The Great 08 Veggie Adventure

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

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.

Herding with Brady

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

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.

NPR : Will a Warmer World Have Enough Food?

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!

Cheap GMOs Are In Your Gas Tank

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

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

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

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

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

Beautiful Beets

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!