Year: 2012

Posted on by

The Year in Review

Supporting Local Farms  Since the inception of our home delivery business in1999, we have always focused on purchasing our fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers first. Every week, I contact my farmer friends to find out what they currently have available that I can add to our boxes. If I need to find more produce, I then source it from farms outside our area. As your personal farmer, I really appreciate your dedication to the local farm community. With your purchases this year, you have blessed several local farm families:
 
Bartella Farm, Beld Family Farm, Blue Heron Farms, Bunny Lane Fruit, Filaree Farms, Fuentes Blueberries, Garden Treasures, Hedlin Farms, Highwater Farm, Horse Drawn Farms, Living Rain Farm, Motherflight Farms, Neff Farm, Okanagan Producers Marketing Association, Paul & Janice Madden Orchards, Ponderosa Orchards, Ralph’s Greenhouse, Rents Due Ranch, Skagit Flats Farm, Viva Farms, and of course, the Klesick Family Farm. 
 
Helping Local People  Another core principle at Klesick Family Farm is to give back to our community. One of the ways we do this is by offering our customers the opportunity to donate a box of good to local area food banks. We currently support food banks in Anacortes, Stanwood, Camano Island, Marysville, Lake Stevens, Everett, Monroe, Snohomish, and Edmonds. For every four boxes donated by our customers, we donate an additional box. This year, with the generous support of our customers, Klesick Family Farm delivered over 834 boxes of good (approximately $20,850 worth of quality organic fruits and vegetables) to local area food banks! This number includes the donation of 127 Thanksgiving Holiday Boxes and 40 Christmas Blessing Boxes. There is no way our farm could meet this need without your help. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of our business. I love meeting local needs with local resources! Thank you for partnering with us. 
If you would like to join us in helping provide quality organic produce to local food banks, either give us a call or order a food bank box under the Boxes category of the Product page of our website.
Thank you for a great 2012! We look forward to next year!
 
 
Posted on by

Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men

The frantic nature of our society leaves little room for peace, rest and quietness. We are bombarded with advertising to buy this or that, or messaging that makes us feel inferior if we don't dress this way or drive that car.

After this last week's tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, I am feeling more impressed to hug my children a little longer, tell them I love them a little more often and not let the tug of this world rob my joy, my relationships.  Every night, when our family gathers to pray, our son Stephen prays like clockwork, "Lord, please don't let anyone get hurt tomorrow." Sunday night those words, the same words he prays every night, had a different meaning for me. In my heart, I agreed with him—"Yes, Lord please don't let anyone get hurt tomorrow."
 
And now, the week before Christmas, our country has to reconcile the sadness of these senseless deaths. This tragedy stands in stark contrast to what Christmas should represent. Today Christmas, is not at all about Christmas. It is more about buying happiness, instead of investing in happiness. But really happiness isn't the goal, but rather peace, a deep abiding peace. A peace that says, no matter what is happening all around me, it will be okay. In our communities, in our sphere of influence, in our families there are real needs. Needs like a loss of a loved one, cancer, divorce, deployment, unemployment, medical bills or too many bills that can't be soothed by a gift, but maybe by a hug or true friendship.
 
Ironically, the antidote to the heaviness for many of us, is the reason we are supposed to celebrate Christmas. Some 2000 years ago a gift was given to humanity. A baby whose message was so radical it changed the course of history.  But we have to stop, take a breath and consider what the baby Jesus came to offer—peace (not temporary) and joy (not fleeting). He said to think about how you can please God and love your neighbor as you would like to be loved. Of course, He said more, but can you imagine a society that honored God and also considered others as more important than themselves. There is no room for murder, when we consider pleasing the God who loves us and if we put others comfort, safety and needs before our own.
 
Those families are forever changed—scarred because of what happened. But what is our response? Should we hate this young man or his family? No, there is no hope in that, but we should hate the act of violence and its motives. I believe the response to this tragedy is to pray for those families and that community. And then, take a hard look at our own lives and honor those families, by making sure our loved ones know we love them. I am sure that every one of those families wish that they could redo something from that morning, that week, that year, but they can't and it could haunt them forever. But we can still strengthen, restore or make amends with our family members, no matter how old or young. It doesn't matter if something has placed a wedge in your relationships; work to remove it now, because you still can, because it would be better.
 
Almost always, peace comes when we offer peace, hope comes when offer hope, and forgiveness comes when we forgive. I think the best gifts this Christmas are the ones that money can't secure. I am sure that each of us can plant some "seeds" of peace, hope or forgiveness as gifts and begin to strengthen or rebuild our relationships. It will take work, maybe some humility or actual forgiveness, but the reward of restoring or beginning to restore a relationship is a gift that, sadly, is no longer available to those families in Newtown, but is to us.
 
Can we honor those families by building, restoring or living "I love you" this Christmas?
 
Posted on by

The Future of American Agriculture: Donuts

I just returned from a farm conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Great Lakes Expo is a huge farm conference with lots of classes on fruit, vegetable, direct farm marketing and greenhouse operations.  I attended a myriad of classes and even a bus tour. 

The bus tour was a day-long trip through southwest Michigan, which included several stops at direct farm markets or farm stands.  Two things became apparent almost immediately: 1) the Midwest has a huge U-pick culture for strawberries, blueberries, tart cherries, peaches, and apples (most of the farmers had farm stands and U-pick operations) and 2) no one on our bus was organic or even toying with becoming organic.
 
The other obvious and extremely profitable venture for these farms was donuts. Most of these farms confessed that 33% of their sales came from donuts. Round little donuts fried in Crisco (yuck) and dipped in a myriad of icings, sugars or glazes. You should have the heard the lively interactions on how to make the perfect donut. I would have never imagined all the nuances of making donuts, the amount of water, temperature of water, and grade of Crisco (super fry C being the white stuff of choice). Even the humidity could affect the quality of donuts. These farmers were giddy with the amount of money they were making off donuts. One farmer was happy to tell us that she at least added canned pumpkin to their, yep you guessed it, pumpkin donuts. All of the farm stand operators did farm; they just also sold lots of donuts. 
 
Needless to say, Joelle and I were feeling a little out of place. After all, our passion is growing food –food with nutrients that will actually feed your body, not offend it.  And all of the grocery items we sell have to be organic and at a minimum GMO free. We are not interested in selling any products that are not a part of the solution to America’s health crisis.
 
I know how hard it is to farm and get a crop from farm to fork, but donuts??? Ironically, one of the reasons Joelle and I travelled to Michigan for a farm conference was because Michigan agriculture is more similar to Western Washington agriculture. And since we are in the market for smaller scale farm equipment, we thought we would be able touch, feel and kick some tires on this type of equipment. We didn’t find a commercial dehydrator, but we did get to look at some postharvest vegetable washing equipment and some amazing harvesting equipment for potatoes, apples and strawberries.
 
But back to donuts, I am also considering building a commercial kitchen. So we can, once again, offer our customers an organic line of pies, muffins and sandwich bread. We have had the hardest time finding a partner that would be willing to bake for us. So as you can imagine, at a conference where DONUTS are the rage, there were a few purveyors of baking equipment. And being the opportunist, or entrepreneur, I got to think through the equipment I would need to start baking bread with people who use and also sell the equipment.  
 
Now, hold on! We are still in the design phase and researching if it makes sense for us to make this investment. I could use your help, though. Would you let me know if you would be interested in having organic whole wheat sandwich style breads delivered to your homes?
 
Posted on by

Lets slow down and enjoy the holidays

Did you find enough time to enjoy Thanksgiving? One wouldn't want to slow down and actually talk to someone during a meal, let alone consider swallowing and digesting our Thanksgiving meal before heading out to SHOP Thursday night! Let's be real, what is the big hurry? You would think that Americans couldn't wait to stand in line to support the Chinese economy. Heaven forbid that Americans would have to, well, relax with family and friends for an entire day.

On the other hand, Thanksgiving had been dominated by football for far too long, but now the other half of America can enjoy their favorite sport—shopping. Before long, I am sure that Congress will allow you to "Itemize" shopping as a deductible expense from your income taxes. Why you ask? Because soon the lofty legislators from the hallowed halls of Congress will realize that to actually go out and physically shop requires exercise and when one shops they buy, buy, buy, and that is good for the economy. And voila, the Anti-Obesity Shopping Stimulus Act will be overwhelmingly passed and enacted by Congress.
 
But there will be detractors, like Amazon and other fine online retailers, clamoring for their fair share of stimulus dollars. Feeling left out, they will appeal to Congress to pass the Overeaters Stimulus Bill that would encourage Americans to shop from their pajamas and conserve fossil fuels, since they are no longer able to button their skinny jeans and take advantage of the Anti-Obesity Shopping Stimulus Act.
 
Yes, Americans everywhere can rest assured that Congress will do all it can to pass very little meaningful legislation. So it will be up to us fellow Americans to buy only those gifts that will add value, not to overspend, and not to go into credit card debt this Christmas. And just maybe our congressional legislators will take a nod from main street and not Wall Street, when they see us average Americans making good financial choices—the kind of choices that help our family live within our financial means.
 
My goals for the Christmas season are simple: enjoy family, friends, and good food. My goal for New Years is that my scale will say the same as it did today (give or take a pound).
 
Cheers for a wonderful Christmas season! 
 
 
Posted on by

Healthy Holiday Eating

Are you rushing around yet? It's the season for holiday plans, schedules, and entertaining friends and family. It's also a time of dietary excess, increased stress, and let's not forget colds and flu. Statistics show that December is the most stressful month of the year. That, and the cold weather alone, can wreak havoc on a person. Rest assured! There are things you can do to prepare yourself for the holidays and prevent certain discomforts that can accompany this season.

 
Growing up in my family, it was considered impolite not to sample food being offered, especially if Grandma made it. We would eat and eat, sometimes having three to four holiday meals in one day! Some of you can no doubt identify with this situation. To help you avoid overeating during the holidays, here are some tips. 
 
First, avoid starving yourself early in the day to "save room" for the holiday meal. The easiest way to overeat is to create maximum hunger this way. Small frequent meals are always better. 
 
Second, remember to drink plenty of water. This will prevent you from serving and eating a huge portion which you will "have to finish," since you "don't want it to go to waste." 
 
Third, decide on a maximum and reasonable portion size for the meal and stick to it. After eating, drink some hot herbal tea to promote relaxation.
 
With too much good food comes heartburn. To decrease your chance of getting the discomfort and pain of heartburn, start the meal with apple cider vinegar. This helps increase digestive enzymes and break down foods faster. Another way to avoid stomach upset is to use deglycyrrhized licorice (DGL). Licorice is an herb that stimulates the cells lining your digestive tract to produce mucus. The mucus, in turn, protects the stomach and esophagus from digestive acid. DGL can help tremendously with heartburn or food-related excess stomach acid or if you have esophageal reflux (backflow of stomach acid). A typical prescription is to chew and swallow two 400mg tablets 10 minutes before each meal to help keep your digestive tract in order. Talk to your ND to find out what's best for you. 
 
by Rebecca Dirks, N.D.
Associate Physician, NW Center for Optimal Health in Marysville
Posted on by

The Nutritional Power of Pumpkins

by Maylin Rodriguez-Paez, RN
 
Pumpkins are not just Halloween decorations — they’re also total nutritional powerhouses. 
 
In fact, both the flesh and the seeds of pumpkins contain a number of beneficial nutrients that can help prevent disease and promote health. 
 
So before you trash the remains of that freshly carved pumpkin you’ve put on your porch for Halloween, consider giving both the flesh and the seeds a try.
 
Don’t be surprised if your taste buds and body thank you for tricking them into a new treat-of-choice.

Pumpkins are a Figure-Friendly Food

If you’re watching your weight, you should definitely work pumpkin in your diet. And no, we’re not just talking about pumpkin pie.
 
The orange “meat” is very low in calories (30 calories per cup) and carbs, with about 8 grams per serving1. It’s also rich in fiber, which helps to fill you up.
 
Pumpkin works great as a side dish with your favorite meals and has fewer calories than a serving of rice or potatoes.

Pumpkins are Rich in Antioxidants

The nutrient content of pumpkins, specifically in terms of antioxidants, is another great reason to start eating them. Here are two key antioxidants that make pumpkins such an excellent choice.
 

1. Carotenoids

The pumpkin’s beautiful orange color is due to beta-carotene, a disease-preventing antioxidant. You should make it a point to get enough daily.
 
Diets rich in beta-carotene may protect against cancer2 and heart disease3. Also, it plays an important role in the skin, where it helps to guard against sun damage.4
 
Other carotenoids found in pumpkin flesh include zeaxanthin and lutein,1 which enhance vision.5 

2. Gamma-Tocopherol

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of gamma-tocopherol,6 a potent form of vitamin E.
 
Gamma-tocopherol plays different roles in the human body. Scientists have discovered that it protects the brain from Alzheimer’s disease.7 In addition it’s been shown to prevent LDL oxidation, a risk factor for heart disease.8

Pumpkins Contain Lignans — Powerful Anti-Cancer Compounds 

Pumpkin seeds contain lignans,9 which are estrogen-like compounds that are good for your body. Lignans are “weak estrogens” that favorably bind to estrogen receptors to help protect against cancerous growths.
 
Studies indicate that a diet rich in lignans may prevent different types of cancers, including cancers of the prostate10 and colon.11 
 
One study found that eating pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and soybeans (all rich in lignans) was associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.12

Pumpkins Protect Prostate Tissue

Pumpkin seed extract blocks the activity of 5-alpha reductase,13 an enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a very potent form of testosterone.
 
DHT causes prostate tissue to grow and is implicated in conditions like prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (non-cancerous prostate growth), and even male pattern baldness. Levels tend to be elevated in aging men.
 
One study showed that men with benign prostatic hyperplasia had improvements in urinary flow and frequency after taking pumpkin seed extract.14 
Recipe: Curried Pumpkin Soup
This fall make it a point to try pumpkin in a few different ways. For example, here's a recipe for a delicious pumpkin soup that will give your taste buds a serious treat, courtesy of the website Epicurious.
 
Ingredients:
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped (2 cups) 
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 3/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes 
• 2 (15-oz) cans solid-pack pumpkin (3 1/2 cups) or fresh pumpkin puree
• 4 cups water 
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (12 fl oz) 
• 1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat) 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds 
• 8 fresh curry leaves 
 
Preparation:
Cook onions in butter in a wide, 6-quart, heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cumin, coriander, and cardamom and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in salt, red pepper flakes, pumpkin, water, broth, and coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a large bowl, and return soup to pot. Keep soup warm over low heat.
 
Heat oil in a small, heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Then cook mustard seeds until they begin to pop, about 15 seconds. Add curry leaves and cook 5 seconds. Then pour mixture into pumpkin soup. Stir until combined well and season soup with salt.
 
Happy Halloween, everyone – enjoy!
 
References:
1. http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2600/2
2. Molecules. 2012 Mar 14;17(3):3202-42.
3. Ann Epidemiol. 1995 Jul;5(4):255-60.
4. Dermatology. 2010;221(2):160-71. 
5. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2012 Mar-Apr;22(2):216-25.
6. Z Lebensm Unters Forsch. 1996 Apr;202(4):275-8.
7. Nitric Oxide. 2002 Mar;6(2):221-7.
8. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 1999 Oct;4(4):219-226.
9. J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Feb 26;51(5):1181-8.
10. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2006 Dec;31(24):2021-5, 2093.
11. Carcinogenesis. 1996 Jun;17(6):1343-8.
12. Nutr Cancer. 2012;64(5):652-65. 
13. Nutr Res Pract. 2009 Winter; 3(4): 323–327.
14. Br J Urol. 1990 Dec;66(6):639-41.
 
Posted on by

Preparations for Your Holiday Meal

Every year at this time we offer an additional special Holiday Box ($35) full of traditional organic Thanksgiving meal items for your celebration. Not only can you schedule a Holiday Box to be delivered the week of Thanksgiving, but also the week before and the week after (available Nov. 12-Nov. 30). You can have this box delivered along with your regular order or in place of your regular order (when you place your order please specify). The box menu is as follows (*denotes local):

 

 

Holiday Box Menu

Granny Smith Apples, 2 lbs.*
Cranberries, 8 oz.*
Satsumas, 2 lbs.
Garnet Yams, 2 lbs.
Green Beans, 1 lb.
Carrots, 2 lbs
Yellow Potatoes, 3 lbs.*

 

Celery, 1 bunch
Yellow Onions, 1 lb.*
Acorn Squash, 1 ea.*
Breadcubes for Stuffing, 1 lb.*
 

**Please note:  Coffee and bread orders for the week of Thanksgiving need to be received by noon on Thursday, November 15. Coffee and bread orders received after this time will be scheduled for your following delivery.

 

 
Remembering Neighbors in Need
If your celebration includes helping the less fortunate who live in our community, we would like to partner with you by giving you the opportunity to purchase a discounted Holiday Donation Box for only $25, to be given to local food banks the week of Thanksgiving. Last year 168 Holiday Boxes were donated and this year we’d love to have a greater impact. The volunteers at the food banks have expressed again and again how wonderful and satisfying it is to be able to supply people with fresh produce. Please call or e-mail us to set up this donation.
 
Holiday Delivery Schedule
Our office will be closed Thursday and Friday the week of the Thanksgiving holiday, so that week we will have an adjusted delivery schedule. After reviewing the general delivery schedule below, if you are still uncertain as to your delivery day the week of Thanksgiving please give us a call.
 
For delivery
Monday, 11/19
• Tuesday customers
• Anacortes & Oak Harbor customers For delivery
 
Tuesday, 11/20
• Wednesday customers, except those in Anacortes & Oak Harbor
• Thursday customers, except those in Marysville south of 88th St NE For delivery
 
Wednesday, 11/21
• Friday customers
• Marysville customers south of 88th St NE
 
Posted on by

Wisdom

I remember when I was newly married (before farming was even a thought in our minds), Joelle and I were visiting her grandfather Henry at his house on the banks of the Snohomish River. Henry was a sawyer by trade and a man full of wisdom. From the vantage point of his home, he could see all of the farmland between Silver Firs and Snohomish, an area known as marshland, and for the most part had lived all his life in that area. 

 
He had told stories about shipping eggs to NYC by rail during the Great Depression. One time he was recounting a story about how his sisters would help wash the eggs. They used a dry brush system, much like a golf ball washer that one would find on any course around here. Grandpa Henry was industrious, always a tinkerer, so I am sure he designed that washer. As Grandpa would tell the story, he would be outside fixing this and that, when all of the sudden there would be this clamoring from the “egg processing area.” Then a wry smile and twinkle in his eyes would appear as he paused and said, “She broke another egg.” While funny to him and us, when that egg washer came across a soft shelled egg, it would send the contents everywhere. I never found out if he improved on the design or his sisters went on strike. Sadly, his generation is now passing quickly and soon we will have to have those rich history lessons only from history books.
 
Another time we were visiting, he showed us the tractor he had made, designed for mowing hillsides and, by adding a counter- balanced buzz saw, for cutting rounds. It definitely was not OSHA approved, but back then people took personal responsibility for their actions—sadly, there were accidents, but also great discoveries.
 
But the most profound things that Grandpa Henry ever said to me had to do with the seasons. Although I can’t remember the exact context of our conversation, we were talking about the change in weather and how winter was coming. I do remember that it was around this time of year, maybe early November, and it was getting cold. I commented, “Looks like winter is coming early.” He thought about my comment and said, “The coldest months are January and February.” I knew he was talking to me, but you could tell that he was fondly remembering another era. Those moments are priceless when you get to step back in time and relive them with someone.
 
Our conversation wasn’t small talk, I was actually trying to garner some wisdom and Grandpa was teaching me some important things about life. He and his family were impacted by the seasons—spring, summer and fall were for the winter. And when it came to something as simple as a comment on winter, he made sure he and I got it right. 
 
As a farmer now, some twenty years later, I am much more attuned to the seasons, even to the salmon berries and the walnut blossoms. I will never forget that spring, summer and fall are for the winter. Winter is its own gift, when the land rests and so does the farmer.
 
Posted on by

Squash Fest at Klesick Family Farm

When:
October 12th and 13th (this Friday and Saturday)
 
Time:  
1:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. (both days)
 
Where:  
Klesick Family Farm
24101 Miller Rd., Stanwood
 
What to bring:
• Boots or good walking shoes (remember this is a farm and the terrain is uneven)
• Cash or check, all the squash will be $0.75 per pound (we can charge your purchases to your account)
 
What not to bring:
• The flu (our family doesn’t want to get the flu)
• Pets (our dogs think they own the place ☺)
 
All silliness aside, Squash Fest is a harvest opportunity and another chance to come and hang out on the Klesick Family Farm and get your hands dirty in a non-pesticide/herbicide/any kind of “cide” environment. This is a simple, low-key opportunity to harvest some squash, not a farm festival like our August event. We will have Cinderella and Sugar Pie Pumpkins, and Acorn, Carnival, Delicata and Kabocha Squashes.
 
Being a farm that doesn’t use synthetic chemicals is important to us. Our kids live here and play here, and Joelle and I don’t want to have to worry about when chemicals were applied or residuals left on a crop. The only thing my kiddos need to learn about living on a farm is that tractors need to be respected and so does the hot wire. With the tractors we pay attention to where the children are, but they usually figure out which wires are “hot” on their own ☺. 
 
With that said, Joelle and I are eager to host you and your family and others from the community for a simple harvest event. Good clean fun and good clean food. Now that is a recipe for health!
I hope to see you Friday and Saturday!
 
 
Posted on by

Sweet corn needs more fertilizer next year

 

I just finished planting the cover crop for this winter in time for last week’s “heavy mist,” so we should see germination very shortly. Most of our plantings from June and July are coming to fruition and we should be able to harvest those in the next few weeks, except for corn. Ugh! Corn has been a bummer all season. It really needed a lot more summer than what we got this year.  The joke around here is that I have corn for the end of October, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  In a normal year we would have sweet corn by now, with the second planting close behind and the third planting for mid-October. This year hasn’t worked out as well. We got it in early enough, but it just didn’t get going. I am not giving up on it, but if that acre is going to pay for itself we are going to have to have the most incredible Indian summer ever.
 
If I could have gotten water on my last planting of corn, it might have done the best because of the hot weather that blessed us soon after planting it.  Of course, the third planting is always a gamble.  In hindsight, corn needs a lot more fertilizer than other vegetables, and based upon what I see, it needed a few more nutrients and heat units this season. Oh well, that is farming—not every crop pays the bills. We will have corn and it will be sweet, but a smaller harvest than planted and planned for. 
 
With that said, I participated in a WSU research trial using Cedargrove Compost this season. Here is what I have noticed. In the cover crop trial there was a noticeable difference in the compost areas to non-compost added areas. The potatoes were markedly larger plants and the corn plants are greener and taller where the compost was applied. 
 
Compost definitely works and I would encourage everyone to use it around your flower beds and vegetable gardens. We apply compost in the spring before planting and right now. Appling compost now will mimic nature because fall is the time that nature sheds its summer growth and the microbial and other ground critters make those nutrients available for next spring. In the fall we apply compost more like a mulch and in the spring we apply it more thinly and work it in. So after you clean those flower beds, muster the extra energy to mulch with compost. Your spring growth will be better and your soil happier!