Based on
recent appraisals the average cost
to protect an acre of farmland is
approximately $4,000. With that
average we can estimate that the
cost to protect these 853 acres is
approximately $3.2 million.
To date, Whatcom County has
purchased agricultural conservation easements on 16 different
properties permanently protecting 826 acres, taking out 118
development rights. The total
cost for purchase of those easements was approximately $5.3
million, with Whatcom County
paying $266,100 and the remaining amount paid for with federal
funds through the NRCS Farm
and Ranchlands Protection Program (the predecessor program
to ACEP, Agricultural Conservation Easement Program) and
some from the Washington State
Recreation and Conservation Office Farmland Preservation Program (RCO WWRP program).
Program funding
When the County pursues purchase of an agricultural conservation easement, staff will apply
for match funding through the
aforementioned federal sources.
These funds are then matched
with Whatcom County Conservation Futures Fund dollars,
upon County Council approval.
The amount of funding available
through the NRCS is determined
by the Farm Bill and under the
current Farm Bill, funds available for purchase of agricultural
conservation easements has been
reduced by more than 50 percent.
This has had a significant impact
on the amount of matching funds
received by Whatcom County for
PDR purchases.
In order to make up for reductions in match funding, County
staff have had to pursue matching
funds elsewhere. Staff submitted
a grant proposal to the Sustainable Whatcom Fund of the Whatcom Community Foundation and
received a $200,000 grant for the
purchase of agricultural conservation easements. Additionally, the Whatcom Community
Foundation has set up a Whatcom County Farmland Preservation Fund. Donations received
into this fund will be used solely
for the purchase of agricultural
conservation easements administered through the County PDR
Program. For more information
or to donate, visit the webpage at
www.whatcomcf.org/Farmland.
If you value agriculture, the local food system, and the Whatcom County landscape and way
of life, please consider supporting
farmland protection by donating.
We need your support to protect
our community values, agricultural landscape, and Whatcom
County way of life.
What is the value of farmland?
Chris Elder is a planner with
Whatcom County Planning and
Development Services. He has
worked as the outreach coordinator for the PDR program for the
past two years. Chris also runs a
small farm in the South Fork Valley and is a member of the Twin
Sisters Market.
(Editor’s Note: This is the first in
a series about farmland preseveration, including current programs
and ideas, in our northwest
corner. Due to space here, several
maps, photos and additional
information have been included
in the online version. A follow-up
to the current PDR applications
will appear in a future issue. To
share information, please contact
[email protected].)
The
Local
Dirt
Brief bits from local folks.
Send submissions to
[email protected].
K
icking off March 7, the 6th annual Skagit Fest of Ale (formerly known as Mount Vernon
Beer Week) will include breweries and
places to go across the county as a way
celebrate and get to know each establishment. The event is presented by
Skagit Eats, and the complete lineup
will be posted on the Skagit Fest of Ale
facebook page or at http://skagit-festof-ale.com.
The Port Susan Farmers Market in
Stanwood is looking for vendors for the
2016 season. The market will meet every Friday June 3-Oct. 14 in downtown
Stanwood. To access an online application, or for more information see www.
portsusan.org or call (360)-202-3932.
Lydia Christiansen, owner of Abundant Earth Fiber, is sharing an idea of a
Whidbey Wool Idea Incubator through
marketing a regional brand of textiles.
“Given our natural resources and local
talent, we have the potential for a highly efficient, local supply chain of fiber
farmers, manufacturers, and designers,” she stated on her Facebook page.
For questions or to schedule a tour her
mill contact (360) 969-2187 or Lydia@
AbundantEarthFiber.com.
A Poultry Production Workshop
will be held at the WSU Skagit County
Extension Office on March 24 from 9
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The workshop covers raising healthy birds from hatch to
either processing or egg production,
as well as bio security and marketing
opportunities. Cost is $25 and includes
lunch. To register go to skagitpoultry.
brownpapertickets.com.
The Outback Apiary located in The
Outback Farm on the south campus of
Western Washington University held
its annual Spring “Bee-In” Introductory
Workshop on March 2. This was a preseason introduction to 2016 project,
presented by beekeeper Michael Jaross. Hands-on beekeeping experience
is offered weekly at The Outback Apiary, meeting on Tuesday and Saturday
afternoons at 1 p.m. during the active
bee season, about mid-March through
Halloween, weather permitting. No ex-
8 perience or is equipment necessary.
Lone Boot Buffalo Ranch in Ferndale posted on their Facebook page
they will no longer be doing the retail
sale of bison meat at the ranch. “It was
hard to do but sometimes you just have
to move on in life. After 25 years in the
retail meat business we have met some
great people and will miss many,” part
of the post stated. They are working
with a local butcher to possibly carry
some limited cuts. Stay tuned to their
page for details.
Edaleen Dairy Store has opened a
new location in Ferndale on Portal Way,
next to the Anytime Fitness Gym. The
store offers all their dairy products.
Cloud Mountain Farm Center in
Everson has announced they are officially certified as Salmon-Safe.
Baldham Farm in Sedro-Woolley is
now certified organic. They sell pork
by whole or half, as well as USDA inspected retail cuts. Delivery is available.
Contact (360) 722-4372 or visit www.
Baldhamfarm.com.
Duane Jager, founding Executive
Director of ReUse Works, the parent organization of Appliance Depot
and Ragfinery in Bellingham, has announced his plans for retirement in
June 2016. Applications are now being
accepted for this position and information can be found at ReUseWorks.org.
The deadline for application is Thursday, March 10.
Woven Dreams Coop, the new coop planned in Anacortes, has held community meetings about memberships,
volunteering, operations and vending.
For more information, see http://www.
anacortesfoodcoop.com or follow their
facebook page.
The Bellingham Food Bank Garden Project builds free home gardens
for Bellingham residents on a limited
income. Every year 25 new households
join the program, receiving seed and
vegetable starts, educational resources, mentors, and basic tools for a twoyear support period. If you are interested in becoming a garden recipient
or volunteering as a garden mentor or
garden builder, call Julia Raider at (360)
393-2838 or email [email protected].
A CSA Fair presented by Sustainable
Connections will be held March 26 at
Boundary Bay’s Beer Garden from 2-4
p.m. Attendees can meet Whatcom and
Skagit farmers who are offering CSAs in
2016. Individuals and workplaces are
encouraged to attend and visit each
booth, meet the farmers and ask questions. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a program where consumers buy a share of the farm with a CSA
membership at the beginning of the
season and then receive a weekly box
of the harvest from the farmer.
The 2nd annual Local Brewers Cup
is being held at The Local in Bellingham. Check it out as they crown this
year’s top homebrewer.
Evolve Handmade Chocolate
Truffles has a Chocolate Lounge open
at 1313 N. State Street in Bellingham.
Hours are Wednesdays, Thursdays and
Fridays from 5-10’ish and Saturdays
noon-6’ish through March 24. In addition to chocolate truffles, they’ll have
local products for sale and live music.
The annual TASTE Washington
event will be held in Seattle March
31-April 3, featuring over 225 wineries, 70 restaurants and 60 culinary exhibitors from across the state. For more
details, see www.tastewashington.org.
BelleWood Acres is hosting a Bottling Party on Sunday, March 20 from
1-4:30 p.m. If you are interested in
helping with fine spirits, register with
[email protected]. Other
events this month include the Distillery
Dinner on March 11 and Easter activities March 26-27. See the events schedule bellewoodfarms.com.
The Ferndale Friendship Community Garden (FFCG) is seeking one or
two volunteers to fulfill the duties as
Coordinator. The garden, which started
in 2008 and uses organic methods, has
26 beds available to rent, a large Giving
Garden dedicated to growing food for
the Ferndale Food Bank, grape vines,
apple trees, an herb garden, a hoop
house and more. The coordinator is
responsible for keeping the garden on
track throughout the year. For more
details, contact current Coordinator
Gloria J. Perez at [email protected]
or (360) 223-3836.
The Cordata Community Garden,
located at the extension of Cordata
Parkway, is ready to welcome the 2016
gardeners. Garden plots are available
for $40 each to all Bellingham residents
(45 slots available). Sign-up continues
on Thursday, March 10 at the El Dorado
Condo Club House at 7 p.m. For more
information, call Julie Guy (360) 7388466 or email juliannaguy@comcast.
net.
The Community First Garden Project of the WSU Whatcom Extension is
hosting Spring Fling, a fundraiser and
Open House on March 22 at Kulshan
Brewery K2, 1538 Kentucky Street in
Bellingham. All pint proceeds go directly to building local gardens dedicated
to growing and sharing fresh produce.
Attendees can learn about land access,
resources, free seeds, and how to rent
a plot or get involved. For more information, contact Beth Chisholm at beth.
[email protected]
Farmers, ranchers and chefs interested in learning more about each
other’s business and possibly pairing
up for the season can attend a meeting
on Thursday, March 24 from 6-8 p.m. at
Cloud Mountain Farm Center in Everson, hosted by Sustainable Connections. The idea for this event came out
of past Farmer Chef Meet-ups hosted
by the Chefs Collaborative. Refreshments will be provided. It is free to attend, but please reply to RSVP to sara@
sustainableconnections.org.
Westcott Bay Cider on San Juan
Island is seeking any extra apples from
local residents’ properties for possible
use this season. If you or a neighbor
have apples that went to waste last
fall or have too many to use, call (360)
378-2606 or email [email protected]. They said they’ll be happy to
come by and look at the trees for this
season.
–compiled by Becca Schwarz Cole
[email protected]
Poultry, beef and goats: Livestock
Handling & Care workshops April 2-3
L
earn how to keep your
livestock happy and healthy
at the upcoming Livestock
Handling & Care workshops
presented by the WSU Snohomish
County Extension Agriculture and
4-H programs. The event takes
place Saturday and Sunday, April
2-3 at the Sheriff’s Posse Arena at
5421 S. Machias Road, Snohomish.
Hands-on workshops with
live animals include topics such
as hoof trimming, injections,
dehorning, halter training, nutrition, fencing, and more. Taught
by award-winning graduates and
seniors from the WSU Snohomish
County 4-H Livestock Program,
workshop instructors have the
experience and expertise needed
to raise and show prize-winning
livestock. In addition, all attendees will receive a take-home flash
drive loaded with resources for all
species.
Poultry: Saturday, April 2,
9-11:30 a.m. Learn the basics of
proper care and handling for all
types of poultry, including egg and
meat breeds, housing, nutrition,
and more. This will be a demonstration and hands-on activity.
Beef: Saturday, April 2, 12:303:30 p.m. Learn proper leading,
handling, dehorning and injection
techniques along with fencing,
nutrition, and more. This will be
a demonstration and hands-on
activity.
Goats: Sunday, April 3, 12:303:30 p.m. Learn the basics of handling, nutrition, fencing, housing,
dehorning, milking, kid care and
more. This will be a demonstration and hands-on activity.
Class size is limited and prepaid registration is required. Sign
up now to save your spot. Cost is
$20 per person per workshop or
$50/person for all three species.
To register online, visit livestock.brownpapertickets.com or
download the form at snohomish.
wsu.edu/livestock-handling and
mail with your check. For more
information on the workshops,
contact Kate Ryan Halstead at
[email protected] or (425) 3576024.
Chicks are in at local country stores
I
t’s chick season and following are arrival dates for some
local farm and country stores.
Please check with respectives busineses for specific breeds available
and any upcoming classes.
• Elenbaas Country Store: Both
Lynden and Everson stores will
have first batch of chicks around
March 4. Pullets will be available,
including Black Australorps, Gold
Sexlinks, Barred Rocks, Rhode
Island Reds, Gold and Silver laced
Wyandottes, and Ameraucanas.
• Strotz’s Country Feed: The
store in Arlington will have Chick
Day on March 19, including 17 different breeds of both laying chicks
and meat bird chicks.
• Skagit Farmers Supply locations: Sedro Woolley: March 2 at
6 p.m.; Mount Vernon: March 3
at 6 p.m.; Oak Harbor: March 4 at
1 p.m.; Stanwood: March 5 at 11
a.m.; Freeland: March 9 at 5 p.m.;
and Burlington: March 12 at 10
a.m.
• Hohl Feed and Seed, Bellingham: The store has started
receiving chicks, including Buff
Orpingtons, Cuckoo Marans,
Light Brahmas, Barnevelders, and
Black Autralorps.
• Whatcom Farmers Co-op locations will also have chicks.
Christianson’s wins Flower & Garden Show award
C
hristianson’s Nursery,
of Mount Vernon, were
awarded the Outstanding Plant Market Display at the
Northwest Flower and Garden
Show Feb. 17-21 at the Washington State Convention Center in
Seattle.
The booth design was a collaboration between Nursery Visual
Merchandiser Cheryl Bonsen and
Toni Christianson. The design
process took several weeks of
conceptual planning and selecting
the products to display and place
in the booth.
“It’s quite a production,” Cheryl
said. “We had to utilize every
square inch of space, but still make
it visually appealing and accessible
for people to easily get through
Owner John Christianson receives the award
for Outstanding Plant Market Display.
PHOTO BY Debra Lacy
and see all of our great plants and
other products. We kept with the
Christianson look of an vintage
English greenhouse, which appeals
to a lot of gardeners.”
The Northwest Flower and Garden Show had over 300 exhibitors
and 23 full scale display gardens.
The Christianson’s are considering doing a display garden for
next year’s show. The last display
garden they did was in 2011 in
which they won many awards
including a Gold Medal, People’s
Choice and the Founders Cup.
Cooking
Making bacon: How to cure
and smoke, nitrate-free
by Corina Sahlin
I
f you like bacon, you can
save a lot of money and get a
tastier, healthier product by
smoking your own bacon without
nitrates. It’s so much easier than
you might think! You don’t need
to raise your own pigs or own an
expensive smoker. All you need is
pork belly, which you can order
from a butcher, farmer or grocery
store, salt, spices, a refrigerator,
wood chips and a way to smoke the
bacon (more on that later).
My neighbors, my husband and
I raise four pigs a year, and they
grow big and fat (not the neighbors
and husband, but the pigs) eating
pasture grass, organic non-GMO
grain, and whey that’s left over
from my cheesemaking. I have
never eaten better pork, and if you
don’t raise your own, I recommend
you buy organic meat from a good
source because it’s so much better
(and better-tasting) for you.
Another reason our home made
bacon is more flavorful than store
bought bacon is the mix of salt,
sugar, spices and smoke we use
as preservatives. We dry cure,
so the meat loses water, which
concentrates the bacon flavor and
also makes it splatter and pop less
during cooking than conventional
bacon.
10 grow
We don’t use nitrates when
curing bacon. Nitrates are
commonly used in cured meats to
preserve the meat, kill bacteria,
and prevent botulism and food
poisoning. Although many
people think nitrates are safe, I
don’t trust them, because several
published studies indicate that
N-nitrosamines are carcinogenic
in animals. I would rather not put
nitrates into the bodies of people I
love. We store our cured, smoked
and vacuum packed bacon in the
freezer instead of hanging it from
rafters like the olden days, so
botulism and food poisoning are
not an issue.
Let me explain how we have
safely and successfully cured and
smoked bacon without nitrates for
years.
You need five pounds of pork
belly, skin or rind taken off.
Previously frozen pork belly can be
used to make bacon, but your end
product won’t be quite as moist.
For every five pounds of pork
belly, mix the following in a bowl:
1⁄2 cup of sea salt, 1⁄2 cup maple
syrup (you can use sugar if you
want),1 Tbsp black pepper, any
spices you want (we use 2 Tbsp
organic salt-free spice mix from
Costco, but you can use thyme,
toasted fennel seed, coriander,
rosemary, or any other flavors you
like).
Rub the meat vigorously with
this spice mix. Make sure every
surface of the pig belly gets
thoroughly coated, otherwise the
salt may not draw enough moisture
from the bacon.
Put it on a rack on top of a big
enough cookie sheet or casserole
dish to catch all the liquid that will
be released.
Leave it in the fridge for 24
to 48 hours. The temperature in
the fridge needs to be under 38
degrees for safety. Opinions on
the length of time to leave it in
vary widely. If your bacon slabs are
small, err on the short side, if they
are large leave them in longer. We
once kept ours in the fridge for
three days, and it turned out way
too salty.
Check it every day, to make sure
it’s happy and comfortable in there
all alone, and empty the liquid that
will be released underneath the
rack.
When it comes out of the fridge,
it should have firmed up and
leaked a bunch of liquid.
Wash off all the salt and spice
mixture with water, and do a good
job of it. Pat it dry with paper
towels and let it sit in the fridge
for another whole day to help it
dry and form a “pellicle”, which
is a coating of protein that comes
to the surface and dries out a bit.
This pellicle helps smoke adhere
better and improves shelf life by
keeping oxygen away from the fat.
When it’s dried, it’s time to
smoke your bacon.
Apple and hickory wood
work great, but we don’t have
any hickory where we live, so
my husband Steve makes alder
chips from dry firewood he has
sitting around. He also runs some
through his planer to make smaller
saw-dust type chips. You can easily
buy wood chips in many grocery
stores or online.
Our smoker looks terrible
and rusty, but it works great. It’s
actually an old metal refrigerator
a friend gave us and converted
into a smoker. If you don’t own an
electric smoker, you could borrow
one or even convert a BBQ or grill
Bacon sizzling in the skillet and soon ready to eat (top). The pork was rubbed vigorously
with the spice mix (left) during the preparation process, and later in the smoker (right).
PHOTOS BY CORINA SAHLIN
into a smoker. You can find great
tutorials on how to do this if you
google “How to turn your kettle
grill into a smoker.”
It’s important to smoke the meat
at very low temperature until the
inside of the meat reaches 150
degrees. When we first started
smoking our own bacon, we spent
hours on the internet looking
through recipes and reading
through meat curing forums, and
there are lots of different opinions.
What has worked for us over
the years is keeping the inside
temperature of the smoker around
170 degrees. When the meat
reaches an internal temperature of
150 degrees, we take it out. How
long this process takes depends on
the smoker you use and how much
meat you are smoking. It usually
takes us four to six hours with our
setup.
Now taste test it and rejoice! If
the bacon tastes too salty, you can
soak it in water for a few hours
before frying.
Store it in the fridge for three
weeks (good luck making it last
that long) or in the freezer for
three months (ditto!).
Corina Sahlin homesteads on
five acres in the upper Skagit Valley,
where you can find her with her
hands either in the dirt, in a pot full
of whey stirring curds, or mixing
cabbage in a crock of sauerkraut.
She teaches homesteading
skills like artisan cheesemaking
and fermentation, both at her
homestead and also online. More
information and inspiration at
www.marblemounthomestead.com
Growing
Carnivorous plants:
Preying for nutrients
by Mary Vermillion
J
udging by the displays at this
year’s Northwest Flower and
Garden Show, carnivorous
plants could be the next big thing.
If so, the exotic perennials can
count Garden Spot Nursery’s
Antoni Stevens among their early
admirers. The Bellingham gardener
describes growing carnivorous
plants as “an amazing opportunity
to participate in one of nature’s
most exquisite shows.”
Over the past few years, Stevens
has been building his knowledge
of the plants. “I really want to raise
awareness of carnis,” he said. “They
are the smartest plants ever and are
an amazing expression of the spirit
of the garden.”
Step one is to shatter the plants’
disagreeable reputation. “Carnis
are really easier to grow than you
think,” Stevens said. “People think
they are so rare and exotic that they
can’t do it” but that’s not the case.
In fact, the plants are far from
picky.
In their native settings, carnivorous plants grow in marginal conditions, often in boggy areas. Thanks
to a neat little trick of evolution
that modified their leaves to traps,
carnivorous plants have learned to
make the most of a bad situation.
Fine hairs along the plants’ deceptively beautiful traps are strategically placed to react when an insect
– lured by the color and tempting
pheromones – unwisely wanders
inside. Once they have their prey,
the plants’ digestive juices dissolve
Introduction to
Carnivorous Plants
Learn carnivorous plant origins and
general care and maintenance from
the window sill to backyard bogs
during “An Introduction to Carnivorous Plants with Antoni Stevens” on
Saturday, March 12 at Garden Spot
Nursery. Stevens said this will be “carni 101.” The free class starts at 9 a.m.
Registration is required. Call (360)
676-5480. The nursery is located at
900 Alabama St. in Bellingham.
Scarlet Belle. PHOTO BY mary vermillion
the bugs not for protein but for the
nutrients that build light-harvesting
enzymes. Put simply, the insects
help the plants to grow by feeding
their abilities to tap energy from
the sun.
While the best known is the
Venus fly trap, a wide range of
carnivorous plants in intriguing
forms thrive in the home garden.
The plants start around $20 with
rare, collectible carnivores priced
as high as $100. They can be grown
inside in pots or hanging baskets
near sunny windows or in terrariums with UV lights. In the kitchen,
Drosera capensis – its leaves
reminiscent of a coral anemone –
is a natural pest solution during
gnat and fruit fly season. Outside,
carnivorous plants prefer boggy
areas with a bit of sun. The striking
funnel shape of a pitcher plant’s
red, white, green or yellow leaves
make it an interesting addition to
water gardens.
The plants grow in a mix of peat
moss, perlite or sand with sphagnum moss as a base. Healthy plants
with lots of prey to eat won’t need
fertilizer. If food is scarce, add a fertilizer appropriate to carnivorous
plants. Water and mist the plants
with pure, low-mineral water.
Stevens said he’s just “reached
the tip of the iceberg” in his understanding of carnivorous plants. He’s
intrigued to learn more so he can
share his knowledge with local gar-
deners. “Carnivorous plants offer
lots of questions and answers at the
same time,” Stevens said. “Death
and life. Eating an insect while creating new life. They are more than
a plant. They teach us to dream. To
think of possibilities.”
HAPPY SPRING!
local life
Send your photos to [email protected]. Your photo may be included here in our next
issue. Seasonal content only please: food, farms, cooking, gardening, DIY, crafts, adventures, events,
landscapes and more. Be sure to include name of photographer and brief description of material.
Garlic. PHOTO BY KRISTI HEIN
A fungus by any other name would be a rose. PHOTO BY Nancy Van Dyke-Dickison
Anna’s Hummingbird perched on a rhododendron. PHOTO BY steve lospalluto
Harvested willow at Dunbar Gardens. PHOTO BY steve lospalluto
Farm at sunset. PHOTO BY carOl kilgore
12 grow
Hanging out on Best Road. PHOTO BY BEV RUDD
Babies cuddled up. PHOTO BY carol kilgore
Got to get that nose cleaned up. PHOTO BY toly musatov
The chickens get a horse ride – perched right in the saddles – during the Chicken Parade
in Edison. PHOTO BY lucy mae martin
Birdbath. PHOTO BY julie hagen
Swamp gooseberry flowers. PHOTO BY KRISTI HEIN
Working on the greenhouse. PHOTO BY JULIE HAGEN
South Skagit. PHOTO BY desiree webster
Tis the season for plant sales
M
arch is here and with it
comes the plant sales.
Let’s see what the local
conservation districts and other
groups are up to.
• Whatcom Conservation
District Native Plant Sale and
Expo: The 23rd annual event will
be held Saturday, March 26 from 9
a.m. to 2 p.m. at Whatcom Community College, 237 W Kellogg
Road, Bellingham. Residents and
visitors can purchase low cost,
native plants, including roughly
40 species of native, bare-root,
conservation grade trees and
shrubs plus potted perennials.
Local specialty nurseries, community groups and other businesses
will be set up on site. This year the
WCD is raffling a wheelbarrow
filled with garden goodies to local
food gifts, including items from
many local businesses. For more
information, including pre-order,
see http://www.whatcomcd.org/
plant-sale or follow the District’s
facebook page.
• Skagit Conservation District
Native Plant Sale and Expo: The
annual event takes place Saturday,
March 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
at the Plant Materials Center,
16564 Bradley Road, Bow. A large
number of high quality conservation grade plants and shrubs will
be available, as well as services
that benefit natural resources and
community organizations. For
pre-orders and other information
see www.skagitcd.org/native_
plant_sales or call (360) 428-4313.
• San Juan Islands Conservation District Native Plant Sale
and Expo: The event will be held
Saturday, March 12 from 9 a.m.
to noon at the San Juan County
Fairgrounds on San Juan Island.
This event is brought to you by
Master Gardener Foundation of
San Juan County, WSU Extension
& San Juan Islands Conservation
District. The plant sale this year
14 grow
Oceanspray, a native plant with fragrant clusters of bright white flowers on densely
formed thickets, are great for pollinators and wildlife and. It can be established in disturbed areas and is good for stabilizing soils. This species does best in partial shade, and
tolerates most soil types. PHOTO BY WHATCOM CONSERVATION DISTRICT
features new native plants, dayof-sale plants and the Expo with
information booths, retail vendors
and local arts and crafts.
• Whatcom County Farm
Forestry Association Tree Sale:
Head to the Northwest Washington Fair Grounds in the Henry
Jansen Agricultural Center on
Saturday, March 19 for this tree
sale from 10 a.m. to noon. Trees
are 90¢ each, and include: Sitka
Spruce, Giant Sequoia, Fraser Fir,
Deodar Cedar, Western Hemlock,
Noble Fir, Japanese Larch, Norway Spruce, Grand Fir, Ponderosa
Pine, Western Red Cedar, Colorado Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir,
Incense Cedar, and Mugho Pine.
For more information, call (360)
671-6988.
• 28th annual Fairhaven Plant
and Tree Sale: This Fairhaven
Neighbors-sponsored event takes
place Saturday, March 26 from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillcrest
Chapel outdoor parking lot at the
corner of Old Fairhaven Parkway and 14th Street. A variety of
plants will be offered, including
perennials, annuals, trees, native
plants, herbs, vegetable starts,
berries, bamboo, garden décor,
and much more. Participating
vendors will also be on site. Vendors donate a portion of sales to
the Fairhaven neighborhood association, who in turn use proceeds
for neighborhood projects and to
support other local non-profits.
For more information, including a full listing of participating
vendors, visit Facebook.com/
FairhavenPlantAndTreeSale or
contact Thom Prichard at (360)
671-5517.
Additional spring sales will be
posted in our calendar and next
issue. Send event information to
[email protected].
Mason bees: Friendly protector
by Beth Chisholm
I
t’s a problem not too many
gardeners will ever encounter:
too many pollinators in the
garden. Yet when Missy Anderson,
otherwise known as “Queen Bee”
started with 100 mason bees, and
15 years later was so successful that
the population had exploded into
nearly 100,000, she knew she had
to do something.
Missy was first introduced to
mason bees by a friend in the fall
of 2000. The more she learned, the
more she was taken by them. She
gave her first Mason bee presentation to a Master Gardener class
in 2006. It launched her speaking
career. She now speaks all over the
Puget Sound, including Snohomish, Island, Whatcom counties,
touting the virtues of native mason
bees.
So why are native mason bees
the latest concern? For one thing,
like bees of all kinds, they are at risk
with increased levels of pesticide
use, as well as habitat destruction.
Mason bees are non-aggressive, and
rarely sting. These bees look rather
like a harmless house fly. They
emerge from their cocoons early in
the spring, pollinating anything that
is blooming. If you like plums as
much as I do, that’s one tree often
missed by the honey bees, as they
come out too late. Weather permitting, some credit goes to mason
bees for your plums.
As Missy’s interest in mason
bees grew, she found herself excited. Beginning in 2005, with too
many mason bees for her backyard,
she began offering houses and bees
to friends and family. She and her
husband were building the houses
and making the paper tubes. In
the fall she (and a few volunteers)
would open the tubes and clean
the bee cocoons. Over the next
three years Missy was driving 1,500
COURTESY PHOTO
miles to deliver and pick up the
bees to 100 families. This became
overwhelming so she asked that
people pick and drop off the kits at
her house.
Finally a friend remarked that
she was certainly doing a lot of
work and that she should charge
for the service. This began the
“Rent Mason Bees.” For a small fee,
she provides pollination supplies:
cleaned cocoons, nesting block,
and house to protect from the rain.
Three sizes are available: small, 50
bees, $25; medium, 100 bees, $50;
and large, 200 bees, $75.
Clients get their kits from Missy
near the end of March, install the
kits in their yard or garden, watch
the industrious pollinators in
action, then when the adult bees
of that year die off, the kits are
returned to Missy, usually in early
June.
By 2014 the number of families
had grown to about 300 and Missy
knew she could no longer do it all.
In January 2015 Missy’s ownership
of the company went to Jim Watts
of Watts Solitary Bees. Jim has
been growing leafcutter bees for
agriculture for decades. Working
together, Missy and Jim are guiding
Rent Mason Bees to an ever-increasing customer base. Beginning
in 2016 Rent Mason Bees will offer
pick up and return sites (contact
them for specific locations).
Though mason bees do not
replace honey bees, they have their
own slice of the pollinator pie.
Without mason bees, countless
plants would not get pollinated.
Missy is offering an invaluable
service. You don’t need much to
get started: 1) a dry, sunny place to
hang the nest; 2) spring pollenbearing plants (Big leaf maple trees
are fabulous); and 3) mud (used to
seal each egg in the nesting block.)
Helping mason bees is an easy,
interesting and fun way to help
our environment. It’s a great
activity for kids, big or little! And
speaking of kids, Missy is partnering with Girl Scouts of Western
Washington. She has created a
patch program and a number of
activities along with hosting a
mason bee kit. Details at www.
facebook,com/groups/KingCountyGSWW/1634166113514437
Local Presentation
Missy will be speaking about
mason bees at the monthly educational meeting for the general
public put on by the WSU Master
Gardeners on March 10. She will
speak at 7 p.m. at 1000 N. Forest
Street Suite 201. If you’re looking
for more information and details
about The Queen Bee’s program,
check the website www.rentmasonbees.com or mail questions to
[email protected]
Wholesale BlueBerry & Plants for sale
Planting help
available!
Varieties
• Hardy Blue (AKA 16-13)
blueberries: 4-year-old
plants for only $4 each.
• Duke, Bluecrop and Reka
blueberries: 3-year-old
plants, $5 each.
• Tiben Black Currants: 2-year-old
plants, $5 each.
• Berry plants: $10 each, including
Gooseberries, Jostaberry, Kiwi,
Goji Berry, Red and White Currants,
Native Evergreen Huckleberry, Salal,
and Lingon Berry.
Contact Travis Linds: (360) 398-3165 / 2145 ulrich road, ferndale
[email protected] / www.greenconversion.net/berries
A great way to
invest in your
property!
Thanks for reading Grow! April issue deadline: March 22.
Craft & Home
It’s Spring: Lynden Craft and
Antique Show, Home and
Garden events, draw crowds
N
ow in its 30th year, the
Spring Craft & Antique
Show is coming to the
Northwest Washington Fairgrounds
in Lynden March 17-19.
The Show will run 10 a.m. to 8
p.m. Thursday March 17 and Friday,
March 18, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 20. Admission is
$6 for adults, $5 for Seniors (60+),
and free for children 12 and under.
Return privileges are available all
weekend. Free parking is on site.
Approximately 100 northwest
artists, crafters and producers
will be at the show, featuring
handcrafted wares, home and
garden décor, gourmet treats,
vintage treasures, repurposed items
and much more.
Among new participants this
year are three friends and fellow
youth soccer coaches – Susan
McKissick, Laura Mathes and
Shannon Elmendorf – whose booth
will be full of creative inspiration
using re-purposed materials. The
three women have been coaching
Nooksack Valley Girls Soccer
together for three seasons.
The 30th Anniversary
Celebration will be held Friday
March 18 from 5-8 p.m. with a
coffee bar, cake and prizes.
Lunch and espresso will be
available in the Garden Café, as
well as ongoing live entertainment
throughout the event. For more
information about the show, visit
www.LyndenCraftAntiqueShow.
com or “Lynden Craft and Antique
Show” on Facebook.
16 grow
Everett Home and Garden Show
The 15th annual Everett Home
and Garden Show runs March
11-13 at Xfinity arena in Everett. Local professionals will lead
gardening and home improvement
workshops, and a large number of
vendors will be on site.
Show hours are Friday noon to 7
p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $6.75 adults, $6.25 seniors,
military/families with ID $2 each,
Among new participants this year at the Lynden Craft and Antique Show are three
friends and fellow little league soccer coaches – Susan McKissick, Laura Mathes and
Shannon Elmendorf. Their booth will feature repurposed items. COURTESY PHOTO
free for kids 16 and under. For the
complete schedule see www.everetthomegardenshow.com.
SICBA Home and Garden Show
The 36th annual SICBA Home
& Garden Show takes place March
18-20 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon featuring over 120 indoor and outdoor
booths.
Ciscoe Morris will be sharing his
gardening knowledge, and seminar topics will be taught by local
professionals and residents
The 7th Annual Playhouse Challenge is also on, with five builder
members building playhouses and
donating them to local charities.
The winners will be drawn Sunday
at 3 p.m. Photos will be posted on
the Show’s Facebook page.
Hours are Friday 11 a.m. to 6
p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and
Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets
are $5/person or $8/family. See
sicba.org.
Pottery by the Pound
Blue Water Pottery will be
holding their Annual Spring
Studio Seconds Sale on Saturday,
March 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The studio doors will be open,
the wheel will be on, and the clay
will be wet! Any children looking
to experience hands-on wheel
throwing will be encouraged to
come muddy their hands and break
out their smiles. The studio will
be selling pottery seconds - those
old, flawed or just weird pieces - by
Jeremy Noet and Dyana Fiediga
at $5 per pound. You’ll find mugs,
bowls and all sorts of functional
pottery, not to mention planters.
New this year is guest artist
Ann Marie Cooper of Kulshan
Clayworks with her coiled pottery.
Blue Water Pottery Studio is at
2521 Vallette St. in Bellingham,
behind the house, with alley
access. For more information email
[email protected] or
visit their facebook page.
wild about plants
Natural relief for fighting fungus
by Suzanne Jordan
N
ettles are up, wild mustard
is flourishing, I’m hearing
bird song that I haven’t
heard in a long time. Oregon grape
has flower buds on it already. As
I nibble on plant bits, I can taste
their strong medicine, which
means sap is flowing. What I can
tell you is that it’s going to be an
early spring and there is a lot of
mold and mildew happening. The
fungus among us.
Fungi is everywhere - in the
ground and air, on plants, animals,
and humans. It is considered
neither a plant nor animal, but
has its own kingdom. That’s
something to be appreciated about
any organism, eh? It has countless
benefits. Fungi help plants
converse with each other. It is the
Great Composter and ties together
the earth and all life upon it.
Stroganoff wouldn’t be stroganoff
without crimini, shiitake,
button or any of the edible wild
varieties of fungi available for the
harvesting. We literally could not
live if all the fungi on the earth
were destroyed. I have always
enjoyed a deep and passionate
love affair with a wide variety of
mushrooms and fungi. It’s just that
when it wants to take up residence
on or in me that I take exception.
For those of you who work
out at health clubs and use the
showers and locker rooms as I do,
it can be a constant battle to keep
fungus from taking up residence
on the feet. Kids may bring home
ringworm. Fungal infections can
run rampant in the body. Itching,
redness, pain, swelling. Weird
looking talon-like toenails. Oh joy.
Once a fungus takes up residence,
it can be very hard to eliminate. A
complete and total commitment to
the application of antifungals must
be made in order to eradicate the
infection. Fortunately, there are
several plants which are powerful
enough to work. Can I get an
amen?!
The garden plants rosemary,
sage, oregano, lavender, all the
mints, and monarda/bee balm
are amazing in their ability to kill
fungi. A simple essential oil blend
in a roller bottle can be applied
twice a day to the infected areas,
externally. I can personally attest
to the efficacy of these herbs. I
used to have a farm and wore
muck boots all day long. One day
I noticed my toes were itchy and
red. I recognized this as a fungal
infection and brought out my
bottle of lavender essential oil.
There was almost immediate relief
from the itching and redness. I was
consistent in the application of the
lavender oil twice a day for a week.
I had caught it early, so a week was
all it took to eliminate the fungus.
These days, every time I get out of
the shower at the gym, I use my
roller bottle of antifungal essential
oils on my toes. It certainly keeps
the fungus in check. For those
with a nasty fungal infection,
the essential oils may have to
be applied twice daily for weeks
or even months. Something to
consider when doing an antifungal
treatment of long duration is to
be kind to your liver, as it will be
working hard to eliminate not
only the fungus, but the essential
oils which will be entering the
bloodstream. You might think
about adding dandelion greens or
roasted dandelion root tea to your
daily diet while on an antifungal
regimen.
For internal fungal infections,
it’s important to note that most
herbal antifungals also contain
antibacterial elements. While
there is controversy on taking
capsules of essential oils internally,
please think about this: EOs such
as thyme, lavender, peppermint,
oregano, and rosemary are
antifungals and antibacterials,
both. Our gut contains a vast
variety of bacteria that are of
extreme importance to the health
of our cardiac, nervous, immune,
and digestive systems. The gut
bacteria serve not only to digest
the food we eat and help to
eliminate waste, but these bacteria
also tell our bodies to produce
hormones for a wide variety
of body functions including
immune and nerve activity. It
is now common knowledge
that gut bacteria govern our
moods, emotions and even brain
activity. EOs that kill bacteria,
kill ALL bacteria. They do not
discriminate between “good”
and “bad” bacteria. In my never
humble opinion, this means that
when taking antifungal herbs
internally, It is a bad idea to ingest
essential oils. Instead, use the
herbs in safer applications such
as teas or in soups, stews, salads,
herbal vinegars, and dressings. It
is always beneficial to take a good
probiotic for the duration of the
treatment.
In the wild, cedar, salal,
saxifrage, and Oregon grape
serve very well as antifungals. I
make a medicinal oil from these
freshly harvested plants. This
oil can be applied externally to
relieve not only the symptoms of
fungal attacks, but kill them dead!
In addition, Oregon grape and
salal, which grow together, can be
infused in apple cider vinegar and
used either externally or internally
to kill fungus. A half cup of this
antifungal vinegar in a footbath
brings welcome relief at the end
of the day. Make sure to pat the
Peeling Oregon Grape Root. (top), garden
sage (above left) and prepping a basket
(right). PHOTOS BY SUZANNE JORDAN
feet dry after soaking for about 10
minutes and let the feet hang out
to breathe. Remember that fungus
likes it wet. Dry feet are the enemy
of fungi!
Incidentally, all of the plants
above, in essential oil, alcohol
tincture and/or herbal vinegar
form can be used in the home and
pet areas safely and effectively to
kill mold, mildew, and fungi. For
a few years, I lived in a home built
in the 50s and had the aluminum
window frames which would get
wet and covered in nasty black
mold. Ack! I frequently rubbed
down the aluminum with cedar
essential oil. As long as I stayed
consistent in the application of the
cedar essential oil, I was able to
keep the black mold at bay.
There you have it. Natural relief
for the downside of this amazing
organism!
As always, I leave you Wild
About Plants!
Suzanne Jordan operates
Cedar Mountain Herb
School. To register for herbal
workshops and apprenticeship
programs, read articles, and
ask questions, visit her website
at www.cedarmountainherbs.
com, or email her at Suzanne@
cedarmountainherbs.com.
We Grow Garden: Northwest Youth
Services seeking help with tools
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Celebrating ou
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We’re also in Lynden at 305 Grover St. and
the monthly winter Bellingham Farmers Market!
BELLINGHAM – Northwest
Youth Services’ We Grow Garden is
getting ready to open, and as they
gear up for the 2016 season, tool
and item donations are needed and
welcomed for working and cleaning
up the garden.
Do you have any of the following items, or would you be able
to donate gift cards to help NYS
purchase these items?
• 6 cubic foot wheel barrow
• 3-5 garden trowels
• Hand clippers for harvesting
vegetables
• 2 hoes for digging and planting
• 2 rakes to aerate soil
• 1 pitchfork for turning compost
• Twine or nylon netting (ie.
commercial fishing nets)
• Colorful paint (pints, gallons)
• (2) 6-foot plastic folding tables
for pop-up market
• Cutlery set good for cutting
vegetables
• 1 large cutting board (plastic
non-porous preferred)
• Paper plates and towels
• Plastic cups, utensils
Northwest Youth Services and
garden is located at 1020 N. State
Street in Bellingham. The organization collaborates with at-risk,
runaway and homeless youth in
Whatcom and Skagit Counties to
foster self-reliance. Call (360) 7349862 or visit http://www.nwys.org.
Produce from the We Grow Garden, located at 1020 N. State Street in Bellingham.
COURTESY PHOTO
Common Threads adds Honey Camp
BELLINGHAM – Common
Threads, the local non-profit
organization focused on seed
to table education, has added a
Honey Camp to its Spring Break
program offerings in April.
Thanks for reading Grow! April issue deadline: March 22.
18 grow
Sampling the honey. COURTESY PHOTO
Programs take place at the
WWU Outback Farm, a 5-acre
farm and wetland restoration site
on the WWU campus with large
gardens, lots of trails for forest
exploration and several sheltered
learning and gathering spaces. All
spring break camps are scheduled
Monday-Thursday, and allow
kids the opportunity to explore,
garden, cook, and taste.
Camp Honey, for ages 8-11, will
explore pollinators and beehives,
and learning about the important
roles they play in the garden.
Campers will also be planting,
harvesting, cooking and eating.
Preschool in the Garden (3-5)
and Farm Camp (ages 5-8) are
also available during Spring
Break. These two will also be
held during the Summer months,
in addition to Camp Pasta and
Camp Pizza.
School-based programs engage
kids in school gardens and the
classroom from September to
June.
For more information, see
http://commonthreadsfarm.org.
March 2016
junior growers
Welcome to our section for our youngest readers to enjoy activities
with their family and friends, and share artwork, stories, jokes, and
photos. Send submissions to [email protected].
Name:
Write a poem about spring.
Unscramble these words:
PSRGIN
FFDAILSOD
EESSD
Funny Farm
What season is it when you
are on a trampoline?
Spring-time!
What’s a baby chick’s favorite plant?
EGG-plants!
AMBSL
DSKI
KHCISC
GSEG
What kind of garden does
a baker have?
A “flour” garden.
This month’s project
Puzzle piece
butterfly (pin)
Do you have puzzles pieces that don’t
match with your puzzles? Make art! Pick
puzzle pieces that have the shape of a
butterfly and paint them as you want.
Use markers to draw a head and decorate
the wings. Glue pipe cleaner pieces for
antennae shapes. Want to make a pin?
Glue a jewelry craft pin to the back of the
butterfly. Let dry. And enjoy!
WANT A FREE JUNIOR
GROWERS STICKER?
Send a quick note about the
great stuff you’re doing and
learning, and we’ll send you
one! It’s green! Email editor@
grownorthwest.com or send to
PO Box 414 Everson WA 98247.
Answers: Spring, Daffodils, Seeds, Lambs,
kids, chicks, eggs
Good Pickin’s
Rhododendrons
Saturday, March 12: Bob Zimmermann has been raising
species rhodies from seed for 40 years. He will describe
and show pictures of some of the most interesting species, including many available at the nursery. 11 a.m.
Reservations required, $8 class fee. Christianson’s Nursery,
15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon, (360) 466-3821.
Penn Cove Mussel Fest
Saturday and
Sunday, March
12-13: Bold,
briny and blue!
Come taste Penn
Cove’s world
famous mussels
at this beloved
Whidbey Island event! This
weekend event
features mussels,
music, entertainment, farm tours and more. For a complete
schedule, see http://thepenncovemusselsfestival.com.
Grow Your Own workshops
Saturday March 19: Local Food Works and the Deming Library present this free series of workshops! Linda
Quintana presents Herbs for Family at 10:30 a.m. Linda
discusses growing, harvesting and using 10 herbs
suited to the Pacific Northwest garden. Linda will
demonstrate making a simple herbal salve and blend a
nourishing tea for participants to take home. At 12:30
p.m., Anna Martin from Osprey Hill Farm will discuss
Meat Birds 101. Want to raise healthy chickens for meat
in your backyard? Anna will cover everything you need
to know to have a successful experience. Following at 2
p.m., Kelle Sunter from the Blaine Community Orchards
for Resources and Education (CORE) will discuss Mason
Bees Alternative Pollinators. This workshop will introduce you to native pollinators and how to identify and
protect them in your yard.
20 grow
march events
Send event submissions to [email protected]. Find more updates online at www.grownorthwest.com.
Rain Gardens: Wednesday, March 9.
Now is the time to determine where the
water “sits” in your yard. Learn how to
manage runoff and/or standing water
by planting a mini-forest floor that will
absorb and manage that extra water in
your yard. Presented by the Blaine Community Orchards for Resources and Education (CORE). 4 p.m. Blaine Library, 610
3rd Street, (360) 305-3637.
Canning and Food Storage Workshop:
Saturday, March 12. Learn canning and
food storage techniques and safe practices from a veteran canner 11 a.m. Additional canning jars available for purchase
on-site. Admission is free; $5 donation.
Bellingham Senior Center.
Organic Fruit Growing for Homeowners: Saturday, March 12. You can grow
tree fruits and berries using organic practices, even in our challenging climate.
Learn how to keep your trees and berry
plants healthy and productive. We’ll discuss the common pest and disease issues
of our area, and how to deal with them
effectively. Other topics will include soil
and weed management and use of compost and mulches in fruit growing. Be
prepared to be outside. 10:30 a.m. Cloud
Mountain Farm Center, Everson. http://
www.cloudmountainfarmcenter.org
Anacortes Monthly Winter Farmers
Market: Saturday, March 12. Held the
second Saturday of each month. 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. inside the Depot building. For
more details, see anacortesfarmersmarket.org.
Introduction to Weaving: Saturdays,
March 12, 19, and 26. Learn to weave using a floor loom with Aurora Lindquist.
In a series of three Saturday morning
sessions, learn to plan a weaving project
and what materials to use, warp a loom,
and create your own 2-foot by 4-inch rug.
Cost: $88. Starts at 10 a.m. The first Saturday session will end at noon, and the
2nd and 3rd will end at 1 p.m. Ragfinery,
Bellingham. See ragfinery.com.
An Introduction To Carnivorous Plants
with Antoni Stevens: Saturday, March
12. Yes, you can grow carnivorous plants.
Many are hardy in the Northwest and live
in a variety of conditions from natural
bogs in your backyard to your window
sill. Learn how to feed them, the fun of
owning them, along with their general
care and maintenance. Class is free, call
to register. 9 a.m. Garden Spot Nursery,
900 Alabama St, Bellingham. (360) 6765480, www.garden-spot.com.
Rhododendrons: These Are Not Your
Father’s Rhodies!: Saturday, March 12.
Bob Zimmermann has been raising species rhodies from seed for 40 years and
has just returned from his sixth rhody exploration in China. He will describe and
show pictures of some of the most interesting species, including many available
at the nursery. 11 a.m. Christianson’s
Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. Reservations required, (360) 4663821. $8 class fee. www.christiansonsnursery.com.
Gardening With Wet Soils: Saturday,
March 12. Ani Gurnee of Aulos Design
will share inspiration for plants, site
preparation and maintenance. 1 p.m.
Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road,
Mount Vernon. Reservations required,
(360) 466-3821. $8 class fee. www.christiansonsnursery.com.
Blooming Scraps: Wednesday, March
16. No matter what the weather is doing outside, we can make flowers bloom!
I will show you my technique for hand
sewing flowers from reclaimed wool
sweaters. You can play with a rainbow of
luxurious scrap material while making a
pin or hairclip. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Instructor:
Libby Chenault. Cost: $22. Ragfinery,
Bellingham. See ragfinery.com.
Starting Your Vegetable Garden:
Wednesday, March 16. Program repeats
Saturday, March 19. Discover the right
plant for the right place, how to plot your
garden’s sun patterns, test and amend
the soil, and the reasons and seasons for
mulching/composting and pest controls.
Presented by the Blaine Community
Orchards for Resources and Education
(CORE). Wednesday is 4 p.m. and Saturday is 10 a.m. Blaine Library, 610 3rd
Street, (360) 305-3637.
Creating Cleaning and Refreshing
Products: Thursday, March 17. Make
your own natural home products with
Karly Batterman of Otion: The Soap Bar.
First, an essential oil based cleaning
spray to zap germs without harsh chemicals. Then, a handy fruit and vegetable
wash that safely cleans your greens. Finally make a custom aromatic reed room
diffuser in a trendy bottle. That’s three
handmade products along with the recipes! Registration required. Register online at WCLS.org or contact the library. 7
p.m. Ferndale Library, 2125 Main Street,
(360) 305-3600.
Lynden Craft and Antique Show:
Thursday through Saturday, March 1719. Approximately 100 northwest artists, crafters and producers will be at
the show, featuring handcrafted wares,
home and garden décor, gourmet treats,
vintage treasures, repurposed items and
much more. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday
and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Saturday.
Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for Seniors
(60+), and free for children 12 and under.
For details see www.LyndenCraftAntiqueShow.com.
5th Annual Women in Agriculture
Conference: Saturday, March 19. “Power
Up Your Farm” is the theme for the fifth
annual Women in Agriculture Conference and will be an engaging, interactive day full of inspiration, learning and
networking with other women farmers.
This conference is a one-day event held
simultaneously in 31 locations throughout Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana
and Oregon. Regional locations include
Coupeville, Everett and Mount Vernon,
among others. Visit the website for more
information at www.WomenInAg.wsu.
edu, or contact Donna Rolen of WSU Extension at [email protected] or (509)
745-8531.
Make Smoothies With Fruits & Berries
You Grow Yourself: Saturday, March 19.
Learn to grow strawberries, blueberries,
apples, rhubarb and raspberries in your
own backyard with Farmer Helen Solem
of Sumas River Farm.Class is free. 9 a.m.
Garden Spot Nursery, 900 Alabama St,
Bellingham. (360) 676-5480, www.garden-spot.com.
Bellingham Winter Saturday Farmers
Market: Saturday, March 19. Produce,
foods, crafts and more. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
at Depot Market Square. See bellinghamfarmers.org.
Japanese Garden Design Techniques:
Saturday, March 19. Join Hans Wressnigg
of NIWA Japanese Inspired Landscapes,
as he covers enclosure techniques, capturing outside scenery, balance, and
planes and volumes. 11 a.m. Christianson’s Nursery, 15806 Best Road, Mount
Vernon. Reservations required, (360)
466-3821. $8 class fee. www.christiansonsnursery.com.
Grow Your Own Workshops at the
Deming Library: Saturday March 19.
10:30 a.m. Herbs for Family Health, with
Linda Quintana. Linda discusses growing, harvesting and using 10 herbs
suited to the Pacific Northwest garden.
Linda will demonstrate making a simple
herbal salve and blend a nourishing tea
for participants to take home. 12:30 p.m.
Meat Birds 101, with Anna Martin from
Osprey Hill Farm. Want to raise healthy
chickens for meat in your backyard?
Anna will cover everything you need to
know to have a successful experience. 2
p.m. Mason Bees Alternative Pollinators.
This workshop will introduce you to native pollinators and how to identify and
protect them in your yard. Presented by
Kelle Sunter from the Blaine Community
Orchards for Resources and Education
(CORE). Event hosted in partnership with
Local Food Works. 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Deming Library.
Spring Mushroom Grower’s Workshop:
Saturday, March 19. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join
us at Cascadia Mushrooms to learn about
the wonderful world of mushroom cultivation! We’ll teach you how to grow delicious mushrooms at your home, school
or business. All supplies will be provided
and each student will take home several
growing projects of their own. Advanced
registration is required. Purchase tickets
at www.cascadiamushrooms.com.
Crafternoon! Saturday, March 19. Bring
your friends, projects and supplies, and
come create with us every third Saturday
of the month. 1-4:30 p.m. Crafternoon
is open to all ages. Accompaniment by
adult required for those under 13. Free.
Ragfinery, Bellingham. See ragfinery.
com.
Spring Garden Walk With John Christianson: Saturday, March 19. Join John
Christianson for his first tour of the year
through the lovely English style gardens
of La Conner Flats located next to the
nursery, then stride over to La Conner
Flats to see what plants are showing an
inspiring early spring display. 1 – 2 p.m.
Free. Reservations required, (360) 4663821. www.christiansonsnursery.com.
Essential Oils 101: Health and Wellness with Aromatherapy: Saturday,
March 19. Enjoy a fun and interactive
class on the basics of essential oils. You’ll
learn how to use them safely, what oils
to use, how to apply them, and why they
work. Essential oils can be an affordable,
safe, and effective way to improve your
health and wellness, and reduce toxins
in your home, support immunity, uplifting your mood, and so much more! Brief
Q&A to follow. With Anna Beth Harman
of Do-Terra Oils. 11 a.m. Sumas Library,
451 2nd St., (360) 305-3600.
Edible Mushrooms of Northwest
Washington, and Poisonous Lookalikes: Monday, March 21. Learn how to
become a successful forager from Northwest Mushroomers Association member
Jack Waytz. 6:30 p.m. Blaine Library, 610
3rd Street, (360) 305-3637.
bers, cuttings and seeds using inexpensive grow lights and propagation mats.
John and Kathy Willson, former owners
of Swede Hill Dahlia & Sunflower Farm,
will demonstrate fool proof methods for
getting your dahlia tubers off to a great
start for amazing summer blooms. 11
a.m. Class fee $8. Reservations required,
(360) 466-3821. www.christiansonsnursery.com.
Dahlias! Wednesday, March 30. It’s easy
to have these beautiful flowers blooming
in your yard from July through November! Perfect for our NW climate, these
long bloomers come in thousands of different flower forms and colors. Presented
by the Blaine Community Orchards for
Resources and Education (CORE). 4 p.m.
Blaine Library, 610 3rd Street, (360) 3053637.
Hugelkultur Demonstration: Saturday,
March 26. Hugelkultur is a German word
for making raised garden beds filled with
rotten wood; loaded with organic material, nutrients, moisture retention and air
pockets for the roots of what you plant.
Join Water Ecologist, Kathy Anderson
of Bountiful Landscapes as she builds a
small Hugelkultur at the Nursery. This is
a two hour class outdoors, so be sure to
dress for the weather. Class Fee: $16. For
reservations, please call (360) 466-3821.
1 p.m. Reservations required. Christianson’s Nursery, Mount Vernon.
Coiled Fabric Baskets: Wednesday,
March 30. This class will teach you to
make sturdy baskets from almost any
kind of scrap fabric! Thick strips of fabric are twisted and bound together with
yarn, strong cotton string, or thin strips
of more fabric. Many possibilities await!
Instructor: Aurora Lindquist. Cost: $22.
6:30-8 p.m. See ragfinery.com.
For more upcoming events, see www.
grownorthwest.com.
HAPPY SPRING!
Growing A Kitchen Garden: Vegetables & Herbs: Monday, March 21. The
Skyline Garden Club invites you to their
special evening program/event with internationally known chef Graham Kerr.
He was the first entertainment chef on
“The Galloping Gourmet” show. He is
passionate about showing people how
to grow quality healthy food in their
own “kitchen gardens”. Doors open to
the public at 6 p.m. for earlybird autographed book sales and refreshments.
Program begins at 7 p.m. At 8:30 p.m.
Graham will draw the names of 4 lucky
winners to come to his home near Mt.
Vernon this summer -- when his own
kitchen garden is in full production – and
he will make them something to eat with
vegetables he has grown! Everyone is
welcome. Cost is $10 for non-members.
Skyline Beach Club, 6041 Sands Way, Anacortes. For more info call SGC President
Mary Lou Childs at (360)299-8280.
More Amazing Conifers To Love: Saturday, March 26. Come and meet horticulturists Jock Demme and John Andresen
from Iseli Nursery, our premier Specialty
conifer grower of Oregon. Jock and John
will showcase the new 2016 introductions of new and unusual specimen
plants. There will be special discounts
offered. Class is free. 9 a.m. Garden Spot
Nursery, 900 Alabama St, Bellingham.
(360) 676-5480, www.garden-spot.com.
Starting, Planting and Staking Dahlias
Made Easy: Saturday, March 26. Learn
how to grow floriferous dahlias from tu-
grow LOCAL marketplace & DIRECTORY
Northwest
Rate: 25 words for $10, each additional word 40¢ each. To place an ad, contact Grow Northwest at
(360) 398-1155 or [email protected].
Next Issue: APRIL 2016 • Deadline: march 22
Animals & Services
Berries
Fiber & Fabrics
Maggi’s Farrier Service: Specializing in the
gentle handling of your horses. Maggi Holbert,
(360) 333-2467, [email protected].
Bow Hill Blueberries: Certified Organic. Blueberries in the beautiful Skagit Valley. Frozen
berries, ice cream, jam and more. bowhillblueberries.com
NW Handpsun Yarns: Where all things fiber
are found. Your downtown yarn shop! 1401
Commercial St., Bellingham. (360) 738-0167,
www.nwhandspunyarns.com.
Place your ad here: 25 words for $10, ech
additional word 40¢. Send classified to info@
grownorthwest.com.
Spinner’s Eden Farm: We raise award winning registered CVM (California Variegated
Mutant)/Romeldale sheep. Raw fleece, roving,
and other wool products available. (360)7706044, www.spinnersedenfarm.com.
Arts & Crafts
Dunbar Gardens: Baskets handcrafted by
Katherine Lewis from our Skagit Valley farm
grown willows, classes, willow cuttings, farmstand, 16586 Dunbar Road, Mount Vernon.
Visit www.dunbargardens.com
Good Earth Pottery: Bellingham’s premier
pottery gallery, representing 50 local artists!
1000 Harris Ave., www.goodearthpots.com.
Mountainside Gardens: Local gallery/gift
shop between Kendall and Maple Falls, Mt.
Baker Hwy. (360) 599-2890, www.mountainsidegardens.com.
grownorthwest.com.
Northwest Garden Bling: Gift shop featuring
stained glass, fused glass & mosaic. Classes,
supplies, custom work. 44574 Hwy 20, Concrete, (360) 708-3279 or www.facebook.com/
northwestgardenbling
Baked Goods, Sweets & Treats
Breadfarm: Makers of artisan loaves and
baked goods. 5766 Cains Court in Bow. Products also available at area farmers markets and
retailers. (360) 766-4065, www.breadfarm.com
Mallard Ice Cream: Our ice cream is created
from as many fresh, local, and organic ingredients as possible because that’s what tastes
good. (360) 734-3884 / 1323 Railroad Avenue,
Bellingham / www.mallardicecream.com
Beef, Pork, Poultry & Eggs
Osprey Hill Farm: Acme-based farm offering
CSA, poultry, vegetables, and more. Osprey Hill
Butchery, our sister business, is taking reservations for poultry processing dates. See www.
ospreyhillfarm.com.
PORK: Certified Organic by the WSDA. Our pigs
live on pasture! We sell USDA inspected retail
cuts and also sell by whole or halfs. Delivery
available. Contact: 360-722-4372. Website:
www.Baldhamfarm.com
Triple A Cattle Co: Local producer of All Natural Limousin beef sold in quarters or halves, cut
to your specifications. Available year-round in
Arlington. Contact (425) 238-4772 or [email protected].
Place your ad here: 25 words for $10,
ech additional word 40¢. Send classified to
[email protected].
Beer, Cider, Sprits & Wine
Bellewood Distillery: Craft distiller of Washington made vodka, gin and brandy. 6140
Guide Meridian, Lynden, (360) 318-7720,
www.bellewooddistilling.com
Mount Baker Distillery: We specialize in
making hand crafted spirits using updated
versions of our Grandpa Abe Smith’s traditional backwoods methods, recipes and equipment. www.mountbakerdistillery.com
Northwest Brewers Supply: Brewing and
winemaking supplies. Serving the community
for 25 years. Check out our new location at 940
Spruce Street in Burlington! (360) 293-0424,
www.nwbrewers.com.
22 grow
Building & Construction
Babbitt Construction: Serving Whatom,
Skagit, San Juan and Island counties since
1993. Licensed and bonded. (360) 676-6085,
www.babbittconstruction.com.
Larsen House Works, Inc.: Custom building
and renovation since 1981. (360) 318-3300. Licensed and bonded, #LARSEHW864KF.
REStore: Salvaged and used building materials, salvage services, deconstruction and workshops. 2309 Meridian St, Bellingham. (360)
647-5921, http://re-store.org/our-great-store/
bellingham-store/
Skagit Building Salvage: Used building materials and more. Buy, sell, trade. 17994 SR 536,
Mount Vernon. 360-416-3399. Open Mon-Sat
10-5:30. www.skagitbuildingsalvage.com.
Commercial Kitchen
Stanwood Commercial Kitchen for Rent:
Large Kitchen wi/ 6 burner gas range, 2 convection ovens, freezers, refridgerators, walk
in cooler, dishwasher, storage & much, much
more! Plus Possible small storefront in high
traffic area also available.(425) 737-5144 or
[email protected]
Education, Learning & Workshops
Greenwood Tree, a Waldorf-inspired cooperative school, offers classes, homeschooling
support, and community events for families
with children ages 18 months – 14 years old.
www.greenwoodtreecoop.org.
grownorthwest.com.
Wildcrafting apprenticeship programs,
Wild Harvest Intensives, and Herbal Workshops in Skagit County! Follow our Facebook
page! Cedar Mountain Herb School, cedarmountainherbs.com/school.htm.
Farm Supplies & Feed
Conway Feed: Since 1919 the facility at Conway has supplied grains and assisted farmers
with their crops. Feed made fresh...naturally.
Conventional and certified organic. Stop by
the mill or call (360) 445-5211 for the nearest
distributor. Open Mon-Fri 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
18700 Main St, Conway.
grownorthwest.com.
Scratch and Peck Feeds: Verified non-GMO
and Certified Organic raw, whole grain feeds
for your chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs and
goats. Buy at the mill or one of our many retail
dealers found at www.scratchandpeck.com
360-318-7585
Lazy J Bedding: Premium Chopped Straw
Bedding, exceptionally clean, virtually no
dust, ideal bedding for both large and small
animals. Packaged in 4.0 mil bags for easy
no-mess transport. Also try our Certified
Weed-Free Chopped Grass Hay Mix and our
Chopped Alfalfa. Available at local feed stores
throughout the Northwest. www.lazyjbedding.com. 208-274-4632 or 877-885-2064
Food Bank Farming
NE Bellingham: Volunteers wanted to grow
organic food bank veggies. Times flexible but
every Tues morning and Mon evening during
summer harvest. John @ [email protected]
360-389-1258. Facebook CTKHarvestMinistry
SE Everett: Volunteers needed to grow organic food bank food every Saturday 10-1.
Call Forrest: 425-772-5008 for more info. Classes and plots available.
Garden Supplies & Nurseries
Azusa Farm & Garden: Skagit Valley’s elegant
garden center tucked in a beautiful flower
farm. 14904 State Route 20, Mount Vernon,
(360) 424-1580.
Charley’s Greenhouse: Specializing in hobby greenhouses, custom greenhouse kits,
accessories and more. 17979 WA-536, Mount
Vernon. www.charleysgreenhouse.com, (800)
322-4707.
Cloud Mountain Farm Center: Nonprofit
community farm center dedicated to providing hands-on learning experiences. 35+ years’
experience. 6906 Goodwin Road, Everson,
cloudmountainfarmcenter.org.
Christianson’s Nursery: A wide variety of
common and uncommon plants, garden accessories, antiques and gifts. 15806 Best Road,
Mount Vernon. (360) 466-3821, www.christiansonsnursery.com.
Garden Spot Nursery: Great assortment
of plants and flowers. Weekend workshops.
900 Alabama St., Bellingham. (360) 676-5480.
www.garden-spot.com/
Kent’s Garden & Nursery: 5428 Northwest
Rd., Bellingham, (360) 384-4433. See www.
kentsgardenandnursery.com.
grownorthwest.com. Thanks for supporting
Grow Northwest!
Grocers
Community Food Co-Op: Certified Organic
produce departments, deli café, bakery, wine,
bulk foods, health and wellness, meat and
seafood markets. Cordata and downtown Bellingham. 360-734-8158, communityfood.coop
Skagit Valley Food Co-Op: Your community
natural foods market. Open Monday through
Saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.
to 8 p.m. 202 South First Street, Mount Vernon.
(360) 336-9777 / skagitfoodcoop.com.
grownorthwest.com.
Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-op: 2804 Grand
Ave Everett. (425) 259-3798. Mon-Sat 8 a.m.
to 8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.
snoislefoods.coop.
Health & Wellness
Seafood
Massage and Prenatal Massage: Relaxation,
pregnancy massage, deep tissue therapy, injury recovery and oncology massage. (360)
820-0334, [email protected]. Available
by appointment only.
Moonbelly Midwifery: In-home midwifery
care for mama & baby. Serving Whatcom &
Skagit Counties. Compassionate, nourishing,
culturally sensitive. Mary Burgess, Licensed
Midwife. www.moonbellymidwifery.com.
Vital Aging Clinic: Naturopathic medicine.
Treating illness, cultivating wellness. Accepting new patients ages 18-110. Dr. Alethea
Fleming. 902 28th St., Anacortes, 360-6303022, www.VitalAgingClinic.com.
Nerka Sea Frozen Salmon: Wild AK king,
coho, & smoked salmon for your holidays, plus
whole albacore tuna for loining/canning. All
frozen-at-sea, sashimi-safe, from our family to
yours. (360) 303-7770, www.facebook.com/
fvnerka
Skagit’s Own Fish Market: Fresh seafood and
daily lunch specials. Thank you for supporting
local! (360) 707-2722, 18042 Hwy 20, Burlington. skagitfish.com
Help Wanted
grownorthwest.com.
Mushrooms
Cascadia Mushrooms: We have been a
WSDA/USDA Certified Organic producer
since 2009 and have been growing gourmet
& medicinal mushrooms in Bellingham since
2005. cascadiamushrooms.com/
Property, Real Estate & Rentals
Camano Island Cottages: Business
Rentals! Available now. Want you own 8x7.5
shop/studio/boutique? [email protected] www.facebook.com/cutecamanocottages
REAL ESTATE FOR REAL PEOPLE. Jeff
Braimes, Coldwell Banker Bain. Buying, selling,
talking. Fifteen years’ experience. Visit my blog
at www.braimes.com or phone 961.6496
WhyWeLoveSkagit.com See why we love living and working in Skagit Valley! We are calm,
competent and caring about who we represent. May we help you with buying or selling
a home or property? Don Elliott and George
Roth, Coldwell Banker Bain, 360-707-8648 or
[email protected].
grownorthwest.com.
Restaurants & Eateries
Adrift Restaurant: Adrift uses the bounty of
the Skagit Valley and the surrounding waters
to create memorable meals. 510 Commercial
Ave., Anacortes. (360) 588-0653.
Brandywine Kitchen: Happy hour 3-6 weekdays. Sandwiches, entrees, kids menu, desserts, drinks and more. 1317 Commercial, Bellingham. (360) 734-1071, brandywinekitchen.
com.
Corner Pub: Great food, music and more.
14565 Allen West Rd, Bow. (360) 757-6113
Nell Thorn Restaurant: Local, delicious,
handmade food. 116 South First Street in La
Conner. (360) 466-4261
Streat Food: See our menu and schedule for
the food truck and cafe at Bellingham Cruise
Terminal at streatfood.me.
The Table: Featuring fresh pasta made by the
Bellingham Pasta Company. 100 N. Commercial St., Bellingham. bellinghampasta.com
Seeds
Osborne Seed Co.: Vegetable, flower, herb
and cover crop seed available. Located at 2428
Old Hwy 99 S. Road Mount Vernon, WA. Call
(360) 424-7333 or visit osborneseed.com.
Services
Bacterial Aerobic Digester, (ORGANIC): Reduce/Eliminate pumping the septic system.
Soil Amendment, Bring Your Soils Back To
Life. Animal Manure Lagoon Digester, Ekstran
Enterprises LLC, Garner Ekstran, 360-766-6043
Jay Irwin Land Use Consulting: Serving Bellingham and northwest Washington. Over 15
years experience. (360) 410-6745, www.irwinlanduse.com.
Learn the “Art of Horsemanship!”: Sweet,
well-trained horses carry you safely on lessons
in the beautiful mountain trails or outdoor or
indoor arenas. Call for appointment. $40/hour,
$25/half hour ride. (360) 988-0178.
Northwest Rain Solutions LLC: (360) 3039725, [email protected], www.
nwrainsolutions.com. Services: Rainwater
Harvesting, Stormwater Management, Drainage, Infiltration, Native Planting, Green Roofs.
Local, Free Estimates.
Oyster Creek Canvas Company: Full service
canvas and industrial sewing shop specializing in marine canvas. Recreational and
outdoor fabrics, patterns, foam, webbing,
hardware, industrial sewing, repairs. (360)
734-8199, 946 N. State St. Bellingham. www.
oystercreekcanvas.com
Stewart’s Consignment: We’ll sell your stuff
online! 1201 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham. Call for
an appointment: (360) 739-7089.
the last row
The taste of honey
by Bruce Vilders
A
s a beekeeper I get to
closely watch bees at work.
I mean real close.
I often sit next to the hive opening and put my face inches from
where the food-gathering bees fly
in and out. Some of what they are
collecting you can easily see, such
as the different colored pollen
captured on their hind legs; bright
purples, golds, yellows, or blues
depending on the flowers they are
working in. Things you can’t see is
the water and nectars they’ve harvested, as it is carried within their
gut, to be regurgitated and passed
on to the bees within the hive. The
foraging bees carry food and water
so as to feed the growing colony
and put something away for its
winter survival. That “some thing”
is Honey.
But all honey is not the same. In
fact, it’s all different. The nectar (carbohydrates) and pollen
(protein) is what determines those
differences. Ultimately, it is the
overall environment that the bee
work within that creates honey’s
Share your story
Do you have an interesting story
you’d like to share? For details, contact [email protected].
unique characteristics of taste,
scent and color.
As there are over 235,000 different angiosperms (flowering plants)
it follows that the honey created
from their nectars can have wide
variations in properties. Put simply, if bees are working in a cherry
orchard, the honey may have a
slight cherry flavor. Blackberries?
Maybe a subtle blackberry flavor.
But since bees can travel up to 5
miles in search of food, honey is
often a wild mix of flavors.
We also need to understand that
all honey is not necessarily created
with found natural ingredients,
as some commercially sold honey
is labeled. Because many plants
and crops are now treated with
pesticides, herbicides and other
synthetic toxins, natural honey
bee honey has become harder to
find and thus, more expensive.
Adversely, with money to be
made, we now have more illegally
imported (and unregulated) honey
being dumped into our country’s
food chain with substances such as
sugar and corn syrup being added.
This adulterated honey is becoming all too pervasive and unless
you are diligent about where you
purchase your honey from you
could be buying something really quite different from how it is
marketed.
Here is my best advice. Buy
local.
Purchase your honey directly
from a beekeeper, your local farmer’s market or from some other
store or food cooperative that
keeps a close eye on its sources.
In the bee-keeping world,
beekeepers are divided into
categories such as commercial,
sideliner or hobbyist, often based
on the number of hives kept (1 to
20,000+- hives). Another division is whether they use synthetic
chemicals versus chemical-free
methods to fight the various
pathogens and insect pests that
harm bee colonies.
Another important aspect of
honey is in how it is processed.
Most large grocery stores choose
to sell pasteurized honey. In other
words, it has been heated. Depending on the level of heat, it has
the potential to kill the probiotics
and antibodies that are naturally
found in honey. Listen/look for the
word “raw” as it is often used by
beekeepers to tell you that it has
not been heated. There are other
words that should clue you in to
what has or has not been done
to the honey. However, very few
of these words are governmentregulated or monitored and, unless
you purchase from a solid source,
you may not know what it is you’re
actually buying. “Natural”, “Pure”
and even “Organic” are all suspect
if your standing in the aisle at the
mega-foods store.
Photo by Gary Brown
Thus, honey itself is a complicated thing. The taste, texture,
color and its other attributes (such
as medicinal) are all affected by
where and from which plants were
visited by the bees, the season
(hot, cold, wet, dry), the terroir
(soil, climate, sunlight) and how
the honey was processed before
and after extraction from the hive.
But is it complicated to buy?
Not really. Get to know your local
beekeeper. Find him or her at your
local farmer’s market. Ask about
where their bees worked, if they
use natural beekeeping methods
and if its been heated. Taste test
the honey. When you find some-
thing you like, buy it. Consider
buying more than just what you
need for the short term as honey
stores very well.
Finally, here is my advice for you
to find the perfect honey. Take a
class in beekeeping. We actually
don’t need another beekeeper with
20,000 hives. What we really need
are 20,000 more beekeepers with
just one hive! You can help save
the bees AND eat the best honey
in the world. Yours.
Bruce Vilders is WSU certified
beekeeper and the Executive Director of the Federal 501-C3 nonprofit honey bee education APIS
Project (apisproject.org)

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