Vancouver Food Network

As any fourth-grader knows, Vancouver was established as Fort Vancouver by the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1820's. Serving as the central gathering-place for the beaver trade (and other European-influenced commerce) the fort was the northwest's first gated community, under the direction of John McLoughlin from 1824-1846, when he retired to open a general store in Oregon City (a suburb of Vancouver, and end of the Oregon Trail). Fort Vancouver and The Old Apple Tree are at the northeast corner of the Interstate Bridge, just north of Portland, Oregon (a suburb of Oregon City).

The fort was a sophisticated, multi-cultural settlement, with British officers inside and a mixture of Hawaiian cooks, French-Canadian workers and Native Americans on the outside. The fort included a variety of crops and other enterprises, such as a dairy, lumber mill, blacksmith and several gardens, fields and orchards.

Legend has it that a man named Simpson of the Hudson's Bay Company attended a dinner party in London before heading to Vancouver, and apples were served for desert. A young woman gave him a few seeds to plant in the new world, and one of these became The Old Apple Tree, currently at one end of Maya Lin's "Confluence Project" land bridge, connecting Fort Vancouver with Old Apple Tree Park, between SR-14 and the railroad tracks just north of Columbia Way.

Reportedly planted in 1826, the tree was reportedly to have born its first fruit within two years and has been called "the matriarch of Washington's apple industry." The current interchange of SR-14 and I-5 was designed around it, and a plaque at the site says that "The apple culture of the Pacific northwest began at Fort Vancouver in 1826. This is the oldest apple tree in this territory." Grafts from the tree have periodically been sold as a historical fundraiser, and the park is the central feature of Vancouver's Old Apple Tree Park at 112 Columbia Way on the Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

This park is the site of the Old Apple Tree Festival, traditionally held on the first Saturday of October, and focusing on northwest heritage and proper tree care.

Apples grown directly from seed are famously inconsistent, and most nineteenth-century apples were planted for use in alcoholic cider or "apple jack."

For Further Information

• City of Vancouver pages on Old Apple Tree Park and the Old Apple Tree Festival each October.
• "Vancouver's Oldest Apple Tree" at One Thousand Things to Do, May 4, 2008.
• "Old Apple Tree Park" by Wendy Baumgartner, About.com.
• "Vancouver WA Heritage Trees" on Your Daily Tree blog, January 15, 2009.
• "The First Apple Tree" on Waymarking.com, March 2, 2008.
• "When It Comes to Trees in the Pacific Northwest, People Need to Watch Their Words, Especially When Using Superlatives: A Faulty News Release Lets Vancouver's Mayor Indulge in a Teachable Moment" by Allan Brettman. The Oregonian, April 8, 2009, p. C1.
• Michael Pollan's 2002 book The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World has an entire chapter on apples, including an interesting take on John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman, as discussed on a PBS News Hour interview on June 29, 2001. Botany of Desire is available as both book and CD from the Fort Vancouver Regional Library, call numbers 306.45 POLLAN and CD 306.45 POLLAN , respectively.

Posted by Rory Bowman at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Jackie and Josh Goodnight’s Grammy's Garden of Eat'n is a family operation which is not unusual for a CSA farm. What is unusual is that it is not a farm at all, but rather a city lot, just 7,500 square feet (75 feet by 100 feet) in size. They “like to do things differently ... a challenge to do this on a city lot.”

Jackie has been in the garden since she was an infant with her mother “but didn’t do much from the infant seat.” She admits to having actively gardened for 28 years. Last year, she fed their family of four with surplus left to give to others from their garden which was one-third of the size of this year’s garden. They started researching and used “Food Not Lawns” as one of their sources when considering offering CSA shares. When they chose a name for the farm, they decided to use “Grammy” which is what her children call their grandmother who is a Master Gardener and very involved. They plan to later expand to the family farm in Camas.

Driving up, the observer will notice a few raised beds but is unaware of the many additional beds in the back yard. The Goodnights have done a marvelous job of carefully planning and balancing garden space with play space for their children and friends. With their daughters in 4-H, they also have a few hens and rabbits.

Goodnights are offering many colorful varieties of traditional vegetables in the shares, emphasizing the good vitamins and phytonutrients reportedly more abundant in colorful fruits and vegetables. For 2009, they are offering a dozen shares which, Jackie said, are more like one-half to two-thirds of the usual CSA farm share. In addition to the shares, cut flowers and blueberries are available. Eggs from the family farm in Camas are also available.

Contact Information

Grammy's Garden of Eat'n
3414 N.E. 103rd Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98662

(503) 459-8405

grammysgardenofeatn@comcast.net

For Further Information

• “Food Not Lawns” by Heather C. Flores (Available on our bookshelf at http://www.powells.com/ppbs/33687.html)
• Are You Getting Your Phytonutrients?
• Maps from Google Mapquest Yahoo

Posted by Glenna at 01:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Yes, you can grow potatoes in your yard. Better yet, you can harvest them with relative ease by growing them in a tower or other above ground method.

In a field or garden, potatoes are usually planted in a shallow trench and as the season progresses, the soil is built up into hills around the growing plant. The potato plant sends out "runners" which develop into potatoes. Yield is dependent on nutrients and water and how much soil is available.

There are many ways to use this principal in your yard in a minimum amount of space. Large potting tubs such as those in which nursery trees are sold, old garbage cans with the bottoms "punched out," burlap bags, large buckets, etc., can be used. The idea is to have a container on the ground so the roots can grow into the ground for nourishment allowing the walls of the container to hold the soil as it is added throughout the season. For the most convenient way to harvest, think ahead to allow the sides of the container to be removed; a large container full of soil and potatoes will be heavy to lift.

One solution is to build a 2 foot by 2 foot potato box. Fill the bottom layer with planting soil and plant the potatoes. As the leaves emerge, keep gradually adding soil, being careful to leave ample leaf growth to keep the plant nourished. As the soil is built up, the potatoes will form in the soil. This method will allow the removal of the bottom "round" of boards to allow early harvest of the first potatoes.

These sites will show you various ways of growing potatoes in a small area. Be creative in your own yard or garden. Please feel free to share your ideas in the comments section of this article.

• How to Grow 100 lbs. of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet.
• It's not Idaho, but you still can grow potatoes
• Grow 100 lbs. Of Potatoes In 4 Square Feet, How to
• Build-As-You-Grow Potato Bins
• Growing Potatoes in a Garbage Can
• Growing Potatoes in a Garbage Bag

Find a variety of seed potatoes at Thrifty Yard and Feed

Posted by Glenna at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

"Bud burst" is a phrase sometimes used to refer to the time when a fruit tree blossoms. Coming as they do before leaves are fully out (making pollination simpler) this is traditionally a time of great joy and symbolism. Nowhere is this more evident than sakura observances in Japan, inspiration for Washington DC's annual Cherry Blossom Festival and a similar observance at Clark College this Friday, April 17, 2009.

Symbolism of Cherry Blossoms in China and Japan

The flowering cherry is known as the sakura in Japan, where it is often the focus of special flower-viewing events or parties. Although a powerful symbol of female beauty in China, the sakura (a different tree than our fruiting cherry) are even more culturally significant in Japan, serving as a symbol of beauty and the transience of all life. Fleeting and delicate, flowering cherry petals often fall within a few days and may cover the ground like snow.

This characteristic of "blossoming trees" is sometimes used to distinguish them from "flowering trees." Staying for a week or two at most, cherry blossoms (like all fruit blossoms) can also be stripped early by hard spring rains, reducing the chances for pollination and lowering fruit yields among agricultural crops.

Clark College Sakura Festival Friday, 17 April 2009

From 2-5pm this Friday, 17 April 2009, Clark College shall have its fourth annual sakura festival and flower viewing, in honor and celebration of the hundred Shirofugen cherry trees donated by John Kageyama, President of America Kotobuki. Planted on Earth Day, 1990, these marked the Washington state centennial, and this year's festival is part of Clark's 75-year anniversary celebration.

For Further Information

• News release about the annual Sakura Festival at Clark College, beginning at 2pm on Friday April 17, 2009, in room 116 of the Penguin Union Building, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver 98663.
• Clark College alumni and former Camas resident Denis Hayes was a key organizer of the first Earth Day
• Wikipedia article on sakura cherry blossoms and hanami flower viewing that led directly to events such as the National Cherry Blossom Festival in that other Washington

Posted by Rory Bowman at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The gently winding driveway into Wisteria Farms is reminiscent of farms from the past, embracing the visitor with a welcoming feeling. Kevin and Jo Lyn Cornelsen lived overseas for 12 years and longed for special property. When Kevin discussed purchasing the farm with his father, his father imparted a bit of wisdom to him, “Just go forward; don’t look back.” That is exactly what they have done.

Jo Lyn said they created this “wonderful, peaceful place ... to share it with others.” This year, they plan to offer four events at their farm with the first being the Spring Garden Party scheduled for Thursday, May 21st, 3:00-8:00 p.m. The Heritage Celebration Day is planned for July with other organizations invited to share heritage-related items and demonstrations. In mid-October, an autumn festival is planned to be followed later with a Winter Lights Festival.

When they purchased this farm in 2000, they started many fun and welcoming projects on it. Visitors enjoy a 1938 logging truck laden with antique garden tools and a beautiful flower bed where logs rested in years gone by. The mini-sanctuaries throughout the visitor-accessible area include the pavilion, a cottage garden and a fairy rose garden. Spring visitors will also be gifted with viewing the peacocks parading their finery. Wisteria Gardens seemed a fitting name for the farm with many beautiful wisteria vines.

Wisteria Gardens is one of Clark County’s newest CSA farms. Last year they grew the equivalent of four shares to share with family and friends and are offering twenty shares this year for 20 weeks. Half shares are the same but every other week. Traditional vegetables are offered in the shares with some surprises along the way.

Contact Information

Wisteria Gardens
14101 N.E. 144th Street
PO Box 1498
Brush Prairie, WA 98606
Kevin and Jo Lynn Cornelsen

(360) 907-1151

jolyn.cornelsen@gmail.com

For Further Information

• www.wisteriaphotos.com
• www.localharvest.org/farms/M28314
• www.swwa-csafarms.com/FarmListings.php
• Maps from Google Mapquest Yahoo

  Posted by Glenna at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Clark County "78th Street Farm" is located at 1919 NE 78th Street, north of Vancouver, Washington. An agricultural research station for the Washington State University extension service from the 1940's to this decade, the property was the Clark County poor farm before that, with low-income housing in what is now the administrative building and burial for indigents on the west crest of the hill. With almost a hundred acres of contiguous (and mostly-undeveloped) land, it represents a unique opportunity. The future of the site is currently in the balance, as various parties jockey to see what will become of it, making now an important time for input and increased public awareness.

History of the Property and Project

The first recorded owner was reportedly named William Anderson, and an 1888 map of "Clarke County, Washington Territory" already shows it as county property. It served as the Clark County poor farm from the 1880's until the 1940's and was deeded to Washington State University for use as an agricultural research station from 1949, reverting to the county as WSU moved to their new campus. Initial plans for conventional development by the county were not well-received, and the project was suspended in late 2004.

The current "garden park concept plan" emerged from this process, including a series of technical workshops on permacultural concepts in 2008 and a citizen's "sounding board" of "stakeholders" that first met in August of 2008. This concept plan is scheduled to be completed by mid-year, and as part of this there will be a presentation and "public workshop" on Thursday, 9 April 2009, from 6 to 8 pm at Gaiser Middle School Cafeteria, just east of I-5 exit 5 at 3000 NE 99th St.

The Once and Future Farm

The rich history of this site and its unique topography present many unique opportunities, as an aerial view of the area demonstrates. Situated atop one of Clark County's most productive wells and crested by a smooth east-to-west ridge, it contains superb traffic access from 78th Street, good soils, a gentle south-facing slope and many other features. Among the possibilities are

1. A no-frills "grower's market" in the compacted field area at the property's northwest corner, to nurture emerging local growers without a carnival atmosphere
2. New warehouse and educational facility for the Clark County Food Bank in the northeast corner, with easy access by freeway and for low-income residents
3. Certified community kitchen to encourage economic development by local micro-businesses
4. Various possibilities such as meeting space or agriculture and culinary training for young people, leveraging existing utilities along 78th Street
5. Community gardens in currently certifiable organic areas slightly southeast of the current building
6. Greenhouses and other facilities for education, showcasing programs such as WSU Master Gardeners, who are currently on the site
7. Small, multi-acre "incubator" farms to help train and establish a new generation of younger, local farmers
8. Outdoor education opportunities for youth of all kinds, from 4H to class groups to after-school programs, perhaps leveraging the science of agriculture and ecology to provide less-expensive, hands-on learning opportunities formerly provided by outdoor school, but across grades and for more children
9. Senior activity and nutrition programs, such as "meals on wheels" and other programs run by local groups such as Loaves and Fishes
10. Extensions or tie-ins with Hazel Dell Park at the southeast corner, perhaps to include a community center or conventional community gardens

The possibilities are tremendous to use this site for multi-generational education and recreation, in a way which will benefit and filter out to the entire county. Whether you are young or old, rural or urban, comfortable or poor, grower or eater, there are many great possibilities for you.

May we have the vision to develop them in a way which honors the history of this site and promotes health for this and future generations to come.

For Further Information

• Abundance Permaculture has the most succinct explanation of the site's history, as well as a variety of technical reports on potential uses, developed in an extended series of workshops from September through December, 2008.
• Clark County's page includes "sounding board" and other documents, such as topographic and natural features maps.
• Glenn Grossman's superb ClarkFoodFarm.blogspot site has several posts on this and other local food issues.
• "Farming Gaining Ground in County" by Tom Koenninger. The Columbian, March 4, 2009.
• "Monument to a Hard Life: Poor Farm" by Gregg Herrington. The Columbian. February 19, 2001.
• "Poor Farm's Dead Nameless No More" by Gregg Herrington. The Columbian. May 11, 2001. Discusses the 2001 book The Clark County Poor Farm by Rose Marie Harshman, Kitty Oman and Mary Snell.
• "Washington State University Research-site Plan Eyed with Caution." Daily Journal of Commerce, October 4, 2004.
• Clark County press release from October 11, 2004 on suspension of the initial WSU partnership.
• PDF file of the January 2008 "garden park concept plan."
• "For Future of Poor Farm: Possibilities Crop Up" by Michael Anderson. The Columbian. March 26, 2008, p. C1.
• "In Our View: Poor Farm Plans." Editorial. The Columbian. March 27, 2008.
• "78th Street Site Returns to County; Draft Concept Plan Calls for Public Uses." Clark County press release, May 8, 2008.
• "Changes Coming for Historic Research Center" by Alice Perry Linker. The Reflector. June 25, 2008, p. A14.
• The "78th Street Aggies" group on Facebook is one place to share ideas

Posted by Rory Bowman at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One of many unsung heroes of our food supply is the redworm.  Doug Knippel is giving the redworm its full respect and teaching people how those wiggly little creatures are part of the important chain that ends at our dinner table. “It's called vermicompost,” Knippel said, “and this idea works because Mother Nature created it. Before us ‘Intelligent Humans’ started to throw chemicals on the ground to make things green, old Mother Nature was already giving us the perfect process to improve our style of living instead of creating giant piles of waste and contaminating our soil. Redworms are Mother Nature’s underground muscle that instinctively works to help decompose everything organic into rich humus. This includes our food waste, paper waste, yard waste and more. Put these guys to work and your waste footprint on the world will get smaller and smaller.”

The processing begins on Knippel’s Camas farm in a field with piles of vegetative material which is shredded along with “brown” material to feed the worm bins.  After partially composting, the shredded material is added to the worm bins to feed these appreciative creatures who express their gratitude by producing volumes of rich castings as well as more redworms.  After the redworms have diligently feasted in the compost, their castings are harvested to be used as a black gold fertilizer. With little disruption the redworms are put back to work to continue the cycle.

When asked why he raises redworms, Knippel enthusiastically responds the castings produced are superior to regular compost and other fertilizers. “I love to garden, so what could be better than taking material that many consider waste and using it to create something beautiful.”  

Knippel provides customers his specially designed worm bins and will custom build your bin for a specific area if that is your need.  One standard size worm bin can process all of the vegetative waste from your household and, properly kept, has no odor.  He also sells the worms to initially stock the bin. 

Every three weeks, Knippel teaches a vermicompost class at his farm in his Cat Chalet and is available for contract classes at your location.  The demand for redworms which are sold by the pound is high so he is always looking for new suppliers.  Those taking his classes who decide to raise redworms for sale have the income potential proportional to the amount of work they put into it.  With a properly maintained bin, the end result of these quiet fertilizer factories is rich castings with more worms as an additional marketable commodity since both are in demand for gardeners.  That is a pretty good deal for just letting Mother Nature do her work.

Knippel is experimenting with a system of raising Black Soldier Flies, a common insect whose larvae eats chicken manure.  As they reproduce, they produce larvae which the chickens then eat, supplying pure protein, a perfect example of the cycle of nature supporting itself.

Contact Information

Northwest Redworms
Doug Knippel
806 N.E. 202nd Avenue
Camas, WA 98607
(360) 513-7251

dougknippel@northwestredworms.com

For further information

• http://northwestredworms.com

• Cabinetmaker hits pay dirt with worms
• A Home Business Can Be a Dirty Job
• Maps from Google Yahoo Mapquest
• Wikipedia articles on vermicomposting and Eisenia foetida, as detailed in Worms Eat My Garbage!

Posted by Glenna at 09:12 AM | Permalink

Melissa Church grew up next to a nursery and has been growing for herself, family and friends for over thirty years. She has “always loved watching stuff grow” and sharing with others. Last year she decided to offer CSA shares, “so I could do what I love.” Part of the decision to convert to a CSA farm is choosing a name. It was when she was driving home one day and thinking how growing has provided an outlet for her creative nature, she realized “Creative Outlet” was just right for her farm.

When asked what her favorite part of being a CSA farm is, Church said it was like she gets “to give people a present every week” and enjoys the excitement as they look through their baskets to discover their bounty for this week. She only gives top quality produce, consistent with her beliefs that her shareholders deserve the best, and firmly believes that healthy eating deflects many health problems. This year she is offering 30 shares, with half shares available. Organic eggs are also available separately from the shares.

One of four Certified Naturally Grown farms in Clark County, Creative Outlet offers the basic vegetables found in a traditional garden plus a few of the unusual, including new items members may not have tried before. Different varieties of the “ordinary” vegetables are included. This year she is growing snap peas and said, “We will see what shareholders think of unbuttoning their peas.” She said the variety of shelling peas for “unbuttoning” is called Green Arrow. Strawberries are also available this year. A recently planted orchard, grapes and blueberries will provide a variety of fruit in coming years.

An enthusiastic farmer, Church, who became a Master Gardener in 2008 through the Extension Office, said she will “talk about growing and chickens with anyone who will listen.”

Visitors are welcome, but please call for an appointment and driving directions.

Contact Information

Creative Outlet Nursery & Farm LLC
11602 N.E. 192nd Avenue
Brush Prairie, WA
Melissa Church
(360) 608-2137
creativeoutletnursery@gmail.com

For Further Information

• Creative Outlet Nursery & Farm LLC

• Southwest Washington CSA Farms

• Certified Naturally Grown

Posted by Glenna at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)