Home & Garden Spring 2011

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HOME

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SPRING 2011

The art of eating on Whidbey Dream kitchen extraordinaire Top ten best loved kitchen gadgets of foodies Whidbey farms deliver the goods Slow foods worth growing

PUBLISHED AS A SUPPLEMENT OF THE WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES & SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD

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HOME

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GARDEN

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GROWN & COOKED ON WHIDBEY FROM THEIR GARDEN TO YOUR TABLE: Revitalizing the family dinner with homegrown ingredients.

{ CAPTURING

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KITCHEN TOUR A great way to get inspired.

ARCHITECT COOKS UP A DREAM KITCHEN FAMILY GARDEN

WHIDBEY ’ S ISLAND STYLE }

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THE TOP TEN GADGETS FOODIES FAVOR LITTLE BROWN FARM: Goat cheese with local flavor.

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Transforming rocky soil to create bounty.

GALLOPING GOURMET IN COUPEVILLE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: How to grow great tomatoes on Whidbey Island.

CONTENTS

Advertising Manager Terri Tinker

Editors Brian Kelly, Jim Larsen & Jessie Stensland

Marketing Sales Robyn Bainbridge, Vicki Beardemphl, Sarah Felger & Lee Ann White

Design & Layout Nathan Whalen, Katie McVicker & Michelle Wolfensparger Copy & Photos Patricia Duff, Roy Jacobson, Katie McVicker, Jessie Stensland & Nathan Whalen

Advertising Services Ginny Tomasko Production Manager Michelle Wolfensparger Advertising Design Rebecca Collins, Holly Rinne, Ginny Tomasko & Leslie Vance

Additional copies of this publication, subscriptions and advertising information can be obtained by contacting: WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES | 360-675-6611 SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD | 877-316-7276 PO Box 1200, 107 S. Main Street, Suite E101 Coupeville, WA 98239

4777 Commercial St. Clinton, WA 98236 (360)341-5240 Tues-Fri 10-5 Sat 10-4

STAINMASTER CARPET $ SAVE 150

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Iss ue

H&Gstaff

Find more details on the center spread, pages 12 & 13 of this issue of Home & Garden. Attend classes to inspect your own septic system with Island County Public Health.

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Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter at www.bayviewfarmandgarden.com

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on

grown and cooked

Whidbey

BY JESSIE STENSLAND | WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES

W

hidbey Island has a gourmet side. A large and growing number of people who live on the island love to cook, grow their own fruit and vegetables, browse the local farmers markets for lush produce, picnic at any number of scenic parks or just dine in their backyards on lazy summer days. The sharing of food is a social event in both the home and garden. Kitchens are the focus of get-togethers, while gardeners regularly hand out produce and advice to friends and neighbors. With spring in the air, it’s a perfect time to make plans for a new garden, put in raised beds for vegetables, remodel a kitchen, buy a new barbecue grill or look for perfect utensils to make a kitchen function better. It’s the perfect time to turn away from fast food and instead make a commitment to cook slowly, eat healthy and spend locally. In this edition of Home and Garden, we have focused on food — the gardens that grow food and the kitchens where food is prepared. There’s plenty of people on the island willing to share their experiences and ideas and we’ve tracked some of them down. Here’s a look at what we found: • A Central Whidbey woman feeds her family and makes some money off the fat of the land. She raises a bounty of fruits, vegetables and poultry on her family’s small farm, which is called the Strawfield House & Farm. She also cooks up healthy meals in her spacious kitchen and sells produce at a roadside stand. Additionally,

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she teaches cooking classes and is dedicated to helping others live healthy lives. • A retired architect found designing her dream kitchen to be a surprisingly complex task. But with the help of another architect and a builder, she can now cook up meals in a space that’s both splendid and utilitarian. • One of the challenges of growing fruit and vegetables on Whidbey Island can be the soil. The glaciers that once moved across the island left behind a lot of rocks and heavy clay. But one North Whidbey couple has learned to work with the soil to grow prodigious amounts of produce in their super-sized garden. • There are a lot of great chefs on Whidbey Island, both professionals and novices. They share their top picks for kitchen gadgets. • Growing big, beautiful tomatoes is not impossible on Whidbey Island, though it’s definitely a challenge. The heat-loving plants are known to grow ill in the cool or wet weather that sometimes settles on the Pacific Northwest during the growing season, which is also known to break some gardeners’ hearts. But don’t despair, some experts offer advice on growing the tasty fruit. • A South Whidbey woman has learned to create a variety of superb cheeses with milk from her small herd of Nubian goats. She runs the only goat milk creamery, or creamery of any kind, on Whidbey Island and sells her specialty cheeses at local shops. It’s a truly local product; she even peppers her cheeses with local products, including lavender from a farm in North Whidbey, and red wine from Whidbey Island Winery near Langley.

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from their

garden

to your table

BY KATIE MCVICKER | WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES

G

reenbank cook and small farm owner Aracely Knox believes every day is cause for a celebration as long as people are grateful for their food and the people they share it with.

Knox moved to Whidbey Island four years ago from the California Bay area. When she first started planting on her farm, she simply wanted to provide the best quality food for her husband and kids, but now her mission is larger in scope. Knox wants to encourage more people to gather around the table and eat healthy food. Knox grows squash, beans, berries, tomatoes, herbs, grapes, onions and potatoes on her property just off North Bluff Road in Greenbank and raises turkeys and chickens. Her land, deemed the Strawfield House & Farm, is in its second season. Last summer, Knox’s sons built a farm stand near the entrance of the property, which is filled daily with produce, eggs, homemade candles, cooking supplies and dried flowers for purchase. And now that Knox has her country roots established, she said she’s ready to really hone in on her goal. SEE STRAWFIELD, PAGE 7

Katie McVicker/Whidbey News-Times

Strawfield House owner and master cook Aracely Knox stands in the doorway of her Greenbank home. Knox invites people into her kitchen for cooking classes using ingredients grown on her property.

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Katie McVicker/Whidbey News-Times

The kitchen at the Strawfield House features a large blue island which make cooking and entertaining easy tasks. “Making a home inviting is sort of an art that’s getting lost,� Knox said. “People are buying prepared or processed food, and I want to show them that you can cook and still be economical if you know what you’re doing.� Knox grew up in a Mexican-American family and when she was growing up her parents stressed the importance of sitting down together for meals. This year, she will be hosting a variety of cooking classes open to all skill levels to teach people how to create quality meals for their loved ones. She’ll direct her participants to head out into her gardens and pick produce; she’ll then teach them how to cook with fresh ingredients. Knox has formal culinary arts training, and said her style is a mix between traditional Mexican, Mediterranean and California fresh. Depending on the season, she said she may center her class on corn-based tamales, traditional soups, canning or seafood, and her students

will be able to take all of their treats home. The Strawfield House has a spacious kitchen completed with modern appliances, beautiful rustic tile and a large blue island. Jars and jars of seasonings and canned vegetables line its walls, along with dried spices and Knox’s signature house herb blend. A short distance from the kitchen doors is an outdoor cooking area with an open fire pit and wrap around seating. Additionally, up near the barn where she germinates seeds, Knox has an outdoor sink for washing veggies. “It’s about giving people a vision of simplified family life,� Knox said. “I just want to teach people about the simple pleasures.� Knox plans to team up with Coupeville-based Chef Vincent Nattress to plan some of her cooking classes, which range in price from $30 to $95 depending on the amount of

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LEFT: Bottles of Wild Orchard Apple Vinegar are made from apples on the farm. Knox sells items like the vinegar, dried flowers, soaps and spices at a farmstand on her property, which was built by her son last summer.

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STRAWFIELD CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

instruction and time required. Though Knox will have scheduled events, she said she’ll also make special arrangements for groups that want to request a special class. Additionally, Knox hosts tea parties at the Strawfield House and takes orders for flower and seasonal arrangements. For more information, visit www. strawfieldhouse.com or call Knox at 360-678-1747. To learn more about Nattress, see www.chefvincent.com.

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Katie McVicker/Whidbey News-Times

The Strawfield Houses’ farmstand is located near the entrance of the property. It’s stocked with all sorts of homemade goodies and food from the farm. BELOW: A hen rests in the farm’s chicken coop. Owner Aracely Knox uses its eggs for family meals.

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offers inspiration

F

or those considering updating their kitchens, a great way to gather ideas and learn about everything from materials to utensils is to visit homes with wonderful or unique kitchen spaces. Fortunately, a number of Whidbey Island residents with kitchens that fit the bill will be opening their homes for this year’s self-guided Dream Kitchen Tour. Unfortunately, the event isn’t until Saturday, Aug. 27. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hospitality center will be the Trinity Lutheran Church Community Center in Freeland. Each August, the American Association of University Women Whidbey Island Branch presents the tour, which is co-sponsored by the South Whidbey Record and the Whidbey News-Times this year. All proceeds directly support educational projects and scholarships for young women of Whidbey Island. One of best kitchens featured in last year’s tour belonged to Greenbank residents Diane Billingsley and Bob Reik. Their home, which they named the “Lodge at Quail Hollow,” features a kitchen that Billingsley decorated with salvaged architectural pieces and antiques she has collected from her travels across the globe. Unique pieces found in the kitchen include: a butcher block from England; a large oak, zinc-lined

breakfront cabinet from a tobacco store in Kansas City; a large green buffet and plate rack from Ireland; and a dining table that seats 14 built from an old Russian boxcar. The kitchen island is pale green and contrasts with the forest green of the cabinets beneath the cook top. The back-splash at the cook top consists of old foundry oven doors from Belgium and a butcher shop sign from London dating back to 1812 hangs above near the peaked ceiling. The floors are barn beams that have been milled down. Large windows paired with 14 steel hanging lights give the room its glow.

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Katie McVicker/Whidbey News-Times

Diane Billingsley stands in the kitchen of her Greenbank home. Billingsley decorated the space with antiques that she collected from her travels. This year, the AAUW Dream Kitchen Tour will be on Saturday, Aug. 27. It will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News-Times

Ed Gemkow of Gemkow Construction in Langley built a kitchen that was designed by owner Liz Axford, a former architect, and Todd Soli of Soli/Terry Architects.

Architect cooks up

BY JESSIE STENSLAND WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES

D

esigning your own kitchen may seem like a simple task. You need an oven and a bunch of appliances, cabinets, countertops and a sink. Perhaps you want a closed-off, tidy place to cook up culinary masterpieces in peace. Or maybe you like wide-open spaces for entertaining and accommodating a number of chefs. But the truth is, designing and building a kitchen, or even just remodeling, can be a very complicated job to do right.

Liz Axford is a retired architect from Texas, but she worked closely with the builder and designer — Ed Gemkow of Gemkow Construction and Todd Soli of Soli/Terry Architects, both of Langley — to create a dream kitchen in her new Clinton home. She and her husband, Patrick Johnson, currently live there parttime. She said the kitchen is the most expensive and complex room in just about any house. “If you’re not really confident about what you’re doing, you should work SEE KITCHEN, PAGE 11

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Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News-Times

Liz Axford spent a lot of time picking out the perfect equipment for her kitchen.

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“

If you’re not really confident about what you’re doing, you should work with an architect or kitchen designer.

”

Jessie Stensland / Whidbey News-Times

ABOVE: Liz Axford personally picked out the stone slabs for her countertops. She loved the “pietra del cardosa” for the beautiful veins that run through the rock. RIGHT: One of the unique features of the kitchen is a wooden canopy that holds the energy-efficient, low-voltage lights and also serves to divide the kitchen from the rest of the large house with high ceilings.

with an architect or kitchen designer,” she said. “It’s really easy to make a mistake, and then you have to live with it for a long time.” Gemkow and Soli/Terry Architects won the coveted Skagit/Island Counties Builders Association as its “Best Overall Project of the Year” award in 2009 for Axford and Johnson’s 3,000-square-foot Northwest comtemporary-style house. But Gemkow said he believes the kitchen is really what won the prize. “The kitchen is what they really reacted to,” he said. “Everyone was impressed with it. It’s really an amazing, custom-built kitchen.” Axford loves to cook, so she wanted the kitchen to be user-friendly and practical, as well as big and beautiful. She used to have a U-shaped kitchen that she enjoyed, so she decided to recreate the shape. Like many contemporary kitchens, she wanted it to have an open style that flows into dining and living room areas. It took a lot of forethought. Axford took the time to inventory what she has and would need in her kitchen.

The kitchen, down to the last drawer, was designed based on those needs. The couple hasn’t yet retired to the house, so some of the cabinets are still empty except for labels explaining what goes inside. Then there’s the aesthetic and other unique details. Gemkow said one of the most technically difficult aspect of Axford’s kitchen design was a wood canopy or “cloud,” as he named it, that hangs over the countertop. It serves to define the space of the kitchen and makes it a more comfortable area, but there’s also a practical side. It bears the soft low-voltage lights and lowers them from the tall ceiling, meaning less light is lost and bulbs will be easier to change. “It brings the kitchen down to human scale,” Gemkow said, but explained that it was difficult to design and install the canopy to look like it’s hovering in space. Axford picked a beautiful slab of a granite-like stone called “pietra del cardosa” for the countertops. She said SEE KITCHEN, PAGE 14

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INSPECT

Septic system care is up to you! Inspect your entire septic system.

DETECT

Detect problems before they become more costly and potentially pose a health risk.

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PROTECT

Protect the natural environment, your community’s health, and your investment.

Pg 13

YOUR SEPTIC

PROTECTING OUR WATER RESOURCES, WATER RECREATION, SHELLFISH INDUSTRIES AND YOUR INVESTMENT Why INSPECT?

The state issued WAC 246-272A in 2005, with the intention that septic maintenance requirements be enacted in 2007. This regulation can be found at the following website http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite+246-272A. Local public health departments are required to enforce these regulations. Island County Code 8.07D can be found at http://www.islandcounty.net/code/documents/ICC08.pdf. r 8BTIJOHUPO 4UBUF has significant problems with water resources attributable to septic systems.

r *OTQFDU ZPVS system to prevent noncompliance violation fees.

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Maintenance is the key to preventing septic system failure. If your system has been properly designed, sited, and installed, the rest is up to you. ➜ No garbage disposals. *If you must use a garbage disposal, get your tank pumped more frequently.

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ABOVE: Axford chose vertical-grain hemlock cabinets for aesthetic reasons. BELOW: A bowl of polished rocks is one of the few decorations in the kitchen, which is meant to be a working space.

KITCHEN CONTINUED FROM 11

she loved the rare stone, which is only quarried in one town in Italy, because of the amazing veins that run through it.

Axford said she wanted strong horizontal lines in the cabinets. She and Soli originally thought about using Douglas fir, but she didn’t like that it tends to turn red over time. Instead, they chose vertical-grain hemlock, which develops more of a yellow tone. Nobody makes vertical-grain hem-

lock plywood, Gemkow said, so he had to have it completely custommade just for the cabinets. Axford said she designed the cabinets with a lot of drawers down low so it’s easier for her to pull things out, like heavy casserole dishes. While not everyone will get the op-

portunity to design their own home or kitchen from scratch, Gemkow said he’s worked on many kitchen remodeling projects over the years and they can really be transformational. “Kitchens are social things nowadays. They really are the center of a home,” he said.

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Gardens transform rocky Whidbey soil to create bounty BY DENNIS CONNOLLY | SPECIAL TO WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES

W

hen Gail and Judy Prichard started their vegetable garden some 39 years ago out on North Whidbey’s Strawberry Point, they found they had a great location and poor, rocky soil. It’s a common situation on Whidbey Island, where the growing season is long, there’s a good mixture of rain and sun, and the scenery can be stunningly beautiful, but the soil in many areas is far from perfect for creating gardens filled with healthy produce. Yet the Prichards haven’t let lousy soil stop them from growing a wide variety of organic fruits and vegetables to feed themselves, as well as a number of neighbors and friends. They found that perseverance, elbow grease and good advice are the keys to a bountiful Whidbey harvest. The Prichards’ land, an acre-and-a-half that sits on the edge of the woods and overlooks a long open field ending at Skagit Bay, enjoys warmer weather that comes from the south. But the soil is made up of rocky glacial till. They started by removing rocks and mixing dirt, fertilizer, straw and manure into the soil. They fenced their 20- by 30-foot garden to keep out deer and rabbits, and started gardening. Almost four decades later, their garden has grown to about 4,000 square feet. And they both still love gardening. “Its just kind of fun to see things growing,” Gail said. “It’s pleasant to get out on a spring day and work in the garden and see things coming up.” It is also pleasant to know where their food is coming from. Not only do they like eating food that is organic, and pesticide free, the Prichards enjoy giving SEE TRANSFORM, PAGE 16

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Gail and Judy Prichard harvest a few of the best brussels sprouts from a plant in their vegetable garden.

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TRANSFORM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15 away what they can’t use. Their current crop will include beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn, collards, carrots, kale, leeks, onions, peas, parsnips, spinach and cucumbers. And though they live on Strawberry Point, they haven’t had a lot of luck growing strawberries. Raspberries, on the other hand, come up big and beautiful. They make raspberry jam, as well as raspberry and blackberry cordial. Their upstairs freezer holds raspberries, blackberries, corn, peas, huckleberries, canned tomatoes, roasted tomatoes and squash. Downstairs is a storage room Gail has added. It holds bags of blood meal, bone meal, rooting soil, a big bag of alfalfa, with hanging onions and shallots. Judy says that February and March are good months to start leeks, onions and artichokes. While their freezer testifies to their gardening successes, there are failures every year as well. “Every year some things fail but we always plant more than we need,” Judy said. Judy said another way they learn is

by reading. “We read seed books and ‘Beginning Gardener,’ which has a lot of good directions to start a garden,” she said. “We also recommend, ‘The Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening.’” Judy also said she and Gail were fortunate to get good advice from the late Hal Ramaley, former school principal and a fixture in Oak Harbor gardening circles for years. He was a man whose influence was so pervasive that there is a park named after him at 526 SE Bayshore Dr. Gail credits his wife with working in the garden a long, long time; Judy credits Gail with hauling tons of rocks out of the garden and hauling in tons of compost and manure over 39 years. In a couple months, they will be out in the sunshine, working on their garden, and looking out at Skagit Bay. It’s a great location to garden.

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gadgets of Whidbey foodies It looks like basic beats fancy when it comes to the gadgets used by local foodies and culinary celebrities. BY PATRICIA DUFF | THE RECORD

A

t home in the kitchen, chefs generally look for the best basic tool rather than insisting on the latest big thing or the fanciest new gadgets. Famous TV chefs such as British sensation Gordon Ramsey of “Hell’s Kitchen” and “Kitchen Nightmares” fame includes the sandwich griddle, a milk frother and a soup and smoothie blender on his top 10 list. Rachael Ray hates anything fancy, and her list of essential tools for every kitchen includes a basic kitchen towel, a bench scrape and a wooden lazy spoon and ladle. Jamie Oliver must have his garlic Slice ‘n’ Press, his Jamie Oliver All Purpose 3-in-1 Peeler, a basting brush, a pizza slicer and a Jamie Oliver Easy Ice Cream Scoop. On South Whidbey, the best cooks are just as discerning and down-to-earth as the celebrities are when it comes to must-haves in their gadget drawers. Gordon Stewart, the chef and owner of Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill in Freeland, can’t live without cast iron pans. “I love cast iron pans for their durability and even distribution of heat,” Stewart said. “Plus they were handed down from my grandmother.” Stewart also sings the praises of a good coffee grinder. He said they’re great for grinding fresh herbs and peppercorns, which he turns into rubs for meats and fish. He counts on silicone to keep his hands burn-free. “Silicone pads have saved me from many disasters during the holiday candymaking frenzy,” Stewart said. Gail Liston, co-owner of the Vino Amore Wine Shop in Freeland, loves to cook and, of course, knows how to match a good wine to every dish. But she said the kitchen she shares with her husband, Brian Plebanek, is pretty low tech. “We use a plain old waiter’s corkscrew at home,” Liston said. SEE GADGETS, PAGE 22

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Freeland farm offers goat cheese with a local flavor BY ROY JACOBSON | SOUTH WHIDBEY RECORD

Photos courtesy of Vicky Brown

ABOVE: Goats frolic on Little Brown Farm. A sampling of signature Demi Lavender Chevre cheese. Vicky Brown of Freeland selling goat cheeses from the Little Brown Farm at the Bayview Farmer’s Market this past summer.

It’s a cheesy way to make a living, but Vicky Brown of Freeland likes the way life is spreading out before her. Brown is the proprietor and chief shoveler of Little Brown Farm, the only goat creamery on Whidbey Island. She specializes in nearly a dozen different varieties of fresh goat’s milk cheeses, which she sells at local outlets from April through October. This past season was the farm’s first, and the demand far outstripped the supply. “I wish more people would get into it,” Brown said. “I’d love to mentor them. We can’t provide as much

cheese here as people want.” Brown makes her cheeses from the milk of about 20 Nubian goats in the farm’s herd of about 30. She specializes in Chevre in a variety of flavors and colors, along with “Pheta,” her own name and her own recipe for non-traditional Greek feta, and a few aged cheeses. The soft Chevre is by far the most popular; Brown said that in the farm’s first season, she sold 20 pounds of Chevre for each pound of Pheta. She said she peppers her cheeses with local products, including lavender from a farm in North Whidbey, and SEE CHEESE, PAGE 18

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They all have their own personalities, and they’re definitely individuals. Their milk is also very different, either subtly or significantly.

CONTINUED FROM 17

red wine from Whidbey Island Winery near Langley. “We make different versions of each cheese, in coloring and flavoring,� Brown said. “We try to keep it as local as possible.� For Brown and her husband, Tom, who helps out with the farm when he can, the goats are as individualistic as the snowflakes that recently covered their fields. For example, each animal has its own name. There’s Tulip, Layla, Coco, Velvet Rose, Lilly, C.C. and Gypsy, and that’s just for a start. The number one papa goat in the herd has his own name, too: Harvey Wallbanger. “They all have their own personalities, and they’re definitely individuals,� Brown said. “Their milk is also very different, either subtly or significantly.� She said the secret to the quality of her cheeses is the manner in which she treats her animals. “Their health and well-being is in the forefront of our minds at all times,� she says on the farm’s website. “Most of our herd I have known since birth.� She said her cheeses benefit from the quality of the feed, the genetics of the herd and the handling of the milk. “It often costs us more in time and money, but we think it is well worth it,� she said. Brown first got into goats in Southern California, when she was looking for an activity to distract herself from the stress of her high-tech job, and one to distract her daughter Christine from the more boisterous aspects of teenage-hood. “Goats became my passion,� she said. That was seven years ago. About three years ago, she and Tom bought the farm in Freeland, and moved lock, stock and scooper to the island where her husband grew up. “Everything came together,� she said. “We came here with eight goats

Photo courtesy of Vicky Brown

Lily eats her grain while milking takes place. High-quality feed is important for producing the best milk possible. and a business plan.� Since then, she said she has invested $200,000 to set up the creamery, and she sees the future as smooth and bright. “But Tom has to work full-time to support my farming habit,� she said with a smile. Again this year, Brown will be selling her specialty cheeses at the Bayview Farmers Market, Bayleaf in SEE CHEESE, PAGE 19

Photo courtesy of Vicky Brown

Photo courtesy of Vicky Brown

Little Brown Farm signature Chevre is one of the specialty cheeses sold locally at farmer’s markets.

A mama Nubian goat and her two offspring. Brown offers for sale baby goats that are born each year, along with some adult animals.

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Galloping Gourmet is keynote speaker at

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T

elevision’s famed “Galloping Gourmet� will trot into town later this month as the keynote speaker in this year’s Whidbey Gardening Workshop. The annual event returns to Coupeville on March 19. The workshop — which runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the high school — boasts 59 classes such as “Gardening 101: The Good Earth� to “In Praise of Native Pollinators.� Classes include growing vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, plus ones devoted to cooking and preserving the bounty of your garden. Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet, will highlight lessons from his first year as a kitchen gardener. “Before I began, I’d never met a plant I couldn’t kill,� Kerr recalled. “I began knowing nothing. The most important thing at the start was to slow down,� he added. “I needed to learn what I needed to know. To understand

the microclimate in which plants grow here. To understand soil and seed selection. To learn how to find my way around the garden.� Kerr said that, like the President and First Lady, he dug up his south lawn. He put in raised beds and a greenhouse and documented the experience in seven and a half hours of video footage and a new book, “Growing at the Speed of Life,� his 29th book. There was a lot that took root in his first year in the garden, and much more than a variety of veggies. Gardeners are like bees, Kerr believes, pollinating their neighborhoods with knowledge and with food so that there will be no hungry people. “[It] gave me a greater sense of neighborhood. It enabled me to connect with people at a depth we would never have experienced with

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

Coupeville and Oak Harbor and the 2nd Street Wine Shop in Langley. She hopes to make enough cheese this season to add local area restaurants to her customer list. She’s also looking for even more exposure for her products through Whidbey Island Grown, a new products cooperative of about 20 members, including local farmers and meat growers, along with producers of “value-added� products such as cookies, jams, sauces, soaps and lotions. “It’s been fantastic for us so far,� she said of the new cooperative. “We’re all working at keeping it local, and at keeping things high-quality.� Meanwhile, if you’re not in the market for cheese, how about a milk factory? Brown offers for sale baby goats that are born each year, along with some adult animals. “We’ve had 25 babies this year, and more are on the way,� she said. “We’re looking for a lot of good homes.� For more about Little Brown Farm, visit littlebrownfarm.com. For other information, or to make an appointment to visit the farm, call Brown at 331-2237 or e-mail her at vbrown@ littlebrownfarm.com.

out gardening. It showed me the great need we have for good food,� he said. In taking 200 pounds of produce from his garden that went to the local food bank, he said, “I had one of the best days of my entire life� knowing the food would go out to a hundred homes. Kerr, 77, has been a cooking celebrity since the 1960s. His television program, “The Galloping Gourmet� was broadcast through the mid 70s. Since then he has produced 1,000 TV shows focusing on healthy eating highlighting what he calls “minimum risk, maximum flavor.� In addition to his keynote address, Kerr will sign copies of his new book and present a class on preparing and serving the bounty of the garden. The cost of the workshop is $35, and a box lunch is available for $8. For a complete list of classes and to register go to www.island.wsu.edu/ gardening/wgworkshop. To register by mail, call 360-679-7327. The Whidbey Gardening Workshop is a program of the Master Gardeners of Island County.

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Mission impossible: How to grow tomatoes on Whidbey BY NATHAN WHALEN WHIDBEY NEWS-TIMES

M Photo courtesy of Carol Miles

Carol Miles, vegetable specialist for the Washington State University Extension in Mount Vernon, shows her efforts at growing tomatoes in the rain-soaked Pacific Northwest. She recently visited with more than 100 farmers and growers to share her suggestions on growing better tomatoes.

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any Whidbey Island green thumbs are seeing red. Countless gardeners and farmers have struggled to grow tomatoes in the island’s cool, cloudy and damp climate. But at least one farmer on Whidbey Island has learned the secrets of success after early difficulties with growing sun-loving tomatoes. Sheila Case-Smith, owner of Case Farm near Oak Harbor, first attempted to grow the fruit approximately 10 years ago when she planted 50 to 60 “Fourth of July” variety of tomatoes. Then, on July 3, it started to

rain. When it stopped a week later, all of her tomatoes were plagued with disease. “A week’s worth of rain devastated the whole thing,” Case-Smith said. Undaunted, she’s had more success in recent years. Currently she is growing 75 different tomato varieties and sells starter plants and ripe tomatoes at farmers markets on Whidbey Island. She has found several varieties that seem to hold up particularly well in the rainsoaked Pacific Northwest. She cited the Gold Nugget tomato, which will bear fruit even under poor conditions. SEE TOMATOES, PAGE 21

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SPRING2011 “Under the worst conditions I’ve ever grown in, I’ve always gotten fruit out of those little gems,� Case Smith said, adding that several other cherry tomatoes, including Sweet Million and Sun Gold, seem to thrive on Whidbey Island. She also raises slicer tomatoes, such as Champion, Early Goliath, Early Girl and Fourth of July, with some success. “I grow for Whidbey Island conditions,� Case-Smith said. Georgie Smith, owner of Willowood Farm on Ebey’s Prairie near Coupeville, is also trying to grow tomatoes. Last season marked her first effort to grow tomatoes on her farm. “I felt we did pretty well. We had some nice tomatoes at the end of the summer,� Smith said. Willowood Farm currently grows nine varieties of tomatoes, which include cherry tomatoes and several heirloom varieties. Because of the blustery conditions that sweep through the prairie, she decided to install a hoop house to protect her tomatoes. The hoop house, which is similar to a green house, is about 1,000 square feet in size. Fortunately for those with thumbs that aren’t so green, WSU Extension is providing help for Whidbey Island growers looking for better tomatoes. Carol Miles, a vegetable specialist with WSU Extension in Mount Vernon, visited a group of more than 100 farmers and gardeners at the Pacific Rim Institute on Central Whidbey Island recently to share tips on how to improve their chances of producing succulent tomatoes. Miles said the first factor growers should consider is the Whidbey Island climate, which is rather mild for a warm-weather crop. “It’s cool — that’s the bottom line,� Miles said, outlining the basic conditions for tomato growth, which

Pg 21

Photo courtesy of Carol Miles

A hoop house will help provide the protection tomatoes need to grow and thrive in the Whidbey Island climate. requires three to four months during which the temperature is between 65 and 85 degrees with a soil temperature of at least 60 degrees. Those conditions are tough to reach considering the temperature range in Coupeville from May through September averages from 63 to 72 degrees. Fortunately, she provided a wealth of strategies a grower can use to coax

fruit out of their plants. She provided guidance about how to stake the plants and strategies for pruning to help improve yields. Case-Smith said she appreciated the information about how to graft flavorful varieties of tomatoes to the root stalk of more resistant tomatoes. Smith said Miles’ information about nutrient requirements is prompting her

to change how she fertilizes and waters her plants. Miles also provided information about the advantages of drip irrigation and a list of varieties that can be successfully planted on Whidbey Island. For more information about the WSU Extension vegetables program, go to vegetables.wsu.edu.

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GADGETS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 But even if the corkscrew isn’t special, she said she loves their gadgety Screwpull foilcutter for cutting to chase before corking a bottle. For making food, tools get to go the distance in Liston’s kitchen. “My Oster blender/food processor is 11 years old and still works like a charm,� Liston said of the tool which gives a great texture to things like pesto and hummus. The couple also loves whisks and keeps several in different sizes. Liston said the tiny whisks are great for whipping up small amounts of salad dressings or marinades or for reaching into a narrow necked bottle. “I’ve tried several juicers over the years, but my favorite is still an old Tupperware reamer that snaps onto a small bowl. It takes a little elbow grease, but it does the job, and it’s easy to clean and store.� They just don’t make ‘em like they used to. The couple still uses an old Tupperware microwave steamer. “That thing must be at least 15 years old, but I use it almost every day for

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