Dried Rhubarb in Estella's Pantry

I went and found this dried fruit cobbler blend at Costco's and it had rhubarb bites included in the pack. Very cool. "Brings you home with one small bite. Apple and peach slices, moist plums and strawberry-flavored rhubarb bites. Exceptional and unlike any other dried fruits."

This was manufactured by Estella's Pantry, 14525 SW Millikan Way #27875, Beaverton, OR 97005-2343 USA
Distributed by Costco Wholesale Corporation PO Box 34535 Seattle, WA 98124-1535 USA

"Imagine rhubarb bites infused with the natural sweetness of strawberries." Reads the package.

This is cool. Very Cool. I say, let's do an Alaskan variety! What about Alaskan berries and rhubarb variety?


Ruby Peck-Hollembaek
Farmer/Rancher
Delta Junction, Alaska

Alaska, where rhubarb is our apple!

High Tunnels Come to Alaska

Beginning this year, Alaska was one of the states chosen for a three year pilot high tunnel cost share program. The high tunnels are being funded through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP),, NRCS is offering other conservation practices to greenhouse producers.
Basically, to be eligible for a high tunnel you must qualify as an agricultural producer by producer for sale, trade or personal use $1000 agricultural products or timber products. The land must also be eligible for the program in that is must have been cropped previously and be in a tillable condition. Contact the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) nearest you.
Ruby Peck-Hollembaek
Farmer/Rancher
Delta Junction, Alaska

Alaska, where rhubarb is our apple!

Hardwick Taking Care of Business

Emeril Green Episode: Emeril's Culinary Adventure--Vermont

By Team Planet Green Silver Spring, MD, USA
Sun Jan 3, 2010 07:55 AM ET ... Hardwick, Vermont is a place where the community of farmers and small business ...

Emeril in Hardwick I see so many similarities in this community to Alaska. We have "bread-basket communities" all over our state. Bethel, Nome, Skagway, Delta Junction, Palmer, Wasilla, Talkeetna and the list goes on.

This morning I spent an hour watching a new program on Planet Green.  I guess, maybe not a new series but it involved Chef Emeril  visiting Hardwick and seeing what they had going on.  Which was:

• 
  
  Pete's Greens Organic Seed Farm
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  Vermont Soy
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  Jasper Hill Cheese
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  Local Restaurants serving local produce
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  Grower's Co-Op Store
                                                                                                                                                     Check it out, it's something to see.  Why not rhubarb as part of our crop?  Start out small, feed your family then community and finally have the chance of having a town that has it going on, sustaining itself and MORE. 

Hardwick, Vermont's Green Initiatives

You wouldn't have imagined that a town established on such a granite foundation would eventually need to reinvent itself so entirely, but it seems no community is unshakable on the shifting grounds of economic change. The small northern Vermont town of Hardwick boomed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the "Building Granite Center of the World", but such natural resources are finite in supply. Now, through measures that are more communal and cooperative than driven by civil government offices, the people of Hardwick have re-imagined what it would mean to be the community of Hardwick.

http://planet.earthclinic.com/initiatives/hardwick-vt.html

Welcome to The Center for an Agricultural Economy!

A Vision for a Healthy 21st Century Food System in the Greater Hardwick Community

Beginning January 8th, 2010, Brian Norder, the Vermont Food Venture Center's Executive Director, will have office hours at the CAE every Friday. Call 802-472-5840 or email center@hardwickagriculture.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to learn more.

The Center for an Agricultural Economy is a non-profit 501C (3) tax-exempt organization that seeks to engage agricultural leaders in the emerging 21st century food system to build capacity and inspire the public in supporting and implementing this system. Learn more...
When noted author Bill McKibben visited Hardwick in October 2008, he offered the following comments.
"After spending a day in Hardwick, I feel a great burst of pleasure and possibility. Deep and transformative things are happening here. Hardwick has all the pieces of a healthy food system connected and ready to fall into place, and is as far ahead in sustainable agriculture as any place in the country."

- Bill McKibben
http://www.hardwickagriculture.org/