by Renee on March 5, 2010
The Scott Valley Feed stores in Yreka and Greenview are feeling the spring spirit with a number of classes coming up in March. They’ve got four programs that will run through the summer and into the fall. Go visit these fine folks and take their classes to learn more about a number of gardening and homesteading skills, kids and the outdoors and cooking. And, it’s that time of year when you can stop in to see the baby chicks and listen to their soft peeping. Beware – once you see them, you’ll want to take some home.
Contact Scott Valley Feed for more info about their upcoming classes at 842.6801 (Yreka) or 468.2434 (Greenview)
Animal Days
March 6th – Poultry class
June 19th – Wildbird summer feeding class
Aug 21st – Tack Swap Meet in Greenview 10-3pm
Oct 9th – Wildbird winter feeding class
Oct – pictures with family/pets, pet costume contest all month long
All Animal Days will be held at 9:30-10:30am in Greenview and 12:00-1:00pm in Yreka, unless otherwise noted.
Garden Days
March 13th – Plant pruning class
April 10th – Composting class
April 29th – Container planting – Greenview, 5pm
April 30th – Container planting – Yreka, 5pm
May – Planting Patio Containers (all month)
May 15th – Drought gardening class
June 26th – Water Gardening class
July 10th – Artist in the Garden – Yreka, 6pm
All Garden Days will be held at 9:30-10:30am in Greenview and 12:00-1:00pm in Yreka, unless otherwise noted.
Kid’s Days
March 20th – Underground gardening class
April 24th – Open House
May 8th – Mother’s Day Tea
July 24th – Insect picnic
Sept 25th – Kid’s Bulb day
Oct 23 – Pumpkin carving
All Kid’s Days will be held in Yreka and Greenview and will start at 10am, unless otherwise noted.
Cooking Days
March 26th – Cheesemaking, Greenview
May 28th – Herbs and Teas and natural remedies, Greenview
July 30th – Canning fruits and jams, Yreka
Aug 13th – Drying fruit and vegetables, Greenview
Sept 24th – Pressure canning, Greenview
All Cooking Days will be held on Fridays at 5pm.
by Renee on February 25, 2010
I had a great day in the Scott Valley today where I visited with Jennifer Greene at Windborne Farm and David Waymire at the new Beaver Valley Trading Company in Etna. Things are happenin’ in the Scott Valley, and with the fog drifting over the tilled fields outside of Fort Jones it felt like spring was just beyond our fingertips.
On Windborne Farm, which offers a variety of CSA options that I’ll discuss below, planting time is approaching. There are winter grains to be put in and spring veggies – like salad mixes and spinach – that need to be seeded. The draft horses Thor and Orin will be going to work soon, but today they were enjoying the early spring grass in a field next to the baby goats and truly free ranging chickens. Jennifer and I walked the length of the 25 acre field where she alternates grains, veggies and cover crops. Then she cracked an egg for me – I thought I had seen dark yolks in our eggs, but her far ranging chickens produce a yolk so orange it borders on red. I can’t wait to eat some tomorrow morning along with the goat milk she sent me home with – yummm.
Windborne CSA Farm is selling shares locally this year, which is so exciting. To get started you sign up for a vegetable share that gets you 30 weeks of whatever is ripe on the farm, which will start out with spring lettuce mixes, spinach and other greens. Come summer time there will be tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and other traditional crops, along with melons, which Jennifer says grow exceptionally well there. CSA members have the option to sign up for additional shares – eggs, grains and a goat lease that yields milk every week. I’m looking forward to the grain share which can include barley, oats, rye, wheat, buckwheat, amaranth, teff and millet that she mills on the farm. Jennifer is distributing flyers in Scott Valley, Yreka, and the South County, so keep an eye out. I’ll try to get one posted here as well. You can also email her at windbornecsa@yahoo.com to learn more. She starts making deliveries in mid April, so email or call her soon at 530.643.0540.
Etna has its own food movement coalescing at Beaver Valley Trading Company, where David Waymire is creating a food club where locals can join to buy or trade locally raised foods or crafted goods. Veggies, fruits, meats, eggs, and milk will be coming in from member farms and there are more possibilities on the horizon. David is planning a soft opening this Saturday, Feb 27th from noon to 6pm. In March the store will be open Tues thru Sunday from noon to 6pm. Farmers are harvesting onions and garlic and crafters are bringing in goods this week. As we move into spring the inventory will grow, so stick with it. The BVTC will also be a hub for classes – currently there is a sign up for a spinning class (wool, not bikes) and cooking and food preservation classes are on the calendar as well. Beaver Valley is located in downtown Etna at 435 Main Street. You can get info about the food club by emailing bvtradingco@gmail.com or calling David at 530.925.2280.
by Renee on February 25, 2010
The Joel Salatin talk in Medford last week was packed – thanks to the folks at JCLAC for bringing such an energetic speaker. Mt. Salatin has become a popular supporter of the local food movement after being featured in Michael Pollan’s Omnivore’s Dilemma.
The evening opened with a discussion of elements of a local food system, and Mr. Salatin broke it down this way:
1. producers who grow the food
2. processors within the community
3. accountants & business types
4. marketers who spread the word
5. distributors who link farmers to consumers
6. customers who “get” local food
It’s interesting to look at our community and/or region and start asking the questions about those elements: which do we have? what are we missing? how can we create those things? is there enough interest? can we all connect to support a local food system? Presently I have the great opportunity to be working for the Siskiyou Economic Development Council where I am doing just such a local food system assessment and working to connect with those growers, processors, sales people, customers and community members who want to get involved and contribute to the exciting work of growing our local food system. In a place like Siskiyou County, where the Shasta, Scott and Butte Valleys are capable of growing a lot of food, there are a lot of things to consider, not least of which is who wants to buy local food. I think we’re looking at a chicken and the egg situation right now: we need more farmers growing food for humans, and we need more people buying locally grown food so that we’ll drive a need for more farmers. Huh.
In talking with people from different areas of the county I am feeling that there is interest building around local food and momentum is building. From large gardens to CSAs to emerging food clubs and herd shares, folks are finding their way to local food. It’s an exciting time.
Mr. Salatin described people who “get” local food as those who are willing to go on a “treasure hunt to learn what grows locally.” I like the treasure hunt idea, and I have certainly been on my own treasure hunts in past years, especially when is comes to gleaning fruit. What I’m finding these days is that there is a lot of food diversity here in Siskiyou County. Just this week I talked to folks who are raising goats, cows and chickens and selling milk, cheese and eggs and folks are growing veggies, fruits and grains. I heard about a man in the Scott Valley who has a producing Meyer lemon tree. There a plenty of grains out there too, once again in the Scott Valley: wheat, rye, teff, amaranth, oats.
With all this good stuff within such a short driving distance (compared to the average 1500 miles that food travels from producer to plate) the trick is to get connected, to hook up with these farmers and ranchers and start buying from them. And that’s what this site is about: making connections around local food. Keep reading, it gets more and more exciting every day that spring approaches.
by Renee on February 14, 2010
I’ve met Cara Saunders from Bear Wallow Herbs just once, and briefly at that. So I’m excited to head to Sereni-tea in Mt. Shasta on Feb 16th for Cara’s Herbal Medicine for First Aid class.
The Bear Wallow website describes the First Aid kit, one of its most popular products, as:
Great for anyone who:
• Lives a healthy and active lifestyle
• Likes to use all natural and organic products
• Takes care of self, family, children, or pets
• Enjoys traveling, hiking, or camping
• Works or plays outdoors
• Goes hunting, fishing, or mountain climbing
• Values environmentally friendly products
• Wants to be naturally prepared for emergencies
I’m looking forward to learning from Cara, an herbalist who lives, runs her business and harvests herbs from a remote location in the Marble Mountains outside of Sawyers Bar. Bear Wallow Herb products, like wild crafted tinctures and salves, will be for sale through the end of February at Sereni-tea.
Cara’s first class:
Herbal Medicine for First Aid
Feb. 16th ~ 6PM to 8PM ~ Cost: $15
Cara will indroduce the herbal products in her first aid kit and teach participants how to identify the plants used in nature.
Cara’s second class:
Herbs for Skin, Nails & Hair
Feb. 23rd ~ 6PM to 8PM ~ Cost:$15
Cara will help you explore herbs that can help improve your hair, skin and nails. Each participant will enjoy a facial with steam, scrub, toner and salve with her products.
SPECIAL RATE !
Go to both of Cara’s demonstrations and it will only cost $25 for both!!
Call Sereni-tea at 926.1688 to pre-register
Space is limited!!!
