By: David Lynch
A statewide initiative on community supported agriculture (CSA) is being launched to bring together CSA producers and other farmers who are interested in the CSA model. Four state regions have been pinpointed for regional gatherings and will be conducted this spring to begin drawing together the Colorado CSA network. Guidestone and the Colorado Food Shed Alliance are collaborating to organize an event to include producers from the Arkansas River Watershed and the San Luis Valley. This is an exciting opportunity to promote practice of local food production and stimulate farmers to pursue the CSA business model. These regional meetings are being held to define the topics that will shape an agenda for a larger statewide gathering anticipated in 2010. The following plan is now set for our regional CSA event:
Date: February 15, Sunday
Location: Weathervane Farm
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
The agenda will include an introductory circle to learn about the regional CSA operations; a survey will be conducted to summarize the features of the CSA movement in the region. A potluck lunch and tour of the farm will follow. Two significant discussions will fill out the rest of the day:
1. Challenges and rewards of the CSA model
2. Directions for the future CSA movement
This will be a time of sharing and building our CSA community. CSA producers have long valued the opportunity to talk of their experiences, gather mutual support and learn from one another.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Movie Review: Wall-E
Written by: Eric Belsey
One of the joys of living with housemates is that they often bring cultural products to one’s attention that otherwise would have been missed. This was my experience with the first Men in Black movie; I dismissed it out of hand as some big-budget Hollywood blockbuster with little redeeming value. Then someone said, no, you have to see it. And I was pleasantly surprised by its creative humor.
Wall-E has followed the same trajectory for me. I saw the previews, and thought, oh, the mouse over at Disney/Pixar has made a cute little massive budget animated film about a lonely robot. Luckily, Cait bought a copy of the DVD, and while holding down the fort around here during the holidays, I popped it in our player.
Wall-E is slick, aesthetically intense and well-crafted, yet the movie carries an overt pro-farming and anti-consumerist message. Without revealing too much, basically the movie follows current trends in consumption to their logical conclusion: the death of the Earth’s capacity to sustain life. Humanity is choking on garbage, and so a spaceship is launched to preserve humankind in space while robots clean up our mess. Hijinks ensue.
Pay attention to the music when the credits roll; that’s Peter Gabriel, singing a great tune he wrote for the movie called Down to Earth (available on iTunes!) which extols the virtues of returning to a life lived closely with Nature. While there are times, as with any movie, when doubt must be suspended, I highly recommend this film for all ages.
One of the joys of living with housemates is that they often bring cultural products to one’s attention that otherwise would have been missed. This was my experience with the first Men in Black movie; I dismissed it out of hand as some big-budget Hollywood blockbuster with little redeeming value. Then someone said, no, you have to see it. And I was pleasantly surprised by its creative humor.
Wall-E has followed the same trajectory for me. I saw the previews, and thought, oh, the mouse over at Disney/Pixar has made a cute little massive budget animated film about a lonely robot. Luckily, Cait bought a copy of the DVD, and while holding down the fort around here during the holidays, I popped it in our player.
Wall-E is slick, aesthetically intense and well-crafted, yet the movie carries an overt pro-farming and anti-consumerist message. Without revealing too much, basically the movie follows current trends in consumption to their logical conclusion: the death of the Earth’s capacity to sustain life. Humanity is choking on garbage, and so a spaceship is launched to preserve humankind in space while robots clean up our mess. Hijinks ensue.
Pay attention to the music when the credits roll; that’s Peter Gabriel, singing a great tune he wrote for the movie called Down to Earth (available on iTunes!) which extols the virtues of returning to a life lived closely with Nature. While there are times, as with any movie, when doubt must be suspended, I highly recommend this film for all ages.
Friday, December 19, 2008
"Unto Us a Calf is Born"...
By: Amy of Cottonwood Creek Dairy
On a chilly night of Dec. 18th, the newest member of our herd was born. Buenie,
as we've named her, is a Jersey heifer and will grow up to join our herd as a
milk cow. Buenie's mom, Annabelle, joined us from a farm in New Mexico and Buenie is her first calf. Because the night was so cold and Buenie was slow to get moving, she spent her first night by the heater in David's kitchen. Her belly is now full of warm, nutritious colostrum and we are helping her learn how to get her legs under her. Soon Buenie will be joining the other little ones outside and our cow share members will be enjoying the bounty of Annabelle's milk.
On a chilly night of Dec. 18th, the newest member of our herd was born. Buenie,as we've named her, is a Jersey heifer and will grow up to join our herd as a
milk cow. Buenie's mom, Annabelle, joined us from a farm in New Mexico and Buenie is her first calf. Because the night was so cold and Buenie was slow to get moving, she spent her first night by the heater in David's kitchen. Her belly is now full of warm, nutritious colostrum and we are helping her learn how to get her legs under her. Soon Buenie will be joining the other little ones outside and our cow share members will be enjoying the bounty of Annabelle's milk.
Bucking The Trend
By David Lynch
As a recent resident farmer to the central Colorado mountain community, it has become painfully clear the challenges of preserving the region’s agricultural resources for local food production. How quickly have valuable agricultural lands given way to sprawling development and high-end resorts. Sadly, as one travels the scenic I-70 corridor, it becomes clear that the rural character of yesteryear has virtually disappeared; from Vail to Gypsum is not an active farm operation to be found. Oh yes, ranching remains a tradition in these high mountain valleys, but the possibility of local food production is no longer an option. The development of river and creek bottom areas for luxury homes has removed the very soils that might have served these communities as a local food source. Likewise, the conversion of the age old water rights for municipal use, once attached to these farms, has further minimized the agricultural opportunities.
The Upper Arkansas Valley is one such region that potentially faces the same fate. Second homes dot the landscape. Resale values of ranch and farm lands are soaring; clearly such property is unaffordable for agricultural enterprise. Even now, poorly planned development projects threaten to gobble up what few productive soils that remain.
So what of food security? Not only does it suggest access to food, but also food quality. For this the health conscious consumer seeks fresh, organic and locally grown food products. To somehow imagine that the industrial food system will forever serve our needs is to believe a petroleum-based agriculture will always remain abundant. Our greatest chance to ensure food security is to take stalk of our opportunity to foster a local food system. This requires having local farmers, growing local food for the local community.
How do we buck the trend toward commercialization of local agricultural resources? It’s a community wide responsibility! The future cannot be relegated to the landowner, nor can land use be given to the hand of the developer. Comprehensive land planning must include a public vision for local food production just as it must for recreational and open space values. Policy must be put in place that guarantees inclusive zoning; when land is set aside for development, it should protect a portion of land for food production. Tax incentives are necessary to encourage landowners and developers alike to preserve the agricultural heritage of a given property. Additionally, we must seek the means to make land tenure affordable; passing the stewardship of farm land to next generation farmers must preserve the equity of the existing farmer while retaining the affordability of land for the purposes of local food production.
There are a growing number of examples where collaborative efforts have successfully preserved CSA (community supported agriculture) projects. The Rodale Institute posts an encouraging story of one such effort. Read about it here.
This is an endeavor to be taken up by all: by landowners and farmers, by land planners and public officials, by land trusts and conservation groups, by lawmakers and politicians, by churches and schools and public institutions that have access to local lands. A sustainable future is in our hands.
A first ever national conference to focus on land access, tenure and stewardship will be held in our own backyard, June 10-11, Denver, Colorado. Visit the announcement at: www.farmlasts.org/conference.
As a recent resident farmer to the central Colorado mountain community, it has become painfully clear the challenges of preserving the region’s agricultural resources for local food production. How quickly have valuable agricultural lands given way to sprawling development and high-end resorts. Sadly, as one travels the scenic I-70 corridor, it becomes clear that the rural character of yesteryear has virtually disappeared; from Vail to Gypsum is not an active farm operation to be found. Oh yes, ranching remains a tradition in these high mountain valleys, but the possibility of local food production is no longer an option. The development of river and creek bottom areas for luxury homes has removed the very soils that might have served these communities as a local food source. Likewise, the conversion of the age old water rights for municipal use, once attached to these farms, has further minimized the agricultural opportunities.
The Upper Arkansas Valley is one such region that potentially faces the same fate. Second homes dot the landscape. Resale values of ranch and farm lands are soaring; clearly such property is unaffordable for agricultural enterprise. Even now, poorly planned development projects threaten to gobble up what few productive soils that remain.
So what of food security? Not only does it suggest access to food, but also food quality. For this the health conscious consumer seeks fresh, organic and locally grown food products. To somehow imagine that the industrial food system will forever serve our needs is to believe a petroleum-based agriculture will always remain abundant. Our greatest chance to ensure food security is to take stalk of our opportunity to foster a local food system. This requires having local farmers, growing local food for the local community.
How do we buck the trend toward commercialization of local agricultural resources? It’s a community wide responsibility! The future cannot be relegated to the landowner, nor can land use be given to the hand of the developer. Comprehensive land planning must include a public vision for local food production just as it must for recreational and open space values. Policy must be put in place that guarantees inclusive zoning; when land is set aside for development, it should protect a portion of land for food production. Tax incentives are necessary to encourage landowners and developers alike to preserve the agricultural heritage of a given property. Additionally, we must seek the means to make land tenure affordable; passing the stewardship of farm land to next generation farmers must preserve the equity of the existing farmer while retaining the affordability of land for the purposes of local food production.
There are a growing number of examples where collaborative efforts have successfully preserved CSA (community supported agriculture) projects. The Rodale Institute posts an encouraging story of one such effort. Read about it here.
This is an endeavor to be taken up by all: by landowners and farmers, by land planners and public officials, by land trusts and conservation groups, by lawmakers and politicians, by churches and schools and public institutions that have access to local lands. A sustainable future is in our hands.
A first ever national conference to focus on land access, tenure and stewardship will be held in our own backyard, June 10-11, Denver, Colorado. Visit the announcement at: www.farmlasts.org/conference.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Italian Sausage Lasagna
Posted by: Allison A.
This lasagna recipe was inspired by a recent visit to Colorado Grown where Amy of Cottonwood Creek Dairy fame was selling freshly made ricotta cheese. The recipe has a surprising number of locally produced ingredients as well as a very elegant taste.
Fresh pasta:
2 cups whole wheat flour – Mountain Mama, San Luis Valley
2 eggs - Weathervane Farm
Measure and pour flour onto a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well and beat them lightly with a fork. Using your finger, stir the egg and gradually incorporate all of the flour into the mixture. The dough should be smooth and not too stiff. Have a spray bottle filled with water on hand if you need to add more moisture to the dough. Knead for about 10 minutes or until elastic. Wrap the dough and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Roll out ½ of dough on a lightly floured surface. Rotating the dough ¼ turn as you work, continue until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Once you get to this point, you will need to stretch the dough to your desired thickness. (See Joy of Cooking for a nice explanation of this process.) Cut the pasta into 4” wide lasagna strips and allow to dry for an hour before cooking.
For the sauce:
2 T organic extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, diced – Colorado Grown
3 cloves garlic, minced – Colorado Grown
1 lb. Italian sausage – Colorado Grown
handful of sliced mushrooms
1 qt. jar homemade marinara sauce
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion. Cook until browned, remove from skillet and set aside. Remove sausage from their casings and place in hot skillet. Add mushrooms. After the sausage is cooked, add the onion and marinara sauce. Heat throughout.
For the cheese:
1 lb. ricotta – Cottonwood Creek Dairy
2 eggs, slightly beaten – Weathervane Farm
2 cups chopped spinach – Erin’s Greenhouse
salt and pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, eggs, and salt and pepper to taste, leaving the mozzarella separate. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 400˚.
Cook pasta in salted water until it is slightly underdone. Drain. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer the bottom with lasagna, half of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the sausage mixture, and 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat. Top with remaining lasagna, sausage mixture, and mozzarella.
Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Enjoy!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Pumpkin Bread Made From Scratch
Posted by: Allison A.This pumpkin loaf recipe uses less than half the normally called for sweetener in other loaves, but remains quite sweet to the taste. Thus, it will be a great snack bread to have around for all of your Thanksgiving house guests. The ingredients have already been adjusted the for baking at 8000ft.
From Pumpkin to Puree:
You’ll need 1 pie pumpkin (ideally left over from the Pumpkin Patch Festival or there may still be some available at Colorado Grown:) This will likely create enough puree to make two or three loaves or pies. Gut and peel the pumpkin. Cut into large chunks. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes, use a fork to test for softness. Place in a bowl and smash with a potato masher. Finally, place in a blender and puree until smooth.
Pumpkin Bread
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
2 eggs – Weathervane Farm
¼ cup turbinado
¼ cup agave or honey
¼ organic canola oil
1/3 cup plain yogurt – Cottonwood Creek Dairy
1 cup pumpkin puree
Preheat oven to 350˚. Lightly grease a loaf pan.
Combine all dry ingredients except the turbinado in a medium bowl and whisk together. In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, turbinado, agave, canola oil, yogurt, and pumpkin puree. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Guidestone Announces Public Meetings Set For Early 2009
Posted by: Allison A.
November 17, 2008 - Guidestone, a non-profit organization that supports local agricultural resource preservation, the local food economy, and farm based education in the Upper Arkansas River Valley is planning two public meetings set for early next year, one in Salida and one in Buena Vista. Recent events in Buena Vista have caused a significant outpouring of support from all reaches of the community, for which we are very grateful. These upcoming meetings are intended to help inform the public as to how they can continue to support the efforts of Guidestone in the valley.
Part of Guidestone’s work is to support local farming businesses by linking land and water resources with qualified farmers. Guidestone’s foundational project is the collection of farms currently located at the Cottonwood Meadows property in Buena Vista. Due to the recent failure of the vote to annex the Meadows property into the Town of Buena Vista, the future of that location as a Guidestone project is now in question. At this point, it is likely that the farm businesses will remain on the property for the next growing season and will continue providing locally grown agricultural products to valley residents for that time.
Despite the failed vote, the farming businesses currently on the Meadows property, Weathervane Farm, Cottonwood Creek Dairy and Colorado Grown, remain dedicated to finding a permanent home in the Upper Arkansas River Valley and Guidestone remains dedicated to these farmers in finding that home. While not eliminating the possibility of a long-term arrangement on the Meadows property, Guidestone is now pursuing properties throughout the valley both as a potential relocation for these businesses and for other farming businesses.
Guidestone and the Farmers recognize and appreciate the tremendous support of local citizens. We look forward to continuing to involve the community in building and sustaining a vibrant local food economy.
For additional information, please visit www.guidestonecolorado.org.
November 17, 2008 - Guidestone, a non-profit organization that supports local agricultural resource preservation, the local food economy, and farm based education in the Upper Arkansas River Valley is planning two public meetings set for early next year, one in Salida and one in Buena Vista. Recent events in Buena Vista have caused a significant outpouring of support from all reaches of the community, for which we are very grateful. These upcoming meetings are intended to help inform the public as to how they can continue to support the efforts of Guidestone in the valley.
Part of Guidestone’s work is to support local farming businesses by linking land and water resources with qualified farmers. Guidestone’s foundational project is the collection of farms currently located at the Cottonwood Meadows property in Buena Vista. Due to the recent failure of the vote to annex the Meadows property into the Town of Buena Vista, the future of that location as a Guidestone project is now in question. At this point, it is likely that the farm businesses will remain on the property for the next growing season and will continue providing locally grown agricultural products to valley residents for that time.
Despite the failed vote, the farming businesses currently on the Meadows property, Weathervane Farm, Cottonwood Creek Dairy and Colorado Grown, remain dedicated to finding a permanent home in the Upper Arkansas River Valley and Guidestone remains dedicated to these farmers in finding that home. While not eliminating the possibility of a long-term arrangement on the Meadows property, Guidestone is now pursuing properties throughout the valley both as a potential relocation for these businesses and for other farming businesses.
Guidestone and the Farmers recognize and appreciate the tremendous support of local citizens. We look forward to continuing to involve the community in building and sustaining a vibrant local food economy.
For additional information, please visit www.guidestonecolorado.org.
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