Winter Holiday Farmers Market

Tomorrow will be the last Farmers' Market of 2009 for RAS Farms North. We will have a full selection of soaps, onions, garlic, and Long Pie Pumpkins. 9AM to 4PM at the Boulder County Fairgrounds in Longmont, CO. The Market will be set up in the Exhibit Building, 9595 Nelson Road. There will be a sneak preview of the first Lion's Gate Hemp Soaps T-shirts on site. Happy Holidays to all of our family and friends near and far.

The Necessity of Agriculture by Wendell Berry

http://thegreenhorns.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/the-necessity-of-agriculture/#more-4691

Get your hands dirty!!

TONIGHT.........

FREE SHOW. FREE STUFF. SPREAD THE LOVE......

The Boulder Cornucopia of Local..... and looming national pumpkin pie shortage.

The Boulder County Farmers' Markets are anchoring this year's "Cornucopia of Local" event at the Boulder Outlook Hotel. In addition to the Farmers' Market, there will be presentations throughout the day on the various aspects of local economics, permaculture, urban gardening and relocalization. The directions to the hotel are here:

http://www.boulderoutlookhotel.com/directions.html

R.A.S. will be setup outside the main building and we will have-

onions

garlic

beets

Long pie pumpkins ( a really nice heirloom variety.)

We will also have a FULL soap selection for Winter stock up and Holiday gifts-

Lavender

Rocky Mountain

Oatmeal

Mint

Empress

Speaking on pumpkins......... the news is reporting a national shortage of canned pie pumpkin (at least from conventional supplies). Please consider making pies from local, fresh supplies. Our Long pie pumpkins are perfect for pies, although they are NOT super sweet. Plan on using some honey or something similar to make the pies sweet. Long pie is a good keeper, so stock up now and you can get through the Thanksgiving Holiday easily.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Rain-may-put-pumpkin-pie-in-apf-1323181927.html?x=0&.v=7

InI give thanks for all of the support this season from all of InI friends and family... near and far.

Oneness~

Food summit turns down UN funding appeal

Even the Pope is weighing in on the matter.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091116/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_un_food_summit

Recession intensifies Gen X discontent at work

jaded individualists?? slackers?? or leading the way to a better United States??

Whats wrong with work- life balance anyway??

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091115/ap_on_bi_ge/us_antsy_gen_xers

News of the week......

http://www.newsweek.com/id/222299

Seasonal (Holiday) Farmers Markets

R.A.S. Farms is planning to be set up at both events.

Last Regular Season Market this Saturday

Our friend Gayle was at it again last weekend for the Market. It was Halloween after all......

Last Boulder County Farmers' Market this Saturday. Stock up while the chance is there.

Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall tell.....

Jah Rastafari, Emperor Haile I Selassie I Rules and Reigns for Ivermore. InI give thanks and praise for all friends, blessings, and all things seen and not seen. It is always good for InI to pause and give Iverance to H.I.M. and H.R.H., the Empress Menen I.

Please visit www.ababajanhoy.com for some ilahful pictures and other Selassie memorabilia.

Gayle's pictures......

It's snowing big up here right now. Gives us a little time to catch up on things.

Our friends Gayle and Eric are always taking nice photos on their digital camera....... these are from a few weeks ago at the Boulder Farmers' Market.

On the business of organic farming...

http://www.grist.org/article/richard-wiswall-on-the-business-of-organic-farming/

Farm up the land......

Still Going Strong......

We are still going strong at the Farmers Market. In addition to the veggies, we always have the hemp soaps and hemp gear.

Boulder County Farmers' Market- Saturdays 8am to 2 pm. 13th and Canyon in downtown Boulder, CO. (photos by the idren Eric keepin it lohpro)

Don't know where the time went .........

I don't know where August went. We are still working hard with a couple months still left in the season.

Farmers' Market and Soul Rebel Music Festival

Today is a big day for the RAS Farms crew. RAS North Farm Stand @ the Boulder Farmers' Market from 8am to 2pm at 13th and Canyon in Downtown Boulder.

then.......
Be sure to check the RAS Farms x I*Culture setup at the Soul Rebel Music Festival up in the hills..... in beautiful Nederland, CO. There are lots of fresh T's on hemp and organic cotton blends from our friends at Satori Movement.

info here.....http://www.interfold.com/ujama/SoulRebelFestival.html

NYT- "Can Will Allen make the inner city the next front in the good-food movement?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/05/magazine/05allen-t.html?ref=magazine

Earthday Harvest and 4th of July

This is a portion of the harvest from last week. All of the lettuce heads, carrots, and cabbage went over well with everyone. It was a busy market day last week, so we'll see what the 4Th of July is like.

Please consider an early market run before all of the festivities start on Saturday. Thanks for all of the support.

This week's stand will feature~
-the last of the lettuce heads
- carrots (sold out quick last week)
- 3 kinds of beets

Legal rainwater harvesting in Colorado

Nuff rainwater has been caught around here.......

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/us/29rain.html?_r=2&em

Harvest and Market

It was an outstanding Colorado day to harvest last Friday. InI give thanks for the crops that have come in so far. There is a lot of excitement on the farm, and in the community as well. Check out the new RAS North listing on Local Harvest.org....... http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M30719?ul

When at the Boulder Market, be sure to go up towards the north end and check the I-Culture stand for the ital frozen lumpia 12-packs. Lumpia are Phillipino style spring rolls. If you're lucky, Ty will be sampling....... The lumpia are easy to prepare at home, AND way easy to grub down as well. I-Culture are making positive moves, and proving that with hard work and livication, a level of self-sufficiency is attainable in these times. The I's are using BONAFIDE local ingredients as well. Last week's batch had Abbondanza cabbage, and RAS Farms chard and garlic. Big up to Ty and Christine!!

As for RAS Farms North, on the market stand this week:

salad mix

spinach

garlic scapes

green, gold, red chard- bunched

baby turnips- bunched

baby beets- bunched

red dandelion greens- bunched

baby carrots- bunched

lettuce heads- including some heirloom varieties

cabbage

soaps- Fresh off the curing rack this week.......

Rocky Mountain- the pine scent

Lavender, Rosemary, Tea Tree w/ RAS Farms cornmeal

Boulder Market- Saturdays 8-2pm

13th and Canyon

Durango Market- Saturdays 8-12pm

First National Bank of Durango parking lot

8th and Camino del Rio (across from the Post Office)

It's Summer Time.......

Sara B. At RAS Farms South is now keeping a farm blog that gives a glimpse into life on the Durango farm. Lots of good pictures, recipes, and current info. Also, RAS South C.S.A. members will be able to get weekly updates by checking the blog.

Find it here.. http://farmama.typepad.com/


I also happened to find Chuck and Rosie Carter's Stone Free Farm blog. The picture in the header on the top of the page says it all. RAS Farms has always had a lot of love for Stone Free Farm. One can get another glimpse of Four Corners farm life here.....
http://stonefreefarm.blogspot.com/


Some of my other favorite farm blogs.........
http://thegreenhorns.wordpress.com/
http://halfpintfarmers.blogspot.com/

pics from '09

Press from the Durango Farm..... foundation..

http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/Features/Food/2009/05/06/Pay_now_eat_later/

http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/News/2009/05/10/Seasons_start/

http://durangotelegraph.com/telegraph.php?inc=/09-05-14/day.htm

Financial Collapse and the food system.... AKA "Don't get caught sleepin'"

http://www.grist.org/article/2009-05-22-financial-collapse-food/

Know your food.
know your seeds.
know your medicine.

Haile Selassie I rules and reigns..

Big Pimpin'..... "When Local Makes it Big"

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/dining/13local.html?_r=1&hpw

D.Town opening day........

Durango Farmers' Market opening day today at the 1st National Bank parking lot. Market goes from 8:00AM to 12 noon.

Boulder Market is starting to pick up steam........ Asparagus and soaps featuring this week.

July '09 @ Mishawaka

small farming in Jahpan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/business/global/16farmer.html?_r=1&scp=9&sq=Japanese%20farmers&st=cse

It's global.

Hustlin' Like Raindrops...... to make ends meet.

Here's another interesting NY Times article on the nature of the farming landscape today. It is mostly dealing with the growth of "small" farms, and how people have off- farm jobs to make ends meet. I think a lot of people already know or have a feeling this is true, but will it carry over into discussion of legit farms, and what it takes to make it? On a local level, if you are farming part-time or small it's still easy to get marginalized as being too small or inconsequential.

In my mind, there is still a lot of wonderful oppurtunity there. Check out this emerging young farmers movement. http://thegreenhorns.wordpress.com/

10 years ago InI were being laughed at.........

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/08/business/08feed.html?scp=8&sq=farms&st=Search

".....we still a till we soil though we live a babylon........"

Helping to put the "Culture back in agriCULTURE"

Here goes........ This is the new R.A.S. Farms postcard for the season. InI will be sending some out soon. Let us know if you need some for your farm...market......hood.....head...whatever. Once again, big up to Joshua Humphries aka Pressed Root for the image. It's a good link from Brooklyn to Colorado. http://www.myspace.com/bigdreadnauts

ONENESS~

Boulder County Farmers' Market Opening Day

I hope everyone is excited about the prospects of being able to get fresh food from closer to home once again. The Boulder County Farmers' Market opens up this Saturday April 4th, 2009 at the usual spot next to Boulder Creek (13th and Canyon). Hours of operation are 8am to 2pm every Saturday until November.

R.A.S. Farms will be on the lot with several fresh batches of soap. Alizah has been pumping out several different favorites like Rocky Mountain, Lavender, and Island Spice (the green, gold, ites bars). If all of the snow melts off, and we can get under the rowcovers, then there might be some spinach and arugula at the stand as well. Hope to see you there.

Forward ever~

Cultural Reflections~ Artist's reception Sunday April 5th, 2009

Come support another very talented bredren. The Ethiopian Buffet at Ras Kassa's will be in full effect. For the Boulder heads, it's a ites way to finish off a great first weekend in April ( the Farmer's Market starts the day before in Boulder).

www.myspace.com/blackflameuniversal

"Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?" NY Times

It IS a revolution..........

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/business/22food.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

As always, I like to see what Tom Philpott has to say about the matter.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/3/23/132641/785

InI will keep pushing on the frontline of the battle!!

Colorado Farmers' Markets opening soon......

The time to get back into the thick of the growing season in our local, regional foodsheds is fast approaching. Please come out and support your favorite farms that are striving for a more sustainable agriculture.


Boulder Market- Opening Day is April 4th, 2009


Durango Market- Opening Day is May 9th, 2009
- last winter market at the Smiley Building is April 11, 2009.

HMMMMMMM...... Myspace jackers strike again!!!

At the end of the day it's for InI to know that ones can't add to or take away from the original works. The artwork and expression stands on it's own........ No changes needed.

Big up to the original artist, Ras Jah Terms for channeling the inspiration of the Most High. Please support the original man here- http://www.myspace.com/rasterms

Please stay tuned as InI will be coming with new artwork on a postcard featuring the work of Joshua Humphries aka Pressed Root, based in Brooklyn, NY. You can check the fine works of this bredren - http://www.myspace.com/bigdreadnauts

Haile Selassie Rules and Reigns~

New shirts

...just got a bunch of new RAS Farms x Ras Jah Terms prints on hemp and organic cotton shirts from our friends at Satori Movement. There are mens and ladies cuts available. Please email any size and price inquiries to rasagriculture@yahoo.com.

Authenticity of Farmers' Markets

Here's an interesting piece from Mother Jones magazine about 'how' Farmers' Markets are growing around the country.

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2009/03/foodie-beware

It reminded me a of a piece that our Boulder County Farmers' Market manager, Katie Bauer, wrote last summer for Edible Front Range magazine.

http://www.ediblefrontrange.com/pages/issues/summer08/willTheReal.pdf

The Durango Farmers' Market also has rules against the re-selling of produce, and protects the Market for the actual farmers.

people need the whole picture..... Workers Rights!!!!

http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/3/2/1470/57009

wage slavery.....

Runnins in Durango

Meditation~