Earth Day Celebration in Salida - April 22

The Central Colorado Foodshed Alliance (CCFA), and the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA), are partnering to host an Earth Day Celebration in Salida.

A short film, sponsored by the CCFA, Coming Home, by the EF Schumacher Foundation, will be shown at 7:30 PM.

Local projects, ideas and businesses, will be featured at the celebration. Local energy projects, alternative currency, local farms, CSAs, farmer's markets, farm education projects, land trusts, a nature association, a foodshed alliance, greenhouses, a bioregional magazine and Transition Town will be some of the featured projects.

It will be held at the Community Center, April 22, 6:30 PM - 9 PM. The cost is free, however, a donation will be appreciated.

Please attend and celebrate our locavore living on Earth Day, 2010.

Guidestone Fundraiser Set for April 11 at the Boathouse Cantina in Salida

Spring is coming out and so is Guidestone! Come learn who Guidestone is and what we are doing to ensure the future of agriculture in this valley. You can help us continue this vital work!!

Join us for a celebration and fundraiser on Sunday, April 11, from 5 till 8 pm at the Boathouse Cantina in Salida next to the F Street Bridge. A 5 dollar bill will get you in and buy you a chance at some tempting raffle prizes and to hear some foot stompin’ music by “Local Honey”. Tickets available at the door.

Special guests will include Commissioner Frank Holman, who is participating in a new Guidestone initiative called Land-Link, a unique partnership between landowners and new farmers.

Guidestone will also roll out its plans for this year’s Farmhands education program, a popular hands-on interactive program to introduce children and their families to the total farm experience. An additional Farmhands teaching location will be announced at this event!!

A healthy local food economy equals healthy, happy people….be a part of Guidestone’s efforts to promote and support a sustainable future for the Upper Arkansas River Valley.

Guidestone would like to thank the following businesses for their support in making this event possible. Our sponsors include, Alternative Choices, Antero Hot Springs, Colorado Grown, Colorado Local Market, Natural Habitats, Ploughboy, South Main, Foresight Multimedia and more. Raffle items are being donated by massage therapist Denise Ackert, Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery, Eliza’s Bed, artist Jimmy “Rocketman” Descant, Mount Princeton Hot Springs, Free the Monkey Consignment, and more.

Hope to see you there!

Weathervane Farm Garden and Fruit CSA Shares Available

By Caitlin Roberts

The CSA model of food production creates honest connections between the producer, the consumer, and the land. In joining the Weathervane Farm CSA share you will be an integral part of the effort to produce quality food for our community, while sustaining the health of our local farmland and our local economy. Weathervane Farm provides a weekly share of the harvest, including a newsletter to connect with the farm, and recipes to aid in the use of all the delicious farm produce.

Weathervane Farm will once again offer garden and fruit shares this season. The share season runs 16 weeks from June 19^th to October 9^th. The garden share will include a bounty and diversity of vegetables harvested in season, washed, boxed, cooled and ready to enjoy. Though the bulk of the produce in the garden share is grown on site, we also work with other organic and no-spray growers to provide hot weather crops difficult to grow outdoors at 8000ft. We work with Austin Family Farms of Paonia, CO to provide the fruit for the fruit share. Designed to provide you with a diversity of fruits throughout the season including cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, berries, melons, pears and apples, the fruit share is a great way to experience the bounty of Colorado’s fruit growing region. To learn more about the shares follow this link to the Weathervane Farm website. http://www.weathervanefarmbv.com/products/shares.html

Weathervane Farm also raises chickens for eggs and meat. Eggs will be available at the farmers market stand and meat will be available fresh on the day of harvest. To learn more about Weathervane poultry products and reserve fresh birds ready for your oven or freezer please follow this link to the Weathervane Farm website. http://www.weathervanefarmbv.com/products/poultry.html

New Milk Shares Avilable at Cottonwood Creek Dairy

Cottonwood Creek Dairy welcomes the newest (and cutest) member of the herd! Dot was born on a chilly, snowy morning last week, but she was quickly up and nursing on mom, Angie. Luckily, the three older calves (Chloe, Clara Belle, and Charlie) had just freed up the calf pen and moved into their new home where they have a new shelter and plenty of room to run. So now Dot has the cozy corner pen of the barn to stay warm and be near mom for her twice a day nursings. Please stop in and check out the new calf palace and say hi to Dot when you come to get your milk in the coming weeks.

All this excitement on the Dairy means that we now have an abundance of raw milk shares available for new members. We are also able to offer more extras to our members in the form of yogurt, cottage cheese, fresh mozzarella, and cream. We also have our own delicious milk-fed pork available by the piece. You can try our bacon, sausage, pork chops with out having to buy an entire share of pork this time! Please contact Amy at amyemcmillin[at]gmail[dot]com or call 719-221-9630 about signing up for milk shares or buying pork.

Colorado an "Island of Tranquility" in the Realm of Raw Milk

Many of you likely know David Lynch of Cottonwood Creek Dairy, Colorado Grown, and Guidestone fame. But you may not be aware that David is also the President of the Raw Milk Association of Colorado. This organization advocates for the availability of traditional raw milk products and for a high standard of safety in the supply. Last weekend, the organization held its annual gathering. Blogger David Gumpert of The Complete Patient attended the meeting and wrote about it at this link.

From As Controversy Over Raw Milk Swirls About, Colorado Is an Island of Tranquility:

"I attended the annual meeting Saturday of the Raw Milk Association of Colorado, and also gave a talk that traced the state and federal crackdown on raw milk over the last four years across the U.S., and how it relates to proposed federal food safety legislation. Afterwards, a number of Colorado farmers and consumers came up to me and said they never realized the extent of government harassment that’s been going on around the country. “It’s a scary situation,” one attendee told me.

But in Colorado, legislation enacted four years ago that allows distribution of raw milk via herdshare arrangements seems to be working well."

Guidestone Volunteer Opportunities!

Guidestone is growing as our mission and work continue to create more opportunities in the Upper Arkansas River Valley. With several projects underway, we are now looking for volunteers to help us achieve our vision of local agricultural growth.

We see volunteers becoming the heart of our work and will only grow stronger through the time and efforts provided by them. If you want to become part of the Guidestone volunteer team, now is the time to let us know. We have many volunteer opportunities that range from blog and recipe writing, to fundraising, farm cleanup and beyond.

Current volunteer opportunities:

Blogger
Help us write blogs about the local food movement, agriculture in the Arkansas River Valley and recipes that showcase local foods.

Adult Education Class Coordinator
Guidestone hopes to expand its educational offerings to adults. Help us coordinate such classes as “Food Preservation”, “High Altitude Gardening” and “Composting 101”. Suggestions for additional classes are always welcome!

Guidestone Fundraiser
Become a part of Guidstone’s first fundraiser of the year. Help is needed prior to and during the event.
Date: April 11, 2010
Location: Boathouse Cantina, Salida, CO

Spring Meadows Cleanup
Don your work gloves and overalls! This event is a great opportunity to get to know the Guidestone Board and Staff and the farmers of Weathervane Farm, Cottonwood Creek Dairy, and Colorado Grown. Help us to prepare the farm for the upcoming Farmhands educational programs and the growing season ahead. Participate in the maintenance of this beautiful land and creek setting here in the Upper Arkansas River Valley.
Date: To be determined

Farmhands
Do you love to work with kids and animals and dig your hands in the soil? Guidestone’s Farmhands education program will be in need of volunteer assistants this coming season. Please let us know if you are interested and stay tuned for more information.

If you would like to volunteer with Guidestone, please contact Lindsay at laj324[at]yahoo[dot]com or Katie at katie[at]southmainco[dot]com.

Quinoa and Sausage Stuffed Squash

This dish has quickly become a household wintertime favorite. The original recipe that this one is based on comes from the Joy of Cooking although it has evolved quite a bit since then. The nice thing about this recipe is that it is easy to get creative and come up with your own combinations of flavors. Have fun and enjoy!

Squash – 3 acorn or 1 butternut
2 T olive oil or butter
1 cup quinoa – grown in the San Luis Valley by White Mountain Farms
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb ground sausage – Use any type you like. Visit Colorado Grown for delicious choices
1 cup chopped kale – I saved some in my freezer from last summer’s veggie share through Weathervane Farm
½ cup Parmesan cheese plus extra for topping, grated
Seasonings and salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350

Halve and seed squash. Place a steaming basket in a pot with water (be sure to not allow the water level to be higher than the level of the bottom of the basket). Bring the water to a boil and add the squash halves. Cover and steam until soft, usually 10 to 15 minutes.

Rinse 1 cup quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and drain. In a medium sized pot heat oil or butter and add chopped onions and garlic. Cook until golden. Add quinoa, toasting for about 3 minutes. Add broth and other seasonings (I used coriander and turmeric… just get creative). Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for 12 – 15 minutes until the liquid is gone.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet cook sausage. Add chopped kale, stirring until wilted. Turn off heat.

Combine quinoa mixture with sausage mixture and parmesan cheese. Make any final seasoning adjustments. Spoon into squash halves and place in baking dish. Top with remaining grated Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.