Making Progress
Despite the less than perfect weather conditions, walking through the field feels a little more lively now as the crops start to progress. Things are moving right along not to mention the tractors. Not a day goes by where Josh isn’t sitting on a tractor seat. Empty parts of the field are slowly getting smaller! Our bean plants are quite healthy this year. We have kept them covered with row cover and they seem to like the extra attention. We are also trying fava beans for the first time. Their health benefits are very impressive. They are rich in potassium and fiber and also contain L-dopa, an amino acid that is instrumental in the creation of dopamine, a substance that is critical for the pituitary gland’s production of human growth hormone.
All of our spuds and winter squash have been planted at our South Chehalis property. Now we just wait to see what happens. Hopefully the soil will work in our favor and produce a successful crop. We have some wonderful four legged neighbors to keep us company and we are enjoying the tranquility of the entire place.
Our garlic is growing and preparing to scape. Scapes are shoots which a garlic bulb sends up as it is growing. The bulbs want to become garlic plants, so they send up a shoot like an onion would. We harvest these shoots in order to send energy back to the bulb. They are edible and add fantastic flavor to any dish just as a garlic clove would. We sauteed baby rapini last night with some scapes. The flavor was outstanding.
We’ve become automated! Our website is now equipped with the ability to process CSA memberships online. You can sign up for a CSA location and make a payment through our new system. We are thrilled to be able to do offer this easier method of payment. We installed the system on our own with the help of the Small Farm Central platform. Just go to our CSA page for more details. http://www.newaukumvalleyfarm.com/csa.html
Our market days are fast approaching and we are gearing up for all the prep. It’s looking like we will start Olympia Farmers Market on Friday June 3rd. We are now equipped with credit card processing equipment for market! You can now pay for your vegetables with plastic, so long as your minimum purchase is $10. No more waiting in line at the ATM.
The Community Farmers Market at Chehalis opens on June 14th. We hope to see you there! The market also has a Facebook page. You can become a fan of the market or join the newsletter to receive updates on events and entertainment each week. Find out more at the market website. http://www.communityfarmersmarket.net
The Burgeoning Farm
May 3, decease 2011
The first day of May turned out to be very productive down on the farm. We took advantage of the weather and planted green beans, pharmacy shallots, no rx cilantro, purslane & parsley. We also transplanted cabbage, collards, lacinato kale and cauliflower and moved our tomato starts to our hoophouse. We picked the rest of the spring salad greens from our greenhouse and discovered our radish planting was ready for harvest! Wow! This is how spring is supposed to feel!
Last week we plowed new ground! We will be farming 3 more acres this year just south of Chehalis. We are letting the soil rest before we disc. We will be growing potatoes and winter squash in this new spot.
For several years now, Newaukum Valley Farm has been teaming up with Seattle’s Tom Douglas restaurants to provide freshly harvested produce direct to the restaurants. We are thrilled to share the news that Tom has opened several new restaurants in the South Lake Union area which Newaukum Valley Farm will be serving. They include:
Brave Horse Tavern: This new neighborhood tavern features custom, ground hamburgers and other tasty BBQ meats accompanied by Dahlia Bakery breads. Sides include an array of southern influence including hand cut fries, celery seed coleslaw and dill pickle tartar. The tavern feel is set off with 24 beer taps and 2 shuffleboards.
Cuoco : is the Italian word for “cook,” and the inspiration the open kitchen design of this new restaurant. Crisp white tile frames a pasta work station where handmade pasta is made. Gold and red walls warm up the dining room. Features include fresh pastas, savory vegetables and other hearty entrees like goat meatballs and our favorite…Berkshire pig (one of the breeds we raised last year).
Ting Momo: Led by Tibeten Chef, Dekyi Thonden who creates all the dumplings and noodles as well as unique seasoning combinations this café is sure to impress. Steamed or fried dumplings, Tingmo and Azag Azog are all part of the menus offerings. Ting Momo is also equipped to offer to-go and catering services.
Tom Douglas has also added a second Serious Pie location in Westlake and has opened the Dahlia Workshop also in Westlake. The Dahlia Workshop Biscuit Bar transforms into a prosciutto bar in the evening. For more information about Tom Douglas, visit http://tomdouglas.com/
AN UPCOMING EVENT
We wanted to share an upcoming event with all those near the Lewis County area. The Community Farmers Market will be presenting a movie night at The Historic Fox Theatre in Centralia featuring the award-winning documentary film FOOD FIGHT. Prior to the film, appetizers will be served across the street at Santa Lucia Coffee featuring an array of farm fresh produce. For more information go to the Facebook event page, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Farmers-Market-at-Chehalis/137730792914754
SEATTLE CSA
After several requests, we are returning to South Seattle this year with our CSA offerings. Our drop site will be somewhere in the Columbia City area. Please let us know if you are interested in signing up by emailing us or sending us a message via Facebook! Our email address is newaukumvalleyfarm(at)gmail.com or Facebook us https://www.facebook.com/pages/Newaukum-Valley-Farm/336053046507