Not exactly city news…

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But I thought you might be interested to know that certified organic acreage farmed in Washington state increased by an estimated 27 percent between 2006 and 2007. Since 2004 the amount of certified acreage being farmed in the state has increased by 86 percent.

WSU sustainable agriculture specialist David Granatstein says the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources has been conservative with its analysis, so the annual report actually represents a low-end estimate of organically farmed land in the state.
The estimate of certified organic land statewide is 81,472 acres, up from 64,325 acres in 2006, a 27 percent increase. During 2007, 629 organic crop and livestock farms and 71 transitional farms in the state were certified.
Organic forage production showed the most growth again with an annual increase of 51 percent, now accounting for 35 percent of the state’s total organic acreage, which kind of surprised me. But considering the recent spike in demand for organic dairy, it makes sense that feed demands would be up.
Certified veggie acreage increased by 4,500 acres in both 2006 and 2007. Certified vegetable acreage now totals more than 20,000 acres with sweet corn, peas, potatoes, green beans and onions being the major crops grown. Washington is likely the leading U.S. producer of organic sweet corn and peas.
Always apple country, Washington leads the nation in organic apple, pear and cherry production. Apples are the state’s predominant organic tree fruit crop with apple orchards comprising 73 percent of the certified tree fruit acreage.
For a clearing house of info on local organic and sustainable agriculture, including this new profile, visit http://csanr.wsu.edu/Organic/OrganicStats.htm.
And, just for fun, the above photo is a peak at my fledgling organic square foot gardens, complete with heavy duty trellises made from electrical conduit and trellis netting. I call them my “industrial food chains.”
Heh, heh.
J.

Get henna-ed in Uptown

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It was a rainy Friday evening, and I was standing barefoot on a sidewalk in Uptown Village in Vancouver. My feet were cold, for sure. But they were also fancy. A flower had just been henna-ed onto my right foot, and it was lovely. But it didn’t leave room for shoes.

Satna Berrissoul introduced me to henna at the opening of the Clark County Historical Museum’s Boomer exhibit, where she was providing her service for free one evening. She learned the art in Morocco, where women often henna their hands, arms, feet – even their faces – for special occasions.

Along with the opening of the exhibit (which is featured in the latest North Bank), the special occasion for me was meeting a woman who had lived half a world away at some point. Living in the Northwest, I always imagined my first henna would be done by a white kid with dreadlocks in some place like Pike’s Market. I wouldn’t have guessed henna to be part of Uptown Vancouver’s scene, but now I know it has its place there – perhaps more authentically than in other places.

Henna is beautiful, but slightly weird. The application goes quickly and is totally painless. Henna is applied to the skin in thin lines that look a bit like cake frosting. The “frosting” needs about three hours to harden (waiting for this is a little tricky depending on where the henna is applied). Then you brush it off in flakes. What’s left is a (usually) orange-ish design that stays on your skin for two to three weeks. Kind of like an old fashioned temporary tattoo.

Satna Berrissoul can be contacted at 360-693-7690, and is available by appointment. She applies henna from her home in Vancouver or at Mint Tea Imports, 2306 Main St., also in Vancouver. Her designs start at $8, and vary depending on size and complexity.

Charity

Summer solstice goodness

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Good clean fun, I tell you. It’s what I love. Check out this great Summer Solstice event.
On Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., three farms between Battle Ground and Vancouver will be celebrating the season with the public: Garden Delights, Half Moon Farms and Scented Acres.

Scented Acres (13804 N.E. 117th Ave., Vancouver, 360-921-9737) with their lavender plants and products will have lavender lemonade, cookies and samples, as well as herbs and gifts for sale. Goats, baby chicks and full grown chickens are scheduled to wander through beautiful display gardens. A favorite of mine, Sweet Nectar Nursery specializing in hummingbird and butterfly attracting plants, will be there, along with Las Flores del Altipano Alpacas.

Half Moon Farm (14737 N.E. 159th St., Brush Prairie, 360-514-9223) will have honey and samples, fresh flower bouquets and flower gardens to walk through. A chicken tractor showcasing how people can have chickens in their backyards will be set up. Pick up art from the farm and Volcano Garden Art.

Garden Delights (15417 N.E. Parkinen Road, Brush Prairie, 360-892-4479) will showcase herbal pet products and treats, culinary herb blends and herbal gifts. Tours of the aerated compost system on the farm will be provided at 10:30, noon and 1:30. Chef Anna Petruolo of A Dinner Together will give out fresh samples of beef and veggies from the farm from 11 to 1.

The year’s longest day should be well spent, I say-

J.

Bad Monkey

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While the Vancouver Bicycle Club is a favorite of the boomer and beginner crowd, the one thing I hear a lot is, “Where are the bikers MY age?”

Well, the rumors are true: there is a new bike shop and organized ride resource in downtown Vancouver. Long needed, the shop opened a week or two ago at 1717 Broadway in Vancouver’s Uptown Village, and is already much loved by local cycling enthusiasts — and kids everywhere.

Bad Monkey Bike Board and Skate carries (or will carry — hey, give them a minute, why don’t you) products and parts for all the modes of transportation listed in its name. And folks already set up with products and parts can use Bad Monkey’s repair shop for tune-ups and breakdowns. Commuter bike storage and gear on consignment available, too.

And come out on June 22 for Pedalpalooza, Bad Monkey’s grand opening. Starting at 3 p.m., riders get to hang out for a ribbon cutting, safety talk, roadside flat repair clinic, snacks and movies on the shop wall. At 5 p.m., a family ride sets out for Vancouver Lake Park and the “sweat, bleed and cry” ride sets out for — good lord — Prune Hill and back. After-ride rewards include adult beverages, salty snacks and more movies.

Mmmm, salty snacks….

J.

New magazine, new blog

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I am a big fan of used stuff. Renewed, reused, recycled. Anybody who knows me — and knows my wardrobe — knows this. But, hey, who doesn’t like to see a shiny new penny glinting in the road, or the virginal white of a just-out-of-the-box pair of running shoes? We all do, even me.

And so, from me to you, here’s some new stuff:

There you have it, news so fresh out of the oven, you feel the heat.

J.