3 People You Should Know

You’re never too old or too smart. One comes to realize that when in the company of very smart, very keen, and exceptionally driven folks who may be a little junior in age but vastly senior in expertise. Their acute desire and passion for what they do is inspiring. Their results sublime.

Such is the case with three folks farmersdotter and I recently had the privilege of meeting and befriending. We think you might like to meet them as well. Perhaps become friends.

Jordan Marr @OKHomestead operates the Homestead Organic Farm. He and Vanessa

Jordan & Vanessa – Homestead Organic Farm

produce certified organic veggies and hay for purchase via a weekly veggie box service and local farmers’ markets. Introduce yourself to Homestead Organic Farm at the Summerland Farmers Market and the Penticton Farmers Market.

Jordan also developed and moderates The Ruminant a site for ‘sharing good ideas about farming and gardening‘. On the ruminant you will find podcasts and  informative sections on greenhouse gardening, tools, sheds, livestock and a very helpful section on garden layout with more content added all the time. Highly recommend you visit The Ruminant.

One can’t imagine the Okanagan-Similkameen without sampling local wine from any of the 120 plus wineries in the valley. Big or small, wineries in the Okanagan-Similkameen produce very good wines. World class wines.

Our go-to vintners are Orofino, Poplar Grove, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, and Fairview Cellars. As we explore and discover the wineries of our region the list grows.

We add Tyler Harlton Wines to our go-to list.

Tyler Harlton

@TylerHarlton produces only about 500 cases a year. His wines are available through his Website and limited distribution in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Tyler Harlton Wines

Tyler also grows organically on a farm at Trout Lake. He is a McGill Law School graduate, very personable, with a variety of interests and talents that amazes us. Good man to know.

So when you come to see us try to include in your visit the good folks mentioned here. You owe it to yourself to seek out these people. They are good folks to know. How you do that can be a daunting task. Which brings up the third person you must know. In fact, you maybe should get to know her first.

She is simply the @The Field Guide, in person she is Tarynn Liv Parker.

The Field Guide

Tarynn’s project is The Field Guide to food, drink, travel, and adventure in the Okanagan- Similkameen Valley. She consolidates a farm-to-table guide encompassing wine, agritourism and dining and scouts local life and reports on great experiences and local products in an easy to follow guide for the overwhelmed valley visitor.

Yes, you may want The Field Guide to find the best of the best. Coming June 2013.

Happy Mothers Day Sunday Salute

Choices are nice; choices are good. Informed choices are a right. GMO labeling is only right in order to make a good choice.

Nice.

Greater awareness and information helps one make better choices. That is why our Sunday Salute tips the hat towards GMO Awareness, a website that provides awareness about the risks of genetically modified foods.

GMO-Awareness

Recently GMO-Awareness shone their spotlight on Natures Path in an article about Non-GMO Products that may change your view of the supermarket breakfast aisle. Then again it may not.

Natures Path

Regardless, the information is engaging, enlightening and helpful in making a good choice. Nice.

Choices and Mothers Day; seems appropriate.

Have a happy day.

Slow Food

The Slow Food Canada National Conference this year is being held in Osoyoos April 25-28th at the Watermark Beach Resort

Slow Food – Thompson Okanagan

This is our first direct involvement with Slow Food and we’re really looking forward to participating at the Market of Taste on Saturday April, 27th. Several local producers will be sampling their products which will range from farmersdotter Bread and Habanero Brittle to produce and seafood.

And speaking of seafood, we have it on good authority that if you search out the Oyster Man and ask him nicely for a sample of his spectacular chowder chances are you may also be treated to some Similkameen Sourdough Bread to scoop it up!

While at the conference we recommend visiting Harker’s Organics display. Harker’s have a wealth of knowledge on organics in the Okanagan and have been farming in the region for five generations and the sixth generation is almost tall enough to pick apples!

The following Saturday, May 4th, sees the opening of the annual Penticton Farmers Market, 8:30am until at least noon – 100 block main street Penticton, BC

Leave No Doubt What You are About

Today is our annual inspection from PACS the certifying body that grants our certified organic status.

Inspector Dude

We make the distinction and say certified organic as opposed to simply organic. Organic can apply to many things but within the BC farming community saying one is certified organic will leave no doubt what you are about.

To our understanding there is limited regulation in British Columbia when it comes to applying the term organic to describe livestock or produce production. That does not mean to say a grower who is not certified organic does not embrace organic standards. Most city gardeners and small scale growers choose to subscribe to some form of organic method. They simply choose not to certify and that is fair enough. There needs be some way for these growers to describe their methodology and organic does apply.

In order to protect the consumer a strict and high standard of quality assurance must exist and the best way to describe that must also involve a reference to organic. But how does one usurp a word for an exclusive purpose? Tricky and most probably why there remains confusion over exactly what organic means when one goes to buy a fricking apple from the market.

That is why we say certified organic. Its an extra word but it leaves no doubt.

When purchasing meat and produce from a supermarket we look for approved labeling when describing compliant products. Something non certified and most definitely conventionally grown products will not have. There are probably more labels available for use in BC but the three labels listed below are marketing examples farmersdotter organics are entitled to use with prior permission from our certifying body.

Organic Labels accepted in BC

If we know the grower, and the grower is not certified yet happens to be organic in practice, we will purchase their products for personal consumption. Certification is a choice for a grower. Certification is not for everybody. Know your grower and vote with your wallet.

Also, there are three types of annoying sticky labels on produce. Conventional produce have a 4-digit code number. Organic produce has the same 4-digit code only preceded by the number 9. GMO’s has the same 4-digit code only preceded by the number 8 making it oh so easy to avoid Monsanto Monster Mashed Morsels at a grocer near you.

For more information on Certified Organics please visit:

COR Government of Canada’s regulated system for organic agricultural products.

COABC The program designated by BC as the provincial program administrator.

New Crop – New Retailer Too

Beautiful Spring day in the Similkameen Valley! Looking forward to the new Garlic crop and of course the tender Garlic Scape. Our new batch of Garlic Scape Salt will be available by mid July and fresh Russian Red Garlic by early to mid August.

Garlic March 28, 2013

Garlic popping through barley straw mulch which will stay in place to retain moisture until harvest this July.

Also, we are really excited to provide ad hoc of Penticton with some product. As of tomorrow ad hoc will stock farmetsdotter Habanero Brittle and the Garlic Scape Salt too, when it is ready! ad hoc specializes in clothing, shoes, denim, jewelry, and other good tricks. Our stuff being just one of the many good tricks.

ad hoc

ad hoc are located at 446 Main Street, Penticton. Cheers!