Every year the gardening world is tantalized with new introductions of  novel varieties and cultivars. We are dazzled with a variant color of a tried and true plant or a new leaf color of an old garden favorite. So for this year, here are a few of the newer varieties out there.

Many new varieties of Hydrangea have been introduced over the last couple of years.  Hydrangea macrophylla “Pistachio” is one of my favorite new mophead-type Hydrangeas. As part of the “Next Generation Collection,” “Pistachio” has huge 5-6” clusters of brilliant scarlet-red flowers tinged with green with a wide variety in coloration among flowers. “Pistachio” begins to flower in midsummer and re-blooms until frost; it has a compact, rounded growth habit, grows to 2-3 feet tall and 3-5 feet wide, and grows great in containers.

“Vanilla Strawberry” is a newer variety of Pee Gee Hydrangea (H. paniculata “Vanilla Strawberry”). Growing 6-8 ft. tall, “Vanilla Strawberry” has creamy white flowers when they first open.  After a couple of weeks, the flowers turn pink, then become a strawberry red to almost burgundy. Flower color is retained for several weeks, and because it re-blooms through summer, all three color stages will be on the plant at the same time.

Hydrangea paniculata “Fire & Ice” is another new colorful Pee Gee Hydrangea reaching 6-10 feet tall and wide.  Like the previous one, “Fire & Ice” has cream colored flowers that begin to bloom in early summer, turn pink, and then later turn red/burgundy.  Flowers remain colorful into autumn.

Many newer varieties of shrubs are dwarf cultivars bred to appeal to the container gardener. Weigela “Spilled Wine” is one such newer introductions.  With a compact, spreading habit reaching 12-18” tall and 24-36“ wide, “Spilled Wine” works well in containers, borders, mixed plantings. The combination of rich, burgundy brown foliage and vividly colored hot magenta flowers really make this plant pop.

Among bedding plants, there have been many new, exciting varieties of Petunias introduced over the last couple of years.

“Pink Lemonade” is to me one of the most impressive new varieties of Petunia. With a nice dense, trailing growth habit, rich green leaves contrast with clear soft light yellow and pink tones. “Pink Lemonade” is very floriferous and will bloom well into fall with regular water and fertilizer.  Very colorful and different.

For something really different, watch out for the newer varieties of black-flowering Petunias.  “Black Cat” and “Black Velvet” are some of the darkest and closest to completely black flowers that I”ve seen. Also colorful are “Phantom” and “Pin Stripe”; each have that rich black Petunia color punctuated with creamy, light yellow stripes.

But my favorite new plant that I”ve seen this year is Verbena “Twister Pink.”  This trailing Verbena has large very unique, bi-colored hot pink and pure white flower clusters 4-5” wide. The half of the flower that faces the inside of the cluster is hot pink, and the half of the flower that faces the outside of the cluster is white – very unusual. And don”t forget, Verbenas attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

For many new varieties, it may take a few years for the plants to reach your favorite nursery.  Do some research this year to see what”s new.  Visit your favorite nursery this spring and inquire about some of these newer varieties.  Cheers.

Chuck has a master”s degree in botany from Washington State University and has been gardening over 30 years.  He helps others solve their gardening dilemmas and may be reached at orchid fruit@hotmail.com.

Honeybee colonies are an essential factor in the pollination of many of the world’s crops, and local berry crops are no different. Locally, that means beekeepers are essential as well.

Russell J. Deptuch has owned and operated Bees Choice Honey, located in north Ferndale, for about seven years.

“How I got started was, I bought two existing hives from another beekeeper,” he said. “Right now, I’ve got about 45 hives.”

Bees Choice Honey specializes in pollination services, swarm capture and local honey.

Pollination

Deptuch kicks off berry season by bringing his bees to local blueberry farms.

“What we do is, we wait until the grower is ready to move in,” Deptuch said. “Then I’ll figure out how many hives he needs. We do about one hive per acre for raspberries and three hives per acre for blueberries. They’ll call us up and we’ll arrange a time or a day to move the hives out and load them up on a flat to move them out to the blueberries.”

The hives are then left in the blueberries until the blooms drop off the plants. At that point, Deptuch moves his bees to local raspberry crops.

“We generally move them under cooler temperatures in the early morning or at night,” Deptuch said. “You want to keep all the bees inside the hive. We don’t want to lose any bees or leave any bee behind. No bee left behind.”

Deptuch said he gets most of his information on pollination levels from growers.

“I think (2012) is pretty much on par with most years,” he said. “We did have a little bit of a wet spring there, but I think it’s about right.”

Swarm capture

Deptuch said a healthy honeybee colony may contain 30,000 or more bees. Just 300 of these are male drones, and only one bee in each hive is the queen. The rest are the workers.

As a hive’s population increases and the colony becomes more and more crowded, the colony issues a swarm. Before swarming, the colony begins to raise new queen cells by feeding them a special jelly. The new swarm leaves about two days before the virgin queen emerges.

A new swarm consists of about half the old hive’s worker bees, a few male drones and the old queen.

Deptuch said these swarms appear as a wild, unsynchronized mass. However, swarms follow a predetermined plan that leads eventually to finding a place to rest.

This is often the stage at which local residents notice swarms. The solo queen and her swarm may rest on a tree, porch post, wall or stop sign. The resting swarm is usually about the size and shape of a bee-covered football. The resting swarm then sends out scout bees to find a suitable spot for a new home.

Deptuch said capturing a swarm at this time is the easiest for the beekeeper and best for the property owner. Once the bees swarm to the spot specified by their scouts, they establish themselves and cannot be easily removed without some demolition. Deptuch said the sooner a swarm is captured, the less likely it is that it will become established in an attic, the eaves of a house, a car or any other place considered suitable by the swarm- but unsuitable to you.

Local honey

Bees don’t make much honey from blueberries, Deptuch said, but they make plenty from raspberries. The three varieties of honey sold by Bees Choice Honey are raspberry, wildflower and fireweed.

“After we pollinate the raspberries, we bring our bees up to the foothills to Mosquito Lake Road to make fireweed honey,” Deptuch said.

The 2011 stock of Bees Choice honey ran out in December, but Deptuch hopes to have more to sell at the Ferndale, Lynden and Blaine farmers’ markets before the end of May.

Bees Choice Honey can be contacted at 815-3989 or via e-mail at russ@beeschoice.com.

Email Brent Lindquist at foothills@lyndentribune.com.

EVERSON—Nine-year-old Marques Brown is hard at work polishing a row of orange Husqvarna lawn tractors. His father, Steve Brown, has owned Everson Farm Equipment since the first of the year, and it’s clearly a family affair. Nearby, mom Karen Brown balances the books while their daughter, 12-year-old Joelle, dusts and organizes merchandise in the retail store. By the coffee pot, Steve visits with dairy farmer Harold Van Berkum who’s come in to see about tractor repair. In the back, shop manager Marty Allbaugh is already at work on the machine.

Everson Farm Equipment has stood on Main Street since at least 1945 and there’s a lot that hasn’t changed: Allbaugh has been working in the spacious shop in the back of the building for 35 years, and Marv Vander Heiden, a former owner, still works part time in the store he’s staffed since 1945. Selling the business in January didn’t mean severing ties, and Brown says there’s hardly a day that goes by when Vander Heiden doesn’t come in for a shift, a cup of coffee, or a talk. “Marv is one of the nicest guys in the world,” Brown said. “He’s a mentor and a friend.”

The history of the business and of the building is a point of pride for Brown, who proudly shows off some well-worn grooves in the hardwood floor. “This used to be a post office,” he said. It’s easy, once you look, to see two sets of parallel footprints where postal counter attendants once stood. Now, the smooth depressions are flanked by glossy orange mowers.

The Brown family is hard at work on their new venture, but they haven’t had to go it alone. Vander Heiden’s continued service as a mentor and part-time employee has helped make the transition easy, Brown said, and Allbaugh’s great reputation means a steady flow of service and repair orders. In addition to keeping Allbaugh on as shop manager and offering the same repair services that Everson Farm Equipment is known for, the Browns have added a new Husqvarna line of consumer power equipment geared towards the homeowner and hobby farmer.

The expanded retail offerings are part of Steve Brown’s dream of creating a one-stop farm equipment shop. “We want people to take a right at Nugent’s Corner,” Brown said. “There’s no need to go to Bellingham. My dream is to make this Everson’s country corner.”

Brown said he appreciates customers who buy local, and hopes that he and neighboring Elenbaas Country Store can provide enough products at competitive prices to make driving elsewhere unnecessary.

Steve and Karen Brown grew up in Whatcom County, and Karen’s family has had ties to Everson for generations. The farm equipment business was an easy choice for Steve, who worked in the automotive parts business before signing on with another equipment dealer nearly a decade ago. When Brown considered owning a business of his own, the Everson equipment shop seemed like a natural fit.

Vander Heiden, who has worked at the shop for 47 years and who owned it since 1973, had a contingent of regular customers. For Everson’s farmers, the transition in ownership from Vander Heiden to Brown has been a smooth process. Harold Van Berkum, a dairy farmer, says the shop is good for local farmers. “It’s nice to see somebody keeping it running.”

The new owners are grateful for their experienced shop manager, saying that Allbaugh’s reputation as an expert mechanic is good for business. “He’s just about the best there is,” Brown said. A talk with Allbaugh reveals that he enjoys the work, and doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

“My dad always said, ‘if you don’t like what you’re doing you shouldn’t be doing it,’” Allbaugh said with a smile. “I’ll be here 36 years come June.”

Everson Farm Equipment will be adding Saturday hours in April. The store is located at 304 West Main Street, Everson and can be reached at 966-3561. Their Facebook page is at facebook.com/EversonFarm.

by Marnie Jones

KENDALL – Kendall Elementary students, teachers and families broke ground on a new garden on Saturday, Dec. 3. The garden, which is being constructed under the guidance of the Common Threads School Garden Collective, will allow students to learn about food, farming, horticulture, and the environment.

Kendall joins 10 other Whatcom County schools in engaging with Common Threads to get their garden started. “School gardens are more sustainable if there’s a garden educator or an outside human resource to keep the energy going,” according to Common Threads’ Tessa Bundy. Having an experienced person come in and rally the troops, she explained, can make the garden more  sustainable.

Saturday’s ground-breaking followed guidelines laid out by a landscape designer who works with Common Threads, but the work to follow will offer opportunity for creative input from the Kendall Elementary community. A garden committee, made up of parents, teachers, and staff, will join Common Threads staff in a visioning process to determine what shape the garden should take in the spring. What to plant and whether to prioritize food crops, vibrant flowers, or a garden theme are all questions that will be answered in a collaborative process over the coming months.

Kendall Elementary principal Charles Burleigh is happy to see the garden starting, and feels that student interest will grow now that the first visible progress has been made. The project has evolved almost entirely out of parent support, Burleigh said, pointing to Kendall parent Katie Chugg as the garden’s most vocal supporter. “I would say she’s right at the center of making these things happen,” Principal Burleigh said “I really appreciate our parent organization taking the lead. [The project] is going to be a great opportunity for our students.”

Common Threads, operating as a non-profit, requires a $2,300 per year membership fee for schools which join the collective. This money goes primarily towards paying their Garden Educators, who spend time at each garden site on a regular basis to help plan and inspire. Examples of the work that might be done by a Garden Educator include organizing school gardening clubs, helping with garden-related curriculum development and lesson plans, and helping the school to embrace their garden and appropriate it into their own culture.

As for Common Threads, their staff is pleased to be working with the enthusiastic Kendall community. “There’s a lot of potential [in Kendall] to engage these kids in growing food and using the garden in the school,” Bundy said.
Kendall Elementary is the Collective’s second outlying school, joining the Lummi Nation School and nine Bellingham member schools. “We’re thrilled to have a garden out in the county. Interest in school gardens is growing, and we’ve been able to gain a sense of what works for different schools.”

According to Bundy, the Common Threads staff have become very good at guiding a school towards creating a garden that works for their distinct needs.

For more information about Kendall’s school garden, contact Katie Chugg at 599-1391 or Chuggkm78@yahoo.com, or Tessa Bundy at 961-7562 or email tessa@commonthreadsfarm.org.

Following are some of the tree farms in eastern Whatcom County area, most open through Dec. 23 or Christmas Eve.

• Alpine Meadows Tree Farm: 3585 Valley Highway, south of Van Zandt, 595-1019. Open through Dec. 22. Hours are 9 a.m. to dark, Monday through Saturday. Trees include Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, Fraser Fir and Nordmann. U-cut, pre-cut and live trees are available, as well as kids’ trees and wreaths and garland. There is an indoor warm-up area with free coffee and hot chocolate.

• Bell Creek Trees: 5669 Mount Baker Highway, Deming, 592-5061 or 592-4005. Open through Dec. 23. Hours are 9 a.m. to dusk on the weekends, as well as by appointment. Trees include Grand Fir, Noble Fir and Fraser Fir, Cedar, and both u-cut and we-cut are available, as well as wreaths and cut greenery. Coffee and light refreshments available.

• Fullner U-Cut Christmas Trees: 3765 E. Hoff Road, 592-5820. Open through Dec. 24. Hours are 9 a.m. to dark, daily. Trees include Douglas, Grand and Concolor Firs, Norway Spruce, and Fraser. A gift shop is also on site. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and candy canes available.

• Kelly Road Christmas Tree Farm: 1129 E. Kelly Road, 510-9198, www.kellyrdtreefarm.com.  Open through Dec. 18. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Trees include u-cut or we-cut Noble Fir, Grand Fir and Fraser Fir. Gift shop on site. Refreshments available.

A couple cuts a tree at Alpine Meadows Farm. PHOTO BY KELLY MAKARAVAGE

• Misty Meadows Farm: 6197 Everson Goshen Road, Everson, 312-3554, www.mistymeadowsfarm.com. Trees are certified organic and include Grand Fir, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir and Nordmann Fir.

• Noon Road Trees: 7188 Noon Road, Lynden, 354-8689. Open through Dec. 24. Hours are dawn to dusk, daily. Trees include u-cut Douglas, Grand, Noble, Colorado Blue, Norway and others.

• Pete Pederson Christmas Trees: 4035 Mount Baker Highway, Deming, 592-2639. Trees include Noble Fir, Grand Fir, Fraser Fir and Douglas Fir.

• Red Mountain Tree Farm: Located on Mount Baker Highway  between Kendall and Maple Falls, 599-1765, www.redmountaintrees.com. Open through Dec. 23. Hours are 10 a.m. to dusk, daily. Trees include Noble, Open Noble, Grand Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Spruce, Blue Spruce, and Nordmann. U-cut, we-cut, potted trees and wreaths available, as well as garland, ornaments and other items.

• River’s Edge U-Cut Christmas Tree Farm: 4773 Deming Road, Deming, 592-5220, www.riversedgeucut.com. Open through Dec. 24. Hours are 9 a.m. to dark, daily. Trees include Noble Fir, Grand Fir, Fraser Fir, pre-cut Douglas Fir, and live trees, as well as garlands and wreaths. Free wagon rides Dec. 3-4 and 10-11. Coffee, cider, hot chocolate and candy canes available.

• Sisters Tree Farm: 3771 Valley Highway, a mile south of Van Zandt, 592-5614. Open through Dec. 24. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to dark on Saturday and Sunday. Trees include Douglas Fir, Nordmann Fir, Fraser Fir and more. U-cut, we-cut and wreaths available. Sisters Gift Shoppe on site includes crafts, ornaments, handmade dolls, stockings and more. Cookies and coffee available.

• Stoney Ridge Farm: 2092 Van Dyk Road, Everson, 592-5220, www.stoneyridgefarm.com. Open through Dec. 10. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Trees include  Fraser Fir, Noble Fir, Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, and Nordmann. We-cut, u-cut, wreaths, garlands, stands and more available. Gift shop, pie shop, animals. Coffee and hot chocolate available.

by the Foothills Gazette

COUNTY – The annual Whatcom County Farm Tour organized by Sustainable Connections will take place Saturday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and feature a total of 12 farms, two wineries and the Bellingham Farmers Market.

The tour is free and self-guided, with maps available online (sconnect.org) or in print at the Community Food Co-ops, Haggen stores in Whatcom, and Bellingham Farmers Market, among other places.

Sam Grubbs, of Bellingham Country Gardens, looks at his family's ripening sweet corn crop. PHOTO BY ASHLEY BENNETT

Each stop along this family-friendly tour features educational and interactive activities and products for sale, as well as three bicycle routes for visitors heading out by bike. A total of 5,500 individual farm visits were recorded during last year’s farm tour.

This year’s participating farms and locations are:

BelleWood Acres: Home to 25,000 apple trees, BelleWood Acres is open September through December. During the farm tour, participants can tour the farm while riding the Apple Bin train, take the stream walk, and pick up apples and homemade treats. The farm is located at 231 Ten Mile Road in Lynden.

Bellingham Country Gardens: This Kelly Road farm offers u-pick to the public on Wednesdays and Saturdays. During the farm tour, check out the no-spray produce, including strawberries (available until frost) and variety of veggies, as well as the scarecrow-making contest and ripe corn ready for picking. The farm is located at 2838 E. Kelly Road.

Boxx Berry Farm: Tour the farm on the tractor trailer, let the kids ride the kiddie train and enjoy the playground, and pick up treats like sweet corn on the cob and a berry sundae. U-pick is available throughout the season, and lots of produce and items are available in the farm store. The farm is located at 6211 Northwest Road in Ferndale.

Camelot Ranch Alpacas: This five-acre farm features huacaya alpacas. Participants can learn about raising alpacas and their soft fiber, and make their own fiber project. The farm is located at 3405 Bay Road in Ferndale.

Cloud Mountain Farm: This long-time Everson-based farm offers a beautiful nursery and fields, with dozens of varieties of  rare fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, nut and fruit trees, and farm stand. The farm is located at 6906 Goodwin Road in Everson.

Dakota Creek Winery: Participants can tour the wine cellaring cave (a metal arch building covered with native soil and bark), and purchase a variety of wines. The winery is located at 3575 Haynie Road in Blaine.

Edelweiss Dairy: Not usually open to the public, this 80-acre family farm is part of the Organic Valley Cooperative. Participants can tour the farm, see the cows, and taste organic treats. The farm is located at 1519 Timon Road in Everson.

Cows grazing at Edelweiss Dairy in Everson. COURTESY PHOTO

Farmer Ben’s: This sixth generation farm features grass fed Angus beef, pastured Berkshire pigs, free range laying hens, eggs, and pastured poultry, all antibiotic-free and chemical-free. The farm is located at 1461 Van Dyk Road, near Lynden.

Half Acre Farm: Generally open weekends during the season for u-pick, this half-acre farm offers a wide variety of u-pick, no-spray  vegetables. The farm is located on the Boxx Berry Farm at 6211 Northwest Road in Ferndale.

Heritage Lane Farm: This small farm is focused on raising rare breed livestock (including Navajo-Churro, Southdown and Oxford sheep, large Black and Mulefoot pigs, geese, chickens, turkeys and ducks), and heirloom vegetables in a sustainable manner. The farm is located at 9333 Guide Meridian in Lynden.

Twisted S Ranch: Visit this complete bison ranch, with up close viewing of animals, a display of bison hide and fiber, and samples of bison meat products. The ranch is located at 2530 Douglas Road in Ferndale.

Vartanyan Estate Winery: Tour the vineyards and try a glass of wine at this small boutique winery  featuring limited edition wines, and a tasting room and gallery. The winery is located at 1628 Huntley Road in eastern Bellingham.

Signage at Vartanyan Estate Winery in eastern Bellingham. COURTESY PHOTO

Bellingham Farmers Market: This Saturday market in downtown Bellingham at Depot Market Square (corner of Railroad and Chestnut) features approximately 100 vendors, from farmers and food operators to local crafters and musicians. The market is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition, Sustainable Connections is seeking volunteers to help with the Farm Tour. Anyone interested should contact Sara at 647-7093 x114 or e-mail sara@sconnect.org

The month of September marks the first Eat Local Month, sponsored by Sustainable Connections’ Food & Farming Program, as well as the Eat Local First campaign. For more information about the program and campaigns, visit sconnect.org.

Peggy Parker in her lavender fields at her Deming farm. PHOTO BY DAN COYNE

Local resident Peggy Parker grows lavender, heirloom tomatoes at her Deming farm

by MARNIE JONES

DEMING –  Peggy Parker remembers the moment when she decided to become a lavender farmer. She grows many varieties of the fragrant plant at RiverScent, her Deming farm that is also home to a thriving heirloom tomato operation and Ka-Bloom Nursery.

“It had a been a dream of mine to have a lavender farm, ever since I saw a lavender field in bloom one year while traveling in France,” she said. The field, home to a Roman-era monastery, took her breath away and planted an idea. Her natural love of plants, nurtured by a green-thumbed grandmother, put the goal within reach. RiverScent Farm was born in the mid-90s and, five years ago, Ka-Bloom Nursery evolved as an outlet for Parker’s greenhouse-grown plants and herbs.

Today, Parker grows many types of lavender and cultivates blooming perennials, culinary herbs, and a diverse array of heirloom tomatoes. These tomatoes—24 varieties this year—are sold at the Bellingham Farmers Market either as plants (until late July) or as fruit (later in August). Meanwhile, the farm is open to the public for u-cut purchases on Fridays and Saturdays during harvest season. The lavender continues to be a mainstay at RiverScent, and Parker grows both aromatic and culinary varieties. Grosso, Seal, Munstead, and Hidcote lavenders all have their place on the farm, and each has a different strength. “Grosso and Seal are long-stemmed lavender blossoms,” she explained, “with an aroma that makes you swoon!”

Parker considers herself lucky to have found her Rutsatz Road farm. “The terroir, as the French say, is perfect for lavender.” A “kind of bomb-proof” plant, to use her words, lavender thrives in less than ideal soil and tolerates a range of conditions. Parker grows about an acre of the flowering herb and balances her efforts to tame the crop into nice straight rows with an appreciation for the wild plants and animals that share the space.

“Last night,” she mentioned, “I was on my hands and knees weeding [and] a two year-old deer walked by. I saw his legs first, just a few feet away. When I sat up he bent down and picked up a freshly-pulled weed, munching it and staring at me as if I was just another flower.”

The scale of her farm—manageable, yet large enough—is one of Parker’s favorite aspects of her business, and other professional endeavors, including consulting work in the seafood industry, round out her days and keep her balanced. “I’m very lucky I’ve got jobs that are both physically and intellectually challenging,” she said. “It’s great to get a break from the ‘thinking’ projects and go weed the gardens or work in the greenhouse.”

RiverScent Farm is located at 6244 Rutsatz Road in Deming. The farm is open to the public on Fridays and Saturdays through mid-September. Call 592-3116 for additional information.

Local grower Harry WIlliams shows some of this season’s blueberries at his farm on Deming Road. PHOTO BY KELLY MAKARAVAGE

Alm Hill Gardens: 3550 Alm Road, Everson. U-pick available by appointment on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Alm Hill has organic raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries available at their stand at the Bellingham Farmers Market on Saturdays and Fairhaven Market on Wednesdays. Call (206) 719-0056 or e-mail clayton@growingwashington.org.

Bellingham Country Gardens: 2838 E. Kelly Road, Bellingham. Open Wednesday and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. U-pick, veggies and flowers at farm stand. Call 223-3724 or visit bellinghamcountrygardens.com

Breckenridge Blueberries: 3595 Breckenridge Road, Everson. Farm stand and u-pick open Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Delivery available on larger orders. Six different varieties of spray-free, handpicked blueberries. Call 220-4102 or e-mail breckenridgeblueberries@gmail.com.

Cleaarian Berry Farm: 5455 Allison Road, Bellingham. One-acre farm specializing in u-pick and we pick blueberries. Also available at the Bellingham Farmers Market and Food Co-op. Call 592-5106.

Hopewell Farm: 3072 Massey Road, Everson. Open Thursdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Certified organic and salmon-safe. Pick to order organic raspberries and blueberries. Large variety of vegetables available. Call 927-8433 or e-mail hopewellfarm@live.com.

Lubbe Farm: 3200 Lindsay Road, Everson. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., call for orders or arrange for time. Organic strawberries, also garlic and other veggies, u-pick or take orders for picked. Call 510-3510 or 966-3382.

Ripening blueberries. PHOTO BY KELLY MAKARAVAGE

Mama’s Garden: 2600 Valley Highway, Acme. Featuring organic blueberries from Mt. Baker Berry Farm. Variety of vegetables, herbs, eggs and more available at stand. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 595-2210 or e-mail smith87999@yahoo.com.

Mt. Baker Berry Farm: 5384 Strand Road, Deming. Organic blueberries, u-pick Friday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 303-4739.

Shumway’s: 3957 Mount Baker Highway, just east of Nugents Corner.  Open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, for u-pick and we-pick strawberries and raspberries as available. Call 815-7321 or 815-7320.

Spring Frog Farm at the Holistic Homestead: 5709 Putnam Road, Everson (just east of Nugents Corner). Open daily, featuring certified organic produce, u-pick strawberries, and more. Call 303-3711 or e-mail holistichomestead.net.

Sunseed Farm: Acme. U-pick raspberries by appointment on Mondays. Stand at the Bellingham Farmers Market features blueberries, raspberries, fresh produce, herbs and starts. Call 920-8088 or e-mail nick@sunseedfarm.com.

Williams Farms: 4405 Deming Road, Deming. Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Offering tayberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. and sweet corn, as available. Sweet corn. Farm stand, with limited u-pick on blueberries. No spray on raspberries, tayberries, blackberries and u-pick blueberries. Call 592-6720.

The event is hosted by Sustainable Connections, Cascade Harvest Coalition, and Northwest Agriculture Business Center.  It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Saint Joseph Peace Health Hospital Conference Center, Bellingham. Tickets are $10 each, and include a light lunch and a tasting of Whatcom and Skagit wines.

For more information, contact Laura Ridenour at 647-7093 x106, or visit sustainableconnections.org and click on events.

Junior High School student Jake Cooper (left) and senior high school student James D. Ortiz (right) are preparing mashed potatoes using locally grown yellow and purple potatoes. “This is my favorite class,” Cooper said. PHOTO BY BRITA ADKINSON

Produce, dairy products used in cooking and catering classrooms

by Brita Adkinson

EVERSON –  An initiative to supply local farm produce to schools has brought fresh fruit and vegetables into the cooking and catering classrooms of Nooksack Valley High School (NVHS).

“I discussed the idea with Cheryl Thornton at Cloud Mountain Farm and Gretchen Hoyt at Alm Hill Gardens,” explained Lois Rienstra, Family Consumer Science Teacher at NVHS.

Some parents talked to staff at NVHS, asking if the school would consider buying locally grown produce for use in their cooking classes. Produce comes from a number of farms, including Growing Washington, an established non-profit farming organization in the Everson area that works with a network of local farms.

Rienstra also attended some meetings where she met with local farmers and explored possibilities to work with them. As a result, the high school began using food from local farms this fall.

Peggy Davis, director of Food Service at the Nooksack Valley School District explained that the project is currently at an exploratory stage, with the potential to expand in the future.

Freshly harvested vegetables and fruit from local farms are now delivered to the school each week, and the produce is used in five catering and cooking classes. The project is inspired by a nation-wide initiative called “F to S” – Farm to School.

In the beginning, some students were not familiar with the different types of vegetables that arrived. “Some students said, ‘I’m not going to eat that!’ Rienstra commented with a smile, adding, “But now, cauliflower, chard and carrot dishes just disappear!”

Senior student Kent Badgero, of Everson, enjoys preparing a dish using locally grown carrots. PHOTO BY BRITA ADKINSON

Students are becoming familiar with a large variety of local farm produce and know their uses. “When we began with the new program, I re-organized my schedule,” Rienstra said. “Before, I would begin the fall term with baking, but now we begin with fruit and vegetable dishes.We will work with baking in the winter, instead,” she concluded.

Students are learning about the harvesting times for different types of produce as the school receives what is in season, week by week.
“We also buy cheeses from several local cheese makers, and we get dairy products from local dairy farms,” Rienstra said, adding she is glad that the school can support local businesses in this way.

Rienstra, who lives near Lynden and received her teaching qualification at Western Washington University, has taught at NVHS for eight years. “It is my hope that our classes will help students develop a healthy lifestyle,” she said.

The school’s food service program, which now incorporates local produce in catering classes and to some extent also in school lunches, is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture through a regional office and supervised by the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Thus, development of policy is subject to long term monitoring and evaluation.

Through Growing Washington, the Growing Whatcom CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) – inspired by the old market system at Pike Place Market in Seattle – provides locally grown items. Jay Dennison, of Growing Washington, said the organization pays attention to customers’ individual preferences. “We know that the Nooksack Valley High School needs eggs, butter and milk every week, so we always supply those items,” Dennison explained, adding the school receives what is in season. “Right now they are getting winter squash, kale, swiss chard and grain.”

Lois Rienstra (far left), Family Consumer Science Teacher at Nooksack Valley High School talks with senior student Briceyda Samano, Everson, who is baking a pie. PHOTO BY BRITA ADKINSON

Growing Whatcom CSA farms are mostly located in the Everson, Ferndale and Lynden areas, and include: Bellewood Acres, Broadleaf Farm, Common Threads Farm, DEVine Gardens, Double Rainbow Farm, F.A, Farm, Hauk’s Orchard, Hopewell Organic Farm, K&M Red River Farm, Nooksack Nine Fruits and Veggies, Rabbit Fields Farm, Red Mountain Farm, Cooperative Jacal and Wake Robin Farm.
Western Washington University (WWU) recently invited Growing Washington to start a pilot project supplying fresh local produce on a weekly basis to individual students and also to caterers at the WWU.

“This is a fledgling program that began with some discussions among farmers, parents and teachers, about bringing local produce to schools,” explained Gretchen Hoyt, of Alm Hill Gardens in Everson. Hoyt shared that she helped organize a sampling event at NVHS with apples donated by Cloud Mountain Farm, also of Everson. “It was a lot of fun,” she said.

Hoyt noted the Farm to School project at NVHS received financial assistance from Whatcom Community Foundation, to help get it off the ground.

Washington State’s Farm to School projects work with a number of schools in northwest counties.