The No-Till Option... Pretty cool

Wow, I had a friend from the Mt. Vernon extension office come out and take a look at my plot. During our conversation he mentioned an interesting method for starting some of the rows I need to direct seed.

The idea was about using newspaper and compost to suppress weeds and germinate your seeds. I think I might need to try this on few rows, just to see how it goes... Lazy man's gardening!

Here is a video I found at Audubon Magazine.

Peppers and tomatoes are coming along nicely

So my peppers and tomatoes are growing nicely. In fact, I have a lot more tomato plants than I anticipated. I think I had something like a 95% germination rate for my Black Krim, Brandywine, Legends and Chadwick tomatoes. The peppers haven't germinated that effectively, except for my poblano peppers. These are growing like gang-busters so far.



Right now, I have them under three 150watt CFLs, and running on a 24/hour cycle. Growth looks good. At first I was getting a lot of spindly little starts, especially outta my kale and broccoli till up'd the light. The little guys were struggling to reach the light. Now, it is nearly on top of them.

Anyway, with the germination rate on all my other peppers, I think it is time to start more seedlings! But that is ok, this next planting will be a few weeks behind so I can have a tapered harvest for the peppers.

Sunday Feasts on Ebey

So now that we are living back on the Westside of the mountains Crystal has been able to see her family more often, including her brother and his family. They are big into food too, how it is grown, where it is grown and of course how it tastes. So last Sunday we inaugurated a weekly get together; I guess you'd say it was more like throw-down with cooking, eating, and drinking.

Whenever I think about the whole catering idea, I think about working with them. The food was incredible and I think together we could knock the socks off of most people.

Each of us had a couple of dishes we were meant to prepare. For their part, they tackled a baby artichoke and serrano ham dish, along with garlic shrimp in lemon aioli. I put out some roasted veggies with fresh herbs and beef skewers that had marinated in a guajillo chile sauce I'd made earlier that morning. What made all that much better was the food was cooked on a grill with alder we collected from the property.

Wow, it was crazy eats!

I look forward to more of these events, especially once we start harvesting something. It was very interesting to think nearly 80% of all the food we ate was stuff that I will be growing/producing on our farm this year. And that is what it's about, growing good food and eating good food!

Trying to keep on top of things!

Apologies for my long absence. I have been spending so much of my time juggling the duties of being a PhD student, father, and now farmer.

Nevertheless, it is time to take a break and reflect. For one, I know the gardens need to be finished. I need to plant my beets and greens! I have already started celery, three different varieties of tomatoes, kale, broccoli, rosemary, strawberries, walla walla sweet onions, and the peppers are now germinating in their little starter flats.

The chicken coop is nearly completed. Just need to finish the roof to their run (gotta keep the eagles out!), and bolt their nesting boxes to the coop. So things are coming along nicely, just haven't had much time to sit back and write about all the things going on up here.

I will say this, the biggest stress is less about planting and upkeep, but ensuring that I have enough operating capital to last till we begin harvest. There is so much one needs to accumulate in tools and equipment just to complete your tasks. Plus, there are the legal and certification hoops one has to jump through before you can even begin selling your produce at the local markets.

But we are plugging away, refusing to be deterred. And overall, this adventure has been fun and continues to be fun, even if it still just the beginning.

A short tour...

I was sitting here and just realized that I haven't posted any pictures of our new place. So I decided to share a few images from around the place. We haven't been here long so there is still lots to do, but we are going to get there. Come mid-May things will be looking very different here! Yet, even in its raw state, the place is beautiful and tranquil.

Food Experiments - Spicy Peanut Mole

Continuing along with my food experiments, I decided to try out Rick Bayless's Spicy Peanut Mole recipe from his book "Mexican Kitchen." Of course, I cannot do something without modifying it, but this was definitely another keeper.

Basically this was a recipe for grilled chicken smothered in this smoky-spicy-sweet peanut sauce and topped with crushed peanuts and flat-leaf parsley.



You start off with two dried ancho chili peppers. Slice them in half, remove stems and seeds, and gently heat on a skillet (do not let them smoke). Once warm and soft, set in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes.

Next you saute an onion, 3 cloves of garlic and 2 tbs. of cooking oil. Once the onions and garlic are done, stick it in a blender. Then roast two or three tomatoes (large is good), peel them once done and stick in the blender.

Now, add about 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to the mixture, along with 1/2 tsp. of cumin (but I double this), 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cloves, two chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce) and 1 1/2 cups of dry roasted peanuts.

Puree the mixture, then in a large pot add another tbs. of oil. Heat until a drop of the peanut mixture sizzles when dropping it in the pot. Once it sizzles, add all of the mixture, stirring until it thickens up. Finally, add about 3 more cups of chicken broth, stir and simmer on low for about an hour.

This mixture can last about 5-7 days, and goes great with grilled chicken, eggs, even as a dipping sauce.

Yummmmmmm!!!

Here chicky, chicky - Urban Ag and Chickens

So we are pushing forward and expanding beyond the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. We recently added some feathered friends to the mix out here on our small farm, six Rhode Island Reds. We are starting off small and looking to eventually expand and perhaps add a rooster to the mix. But even a small addition of meat and eggs is a big aspect of the whole self-sufficiency initiative here.





In addition to these cute little chicks, I'm still interested in pushing things to the next level, to include milk and cheese. Cows or goats would be a nice, but as we have found out, even raising chickens requires a lot of attention, patience and persistence. So for now, our hands are full, but I suspect we'll get the hang of it, and do more.

Some Reflections - Urban Ag and Self-Reliance

Community and backyard vegetable gardens have come to symbolize much of the urban agriculture efforts in the US. However, urban agriculture is expanding in the US with food preservation, backyard poultry operations and many other forms of small scale food operations taking root in cities across the United States. This is particularly true here in the Pacific Northwest where gardening and city farming are being advocated and supported as a policy for community and ecological health.

Concerns over global ecological sustainability, energy shortages, and neighborhood blight have inspired a movement of people seeking ways to bring a material and spiritual balance to urban life. And for a growing number of engaged citizens, this balance requires us to get closer to our sources of food, whether this is by means of buying directly from farmers, or by cultivating food on one's own. For many, the closer we are to our food source the more control we have over our own health, the trajectory of our communities, and the well-being of our families.

And ultimately, that is what this project is about. On one hand, this is about learning as a family, as individuals and as part of a larger community. On the other, it is about a philosophical orientation that requires action and a certain sense of personal responsibility about the current status of our world, and our part in this whole thing. This includes understanding and acting upon the ways my own actions (mostly through personal consumption) influence the state of inequity and environmental degradation in the world.

Nevertheless, this is one big experiment, one that is putting this philosophy to the test through practical efforts. For example, I wake up, write for a bit then get to work around the place, planting, tilling, cleaning, and watering. I chop wood, help cook dinner, you know the basic things of life. Yet, I'm still not sure about everything, it seems like a dream. But even as I scramble to start this farm and complete my dissertation, the time I have to spend with my family is immensely more rich and intimate than before, and for me this is huge in of itself.

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds

Well they came in finally, I got most of all the seeds I will need for the growing season. This is going to be a lot of work! But I'm super excited. I also got all my pepper seeds in, so the pepper project is on! I got my seeds from Pepper Joe, and he included lots of extra seeds. We'll see how everything pans out over the next couple of months, but so far, I would recommend him as a superb source for a range of peppers.

Let's see, I got:
Habanero Chile -


Giant Jalapeno Pepper -


Black Jalapeno -


Early Jalapeno -


Charelston Pepper -


Thai Sun Pepper -


Serrano Pepper -


Tabago Seasoning Pepper -


Paprika -


Poblano Pepper (got lots of these as they are my favorite to cook with whether fresh, roasted or dried) -


Scotch Bonnet (Yum!) -


Tabasco Pepper -


Anaheim Chile -


Of course I got a few more Jalapeno and Sweet Bell Pepper seeds, but this is the bulk of the pepper list. Oh boy, I got another month before I can start them and then it is on!

Getting to know the Island

It has actually been a busy two weeks! We are still getting settled into our new home, and new community. First of all we love the house, the land and so far we have already met a few interesting people.

My daughter had her first play date with a kid from her new school. I met the dad and I told him what I was up to with this whole urban food project. He too has had similar visions of living more sustainably, and much further along than I am. But few hours later my daughter gets dropped off along with 40 strawberry plants in a buckett! The strange thing is that Crystal and I were just sitting and talking about berries.




I love seredipitous moments.

For the love of good food

Even though the garden isn't planted yet I figure there is no reason I still shouldn't be cooking great food. In a way, I'm still honing my culinary skills, picking up new cook books and experimenting with different ingredients and tastes.

Last night was an adventure in preparing a green mole with pork shoulder, chayote squash and fresh green beans. Then mixed with a fennel, parsely and cilantro puree. The theme for the night was definitely green!!! And this stuff was hot! My son and I love the hot food, but the girls, not so much. So this is a warning, only cook this if you enjoy spicy Oaxacan foods.







As you can see I love food, I love taking pictures of food, cooking, growing, and of course, I love to eat! It is this love for cooking and eating good food that has inspired the direction of the garden. In general, my plan is to grow the foods me and my family love to eat. Crystal is French/Italian, and I lived in Italy for a few years so we must have a the Mediteranean garden covered, but I'm a Texas boy. Nothing has inspired my culinary curiosity more than Mexican food. I love it all!

So the goal is to establish a Mexi-Mediterranean Garden up here in the Northwest. I understand that some items will not grow well up here in the Northwest, but we are going to try anyway. It will definitely be an interesting, if not difficult, but rewarding experience to be sure.

I can't wait!!!

In the new home

So we have finally made it to our new home. Of course, just as we are wrapping up the move-in process, the real work starts. Garlic and green onions have to go in this week! I need to get the rest of my seeds, clear my plot, perhaps construct a hoop house; there is a lot of stuff to think about when you get right down to it. And doing this all while completing my dissertation!

Yet, I felt this was something that must be done. If we are realistic about what it means to live sustainably, (which I equate to self-sufficiency) then we will begin to equip ourselves with the know-how to live closer to the land and closer to our neighbors. I have spent so much time studying agriculture from an academic perspective. I wanted to actually live it; to experience what it takes for a food-lovin city slicker to take on the title of farmer/chef.

Fortunately, I have had some experience in the past few years working on an organic farm at Washington State University. So it is not all new to me, but before, it was a team. Now, it is just me and my family. Second, I have no formal cooking experience, just a whole bunch of people telling me to cook more! I have no food preservation experience, but we are going to make an attempt to store food, make salsas, jams, kraut, whatever.

It will definitely be work, and most certainly, a learning experience for us all.

Changing Direction: From Peppers to Self-Reliance

So I started this blog to record my experiences cooking and growing peppers. Obviously I have posted a damn thing since I started the blog!!! But, I think this project is going to expand in a significant way. As fate would have it, my family and I are moving out of the Pullman area, and going back to the West Side of the Cascades, Everett, WA to be exact. The kicker is we found a 30 acre place to rent. We are able to have animals, fish, grow food, etc. Not to mention there is a farmers market about 10 minutes from where we will be living.

We will be taking over the property as of this coming Saturday, and this will mark the beginning of an experiment where a couple of city folk and their children will embark on a quest to increase our own self-reliance off the land.

I will still stay true to my pepper fetish, but that is only a part. And somewhere in there I will find time to finish up my dissertation, but I plan for us to grow as much as possible the things we need, preserve excess, and take the remainder to local farmer's market.

Of course, it isn't like we are completely clueless about what we are getting ourselves into. I have been farming here on the Palouse with the WSU Organic CSA farm for the past few years, I have helped to manage the local farmer's market. So yes, this isn't just a whim. I'm doing a PhD on urban agriculture and sustainability. Yet, my research doesn't address anything that touches upon the experience of being a part time farmer in the city.

I want to know, intimately what it is to feed my family and myself.

Certainly, there is a lot of stuff out there on the web on how we need to change our food habits, where we purchase our food, what we purchase, and when we purchase. Michael Pollan has even gone so far as to suggest that a sustainable food system will require a mass exodus of people to take up life back on the land. He argues that we need to promote and incentivize the creation of a new agricultural revolution where farmers and consumers are closer together. Where consumers are bound by the land and seasons for their food, and where farmers can make a living from growing and selling food within in the local community or region.

Others have suggested that we not only need this sort of reconfiguration, but we need to ramp up urban agricultural production, or at least urban expansion should consider and support urban agriculture. I am a big proponent of urban agriculture. You know, the whole "Food Not Lawns" idea. While urban ag is a huge component of the food system in developing countries, in the US it is still in its nascent form. With my little project I hope to change that...

Anyway, I will be making more posts about this journey, probably sprinkled with some of my research ideas, projects, and of course, all the wonderful food creations I come up with. In fact, I'm thinking I ought to start listing all the recipes that I can't live without. Perhaps that would be a good starting point for thinking about the things to grow; consider the recipe for my favorite foods, and grow the ingredients!