So what makes local food local, anyways?

So lately I've been thinking a lot about the whole concept of "local" as it is certainly bandied about a lot. I really got to thinking about this because of some "local" beans selling in our small town grocery store. They were advertised as local Washington grown beans, by the Inaba Family from Eastern Washington. They were priced at $1 a lb sell price and well, looked pretty darn bad. Now just to give you perspective, we've picked probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 lbs of beans today, took 4 people about 5 hours to do this. So 20 (wo)man hours. For $1/lb, well...unfortunately my farm does have to turn a profit at the end of the year! Our beans are going more in the neighborhood of $2.50 to $4 a lb, dependent on variety. I would love my local grocery store to sell my beans, and I would give them a wholesale price to be able to do so for a quantity sale, but I certainly would never be able to compete with beans priced at $1/lb retail...And well, customers are used to getting those $1/lb beans so coming in with a bean more at $3/lb even if they were picked fresh that morning and are of the highest quality - well, that's a bit of a shocker for some!
Yet those Inaba Family beans still can claim the "local" tag? As a farmer less than a mile away from the grocery store with 200+ lbs of beans sitting in my cooler, well...that's kind of a frustrating situation!
I've actually met members of the Inaba Family. Nice folks. Run a lot of acres in, I believe it is the Yakima area. Quite a few hours away. It would take most of us, what about 5 hours, to get from Whidbey to Yakima? Are those beans really local when they are available abundantly on Whidbey Island this time of year?
I think locality means a lot of different things to people. And it can be a small (20 miles) or big area (200 miles). And it can depend on the product. Some things - coffee and chocolate, two of my personal favorites - are great examples of things that, short of major global warming, probably won't be found growing locally on Whidbey Island. But so many, many things are! And the really cool thing, the more people like you - the consumer - ask for and purchase locally grown items then the more they will be available!
So remember, if you want to support your local farmers make sure that the local product you buy is "local," at least as far as you define it, and that they are actually farmers! Just because somebody is selling produce at your local farmer's markets doesn't always mean they are farmers! Sometimes they are just folks that bought the food off the supply truck and are reselling it, food from who knows where that they have no connection to! I was dismayed to read these articles...
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2000-04-01/Real-Versus-Fake-Farmers.aspx
http://www.chow.com/media/2555
Those of us working our the Willowood Farm market booths can assure you, we've all had a lot of one-on-one hours - lots and lots of hours - getting to know the beans, and other veggies, we offer for your eating pleasure! And on that note...
Coming to the Coupeville and Bayview markets tomorrow -
From Willowood Farm
- Potatoes - 4 lovely kinds even a fingerling this week!
- Garlic, garlic and more garlic...
- Beans. Oh, did we mention beans? We have 4 kinds - all the colors of the rainbow and so yummy!
- Gorgeous dwarf snow peas
- Fresh chickpea bunches! These are a very short season treat, incredibly tasty and we will bring recipes!
- Beet bunches - 2 kinds!
- Onions - Red Torpedos, Cippolinis, Tropeana Tondas...
- Broccoli
- HUGE kohlrabi
- Lovely savoy cabbage - one of our favorites!
- Kale and chard bunches

From Prairie Bottom Farm
- Big, sweet carrots
- Beet bottoms for canning
- Dill - for making Dilly Beans!
- More onions
- Even more beans...
- Fava Beans
And more...

We hope to see you there and THANK YOU! for supporting local farmers!
Farmer Georgie
Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie

Beans and Taters and Peas - Oh My!

IT WAS HOT THIS WEEK!


So what do Pacific Northwest farmers do when it's record heat wave time? Go jump into the wonderfully cold waters of the Puget Sound...Ah, I got so cold I had to go cover up with a blanket! Bliss!




So, the greens aren't so fond of this hot weather, but there are some other veggies that are including...BEANS, BEANS, BEANS oh yeah, AND MORE BEANS!






So, anyways, we picked a lot of beans this week, and well, they are really just getting going. We picked over 60 lbs of beans on Wednesday, and then today - well, I didn't hear the final numbers but it definitely was somewhere around 100 lbs! We will be offering FIVE different types of beans at the markets tomorrow so come on by and enjoy the bounty! And on that note, here is a great recipe for fresh, locally grown beans!

Marinated Rainbow Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb Haricot Vert (french Filet), 1/4 lb Yellow Wax Bean, 1/4 Dragon Langerie bean, 1/4 Purple Bean.
  
• 2 large Red Onion diced
• 1 cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
• Kosher Salt to taste
• Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Directions

Wash and trim beans. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill several hours or preferably overnight.

Note:

This is one of those recipes that gets better the longer it marinates!

So, coming to the BAYVIEW ONLY market tomorrow (Coupeville market is closed due to the Arts & Crafts Festival, so all our great loyal Coupeville customers we hope to see you down either at the Bayview market, or you can find a selection of Willowood Farm goodies at the bayleaf Store in Coupeville!) -

From Willowood Farm

- Beans - We have Dragon Langerie (my personal favorite, it means Dragon's Tongue, not Dragon's Underwear as the interns suggested...), Royal Purple, Dwarf French Filet (aka Haricot Vert) and Yellow Wax

- Potatoes - 4 kinds this market (and oh so many more to come...). Mountain Rose, Romanze, Carola and Maris Piper

- Garlic - Also 4 kinds this market...Brown Tempest, Asian Tempest, Red Toch and Persian Star

- Peas! A fabulous late picking. Several kinds including heirloom Dwarf Grey Sugar (featured on Oystercatcher menu)...

- Onions, onions, onions - Red & white cippolinis, Ailsa Crag (a big sweet onion, like Walla Wallas), red Torpedos, Tropeana Tonda...

- Kale & Chard bunches

- Bulb Fennel

- Broccoli

- And more...

From Prairie Bottom Farm:

- HUGE GREEN KOHLRABI

- Beets

- Carrot bunches

- Even more onions

- And more...

Also we will have lots of baby summer squash from our friends Linda and Valerie at Rosehip Farm and Garden...

Hope to see you at market and THANK YOU for reading this and supporting WHIDBEY ISLAND FARMERS!

Regards,

Georgie Smith, Farmer

Willowood Farm of Ebey's Prairie