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HOME 2018 Winter
pun Magazine
Using
HYDROPONIC • AEROPONIC systems to produce food
HYDROPONICS & ORGANICS BENDS INDOOR GARDEN STATION
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November 2018 - January 2019
CONTENTS Winter
HOME
3 Editorial 4 Fresh.Organic.Local Volcano Veggies
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2018-2019
8 Hydroponic Systems Bend’s Indoor Garden Station
13 Sweet Rewards Part 2 Tumalo Garden Market
17 #BeADoer Tumalo Family Farm & Bend Blue Water Aquatics
19 Tower Garden 23 Everything gets a Sauce Deschutes Brewery & Public House
28 Backyard Bees Backyard Bees of Bend
34 Pilot Butte Middle School Aquaponics Club Cover photo courtesy of Volcano Veggies
19 Recipes 12 Obsidian Stout — Shallot Cream Sauce by Chef Brian Kerr of Deschutes Brewery & Public House
20 Pumpkin Pie Spice Chili by Savory Spice Bend - Old Mill District
26 Barb’s Sourdough Biscuits by the MoeGang Household
32 Maple Bacon Cookies by the MoeGang Household
EDITORIAL
RYAN MOEGGENBERG
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hen I tell people about HomeSpun and talk about growing our food, they often have excuses why they don’t try to grow anything. “Our growing season is too short,” or “The soil here is just lava sand. It won’t grow anything.” This issue of HomeSpun Magazine is all about showing you ways to grow food in Central Oregon that aren’t subject to soil or weather! Hydroponics, aquaponics and aeroponics are different ways of growing your food other than in a garden in your backyard. They are usually, but don’t have to be, indoor operations. Aquaponics – A system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water. Hydroponics – The process of growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil. Aeroponics – A plant-cultivation technique in which the roots hang suspended in the air while nutrient solution is delivered to them in the form of a fine mist. One of the positive benefits of these systems is that they allow people who do not have garden space to still grow some of their own food. Aquaponics systems can literally be as small as a ten gallon fish tank. Amazon sells highly overpriced hydroponics packages that would fit on your tabletop or you could DIY a large system to fit on one wall in your garage with parts and instruction from Ashley at Bends Indoor Garden Station. My family has a fully automated vertical aeroponic
growing system in our kitchen that grows more greens and herbs then we can keep up with in a 30 inch square foot print. We’ve rounded up a cadre of local experts to teach us about these systems. Shannon from Volcano Veggies talks about their aquaponics production facility. Bob Camel from Tumalo Family Farm tells us about his one-of-a-kind, hybrid aquaponic/hydroponic system in his greenhouse. There is an article about Tower Gardens, a familysized vertical aeroponics system. Did you know that Pilot Butte Middle School has an Aquaponics Club? Lastly, if you want to DIY yourself any of these systems, Ashley from Bends Indoor Garden Station (B.I.G.S.) lays it all out for you. These growing systems take some setup and experimentation, but when I talk to you, you can’t use the excuse of soil and growing season to not grow your food anymore!
#BeADoer
HomeSpun Magazine is a Bend, Oregon-based magazine, family owned and operated by Ryan and Marcee Moeggenberg. Published Quarterly: November, February, May, August HomeSpun Magazine is a division of MoeGang Productions | PO Box 1874, Bend, OR 97709 www.HomeSpunMagazine.com | www.Facebook.com/HomespunMagazine Ryan@HomeSpunMagazine.com | Marcee@HomeSpunMagazine.com Send your advertising inquiries, press releases and photos to Ryan@HomeSpunMagazine.com www.
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FRESH.ORGANIC.LOCAL
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e live in a desert. And although water shortages are not always top of mind, the fact is that Central Oregon faces extreme drought conditions and our environment is suffering. The lack of water is on top of already difficult growing conditions that farmers struggle with here in the high desert: poor soil, cold winters, hot summers, pests, predators, etc. These are some of the reasons why Jimmy and Shannon Sbarra decided to start Volcano Veggies — a certified organic, indoor, vertical aquaponic farm right in the heart of Bend. Their farm is on the cutting edge of urban agricultural. Their technology will help propel our society toward a future where farms must be able to grow food for a growing population despite a shrinking water supply.
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By growing with a closed-loop aquaponic system, Volcano Veggies uses 99 percent less water than an a typical outdoor farm. Their method of growing — Aquaponics — is a system that combines raising fish and growing vegetables. In the system, fish provide nutrients for the plants, and plants clean the water for the fish. Volcano Veggies raises several different kinds of fish — Tilapia, Bass, Trout and more. In creating a complete ecosystem, Volcano Veggies is able to grow the highest quality, certified organic food indoors. Most typical hydroponic farms, on the other hand, use synthetic nutrient solutions and grow in a sterile environment (so beware of local-washing from farms that claims to be “better than organic” just because they are local!). Volcano Veggies grows two acres worth of food in just 200 square feet in a warehouse on 2nd Street, next to the Humm Kombucha tasting room. The system requires significantly less labor and produces a consistent supply of lettuce and basil every week of the year. Growing indoors, they use extremely efficient LED lighting that mimics the UV spectrum produced by the sun. “These state of the art LEDs keep our electricity use to a minimum. We actually use about the same amount of electricity as a similarly sized greenhouse operation,” Jimmy explains. Most importantly, their veggies taste amazingly delicious. This is why thousands of people in Central Oregon choose to buy Volcano Veggies lettuce and basil at the grocery store each week. “We are bringing the farmers market to Fred Meyer,” explains Shannon. “Our customers appreciate the convenience of being able to purchase locally grown food during their regular grocery shopping each week. And not just Fred Meyer — we also sell at Newport Market, Whole Foods, Safeway, Market of Choice, CE Lovejoys, Food 4 Less, Melvin’s in Sisters and Fred Meyer in Redmond too. Customers love how our lettuce tastes sweet and crisp. They love that our containers are compostable and made from corn. And they love that our veggies last significantly longer in your fridge because they are harvested and brought to the store on the same day.” continued on page 6 [
Jimmy and Shannon Sbarra
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This is important. According to the USDA, an average head of lettuce is three weeks old and has traveled 1,200 miles by the time it gets from the farm to a grocery store. And according to the FDA, vegetables lose about 40 percent of nutrients only four days after being harvested. So eating freshly harvested, local food helps you get the most nutrition from what you eat. “Our kitchen is stocked full of food grown here in Central Oregon. Our local farmers grow just about everything you need! Right now we have carrots and peppers from Boundless Farmstead, honey and pork from Rainshadow Organics and beef from Mt. Shasta Wild,” Shannon says. “It’s easier than you think to buy local food. Those are just some of the amazing farms in the high desert. You can even stop by the Fields farmstand on Pettigrew to pick up some fresh veggies at your convenience.” Jimmy says, “Helping our community to become more healthy is the most important reason that we started Volcano Veggies.” This inspiration to start a farm
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occurred when Jimmy’s mother had cancer (she is fine now!). His mother was nervous about chemo and radiation and in researching alternatives, they found study after study touting the benefits of eating more vegetables. “It’s one of the only things that every doctor can agree on,” Shannon contends. “We all need to eat more vegetables!” “When my mom was sick, I made the commitment to change my diet. But living in a place with a short growing season, it was hard to find fresh vegetables during the winter. So I learned how to grow my own food. And when we learned about aquaponics, Shannon and I decided to start a commercial farm in order to help our whole community have access to freshly harvested organic vegetables all year long,” Jimmy explained. They signed the lease to start their farm while Shannon was still in the hospital after having their first child in 2013. “When we had our son, we wanted to provide him with an example for making the world a better place.” Now, their son is in kindergarten and their two-year-old
daughter “helps” at the farm while they tend to the Although they don’t offer tours to the general veggies and fish. public, they often host groups of school kids Although it’s been a wild roller coaster to start a to learn about the science of aquaponics. They business while also starting their family, they say that also helped Pilot Butte Middle School start an the reward comes in almost every day when customers aquaponics club. call or email to tell them how much they love Volcano “Aquaponics is pretty exciting — it can be used to Veggies. “We hear from teach about everything families whose children from the nitrogen cycle will only eat lettuce if to the microbiome it is Volcano Veggies to environmental Eating freshly harvested, local lettuce. It’s amazing to sustainability and know that we are helping healthy food,” Jimmy food helps you get the most those children to develop explains. “But a couple healthy habits. And we words of warning to nutrition from what you eat. get lots of feedback from anyone who wants adults too! I get calls from to start their own wives who are happy that aquaponic system — their husbands will finally don’t believe anything eat salad, and older adults who say it reminds them of you read online! And get ready to spend the way that lettuce used to taste. a lot of money.” All joking aside — if you want to “What’s sad,” Shannon continues, “is that our society learn more, feel free to contact Volcano Veggies with has gotten so used to industrial agriculture and questions at info@volcanoveggies.com. vegetables that are grown far away. I think a lot of people www.volcanoveggies.com photos by Jill Rosell Photography and courtesy of Volcano Veggies actually don’t know that vegetables can taste so good!”
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SYSTEMS by ASHLEY BEAUDOIN, Owner of Bend’s Indoor Garden Station (B.I.G.S.)
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id you know 80 percent of all cut flowers and herbs in your local store are hydroponically grown? Did you know that a plant will spend over 50 percent
of its energy rooting through soil to find oxygen and nutrients? When you are in control of all the growth factors, you are rewarded by twice the growth rate, higher yields and blooms!
HYDROPONICS HYDROPONICS (noun) The science of growing or the production of plants in
nutrient-rich solutions of moist inert material, instead of soil.
Hydroponic crops can use up to 80 percent less water than soil grown crops, when in a recirculating system.
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You can plant four times the amount of hydroponic crops in the same area that soil crops need to grow.
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Hydroponic crops can grow twice as fast.
Hydroponically grown crops can be grown organically and without the use of herbicides and pesticides.
Before you dive in, here are some helpful thoughts to ensure hydroponic success 1) Do your research. Find out what you want to grow and space you want to do. We recommend the book Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics by George Van Patten. 2) Know your water. Does it come from a well or is it city water? What is its natural pH.? It dictates how your plant will uptake nutrients. 3) Know your specific plant needs. Everyone grows different things. Make sure you know exactly what your plant needs. At B.I.G.S. we carry an all in one hydroponics system called the WaterFarm that will grow small, medium, and large plants. It offers all the features of larger systems at a lower cost without sacrificing quality or performance. It is a classic “plug ‘n’ play” single bucket system designed to be stand-alone. It’s reliable and simple, perfect for large crops, perennials and mother plants. The system is versatile because it can be moved easily from room to room, or from indoors to outdoors.
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This system includes: • 4-gallon reservoir • 2-gallon growing chamber • Pumping column • Drip ring • Drain level tube • 1/2” grommet • Drain level tube • Single outlet air pump continued on page 11 [
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SEND US YOUR PHOTOS! Growing? Harvesting? Building? Being a DOER?!
2 nter •rd1en. Carpe a the ga m om fr m E inach g sp Harvestin mmer • 2017 Su
Send us your photo and a short 50 words or less explanation of your #BeADoer moment and you may see it in one of the upcoming HomeSpun Magazine issues! Marcee@HomeSpunMagazine.com
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Mason Moe Helping ggenberg clean th •7 e coop. Summer • 2017
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Create a multiple unit system with limitless possibilities.
At B.I.G.S we carry over 2,000 items in stock including lighting, environmental controls, ventilation, nutrients, growth additives, fruiting and flowering additives, hydroponics systems, soil and soilless mediums, garden tools, books and products to help you take your garden to the next level. Educating has always been our number one priority. The High Desert has a difficult growing season. Indoor growing helps you keep summer going 365 days a year so you can keep fresh veggies on your table. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK B.I.G.S 20794 High Desert Ln., Bend 541-385-5222 www.bendsindoor.com
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Join our Facebook Page & Share With Your Local Community Learn together! What grows best and how to do it in Central Oregon. Have you cooked one of our recipes? Share it with the chef. Going to try the deer elixir recipe? Tell us how it works. See something new at the Farmers Market? We don’t want to miss out! Help answer questions & inspire others! Share your wins and losses in the garden so we can all learn together.
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Obsidian Stout — Shallot Cream Sauce by Chef Brian Kerr of Deschutes Brewery & Public House 1044 NW Bond St., Bend • 541-382-9242 • www.deschutesbrewery.com
Ingredients 4 oz butter 4 oz minced shallots 1 oz minced garlic 6 fl oz Obsidian Stout beer 6 fl oz beef broth, richly flavored 1 cup rich tomato puree
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp sea salt 8 fl oz heavy cream 2-4 Tbls chilled butter 1/3 cup finely chopped curly parsley
Directions Warm the butter in a large sauté pan till melted. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes, or however long it takes. Deglaze the pan with the stout and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer aggressively for 5 minutes. 1 cup rich tomato puree (we make a tomato jam at the pub instead of canned puree. It’s just a can of tomatoes cooked with a little sugar and salt till thickened, then pureed.) Add the tomato, salt and pepper. Return to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit and has become shiny. Add the heavy cream, return to a simmer and cook till lightly thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the butter, stirring continuously until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the parsley and give it another stir. Taste for seasonings like salt and pepper. If it tastes flat you could add a tbls or two of balsamic vinegar to punch up the flavors.
Winter 2018
Sweet rewards
Part 2: Fruit Tree Pruning Basics
by ROBIN SNYDER, Tumalo Garden Market
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any people feel that fruit tree pruning is too complex a task to be done by amateurs, but when we amateurs learn a few basic concepts, we can keep our fruit trees healthy, wellshaped and bearing excellent fruit. It’s simple: Learn the two basic pruning cuts, get equipped with good tools and keep in mind your longterm goals when pruning. Fruit trees do survive our mistakes as we learn to prune, so feel confident in pruning with these few basic concepts as your guide. You’ll not only have healthy fruit trees and fruit, but will gradually become a confident and competent fruit tree pruner. Purposes for Fruit Tree Pruning • Pruning keeps fruit trees healthy by removing diseased limbs, crowded branches or branches that grow with narrow angles. • Pruning also maximizes the quality of fruit by controlling the number of fruit buds. This allows each fruit to reach maximum size without their weight breaking branches. Pruning dense outer branches allows fruit buds to avoid fungal diseases by providing them plenty of sunlight and breeze. • Finally, pruning is critical to maintain the size and shape of fruit trees. A tree’s rootstalk largely determines each fruit tree’s potential size — whether it is a dwarf,
semi-dwarf or standard tree. However, annual pruning is also crucial in determining a fruit tree’s ultimate size as well as its shape. Basic Tree Shapes The two basic shapes for fruit trees are either the central-leader or the open-center, also called a “vaseshaped” tree. The central-leader tree will create a smaller tree with less fruit, but easily allows sunlight to all branches. The open-center shape allows a tree to grow larger, but the upper canopy must be kept pruned to allow sunlight and air to reach the center.
Fruit Tree Pruning Basics: Pruning has the following benefits: • Assists trees to get established • Promotes the development of a strong framework of branches on young trees, so they are capable of supporting a good crop. • Develops and maintains the size and shape of the tree. continued on page 14 [
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• Encourages the growth of new fruiting wood, to keep the tree productive. • Reduces the incidence of disease by removing broken, dead, or diseased branches. • Creates spacing between branches. This allows air circulation through the tree, which discourages disease development. It also allows light into the center of the tree, prevent shading and maximizing photosynthesis. • Makes spraying, thinning and harvesting easier. • Enhances early productivity. • Increases fruit size and quality. • Promotes flower bud development throughout the tree canopy. • Reduces the tendency for biennial bearing. It’s best to envision the basic shape you want for your fruit tree the year you plant it because you’ll begin then with gentle pruning. When choosing between a centralleader and vase-shape, consider not only how much elbow room your tree will have when mature, but the type and character of your tree. For example, pear trees naturally assume a central-leader shape, but peach trees seem to insist on an open center. One apple tree may easily form a central-leader, while another seems destined to be vaseshaped. Your pruning ultimately determines a tree’s shape. Tools for Fruit Tree Pruning Good pruning tools are important to avoid damaging your fruit trees or frustrating yourself. Basic hand-shears are necessary for the youngest trees. As fruit trees grow in size, you’ll want to add pruning loppers and a pruning hand saw. See us at Tumalo Garden Market if you need help picking one out. When to Prune Fruit Trees Fruit tree pruning takes place during the late winter and very early spring, when fruit trees are dormant. Here in Central Oregon that is February and March. Late winter is the best time to begin pruning. Start your pruning with apple trees so you can delay pruning the more cold-sensitive trees, like peaches, until late March or into April. Pruning should be completed before fruit buds show their first pink. The exceptions to this completion date are the unwanted growths of watersprouts and suckers. Watersprouts are often caused by stress and are recognized by growing vertically off their parent-branch. Suckers grow up at the base of the tree from below the graft line. Both deplete fruit tree’s resources and should be pruned off when they appear. Basic Cuts of Fruit Tree Pruning: The Thinning Cut and Heading Cut Thinning cuts remove entire branches or limbs. This cut is made just beyond the “collar,” or circular bark, at the
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base of the branch you’re removing. A tree heals over this cut area if the collar is not injured and if a stub is not left extending beyond the collar. This thinning cut is used to remove branches that are crowded, diseased or weak. So, if two branches begin at a point close together and grow in the same direction, one should be removed. When limbs cross one another, one or both should be cut back or removed. (The branch collar is a distinctive bulge at the base of the branch, where it connects to the trunk. It is actually interlocking layers of cells of the branch and the trunk. It is the part that will heal the wound left by pruning. The branch collar seals off the wound, minimizing disease and decay. Proper pruning leaves the branch collar intact. Branch collars vary widely from tree to tree, and from species to species. Some are large and very noticeable, while some are much harder to distinguish). Thinning Cuts
When branches are still small, the thinning cut is also used to remove any that have narrow-angles. Maintaining branches at 10 and 12 o’clock angles will give them the best strength. Finally, use the thinning cut to eliminate any branches that grow towards the center of the tree. Heading cuts are made just after a bud and are used to change the direction a limb is growing or to shorten it. It is also used to stimulate the buds just before the heading cut so they will grow out into branches the following year. Make your heading cut at a 45-degree angle and about 1/4-inch beyond an outward-facing bud. Heading Cuts
• When removing large branches, to prevent tearing off the bark and damaging the tree as it comes off, use a threecut method of pruning (see below). Second Cut Final Cut First Cut Final Cut
Cutting a Smaller Branch
Branch Bark Ridge
Dead Branch
Branch Collar
Cutting a Larger Branch
Branch Bark Ridge
Living Branch
learn how to prune by just doing it! How Much to Prune Annually A good rule is to not prune more than 1/3 of any tree annually so you don’t damage its long-term health. When pruning an older neglected tree, it may therefore take three to five years to get it to the shape and size you want. Some trees, like peaches, are such vigorous growers that they require a fourth of their growth to be removed each spring. Young trees should be only gently pruned. Removing unwanted growth when it is still small benefits fruit trees in the long-term. However, in Backyard Orchard Culture suggested by Dave Wilson Nursery, pruning process is different but fairly straightforward. Below is an outline of the pruning process as carried out over the first three years: First Year: Bare-root trees or BB trees or potted trees • Right after planting a new tree, cut off the top so it is only 24 to 30 inches (60-75cm) high to encourage low branching and to equalize the top and root system. It can be cut at 15 inches to force very low scaffold limbs, or higher, up to four feet, depending on existing side limbs and desired tree form. • Cut any side limbs back by at least two-thirds (or 1 to 2 continued on page 16 [
Branch Collar
• First, undercut the branch a few inches away from the trunk to prevent bark tearing. Next, move a short distance from the first cut farther out on the branch and remove the entire branch. This will eliminate the weight of the branch, so you can make a final pruning cut. Start the third pruning cut on the outside edge of the branch-bark ridge and cut through the branch to the outside edge of the collar swelling on the underside of the branch. Remove only the branch; do not damage the trunk. So, don’t cut the branch flush with the trunk or parent limb, be sure to leave a collar (a short stub). • To develop an espalier, fan, or other twodimensional form, simply remove everything that doesn’t grow flat. Selectively thin and train what’s left to space the fruiting wood. Many people tend to avoid pruning because they fear they will do it incorrectly. It is important to realize that there are various ways to prune a tree and no two people would do it in the same way. A lot of it is a matter of personal judgement, and ultimately, the best way to
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buds) to promote vigorous new growth. • After the spring flush of new growth, cut the new growth back by half. (You can distinguish new growth as it will still be green flexible wood and will not have turned woody and hard yet like the previous year’s growth) • In late summer, cut the subsequent any new summer growth back by half.
Pruning at Planting Time
Cut Tree at Prune Back Chosen Height Side Limbs (24-30”) by 2/3
Completed Pruning
Spring Pruning
Cut Back New Spring Growth by 1/2
Completed Spring Pruning
Summer Pruning
Cut Back New Summer Growth by 1/2
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Completed Summer Pruning
Second Year: • Pruning is the same as the first year. Cut back new growth by half in spring and again in late summer. • For some vigorous varieties, pruning three times may be the easiest way to manage the tree: spring, early summer and late summer. Third Year: • Decide on the height of the tree and don’t let the tree get any taller than that. If there are any vigorous shoots that grow above the chosen height, cut them back or remove them completely. • Remove any broken branches or diseased branches well below the signs of disease. • Ensure that the smaller branches that bear the fruit (which will be 1, 2 and 3-years old) have at least six inches (15 cm) of free space all around them. • When removing branches smaller than your thumb, use a good pair of hand clippers or a hand saw and carefully cut off the branch at its base without damaging the collar. Conclusion From the previous instructions on pruning, it is evident that it will take around three years of pruning to train many varieties of tree to form a sturdy and healthy framework of branches to bear the weight of fruit they will carry. Additionally, trees take years to mature, and the amount of fruit they produce increases as they grow in size and in age. It is important to be patient with such an endeavor, as you are establishing a natural system that will be productive for decades and possibly longer than a human lifetime. With that in mind, the sooner you plant your trees, the sooner they will be productive, which is a good reason not to procrastinate and get planting and learn pruning! Join staff and invited Arborist for a pruning Demonstration here at Tumalo Garden Market February 2019. You can sign up for the workshop (there is a fee) on our website at www. tumalogardenmarket.com. Next installment: Sweet Rewards Part 3: Siting and placement for your Backyard Orchard www.tumalogardenmarket.com References: Dave Wilson Nursery, Hickman, CA – Copyright 1994, 1999 Dave Wilson Nursery OSU Extension Service Pruning Publications https:// extension.oregonstate.edu/Deschutes Your Garden Sanctuary https://www. yourgardensanctuary.com/pruning-to-reduce-regrowth/ Robin Snyder, Tumalo Garden Market Professional Nursery Staff renderings courtesy of Robin Snyder, Tumalo Garden Market
Winter 2018
#BeADoer
Doer [Doo-er] noun ~ A person who acts rather than merely talking or thinking. You can #BeADoer too! Join our HomeSpun Magazine Facebook Group and post your accomplishments using the hashtag #BeADoer. One person will be selected to tell us about their accomplishments and be published in Homespun Magazine! www.facebook.com/groups/HomeSpunMagazine
Tumalo Family Farm & Bend Blue Water Aquatics
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by ROBERT CAMEL of Tumalo Family Farm he idea of becoming a fish farmer began with my roots in commercial fishing. In 1976, I moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Key West, Florida, without any thought about what I wanted to do. I always enjoyed fishing growing up and quickly discovered the Keys was a fishing paradise. I fell in love with all the adventure the ocean brought. I enjoyed all aspects associated with fishing and within a year got a job on a commercial fishing boat. It was filled with danger and excitement that words could not do justice. For some reason it was supposed to end, and I moved back to Pittsburgh and started a career in construction. It was then, in 1986, I came across an article in the Pittsburgh newspaper about a couple of guys down in West Virginia. They had started a fish farm raising white perch in grain silos built into the ground. I was fascinated with their story and after much research [learned] the ocean would not be capable of sustaining the future demand for fish. Even when I was a commercial fisherman, the decline in the fish stocks was noticeable. I remember my captain would tell me how abundant the fish were in the 60’s and early 70’s, and by the time I quit it was very hard to make a good living. There just weren’t enough fish left, and they were getting increasingly difficult to find. In the spring of 1986, I found myself in Portland visiting my sister. The skiing at Mt. Hood that year wasn’t the best and they suggested we go down and try Mt.
Bachelor. The second I crossed over the Deschutes River in Warm Springs I knew this is where I was supposed to be. It wasn’t until 1996 before I finally arrived in Bend for good. At the time, it was a growing town with lots of construction opportunities, but the desire to raise fish never left me. Fifteen years later the desire was still with me, and the reasons to follow this dream only became stronger. As of now, the U.S. currently imports over 90 percent of the seafood consumed and with population and per capita consumption steadily increasing, the over-fished oceans just can’t keep up. Also during this time, growth in the aquaculture industry was increasing around 15 percent per year worldwide. In 2010 it was apparent that new technology was far enough along that I felt it was now possible to start such a business. In 2015 we commenced operation and began raising fish. We chose to raise Barramundi for the health benefits. It has the highest omega-3 content of any white fish and is high in protein and low in fat, as well as having great taste and is very versatile when it comes cooking. Our Barramundi fry are imported from Australia, with 5,000 only weighing one and a half pounds. They are then raised to around two pounds — which can take up to nine months — until they are market size and ready to be sold. It took a great deal of time to get approval to raise them in Oregon, and it can only be done indoors in recirculating systems such continued on page 18 [
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as ours. Seafood Watch gives Barramundi that are raised fish produce a lot of CO2 that gets locked up in the in recirculating systems in the U.S. the highest rating for water which is harmful for the fish. To combat this, we sustainability and lowest impact on the environment. developed a CO2 vacuum stripper that the water flows Our fish are raised in pure, pathogen free water that is through. We are able capture this CO2 and send it into sourced from a deep well. We grow in low densities and the greenhouse; which means even on the coldest days never have to use aquaculture drugs of any kind. we never have to ventilate, saving us valuable energy. In From here our operation only continued to grow — addition, increased CO2 levels above 500 ppm have the this time by adding on a greenhouse component. The added benefit of allowing plants to thrive in the low light idea of growing vegetables from fish waste is not new conditions that are common during winter days. and has been used for thousands of years. Today’s Since we are not a typical farm, the learning curve aquaponic systems produce is particularly steep. The great tasting vegetables. It design and construction were has become a rapidly growing challenging, but my background trend across the nation, and will in construction was very play an important part in the helpful. Learning how to raise future of farming. fish from small fry — coupled At Tumalo Family Farm, we’ve with the near 90 percent failure development a hybrid system rate in the business — I had that separates the fish from the many a sleepless nights. Water vegetable operation. The main chemistry, biology, micro 5,500 Barramundi fry in the advantage of this is greatly biology and mechanical skills are nursery tank that are 6 weeks old. increased fish production over essential. On top of this, raising traditional aquaponics. The vegetables hydroponically has solids are collected through its own challenges. The role of special filtration equipment and beneficial bacteria and fungi go through a liquid composting in the system is extremely process. This produces clear, important, as well as the proper odor free nutrient water that balance of nutrients and the can then be used to grow effects pH as on them. plants hydroponically in Having a detailed integrated the greenhouse next to the pest and disease management fish building. The high-tech plan to prevent problems is greenhouse enables us to also very important. Every plant grow very productively on a has its own nutrient, light and year-round basis. Being able temperature requirements. to produce fresh, local and After test-growing many nutrient-dense vegetables different vegetables, we during the off season for most are close to specializing on local farmers is very challenging just a select few — English due to many limiting factors. cucumbers year-around, and This is especially true for a zucchini and tomatoes late fall certified organic operation such as ours. We have been to into early summer. As of now we distribute locally successfully able to address these limiting factors in through companies such as Agricultural Connections. unique ways. One example is the CO2 requirements of We plan on developing the local market next year as plants in a greenhouse. During the winter months, it’s our Barramundi production increases; but as of now we very important to hold in as much heat as possible. This currently we have buyers in Portland for all the fish we means almost no ventilation during the coldest days. produce. It will take another year or two to maximize This is where the problem is found. Plants will quickly our production and knowledge base at which time we use up the available CO2, and in organic operations the are hoping to expand on to a different property. use of synthetic CO2 is prohibited. On the other hand, photos courtesy of Tumalo Family Farm
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T G
ower T arden
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A Fully Automated Vertical Aeroponic System
I
by RYAN MOEGGENBERG
Photo by Amanda Long of Amanda Photographic
feel that food you grow yourself is better than any other option. You have full control of the quality and know every step of the process it went through to get to your table. For this reason we want to grow as much of our family’s food as possible but we have a few complications to consider. First, we don’t own the property we live on so I don’t want to make large investments in something permanent. I have built a mobile chicken coop for egg laying hens and a chicken tractor for our meat birds. Both structures fit in our horse trailer so we are able to take them with us when we purchase our next home. I have also added raised beds with scrap lumber and incorporated herbs and a few vegetables in our landscaping. These are a great start given our limitations, but I am always researching more ways to increase our production. The second consideration is coaxing the most production for the least amount of time invested. We have two kids and two businesses along with our full time jobs. There is not a lot of time left over for garden prep, weed pulling and watering. I researched aquaponic and hydroponic systems because in theory, once they are set up, they seem to eliminate some of the time investments involved with growing in dirt — although they seemed more permanent rather than something that I could easily take
Bringing Local & Sustainable Food Year-Round to Central Oregon
continued on page 21 [
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Pumpkin Pie Spice Chili by Bend - Old Mill District
375 SW Powerhouse Dr., Bend • 541-306-6855
Ingredients For Pumpkin: 2 small whole pie pumpkins* Olive oil, for drizzling Salt & pepper, to season
Optional Garnish: Plain yogurt, cilantro and hot sauce
For Chili: 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 lb. ground turkey 1 large yellow onion, diced 1/2 tsp. Dehydrated Minced Garlic (or 2 cloves, minced) 2 Tbsp. Medium Chili Powder 1 Tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice 1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Coarse Black Malabar Pepper 1 large green bell pepper, diced 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed* 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained 1 (15 oz.) black beans, drained 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes 2 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup water
Directions For Pumpkin: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off tops of pumpkins and scrape out insides. Brush inside of pumpkins with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place open-side down on a baking sheet and roast for about 45 min. or until easily pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. For Chili: While pumpkin cools, heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and cook about 5 min. or until turkey is no longer pink. Stir in onion and cook about 5 more min., or until onion is soft. Stir in garlic and spices. Add bell pepper, jalapeno, quinoa, and beans. Stir in tomatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 45 min., stirring occasionally. To Assemble: Cut roasted pumpkins into quarters. Set each pumpkin quarter in a bowl and spoon chili on top of pumpkin; pumpkin flesh should be soft enough to scoop out with bites of chili. Alternatively, scrape out roasted pumpkin flesh, stir into chili, and simmer another 5 to 10 min. until pumpkin is heated through. Serve chili with yogurt, cilantro, and hot sauce on the side.
Notes *Recipe also works with 2 whole acorn squash or large delicata squash. Quinoa is optional; if you don’t use quinoa you can omit the 1/2 cup water.
Time
Yield
Active Prep: 5 min Cook: 1 hour 45 min
Winter 2018
8 servings
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with us when we buy our own place. Short growing season is always a consideration when talking about growing anything in Central Oregon. A greenhouse would be one more thing that I would have to design to come apart to be moved to a new location — which is doable if I really want to, but not preferable. Caterpillar tunnels or hoop houses are ways our local farmers extend their growing during the shoulder seasons. These options still required a significant amount of financial investment including soil improvements and time invested in tending during the growing season. Still not an ideal answer for our situation. When I was introduced to the Tower Garden I was immediately sold. They are vertical aeroponic growing systems above a 20 gallon reservoir for water and nutrients solution. Aeroponic means that the bare roots (no soil) of the plants are only exposed to water for a period of time and left hanging in the air for the rest. The tower has up to 28 ‘cups’ where you can grow plants in rockwool, but since all of the nutrients are delivered directly to the roots, each cup will support more than one plant. We have two or three tomato or pepper plants sharing one space. That is a potential for a whole bunch of plants only
taking up three square feet of space! The Tower Garden checked the boxes for all of my considerations. Easy to move. Check. Minimal time investment. Check. Indoor, year-round growing. Check. The only negative I could find was that they can’t grow root vegetables. The water and integrated LED grow lights are both on their own timers and fully automatic. After you plant and get your nutrients in the water, all you have to do is check the pH once in a while and add water as needed. Oh, you have to harvest too because you will have a lot of food! The Tower Garden marketing claims that continued on page 22 [
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the plants will grow three times faster and produce 30 percent greater yields on average. Based on my experience, their claim is not a stretch. My theory to their fast growth is partly because everything the plant needs to grow is delivered directly in the water. When we first set up our Tower Garden we planted all of the cups at the same time: four with tomato plants, four with cherry tomato plants, four with pepper plants, four with herbs and 12 cups with greens. And remember — each cup holds more than one plant. We were harvesting greens in less than four weeks and it all matured at the same time! Our family of four couldn’t keep up. I wasn’t educated about pruning the tomato plants and they grew to the ceiling and it was so bushy we could barely walk past the Tower Garden. This summer when I couldn’t handle the overgrowth anymore I pulled all of the plants and started over. Succession planting and aggressive pruning keep the plants manageable with a steady flow of vegetables and greens.
Restaurant salads have been ruined for us. The flavors that a Tower Garden produces are unbelievable. Marcee likes arugula so we planted some on the Tower Garden. There is so much peppery flavor you need to eat it with a glass of water and it makes store-bought arugula seem like you are eating plain spinach! The kids love to stand and ‘graze’ on the chard and buttercrunch. They describe it as ‘fluffy’ because it is so fresh and tasty. When I break the stems of the bok choy during harvest it is so full of water that it sometimes sprays me. I had planted one of our smaller raised beds with lettuce this summer so that we would have some while I replanted the Tower Garden. We ate it but we didn’t even like that flavor compared to what grows inside. Plus, I wasn’t used to washing lettuce so I harvested our salads from outside directly into our bowls. Once, as I brought a forkful to my mouth, I noticed a little green caterpillar… just in time! After having a Tower Garden for a year now I have learned a few more benefits above my initial list of considerations. First, there is no pest pressure. Tower Gardens can go outside in the summer if you would like but we opted to keep ours inside because we didn’t have to worry about aphids or other pests. Keeping it inside also kept our lettuce from bolting due to the heat. Second, someone had to water our raised beds every day through the heat of the summer. Twenty gallons or more every day over the course of the summer. I filled the Tower Garden’s twenty gallon reservoir five times. If you were to put a Tower Garden outside on a deck or patio you would have to fill them more often, but the water savings is tremendous. People often ask how much our electricity increased with the pump and LED lights. We honestly haven’t noticed any difference. We saw an increase in electricity usage when I put the two tank heaters in the horse’s water troughs, but did not notice when we turned the Tower Garden on. All things considered, we are obviously very happy with our purchase of the Tower Garden and will probably purchase more of them. I would like to have one dedicated to salsa ingredients and the kids want one on the deck with strawberries and melons on trellises. When the kids are interested in growing food, I do everything I can to encourage them. If you like the idea of owning a Tower Garden yourself but have questions or would like to see one first, give me a ring. You won’t be disappointed! Ryan ~ 541-280-3337 photos by HomeSpun Magazine
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Winter 2018
Everything gets a
I
by BRIAN KERR, Executive Chef, Deschutes Brewery & Public House recently had surgery on my shoulder and was out of work for over a month. I didn’t just sit around idly wasting my time though, I took the opportunity to venture out into our city to try out some of the great burgers at various locations. I was really impressed by several of them, including those restaurants that say they serve the world’s best burger. I was recently dining at my favorite restaurant, Deschutes Brewery and Public House, and I wanted to see how our burger held up against the others in town. I ordered the Bond St. burger with caramelized onions, spicy mayo and sweet and smoky barbecue sauce, though I decided to keep the barbecue sauce off of it that day (I was wearing a new shirt.) I hate to say that I was disappointed in that burger, oh no! It was no fault of the chefs and cooks on duty that day, the fault was mine because I asked for no sauce!! It will be the last time I make that mistake. Last time I wrote to you I shared a bit about sauces
Sauce
and how much I love love LOVE them! There is a sauce for literally everything you eat, did you know that? Sauces can be incredibly simple or complex, they can be store-bought, mass-produced, artisanstyle, one-use or storable. The grocery is filled with sauces of all kinds but don’t limit yourselves to the condiment aisle or the dry and dusty powdered sauce bases. Trust me, YOU can make your own sauces. Not a natural born saucier? No worries, there are books, magazines and websites galore for novices and experts, for sweets and savory dishes, sweet sauces for dessert, or spicy dippers, creamy, thick, thin, smoky, salty, funky and foreign… the possibilities are endless. I am confident that with some practice and some simple guidelines you will be serving sauces with all of your meals. Sauces were first made popular in ancient Rome where heavy, highly seasoned sauces were most likely used to cover the flavor and aroma of old, continued on page 24 [
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poor quality meats and fish. Marinades were also necessary to tenderize tough and chewy meats. Acids, wines, unripened grape juice and vinegar were used to break down tough meat fibers and were then transformed into sauces — for example, today’s sauerbraten. Today sauces aren’t designed to cover and hide the food on your plate but is made to enhance flavorings and seasonings that may already be present in the dish. The sauce is there to compliment your well-prepared food, not bury it. Contemporary sauces include jus, beurre blanc, compound butters, infused oils and vinegars, coulis, salsa and relishes, chutney, ketchup, mayonnaise, hollandaise, béchamel, glazes and marinades. Go ahead and make a short list of your favorite sauces, maybe ones you make at home or buy at the store, or have enjoyed at your favorite restaurant. Ketchup. Tomato salsa. Vinaigrette. Guacamole. Hollandaise. Did they make your list? Can you make each of them and use them properly? How about flavored oils or compound butters, do you have any of those on your list? Romesco? Harissa? Nuoc Cham? Espagnole? Sound familiar? No? No problem, here we go!
Honey Sriracha Wings - fresh locally grown chicken wings bathed in a deliciously sweet and spicy sauce with honey, sriracha, fish sauce, brown sugar, shallots and garlic.
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THE FLAVOR PRINCIPLE Crafting a great sauce is a trial and error venture. I have ruined more sauces than I care to admit, but with every failure comes a lesson and I have learned my share. Sauces, generally speaking, are not all that complicated but they do have some rules that you need to remember. There are at least three basic building blocks to a sauce and they all need to be in balance for the sauce to work with your dish. A well composed sauce should have some aspects of sweet, salty, sour, spicy detectable to the taster. Savory, bitter, astringent and pungent are other ‘colors’ of the flavor-principle rainbow. Sauces may begin as a marinade and be transformed into a finishing sauce, such as using the red wine, herbs and vegetables from a beef kebab marinade into a pour-over sauce thickened in a shallow pan or with a thickening agent like roux or cornstarch slurry. There are a ton of flavor compounds in a beef kebab marinade such as soy sauce (salty), Worcestershire (sweet, salty), garlic (pungent), fresh and dried herbs (savory), black pepper (spicy), lemon juice (sour), oil and mustard. I might enhance a sauce/marinade like this one by sautéing a yellow onion with a couple of cloves of garlic to increase its earthiness. I might add
Infamous Bond St. Burger with spicy mayonnaise, sweet and smoky barbecue sauce, caramelized onions, tomato, freshly baked Italian bun.
a tablespoon or two of rich tomato paste to add body and sweetness. I would even consider adding anchovy paste for an “I can’t quite put my finger on that rich flavor” flavor. With this simple sauce using ingredients that already live in my pantry, I can make a delicious backyard cookout with grilled corn and foil-package
potatoes at a minimum of effort and cost. Let’s do a little flavor principle experiment, you may have to run to the store for a couple of ingredients, but there are only four of them. You will need fish sauce, fresh limes, thinly sliced red chili peppers, water and sugar. (sweet, spicy, sour, funky!) The experiment we continued on page 27 [
Pulled pork pizza with our sweet and smoky barbecue, mozz, roasted grape tomatoes, pepperoncini, red onion, cilantro and scallion.
All of the sauces we serve we make here including marinades, salad dressings, steak sauces, specials, pizza sauce, everything...
Mediterranean Buddha Bowl made with our Crushed Urfa Chiles
Get this and other recipes at your local
B EN D - OLD M I LL DI S T R I C T 375 SW Powerhouse Drive • Bend, OR 97702 Mon-Sat: 10am-8pm, Sun: 11am-6pm
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Barb’s Biscuits
Sourdough Biscuits by the MoeGang Household Mix together: 1/2 cup sourdough starter* 1 cup milk 1 cup flour Cover and let stand in a warm place 4-8 hours. * If you don’t have your sourdough starter handy, jump on the HomeSpun Magazine Facebook Group and let us know you would like some. We got ours from our friend Barb, her grandmother started it on their homestead in Stayton over 80 years ago.
Then add: 1 cup flour 3/4 tsp salt 1 Tbls sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1. Mix together and turn out on floured board. 2. Need lightly 8 - 10x. 3. Pat out dough to about half inch thickness. 4. Cut-out biscuits. 5. Dip each biscuit into oil or warm bacon grease before placing in the pan. 6. Cover and let rise 30 minutes. 7. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Winter 2018
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are undertaking is finding balance between these five ingredients so they work harmoniously together. Squeeze the juice from the lime into a medium sized glass bowl, go ahead and do two limes. Add some tepid water to your lime juice. Stir a teaspoon of sugar into the lime juice until it dissolves and do keep track of your additions. How does the lime and sugar mix taste? Is the sweet and sour in balance? Does it taste like limeade? Do you have any more limes? Add two teaspoons of the chili pepper. Add a tablespoon of fish sauce. Give it a little stir and taste it. Is it awful? Probably! Citrus vary in sour intensity which is why we added water to the lime juice. Sugar helps to trick your brain into thinking that the spice isn’t quite as spicy as it should be. Fish sauce adds the authenticity of the Vietnamese culinary landscape to the sauce, and chili because if it wasn’t there it just wouldn’t be the same. This recipe is really only a guideline, every ingredient
A well composed sauce should have some aspects of sweet, salty, sour, spicy detectable to the taster.
that goes in should be the best quality you can get. BUT, there is variation to each of these ingredients as there is variation in the taster — making this sauce is a personal journey for you and your guests and you can make it as sweet, sour, spicy or as funky as you like. I trust you will like this sauce and will want to fry up some crispy spring rolls or roll some fresh vermicelli and tofu salad rolls with lettuce and carrot real quick!! At the pub we served a dry-aged ribeye steak with Obsidian Stout steak sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables. The sauce is much more complex than the Nuoc Cham recipe above, but don’t let that deter you. Have you got a great steak or tenderloin roast, perhaps some venison you want to serve to guests, but not sure if A-1 will stand up to it? This recipe is the one for you. If you don’t have the time or space to make our steak sauce, I urge you to come down to the pub and order one of our beautiful steak, medium doneness of course, and enjoy it with any of our craft beers, ciders or whiskeys.
OBSIDIAN STOUT ~ SHALLOT CREAM SAUCE 4 oz butter 4 oz minced shallots 1 oz minced garlic Warm the butter in a large sauté pan till melted. Add the shallots and garlic and cook over medium heat until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes, or however long it takes. 6 fl oz Obsidian Stout beer 6 fl oz beef broth, richly flavored Deglaze the pan with the stout and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer aggressively for 5 minutes 1 cup rich tomato puree (we make a tomato jam at the pub instead of canned puree. It’s just a can of tomatoes cooked with a little sugar and salt till thickened, then pureed.) ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp sea salt Add the tomato, salt and pepper. Return to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit and has become shiny. 8 fl oz heavy cream Add the heavy cream, return to a simmer and cook till lightly thickened. 2-4 Tbls chilled butter 1/3 cup finely chopped curly parsley Remove the sauce from the heat and add the butter, stirring continuously until the butter is fully incorporated. Add the parsley and give it another stir. Taste for seasonings like salt and pepper. If it tastes flat you could add a tbls or two of balsamic vinegar to punch up the flavors. By the way, did you see how we got sweet, bitter, savory, spicy and umami in the recipe? In conclusion, I urge you to have or prepare a sauce for all of your favorite proteins, fruits and vegetables. Be prepared in your kitchen with heat-proof spatulas and scrapers, at least two different sizes of whisks, a double mesh fine strainer, cheesecloth, soup bases, foreign ingredients like curry paste and fish sauce. Butter, flour, corn starch, spices, seasonings, onions, garlic, ginger….on and on. As always, have fun in your kitchen, learn a few guidelines and rules, taste everything and dip, dredge, bathe, baste and spread. Enjoy!! www.deschutesbrewery.com www.
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Backyard Bees Winter 2018
by KIM RIVERA, Backyard Bees of Bend
O
ctober is, as far as local honeybees are concerned, the start of winter. November is the first month of solid seclusion in survival mode for the colony. Specially nourished bees — called winter bees — are in force, maintaining the colony’s warmth. These specialized bees create a heater effect by using wing and abdominal muscles to generate warmth. Bees cluster in the wintertime and stay in a state of torpidity, not full hibernation. By slowly rotating the outer layer of cold worker bees inward, the warmer ‘inside’ bees take their turn on the frigid exterior of the cluster. Sometimes those outer bees ‘on the frontline’ get too cold to even move. At this point, their altruistic sister/worker bees often pull their cold sisters inwards towards the life-sustaining warmth — covering them over in the blanket of warm sister bees — until it is their turn once again to face the cold. One way to picture it is what we know penguins do....the colony’s individuals take turns defending against the cold so that the whole may survive and come through alive. Bees cannot easily fly when temperatures are below 55 degrees. However, they do need to take ‘cleansing flights’, during the long winter months in which to vacate the accumulation of fecal matter that the consumption of honey produces. Fastidiously clean, bees will not sully their living space. When winter temperatures hit around 50 degrees or higher, you will see honeybees make attempts to take these cleansing flights out of the hive, vacate, then quickly attempt to make it back to the warmth of the hive. Some will not make it back. The majority, however, hopefully, will have enough honey and strength to make it through the minimal six months of grueling winter wet and cold. It certainly is a miracle continued on page 31 [
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that each little bundle of bees can come through the frigid, unrelenting elements of Central Oregon’s winters. The more you learn, the more incredible, indeed ‘impossible’, it is to fathom! Honeybee winter clusters maintain an approximate central 90-degree temperature to keep their one and only queen safe until spring. This is when she will start to lay eggs again, up to 1,500 per day. If she perishes during the winter months or is damaged for any reason, the colony dies an awful death of which there is no saving. They protect her as the beating heart of their existence. Once the spring comes she, being the only fertile bee in the colony, will start the forward growth of the colony going full board. And why? To start once more, the desperate collection of honey for the next winter’s survival. Approximately 70 pounds is needed per colony for this feat of nature. So, for now, my ‘little girls’ (I have 15 hives at this point), I wish you all a full and satisfying banquet of food and warmth as I tuck you in for winter. I will miss you while you ‘sleep’, and be anxiously wringing my hands as I watch your little houses blanketed in Central Oregon snow. If you would like to purchase local honey or order yourself some bees you can contact Kim at backyardbeesofbend@yahoo.com photos courtesy of Backyard Bees of Bend
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Maple Bacon Cookies
Cookies = Dessert. Bacon = Breakfast!! by the MoeGang Household Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened 1 3/4 cup light brown sugar 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2 eggs 2 tsp maple extract 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder 6 thick slices bacon, cooked (see note below) 1 cup chocolate chips or 1 cup butterscotch chips or 1 cup pecan pieces
The kids and grandma like butterscotch chips the best. The mom and I like them with pecans. Maybe a mix of both next time I make this recipe‌ next week!!
Directions: NOTE: You need to cook the bacon with enough time to let it cool and cut it into bite sized pieces. I suggest keeping it just on the pliable side. Burnt or powdered bacon in cookies is no bueno. 1. Mix butter and brown sugar. Add salt, eggs and maple extract. 2. While continuing to mix, slowly add in flour, baking soda and baking powder. 3. Fold in bacon and chips or nuts. 4. Scoop by large tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet. 5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Yield: approximately 3 dozen cookies
Winter 2018
Club by RYAN MOEGGENBERG
T
en lucky students at Pilot Butte Middle School (PBMS) are able to participate in the school’s Aquaponics Club. Science teacher Colleen Behrens supervises the students after school while they work on the system. Colleen likes this club, saying, “Kids think that plants need soil to grow,” and this shows them a different way. The aquaponics system PBMS uses is now four years old. The school received grant money initially to fund the setup and Jimmy Sbarra, owner of Volcano Veggies, helped them acquire and assemble the system. Most aquaponic systems produce veggies and fish, but PBMS has opted to use goldfish in their system. They are heartier than most other species commonly used in aquaponics, and more tolerant of temp changes. During school breaks the temperature controls in the school are turned off, therefore the fish need to be able to handle the inevitable water temperature fluctuations. The eighth graders that were in the club the previous year teach the seventh graders how to manage the system. They have assembled a binder full of instructions, and checklists including pages on Planting, Transferring from the Nursery to the
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Main System, Daily and Weekly Filter and Pump Maintenance and Water Chemistry Testing for pH, Nitrates and Ammonia. Every day the students have an 11-step checklist for the aquaponics system itself. There is another checklist for weekly planting, harvesting, transferring seedlings and backwashing the filter. “For some of the students it makes the connection to where their food comes from,” Colleen said. Currently the Club is growing large beds of greens without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. They are able to take two cuttings from the lettuce plants before having to replant. The greens grow only using what is provided by the goldfish and the plants clean the water for the goldfish in a symbiotic system. In previous years the club has grown basil and sold it as whole plants to raise funds, allowing them to buy more supplies. They now have teachers that make donations of $3 for a 6oz/gallon ziplock full of fresh lettuce. Being involved in programs like this show kids that farmers are scientists, and introduces the future of our people to the future of farming. photos by HomeSpun Magazine
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S
HOME
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HAPPENINGS
For event registration information, full details and MANY MORE events go to HomeSpunMagazine.com/Calendar
NOVEMBER 7
NOVEMBER 12
6:30-8:30pm Central Oregon Mushroom Club Meeting at 16 NW Kansas Ave, Bend. Free and open to the public.
SECOND THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH 6:30-8:00pm Central Oregon Beekeepers Meeting Club Meeting at 63211 Service Road, Bend. Folks start showing up about 6pm, meeting starts at 6:30pm. contact@ cobeekeeping.org.
NOVEMBER 9-11
5:45-7:15pm High Desert Food & Farm Alliance Fifth Annual Socia at Deschutes Brewery Bend Tasting Room.
NOVEMBER 16 6-8pm Central Oregon Beekeepers COBKA Autumn Event — The Native Bees of Central Oregon — at the Environmental Center, Bend. Free, space limited, registration required.
NOVEMBER 24
Oregon Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference at Eagle Crest Resort, Redmond.
NOVEMBER 11
10am-4pm Shop Small Saturday in Downtown Bend.
DECEMBER 2
10am-3pm 3rd Annual Fill Your Pantry benefiting Central Oregon Locavore at Tumalo Garden Market.
NOVEMBER 12
2-4pm Holiday Wreath Workshop at Fivepine Lodge & Conference Center, Sisters. RSVP by November 25.
DECEMBER 8
3:30-5:30pm 2018 Chef Farmer Mixer by High Desert Food & Farm Alliance at Deschutes Brewery Bend Tasting Room.
10am-4pm Ninth Annual Locavore Holiday Gift Faire at Unitarian Universalist Church, Bend.
SEND US YOUR EVENTS! Ryan@HomeSpunMagazine.com | Marcee@HomeSpunMagazine.com 36
Winter 2018
Horse-Drawn Christmas Caroling
Making Memories That Last A Lifetime • Two Big, Percheron Horses • • • •
Complete with Jingle Bells 45-50 minutes ° Along Drake Park ° Through Historical District ° Through Downtown Bend Christmas Cookies & Hot Chocolate Provided by Foxtail Bakeshop Meet at Pine Tavern & Receive 10% Off Food Order Private Groups or Single Tickets Available
Go to www.CowboyCarriage.us/Christmas for more details and to reserve your ride.
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FULL SERVICE NURSERY Central Oregon’s Largest selection of Cactus, Succulents and Tropicals for your indoor gardens. TumaloGardenMarket.com | 541-728-0088