The Open Gate Farm On Camano Island, Washington

Dear Friends:

Well that was fun!  By golly another New Year’s Eve was survived and we’re still on speaking terms with the chickens and ducks.  When you are out late carousing, it’s hard to drag yourself down to the pen to close the door and gate and lock them in safely for the night.  But we did and they relaxed.

Note:  The bakery is still available, if you are yearning for any breads or…gasp…cinnamon rolls!  One family took some of those rolls for breakfast to welcome in the new year.  Great idea!  Fight sugar with sugar, we say.  Order here and email it back…

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Dear Friends,

If you looked out your window and studied your thermometer this week and concluded the 2010 produce season at The Open Gate Farm has ended, you have the makings of a real farmer.  Frozen is the word for the garden this week.  With that ending, we are making a subtle change in the offerings for those enjoying the “Saturday Box” program.  We are deleting the produce, continuing the bakery, and adding a “From the Heart” column.  This will be for gifts you may want to give yourself or someone special!   So let us know…any of you…and we’ll have it ready Saturday morning at 10!

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Dear Friends of the Farm:

“How long will you be open?” asked the wistful lady with a handful of lettuce while eyeing the cinnamon rolls.

“Don’t know for sure” said the farmer hedging his bets.  “Depends on the weather and the traffic.  When either goes bad, it will be time to let it go for another season.  But we know our fields of produce don’t disappear when the rains start and our radishes and beets don’t get swallowed by the ground just because folks choose to shop in a warm store instead of a fresh air stand.”

Last year we were open until Halloween.  Looks like it will be so again this year.  But definitely through Harvest Jubilee on September 25^th!  That’s when area farms are open for tours and fun to give folks a chance to meet their farmers and discover that our area really can feed itself.  We’re handing out maps to the farms at the stand so come get yours!

And while you get a map, you can see all of this too…

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Dear Friends of the Farm:

Fall is in the air.  It’s only September 1st, but we found some Fall in our lettuce this week.  We know Autumn is just around the corner when we find the first fir needles in a head of lettuce.  We’ll check them closely but don’t be shocked if one turns up in your salad at home.  That’s the beauty of buying local you know.  You can tell it’s from close to home because it is a fir needle. If it were a pine needle you would know the lettuce was from California.

It’s been a quiet week at the farm, but one filled with good news.  Our intern from last summer will be here Friday for lunch!  She plans to spend the day so those of you who have missed Katherine, do come by and hear her stories!  She’s got lots of new ones to share and has been asking after you as well.  We’ll have the awning up and chairs in the shade.

And here’s what will be on the stand…

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Dear Friends of the Farm:

A lot of you folks voted this last weekend.  And we thank you for your vote!  You voted for us with your feet and voted the straight local ticket.  Lines formed at our stand and we moved more lettuce and beets and radishes and leeks over the counter than ever before.  Not to mention all the tasty breads and cookies!  Thank you all for your votes of confidence!  We will do our best to exceed your expectations again this weekend.

And here is what you can expect this weekend!  Look especially for that gorgeous Mareveille des Quatre Saison (Marvel of the Four Seasons) lettuce.  It is a red tipped buttercrisp with glowing yellow tinged interiors.  It was introduced from France back in 1880 and has long been a favorite! A new bread…cheese / olive boats look like Italian gondolas floating down the canals of Venice.  And more!

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Aw shucks. Now the Parson is going to want a “The Parson is In” sign for his counseling services.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20100804/NEWS01/708049861/-1/NEWS

Dear Friends of the Farm:

When the Black Plague swept across Europe from 1348 to 1350 A.D. killing between 30 to 60% of the people, one group escaped unscathed.  It was the workers in the lavender fields.  And in the two world wars of the last century, when soldiers in Europe needed a disinfectant but had none, wounds were packed with lavender and healing happened.  Lavender is amazing stuff!  It smells good too!

And it is on our stand now!  We have a student in our Honorable Farmer Class who has 400 of these life giving plants down island and has brought a tub of these miracle flowers to us.  She has a full line of sachets, soaps and lip balm which are in a charming basket and ready to go home with you to improve your lives too!  And this is the culinary lavender, so it does double or triple duty.  It keeps you healthy, makes a great gift, and can be put into cookies.

Then the beets are ready to go too!  Well, their greens are, and many of those greens have baby beets hanging off the end.  Don’t know what the healing power of beets is, but they taste so good they must be healthy!  Steam these, drizzle with good vinegar, and watch them disappear from your families plates. (more…)

Dear Friends of the Farm:

“And a one and a two and a three!”  It felt like we were in a Lawrence Welk studio this week, down at the little red duck barn here at the farm.  It kept getting better and better, our steps lighter, and our hearts happier.  By the time it was over there were three balls of fluff with stubby beaks and sturdy legs toddling about under the protective and glaring eye of their mother.

Though she may not be the biological mother, Margaret certainly has all the rest of the attributes.  Calls to mind the wedding we attended a couple years ago.  Our 70+ year old friend was marrying a retired missionary whose wife had died a few years previous.  He was probably 80.  But at the reception his son toasted the couple and in particular welcomed “Mom” to the family.  He told us “Mom” stood for “My Other Mother”. (more…)

Dear Friends of the Farm:

This has been a roller coaster week at The Open Gate Farm.  Not only have we ranged from uncommonly heavy rainfall to days of bright sunlight, we have also swung from the valley of death to the celebration of new life.

Our dear, classic rooster, Jerry, developed gangrene in one of his toes and so has now gone on to the big corn field in the sky.  He will be well rewarded there for he was much loved here.  He was probably the best rooster we’ve ever had, gracious to the ladies, gorgeous without vanity, and a crow with all the deep tones a rooster crow should have. We were so sad to have to say goodbye to our friend.  But he had lost the ability to walk, limp, or even hobble from food to water and back again so it was time.

And then we lifted up Margaret the Muscovy Duck who has been setting on a clutch of duck eggs and discovered a little black quacker under her looking back at us! We quickly lowered her into place and have not disturbed her since except to sterilize her little swimming pool and top off her food bowl with cracked corn and oyster shells (for her gizzard) and load up a bowl with duck baby food.   Then we peeked again and saw the little fellow…black bill, black down on top and yellow on the bottom, just like he’d been swimming in a pool of yellow pollen. (more…)