“The honey trade is anything but simple, however, namely because the U.S. is so dependent on foreign honey – 60-70% of our honey is imported, much of it from China. Making matters worse, in 2002, 2003, and 2007, U.S. Customs seized multiple Chinese honey shipments that were tainted with antibiotics banned in the U.S., including chloramphenicol, a chemical that has been linked to serious blood disorders.”

Both the blog post and the series over at the Seattle P.I. – Honey Laundering – are worth the time to read. The information about labeling (it’s the usual news… labels don’t mean jack) is an especially good reminder that we shouldn’t necessarily be paying more for something labeled “organic” or “pure”.

The good news is… local honey! Small farms, small batches. No offense, little squeezy bear, that just sounds better to me.

I know of three in the mid-valley, though I’m sure there are others.Please leave a comment if you are, or know of, a local honey producer.

Queen Bee Apiaries

Honey Tree Apiaries

Olsen Honey Farms — no website that I can find, but you’ll see these guys around with a white trailer. Lately they have been at the Albany Farmers Market.

You know… I really shouldn’t write these types of posts before I have breakfast. *growl*

If any of you out there are already customers of Mr. Milkman, please comment and let us know how the service and products are!

* * *

Some of the best things in life are shared across the back fence. Wouldn’t it be great to expand your reach?

I’ve started a new forum for neighborhood food-share groups around the Willamette Valley. The goal of the forum is to connect people with others in their immediate area for food sharing opportunities, events, gatherings, work-sharing, volunteerism, gardening tips… you name it!

Hope to see you there. Don’t hesitate to let me know if you or your existing group would like a particular category created.

There’s now a page link at the top of the blog that will lead you to the forum.

Disappointingly, the Salem City Council rejected ordinances that would have allowed chickens within city limits. I wonder if the opponents of the plan have ever actually visited any normal backyard chicken coops. Their arguments seem to be based heavily on fear-mongering.

Wine Country Thanksgiving –More than 140 wineries and tasting rooms in the Willamette Valley will be open during Thanksgiving Weekend (most open 11am-5pm, November 27-29, but hours may vary, so call ahead). Meet winemakers, experience special tastings and enjoy specialty food and live entertainment. Click here for a complete list of participating wineries and tasting rooms.

I made sweet roasted rosemary acorn squash this week, and it was fabulous.  You should try it immediately. Go ahead, I’ll wait here…

Heavenly Harvest Farm in Corvallis is having their Harvest Festival through Saturday.

The College of Agricultural Sciences at OSU is once again hosting the Food for Thought lecture series, beginning Tuesday, November 3rd at 7pm. These free public lectures are held in the LaSells Stewart Center’s Construction & Engineering Hall on the OSU campus.  Lectures include time for audience discussion and refreshments are provided.

Check out this special issue of Oregon’s Agricultural Progress: Food in Oregon.

That’s all for this week — I’m going to try to make this a regular feature of the blog, so please stay tuned!

(photo credit: “Cristom Vineyards” by pete4ducks)

Master Gardeners 7th Annual Plant Sale
Benton County Fairgrounds, Floral Courtyard, 110 53rd St., Corvallis 97330
541-766-6750
9am-2pm
“The sale will feature perennials, grasses, iris, vegetable starts, herbs, vines, shrubs, shade/sun varieties, drought tolerant, and native plants specifically suited to the Willamette Valley’s climate and soils. There will be a clinic table where master gardeners trained by the Oregon State University Extension Service will be answering gardening questions. OSU entomology experts will address pest questions and there will be garden and vermiculture composting demonstrations throughout the day.” Visit extension.oregonstate.edu/Benton for more information.

Sunday, May 3rd
Spring Garden Festival
Arts Center Plaza, Central Park in Corvallis, 7th & Madison
541-754-6506
11am – 4pm
Event includes a plant sale, master garden display & demonstrations, and kid garden activities.

“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”
~Mark Twain

Mustard! Not just mustard. LOCAL mustard, made with local ingredients like beer from Oregon Trail Brewery, local brown mustard seeds from Wild Garden Seed, and seasonal vegetables and spices from Gathering Together Farm. Sounds really good, right?

Introducing Weinsteiger Mustard Co. The site is a little bare-bones at the moment, but owner/creator Rebecka Weinsteiger is working on it. Mainly, I want you to know about the site and the new company, because there is a tasting opportunity tomorrow night. Rebecka is hosting her first tasting trial tomorrow, Friday, March 27th from 5pm-7pm at the First Alternative Coop meeting room (right behind the Purple Moon Coffee Cart). First Alternative Coop is at 1007 SE 3rd Street in Corvallis. She will have three samples for you to try and is looking for your feedback.

Rebecka has her eye on a mid-May launch of the sell-able product, stay tuned for more info.

Weinsteiger Mustard Co. Tasting Trial
Friday, March 27th
5pm-7pm
First Alternative Coop meeting room (behind Purple Moon Coffee Cart)
1007 SE 3rd Street, Corvallis

(I used the word mustard 8 times in this post. No, wait, 9 times.)

We got six Barred Rock pullets & they are super cute. They seem to be quite hardy, which is great but isn’t keeping me from being a little anxious.

The OSU Empty Bowls Project (6-8pm)

Cracked Pots’ UnGarden Art Show (11am-6pm)

Well… okay. Driving around the state for your food does sound like a pretty bad idea. But, was it really necessary? And what about the other reasons for choosing local foods (when possible)?

I admit, I don’t know Salem as well as I know the Corvallis/Albany area, but I have been trying to understand what this gentleman wasn’t finding close enough to home. I think that this aspect of local food advocacy can be a gray area, and we need to be informed consumers. Here are some of my thoughts on shopping locally:

Let them come to you
The Oregon Farmers’ Market Association website has a page devoted to the markets in Oregon. Here’s the list for the Willamette Valley. At the Corvallis market, I’ve noticed signs on vendors tables that indicate how many miles they drove to be there… cool, if that’s a concern to you. With some planning, a once-or-twice-weekly trek to the local market for both vendors and buyers should help decrease the need to run all over town later. And buying at the market supports your local economy because we are fortunate enough to have farmers for neighbors.

Focus on your daily route
We all have to go somewhere, sometime. Whether you get around by bus, car, bike or foot, see if there are farm stands along your route. Additionally, keep your eyes open for people selling items from their private homes, such as eggs or extra produce from their gardens.

Sign up for a CSA box
Find a farm that delivers near you, or where you can pick up from a convenient location. You’ll probably end up trying items you’ve never tried before, and that’s just part of the fun.

Buy in bulk
If you have enough freezer space, you can purchase meat and poultry directly from local farmers. That link leads to just a partial list, so check around. (And let me know if you find websites I don’t have listed yet!) Supplement with your farmers’ market purchases and find yourself at the store a lot less.

It’s okay to go to the grocery store or corner market
Many local grocers and markets carry locally produced items. The trick is to make sure those items aren’t shipped out to some far away central location and then back to the stores.  But, for example, Lochmead Farms, located in Junction City, sells products through Dari Mart. There are other local dairy producers, too, that you can find in many grocery stores. (It would be interesting to know exactly how the dairy supply chain in Oregon works. Anyone knowledgeable in that area want to write a guest post?)

Grow your own
Garden! Even just a little! Driving is less of a concern if you can step outside to gather some fruits and vegetables, or pluck herbs from your windowsill.

Cooperate with your friends and neighbors
Carpool to the weekly farmers’ market or pick something up for your neighbor while you’re already out. Go in together and buy a cow or split a CSA box. Share the bounty from your gardens. Okay, if you’re all swimming in zucchini, that’s kind of a dud idea, but trading, say, blueberries for apples is a lovely way to get to know people. If you’re lucky enough to live on a street with many gardeners, why not help each other out with the chores, too?

Learn how to preserve
Freezer jam keeps for about a year and it’s easy, just cook, cool and freeze. Or, learn how to use canning equipment and preserve all manner of produce for the months when we have little to no fresh fruit or vegetables. If you want to learn more about food education and preservation, consider the Lane County Family Food Education/Master Food Preserver Program (FFE/MFP).

Give up some stuff. Or don’t, but then accept that you aren’t perfect.
I like bananas. I’ve cut back, but I’m not going to beat myself up for buying a bunch of bananas every once in a while. If you want to try to give up every single thing that’s not locally produced, then more power to you. But I think very few people could sustain that and I’m certainly not going to point fingers if I see you eating a Reese’s peanut butter cup.

Finally, ask yourself why you do this
Are you looking for local food because you like the taste, the freshness, the better nutritional content, and supporting your farming neighbors? Or do you only care about reducing your carbon footprint? That’s an admirable goal, but this isn’t a wholly realistic way to go about it. Farm management techniques can have a greater impact than whether that tomato traveled across state lines.

Bottom line
If everyone chooses to simply do what they can in terms of eating locally, then there’s no giving up when we can’t sustain the effort.

(photo credits: “Cornucopia” by kate e. did; “bounty on my counter” by cafemama)

Living Culture is a monthly television series based in Salem that focuses on the food, gardening and culture of the mid-Willamette Valley. I’ve really enjoyed catching up with the segments that they have featured on their video archive page, and look forward to watching in the future!