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.
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