Category: Words from Tristan

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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?
 
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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! 
 
 
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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.
 
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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!
 
 
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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!
 
 
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I thought summer was my busy time!

At last, fall has arrived, the geese have returned and the mornings are crisp! This time of year is full of hustle and bustle on and off the farm. It seems that during the summer we are busy farming and tossing in a few family outings, but when fall rolls around and school starts up, hang on.
 
It is the convergence of harvest, school and SOCCER! Does anyone else feel like you need a summer vacation to get ready for fall soccer? This year we have three soccer players and one ballerina. Between all the practices and games I can scarcely find a free night. I do love this season though. 
 
This year, I got the “your son’s team doesn’t have a coach” phone call. So I volunteered to coach, after all I was going to be at practices, anyway. It has been nearly 40 years since my parents were coaching my 5 year old teams. Hmmm, is this a generational commitment? Really how hard can it be to coach 5 year old boys? Pretty easy. My motto: keep them moving, ask them if they want to do the drills the big boys do, and take frequent water breaks. We are having a ball with the ball, playing games and scrimmaging. It is so much fun. 
 
But, we still have the farm work to fit in amongst school, homework and soccer. That is why this season is so busy. So for a few months our family will be harvesting crops, doing homework and playing soccer. Then just about the time soccer ends, the farm work will come to an end as well and then we will rest.
 
So, in between coaching, watching soccer or helping with homework there will be more fruits and veggies coming your way.
 
 
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Planting & Harvesting

This is the time of year where I want to be done, but all the energy of May, June and July are coming to fruition now. During this season we are mostly harvesting and getting ready for flood season. Flood season???? Yes, I am getting ready for flood season. I realize that we haven’t had any significant precipitation for over a month, but now is the time to start preparing for it. We haven’t had a flood of any consequence for two years, which means this year can be benign or  devastating, so we plan for the worst and pray for the best.

We plan for flooding by planting cover crops on our farm. The cover crops are multi-purposed. If/when it does flood, a good stand of wheat, rye or vetch will help keep unnecessary soil from escaping to the river and also scouring our fields. While that is important, cover crops also hold our soil nutrients from leaching away with the incessant rains we have. Leaching of nutrients from farm fields has huge environmental impacts, from dead zones in bodies of water to contaminated aquifers. Another, advantage to cover crop planting is that the soil stays uncompacted, which makes it easier to prepare for spring crops. If you haven’t noticed, I am a huge proponent of cover crops. 
 
So this week on the farm we will be putting part of the cover crop in the ground and continuing to harvest other crops. Harvesting…what are we harvesting? This week we finished digging the potatoes—I am sorry they are dirty, but they do last longer if they are not washed. We are also bunching beets, picking carrots, zucchini, cucumbers and a splash of fall strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  This should also be the last week of our green beans—my farm crew is pretty happy about that! They have hand-picked over 3,500 lbs. this season and have bent over those bush beans for what seems like forever.
 
There is still corn, winter squash, cilantro, spinach, beets, chard, some apples, Italian prunes and Bosc pears to come. I better stop writing and get busy!
 
Enjoy the bounty of your local farms, we are in full swing.
 
 
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Teamwork

 

Coming off the heels of our farm festival, I am reminded of how important it is to work together or, more importantly, how important each piece is to completing the puzzle. Our annual festival and our weekly “box of good” only happen because people come together and complete the puzzle.
 
Accomplishing these two things is much easier when it is not the farm season. The farm season, at times, seems like a tidal wave crashing upon us, especially when we are planting, harvesting, weeding and trying to maintain some semblance of family life. As the farmer, I am constantly surprising my team with extra vegetables or fruit that they were not planning for because I happen to discover a patch of strawberries or onions or spinach that is ready earlier than I expected. My team is very nimble and can change menus and directions in seconds. 
 
The other day was a prime example of teamwork. Maleah and I are the flower farmers. We have a system in place when it is time to pick flowers. She runs around and gets the asters, cosmos and dahlias and I get the sunflowers, amaranth, calendula, marigolds and straw flowers. She has quite an eye for picking beautiful flowers. Well, the other day she was at a sleepover birthday party and had left earlier that afternoon. The rest of our family was doing some last minute weeding and harvesting for the festival. Maleah and I always start harvesting flowers about a half an hour before dark. Of course, out of habit, I started the flower harvest like normal. At that moment I thought to myself, “What was I thinking, letting Maleah go to a birthday party during harvest time?!?!?” I ran around cutting my usual flowers and then I ran around getting Maleah’s usual flowers, barely finishing as the sun left the horizon. Then it took twice as long to bunch them.
 
That night, I experienced the importance of my seven year old’s help. I got the flowers harvested and arranged, but pinch hitting for Maleah isn’t nearly as much fun or efficient as working with her. I will still let her go to birthday parties, but I will definitely start earlier next time!
 
Farming as a family and a team, 
 
 
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Now that was a Party!

Over 500 of you came out to the farm on a beautiful, pleasantly cool afternoon and based on the smiles and photos on Facebook, people were having a great time.  The Klesick Family Farm festival is the perfect venue for us to connect with our customers.

From farm walks, hay rides and family games, to digging in the dirt with an excavator, this place was hopping, especially during the gunny sack races J. Kiddos were building wooden boats, felting, searching for lost mice in the haze maze and many were getting a farm makeover (AKA face painting)—oh my, we have a host of talented painters on our staff.
 
During this event, my job is to get the farm looking beautiful and make sure the crops are getting harvested and planted as well, but on the day of the festival my team frees me up to visit with you. I am so thankful for the 45 volunteers who give a Saturday to serve our customers—the  are an amazing bunch of people.  Every year we see a lot of the same families, like the Hopkins, Pappases, Monsefs, Fullers, and Elis, rolling in at 10 a.m. and rolling out at 4 p.m..Their kiddos are getting so big and, my, do they look healthy (I am sure that it has to do with their organic home delivery service J)! The connections are so rich, our customers have become friends and that is beautiful.
 
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the potato digging. It almost didn’t happen this year, but our team, at the last minute, added it back in and, voila, a horde of eager future farmers followed me over to the potato patch. I love that moment when I tell the children we are going to harvest potatoes and to stand back as the tractor begins to unearth the bounty. And all of a sudden, as if by magic, these yellow tubers pop out of the ground and time seems to stand still for an instant as a wave of awe comes over the children and there is this palpable energy. And then the kiddos turn that energy into their own personal harvest and for that moment they have become farmers bringing in the harvest. For me, that is the sweetest moment, when our farm brings back memories of the good old days or introduces the wonders of it all to a future farmer.
 
Thank you to my team and thank you to those of you who could spend a Saturday with us, I am truly blessed to be your farmer and host.
 
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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