Week 14: Glad for Gleaners

Hello everybody!  Here we are in the thick of summer, high river still and the Omak Stampede this weekend.  ~~Yee Hah~~ We'll start cleaning garlic this afternoon.  We're still hacking away at and mowing weeds, eating lots of yummy fresh foods and enjoying the socials. 

(All photos by Shannon Gilbert this week)

Lots of gleaners, hard at work! Wonderful to have volunteers!

The gleaners were just here.  A big thank-you to the Food For All program of Community Action.  The gleaner co-ordinator Sarah and some of the volunteers were here this morning to do a last harvest of lettuce before I rototill it in next Monday.  They were here a few weeks ago and gleaned lots and lots of greens!  It's so nice that they can take advantage of our extra food.  It helps the food bank clients access fresh, local produce and helps the gardeners and farmers share their abundance without donating it to the compost and feeling wasteful of energy and perfectly good food. I read the article in the Methow Valley News about The Red Shed Farm project and agree with Kelleigh McMillan that when inspiring low-income folks to eat fresh farm foods we should be offering the best to them, not the culls or old stuff.  That idea confirms my gratitude in accepting EBT (food stamps).  I'm hoping more people take advantage of that option with 8^th Street's CSA next year.

Empty boxes were soon filled up with so many helping hands.

This week's box:  is a bit of a repeat, not at all what I had planned for this week, but we'll appreciate it anyway!  A smaller bag of original greens and Marketmore slicing cucumbers from 8^th Street; red beets, summer squash and a walla walla onion from Yonder Farm; blueberries (what! Blueberries!?) from Bob and Loreen Stout (I picked them early one morning and couldn't help but share with you!  Enjoy! I've given you a blend of the 3 types he has). The apricots are from Filaree Fruit.  About 4 weeks ago I told J.C. I wanted the Rival apricots for the CSA so here they finally are!  We get mostly rivals, which have the strong pink blush, and a bit of Perfection and Goldrich in there as well.  I usually only put apricots in the boxes once per season, but this year just isn't the same as others, what can I say!  Who wants things the same, anyway. . .

Bob Stout tends his blueberries, one of the biggest jobs being to keep the birds off the fruit!  The owls help, as well as shiny ribbons, cannon shots and his pellet gun.

Next Week:  carrots and peaches!  I know, I already said that last week. . . (and maybe green beans!)

Fruit option:  Early Red Haven peaches, extra apricots and a full pint of blueberries!

The cheese:  This week is from Pine Stump Farm.  Carey said it would be either her gouda or her mozzarella.  Their website, which you can link from the sidebar on the right, lists food and wine pairings for the different cheeses she makes.

We grilled up some T-Bones from Oberg Brothers this past week-end--  yum!  My man Caleb sliced up some beats (1/8-1/4” thick) and threw those on the grill as well.  Those were super good, they sweetened and were delicious with a little piece of Larkhaven's feta.  Also, I halved some apricots, drizzled balsamic vinegar on them, and grilled those as well.  Delicious!  Summer squash and sweet onions are also good on the grill! 

Fun trip up to Esther Briques winery this past week-end.  Our friend, co-farmer, photographer Phoebe Webb got her short film into the TumbleWeed Film Festival.  So, we all traipsed on up there to view it and sample the local wine.  In case you haven't caught on yet, Phoebe made 8^th Street Green's blogspot and takes the artful photos for us.  Her film, “You Might Need It Some Day,” captured the beauty of her Grandmother's old stuff that she'd been packrat-ing for 50 years.  The dresses billowed on the clothes line, the hand saws myriad were propped on the garage door and filmed, the hats-a-plenty were modeled by her grandma and mom, the old piano plunked the sound-trak.  It's fun, that after viewing 10 films, only a few repeat in my head, and Phoebe's is one of those!  It must of sounded in my heart and made an impact in my mind, the beauty of young recording elder and the beauty of old well-made stuff!  You might need it some day, whether a good ol' tractor like Phoebe photographed at my place last week or a pretty dress to wear to the local winery!  Thanks to Phoebe for her dedication to the blogspot!                          All the Best!  And remember to eat yer beets!!!                                          ~~shannon

Photographer Phoebe Webb loves pea blossoms and her generous friend Shannon!