HAPPY SPRING!Korn was a student of Japanese farmer Masanobu fukuoka, and helped translate and edit the english version of fukuoka’s book The one-straw Revolution. Korn’s new book,

2 March 2016grow Northwest

HAPPY SPRING!

March 2016 3 grow Northwest

Next issue: APRIL • Deadline: March 22To place an advertisement or submit information, call (360) 398-1155 or e-mail [email protected]

march 2016 • Volume 6, Number 11

6 Farmland Preservation: A look at Whatcom County’s PDR program8 The Local Dirt: News bits

9 Chicks: Where to get them

Community

5 Field Notes: Related news,

business and happenings

10 Local Life: Photo submissions

from readers

14 Events: Community calendar

19 Junior Growers: Kids page

22 Marketplace: Local buyer’s

guide & service directory

23 The Last Row: The taste of

honey

On the Side

Craft & Home16 Spring Shows: Home and

Garden events, Craft &

Antique Show, and more

17 Wild About Plants: Taking

on fungus

18 Common Threads: Spring, summer camps

Cooking10 Making bacon: How to cure

and smoke, nitrate-free

IN thIs Issue

6

10

Growing11 Carnivorous Plants: Enjoy

these different plants

14 Plant Sales: Conservation

District sales and more

15 Mason bees: Learn about

this friendly pollinator

18

14


March madnessgrowNorthwest

co-PubLIsheR / edIToR /desIgn dIRecToRBecca Schwarz Cole

co-PubLIsheR / busIness MAnAgeRBrent Cole

conTRIbuTIng wRITeRsMary Vermillion, Corina Sahlin, Bruce Vilders, Suzanne Jordan, Chris Elder, Beth Chisholm conTRIbuTIng PhoTogRAPheRsCarol Kilgore, Steve Lospalluto, Bev Rudd, Mary Vermillion, Corina Sahlin, Kristi Hein, Julie Hagen

AdveRTIsIng Becca Schwarz Cole, Victor Gotalaere

cIRcuLATIonDavid Johnson, Brent Cole

JunIoR gRoweRsHarrison Cole, Ruby Cole

offIce suPPoRT Harrison, Ruby, Autumn, Lulu

on The coveRSpring crocus and a bee covered in pollen, as photographed by Carol Kilgore.

Grow Northwest is locally owned and operated by becca schwarz cole and brent cole. The magazine is published 12 times a year, and is a sister publi-cation of What’s Up! Magazine. Grow Northwest is a member of whatcom farm friends, washington Tilth Produc-ers, and sustainable connections. no content can be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the pub-lishers. copyright ©2010-2016.

subscriptions are available by mail for $36 per year (12 issues). Grow Northwest circulates copies through whatcom, skagit, san Juan, snohom-ish and Island counties. for advertising information, or to submit press releases, events and other materials, please send to [email protected] or call (360) 398-1155. All opinions expressed in Grow Northwest are the opinions of the individuals expressing them and not necessarily the opinions of Grow Northwest.

P.O. Box 414Everson, WA 98247

phone: (360) 398-1155email: [email protected]: www.grownorthwest.com

edItor’s Note

March 2016Volume 6, Number 11

“March is the month of expectation.” -Emily Dickinson

Hi everyone, welcome March. Spring is here, and like the saying goes,

March truly came in like a lion. The weather was surely windy and rainy, but the more lion-like activ-ity happened in-house. Shortly before press time at the start of the month, we had some major file losses, disappearing into the digital abyss. Long story short, the March issue was rebuilt and is a little late, and will go down in memory aptly named March Madness. I’m sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

In good news, we have an in-house project happening, making Spring cards for Meals on Wheels recipients. If you want to par-ticipate, or send along your Happy Spring cards and wishes, please contact me at [email protected].

The Whatcom Conservation District and Whatcom County Public Works are hosting a free Small Farms Expo on Saturday, March 12 to help connect small farmers, homesteaders and others with local resources. Stop by our booth and say hello! The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Northwest Washington Fair-grounds.

Work on our Grow Guide con-tinues, and it will be published in parts over several issues, the first part includes meat sources/listings and community gardens in our April issue. Please contact us with your submissions or questions.

Hope you enjoy March and the coming spring, and enjoy a slice of pie on Pi Day 3.14!

Thanks again for reading and supporting Grow Northwest, and helping to keep this community paper chugging along.

Happy growing, [email protected]

March 2016 5grow Northwest

A brief look at related news, business and happenings

Local farmer Nate Youngquist named Outstanding Young FarmersKAgIT – Local farmer nate Youngquist, owner of sky harvest Produce in Mount vernon, was honored as a 2016 outstanding Young farmer by the outstanding farmers of America (ofA) during the group’s ceremony in cincinnati, oh on feb. 13. Youngquist was among four winners from across the nation, and is the first skagit farmer to be awarded (he is the third washingtonian). he manages 250 acres and grows berries, pumpkins and corn. The honors are given to successful farmers under the age of 40 who practice conser-vation and contribute to the community. for more about his farm sky harvest Produce, see www.skyharvestproduce.com.

March for Meals campaign raises funds, awareness for Meals on WheelscounTY – March for Meals, a month-long campaign to raise funds and awareness about the Meals on wheels programs delivering nutritious meals to homebound seniors, will hold special events with local chapters this month. The whatcom/san Juan chapter hosts a tra-ditional Irish dinner fundraiser on saturday, March 12 from 6-8 p.m. at the bellingham senior Activity center, and “what’s next? A healthier You” on March 30. for more information, contact (360) 733-4030 ext. 1030. The skagit chapter will host special bowling nights in Anacortes on March 12-13, and March 16. for details, call (360) 416-1500 or see www.bowlingbash.org.

Small Farms Expo coming up March 12LYnden - The whatcom conservation district and whatcom county Public works are hosting a free small farms expo on saturday March 12 to help connect small farmers, homesteaders and others with local resources. The event, held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the northwest wash-ington fairgrounds, will have indoor and outdoor exhibits, products, services, and seminars. visitors can engage with vendors, experts and other small farmers, and learn about resources for healthy crops, ani-mals, pastures and more. free tarps and free soil tests will be available to qualifying farmers, while supplies last. Presentations include: 11:30 a.m. scratch and Peck feeds: feed requirements and s&P offerings; noon, dr. gale deJong, Kulshan vet: Trimming and disease; 12:45 p.m. dr. Amber Itle, wsdA state vet: Protect your Livestock & Poultry from disease; 1:30 p.m. dr. susan Kerr, wsu ext Livestock specialist: establishing your herd or flock; 2:15 p.m. Liam shaw, gallagher fenc-ing: using electric fence. A number of exhibitors include local service providers and organizations. no farm animals will be present at this event. for more information, visit www.whatcomcd.org/upcoming-events or contact Aneka sweeney at (360) 526-2381 x103, [email protected].

Blooming fields

Field Notes

Entries available for Whatcom County Youth Fair; deadline March 16LYnden – The 27th annual whatcom county Youth fair, a 2-day learning fair open to all ages 6-18, will be held April 8-9 at the northwest washington fairgrounds in Lynden. All local youth wel-come to participate and attend. The deadline for entries is March 16. categories include animals, country crafts, horticulture, dairy, photography and more. entries are available online and at many lo-cations around whatcom county. for more information visit www.whatcomcountyyouthfair.webs.com.

Larry Korn: Tour, reading in BellinghambeLLInghAM – Larry Korn, educator and author in permaculture and natural farming, will come to the bellingham area on Tuesday, April 5 for a tour at Inspiration farm and a reading at village books. Korn was a student of Japanese farmer Masanobu fukuoka, and helped translate and edit the english version of fukuoka’s book The one-straw Revolution. Korn’s new book, one-straw Revolutionary, examines natural farming and permaculture, and discusses the philosophy and work of fukuoka. The tour at Inspiration farm will be from 1-4 p.m. with a suggested donation of $10 per person (all welcome). for more information, visit www.inspirationfarm.com or call (360) 398-7061. following the tour, Korn will read from one-straw Revolutionary at village books starting at 7 p.m. for more about Korn, see www.onestrawrevolution.net.

Nourishing All Kids: Spring Forum setconcReTe – 1095 skagit, a group of parents and citizens, non-profits and food and youth organizations throughout the county, present nourising All Kids: spring forum on March 25 in concrete. during this forum, community members will have an opportunity to present and discuss farm to school Initatives, backpack Pro-grams, and school garden Projects in the county. The meeting will be held from 2-4 p.m. in the concrete high school commons. The mission of 1095 skagit is to ensure all kids get three meals every day of the year (3 meals x 365 days = 1095 meals). for more details or to sign up for the mailing list, contact Tessa bryant at [email protected].

Three candidates seek WCD SupervisorLYnden – The next election of the district board of supervisors for the whatcom conservation district is Tuesday, March 15. candi-dates are current supervisor Richard Yoder, Theresa sygitowicz, and Roderic Perry. All registered voters in whatcom county can vote in person from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the district office, 6975 hannegan Road in Lynden. The whatcom conservation district, formed in 1946, is governed by a board of five supervisors, all local residents. for more information about the candidates visit http://www.what-comcd.org/board-elections.

find more field notes and updates at www.grownorthwest.com. have news you’d like to share? send submissions to [email protected].

LA conneR – The daffodil fields in the skagit valley are in full bloom, and as of press time the tulips were also starting to show – another early season. The 2nd annual La conner daffodil festival is under way, and resi-dents and visitors are coming to see the blooms. La conner Kiwanis will be celebrating their 101st anniversary with The Kiwaffodi, an old fashioned hoot’nanny with bluegrass music at Maple hall on March 12 and includes an open mic from 5-10 p.m. The 2nd Annual dandy daffodil Tweed Ride takes place saturday, March 26. for more information about the festival, including a bloom Map to show the locations and varieties planted, see www.lovelaconner.com.

In other news, Tulip Town has announced they will officially open for the season on March 19. Roozengaarde is open regularly and will likely start charging around the same time. for complete events of the month-long Tulip festival in April, see www.tulipfestival.org. The bloom Map shows up to date information.

PHOTO BY ANDY PORTER/andyporterimages.com


Community

PDR: A look at Whatcom County’s program forfarmland preservation

It’s a cold day this winter and I drive on to my heated office. As I pass through Nugents

Corner farmworkers have almost finished pruning and tying up raspberry canes. Vegetable pro-ducers have already ordered their seeds and many have already planted some. It is harvest season for many of our porcine and bovine companions, while the dairy heifers enjoy their well-lit shelters and steady supply of silage and more. Another season begins for most farms, but not for all of them.

According to the Agriculture Census from 1954, Whatcom County contained 4,036 farms producing crops on 197,184 acres. Look at the census data from 2012 (the most recent statistics available) and Whatcom County reports 1,072 farms pro-ducing crops on 115,831 acres.

The numbers aren’t exact but the trend is clear. Over the past 60 years approximately three-quar-ters of the farm businesses have called it quits and at least 80,000 acres of farmland has been con-verted to non-agricultural uses.

Given a changing world, many recognize the need for a good plan. County and city govern-ments within Washington State are required to plan under laws such as the Growth Manage-ment Act (GMA). The GMA, for the subject matter of this article, essentially states that we must protect our resource lands and clearly identify our urban or concentrated growth areas. These items, plus many more, are contained within our Compre-hensive Plan. Whatcom County staff have spent a significant amount of time meeting with advisory committees comprised of Whatcom County residents to discuss and shape a Comprehen-sive Plan that represents the will of the people and complies with our state mandated requirements. The Comprehensive Plan Update is currently underway. Visit www.whatcomcounty.us for more information.

Whatcom County elected offi-cials and staff have recognized the value of our agricultural economy and farmland for some time. Resolution 2009-040 resolves that 100,000 acres of land remain available for agricultural use as the minimum goal for ensuring a land base necessary to support a viable agriculture industry in the county. Furthermore the Agricul-tural Strategic Plan, Resolution 2011-023, has identified the tools available to achieve the 100,000 acre minimum. One of the strongest tools is zoning. Zoning dictates the number of houses that can be built per area and the types of uses allowed on a piece of ground. Whatcom County currently has an 87,412 Acre

Agriculture Zone that allows for 1 house per 40 acres. This density requirement was developed in or-der to protect prime farmland for farming and reduce fragmenta-tion of the agricultural landscape.

Local numbersPrime farmland is one of sev-

eral kinds of important farmland defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It is of major im-portance in meeting the Nation’s short- and long-range needs for food and fiber. Because the supply of high-quality farmland is limited, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recognizes that responsible levels of government, as well as individuals, should encourage and facilitate the wise use of our Nation’s prime farmland (Soil Survey of What-com County Area, Washington, USDA, Soil Conservation Service, 1992). Whatcom County is home to some incredible prime and productive soils. According to Natural Resource Conservation Service, Whatcom County con-tains approximately 222,000 acres of prime soils and 58,300 acres of soils of statewide importance.

Given an agriculture zone of 87,412 acres and prime soils numbering somewhere near

222,0000 acres, we can quickly see that many more acres of good farmland are located outside of the designated agriculture zone. Many of these acres are actively being farmed without long term protections in place. This means that there is a significant amount of acreage at high risk for conver-sion to non-agricultural uses. En-ter the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program, another tool of the Agriculture Strategic Plan. Simply, this program pays farmers to keep farming their land and protect it as such. Don’t subdivide, don’t sell off for devel-opment. Protect it.

The PDR program is a volun-tary program where property owners of land with prime soils and additional development potential can cash in on that potential and protect their land in perpetuity. For many farmers and property owners, the land is their retirement plan or their savings account. The PDR pro-gram aims to compensate these individuals for this development potential and still obtain value from their land without having to reduce its agricultural functions. The end result is the protection of the ground for farmers today and tomorrow. Many farmers reinvest

Dave Kreft, NRCS ACEP coordinator (Agricultural Conservation Easement Program), Myrle Foster, owner of Squalicum Ranch who has applied to the PDR program, and Karin Beringer, PDR Program Administrator for Whatcom County, walk the acreage in eastern Belling-ham. PhoTo/PdR

by Chris Elder

Twelve mixed-use farms have currently applied to sell development rights

ViEWPOiNT


these funds into their farm busi-ness and further strengthen our local agricultural economy.

Current applicants total 853 acres, 70 development rights

Whatcom County staff (the PDR office includes two part-time positions) are currently working with the owners of 12 different properties that have applied to the PDR Program. Each one of these properties has near 100 percent prime soils, supports a family business, and contributes to our local agriculture economy. The properties represent a mix of farming around the county – conventional, organic, vegetable production, cattle, berries, and dairy.

The County is currently work-ing to purchase the remaining development rights on these properties and permanently protect the land for continued agricultural use. These 12 proper-

ties represent a total of 853 acres holding an estimated 70 devel-opment rights. The value of a development right is determined through a two part appraisal. The appraiser valuates the fair market value of a property and valu-ates the agricultural value of a property. The difference between these two amounts is determined to be the value of the remaining development potential. Based on recent appraisals the average cost to protect an acre of farmland is approximately $4,000. With that average we can estimate that the cost to protect these 853 acres is approximately $3.2 million.

To date, Whatcom County has purchased agricultural conserva-tion easements on 16 different properties permanently protect-ing 826 acres, taking out 118 development rights. The total cost for purchase of those ease-ments was approximately $5.3 million, with Whatcom County paying $266,100 and the remain-ing amount paid for with federal funds through the NRCS Farm and Ranchlands Protection Pro-gram (the predecessor program to ACEP, Agricultural Conser-vation Easement Program) and some from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Of-fice Farmland Preservation Pro-gram (RCO WWRP program).

Program fundingWhen the County pursues pur-

chase of an agricultural conser-vation easement, staff will apply for match funding through the

aforementioned federal sources. These funds are then matched with Whatcom County Con-servation Futures Fund dollars, upon County Council approval. The amount of funding available through the NRCS is determined by the Farm Bill and under the current Farm Bill, funds avail-able for purchase of agricultural conservation easements has been reduced by more than 50 percent. This has had a significant impact on the amount of matching funds received by Whatcom County for PDR purchases.

In order to make up for reduc-tions in match funding, County staff have had to pursue matching funds elsewhere. Staff submitted a grant proposal to the Sustain-able Whatcom Fund of the What-com Community Foundation and received a $200,000 grant for the purchase of agricultural con-servation easements. Addition-ally, the Whatcom Community Foundation has set up a What-com County Farmland Preserva-tion Fund. Donations received into this fund will be used solely for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements admin-istered through the County PDR Program. For more information or to donate, visit the webpage at www.whatcomcf.org/Farmland.

If you value agriculture, the lo-cal food system, and the What-com County landscape and way of life, please consider supporting farmland protection by donating. We need your support to protect our community values, agricul-tural landscape, and Whatcom County way of life.

What is the value of farmland?

Chris Elder is a planner with Whatcom County Planning and Development Services. He has worked as the outreach coordina-tor for the PDR program for the past two years. Chris also runs a small farm in the South Fork Val-ley and is a member of the Twin Sisters Market.

(Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series about farmland presever-ation, including current programs and ideas, in our northwest corner. Due to space here, several maps, photos and additional information have been included in the online version. A follow-up to the current PDR applications will appear in a future issue. To share information, please contact [email protected].)

The land of long-time farmer and mentor Dusty Williams, of Broad Leaf Farm, is beingconsidered under the PDR program. PhoTo/PdR

For more informationdo you own property in R5, R10, or Ag zones? Is the property actively being farmed or has it been farmed up until recently? would you like to see that property farmed by your kids, grandkids, or by some other future farmer? If you are interested in more information or would like to apply to the PdR program, visit http://www.whatcomcounty.us/573 or call (360) 778-5932 for more information.


Kicking off March 7, the 6th an-nual Skagit Fest of Ale (for-merly known as Mount vernon

beer week) will include breweries and places to go across the county as a way celebrate and get to know each estab-lishment. The event is presented by skagit eats, and the complete lineup will be posted on the skagit fest of Ale facebook page or at http://skagit-fest-of-ale.com.

The Port Susan Farmers Market in stanwood is looking for vendors for the 2016 season. The market will meet ev-ery friday June 3-oct. 14 in downtown stanwood. To access an online applica-tion, or for more information see www.portsusan.org or call (360)-202-3932.

Lydia christiansen, owner of Abun-dant Earth Fiber, is sharing an idea of a whidbey wool Idea Incubator through marketing a regional brand of textiles. “given our natural resources and local talent, we have the potential for a high-ly efficient, local supply chain of fiber farmers, manufacturers, and design-ers,” she stated on her facebook page. for questions or to schedule a tour her mill contact (360) 969-2187 or [email protected].

A Poultry Production Workshop will be held at the wsu skagit county extension office on March 24 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The workshop cov-ers raising healthy birds from hatch to either processing or egg production, as well as bio security and marketing opportunities. cost is $25 and includes lunch. To register go to skagitpoultry.brownpapertickets.com.

The Outback Apiary located in The outback farm on the south campus of western washington university held its annual spring “bee-In” Introductory workshop on March 2. This was a pre-season introduction to 2016 project, presented by beekeeper Michael Ja-ross. hands-on beekeeping experience is offered weekly at The outback Api-ary, meeting on Tuesday and saturday afternoons at 1 p.m. during the active bee season, about mid-March through halloween, weather permitting. no ex-

perience or is equipment necessary.Lone Boot Buffalo Ranch in fern-

dale posted on their facebook page they will no longer be doing the retail sale of bison meat at the ranch. “It was hard to do but sometimes you just have to move on in life. After 25 years in the retail meat business we have met some great people and will miss many,” part of the post stated. They are working with a local butcher to possibly carry some limited cuts. stay tuned to their page for details.

Edaleen Dairy Store has opened a new location in ferndale on Portal way, next to the Anytime fitness gym. The store offers all their dairy products.

Cloud Mountain Farm Center in everson has announced they are offi-cially certified as salmon-safe.

Baldham Farm in sedro-woolley is now certified organic. They sell pork by whole or half, as well as usdA in-spected retail cuts. delivery is available. contact (360) 722-4372 or visit www.baldhamfarm.com.

duane Jager, founding executive director of ReUse Works, the par-ent organization of Appliance depot and Ragfinery in bellingham, has an-nounced his plans for retirement in June 2016. Applications are now being accepted for this position and informa-tion can be found at Reuseworks.org. The deadline for application is Thurs-day, March 10.

Woven Dreams Coop, the new co-op planned in Anacortes, has held com-munity meetings about memberships, volunteering, operations and vending. for more information, see http://www.anacortesfoodcoop.com or follow their facebook page.

The Bellingham Food Bank Gar-den Project builds free home gardens for bellingham residents on a limited income. every year 25 new households join the program, receiving seed and vegetable starts, educational resourc-es, mentors, and basic tools for a two-year support period. If you are inter-ested in becoming a garden recipient or volunteering as a garden mentor or garden builder, call Julia Raider at (360) 393-2838 or email [email protected].

A CSA Fair presented by sustainable connections will be held March 26 at boundary bay’s beer garden from 2-4 p.m. Attendees can meet whatcom and skagit farmers who are offering csAs in 2016. Individuals and workplaces are encouraged to attend and visit each booth, meet the farmers and ask ques-tions. community supported Agricul-ture (csA) is a program where consum-ers buy a share of the farm with a csA membership at the beginning of the season and then receive a weekly box of the harvest from the farmer.

The 2nd annual Local Brewers Cup is being held at The Local in belling-ham. check it out as they crown this year’s top homebrewer.

Evolve Handmade Chocolate Truffles has a chocolate Lounge open at 1313 n. state street in bellingham. hours are wednesdays, Thursdays and fridays from 5-10’ish and saturdays noon-6’ish through March 24. In addi-tion to chocolate truffles, they’ll have

local products for sale and live music. The annual TASTE Washington

event will be held in seattle March 31-April 3, featuring over 225 winer-ies, 70 restaurants and 60 culinary ex-hibitors from across the state. for more details, see www.tastewashington.org.

BelleWood Acres is hosting a bot-tling Party on sunday, March 20 from 1-4:30 p.m. If you are interested in helping with fine spirits, register with [email protected]. other events this month include the distillery dinner on March 11 and easter activi-ties March 26-27. see the events sched-ule bellewoodfarms.com.

The Ferndale Friendship Commu-nity Garden (ffcg) is seeking one or two volunteers to fulfill the duties as coordinator. The garden, which started in 2008 and uses organic methods, has 26 beds available to rent, a large giving garden dedicated to growing food for the ferndale food bank, grape vines, apple trees, an herb garden, a hoop house and more. The coordinator is responsible for keeping the garden on track throughout the year. for more details, contact current coordinator gloria J. Perez at [email protected] or (360) 223-3836.

The Cordata Community Garden, located at the extension of cordata Parkway, is ready to welcome the 2016 gardeners. garden plots are available for $40 each to all bellingham residents (45 slots available). sign-up continues on Thursday, March 10 at the el dorado condo club house at 7 p.m. for more information, call Julie guy (360) 738-8466 or email [email protected].

The Community First Garden Proj-ect of the WSU Whatcom Extension is hosting Spring Fling, a fundraiser and open house on March 22 at Kulshan Brewery K2, 1538 Kentucky street in bellingham. All pint proceeds go direct-ly to building local gardens dedicated to growing and sharing fresh produce. Attendees can learn about land access, resources, free seeds, and how to rent a plot or get involved. for more infor-mation, contact beth chisholm at [email protected]

Farmers, ranchers and chefs in-terested in learning more about each other’s business and possibly pairing up for the season can attend a meeting on Thursday, March 24 from 6-8 p.m. at Cloud Mountain Farm Center in ever-son, hosted by sustainable connec-tions. The idea for this event came out of past farmer chef Meet-ups hosted by the chefs collaborative. Refresh-ments will be provided. It is free to at-tend, but please reply to RsvP to [email protected].

Westcott Bay Cider on san Juan Island is seeking any extra apples from local residents’ properties for possible use this season. If you or a neighbor have apples that went to waste last fall or have too many to use, call (360) 378-2606 or email [email protected]. They said they’ll be happy to come by and look at the trees for this season.

–compiled by Becca Schwarz [email protected]

The Local DirtBrief bits from local folks.Send submissions to [email protected].


Christianson’s Nursery, of Mount Vernon, were awarded the Outstand-

ing Plant Market Display at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show Feb. 17-21 at the Washing-ton State Convention Center in Seattle.

The booth design was a collab-oration between Nursery Visual Merchandiser Cheryl Bonsen and Toni Christianson. The design process took several weeks of conceptual planning and selecting the products to display and place in the booth.

“It’s quite a production,” Cheryl said. “We had to utilize every square inch of space, but still make it visually appealing and accessible for people to easily get through

It’s chick season and follow-ing are arrival dates for some local farm and country stores.

Please check with respectives busi-neses for specific breeds available and any upcoming classes.

• Elenbaas Country Store: Both Lynden and Everson stores will have first batch of chicks around March 4. Pullets will be available, including Black Australorps, Gold Sexlinks, Barred Rocks, Rhode

Island Reds, Gold and Silver laced Wyandottes, and Ameraucanas.

• Strotz’s Country Feed: The store in Arlington will have Chick Day on March 19, including 17 dif-ferent breeds of both laying chicks and meat bird chicks.

• Skagit Farmers Supply loca-tions: Sedro Woolley: March 2 at 6 p.m.; Mount Vernon: March 3 at 6 p.m.; Oak Harbor: March 4 at 1 p.m.; Stanwood: March 5 at 11

a.m.; Freeland: March 9 at 5 p.m.; and Burlington: March 12 at 10 a.m.

• Hohl Feed and Seed, Bell-ingham: The store has started receiving chicks, including Buff Orpingtons, Cuckoo Marans, Light Brahmas, Barnevelders, and Black Autralorps.

• Whatcom Farmers Co-op loca-tions will also have chicks.

Chicks are in at local country stores

Learn how to keep your livestock happy and healthy at the upcoming Livestock

Handling & Care workshops presented by the WSU Snohomish County Extension Agriculture and 4-H programs. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 2-3 at the Sheriff ’s Posse Arena at 5421 S. Machias Road, Snohom-ish.

Hands-on workshops with live animals include topics such as hoof trimming, injections, dehorning, halter training, nutri-tion, fencing, and more. Taught by award-winning graduates and seniors from the WSU Snohomish County 4-H Livestock Program, workshop instructors have the

experience and expertise needed to raise and show prize-winning livestock. In addition, all attend-ees will receive a take-home flash drive loaded with resources for all species.

Poultry: Saturday, April 2, 9-11:30 a.m. Learn the basics of proper care and handling for all types of poultry, including egg and meat breeds, housing, nutrition, and more. This will be a demon-stration and hands-on activity.

Beef: Saturday, April 2, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Learn proper leading, handling, dehorning and injection techniques along with fencing, nutrition, and more. This will be a demonstration and hands-on activity.

Goats: Sunday, April 3, 12:30-3:30 p.m. Learn the basics of han-dling, nutrition, fencing, housing, dehorning, milking, kid care and more. This will be a demonstra-tion and hands-on activity.

Class size is limited and pre-paid registration is required. Sign up now to save your spot. Cost is $20 per person per workshop or $50/person for all three species.

To register online, visit live-stock.brownpapertickets.com or download the form at snohomish.wsu.edu/livestock-handling and mail with your check. For more information on the workshops, contact Kate Ryan Halstead at [email protected] or (425) 357-6024.

Poultry, beef and goats: Livestock Handling & Care workshops April 2-3

and see all of our great plants and other products. We kept with the Christianson look of an vintage English greenhouse, which appeals to a lot of gardeners.”

The Northwest Flower and Gar-den Show had over 300 exhibitors and 23 full scale display gardens. The Christianson’s are consider-ing doing a display garden for next year’s show. The last display garden they did was in 2011 in which they won many awards including a Gold Medal, People’s Choice and the Founders Cup.

owner John christianson receives the award for outstanding Plant Market display. PHOTO BY DEBRA LACY

Christianson’s wins Flower & Garden Show award


Making bacon: How to cure and smoke, nitrate-free

If you like bacon, you can save a lot of money and get a tastier, healthier product by

smoking your own bacon without nitrates. It’s so much easier than you might think! You don’t need to raise your own pigs or own an expensive smoker. All you need is pork belly, which you can order from a butcher, farmer or grocery store, salt, spices, a refrigerator, wood chips and a way to smoke the bacon (more on that later).

My neighbors, my husband and I raise four pigs a year, and they grow big and fat (not the neighbors and husband, but the pigs) eating pasture grass, organic non-GMO grain, and whey that’s left over from my cheesemaking. I have never eaten better pork, and if you don’t raise your own, I recommend you buy organic meat from a good source because it’s so much better (and better-tasting) for you.

Another reason our home made bacon is more flavorful than store bought bacon is the mix of salt, sugar, spices and smoke we use as preservatives. We dry cure, so the meat loses water, which concentrates the bacon flavor and also makes it splatter and pop less during cooking than conventional bacon.

Rub the meat vigorously with this spice mix. Make sure every surface of the pig belly gets thoroughly coated, otherwise the salt may not draw enough moisture from the bacon.

Put it on a rack on top of a big enough cookie sheet or casserole dish to catch all the liquid that will be released.

Leave it in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours. The temperature in the fridge needs to be under 38 degrees for safety. Opinions on the length of time to leave it in vary widely. If your bacon slabs are small, err on the short side, if they are large leave them in longer. We once kept ours in the fridge for three days, and it turned out way too salty.

Check it every day, to make sure it’s happy and comfortable in there all alone, and empty the liquid that will be released underneath the rack.

When it comes out of the fridge, it should have firmed up and leaked a bunch of liquid.

Wash off all the salt and spice mixture with water, and do a good job of it. Pat it dry with paper towels and let it sit in the fridge for another whole day to help it dry and form a “pellicle”, which is a coating of protein that comes to the surface and dries out a bit. This pellicle helps smoke adhere better and improves shelf life by keeping oxygen away from the fat.

When it’s dried, it’s time to smoke your bacon.

Apple and hickory wood work great, but we don’t have any hickory where we live, so my husband Steve makes alder chips from dry firewood he has sitting around. He also runs some through his planer to make smaller saw-dust type chips. You can easily buy wood chips in many grocery stores or online.

Our smoker looks terrible and rusty, but it works great. It’s actually an old metal refrigerator a friend gave us and converted into a smoker. If you don’t own an electric smoker, you could borrow one or even convert a BBQ or grill

We don’t use nitrates when curing bacon. Nitrates are commonly used in cured meats to preserve the meat, kill bacteria, and prevent botulism and food poisoning. Although many people think nitrates are safe, I don’t trust them, because several published studies indicate that N-nitrosamines are carcinogenic in animals. I would rather not put nitrates into the bodies of people I love. We store our cured, smoked and vacuum packed bacon in the freezer instead of hanging it from rafters like the olden days, so botulism and food poisoning are not an issue.

Let me explain how we have safely and successfully cured and smoked bacon without nitrates for years.

You need five pounds of pork belly, skin or rind taken off. Previously frozen pork belly can be used to make bacon, but your end product won’t be quite as moist.

For every five pounds of pork belly, mix the following in a bowl: 1⁄2 cup of sea salt, 1⁄2 cup maple syrup (you can use sugar if you want),1 Tbsp black pepper, any spices you want (we use 2 Tbsp organic salt-free spice mix from Costco, but you can use thyme, toasted fennel seed, coriander, rosemary, or any other flavors you like).

Bacon sizzling in the skillet and soon ready to eat (top). The pork was rubbed vigorously with the spice mix (left) during the preparation process, and later in the smoker (right). PhoTos bY coRInA sAhLIn

Cooking

by Corina Sahlin

into a smoker. You can find great tutorials on how to do this if you google “How to turn your kettle grill into a smoker.”

It’s important to smoke the meat at very low temperature until the inside of the meat reaches 150 degrees. When we first started smoking our own bacon, we spent hours on the internet looking through recipes and reading through meat curing forums, and there are lots of different opinions. What has worked for us over the years is keeping the inside temperature of the smoker around 170 degrees. When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 150 degrees, we take it out. How long this process takes depends on the smoker you use and how much meat you are smoking. It usually

takes us four to six hours with our setup.

Now taste test it and rejoice! If the bacon tastes too salty, you can soak it in water for a few hours before frying.

Store it in the fridge for three weeks (good luck making it last that long) or in the freezer for three months (ditto!).

Corina Sahlin homesteads on five acres in the upper Skagit Valley, where you can find her with her hands either in the dirt, in a pot full of whey stirring curds, or mixing cabbage in a crock of sauerkraut. She teaches homesteading skills like artisan cheesemaking and fermentation, both at her homestead and also online. More information and inspiration at www.marblemounthomestead.com


GrowingCARnivOROuS PLAntS: Preying for nutrientsby Mary Vermillion

the bugs not for protein but for the nutrients that build light-harvesting enzymes. Put simply, the insects help the plants to grow by feeding their abilities to tap energy from the sun.

While the best known is the Venus fly trap, a wide range of carnivorous plants in intriguing forms thrive in the home garden. The plants start around $20 with rare, collectible carnivores priced as high as $100. They can be grown inside in pots or hanging baskets near sunny windows or in terrari-ums with UV lights. In the kitchen, Drosera capensis – its leaves reminiscent of a coral anemone – is a natural pest solution during gnat and fruit fly season. Outside, carnivorous plants prefer boggy areas with a bit of sun. The striking funnel shape of a pitcher plant’s red, white, green or yellow leaves make it an interesting addition to water gardens.

The plants grow in a mix of peat moss, perlite or sand with sphag-num moss as a base. Healthy plants with lots of prey to eat won’t need fertilizer. If food is scarce, add a fer-tilizer appropriate to carnivorous plants. Water and mist the plants with pure, low-mineral water.

Stevens said he’s just “reached the tip of the iceberg” in his under-standing of carnivorous plants. He’s intrigued to learn more so he can share his knowledge with local gar-

Scarlet Belle. PhoTo bY MARY veRMILLIon

Judging by the displays at this year’s Northwest Flower and Garden Show, carnivorous

plants could be the next big thing. If so, the exotic perennials can count Garden Spot Nursery’s Antoni Stevens among their early admirers. The Bellingham gardener describes growing carnivorous plants as “an amazing opportunity to participate in one of nature’s most exquisite shows.”

Over the past few years, Stevens has been building his knowledge of the plants. “I really want to raise awareness of carnis,” he said. “They are the smartest plants ever and are an amazing expression of the spirit of the garden.”

Step one is to shatter the plants’ disagreeable reputation. “Carnis are really easier to grow than you think,” Stevens said. “People think they are so rare and exotic that they can’t do it” but that’s not the case. In fact, the plants are far from picky.

In their native settings, carnivo-rous plants grow in marginal condi-tions, often in boggy areas. Thanks to a neat little trick of evolution that modified their leaves to traps, carnivorous plants have learned to make the most of a bad situation. Fine hairs along the plants’ decep-tively beautiful traps are strategi-cally placed to react when an insect – lured by the color and tempting pheromones – unwisely wanders inside. Once they have their prey, the plants’ digestive juices dissolve

deners. “Carnivorous plants offer lots of questions and answers at the same time,” Stevens said. “Death and life. Eating an insect while cre-ating new life. They are more than a plant. They teach us to dream. To think of possibilities.”

Introduction to Carnivorous PlantsLearn carnivorous plant origins and general care and maintenance from the window sill to backyard bogs during “An Introduction to carnivo-rous Plants with Antoni stevens” on saturday, March 12 at garden spot nursery. stevens said this will be “car-ni 101.” The free class starts at 9 a.m. Registration is required. call (360) 676-5480. The nursery is located at 900 Alabama st. in bellingham. HAPPY SPRING!

12 March 2016grow NorthwestHanging out on Best Road. PhoTo bY bev Rudd

loCal lIFeSend your photos to [email protected]. Your photo may be included here in our next issue. seasonal content only please: food, farms, cooking, gardening, dIY, crafts, adventures, events, landscapes and more. be sure to include name of photographer and brief description of material.

Farm at sunset. PhoTo bY cARoL KILgoRe

Anna’s Hummingbird perched on a rhododendron. PhoTo bY sTeve LosPALLuTo

Garlic. PhoTo bY KRIsTI heIn

Harvested willow at Dunbar Gardens. PhoTo bY sTeve LosPALLuTo

A fungus by any other name would be a rose. PhoTo bY nAncY vAn dYKe-dIcKIson


Got to get that nose cleaned up. PhoTo bY ToLY MusATov

Swamp gooseberry flowers. PhoTo bY KRIsTI heIn

South Skagit. PhoTo bY desIRee websTeRWorking on the greenhouse. PhoTo bY JuLIe hAgen

Babies cuddled up. PhoTo bY cARoL KILgoRe

The chickens get a horse ride – perched right in the saddles – during the Chicken Parade in Edison. PhoTo bY LucY MAe MARTIn

Birdbath. PhoTo bY JuLIe hAgen


tis the season for plant sales

March is here and with it comes the plant sales. Let’s see what the local

conservation districts and other groups are up to.

• Whatcom Conservation District Native Plant Sale and Expo: The 23rd annual event will be held Saturday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Whatcom Com-munity College, 237 W Kellogg Road, Bellingham. Residents and visitors can purchase low cost, native plants, including roughly 40 species of native, bare-root, conservation grade trees and shrubs plus potted perennials. Local specialty nurseries, commu-nity groups and other businesses will be set up on site. This year the WCD is raffling a wheelbarrow filled with garden goodies to local food gifts, including items from many local businesses. For more information, including pre-order, see http://www.whatcomcd.org/plant-sale or follow the District’s facebook page.

• Skagit Conservation District Native Plant Sale and Expo: The annual event takes place Saturday, March 26 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Plant Materials Center, 16564 Bradley Road, Bow. A large number of high quality conserva-tion grade plants and shrubs will be available, as well as services that benefit natural resources and community organizations. For pre-orders and other information see www.skagitcd.org/native_plant_sales or call (360) 428-4313.

• San Juan Islands Conserva-tion District Native Plant Sale and Expo: The event will be held Saturday, March 12 from 9 a.m. to noon at the San Juan County Fairgrounds on San Juan Island. This event is brought to you by Master Gardener Foundation of San Juan County, WSU Extension & San Juan Islands Conservation District. The plant sale this year

Oceanspray, a native plant with fragrant clusters of bright white flowers on densely formed thickets, are great for pollinators and wildlife and. it can be established in dis-turbed areas and is good for stabilizing soils. This species does best in partial shade, and tolerates most soil types. PhoTo bY whATcoM conseRvATIon dIsTRIcT

features new native plants, day-of-sale plants and the Expo with information booths, retail vendors and local arts and crafts.

• Whatcom County Farm Forestry Association Tree Sale: Head to the Northwest Washing-ton Fair Grounds in the Henry Jansen Agricultural Center on Saturday, March 19 for this tree sale from 10 a.m. to noon. Trees are 90¢ each, and include: Sitka Spruce, Giant Sequoia, Fraser Fir, Deodar Cedar, Western Hemlock, Noble Fir, Japanese Larch, Nor-way Spruce, Grand Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Western Red Cedar, Colo-rado Blue Spruce, Douglas Fir, Incense Cedar, and Mugho Pine. For more information, call (360) 671-6988.

• 28th annual Fairhaven Plant and Tree Sale: This Fairhaven Neighbors-sponsored event takes place Saturday, March 26 from

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hillcrest Chapel outdoor parking lot at the corner of Old Fairhaven Park-way and 14th Street. A variety of plants will be offered, including perennials, annuals, trees, native plants, herbs, vegetable starts, berries, bamboo, garden décor, and much more. Participating vendors will also be on site. Ven-dors donate a portion of sales to the Fairhaven neighborhood asso-ciation, who in turn use proceeds for neighborhood projects and to support other local non-profits. For more information, includ-ing a full listing of participating vendors, visit Facebook.com/FairhavenPlantAndTreeSale or contact Thom Prichard at (360) 671-5517.

Additional spring sales will be posted in our calendar and next issue. Send event information to [email protected].


It’s a problem not too many gardeners will ever encounter: too many pollinators in the

garden. Yet when Missy Anderson, otherwise known as “Queen Bee” started with 100 mason bees, and 15 years later was so successful that the population had exploded into nearly 100,000, she knew she had to do something.

Missy was first introduced to mason bees by a friend in the fall of 2000. The more she learned, the more she was taken by them. She gave her first Mason bee presenta-tion to a Master Gardener class in 2006. It launched her speaking career. She now speaks all over the Puget Sound, including Snohom-ish, Island, Whatcom counties, touting the virtues of native mason bees.

So why are native mason bees the latest concern? For one thing, like bees of all kinds, they are at risk with increased levels of pesticide use, as well as habitat destruction. Mason bees are non-aggressive, and rarely sting. These bees look rather like a harmless house fly. They emerge from their cocoons early in the spring, pollinating anything that is blooming. If you like plums as much as I do, that’s one tree often missed by the honey bees, as they come out too late. Weather permit-ting, some credit goes to mason bees for your plums.

As Missy’s interest in mason bees grew, she found herself ex-cited. Beginning in 2005, with too many mason bees for her backyard, she began offering houses and bees to friends and family. She and her husband were building the houses and making the paper tubes. In the fall she (and a few volunteers) would open the tubes and clean the bee cocoons. Over the next three years Missy was driving 1,500

by Beth Chisholm

miles to deliver and pick up the bees to 100 families. This became overwhelming so she asked that people pick and drop off the kits at her house.

Finally a friend remarked that she was certainly doing a lot of work and that she should charge for the service. This began the “Rent Mason Bees.” For a small fee, she provides pollination supplies: cleaned cocoons, nesting block, and house to protect from the rain. Three sizes are available: small, 50 bees, $25; medium, 100 bees, $50; and large, 200 bees, $75.

Clients get their kits from Missy near the end of March, install the kits in their yard or garden, watch the industrious pollinators in action, then when the adult bees of that year die off, the kits are returned to Missy, usually in early June.

By 2014 the number of families had grown to about 300 and Missy knew she could no longer do it all. In January 2015 Missy’s ownership of the company went to Jim Watts of Watts Solitary Bees. Jim has been growing leafcutter bees for agriculture for decades. Working together, Missy and Jim are guiding Rent Mason Bees to an ever-in-creasing customer base. Beginning in 2016 Rent Mason Bees will offer pick up and return sites (contact them for specific locations).

Mason bees: Friendly protector

Though mason bees do not replace honey bees, they have their own slice of the pollinator pie. Without mason bees, countless plants would not get pollinated. Missy is offering an invaluable service. You don’t need much to get started: 1) a dry, sunny place to hang the nest; 2) spring pollen-bearing plants (Big leaf maple trees are fabulous); and 3) mud (used to seal each egg in the nesting block.)

Helping mason bees is an easy, interesting and fun way to help our environment. It’s a great activity for kids, big or little! And speaking of kids, Missy is partner-ing with Girl Scouts of Western Washington. She has created a patch program and a number of activities along with hosting a mason bee kit. Details at www.facebook,com/groups/KingCoun-tyGSWW/1634166113514437

Local PresentationMissy will be speaking about

mason bees at the monthly edu-cational meeting for the general public put on by the WSU Master Gardeners on March 10. She will speak at 7 p.m. at 1000 N. Forest Street Suite 201. If you’re looking for more information and details about The Queen Bee’s program, check the website www.rentmas-onbees.com or mail questions to [email protected]

• Hardy Blue (AKA 16-13) blueberries: 4-year-old plants for only $4 each.

• Duke, Bluecrop and Reka blueberries: 3-year-old plants, $5 each.

• Tiben Black Currants: 2-year-old plants, $5 each.

• Berry plants: $10 each, including Gooseberries, Jostaberry, Kiwi, Goji Berry, Red and White Currants, Native Evergreen Huckleberry, Salal, and Lingon Berry.

Wholesale BlueBerry & Plants for sale

A great way to invest in your

property!

VarietiesPlanting help available!

Contact Travis Linds: (360) 398-3165 / 2145 ulrich road, [email protected] / www.greenconversion.net/berries Thanks for reading Grow! April issue deadline: March 22.

couRTesY PhoTo


Craft & Home

Now in its 30th year, the Spring Craft & Antique Show is coming to the

Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden March 17-19.

The Show will run 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday March 17 and Friday, March 18, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 20. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for Seniors (60+), and free for children 12 and under. Return privileges are available all weekend. Free parking is on site.

Approximately 100 northwest artists, crafters and producers will be at the show, featuring handcrafted wares, home and garden décor, gourmet treats, vintage treasures, repurposed items and much more.

Among new participants this year are three friends and fellow youth soccer coaches – Susan McKissick, Laura Mathes and Shannon Elmendorf – whose booth will be full of creative inspiration using re-purposed materials. The three women have been coaching Nooksack Valley Girls Soccer together for three seasons.

The 30th Anniversary Celebration will be held Friday March 18 from 5-8 p.m. with a coffee bar, cake and prizes.

Lunch and espresso will be available in the Garden Café, as well as ongoing live entertainment throughout the event. For more information about the show, visit www.LyndenCraftAntiqueShow.com or “Lynden Craft and Antique Show” on Facebook.

Everett Home and Garden ShowThe 15th annual Everett Home

and Garden Show runs March 11-13 at Xfinity arena in Ever-ett. Local professionals will lead gardening and home improvement workshops, and a large number of vendors will be on site.

Show hours are Friday noon to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admis-sion is $6.75 adults, $6.25 seniors, military/families with ID $2 each,

free for kids 16 and under. For the complete schedule see www.ever-etthomegardenshow.com.

SiCBA Home and Garden ShowThe 36th annual SICBA Home

& Garden Show takes place March 18-20 at the Skagit County Fair-grounds in Mount Vernon featur-ing over 120 indoor and outdoor booths.

Ciscoe Morris will be sharing his gardening knowledge, and semi-nar topics will be taught by local professionals and residents

The 7th Annual Playhouse Chal-lenge is also on, with five builder members building playhouses and donating them to local charities. The winners will be drawn Sunday at 3 p.m. Photos will be posted on the Show’s Facebook page.

Hours are Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $5/person or $8/family. See sicba.org.

Pottery by the PoundBlue Water Pottery will be

holding their Annual Spring Studio Seconds Sale on Saturday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The studio doors will be open, the wheel will be on, and the clay will be wet! Any children looking to experience hands-on wheel throwing will be encouraged to come muddy their hands and break out their smiles. The studio will be selling pottery seconds - those old, flawed or just weird pieces - by Jeremy Noet and Dyana Fiediga at $5 per pound. You’ll find mugs, bowls and all sorts of functional pottery, not to mention planters. New this year is guest artist Ann Marie Cooper of Kulshan Clayworks with her coiled pottery.

Blue Water Pottery Studio is at 2521 Vallette St. in Bellingham, behind the house, with alley access. For more information email [email protected] or visit their facebook page.

it’s Spring: Lynden Craft and Antique Show, Home and Garden events, draw crowds

Among new participants this year at the Lynden Craft and Antique Show are three friends and fellow little league soccer coaches – Susan McKissick, Laura Mathes and Shannon Elmendorf. Their booth will feature repurposed items. couRTesY PhoTo


Nettles are up, wild mustard is flourishing, I’m hearing bird song that I haven’t

heard in a long time. Oregon grape has flower buds on it already. As I nibble on plant bits, I can taste their strong medicine, which means sap is flowing. What I can tell you is that it’s going to be an early spring and there is a lot of mold and mildew happening. The fungus among us.

Fungi is everywhere - in the ground and air, on plants, animals, and humans. It is considered neither a plant nor animal, but has its own kingdom. That’s something to be appreciated about any organism, eh? It has countless benefits. Fungi help plants converse with each other. It is the Great Composter and ties together the earth and all life upon it. Stroganoff wouldn’t be stroganoff without crimini, shiitake, button or any of the edible wild varieties of fungi available for the harvesting. We literally could not live if all the fungi on the earth were destroyed. I have always enjoyed a deep and passionate love affair with a wide variety of mushrooms and fungi. It’s just that when it wants to take up residence on or in me that I take exception.

For those of you who work out at health clubs and use the showers and locker rooms as I do, it can be a constant battle to keep fungus from taking up residence on the feet. Kids may bring home ringworm. Fungal infections can run rampant in the body. Itching, redness, pain, swelling. Weird looking talon-like toenails. Oh joy. Once a fungus takes up residence, it can be very hard to eliminate. A complete and total commitment to

wIld about PlaNts

natural relief for fighting fungusby Suzanne Jordan the application of antifungals must

be made in order to eradicate the infection. Fortunately, there are several plants which are powerful enough to work. Can I get an amen?!

The garden plants rosemary, sage, oregano, lavender, all the mints, and monarda/bee balm are amazing in their ability to kill fungi. A simple essential oil blend in a roller bottle can be applied twice a day to the infected areas, externally. I can personally attest to the efficacy of these herbs. I used to have a farm and wore muck boots all day long. One day I noticed my toes were itchy and red. I recognized this as a fungal infection and brought out my bottle of lavender essential oil. There was almost immediate relief from the itching and redness. I was consistent in the application of the lavender oil twice a day for a week. I had caught it early, so a week was all it took to eliminate the fungus. These days, every time I get out of the shower at the gym, I use my roller bottle of antifungal essential oils on my toes. It certainly keeps the fungus in check. For those with a nasty fungal infection, the essential oils may have to be applied twice daily for weeks or even months. Something to consider when doing an antifungal treatment of long duration is to be kind to your liver, as it will be working hard to eliminate not only the fungus, but the essential oils which will be entering the bloodstream. You might think about adding dandelion greens or roasted dandelion root tea to your daily diet while on an antifungal regimen.

For internal fungal infections, it’s important to note that most herbal antifungals also contain antibacterial elements. While

there is controversy on taking capsules of essential oils internally, please think about this: EOs such as thyme, lavender, peppermint, oregano, and rosemary are antifungals and antibacterials, both. Our gut contains a vast variety of bacteria that are of extreme importance to the health of our cardiac, nervous, immune, and digestive systems. The gut bacteria serve not only to digest the food we eat and help to eliminate waste, but these bacteria also tell our bodies to produce hormones for a wide variety of body functions including immune and nerve activity. It is now common knowledge that gut bacteria govern our moods, emotions and even brain activity. EOs that kill bacteria, kill ALL bacteria. They do not discriminate between “good” and “bad” bacteria. In my never humble opinion, this means that when taking antifungal herbs internally, It is a bad idea to ingest essential oils. Instead, use the herbs in safer applications such as teas or in soups, stews, salads, herbal vinegars, and dressings. It is always beneficial to take a good probiotic for the duration of the treatment.

In the wild, cedar, salal, saxifrage, and Oregon grape serve very well as antifungals. I make a medicinal oil from these freshly harvested plants. This oil can be applied externally to relieve not only the symptoms of fungal attacks, but kill them dead! In addition, Oregon grape and salal, which grow together, can be infused in apple cider vinegar and used either externally or internally to kill fungus. A half cup of this antifungal vinegar in a footbath brings welcome relief at the end of the day. Make sure to pat the

feet dry after soaking for about 10 minutes and let the feet hang out to breathe. Remember that fungus likes it wet. Dry feet are the enemy of fungi!

Incidentally, all of the plants above, in essential oil, alcohol tincture and/or herbal vinegar form can be used in the home and pet areas safely and effectively to kill mold, mildew, and fungi. For a few years, I lived in a home built in the 50s and had the aluminum window frames which would get wet and covered in nasty black mold. Ack! I frequently rubbed down the aluminum with cedar essential oil. As long as I stayed consistent in the application of the

cedar essential oil, I was able to keep the black mold at bay.

There you have it. Natural relief for the downside of this amazing organism!

As always, I leave you Wild About Plants!

Suzanne Jordan operates Cedar Mountain Herb School. To register for herbal workshops and apprenticeship programs, read articles, and ask questions, visit her website at www.cedarmountainherbs.com, or email her at [email protected].

Peeling Oregon Grape Root. (top), garden sage (above left) and prepping a basket (right). PhoTos bY suZAnne JoRdAn


We’re also in Lynden at 305 Grover St. and the monthly winter Bellingham Farmers Market!

Celebrating our

1st anniversary in Lynden!

Common threads adds Honey CampBELLINGHAM – Common Threads, the local non-profit organization focused on seed to table education, has added a Honey Camp to its Spring Break program offerings in April.

BELLINGHAM – Northwest Youth Services’ We Grow Garden is getting ready to open, and as they gear up for the 2016 season, tool and item donations are needed and welcomed for working and cleaning up the garden.

Do you have any of the follow-ing items, or would you be able to donate gift cards to help NYS purchase these items?

• 6 cubic foot wheel barrow• 3-5 garden trowels• Hand clippers for harvesting vegetables• 2 hoes for digging and planting• 2 rakes to aerate soil• 1 pitchfork for turning compost• Twine or nylon netting (ie. commercial fishing nets)• Colorful paint (pints, gallons)• (2) 6-foot plastic folding tables for pop-up market• Cutlery set good for cutting vegetables • 1 large cutting board (plastic non-porous preferred)• Paper plates and towels• Plastic cups, utensilsNorthwest Youth Services and

garden is located at 1020 N. State Street in Bellingham. The organi-zation collaborates with at-risk, runaway and homeless youth in Whatcom and Skagit Counties to foster self-reliance. Call (360) 734-9862 or visit http://www.nwys.org.

We Grow Garden: northwest Youth Services seeking help with tools

Thanks for reading Grow! April issue deadline: March 22.

Produce from the We Grow Garden, located at 1020 N. State Street in Bellingham. couRTesY PhoTo

Sampling the honey. couRTesY PhoTo

Programs take place at the WWU Outback Farm, a 5-acre farm and wetland restoration site on the WWU campus with large gardens, lots of trails for forest exploration and several sheltered

learning and gathering spaces. All spring break camps are scheduled Monday-Thursday, and allow kids the opportunity to explore, garden, cook, and taste.

Camp Honey, for ages 8-11, will explore pollinators and beehives, and learning about the important roles they play in the garden. Campers will also be planting, harvesting, cooking and eating.

Preschool in the Garden (3-5) and Farm Camp (ages 5-8) are also available during Spring Break. These two will also be held during the Summer months, in addition to Camp Pasta and Camp Pizza.

School-based programs engage kids in school gardens and the classroom from September to June.

For more information, see http://commonthreadsfarm.org.


juNIor growersName:

March 2016

Puzzle piece butterfly (pin)do you have puzzles pieces that don’t match with your puzzles? Make art! Pick puzzle pieces that have the shape of a butterfly and paint them as you want. use markers to draw a head and decorate the wings. glue pipe cleaner pieces for antennae shapes. want to make a pin? glue a jewelry craft pin to the back of the butterfly. Let dry. And enjoy!

what season is it when you are on a trampoline? Spring-time!

what’s a baby chick’s favor-ite plant?EGG-plants!

what kind of garden does a baker have?A “flour” garden.

Funny Farm

This month’s project

Write a poem about spring.

Unscramble these words:

PsRgIn

ffdAILsod

eessd

AMbsL

dsKI

KhcIsc

gseg

welcome to our section for our youngest readers to enjoy activities with their family and friends, and share artwork, stories, jokes, and photos. send submissions to [email protected].

WANT A FREE JUNiOR GROWERS STiCKER? send a quick note about the great stuff you’re doing and learning, and we’ll send you one! It’s green! email [email protected] or send to Po box 414 everson wA 98247.

AnsweRs: sPRIng, dAffodILs, seeds, LAMbs, KIds, chIcKs, eggs


Rain Gardens: wednesday, March 9. now is the time to determine where the water “sits” in your yard. Learn how to manage runoff and/or standing water by planting a mini-forest floor that will absorb and manage that extra water in your yard. Presented by the blaine com-munity orchards for Resources and edu-cation (coRe). 4 p.m. blaine Library, 610 3rd street, (360) 305-3637.

Canning and Food Storage Workshop: saturday, March 12. Learn canning and food storage techniques and safe prac-tices from a veteran canner 11 a.m. Addi-tional canning jars available for purchase on-site. Admission is free; $5 donation. bellingham senior center.

Organic Fruit Growing for Homeown-ers: saturday, March 12. You can grow tree fruits and berries using organic prac-tices, even in our challenging climate. Learn how to keep your trees and berry plants healthy and productive. we’ll dis-cuss the common pest and disease issues of our area, and how to deal with them effectively. other topics will include soil and weed management and use of com-post and mulches in fruit growing. be prepared to be outside. 10:30 a.m. cloud Mountain farm center, everson. http://www.cloudmountainfarmcenter.org

Anacortes Monthly Winter Farmers Market: saturday, March 12. held the second saturday of each month. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside the depot building. for more details, see anacortesfarmersmar-ket.org.

introduction to Weaving: saturdays, March 12, 19, and 26. Learn to weave us-ing a floor loom with Aurora Lindquist. In a series of three saturday morning sessions, learn to plan a weaving project and what materials to use, warp a loom, and create your own 2-foot by 4-inch rug. cost: $88. starts at 10 a.m. The first sat-urday session will end at noon, and the 2nd and 3rd will end at 1 p.m. Ragfinery, bellingham. see ragfinery.com.

An introduction To Carnivorous Plants with Antoni Stevens: saturday, March 12. Yes, you can grow carnivorous plants. Many are hardy in the northwest and live in a variety of conditions from natural bogs in your backyard to your window sill. Learn how to feed them, the fun of owning them, along with their general care and maintenance. class is free, call to register. 9 a.m. garden spot nursery, 900 Alabama st, bellingham. (360) 676-5480, www.garden-spot.com.

Rhododendrons: These Are Not Your Father’s Rhodies!: saturday, March 12. bob Zimmermann has been raising spe-cies rhodies from seed for 40 years and has just returned from his sixth rhody ex-ploration in china. he will describe and show pictures of some of the most inter-esting species, including many available at the nursery. 11 a.m. christianson’s

nursery, 15806 best Road, Mount ver-non. Reservations required, (360) 466-3821. $8 class fee. www.christianson-snursery.com.

Gardening With Wet Soils: saturday, March 12. Ani gurnee of Aulos design will share inspiration for plants, site preparation and maintenance. 1 p.m. christianson’s nursery, 15806 best Road, Mount vernon. Reservations required, (360) 466-3821. $8 class fee. www.chris-tiansonsnursery.com.

Blooming Scraps: wednesday, March 16. no matter what the weather is do-ing outside, we can make flowers bloom! I will show you my technique for hand sewing flowers from reclaimed wool sweaters. You can play with a rainbow of luxurious scrap material while making a pin or hairclip. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Instructor: Libby chenault. cost: $22. Ragfinery, bellingham. see ragfinery.com.

Starting Your Vegetable Garden: wednesday, March 16. Program repeats saturday, March 19. discover the right plant for the right place, how to plot your garden’s sun patterns, test and amend the soil, and the reasons and seasons for mulching/composting and pest controls. Presented by the blaine community orchards for Resources and education (coRe). wednesday is 4 p.m. and sat-urday is 10 a.m. blaine Library, 610 3rd street, (360) 305-3637.

Creating Cleaning and Refreshing Products: Thursday, March 17. Make your own natural home products with Karly batterman of otion: The soap bar. first, an essential oil based cleaning spray to zap germs without harsh chemi-cals. Then, a handy fruit and vegetable wash that safely cleans your greens. fi-nally make a custom aromatic reed room diffuser in a trendy bottle. That’s three handmade products along with the reci-pes! Registration required. Register on-line at wcLs.org or contact the library. 7 p.m. ferndale Library, 2125 Main street, (360) 305-3600.

Lynden Craft and Antique Show: Thursday through saturday, March 17-19. Approximately 100 northwest art-ists, crafters and producers will be at the show, featuring handcrafted wares, home and garden décor, gourmet treats, vintage treasures, repurposed items and much more. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and friday, and 10 a.m. to 5p.m. saturday. Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors (60+), and free for children 12 and under. for details see www.LyndencraftAn-tiqueshow.com.

5th Annual Women in Agriculture Conference: saturday, March 19. “Power up Your farm” is the theme for the fifth annual women in Agriculture confer-ence and will be an engaging, interac-tive day full of inspiration, learning and networking with other women farmers.

This conference is a one-day event held simultaneously in 31 locations through-out washington, Alaska, Idaho, Montana and oregon. Regional locations include coupeville, everett and Mount vernon, among others. visit the website for more information at www.womenInAg.wsu.edu, or contact donna Rolen of wsu ex-tension at [email protected] or (509) 745-8531.

Make Smoothies With Fruits & Berries You Grow Yourself: saturday, March 19. Learn to grow strawberries, blueberries, apples, rhubarb and raspberries in your own backyard with farmer helen solem of sumas River farm.class is free. 9 a.m. garden spot nursery, 900 Alabama st, bellingham. (360) 676-5480, www.gar-den-spot.com.

Bellingham Winter Saturday Farmers Market: saturday, March 19. Produce, foods, crafts and more. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at depot Market square. see bellingham-farmers.org.

Japanese Garden Design Techniques: saturday, March 19. Join hans wressnigg of nIwA Japanese Inspired Landscapes, as he covers enclosure techniques, cap-turing outside scenery, balance, and planes and volumes. 11 a.m. christian-son’s nursery, 15806 best Road, Mount vernon. Reservations required, (360) 466-3821. $8 class fee. www.christian-sonsnursery.com.

Grow Your Own Workshops at the Deming Library: saturday March 19. 10:30 a.m. herbs for family health, with Linda Quintana. Linda discusses grow-ing, harvesting and using 10 herbs suited to the Pacific northwest garden. Linda will demonstrate making a simple herbal salve and blend a nourishing tea for participants to take home. 12:30 p.m. Meat birds 101, with Anna Martin from osprey hill farm. want to raise healthy chickens for meat in your backyard? Anna will cover everything you need to know to have a successful experience. 2 p.m. Mason bees Alternative Pollinators. This workshop will introduce you to na-tive pollinators and how to identify and protect them in your yard. Presented by Kelle sunter from the blaine community orchards for Resources and education (coRe). event hosted in partnership with Local food works. 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. deming Library.

Spring Mushroom Grower’s Workshop: saturday, March 19. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Join us at cascadia Mushrooms to learn about the wonderful world of mushroom culti-vation! we’ll teach you how to grow deli-cious mushrooms at your home, school or business. All supplies will be provided and each student will take home several growing projects of their own. Advanced registration is required. Purchase tickets at www.cascadiamushrooms.com.

Crafternoon! saturday, March 19. bring

marCh eveNtsSend event submissions to [email protected]. Find more updates online at www.grownorthwest.com.

saturday, march 12: bob Zimmermann has been raising species rhodies from seed for 40 years. he will describe and show pictures of some of the most interesting spe-cies, including many available at the nursery. 11 a.m. Reservations required, $8 class fee. christianson’s nursery, 15806 best Road, Mount vernon, (360) 466-3821.

Rhododendrons

Good Pickin’s

Penn Cove Mussel Fest

Grow Your Own workshops

saturday and sunday, march 12-13: bold, briny and blue! come taste Penn cove’s world famous mussels at this beloved whidbey Is-land event! This weekend event features mussels, music, entertainment, farm tours and more. for a complete schedule, see http://thepenncovemusselsfestival.com.

Saturday March 19: Local food works and the dem-ing Library present this free series of workshops! Linda Quintana presents herbs for family at 10:30 a.m. Linda discusses growing, harvesting and using 10 herbs suited to the Pacific northwest garden. Linda will demonstrate making a simple herbal salve and blend a nourishing tea for participants to take home. At 12:30 p.m., Anna Martin from osprey hill farm will discuss Meat birds 101. want to raise healthy chickens for meat in your backyard? Anna will cover everything you need to know to have a successful experience. following at 2 p.m., Kelle sunter from the blaine community orchards for Resources and education (coRe) will discuss Mason bees Alternative Pollinators. This workshop will intro-duce you to native pollinators and how to identify and protect them in your yard.


HAPPY SPRING!

your friends, projects and supplies, and come create with us every third saturday of the month. 1-4:30 p.m. crafternoon is open to all ages. Accompaniment by adult required for those under 13. free. Ragfinery, bellingham. see ragfinery.com.

Spring Garden Walk With John Chris-tianson: saturday, March 19. Join John christianson for his first tour of the year through the lovely english style gardens of La conner flats located next to the nursery, then stride over to La conner flats to see what plants are showing an inspiring early spring display. 1 – 2 p.m. free. Reservations required, (360) 466-3821. www.christiansonsnursery.com.

Essential Oils 101: Health and Well-ness with Aromatherapy: saturday, March 19. enjoy a fun and interactive class on the basics of essential oils. You’ll learn how to use them safely, what oils to use, how to apply them, and why they work. essential oils can be an affordable, safe, and effective way to improve your health and wellness, and reduce toxins in your home, support immunity, uplift-ing your mood, and so much more! brief Q&A to follow. with Anna beth harman of do-Terra oils. 11 a.m. sumas Library, 451 2nd st., (360) 305-3600.

Edible Mushrooms of Northwest Washington, and Poisonous Looka-likes: Monday, March 21. Learn how to become a successful forager from north-west Mushroomers Association member Jack waytz. 6:30 p.m. blaine Library, 610 3rd street, (360) 305-3637.

Growing A Kitchen Garden: Vegeta-bles & Herbs: Monday, March 21. The skyline garden club invites you to their special evening program/event with in-ternationally known chef graham Kerr. he was the first entertainment chef on “The galloping gourmet” show. he is passionate about showing people how to grow quality healthy food in their own “kitchen gardens”. doors open to the public at 6 p.m. for earlybird auto-graphed book sales and refreshments. Program begins at 7 p.m. At 8:30 p.m. graham will draw the names of 4 lucky winners to come to his home near Mt. vernon this summer -- when his own kitchen garden is in full production – and he will make them something to eat with vegetables he has grown! everyone is welcome. cost is $10 for non-members. skyline beach club, 6041 sands way, An-acortes. for more info call sgc President Mary Lou childs at (360)299-8280.

More Amazing Conifers To Love: satur-day, March 26. come and meet horticul-turists Jock demme and John Andresen from Iseli nursery, our premier specialty conifer grower of oregon. Jock and John will showcase the new 2016 introduc-tions of new and unusual specimen plants. There will be special discounts offered. class is free. 9 a.m. garden spot nursery, 900 Alabama st, bellingham. (360) 676-5480, www.garden-spot.com.

Starting, Planting and Staking Dahlias Made Easy: saturday, March 26. Learn how to grow floriferous dahlias from tu-

bers, cuttings and seeds using inexpen-sive grow lights and propagation mats. John and Kathy willson, former owners of swede hill dahlia & sunflower farm, will demonstrate fool proof methods for getting your dahlia tubers off to a great start for amazing summer blooms. 11 a.m. class fee $8. Reservations required, (360) 466-3821. www.christiansonsnurs-ery.com.

Hugelkultur Demonstration: saturday, March 26. hugelkultur is a german word for making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood; loaded with organic mate-rial, nutrients, moisture retention and air pockets for the roots of what you plant. Join water ecologist, Kathy Anderson of bountiful Landscapes as she builds a small hugelkultur at the nursery. This is a two hour class outdoors, so be sure to dress for the weather. class fee: $16. for reservations, please call (360) 466-3821. 1 p.m. Reservations required. christian-son’s nursery, Mount vernon.

Dahlias! wednesday, March 30. It’s easy to have these beautiful flowers blooming in your yard from July through novem-ber! Perfect for our nw climate, these long bloomers come in thousands of dif-ferent flower forms and colors. Presented by the blaine community orchards for Resources and education (coRe). 4 p.m. blaine Library, 610 3rd street, (360) 305-3637.

Coiled Fabric Baskets: wednesday, March 30. This class will teach you to make sturdy baskets from almost any kind of scrap fabric! Thick strips of fab-ric are twisted and bound together with yarn, strong cotton string, or thin strips of more fabric. Many possibilities await! Instructor: Aurora Lindquist. cost: $22. 6:30-8 p.m. see ragfinery.com.

For more upcoming events, see www.grownorthwest.com.


loCal marketPlaCe & dIreCtorYgrowNorthwest

rate: 25 words for $10, each additional word 40¢ each. To place an ad, contact Grow Northwest at (360) 398-1155 or [email protected].

Next issue: APRIL 2016 • Deadline: MARch 22

grocersCommunity Food Co-Op: certified organic produce departments, deli café, bakery, wine, bulk foods, health and wellness, meat and seafood markets. cordata and downtown bell-ingham. 360-734-8158, communityfood.coop Skagit Valley Food Co-Op: Your community natural foods market. open Monday through saturday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 202 south first street, Mount vernon. (360) 336-9777 / skagitfoodcoop.com.PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected]. Sno-isle Natural Foods Co-op: 2804 grand Ave everett. (425) 259-3798. Mon-sat 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.snoislefoods.coop.

arts & CraftsDunbar Gardens: baskets handcrafted by Katherine Lewis from our skagit valley farm grown willows, classes, willow cuttings, farm-stand, 16586 dunbar Road, Mount vernon. visit www.dunbargardens.com Good Earth Pottery: bellingham’s premier pottery gallery, representing 50 local artists! 1000 harris Ave., www.goodearthpots.com.Mountainside Gardens: Local gallery/gift shop between Kendall and Maple falls, Mt. baker hwy. (360) 599-2890, www.mountainsi-degardens.com.PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected]. Northwest Garden Bling: gift shop featuring stained glass, fused glass & mosaic. classes, supplies, custom work. 44574 hwy 20, con-crete, (360) 708-3279 or www.facebook.com/northwestgardenbling

baked goods, sweets & treatsBreadfarm: Makers of artisan loaves and baked goods. 5766 cains court in bow. Prod-ucts also available at area farmers markets and retailers. (360) 766-4065, www.breadfarm.comMallard ice Cream: our ice cream is created from as many fresh, local, and organic ingre-dients as possible because that’s what tastes good. (360) 734-3884 / 1323 Railroad Avenue, bellingham / www.mallardicecream.com

Property, real estate & rentals

CAMANO iSLAND COTTAGES: business Rentals! Available now. want you own 8x7.5 shop/studio/boutique? [email protected] www.facebook.com/cuteca-manocottages REAL ESTATE FOR REAL PEOPLE. Jeff braimes, coldwell banker bain. buying, selling, talking. fifteen years’ experience. visit my blog at www.braimes.com or phone 961.6496WhyWeLoveSkagit.com see why we love liv-ing and working in skagit valley! we are calm, competent and caring about who we repre-sent. May we help you with buying or selling a home or property? don elliott and george Roth, coldwell banker bain, 360-707-8648 or [email protected] YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected].

beer, Cider, sprits & wineBellewood Distillery: craft distiller of wash-ington made vodka, gin and brandy. 6140 guide Meridian, Lynden, (360) 318-7720, www.bellewooddistilling.comMount Baker Distillery: we specialize in making hand crafted spirits using updated versions of our grandpa Abe smith’s tradition-al backwoods methods, recipes and equip-ment. www.mountbakerdistillery.comNorthwest Brewers Supply: brewing and winemaking supplies. serving the community for 25 years. check out our new location at 940 spruce street in burlington! (360) 293-0424, www.nwbrewers.com.

Farm supplies & Feed

Conway Feed: since 1919 the facility at con-way has supplied grains and assisted farmers with their crops. feed made fresh...naturally. conventional and certified organic. stop by the mill or call (360) 445-5211 for the nearest distributor. open Mon-fri 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 18700 Main st, conway.PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected]. Scratch and Peck Feeds: verified non-gMo and certified organic raw, whole grain feeds for your chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigs and goats. buy at the mill or one of our many retail dealers found at www.scratchandpeck.com 360-318-7585Lazy J Bedding: Premium chopped straw bedding, exceptionally clean, virtually no dust, ideal bedding for both large and small animals. Packaged in 4.0 mil bags for easy no-mess transport. Also try our certified weed-free chopped grass hay Mix and our chopped Alfalfa. Available at local feed stores throughout the northwest. www.lazyjbed-ding.com. 208-274-4632 or 877-885-2064

garden supplies & NurseriesAzusa Farm & Garden: skagit valley’s elegant garden center tucked in a beautiful flower farm. 14904 state Route 20, Mount vernon, (360) 424-1580.Charley’s Greenhouse: specializing in hob-by greenhouses, custom greenhouse kits, accessories and more. 17979 wA-536, Mount vernon. www.charleysgreenhouse.com, (800) 322-4707.Cloud Mountain Farm Center: nonprofit community farm center dedicated to provid-ing hands-on learning experiences. 35+ years’ experience. 6906 goodwin Road, everson, cloudmountainfarmcenter.org.Christianson’s Nursery: A wide variety of common and uncommon plants, garden ac-cessories, antiques and gifts. 15806 best Road, Mount vernon. (360) 466-3821, www.chris-tiansonsnursery.com.Garden Spot Nursery: great assortment of plants and flowers. weekend workshops. 900 Alabama st., bellingham. (360) 676-5480. www.garden-spot.com/Kent’s Garden & Nursery: 5428 northwest Rd., bellingham, (360) 384-4433. see www.kentsgardenandnursery.com.PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected]. Thanks for supporting grow northwest!

building & Construction

Babbitt Construction: serving whatom, skagit, san Juan and Island counties since 1993. Licensed and bonded. (360) 676-6085, www.babbittconstruction.com. Larsen House Works, inc.: custom building and renovation since 1981. (360) 318-3300. Li-censed and bonded, #LARsehw864Kf.REStore: salvaged and used building materi-als, salvage services, deconstruction and work-shops. 2309 Meridian st, bellingham. (360) 647-5921, http://re-store.org/our-great-store/bellingham-store/Skagit Building Salvage: used building ma-terials and more. buy, sell, trade. 17994 sR 536, Mount vernon. 360-416-3399. open Mon-sat 10-5:30. www.skagitbuildingsalvage.com.

Greenwood Tree, a waldorf-inspired coop-erative school, offers classes, homeschooling support, and community events for families with children ages 18 months – 14 years old. www.greenwoodtreecoop.org. PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected]. Wildcrafting apprenticeship programs, wild harvest Intensives, and herbal work-shops in skagit county! follow our facebook page! cedar Mountain herb school, cedar-mountainherbs.com/school.htm.

beef, Pork, Poultry & eggsOsprey Hill Farm: Acme-based farm offering csA, poultry, vegetables, and more. osprey hill butchery, our sister business, is taking reserva-tions for poultry processing dates. see www.ospreyhillfarm.com.PORK: certified organic by the wsdA. our pigs live on pasture! we sell usdA inspected retail cuts and also sell by whole or halfs. delivery available. contact: 360-722-4372. website: www.baldhamfarm.comTriple A Cattle Co: Local producer of All natu-ral Limousin beef sold in quarters or halves, cut to your specifications. Available year-round in Arlington. contact (425) 238-4772 or [email protected] YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected].

Bacterial Aerobic Digester, (ORGANiC): Re-duce/eliminate pumping the septic system. soil Amendment, bring Your soils back To Life. Animal Manure Lagoon digester, ekstran enterprises LLc, garner ekstran, 360-766-6043 Jay irwin Land Use Consulting: serving bell-ingham and northwest washington. over 15 years experience. (360) 410-6745, www.irwin-landuse.com.Learn the “Art of Horsemanship!”: sweet, well-trained horses carry you safely on lessons in the beautiful mountain trails or outdoor or indoor arenas. call for appointment. $40/hour, $25/half hour ride. (360) 988-0178.Northwest Rain Solutions LLC: (360) 303-9725, [email protected], www.nwrainsolutions.com. services: Rainwater harvesting, stormwater Management, drain-age, Infiltration, native Planting, green Roofs. Local, free estimates.Oyster Creek Canvas Company: full service canvas and industrial sewing shop special-izing in marine canvas. Recreational and outdoor fabrics, patterns, foam, webbing, hardware, industrial sewing, repairs. (360) 734-8199, 946 n. state st. bellingham. www.oystercreekcanvas.comStewart’s Consignment: we’ll sell your stuff online! 1201 cornwall Ave, bellingham. call for an appointment: (360) 739-7089.

restaurants & eateriesAdrift Restaurant: Adrift uses the bounty of the skagit valley and the surrounding waters to create memorable meals. 510 commercial Ave., Anacortes. (360) 588-0653.Brandywine Kitchen: happy hour 3-6 week-days. sandwiches, entrees, kids menu, des-serts, drinks and more. 1317 commercial, bell-ingham. (360) 734-1071, brandywinekitchen.com.

education, learning & workshops

NW Handpsun Yarns: where all things fiber are found. Your downtown yarn shop! 1401 commercial st., bellingham. (360) 738-0167, www.nwhandspunyarns.com.PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected]. Spinner’s Eden Farm: we raise award win-ning registered cvM (california variegated Mutant)/Romeldale sheep. Raw fleece, roving, and other wool products available. (360)770-6044, www.spinnersedenfarm.com.

Fiber & Fabrics

services

animals & servicesMaggi’s Farrier Service: specializing in the gentle handling of your horses. Maggi holbert, (360) 333-2467, [email protected].

seedsOsborne Seed Co.: vegetable, flower, herb and cover crop seed available. Located at 2428 old hwy 99 s. Road Mount vernon, wA. call (360) 424-7333 or visit osborneseed.com.

mushroomsCascadia Mushrooms: we have been a wsdA/usdA certified organic producer since 2009 and have been growing gourmet & medicinal mushrooms in bellingham since 2005. cascadiamushrooms.com/

Stanwood Commercial Kitchen for Rent: Large Kitchen wi/ 6 burner gas range, 2 con-vection ovens, freezers, refridgerators, walk in cooler, dishwasher, storage & much, much more! Plus Possible small storefront in high traffic area also available.(425) 737-5144 or [email protected]

Commercial kitchen

Food bank FarmingNE Bellingham: volunteers wanted to grow organic food bank veggies. Times flexible but every Tues morning and Mon evening during summer harvest. John @ [email protected] 360-389-1258. facebook cTKharvestMinistry SE Everett: Volunteers needed to grow or-ganic food bank food every saturday 10-1. call forrest: 425-772-5008 for more info. class-es and plots available.

PLACE YOUR AD HERE: 25 words for $10, ech additional word 40¢. send classified to [email protected].

help wanted

berriesBow Hill Blueberries: certified organic. blue-berries in the beautiful skagit valley. frozen berries, ice cream, jam and more. bowhillblue-berries.com

health & wellnessMassage and Prenatal Massage: Relaxation, pregnancy massage, deep tissue therapy, in-jury recovery and oncology massage. (360) 820-0334, [email protected]. Available by appointment only.Moonbelly Midwifery: In-home midwifery care for mama & baby. serving whatcom & skagit counties. compassionate, nourishing, culturally sensitive. Mary burgess, Licensed Midwife. www.moonbellymidwifery.com.Vital Aging Clinic: naturopathic medicine. Treating illness, cultivating wellness. Accept-ing new patients ages 18-110. dr. Alethea fleming. 902 28th st., Anacortes, 360-630-3022, www.vitalAgingclinic.com.

seafoodNerka Sea Frozen Salmon: wild AK king, coho, & smoked salmon for your holidays, plus whole albacore tuna for loining/canning. All frozen-at-sea, sashimi-safe, from our family to yours. (360) 303-7770, www.facebook.com/fvnerkaSkagit’s Own Fish Market: fresh seafood and daily lunch specials. Thank you for supporting local! (360) 707-2722, 18042 hwy 20, burling-ton. skagitfish.com

Corner Pub: great food, music and more. 14565 Allen west Rd, bow. (360) 757-6113Nell Thorn Restaurant: Local, delicious, handmade food. 116 south first street in La conner. (360) 466-4261Streat Food: see our menu and schedule for the food truck and cafe at bellingham cruise Terminal at streatfood.me. The Table: featuring fresh pasta made by the bellingham Pasta company. 100 n. commer-cial st., bellingham. bellinghampasta.com


the last row

the taste of honey

As a beekeeper I get to closely watch bees at work. I mean real close.

I often sit next to the hive open-ing and put my face inches from where the food-gathering bees fly in and out. Some of what they are collecting you can easily see, such as the different colored pollen captured on their hind legs; bright purples, golds, yellows, or blues depending on the flowers they are working in. Things you can’t see is the water and nectars they’ve har-vested, as it is carried within their gut, to be regurgitated and passed on to the bees within the hive. The foraging bees carry food and water so as to feed the growing colony and put something away for its winter survival. That “some thing” is Honey.

But all honey is not the same. In fact, it’s all different. The nec-tar (carbohydrates) and pollen (protein) is what determines those differences. Ultimately, it is the overall environment that the bee work within that creates honey’s

unique characteristics of taste, scent and color.

As there are over 235,000 differ-ent angiosperms (flowering plants) it follows that the honey created from their nectars can have wide variations in properties. Put sim-ply, if bees are working in a cherry orchard, the honey may have a slight cherry flavor. Blackberries? Maybe a subtle blackberry flavor. But since bees can travel up to 5 miles in search of food, honey is often a wild mix of flavors.

We also need to understand that all honey is not necessarily created with found natural ingredients, as some commercially sold honey is labeled. Because many plants and crops are now treated with pesticides, herbicides and other synthetic toxins, natural honey bee honey has become harder to find and thus, more expensive. Adversely, with money to be made, we now have more illegally imported (and unregulated) honey being dumped into our country’s food chain with substances such as sugar and corn syrup being added. This adulterated honey is becom-ing all too pervasive and unless you are diligent about where you purchase your honey from you could be buying something re-ally quite different from how it is marketed.

Here is my best advice. Buy local.

Purchase your honey directly from a beekeeper, your local farm-er’s market or from some other store or food cooperative that keeps a close eye on its sources.

In the bee-keeping world, beekeepers are divided into categories such as commercial, sideliner or hobbyist, often based on the number of hives kept (1 to 20,000+- hives). Another divi-sion is whether they use synthetic chemicals versus chemical-free methods to fight the various pathogens and insect pests that harm bee colonies.

Another important aspect of honey is in how it is processed. Most large grocery stores choose to sell pasteurized honey. In other words, it has been heated. De-pending on the level of heat, it has the potential to kill the probiotics and antibodies that are naturally found in honey. Listen/look for the word “raw” as it is often used by beekeepers to tell you that it has not been heated. There are other words that should clue you in to what has or has not been done to the honey. However, very few of these words are government-regulated or monitored and, unless you purchase from a solid source, you may not know what it is you’re actually buying. “Natural”, “Pure” and even “Organic” are all suspect if your standing in the aisle at the mega-foods store.

Thus, honey itself is a compli-cated thing. The taste, texture, color and its other attributes (such as medicinal) are all affected by where and from which plants were visited by the bees, the season (hot, cold, wet, dry), the terroir (soil, climate, sunlight) and how the honey was processed before and after extraction from the hive.

But is it complicated to buy? Not really. Get to know your local beekeeper. Find him or her at your local farmer’s market. Ask about where their bees worked, if they use natural beekeeping methods and if its been heated. Taste test the honey. When you find some-

by Bruce Vilders

PhoTo bY gARY bRown

thing you like, buy it. Consider buying more than just what you need for the short term as honey stores very well.

Finally, here is my advice for you to find the perfect honey. Take a class in beekeeping. We actually don’t need another beekeeper with 20,000 hives. What we really need are 20,000 more beekeepers with just one hive! You can help save the bees AND eat the best honey in the world. Yours.

Bruce Vilders is WSU certified beekeeper and the Executive Direc-tor of the Federal 501-C3 non-profit honey bee education APIS Project (apisproject.org)

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Documents

HAPPY SPRING!Korn was a student of Japanese farmer Masanobu fukuoka, and helped translate and edit the english version of fukuoka’s book The one-straw Revolution. Korn’s new book,