The sun skirts the treetops and the days grow shorter. There’s a chilly edge to the air. Storms grow more intense, bringing November’s rains and the rumblings of winter. Dense cloud cover dulls the light yet, the sun breaks through in displays of brilliant color. Ed Lowe captured this perfectly in this stunning image of our pond above.
It’s a time of transition at Full Bloom Farm, hoop houses coming down and raised beds covered for next season, but despite the wind and a couple of frosts, our fall crops are robust and delicious; rainbow chard, celery, fall greens, herbs, all thriving in the blustery weather. The Asian greens and cabbage will be ready soon. The squash and Bosc pears are fully cured and on the stand along with many new items from other local producers and farms.
It has been a season of change, demolition, resurrection, improvements, new online operations, and the expansion of product lines to adjust to the realities all of us have had to face. We are gratified by the kind words, cooperation, and support of our community. It means a lot. Thank you, everyone!
Grab & Go + new items for the holidays!
Now that we’re past the high season, we’ve opened the farm stand to the public for limited Grab and Go with items like eggs, bagels, farm-made sea salt (last batch of the season), sausages, potatoes, culinary pumpkins, squash and other fresh produce. Stop by anytime to take a look! We are open 24/7, but please take precautions between 5-9pm when people pick up their online orders at the stand. Just leave cash or a check in the yellow tin can on the hay bale next to the hand sanitizer or use Venmo or Paypal.
Our online store will continue to have the most up-to-date inventory with all our products and will be open until Christmas.
The online stand has just been restocked and we have added a bunch of new goodies from Olympia Provisions and Cherry Valley Dairy just in time for your Thanksgiving table (or a tasty snack you might really be needing right now). We’ve added three new cheeses, four new cured meats, jars of stone-ground mustard, boxes of gourmet sourdough crackers, and pink crabapple jelly so you can pick and choose and make a wonderfully special meat and/or cheese board. Add some sliced Bosc pears, and pick up some pickles and nuts at the store and you have an epic spread.
We still have a few of the best culinary pumpkins you’ll find (Winter Luxury), which make the best pumpkin pie.
We are particularly excited about the Meadow Bloom cheese which is a luscious, tangy, unctuous, mushroomy triple-crème bloomy rind cheese which is only available from Cherry Valley in Duvall, WA for the fall and winter months when the fat content in the cow’s milk increases. Also from Cherry Valley is a 4 oz wedge of their Coho Tomme-style cheese with a lightly washed natural rind that is brothy, with notes of sweet cream, toffee, dried apricots, and finishing with hints of the sea. It is creamy and melts like a dream.
Meadow Bloom Cheese
Photo Credit: Cherry Valley Dairy
Coho Tomme Cheese
Photo Credit: Cherry Valley Dairy
Also new is the Thai Chili & Garlic Chèvre from Lost Peacock Farm. This is a very tasty, slightly spicy, and savory soft goat cheese that won the Washington Artisan Cheesemakers Festival 2018 People’s Choice Award! It is delicious paired with our crabapple jelly.
In addition to the above charcuterie and cheese board options, we also have a classic breakfast sausage seasoned with fresh sage and real maple syrup. Pair that with our eggs, roasted potatoes, granola and yogurt and you have a hearty breakfast. We also have Kaserkainer which is an Austrian inspired pork sausage studded with Emmentaler cheese and smoked over apple wood. They make a very tasty and easy dinner served with winter squash or potatoes, chard or kale, and a big chicory salad.
Shrubs from INNA Jam!
We’re excited to have a very limited number of delicious Shrubs available from our friends at INNA Jam in Oakland, CA. If you are unfamiliar with Shrub it is a fruity-vinegar-sugar syrup that is used to make delicious drinks (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic). Mixing 1 part shrub with 5 parts sparkling water renders a fruity-tart and highly refreshing, thirst-quenching beverage. We currently have Marsh Grapefruit and Bay Laurel flavors on the stand as well as Topo Chico Sparkling water. Roger’s favorite drink is the Paloma recipe featured, but with 1/2 Mezcal and 1/2 Tequila. Cheers!
EVOO from FAT GOLD!
Made by more Bay-area friends is our favorite olive oil, Fat Gold! In case you didn’t already know it, you shouldn’t be hoarding your nice olive oils for years. True extra virgin olive oil is best consumed as soon as possible (burp!) and Fat Gold makes that easy because it is delicious on just about everything. We use it as a finishing oil to top soups, salads, pastas, avocado toasts, a bowl of yummy beans, roasted veggies, on a hard boiled egg, drizzled over steak … you get the idea. This makes a wonderful gift and each 500 ml. tin comes with a zine full of information as well as a discount code for a future Fat Gold purchase. If you know someone who loves olive oil they also offer an olive oil subscription! (Full disclosure, we’re subscribers).
Pies and Wreaths for a great cause! Don’t forget to order by Monday, November 23rd!
Several Lummi Island organizations host regular holiday activities that are well-worth supporting. Here are a few of our favorites and their deadlines are fast approaching!
LIFE Thanksgiving Pie Sale
Lummi Island Foundation for Education’s annual Pie Sale is happening now. Fill out the pie order form here to order your pie (pumpkin, apple crumble, and maple pecan YUM!), or sign up in person at the post office or at the Islander. Each pie is $20 and all proceeds go to supporting education on Lummi Island. Deadline for getting your order in by THIS Monday, November 23rd.
Lummi Island Heritage Trust Wreaths
The Heritage Trust’s wreath-making has become a traditional event for many on the Island. Their lovely handcrafted wreaths are made from local greenery by volunteers. Reserve your wreath here or call the office before 5pm on Monday, November 23rd at 360-758-7997. Two sizes of wreaths, artfully crafted using natural materials, decorative bows, and holiday adornments will be ready to pick up at the Resource Center after Monday 12/7 or delivered by Friday 12/4 for an additional $5 donation. All proceeds go towards Preserving the Nature of Lummi Island: $30 Medium/Large and $45 for an Extra Large.
Have you been to the Dockside Market yet?
Debbie and Pete Granger have been spearheading efforts for the Working Waterfront Coalition. The latest addition is a fisherman’s market in Squalicum Harbor. It’s wonderful and a long time coming. We went to the first market and purchased delicious black cod right off the boat. What a treat and how wonderful for us to be able to now have direct access. It is well worth a trip to town. Please support their efforts and enjoy the fresh fish, crab, oysters, and clams. Tuesday, November 24th 2pm - 4:30pm at Squalicum Harbor is the next market and they keep an updated page here for you to reference what will be available.