This newsletter may be of interest if you live in Oregon. It is a local
farm related group.. jeff
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January 2002
Dear Food Alliance friends,
Welcome to the January issue of Growing Solutions, The Food Alliance's
bi-monthly newsletter.
This newsletter is our paper-and- postage-free way of sharing news with our
friends and supporters. If you prefer not to receive future issues, just
email me with 'no thanks' in the subject line and I'll remove you from the
list.
Until next time, enjoy eco-labeled foods and please consider joining us as a
Food Alliance member to support our work. Feel free to drop me a line any
time with questions or comments.
Best wishes,
Stacie Haines
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in this issue:
IN THE NEWS
RE-APPROVED FOOD ALLIANCE FARMS
FEATURED FOOD ALLIANCE-APPROVED FARM
RECIPE - FROM FARM TO FORK
IN THE NEWS
We are delighted to have found a retail partner in Bend, Oregon! For those of
you in central Oregon, look for Food Alliance-Approved products at Newport
Avenue Market in Bend! Click here to check out a complete list of our retail
partners.
We're pleased to welcome a new staff member at The Food Alliance. Rebecca
Siplak, Northwest Agriculture Coordinator, Rebecca comes to The Food Alliance
with over nine years of agricultural research and field experience, three of
those at Food Alliance-Approved Stahlbush Island Farms. Rebecca will be
recruiting new farms and ranches and administering the certification process
in the Northwest region.
Our search continues for a Development Director. Please send resumes to The
Food Alliance, 1829 NE Alberta, Suite 5, Portland, OR 97211 attn: Liz Palles.
EVENTS
The Food Alliance's third annual Recognition Dinner on January 24th was an
evening of education, inspiration and gratification. Keynote speaker Laurie
Demeritt, COO of The Hartman Group, focused on consumer trends and
environmentally responsible choices. Chef Cory Schreiber, of Wildwood
restaurant, spoke about sustainability from a chef's perspective. The menu
for the evening was prepared from local, seasonal ingredients provided by
Food Alliance-Approved producers. The Food Alliance presented a Keeper of the
Vision leadership award to Mike and Jean Youngquist of Mike & Jean's Berry
Farm and Karl Kupers of K & J Farms for outstanding vision and innovation in
making their farms environmentally and socially responsible.
On February 12, 2002 The Midwest Food Alliance is hosting its First Annual
Meeting in Bloomington, Minnesota. The event will bring MWFA-Approved
producers, staff and other supporters together to celebrate accomplishments,
learn about upcoming program plans and share a delicious meal made from
MWFA-Approved products. For more information please call 651.265.3682.
The Institute for the Northwest, a forum for environmental innovators, brings
the nation's top environmental scientists to Portland for the third season of
its Environmental Matters Evening Lecture Series. On April 10th, 2002, The
Food Alliance's National Technical Director, Jonathan Moscatello, will lead a
discussion about sustainable agriculture issues prior to a series lecture by
Dr. Wes Jackson about natural systems agriculture.
RE-APPROVED FOOD ALLIANCE FARMS
In order to remain Food Alliance-Approved, all producers must undergo a
rigorous re-inspection three years after their initial certification. The
following farms were re-approved by The Food Alliance in the year 2001:
West Union Gardens in Hillsboro, Oregon, owned by Jeff and Cheryl Boden,
grows a large array of berries and vegetables. When the Boden's were first
approved in 1998 they set a goal to eliminate, or at least reduce, fungicide
use for controlling root rot in raspberry plantings. The Boden's have
addressed the problem by using raised beds, tiles, calcium sulfate and more
root rot resistant plants. For more information about West Union Gardens
email or call Jeff or Cheryl at (503) 645-1592.
Stahlbush Island Farms in Corvallis, Oregon, owned and operated by Bill and
Karla Chambers, grows and processes berries and vegetables. Improvements on
their farm include adding 55 acres of drip irrigation that was previously
hand-pipe watered and switching to electrostatic spraying technology which
allows a drastic reduction of pesticide rates and reduces the frequency of
sprays. The Chambers also planted 3000 fir and pine trees around ponds,
streams and fields. They have also hired more than one full-time employee to
improve safety documentation and training. For more information on Stahlbush
Island Farms visit their website, email or call (541) 757-1497
Nook Valley Farms, in Everson, Washington, owned by Lawrence Benner, grows 10
acres of apples. Since Lawrence's initial certification, Lawrence has added
deer fencing and created a riparian zone along the water way on his land.
Lawrence has also lessened mowing of the orchard floor to conserve energy and
he has planted grass types that attract beneficial insects. He also changed
all impact sprinklers to micro-sprinklers to conserve water and restored a
2-acre block eroded by excessive water use. For more information on Nook
Valley Farms call Lawrence at (360) 966-5313.
Enchanted Hill Farm, owned by Don Anderson, in Cornelius, Oregon, produces
peaches. Don was able to significantly reduce water use during the past
summer season of drought. He has also improved working conditions by
providing enhanced washing facilities for farmworkers. Don controls for pests
with pheromone traps that reduce his need for insecticides. For more
information on Enchanted Hill Farm, email Don or call him at (503) 357-7227.
Inaba Produce Farms, Inc. owned by Lon, Wayne & Norm Inaba, in Wapato,
Washington grows a variety of vegetable crops. The Inaba's have improved
their operation by developing the infrastructure for four new housing sites
and have built two new homes in the past year. They have continued
covercropping, composting, drip irrigating and successfully came through this
summers drought with very little impact on their farm. For more information
about Inaba Produce Farms, Inc. call (509) 848- 2982.
Walter Wells & Sons owned by Gary, Jim, John and Scott Wells, grow pears and
apples in Hood River, Oregon. Improvements on the Well's operation include
installing micro irrigation systems, rotating out less sustainable orchard
and upgrading employee residence facilities. They have also fenced out deer
and elk from the production areas only while leaving land as natural habitat.
For more information about Wells & Sons email or call Gary at (541) 386-1801.
Prairie Creek Farm owned and operated by Eugene, Patrick and Eileen Thiel in
Joseph, Oregon grows specialty tubers and other seasonal vegetables. The
Thiel's have improved upon their operation over the years by adding two tons
of organic compost. The Thiel's maintain healthy, non-noxious weeds along the
border of their crops that act as cover where needed. For more information
about Prairie Creek Farm email or call (541) 432-2361.
FEATURED FOOD ALLIANCE-APPROVED FARM
Food Alliance- Approved Karl Kupers was one of two farmers to receive a
Keeper of the Vision leadership award this year from The Food Alliance for
his outstanding vision and innovation in making his farm environmentally and
socially responsible.
Karl manages a 5600-acre farm production, K & J Farms, in Harrington,
Washington. Karl's father began working on the land as a sharecropper in
1947. After Karl received a degree in Pharmacy from Washington State
University, he became involved on the farm as a tenant in 1975.
For over 100 years, the land currently farmed by Karl was a traditional
wheat/summer fallow operation. Leaving the land bare for one year wheat
fields in Eastern Washington is the standard procedure because it conserves
the water for the following year. Harrington is an area that receives just 12
inches of rain a year. In addition to planting just one crop on the land,
this traditional method of wheat farming involves tilling the soil numerous
times to control weeds and keep the sub-soil moist.
However, Karl and other pioneering farmers found that the traditional methods
of wheat farming lead to high levels of erosion and weed and disease
infestation. So, in 1995 Karl embarked upon a radical shift from traditional
wheat farming to more sustainable practices.
Soil and Water Conservation. Karl found that water and wind erosion were very
much a reality on his farm. To hold the soil nutrients in place and retain
water, Karl began to experiment with rotating crops instead of leaving the
land barren for part of the year. Today, Karl has implemented an intense crop
rotation of grass, safflower, sunflowers, buckwheat and barley with his wheat
crop. In so doing, Karl has been able to rotate crops on a four- year basis
between cool season grasses, warm season grasses, cool season broadleaves,
and warm season broadleaves. During the times that no crops are on the
fields, residues from previous crops are left standing to provide a mulch
effect for the next crop. Karl reports that the new system has been very
successful in eliminating wind erosion and reducing water erosion while
increasing organic matter and improving the porosity and water holding
capacity of the soil.
Carbon Sequestration. Karl no longer tills at all on his farm, which also
serves to drastically reduce erosion. By eliminating tillage, Karl's soil now
contains a great deal of carbon. The carbon thus held in Karl's soil would
otherwise be released into the atmosphere and contribute to harmful
greenhouse gases. In fact, a Louisiana based energy generation and holding
company recognized the carbon sink on K & J Farm and signed a 10-year lease
to pay Karl for his positive impact on the environment. This is the first
agricultural lease ever to be signed for carbon sequestration in the world.
Reduction of Pesticides.The single-crop system used in traditional wheat
farming has also been proven to create an inviting atmosphere for weeds and
disease to thrive. Weeds are suppressed greatly by the mulch and crops that
are rotated in. In addition, through planting a diversity of crops, Karl
provided an environment for beneficial insects to proliferate and fight off
pest and disease problems. Karl has also implemented a system that does not
use the same pesticide more than once in six years. This serves to avoid pest
resistance and has enabled him to reduce his already low pesticide use by
10%. Karl is aiming to be pesticide-free, or as close as possible, within
five years.
Fair Working Conditions. Karl has a unique relationship with the employees on
K & J Farms. Each year Karl, his wife Lexie, and his employees develop a work
plan together. During the season, Karl and his employees typically meet each
morning to monitor and review the work. The Food Alliance's third- party
evaluator found that the employees on K & J Farms, "were very positive about
the work environment, their ability to provide input and feedback, and the
excitement to be part of creating a new farming system."
Economic Sustainability. The Food Alliance was recently able to introduce
Karl Kupers to several artisan bakers in Portland, Oregon. Mike Moran of
Grand Central Baking Company, Jesse Dodson of Wildwood Restaurant and Greg
Mistel of The Pearl Bakery have been seeking regionally-grown, sustainably
produced, high-quality wheat for their bread. Karl and Fred Flemming, another
eastern Washington wheat grower, have been looking for a direct buyer with
the expectation that this will bring value back to the farm. The project is
currently being tested on several different wheat varieties from the Eastern
Washington farms. At The Food Alliance's recent Recognition Dinner, the group
enjoyed rolls baked by Grand Central Baking Company with Karl's wheat. As
Karl said, it shouldn't be a novel thing for a wheat grower to see a roll
made from his wheat but this is the first time that he was able to sample his
product.
RECIPE - FROM FARM TO FORK
Cory Schreiber, of Wildwood Restaurant, prepared this mouth- watering dessert
for The Food Alliance's Recognition Dinner, using apples from Food
Alliance-Approved Wells & Sons Viewmont Orchards.
Apple Cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature}
2 large eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1 Food Alliance-Approved apple, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Pear Brandy-Caramel Sauce:
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1tablespoon pear brandy or Calvados
Pinch of salt
To bake the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-inch bundt pan
or a 14-inch tube pan. Sift the flour, cinnamon, soda, salt, and cloves
together into a large bowl; set aside.
In a mixer bowl, on medium speed, cream the brown sugar and butter together
until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, beating until creamy. On low speed,
alternately blend in the dry ingredients and the applesauce. Stir in the
chopped apple and nuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and tap it to settle the batter. Bake
for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes.
While the cake is baking, prepare the sauce: In a small pan, cook the cider
over medium heat until it reaches a syruplike consistency and is reduced to
1/4 cup; set aside.
In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Cook over
medium-high heat, swirling the pan gently, until the sugar is dissolved and
the syrup is clear; do not let the mixture boil. Increase heat to high,
cover, and boil the syrup, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Uncover the
saucepan and continue to boil the syrup until it gets dark around the edges.
Gently swirl the pan until the syrup turns a deep amber and just begins to
smoke. Remove from heat and, with a wooden spoon, carefully beat in the
butter until well blended. Stir in the cream until smooth. If the sauce
becomes lumpy, return the pan to the stove and cook over low heat, stirring
until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the reduced apple cider, the
brandy or more cider, and salt.
To serve, cut the cake into slices and top with the warm caramel sauce.
Taken from Cory Schreiber's book, Wildwood Cooking from the Source in the
Pacific Northwest.
FOOD FACT
Did you know? Nearly 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in agriculture
annually in the U.S. (Source: EPA)
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
voice: (503) 493-1066
web: http://www.thefoodalliance.org
