Nagoonberry

Counting Coup...On the Vacuum Cleaner

2009-04-04T19:10:00.003-08:00

Brady, like most dogs, is terrified of the vacuum cleaner. Whenever I get the Oreck out of the closet, he runs to his kennel and hides.

He ventures out cautiously if the ferocious beast is roaring in another room. He holds his ground as I make my way from the back of the house to the front, moving ever closer to his "turf." He watches the vacuum vigilantly, ready to dart to the safety of his kennel at the first sign of danger.

It doesn't help that our vacuum has headlights. When I turn in his direction, the lights glare fiercely at him, and he runs for cover.

Today, in a great show of bravery, he darted quickly at the enemy, nipped the vacuum bag, and darted away again, only rising for the briefest of moments from a defensive crouch. When I realized what he was doing--counting coup on the vacuum cleaner--I nearly laughed out loud.

But biting the vacuum is not behavior I want to encourage, so he got his scolding, and a trip to his kennel. Inside I was laughing, though, and he probably knew it.

We humans like to think we're special, but animals do so many of the same things we do, and we can learn from each other. In this case, both dogs and humans have a practice that reminds them that simply by touching the strange other we call our enemy, we can conquer our fear.

Friedman: Learning to Speak Climate

2008-08-06T19:59:00.001-08:00

In a recent op-ed piece in the NYT, Thomas Friedman shares three phases that make up Climate-Speak. They are:

“Just a few years ago ...”
“I’ve never seen that before...”
“Well usually ...but now I don’t know anymore.”

That pretty much sums up our experience here in Alaska this summer. Global weirding indeed.

The Great 08 Veggie Adventure

2008-08-05T20:15:00.002-08:00

As I've written about before, this summer I am participating in not one, but two CSA programs. One, Arctic Organics, is local. The other, Full Circle Farm, is based in Carnation, WA.

Every Tuesday I meet with three friends on my front deck for the Veggie Divide. We split two Arctic Organics shares between the four of us. It's been an interesting exercise in sharing and compromise. We've adjusted for scheduled and emergency absences. We've worked around differences in styles and tastes. And through this weekly practice we are getting to know each other more deeply than we could with conversation alone.

Every other Thursday I pick up a small box from Full Circle Farms. FCF allows its members to swap out up to five items each week, so I adjust my box contents with Arctic Organics in mind, choosing apricots rather than kale, blueberries rather than mixed greens, and sweet corn instead of broccoli.

It is still more than the two of us (plus the dog) can keep up with, but even when the collard greens wind up in the compost pile, I am glad that I'm part of both programs.

GMOs By Any Other Name

2008-05-18T13:33:00.001-08:00

I have been reading Jeffrey Sach's new book, Commonwealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, and learning a great deal.

But he began talking about "high-yield seeds" and I wondered, "Is he talking about GMOs?" Careful reading--and some follow-up googling--revealed that yes, Sachs does believe in genetic modification of seeds.

I'm not a scientist--just an educated reader. For me it once again comes down to trust. I simply don't trust Monsanto. Vanity Fair's recent "Green Issue" had a powerful article that talks more about Monsanto's record of bad behavior in the past--and its current practice of fear and intimidation. Monsanto has a huge number of Superfund sites in its history. GMOs are legal in this country based on Monsanto-subsidized and/or Monsanto-produced testing. Sound like a safe bet to you?

So what should I think about Jeffrey Sachs? Is he naive? So focused on elimating poverty & hunger that he's willing to poison the planet (and the people he's saved from poverty & hunger)? Or worse--has he been wooed by the money Monsanto pours into his pet projects, the Millenium Villages?

I don't know what to think. But his book is worth reading--with caution, and open eyes.

A Creative Solution

2008-04-17T16:33:00.004-08:00

Kim Sollien's new blog on the Anchorage Daily News website had record numbers of comments when she raised the issue of Full Circle Farm.

Full Circle is a new breed of CSA. Perhaps "Concentric Circles Farm" would be a better name for it. Subscribers receive produce first from Full Circle's farm in Carnation, WA, then from farms in the Pacific NW, then the West Coast of the US, then farther afield. All of it is organic, fair trade, etc. As the circles get wider, of course, there's less control over how organic, how fair, but that's a leap of faith you choose to make if you subscribe.

Business is booming for Full Circle Farm here in AK. It amazes me that they're delivering to places like Dillingham, Kotzebue and Bethel.

Kim's blog raises the question of whether the success of FCF in Alaska takes business away from local farmers. The discussion was thoughtful--and sometimes hot!

For me, I like the flexibility and diversity of FCF. I am cautiously in awe of their marketing success. And I want to keep going with FCF through the summer.

But I also want to return to Arctic Organics. I believe very strongly in supporting our local Alaskan farmers. And FCF's produce just can't match the freshness of local veggies.

Solution? Four small families, including mine, will share two subscriptions from Arctic Organics. Two of us will continue with FCF, while the other two are complete CSA rookies. We plan to meet each week on my spacious front deck to divide up the bounty.

Who knows? Perhaps even more interesting community-building will come from it. Maybe we'll even decide to preserve the harvest together.

It's All About Trust

2008-04-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

During the recently concluded legislative session, I helped out with the effort to legalize raw milk in Alaska. Somehow I found myself emailing updates and action alerts to more than forty people, all of whom were passionate about access to raw milk.

They are a diverse group. People from Delta and Homer, Palmer and Anchorage, Wasilla and Eagle River. Conservatives and liberals. Religious people and people without religious affiliation. Some who wrote long, impassioned pleas and others who simply emailed me their names and address. Folks for whom the issue is about health, and others for whom the issue is about freedom.

What holds these disparate people together, I believe, is the effort to rebuild civic trust. Betrayal has been so pervasive, on so many fronts, that many of us are standing just a few feet from total disillusionment, trying to figure out how to walk back in the direction of hope.

It's not easy figuring out who to trust. We just watched the documentary Libby, Montana, and it was so painful to hear the stories of workers at the WR Grace mine, betrayed by members of management who were leaders in the Libby community, in local government, in local churches. Betrayed by people they interacted with on a daily basis. Betrayed by people they trusted.

A spiritual director once told me, "Trust everyone a little. Trust no one completely." It would be nice if we could let down our guard and relax, but unfortunately we cannot afford to walk through life naively. We have to be alert, conscious, vigilant, thinking people.

Raw Milk Adventure

2008-04-15T18:43:00.002-08:00

We tasted our first "raw milk" cheese today: Monterey Jack Wisconsin Raw Milk Cheese.

OK, so I don't know if it was hard-core, raw milk cheese. Organic Valley says it was heat treated to the threshold of pasteurization without being pasteurized. Whatever that means.

It tasted delicious. It's hard to tell, sometimes, if things really do taste better when they're organic, local, less processed.

Herding with Brady

2008-04-12T19:56:00.003-08:00

Throughout this past winter, most Saturdays you would find Brady and me herding sheep in Wasilla at Sunset Acres Farm. This photo was taken last summer, when it was actually hot enough to wear a t-shirt! Right now around here we're beginning to think it will never be spring, let alone summer.

Learning to herd sheep with a dog is a difficult skill, and perhaps even a spiritual discipline. It teaches humility, patience, consciousness--yep, sounds like a spiritual discipline to me.

In this photo, Brady is coming to the head of the small group of sheep, something he's not really supposed to do. So he's learning where to be, and I'm learning how to tell him where to be.

Herding can be frustrating and funny all at the same time. When the Brady's barking and running circles around the sheep, and the sheep are pushing past me and through me. When Suzanne is yelling commands to me across the arena, and my brain is sure that she's speaking French. When Suzanne takes over with Brady and through her expertise and confidence he turns into a little herding angel.

So why do Brady & I go to herding lessons? First and foremost, because "a tired dog is a good dog." And because he loves it, and was bred to do it--it's in his genes. But also because it's an ancient skill, and we're losing ancient skills as quickly as we are endangered species. It's good exercise. It forces me to connect with the physical world, something this daydreamer needs to do. It is, as Martha says, a good thing.

Raw Milk: In Support of House Bill 367

2008-03-05T20:55:00.001-09:00

Here's the public testimony I wrote in support of House Bill 367, which would legalize the sale of raw (unpasteurized) milk in Alaska.

When I was growing up in New Jersey, one of my favorite summer vacations was visiting the dairy farm in Ontario owned by my aunt and uncle. I loved the green pastures, the water lilies on the creek, and the soft noses on the newborn calves. I also loved the fresh, raw milk we drank there, an exotic and delicious substance that came from the huge tank in the milk room, rather than from plastic jugs purchased at the grocery store.

This Jersey girl is, in more ways than one, a long way from home. Here in Alaska I am building a life that has more in common with that dairy farm than the suburban life I knew as a child. I may live in Eagle River, with neighbors close on either side, but most weekends I drive to the Valley to purchase eggs and teach my dog how to herd a flock of Shetland sheep. In the summer I receive a weekly allotment of vegetables from River and Sara Bean's farm in Palmer. I would like to be able to add local, raw cow and goat milk to my shopping list.

I am by no means alone in these kinds of endeavors. The New Oxford American Dictionary's 2007 Word of the Year was "locavore," meaning someone who believes "that strong local food systems are essential for environmental sustainability, food security, social equity, and the economic vitality of thriving communities."[1] People are joining Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs), shopping at Farmers' Markets, and tracking down local sources of meat and poultry, dairy products and eggs. Even in Alaska, people are responding to bestselling author Michael Pollan's suggestion, "Shake the hand that feeds you."[2]

In the end, it comes down to trust. When I purchase milk, I believe that I am better off trusting the dairy farmer whose clean barns and healthy animals I've had a chance to see, rather than the large corporations and government agencies who for fifty years urged us to switch to trans-fat-laden margarine. The dairy farmers of Alaska are good people, people we can trust to feed us a healthy, delicious product. Let's free them from unnecessary regulation by passing HB367.

[1] Jessica Prentiss, quoted on the New Oxford Dictionary's blog, http://blog.oup.com/2007/11/prentice/
[2] Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, p. 160.

The Arc of the Universe - You Are What You Eat

2008-03-03T21:45:00.001-09:00

Here's an interesting UU sermon on food choices.

The Arc of the Universe - You Are What You Eat

politics v. Politics

2008-02-05T20:56:00.001-09:00

Tonight I had an odd dilemma: get to Mountain Mary's to pick up my Full Circle Farm box, or get to the Democratic caucus. But cilantro was calling me, so Barack lost out.

I have never seen so many folks participating in a caucus! This Gen-Xer has a hard time wrapping her mind around a primary election causing a traffic jam.

There, and Back Again

2007-12-12T20:09:00.001-09:00

Life's been crazy lately.

Herding with Brady takes a chunk of time on Saturdays.

Visit from family at Thanksgiving.

The push toward the end of the semester and Christmas.

Who can keep up?

Especially when that long stretch of brown and gray without snow ate away at our spirits and our energy.

But I'm back, despite the craziness of this week. Why is everyone's life falling apart?

NPR : Will a Warmer World Have Enough Food?

2007-11-03T17:43:00.001-08:00

NPR : Will a Warmer World Have Enough Food?

I am very interested in the question of how climate change will affect agriculture. On a personal level, as we consider where to live for the next 20-3o years of our lives, we want to know that the land we choose for our farm/ranch will not become a desert!

FW: Full Circle Farm 10/31/07

2007-10-31T22:30:00.002-08:00

This week's order had some disappointments--also known as learning experiences.

Here's what was in the box...

Red potatoes. Looked good. Haven't had them yet--still working on Arctic Organic and Sunset Acres Farm potatoes.

Spaghetti squash. Should be interesting. Have never cooked spaghetti squash before, but lots of folks say they love them. Hope operator error doesn't get in the way of our enjoyment of it.

Yellow Onion. Had half of this last night with some potatoes and turkey sausage. Seemed sweet and flavorful.

Golden beets (double order). Arctic Organics spoiled me. The golden beets look a bit sad. Perhaps once they're roasted and peeled...or peeled and roasted.

Jonagold apples. Four apples, a few bruises. My sweetie has just learned about Marzetti's caramel dip, so I may purchase some to encourage apple consumption.

Stark Crimson pears. They don't look crimson. Hope they didn't send Anjou instead.

Garlic. Looks good. My plan is to teach myself how to roast a head of garlic. Unfortunately the wipe-out rate on the foodie learning curve is quite high.

Celery. Nice tops that I'll probably use in chicken soup.

Braising mix. Forgot to sub this out--I don't care for braised greens, especially if there's kale involved.

Red leaf lettuce. A few icky leaves on the outside, and more dirt than I'm used to with Arctic Organics.

Roma tomatoes. Never again. They're from Mexico, and at least two of them don't look very good.

Cremini mushrooms. I'll do something with these tonight, I think. Maybe tossed with some pasta.

That's the scoop. Cranky about other things today, so some of the negativity may be bleeding over into my thoughts about FCF.

FCF: First Box Evaluation

2007-10-28T22:07:00.002-08:00

My second box from Full Circle Farm arrives next Tuesday. I'm on the every-other-week plan, which feels about right for the two of us.

Here's how I did with the first box.

The scallions are languishing in the crisper.

As are the beets. Perhaps they will join with their golden cousins (arriving in Tuesday's box) in a lovely roasted beet salad. Thank goodness for sturdy, patient root vegetables.

I still have a backlog of carrots from Arctic Organics, despite having discovered a delicious method for making glazed carrots that both of us really like. So Brady has been the only one to taste the new FCF carrots. He likes them. And he's a very discriminating dog. Ha!

Garnet yams are apparently only red on the outside. I'm sure they would have been better had I not been such a novice vegetable roaster.

Haven't had the Valencia oranges yet. I want to make juice out of them and don't have the right tools yet.

The first D'Anjou pear wasn't ripe. The second was better. Maybe I'll have the third later.

I'm not sure that I like Fuyu persimmons. They seem to get sweeter as they get mushier. But there's still a funny texture to them--kind of stringy.

The broccoli was good. Better than frozen, not as good as Arctic Organics.

The Golden Delicious apples were nice. Good flavor.

Didn't care for the Asian pears. The grainy texture was almost like sand.

I didn't like the Japanese eggplant, but then again I don't like any kind of eggplant.

The lettuce held up remarkably well. They say organic lettuce has to be hardier, because it doesn't get chemical help fending off pests.

Week One was a good adventure. I'm looking forward to Tuesday!

Crazy, Sweater-Herding Dog

2007-10-17T20:39:00.001-08:00

Brady and I have been going to herding lessons for the last three weekends, and he's really getting "turned on" to the sheep (I suppose that's a technical term!).

So turned on that today when I wore my Icelandic wool sweater for the first time this winter, he decided I was a sheep. Guess there was something in the wool that got him going. Funny, but not OK.

Full Circle Farm--Initial Impressions

2007-10-17T20:16:00.001-08:00

When a friend started with Full Circle Farms, I asked her how she was liking the produce. She paused, then said, "Well, it's not as fresh as you're used to with the Beans...but it's good."

I opened my first box of Full Circle Farms yesterday, and understood what she meant. There is a difference between veggies produced forty-five minutes north of here, and those flown in from Seattle (and produced along the West Coast). They look less shiny, somehow, and, well, a bit tired.

That being said, the variety of things packed into my box is both daunting and exhilarating. Everything from persimmons to garnet yams to Valencia oranges!

I tried the Japanese eggplant last night. Didn't like them, but I think it's the cook's fault, not the veggie's. I really liked that Arctic Organics pushed me to cook unfamiliar vegetables, and I think Full Circle Farms will push me even more. What will I do with the persimmons?!! And how do I know when D'Anjou pears are ripe? And then there are Asian pears, which look more like apples. As my sweetie said, "I didn't know pears came in any other shape than 'pear-shaped.' "

All in all, I think it will be a good adventure, one that prompts me to be the better person I would like to be.

Cheap GMOs Are In Your Gas Tank

2007-10-03T21:30:00.001-08:00

The environmental news and commentary website Grist posted a story this week about federal crop insurance. Yawn, right?

Wake up! The story talks about what is, in effect a subsidy for companies creating genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and at the same time a punishment for organic farmers. Here's a brief quote:
Last Wednesday, Monsanto announced that the Federal Crop Insurance corporation (FCIC) approved a pilot program that will give farmers a 20 percent discount on insurance premiums if they plant a majority of their corn acres with seeds featuring Monsanto's trademarked YieldGard Plus with Roundup Ready Corn 2 or YieldGard VT Triple stack technology. This is the first time the FCIC Board has approved a crop insurance discount for specific crop traits, but not likely the last.

For more information about GMOs, read this article from the Land Institute.

Arctic Organics Week Sixteen

2007-10-02T22:50:00.001-08:00

Thanks for joining us this season! We did it! We made it into October for the first time ever! If you’ll remember, adding this week was to make up for starting one week late in June. The produce this week is certainly compensating well. The extended subscription season as well as the warm weather has allowed our shrinking fall crew to accomplish quite an autumn harvest! The leeks are in fine form, well worth waiting for to let them size up. We are very happy that the broccoli is matured in time. And it’s been a real boon to have the last planting of lettuce protected by hoop houses. Enjoy these last veggies! If you run out, we’ll be at the Anchorage Farmers Market until October 20th with more. Thanks again, and see you next year!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Yellow Finn potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Beets w / greens
Purple top turnip
Carrots
Broccoli
Leeks
Kale
Lettuce
Thyme

Arctic Organics Week Fifteen

2007-09-25T21:58:00.001-08:00

Last delivery is next week! We had another frost last Saturday, but the weather has been very nice to the vegetables since then. Nevertheless we think it’s time to get the tender greens harvested out, as we see the snow line descend down Lazy Mountain! Better to harvest the baby turnips, mibuna and red mustard early than to lose them.

Next week’s order will most certainly consist of hardy vegetables. Enjoy ‘em while you’ve got ‘em!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Russet potatoes
Red cabbage
Rutabaga
Carrots
Baby turnips w / greens
Collards
Red onions w / greens
Mibuna
Red Giant mustard
Lettuce
Sage

Arctic Organics Week Fourteen

2007-09-18T21:11:00.002-08:00

Frost came Monday morning…but it warmed right back up by Tuesday. It was cold enough to kill the zucchini plants. It didn’t damage any of the heartier greens and vegetables, but you might see some signs of frost on the some of the lettuces. We are in full scale “haul it in” mode now, knowing that more frequent freezing overnight temperatures are (sadly) inevitable. We’ve got loads of potatoes, beets, turnips, etc., to get into storage for the winter. Meanwhile, plan on two more deliveries of vegetables this CSA season. The last one is October 2-3. Enjoy the veggies!
River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
German Butterball potatoes
Brussels sprouts
Beets w / greens
Carrots
Redbor kale
Rainbow chard
Purple Top turnips
Red onions w / greens
Catalogna dandelion greens
Lettuce
Parsley

Arctic Organics Week Thirteen

2007-09-11T21:29:00.001-08:00

No frost yet, but it’s nipping at our heels!

We have stayed ahead of the frost successfully so far. This week you’ll be seeing the most frost sensitive crops for the last time: zucchini, celery and fennel. The field is still loaded with other more autumnal offerings for the next three weeks of your subscription.

We harvested carrots for the first time, and look forward to bringing you as many of those as we can find in the field. Enjoy the veggies!

River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Red French fingerling potatoes
Savoy cabbage
Beets w / greens
Carrots
Winterbor kale
Rutabaga
Celery
Fennel
Zucchini
Yellow onions w / greens
Tat soi
Lettuce
Dill
Apples – Norland and Oriole

Carrs Gets with the Program

2007-09-09T13:40:00.001-08:00

I've been enjoying my Fred Meyer reusable grocery bags for months now, and grumbling about Carrs lack of such bags--somehow it seemed inappropriate to use FM bags in Carrs.

Yesterday when I stopped in at our remodeling-in-process Eagle River Carrs, there they were! A huge rack of reusable grocery bags, front and center, right there where people might actually see--and buy--them.

Yes, they were packaged in plastic, making it difficult to purchase them and use them on the same day.

Yes, they are missing that helpful plastic insert in the bottom that makes the FM bags sit nicely in the car.

But at least they had them! Last time I saw them, months ago, there were about five of them, located under the counter at the customer service desk. Then they disappeared completely.

I celebrated the arrival of this new bunch of bags by purchasing two of them. Gotta reward the good behavior of whoever put so many of them in so visible a place.

Beautiful Beets

2007-09-08T13:26:00.002-08:00

This week's beets from Arctic Organics were beautiful! I roasted them while roasting some potatoes for dinner, then took some of the beets to work for Potluck Friday (as part of a green salad). The rest I ate when I got home--because the ones in the salad had been so sweet and delicious!

They are red beets, golden beets and chioggia beets. What a combination!

Another foray option...

2007-09-07T22:11:00.001-08:00

briciole: Edizione speciale: Novel Food

First Foodblogging Event Foray?

2007-09-07T22:08:00.001-08:00

thepassionatecook: Waiter! There's something in my... savoury preserve!

Hmmm. I've been wanting to join a foodblogging event. Perhaps this will be the one.

Sleepy Boy

2007-09-07T21:53:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when you're addicted to doggie daycare.

You wind up flat on your back on the floor, "dog-tired," your ear turned inside-out, and your momma takes pictures of you.

It's enough to make a young dog consider the error of his ways.

Anchorage ReStore

2007-09-07T20:50:00.001-08:00

On my way home from work this evening I stopped at Anchorage's Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The ReStore is a hybrid--part Home Depot, part thrift store. I was in search of a cover for the hole in our deck through which our dryer vents (long story, another day) and hoping for "salvage chic," but no luck. Bought a boring white vent cover, and I'll keep looking for a more attractive version.

Good to know about the ReStore, however. Lots of tile. Buckets of paint for $5. Doorknobs and cement blocks and kitchen cabinets. A good place to keep in mind.

Alaska Women's Environmental Network

2007-09-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Saw in tonight's ADN that the Alaska Women's Environmental Network (AWEN) is meeting at the Moose's Tooth tomorrow night. Don't think I'll have time to go, but it's worth noting their existence--and doing a little sleuthing to figure out who they are and what they do.

Bedtime Reading

2007-09-05T21:16:00.000-08:00

For the last several nights I've been reading--and enjoying--Bonny Wolf's Talking with My Mouth Full. I read the chapter on kitchen disasters to my not-so-foodie sweetie, laughing so hard I could barely get the words out.

It's excellent bedtime reading--satisfying, like the comfort food she writes about in one chapter. The chapters are short, so disciplined folks can eat "just enough," while the rest of us zoom on ahead and soon the popcorn bowl is empty.

I'm pleased with myself that I was able to restrain myself enough to leave a few chapters for tonight's enjoyment before taking TWMMF back to the library.

Arctic Organics Week Twelve

2007-09-04T21:31:00.000-08:00

Still no frost!
The lack of frost during August’s full moon is an Alaskan farmer’s boon. Now that the clouds have come in to help hold all this warm air close to the land, we may get a nice long reprieve from the frost. The benefit is that the more fragile plants are alive and well in the field. These include zucchini, fennel, celery, dill, etc. Thus the extended zucchini season!

Potato management is also dependent on frost. In the case of potatoes, we wait for the frost to kill the plants in order to harden the potatoes. Since that did not happen yet, we will have to mow the plants to accomplish the same end. River has started to do so this week, and so you’ll be finding potatoes in your order next week! Enjoy the veggies!
- River and Sarah

Garlic trial update
After a couple of disappointing years with garlic, this year we have conducted a garlic trial in hopes of finding a reliable variety. We have just completed that 11-month long growing season with exciting results. Of the three types we tested, one variety came in ahead by leaps and bounds! Our old favorite was only half the size of this new best, and the third variety was tiny (yet recommended for our climate by the garlic seed company ). So, we will give it another trial this year to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. With luck, you’ll be seeing garlic again next year!

Today’s delivery includes:
Chioggia, golden, and red beets
Collards
Zucchini
Purple Top turnips
Purple pac choi
Kohlrabi
Red onions w / greens x 3
Dill stalks
Mizuna
Spinach
Arugula
Italian parsley
Basil

Brady's Story

2007-09-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

Our boy Brady came to us in January from Silver Aurora Australian Cattle Dogs in Wasilla, Alaska. He was one of a litter of ten! We think having that many siblings helps him "go with the flow" and be as easygoing as can be expected from an ACD.

I can't say enough good things about his breeder, Suzanne Nevada. She breeds for temperament as well as conformation and herding instinct, and I can't argue with the results. The work she did with the puppies while they were still with her was impeccable as well.

Arctic Organics Week Eleven

2007-09-01T10:50:00.000-08:00

The carrots are not what we hoped for this year! It seems to be the story of farming that, just when you think you’ve got a system or technique thoroughly worked out, nature throws a completely new curve ball. She threw it this spring when we had no rain at all from the time of planting the seeds until the middle of July. To spite our irrigation efforts, weed germination was supported more than carrot germination, and so was the subsequent weed growth. The carrot field has been living proof that weeds thrive in adverse conditions. As soon as we could identify carrot seedlings we started weeding, and we sent a weeding crew to the carrot field every spare moment until the end of July. You subscribers will see some carrots in your bags starting next week, but the farm will miss the income carrots usually bring us at market. Enjoy this week’s mix of Asian and Italian specialties. It should offer great adventures in your kitchens.
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Red cabbage
Rainbow chard
Zucchini
Broccoli side shoots
Pac choi
Tat soi
Redbor kale
Fennel x 2
Radishes
Celery
Red onions w / greens x 4
Dandelion greens
Radicchio Fiero
Lettuce
Red giant mustard
Herb bouquet

Sharing the Harvest

2007-08-29T20:24:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of participating in Arctic Organics' CSA this summer has been sharing the overflow with others.

I felt like a real neighbor when I was able to offer watercress and collard greens to my next-door neighbor.

I felt like a philanthropist when I arrived at work with two-gallon bags filled with cauliflower and beets and onions and yes, more greens.

And I felt frugal and deeply connected and like one half of a good friendship when I asked a friend to gather our mail and water our plants while we were out of town--in exchange for our weekly bounty of vegetables. She in turn shared the veggies with her daughter and another of our friends, and it was a great opportunity for her to evaluate the CSA experience before signing up next year (she plans to!).

The online mag Grist has a post this week about single people and CSAs. We're only two in our family (well, three if you count the dog, Brady, who likes "Lettuce Day"), and while it's been a challenge to keep up with the harvest, it has definitely been worth the work. It has pushed me to make connections, be generous, be frugal, and be a friend. I'm about to re-learn how to preserve the harvest. It's a good thing, as Martha would say.

We'll probably try Full Circle Farm this winter, and it has more flexibility for family size. But I hope to be back with Arctic Organics next summer.

Disappearing Zucchini Orzo

2007-08-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

A second recipe I was excited to try from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was Disappearing Zucchini Orzo (another attempt to feed green things to my sweetie).

DISAPPEARING ZUCCHINI ORZO

¾ lb pkg orzo pasta (multicolored is fun)

1 chopped onion, garlic to taste
3 large zucchini
olive oil for sauté
thyme
oregano
¼ cup grated parmesan or any hard yellow cheese

Bring 6 cups water or chicken stock to a boil and add pasta. Cook 8 to 12 minutes.

Use a cheese grater or mandoline to shred zucchini, sauté briefly with chopped onion and garlic until lightly golden.

Add spices to zucchini mixture, stir thoroughly, and then remove mixture from heat.

Combine with cheese and cooked orzo, salt to taste, serve cool or at room temperature.

The verdict? My sweetie wanted seconds, and was disappointed when I took the last of the leftovers to work for lunch a few days later. Definitely a winner.

I'll do this one again and again, and try it with other shredded veggies. Maybe call it Hide-A-Veggie Orzo.

Arctic Organics Week Ten

2007-08-21T21:31:00.000-08:00

Local vegetables follow t he season, wherever it may lead…
This is the time when we play Russian roulette with the first (usually light) frost of the season. There are many crops that need as much time as possible to mature and size up, but which are compromised by even a light frost. These include celery, fennel, peas, cut flowers, potatoes, and zucchini. We try corn, artichokes and winter squash every year, but loose just as often to the frost. Many vegetables thrive after the first frost, and that’s why we can plan on a growing season that extends into October. If we’re lucky and have no frost in late August, even the frost vulnerable veggies will have their hay-day in September. Thanks to all who were able to make it out for the Farm Day! It is a pleasure for us to share the farm with you! Enjoy!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Cauliflower
Zucchini
Market Express turnips w/greens
Kohlrabi
Celery
Brussels sprouts tops
Chioggia beet greens
Mustard greens
Tat soi
Hon tsai tai
Spinach
Lettuce x 2
Watercress
Bianca di Maggio onions
Cilantro
ParsleyBasil

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-08-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

I read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, earlier this summer, before the weekly waves of produce started arriving from Arctic Organics. I knew that our Alaskan veggies wouldn't be as diverse and abundant as those from Kingsolver's new home in Appalachia, but I was still excited to try some of the recipes.

Since my significant other isn't a big veggie-fan, I was particularly interested in the recipe for Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies.

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
(Makes about two dozen)
1 egg, beaten
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Combine in large bowl.
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture
1 cup finely shredded zucchini
12 oz chocolate chips
Stir these into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350°, 10 to 15 minutes.

So when it was finally zucchini time, I made the cookies. The verdict? Replace half the chocolate chips with walnuts. This is not a Toll House cookie, distinctively creamy, buttery, slightly salty. This is a cakey cookie, like individual, mini-quickbreads. It should be itself, not a just-missing approximation of its cousin, the Toll House.

Arctic Organics Week Nine

2007-08-14T21:28:00.000-08:00

Heads are rolling!
Your bags are loaded with heavy headed veggies this week, including broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. We can’t hold them back! This sunshine is hard to argue with when it comes to a developing cauliflower head. We are losing five of our workers this week and next, not by our choice, but thanks to school and other obligations. So we are actually glad this large load of veggies is ready to harvest while the crew is still here. Enjoy!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Beets w / greens
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini
Cabbage
Broccoli raab
Toscano kale
Celery
Red Giant Mustard
Arugula
Radicchio
Lettuce x 2Scallions

Arctic Organics Week Eight

2007-08-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

August 7
Amazing vegetable growing weather!
This is dream weather for farmers: solid rain showers with beautiful sunny days in between. We have certainly paid our dues with les than ideal weather in the past. We had a couple of days off at Tangle Lakes this past weekend, so what do we do for fun? Pick blueberries! As if we don’t get enough picking in already! We savored the time away from the farm, as we are heading into the busiest part of the season, when, ironically, the crew thins out as they head back to school.
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Zucchini
Market Express turnips / greens
Collards
Braising greens bunch
Spinach
Radishes
Arugula
Escarole
Lettuce x 2
Dill
Parsley
Basil

*Produce “cycling”When we have sugarsnap peas, cucumbers, tomatoes or other crops that we can’t supply to all of the subscribers in one week, we will rotate through the subscribers, using color coding on the checklist (in Anchorage), or by assigning them to an entire pick-up location. This ensures that every member gets its share.

Arctic Organics Week Seven

2007-07-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

U-Pick Raspberries!
Our raspberry patch is loaded with berries! There are enough this year to invite you out to pick. The price is $5.00 per pound; a pint weighs about 1/2 pound. Call us for an appointment.
- River and Sarah
Vacation plans?
A reminder during these large delivery days: If you go on vacation PLEASE call Sarah or River and they won't bring your order. This helps to keep down the bags of left-overs. Thanks!
Open Farm Day:
Sunday, August 19th
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Come out and take a tour, engage in conversation and generally have a fun-filled afternoon here at the farm where your veggies grow.

Today’s delivery includes:
Broccoli
Zucchini
Baby beets w / greens
Kohlrabi
Redbor kale
Spinach
Tat soi
Radicchio
Lettuce x 3
ArugulaDill

Arctic Organics Week Six

2007-07-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

It ’s a big harvest, and with an Asian twist!
We do our best to plan the season so that the harvest will be metered out throughout the summer, but this week we had to pick more varieties than we might have planned because they are inarguably ready. You’ll also find a nice selection of herbs this week to spark your creativity. So get out your salad bowls and pans and get busy! The veggies are thriving with the intermittent rainy and sunny weather of the past week. Enjoy!
- River and Sarah
Today’s delivery includes:
Cabbage
Broccoli
Market Express turnips w /
greens
Toscano kale
Tat soi
Pac choi
Daikon
Swiss chard
Lettuce x 3
Red rib dandelion
Escarole
Chervil
Italian parsley
BasilGarlic Whistles

Arctic Organics Week Five

2007-07-17T22:03:00.000-08:00

Not beets yet! But such tender greens
The mid-season crops are eager to burst into production, just not quite yet! The first of such vegetables is the kohlrabi that you’re seeing today. Hot on its heels are the zucchini and broccoli, along with the early cabbages. Part of today’s harvest is helping with the main crop development, as with the beets. In order to make large bulbs, the beet patch must be thinned. These beet greens are the most tender and delicious you’ll have all summer. We are working hard to keep the weeds at bay in order to let the veggies outgrow them! Enjoy the veggies!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Kohlrabi
Zucchini
Collards
Spinach
Purple pac choi
Beet greens
Lettuce x 3
Dandelion greens
Watercress
Herb bouquet
Cilantro

Arctic Organics Week Four

2007-07-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

Many shades of green! Here at Arctic Organics, it’s greens season pretty much all season, but we do try to keep it exciting with variation and new options each week. This week you’ll find watercress and Swiss chard premiering. The bags are generally organized with the cookable vegetables in one and the salad vegies in the other, although there is certainly no set rule.

We’re also seeing many shades of green in the weeds here at the farm! They are absolutely thriving, and are definitely getting the best of us in the carrot field where the crew is spending all of its spare time searching out and unburying the carrot seedlings.

Enjoy the greens!

- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Pac choi
Swiss chard
Market Express turnips
Red Russian kale
Mizuna
Tat soi
Lettuce x 3
WatercressBasil

Two Quiche Week

2007-07-05T21:44:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday I was drowning in greens--and that was before I picked up this week's CSA allotment. On the way home from work I picked up the puppy at daycare, then stopped at Carr's for milk and dinner. Walking through the dairy aisle I saw them: refridgerated pie crusts. Hmm. Anathema to this farmer's grandaughter, but perhaps a lifesaver. I could make quiche with all my greens!!!

So Wednesday I made my first quiche--which turned out to be more like a spinach pie. I took every green from Arctic Organics that their info sheets had told me I could treat like spinach, chopped it up, and mounded it in the pie crust, adapted a recipe from the Horn of the Moon cookbook for Spinach and Feta Quiche, and into the oven it went. Tasted good, if a little green-heavy.

Every Friday here at work is potluck lunch, and I didn't feel like going back to the grocery store. Since I still had greens--thanks to Tuesday's pick-up--and I had cheese, eggs, milk and the second pie crust from the packet, I decided my contribution would be quiche.

This time the green was kale. I micro-steamed it, layered it with mushrooms and cheese, and poured in the egg/milk mixture. Forty-five minutes later, it was beautiful. Sorry, no photos. Not that organized yet.

As I was assembling the quiche, I was thinking about what a great metaphor it was for my green philosophy--something like "be as green as you can be, one step at a time." Here's an ingredient list:

Pie Crust--storebought, not organic, not local
Kale--local, unofficially organic
Mushrooms--canned, storebought, not organic, not local
Monterey Jack cheese--"O" brand ("big" organic), not local
Milk--organic, not local
Buttermilk--not organic, not local
Spices--not organic, not local
Garlic--bottled, not organic, not local
Onion--dried, not organic, not local

Arctic Organics Week Three

2007-07-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

From the Beans:

Rain finally came! It was such a pleasure to be lulled awake Sunday morning by the sound of a true down pour. The fields and plants are soaking it up. The potatoes now have a chance to grow after 60-plus dry days! This is the time of the season when, just as we are resting on our laurels for having finished planting the entire field, we realize that the weeds have been enjoying the freshly cultivated soil as well. Do we have a healthy crop of weeds! It’s all hands on deck for
weeding in the full season crops like rutabagas, Purple Top turnips, carrots and beets. Enjoy the vegetables!
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Chinese cabbage
Broccoli
Winterbor kale
Mizuna
Tat soi
Lettuce x 3
Spinach
Arugula
Radishes
Herb bouquet – sage, marjoramand thyme

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler

2007-07-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I bought some rhubarb from River and Sarah at the Anchorage Farmer's Market, and this past week there was some more rhubarb in the weekly CSA bag. I've been searching for this perfect Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler recipe, and have been tweaking this one from Simply Recipes.

The first incarnation I made in too small a pan, and the topping refused to cook in the middle. I corrected this mistake the second time around, and substituted buttermilk for the milk. The buttermilk gave the topping a flavor that I didn't like as much as I had liked the flavor of the first cobbler, and the rhubarb didn't cook as thoroughly as I would have liked.

Still working on it!

Arctic Organics Week Two

2007-06-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

Arctic Organics Notes from June 26: "Midnight sun lettuce! The lettuce seems to have grown overnight. Except that this time of year there is no night. And that’s partly why it managed top sneak up on us. The first lettuce patch of the season is the picture of perfection this week, yielding us a solid harvest of full-sized heads. The Asian veggies are continuing to take the lead in early crop production. This week we have several offerings. All of them can be cooked or eaten raw, with the exception of the turnip greens, which are best cooked. We are still waiting for a good rain shower. In spite of scattered showers visiting many parts of the area, we still haven’t experienced any. This is causing quite a strain on the limited supply of irrigation water. The lack of rain is great for the people, but bad for the crops. Enjoy the vegetables!"
- River and Sarah

Today’s delivery includes:
Market Express turnips w/greens
Mibuna
Tat soi
Lettuce x 2
Red giant mustard
Arugula
Radishes
Rhubarb
Basil

Meeting Sarah Bean

2007-06-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

Today at the Anchorage Farmers' Market (15th & Cordova, in Central Lutheran's parking lot) I met Sarah Bean, co-owner of Arctic Organics. Very friendly, down-to-earth--no pun intended.

It makes such a world of difference in the confidence I feel in this food, having met the people growing it.

The word that comes to mind is "trustworthy." For the safety and healthfulness of the food we purchase in the grocery store, we rely on government regulations and inspections (extremely random, as I understand), corporate fear of being sued, and blind faith that people we have never met wouldn't do anything that would harm us.

Buying local from people I've met is a completely different experience. And I like it. I like it a lot.

Arctic Organics Week One

2007-06-20T07:14:00.000-08:00

River and Sarah Bean write the following in the newsletter that accompanied this week's CSA pick-up:

"Welcome to the 2007 Produce Season! The summer weather started with a bang finally last weekend, and the crops are responding favorably! Thanks for your patience with the delay in start date this year. We are hoping for a longer autumn harvest season to make up for it.

"The relentless and severe winds we had for a couple of weeks before summer finally arrived re a challenge to the plants and to the various fabrics and covers we use in the field, not to mention the evaporation of moisture from the soil. We are doggedly trying to catch up on the irrigation needs. Things are greening up and growing nicely. The carrots are germinating, which is always a relief, and we’re waiting for the potatoes to emerge. We could really use a good rain.

"Enjoy the vegetables!"

Today’s delivery included:

Pac Choi
Mizuna
Broccoli Raab
Spinach
Arugula
Radishes

CSA Rookie

2007-06-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today I will pick up my first CSA box of the season--which is also my first CSA box, ever. The CSA farm, Arctic Organics, is located in Palmer, and is run by River and Sarah Bean.

My first encounter with River Bean was at a Sierra Club screening of the movie, The Future of Food, which was, hands down, the starter's pistol for this urgent journey. River talked about Arctic Organics, and how they'd been in the organic movement long before certification, and why they've chosen not to be certified (among other things, it would mean that their Alaska Grown produce would be stamped "certified organic by the state of Washington").

I've been waiting for it for so long, and I can't wait to see what's in the box! The drop-off location is just down the street and around the corner from my house, so it will also be an opportunity to meet some almost-neighbors.

But what if I don't like any of the veggies in the box? Especially in Alaska, early season CSA offerings can be "kind of weird," as someone told me recently. Lots of bok choy. Radishes.

And what if I can't keep up with the veggies, and the box's wasted contents only add to my "bad-homemaker, not-Martha-Stewart" guilt?

But on the other hand, maybe there will be rhubarb, and since I'm one of the small subset of Alaskans not currently overrun by rhubarb, I'd like that.

Shopping Bags at Fred Meyer

2007-06-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago as I walked out of the Eagle River Fred Meyer, I noticed a display of black, reusable shopping bags, marked "99 cents." I thought, "That's a great place for them--where people will see them after their purchases have already been loaded into plastic bags."

On the next trip, they had gotten smart and given each cashier a stash of them. I purchased 3, and was very pleased with them. They're surprisingly roomy, and have a plastic insert that makes their flat bottoms quite sturdy. A shopping cart that would have been loaded into 10-12 plastic bags fit nicely into my three new reusable bags. And as an added bonus, FM refunds five cents for each reusable bag you use (or they're supposed to, provided that your cashier remembers).

Carrs-Safeway, on the other hand, has yet to get their act together on this. On one shopping trip, a cashier told me, after much thought, that she thought they had something like that in aisle 12. On another trip I asked three employees, none of whom had any idea what I was talking about.

Nagoonberries

2007-06-16T14:13:00.001-08:00

At the Wildflower Garden Club's annual plant sale this year I bought a nagoonberry, mostly because I liked the name.

I brought it home and tried to learn more about it. You can start your own search here, at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_raspberry.

The nagoonberry is local to the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska, and is moderately aggressive. Its berries are small and not very abundant, so gathering enough berries for jam would require an inordinate amount of persistence.

All in all, an excellent symbol for the challenging task of pursuing a locavore life in Alaska.