Bean tsunami 2011

Here's a family-favorite dilly bean recipe from Changing Seasons Farm. Thanks Laura! 

 

Theresa Althauser's Most Awesome Dilly Beans 

 

Sterilize the jars (wash in very hot water or run through the dishwasher)

Pack the jars in the following order (using pint canning jars)

   1. Place ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne in the bottom of each jar
   2. Place fresh dill sprig upside-down in the middle of jar
   3. Place 1-2 garlic cloves in the middle of the dill
   4. Pack remaining space with fresh beans (trimmed to fit)
   5. Insert a Jalapeno pepper into the jar on the outside of the beans

Brine solution consists of the following (for 8 pints, adjust for more or less):

   1. 5 cups water
   2. 5 cups white vinegar
   3. ½ cup salt

Boil brine.

Pour into jars.

Seal jars (soften the lids first by dipping into boiling brine solution for a few moments).

Submerge jars into boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Remove and cool slowly.

Place any jars that did not seal properly in the refrigerator and eat in a few weeks.

Store the properly sealed jars in a cool, dark location.

Wait two months and eat with friends.


Tarahumara Salsa

It is salsa season again. Peppers, tomatillos, and tomatoes are either on the way or here. Try out this zesty salsa, and for those who like it super spicy, leave the seeds in!

5 tomatillos (we tend to add more)

3 jalapeños, seeds removed

4 cloves garlic

1 cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon lemon juice

-salt to taste

• Peel husk off of tomatillo and remove pepper seeds. Boil peppers and tomatillos for 12 minutes and drain.
• Put garlic into blender or food processor and chop, Add peppers, tomatillos, cilantro, and salt to blender and chop also.
• Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice and serve.

 



Yogurt with Zucchini
 
We have relied on Madhur Jafferey's cookbook the World of the East Vegetarian Cooking for many years, and it always seems to give a new spin on any worn-out vegetable. We love this particular zucchini dish and we have had it every year without ever sharing it. Enjoy!

2 medium zukes (or squashes)
3/4 tsp salt
1 medium sized onion
1-1/2 cups plain yogurt
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp whole black mustard seeds
1/16 tsp black pepper
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper (as much as you like)

• trim zukes and grate coarsely
• place into bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt
• toss and mix, then let sit for 1/2 hour
• drain the zukes and press out as much liquid as possible
• separate shreds so there aren't lumps
• peel onion, cut lengthwise, then cut into fine half-moon slices
• put yogurt into a bowl and beat with a fork or whisk until smooth and creamy
• heat oil in 8" skillet over medium heat
• when hot, put in mustard seeds
• when seeds start to pop, put in onions
• stir and fry for 2 minutes or until translucent
• add zucchini, stir and fry for 3 minutes
• turn burner off, pull off of heat and let cool slightly
• when cooled, fold in yogurt
• add the remaining 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, and cayenne
• serve cold or while slightly warm (we eat it a few minutes after preparation)

Turnips Braised with Soy Sauce and Sugar

Okay folks were making it through those turnips and rutabagas. Before you know it we'll be into peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants. If you need a tasty turnip recipe, here it is. You can't just eat one of these. I promise and I always come back for seconds or thirds.


2 Tbs peanut or canola oil
2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into medium size dice
1 cup of veggie stock (or water)
2 Tbs tamari so sauce
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil

• Put oil in pan over medium-high heat. When hot, put in turnips.
• Stir fry until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add stock, soy sauce, and sugar.
• Cover, turn hear down to low, and simmer for 15 minutes until turnips are tender.
• Turn every now and then so the turnips color evenly. Sprinkle sesame oil over the top and toss.
  

Smoky Greens and Cornbread

You'll have to locate your own cornbread recipe, but here is a good turnip recipe that we seem to dig up every year. We should be getting collards into your boxes with in the next three weeks, so you'll have to use some other type of green or locate a temporary collard source.

1 Large turnip
1 Bunch sliced collards
1 Medium chopped onion
1 Minced garlic clove
1/4 cup cilantro
2-4 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons canola oil
Red pepper flakes
Paprika
Salt & pepper

• Sauté onions until softened
• Stir in garlic
• Add liquid smoke
• Add turnips, fry 5 - 10 minutes while adding spices too
• Add more liquid smoke if desired
• Add 1/4 cup water
• Place collards on top.
• Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Enjoy!

A while ago I read a great book by an MD who was interested in how other countries' cuisines seemed to confer protection against certain diseases to the inhabitants.  Unfortunately I can't recall the name of the book so I can't credit the author.  One area she talked about was Greece, with a very low rate of heart disease.  The Greeks collect wild greens that grow on the hills and cook them in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice.  Olive oil brings out the fat soluble vitamins in food that otherwise wouldn't be absorbed by our bodies.  So I'm including two recipes I copied out of that book in which you can use any combination of your CSA greens: chard, mustard, mizuna, kale, turnip greens, braising mix, etc.  By the way, the Greek name for these cooked mixed greens is horta.


Horta Omelet

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped greens
2 Tablespoons feta cheese
3-4 beaten eggs
3 tablespoons chopped kalamata olives
salt
lemon wedge, for serving

Heat the garlic in olive oil in a skillet until soft.  Add greens and cook until reduced.  Evenly distribute them on the pan and add the feta.  Pour the beaten eggs over the top and cook until done.  Top with olives and salt.


Lentil Stew with Greens

1 cup french or brown lentils
8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium potato, sliced paper thin
1 cup sliced carrots
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup parsley
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound chopped greens

Bring the lentils to boil in the water and salt.  Skim off any foam that forms.  Add the potato and carrot, partially cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, slowly brown the onion in olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the parsley and garlic and saute 2 more minutes.  Stir the greens into the onions until wilted.  Add the saute pan to the lentils, cover, and cook another 20 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with yogurt and lemon juice.


Young Swiss Chard with Sesame Seeds, Japanese style

1 1/2 pounds yound Swiss chard, washed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 Tablespoons roasted and lightly ground sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.  Drop in the chard and bring back to a boil.  Cover partially and boil 3-4 minutes, until the stems are just tender.  Drain and rinse under cold water.  Squeeze out the water and put the chard in a bowl.  Separate the leaves, which will be like strands.
Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Pour over the chard and toss.  Serve warm or cold.

Recipes

For those of you who remember seeing a kohlrabi (or other extra-terrestrial vegetable) for the first time and that sinking feeling of what on earth do I do with this , here is a running post for recipes. It can always be accessed by the hyperlink on the right-hand side of the page-- blogger does not allow the links overhead to have dynamic content.

Have an exceptionally good or bad recipe? Post it for all to enjoy!

Columbian Black Bean Soup

1 ½ c dried black beans, soaked ~8 hrs

1-2 fresh or dried chile

6 cups water

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion

4 minced garlic cloves

½ cup diced green bell pepper

½ cup diced celery

Salt and pepper

3 Tablespoons orange juice

3 Tablespoons lime juice

For garnish: cilantro, scallions, orange and lime wedges

Drain the soaked beans and place in a medium saucepan with the chile and the water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about an hour, partially covered, until tender.  Discard or keep the chiles.  Remove 1 ½ cups of the beans with 1 cup of the cooking liquid to a blender and puree.  Return the puree to the pot.

Toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until fragrant.  Grind with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

Warm the oil in a sauté pan and sauté garlic and onions over medium low heat until softened.  Add the cumin, green pepper, celery and cook an additional 5 minutes, until soft.

Add a couple ladles of beans with cooking liquid to the sauté pan and simmer a few minutes.  Stir the contents back into the bean pot.  Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt and black pepper and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.  Stir in the orange and lime juice and add salt to taste.  Garnish bowls of soup with chopped cilantro, scallions and chopped orange and lime, if you desire.

Asian Greens and Tofu

Steam any combination of greens: bok choy, spinach, kale, collards, mustards, beet greens, broccoli or kohlrabi leaves

Saute one chopped onion and 1-2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger in olive or peanut oil 5 minutes.  Add cubed tofu and soy sauce (at least 2 tablespoons, but to your taste).  After a few minutes, add the greens to the sauté pan.  Turn off the heat and add a handful of chopped cilantro and mint.  Sprinkle lime juice over all.

Serve with rice, cooked rice noodles, or fettucine.

Tuscan Kale with Raisins

1 lb Tuscan kale, cut into fine strips

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 whole dried hot red chile

3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled but left whole

3-4 tablespoons raisins

2 cups vegetable stock or water

Salt

Put the oil, chile and garlic in a wide, medium pan and set over medium high heat.  Stir until the garlic is golden and put in the raisins.  Stir once and put in the kale.  Stir a few times and put in the stock.  Bring to a boil, cover, turn heat to low, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes until the kale is tender.  Uncover and if there is any liquid remaining, turn up the heat and boil it away.  Add salt to taste, and remove chile before serving.

Sauteed Kohlrabi

2 kohlrabi heads

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon salt

Black pepper

Cut off the coarse bottom end of the kohlrabis and peel.  Cut into 1/8 inch thick slices.  Stack the slices together and cut into julienne strips.

Melt the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Saute the kohlrabi until tender, 5-7 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
Stir-Fried Snow Pea Shoots

     Ingredients

• One bunch of pea shoots, tendrils trimmed off
• 1 Tbs peanut or canola oil
• 1 slice peeled fresh ginger
• 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed and peeled
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

     Cooking instructions

• Put the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
• When hot, add the ginger and garlic.
• After a few quick stirs when the garlic is golden, add the pea shoots and salt.
• Stir and cook about 3 minutes, until the shoots have wilted completely.
• Put in the sesame oil and toss.
• Serve immediately.

Quick Braising Mix with Pasta

 5 cloves garlic, chopped

Olive oil

Braising mix

Red wine vinegar

Cooked pasta

Saute the garlic in olive oil until soft.  Turn the heat to medium high and toss in the braising mix, stirring until it wilts.  Sprinkle with red wine vinegar, stirring until the vinegar disappears.  Salt to taste.

Mix with the cooked pasta.  Optional: Pinenuts and raisins, or 2 teaspoons honey, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard and walnuts or pecans.

Sorrel Pesto

Use with pasta or as a thick sauce for fish (sorry, I don’t have a recipe for the fish!)

2 cups chopped sorrel, ribs removed

1/3 cup parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 cup fresh parmesan

¼ cup pine nuts

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup olive oil

Puree all the ingredients together and chill.  It will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator.  For a pasta sauce, mix ¾ cup pesto with 2/3 cup cooking liquid from 1 pound of pasta.

Potato, Sorrel and Watercress Soup (from The Voluptuous Vegan)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

2 leeks, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound low to medium starch potatoes, diced (such as the potatoes received in June)

½ pound russet potatoes, diced

4 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups watercress or arugula, chopped

2 cups sliced sorrel

Black pepper

¼ cup chopped dill, or dried dill to tasts

Saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a soup pot for 8 minutes over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more.

Add the potatoes and water, cover, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat, add the salt, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat.  Stir in the watercress, sorrel, and pepper.  Mash about half the potatoes with the back of a spoon to thicken the soups.  Taste for salt and serve with dill.

Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

     Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds of Broccoli Rabe (rapini)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves

     Cooking instructions

• Cut off coarse stems and wash well.
• Blanche for two minutes and then run immediately run under cold water.
• Saute garlic in olive oil until lightly browned, and put in Rabe.
• Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt and gently mix.
• Turn down to low and sautée until rapini is heated through.
• Serve.

Green Beans with Coconut

     Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut (I use dessicated; just don't use the sweetened cooking kind)
• 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley
• Minced hot green chili
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 lb cut green beans
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1 Tbs mustard seeds
• cayenne pepper

     Cooking instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the following and set aside:
  • 1/2 cup coconut
  • 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley
  • Minced hot green chili
  • 1/4 tsp salt
• Cook 1 lb cut green beans in salted boiling water for 3 minutes.
• Drain and refresh in cold water.
• Drain again and set aside.
• Heat 6 Tbs oil (safflower, canola, peanut or vegetable) over medium heat in a wide saute pan or electric skillet.
• Add:
  • 2 Tbs sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbs mustard seeds
  • cayenne pepper to taste
• Add beans and saute 1-2 minutes, coating the beans with the seeds.
• Add coconut mixture, stir once, and remove from heat.
• Salt to taste.

MultiBean Salad

     Ingredients

• 4 cups mixed dry beans, cooked (kidney, pinto, navy, garbanzo, black, etc)
• 1 cup cooked wheat berries
• 6 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 3 to 4 Tbs lemon juice
• 6 to 8 Tbs red wine vinegar
• 1 & 1/2 tsp salt
• Black pepper
• 1/4 lb green beans, steamed
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 1/3 cup minced red onion
• up to 1 cup minced parsley
• 1 chopped bell pepper
• Optional: cucumber, tomatoes, hardboiled eggs

     Cooking instructions

• Mix all together.
• The longer it sits in the fridge, the better it gets.
• Unhulled wheat berries will float and can be scooped off.

As the Farm Turns

Sometimes farming does feel like a soap opera. Scandalous rumors, unexpected accidents, cut-throat rivalry between poultry growers (no pun intended), and trade secret jealousy. There is certainly something always brewing on our farm and when sharing a farm with two other growers, things have to be kept wide open. We successfully negotiated our way through shared tractor fuel consumption without any flaring tempers or passive aggressive nonsense. Our resolution was to treat the tractor like a rental car-- whoever used it last tops off the tank. I am thankful that we all have the same long term goals of growing food, enjoying each other's company, and trying to juggle family life, farm duties, employment, and down time.

Flashy Trout Back lettuce

The weather is slowly starting to warm up and our average soil temperatures are creeping slowly closer to 50 degrees. This translates to better seed germination and accelerated plant growth, and as for me, I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of new growth today under the reemay. Allyn and I have been losing sleep and I have been quite fussy and grumpy because June has been rapidly approaching and plant  growth has been slow to say the least. Many of our Asian vegetables and some of our greens are starting to approach full size while the brassicas (kohlrabi, broccoli rabe, etc) are starting to experience explosive growth as the sun peeks out for a few days at a time.

We should be planting dry beans soon and I am very excited to try three new varieties this year (Black Coco, Adzuki, and some funky new garbanzo). Our driveway in Seattle is now currently filling up with sweet corn, popcorn, cukes, melons, squashes, and

My favorite: Jacob's Cattle bean

zukes while all of our tomatoes and peppers have moved out and are now getting comfortable in their fancy new hoophouse.

On a side note....We post all of our day to day pictures of plants and operations on facebook now. I have caved into using Facebook and I must admit that it is a nice way to keep farm updates short and sweet. For thosee folks who enjoy using Facebook, visit us at our Roots Underground Facebook page. Stay tuned!

Reality of farming

As a new farmer, I must admit that there are serious challenges one faces when growing crops on newly-opened ground. Allyn and I pulled all of our reemay off today only to discover that early sowings of seed did not emerge aside from those sprouts that found large cracks in crusted-over soil. Our later seed plantings are doing well and are growing nicely, yet we may lose even this if it does flood tomorrow. This is terribly discouraging and makes me wonder why anyone should even venture into farming--especially in King county. I long for the days of farming in Whidbey's rain shadow and sandy loam soil where crusting was never an issue. This farming paradise would distort even the most objective perception that a young farmer would have about how things grow and react to vastly different soil and weather conditions. I try to remain focused on what is working and think that eventually things will become easier and that the knowledge will come, yet I feel at the same time that America has lost (or is losing) much of the know how that was passed down from generation to generation when agriculture was a part of life and a family's survival to an extent. Whether or not this venture succeeds, I will put one foot in front of the other and continue to do what feels right--grow food.

After the possible flood, we'll plant our tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

June peppers

Despite all of the poor weather, ongoing slug attacks, and gas-price creep, it was refreshing to see blossoms on our pepper plants. It is a sign that warmer weather is on its way and that fresh local food will be here soon. I started our peppers

Peaceworks sweet pepper blossoms

pretty early this year and their timing has matched our space limitations for plant starts here in Seattle better than the tomatoes have. One of our early bloomers so far has been the Peaceworks sweet pepper, and I am now starting to harden our peppers off so they will make the transition into the valley's cooler greenhouse weather without croaking. Our greenhouse hoops are supposed to be delivered today and we should be able to start getting many of our tomatoes that are literally bursting out of their pots into the ground. Since I am from Florida, this will be an exciting day for me because I love the warm greenhouse mugginess that clearly is not present at any time of year in Northwest Washington.
We are beginning to build a farm stand, washing table, and packing table while we are waiting for the temperatures to warm up and sun to appear. Carnation-Duvall Road clearly needs a farm stand and everybody that I talk to says that one is sure to be successful. With the price of gas rising this may be just the solution we need to help offset the cost of petrol. Our shopping list includes a few used refrigerators and long folding tables, so if you know of any that are hiding away waiting to be used for a good cause let us know.

Dward Pak Choi

Van Strom the plow master came by yesterday to finish up the remaining plowing for us. He does heavy tractor work for hire and claims that many of the farms he does work for are struggling with the weather too. Van also confirmed that for those farms that do have plants in the ground, the weather is just too cool right now for starts to grow or out-grow the pests.
We learned a dirty little secret of the valley a few days ago. A friend of mine spotted a Charlie's Produce truck making the rounds so he inquired as to who had enough produce to sell to bulk distributors. The answer is nobody. Farms are buying bulk produce to fill CSA boxes or orders. Charlie's does sell quality organic produce, but as a farm entity we would rather have light early boxes and over-fill boxes a little later to make up the difference for a poor weather spring. CSAs are largely a relationship between a family and a farm. Members celebrate bountiful harvests, mourn farm flooding, and have high expectations for an abundant season--we will celebrate again when all of our food comes from the farm and the baby arrives.

Ruby Streaks Mustards

A beautiful spring day.

Peas and onions.

Tough Spring

There has been a buzz in the farming community over the last two weeks over a statement that the locally famous UW meteorologist/ climatologist Cliff Mass made last week. If I could find where it was that everybody saw or heard it, I would post it here. He said that as of two weeks ago this has been the coldest spring on record since 1951 and of all the days so far this year, there have been only two that broke 55 degrees. When I review my farm log from last year, we had much warmer weather despite the never ending rain. ...now we have never-ending rain and cooler weather. Having said this, I am now very happy that we started so many extra plants in advance with the anticipation of losing many due to the weather or pests.

We are just now starting to sow seed directly into the soil, and of the seed we planted last week, the peas are coming on strong and the arugula looks like it's trying to make a break for it. If the temp's stay in the fifties for the next few weeks I can expect everything that we planted yesterday to sprout. I have been holding out for the twelve foot wide remay (white ag cloth) to cover my fields, but I think that I will break down this week and make the investment in whatever Steuber's Distribution Company has available. One has to wonder how on earth does that place keeps it's doors open. Remay should raise the temperature of the air directly around the plants and seeds that have been freshly sown. Hopefully this will help.

Tilling rows for taters

On Friday we stress tested the ancient tiller and it seemed to hold up for almost four painful hours of tilling (1/3 acre). If three point tractor-pulled tillers weren't so darn expensive, we would have one. Maybe it's in the cards for us next year. We have plenty of space to get our grains in and that should happen around May first. Normally we would get these sown earlier, but the rain REALLY hasn't been cooperating this year. We have learned that grains can handle all of this early rain but the soil does need to be dry before we can get it in.
 

Making furrows

All of our potatoes went in yesterday and by storing taters from last year, we were able to save a lot of money. Many farmers purchase fresh potatoes every year to plant because of disease and lack of storage facilities, but we love the cost savings and if we are to be sustainable, saving potatoes will definitely be part of the solution. I sincerely hope that the infrastucture style of old returns for agriculture. Grain silos and cooled warehouses for storage of ag products or meats would be a blessing and will be needed if agriculture is to become truly 100 percent local.

Yellow Finn dipped in organic fir bark dust.

Allyn covering 800 feet of potatoes

Darn you Earthway!

Notice the "kickstand" by the front wheel?

Since this is my third season using this machine, I am starting to notice a trend. What one might loosely call a kickstand another person might describe as a slot machine lever for the expensive seed casino. I guess that I won the Dwarf Grey Sugar Pea jackpot yesterday.

It all started when I had to decide between two plastic seed scooping wheels. One was clearly labeled "Jumbo Pea" and the other "Small Pea". All I can remember from last year was the thought of peas shooting out of the hopper like popcorn and the wheel getting jammed every two feet, so I thought, "the bigger seed wheel must be better. right? Half pound bag in the hopper, no problemo man. Yep. I am gonna' just plant these peas and be off to Seattle in a few minutes. Ha!"

After a few feet, I started to notice the mighty Earthway shuddering a bit. Could it be the tough semi-damp soil that was perfect for germinating peas? Just push harder. After eight feet the machine was making noises and clearly unhappy and I went into troubleshooting mode. Yes. This is where you put your hard earned coins into the slot machine and start to pull the lever. Okay. Kickstand down. I'll just walk 35 feet away and pick up the "Small Pea" wheel. The slot machine lever was officially pulled and the jackpot is only twenty seconds away.

It didn't happen in slow motion like you see in the movies. Nope. Like a Siren that lures sailors towards rocky leeward shores, I had been mesmerized by the Earthway's heavily-machined massive four-ounce aluminum "kickstand". Unbeknown to me, I won the jackpot while my back was turned. My blood pressure really began to rise as soon as I saw the half pound of peas sitting on the ground and the seeder laying comfortably on its side. All that could be done was scoop up my loot and pick up the remaining hundred or so peas scattered in the dirt that remained one by one. ...and find a support group for Earthway users.

Spring planting

All of us farming in the Snoqualmie Valley have had a slim window of dry weather and a little bit of sunshine on Saturday (I even managed to get a sunburn). Our new used disc (circa late forties) worked almost flawlessly on this tough semi-damp ground considering there is heavy sod buried seven inches below the surface. Sean and I discovered that the tractor merely supports and pulls the disc rather than simply apply brute force to bury it. It takes a lot of weight to get a good deep cut in this heavier soil.

Since Sean did most of the tractor work yesterday while I was trying to use the tiller, he noticed a large difference between the not-so-dry places that we had planned to cultivate. The tractor struggled in certain areas that retained moisture and those locations coincide with our soil maps, so we made the command decision to move our early spring planting area to the adjacent higher and drier location. Only through time and careful observation will we learn about how our fields  flood, drain, and dry.

Sean disking the fields for the first time in over a decade.

Sean thinks he is driving in a straight line (it doesn't matter).

We were able to really test out Doug's new engine and complete rebuild of his Troy-Bilt Horse. The new motor sips gas compared to the old 7 H.P. Kohler engine that gave up the ghost last season, and it is now a bit more squirrelly than I am used to but we are very thankful to have it. It has saved us from yet another farm equipment expense as we start up.

The mighty Horse sporting a new engine.

Allyn and I have almost completed a marathon planting of onions, leeks, scallions, and shallots. Our backs gave out today after a little over 2,000 tiny starts, and I will have to go in for overtime to get the last three hundred leeks in. We are getting more proficient at planting and after considering the practice we're getting, one has to plant faster or drive home in the dark worn out and achy. We will be planting broad fava beans, brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, kales, etc...) and leafy greens. I need the space and the plants are just starting to look a little big for their containers. I sincerely hope there are no more floods after last month's little episode after these plants and new seed go in.

We'll keep you posted as things are planted and as more events happen. For a detailed list of what is growing visit our website.

Spring Flood Event

As many of you have already heard, there is an unsuspected spring flood in the Snoqualmie River Valley. It has taken many farms by surprise and some veteran farmers estimate this to be one of the most costly floods yet. For us, it only means waiting a week for things to dry out and plant. It will delay the fava beans, taters, onions, and leeks for a few days at the most since we had decided to wait until April first to plant. From a topsoil perspective, many farms turn their fields after the last flood and as early as possible to aid in covercrop decomposition and getting their "green manures" turned under. With so much bare soil exposed, the flood will have washed away expensive seed and soil amendments (lime, fertilizer, compost) that required fuel, labor, and some contract work to prep and apply, yet it will leave some silt and nutrients in place to help return what it has taken.

Facing South towards the Snoqualmie River

It is hard to express our level of disappointment and concern about flooding in the Snoqualmie and other surrounding valleys. The increased occurrence of flooding is directly related to the destruction of our natural watersheds (housing development) and manipulation of how water moves from the hills to the valleys via Snoqualmie Falls. It is hard not to feel as if the ability to feed and sustain ourselves on a long-term scale will be perennially compromised by the short-term return that cement and cheap products can provide. It is easy to see this after reading F. H. King's Farmers of Forty Centuries. King spoke at length about how China and Japan have sustainably lived with annual flooding for 4000 years while producing organic food for a massive population, and now through economic development, any of us can see that their potable clean water and fertile land is disappearing at an alarming rate. As development continues and work upstream continues to manipulate river flow, flooding will continue to be more unpredictable and possibly even set more record levels. I can only hope that as time passes we bring the distant future into focus rather than our immediate and long-lasting actions.

Snoqualmie Hydrograph depicting Flow, Time, and Stage

To get updates on the river visit NOAA's Snoqualmie Hydrograph.

Having said this, we are still anticipating sunshine and a great season. For those interested in getting your hands dirty, we will be planting potatoes, onions, and leeks as soon as things dry out from the flood. Contact Mike or Allyn for further information at mike@rootsunderground.net.

Warmer Weather

Things have been quite busy on the farm. I have been spending a lot of time watering and moving many plants into our hoop house and cold frame here in Seattle, and after doing this for years I learned a lesson the hard way this morning. Morning coffee may have played a large part in this hard lesson. I'll start back at the spring of 2008 on one of many rainy days.

My farm mentor Georgie had shown me how to prep flats for seed and one of those steps involved lightly pressing another flat on top of the starter mix to compress it. ...a bit. Repeat this entire sowing process until it quits raining and eventually you'll have more plants than you know what to do with. In my infinite wisdom and low-caffeine state this morning, I decided to really squash this peat mix down and seed four flats. This unfortunate error didn't reveal itself until it was time to sprinkle gallon after gallon after gallon after gallon after gallon on these flats that are clearly misbehaving. Bubbles started emerging from the cells and entire clods of peat moss came bursting forth out of their six-pack plastic-cell confinement. I though to myself, "what in tarnation?!" After doing battle for an hour with my trusty water bucket, I resigned to dumping all four flats onto the compost pile and starting all over again. Without compression, everything was dreamy again and I was able to wet everything out in a mater of minutes. I have recovered (although not gracefully) and I strongly recommend for those of you who feel compelled to seed flats at 8:00 A.M. to fight any and all primal urges to smash peat moss into oblivion and definitely indulge in your vice prior to loading trays.

...Finally Plowed.

We were beginning to get a bit worried when Van had not showed up by two in the afternoon, but we were to find out later that we were next in line after Local Roots Farm just down the street from us. To us it looks there is a lot of ground that has been opened up, but to other big operations, we have a glorified garden and that's about it.

Van's classic tractor pulling rig

Just another tractor picture

Van and Sean discussing where to plow.

Thank goodness it's done!

Spring Cleaning

We are rapidly moving forward towards a useful barn that is clean, organized, and ready for production. Doug and Sean (owner/operators of Big Rock Chicken Club) descended upon the barn in a cleaning frenzy and we loaded several truck loads of scrap metal and construction debris and sent them on their way to the transfer and recycle station. We are trying to organize a burn pile day for the remaining wood scrap, but we all have to agree on a location and pray for some drier weather.

Doug and Sean were busy marking off pasture for their poultry to roam around on today. Solitude is nice, but I think that it will be nice to have some chicken friends and other folks out there periodically during the day while I work alone. Livestock and poultry are also a great way to add nutrients essential to growing crops to the land we work. Currently we only use certified organic fertilizer that is from Steubers yet it remains difficult to tell where it came from. Having said this, having a nitrogen input available on site will be fantastic. I hope to work with Team Big Rock and have chickens pastured for a few days where our corn and jack-o-lanterns will be growing.

Doug Dancing (not really)

I spent Friday afternoon on the tractor moving 25 yards of woods chips. It took almost every chip to build driving ramps for the bridge and we can now walk into to the field without having to put on waders and live without the constant threat of getting stuck in Weiss Creek. As soon as the weather permits, it will be plow time. I am a little embarrassed about the late date that we are doing this, but the snow and bridge have really set us behind. I have all of my fingers and toes crossed for plowing Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

Ready for traffic!

Snow Again!

Where's the Grass?

Wednesday was a monumental day. The bridge was delivered, and we can all now whistle "The Bridge Over River Weiss" every time we cross it. It will be difficult to get vehicles cross it until the wood chips arrive today, and David has volunteered to strategically position them so we can drive vehicles (tractor and plow) over the bridge. The snow isn't helping us get the field ready, but our mantra has been "incremental progress" and we know that eventually everything will just fall into place.

Mike was busy filling tray after tray with seeds for crops that need to be started early. Some of it will be harvested before the CSA starts in June and if the weather permits we hope to be selling before June at our roadside stand. Currently Mike's cunning plan for earlier revenue is to sell brassica, lettuce, and heirloom tomato starts here in Columbia City at a plant sale. We'll have to see how that shapes up. Our basement is filling with plants pretty quickly and the greenhouses still need to be erected. So much to do!

Onions, leeks, shallots, oh my!

We received our Fedco Seed order yesterday and I have been getting a bit antsy waiting to see what would not arrive. All of our onion seed was shipped, so I spent a good amount of time today sowing onions, leeks, and shallots. Allyn and I tend to argue when I am deciding how much to plant due to the "Georgie Curve". The Georgie Curve is an exponential seed planting curve, and for every season that passes, the amount of land she cultivates doubles. Having said that, I was able to plant in private until my heart was contented. ...maybe I'll plant some more!

Alliums to be:

• Purple Torpedo Onion
• Copra Onion
• Red Marble Onion
• Evergreen Hardy White Scallion
• King Sieg Leek
• King Richard Leek
• Prisma Red Shallot

Broken Ground

Allyn and I spent several hours sod busting out on the peninsula today. Last week's sunshine and drier soils would have been ideal, but we have had to patiently wait for the green light to begin preparing soil for planting spring garlic. The wait has been tough and I liken it to having all of your household furniture locked away in storage until you close the deal, but it has certainly been worth it.

Our water situation has improved, and we have devised a temporary solution until the Department of Energy and King county permit us to pump water from the Snoqualmie River. As a newer farmer, having fresh potable water to irrigate on demand really simplifies what we are trying to accomplish. For now, we should have sufficient water to irrigate our hoop houses and delicate brassica transplants.

We measured the width of Weiss Creek today. Thirty-six feet. During this process, I managed to lasso a barbed-wire fence and Sean managed to almost fall back first into the creek that separates the barn from the field. All of us are ecstatic that the property owner David would like to purchase the forty-foot flat-rack bridge. It looks like a monster, but it will keep the fish happy and our tires dry. I hope to have it delivered within the next two weeks, but Allyn and I have both learned not to get excited until you can physically touch what has only previously been cerebral.

Weiss Creek

Our New Snoqualmie Location

The possibilities are without limit!

Weighing the Taters

It's amazing how much things change in a year. I went from an unemployed student to a happily self-employed farmer (thanks to my generous wife), and I now look forward to the daily commute to the valley. ...yet I am very tired of waiting for this tepid winter to end. Luckily my Ronniger Potato Farm catalog came in the mail, and that prompted me to explore the world of potatoes sprouting in my basement. We have over twenty pounds of Yellow Finn, five pounds of Ozzette Fingerling, and fifteen pounds of Yukon Golds. This represents a significant savings for us and it will allow us to grow more varieties this year. Allyn and I will undoubtedly argue about which varieties we'll order from Ronniger, but I am sure they will include: Mountain Rose, Viking Purple, French Fingerling, Maris Piper, La Ratte fingerling, and All Blue.

For those interested, www.potatogarden.com and http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/ provide tater products that we use.

Hurry up and wait

This week's search for a land, machinery, and a barn has finally come to a close. After meeting many people in this aggressively slow process, we have found five beautiful acres on a rich sandy-loam peninsula just outside of Duvall. Jubilee Farm's owner, Erick Haakenson, has again provided us with the resources needed to move our farm business forward. Allyn and I would certainly still be pouring over Craig's List and outdated Farmlink postings grasping for anything that came along while King county's land owners are scrambling to maintain their property-tax exemptions for agriculture. We suspect that the county is searching for lost tax revenue, and idle land may benefit both land owners and newer farmers trying to establish themselves. Having said this, we have felt a huge wave of relief and our focus has now turned to building our customer base and infrastructure.


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2011 Summer Session CSA Flier

Ninety-nine bottles of tomato sauce on the wall, take one down....

As I progress into this new season my mind constantly churns on how I can make ends meet as a new farmer. Unfortunately this led to a true moment of clarity around 3:45 A.M. last night. It all started after Allyn and I pulled the last can of tomatoes out of the pantry yesterday, so as of now, we have to wait until next August or September to eat home-grown tomato sauce. Now most normal people would think, "okay, I'll just look forward to next season," but when you are faced with an entire night to contemplate your entire future and new career, things can get drawn out a bit.

If I were to live until the age 74 (which is the average life expectancy of an American male), and I was able to preserve 15 jars of home grown tomatoes each year, I theoretically only have 555 jars left to simmer down and enjoy. Now that doesn't seem like nearly enough considering we really only started canning twelve to fifteen jars annually a few seasons ago. So the question remains, should I start the Final Countdown, or just grow more?

(74 - your age) (X jars per season) = Your Grip Reaper time

Planting the seed

I remember when my wife Allyn first started gardening in 2003. I was convinced that it was as easy as sticking some seeds in the ground, watering, and harvesting. We have both learned that those are all critical elements of growing food, but these do not include the minutiae of details one has to manage to make the magic happen. Apparently this also applies to starting a business that tries to grow food for money- the farm.

Last year we rented land from the Jubilee Farm, who graciously hosted us, and I thought that after having one year under my belt that finding more land would be easier. My first attempts to locate more soil have been through Farm Link, and I am finding that most of the Carnation area land-sharing opportunities are dated and no longer available. Having said this, I am seeing the first time the importance of being active within a farming community rather that commuting to forty miles to Fall City and extracting what I need for business. If I do find land, it will only be through forging more friendships and becoming a member of Snoqualmie Valley Tilth because nothing happens in a vacuum.

I sincerely hope that I figure this out within the next few weeks as I need to get fliers for our fledgling CSA on the streets, seed ordered, and a farmer's market stand built if I am going to be successful this year. How does one measure agricultural success? I'll be successful if I build one or two more meaningful friendships as I did this year. ...and break even.