Taste the love and spread the word; Food Lust returns June 6, 2009

Save the date for Food Lust, Cascade Harvest Coalition's annual on-the-farm gala, Saturday, June 6, 2009 at Fall City Farms.

Now in its fourth year, Food Lust is both celebration and tribute to the work of Cascade Harvest Coalition, its supporting members and the extraordinary bounty of local and sustainable food our region has to offer. Our festive fete to food and all things farm fresh pairs Seattle’s best chefs and local farms, resulting in a sumptuous, multi-course feast, accompanied by live music, inspiring tales of food and of course, our rockin’ live auction.

Temptation is the name of the game at Food Lust – from briny oysters to artisan cheeses, delectable desserts and award-winning Washington wines.


We are also looking for a few good sponsors; they play a big role in helping us underwrite the cost of the dinner. Interested in contributing to one our auctions? Donations of products and services related to food, farms, or family fun are welcome – we’re happy to help brainstorm some creative ideas.

Contact Mary Embleton (mary@cascadeharvest.org) or Mark McIntyre (mark@cascadeharvest.org)

Proceeds from Food Lust benefit Cascade Harvest Coalition’s work to expand and grow our programs and keep us on the frontlines as the region’s food and farming resource center to create a healthier, more sustainable food and farming future in Washington state.

Food Lust 2009

Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009

Time: 5 pm -drinks, appetizers, silent auction
6:45 pm - dinner, followed by live auction

Location: Fall City Farms, Fall City

Tickets: $85.00, on-sale date TBD

2009 CSA Directory Released!

Puget Sound Fresh, a program of Cascade Harvest Coalition, has released the 2009 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Directory. The 2009 edition of the directory features alphabetical listings of 71 farms offering CSA programs in the Puget Sound region and eight home delivery services that buy directly from local farms.

In these uncertain economic times, everybody is on the look-out for a great deal. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs are a great value, offering excellent access to local, farm-fresh food for a great price, while building stronger community relationships. CSAs are direct farmer-to-consumer arrangements, where consumers purchase a "share" of a local farm and, in exchange, the farm prepares a box or bag of the farm's products. It’s a unique and special relationship that builds community, supports local farmers and gives consumers direct access to fresh, local farm products.

For more information about CSA farms in the Puget Sound region or to order a free supply of 2009 CSA Directories, please contact Mark McIntyre at (206)632-0606 or mark@cascadeharvest.org.

She's got peas....

and she knows how to plant them.

We just received our shipment of Puget Sound Fresh pea packets! Come find our booth at the Northwest Flower & Garden show starting today and running through Sunday.

For more information, visit the Northwest Flower & Garden Show website.

New banner in honor of the weather...

2009 Farmer-Chef Connection recap

...will happen sometime this week, once we've uploaded and organized our photos. Quick opinion: it was awesome. Herban Feast's new space, SODO Park, is phenomenal. Big turnout. Lots of farmers. Lots of friendly faces.

In other news:

Friends of the Fields, North Olympic Land Trust, and the Farmland Preservation Program of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, and three Clallam County Commissioners teamed up to place a conservation easement on the Dungeness Valley Creamery farmland, which ensures that the land will remain in agricultural production in perpetuity. Nice. Read more here.

Crazy project that just popped up on our radar: CSA by Sail. Looks like Sustainable Ballard teamed up with the Sail Transport Network (?) to ship locally produced food from the Kitsap Peninsula to the shores of Ballard. Interesting idea. I'm curious what the Ballard Farmers Market thinks about the competition. I'm also curious about the legitimacy (at least in the eyes of Public Health and the City of Seattle) of the operation. But I'm MOST curious about how this idea came to life. I'm still processing this new-fangled idea. Really interesting. Did I already mention that?

More to come later.

Mark

Future of Farming in King County

The King County Agriculture Commission is sponsoring a series of public meetings in early 2009 to gather information that will help shape the future of agriculture in King County.

Findings from these meetings and other research will be used in a report to the King County Council relating to the future of agriculture.

Next Meetings:

Auburn - Thursday, February 12 - 7—9pm Auburn City Hall Council Chambers (1st floor)

Enumclaw - Thursday March 12 - 7 — 9pm Enumclaw High School - Commons

Vashon - date to be determined

Can't attend a meeting? Answer a short survey at http://www.kingcounty.gov/wlr

For more information, contact Nancy Hutto, chair of the King County Agriculture Commission at 206-949-4550 or Steve Evans at steve.evans@kingcounty.gov .

WSDA Releases "Future of Farming" report

"The project sought input on the present conditions and future challenges of agriculture from as many industry segments as possible."

"Detailed justifications for recommendations and proposals for specific potential future actions are included within this strategic plan."

"Strategic actions recommended may be appropriate for legislative actions or for implementation at the producer organization or agency level. Readers are invited to consider the Strategic Plan for Washington Agriculture as a tool for education, a launching point for discussions, and a seed for future actions benefiting the social, environmental, and economic future of Washington."

Check it out: http://agr.wa.gov/FoF/