STAND BEHIND AMERICAN FAMILY FARMERS

Dear Everyone,
Know your local farmer, and please take a look at our new, printable list-in-progress of where to buy local products (LINK HERE), and our last two posts, below, but first:


We just got a letter from Food Democracy Now. It reads, in part:

"(President) Obama’s first agribusiness selection is Roger Beachy, to be head of the USDA’s newly created National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Beachy is the founding president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO...essentially the non-profit arm of GMO seed giant Monsanto; Monsanto’s CEO sits on its board, and the company provides considerable funding for the Center’s operations.

As the head of the USDA’s new research arm... Beachy is responsible for deciding how U.S. research dollars will be spent in agriculture. Translation: more research on biotech, less research on how to scale sustainable and organic agriculture.

...Beachy has already started work at the USDA, but the next nominee—Islam Siddiqui—still must be confirmed by the U.S.Senate. Siddiqui, the Vice President of Science and Regulatory Affairs at CropLife America, was recently nominated to be the Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the US Trade Representative.

...When Michele Obama planted her “organic” garden on the White House lawn, Siddiqui’s CropLife MidAmerica sent the First Lady a letter saying that it made them “shudder”... Siddiqui spent over 3 years as a pesticide lobbyist, an Undersecretary at the USDA and a VP at CropLife....he played a key role in helping establish the country’s first organic standards....those original organic standards would have allowed irradiation, sewage sludge and GMOs [genetically modified organisms]... 230,000 people signed a petition for them to be changed, which they eventually were."

A broad coalition of groups around the country including the National Family Farm Coalition, Institute of Agriculture & Trade Policy, and Center for Food Safety is calling on President Obama to keep his campaign promise of closing the revolving door between agribusiness and his administration.
To visit our Actions You Can Take Now page for more information, go here.

This is not about left or right.
Corporations have not been dealing fairly with the American family farmer.
Until they do, to keep providing food that is healthy for you and your family, and healthy for the planet, America's family farmer needs a big voice in government. Your voice.
Please click here to add your voice.


Lastly - Thanks Land & Sea kids for showing up rain or shine (rain!) for the outdoor Matt M. fish fillet demonstration. What tasty little morsels of fish! Matt's a good cook! We'll do it again.
Plans are also in the works for more showings of "Food, Inc." and a general Land & Sea get together. More posted soon on that.

Top photos: San Juan Islands farm products, courtesy of Becky Bolt.
Bottom photo: Matt Marinkovich

KNOW YOUR FOOD - KNOW YOUR FARMER

Above, the cream-colored center of the Northwest Ozette potato.
Link to printable list of where to find local farmers' products is here now...(Also check out links to the right, and look for local meat and fish, specifically, one post down)

Want to make a little commitment to yourself?......Maybe choose a number, and copy & post this on your fridge:

I'll commit, to myself, to spend ______ of my food budget every week on products from our local island farmers and fishers. If I can consistently support our local food producers, they will be there when I need them!

The money spent here in our community stays to circulate again and build our economy.
And since our bodies are built from the foods we eat, when I eat food grown on the island, local island land and waters will actually be a part of what I'm made of!

FRIDAY NIGHT - 6 PM - MULLIS CENTER

We just got a reminder from Jane Burton Bell - (also mentioned today in SJ Update by Ryan Browne of Earthlore):
Michael Ableman of Salt Spring Island (one of the Vancouver island farmers interviewed in the film "Island on the Edge") will talk about "Thinking Like an Island" at a potluck of local foods, Friday at Mullis Center in Friday Harbor. There's a suggested donation of $10, though no one will be denied a ticket. You can bring a tasty dish, and you can bring all your friends!!!
If you'd like to read some of Michael's essays, go to this link. Thanks again Jane and Rebecca Moore for bringing Michael here!!

ANOTHER great opportunity - at least until it all gets eaten! - The Fabulous Kallari Chocolate Bars are back!!! Maureen has the handmade, handwrapped, incredible Kallari Chocolate in the beautiful wrappers back in at Compost it!! Kallari is organic chocolate, grown and made from bean to bar by the Kichwa farmers and families of the Kallari Chocolate Cooperative in Ecuador. It has been called the "best chocolate on Earth". Maureen also carries Kallari handcrafts. Go here and here for story and links. The bars Maureen carries are made in the smaller factory located in the high mountains, where the bars are handpoured and handwrapped - Although the larger bars are available at Whole Foods, Maureen is the only retailer we know of that carries these smaller bars outside of Ecuador! Kallari chocolate is chemical-free, and the money you spend on it goes to make positive change in the world.
For information on interning in Ecuador with Kallari, go here.



And, go here to read more from Maureen and Matt about commercial fishing AK and Puget Sound waters, and our about our local wild salmon.

Matt and halibut

- Thanks, Island Guardian on-line news and San Juan Islander on-line news, for the permanent links to Land & Sea!

Remember to join the San Juan Community Co Op grocery store this month!! It is a great place to shop!! We hear they have an updated page coming soon - check the current one for contact info, and non - member hours!

And check out links in the post below for where to buy healthy and delicious, San Juan Islands raised, grass fed meats and local wild seafoods! Know your local farmer and fisher!

JUST SEE "FOOD, INC." AT THE PALACE? WHERE TO BUY LOCAL MEAT & SEAFOOD, LISTED BELOW... And, our FEATURED FARMER:

*Our Featured Farmer is Layne Sundberg, the artisan cheese maker behind the incredible Quail Croft soft and hard aged cheeses!!!
Buy Layne's cheese from the sources listed below, & find Quail Croft in fresh made raviolis from San Juan Pasta (SJ Co op), and in delicious recipes you can use from Synergy Farm Recipe page!

Where to Buy LOCAL MEATS, POULTRY & SEAFOOD
(go to more complete list as of 10/27/09 by clicking here)

• Friday Harbor Farmer’s Market: island lamb, beef, pork, sausage, poultry, seafood, *cheese*
  

• San Juan Island Food Co Op: local grass fed lamb, pork, beef hamburger , sausages, local canned albacore, cheese (in freezer)*
  

• Island Grown Farmers Cooperative (IGFC): grass fed pastured lamb, pork, beef, goat, sausage, hamburger, cheese*
  

• Island Certified Local (ICL): grass fed pastured lamb, pork, beef, hamburger, sausages, seafood

• Heritage Farm Stand: grass fed pastured lamb, pork, beef, sausages, hamburger, *cheese
  

• Synergy Farm Stand: grass fed pastured lamb, pork, beef, hamburger, sausages, poultry, local canned albacore tuna, *cheese
  

• Kings: Jones Family Farm/Barlow Bay Fish Company oysters, smoked salmon, and clams, *Quail Croft cheese
  

Matt's Fresh Fish: all wild local salmon species available seasonally, all caught by Matt
Westcott Bay Seafarms: oysters, mussels, clams
Barlow Bay Fish Company (Nick & Sara Jones) 3 varieties of clams, 3 varieties of oysters, wild local salmon smoked
LaCrover Farm: organic pastured chicken
Guard Sundstrom Fir Oak Farm:
grass fed USDA inspected pastured lamb and beef. IGFC processed 3106 San Juan Valley Road
firoakfarm@rockisland.com
*Layne Sundberg: grass fed pastured goat and lamb, delicious hard aged and lovely, creamy soft Quail Croft cheeses. Hours: call for appointment (360) 378-5764
Available at SJI Co Op, SJ Farmers Market, Kings
Synergy Farm: organic pastured chicken
Rob Waldron Raven Gap Farm: grass-fed USDA inspected pastured lamb and beef. IGFC processed. Available at SJI Co op, SJ Farmers Market
Jones Family Farm / Lopez Homestead Farm:
emailto:lopezhomesteadfarm@igfcmeats.com USDA grass fed beef, goat, pork, poultry clams oysters salmon. Member IGFC 360-468-0533
Lopez Island Farm: grass fed pastured lamb and pork. Member IGFC
email: lopezislandfarm@igfcmeats.com 360-468-4620
Skagit River Ranch: organic grass fed pastured USDA beef pork lamb chicken. Member IGFC 360-856-0722
Mitchell Bay Farm and Nursery: organic grass fed pastured lamb - custom cuts, burger, sausage. ICL, member IGFC. mailto:mitchellbayfarm@igfcmeats.com
360-378-2309
ZLazyJ Farm: organic pastured pork email: zlazyjfarm@igfcmeats.com
Sweet Grass Farm: organic grass fed pastured Kobe beef . Member IGFC
360-468-4450
Red Gate Farm: pastured locker lamb
Synergy Farm: pastured organic chicken
One Clay Hill Farm: IGFC pastured grass fed lamb
Saddleback Ranch: pastured grass fed lamb
Ten Four Farm: beef - Local grass fed beef - limited quantity by split or half avail. mid-Nov. Jeanne Turner 514 Kiehl Rd, Friday Harbor.378-3195

We see in the sanjuanislander that island-grown Certified Organic Cashup Wheat is available at 360-378-6395! We hear this type of soft Winter Wheat is perfect for pastry! Add a little butter, made yourself from fresh Heritage Farm cream, and spread with soft cheese from Quail Croft!



Don't forget!!
Michael Ableman, the Salt Spring Island farmer, internationally acclaimed writer, speaker, photographer, practitioner of sustainable agriculture and proponent of regional food systems will talk about "Thinking Like an Island" at a potluck of local foods. Fri, 10/23. 6 pm Mullis Center. Donation $10 suggested, though no one will be denied a ticket. Bring a tasty dish, but mostly - bring yourself and your friends!
Tickets: Farmer's Mkt., Griffin Bay Books, Market Chef
Contact Jane janeburtonbell@hotmail.com and Rebecca bluemoonproduce@gmail.com for questions -
Sponsors: SJI AG Guild & SJ Farmer's Mkt.


Two more days (until 10/15) for the join-for-any-contribution offer from Slow Food USA!!!
Any size donation makes you a member - take part in supporting the work for biodiversity, sustainable farmers, and fair treatment of all the people who grow our food, also known as
Good, Clean, and Fair!

"FOOD, INC." TO PLAY THE PALACE THEATRE THIS WEEK - MATINEES!

Manager Aaron King at the Palace Theater tells us the movie we've been hearing so much about, "FOOD, INC." will be playing matinees this week , starting Friday
(call 370-5666 for showtimes)

We'll have handouts on where to buy local available to viewers by Sat. (Also, check links at right for info on island farmers and farmstands.)

Tell your friends and make an outing of it -

See "Food, Inc." this weekend, and know and support your local farmer!! (See links at right for more info on that!)
And thank you, Aaron! (We asked, he got it - what a guy!)

Also, remember that incredible Salt Spring Island farmer from "Island on the Edge"? (Borrow the DVD from the library - it is great!) -Well, we'll post about this again later, but we just got a note from Jane Burton Bell at the Ag Guild:
"Could you post the info about the Michael Ableman
talk, 'Thinking Like an Island' to your blog? Here’s the scoop:
A harvest potluck of local foods at the
Mullis Centre at 6 pm on Friday, October 23rd will be followed by a talk
by Salt Spring farmer, writer, speaker and photographer, Michael Ableman.
For more information on Michael, please see www.fieldsofplenty.com.
Prepare to be inspired by this proponent of sustainable agriculture and
regional food systems!
Tickets at: SJI Farmers Market, Market Chef, and Griffin Bay Books.
Suggested ticket price is $10, though no one will be denied a ticket.
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Moore bluemoonproduce@gmail.com or
Jane Burton Bell janeburtonbell@hotmail.com
Sponsored by the SJI Ag Guild and SJI Farmers’ Market."

Aren't we lucky? Thank you Rebecca and Jane!!


Ian at San Juan Update, Jack at the Island Guardian,
Sharon at San Juan Islander & Richard at the Journal; thanks for your links to our page,
and also your work keeping islanders up to date.

"Island On the Edge" DVD Now Available at SJI Library!

Thank you Eliza Buck, SJI ARC & AG Guild, and SJI Library for the presentation of the film "Island on the Edge" and visit by director Nick Versteeg and his wife and partner Elly Versteeg.
What a great, moving documentary, and what incredibly valuable information! If you weren't lucky enough to be at the presentation last night - please go to the library and borrow this film. The film is also available here.
It would not be a surprise to hear that people here are watching this movie over and over; as someone commented at the showing tonight, "This movie is about us." Please watch it, and see what they mean.

On another subject...
Slow Food USA's reduced membership fee offer is extended through Oct. 15: If you want to join Slow Food - check our 9/27 post (below). Any amount donation to Slow Food USA makes you a Slow Food USA member. Donations until 10/15 are being matched by supporter Mr. Donald Sussman, & are tax-deductable. They fund the programs listed on the 9/27 post, and many others. Slow Food USA and International sites have details. This is such a good deal we wanted to let you know about it.


Link to Backyard Chicken.
Link to chicken coop plans
photo by Bill Cobos

Fun at the Library! Watch this Movie!!

Saturday, October 3rd at 6:30 pm there will be a screening of the film "Island on the Edge" and a discussion with director Nick Versteeg. What a great way to spend a cozy Fall evening!
"Island on the Edge" takes a look at how dependent our close neighbor Vancouver Island is on the mainland for food, and what could happen if the transportation of food was cut off - and how island residents can strengthen their local agricultural resources!
The SJI Ag Guild of the San Juan Islands, the SJ County ARC, Lopez Comm. Land Trust, Orcas Pub. Library, & SJI Library are all co-sponsors.
Thanks, Eliza Buck, of the Economic Development Council, for letting us know about this timely movie and this chance to see it and meet the director at a fun evening at our lovely local Library!
(Also showing 6:30 Fri. at Lopez Comm. Center, and 6:30 Sun. at Orcas Pub. Library!)

While we're thinking about it...Do you know you can get your Food Handler's Card at the SJ Health Dept. for just 10$? It takes about 45 minutes on their computer, anytime between 8:00-1:00 M-F, go here for details. With a food handler's card, you can serve food, and also give Eleanor a hand packaging the bulk items at fabulous San Juan Island Food Co-Op!

In case you missed it on Ian's San Juan Island Update, today's the last day of Wed Farmers market for this year.
Nootka Rose has incredible, beautiful vegetables and fruit, and they're across from the courthouse from before 3 - 6 pm today, just in time for dinner grocery shopping.

QUICK NOTE

We know we mentioned this in our Sept. 2nd post, but it's such a great deal...In case you missed it,
for just 3 more days, (until 9/30/09) you can

Donate any amount = Become a Slow Food Member!
Update - offer extended until Oct. 15!

Can you be a part of all that Slow Food can do? Go to this link to see more on programs Slow Food USA runs. Go here to read about International programs. We especially like the Foundation for Biodiversity, the Presidia, Terra Madre, and the RAFT and Ark of Taste. In addition to a publishing and travel arm, Slow Food also runs University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and Collorno, Italy offering graduate, undergraduate and masters Degrees, along with being very effective working both at the political and grass-roots levels.

Our chapter has never before asked anyone to become or re-up their membership, but this is a great opportunity. You should know about it.

Until September 2009 ends, a gift of any size will make you a member of Slow Food USA.
Give more if you can, less if you can't.
Membership rates will return to $60 on October 1st.

It's a great way to re-up your new membership. Or become a member for the 1st time.
Any size donation = one year membership = no strings attached.

Your membership is not automatically renewed next year, and you do not end up getting all kinds of mailings, or anything like that.

Click here for more info.

Go here to go directly to the online membership form.

If you do it now, you won't forget.

Slow Food is really getting things done, good things, and they can use your help.

Photo and illustration above from Fedco Seeds and Acme Washington's own Uprising Seeds.
Fedco's taking orders until 9/30/09 (and beginning again Jan '10) and Uprising has garlic in now. Both are completely GMO free seed suppliers, a rarity.
Bountiful Gardens is another good source. Our B.C. neighbors on Salt Spring Island, Salt Spring Seeds, is also a great site to look at, with fantastic info and links, though they cannot ship seeds across the US border.

Scroll down our links at far right for, among other things, more info on seeds and starts.

Photo at right: the owners and founders of Uprising Seeds and Uprising Organics

They carry Inchelium Red Garlic, a variety from the Colville reservation in WA, (grown by Sowing Seed Farm in Twisp), which has been listed on the Slow Food Ark of Taste.
Uprising Seeds received a Betsy Lydon Ark Award from Slow Food in 2008.

One more thing...

Here's a link to details on how the Quillisascut Farm workshop went- (attended by one of our own Youth interns, see 9/02 post below), from Slow Food Seattle's site, written by by workshop assistant Amy Grondin. Look for Youth intern Cheyenne in the group photo!

HEY LAND & SEA YOUTH AND ALL FRIENDS! DINNER TONIGHT AT MARINKOVICH'S FAB COB OVEN!

Guess what? Another fairly last-minute no time to plan, pizza party with the beloved cob oven. Bring your favorite topping. We will have the dough, sauce, and cheese.
We want to get the Slow Food Land and Sea Youth together. We know this a school night so we will respect the cooking schedule so you can skedaddle back to the books and to reasonable bedtime, etc. Cooking starts at 5:30 - on.
Bring your parental units! Bring a friend who might be interested in this group. It is open to youth, and cob oven pizza loving friends of all ages!!
To get to Marinkovich's: drive out Cattle Pt. Rd, turn right at Portland Fair, right again at Treeline Drive, and then right again at the wooden "Think Fish" fish sign, then park.
Look for our contact info at bottom of this page for more detailed directions, questions, etc.
Thanks!!!

Photos of Two Fantastic Interns, and Wonderful Local Farmer Layne Sundberg

Last Spring, Layne Sundberg, producer of delicious Quail Croft Cheese (available at the SJI Co Op, the Farmers Market, Heritage Farm Store, Synergy Farm Store, Kings, and from Layne), asked if we could help find a few local interns who wanted to learn to work with goats and learn about milk and cheese. We were lucky enough to come across Cheyenne Cook and Aaron Kendzoriak, two island young people attending Friday Harbor High. Cheyenne and Aaron have been with Layne now through spring and the summer. Cheyenne just started Senior year at FHHS, while Aaron is starting his first classes at Skagit Comm. College here on the island, with plans to go on in farming and college. Aren't we lucky to have such great kids here, and someone like hardworking Layne (who also worked many years at Friday Harbor Elem, and has seen many of our kids grow from little sprouts to young adults) to help guide them!

IN ADDITION,
in August, intern Cheyenne spent a week at Quillisascut Teaching Farm in Rice, WA, learning more about cheese making, beekeeping, poultry, and other farm skills, including cooking, in a week-long Slow Food intensive workshop hosted by Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut. Chey attended with about 7 other young people from throughout the state. Part of the workshop tuition was provided through a scholarship made to the farm. The rest of the tuition was provided by a generous donor from our own island to our chapter, towards something to help our local kids. The lovely Ms. Cook came back happy, enthusiastic, and with many great stories to tell.
Our Slow Food Chapter was able to send Chey because of the efforts of chef Kim Bast of Lopez island - one of our members and an instructor at the Quillisascut workshop.
Thank you Kim, and Lora Lea, for letting us know about the reduced cost, saving us the spot, and for all your time and efforts!
And Thank you, Rikki!
At this time, it is possible that, through another generous anonymous island donation, we may be able to send 2 or more other young people to Quillisascut next year.

















Our Land & Sea Youth Club will soon be gearing up for the school year, open to all interested kids! Events and meetings will be posted at school, and here. Go to the Land & Sea Youth link at for photos of some of our activities, and scroll down our links at right for a slideshow of a workshop at Steps Wine Bar and Cafe (where the food is incredibly delicious, affordable, and very, very local) with Chef/Owner Madden Surbaugh.
Our upcoming Youth Club activity will be pizza in the cob oven!









In other news, our co-leader, marvelous Maureen Marinkovich, has a short survey on her Compost It blog to gather info. It's for a young gal who's thinking of raising rabbits, to help gauge interest in her venture. Maureen's blog is always full of entertaining stories and great info on everything from island chickens to educating reports on the Sockeye and other salmon runs and availability of fresh fish, in addition to rich rabbit research. Also, click on the link to sign up for the fish list, and you'll be first to hear when Matt will be in town with the freshest of fresh caught salmon.
Maureen has also posted the YouTube version of Mike Hurwicz's new film "Where Is Tomorrow's Farmer?"
Ian at San Juan Update, and Richard at the San Juan Journal have got this great video posted, too, with great articles alongside! Yay!
Update 9/13/09: The movie was also featured for a time on sanjuanislander.com. Also, currently great coverage of our interns, and Mike's movie, can be found in the Island Guardian!
Thank you Ian, Richard, Sharon, and Jack for this and all you do to keep us up and informed!

Remember - don't miss the last of those beautiful blackberries! (Freeze them on a cookie sheet, pour them into a bag, put them back in the freezer, then break them out in the middle of winter! Yum-Yum!)

CHECK OUT THIS NEW VIDEO "WHERE IS TOMORROW'S FARMER?", SHOT ENTIRELY ON SAN JUAN ISLAND!

We just this note from our friend, filmmaker Mike Hurwicz of Orcas Island: " I am happy and excited to inform you that we have completed a ten-minute video, "Where Is Tomorrow's Farmer?", that includes footage of the Farmers Market, Thirsty Goose Farm, Heritage Farm and the Community Garden at Ackley's Corner."

The entire video, 'Where Is Tomorrow's Farmer?', was shot on San Juan Island. It looks at the issue of bringing younger people into sustainable farming, and features commentary from island farmers and other community members who know how important it is that we all look at the value of of this kind of work, and how important it is that the age-old knowledge of how to feed ourselves is retained and passed on.

We'd like as many people in the community as possible to see it. So, send a link to your friends, and when you see Jim Lawrence, Jim Sesby, Bequin, and the other farmers and community members who are in this video, strike up a conversation, and see if there's a way you can take part in giving our kids an opportunity to carry on this important and rewarding work in our community.
Mike says "You can link to it in two places...On youtube:

...or, in all its high-definition glory:
http://www.greendept.com/tf/
The above can take quite a while to load, but hopefully it will then
play without interruption.The youtube version is better for lower speed connections. It loadsfaster, though the visual quality isn't as good."

And, another program here that also can help get kids introduced to animals and agriculture (if the budget doesn't get cut) is the local 4H - lots of our children and young adults go through beef, dairy, poultry, lamb, swine, and other facets of this program primarily run by amazing, devoted volunteers, and they do their best to give any kid who wants to a chance to raise an animal or learn about farming whether they live on farmland or not, and they are very open to teaching sustainable farming methods (and will listen to new ideas, and can always use the help from new leaders and volunteers). A lot of 4H kids leave the island, but might not if it was a little easier to work on our island in farming ...
Click here for their website, or call coordinator Cindy Gauthier at 370-7662 if you would like to participate in their programs, or would like to find out about being a leader and starting a program with them.

Speaking of young people, our Slow Food Youth intern Cheyenne just got back from a week at Quillisascut Farm. More info and pictures about the trip in the next post!

Happy berry picking - get those delicious ripe blackberries before the next rain!

IMPORTANT P.S. - HAPPY NEWS!
For the month of September, you can become a member of Slow Food USA by making ANY SIZE - large or small - donation to Slow Food USA, no strings attached! (Usual membership fee is 60$) Click here for the page on benefits, and to join.

FAIR WEEK

...so everybody is busy!! Matt Marinkovich is back from fishing in Alaska and will be doing a demonstration at the Fair on Friday at 11 in the Ag Tent in the heart of the fairgrounds, with King Salmon from Bellingham Bay. Check out Matt's new blog, Matt's Fresh Fish, and the many fantastic Ag Tent demonstrations here. From Marinkovich fish list email:

"Matt is back from fishing. I have made a little blog for him so you can keep updated on your local fisherman. I have posted a video about sea lice. It is animated and fun for the whole family. Everyone should watch it. It is quite possibly one of the main reasons for the low abundance of Frasier River sockeye. There are masses of fish farms directly in the migratory path of small fry heading out to sea. The San Juan Island sockeye are part of the Frasier River run so we depend on healthy stocks for a commercial fishery down here. Alas, abundance is very low so we will not be fishing for sockeye in the Puget Sound this year. Matt has brought home Bristol Bay sockeye that he caught this year. This is available to you. Matt went fishing last night in Bellingham Bay and caught a couple of King Salmon, not enough for all of us yet, but there is a way to taste this fish. Matt is doing a fillet demonstration at 11:00 a.m. at the Ag Tent on Friday of the fair so that is a good time to watch and learn and hopefully taste a snippet of heaven. Madden Surbaugh will be also be serving Matt's fish in his restaurant, Steps. This provides you with a great opportunity to eat local local. Money is precious and should be spent wisely. Eating at Steps is money well-spent. Take time to go out and eat a special meal at Steps and support our community!"

Madden always serves locally grown food and always works hard to support local agriculture at Steps Cafe (and Wine Bar) (directions, map). He has great new daily specials, a new happy hour with burgers and tacos (!), and serves lunch across the walkway at the Naked Bean coffee shop. (map)

More about fishing - comment period just ended to open up the Gulf of Mexico to fish farming, but you can still contact your legislators now about how this dangerous practice needs to end. As you can see from Maureen's note above, this is affecting us all. Let's take care of Mother Earth.
Read more here from Food and Water Watch.

A lot is happening in our government regarding food and water regulations including fisheries - but that's not all - while we are busy with summer. We will be posting about bills such as H.R. 2749 which just passed the House and is to go on to the Senate soon. A great blog from a CSA farmer in Texas - Home Sweet Farm - with some great links on the new Food Safety Enhancement Act (HR 2749 text).
What's happening to the Frasier sockeye is an example of what happens when we don't have a chance to pay attention.
Contacting your legislators can be crucial.

What a great place we live in!

Blackberries are getting ripe...
Hi - We'll be posting soon (after the fair) with pictures - in the meantime:
Going to the mainland for a summer outing (restocking supplies, doing errands, and trying to make that ferry)? Love the Skagit Co-op and Tacos Guaymas, but want to have a change of pace for breakfast or lunch? In old Burlington, there is the Cafe Burlington. It looks like a regular coffee shop, but is something special. Sit down in one of the booths or at the counter, or outside tables, and look at the menu - Besides great milkshakes and a large coffee shop selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you'll see that their beef is from Skagit River Ranch (organic), and eggs, poultry and produce and the rest of the menu is organic, and purchased locally whenever possible, which means often. They also have excellent espresso, and did I say milkshakes? - the good kind? All the food is very good, the place is good looking, the atmosphere is coffee shop friendly - I like that. Here's their webpage. To get there, continue east on 20 (instead of heading right towards the malls and Costco at the light, go left after going under the I -5 overpass, map); then turn right on Fairhaven. The cafe is a couple blocks down, on the left and looks like - that's right - a happy little coffee shop. The owners have been cooking local and organic at Cafe Burlington since 2004! And this part of old small town Burlington has a number of nice little shops that can also use your support.

Speaking of support - support our local San Juan Community Co-Op - it's fantastic!!
Amazing grocery and beautiful island produce selection, amazing prices, dedicated volunteers, and in a beautiful little spot near Chinmayo in the Surina Business Park on Malcom - its's right on your way! Check it out - it just gets better and better - and, they have ice cream! Becoming a member is easy, and they're open on Wednesdays for non members. Directions here, and see a few more details a few posts down..Yay Community Co-Op!