Farm Tour: Red Barn Lavender

When the lavender blooms, beginning in June, you'll have no need for a map. Red Barn Lavender owner Marv Fast tells me, "We've had people who followed the lavender scent from two miles away!"

Red Barn Lavender is nestled among the rolling hills two miles from the heart of Ferndale, Washington. A stunning view of snow-capped Mount Baker and tufts of lavender plants arching over gentle slopes make it a popular stop for photographers and lavender lovers.

Two distinct styles add to some misconceptions about lavender. French lavender has a component called lavendine, which is camphor-based. This aromatic--some say pungent--lavender is widely used in the fragrance industry. It is distinctly different from English lavender, which is used for culinary purposes.

During peak blooming season, bee hives are placed on the farm. The honey extracted reflects a pale golden color and a slight hint of lavender essence. The delicate flavor shines on scones or stirred into yogurt.

In anticipation of blueberry season, I grab a bag of English lavender buds. Blueberries and lavender are wonderful paired together. Warmed over a gentle heat, blueberries infused with lavender buds makes a great topping for ice cream or pound cake.

Want to visit Red Barn Lavender? Mark your calendar. April through the end of July, plants, buds, honey, and essential oils are available for purchase and during the peak blooming season, they offer a variety of craft classes. Check the website for details.

I was immediately smitten with Red Barn Lavender's salvaged window and cedar greenhouse. Spacious and flooded with light, it has an unobstructed view of snow-capped Mount Baker.





Take a peek inside the greenhouse.





Cultivating over 3,600 lavender plants, beginning in April Red Barn Lavender also has starts available for sale.




In due time...





Who knew there were so many different varieties of lavender? Culled from their website, here's a sampling of the varieties they grow: Buena Vista, Grosso, Maillette, Fred Boutin, Hidcote Giant, Old English, Twickle Purple, Royal Velvet, Blue Hidcote and Pink Hidcote. We have many specimen plants including Sawyers, Dilly Dilly, Sarah, Sachet, Munstead, Jean Davis, Cascade Velvet, White Spike, Folgate, Seal, Silver Frost, Dutch Mill and Lodden Blue.




Another look at that beautiful greenhouse.





A patch of succulents near the barn.





Lavender farmers, Lynn and Marvin Fast.




We do a quick sniff and taste test. French lavender, used for perfume, is vastly different than English lavender, which is used for culinary purposes.




Lavender-infused treats. A classic combination: lavender and blueberries. English lavender infused in simple syrup makes a nice addition to lemonade.




Strolling the lavender fields, daydreaming about the English moors in Wuthering Heights.




Tarps are laid between the tufts of lavender to keep weeds at bay.

Contact:
Red Barn Lavender
3106 Thornton Road
Ferndale, WA
www.RedBarnLavender.com

Farm Tour: Pleasant Valley Dairy and the Spring Cheeses

Point your car an hour and a half north of Seattle and stop before you hit the Canadian border. You are now in Whatcom County and until this trip, I paid little more than a passing glance en route to more northern points of interest. But when you slow down a while, what comes into view are some destination-worthy stops. Picture rolling valleys, lush coastal waterways, and artisan craftsmen around every bend...if you know where to look. It's an easy day trip destination from Seattle, but I recommend making a weekend out of it. Pack a cooler, arm yourself with a copy of Whatcom County's Food & Farm Finder (download here)...and you are ready for a delicious adventure!

Earlier this spring, I was invited on a culinary tour with the Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau. On the go from morning 'til night, I joined a handful of media folks for a three-day trip that had no shortage of eating and drinking.

Returning to my room at the fabulous Chrysalis Inn & Spa, lulled by the waves lapping on the shore just outside my window, I'd slip into the soaking tub and review the day's notes. This was a whirlwind feast heady with new experiences...and it left an indelible impact.

I've been going through a ton of photos and have lots to share...so let's get started. First up: Let's take a spin down Kickerville Road and visit the folks at at Pleasant Valley Dairy.

Note: The tasting room operates on a seasonal schedule and is closed Sunday & Monday. To be on the safe side, give them a call before you head out. (Contact info is at the bottom.)




Pleasant Valley Dairy is a working farm, surrounded by sweet grass and herds of grazing dairy cows. It's here that I finally realized...some cheese makers buy their milk, others take control of the whole process and raise their own dairy cows. Our visit to Pleasant Valley Dairy coincided with the spring calving season.



Milked twice daily, these cows are heading into the barn for their morning milking.


Shortly after birth, the calves are separated from the mother and at this farm, they're housed in these mini yurts. A dozen of these units were lined up, each occupied by a young calf. Eventually the calves will be reintroduced to the herd.


This sweet calf was born just days before we arrived.


Vat of raw milk, separating into curds and whey.


Often called "guitars" or "mandolins" these are used to cut the curd.



After the curds separate from the whey, they are seasoned and packed into plastic molds to drain away moisture. Next step, a brine bath.



The brining solution helps flavor the cheese and stiffen the curd. (This is Pleasant Valley Dairy's red jalapeno.)


Aging the cheese.


Looks rather alarming, doesn't it? Those splotches of red are traces of wax, which is used to enrobe the cheese.



Another aging room. These cheeses have already received their wax seal.



Third-generation cheese maker.



It doesn't get any fresher than this.


Have a taste.




There are a multitude of variables when it comes to making cheese...seasonality, temperature, and humidity are just a few. Ensuring a consistent product requires detailed notes.




Look who I found at the tasting room! (Love his Oshkosh shirt.)



Sampling the finished product. We tried them all.



Cheese lovers come in all sizes.




Farm living--a perfect spot for a swing and a nap.

Pleasant Valley Dairy
6804 Kickerville Road
Ferndale, WA 98248
360-366-5398

Cookson's Farewell: "I thought farming was about farming."

I haven't met Cookson Beecher, but when she left her position with the Capital Press, her farewell letter landed in my box. (Power of the web strikes again!)

Cookson is an important advocate for local and sustainable agriculture and in her poignant farewell, she looks back on a her career as an agricultural reporter. It resonated with me, and she has graciously allowed me to share it with you.

***

A fond farewell of gratitude

From Cookson Beecher

As many of you already know, I have left Capital Press to pursue other endeavors, some of them ag-related.

But I can’t leave without thanking the many people who have extended their help, expertise, and friendship to me. Farmers, ranchers, researchers, educators, Extension agents, 4-H and FFA members, elected officials, farmworkers, farmworker advocates, ag lobbyists, agency directors and staff members, organization officials and members, tribal leaders and members, environmentalists, ag advocates and so many others — all of you made my job as a field reporter with Capital Press for the past 12 years an incredibly rich and worthwhile experience.

Whether I was driving down country roads looking for “the first big red barn on the left after the Y in the road” or on the bus headed for Seattle to attend a WTO or climate-change conference, I always felt as though I was headed toward yet another adventure.

I sometimes chuckle when I think of how naive I was when I first got the job. I thought farming was about farming. And since I had grown up on a farm in Delaware and later had a small farm in North Idaho, I thought I was well-prepared for the job.

But it wasn’t long before I received a call from Jim Jesernig, the then- director of the state’s Agriculture Department, telling me that we needed to get together as soon as possible and talk about an incredibly important topic that was going to affect farmers for years to come. When I asked what that was, he replied with one word: “salmon.”

Salmon? Well, having been the editor of a statewide fishing magazine for several years, I thought I was well-versed on that subject. Heck, I even knew how to catch them.

Once in Seattle, where we met in former Gov. Mike Lowry’s office, Jesernig, an attorney by trade, immediately brought out an incredible assortment of posters and charts that highlighted all of the legal aspects of doing harm to salmon and salmon habitat.

It was an impressive presentation, and as I rode the bus back home, I realized that because salmon live significant parts of their lives in rivers and streams and because so much farmland is located along rivers and streams that protecting fish and protecting farming as a livelihood were intricately tied together.

I also remember learning about the power of the consumer. I was attending a national biotechnology conference in Seattle, and after checking in at the press room, I rode the escalator upstairs and headed outdoors where a group of people — many of them in costumes depicting fish, tomatoes, carrots and other food items — were ardently protesting the conference. They told me that biotechnology wasn’t a proven science and that humans shouldn’t be used as guinea pigs to test out this new technology.

When I went back downstairs, I asked a scientist who was preparing her presentation if she had gone out to listen to what the protesters were saying.

“What do they know,” she said with a scornful chuckle. “We’re the scientists.”

Years later, when one dairy cooperative after another began prohibiting their members from treating their cows with Monsanto’s genetically engineered growth hormone rbST, I recalled that scientist’s words.

It made me realize that farmers need to keep their eyes on the weather vane of marketplace realties and be proactive in dealing with them. There’s no “hunkering down in the bunkers” once consumers decide that they care about such things as land stewardship, animal husbandry, and food safety.

From watching the news unfold over the years, I’ve come to learn that it’s important for farmers to remember that whether consumers’ concerns are based on science, pseudo-science, gut instincts, or misinformation, they have more power than lobbyists or scientists in the “pocketbook votes” they cast every time they shop for food.

As for me, I’ve come to appreciate the need to buy as much of my food as possible from local and regional farmers. Besides helping to keep farms of all sizes in business, shopping locally also helps keep farmland from being developed while injecting local dollars into the local economy.

Of course, agriculture is much bigger than that, but for many consumers, buying locally is a good way to help preserve the family farmer. I’ll vote for that any time.

The Northwest Sustainability Discovery Tour

Jenise spread the good love, telling me about this fabulous event in Portland, Oregon: The Northwest Sustainability Discovery Tour

Take 80 trade and industry folk, and tour them around the Pacific Northwest, shining a spotlight on businesses who are doing things right: "Growers, manufacturers, and foodservice operators will share successful sustainability practices and thought-provoking models with foodservice leaders. Morning educational sessions will be complemented by outings to local kitchens, farms, food processors, and beverage manufacturers."

I'm not sure if the concept "tree hugger" originated here, but in the Northwest, we know a thing or two about saving the environment. Snatched from the itinerary, you'll see...."We will be transported by Eco-shuttle to the historic LEED-Certified Eccotrust building..." You get the idea.

It's an invitation I can't refuse.

Even better, I'll be staying at the Green Seal Silver-Certified, Hotel Monaco. Get a look at this place. Me? I can't wait for a soak in the tub...and to curl up in that complimentary animal-print bathrobe!

Coming off the heels of the International Food Blogger Conference, I'm even more impressed by this itinerary. Here's a look at what we'll be up to:



Northwest Sustainability Discovery Tour
Sponsored by Truitt Brothers


Sunday, August 9

Stroll or take the Eco-Shuttle to the historic LEED-certified Ecotrust Building, located in Portland’s Pearl District

Mingle and network while enjoying refreshments and hors d’ oeuvres

Welcome—Peter Truitt, Co-founder and President of Truitt Bros.

A Taste of Oregon—An Introduction to the region’s bounty
by Chef Bill King, Vice President of Culinary Development, McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants


Monday, August 10

“Sustainability: The Rise of Consumer Responsibility”—Including 5 Tips to Successfully Communicate Sustainability in a Downturn Economy
by Michelle Barry, The Hartman Group

Hear the latest research about consumers’ familiarity with the complex issue of sustainability, as a term and as a way of life. Berry will offer insight into the negative outlook consumers have about the economy, the positive outcome they feel will result by making sustainable purchase decisions, and their fundamental shift toward choosing businesses and services they believe in.


“Sustainability in Action—Progressive School Districts, Operators and Suppliers Share their Stories”

Open your mind to learning new ways to source and menu local sustainably produced foods during this interactive panel that introduces four foodservice pros and change agents that are renowned for their efforts to recast the model for sourcing in the foodservice sector.

Michelle Ratcliffe, Director of Farm to School Programs, Ecotrust’s Food and Farms --Learn how changes that are happening in cafeterias and school systems nationwide will impact your business in the near future.

David Yudkin, Partner, Hot Lips Pizza—Hear how Hot Lips emerged from the struggle of the company’s first 12 years of existence by turning to sustainable business practices and principals of the Natural Step to establish a distinctive market position and develop an approach to Yudkin’s family-owned business that saves him money while attracting higher caliber employees and loyal customers.

Richard Satnick, Founder and Chief Burrito Officer, Laughing Planet Café—Experience one of the nation’s most creative burrito cafes and its equally original leader. Learn about this multiunit operator’s commitment to delivering delicious, wholesome, clean foods and sustainable sourcing practices, with an extra serving of mirth and Smart Beans™.

David Griswold, Founder and President, Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers—Sustainable Harvest has been transparently connecting the global coffee supply chain since 1997, changing the way business is done. Hear about its approach to simultaneously building direct market linkages between coffee growers and buyers, and investing in training and management systems to improve its ability to create a better product. Learn about the specialty coffee supply chain and the path of a coffee bean from farm to cup.


“Life Cycle Assessments and Sustainable Foods”

Rita Schenck, Executive Director, Institute for Environmental Research and Education (IERE)
Schenck will discuss the life cycle impacts of foods, and surprising facts about them, including scientific perspective on what we can do now to make our food system more sustainable. IERE is home of the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment. Nearly everything that IERE does is related to Life Cycle Assessment: Rita represented the U.S.A. in developing the international Standards on LCA.

Board the bus for a scenic journey through the Columbia River Gorge


Tour Orchard View Farm and its state-of-the-art packing facility
This family-owned fourth-generation orchard is the world’s largest vertically integrated cherry orchard and packing facility. Get a rare behind-the-scenes look at the operation and walk through the orchard where you’ll see pears nearly at their peak.


Depart for Hood River, the U.S. windsurfing capital


“Responsible Brewing”—Educational tour of Full Sail Brewing, brewers of award-winning craft beers and devoted stewards of the environment.
Take a behind-the-scenes look at this state-of-the-art brewing operation, built within the historic Diamond Fruit Company, once the largest pear processor in the country. No visit to Full Sail is complete without a taste of its premium lagers and ales.


Enjoy an outdoor barbeque under a canopy of trees at one of McMenamin Restaurant company’s most famous locations, the historic Edgefield Inn, a restored 1911 County Poor House and 72-acre farm in Troutdale, Oregon

Tuesday, August 11

Welcome—Kirk Mustain, General Manager, University of Portland Campus Dining, Bon Appetit Co.

“Communicating the Sustainability Message: How and Why, Methods and Benefits,” by Linda Duke, Duke Marketing, LLC

Restaurants, schools, and food venues are all examining sustainability for their organizations, but once it is in place, how do they tell their customers? What will make consumers choose their brand over others? Duke will share strategies and tactics for creating messages and promotions that will motivate consumers to choose your sustainable brand over the competition.“The How-Tos of Implementing and Promoting Your Sustainable Practices”

Learn from eight experts on four distinct topics during a lively round-robin, round -able session! Come ready to contribute to each discussion.

Marketing from the Menu—Learn, share and discuss how ingredient suppliers can become the centerpiece of your marketing strategy in a creative and authentic style. Table hosts: Alison Denis, Burgerville Restaurants; and Pam and Bob Howard, Country Natural Beef

Waste Less, Save More—Learn how new measuring metric systems can help you gauge success of sustainable initiatives within your facilities. Also, hear tips for talking trash—in a good way—with your customers. Table hosts: Andrew Shakman, LeanPath; and Babe O’Sullivan, City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Energy Efficiency and Eco-Labels: Sustainable Efforts and How They Can Power Your Bottom Line—Food Alliance and Energy Trust of Oregon—Discuss how to build green into your strategic business plan through energy efficiency and third-party certification. Table Hosts: Scott Exo, Food Alliance; and Lyn Schmidt, Energy Trust/Lockheed Martin

Role of Social Media in Sustainability and Green Business—Discover tools, examples and take-aways that can help any business understand and leverage the power of social media. Learn how social media platforms are reaching consumers, suppliers and colleagues. Table host: Paul Barron, FastCasual.com


Tour University of Portland’s kitchen and foodservice commons area


Lunch on the terrace, prepared by the talented Bon Appetit Chefs at University of Portland
Tour a Willamette Valley Blue Lake Green Bean farm and then follow the beans harvested from the field into can at the Truitt Bros. cannery


”The role of the food processor in today’s food system”
Truitt Brothers cannery and Tru Flavors Culinary Center


Tour of Willamette Valley Vineyards winery, followed by a wonderful meal featuring sustainably sourced ingredients, along with a glass of one of Oregon’s most famous Pinots

Board the bus to Portland

*****
NOTE:
Check out http://foodchannel.com/stories/1736-on-the-road-to-sustainability from Sunday, August 9, through Tuesday, August 11, for daily insights and updates from the Northwest Sustainability Discovery Tour. The Food Channel will hit the Oregon highways with sponsor Truitt Bros. and a collection of sustainability experts and foodservice operators to explore sustainable strategies and practices from the fields, into the kitchen, and onto the plate.