Farmer Profile: Karen Selvar

by Connor Almon-Griffin

Friends of the Farms keeps the history of farming on Bainbridge Island alive and thriving. Through Public Farmland management, farmers like Karen Selvar are able to remain, farm and share their knowledge and wisdom of the land. Your support to Friends of the Farms this season helps keep a place in our community for growers and producers like Karen. Donate today, and read on to learn more about this incredible member of our community.

Local agricultural icon Karen Selvar has been farming on Bainbridge Island since she was nine years old.

During her first summer picking strawberries for Akio Suyematsu, Karen made a total of $4.50. At sixteen she graduated to delivering Bainbridge Island strawberries to sell at Pike Place Market. On a good day, Karen remembers, she could make it to the market and back to the ferry terminal just in time to catch the same boat back and take a quick nap.

When the opportunity arose for Karen to lease the fifteen-acre Manzanita property, she realized there was no way she could pass it up. Today, Karen continues to farm and live on the land where she grew up picking strawberries along with farming seven acres of public farmland at Day Road. You may have ambled about her pumpkin patch searching for your prized halloween pumpkin or u-picked raspberries at her raspberry field. Between the two farms Karen grows strawberries, raspberries, corn, squash, and other vegetables, as well as pumpkins, flowers, and Christmas trees for our community. Karen’s commitment to local farming, the community, and to honoring the legacy of Akio Suyematsu runs deep. When we interviewed Karen for this profile, her passion and connection to the land was both obvious and infectious.

She spoke with respect and gratitude of her predecessors who dedicated their lives to local farms and food.

Local farming is something that both nourishes and is nourished by the community around it and Karen certainly embodies those principals. She has been a significant partner to Friends of the Farms, as a former member of the Board, an advisor, and a strong advocate for the continuation of farming on the island.

Karen knows firsthand the obstacles our local farmers face today, such as housing for farm interns, the struggle the next generation of farmers face to acquire land, and the need to preserve and protect existing agricultural properties.

Friends of the Farms extends a huge thank you to Karen for all of the work she does and continues to do for farming on Bainbridge Island.

It's Christmas Tree Season! One of Karen's busiest times of year. The Suyematsu Farms/Bainbridge Island Farms Tree Farm is located at 13610 Manzanita Road, Bainbridge Island. There you will find seven acres with six different tree varieties ranging from three to ten feet tall. Cut your own or take advantage of pre-cut trees!

In addition to trees, there are also hand-made wreaths, garland, and centerpieces. More information can be found at www.suyematsufarms.com or at the Bainbridge Island Farms Facebook page.

Thank you Karen!

Farmer Stories - Part Two: Tayler

Housing first, farming second.

Farm Intern Housing is a critical issue on Bainbridge Island. Every year young, eager farmers like Tayler come to learn from our established long-time farmers. COVID-19, and the challenges of 2020 have highlighted the deeply important need for stable, safe housing. As land prices rise, and real estate becomes increasingly expensive, securing that housing becomes an ever greater challenge. Without housing, Bainbridge Island is losing the next generation of farmers.

Affordable, reliable intern housing can be a reality... with your help.

Small houses, made from recycled and reclaimed materials, just steps away from farm land? RIGHT NOW, Friends of the Farms is working with the Kitsap County Health Department and the City of Bainbridge Island to construction of a farm village of affordable housing dedicated to the next generation of local farmers.

We are committed to beginning construction of sustainably built farmer housing in the Spring of 2021. But we need your help.

Your donation to Friends of the Farms during One Call for All will support our work to ensure new farmers like Tayler can live and farm locally.

Meet Tayler

Tayler is a farm intern success story. You may have met this energetic young woman at the Bainbridge Farmers' Market or at Butler Green Farms' CSA stand where we ran into her last April unloading and sorting veggie starts grown in their green houses. We wanted to circle back to Tayler now that most of the farm beds have been put to sleep for the winter and ask her more about why she wanted to be a farm intern and what she learned along the way.

Tayler studied environmental science and took classes in Sustainable Agriculture at UC Santa Barbara. She worked in the Bay Area as a sea naturalist kayaking guide focused on outdoor conservation, and she had an office job, but agriculture has been on her mind since school.

One day while reading about sustainable agriculture opportunities she found a one-year internship with Butler Green Farms and farmer Brian MacWhorter. “What? They offer internships for farming?!!” Astounded, she submitted the Attra application (Attra.ncat.org) and a year later her season of hard work and learning began.

Brian MacWhorter has been an amazing mentor to Tayler "There is so much to learn from Brian. You can farm forever and not learn all there is to know because every farm is so different.”

Tayler was not surprised by the long hours she put in for her internship, or the early mornings in the cold and rain. She was ready for that. What did surprise her was the JOY of bringing home her own farm-grown veggies everyday rather than going to the grocery store to buy produce from Mexico. “I am so grateful for my lifestyle. It’s a niche, cut out the middle man and go directly to the farmer to buy good food!”

Seasoned farmers need strong, eager, young men and women to work beside them and to follow in their footsteps. Young people, like Tayler, who have a passion for farming, a boundless desire for knowledge, and a willingness to work tirelessly to feed others. This is key to the survival of regenerative farming and the creation of an equitable local food ecosystem.

Yay interns!!

We asked Tayler what support do young farmers need? Not missing a beat, she responded #1 is housing that’s affordable! She had considered a similar internship in Boulder, Colorado, which offered a larger stipend but “Having housing available made it possible for me to come to Bainbridge Island and work here on the farms.”

Tayler is inspired by the future and drawn to a life in agriculture. “At the crux, it’s connecting to the environment and being in a place where I can make an impact on climate change."

Tayler’s doors are wide open. Next spring, she will return to farm on Bainbridge Island, having accepted a salaried position at Butler Green Farm, something made possible by Farmer Brian's ability to provide her affordable housing. After that she is eyeballing graduate work in Agriculture.

Her parting thoughts for us were “There may be no monetary wealth in growing organic vegetables but I get a better lifestyle using my two hands and having access to just picked vegetables.”

Your donation to Friends of the Farms through One Call for All will support our work to ensure new farmers like Tayler can stay on Bainbridge and ensure a future for regenerative local agriculture.

Friends of the Farms extends a huge "Thank You" to Tayler and all our farm interns and the farmers for their hard work, positive attitudes and willingness to give back to the land.

Please make a donation to Friends of the Farms through One Call for All to support our work to ensure the future of local farming and build a healthier community through a resilient and equitable food ecosystem.

From Brian MacWhorter, Butler Green Farms
I posted farm internship positions available for next season and am having crazy amounts of response. Seems many young people understand the scary reality that we all are facing; the likelihood we will not be able to get access to healthy local food in the future. They are willing to do something about it and come work on a farm. Unfortunately, we have very limited affordable housing available for them. I have been farming on BI for a long time and next season it would be the 36th. Honestly, this is the first time I have questioned whether it is wise to even order vegetable seeds for next year. That's my reality.

Thank you for support local farming today with your donation to Friends of the Farms through One Call for All.

Please Donate

March 2020 NewsLetter

True Confessions of a Former Farmer

By Rik Langendoen

OK, I confess I am a bit fanatic about what I eat.
(Some would say I am more than a bit fanatic…).
In my defense, I believe I have five good reasons:

1. Life is blasting by waaaaayyy too fast;

2. I, therefore, want to be here on this Earth for as long as possible;

3. I have lost family members and friends to various diseases;

4. I want to be able to live life to its fullest by having both a happy body and mind; and

5. I am the healthiest I have ever been since focusing on what I eat.

I grew up on a small family-operated dairy farm here in Washington State. We raised much of our own food using what are considered today to be sustainable methods.

I didn’t know how fortunate I was at the time.

Did you know that much of the food we buy in our local grocery stores is much less nutritious than the food our parents and grandparents ate?

→Several years ago a Scientific American EarthTalk article entitled “Dirt Poor: Have Fruits and Vegetables Become Less Nutritious?” summarized the results of landmark studies that showed a significant decline in nutritional value of commercially-grown food over the past century.

“The main culprit in this disturbing nutritional trend is soil depletion: Modern intensive agricultural methods have stripped increasing amounts of nutrients from the soil in which the food we eat grows.”

Sadly, each successive generation of the food you eat is less good for you than the one before.

The article concluded the “key to healthier produce is healthier soil by alternating fields between growing seasons to give land time to restore would be one important step. Foregoing pesticides and fertilizers in favor of organic growing methods is good for the soil, the produce and its consumers. Those who want to get the most nutritious fruits and vegetables should buy regularly from local organic farmers.”

Did you also know it is estimated less than one percent of the Bainbridge Island population purchases locally-grown food? (If we don’t buy from them, we could lose them…).

And most if not all the local farmers use organic farming methods, even if they are not certified organic due to the cost, time and/or effort of obtaining the certification.

I know what you are thinking: Locally-grown food is more expensive than off-island commercially-grown food. But based on the above-mentioned studies, you are getting what you pay for.

In my next article I will tell you even more important reasons for eating locally grown food (I think you will be surprised; there was a hint earlier in this article…).

In addition, you can buy food directly from the farmers, which reduces the cost. If you want to learn more:
www.friendsofthefarms.org/links
Until next time, enjoy this last blast of winter.

Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

From Heather Burger

I recently watched Samin Nosrat's Netflix series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.  It's a delight.  A welcome departure from the now ubiquitous "cooking" shows challenging chefs to prepare a dish in 10 minutes combining ingredients like jellied eel, brie, pickled okra, and caramel corn.

Nosrat's series is a primer in how by mastering four elements anyone can prepare delicious meals at home.  Her recipe for buttermilk-brined roast chicken has three ingredients transformed by salt, fat, acid, and heat into a masterpiece easy enough for a weeknight dinner or a picnic lunch, but impressive enough for guests.
Get a local chicken from the Hey Day Farm Store or Bay Hay & Feed.  Use Grace Harbor buttermilk, which is full-fat and cream top, from a Pacific Northwest creamery.  Available at Town & Country.

Heather Burger, Executive Director
Friends of the Farms

Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

by Samin Nosrat

3½- to 4-pound chicken (about 1.5 kilograms)
Salt
2 cups buttermilk (475 ml)

The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season the chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Stir 2 tablespoons of kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. If the chicken won’t fit in a gallon-size bag, double up two plastic produce bags to prevent leakage and tie the bag with a piece of twine.

Seal it, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate. If you’re so inclined, over the next 24 hours you can turn the bag so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that’s not essential.
Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), with a rack set in the center position.

Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of butcher’s twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or shallow roasting pan.

Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven (the back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done). Pretty soon you should hear the chicken sizzling.

After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400°F and continue roasting for 10 minutes and then move the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.

Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh.

When the chicken’s done, remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Link to recipe:  https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/buttermilkmarinated-roast-chicken
Link to video on preparation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-pq7MA2ko4

Pickled Radishes!

Pickled Radishes!!
Time to shop at the farmers market.

Recently a dear friend and local foodie gave us a copy of Joshua McFadden’s new book called Six Seasons. His trattoria Ava Gene’s in Portland, Oregon we hear is a must-go-to. When I first cracked it open the page said ‘Pickles: Six Seasons in a Jar.' I was intrigued because pickling radishes had been on my mind since eyeing Persephone Farm’s bright red radishes at the previous Saturday’s Bainbridge Island Farmers Market. I returned last Saturday, bought four beautiful bunches from Rebecca Slattery, the Farm’s owner, went home and made this very straightforward recipe. Almost immediately, you can start enjoying these marvelous morsels in sandwiches, salads or straight out of the jar with a nicely chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

From Six Seasons:
This makes enough brine for about 3 pints of pickles.

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt ( I use Jacobsen Salt)

Mix together until all dissolved. Pack your cleaned & trimmed radishes in clean canning type jars, fill with the brine to cover, screw on lid. I kept most whole and a few sliced in half for ‘effect.' You are done! Put in frig for up to 2 months.

Guest Blogger
Robert Ross
Friends of the Farms Volunteer