The Kitchen Sink #8
A Publication of the Whole Farm Co-operative
Editor, Author and Plumber; Tim King
| TABLE of CONTENTS: 1. Velasquez Family Coffee 2. A co-op in the Bosque 3. Organic Food: More Nutritious 4. Books, books. 5. Gift Baskets for your Valentine 6. Peppered Pumpkin (or squash)and Potato Ragout |
Velasquez Family Coffee A note from Guillermo and CathyVelasquez of Velasquez Family Coffee Thankyou to all of you who have been purchasing Velasquez Family Coffee throughthe Whole Farm Coop. We spent the Thanksgiving holiday visiting our familyin Honduras and they are very excited about our growing coffee business.Coffee prices on the open market are at an historic low. Many coffee farmersare not planning to pick their coffee this year because it will cost themmore to pay their workers than they will make when they sell it. Yourfair trade coffee purchases allow our family to keep farming and they havealso made it possible for them to diversify their operation. For example,my father just purchased 5 milk cows. In addition to the benefits of lettingthem graze in the coffee (great natural weed control), my mother makescheese and sour cream to sell along with the extra milk for some additionalincome. My mom is also raising chickens and selling the eggs. We alsofound out that our family is looking into getting certified organic inthe next few years - so although we cannot say that our coffee is organicyet, we can tell you that we are working towards that and they are doingeverything they can to farm in an environmentally sound way. For example,they plant coffee in terraces and maintain continuous green ground coverbetween the coffee plants to conserve soil. When the coffee is young, theyoften plant red beans between the coffee plants - again to hold and enrichthe soil, and provide food for the family. They cut weeds with a machete(or let the cows graze) instead of using pesticides and they use organicfertilizers. They preserve old shade trees and plant new trees wheneverpossible. Oneother way they are trying to develop an alternative source of income isthrough eco-tourism. Tourists from Honduras and other countries have startedvisiting the protected cloud forest where the farm is located. One of mybrothers in particular has played a key role in encouraging community membersto rent out rooms in their homes to tourists and to think about ways theycan protect and promote the natural beauty of the area while also makinga living. This brother also works for Conservation Corp of Honduras wherehe leads work camps of youth in various conservation projects and leadershipdevelopment. Through these work camps, several excellent trails throughthe tropical forest have been created near the farm. Our hope is to somedaybring groups of people from Minnesota to visit the farm, learn about coffeeproduction, and explore the beautiful ecosystem of the cloud forest. Wehope to be ready by February of 2003. Stay tuned. |
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A co-op in the Bosque San Andres, Guatemala, Today I took a walk in the woods with some friends.It wasn't just any woods. The Maya Biosphere Reserve, covering portionof Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, is the second largest forest in the westernhemisphere. The first is the forest of the Amazon watershed. I'm here with some teachers and students from Eco Escuela a Spanish languageschool based in San Andres, District of Peten, Guatemala. We came here,down a dusty forest road, in the back of a pick-up truck. We park the truck and follow a path through forest turned pasture. Thegrass is thick and lush but coarse. The cattle appear to be a Brahma/Jerseycross. They are sleek. I'm sweating like a criminal under the ferocioustropical sun. "Suave, Tim. Caminas suave," Carlos, one of the teachers tells me. Walkslow. Americans, he tells me, don't know how to walk in the tropics. Americans may not know how to walk in the tropics. But when Carlos spotsan hill top finca - a small farm - with tangerine trees he, and Dan, ayoung student from Maine, sprint up the hill to get fruit. We eat the tangerines under the shade of the first tree we come to. Myhands are crippled so I ask Martina, a German tropical ecologist and Spanishstudent, to peel my tangerine. I don't know her well but I've seen howshe watches the edge of the forest with something like longing. "I quitmy job as a pharmacist's assistant in Germany so I could study the tropicalforest," she tells me. "It was a good job. People told me I was crazy forleaving." I tellI think crazy is a good idea. We finishour fruit in silence. Nearby is a 1,000 year old Mayan stellae - an eightto ten foot tall block of limestone with hieroglyphics chiseled into it.I wonder what kind of fruit the people who carved the stone ate under thetropical sun. Whenwe finally leave the hilly pasture and enter the forest it's like enteringan air conditioned building on a hot August day. The forest breathes. "Theearth smells like compost," I suggest to Martina. "Itis compost," she replies. We forda small stream and stop to rest. Alitza, my teacher, and Doris, anotherteacher, produce small plastic bags and begin gathering snails. They willcook them for dinner tonight. "Thisis the ceibo tree," says Carlos pointing to a slender 120 foot giant. "It'sthe national tree of Guatemala. The ceibo is the male tree. The femaleis called ceiba." He handsme a leathery and dark green leaf. "Thisis for stomach ache," he says. Theleaf tastes like spearmint and cinnamon. I give it to Dan who also takesa bite. As westart out again vines begin to tangle the path. Carlos goes to work withhis machete. The blade rings like a chimes as it cuts through the undergrowth. Carlos moves like a ballet dancer. One vine, tan colored and thickas a cable, disappears into the tree tops. Carlos' machete chimes and watergushes from the thick plant. Carlos holds it like a garden hose. Threeof us drink nearly a quart of water from the severed plant. We fordanother stream, climb a steep hill, and come out into the sunshine. Inthe clearing there are turkeys, chickens, puppies, and a palm thatchedhut. The own has just killed an armadillo which he's preparing over a woodfire in the hut. Doris, suffering from the flu, plops onto the hut's onlyfurniture; a hammock. Theowner, who seems to be expecting us, leaves his armadillo stew and shinniesup a forty foot tree. From near the top he throw grapefruit down to a teacher.Another teacher gathers tiny flame orange chiles from a six foot shruband somebody else produces a bag of salt. We have lunch. "Thegrape fruit and chile will be good for flu," I tell Doris. As she agrees she corrects my Spanish. That's the way it is for my two weeks in San Andres. Whether in the brightand neat school house perched on the rocks above Lake Pet*n Itza, in theforest, or at meals with the families we live with we are carefully beingtaught Spanish vocabulary and grammar while simultaneously being taughtthat the forest will provide more standing than it will cut down and turnedinto lumber and paper. We conjugate verbs around ideas like chicleros - men who scale the chicozapotetree to get the white chicle gum. We add xate (cha-tay) - a forest fernused in the international florist trade - and pimiento to our vocabulary.Pimiento is the spicy seed, with a multitude of uses, that come from atall graceful tree with smooth green bark. All the people who teach us these things, whether they be the school'scleaning woman (Ingma), our teachers, Bertilda and Lucas, whose familyI live with, or Samuel who works with the students on volunteer projects,are the owners of the school. In fact, more than fifty families in SanAndres are the proud owners of Eco Escuela. Allthe owners benefit: Ingma and Samuel have jobs. Berthilda, who visits withme during each of the three excellent meals she serve me daily, gets payingboarders. And the teachers, most of whom are young people, find employmentin their home community rather than having to leave for the city in searchof employment. "The womenplay and important part in the schools management," says Lucrecia Romeroof Eco Maya. I bookedmy reservation to go to Eco Escuela through Eco Maya. Eco Maya is a travelcoordinator, in Flores, Guatemala, for not only Eco Escuela but for anotherlanguage school cooperative and a number of cooperatives operated by guideswho organize extended trips to various isolated ruins in the forest. On one of my last days in San Andres Martina, Samuel, and I hitch a ridein a pick up out to Eco Escuela's community forest. Our job is to helpSamuel clean the forest's interpretive trail. The trail is used to teachlocal school children about the gifts of the forest. "Thisis the chicozapote tree," Samuel tells us. He was a chiclero when he wasyounger. "It is dangerous work, " he says pointing to the diagonal machetecuts in the tree as much as fifty feet above us. As wework Martina and I discuss how the great forests of Europe and Americawere cut down so long ago no one can remember them. No one can even imagineor dream them. But people like Samuel know the great Central American forestsin their bones and their blood and their dreams take place in them. Wehope that their strength of imagination will allow the forest to standand live in the dreams of others. If you'dlike to learn more about Eco Escuela you can email Lucrecia Romero at ecomaya@guat.net.You can also go to the Conservation International web site www.conservation.organd click on the Eco Escuela link. One week of schooling, including fourhours of one on one instruction and room and board with a family, costs$175 per person. NOTE: This article will run inThe Land in the near future. www.the-land.com I thank editor Kevin Schulzfor running this sort of material in a farm publication. |
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Organic Food: More Nutritious In early August, 2001, the British organization, The Soil Association,reported that a comprehensive review of existing research revealed significantdifferences between organically and non-organically grown food. These differencesrelate to food safety, primary nutrients, secondary nutrients and healththe health outcomes of the people who eat organically. Thereport, entitled THE ORGANIC FARMING, FOOD QUALITY AND HUMAN HEALTH REPORT,as well as an executive summary, can be found at the Soil Association'sweb site http://www.soilassociation.org Regarding nutrients, the report found that existing research has shown: *Vitamin C and dry matter contentsare higher, on average, in organically grown crops then they are in non-organiccrops. *Mineral contents are also higher,on average, in organically grown crops, although more research is requiredto solidify these findings the reports authors wrote. *Feeding trials have shown significantimprovements in the growth, reproductive health, and recovery from illnessof animals fed organically produced feed. Thefood safety section of the report shows there is no scientific evidenceto support claims that there is a connection between food poisoning andorganic produced foods. The report also points out that organic foods useno pesticides or antibiotics in their production and that only thirty foodadditives - as compared to 500 in non-organic foods - are used in processedorganic foods. The absence of antibiotics, pesticides, and most foodadditives eliminate known as well as suspected risks from organic foodsthereby making them safer than non-organic foods. Regardingfood additives, in particular, the report states that organic certificationstandards prohibit additives and ingredients which have been linked toallergic reactions, headaches, asthma, growth retardation, hyperactivityin children, heart disease and osteoporosis. Thereport's authors make a series of recommendations including: *Consumers wishing to improvetheir intake of minerals, vitamin C, and antioxidant phytonutrients, whilereducing their exposure to potentially harmful pesticide residues, nitrate,genetically modified organisms, and artificial additives used in food processingshould, wherever possible, choose organically produced food. *The government should introducea 'health of the nation' initiative linking farming and food productionmethods with the environment, food safety and human health. Thehealth of the nation initiative the Soil Association proposes includesa series of recommended research initiatives. One recommendationis to study the impact of fertilization, soil management, and pest andweed control practices on the vitamin, mineral, and dry matter contentsof crops. Onewould hope that the British government would follow through on the SoilAssociation's recommendations. One would also hope that the US governmentwill consider following suit with its own research. |
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Books, books Book #1 Renewing the Countryside I hadthe pleasant experience of collaborating with my friends and WFC customersJan Joannides, Beth Waterhouse, and Brett Olson, on a beautiful book calledRenewingthe Countryside last year. In addition to featuring other hopeful storiesfrom the Minnesota countryside there are articles and photos about WholeFarm Cooperative, along with WFC members Camphill Village and Snowy PinesReforestation and WFC associate White Earth Land Recovery Project. Here'swhat co-author and editor Beth Waterhouse had to say when the book wasreleazed for publication in October. I'mexcited to announce the publication of Renewing the Countryside,a collection of success stories told by farmers and rural folk from allover the state of Minnesota. Some of you know that I helped edit this duringthis past summer, and that I wrote "connective essay" and the introduction,to give the book a certain heartful flow. I'm so pleased with it, and eagerfor you to own a copy. Spreadthe word-- the book is available from the Institute for Agriculture andTrade Policy. Call Pieter Roele at 1-866-378-0587 to order, or email rtc@iatp.org.You can also order it off the web at www.mncountryside.org.(You can order the soft cover version from Whole Farm Cooperative.) Askfor at Whole Farm Coop or localindependent book seller; it should be there in about another ten days (especiallyif you ask). It's out in soft cover and hard cover. Prices are $29.95 forsoft cover and $39.95 for hard cover. Volume discounts available. Here'swhat Mark Ritchie, co-Editor with me, Jan Joannides, and Sara Bergan hadto say: "Renewing the Countryside is a beautiful, inspiring bookthat tells 43 stories of Minnesotans protecting the environment and promotingrural communities through innovative businesses and community projects.This powerful journey through Minnesota's landscape is full of incrediblephotographs (Doug Beasley and others) and stories of hope and renewal." Andfrom the back cover: "These are stories of individuals, families, and communitiesenhancing the beauty and vitality of Minnesota's countryside. With creativity,determination, and hard work, they are breathing new life and energy intoour rural communities, while protecting the natural and cultural resourcesthat are important to us all. If you love to read of the innovation andcreativity of the human mind and spirit, you have picked up the right book." Youtruly won't believe the gorgeous photography. From dewy blueberries tothe Headwaters of the Mississippi, from an incredible shot of the St. PaulFarmers' Market to the whole Van der Pol family - these lucious color photosreally make the book. Size is 9x9", two or three photos on every spread.160 pp. Forme, it's a dream come true to be a part of the writing and editing teamon this most amazing collection of countryside stories. What a match! Hopeyou'll order and enjoy the book, or give a few for gifts. Beth Waterhouse Excelsior, Minnesota Book #2 |
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Gift Baskets for your Valentine Rememberthe beautiful Amish made gift baskets WFC carried for Christmas. Therewas the coffee lover's basket, the breakfast basket, and the lunch basket.WFC will continue to carry them through Valentine's Day so you can treatsome one you love with a beautiful gift of high quality products. You'llfind pictures, descriptions, and prices on our gift page. http://www.wholefarmcoop.com/ |
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Peppered Pumpkin (or squash)and Potato Ragout Packed with immune-enhancing vitamins to help speed recovery from coldsand flu, this colorful and savory stew is laced with lots of fiery pepper.Serve with steamed greens and whole-grain rolls. Ingredients: * 1 Tbs. olive oil * 1/2 cup chopped onion * 2 cloves garlic, minced * 2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin(or squash) * 1 cup cubed potato, unpeeled * 1/2 tsp. salt * 1 tsp. freshly ground blackpepper * 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepperflakes or to taste * 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper * 3 cups vegetable stock or cannedbroth * 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen,thawed Preparation: In largepot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirringoften, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, potato, salt,black pepper, red pepper flakes and white pepper, and toss to coat withoil. Stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cookuntil pumpkin and potato are tender, about 20 minutes. Add peas and cookjust until peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings. |