After reading Michael Pollan’s essay about the symbiotic relationship between beekeepers and almond growers, I knew I had to rethink my relationship with almonds. I love almonds, but I can’t love them with as much abandon since I now know that it’s dependent on the bee equivalent of a CAFO. I’ve certainly made it a point to seek out local honey from beekeepers that don’t truck their bees around, but I only knew half of it. Gosh, I hope there’s not too much more to know.
Since almonds don’t grow in this climate, I did need to find our local nuts anyway. All I had for information was that there was a nut orchard just west of Mount Vernon. As nut harvest approached (October-ish around here), I heard that the orchardist had passed away, but his wife was to open the orchards for U-pick. We couldn’t get it together in time and we missed that opportunity. I hope that she will continue next year or someone will take up the reins. I promise that I’ll buy bushels of nuts next year!
Of course, that is all the information that I have. West of Mount Vernon, perhaps on Avon Allen or Barrett or Kamb?, and that there were walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts(!!). I just remember the nut sign along Memorial Highway when I used to drive to work in Mount Vernon from Anacortes, but that was over a decade ago. Anyone know?
Meanwhile, we still need nuts.
The co-op carries walnuts and chestnuts in the shell from Cascade Walnut of Loomis, Washington. The walnuts are the most delicious I’ve ever tasted. I try not to do too much product reviewing, but they have some fine nuts. The chestnuts are superior to the ones that we bought last year which came from Italy. I’ve not been able to find any information about this grower so I may have to do a drive-by this summer. We love touring the old ghost towns of that area, but I digress …
We do have a large local nut grower and somehow I never noticed them until I found some lovely hazelnut wine at Samson Estates Winery. They get all their nuts for the wine from Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards up by the border. I had wanted to do a personal visit in November, but we were late for another visit and it had to be missed. I’m pretty sure that I scared my other half by stating that I had my eye on a 25# box of nuts! I’ll be by there later. 
Meanwhile, did you know that you could make wine from nuts? I certainly didn’t! I knew all about liqueurs, but a wonderful dessert wine that tasted of the pure essence of hazelnut? I was in heaven and we promptly bought a box to give away as Christmas presents. That, dear reader, is why you haven’t read about nuts in a timely fashion. And now you have next year’s Christmas taken care of. My gift to you.
Anyway, over there on the newly minted Skagit Cooks, there will be some nut recipes. Until I get them posted, a few have been chosen and photographed already, visit the links for recipes at Holmquist and the Hazelnut Council. Way to announce and not be ready. 
In the spirit of the New Year, I’ll be making a few changes around here. I’ll continue to seek out our Skagit Valley treasures as before, but over the winter, I’ll be catching up with myself and posting about my late summer trip to Eastern Washington so if you go over the pass next summer, you’ll be prepared to take advantage of what’s available. I have a lot of local things to blog about too so never fear.
What I am doing is adding a companion blog, Skagit Cooks (SC), so I’ll be able to provide you with more information about all the good seasonal foods in our valley! It’s nice to know that you can eat nettles, but it’s nicer to have a recipe or two with that knowledge. I’ve got about 20 interesting things that can be done with apples alone, but I hadn’t wanted to bog down this informational blog with recipes. Now there’ll be a place for just that.
What I’ll do here is post as usual about a farm or product local to our area (just the facts, ma’am) and then link a companion post on SC which utilizes it in a recipe. As I add recipes and suggestions, there’ll be more of a database for using our local fruit, vegetables and other foods in season. The focus here will be the hunting and gathering and over there it will be the cooking and eating. Some judicious cross-linking should keep us all on the same page.
I’ve been surprised and pleased at the response to this blog in its short life so far. I started it without giving it too much thought, but wanting a way to help promote our local agricultural community. I’m still just exploring around the county, buying up the fruits of other resident’s labors, and reporting on it. A simple formula that I hope is being useful.
In the new year, I’ll also be adding some local non-food businesses as well. We have a very vibrant local economy and with tougher economic times ahead for everyone, we should spend our dollars wisely close to home. This keeps the taxes we have to pay here in the community where they can benefit everyone and helps to keep our citizens employed.
I appreciate the comments both online and off, and I hope I’ve been able to help people make their own discoveries about our wonderful local food resources. Since I hadn’t stated it before, I don’t let anyone know beforehand that I’m doing a post on them so I’m just another customer. I have to say, though, it’s rare to ever feel like “just another customer” when doing business in the valley. Every interaction and transaction is a positive experience and it’s a treat to get to visit and catch up with the goings on. I’m missing all the produce farmers at this time of year, but spring will be here soon and shortly after the first plantings, the visits will begin again. I’m excited to see then what they’re planning for us now.
With that, I wish you all a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2008!
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Wishing you and yours a great holiday season. See you in the new year!
What does Washington have in common with Georgia? Peaches? Not really, Georgia may be the peach state, but it’s also the Kitty Litter Capital of America. But look out, Ferndale is poised to become the Kitty Litter Capital of the world!
Should we care? Possibly not, but this does mean that we can choose to use a safe, environmental cat litter made in Whatcom county instead of shipping mined clay all the way from Georgia just so Mittens can do his business.
Absorption Corp. of Ferndale, WA a subsidiary of International Absorbents, Inc. of Vancouver, BC states on its website:
Absorption Corp is engaged in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of proprietary, cost-effective absorbent products derived from reclaimed wood fiber (cellulose), a by-product of the pulp and paper manufacturing process.
The Company’s environmentally-safe, non-toxic, lightweight products are utilized in a broad range of industrial, agricultural and consumer applications. These applications include retail/commercial animal bedding and litter, oil and hazardous spill cleanup and control, oil/water filtration, hydro-mulch and packaging.
Look for Healthy Pet cat litter in the local pet stores such as Walker’s Healthy Pet and at Skagit (and Whatcom) Farmer’s Supply or Del’s Farm Supply. If you don’t see it in your local store, ask for it! There’s nothing more appropriate for your kitty’s waste stream than a recycled product that has been kept out of our municipal waste stream.
And what if you’re in Georgia? Absorption Corp. has a plant there as well. That should make everyone purr.
