Bountiful Life Magazine - April 2013

Volume I Issue V

April 2013

Country Living In

Community Gardens Soil Testing 101 Outstanding Orchards

-Planting Fruit Trees In Spring

Free Range Livestock & Natural Produce -Home On The Range

at Rocky Ridge Ranch

The Inland Northwest

Retirement Income Planning

Investment Management Education Funding Strategies Estate Planning Strategies Long-Term Care Protection

Some of the major issues we address include:  I need to ensure that my family is financially protected should something happen to me.  Funding my children’s (or grandchildren’s) education is important to me, but how do I best plan for it?

 I don’t mind paying taxes, but I want to keep more of my money for me.  I worry about running out of money during my retirement.

Roger A. Duval

Senior Financial Planner | Financial Services Representative Financial Planning Division An Office of MetLife

Phone: 509-842-5711 E-Mail: rduval2@metlife.com Web: www.rogerduval.metlife.com Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MLIC), New York, NY 10166. Securities products and investment advisory services offered by MetLife Securities, Inc. (MSI) (member FINRA/SIPC) and a registered investment adviser. MLIC and MSI are MetLife companies. Branch office address: 501 N. Riverpoint Blvd, Ste. 112, Spokane, WA 99202 L0213306983[exp0214][ID,WA]

2 • April 2013

Bountiful Life

Dear Readers, Country Living In

The Inland Northwest

CONTENT EDITOR Chandra Logan FOOD EDITOR Ashley Lewan ADVERTISING SALES Jan Ryan Steve Nickeson Helen Boyd-Schwartz PRODUCTION Patrick McHale GRAPHIC DESIGN Kenyon Haskins Deborah Simpson PUBLISHED BY Exchange Publishing 304 W. 3rd Avenue, Spokane Washington 99201 CONTACT DETAILS 509-922-3456 • 1-800-326-2223 Fax: 509-455-7940 MAIL: P.O.Box 427, Spokane, WA 99210 E-MAIL BountifulLife@ExchangePublishing.com www.BountifulLifeMagazine.com

Food is something that concerns us all. Many consumers today are not very concerned about where food comes from.

Have a care. We as a society are incredibly dependent on major grocery stores to feed us. We take the massive supply of food at supermarkets for granted and often do not ponder where that food was beforehand.

Most likely it was shipped from far across the country, or even across the globe. Having the large majority of our food shipped in from miles away could be dangerous if we faced a sudden break in the food system and had no more food coming in to our stores. And even beside that possibility, enjoying food from just down the road rather than across the nation is better for you. As soon as a vegetable is picked it starts to lose some of its nutritional value.

The fresher the vegetable, the healthier it is. Nobody understands that notion better than the Angell’s, owners of Rocky Ridge Ranch. We visited their ranch to learn about their farming practices and discovered a thriving local food source.

Great Sales!

Another way to create a local food source is to join or start a community garden in your neighborhood.

It can be a great opportunity to grow your own food and teach little ones about where food comes from. Pat Munts has laid out a set of guidelines to help you get a community garden started in your area. When choosing a spot to break soil for that garden, consider taking in a soil sample to the Spokane Conservation District to see if it has good dirt for growing produce. Jim Armstrong explains how to take a proper soil sample in order to have a good soil test and thus know how to get the best results from your garden.

Let the April showers fall so our gardens can grow!

Plowing Ahead,

Chandra Logan

Content Editor

BountifulLife@ExchangePublishing.com

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April 2013 • 3

Table of Contents

Home Grown Success Story – Rocky Ridge Ranch Gary Angell gave us a tour of their ranch to see their natural farming practices and abundant greenhouses ................ 6 Get Growing! Starting a Community Garden Guidelines on how to organize a community garden in your own neighborhood........................................................ 12 Get the Scoop on your Soil How to take a proper soil sample in order to have the best results from your soil test ............................................... 16 Outstanding Orchards – Planting Fruit Trees in Spring Expert advice from Pat Munts, Master Gardener, on starting fruit trees for heavy crops ..................................... 18 Spring Color All Year – Maintaining Color in Your Dried Flowers No brown petals here!

Make a great May Day or Mother’s Day gift yourself................. 20 Fresh Fare – Recipes to Put a Spring in Your Step Delicious seasonal dishes to utilize what’s already coming up in the garden ............................................ 22

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April 2013 • 5

Rocky Ridge Ranch

Your Neighbor’s Home Grown Success Story

By Chandra Logan

G

ary Angell is a man who is concerned Reardan and named for the three ridges that about food. And not the kind who surround their place. On 400 acres they raise speculates about what will be on his plate at non certified organic beef, pork, poultry, and six o’clock. He is concerned about food on many different types of produce. The propa local, national, and global level, and where erty is split pretty evenly between land desigthat food is coming from. It’s his business to nated for animals and for produce. Their own worry about food as he owns and operates the home is surrounded by big greenhouses and Rocky Ridge Ranch along Gary worries about the area’s food with his wife, So, and their supply and how dependent we are on grandson Bryan. They sell their products through rethe current system that ships food all gional farmers’ markets, as around the country and the world. well as to local restaurants such as Casper Fry and Santé, and directly hoop houses of varying sizes. Hoop houses to their customers through the Community are greenhouses made with hoops of curved Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Cus- PVC pipe which are covered with a plastic or tomers of the ranch tend to be those who are fabric to protect the vegetables growing unlooking for sincere, real food. derneath. By using these hoop houses they are able to extend the growing season of their The Rocky Ridge Ranch is located north of produce. The ranch has been awarded a grant

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Bountiful Life

from the USDA to build a new hoop house, and they have big plans for it. So wants to grow exotic fruits like oranges and tangerines, as well as sweet potatoes and yellow and black sesame seeds. Her eyes light up when she talks about her plans.

tor asked Gary why he refused to do the test each year Gary replied, “I’m the water test. I drink this water every day.” On that basis they call Rocky Ridge Ranch 90% organic.

Gary laughs as he tells us about how Rocky Ridge Ranch came to be, “So and I were looking for a place to retire. I spent 20 years in the Army as a paratrooper, and then worked as a manager at a ship yard in Tacoma, Washington. The ship yard closed down and I decided that was enough of that life, and we went looking for a place out in the country. I wanted 5-20 acres to settle down, have some peace and quiet and to play cowboy. But instead we found this place at a great deal and bought the neighboring property as well, and ended up with 400 acres! What I really wanted was a small diversified farm, like the ones during the 1950’s,” he explained, “Many farming operations today are corporate and monoculture, they only raise one product.” Gary, So, and Bryan, however, raise many different animals and have dabbled in others throughout the years, including llamas, sheep, and goats, and Gary used to train horses. They also have ducks for their eggs, and you can even order a turkey or goose in the fall for the holidays.

They keep a herd of Angus cross cattle and will sometimes purchase orphan calves to raise, feed out and sell. When they first started purchasing the orphan calves, they had them all in a barn together where they

All the animals on Rocky Ridge Ranch are raised without any hormones or antibiotics throughout their entire lives. They are given natural, local, GMO free feeds and allowed to forage as they please. It is obvious that all the animals on the ranch are well cared for and very healthy, spoiled even. The ranch maintains non certified organic status only because they choose not to keep 7 year records of all the seeds they grow, and because they do not do a water test every single year, which are requirements of certified organic farms.

They get all their seeds from other farmers they know or use heirloom seeds, and say they just don’t have the time and manpower to maintain that big of a database of seeds, since they grow so many varieties of vegetables. Gary explained, “If we kept records of every seed we’ve ever grown, I would need a whole building dedicated to seed records.”

The water test is something that is expensive and according to Gary unnecessary to do every single year. When the Health InspecCountry Living in the Inland Northwest

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chickens. They sold some as meat birds and kept some for their eggs, and you can now purchase eggs from their farm.

From left: So, Bryan and Gary Angell would often have to be bottle fed until they got older. The only problem was that the scent of the milk in the barn attracted flies, which bothered everyone. The flies became such a nuisance that they decided they needed to find a natural solution to get rid of their biblical problem. So they decided to get chickens to eat the flies. Once the flies were gone, they still had around 50

Rocky Ridge Ranch also has a herd of Berkshire pigs that roam across one of the ridges. They chose Berkshires because of their ability to forage to find food, and they are instinctually very good mothers. Berkshires are quite hardy animals, but at one time the breed nearly went extinct. In one of the barns So shows us that they have a litter of 7 piglets that were born about 2-3 days before we arrived. They were so tiny that I could have easily held one in my hands, and it makes it hard to imagine them growing up to be a great big boar or sow. Down the hill from the barn there is an ancient boar that acts more like a dog than a pig. Their boar, which they affectionately call Rex (short for his registered name of Resurrection), is old and arthritic now, and since he is too old to breed with the sows, he spends his days in the sun with a full belly. He comes to greet us knowing he’ll get a good scratching.

After Rex gets enough attention, we move on to take a peek in the greenhouses. All of

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Bountiful Life

them are chock full of green. Spinach, carrots, leeks, Swiss chard, the list goes on and on. They have boxes and rows and blocks of seedlings and plants in varying degrees of growth. The greenhouses are so warm and humid (about 85°F) that I feel like I’ve suddenly stepped into Florida. So has every available inch of her greenhouses used, there are no flat surfaces that don’t have plants on them. So clearly loves to garden and grow, and has quite a talent for it. She got an early start in agriculture and was working in the vegetable garden as young as 5 years old in her country of origin, Korea.

She says she would always have a garden no matter where she lived or how much space they had.

Gary moved around quite a bit while growing up, but he always lived or worked on a farm, ranch or dairy. He spent the largest amount of time on a ranch in Elliston, Montana. During the summers “What I really wanted was a small between school years he always worked on ranches, diversified farm, like the ones and then joined the Army at during the 1950’s.” the age of 16. Bryan came to live with them when he was of preschool age and has been a driving force on the farm. They both credit Bryan for all his hard work that has helped make the farm a success, and So and Gary both agree that if it weren’t for Bryan, the ranch would not be what it is today. It’s apparent that they all love the ranch and what they do. “It’d be nice if we could feed people for free,” Bryan chuckled, “But we consider the farm successful when we can pay for the farm with the farm.” They also have a business of commercial spraying within the farming industry.

The addition of the Community Supported Agriculture program to their ranch has also had quite a bolstering effect. They initially started selling their products at farm-

Top: The many hoop houses on the ranch Bottom: The variety of plants inside

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Gary and So love every aspect of the busy ranch life ers’ markets in Spokane, but when the recesGary worries about the area’s food supply sion hit in 2008 customers were less willing and how dependent we are on the current systo pay the slightly higher prices for local non tem that ships food all around the country and certified organic foods. That’s when they the world. Without a large and local cache of found out about the Community Supported food, Spokane could be in real trouble in the Agriculture program. The CSA program is event of a crisis such as a natural disaster or where the customer can buy a share in the other event that would cause a major strucfarmer’s crop and then receive a portion of tural collapse in the system. He recalls readthe harvest each week. Farmers then have the ing an article about Y2K that stated that Spocapital to bring in the crops and the consum- kane’s grocery stores would be completely er shares in the risk that accompanies farm- out of food in 5 days if there was suddenly no ing (for instance, a crop could fail). The An- more food coming in. Reading that statistic gell’s attended a seminar put on by Spokane made him start thinking about our local food Health, taught by Bryan Estes, about the CSA sources, and he took action to provide an alprogram and how to get started. They were ternate food source within the community. advised to take on no more than 5 shares the Gary believes that local farmers and locally Farmland, hunting and recreational first season, but they started with 25 shares! sourced food are crucial to our community’s properties, pasture They were busy but it paid off, and the CSA survival and and/or well-being.timberland. u program saved their farm from trouble.

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Get Growing!

Starting A Community Garden

By Pat Munts o you want to start a community garden? You have some land or folks you know that need a place to grow food. Then there is always the food bank that needs fresh produce. The problem is that there are just a few of you and you don’t know how to get started.

S

The first thing to remember is that community gardens are 90 percent community and ten percent garden. This means that to create a successful and sustainable garden you must create a community of people who will actually develop and manage the garden.

Start by talking to your friends, neighbors, church members, community organizations and leaders. Tell them about your idea and ask them to join you. Let them spread the word through the community and add to your vision.

What better way to get to know your neighbors than around a garden bed?

When you have gathered a group of six to ten people together, you can really begin to look at the skills and resources each person brings to the project. Some people may be good at organizing volunteers, seeking out resources or have construction, fundraising or gardening knowledge. If your group is lacking a skill, go back into the community and find a person with that skill.

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Bountiful Life

Hold a public meeting for the entire community that may want to be involved in the garden or live in the neighborhood. Get their ideas about what they want a garden to look like, where it should go and then ask them to join the project. Be ready to answer questions from neighbors concerned about vandalism, weeds, traffic and noise.

Begin looking for level, sunny sites with easy access to water. Have your community suggest sites and then check with the owner on their willingness to host a garden. Sign any agreements needed and secure insurance. Start a fundraising program to gather the materials, money and tools that will build the garden.

With a garden site acquired and the materials needed to build it secured, begin designing your garden. Remember you don’t have to build it all at once; it can be built in stages as money and people allow. Remember to add beds that are accessible to those with disabilities. Raised boxes are easier to keep weeded, warm up quickly in the spring and make the garden look neat. Use a good commercial soil to fill the boxes.

Just one example of how to lay out your neighborhood garden

Have your community help establish a formal registration process When everything is done and the garden is growing, celebrate! Have and a set of rules that are fair to everyone. Appoint a garden manager a party for the whole neighborhood. Celebrate that one person’s idea who will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the garden became the idea of many. u and communicate with the gardeners on a regular basis.

Make building the garden a community event. Organize volunteers into teams who are responsible for a manageable task. Have a little friendly competition between teams. Provide food and drinks through the day.

Patricia J. Munts

Small Farms and Acreage Coordinator WSU/Spokane County Extension pmunts@spokanecounty.org

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Country Living in the Inland Northwest

April 2013 • 13

Inland Northwest Conservation Resource Guide

T

he Spokane Conservation District has compiled a list of agencies and organizations in the region that can provide information and technical assistance on a wide variety of environmental and natural resource issues, especially as they relate to living in the country. This directory is just a partial list of resources that could be available to you. There are virtually unlimited information resources that can be found on websites around the world. The ones listed here however, are local governmental entities that can provide not only information on

natural resource and environmental issues, but some can also provide on-site technical assistance. From production agriculture to nuisance wildlife and everything in between, this resource guide will help you find the information or assistance you need. There will be multiple listings for a particular issue and probably multiple issues addressed by several entities. Most of the listed agencies are sources of information and are in some way regulatory. All conservation districts are non-regulatory and provide on-site technical assistance as well as information. Extension

FARM SERVICE AGENCY, USDA

WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

www.fsa.usda.gov 509-323-3000

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

www.agr.wa.gov 360-902-1800

WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY

www.nifa.usda.gov

www.ecy.wa.gov/ 509-329-3400

NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE, USDA

WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE

www.nrcs.usda.gov 509-924-7350

www.wdfw.wa.gov/ TeamSpokane@dfw.wa.gov 509-892-1001

NRCS, USDA WA STATE OFFICE

www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov 509-323-2900

RURAL DEVELOPMENT, USDA

www.rurdev.usda.gov trini.mayo@wa.usda.gov 509-663-4019

US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE

www.fws.gov/turnbull/ Turnbull@fws.gov 509-235-4723

WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

www.dnr.wa.gov information@dnr.wa.gov 360-902-1000

WA STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

www.wsdot.wa.gov/environment/default.htm SeeS@wsdot.wa.gov 360-705-7372 ADAMS CONSERVATION DISTRICT

US FOREST SERVICE

www.fs.fed.us

14 • April 2013

www.adamscd.org adamscd02@ritzcom.net 509-659-1553

offices are also non-regulatory.

This month, the guide will focus on government agencies, and Extension offices. Subsequent issues will feature NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) and private industry.

The phone numbers, email addresses and websites have all been checked and are valid. If, while looking through the directory, you don’t find any listing for a particular issue you have on your property, please contact the Spokane Conservation District. If we don’t know the answer or can’t provide that particular service, we promise to put you in touch with someone who can.

FERRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

lloyd-odell@conservewa.net 509-775-3473 LINCOLN COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

www.lincolncd.com/ dlundgren@wadistrict.net 509-725-4181, ext 3

PEND OREILLE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

www.pocd.org/wordpress/ POCD@conservewa.net 509-447-5370

SPOKANE COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

www.sccd.org Jim-armstrong@sccd.org 509-535-7274

STEVENS COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

www.co.stevens.wa.us/cons_ district/default.htm SCCD@co.stevens.wa.us 509-685-0937, ext 3

Bountiful Life

Spokane Conservation District

210 N Havana, Spokane, WA

509 535 7274

Jim-armstrong@sccd.org

www.sccd.org

WATER RESOURCES N Stream bank & riparian restoration N Water quality N Livestock and land N Off site watering N Riparian fencing N Wetlands N Manure spreader rental N Permitting assistance N Cost-share programs

FORESTRY N Annual tree and shrub sale N Urban and rural forestry N Fire prevention assessments N Avista shade tree program N Technical assistance N Wildlife habitat

N Direct Seed Loan Program N Soil erosion prevention N Technical assistance N Cross Slot no-till drill rental N Farm tours N No-till mentor programs N Cost-share

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION N K-12 in classroom presentations of Wheat Week N Water on Wheels N Trout in the Classroom N Lots of resources for teachers

SMALL FARM PROGRAM N Technical assistance N Marketing N Community gardens N Pasture management N Workshops N Livestock management

SOILS N Testing lab N On-site assistance N Soil survey and analysis

FERRY COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD

www.ferry-county.com/Other_Depts/Weed.asp wbcoord@co.ferry.wa.us 509-775-5225, ext 1111 PEND OREILLE COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD

www.pendoreilleco.org/county/weed.asp ssorby@pendoreille.org 509-447-2402 SPOKANE COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD

www.spokanecounty.org/WeedBoard/ content.aspx?c=1443 weedboard@spokanecounty.org 509-477-5777 STEVENS COUNTY NOXIOUS WEED BOARD

www.co.stevens.wa.us/weedboard/ weedboard@co.stevens.wa.us 509-684-7590

PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE

WSU ADAMS COUNTY EXTENSION

www.lincoln-adams.wsu.edu/ robertk@wsu.edu 509-659-3209

WSU FERRY COUNTY EXTENSION

www.county.wsu.edu/ferry fagerlie@wsu.edu 509-775-5225, ext 1116

WSU LINCOLN COUNTY EXTENSION

www.lincoln-adams.wsu.edu/ robertk@wsu.edu 509-725-4171

WSU PEND OREILLE COUNTY EXTENSION

www.pendoreille.wsu.edu/ carla.pogson@wsu.edu 509-447-2401

WSU SPOKANE COUNTY EXTENSION

www.spokane-county.wsu.edu/ 509-477-2048

WSU STEVENS COUNTY EXTENSION

www.county.wsu.edu extensionstevens@wsu.edu 509-684-2588

Toxic Waste, Pesticides Pest Management Forestry, Fire Prevention Noxious Weeds Livestock ISSUES Water, Shores, Wetlands Wildlife Small Farms Production Ag Pasture Management Soil Erosion

Country Living in the Inland Northwest

April 2013 • 15

Get The Scoop On Your Soil

By Jim Armstrong

T

he Spokane Conservation District’s soil testing lab is in its third year of operation. We are gearing service toward yards and gardens as well as small acreage farms. Our soil scientist, Eric Choker, is able to perform a basic soil test for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), percentage of organic matter and soil pH. There are “do it yourself” kits available on-line and from some area retailers but they are not nearly as accurate and may not give the results you really need. You should have your soil tested in the spring, approximately 2 weeks before you plan to apply fertilizers or amendments of any kind.

Once tested, your soils probably won’t need to be tested for another 2 years.

Why test your soil?

If you know what type and quantity of nutrients are in the soil, you will be able to apply fertilizers and amendments at the appropriate rates. Studies have shown that homeowners in the city often apply fertilizers at rates far higher than needed. Fertilizers are expensive and applying them at rates higher than the plants need can be detrimental to the environment. Leaching of excess nitrates and phosphorus is very harmful to water quality. There is one caveat however; the key to getting accurate results from the soil test is to collect the soil sample(s) correctly.

Soil samples must be dry before being processed.

Saturated soils will delay the results In order to determine the rates for fertilizer or mineral applications, you will need to collect soil samples from the entire area. An exam-

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Bountiful Life

pounds of the soil into a paper bag and label the zone and depth of the sample, i.e. garden zone 1, 0 - 6” and the date it was collected. If you are going to be more than a day or so before you deliver the sample to the lab, place it in the refrigerator. Try to take the samples when the soil is not saturated with water. Not only could that skew the test results, but the samples will have to Soil scientist Eric Choker analyzing a soil sample in the SCD lab be dried before analysis can begin. The wetter ple would be a 40’x40’ vegetable garden we the soils, the longer it will take to get your will call garden zone 1. At least 10 samples results back. should be taken from within the entire zone, either randomly or in a measured grid pattern.

Having your soil tested is an easy process, (measured grid patterns would be preferred just stop by the District office at 210 N. for accuracy) These samples will then be Havana and pick up a soil test kit. The kit mixed together to form a composite sample includes instructions on how to take a soil that represents the area average. If the area sample, a soil sample bag, a soil test request is much larger, you may consider dividing it form and a general soil test interpretation into a few different zones, especially if there guide. Our basic test will measure Nitrogen are noticeable changes or differences in the (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), along surface soil, slope or vegetation type. Each with pH and organic matter. If you feel you zone would be sampled as above and submit- need a more comprehensive test done, we ted for testing as separate samples. Follow will send it to another lab that will be able these links to a couple of excellent short vid- to test the soil for micro-nutrients and trace eos on how to properly collect soil samples. minerals. The price for the basic test is $30 http://youtu.be/3YuA20kZ1EA or http:// and the more comprehensive test is $44 plus www.youtube.com/watch?v=niCaJ5a0Ho0 $8 shipping. The $30 you spend will more than pay for itself with savings of fertilizers or The sampling procedures are not difficult additives and it will maximize the yield potenand even in lawns can be fairly simple and tial of your garden. Eric is here to help you non-destructive. Put the shovel in the ground with the interpretations of the results and to at least to the depth of the root structure and make recommendations for solving some of remove that soil, setting it aside to put back the problems you may be having. u in the hole. (In lawns, remove the turf from an area about the size of the shovel first and For any questions about the sampling or testset it aside) Again using the shovel, take ing procedures or general soil health, contact a thin slice of soil from the side of the hole Eric Choker, Spokane Conservation District about 1 inch thick from the top to the bottom Soil Scientist at 509-535-7274 x18 or email of the hole. Remove that slice, trim it in the to: eric-choker@sccd.org center to about an inch wide and then place it Jim Armstrong in a bucket or large bag. Repeat that process Communications & until you have obtained a good representative Special Projects sample from the entire zone. Replace the exManager, Spokane Conservation District cess soil back into the holes and replace the jim-armstrong turf if necessary. Thoroughly mix all of the @sccd.org same zone samples together and place 1-2 Country Living in the Inland Northwest

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April 2013 • 17

Outstanding Orchards Planting Fruit Trees in Spring

By Pat Munts

D

oes the idea of walking out in your backyard and picking a treeripened peach, apple or cherry sound appealing? Spring is the best time to plant fruit trees. Here are a few things to consider when putting trees in.

Plant them in open areas where they get full sun and a steady supply of moisture. They will also need space to spread out; how much

depends on whether you go for dwarf, semi-dwarf or full-sized trees.

Dwarf trees take as little as a five foot wide space with some able to grow in containers. Semi-dwarf trees can take a 15-foot wide space while full-size trees will need 25 feet or more. Because some varieties require a pollinator, you may need to plan for two trees to get a crop.

Most fruit trees can take three to five years before they begin bearing and another five to produce a heavy crop.

Secondly, ask yourself if you are willing to apply the organic or conventional pesticides to keep the insects and diseases at bay. Preventing wormy apples and cherries takes applying the right control measures at the right time. Unkempt back yard trees can have a serious impact on our local fruit industry by spreading problems that the growers must then treat for.

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Trees are usually sold as three to five year old plants as bare root stock, in pots or in plastic packages. Bare root trees will have no soil around the roots and will need to be planted immediately on purchase so the roots don’t dry out. Potted trees can be set aside and watered for a few days before planting. Packaged trees tend to be smaller with a smaller root system wrapped in moist wood chips and packaged in plastic. Be wary of packaged trees sitting out in hot sunny places in the nursery where their roots can cook.

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Bare root trees need to be planted immediately so the roots don’t dry out Bountiful Life

than a 45-degree. These branch crotches will make strong limbs as they grow. Don’t buy trees that have broken branches or large scrapes in their bark.

Plant the trees in a wide, dish-shaped hole so that the soil will come to the point where the trunk flares out into the roots. Trim any broken roots before planting. Back fill the hole with the native soil without amendments. Build a moat around the tree and water it well. Stake the tree only if you live in a windy area. Do not fertilize the first year.

Water the tree a couple of times a week by filling up the moat and allowing it to drain a couple tof times for the first two years especially in hot weather. Consider putting the tree on a drip system separate from other lawn and garden systems to meet the need. u Check out this website for information on selecting the size of tree, pollination requirements, climate considerations and how to space trees: www.sandybarnursery.com/ choosing-fruit-trees.htm

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April 2013 • 19

Spring Color All Year

Maintaining Color in Your Dried Flowers

By Ashley Lewan

S

pring buds have started to pop up all over the place and the fragrant perfume from delicate blooms is beginning to envelop the Inland Northwest. If you’re like me, this time of year is treasured and over too quickly. For the past five years, or so, I have tried my hand at drying and pressing flowers so that I have spring beauty all year round. I have

A. Carefully position your flower the way you would like it to remain.

been able to incorporate dried and pressed flowers in gifts, stationary along with home decor.

With May Day and Mother’s Day just around the corner, I have

B. Push some of the drying powder in between the petals of the flower.

Supplies • Shoebox/ Container • Flowers to dry • Drying powder or Homemade Drying Powder (1 part borax soap to 5 parts sand. You’ll need enough to fill a container 3/4 full)

C. Slowly pour the rest of the powder over the flower.

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Bountiful Life

already begun readying my flower presses and mixing up my homemade drying powder.

The most difficult part about drying flowers at home is making sure to keep the colors as vibrant as possible. There’s nothing worse than brown, crusty blooms hanging out in vases. I’ve provided a step-by-step procedure illustrating how to dry a single bloom. Drying flowers separately allows them to dry quicker and you don’t have to worry about imperfections caused by plants pressing against each other. The blooms can be a beautiful focal point in a dried bouquet to mount on your wall or in a rustic vase.

Directions 1. Pick flowers mid morning. There will be less dew clinging to the plants and the sun won’t have wilted the blooms yet.

2. Carefully dry off any water still present on the stem and petals.

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3. Fill the bottom inch of your shoe box with the drying powder.

4. Set your flower in the powder. Carefully position it the way you would like it to remain. (Picture A)

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5. Push some of the drying powder in between the petals of the flower.

(Picture B) 6. Slowly pour the rest of the powder over the flower. Keep slow, steady and careful when pouring the powder so you don’t crush the flower. Make sure that the flower is completely covered and there are no little bits poking out. (Picture C) 7. Close the shoe box and set aside in a dry location where it can remain for 2 weeks.

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8. Remove the flower carefully from the box after at least two weeks.

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9. The color should still be intact, especially if you began with a vibrant shade.

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April 2013 • 21

OUTDOOR PARADISE! Asparagus Pasta Salad

By Ashley Lewan

I

t’s time for asparagus, once again! This delectable, green vegetable is so versatile that it fits in everywhere. Try this easy pasta salad for a fresh way to enjoy a beloved spring crop.

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Directions: 1. Heat olive oil over medium high heat and add asparagus and pepper flakes.

2. Saute for 5 minutes until asparagus slightly browns. Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, bell peppers and garlic. Cook until garlic browns and then remove from heat.

3. Pour mixture over pasta and top with feta cheese.

Ingredients: • 1 oz of bow tie pasta, cooked and drained • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 8 stalks fresh asparagus • Red pepper flakes to taste • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

• 1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1/4 cup feta cheese (optional)

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Strawberry Rhubarb Buckle

By Ashley Lewan

B

uckles are an unsung hero among cakes and pastries. Typically, a buckle consists of a cake-like bottom, then a layer of fruit and then either a crumb top, or more cake. The end result is a moist, but filling treat perfect for the beginning of spring!

Directions: 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 10” springform pan with nonstick spray or butter. You can use a regular cake pan, but it will be harder to dig it out.

2. Combine sugar, salt and flour.

3. Cut in butter until you reach a crumbly consistency. It’s important that the butter is very cold. Set aside 1 cup of mixture for later.

Ingredients:

4. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 cup milk

5. Add baking powder to flour mixture. Stir in milk, egg and vanilla until moist.

• 1-1/4 cup sugar • 1 tsp salt • 1-1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, cold and cubed • 1/3 cup brown sugar • 1 tsp cinnamon • 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 large egg • 1 tsp vanilla • 3 cups strawberries, sliced • 2 cups fresh rhubarb, chopped

6. Spread half of the flour batter into the pan. Then, cover with your fruit. Drop spoonfuls of batter on top and then evenly spread the crumble topping all over.

7. Bake for 60 minutes, or until gold brown. Let cool or serve warm.

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Check out our website for Spring Promotions Allan Block N Stonewall N Natural Slate N Nursery Stone N Stepping Stones N Cultured Stone Interlocking Concrete Pavers N Concrete Privacy & 3-Rail Fencing N Outdoor Fireplaces & Pizza Ovens

WHITE BLOCK CO. 6219 E. Trent

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509-534-0651

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www.whiteblockcompany.com

"Quality Manufacturer Since 1947" Family Owned & Operated Country Living in the Inland Northwest

Mon-Fri 7am-5pm (Closed Weekends)

April 2013 • 23

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• 20 minutes to Spokane Valley, Freeman School District • 5 Bed, 3 Bath, 3702 sq.ft. on 9 acres • Gorgeous hardwood floors, numerous built-ins • Gourmet commercial kitchen, stainless steel appliances • Master suite includes French doors & walk-in closets • Elegant master bath with Jacuzzi • Finished daylight walk-out basement includes wet bar, 2 bedrooms, full bath, pellet stove & wine room • Electric forced air, air conditioning • Year round in-ground pool & huge pool house • 3 stall barn/shop with nearly 5 acres cross fenced • Vineyard, lavender, herbs, self misting greenhouse • Beautifully landscaped grounds with terrific views

=h[Wj fhef[hjo je ^Wl[ ^ehi[i For a Vitual Tour go to www.sheritilton.com

Sheri Tilton – Call for a showing today!

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