Suddenly, it’s summer! What better way to kick off the season than with a BBQ? On Friday, July 1, from noon to 5:00 p.m., BriarPatch will be hosting a grill event. Try samples of Beeler’s pork, Smart Chicken®, Niman Ranch beef, as well as grilled veggies from Living Lands Agrarian Network. Plus, dance to the old time-y tunes of Hot Cider from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

If that wasn’t enough, the Patch is going to kick it up a notch by running a sale off of assorted meats from Beeler’s, Smart Chicken, Niman Ranch, and Nevada County Free Range Beef from June 27 to July 4.

It’s been a while since BriarPatch has hosted a patio party. Free food and fun tunes — it’s an event you won’t want to miss.

No related posts.

My sympathy goes out to the farmers and gardeners who planted on time this spring, and were surprised when the weather didn’t seem to be following the same calendar. If I hadn’t been so far behind with my own garden, I might be writing a very different tale – but this time my procrastination was a good thing! No seedlings lost or time wasted here. While early-planted tomatoes and squashes are struggling through chilly nights and unseasonably cold storms, … I’m selfishly enjoying the extended strawberry season.

I realized all of this as I found myself smiling with my mouth full of juicy English peas and tasty mixed lettuces, from a salad that was simply bursting with the flavors of spring. I didn’t miss it! I felt like Ebenezer Scrooge when he found out it was Christmas day – giddy with my guilty pleasure.

So many of our local farmers are recovering from the setbacks brought on by the late-season low temps. But, farmers are tough, resilient, and determined – thank goodness! Markets are open and the sun – finally – is shining. Look for asparagus and apricots, cherries, strawberries and peas. And thank those farmers while you’re there, for staying motivated through this challenging spring weather. I’d like to send a special thanks to Country Rubes’ Farm and Living Lands Agrarian Network/Harmony Valley Farm for my inspiring salad! And to BriarPatch Co-op Market for always featuring seasonal produce from our local growers!

Farmers/Growers Market Schedules:

Tuesday Afternoon: Nevada County Certified Growers’ Market
3pm – 6pm   Sierra Presbyterian Church, Nevada City

Thursday Afternoon: Nevada County Certified Growers’ Market
2pm – 5:30pm   Seventh Day Adventist Church, Penn Valley

Thursday Evening: Mill Street Certified Farmers Market
5:30pm – 8pm   Downtown Grass Valley

Saturday Morning: Nevada City Farmers Market
8:30am – 12:30pm   Downtown Nevada City

Saturday Morning: Nevada County Certified Growers’ Market
8am – Noon   North Star House, Old Auburn Rd, Grass Valley

Related posts:

1. And then there were none.

California’s mild winters have spoiled me. Gardens stay green all year, and there are very few moments without something blooming-even in winter. But, there’s an unwritten rule in the foothills. No matter how tempting the California winter sunshine may be, you’re pushing your luck if you try to put your vegetable garden in before Mothers’ Day.

Yes, I’ve tried it, and even got away with it a couple of times, but generally all the early season work is walloped by the testy spring weather. Late frosts that nip blossoms on fruit trees, torrents of hail knocking fragile plant shoots down and shooting holes through the tender new leaves of tomato starts.

This year, as was predicted by a wise old farmer or two .. the weather is mixing it all up and giving us a day or two of winter each week, just to keep things interesting. But, the magic Mothers’ Day weekend is coming right up. We’ll see how it stands up to the Almanac this year.

Waiting until May isn’t always easy for me. Usually I’m all kinds of anxious about my veggie plans by this time. This year, I’m taking it in stride. I’m sure that the wintery weather and my turn at having the flu have made it easier for me to keep my mind out of the garden. But, now I’m feeling it .. the little panic that reminds me that our growing season here is not really all that long …. especially in my shady yard ! It’s time !

I’ll be starting this weekend – there are plenty of plant sales to feed my spring fever. This year it will be so easy to find plant starts that have been raised locally. These local starts are better suited to our weather, and are grown by our own local farmers.

Saturday, May 1 – the Soil Sisters from Living Lands Agrarian Network will hold a plant sale in front of Broad Street Bistro in Nevada City. Basil, Chard, Kale, Collards, Broccoli, Onions, Shallots, Head Lettuce, Fennel – ready to go into the ground right now, and heirloom tomato plants waiting for the ground to warm up.

The Sierra Permaculture Guild will be swapping veggie starts at the May guild meeting, Saturday May 8 in North San Juan, while learning about using animals in the garden.

The 23rd annual Mothers’ Day Plant Sale at the Miners’ Foundry in downtown Nevada City will be from 9am to 3pm on Sunday May 9 .. a great selection of organic plants, natives and veggies all in one place.

And in between visits to all of these sales, you can pick up healthy homegrown herb and vegetable starts right at the front door at BriarPatch Co-op, grown locally by Naked Farms and by Fresh Starts Plant Farm. Don’t worry, if you miss all of these events, BriarPatch will still have a good supply, and Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply and Weiss Bros. Nursery in Grass Valley have veggie starts that are raised locally.

Now, I’m a serious do-it-yourselfer, but if this early season rush to dig into the soil is just a bit overwhelming for you and/or your schedule – you can find plenty of help from local gardening mentors and designers. A list of local gardeners with tons of combined experience is at your fingertips on the Local Food Coalition website resource page. Each gardener on the list brings their own expertise – some specialize in large scale designs, others in intimate and convenient kitchen gardens … maybe window boxes ?

So, no more excuses … spring is here, dig in !

No related posts.

So many rainy days in a row have kept me inside, and, I’m almost ashamed to admit …  spending more than a healthy amount of time in front of my computer screen.  But even while I’m house-bound, I can (and you can too !) learn about the day to day chores on the local farms, watch ranchers visit their animals,  … even plan ahead to summer by signing up for a CSA subscription.  Its not clairvoyance folks, … no, its YouTube, facebook and twitter!   Yeah – your iPhone … don’t leave the farm without it!

Local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) subscription announcements, as well as announcements for locally raised broiler chickens and lamb are posting now on the Local Food Coalition email network.  And, up-close and in-person, many of our local ranchers and farmers have been sharing their tech tips and growing know-how — at the SYRCL Film Festival workshops last week, the Eco-Farm Conference this week, and preparing for the PlacerGROWN Farm Conference next weekend.

Now, granted, some of my time in front of the computer has been spent working … but, I’ve found myself sliding down the slippery slope of the ‘information-seeking-junky’ that I swore I would never be!  If you know the internet, you know that you just can’t stay on that one page …. while searching for veggies, I’ve stumbled from the farm right into a class reunion. Thanks to facebook, I’ve learned more in the past week about my childhood friends lives than if we had never grown up and gone out into the world!  Happily, I’ve learned that many of them are fans of local food – local to where they live!

I’m really making an effort to do some work on the computer, but I find myself – almost unconsciously hitting the ‘refresh’ button on fb to see if there are any earth-shattering updates.  I guess it is a handy way to combine work and social life without ever leaving your chair.

As I jump back and forth from recipe research (work), to preparing my bit for the conference (work), to my fourth grade best-friend’s daughter’s husband’s new cat’s photos (social life ???)…..  I start noticing similarities.

“Has she lost her mind?” you may be wondering.  Well, no.  Not entirely.

Just pondering the old ‘Ugly Duckling’ notion.  Just look how well those old friends have turned out ….  and not only the ‘one’s most likely to …’

… and then there’s that ‘who’d’ve ever thought … !’ moment  where you realize that the kid who bugged you in pre-school is now a rock star … or, a farmer – nice !

Maybe my screen or my vision is blurring … but the very same theme is running through my recipe pages ….   ‘who’d’ve ever thought…’ I’d be searching online for new ways to accommodate my infatuation with cooked carrots and brussel sprouts into my meals.  And then – in a new tab – looking up the most inviting recipe for those ‘wall-flowers’ of the meat world … kidneys and beef tongue …. (yes, work).

I guess, to those of you who knew me when …. it would come as no surprise.  Me – the kid who always liked spinach and wanted liver and onions for my birthday dinners!  Lucky I even had friends left to find on fb !  Thanks Mom for insisting I should have spaghetti and cake for the birthday parties …. “eat that other stuff when you’re alone !”

But, seriously – I am having a glorious affair with those cool weather veggies.  And thanks to the facebook posts from Four Frog Farm, I know that those carrots only get sweeter with the cold.  And brussel sprouts !  I always knew I liked them … even in high school …, but now that I’ve grown up and learned a few things about olive oil, butter and cast iron skillets – they’ve become a frequent dinner companion.  And, now everyone knows … because BriarPatch twitters !

Now I’m thinking of food again– click to facebook.  Why there? All of my favorite local growers are on fb, I’m collecting farm-fan-pages like baseball cards, and I don’t want to miss any breaking news on winter veggies … (especially carrots).

Ok, ok, back to work … and those lowly organ meats.  These may be the true ‘ugly ducklings’ of this story .. but I’m inspired by my fb friends’ success stories.  Once a staple of the diet .. for economic and nutritional considerations .. liver, kidney, tongue and heart may have faded in popularity as the handsome ribeyes, tenderloins and New Yorks enjoy their day in the sun.  But, don’t underestimate those unassuming cuts of meat.  With a little encouragement, and some social networking …. plus these recipes I’ve just found … these may just become the next local ‘rock stars’ in your kitchen!   Watch for their debut at the meat counter at BriarPatch … date and time to be announced via twitter …….

…………………………………….

Links to local CSA Farms

Four Frog Farm, Honey in the Heart Farm, Living Lands Agrarian Network, Mooney Flat Farm, Mountain Bounty Farm, Riverhill Farm, Sunsmile Farms, Fulcrum Farm, Grass Valley Grains

Related posts:

1. An evening of local flavor.