Kitchen Sink #1

The Kitchen Sink #1
A Publication of the Whole Farm Co-operative
Editor, Author and Plumber; Tim King

Whole Farm Co-operative is launching a modest newsletter. The ideabehind this co-operative is to link our customers more closely with ourfarmer members. Perhaps we can accomplish some of that linkage with theKitchen Sink. I choose the Kitchen Sink as a name because another ideabehind this co-op is the unspecialization of the farm. We believe farmsshould be biologically diverse. Biologically diverse farms have a diversemix of products to sell. We aim to support that by at least trying to sellall the products of diverse farms. Perhaps even a kitchen sink or two.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SNOWY PINES 2. ANTIBIOTICS 3. COMMUNITY FOOD PROJECT 4. CONGREGATIONALLY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE 5. A FREEZER FOR EL NORTENO 6. MAPLE SYRUP RECIPE 7. STACKABLES FOR SALE

SNOWY PINES REFORESTATION
In our recently updated product list we have bird houses and oakflooring from Snowy Pines Reforestation. Greg Nolan and Marcia Rapatz, amember of Whole Farm Co-op's Board of Directors, founded and operate SnowyPines in the glacial moraine hills north east of Browerville. Greg andMarcia, along with a crew of friends, plant tens of thousands of treesevery spring. They have struggled for years, with a lot of successes, tohave brush in tree plantings be cut manually rather than by the more commonuse of herbicides. Their selective and careful logging practices areconducted in a way to protect the environment and at the same time boost tolocal economy. The small family operated sawmill on their property is anextension of that principle. Trees cut locally and sawed locally arebetter for the rural economy than previous practices which were toeliminate the trees in favor of corn and export the logs to mills far away. The garden at Snowy Pines is a marvel. Marcia's in charge of it.If you've been getting onions, beets or carrots from us in recent monthsthose come from Snowy Pines. The chemical free garden is a marvel on awarm late August day. The apples are ripening. The fall raspberries arecoming on. The blueberry plants might be starting to take on a hint offall color. And Marcia and her children Moriah, Cheyenne, Forrest andSonora, are busy bringing in huge harvests of tomatoes, sweet corn, greenbean and broccoli to put up. Marcia is passionate about the quality offood her family eats. If you order some of her onions or beets you will beassured of the same standards of nutrition and quality. Marcia is also the chair woman for the Co-op's vegetable committee.The committee is currently planning the 1999 season. Customers who'd likea particular product or members interested in growing for the co-op shouldcontact me. Footnote: The Nolan Rapatz home is electrified with solarphotovoltaics.

SNOWY PINES REFORESTATION

In our recently updated product list we have bird houses and oakflooring from Snowy Pines Reforestation. Greg Nolan and Marcia Rapatz, amember of Whole Farm Co-op's Board of Directors, founded and operate SnowyPines in the glacial moraine hills north east of Browerville. Greg andMarcia, along with a crew of friends, plant tens of thousands of treesevery spring. They have struggled for years, with a lot of successes, tohave brush in tree plantings be cut manually rather than by the more commonuse of herbicides. Their selective and careful logging practices areconducted in a way to protect the environment and at the same time boost tolocal economy. The small family operated sawmill on their property is anextension of that principle. Trees cut locally and sawed locally arebetter for the rural economy than previous practices which were toeliminate the trees in favor of corn and export the logs to mills far away. The garden at Snowy Pines is a marvel. Marcia's in charge of it.If you've been getting onions, beets or carrots from us in recent monthsthose come from Snowy Pines. The chemical free garden is a marvel on awarm late August day. The apples are ripening. The fall raspberries arecoming on. The blueberry plants might be starting to take on a hint offall color. And Marcia and her children Moriah, Cheyenne, Forrest andSonora, are busy bringing in huge harvests of tomatoes, sweet corn, greenbean and broccoli to put up. Marcia is passionate about the quality offood her family eats. If you order some of her onions or beets you will beassured of the same standards of nutrition and quality.
Marcia is also the chair woman for the Co-op's vegetable committee.The committee is currently planning the 1999 season. Customers who'd likea particular product or members interested in growing for the co-op shouldcontact me. Footnote: The Nolan Rapatz home is electrified with solarphotovoltaics.

ANTIBIOTICS
On December 14 the European Union banned he use of four antibiotics commonly used in livestock feed. The four antibiotics are tylosinphosphate, spiramycin, virginiamycin and bacitracin zinc. They are used insome animal feed rations on as an additive to promote faster growth inlivestock. The European Union banned the antibiotics because it is fearedthat antibiotic resistant microbes are developing because of the over useof antibiotics in agriculture. A number of studies point to the danger ofa human health risk as bacteria resistant to the current antibioticsevolve. In November Dr. George Khachatourian's report to the CANADIANMEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL said that antibiotic use by farmers hascreated mutations of microbes such as salmonella and e. coli that canbe passed on to humans in a number of ways. Infections may arise frombeef, pork, lamb and chicken people eat, from crops that use watercontaminated with manure and even from family pets that eat contaminatedpet food. Khachatourian, a University of Saskatchewan researcher, called for aglobal strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of antibioticsfor purposes other than the treatment of infection. The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington DC hasasked for a similar ban on antibiotics for US agriculture. The drugcompany Pfizer has sued the Danish government over the ban and has said itwill sue the European Union. Pfizer makes one of the banned antibiotics.The company claims that its product poses no health threat to humans. We'll keep you posted on this subject.

ANTIBIOTICS

   On December 14 the European Union banned he use of four antibiotics commonly used in livestock feed. The four antibiotics are tylosinphosphate, spiramycin, virginiamycin and bacitracin zinc. They are used insome animal feed rations on as an additive to promote faster growth inlivestock. The European Union banned the antibiotics because it is fearedthat antibiotic resistant microbes are developing because of the over useof antibiotics in agriculture. A number of studies point to the danger ofa human health risk as bacteria resistant to the current antibioticsevolve.
   In November Dr. George Khachatourian's report to the CANADIANMEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL said that antibiotic use by farmers hascreated mutations of microbes such as salmonella and e. coli that canbe passed on to humans in a number of ways. Infections may arise frombeef, pork, lamb and chicken people eat, from crops that use watercontaminated with manure and even from family pets that eat contaminatedpet food.
   Khachatourian, a University of Saskatchewan researcher, called for aglobal strategy to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of antibioticsfor purposes other than the treatment of infection.
   The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington DC hasasked for a similar ban on antibiotics for US agriculture. The drugcompany Pfizer has sued the Danish government over the ban and has said itwill sue the European Union. Pfizer makes one of the banned antibiotics.The company claims that its product poses no health threat to humans.
   We'll keep you posted on this subject.

COMMUNIY FOOD PROJECT
In July the Whole Farm Co-operative begin working with theSustainable Resources Center and the Minnesota Food Association on theCommunity Food Project. This project aims to connect urban and rural lowincome people with farmers working toward a sustainable agriculture.Through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture the two non-profits havedistributed thousands of dollars of food coupons in the Morris area,Douglas County and at the Little Earth housing project on Cedar Avenue inSouth Minneapolis. We've been there, along with other farmers, with ourproducts. It's been a really satisfying experience for us and we'vereceived letters of thanks for the high quality food from senior citizensin Morris and have been told by Little Earth residents that they enjoyedshopping at our impromptu farmers markets near their home. We'll beworking with MFA and SRC to distribute more food through the Community FoodProject. This is a project of the Minnesota legislature and a lot ofthanks should go to the far sighted legislators who have supported it.

COMMUNIY FOOD PROJECT

In July the Whole Farm Co-operative begin working with theSustainable Resources Center and the Minnesota Food Association on theCommunity Food Project. This project aims to connect urban and rural lowincome people with farmers working toward a sustainable agriculture.Through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture the two non-profits havedistributed thousands of dollars of food coupons in the Morris area,Douglas County and at the Little Earth housing project on Cedar Avenue inSouth Minneapolis. We've been there, along with other farmers, with ourproducts. It's been a really satisfying experience for us and we'vereceived letters of thanks for the high quality food from senior citizensin Morris and have been told by Little Earth residents that they enjoyedshopping at our impromptu farmers markets near their home. We'll beworking with MFA and SRC to distribute more food through the Community FoodProject. This is a project of the Minnesota legislature and a lot ofthanks should go to the far sighted legislators who have supported it.

CONGREGATIONALLY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE or WANTED: A FEW GOODCONGREGATIONS
During the last year we've been working with Beth Waterhouse andthe members of the Judson Baptist congregation in south Minneapolis toeducate each other on the ways to reconnect farmers and urban customerswith each other. We've participated in a number of adult education forumson food and farming, some families from the congregation visited two of ourfarms and this fall we were invited to have a booth at the Judson harvestfestival. The experience has been rewarding for farmers and members of thecongregation. This fall the USDA awarded us, through the Sustainable FarmingAssociation, a small grant to develop similar relationships with otherchurches, synagogues or mosques. We have funds for educational workbetween farmers and congregations as well as some money to assist is fooddistribution. We are now looking for a few urban or rural congregationsthat would be interested in developing relationships with the members ofour co-operative. We don't have a formula for doing this. Therelationship would be mutually developed. We'd be glad to meet with amember or members of a congregation to discuss how to begin. Let me knowif you're a member of a congregation that might like to explore this ideawith us. If you aren't a member of a congregation but know of one thatmight be interested let me know about that as well.

CONGREGATIONALLY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE or WANTED: A FEW GOODCONGREGATIONS

During the last year we've been working with Beth Waterhouse andthe members of the Judson Baptist congregation in south Minneapolis toeducate each other on the ways to reconnect farmers and urban customerswith each other. We've participated in a number of adult education forumson food and farming, some families from the congregation visited two of ourfarms and this fall we were invited to have a booth at the Judson harvestfestival. The experience has been rewarding for farmers and members of thecongregation.
This fall the USDA awarded us, through the Sustainable FarmingAssociation, a small grant to develop similar relationships with otherchurches, synagogues or mosques. We have funds for educational workbetween farmers and congregations as well as some money to assist is fooddistribution. We are now looking for a few urban or rural congregationsthat would be interested in developing relationships with the members ofour co-operative. We don't have a formula for doing this. Therelationship would be mutually developed. We'd be glad to meet with amember or members of a congregation to discuss how to begin. Let me knowif you're a member of a congregation that might like to explore this ideawith us. If you aren't a member of a congregation but know of one thatmight be interested let me know about that as well.

A FREEZER FOR EL NORTENO
We announced in December that we'd being joining together with ElNorteno, a Mexican restaurant and grocery at 40th and Lake Street inMinneapolis to sell our meat products. Unfortunately Estela Quintana at ElNorteno can't afford to buy a commercial freezer for the meat. She has areally fine glass fronted freezer in the store now. It is broken, however.Estela doesn't have the cash flow to repair the freezer. Does any one know a competent refrigeration repair person who canget Estela's freezer up and running. We can afford to barter some meat andmaybe some of Estela's delicious cooking. Give me a call or send me anemail if you've got an idea on how to get Estela in the business of sellingour meat.

A FREEZER FOR EL NORTENO

We announced in December that we'd being joining together with ElNorteno, a Mexican restaurant and grocery at 40th and Lake Street inMinneapolis to sell our meat products. Unfortunately Estela Quintana at ElNorteno can't afford to buy a commercial freezer for the meat. She has areally fine glass fronted freezer in the store now. It is broken, however.Estela doesn't have the cash flow to repair the freezer.
Does any one know a competent refrigeration repair person who canget Estela's freezer up and running. We can afford to barter some meat andmaybe some of Estela's delicious cooking. Give me a call or send me anemail if you've got an idea on how to get Estela in the business of sellingour meat.

MAPLE SYRUP RECIPE
I reviewed Ken Haedrich's "The Maple Syrup Cookbook" for a coupleof publications recently. This is a wonderful book. I won't send you thewhole review but thought you might enjoy the Indian Pudding recipe. If youlike Indian Pudding I strongly urge you to get the book from your libraryor buy it so you can try Death by Chocolate Waffles or Minnesota Kate'sCosmic Carrot Cake. "A number of restaurants have built their reputations on theirversions of Indian pudding," Haedrich, who writes on cooking in CountryJournal magazine, says. "I've had theirs; this one's better," he claims. I'd not had Indian Pudding. So I have no argument with his claimabout better or best. His version is just darn delicious. We had it forbreakfast. You can too; or for dessert. It bakes slow, at 300 degrees,for two and a half hours, and makes four large servings:
5 cups milk 2/3 cup corn meal 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup maple syrup 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon *1 cup raisins or finely chopped dates
Butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole pan. Heat the milk on medium heat.Slowly sprinkle in the corn meal, stirring with a wooden spoon as yousprinkle. Stir until the milk/cornmeal mixture thickens. Reduce the heat,add the other ingredients, and stir a bit more. We used the raisins ratherthan the dates. It was less work. Pour everything into the casserole pan.Put your feet up and read the Sunday paper while you wait for your feast. Chef Haedrich suggests serving hot Indian Pudding on ice cream. Hecan, if he wants to. I thought a steaming bowl topped with granola andsunflower seeds made a great late breakfast. We added milk, too. As aside dish we had a fruit salad; chopped apples and oranges in a bit ofcherry or grape juice. If you enter into maple syrup cookery you might want to considerordering a gallon of syrup from us.

FOR SALE
Some kind souls have given WFC a lot of galvanized metal plasticbottomed four gallon milk jug crates. These are eminently stackable. Oneside is 80% open. We'll sell you one for $1.75 or 10+ for $1.50. They canbe delivered with food and birdhouse deliveries.

COPYRIGHTED 2000