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Volume Number 5
Issue Number 6
December 2010
November Season Extension back to the program, especially seed grown out from seed picked up from
Fall Potluck & Seed Exchange About 30 community members attended the Ramah Farmers’ Market Fall Potluck & Seed Exchange held at the Old School Gallery on Saturday, November 20. Turnout seemed a little low, although there was participation from all over the area, including Zuni, Pine Hill, Gallup and Grants. As usual, the pot luck brunch was outstanding – everyone connected to the farmer’s market seems to be a great cook! Seed Exchange Although attendance was low, interest in the Seed Exchange was keen. Emphasis at the fall seed exchange was on seed for early spring planting, because the next seed exchange will not be until late April. Focus was on tomatoes and chile seed, which must be started early indoors and transplanted outside after the last killing frost, root crops such as carrots, beets and turnips, which can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring, and other cool season crops such as peas, broccoli and cabbage. Volunteers set out seeds in groups, and provided brought to the exchange are inventoried in by volunteers and labeled as to year, variety, hybrid or open pollinated, name of grower, and any other information a grower might need to select plants. In turn, community members are asked to write down which seeds they take with them. Later these gardeners are contacted in order to collect information on successful varieties for the Seed for Need program. Eighteen growers (and new growers) picked up seed on Saturday; of the eighteen, six (33%) returned seed to the exchange. Of these six, four returned seed that was grown and harvested, (or wild crafted) themselves. Denis Black, coordinator of the Seed for Need program, emphasized the importance of seed exchange participants bringing seed
volunteers to track who was contributing propagated seed. The seed program also accepts left-over seed from purchased seed packets. During this exchange seed was propagated or wild crafted by Pam Davis (Hopi squash, corn, garlic, beets, hollyhocks), Kate Wilson (Matt Romero Velarde Old Mexican Chile, wild crafted Rocky Mountain bee mountain oregano). The seed currently available at Ramah Farmers’ Market Seed Exchange is from four sources. The original seed bank was a donation from FaithWorks, (Arizona), who in turn procured seed from Park Seed. Another donation is from Seeds of Change seed company located in El Guique, New Mexico, (near Santa Fe). These seeds are prized because Seeds of Change specializes in growing or procuring seed suited for New Mexico growers. Another valued source for seed is the Embudo Valley Seed Exchange which takes place in Dixon, New Mexico every April. Last year two volunteers, Brianna Clark and Genevieve Humany, made the road trip to Dixon to pick up seed for our exchange. Some of this seed includes rare, local heirlooms which the Seed for Need program gives to experienced growers to propagate. The rest of the seed comes from local Ramah growers, both left over seed from seed companies and seed grown right here in Ramah. There is a lot to do to keep the Seed for Need program going – letters to seed companies need to be written and sent; record keeping and mailings to growers need to be updated; road trips to seed exchanges and seed companies are all possibilities. If you are interested in volunteering your computer (or driving) skills for the Seed for Need program contact the co-managers Denis or Jackie at 505-783-4440, or e-mail ramahfarmersmkt@ yahoo.com. (Continued next page)
MARKET NEWS (Continued from P. 1)Year in Review
shortage, the new “Beet” editorial board, a proposed bingo fundraiser for Gloria Holden, and the new Food Safety legislation in front of the Senate. Volunteers are needed both for operation of the farmers’ market and the Harvest Festival. Mary Barry will no longer be running the community table at the market. The community table requires a team of volunteers The market also needs volunteers to set up signs and tables, monitor parking and help out with the information table, the community table, and collecting vendor fees. If you are interested in participating contact Denis or Jackie at 505-783-4440, or e-mail ramahfarmersmkt@yahoo.com. The Farmers’ Beet now has an editorial board responsible for generating and editing articles for the bi–monthly newspaper. Owl McCabe and Linda Thornton join Denis Black and Jackie Rossignol in editorial production. If you are interested in writing for the Beet contact the co-managers at 505-783-4440 or e-mail ramahfarmersmkt@yahoo.com. New Mexico Environment Department rules concerning the sale of low risk foods have presented many challenges to our bake goods vendors. Two of our vendors, Sharon Norton and Leslie Mooseman, passed both their exams and their kitchens inspections and are now permitted vendors. Vendor Gloria Holden ran into problems when her septic tank failed to Gloria pay for her replacement septic tank (see Groundhog Day Bingo, this page).
Problems remain for baked good vendors who have “nontraditional” plumbing and septic systems (i.e. rainfall capture, graywater systems, outhouses) , and, unfortunately, these vendors have shied away from putting in their applications. The Grants branch of the Environment Department, however, has agreed to develop a set of “variances” to accommodate these non-traditional situations, and are willing to work with anyone seeking a permit to sell low risk foods at the market. The co-managers strongly urge all baked goods vendors to contact the Environment Department (505-287-9441) to get on board with new regulations. If you encounter problems, feel free to call the co-managers
amendment to the new Food Safety Legislation. The Tester amendment would exempt farms grossing less than $500,000 a year from onerous inspection costs. Jackie thanked people for calling their Senators and the Harvest Festival from the market site in Ramah to the Ancient Way Café site.
smooth running chicken contest. Thanks to Joanne Snowden for the best ever pie contest in Harvest Festival history (and having to manage too many judges), and Lenore Snowden, Connie Schallau, Sari Clark, Wanda Wallace for a smoothly run pie entry procedure. Thanks to Kate Wilson, Leslie Moosman, Kim Score, and Linda Burson for managing and judging a very challenging Homestead Harvest competition, and Owl McCabe, Ross Nantz and Cindy Blea for managing the large vegetable class. Thanks to Joanne Snowden, the pie volunteers, Will Stripp (auctioneer), and Standing Feather (presenter) for a very successful pie and produce auction. Thanks to Linda Thornton for setting a record for sales at the information table, and taking the great photographs. Thanks to Mary Barry and Jill Acheson for running the community table. Thanks to Pat and Allen Burnam for being where they needed to be. Thanks to all those who pitched in at the last minute and whose names I’ve left out. Thanks to the Ramah Fire Department, the El Morro Area Arts Council, and the Ancient Way Café for all the tables and chairs. Thanks to Pam and Jon Pickins for the loan of the veranda for the pie judges. Thanks to the Ancient Way Café for the amazing giant tent. Co-manager Jackie Rossignol
Groundhog Day Bingo New Mexico Environment Department rules concerning the sale of low risk foods at farmers markets have presented many challenges to our bake goods vendors. Vendor Gloria Holden ran into problems when her unregistered septic tank failed to pass muster. The Environment Department required Gloria to replace her septic tank, regardless of whether or not she went forward with her baked goods permit application. Gloria is disabled, with limited income, and relies on her bake goods sales to make ends meet. Many community members have partnered to help Gloria continue her small baked goods business: Gloria’s son passed the Environment Department exam which allowed him to install a new septic tank for his mom. Diamond G Hardware graciously opened an account for Gloria so she could purchase a new septic tank on time, and Gallup Pumping Service drove out from Gamerco for free to pump out the old Septic tank on the day it was removed and the new one installed. A neighbor with a Market so far has raised $425.00 from the community to help Gloria out. That’s the good news. The bad news is total costs, including the plumbing, is something like $1200.00. The Ramah Farmers Market will be holding a 2011 exact date and place to be announced, to try to close the gap. The prizes will be crafts, produce and baked goods donated by Ramah Farmers’ Market vendors, or any other prizes donated by community members. Please keep an eye out for this fun event!
Market Statistics
Total sales for 2010 at the market were down slightly from 2009. 2010, however, was the second highest year since the market started sales came to $13,484. Total sales came to $24,789 – that’s almost $25,000 that remained in the community. For the second year in a row, agricultural sales topped non – agricultural sales. Total attendance was 3868,down slightly from last year, about 2.4%.
Volunteers Everyone seemed to have a “busy” year this year – but not so busy they couldn’t help out at the farmers market! The co-managers are deeply grateful for all the time and effort you put in to make a successful market – especially those of you who came back week after week. Thanks everyone – especially to those I forgot! Jill Acheson, Rebecca Allina, Mary Barry, Denis Black, Luann Burgin, Mike Clawson, Eden Gloria, Jesse Grey, Jonathon Helf, Genevieve Humany, Owl McCabe, Susan McNabb, Leslie Moosman, Ken Norton, Erin Rappoport, Jesse, Paula Sayword, Karen Simms, Joanne Snowden, Lenore Snowden, Linda Thornton, Kate Wilson, Pat Wolford, Michael Zinn, and Bonnie Altamirano.
Harvest Festival Volunteers Planning and setting up the Harvest Festival this year was especially challenging this year, but everyone on the crew came through training meetings next year so things will go smoother. Thanks to Pat Wolford, Bill Wolford, Kate Wilson, Ann McDermott, Ryas Wilson, Issac Wilson, Denis Black, and Brianna Clark for picking up, hauling, and setting up the tables. Thanks to Pat and Bill Wolford for constucting the poultry exhibit. We’ll make chickens sign up ahead time next year. Thanks to Kate Brown, Alicia McCabe, Kirk Shoemaker, and Nita Schafer for a
Summer Youth Art at the Ramah Farmers’ Market by Lesley Moosman El Morro Area Arts Council’s Summer Youth Art Program came to the Ramah Farmers’ Market this year. It was a new addition to our program and what a success! Every week parents came to express their appreciation for all of the fun. Kids of all ages (including grownups) had fun at our art table. We made seed mosaics, garden collages, and fruit and vegetable people. There was a lot of free art with drawing in various mediums. Do you know how many budding artists there are in the El Morro community? During the market season, we had over 150 young artists come to our table to make great art. I would especially like to thank all of the volunteer artists who hosted the table through the summer: Katherine and Jerry Jorgenson,
MARKET NEWS who made ceramic tiles with the kids; Margaret Araza, who taught art and cornhusk dolls; Susan and Pete Mayne, who hosted free art, sharing books and drawing with shapes; and Katharine Clark for the “Love” Banner and free art. Thank you one and all. The kids seemed to be inspired by freedom of the unstructured activities. The National Park Service was a frequent guest host. Thank you to Leslie DeLong, Chief of Interpretation, for making it possible. From there, Wendy DeGeorge arranged for park staff and volunteers to host the kid’s art table once each month. Thank you Gale Weaver for all the information on bats and the bat craft project. Thank you Kate Manrodt for the sessions on tree rings, birds, ducks, and origami frogs. They are still hopping around my house! Glen and Barbara Smith, Volunteers in Parks, also joined us on several occasions to help out. Kids and parents really appreciated getting information on our national parks and programs. Thank you! Congratulations to all the new Junior Rangers sworn in after completing the Junior Ranger programs at El Morro and El Malpais national monuments this summer. The highlight of the season was Pioneer Day. For this event, market co-manager Jackie Rossignol asked the Summer Youth Art request came the seed idea of a beehive, as realized in a fabulous creation
hands of parade goers. We had so much fun and wonderful help from the Thank you in no special order to the kids and grownups who helped with this creative endeavor: Haley, Jack, and Lori Hanson Scott; Heather Byington; Allyssa Janca; Jordan Wolford; Miguel, Alina and Bonnie Altamirano; Kate and Joshua Lichnerowicz; James and Bethany Key; Arielle and Lesley Moosman; Jackie Rossignol; Denis Black; Kate Wilson; Eden Gloria; and Walker Pickens (Full Moon Productions). You were all wonderful - What a great addition to the Summer Youth Art Program! In addition to Kids’ Art at the Market, the Summer Youth Art Program offered art sessions at the Old School Gallery during the month of July. We did all of our traditional crafts and activities on Tuesdays: planting with Jackie Rossignol and Lesley Moosman (plants donated by Jack and Sherri Carter-North, Jackie and other area growers); rock creations with Beth Von Seggern; Tie Dye: Tie it and Dye it with Christie and John
using local ingredients from our Ramah’s Farmers’ Market. You may have read about it in The Farmers’ Beet (August 2010 Issue ).The kids had a great time preparing a lunch of guacamole with fresh veggies, frittata, and macaroons. On Thursdays, the kids learned about “Art of the Masters.” Local artists shared information about some of the great artists with the kids. Then the kids made their own art in a related project. Thank you to Jane Chilton for sharing Picasso and Matisse, Devorah Curtis for sharing master sculptors and her own work, Patti Jordan for sharing Vincent Van Gogh, and Carol Casady for sharing Michelangelo. Carol wasn’t able to join us, but she provided information and a great idea. I taped large sheets of paper to the bottom of all the tables and the kids painted the Sistine Chapel all over again! They created wonderful drawings in the same reclining position that Michelangelo did! This may have been our best program ever. We had so much fun to listen and create. Next year, there will be ample opportunity out there for our community of artists. That includes you - we are all a little bit artistic and creative. Youth art programs are vital to our community because our young people are the artists of tomorrow. Please take the time to encourage our young artists. More importantly, please consider taking an active part in the youth art programs offered at The Old School Gallery. We offer the Student Art Exhibition, the Young Writers’ competition, Summer Youth Art and Kids’ Art at the Market for our young artists. We need new ideas and new faces to keep these programs vital and alive. Please contact the gallery (783-4710) so that you can join in the fun.
Ramah Farmers’ Market Website The Ramah Farmers Market website continues to evolve at ramahfarmersmarket.org. The new website provides a wide variety of
information and links related to the market, marketing of local crops and produce, sustainable agriculture, organic farming and gardening, home based processing, homesteading, traditional crafts and much more!
Ramah Farmers Market Now on Facebook Check us out on Facebook where we can keep you posted on events in between publication of the Beet. Feel free to send your garden and livestock photos and keep us posted on how things are going at your homestead.
“Surround” Orchard Spray Available One of the things we learned at the Tooley’s Trees workshop last October was how useful “Surround” tree crop protectant could be for protecting young fruit trees from sun scald and insect damage. The Ramah Farmers Market purchased 50 lbs of Surround at a bulk price and is offering it to local orchard growers for $4.00 a pound, about half price. If you would like to purchase Surround call 783-4440 or e-mail ramahfarmersmkt @yahoo.com and we can arrange for pick-up or dropoff locally. acts as a broad spectrum crop protectant against sunburn and heat stress, and as a protectant for controlling damage from various insects, mites and disease pests. Surround also serves as a growth enhancer. Surround can also be used on crops, and plants in greenhouses, home landscapes and gardens.
Looking for Writers, Poets & Photographers Ever thought about writing for the Beet? Help us out! We are always on the look out for stories about the Ramah area, Ramah history, gardening, research based articles on sustainable and organic Contact the editors at 505-783-4440, ramahfarmersmkt@yahoo,com
Special Thanks to Gallup Pumping Service The Ramah Farmers Market staff would like to extend a special thank you to Gallup Pumping Service in Gamerco. GPS provided a free septic tank pumping for Gloria Holden in her quest to get her septic system registered with the New Mexico Environment Department. GPS has provided the market with invaluable assistance in our task of keeping Gloria on board as a valued vendor. Thanks you, GPS!
El Morro Feed and Seed: Organic, All Natural & GrainFree Pet Foods “Green” Household Products. Hay and Straw, Compost, WildBird Seeds and Livestock Feed
JoeL’s Emporium: Thursday thru Saturday
Ranch Place orders Ready for Delivery Dec. 31 2010
Special Thanks to Diamond G Hardware The Ramah Farmers Market staff would like to extend a special thank you to Diamond G, in Grants. Diamond G set up an account for Gloria so she could go forward with having her new septic tank and plumbing installed. Diamond G has provided the market with invaluable assistance in our task of keeping Gloria on board as a valued vendor. Thanks you, Diamond G.
HIGH ELEVATION GARDENING Farm Speaking Out Loud by bodhiarts
In November, there were 25 days with no moisture; the moisture we did get was only 0.36 inches. The norm is 1.0+inch for the month. For the year, the rain in some areas got close to the norm (14 inches), other areas events is only a total of .36”, the high of .13” on the 24th of November. With warm days and dry air, with a light wind, the soil is all but depleted of moisture; a watering regimen is still needed, about twice a week. The problem is that the air is so dry that it will dry out the new growth on the trees. Organic matter can help by holding water, and holding the ground temperature consistent. As of December 5, water level in the soil two feet down, is less than 10%. That indicates that there may be water needed in different areas that have different requirements. So, while the ground is not frozen, go ahead and dig a hole to see where the water is. Make a decision on the amount of water needed to bring the water availability for the trees up to what they need. Most trees use about 50 gallons on a warm, windy day, and if your soil is dry, your tree will not make it past this winter without it. On average, in the orchard every other day watering schedule is 50 gallons. This could change if we get snow or rain, so you might want to consider what the requirements for your trees are going to be. Cooperative
immensely with water retention. If you have brackish or salty water some type of pH remedy is recommended; composted animal waste is good, worm castings are the best because of the ability of the worms to change the pH to a more acidic side, which in our area is really needed. If you have trees planted this year keep a very close eye on the soil moisture. This is very important: Lack of moisture will damage the tree, slowing the growth, and making for a very small harvest or no harvest at all. The use of Surround and other tree paints or other barriers that help trees maintain their water, and protect them from the bugs, is very important at this time. The well cared for orchard has requirements every season. The other problem with the warm winter is the bugs will be able to winter over. With some prep, the damage can be contained. This is a lot like some years we’ve had in the past, the grasshoppers can be a real pain. If you have Nolobait, organic grasshopper bait, this will help with the fruiting and the growing of a healthy and strong tree.
Low Tunnel Season Extension by J.Y. Rossignol
enough. You could be in an area that uses less, or in an area that uses more watering. It will depend on soil type’s moisture and type of tree. Some cherries need to dry out a little bit before winter. Apple trees don't like to be are trying to grow. By bringing up the organic matter in your garden or in your orchard you can realize increased yield, without an increased water demand. The small retaining walls that we put in the orchard this year has helped
El Morro Valley Ranch
El Morro Feed and Seed
or emailing
This fall, after the Ramah Farmers Market closed for the season, I participated in the new El Morro Valley Co-op Local Producers Market that took place from mid–October to Thanksgiving. My main contribution to the “after market market” was arugula, chard, and kale, and something I called “salad garnish”, a mixture of frisee endive, arugula, and strawberry spinach. I also was growing spinach and lettuce, but was not able to offer these at orders for these greens from long standing customers. I grow all these crops (arugula, lettuce, endive, spinach, strawberry spinach, chard, kale) in low tunnels made from 9 gauge wire and 4 ml
HIGH ELEVATION GARDENING plastic in rows from 18 feet to 25 feet long. The space under the low tunnel root crops can be sown intensively. In the summer the same wire frame work is used to support shade cloth. Low tunnels can create a microclimate providing a windbreak, and serving to stabilize soil temperature; warmer in the spring and fall, and cooler in the summer. Shade cloth in the summer provides the cooler microclimate preferred by spinach and lettuce, which actually prefer the cooler spring and fall temperatures. In the late fall and early spring, plastic covers allow the season to extend beyond the natural cool growing season, earlier in the spring, and later in the fall. In our climate, the advantages of the windbreak and moisture conservation part of the low tunnel system cannot be over estimated. I have used this method for several years, and was inspired by techniques described in Eliot Coleman’s Four Season Gardening and The New Organic Grower. Eliot Coleman has made a study of season extension as well as the French Intensive Method of market gardening used in Europe. Year by year I try to make improvements to the system, especially in terms of On the down side, the system is labor intensive and requires replacement of the plastic at least every third year. On the positive side, low tunnels conserve water, provide humidity, provide protection from extremes of weather in terms of heat, cold, dryness, frost, snow and hail, and best of all, increase the growing season for up to twelve weeks, and sometimes longer. The same techniques that are used for season extension also paying close attention to soil fertility, you can grow plants closer together, making maximum use of your garden space. Truly, if you are going to go to all the trouble to do season extension, you might as well maximize production. Winter gardens are actually started in August. It takes discipline and commitment to start another garden in August! But there can be a lot of satisfaction in a fall and winter garden – some crops actually grow better in the fall than they do in the summer. The improved quality can provide a lot of satisfaction - great salads for your table - and additional income for the serious market garden. Make yourself a planting schedule and hang it on the refrigerator. Create a map of your garden so you can work out your season extension plantings, your sequential plantings, and what areas you want to clear out for fall rototilling or covercropping. Keep records!
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high tunnel or hoop house. To learn more about setting up low tunnels and constructing hoop houses, check out the articles and links on the website, ramahfarmersmarket.org “Season Extension” web page, which will be going up soon. Here is a sample of crops that are relatively easy to grow and respond well to season extension. Spacings and other points are those recommended by Eliot Coleman in Four-Season Harvest: Arugula – Arugula is a useful and diverse green that can not only be used to spice up salads, but also can be sautéed and added to pasta or cloth during the hot months of summer improves its quality some, but arugula is actually at its best during cool weather. For season extension into the fall, plant arugula in August, in rows 4 inches apart, thinned to 1 inch apart. When the arugula is ready to harvest, it can be clipped and then allowed to re-grow. As regrowth is slow as fall shifts into winter, timed succession plantings will allow harvesting of each crop as it matures. Another tactic is to clip only half of the arugula every other week, giving the crop two weeks to re-grow. As winter moves into spring succession planting can be resumed. There are slight variations in arugula varieties: some grow faster, while others bolt a little more quickly – the one the grows the best for me is seed collected from the arugula that has established naturally in the borders of the garden. It’s a good idea to check out different varieties to see what grows best for your situation. Remember, there is also a wild arugula. It is slower to grow than arugula, but is hardier and slower to bolt, and well suited to the winter garden. Carrots – Like arugula, carrots harvested after frost, in soil temperatures in the mid – thirties, taste the best of any carrot you can grow. Carrots for season extension are sown between August 1st and 15th and can be harvested fairly small through out the winter. Carrots tolerate crowding quite well; rows can be as close as 4 inches, with each carrot thinned to 2 inches. Eliot Coleman protects his carrot crop under movable plastic high tunnels with a protective mulch of straw. He has successfully harvested baby carrots from December through March. The same affect can be attained by using low tunnels, and mulching with straw. Carrots can be started in high tunnels in mid April, along with beets and turnips. More cold sensitive carrots might work in April if the soil is warmed up with plastic before sowing. Carrots-Turnips-Beets: Here is a plan: Plant carrots in the place you plan to have a high tunnel or low tunnels about August 1st. Mulch to keep the soil cool; carrots hate warm soil. Starting in October arrange to get the carrots under high or low cover, so they will stay warm enough to keep growing and not freeze. Around Thanksgiving, bury them completely with mulch or compost, or in a high tunnel, do “double cover”, a low tunnel for the year). Harvest anytime now, straight through Christmas and New Years. As sections open up from harvesting, replant! I don’t like to replant with the same crop, so you can start beets or turnips as early as January in your protected carrot area. Beets – Beets can be sown August to January, or January to August. Thin beets to 3-4 inches, in rows 12 inches apart. Turnips – Grow like carrots, with (Continued on p. 5 “Season”) (
HIGH ELEVATION GARDENING Continued from P. 5) emphasis on succession planting. Rows 12 inches
apart, thin to 3 inches. Frisee Endive – Endive wasn’t all that interesting to me until I used
it in my “garnish” mix in October and November . Some greens just like it a whole lot better in the cool fall season. Frisee “salad” endive normally has milder. Fall Frisee shoud be started in mid August and sequentially planted through September. It can be transplanted like lettuce, and needs to be spaced 10 inches, rows 10 inches apart, as the plant gets quite large. Leaves can be continuously harvested until cold shuts down growth. Mizuna Mustard – Mustards are naturally a cool season growing crop and is very easy to cultivate. It can be seeded into rows 4 inches apart and continually harvested by cutting when they are 4 to 6 inches tall. Parsley – There is always a market for parsley. Parley sown in midJuly will produce all winter. They need eight inch square spacing. The curled Scallion – Scallions are so tough they can be harvested frozen
to early august in rows 6 inches apart and thinned to one inch apart. They can be transplanted anywhere, and grown either in the high tunnel, or in low tunnels, not so much for their protection, but so you can get to them once it snows. Sorrell – Sorrell is a “bonus” crop like arugula; once it is green which can be cooked into soups or sauces as well as used as a salad green. Sorrel is a perennial; you start it from seed, and then propagate it by division, transplanting it where you want it to continue. Sorrel is very hardy; it grows back the next spring whether you want it or not. Sorrel id harvested when the leaves are 4 to 6 inches long. When propagating, select the plants with the leaves you like best, and transplant under cover for fall and winter harvest. Spring sorrel grows so fast, it will be hard to keep up with, and is an excellent candidate for early spring sales at the local producers market. Spinach – Spinach planted in mid August can be over wintered and harvested in the spring with little more protection than some straw mulch grown under low tunnels, spinach can be harvested until Thanksgiving, and then over wintered. If you are planning your harvests for sale, keep in mind that by the middle of October, you will have to cut back harvest because the usual weekly recovery slows way down. In high tunnels, spinach can
be succession planted through the winter although it grows very slowly. Probably the most productive strategy is September planted low tunnels, harvesting until about Thanksgiving, wintered over and then harvested again beginning in May. During these cool times in Spring, September sown spinach will give you up to ten cuttings before bolting in late June. Sow in rows four inches apart and space plants 4 inches apart. Eliot Coleman recommends sidedressing these hard working plants with compost. Winter Thyme, Winter Savory and Sage – These three herbs can be grown under cover and harvested all winter. beet, broccoli raab, fennel, baby leek, radish an snow pea, saying they were “under consideration”. My experience with beets and turnips is they grow gangbusters under high tunnel protection in spring. Turnips and beets planted on April 15 were up in no time and full sized by the last week of June. I found turnips and beets easier to grow than carrots. Planting them in added advantage to season extension. Lettuce – In my experience absolutely the best lettuce is grown in October under low tunnels. My fall lettuce was planted on August 30 under shade cloth, and then shifted to plastic toward the end of September, about tongue, devil’s ears and Brunia, although butterheads did very well. Brunia (a loosehead) will overwinter and come up again in the spring. A note about seed selection: I have found that seed collected from lettuce, spinach and arugula sprouts faster and is more cold hardy than any seed you will purchase. It’s worth checking out. With the economy the way it is, more and more gardeners are extension is an excellent way to double your harvest without doubling the amount of land under cultivation. It turns what is now a “down” time in the gardening calendar a productive part of your gardening year. These are only a few suggestions for season extension. Stay turned for season extension strategies for many more crops.
The Farmers Beet
contrasting color for the two-[add hyphen] color knitting. Needles – one 16-inch circular needle size 6, 7 or 8. One set pointed needle. Also needed: one blunt darning needle and two medium- sized buttons. *You may also use handspun yarn as long as it is approximately the diameter of commercial 4- ply worsted. Once this sampler is completed you will be able to adjust any pattern to the size yarn you wish to use and also design your own sweaters. This information is based on Jacqueline Fee’s, Sweater Book and Elizabeth Zimmerman’s, Knitting Without Tears. You must be able to knit and purl. Children who can knit and purl must be accompanied by an adult. Please sign up at the Old School Gallery (783-4710). Questions call: Sari Clark (783-4438). Finishing Get-Together /Planning Meeting, Feb. 6, Sunday,
1:30-4:00 PM, Free Jackie, Gandolph and Kate
next quarter. It’s a great time to get help if you’re stuck or just need
Community Homesteading The El Morro Traditional Crafters (EMTC) in partnership with the El Morro Area Arts Council (EMAAC) held its annual Fiber Festival on Saturday, October 23 at the Old School Gallery. A feeling of industry pervaded the crowded indoor festival as a wide variety of craft
can be discussing what we want to do next quarter. If you are unable to come to the planning meeting but would like to request a new class please call Kate Wilson (783-4704…please leave a message). Felting Workshop with Kate Wilson, Feb. 27, Sunday, 1:30-4:00
Leslie Mooseman provided a selection of her Sky High Bakery delights for sale. Urs Gauderon displayed a large supply of Monika’s hand knit sweaters and socks, while Sue Ellen Jacobs brought some of her fanciful scarves and knit creations. Up on the stage Beverly Moody demonstrated chair caning, while Sari Clark demonstrated her drop spindle spinning technique using various natural wools, and Kate Wilson displayed the ancient skill of felting with her natural dyed wools. Also on the stage, Charla Seciwa Coons displayed her handmade cloth dolls, and her bright quilts, the result of her successful completion of the EMTC six hour quilting course workshop. Down below in the front of the stage Ross Nantz crocheted one of his one of kind, bright multicolored cotton thread hats. Claire Knowles offered a wide variety of her knitted projects, and Candace Lee displayed her sewed fabric bags. Nearby Carol Casady worked on her belt loom warped with a colorful sash. Near the front door Susan Ackerman set up her quilting machine; on the table next door, Kate Wilson took a break from spinning to demonstrate, with the assistance of Jackie Rossignol, the technique of grooming and “plucking”, or harvesting wool, from a black faced, silver furred French Angora rabbit. Finally, nearby was a denim rug braiding exhibit set up by Jackie Rossignol. As the festival wound down the spinners in the room congregated on the stage to engage in some carding, drop spindle spinning and plying. Traditional craft making is alive and well in the wider El Morro area. Most of the crafters were associated one way or another with the series of workshops offered by the El Morro Traditional Crafters. If you are interested in learning a new crafting skill in a friendly and patient environment, make sure you check out the Traditional Crafters Work shop Schedule announced every quarter in both the EMAAC newsletter (call
PM, $25.00 We are continuing on our felting journey. The last class focused images with prefelts. Time permitting I will have another smaller but are helpful. Materials provided. Children must be 10 years old and accompanied by an adult. Call the Old School Gallery (783-4710) to sign up. Questions call: Kate Wilson (783-4704…please leave a message). Ukrainian Easter Egg Workshop, Mar. 13 & 20, Sunday, 1:30-
4:00 PM, $15.00 includes supplies. Ukrainian Easter Egg art, or “pysanky”, is an ancient preChristian tradition practiced throughout Eastern Europe, Canada, and the U.S. Traditionally during Lent, after the farm chores were done at night, women in Eastern Europe and the Ukraine created these jewellike works of art with eggs, vegetable dyes and beeswax. Come learn be shown (one for each class): Pysanka: The Ukrainian Easter Egg by Slavko Nowytski, winner of the Gold Hugo, Chicago International Film Festival and How to Decorate Beautiful Ukrainian Easter Eggs with Luba Perchyshyn. Workshop includes your own personal kit to take home, which includes a beeswax pen (kistka), beeswax, and dye packets. This is a traditional craft requiring no experience and can be adjusted to every skill level. Bring at least three chicken eggs, preferably white. Please sign up ahead of time so kits can be ordered. Children must be 13 yrs. old and accompanied by an adult. No one turned away for lack of funds. To sign up call: Old School Gallery (7834710). For more info call Jackie Rossignol (783-4440).
workshops can be found below.
El Morro Traditional Crafters First Quarter 2011 Workshop Calendar Knitted Sampler in the Round with Sari Clark, Jan. 23 & 30,
Sunday, 1:30-4:00 PM, $10.00/Class Sari Clark is offering a sweater sampler knitting class. The sampler will be an opportunity to practice many different knitting stitches and construction techniques in preparation for a larger project, such as a sweater. This sampler is in essence, a sleeve-sized sweater knitted in the round from the bottom up. Among the stitches and techniques included are: cable cast on (a reversible elastic cast on, ideal for sweaters), garter stitch, stockinette stitch, three types of ribbing, stripes, textures, two color knitting, increases, decreases, pockets, button holes, lace and More! This will all be done in the round (on circular needles) so no seams are necessary. Included in the class will be a Gauge Page which we will use in designing a project using hand-spun yarn. You will need to bring: Yarn – 4 oz. of 4-ply knitting worsted in a light color (so the stitches will show up well)*. You will also need a small amount of a
Spinning Party Mar. 27, Sunday, 11:00AM-3:00PM, at the Sue
McNabb residence in Timberlake, Free/$5.00. Beginners are welcome at this informal spinning get-together. If you have not attended our previous spinning classes, instruction will cost $5.00. Some materials are available for free as well as wool for purchase. We will have a potluck lunch so please bring a dish to share. Questions and directions call: Sue McNabb (783-9019) or Kate Wilson (783-4704…please leave a message).
El Morro Valley Co-op Launches Local Producers Market Every year the Ramah Farmers Market ends it market season sometime in October, and doesn’t resume again until early to midJune. This fall, El Morro Valley Co-op agriculture committee members carry on selling locally after the market winds down. They called it the “Great Food Exchange Experiment.” Producers contacted volunteers manning the Local Producers Market webpage on the coop website, elmorrovalleycoop.org, and provided ad (continued on p.10 “Co-op”)
Kelly & Mathew Conrad
Kristi’s Flowers
Joanne & Lenore Snowden Zuni Honey
Local Dry Goods Mary Barry & the Community Table
Kate out standing in her Field
Gorden Tooley & Margaret Yancy, Truchas
Kate Wilson Small Garden Display Fall Seed Exchange
Hobbit Gardens
Kids’ Art Program
Chicken Judges Kirk Shoemaker, Nita Davis & Kate Brown Hobbit Gardens Season Extension
Pam Davis at the Harvest Fest Dana Letts & Lou Gross
COMMUNITY HOMESTEADING (Continued From P. 10, “Co-Op”) copy on products and produce
available for pickup at the El Morro Feed & Seed building on Saturday Mornings. Products for sale had to be legal and properly handled under state and federal laws. Potential customers could then call the producers to place their orders. On Saturday morning, customers could either drive down to the feed store to do their own pickup, or contact a volunteer in their area to do it for them. Likewise, volunteers were available in each area, for example, Ramah, Timberlake, or Candy Kitchen, to bring producer goods to the exchange point. The committee came up with a way to take advantage of the internet to introduce a “virtual” market. So did it work? It worked great! The little market carried on every weekend from the middle of October to Thanksgiving. Producers lined up and sold out of the back of their vehicles. Customers met face to face with producers, much like at the farmers market, to pick up their orders, and then perused the displays of other vendors. At most
food system. According to an article by Sophia Tripodi of the Cibola Beacon, “The hopeful end result of the creation of the SWCDC will be better delivery of food to the smallest communities, as well as a for their communities.” We are glad these organizations know about us, support us, and have us in their sights. We were pleased to introduce them to our community and they were very pleased by what they experienced here.
after week. Produce available included fresh lettuce, spinach, arugula, chard, endive, herbs, chiles, broccoli, winter squash, fennel, carrots, beets, turnips, and horseradish. Cuts of local (USDA inspected) beef, mutton and lamb was also available in a freezer provided by El Morro Feed & Seed. Near the end of the “experiment” (home based on site. Customers were clearly enjoying themselves visiting with producers and each other, many of them going on to take advantage of discounts offered to both producers and buyers by El Morro businesses: In order to promote and support the Local Producers Market, Ancient Way Café offered 10% off breakfasts, lunches, baked goods, and drinks. Inscription Rock Trading gave 50% off a cup of regular coffee, and El Morro Feed & Seed offered 20% off mulch, compost, gypsum and cow manure. Discounts were offered to anyone participating in the market. The fresh greens market is pretty much done for the season, but local (USDA inspected) frozen beef, mutton and lamb is still available. The Co-op hopes to carry on this experiment through out the winter, and during the early spring before the market opens. The local market could be a venue for local ranchers to sell hay and grain. Another proposal is to provide a weekday, “after work” market during the regular market season for people who can’t make it to the regular market on Saturday. If you are interested in selling (or buying) at the Local Producers Market check out the Local Producers Market web page at elmorrovalleycoop.org. If you are not on-line, call Kirk
A “Beelated” Review on Les Crowder’s Topbar Beekeeping Workshop by Kate Wilson
Better late than never, I believe. I wanted to write a follow-up article for the beekeeping workshop we had last July 17-18 with Les Crowder soon after the workshop; however, my best laid plans were postponed. The two-day workshop on Topbar Beekeeping was a great success. We had eighteen participants from the local area, Gallup, and as far away as El Paso. Les Crowder is a gifted teacher with a very gentle, easy manner.
product.
Ramah and El Morro in the Spotlight with USDA By Kate Brown
dedicated to promoting locally based agriculture was recently awarded $142,382 by the USDA through a Rural Community Development Grant. The purpose of the grant is to establish, along with the Rocky Mountain Farmer’s Union and the La Montanita Cooperative, the Southwest Cooperative Development Center. El Morro was selected as the site for this award ceremony, held on November 21 at the Old School Gallery. With the creation of the El Morro Valley Cooperative and the ongoing efforts of the Ramah Farmer’s Market, our community’s work toward developing a local food hub that serves as a resource for local growers, producers and consumers and that helps retain economic resources within the Development Center plans to support. Attending the award ceremony were representatives from of Governments in Gallup, Rocky Mountain Farmer’s Union, La Montanita and Farm to Table as well as Jackie Rossignol and Denis Black representing the Ramah Farmer’s Market, and the El Morro Valley Cooperative’s steering committee and newly elected Board of Directors. Inscription Rock Trading provided coffee for our refreshment, created a beautiful setting within the Gallery, and invited local youth from both Zuni and Pine Hill to open the event. RedWulf’s delicious pies were brought over from the Ancient Way Café for after the ceremony and were a huge hit with our guests. The new Southwest Cooperative Development Center will help rural New Mexico communities such as ours get the resources needed to create sustainable economic development and revitalize the local 10
If there is such a thing as a “Horse Whisperer” and a “Dog Whisperer”, Les is a “Bee Whisperer”. He strives to not crush bees unnecessarily and the bees seem to sense this, they are so gentle. He regularly works his hives without gloves so he can feel the bees better, and therefore, is less likely to crush them. He showed us how to gently pick a bee up by its wings and not get stung. What a thrill! Les has a healthy respect for bees but also has a deep understanding of them. Les shared his knowledge, wisdom and stories of his experiences from more than 30 years of beekeeping while we learned about the many advantages of using the Topbar method. It is a much less expensive than traditional beekeeping, this method is healthier for the bees because they can make their own comb in the varying sizes they require for their different needs. The Topbar method is also easier for the beekeeper to work the bees because everything is on one level instead of heavy boxes stacked on top of each other as with Langstroth hives. Because of the ease of one level, you are less likely to crush bees accidentally and it is easier on your back. You can also make the hive yourself. We also discussed how to keep bees using organic methods, as antibiotics and chemicals actually weaken the hive. We discussed the importance of bees in the agricultural system and the serious situation in some states due to the decline of honeybees from pesticides, toxic chemicals and disease. These states must bring in beekeepers with this spring, here in Timberlake, I did not see or hear a single honeybee until Jackie Rossignol & Denis Black brought back some new bees from Truchas. I was very alarmed and reminded of Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring. Les encourages small-scale organic beekeeping, to help strengthen our honeybee populations. the beeswax using solar. Les also distributed detailed instructions how to build our own Topbar hives. For a real treat we sampled two different types of honey Les and his wife, Heather, had just harvested prior to the class. We were able to sample how different the honey can taste when Now after personally using the Topbar method since July and witnessing how well the bees have done, and comparing my experiences with Langstroth hives in the past, I strongly support Les’s view that Topbar hives are by far a more healthful, easier, economical method of beekeeping. Two months after I brought my own Topbar hive home I was able to harvest honey! The bees have thrived and my garden and orchard are buzzing with pollinators. I like to think of the beekeeper as the landlord who has a really great renter and now has to provide them (the bees) with a good home, so they want to stay. The Topbar hive seems to provide that perfect home. That was a lot to pack into 2 days and I am sure I failed to mention everything. We were all very happy to hear Les is writing a book on Topbar Beekeeping that will hopefully be available in 2011! If you are considering beekeeping I highly recommend Topbar Beekeeping. You can learn more about Les Crowder and the Topbar method on his website: www.fortheloveofbees.com. He teaches classes in Santa Fe, Albuquerque and at his home in Rio Lucio, NM.
Orchard Surprise By Jackie Rossignol
Perhaps you were there at the Harvest Festival when Kate Wilson presented me and Denis, the co-managers of the Ramah Farmers Market, with a gift of appreciation, four fruit trees from Tooley’s trees. The trees were brought down from Gordon Tooley’s tree farm in Truchas, with funds contributed by the Ramah Farmers Market community. People complain that it’s hard to keep a secret in this community, but we had absolutely no clue we would be presented with two apple and two cherry trees. I think Kate had to explain it to us at least twice before it sunk in. We just stood there with blank looks on our faces. After getting our new trees home I immediately went to the Tooley’s Trees web site to check out the names on the little yellow tags: Wealthy apple, Liberty apple, North Star cherry, Evans cherry. Who were these guys, and where were they from originally? Picking out (or in this case, checking out) trees for an orchard from the Tooley’s catalog is like creating a poem: phrases leap out, genealogies take you on journey into the past, dreams unfold… We had been planning to expand our little orchard into a sunny north facing slope where a single pear tree seems to be thriving. We
carried over the same permaculture design on the slope, setting up small curved swales down slope to capture rainfall. The two apples and one of the cherrys are now there. In the spring Denis will to eventually shade our little patio next to the house next to the barbecue. When it blooms we’ll be able to see it from the house. Tooley, of Tooley’s trees. You may remember Gordon Tooley from the workshop he put on over a year ago for over 60 local, new and experienced tree growers here in Ramah. Gordon grows hundreds of trees on his 7960’ farm in Truchas. Gordon and his partner Margaret Yancy have been committed to growing and breeding fruit trees
from the broadest selection of trees available. Their catalog carries 35 varieties of apple alone, many them heirlooms from all parts of the U.S. and Canada. alkaline and drought tolerant, and capable of growing at high elevations. Gordon grafts and grows many varieties at his farm, and does not offer a variety for sale until he and grows that variety successfully himself. The Wealthy Apple
Every tree that comes from Tooley’s has a story. On the It seemed a curious name, as though its name promised hope for the future; “favorite for home orchards…hardy into zone 2, bears
in Minnesota about 1860”. A quick trip to the internet revealed the entire saga: Peter Gideon selected the seedling out of 100s of seedling growing on his farm near Excelsior, Minnesota. He named the seedling after his wife, who was named “Wealthy”. Horace Greeley, known mostly for his exhortation, “Go West Young Man”, also was perhaps less known for another, made in 1860, “Never move to Minnesota…you can’t grow apples there”. And this was true: no apples in Minnesota. In 1868 Peter Gideon set himself to the task of developing an apple tree that would thrive in Minnesota. In 1870, he gave a report: "True, we were under a cloud for a long time. We planted but did not harvest. Our trees withered and perished. Whether it was the frosts of Winter or the sun of Summer that caused them to prematurely die, no one has been able to determine. Plant as we would, the trees sickened and died. No wonder, then, we became discouraged. Orchards to the third and fourth planting failed, a constant drain on the pocket without a ray of light in the future,
For many of us amateur tree growers in Ramah, this had a familiar ring. But there’s more. His 1899 obituary from the Clinton Register tells the rest of the story: Gideon began his project in 1853 when he planted 30 apple trees from a wide variety of sources Ten years later they were all dead but one, the lone survivor a seedling crab. At this point he had eight dollars in his pocket; he sent the eight dollars to Bangor, Me., for seeds and scions, instead of clothing he needed for himself and his family. From the Maine seeds and scions he grew the Duchess, cherry crabs and Blue Pearmain. He crossed his one remaining crab with a common apple, and the result was the Wealthy, named after his wife, Wealthy Hull
cannot be overstated”, it says on one website. Wealthy apples are still grown today – in fact I have one in my back yard! We can only hope that Wealthy’s sturdy crabapple forebears (actually, clones) will stand it in good stead here in Ramah. The Liberty Apple
The description of the Liberty apple on the Tooley’s website is blunt: “Most disease resistant apple ever developed”. Its story (at least on the internet ) does not carry the drama and romance of the Wealthy apple’s saga. A little research, however, reveals that Liberty was released from the New York State Agricultural Station in 1978, and is a cross, in 1955, between the Macoun and Perdue 54-12. The Perdue 54-12, alas, seems to be lost to history. The Macoun (sometimes pronounced “Macowan”) is a worthy and notable ancestor. The Macoun, introduced (continued on p. 12 “Orchard”)(Continued from
the back yard of Mrs. Borward from the Henwood area near Edmonton, in the World”, and, then, perhaps more prosaically, “very popular at road Alberta, who got the seeds from Minnesotans of Ukranian or Norwegian side stands and pick-your-own farms”. The apple, named after Canadian descent (Maybe they were Norwegian bachelor farmers) There’s another fruit grower W.T. Macoun, was a cross between a McIntosh and Jersey theory that says that the little cherry originated in Alaska. Black. The Jersey Black may also be lost to history, “originating circa Mrs. Borward has been growing the tree since 1923. The tree stock dates back to the mid 1800’s. Evans (who is from Wales originally) recalls tremendous resistance to the idea of a cherry tree The Liberty resembles its Macintosh ancestor and is ”Crisp, juicy, that could thrive on the Alberta plains; “'You can't grow cherries on the Prairies,’ was the view. This little cherry tree changed all that. There are now thousands of these trees in Alberta. Jim Hole, an Edmonton local , the McIntosh requires no explanation, it was the cider and pie apple of my says this about the Evan’s cherry: growing up in Connecticut. I remember picking it off of trees while horse "The good thing about the tree is that because they are back riding through abandoned orchards, or stopping at the cider mill (with a press) for cider from local apples in the fall. Its an old and familiar 3. As you get a harsher climate, instead of a single-stem plant, it's more of a shrubbier plant. When the fruit comes on it's real friend. I can hardly wait. p.11 “Orchard”)
orangey red in colour and quite sour. If you leave the fruit on they go to a deeper red and later a real burgundy -- that's when
North Star Cherry
The North Star is another Minnesota story. The North Star was introduced by the University of Minnesota in 1950, bred from a seedling found in Yugoslavia. We also have dark Carniolan honey bees whose ancestors were adapted to the mountainous parts of Yugoslavia with harsh winters and short summers . The cherry is a cross between the English Morello and a Siberian Cherry. High elevation cherry trees tend to be the “pie cherry” variety – too tart to eat straight off the tree, although in the old world of Europe and the Middle East, these tart cherries are eaten straight off the tree and are considered a great delicacy. Maybe we need to expand out horizons. “Pie cherry” trees tend to be short and tough, natural dwarfs that grow 6-12 feet tall, and are hardy to -40 degrees (This must be the Siberan part. ) The English Morello is one of the more common varieties of sour cherry, a relative of the wild cherry – the cherries are small dark and very sour, and dates back to the Greeks,
But to me, the thing about the cherry is, you get this mass of white blossoms in the spring, it has quite attractive bark, then you get these gorgeous bright fruit. Even if you didn't eat them, they're still attractive. The fruit itself has a really nice esthetic appeal on its own, and we tend to forget that."
Anyway, they’re all in the ground, and they are getting water. Now to protect them from the deer and the rabbits, and give them their dose of Surround. Here’s to hope for the future…and thanks! For more fun info on fruit trees, check out the websites: m m
Sustainable Agriculture/Slow Food Food for Thought by bodhiarts
The Government wants to put people back to work: when the people are left to their own devices, they will start their own economic system - where there are no taxes. So the paradigm is to hook the people into debt and taxes. If the public is allowed to develop a home grown system, it is usually sustainable, with a very laid back lifestyle, with a lower rate of heart attack and a healthier environment. After watching third world countries like Cuba, US protectorate Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic I noticed something. When the government's monetary system fails and the government has bankrupted itself, it wants to put the people back to work partly because when people are left to their own devices, life slows down, quality of life goes up,
Mexico. The sour cherries are very popular with birds. Sour cherries are used in cakes, tarts and pies, dried in soups and pork dishes, and for liqueurs, desserts, preserves and drinks, including a beer in Belgium, and a liquor in Portugal. One internet recipe includes “North Star Cherry Wine”. With care and luck, our Yugoslav bees will be pollinating our Yugoslav cherry in a year of two. Evans Cherry
The last tree is an Evans Cherry, also in the English Morello family. The Evans is named for Leuan Evans, who re-discovered it in
12
and the amount of cash funneled to the government is decreased. Unless a more sustainable economic way of administration of the commons is implemented it is a downhill run to the bottom. I'm old enough to remember when “made in America” meant something. Henry Ford had it right in that people should be able to buy a product, and the life of that product is lifelong and rebuild-able. In the last 40 years we've probably lost 60% of our industrial manufacturing. So it all boils down to money in circulation, and how do you keep it in
would go down, federal costs would go down, quality of life would improve. Some state that only through growth do we prosper. To “prosper”, in the Webster dictionary: “to be fortunate enough or successful especially in terms of one's the inner self grows, and the community. There are regions near Tibet, north of India, places called Mustang and Bhutan, they have a different way of measuring to apply this idea to my life. The “happiness quotient” sounds like a good start. The premise of the happiness quotient is a person or individual or a family that is healthy, has adequate food and a clean environment - this trumps money. Some people say money is a necessary evil and by that statement the money is evil. But it's the only thing we have right now. In some areas there is quite a bit of oneon-one person-to-person commerce. This could be, having chickens laying eggs and trading to my neighbors; trading meat from my chickens to my neighbors, my neighbors trading milk, meats that I do not grow, and other products, be it value added or self produced. All this having value in the community. The Government knows this, and the IRS has a spot on your tax form to
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favors all the time (which usually means money) and ask yourself, do they pay taxes on that? Well, hopefully the next four years will be pretty scary, and most of us know, governments come and governments go - it's what's left over that is the problem. From the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
House Passes Senate Food Safety Bill with FY 11 Appropriations December 9th, 2010 Editors’ note – the good news, is the protections for small and mid sized family farms is intact. The bad news is the EQIP program, designed to help develop small and midsized organic sustainable farms was stripped of $270 million of its funding, the only Farm Bill cut.Thanks everyone, for calling our Congressmen to support small producers. Its not over yet, but we’ll keep you posted.
On Wednesday evening, December 8, the House passed a combined Continuing Resolution-Food Safety bill by a vote of 212-206. All Republicans and 35 Democrats voted no. The Continuing Resolution would fund all government functions for The current short-term Continuing Resolution expires on December 18. The Food Safety bill is nearly identical to the bill the Senate passed last week, with the only differences relating to language about user fees. The food safety part of the vote is a victory for supporters of small and mid-sized family farms, local and regional food, and conservation. Since the Senate passed its bill, trade associations representing produce industry and agribusiness interests have been (continued on page 14 “Food Safety”)
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Sustainable Agriculture/Slow Food (cont. from p. 13 “Food Safety”) hammering away against the Senate
compromise package, urging the House to insist on a conference committee with the Senate for the purpose of stripping out small and mid-size farm provisions from the bill. Their effort failed as the House adopted the Senate package intact, with the exception of some relatively minor changes to its user fees. The bill, now packaged with the all-government spending bill, (Read more on the House food safety bill action on Food Safety News website.)
make up for shortfalls in discretionary spending that they do control. The politics of passing the Omnibus in the Senate hinges on a handful of Republican Senators, mostly appropriators, who may decide that higher funding levels for defense and homeland security plus their own earmarks may make it worthwhile to join hands with Democrats and pass a real appropriations bill rather than a long-term Continuing Resolution. In addition to the choice between the long-term Continuing Resolution and the Omnibus, a third choice, favored by many Republicans, is yet another short term Continuing Resolution that would expire in March and allow the new Republican-controlled House to rewrite all the
Senate Democrats are attempting to pass an Omnibus Continuing Resolution. However, with respect to the food safety bill, there is a leadership agreement that the same language that has now passed the House will be attached to the Omnibus and, should the Omnibus fail, will be
All of this drama will play out over the course of the next week. While the outcome on appropriations among the three leading options remains in should carry with it the food safety bill as passed by the House yesterday. http://sustainableagriculture.net
The House-passed full year Continuing Resolution caps government discretionary spending at the FY 2010 levels though it makes numerous include cuts for the Census (needed in 2010 but not in 2011), high speed rail, unspent highway funding, and funding to close defense bases. Some of the larger increases include Pell grants, Pentagon spending, Veteran’s medical operations, nuclear weapons spending that is part of the deal to try to pass the START treaty, and President Obama’s “Race to the Top” education grants. Within the agriculture portion of the bill, there is a $6.5 million increase for USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and a large increase in formula funds for land grant universities that is roughly offset by a decrease in congressional earmarked research and extension projects, leaving the earmarking decisions up to USDA and the universities. There is an important increase of $31.9 million needed to simply maintain Farm Service Agency direct and guaranteed loans at roughly the same program levels as 2010. There are also increases for child nutrition and commodity assistance feeding programs and for the Food and Drug Administration. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is cut by $270 million from its 2008 Farm Bill level, but no other farm bill conservation cuts are included. Sadly, the large increase for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program that was contained in the President’s budget and in the House Committee bill and partially contained in the Senate Committee bill is not part of the Continuing Resolution. Hence SARE funding would be static under the House measure. Relative to the House-passed Continuing Resolution, the yet to be made public Senate Omnibus Bill contains more up to date spending decisions for many key areas of the government. Whereas the House bill represents a cut of $46 billion from the budget amounts requested by the Obama Administration, the draft Senate bill would restore about $18 billion of those cuts. The largest share of those restorations would be in Defense, State, and Homeland Security. The Senate bill also includes congressional earmarks that have been largely stripped from the House bill. However, in the agriculture portion, rumor has it that the total spending level would be $1 billion lower than FY 2010 levels and the House bill. While the details have not been released, it is well known that the Senate omnibus would include major reductions to farm bill mandatory funding for conservation and energy programs. Appropriators sometimes raid mandatory accounts, which they theoretically do not control, in order to
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Mon.-Fri. 8:30am-5:00pm Sat.9:00am-3:00pm Closed Sunday (505)285-6608 1700 Juniper Milan N.M. I-40exit 79 behind Love’s
CONTENTS Market News ( PP. 1- 3) Potluck & Seed Exchange, Volunteers, Groundhog Bingo------------------------------------pp.1-3 Summer Youth Art, Website, FaceBook, Surround--------------------------------------------------p. 3 High Elevation Gardening (PP. 4-6) Farm Speaking Out Loud, Low Tunnel Season Extension------------------------------------pp.4-6 Community Homesteading (PP. 7,10-11) Fiber Festival, El Morro Traditional Crafters, Local Produce Market----------------------------p.7 SW Co-op Development Center, Topbar Beekeeping---------------------------------------pp.10-11 Center Pages - The Year in Photos-----------------------------------------------------------pp. 8-9 Quilt Show Rules, Photo Contest Rules, Fall Festival Events-----------------------------pp. 9-10 Sustainable Agriculture (PP. 10-14) Food for Thought, Food Safety Bill--------------------------------------------------------------pp. 13-14 RFM Community Outreach; Sponsors (P. 15) Editors, Writers, Poets & Photographers, Researchers: Bodhiarts, Kate Brown, Leslie Moosman, J.Y. Rossignol, Linda Thornton, Kate Wilson. Thanks Everyone. Contact the Co-managers: Denis Black & Jackie Rossignol, HC 61 Box 816, Ramah, NM 87321 505-783-4440 ramahfarmersmkt@yahoo.com Business Owners:If you would like to advertise with the Ramah Farmers’ Beet as a Business Sponsor contact the co-managers at 505-783-4440 or e-mail ramahfarmersmkt@ yahoo.com so we can set up an appointment.
RFM Sponsorship Program The Ramah Farmers’ Market is rapidly expanding with more growers, more customers, a community table, a longer market season, and a Harvest Festival. The Market also has expanded its outreach with a newspaper - The Ramah Farmers’ Beet - spring and fall potlucks and seed exchanges, workshops, and garden visits. The Ramah Farmers’ Beet is a free community resource for disseminating information on the Ramah Farmers Market, high elevation gardening, organic gardening, homesteading skills, local, state and national developments in Sustainable Agriculture, the Slow Food movement, local food security and safety, and other issues of community concern. In 2007 we converted the free newsletter to newspaper tabloid format, accepting local business sponsorships, and increasing circulation to 1000. We envision The Farmers’ Beet as a free community newspaper to be mailed and distributed. In order to improve our links with the community we hope to initiate a web site, and have already contributed funds to the installation and support of a satellite dish to assist in on-line research necessary for accurate and informative newspaper articles. We also plan to reimburse newspaper writers, poets, editors and researchers. The increase in circulation will also increase fuel costs for newspaper delivery – we reimburse newspaper delivery volunteers for their fuel cost. We increased publication to six issues a year. All of these activities require money, time, and volunteers. We invite you to help support the Ramah Farmers’ Market Community Outreach Program by becoming an RFM Community Outreach Sponsor. All donation amounts will be accepted, but a donation of 15.00 or more gives you a year’s mailed subscription (6 issues) of The Farmers’ Beet. A donation of 50.00 or more gives you 10% off of all promotional items (aprons, baskets, etc) for the Market year. Thank you, Community Outreach contributors; We couldn’t do it without you… BENEFACTOR Anonymous Ramah, New Mexico Bob & Mary Barry Ramah, New Mexico Frank & Vicky Giannangelo Ramah, New Mexico Frank & Barbara Lambert Ramah, New Mexico Harry Hutton & Harriet Lawrence Ramah, New Mexico Dana Letts Ramah, New Mexico Whooville Ramah, New Mexico SILVER PATRON Anonymous Ramah, New Mexico Jill Acheson Ramah, New Mexico C. Marlow Gallup, New Mexico Paula Tripodi Ramah, New Mexico BRONZE PATRON Steven Albert Ramah, New Mexico Reed & Fran Anderson Ramah, New Mexico Anonymous Ramah, New Mexico Anonymous Vanderwagon, New Mexico Anonymous Zuni, New Mexico Jerry Ginsburg Albuquerque, New Mexico Stanley & Shirley Giser Grants, New Mexico Terence M. Gurley Gallup, New Mexico
Lee & Susan Haygood Ramah, New Mexico Rosalie Bianchi & Paul Juncker Zuni & Ramah, New Mexico Tom & Kate Manrodt Ramah, New Mexico Susan McNabb Ramah, New Mexico Paul & Flora Merrill Ramah, New Mexico Katherine Rossignol New Milford, Connecticut Martha & Joe Rossignol Devonshire, Bermuda Vinnie Rossignol Crested Butte, Colorado SPONSOR Anonymous Zuni, New Mexico Anonymous Ramah, New Mexico Howard & Karin Brunner Ramah, New Mexico Allen & Pat Burnam Hayden, Arizona & Ramah, New Mexico Marianna Calvori Ramah, New Mexico Bob & Hannah Crooks Ramah, New Mexico T. M. Dolan Pie Town, New Mexico Jerry Jorgensen Ramah, New Mexico Kim Score & Chris Moeller Grants, New Mexico Beverly Moody Ramah, New Mexico BUSINESS SUPPORTERS Alpine Lumber Ancient Way Café Butlers Davis Ranch Donald Sharp El Morro Area Arts Council El Morro Feed & Seed El Morro Valley Ranch Gallup Lumber Gallup Pumping Service Holiday Nursery Inscription Rock Trading JRL Enterprises Justin’s Earthworks La Montanita Co-op
Maria’s Restaurant Mr. Shed Mustang Storage Stage Coach Café Star Cloud Farm The Trading Post IN KIND DONATIONS El Morro Area Arts Council El Morro Feed & Seed Gallup Independent Ramah Lake Realty Add my support to the Community Outreach Program Fund:
Amount of gift _________________ Name_______________________________________ Address______________________________________ City_________________________________________ State/Zip_____________________________________ Phone _________________________E-mail________________________ Make Checks Payable to Ramah Farmers’ Market. Mail to: RFM, HC 61 Box 816, Ramah, State of New Mexico (pending) and is not a tax exempt organization.
“Dedicated employee-owners committed to being the best supplier of building materials and related services to the professional builder.”
New Saturday Hours 8am – 2pm Come see us and the new improvements! 104 North Second Across the tracks from Historic Downtown Gallup, NM (505)-722-6681
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