YEAR-ROUND FARMER’S MARKET: HOW DO WE MAKE IT HAPPEN? – May 16th Monthly Meeting

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Peggy Hall

Monday, May 16th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Island Lake Community Center, 1087 NW Island Lake Rd, Poulsbo, WA 98370 

Join our round table discussion on what it will take to have a year-round farmer’s market. For a long time in Kitsap, there has been a desire for a year-round farmer’s market, but missing are the down and dirty details of how we can make it happen.

Who should be at the table? Customers, producers, members of the boards of markets, policy makers, and market managers need to sit down and layout the basics to move forward. Bring your experience, ideas, and information. This is a community discussion.

Among the questions that may be discussed are:

  • What attracts customers?
  • How much does it cost to run?
  • How much do the vendors earn?
  • What makes one market successful and another a failure?
  • How do we have enough local food in February?
  • How do we build the infrastructure?

Is your hot button idea not here? Bring it with you. This is important. This will help make local food sustainable all year-round. We look forward to seeing you there!

The results of this discussion will be forwarded to the Food and Farm Policy Council. If you want to learn more about the FFPC and the Kitsap Food Chain, click here and read about it.

It’s a Potluck! IF YOU CAN, bring something tasty and easy that can serve 3 or 4 people, or more if you like.Come no matter what! We want you to participate. No time? Not a foodie? Don’t cook? Either bring a non-alcohol refreshment, snacks, or feed the “Guilty Jar” a few dollars.

No reservation is needed for our Monthly Meeting. Please come to learn and share.
Posted in Community Supported Agriculture - CSA, Farm Business and Economics, Farmers and Farms, Farmers Markets, Local Food, Local Food Opportunities, local food vendors, Value Added Local Food | Leave a comment

Putting Rain Gardens in Your Life for Beauty and Utility – April 18th

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Peggy Hall

KCAA Monthly Meeting, Monday, April 18, 2011, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Island Lake Community Center, 1087 NW Island Lake Rd., Poulsbo, WA 98370

Teresa Brooks of the Kitsap Conservation District (KCD) provides our community with Rain Gardens & Environmental Education. Rain gardens give us the ability to mimic nature by by treating stormwater and putting it back in the ground. Teresa will speak on how rain gardens and how KCD can help you install one in your home or farm garden. She will also introduce us to the KCD cistern project. Joining her will be Nikki Johansen and others who have worked with the KCD.

Rain Gardens are simply shallow depressions that:
• Can be shaped and sized to fit your yard
• Are constructed with soil mixes that allow water to soak in rapidly and support healthy plant growth
• Can be landscaped with a variety of plants to fit the surroundings

KCD is offering Technical Assistance and cost share for the implementation of rain gardens. Our new program, sponsored by Kitsap County Surface and Stormwater, will help landowners install these great water-saving gardens. Kitsap Conservation District (KCD) is not part of county government, but is an independent special-purpose district. It does not have any regulatory authority and works with landowners on a voluntary basis.

It’s a Potluck! Bring something tasty and easy that can serve 2 or 3 people, or more if you like. Not a foodie? Don’t cook? Bring a non-alcohol refreshment.

No reservation is needed for our Monthly Meeting. Please come to learn and share.

Posted in Water | Tagged | Leave a comment

Meet the Farmers, Meet the Farmers Markets – March 21st

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Peggy Hall

Grown, Made and Sold in Kitsap: Meet the Farmers, Meet the Farmers Markets

KCAA Monthly Meeting (and potluck)
Monday, March 21st, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Island Lake Community Center, 1087 NW Island Lake Rd, Poulsbo, WA 98370

On the second day of SPRING, you are invited to meet the Farmers, Markets, Craftspeople, and Artisans who make Kitsap County a fun place to live. Be prepared to buy CSA shares, meat shares, and maybe a wool hat. This is a mini fair on the second day of SPRING! WooHoo.

Join us for a delightful evening of talking one on one with farmers and the folks who manage the farmers markets. Meet the people who work to make this a vibrant farming area.

No reservation is needed for our Monthly Meeting. Please come to learn and share.

Posted in Community Supported Agriculture - CSA, Farmers and Farms, Farmers Markets, Local Food, local food vendors, Special Events, Uncategorized, Young and New Farmers | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Community vs Agriculture — Slap down or love fest?

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Marilyn Holt

KCAA Monthly Meeting
Monday, February 21, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Island Lake Community Center, 1087 NW Island Lake Rd, Poulsbo, WA 98370

Join this month’s discussion:
Community vs Agriculture – Slap down or love fest?
Join our guest Tim Trohimovich in a discussion on how community planning can support agriculture in Kitsap County. Tim and Futurewise have been in the front lines preserving farmland around the state. He will be sharing that experience with us as our county officials draft the policies and regulations for all types of rural activities that will be set into code this year.

The discussion will include:

* What Futurewise can do in Kitsap County.
* What State and County right to farm laws mean.
* What the key land-use related issues facing agriculture in Kitsap County are.

Join us in brainstorming some solutions, and hear how some other areas have addressed these issues.

Tim is the Co-Director of Planning and Law for Futurewise and works on conserving the agricultural land base throughout Washington State. Futurewise is a statewide public interest group working to promote healthy communities and cities while protecting farmland, forests, and shorelines today and for future generations. But how do they do that, and how can they help farmers and agriculture advocates here? Come and find out.

POTLUCK IS BACK!
Back by popular demand. It’s a Potluck! Bring something tasty and easy that can serve 2 or 3 people, or more if you like. Not a foodie? Don’t cook? Bring a non-alcohol refreshment.

No reservation is needed for our Monthly Meeting. Please come to learn and share.

Posted in Farm Business and Economics, Farmland Preservation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Using spreadsheets for crop planning

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Peggy Hall

Workshop led by Josh Volk, Portland farmer
http://www.slowhandfarm.com

When
Sunday, January 30
10am – 1pm
Stay after for a potluck lunch!

GRuB
2016 Elliott Ave NW
Olympia WA 98502
http://www.goodgrub.org

There is limited parking in the parking lot and along Bing Court next to the farm house. More parking is available on Elliot Ave (turn left off of Division St.).

Workshop description
Learn a refined crop planning and record keeping system, and general principles for creating your own systems. The crop planning system presented will let you plan out hundreds of separate plantings and keep track of all of them with minimal effort. If you are a professional grower and you want to save time, improve harvests, and keep better records, this is the course for you. If you are a serious gardener and want to grow as much food as possible, this is for you too.

The course will use Excel-style spread sheets extensively and also cover shortcuts and techniques for using spreadsheets more effectively and efficiently. All of the basic concepts are equally applicable to those still using pencil and paper – although you may be converted.

To register
Tickets are $30 each.
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/154071
Registration is recommended; we can’t guarantee ticket availability at the door.

Ticket price is set to cover costs with 20 attendees; if more than 20 register, everyone will get a small refund at the event. Maximum 30 attendees.

Contact
Lauren Manes
lauren.manes@gmail.com
206-251-9324 (text or call)

Posted in Farm Management | Tagged | 1 Comment

KCAA Monthly Meeting – Monday, January 17

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Peggy Hall

KCAA Monthly Meeting
DATE: Monday, January 17
TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30p.m.
LOCATION: Island Lake Community Center, 1087 NW Island Lake Rd, Poulsbo, WA 98370

Join our panel and attendee discussion about the opportunities for young people to learn and participate in agriculture. Schools and civic organization in Kitsap provide agricultural learning opportunities for young people.

From pre-school kids to high school students, vibrant programs are available, and more are being developed right now. Get connected with these programs and find out how you and your children can enjoy the rural culture we live in.

No reservation is needed for our Monthly Meeting. Please come to learn and share.

Posted in Young and New Farmers | Leave a comment

Kitsap Celebrates Local Foods December 10, 11 & 12

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Peggy Hall

Kitsap’s Own Terra Madre 2010 – Celebrate Local Foods December 10, 11 & 12. Check the link for a listing of events. Local food vendors are encouraged to participate on December 11th for food trade show featuring local and regional foods http://kitsapfoodchain.org/

Posted in Local Food | Tagged | Leave a comment

Our next Meeting – Monday December 13, 2010, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Eagle’s Nest at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Peggy Hall

Our next Meeting (New Weekday and Location) – Monday, December 13, 2010, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Eagle’s Nest at the Kitsap County Fair grounds, Fairgrounds Road, Bremerton

Who should attend All who are interested in eating locally grown food or growing their own food in Kitsap County. City chickens in Bremerton, independent local-food stores, farmers markets, restaurants featuring locally grown food, small commercial farms, a rise in backyard farmers and gardeners, and a continued interest in keeping horses prove that locally grown food in Kitsap County moved into the mainstream this year. Meet other like-minded people and help the KCAA shape agriculture in Kitsap.

Topic: Panel and Attendee discussion about the future of Agricultural Zoning. Kitsap County is now without agricultural zoning and is currently working on creating some. What does that mean for you and a historical industry that has been kicked a bit. The new zoning will affect everything from growing and selling fruit and vegetables to owning livestock, including horses.

Food: Potluck. Please bring a favorite and easy dish that can be enjoyed by three or four other people.

Posted in Calendar of Events, Farm Regulation and Policy, Home Gardening, Uncategorized, Urban Farming | Leave a comment

Have Your Say

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Marilyn Holt

To have a voice in what happens in Kitsap County, you need to tell your County Commissioners what you want. Below is their contact information.
Letters:
Kitsap Board Of Commissioners
Commissioners’ Office, MS-4
614 Division Street
Port Orchard, WA 98366
E-mail:
(north) Commissioner Steve Bauer sbauer@co.kitsap.wa.us
(central) Commissioner Josh Brown jwbrown@co.kitsap.wa.us
(south) Commissioner Charlotte Garrido cgarrido@co.kitsap.wa.us

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Kitsap noxious weed program helps farms.

Posted on November 12, 2010 by Marilyn Holt

The Kitsap noxious weed program is one of the great bargains we Kitsap citizens enjoy. If you own or rent land, then you may need the services of the Kitsap noxious weed program. Over the past year the Kitsap noxious weed program services have been greatly reduced due to county-wide cut-backs.

November 22nd the Weed Board and Staff will be presenting a request to the Board Of County Commissioners (BOCC) to adjust the noxious weed fee from 1 dollar per parcel per year to 2 dollars per parcel per year. If you cannot attend the meeting, at least call or write about this service.

I personally support of this service. We benefitted by finding out that what looked like a plant on the noxious weed list simply looked similar. Without the help of Dana Coggon, we would have spent a lot of time trying to get rid of what turned out to be a beneficial plant. Ridding the county of noxious weeds helps us all who are farming and enjoying the fruits of the farms.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment