Friday, August 27, 2010

Lamb Fest 2010

 

Please read this offer to better understand how it works to order in an animal in whole or part. Lamb Fest 2010 is an opportunity for you to buy USDA lamb cuts directly from the farmer in individual packages to see what you like.

Organically Raised Lamb Available Now


We are pleased to be able to offer you organically raised lamb from Josh Farmer of the Snoqualmie Valley.  He has been farming for near 30 years and grazes his beef, lambs and goats in both Duvall and Bothell.

A fellow farmer told us, “Josh raises beyond the organic standard.” This means that there are no fertilizers or pesticides used on any of the grasses upon which his animals graze. Although his animals primarily eat grass and are moved between the Duvall and Bothell farms as needed for maximum nutrition, they also receive a daily meal of special grains. Josh feeds his animal grains that have been recycled from the brewery, which means all harmful sugars have been removed. It’s these sugars that weaken an animal’s immune system. This grain is slightly damp, smells fresh and is much lighter than soaked wheat, barley or spelt.

These animals are fed no hormones and are never injected with harmful drugs. All medicinals are natural and herbal as required by organic certification. I repeat: These lambs are not certified organic but are raised to a standard beyond organic certification. Remember, organic certification is costly and a lot of paperwork for any farmer or rancher.

BREED and AGE:  Josh raises chevettes or cheviots. These lambs are born and raised on his farm alone, not imported. All lambs harvested are under 6 months of age. Here is a link to better understand the various breeds of lamb:

On the left hand side of the page, click on Cherviot and the picture and description will come up quickly.


 Lambs are not grown sheep. The Scots used a lot of “mutton” and it was the 2-year-old sheep that were used in stew pots. Mutton is very fatty and stringy. Baby lamb is more mild flavored, much more lean, more tender than beef, yet full-bodied in flavor when it is harvested young. It’s especially delicious with garlic.

TERMS OF SALE:

You purchase a lamb from Josh on two terms (see below). When we have a minimum of 4 orders, he takes the lambs to Lynden to a certified USDA processing plant. Here the inspectors supervise the process of dressing out each.  Then licensed butchers cut and wrap the lamb into individual packages. Each package labels the cut, the weight and has a USDA stamp on the package.

Lambs, live weight, are about 120 pounds
You pay Josh Farmer a $100 non –refundable fee that is applied to the total cost of your ordered lamb.

OPTION 1:.
You can pay Josh $1.48 per pound for this LIVE weight of approximately 120# + $90 for slaughter & package fee, which would be $177.60 + $90 for a grand total of   $267.40. There will be some tax charged by the USDA processor.  This would be your USDA finished cut, wrapped lamb frozen, ready to go into your freezer. Each package bears the USDA stamp and weight.  The finished weight, after slaughter and trim, would be about 60 pounds of beyond organically raised lamb
.
OPTION 2:

The other alternative payment is to pay Josh $3.75 per pound FINISHED WEIGHT.  This  finished weight is approximately 60 pounds x $3.75 which is $225  plus tax and $90 slaughter & packaging fee for the whole lamb.  This is done for customers order ½ lamb. For this price, you receive your cut, wrapped USDA packaged cuts with the weight of each on the package label.

DELIVERY:
When at least 4 lambs are ordered at one time, Josh will deliver the frozen meat to Duvall for distribution to those who ordered. Since the meat is frozen, it will be important for coordinate pickup so you can transport quickly to your home freezer.

ORDER AND PAYMENT PROCEDURES:

(1) You order your lamb thru oxygen14@comcast.net
(2) You provide me with your name, accurate email address, phone number to reach you quickly, and the number of lambs you want to order in.
You attach the lamb “cuts” list along with your order or say, “traditional cuts only please.

(3) I will CONFIRM your order by email. Send your check for $100 deposit to me IMMEDIATELY.

(4) I will notify you when your lambs have been delivered to Lynden for processing, and when they are estimated to be ready for pickup. As soon as your particular lamb is hung and cut, the USDA facility notifies Josh with a “ticket” of the hanging weight or the “live weight.”

(5) Since Josh must pay all the processing fees for your lamb out right before he can pick them up, I will email you and ask you to send him your check immediately. You will have approximately 10-14 days turnaround time to get him your payment.


(5) Pickup will be in Duvall unless other arrangements are made. For example, members of the Bulk Buy Group who live closer to Marysville, Stanwood, Sedro-Woolley and Whidby Island might prefer to pick up in Lynden directly.

COOKING WITH LAMB:
We are fortunate to have cooks in our group who are experienced in preparing delicious lamb dishes. Terrie, Cheryl, Dick, Charity all enjoy lamb as do their children. Lamb was so unaffordable in Canada when Fred and I were raising our children, we didn’t have it often.

Terrie suggests:
·        2 parts ground beef and 1 part ground lamb makes delicious meatballs.
·        Sautee loin lamb chops in a bit of olive oil and savor their taste when surrounded with veggie and brown rice

Susan suggests:
  • Ground lamb seasoned with middle eastern seasoning, grilled into burgers and stuffed in pita bred with fresh veggie chopped from your garden. A simple chipotle mayonnaise to dress your burgers.
  • Lamb stew in a crock-pot with local root vegetables of parsnips, leeks, potatoes, and roasted turnips. The lamb imparts a distinct flavor to the vegetables.

So, this is yet another opportunity to work closely with a clean Washington farmer and expand your children’s palate at the same time. Imagine your healthy lamb cut surrounded by walls of vegetables and nourishing grains piled around it.—Yum!

Lamb Fest 2010:
Since many of you are not familiar with lamb, you will have the opportunity to purchase organically raised cuts of USDA inspected and wrapped lamb cuts in mid-September. I will go meet the my co-op on a Saturday morning (Either Sept 18 or 24) at Josh’s Duvall farm and I may purchase particular cuts for $5.00 a pound. Each package has the weight on it so you will multiply it by $5 per pound and pay Josh directly. Only farmers/ranchers who use USDA facilities are permitted to resell meat in this fashion.

If you want to participate in Lamb Fest 2010, please email oxygen14@comcast.net to reserve your place at this event.

I’m thinking that once you taste this high quality delicious lamb, you will want to consider purchasing a lamb from Josh for your family’s longer term pantry.

Standard Possible Cuts of Lamb:
I have attached a list of possible cuts for lamb from a gourmet butcher who advertises on the internet. It’s a way for you to see all the possibilities for serving lamb from the entire animal, wasting little. This does not mean that YOU would be able to order all these cuts from the USDA facility in Lynden, but it gets you thinking about options and cuts that might be most suitable to your family.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

End of summer coming soon!

You may have noticed that the temperatures aren't high, and it isn't staying light as long in the evenings.  I am rather bummed about this. I really do love the summer time. So many fun adventures to have. So much to get done. Anyway, I have been busy with canning, drying and children.. of course.. LOL

Today I went to DK market, winco and Foley's.

DK Market:

bartlet pears $0.49/#
apples $0.59/# to $0.89/#
peaches and nectarines were under a dollar a pound, sorry I didn't really notice as I wasn't looking for those.

Winco:
apples from $0.99/# and up
walla walla sweets 5#/ $3.98
rolled oats and quick oats $10.70/25# bag
pinto beans $15.35/ 25 # bag

Foley's:
gravenstein apples $9.95/ 20# box
golden apples in 20# boxes, I forget the price
canning tomatoes too!

Just a heads up.. good luck finding roma's for canning, they have had a terrible season.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

What happened???

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be - please read
it!!


          The article below is completely neutral, ...not anti
republican or democrat.

          Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinal has
hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in
the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgements made
that impact each one of us every day.

         

          545 vs. 300,000,000

EVERY CITIZEN NEEDS TO READ THIS AND THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS JOURNALIST
SAYS IN THIS MESSAGE.  READ IT AND THEN REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR CURRENT
POLITICAL DEBACLE.

          Charley Reese has been a journalist for 49 years.

          545 PEOPLE--By Charlie Reese

          Politicians are the only people in the world who create
problems and then campaign against them..

          Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the
Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

          Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against
inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

          You and I don't propose a federal budget.  The president does.

          You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on
appropriations.  The House of Representatives does.

          You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

          You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

          You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve
Bank does.

          One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine
Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300
million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for
the domestic problems that plague this country.

          I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because
that problem was created by the Congress.  In 1913, Congress delegated
its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally
chartered, but private, central bank.

          I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound
reason.  They have no legal authority  They have no ability to coerce a
senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing.
I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash.  The
politician has the power to accept or reject it.  No matter what the
lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine
how he votes.

          Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing
you that what they did is not their fault.  They cooperate in this
common con regardless of party.

          What separates a politician from a normal human being is an
excessive amount of gall.  No normal human being would have the gall of
a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating
deficits.... .  The president can only propose a budget.  He cannot
force the Congress to accept it.

          The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives
sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and
approving appropriations and taxes.  Who is the speaker of the House?
Nancy Pelosi.  She is the leader of the majority party.  She and fellow
House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want.  If
the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree
to.

          It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can
not replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of
incompetence and irresponsibility.  I can't think of a single domestic
problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people.  When you
fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the
federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they
want to exist.

          If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

          If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the
red.

          If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want
them in IRAQ.


        If they do not receive social security but are on an elite
retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it
that way.

          There are no insoluble government problems.

          Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats,
whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose
gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the
power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. 


Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists
disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or
"politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

          Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and
they alone, have the power..

          They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people
who are their bosses.

          Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own
employees...

        We should vote each of  them out of office and clean up their
mess!

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando SentinelNewspaper.
What you do think should be done?
       
The following might be funny if it weren't so  true.
         
          Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table, At which he's fed.

          Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes Are the rule.

          Tax his work, Tax his pay, He works for peanuts Anyway!

          Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat.

          Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work, Tax his dirt.

          Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think.

          Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries, Tax his tears.

          Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways To tax his ass.

          Tax all he has Then let him know That you won't be done Till
he has no dough.

          When he screams and hollers; Then tax him some more, Tax him
till He's good and sore.

          Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's
laid...

          Put these words Upon his tomb, 'Taxes drove me to my doom'...
When he's gone, Do not relax, Its time to apply Theinheritance tax..

          Sales Tax
          School Tax
          Liquor Tax
          Luxury Tax
          Excise Taxes
          Property Tax
          Cigarette Tax
          Medicare Tax
          Inventory Tax
          Real Estate Tax
          Well Permit Tax
          Fuel Permit Tax
          Inheritance Tax
          Road Usage Tax
          CDL license Tax
          Dog License Tax
          State Income Tax
          Food License Tax
          Vehicle Sales Tax
          Gross Receipts Tax
          Social Security Tax
          Service Charge Tax
          Fishing License Tax
          Federal Income Tax
          Building Permit Tax
          IRS Interest Charges
          Hunting License Tax
          Marriage License Tax
          Corporate Income Tax
          Personal Property Tax
          Accounts Receivable Tax
          Recreational Vehicle Tax
          Workers Compensation Tax
          Watercraft Registration Tax
          Telephone Usage Charge Tax
          Telephone Federal Excise Tax
          Telephone State and Local Tax
          IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
          State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
          Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
          Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
          Telephone Federal Universal Service FeeTax
          Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
          Utility Taxes Vehicle License Registration Tax
          Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
          Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax

          STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

   
                Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our
nation was the most prosperous in the world.
                We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest
middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
   
              What in the hell happened?  Can you spell
'politicians? ' I hope this goes around THE USA at least 100 times!!!
YOU can help it get there!!!
   
              GO AHEAD - - - BE AN AMERICAN!!!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

DK Market prices 8.4.10

I went grocery shopping for the first time in a month. I went over my budget of $50 by $20 but we should be ok. Here are the prices for what I got.

(1) Russet Potatoes 10#/$1.59
(1) Watermelon, seedless $0.29/#
(1) Carrots, 5lb/$1.89
(1) Cauliflower $1.19 EACH
(1) Bean Sprouts 2 lb / $0.99 each
(1) Puffed Rice 7 oz/ $1.19
(1) Carrots, baby 1 lb / $0.39
(8) Avocado $0.69 each
(8.32 #) Pink lady Apples $0.79/#
(3.83#) Peach donut $0.79/#
(5.51 #)Peach Yellow $0.69/ #
(2.81 #) Nectarine Yellow $0.79/#
(19.62 #) Banana Organic $0.39/#
(2) Grapeseed Oil 1 liter $4.99
(2) Nido Pwd Milk $8.95
(1) Danish Butter cookies $3.99

PEACHES

More interest than I thought.  And since we don't know when we will be able to go out of town due to work, I am going to do the peaches. The price is excellent, and the peaches are really good.   NO LIMIT!!!  Call friends, neighbors and relatives and see if they would like some too. I am driving all the way to Monroe to pick up from my supplier, and so I'd like to  make it worth the trip :) Sorry about all the confusion. 

Peach pick up, Aug 13 .  It is a lot of work to put these orders together and drive to get the food. I love providing this service for all of you, but it is time consuming. I am going to ask a $0.25 gas charge per person's order. Just to help a little with my expense. I hope you all understand.
I’ve attached an Excel sheet for the varieties of peaches available for order. Each box, regardless of variety is $12 each for 25#. The big peach pickup is scheduled for Fri, Aug 13 about 2:00 pm.
 I realize this email offer is long. Most of the questions people ask are usually answered if they will read through the email carefully.
We are pleased to offer 3 varieties of  early canning peaches from Mott Liek of East Wenatcheee.  Mott has been an orchardist for 30+ years. He supplies a busy fruit stands in Monroe as well as other stands throughout Puget Sound.  
 These peaches are not organic. When the peach seed is the size of your thumbnail, Mott sprays the seed to prevent disease. He sprays once more but not heavily on the skin about 30 days prior to harvest.  This is why we say they are  “lightly sprayed” to ensure no bug damage. Since we recommend these as delicious canning peaches, you will be peeling off the skin when you preserve them.
 Peach Pick up:  Friday, August 13, 2010 about 2
DEADLINE TO ORDER AND PAY:  ASAP. All orders for peaches are due to Lisa Kenyon ASAP SATURDAY AUG 7TH AT THE LATEST!! 
The peaches will not be ready to can on the day of pickup. They will need 3-5 days to ripen properly for easy canning.
 COST:  Our bulk buy price on Red Globe, Rosa and Early Elberta peaches is $12.00 per 25# box. The cost of boxes, labor, fuel, fertilizer have all gone up. This is a very good price this year for quality peaches
 You may invite other family members and friends TO ORDER WITH YOU when you place your order. We have plenty of peaches—over 14,000# so quantity is not the problem.
Here's the information from the grower and his wife:
All the varieties we are ordering are free stone also known as “cling-free.”

        'RED GLOBE...Freestone...  is a cross between a Red Haven and an Elberta.  A great canner and slicer... Does not turn brown when sliced and left on table. It’s my personal favorite... not the sweetest peach but real peach flavor. Use a very light syrup.  Available Aug 1-25    Our #1 seller

        ROSA...Freestone... is the sweetest peach we have.. my wife's favorite.. great for slicing or canning.. Use a very light syrup.  In a jar I cannot tell the difference between the Rosa and Red Globe..  Available  Aug 1-20    Our #2 seller

        EARLY ELBERTA...Freestone... just an earlier version of an Elberta.  A good canner and slicer.  Use a very light syrup to preserve the delicate peach flavor.  '

CANNING INFORMATION: NOTE:  The USDA has specified that peaches must be water bathed or steam canned for a full 30 minutes per quart (or 25 minutes per pint) in simmering water to be safe for home bottling without risk of contamination.
HOW TO ORDER—SPECIFIC FORMAT: Send your email order to Lisa Kenyon in the following format:

YOUR NAME

YOUR PHONE NUMBER

     

YOUR ACCURATE EMAIL ADDRESS

YOUR ORDER: # of boxes of which varieties 
Example:
Lisa Kenyon
(425)-392-1390 home
2 ROSA + 1 Red Globe

PICKUP on FRI, AUG 13 OR AUG 20:
 At Lisa Kenyon's home about 1:30 TO 2pm. PLEASE be on time to pick up.  
AGAIN, the fruit will NOT be ready to can on the day of pickup. It usually takes 3 to 5 days to ripen fruit for canning.
Thank you!!