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“It is not Farmland without Farmers”

I see bumper stickers from time to time with this message. However, this message just doesn't resonate with me. Granted, it takes a farmer to bring the land into production, but the farmer doesn't make it farmland. The bumper sticker is attempting to get at an issue, a very real issue—that we need more farmers, especially younger farmers. The average age of the American farmer is 57. Yikes! That means there is a lot of really old farmers getting ready to retire. For sure this is an issue, but this bumper sticker, directly or indirectly, incorrectly places the focus on the farmer and not on the land. 
 
It is true that the land and the farmer are tied together, but one really is not a farmer without land. And even more important, one is a better farmer with farmland than most other kinds of land. I would contend that farmland is farmland with or without a farmer. It would be more appropriate to say, "It is not farmed land without a farmer." And just because a farmer no longer wants to farm the land doesn't make it any less farmable or valuable for farming.
 
Not all farmland is the same. There is no perfect soil type for all crops (e.g., vegetables, dairy or berries), but there are some good general soil types that support a wide variety of farms. The most valuable farmland is what we farmers call "bottom land" and in Western Washington this is typically found in the flood plains. This land is rich and has been traditionally productive for centuries because of the flooding.
 
Bottom land is the most important land to save for future farmers or “stewards,” if you will. I don't want to conserve this land, I want to actively manage its uniqueness and allow it to feed generations to come. This is the big difference between a conservationist model and a stewardship model. Both have their place, but farmland has a different purpose than a national park or even an industrial park. Each of these uses are important for society and need to be planned for, but farmland is the bedrock of civilization and our nation should work hard to make it difficult to change the use of farmland to other uses.
 
Thoughtfully, raising food in a very wet year,
 
A steward of the land
 
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Farmland = Food

The other day, I was driving through our valley and noticing the diversity of crops and farms. Our valley in the lower Stillaguamish hasn’t changed much since the 40s. We are, relatively, newcomers to this section of the river, having arrived in 2003, which is longer than any other place we have lived.  When we found this farm, we were super excited and got to work restoring an 1892 built farmhouse and building our legacy of farming. 
 
Surrounded by several generations of farmers, we moved into the “old Martin place” and started the process of learning how to farm this ground. We knew the ground had potential, we studied the soil maps and talked to farmers who had farmed it and gleaned stories about when to work it and when not to, and most importantly how it floods!
 
The reason we were able to buy this farm is because the Stillaguamish River frequently overruns its usual meandering path and covers the whole valley. Oh my, what a shock to actually experience the power of the Stillaguamish River. But it is the Stillaguamish River’s propensity to flood that has actually preserved farmland or else I wouldn’t be writing this newsletter.
 
But isn’t this the crux of the issue, we have a farm because the river demands us to share the land, otherwise it would look like a city! It is more though—our farmland is a community resource.  No farmland means no food and no food means no people.  We, as community, have a personal and collective interest in preserving our farmland.  More than food is produced on our farmland. There are other creatures that have their homes and lifestyles preserved because of the river and the farmland. I believe we need to switch from chemical farming and GMO farming to organic type farming. It will be better for our health and the health of our world.
 
From the beginning of civilization, farms and cities have coexisted in proximity and community. The Klesick Family Farm and you represent the future of farming and the future of good nutrient-rich food for future generations. Organic farmers and organic consumers are providing sanity to a system that is bankrupt, where farmers act more like miners robbing our soils of the nutrients we need to live.
Your weekly support of home delivery service impacts the future. Essentially, consumers of organic food today are preserving the healthy farmland for tomorrow (with the help of the Stillaguamish River, of course). 
 
And maybe, just maybe someone will look at my farm in a 100 years from now and pick up the soil and look at its tilth and smell its life and want to farm the “old Klesick place” and continue to feed their neighbors nutrient-rich food.
 
My goal is to raise nutrient-rich food and one day leave this farm more fertile and more friendly to all those who call this place home.
 
Farming “the Old Martin Place” with an eye towards the future,
 
 
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Ahhh…the smell of fresh coffee!

I love the aroma of fresh brewed coffee. As it percolates and fills the air of my kitchen this morning, I’m reminded of my recent visit to Camano Island Coffee Roasters. I’ve been to the roaster many times before, but this time was different. Just recently, CICR had a research company conduct a study on coffee. This research uncovered some astounding things. I thought to myself, “Why not share some of these insights with the Klesick Family Farm community?”

One of the first things I learned was that coffee is one of the most absorbent crops on the planet. Pesticides used on food today are carcinogenic. Because of the carcinogenic nature of pesticides and coffee’s high absorbency, organic coffee is essential to protecting our health.
 
Second, modern coffee farming techniques have led to damaging levels of acidity and caffeine in your coffee. If you have experienced heartburn, acid reflux, or stomach pain after drinking coffee, then you need shade-grown coffee. Shade-grown coffee grows much slower than modern sun-grown coffee farming, and develops much less acidity and caffeine — no more stomach ache!
 
Third, over-roasted or burnt coffee results in high levels of carcinogens. An astounding study conducted by the FDA found the levels of Acrylamide, a known carcinogen, to be 50 times higher than the EPA’s safety standard for drinking water.
 
Lastly, most grocery store coffee is stale and moldy. Why? Because of the logistics of distribution and time spent on the grocery store shelf. In fact, studies have found Ochratoxin, a toxin produced by mold, in grocery store coffee. It’s a common industry standard that most grocery store coffee has been sitting for at least 3 months before you buy. How can you know this? Check the roast-on-date on the bag.
 
Because of these reasons, and the fact that I love the flavor, we only offer Camano Island Coffee. Today, I am pleased to announce that we have come to a special agreement with Camano Island Coffee Roasters. We will now carry 2 lb. bags of coffee for $25.95. This is the direct from the roaster rate, and since we’ll deliver it with your box you save on shipping charges. Just let us know how often you need it: weekly, bi-weekly, etc. This saves you $1.94 over 1 lb. bags. You’re going to buy coffee anyway, so why not let us save you some time and money, and put some freshly roasted organic coffee from a local company in your box. 
 
Your farmer and partner in good health,
 
 
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The Exquisite Cherry

Grandpa would hoist me deep into the branches. Suddenly I was surrounded by a forest of fruit-heavy limbs with hundreds of plump cherries at my disposal. My arms blurred in hurried motion as I picked as fast as I could before Grandpa’s arms grew tired. I looked as if I had come from battle, descending the tree with every inch of me stained with flecks of blood red juice.  
 
Many years later, my husband and I bought our first home. It met much of our criteria, but it was t  he two cherry trees in the front yard that had me signing on the dotted line. Disappointment hit initially as the summer brought forth berries of a light pink hue. They weren’t the cherries that I remember eating with grandpa. I mourned the idea of eating the cherries straight off the tree only briefly, as I quickly learned that sour cherries create the most lovely preserves and pie. We’ve since sold that home and each year I think of those trees hoping that the current owner realizes the treasure they  now have.
 
Chef and author Nigel Slater says, “A bag of cherries is a bag of happiness.” I could not agree more. There is nothing wrong with simply plucking the dense berries from their stem and placing them directly into your mouth. No recipe could be easier or more rewarding. But there are hundreds of creative ways you can incorporate cherries into meals, sweet or savory. 
 
At the end of a summer meal, a large bowl of cherries over ice, served with another large bowl of whipped cream, creates the perfect dessert. Guests are encouraged to dunk the berries deep into the subtly sweet cream, then straight into their mouths. A light dusting of cinnamon onto the cream transcends the dessert even further, as cinnamon and cherries create an endearing union. If chocolate excites you more than cream, simply replace one for the other. Cherries dipped in chocolate –what could be better? You could do this ahead and serve as a lovely after-dinner treat. Simply melt a bowl filled of chocolate, dip cherries in leaving a bit of their brightly colored flesh showing, refrigerate, then bring out to a table filled with happy people upon seeing the arrival of fresh fruit and chocolate.
 
Atop a bed of peppery arugula, cherries soften the greens with their sweetness and add a brilliant pop of color. Shavings of Parmigiano-Regiano are highly recommended. Or start the meal with a platter of cherries atop fresh goat cheese. Serve with crackers or bread. 
 
If the cherries are a bit lacking in flavor it is a tragedy, but not all hope is lost. A bit of time in the oven brings out their natural sweetness and changes the flavor to something new and quite exciting. Toss with a bit of sugar or honey and enjoy over ice cream, yogurt or alone with a spoon.
 
Lately, our cherries disappear too quickly for me to do anything except enjoy my own children getting as much pleasure with them as I do. If we do have a few stragglers or some berries that are less than perfect but still needn’t be wasted, they have become part of our lemonade. A quick muddling of a few cherries with cold lemonade splashed over top instantly feels of summer no matter what it looks like outside.
 
by Ashley Rodriguez
www.notwithoutsalt.com