Harvest Celebration by Sequim Gazette

Sequim Gazette

Harvest Celebration 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ 1

Jim Bower drives a load of hay in 1976 with his first team of Belgians at his farm off Blue Mountain Road that is on the tour this year. See page 10 for more information.

Harvest Celebration 2010

2 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Harvest Welcome

Oct. 2 will mark the 14th annual Clallam County Harvest Celebration. Nine local farms will open their doors to the public and enrich the community with information about local food systems. Lazy J Tree Farm, Bowers’ Blue Mountain Belgians, Freedom Farm, Lökalie Faare Gaard (Lucky Sheep Farm), Dungeness Valley Creamery, Nash’s Organic Produce, Bekkevar Family Farm, Trade Winds Alpacas and Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and will be sharing fun and educational insights into the fruits, vegetables, berries, livestock, flowers and grains they produce. From sheep shearing demonstrations to wagon rides, the Harvest Celebration farm tours offer a unique opportunity for community members to explore the life and work of local farmers. The cost per carload to visit all nine farms is $10, so find some folks to carpool with and take an all-day adventure into the heart of Clallam County agriculture. Friends of the Fields, a division of North Olympic Land Trust, celebrates the preservation of Finn Hall Farm with the 14th annual 100-Mile Harvest Dinner and silent auction fundraiser. The completely local meal comes from area farms, fisheries, creameries and gardens and will be prepared by local chefs. Live music is by Linda Dowdell and Kia Armstrong. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26, at the Sunland Country Club, 109 Hilltop Drive, Sequim. Tickets are $115 per person at Alder Wood Bistro or The Red Rooster Grocery in Sequim, Good to Go Grocery in Port Angeles, online at www.friendsofthefields.org or by calling 681-8636. All net proceeds go to protecting local farmland.

Friends of the Fields presents

Tickets: The Alder Wood Bistro and the Red Rooster in Sequim, or Good to Go Grocery in Port Angeles; or call 360-681-8636 Online at www.friendsofthefields.org Cost: $115 ($85 is tax deductible)

Friends of the Fields is a Division of North Olympic Land Trust

A success story:

Finn Hall Farm to be protected! By Bob Caldwell Board member, North Olympic Land Trust After three years of hard work, Friends of the Fields and its new parent organization, the North Olympic Land Trust, have achieved success in protecting a significant piece of farmland in Clallam County. Fresh off the accomplishment of protecting the 40-acre Littlejohn farmland property in Sequim (2007) and the 38-acre Dungeness Valley Creamery property (finalized in 2009), Friends of the Fields offered in 2007 to help John and Carmen Jarvis protect their farm on Finn Hall Road between Sequim and Port Angeles. FOF was encouraged in this endeavor by the fact that the Jarvis heirs wanted to protect the farm, too. This 60-acre parcel of prime farmland has been in the Jarvis family since the 1920s. It has produced dairy products, commercial vegetable crops and currently is a successful cow-calf operation. The family wanted to protect the farm, but the value of the land had risen by about $35,000 per acre due to development pressures. No farmer possibly could pay that amount of money for Clallam County farmland and the Jarvises were depending on revenue from the land for their retirement. If the Jarvises were to place a

Olympic View Publishing Co. LLC P.O. Box 1750, Sequim, WA 98382 Phone: (360) 683-3311 FAX: (360) 683-6670 e-mail: patc@sequimgazette.com

“Harvest Celebration 2010” is a special section of the Sequim Gazette. ©2010 by Olympic View Publishing Co. LLC. Publisher: Sue Ellen Riesau General Manager: Steve Perry Distribution Manager: Bob Morris Special Sections Editor: Patricia Morrison Coate Publication Design: Cathy Clark

Sunday, September 26, 2010 5:30 p.m., Sunland Country Club 109 Hilltop Dr., Sequim

Proceeds protect farmland in Clallam County.

Don’t forget Farm Day Tours on Saturday, October 2, 10 am-4 pm

Sequim Gazette

A fabulous gourmet meal prepared by local chefs from ingredients from local farms, with live music with Linda Dowdell and Kia Armstrong, and a great Silent Auction.

Certiﬁed Organic Blueberries 135 Meadowmeer Lane, Sequim • 360-582-1128 (messages) dungenessmeadowfarm.com UPICK • WEPICK

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette conservation easement on the farm and protect the land, they would lose market value of about $1.7 million due to the loss of the very valuable right to develop the land for residential housing. Since our community is the main beneficiary of farmland protection, the Jarvises would need to be compensated for a significant portion of that loss. FOF accepted the challenge to raise the needed funds. FOF immediately applied for state and federal grants. Although it was risky, it was hoped that, if received, a Federal USDA Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program grant of $854,000 could be used as a match for the state grant and a State Recreation and Conservation Office grant of $868,000 would serve as the match for the federal funds. FOF also began soliciting donations and raised about $225,000 for farmland protection for this project. However, it became obvious that the organization faced a difficult challenge to raise the amount needed to match either grant in a timely manner. The Washington state grant application was successful. However, FOF

was informed in 2009 that its federal application would not be funded and it didn’t have the match for the state grant. By 2010, the state grant oﬀer was due to expire. This was a huge disappointment for donors, board members, volunteers, and the Jarvises. FOF began to think about new strategies for the next round of grant awards, but in the meantime, prepared a new 2010 application for the state grant. Suddenly, in a surprising move, the USDA announced in May that additional funds for farm and ranch land protection were available and were approved for the Finn Hall Farm project. At the same time, FOF and NOLT also got word that the state grant deadline for acceptance had been extended and those funds also would be made available. We now have the funding for Finn Hall Farm, including the required matches! It seems certain that the Jarvis farm will be protected by an agricultural conservation easement that ensures the land always will be available for farming.

Country Paws

RESORT & GROOMING

Beef & Tractor

SPECIAL

42 Dory Rd., Sequim | 360-582-9686 www.countrypawsresort.com

00 10 OFF the fifth night

Offer expires 10/30/10

John and Carmen Jarvis with their daughter, Suzie Bliven, and their granddaughter, Jonel Lyons. The original 60 acres that is now Finn Hall Farm was purchased in 1920 by Adolf and Fannie Ranta, John’s step-grandfather and grandmother. They built the original log house and barn from the lumber on the property. The Jarvises bought the 60-acre dairy in 1959. Lyons is the fifth generation to live in original log home on Finn Hall Farm.

Dan’s

Please call to make reservations. (Some restrictions apply)

Board 4 Nights and Receive

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 3

Horse, Sheep & Beef Hay By the Bale Locker Beef for Sale by Order 80 Cook Rd. • Sequim

360.683.6883 • 360.808.2581

Thank you to all our farmers, growers, producers and supporters!

Growing & Buying Locally Featuring 700+ Local Products From 70+ Farmers/Growers/Producers Log onto

Available Now • Apples (many varieties) • Asian Pears • Potatoes & Garlic • Mixed Vegetables • All Certified Organic

Now selling compost materials! Available Later U-Cut Christmas Trees Christmas Greenery Boughs and Wreaths

STEVEN JOHNSON 225 Gehrke Rd., Port Angeles

(360) 457-5950

www.Sequim.LocallyGrown.net

Direct Farm Sales

Put Your Money Where Your Heart Is!

Farm open to the public during regular business hours

Harvest Celebration 2010

4 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Value of Rare Breeds

By Curtis Beus Director, WSU Extension of Clallam County In the 2009 Clallam County Farm and Garden Guide I wrote an article entitled: “Agriculture’s Information Implosion.” In that article I explained how the hard-won genetic diversity that has been developed over centuries in agriculture around the globe is being rapidly and dramatically destroyed by industrialized agriculture. Modern, industrial agriculture demands characteristics such as uniformity and fast growth of all farm products produced using its factory-like methods. Whether it is wheat, potatoes, tomatoes, chickens, pigs, cattle or any other agricultural product, in modern industrial agriculture what matters is producing the most product at the lowest cost. And while this logic makes a certain amount of sense economically, it has consequences that are sometimes negative and even detrimental to agriculture’s long-term sustainability. Nature thrives on genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is one of the things that allows natural ecosystems to be healthy, productive and to avoid problems such as severe disease epidemics, massive pest infestations, etc. Throughout most of agriculture’s history, farmers have

The

selected and developed varieties of crops and breeds of animals that were suited to the climates, soils, elevations, and other unique challenges they faced in the places they were attempting to grow food. In so doing, farmers have developed an incredible number of varieties of crop plants and animal breeds and strains. As with natural ecosystems, this genetic diversity has served agriculture well, preventing and solving many problems. Moreover, it is this genetic diversity that has been the basis for most current-day agricultural plant and animal breeding to overcome issues with diseases, pests, droughts and a host of other agricultural problems. But today, the very basis for agriculture’s genetic future is disappearing at an alarming rate as small indigenous farmers around the globe disappear and as much larger industrialized farms take their place. It has been these small farmers (often referred to as “peasant” farmers in many nations) who have developed and maintained most of agriculture’s genetic diversity and kept alive obscure yet valuable varieties of crop plants and breeds of farm animals. And as they disappear, most of agriculture’s genetic diversity is disappearing with them. In the United States it is mostly the small family farms, many of them so-called “hobby farms,” that have taken an interest in raising rare, unique and often endangered

Pumpkin Patch Located at Kitchen-Dick Road & Highway 101

Fun for the Whole Family! Opening OR F N FU st NE RYO October 1 E V E through Halloween th Live Music! sic! The Corn Maze is Back!! U-Pick Pumpkins Straw Maze Pumpkin Chunkin’ Indian Corn & Corn Stalkss Apple Cider & More Fresh Corn on the Cob Horse Rides ns Piglets, Bunnies & Chickens

OPE Sat & SNun 9 - Dusk Call for d etails on our

CHILDRE FIELD TRN’S IP TOURS 4 61-0940

Sequim Gazette breeds of poultry, sheep, hogs, goats and cattle. However, the vast majority of the chicken, eggs, turkey, milk, pork, beef and other farm animal products we consume in the United States are produced on huge farms that all utilize pretty much the same genetics in their farm animals. It is the uniform genetics they use that allow their animals to grow, lay eggs or produce milk at incredible rates. And although many of the minor and rare breeds of farm animals cannot produce meat, milk or eggs as fast or as eﬃciently as today’s highly controlled strains of industrial poultry and livestock, there is nevertheless value and wisdom in maintaining the genetics these more obscure breeds of animals possess. In this year’s Clallam County Harvest Celebration we are focusing more attention on farm animals. There are more cows, pigs, chickens, horses and other animals on this year’s farm tour than we’ve had in recent years. And we hope you and your family enjoy getting out and seeing these animals. We also hope you appreciate the dedication it takes for farmers in Clallam County to raise these animals, especially breeds of farm animals that are a little diﬀerent than the more mainstream breeds you often see on farms.

Tamworth hogs

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette

From top: Examples of the Dexter, Shorthorn and Tarentaise cattle At the Bekkevar Family Farm on this year’s farm tour you can see Tamworth hogs raised by breeds.

Karen Bert. Tamworth hogs are dark red and are considered a “bacon type” hog due to their long, deep sides. Tamworth hogs are an ancient swine breed that are becoming rare, even in England where they originated. However, there appears to be a bit of a surge of interest in them as small farmers are looking for hogs that forage well on pastures. Another rare breed of pigs you can see on this year’s farm tour are the Hereford hogs raised by Jeana Geniesse. Hereford hogs are colored similarly to Hereford cattle, with red bodies and white faces, bellies and legs. This breed was developed around 1900 in Missouri and remains an uncommon and rare breed today.

Also at the Bekkevar family farm there will be a wide variety of cattle breeds on display and even some unique cattle for sale. There will be some mainstay breeds of cattle on exhibit such as Black Angus and Hereford beef cattle, as well as Holstein and Jersey dairy cattle. And there will also be some fairly unique and even rare breeds of cattle for you to see. Connie Kelly will have some of her Dexter cattle, an old English breed of very small cattle that are a dual-purpose breed used historically for both meat and milk. Emily and Nathan Breithaupt will have some of their red and white Shorthorn cattle at the Bekkevar farm where you can see this oldest of the British breeds of cattle which dates back to the 1500s. I will have some of my own Tarentaise cattle at the Bekkevar’s farm as well. The Tarentaise breed comes from the high Alps of France and is a dual-purpose cattle breed used both for meat and milk. There will also be miniature Hereford cattle exhibited by Jeana Geniesse, and miniature Black Angus known as Lowline cattle owned by Shane Pegram. Several farms will have exhibits of poultry, including many rare and exotic breeds. Bekkevar Family Farm, Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm and Lazy J Tree Farm will have poultry exhibits and there will be a breed of heritage

Clallam Conservation District Call to learn more about our programs on: • Soil Testing • Stream and Riparian Habitat Restoration

Technical, financial, and educational assistance for natural resource conservation.

• Pasture, Mud, & Manure Management • Native Plantings • Forest Stewardship • Water Conservation • Storm Water Management

360-452-1912 ext.5 Website: http://clallam.scc.wa.gov/

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 5 turkeys known as “Chocolates” for sale at Lazy J that you can purchase for your Thanksgiving dinner! We hope you really enjoy seeing so many diﬀerent farm critters as you visit the farms on the Harvest Celebration tour this year. And, when you see these animals, especially those that are part of a rare or threatened breed of farm animal, remember how important it is to keep these breeds and the genetics and history they represent alive and thriving for future generations. If you want to learn more about rare, heritage breeds of farm animals, visit the website for the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy at: www.albc-usa.org.

Chocolate turkey

6 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette

BEES, BBE EEESS, continued con oonnttiinuueedd ffr from room rom m ppage aagge 5

Bees and farming by John Popinski There are two types of bees that pollinate crops: honey bees and wild native bees. The native bee, in many cases, is the more eﬃcient pollinator. However, the domestic honey bee is the most important commercial crop pollinator in the United States. Because of disease and other factors, the number of managed honey bee hives in the United States has declined by 50 percent since 1950. During this same period, the amount of crop acreage requiring bee pollination has continued to grow. This makes native pollinators even more important to the future of agriculture. Worldwide, there are approximately 20,000 species of wild bees. About 4,000 species are native to the U.S. Native bees come in a wide range of colors and sizes, from tiny sweat bees less than a quarter of an inch long to bumble bees over an inch in length. The common names for native bees often reﬂect their nestbuilding habits: miner, carpenter, mason or plasterer. Honey bees, as their name implies, are the only insects that make honey and the human practice of honey collection dates back to prehistoric times.

Honey bees came to the Americas with European immigrants in the 17th century but it took until the 19th century for beekeeping to become commercially viable, thanks to four innovations: the moveable-frame hive, the smoker, the comb foundation maker and the honey extractor. These still support commercial beekeeping today. A crisis in U.S. agriculture The honey bee accounts for more than 80 percent of all insect pollination. It is estimated that there are 2.9 million colonies in the U.S. and more than two million of these colonies are trucked each year to areas with commercial crops. Thousands of hives, each containing as many as 60,000 honey bees, travel up and down both coasts to pollinate citrus, nuts, melons, squash, fruits, vegetables, grains and ﬂowers. U.S. agriculture today cannot survive without the honey bee. The collapse of the honey bee population in the past 20 years has caused a pollination crisis. Honey bees are being wiped out by tracheal mites, varroa mites, nosema and now colony collapse disorder. Although there may be no single cause, one fact is clear: Certain modern agricultural practices are detrimental to bees. American agriculture has become dependent on pesticides and herbicides

since World War II. These chemicals have affected pollinators in many ways, including: • Insecticides affect bee foraging and nesting behaviors, often preventing plant pollination and bee reproduction • Herbicides kill plants that pollinators depend on when crops are not in bloom • Native bees are generally smaller than honey bees and are affected by lower doses. Honey bee colonies may be covered or moved but wild bees continue to forage and nest in spray areas • Many of these chemicals are applied as a dust or fine powder that becomes trapped in the pollen-collecting hairs of bees and carried back to the hive • Most chemical sprays are applied during the day, when the bees are active Corn, soybeans and citrus are some of the most heavily treated crops with insecticides. There are more acres devoted to corn and soybeans (144 million) in the U.S. than all other crops combined. Where can the bees turn for pollen or nectar that is not contaminated with these chemicals? GMOs — A new threat Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs are life forms that have been

altered genetically in a laboratory. The arguments in favor of new biotech developments mask the deadly impact of GMOs on bee colonies across North America. Biotech conglomerates, such as Monsanto, Pioneer Hybrid, Syngenta and DuPont, have developed “terminator genes” in seeds so that the plants grown f rom those seeds reproduce only under certain conditions, often linked to the use of the company’s own brand of fertilizer or insecticide. They cannot reproduce on their own. That modiﬁcation in the plant’s seeds leads to modiﬁcation in its pollen. When the pollen becomes altered or sterile, the bees are malnourished, leaving them vulnerable to diseases and unable to survive winter hibernation. Farmers can help bees Today farmers need to know how to protect and create habitat for native bees to increase pollinator populations. Field edges, hedgerows, drainage ditches, woodlots, conservation areas, utility easements and fields less fit for crops offer nesting and foraging sites and good habitat. Creating and preserving native bee habitat is a good risk management strategy for farmers of fruits, nuts, vegetables and other specialty

Sequim Gazette

Harvest Celebration 2010

crops. These insects may increase yields and clover, go to flower. and reduce reliance on rented honey Mulch with care. Many native bees bees, which can be expensive tunnel or live in soil. They are killed by or difficult to obtain. Native layers of plastic or too much bark. bees often are specialized Support organic agricultural practices for particular flowers, that don’t use pesticides, herbicides and such as squash, berries GMOs. or f ruit trees. This Today in China, pollination is specialization results achieved by paying workers to handin more efficient pollination paint pollen onto flowering plants for and the production of larger and more fruiting. However fastidious humans abundant fruit. may be, they never will do as good of Organic farming practices actually a job as bees. The economic impact of enable bees and other beneficial pollinators to thrive. They do this by declining bee populations is going to be increasing floral sources, enhancing nest enormous unless commercial agriculture sites for native bees and farming without makes drastic changes. Until it does, each of us can make small changes in herbicides, pesticides and GMOs. our buying habits and in our gardens to What you can do support the miraculous bees. Eliminate pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilizers from your garden. John Popinski is a second-year hobbyist If you feel you must spray, do as little to beekeeping. He has lived in Port Angeles as possible, do it at night when bees are with his wife, Robin, for the past five years. not active and spray directly on the plant This article is an excerpt. For the full article, (don’t broadcast spray). Cultivate bee-friendly plants. For a go to www.friendsofthefields.org. good list, see www.thedailygreen.com/ going-green/tips/bee-friendly-plants. At right: Red clover is not only a beautiful Let some weeds, such as dandelions flower but a favorite with bees.

Farm Fresh Milk Certiﬁed, Raw, Natural Visit our charming farm and creamery Mon.-Sat. • 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 1915 Towne Road • Sequim, WA 98382 Jeﬀ and Debbie Brown Ryan & Sarah McCarthey Family-owned and operated

(360) 683-0716 www.dungenessvalleycreamery.com

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 7

8 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette

The

Critter Connection:

How animals fiit into a small, diversified farm By Patty McManus Before World War II, small, diversiﬁed family farms were the norm in the United States. On about 80 acres, a farmer and his family would grow a small plot of fruits and vegetables, some grain, raise a few cows for milk and cream, and keep some chickens and hogs. The animals were more than a picturesque addition to a bucolic lifestyle. How the animals lived and the products derived from them — meat, eggs, milk, cheese, leather — were integral to the whole operation. Hay, legumes, grains and crop wastes were used as animal feed and the manure was applied to the soil to maintain fertility. The family also had protein all year-round. After the 1950s, government and industry pushed agriculture toward a cash economy. Since farmers earn more cash growing monocultures (especially with government subsidies), that became the trend and it has continued ever since. Federal programs favor a plentiful and cheap food supply rather than protection of the resource base

or the production of quality food. Farmers are encouraged to maximize yields in export crops, such as corn, soybeans, wheat and cotton. Higher yields mean higher use of chemicals in herbicides and pesticides, more mechanization and now genetic modiﬁcations in our food, all of which depend on a continuous supply of cheap energy and carry serious consequences for our health. There is no place for diversiﬁed farms that include animals in this “modern” scenario. However, divorcing animal farming from crop production is an environmental disaster in the long term. Without animals on the land to enrich the soils with their manure, farmers must haul in inorganic chemical fertilizers derived from fossil fuels to maintain soil fertility. Meanwhile, animals such as cattle and hogs are raised on crowded feedlots where they are fed grains trucked in from hundreds of miles away. The manure becomes a potential point-source pollutant to waterways and groundwater. Conventional agriculture took a system that mimicked nature and worked brilliantly and broke it into these two disastrous

problems.To recreate the sustainable natural system we had before, animals have to return to the farm. Farm animals benefit agriculture Farm animals, such as cattle and dairy cows, goats, sheep, chickens, hogs, oxen and horses, beneﬁt agriculture in several ways: • Pasture is a wonderful rotation in sustainable agriculture. Allowing grass and animals to utilize a ﬁeld for two or three years lets the land recuperate and raises the fertility dramatically. This is especially true for cattle that don’t eat grass to its roots, but only eat the tops, stimulating the root systems. The manure, or fertilizer, is evenly spread as the animals browse. • Livestock puts lands to use that are marginal and not suitable for cultivation, and keeps them producing food. • Animals raised naturally in pastures concentrate nutrients in their bodies and create high-quality protein for human consumption. • They also diversify a farm’s product line.

Anyone who has witnessed a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) or seen the film “Food, Inc.,” cannot help but feel sorry for the poor beasts crammed into small areas, wallowing in their own waste, force-fed things they don’t naturally eat, and who become fast-food hamburgers or cellophane-covered pork chops in big box stores. This is the destiny of most cattle and hogs in the United States today. A CAFO is not a healthy situation for any living creature. On the other hand, the diversified family farm allows these animals to live close to their own natures and behave as they would normally, with room to breathe and move freely. At the end of their lives, they are more likely to be humanely slaughtered. We are fortunate in Clallam County to have a variety of local farms that raise many kinds of animals. They help keep our excellent agricultural soils fertile and provide healthy meat products for the community. Next time you’re at your local farmers market, ask about local meat producers and make your own “critter connection.”

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 9

...the Peninsula’s ’ss one-stop

LOCAL

food source!

“Where we value food and the people who produce it.” Farm fresh produce, dairy and food products available daily.

Thank you local farmers!

YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR FARM & RANCH SUPPLIES DELIVERY AVAILABLE anywhere on the Peninsula

A New Leaf Belartzelai Farm Blackberry Forest Blue Sky Farm Mike Castle Cedarbrook Herb Farm Circle V Farm Clark Farms Dietz Farm Donaper Farm Dungeness Meadow Farm Dungeness Valley Creamery Eaglemount Wine & Cidery Fairaview Farm Finnriver Farm & Cidery Fletcher Family Farm Galloping Goats Farm Graysmarsh Farm

Green Leaf Farm Headwater Vineyard/ Mountain Shadow Johnston Farms Kol Simcha Farm Pam Larson Lazy J/Maristem Organics M & H Farm Nash’s Organic Produce Rarely Bee Haven Apiary Sage Homefarm Donna & Steve Saunders Sequim Prairie Star Thistle Hill Farm Victor’s Lavender Whiskey Hill Goat Dairy Wild Harvest Creamery Wildfire Cidery

October 10, 2010 is national Non-GMO day. Visit The Red Rooster Grocery and celebrate your right to choose Non-GMO foods!

The Olympic Peninsula’s Exclusive Elenbaas Company Dealer • Offering You the Highest in Quality Feed & Customer Service • Feed for All Types of Livestock • FFA & 4-H Discounts • We Welcome All Special Orders

DOG & CAT FOOD and TREATS! WILD BIRD and DEER FEED

(360) 452-1400 • (360) 461-1091 173 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Port Angeles, WA 98362 www.leitzfarmsinc.com

134-½ W. Washington St., Sequim (360) 681-2004 Open 7 days a week

www.theredroostergrocery.com

Harvest Celebration 2010

10 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Get to know the hands that feed you

Sequim Gazette

Farms on Tour for 2010

1. Lazy J Tree Farm

225 Gehrke Road Steve Johnson, Lela Copeland, Mike Gwaltney In 1955, Steve’s parents, George and Eloise Johnson, bought 20 acres and started a berry farm on Gehrke Road in the Agnew area. In 1960, the family changed the focus of the farm from berries to Christmas trees and Lazy J Tree Farm was born. Steve took over management of the farm at age 16, after the death of his father, and has built Lazy J Tree farm into the diversified 85-acre operation it is today. While the primary enterprise on this farm remains Christmas trees, the farm also features a certified organic orchard of various apple, pear and Asian pear varieties. Steve also has added a major composting operation to the farm, which receives yard waste and other organic materials, and sells finished organic compost. Lazy J also has a significant organic vegetable operation, which is managed by Lela Copeland and Mike Gwaltney. Make sure to stop by the farm’s gift shop for locally crafted products including honey, fresh cider, syrups, jams and jellies, as well as organic apples, pears, Asian pears, garlic, potatoes and numerous other organic vegetables. And in keeping with the theme of “Critters on the Farm,” Coleman Burns will have some of his heritage turkeys called “Chocolates” for display and even for sale for your Thanksgiving dinner! The students of the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center’s Culinary Arts Program will be serving barbecue sandwiches, corn on the cob and apple tarts made with Lazy J’s organic apples. They’ll also have hot coffee and Lazy J cider, both hot and cold for sale. As always at Lazy J, there will be live music all day long during the Harvest Celebration. Jimmy Hoffman will entertain with his unique country-rock music from 10 a.m.-noon. Kevin Magner and friends will entertain from noon-2 p.m. and Tom Schindler will play his brand of local folk music from 2-4 p.m. There will be hayrides and farm tours throughout the day and make sure you walk through the Christmas trees and scout out the perfect tree for this Christmas season. The North Olympic Land Trust and the Clallam Conservation District will have informational booths on hand to assist you in managing your land and natural resources. And there will be plenty for youngsters to do with navigating the hay bale maze or playing with miniature heavy equipment on a giant sand pile. Make sure to spend some time at Lazy J

Tree Farm — it’s guaranteed to be a lot of fun for the whole family!

2. Bowers’ Blue Mountain Belgians

723 Gellor Road Jim and Kris Bower We are pleased to add an exciting farm to this year’s Clallam County Harvest Celebration. Jim and Kris Bowers’ farm sits in a breathtaking Blue Mountain setting on which they’ll be using their huge, beautiful Belgian draft horses all day to perform a variety of horse farming demonstrations. So, if you’ve ever hankered to watch the “good ole days” of agriculture when horses provided the actual “horsepower” to till the soil and harvest the crops, this is your chance to watch, enjoy and learn about draft horses and horse farming as “Mike” and “Bill” (the horses in the photo) strut their stuﬀ! The Bowers have raised Belgian draft horses since 1974 and Jim has used draft horses his whole life, including using a draft horse when he was a youth to gather pulp wood to sell to the local paper mill. The Bowers have had as many as 17 Belgians on the farm and Jim has competed in draft horse pulling contests across the Paciﬁc Northwest for more than two decades. In addition to the Bowers’ horses, Greg Lange will have his team there to demonstrate horse logging — skidding logs around the farm for you to watch, and

Top: The Bowers participate in the Irrigation Festival Bottom: Lela Copeland and Steve Johnson of Lazy J Tree Farm

Sequim Gazette

Harvest Celebration 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 11

Above: Rider Jessica Crouch and Mary Gallagher of Freedom Farm At left: Ken and Chickie Hiyoshida with the Tradewinds Alpacas

Scott Whitmore also will be at the Bower farm with his portable sawmill to turn those logs into freshly sawn lumber! Both Greg and Scott will be happy to talk with you about everything from horse logging to sustainable forest management to making fine finished wood products from local trees. Mike and Rashelle Hermann also will have their team of giant Belgian draft mules at the Bower farm to show off the power and finesse that draft mules can bring to various farm jobs. And Del Sage will have his Shire-cross team on hand to give wagon rides around this picturesque farm. Kris Bower was raised on this farm which was run in the 1950s and 1960s by her father Frank Sanner. When Jim returned from serving in the Army in 1967, she and Jim took over operations. Today they manage the farm with their sons Eric and Monty who are third generation farmer/loggers, and together Jim, Kris, Eric and Monty operate the family business, Bower Logging, Inc. Steve and Christine Tormala’s “Curbside Bistro” will be serving delicious sausages including kielbasa, smoked German sausage and “Nathan’s Famous” hotdogs. You can enjoy this delicious food while listening to the fun-filled music of Dave and Rosalie Secord who will be playing from noon-2 p.m. Make sure to visit this unique farm as the Bowers and their friends show off some amazing working horses!

3. Trade Winds Alpacas

1315 Finn Hall Road Ken and Chickie Hiyoshida What is as soft as velvet and has a face cuter than

an Ewok (remember those furry little creatures from Star Wars?)? The only answer to this question is: Alpacas. Alpacas are smaller versions of llamas but their wool is so soft and fine it is considered one of the very finest fibers in the world. Alpacas come from South America but today there are thousands of alpaca breeders and enthusiasts in the United States. Ken and Chickie Hiyoshida are among these new alpaca enthusiasts, getting their first alpacas three years ago. Today they have a herd of nearly 20 with five brand new babies for you to see and enjoy. We dare you to find a cuter animal on earth than a newborn alpaca! Come learn about this fascinating farm critter and see and shop from a wide variety of fine garments and other products made from alpaca fiber. There will be spinning demonstrations and people there to answer your questions about alpacas, their fiber and the products made from their luxurious wool. There even will be a few alpacas for sale should you decide you want to join the Hiyoshidas in becoming new alpaca owners!

amazing equestrian center at Freedom Farm. Jerry does equine dentistry and natural hoof care, and Mary is the primary instructor for dozens of youth and adults who come to Freedom Farm to learn everything from basic riding skills to dressage, jumping, bareback riding and Western riding. Mary and Jerry have 29 years of experience providing opportunities for horses and humans to harmonize. Freedom Farm is a natural boarding facility with a covered, lighted arena and heated viewing area. The farm hosts many clinics, shows, summer camps, parties and horse play days for children. At this year’s Harvest Celebration there will be pony rides for the youngsters as well as a fun scavenger hunt. There will be a barrel of apple and carrot pieces to feed the horses and you’ll also have the chance to decorate the tails of some of the farms’ horses and ponies. The Freedom Farm Riding Team will perform some “horse skits” and also will feature several other fun demonstrations of horsemanship and various games on horseback. Some of the farm’s many beef cows and calves will be in a special exhibit area, and of course, there will be horses of all sizes, shapes and colors to see — everything from tiny miniature horses to donkeys to giant draft horses. There will be exhibits on making hay and silage and various other educational exhibits on horses and horse health. So, if you’re a horse lover or just want to learn more about horses and how they interact with their human friends, make sure to visit Freedom Farm!

4. Freedom Farm

493 Spring Road Mary Gallagher and Jerry Schmidt Jerry Schmidt and Mary Gallagher have turned this former commercial dairy into a diversified operation that raises beef cattle and hay, but they’ve also developed an

Above: Pat Pedersen’s border collie Patch takes his sheepherding duties seriously at Lökalie Gaare.

12 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette

FARM TOUR, continued

5. Lökalie Gaare (“Lucky Sheep Farm”)

702 Gunn Road Patricia Pedersen Pronounced “Lurk-a-lee Gorre,” the name of this farm is Danish for “Lucky Sheep Farm.” This is a 5-acre sheep farm owned by Patricia Pedersen who uses working border collies as shepherds! Patricia will be joined by fellow dog trainer and herding enthusiast Becky Northhaven, and the two of them will be giving sheepherding demonstrations throughout the day. You’ll be amazed at the intelligence, energy, discipline and enthusiasm of Patricia’s and Becky’s dogs as they deftly maneuver sheep around the pastures. Professional sheep shearer Constance Wiseman will be shearing sheep throughout the day and will answer your questions regarding the right way to give a sheep a shave! Area spinners also will be on hand to show you how wool is spun into yarn using spinning wheels. You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about sheep, sheepherding, sheep shearing and wool spinning all in one place on this farm! This stop on the farm tour is guaranteed to be a fun and educational experience for the whole family.

6. Dungeness Valley Creamery 1915 Towne Road Jeff, Debbie and Kayla Brown and Sarah and Ryan McCarthey The Brown family operates the largest dairy certified to sell natural, raw milk in Washington! They have a great retail shop right on their farm where you can purchase rich and creamy milk from their registered Jersey cows, as well as cheese made from their milk, farm-fresh eggs, bread and other basics. Dungeness Valley Creamery milk also is distributed to other communities throughout Western Washington and is available at Sunny Farms Country Store and The Red Rooster Grocery in Sequim. Jeff and Debbie Brown have been dairy farmers their entire lives and their daughters Sarah and Kayla have joined them in the business, as has Sarah’s husband Ryan McCarthey. Their beautiful dairy farm is nestled next to the Dungeness River and is surrounded by lush pastures where you can see the cows grazing much of the year. Learn about this unique farm and the dairy industry while you take a hayride through the green pastures and along the Dungeness River dike. You’ll have the opportunity to pet adorable little Jersey calves, watch a cow being milked and tour the milking parlor. You’ll be able to watch as the rich milk goes into a machine called a separator and comes out as pure cream and skim milk, and you also can watch demonstrations as the cream is churned by hand into fresh butter! If you like lively music, make sure to be at this farm between 1-3 p.m. when the Northwest Country

Boys will be jamming with their rhythmic, high energy melodies. As always there will be plenty for the youngsters to do with hay scrambles where they can swim through loose hay in search of goodies and prizes. The Pure Country 4-H Club also will have a petting pen set up with all types of fuzzy, furry and fun animals for the children to interact with.

7. Nash’s Organic Produce 1865 E. Anderson Rd. Nash Huber and Patty McManus-Huber

Above: The 2010 crew at Nash’s Organic Produce

Nash Huber grew up on a small farm in Illinois and At right: Sarah and Ryan McCarthey and Debbie and has, over the past 35 years, Jeff Brown of Dungeness recreated the diversity and Valley Creamery bounty of the family farm he grew up on at Nash’s Organic Produce in Sequim. Nash and his crew grow many kinds of delicious organic vegetables, including Nash’s famous, sweet organic carrots! In recent years Nash’s has added organic grains, chickens and eggs, pigs and seeds to the products he and his farming partners raise on their farm on the Dungeness delta. Nash started out in Clallam County farming a few acres and selling out of the back of a pickup truck more than three decades ago. Today Nash’s Organic Produce has grown to more than 400 acres, all managed using organic farming techniques. Nash recently won American Farmland Trust’s prestigious “Steward of the Land Award” for a lifetime of efforts to preserve farmland, sustain soil and protect wildlife habitat, and he is widely recognized throughout Washington and around the nation as a true leader in the organic farming movement. Today Nash is joined by numerous young people who are working to sustain the philosophy, wisdom and hard-won expertise he has learned over a lifetime of farming, as they increasingly take over many aspects of farming operations at Nash’s Organic Produce. Kia Armstrong and others from Nash’s crew will be serving up delicious shepherd’s pie, salad and fruit crisp. And as always at Nash’s, be sure to bring the youngsters so they can get their faces painted, make pumpkin sculptures and create “bug costumes!” Since the theme of this year’s Harvest Celebration is “Critters on the Farm,” Nash’s will feature many tiny farm creatures with an exhibit on the importance of beneﬁcial insects to organic agriculture. There will be

a fascinating booth provided by the North Olympic Peninsula Beekeepers Association where they will have a live hive of working bees under glass, show how to spin honey from honeycomb and much more! The WSU Clallam County Master Gardeners will have a booth to assist you with your gardening questions and there will be several other interesting booths and vendors to visit. Take a tractor-drawn hayride around the farm and then come back to the farm to enjoy the live music of Sequimarimba from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and Abby and the Homeboys from 1-3 p.m. And, of course, don’t miss the annual community potluck that evening at 6 p.m. and a footstompin’ barn dance with the band New Forge from Port Townsend at 7:30 p.m.

Harvest Celebration 2010

Sequim Gazette

ennial Farm Cent1 910-2010 Three generations of the Bekkevar family continue to farm near Blyn. With them are Ripper and Rusty.

8. Bekkevar Family Farm

273054 Highway 101 Dave, Trish, Nelson, Ole and Eli Bekkevar The Bekkevar family is one of the pioneer farming families in Clallam County. Their beautiful and historical farm near the county line is well-known to locals and visitors alike as it is one of the first things people see when entering Clallam County on U.S. Highway 101. Have you seen the often whimsical giant sculptures made from large round hay bales in the pasture in front of their farm on the highway? This farm has been in the Bekkevar family for 100 years — that’s right, this year is their 100-year anniversary! This farm is a real working farm producing beef cattle, grain, hay and hogs. They even milk their own dairy cow for the family’s milk! Take a hayride over the rolling hills and see the cattle, crops, forest and other beautiful features of this farm while you also learn about the farm’s history. The Bekkevars have an amazing collection of working antique tractors and other farm equipment that will be on display and they even will fire up some of it for demonstrations, such as grinding grain with their antique grinder. Want to see a real working windmill? They have one! Trish and some friends will have their spinning wheels on hand to show you how they spin wool into yarn and how to turn yarn into finished garments. The band Jubilee will play. The Sequim Chapter of the Future Farmers of America will be at the Bekkevars serving baked potatoes with chili and cheese, corn on the cob and popcorn. And, at the Bekkevar farm this year, in accordance with the 2010 theme of “Critters on the Farm,” several other area farmers will be bringing in their own unique breeds of cattle, hogs and poultry. There will be miniature cattle breeds such as Dexters, Lowline Angus and Miniature Herefords and other

breeds of cattle such as Shorthorns, Angus, Holstein, Tarentaise, and other interesting breeds. There will be heritage hog breeds on display and for sale such as Tamworths, Herefords and Berkshires, and there will be many diﬀerent breeds of poultry on exhibit. So come learn about the many types of farm animals raised on Clallam County farms, and if you’re interested in purchasing any farm animals, there will be some of these various breeds for sale at the Bekkevar Family Farm during the farm tour. Make sure to spend some time walking around this one-of-a-kind farm to see their onfarm butcher shop, their milking parlor and many other unique features. And don’t be afraid to ask Dave, Trish or other family members questions because they love to tell stories and educate people about their farm’s history and about all the things they do on this centennial and authentic family farm.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 13 display some of her rare chickens, ducks and assorted other critters. She also will be on hand to answer your questions about her rare poultry and other animals. Sequim prides itself on being the “Lavender Capital of North America,” so if you’d like to learn more about growing and using lavender, you really should visit the Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm. Located on U.S. Highway 101 east of Blyn, this is the first lavender farm people experience as they approach Sequim and it is one of the most beautiful. Join Steve and Carmen Ragsdale for a tour of the farm and learn all about how to care for lavender. Steve will give “mini-talks” throughout the day on everything from properly planting lavender to pruning and harvesting lavender. The Ragsdales will have their still set up to demonstrate how to distill the fragrant essential oil of lavender from lavender flowers using steam. See a demonstration of how to “de-bud” the lavender flowers from dried lavender stems using the new machine that Steve designed and built. This farm is the place to experience the essence of the Sequim-Dungeness Valley with more than 55 varieties of lavender and an expanding number of other herbs. You’ll be amazed at the hundreds of fragrant and beautiful products the Ragsdales produce on their farm from lavender and other herbs. Stroll through their gorgeous gift shop and make sure to take home something to treat and pamper yourself — there is so much to choose from! They will be serving pulled pork sandwiches and hot dogs.Their on-farm café also has an ice cream bar serving many types of ice cream, including four varieties with a “touch of lavender” in them.They also have many different beverages to choose from, including a full-service espresso stand. Make sure to tour this lovely farm — you won’t be disappointed.

9. Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm 274154 Highway 101 Steve and Carmen Ragsdale

Of course, Sequim is famous for lavender, and so it is appropriate for a local lavender farm to name their animals after types of lavender. Come visit Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm and meet the new members of the farm — “Sir Royal Velvet” and “Thumbelina Leigh” — the farm’s registered miniature Southdown sheep (The Miniature and Novelty Sheep Breeders Association and Registry). Small Southdown sheep originated on the Southdown hills of Sussex County, England, making them a hardy, unique and productive breed of sheep. The Southdown breed is one of the oldest of all purebred sheep in the world today. In addition to Sunshine’s new Southdown sheep, come see other critters at this farm, including those owned by Angela Jacobson of The Barking Beak Farm, who will

Carmen and Steve Ragsdale invite visitors to learn more about lavender at Sunshine Herb and Lavender farm.

Harvest Celebration 2010

14 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

2010 Farm Tour

1. Lazy J. Tree Farm 2. Bowers’ Blue Mountain Belgians 3. Trade Wind Alpacas 4. Freedom Farm 5. Lökalie Gaare (“Lucky Sheep Farm”) 6. Dungeness Valley Creamery 7. Nash’s Organic Produce 8. Bekkevar Family Farm 9. Sunshine Herb and Lavender Farm

Anderson Rd.

Gunn Rd. Matson Rd.

Old Olympic Hwy

101

Spring Rd.

Blue Mountain Road

Woodcock Rd

Old Olympic Hwy y

101

5th Ave.

Wild Currant Lane

Finn Hall Rd.

DUNGENESS RIVER

Carlsborg Rd.

Kitchen-Dick Rd.

Gehrke Rd.

Sequim-Dungeness Way

Cays Rd.

Lot

Towne Rd.

7 d. ell R zges

Sequim Gazette

Strait of Juan de Fuca

CITY of SEQUIM

101

Gellor Rd.

Locally Grown News Every Week

Freedom Farm

Games!

Prizes! Demos!

Horse Rides! Skits!

is planning some fun and you’re invited!! October 2, 2010 10am-3pm

And it's FREE!

We're part of the Harvest Day Farm Tour!

493 Spring Rd • Port Angeles • 360.457.4897

Sequim Gazette

Harvest Celebration 2010

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 • 15

Local meat by-the-cut

It sounds so simple, yet it’s very complicated By Sid Maroney Farm Share Program Coordinator Nash’s Organic Produce The North Olympic Peninsula has an environment that could support extensive local meat production. Unfortunately, because the peninsula lacks U.S. Department of Agriculture slaughter and cut-and-wrap facilities and because Clallam County has cumbersome permitting processes, consumer options for accessing local meat directly from farmers are very limited. Private vs. public use Currently, local farmers can sell whole or half animals, while on the hoof, for private use. Because there is no intent for resale or public use, a local non-USDA slaughterer and cut-and-wrap facility can be utilized for processing. This meat can’t be used by events, food service providers or restaurants that serve the general public. It gets significantly more complicated when farmers want to sell individual cuts of meat direct to the general public, as the animal must be slaughtered and cutand-wrapped at a USDA facility. Farmers must transport live animals to a USDA slaughter facility, the closest of which are at least 100 miles away. The USDA-slaughtered animal must then be USDA cut-and-wrapped and since some USDA slaughter facilities do not have this capability, the carcass must be transferred to one that does, the closest of which are in Rochester, (south of Olympia) or in Seattle. These facilities weigh, package, label and freeze individual cuts to the farmer’s speciﬁcations. The frozen cuts of USDA meat then are transported by the farmer back to the farm where they are stored in a WSDA licensed commercial freezer at an approved location. In recent years, a few mobile USDA slaughter units have been developed to serve rural farmers in Western Washington. And while these occasionally can be brought

out to the peninsula, they are in high h demand and not widely available. Selling USDA inspected meat Once their meat has been USDA processed, farmers have the option of selling their product at a wholesale price to groceries and restaurants or at a retail price directly to the public. Most small farmers need to sell their meat at retail prices in order to oﬀset the high costs of sustainable production methods. Because meat is classiﬁed as a potentially hazardous product by federal

farmers can sell their own vegetables without this permit from their farm stands, it becomes hard to justify the expensive modifications to be able to sell their meat on the farm. Most farmers are not able to afford this permit. The second permitting avenue offered by CCEHS is a temporary food service permit. This permit is good for up to 21 days at a fixed location in conjunction with a special event or celebration and can become an extended permit if the event is reoccurring in the same location no more than three days per week. While farmers markets can qualify for the extended permit, farm stands or an on-farm market do not qualify for this permit. Limited access at farmers markets Because most farmers are unable to acquire permits to sell meat off their farm, their only direct public outlets are traditional and/or online farmers markets. Traditional farmers markets must balance their vendor mix however, and as more and more meat producers seek direct access to the public, markets are forced to limit their number of meat vendors. Nash’s Organic Produce, for example, is not allowed to sell its USDA processed pork at the two Seattle farmers markets at which it sells its vegetables, fruits, grains and flour because those markets have a sufficient number of meat vendors. As more and more farmers diversify their product lines and get their meat USDA-processed, Olympic Peninsula farmers markets also are faced with the challenge of managing their vendor mix. Access to the public also is limited for farmers at farmers markets because they only occur one or two days a week for a few hours.

and state food codes, farmers must obtain yet another permit to sell their product. Navigating permits Clallam County Environmental Health Services essentially offers two permitting avenues in order to sell USDA meat retail and they both present very narrow options for farmers. The first, a Food Service Establishment Permit, typically applied to grocery stores, takes into account all aspects of the facility, such as parking, water, sewer/septic system, accessibility, etc. This type of permit can be very expensive since extensive modifications often are required even though none of the processing takes place on the farmer’s property. Since

Broadening access for farmers and consumers Farmers need an attainable permitting process in order to sell directly off their farms. Consumers need access to local meat directly from farm stands seven days a week. Dr. Tom Locke, Clallam County health officer, indicates that the state Board of Health is reopening the Food Code for updates and revisions. This may be the best window of opportunity for adding new exempt food items at farm stands (such as locally raised, USDA-compliant meat), for creating new permit categories that are a better fit for farm stands or for expanding the definition of a temporary food event. See LOCAL MEAT, on page 16

Harvest Celebration 2010

16 • Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Sequim Gazette

LOCAL MEAT, continued

The State Code revision process is a slow one and Locke doesn’t expect it to be completed until sometime in 2011. While there is no guarantee that any of these issues related to on-farm permitting of meat sales will be addressed in the revisions, an eﬀort is being made to bring these subjects to the table. Short-term fix? In the meantime, Clallam and Jefferson County health departments are working on developing expanded temporary event policies similar to Kitsap County that would provide some short-term options for farmers to sell directly at their farms, although on a limited basis. Appropriate rules and regulations could make the process simpler, increase our food security and support our local economy. Support local meat producers Consumers can widen their access to local meat by voting with their dollar and buying it wherever it’s available. Currently local meat by-the-cut may be found in Clallam County at the Port Angeles Farmers Market, the Sequim Open Aire Market, online at www.Sequim.LocallyGrown.net, The Red Rooster Grocery, Good To Go Grocery, Speedy Mart and Dungeness Country Store. Local restaurants that use local meat include The Alder Wood Bistro, Kokopelli Grill, Old Mill Café and the Speedy Mart Lunch Wagon. People also can contact the CCEHS and voice their support for the proposed short-term solutions listed above.

Bell Street Bakery

An Evening of Wine, Food, Music & Art

Sequim’s Seq im’s Hometo Hometown n Baker Bakery Featuring:

• Wine Tasting • Food Samplings • Live Jazz • Silent Auction

• Freshly-Baked Whole Grain Artisan Breads

• Scones, Muffins, Croissants,

André Baritelle and Robert Hughes

Hours of Operation: Monday – Saturday 7am-6pm Sunday 9-4

bellstreet_bakery@yahoo.com www.bellstreetbakery.com 175 W. Bell Street, Sequim 360-681-6262

Danish, Cinnamon Rolls and more • Wedding Cakes and Special Event Items • Cookies, Brownies and more • Coffee & Espresso (Blended and Roasted By Rainshadow Coffee in Sequim) • Fresh-cut Pasta, Handmade Ravioli & Pre-Packaged Whole Grain Flours – Milled on Site • Soup from Toga’s Soup House of Port Angeles and Fresh Salads Made on Site • Gourmet Sandwiches • Refreshing Beverage Selection

A YMCA Benefit Event