GreenGo Food

Sitting in cold storage, scheming and dreaming of the New Year

2012-01-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

Enjoying the time for quiet contemplation in the cold North. We had a busy growing and harvest season; followed by the loss of another young man in our immediate family which shook everything up for a while.
We got to experience a Winter Solstice in the beautiful tropics of the Florida Keys, and now we're glad to be home, tentatively planning the start of a new growing season. We're looking at seed catalogs (farmer porn), last year's garden layout, all of our ambitious plans....steps we'll be taking to get onto our own little farmy bit of the American dream.

Oh the places you'll go!

2011-07-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when we say things like, "I want to go where my skills are needed", we end up in unexpected places. So it is that we find ourselves in Michigan, doing lots of things we've always wanted to do.
Despite spending a portion of my childhood (and a year back in 2002, and the winter of 2009) here, I forgot how spectacular a Michigan summer can be. Perhaps because this is the first time we've been living the life we really want. A rural life of farming and gardening, and relaxing by the lake. We have the best family garden ever, with a diverse planting of veggies and flowers. Now in mid July, I've been already harvesting tomatoes, beans, peas, greens, broccoli, cauliflower, herbs.

Growing in a new way

2011-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

A new Year, a new life for us. We sure have had a wild journey since we left Seattle. We've traveled far and wide in North America, and once again we find ourselves back in Washington. Somehow, we always end up back here. But this time, it's different.
We've landed on the sunny side, the dry side, the quiet side, the wild side, the OTHER side. We're much closer to some of our favorite farms, but we're a world away from the progressive cultural norms we grew used to.
Each day can bring on bi-polar mood swings. For example, I go outside and feel so inspired and joyful walking around this tiny town, gazing at stark basalt canyon walls, smelling dry sagebrush. It's delightful that heavy traffic here means we've seen up to four cars on the road. Then I go into a nearby grocery store and want to cry. The local food movement hasn't hit here yet. Several times, store employees have approached me to see if I'm OK as I stand with my head in my hands trying to figure out what processed agri-crap might do the least harm to me and my family. When my son comes home from school and tells me how much candy he was given by teachers and administrators, I want to scream!
But this year, I'm gonna grow a lot of food. It's my goal to grow and preserve as much food as possible. Sun and heat means tomatoes, peppers, melons. I'm excited.

Chasing the Dream

2010-09-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

The dream to grow and share food. So simple. So many possibilities. Sometimes seems near the tip of our fingers.
Substantial year-round gardens, hoop house (Pregitzer farm has great ones), basic commercial kitchen, vibrant healthy community (like the awesome Ballard community who supported GreenGo) Short commute walkable or a safe bike ride.

My country 'tis of thee

2010-07-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Happy belated birthday, USA. All of this patriotism really gets one thinking about what's great and not so great about our nation.
Last fall we definitely gained a perspective shift on living in the USA. One of the happiest times of our epic adventure was crossing back into the homeland at Nogales, Arizona. After a long visit and search by border patrol, (They took our half-eaten avocado in the interests of Homeland Security. I guess because it had a stone which we could potentially throw like other people walled off by a border fence, or we might try to grow it.) we were so happy to be back on the wide smooth asphalt of the US freeway system! It was so easy to just talk to someone without having to think about Spanish translations of whatever we needed to communicate. We were filthy, stinking, flea-bitten, mosquito-devoured, dysentery-afflicted, broke, disillusioned American Refugees. We headed straight for the Catalina campground outside of Tucson, and it was the most delightful overnight stay since we last stayed in Arizona on the way to Mexico. Free drinking water from a faucet! Restroom and shower facilities much cleaner and nicer than anything we experienced in Mexico.
We loved our Mexican adventure and I believe it was just the first tryst of a budding affair with Latin America.
Back here in our (stolen) chunk of North America, it seems a land of mixed blessings and contradictions. Clearly the US is headed down a road of trouble. Her power as a leader of the world is fading. Every system is strained and breaking. The diseases of over-consumption take a heavy toll.
My most patriotic day ever was election night 2008. As the results became clear that America had voted for change and hope, I and many others believed we could be on the way to righting this floundering nation. It seemed like a new generation of voter had stood up to demand change. The excitement and spontaneous celebration was intoxicating.
Now it seems our jubilation was premature. Our tax dollars are still funneled into senseless wars. Politics, corporations, and corruption continue as usual. We still can not afford medical or dental care. Nothing has really improved. The only vague sparkle is the little plug Mrs. Obama gave to organic gardening with her White House Garden. Thanks Mrs. First Lady.
Thanks to this beautiful land for endless vistas of beauty, "purple mountain majesty, amber waves of grain, fruited plains," beautiful beaches, (those not covered by oil) .....I'm thankful to have been born here. This is a land of opportunity and I hope to find my opportunity to make positive change; to contribute to a just, balanced, peaceful society worthy of this great land.

Long Grey Light

2010-06-22T21:54:00.001-07:00

Summer Solstice
This year so cool and grey

Fighting the MOOOORE Monster

2010-06-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

When one lives a transient existence it's relatively easy to keep possessions few. If it won't fit in the van when we move on to the next farm or adventure, we don't keep it. But now, we find ourselves with a dwelling of our own again and the MOOOOOORE Monster is rearing it's ugly head. (You know that voice of American affluence which tells us we need to consume more stuff. Then we look around, we see fisheries and every other resource being rapidly depleted, and we must know that our greed and insatiable appetite for MOOOORE is to blame).
I really need to have food growing outside our apartment, so I want to go buy pots for a nice patio garden. Our dining room set consists of storage totes, pillows and blankets. I think things would be easier if we had a table to sit at. I would write more if I had a comfy desk or even a table to sit at. Dylan thinks we could organize things better if we had some shelves and wall hooks. We could go to Value Village or Goodwill and re-purpose items for these wants. But then that would be a couple hundred bucks less for our next adventure, and a hundred pounds more stuff to get rid of.
I'm reading a great book which I highly recommend. It's called "Simple Prosperity -Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle" by David Wann.
The past year of evaluating our goals and priorities and ultimately walking away from a conventional life has shown us the line between needs and wants.
So I'll take pride in my food packaging containers-turned -food- growing- containers. As I sit down on the floor (like millions of people around the world), I give thanks for the bountiful food and community and things that ultimately make life richer.

Drill, Baby, Drill!

2010-06-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

Every time I hear about the Gulf Oil catastrophe I hear the 2008 McCain / Palin suppoters shouting "Drill, Baby Drill" . I wonder if they still think MORE OIL DRILLING is the answer to our nation's economic problems?
On the other side, those of us who know the perils of our oil addiction-What drastic changes to our lifestyle would we honestly make if it could end the insane wars (environmental and political) for oil?

Here a farm, there a farm, here a friend, there a friend.......

2010-04-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Now we're back on the rainy side of the mountains, learning about sustainable poultry operations. While the climate is less than ideal, the people and education are great.
A very important lesson we've been learning over the last 8 months is the importance of community. There's something very special about this Northwest food community. This year's "Farmer Fisher Chef's Collaborative" keynote speaker was Poppy Tooker from New Orleans. In her speech, she brought us to tears saying, "When disaster strikes, or things get tough, your food friends will be there to help you." This has certainly been true for us.
Thank you to all of our food friends who have been there to help us and educate us and advise us along this rocky road we've chosen!
We hope that soon we will find the stable place we've been looking for and be able to help others find their way.

Mexico is closer than you think

2010-03-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yes it's true. Here in the sunny inland northwest, we find many great similarities to Mexico, but few of the inconveniences.
More on this soon....
If only we knew, it was right in our own backyard the whole time.

Autumn 09

2009-12-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Well, we ARE doing the farmy stuff we've been yearning for, we just didn't end up quite where we thought we would. There's a very long story here, but to summarize, we gave up everything except what would fit in our mini-van. We had a great voyage south, planning to work on a farm in Mexico. We made it there, and as you may guess from the barbed wire and toilet with no walls, it was very far from what we were hoping for. We weathered an intense tropical storm in our tent. (Thanks REI for making good gear) We had no running water most of the time, no electricity any of the time, very limited cooking fuel. Several kilometer trek through flooded arroyo awash in every typy of human and animal waste imagineable just to fetch clean drinking water and dry goods. All of this might have been manageable if the boss lady had any interest in an organic farm, or sustainability. But not so.
So now we are in NORTH North America. We're out in the country, we got to do some harvest activities on a couple farms here. We're surrounded by farms. We're hunkered down until spring.
Happy Winter Holidays to all! A huge thanks to all of our supporters who helped us get out of the city. We lost our contact book and would really like to be in touch with many of you. So if you read this, please drop us a line.

Done

2009-08-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Cleaning up, packing up, starting the rest of our lives.
Debriefing and updates to follow.
Thanks y'all.

Final Hours/ American Refugees

2009-08-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Today and tomorrow are our last days. Honestly we are giddy with delight. We are so excited to go get on with the life we've been yearning for for so long. That's the good news.
The not so good news is that as of right now there will be no more GreenGo Food, and we will be jobless, homeless people adrift for several weeks until we reach the farm. Property manager has thwarted every attempt by prospective buyers, and no one sees the wisdom in moving GreenGo to a better location.
We had hoped to just make enough money to pay our debts and move on. We also have a need to see family in the East and midwest. (My last visit was my little brother's funeral 3 years ago. We would have liked to be able to go see new babies, new graves, and old folks who won't be around much longer.)
With no chunk of $ coming, we are selling things piece by piece and prioritizing bills and payments. We really need to have enough cash left after Sunday to make a 3,000 mile road trip and make any emergency repairs along the way. Visiting family appears impossible at this point.
Looking at the cold hard facts, we are in a way American Refugees. Things are very bare bones, but there are others in much worse shape than us.
In the classic Fable The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the lesson is that when you follow your dreams, the Universe conspires to help you. The Universe has definitely conspired to help us with our Farm Dream...we're almost on our way.
Thank You to the folks who've stopped by our Sidewalk Sale and Fire Sale to buy stuff and help us with travel $$. Thank You to our Ballard community who has been so supportive.

Free Lunch!

2009-08-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

Seattle Parks and Recreation offers free lunch for kids at various community centers around the city. Cypress asked for one and it was very interesting...an eat cold "pizza kit". This is much better than chips and pop. Everything in the white tray was a real food group. (Except the tomato sauce with the second ingredient being sugar) Why chocolate milk with 26 grams of sugar? Why "X-Treme Fruit" rather than real fruit?

Everything must Go!

2009-08-06T10:31:00.000-07:00

Part of being the change we would like to see in the world means letting go of all of the material clutter we have been collecting and dragging around, and housing for so long. Six years ago, we downsized keeping only what we could drive cross country in our small pick-up with a small trailer. Since then we've again collected a lot of stuff. Over the past few weeks we've taken massive amounts of stuff to Goodwill, but we still have lots of things which have some value and may be of interest to others.
We had a good friend named Will who we met working at Union Bay Cafe back in 2000. Will was our minister who married us, he was also a great friend, my fondest memories were of many hours spent walking around the city and parks while I was very pregnant. Will waited around to see Cypress born, then took his own life due to an ongoing battle with depression. In his "note" left behind, he left some valuable words of wisdom, as well as most of his worldly posessions to our family. When we cleaned out his apartment, we assimilated most of his belongings with ours. Much of it was good stuff which we've used, but a lot was good stuff which we have not used but only dragged around out of sentimental value. A whole set of lovely dishes, this beautiful Asian Motiff carved chess set, surround sound computer speakers.......
Outside our shop, we are having a "sidewalk sale" of sorts. We're not really selling things, but putting them out and asking people to donate whatever they feel like toward our moving fund.

The sweet and the unsavory

2009-07-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

The past 7 months have certainly been a roller coaster ride. We've had plenty of sweet moments mixed in with some crushingly painful times. We want to express gratitude to the people who have really helped us on our journey. (This is by no means a comprehensive list)
A few weeks ago a biker guy pulled up, looked at Felony Flyers Bikeshop briefly, then came around the front of the restaurant. He ended up having a BLT and sitting on the front bench for close to 2 hours reading stories to Cypress. Several times I tried to encourage Cypress to let the man eat in peace, but I was deterred with a firm look and the reply, "We're reading books". Beautiful.
On several occasions the Strachan family from Divine Spine has come to take Cypress away from the shop for some kid time. (The beach, the zoo, a park) Tremendous, lifesaving kindness.
The whole family at Plaka is just heartwarmingly nice. We've borrowed sugar, shared Basil, encouragement...Yannis the patriarch has shared nice business advice...real community people.
Our neighbor Rick at Canal station who did our website for us. Cooklocal for huge support. Sustainable Ballard such an inspiring group of people. Devra for showing up often when I'm sitting in the window, head in hands desperately in need of a perspective shift. Shane the rad mechanic 2 doors down who is helping get our mini-van in shape for our long road trip. Jay and Rosa who met in this very building years ago, they come regularly for fish Friday and share the most warm, understanding energy.
Then we have the unsavory moments where we just say, "I can't wait to get the fuck out of here" like when I come around the corner of the building loading the van and Cypress has a used needle/syringe in one hand, and a broken lighter in the other. When people are speeding and honking and being obnoxious in their city driving rage in front of the restaurant. When some woman is shouting at me from the back of line at farmer's market demanding the ingredient list for the seasonal relish because she is far more important than the customer I am currently waiting on. When I go to Cash-n-Carry for gloves and packaging and see another burger joint owner who looked me in the face and told me her burgers are "Local and organic" and there she is buying massive quantities of meat........and I am still paying sales tax at Cash n Carry because they are so disorganized that after 6 months they still haven't gotten my business info into the system.(Except when I go to the North end location where the nice manager Paul rings me up special) When we're at Farmer's Market and we've paid $333 for a fire permit, we are operating in full compliance, and a fire office guy on a power trip gives us ridiculous hassle over petty paperwork infractions. The King Co. health Department for outrageous gouging and services never delivered.........This could go on and on. We thank the bad stuff for helping us to realize that we are not happy doing what we're doing, where we're doing it. We build strength and determination to get out.

GreenGo for the greater Good

2009-07-21T09:20:00.001-07:00

Many times over the past year, we've thought that GreenGo should be a non-profit organization, based on our missions of education, supporting local agriculture, and a sustainable food future. I'm putting a call out to anyone who believes in these values to step up and help evolve GreenGo Food. As posted in the main body of the blog, a combination of Farestart and Quillisascut would be phenominal. Obviously, a larger location would be necessary. Interestingly enough, the restaurant Via Verde was just evicted 2 blocks away on Ballard Ave. I see an ampty restaurant in the community already supporting GreenGo Food. (Even funnier, Via Verde translates roughly to Green Life)
"You may say I'm a dreamer..." I am. Everything I've ever done began with schemin' and dreamin'
So if anyone out there shares our passion and has any means to help form a community-driven, education and sustainability focused kitchen/restaurant project, let's talk SOON! We're leaving Seattle, but we want to leave it slightly better.

September will be the end

2009-07-16T08:33:00.001-07:00

GreenGo Food is for sale. We started over a year ago in the farmer's markets. In February, we took over this little kitchen from our friend and mentor Devra of Patty Pan Grill. We have invested every ounce of our being, every cent we could scrounge up into this business. We have always refused to buy cheap food or just have the industrial feed truck drop off our supplies. We've slept well knowing we are doing the right thing. Unfortunately, neither of us have trust funds or family $$, or any savings from scraping by in the restaurant biz for many years. So while we have finally achieved sales goals, are getting a little recognition, and seem to be growing, it's so bittersweet......we have nothing left to give. We incurred too much debt during the first few lean months to recover from. Our family unit has been taxed to damn near broken. Our personal bank account has been empty for a while. (Because all money we pay ourselves goes to our debt. Dev always reminds us that if we're paying our debt, we ARE making it, even if it doesn't feel like it)
I had this conversation with Cypress
"Mama when are we going to camp in Jerry's orchard again?"
"I don't know"
"This summer?"
"Probably not"
"How about camping in the desert?"
"Probably not soon"
"Don't you love to camp"
"I do"
"Why can't we just go camping? Summer's gonna be over soon"
"Because our restaurant owns us, and we can't take the time or $$ away to go camping"
I don't want to be this parent. I do not want to live a life where making money is the primary objective or activity. It's so strange that wanting to support small local farms and artisianal food producers with our business has put us in this situation.
But we have learned many important lessons. We are willing to share those lessons with any buyer and set them up for success. I know that an evolution of GreenGo Food has huge potential. Every day, people come from up the street and as far away as Kirkland and even Sweden and tell us "This is really great. I'm so happy someone is doing this."
I really hope someone will recognize the value and potential of what we've tried to do. If not, there's a great little kitchen spot for sale. All set up and running. Turn key.

Helping hands

2009-07-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Time again to give some special thanks to a few people who have really been lifesavers. Jami, my stepfather chef from Michigan came and gave us help for 10 days. Joe is driving on Wednesdays so we can put some personal things in order. A few great community people who really put the word out for us. Our farmers who give us good deals. Dustin for being a good low-paid intern. Cooklocal for too much. Bean Fairbanks for making me blog. Dev always. Laura for being a reliable babysitter. Janet Tu for a fair review.

"For whom the bell tolls"

2009-07-06T19:56:00.000-07:00

Here we are approaching the peak of "summer season" and these are strange times. Lately, we have witnessed with shock and sadness the demise of many small businesses. A few months ago, Culinary Communion went under. (But I've heard they have a new plan) The corner of our street in Ballard has soon to be 3 empty storefronts. A corner near our home used to be home to 2 large auto dealers which have now closed. A very dear market vendor is reportedly done. A couple more market people are reportedly barely hanging on.
Yes, our sales are growing, we have a great group of regular customers, public awareness seems to be growing about food sourcing, but we are still not quite making what we need. If we would just order the cheap stuff from the truck, we would probably be doing just fine, but we refuse...refuse to be a part of the wasteful inhumane unsustainable industrial food system. So, by not conforming, we've made our own business unsustainable. Not sustainable in that we can't pay ourselves, we are completely burnt out from working so hard for such a long stretch of time. Our home and gardens are terribly neglected. Our bodies and souls are aching.
There must be a more effective way.

Solstice and the Light

2009-06-20T07:56:00.001-07:00

HAPPY SOLSTICE!!! This is our favorite time of the year. We were married in a beautiful park in Skagit County on the Solstice 6 years ago. For the past 5 years, we've always enjoyed the Fremont Solstice Parade. This will be the first year we miss it since we will be working. I'm baking some special Solstice Strawberry (from our Victory garden) Scones. I also made Gazpacho. Cypress will be going with his Grandpa from Michigan.
As we celebrate these longest days of the year, we give thanks to the "Light". Yes, the abundant sunlight, but also to the people who bring light to our life. There have been many days over the past few months where we have wanted to just lock up, pack the van and head to Mexico. But the good people in our community have sustained us and given us the strength to continue. This week, we are stunned by the generosity of our friends at Cooklocal . When they heard about our window being smashed, they started a fund to replace it. It looks like we may have a new window by next week. I am running out of time, we must get to U-District market, but I want to say the biggest THANK YOU TO THE PEOPLE WHO BRING THE LIGHT!

Random acts of unkindness

2009-06-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Being in the heart of it all certainly has had its disadvantages lately. This month, we have experienced about $1200 of property damage which we can not afford to fix. (Yes, we have insurance, but high deductibles mean we would basically pay 90% of the damage anyway, and we don't have a spare $1000) Last week, someone hit and run the front bumper of our van. Sat night someone smashed in the art window of our shop shown here behind Cypress. They didn't come in the building, (we have an alarm) but they ruined art and smashed a large window which would be very expensive to replace. For now it will get ugly plywood and shut out the natural light. Thanks Crack-heads. And I sincerely mean thanks, this is just one more not-so-gentle reminder that we belong on a farm, not in the concrete jungle.

Systems stable. Prepare for reincarnation sequence...

2009-06-08T12:35:00.000-07:00

For the past 8 years, we have been gardening, farm visiting, slaving in kitchens, scheming and dreaming how we could get to our own farm.
Very well paid cooks make about $15-20 per hour. Not quite enough to feed the family and save for a land purchase. We started GreenGo just over a year ago with the intention of supporting what we care about while paving the way for a farm life. The past 6 months starting the Ballard storefront have been the most intense and challenging times of our lives. Establishing systems and pars from scratch, without the "normal" templates or procedures of a traditional restaurant. Now we finally feel like we have the systems in place, we're meeting goals and steadily growing. We're receiving validation from the community. We know we're on the leading edge of the curve with our concept.
We would really like to find some people who share our values and would continue our mission. We'd like to find the right people to work the remainder of the summer, learn the process, then take over.

Sundays

2009-06-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

Sundays are often referred to as "freak day" in the industry for several reasons. One of those reasons is the fact that Sundays can be freakishly busy or dead in a restaurant. They're a total wild card. When we began opening on Sundays, we were generally very busy. Since Broadway Farmer's market, and probably a few others have opened, our Sundays in the shop have slowed down. This is a problem because in order to have both locations operating, we pay out about $200 in labor. If we only do $185 in sales at the shop, we're losing money. The farmer's Market has been consistently good, so it makes sense to focus our energy there.
Currently it seems the best thing for the business and the family would be to just work at the market and close the shop. The whole family spending the day doing what we love....being at a great Farmer's Market and selling great food from our surrounding farmers. This way we save our sanity, labor expenses, and utilities.

Mysterious Plant activity

2009-05-18T17:41:00.001-07:00

This is a retired charcoal grill which we have been gifted and use as a planter in front of the store. Cypress and I started Nasturtiums indoors and watched them grow into hardy plantlings inside on the window sills. Then we transplanted them out to the grill and they began to spread and flourish. We hoped for cascades of trailing bright flowers in a few weeks. THEN SOME MEAN PERSON RIPPED OUT OUR LITTLE PLANTS!!
Stranger still, there were these pathetic little filler flower plants piled in the back portion of the grill. I was really mad...now I'm just perplexed and a little sad. Did one person take Nasturtiums and leave replacements? Or did one mean person take Nasturtiums and another kind neighbor saw and left replacements. Anyway, I planted the substitutes, and I'll plant more nasturtiums.

Tomatoes and Buns

2009-05-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have Washington Tomatoes! We scored them at Broadway/Capitol Hill Farmer's Market from Kititas GreenHouse. I enjoyed my first very Israeli breakfast in about 7 months.(Bread, veggies and cheese) They're pretty darn tasty tomatoes and we're excited to be offering them on specials, and as a new component to our "Seasonal Burger".
We've added several options to the menu lately including a "Beast Feast Burger" and "Ultra Grilled Cheese" With Spring produce coming on strong, look for yummy specials which change every couple days.
Our burger bun saga continues. The Tall Grass Baguette we've been using is very tasty, but we've had too much waste since baguettes have a very short shelf life and don't freeze well, and they're considerably more expensive than buns, and well, people really want buns for their burger. So after recommendations from customers and other industry folks, and our personal taste trials we'll be using Macrina herb buns. ( If you're not familiar, Macrina was founded in Belltown in 1993. They have 2 cafes and bake lots of yummy stuff. They also do wholesale deliveries.) We'll also be using their Ciabbata for sandwiches, and bringing in a few sweets.
Running an artisan bakery is a really tough gig and we give props to all of the hard working bakers out there.

Planting

2009-05-09T21:04:00.001-07:00

Very busy time. We planted peas and beans. Cypress and Dylan made this wall/trellis for the Peas. (We use last season's sunflower stalks for support and structure around the garden. It's almost like bamboo. One more reason to love the sunflowers.) Then these heavy rains came and washed most of our plumped seeds out and the pesky but beautiful Stellar Jays came and ate the seeds. Gotta re-plant the Peas and Beans.
Our neighbors at Market Street Traders had a drumming for fair trade on Sat afternoon. Lot's of fun, Cypress enjoyed a break from his Maitre d' job to go drum in the circle.

Halibut, health dept, Gwen's Buns

2009-04-23T21:27:00.001-07:00

So much stuff going on, I can't even organize it coherently! Thanks to our neighbor Sam for bringing the onion starts and making us get out and get to work in the garden. It's been neglected, but we got the ball rolling, our strawberries look great, raspberries too, some herbs.
HALIBUT SEASON HAS BEGUN!! I love Halibut! I feel bad for the Halibuts, being fished into extinction like virtually all of our wild resources. I'm assured that Halibut has been sustainably managed, and they're not in as bad of shape as Salmon, hhmmm....it just tastes so good! We're serving it up for "Fish Friday" over some sauteed veggies, very simply prepared. Come enjoy it!! *****The health department has a very bad fee structure which squeezes tiny guys like us....I'll keep this very brief and just say that since January, we have paid $1,271 to king Co Health dept. for fees for service. I have seen an inspector for maybe 20 minutes. Tomorrow we must mail another $226 to them for our Broadway market permit. We never even received the permit we paid for University District. I went to a meeting....they have ways of justifying it...so do most crooks.
Bun situation....a lady named Gwen at the Dahlia Bread Bakery has been responsible for our wonderful burger buns for the last year. The only problem is that someone must go downtown to fetch those yummy buns on a regular basis...Not Fun, often stressful, sometimes trapped in the alley, ticketed. So we've decided to use our neighborhood Tall Grass Bakery for all of our bread needs for the time being. We've always used their Pullman Loaf for our sandwiches, now we're using Baguettes for the burger. Thanks Gwen, for so many great buns! I hope to still get them for catering events. And thanks to Amanda and crew at Tall Grass for the new solution.

Spring veggies are on!

2009-04-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, we are turning the corner in many ways. We've got tasty Bloomsdale spinach from Nash's, also some rutabaga. We tried a new Polenta Royale last night which was carmelized onions, Shitake mushrooms, spinach and Queso Fresco. It was super yummy! One issue, we use lots of butter and wine to cook for ourselves. At the shop we only use olive and canola oil on the Polenta Royale. Then there's cooking with wine. Virtually every restaurant does, but you don't see it in the average closed kitchen. I can just imagine the fuss from certain people if they saw wine being splashed on their food. So we're working on a lemon verbena splash instead.
We're also thinking about menu tweaks. Tommy brought us a beautiful and inspiring book called 'Wichcraft all about sandwiches. We'd love to make some fancy pants sandwiches, but given the quality and cost of our ingredients, we'd have to sell $12 sandwiches. Maybe people want that. Which brings us back to the question we always ask, "Are we just setting ourselves up for failure by refusing to compromise on the integrity of our ingredients?" "Should we just sell industrial food and make a big profit like everyone else?" Or maybe just serve a couple really good things and serve the rest "Donkey in a Tutu". Neighborhood places serving dressed up crap are always busy, and we're barely making it.

Check yer Beef !

2009-04-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

The other day, a customer ate in our shop, and was talking about a few places that serve organic burgers. HUH? I didn't think anyone else was serving organic burgers. I know Tilth and Taste at SAM also use Skagit River Ranch beef for other items, but not fast food burgers.
The person claimed that Blue Moon Burgers and Geraldine's Counter served organic beef. I've eaten at Geraldine's many times, but I was pretty sure their beef just said "natural". But I'd never heard of Blue Moon, so I started digging. Blue Moon serves Painted Hills Beef. According to the Painted Hills website, Their beef is hormone and antibiotic free, it's from Oregon, they still finish with a corn, barley alfalfa blend for "marbling". So not 100% Grass-Fed, not organic, and not as local as Sedro-Wooley. But clearly a Thoughtful choice.
Next I called Geraldine's Counter in Columbia City. The person who answered the phone said the beef comes from Sysco.
If any other casual establishment is serving Beef close to the same quality as ours, I want to know about it! I love a good burger, and variety is nice.

Lovin the Patio!

2009-04-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sunshiny days worth living! So nice to be warm! Thanks to CJ for bringing by patio furniture just in time for the warm! You Rock!
Thanks also to the Granparental units for taking Cypress this weekend, a huge help when we need it most!

Soul feeding program

2009-04-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday, a different type of feeding program shall benefit.
Last night as I washed many dishes, and swept up food crumbs and rocked out to my favorite radio show, Wo' Pop on KEXP, I felt that We really need to contribute to this public station which feeds our souls. We weren't able to contribute during the pledge drive because we were in the middle of opening our shop.
For many years, I've enjoyed Wo'Pop while I clean my house, now it's while I clean from serving people in our kitchen.
Thanks to our customers and KEXP.

Mysterious ways

2009-03-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, our neighbors at the High-Life had an unfortunate fire. Luckily, no one was hurt and the building damage was minimal.
We knew some of the bystanders must be hungry, so Dylan took them some warm soup and polenta samples and menus.
The next 4 days were the busiest we've had so far!
We were having some doubts and fears, but this financial boost has given us some renewed confidence.

Patio!!

2009-03-31T21:19:00.000-07:00

We finally made the walk-in go away! Now we have a nice little patio, Thanks to Otto Garden Care for massive clean-up and pressure wash and landscaping. When you roll up and say, "Damn this is a cute place!" That's the Otto's work.
Now we're trying to scare up some second hand patio furniture. Little Bistro tables and stools or chairs.

How hard? This Hard!!!

2009-03-20T21:36:00.000-07:00

How hard are you willing to work for your dream? 7 Days a week hard. Work until you want to throw yourself down on the floor and cry with the 4 year old hard. Aching feet legs back, cracking fingers hard.
We were warned it would be "like last year on steroids".
Give thanks for lots of hard work, some have none.

First Greens!!!!!

2009-03-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

Woo-Hoo! We got first local spicy greens of the season from our dear friends and benefactors at Rockridge Orchards this Saturday! They are so spicy and delicious! So many people have been asking for greens! WE've been begging them to hold off, we didn't want to bring them up from so-Cal or Mexico.
Now we've got them, local and wonderful! But it may not be a regular thing yet. The weather haas been taking a toll on Puget Sound Farmers.
Come and get them while they're fresh!
A million thanks to Wade, Jude, and the farm family!!!

More Rock -n- Roll

2009-03-13T16:32:00.001-07:00

GreenGo apparently has an identity crisis.
Many people look at the place and wonder "what is GreenGo food" Many others come in look around and wonder if our meat is real, ask when/why we started serving meat, and are surprised and disappointed to learn that we are not The Patty Pan Grill.
Is it a Health Food store? UUmmm, sort of, but NO!
Our neighbors at the Felony Flyers have pointed out that we need to be more Rock-n-Roll. (Insert huge belly shaking laugh here) But Really, I think they hit the nail on the head. They are our most regular customers, they are business guys and they see a perspective that we tend to overlook in our realm. I personally could not be more rock-n-roll, but GreenGo could broaden it's appeal......
We're talking about a Pin-Up Girl eating a burger, we'll just nail it over the mountain and forest mural on the fence....or something.

Miracles happen, the forces of good are alive and well

2009-03-02T16:29:00.000-08:00

Our restaurant opening has been very challenging, but through the toughest times the goodwill of others sustains us and convinces us to keep on. We have received so many "saving graces" and miracles over the past 2 months, I couldn't begin to name them all, but other than the whole restaurant itself, a new neighbor possibly willing to do our website for food, a mural artist, Otto Garden Care, a great U-Dist market...
If you turn to the mass media, all one hears is gloom and doom. Yes, these are desperate times for many, but also hopeful times. I look at our circle of friends and peers and business associates and I see a lot of people doing well. People who do something they care about and take pride in their work seem to be prospering. I don't know anyone "rolling in the dough" or blowing up sales goals, but making it and appreciating a shift in the status quo.
Judging by the people who come into our shop and chat, many folks are ready to support one another here in our community, ready to make the changes ourselves! We'll have our own bailout!
Thank You Everyone

The bleakest time, the most hopeful time.

2009-03-02T16:19:00.000-08:00

Here we are again at this challenging food time of year, local winter goods are running low, local greens are still a few weeks out. (But I did see the first spinach at Alm Hill's Ballard Market stand. Very exciting, but not enough to viably serve in the shop. We're going to be missing all of Nash's great roots. Beets and carrots are in very short supply. The snow prevented our cabbage and carrot arrival last weekend.
We've been enjoying hot house tulips from Alm Hill for a few weeks, but our tulips in our yard are just emerging. On these beautiful, fragrant rain washed days, the delights of Spring seem so near..

Mardi Gras

2009-02-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

GreenGo "Gumbo" tomorrow. It's not really what a southerner would call Gumbo, but we're gonna serve up Hearty, veggie laden tomato stew with Alaskan Spot Prawns from Zeb Strong, a comrade at the U-District Farmer's Market. We're in the Mardi Gras spirit, we'll have some beads, if anyone wants to flash, they'll get a meal discount too. I only wish we could put something together involving my all-time favorite drum and dance ensemble, VamoLa! Maybe next year.

Still livin' the dream

2009-02-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

This photo gives an honest summary of making a restaurant go......bend over.
We've been working harder than I ever thought I could. (I never doubted Dylan)
Our first day of business was good. Chaotic but people came and we fed them. Mission Accomplished.
We ask our neighborhood, "What do you want in a neighborhood lunch counter?"
We look forward to meeting you!

A day in the life (Careful what you wish for)

2009-02-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

Wake up, check awning proof, respond, gobble granola, feed kid, shuffle papers, work on taxes, financial aid paperwork for school, bustle kid to preschool. WHERE is the SIGN ARTIST??
"Let's take cards..the equipment costs how much?"
AAHh, here comes the insidemural artist! Would you paint something wacky like this collage?
City of Seattle is kindly repairing the sidewalk out front with cement cutters, excavators.
--Yes, hello fence mural artist, how do you do?
Dialin Hey stop painting the bathroom, you're late for work.
uuummm, nice awning people, could you please clean it and everything...when the construction equipment moves...I'm just out of time
Back to fetch kiddo from preschool.
How about 6 dozen eggs? And may I get My usual case of beef, and could I get $100 slab of bacon? That local teaAnd the TEA! and 2 cases of JUICE
Now RACE to 2 tire stores...had a flat tire. Quick grab all financial papers, laptop move to meet bookkeeper with kid in tow *%$#! 2 hours of bookeeping with a 4 year old and a 5 year old needing to be mommied.
Yippee! The sign dude re-surfaced...now quick, go take the sign off the building and over to sign-dude's house. Eat an orange. Back into the tax crap...file it! Use the tax crap to fill out the school aid crap. NOW I NEED PRINTER INK!! Order it.
Any babysitters respond, yup lots, the network is helping.
Must quit. yogurt for midnight dinner.
We're gonna make it

Here it comes!!!

2009-02-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Today we signed the lease and paid the rent. Lots of cleaning and painting. Meeting the folks in the neighborhood. Looking forward to serving it up at our Grand Opening and Birthing extravaganza.
Cypress's birthday is February 3. Four years ago, we had sunny weather in the mid 50s, just like today, I remember walking around Lincoln Park in early labor, letting the sun shine on my belly to "sun the baby out". Now here we are again, appreciating the sun as we birth this new baby.

Pipetone Farm

2008-12-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying fruits, tomatoes, shallots, fruit yums and humor from Jerry Pipetone for about 5 years. On one trip East, we called Jerry up and asked to camp in his orchard. Pipetone farm is located in Rock Island, WA. A beautiful little spot at the base of a steep hill with lots of birdsong. A very ennjoyable camping experience. We got to see the magic of his processing kitchen where those fabulous Fruit Yums and syrups come from. We found the big drying ovens especially fascinating. This time of year we especially appreciate those treasured flavors of preserved sunshine. That sweet-tart taste of dried apricots and tomatoes. Nectarine Yum swirled in hot oatmeal. Thanks Jerry, Andrea and the farm family!

The wheel turns. A new Year

2008-12-28T12:36:00.000-08:00

Never thought I'd be so happy to hear rain, but after so much snow and cold, we're delighted! The most wonderful thing about the snow and the general state of affairs seems to be that many folks are sticking to basics. Few gifts, just spending quiet time with family.
Most sensible critters quiet down, rest and restore during these dark cold times. I always feel inclined to do the same. After one of the most challenging years of our life, we are grateful for this slow quiet time to relax, reflect and plan for the new year.
Wishing one and all a happy, prosperous new year.

Thanks to Skagit River Ranch

2008-11-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Vojkovich family for doing the right thing, raising beef, pork and eggs we feel good about eating, and being good friends over the past 7 years. We began buying from S.R.R. at the Columbia City Farmer's Market in 2001. When starting our business, we knew that we could only serve beef from Skagit River Ranch. This is the most delicious and healthy meat around.
One market day, someone asked how we could call ourselves "Green" and serve meat! While we are aware of the atrocities of industrial meat production, we would not ever serve that kind of meat, and we consider this organic, local meat to be in a different food category all together. How so? First, we have visited Skagit River Ranch, you can too. The farm is green and beautiful and managed in a more sustainable manner than many large vegetable farms. The cows and other animals on the farm eat what they want (and are biologically evolved) to eat, so they remain naturally healthy and don't need drugs. Animals are not confined concentration-camp style. Cows are not shipped, stressed or tortured by an industrial meat packing facility. The USDA approved mobile slaughtering unit comes right to the farm, so a cow's last moments are peaceful right there in the field that has been home. Also, this farm is within 100 miles of Seattle, so very little fuel is used in transport. We are helping to maintain green places when we support local farms like Skagit River Ranch. I'm sure even the most ardent vegan would rather see this farm remain a farm than a subdivision.
Then there's the whole human aspect. Eiko and George have offered us lots of helpful business advice, consulting, an occasional reality check and friendship. We were tickled pink when another farmer tasted our burger and was amazed by how GREAT the beef was! He said he also raises cows, takes good care of them and they are delicious, but ours may be even better.
Thanks Vojkovich Family!

Season of Thanks

2008-11-21T11:53:00.000-08:00

GreenGo would not exist if not for the help of many people. I'm going to try to give recognition to a few of our key players over the next few posts. I will start with our long-time quesadilla provider, friend and mentor, Dev of Patty Pan Grill. It was she who suggested the markets as an outlet for our food production given our limited financial means. There were a few times last summer when we questioned the sanity of taking this advice, but mainly we are thankful to Dev for her support, encouragement, mentorship, quesadillas when they aren't loaded with beets, and unique perspective. She's kind of like a surrogate big sister since we are both aliens in our biological families.
We were about ready to scrap the market program after our difficulties last summer, but Dev had some simple great ideas to re-tool our menu, so I think it will work better now.
Thanks a million Dev!

Nash's Organic Farm

2008-11-13T19:39:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, we had a super fun trip to Nash's Organic Farm in Sequim, WA. The farm lies spread over several fields in the fertile Dungeness River Delta. Our favorite item is Nash's Carrots, we always have a 5 lb. bag in the refrigerator. We also love the friendly folks at the farmer's markets. A huge THANK YOU to Kia who gave us most of her day, taking us on an extended tour of the farm and sharing a wealth of knowledge with us. The farm has a great story, here is my rough re-telling...Nash Huber started growing veggies in various vacant patches of land about 25 years ago, he and his crew still grow on various rented fields in the area, they sell produce at Farmer's Markets, to PCC and a few larger wholesalers. A few years ago, through the PCC Farmland Trust project they acquired the 80 acre Delta Farm which is their only chunk of land saved for farming forever. This part of the farm used to be a dairy, it has a beautiful old barn, fields, happy pigs, various fowl, and a crew of dedicated folks who make it all happen. While we enjoyed the whole farm, I think the Delta Farm was our favorite...we loved being with the happy pigs foraging in the field, "talking turkey" with the big flock of (soon to be eaten) beautiful turkeys, being honked and chased by the riotous geese, the various sizes and colors of chickens, the big Combine pulling into the barn, watching Nash work, seeing how Sunchokes grow, snacking from the fields....I could go on and on....or you could go for a visit next time you're on the Peninsula. Thanks KIA!

And The People Rejoiced!

2008-11-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

Hooray for Change! Democracy may survive! Our Election Night Party was fun and inspiring! We enjoyed serving Burgers and Squash Soup and toast...outside in the hail and rain, sheltered in our market tent, warmed by our stoves and a wonderful bon fire. (Thanks to Bryn for exceptional fire skills) Delicate folks stayed warm inside watching history unfold. Lots of little kids had a great time meeting new friends and having their own party.
A special Thanks to the many people who made the evening a success, Farhad for his house, Otto Family for pickles, bread, friendship and every type of support under the sun, Murfin Family for support and friendship, Skagit River Ranch for Beef, Rockridge Orchards for Cider, Tall Grass for Bread, Joni for making the extra effort, Town and Country for the straw the kids had a blast playing in, market folks for making the trip, every person who attended.
Working together for change and strong community.

Jubilee! Farm, Family, Fun

2008-10-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at an Autumn Harvest Celebration on Jubilee Farm. Tom Douglas Company hosted a fun employee party, and since it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, several hundred additional people were enjoying hayrides, pumpkin harvesting,and farm fun in general.

Alert!! Do you value your local farms?

Many local farmers would not be here without the King County Agriculture Program. The Ag program’s funding is threatened in this year’s county budget cuts. If this program disappears, your Farmers Market farmers lose their advocates within county government.

There are tremendous growth pressures within our metropolitan-oriented King County. Development does not support farmers. We need to make sure that local farmers will continue to be supported at the government level - otherwise, the precious farmland we do have left will be lost to development.

The King County Ag Program:

1.) fights to protect and preserve farmland against development pressures. Flooding is a big problem.

2.) helps farmers face challenges with land use regulations and reduces red tape and permit costs.

3.) provides marketing and economic development support to our local farmers.

Call or email your county council members! The Council is accepting electronic testimony of up to 300 words. Please tell them how much you value your local farmers market and local farmers.

Most importantly, tell council members to keep the Ag Program funded in the next budget cycle.

We in King County are on the leading edge of the movement to grow our food locally. The county council needs to hear from you ASAP! They discuss and vote on next year’s budget through mid November.

Ron Sims, County Executive. 206.296.4040 exec.sims@kingcounty.gov

Farmers are a county-wide asset. We must keep our farmlands protected if we believe in the value of a local food source.

The Ag program is already in place and already advocates for the farmers. Let’s keep this valuable part of our county bureaucracy. The King County Ag Program brings farmers to the city, and protects the farmers. Please call soon and make your voice heard.

More about the King County Agriculture Program:

Many people are aware of the very visible marketing and market development work that the King County Agriculture Program undertakes. However, this is only one piece of the program. The Ag Program provides an extensive set of essential services for individual farmers and small groups of farmers to keep them on the land. These services represent the hidden costs of keeping agriculture in a metropolitan area and are difficult for city people to see because they happen in the rural areas. The Ag Program staff work on the challenges that farmers face trying to farm in a rapidly developing region so that the farmers, themselves, can continue to spend their time and money on production.

Farmer Support Services:

Address drainage (getting water off the fields), wetland expansion, mitigation projects, water supply (getting water on the land), road widening, development on neighboring lands
Promote and develop ag friendly land use policies, regulations, permits, tax incentives and code enforcement
Negotiate conflicts with ag on issues such as endangered species, beavers, wetland mitigation, water quality, flood safety standards, with local state and federal agencies.

Land and Resource Protection:

Farmland Preservation Program: Over the past 29 years, the FPP has purchased development rights on 13,200 acres of prime agriculture lands in King County. On an ongoing basis, the program procures funding to buy more development rights, and works to ensure that covenants are kept over time even as farming changes on the land.
FPP ensures we have land that is permanently available to farm.
Current Use Taxation: Helps farmers by reducing the taxes on the land being farmed for commercial purposes.

Successful agriculture in King County requires coordination with other regions and agencies. Staff work with neighboring counties, state and federal agencies to ensure farmers can continue to farm in the county.

Thank you for your support of local agriculture!

Flowing with the currents...

2008-10-17T12:28:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce the postponement of our Autumn Party. It was becoming very stressful to pull together a big, fun-filled party in such a short time. Also, as I was talking to people, I was hearing that many of the families I would most like to come already had plans for the evening. Since we are all about change for the good, Election night seems a fortuitous time for a party. We hope Barak Obama will truly be able to lead our Nation in a positive direction. In the meantime, each of us has tremendous power to enact change in our own communities. Where you buy your food, who you buy your food from, who you spend your time with, which businesses you patronize, these are simple everyday choices we all make, and they can all make a difference!
So come out on Election Night, bring the kids, celebrate the remaining vestiges of democracy, get to know new friends and small business people in our community.

When the going gets tough, the tough get...Together!

2008-10-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

Community is the focus for now. When it's difficult to escape the drumbeats of gloom and doom, we need to pull together and support one another. Think of the covered wagons crossing the vast unfamiliar prairie....at night forming in a tight circle for protection. Think of immigrant communities...living in tight communities, supporting one another.
It seems that a lot of current problems have been created by sending our business overseas rather then strengthening our own neighborhoods. Am I blaming free trade and the global economy for US economic problems? Sort of. I think purchasing coffee directly from our farmer/friend Arturo of Sol Colibri Coffee in Costa Rica is great, I think buying cheap plastic toys from China is not good for anyone.
Before this gets too political, I will say let's try to work with and support the folks in our Northwest communities. I am hoping lots of people come to Cultureyard on the 25th and take advantage of a networking opportunity as well as a chance to eat good food and spend quality time with family and friends.

Gratitude

2008-09-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

We give thanks to the many people who continually step up to help us with our business endeavor. While we work hard to shift gears and build a successful business, we constantly receive encouragement from the universe, telling us we must be on the right path. Frequently, during the past several months we have been stricken with terror and wondered "How the f#*# are we going to make it?!" And each time, we receive a sign and some saving grace. For example, our friend/neighbor tipped us off to a research study we might qualify for. We signed up and were guaranteed to be paid, as long as we showed up. So we went to this study about retirement planning, and 10 minutes into it, the researchers knew retirement was pretty far down the list of our current priorities, so they set us free, but said that one of the researchers was interested in our business and would be willing to give us some free business counsel. So we got some cash AND some great free business advice!
In the past week, we owe a huge thanks to Victoria for working on our website and tipping us to the research, Gari for doing photography, Amy for counsel, the nice folks at Fieldwork Seattle, Mea for asking for a cake, MaryDell for babysitting, Sarah for one more shift, Scary and Laura for babysitting, T.D. empire for employment, Jeff Miller for the pep talk, Otto GardenCare for employment, farmers for good food....That's just this week.

You can't judge a book.....

2008-09-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

A recurring theme this week seems to be that wise old adage, "You can't judge a book by its cover". Sometimes, I approach a table at my waitressing job, I hear a certain accent and I cringe, that nasty little voice in my head muttering things about food ignorance, bad tippers, BUT I ignore it, remember that everyone has their story, and try to learn what I can from this encounter.
In the food service industry, I am constantly amazed by the interesting people who work in restaurants. Lots of people work restaurants because they offer decent cash and fairly short hours. Off the top of my head, I can think of a school principal, a teacher, a film maker, a photographer, a former monk, an accountant, all working in one restaurant.
Then, today I was listening to talk radio and they were interviewing Washington farmers, and this one farmer was telling a familiar story about how farmer's sons left the farm, got college educations, then ended up coming back to work the farm. So out in the rural countryside, you have these scruffy looking guys driving dirty pick-up trucks, managing dusty fields with law degrees, or economic degrees, or anything else under the sun. Just another reason to get to know your friendly market farmer!
Then there is the uglier side of this, the "lipstick on a pig" side. Dylan occasionally works catering for a big fancy catering company. They have a beautiful web site, lots of bling, a fat marketing campaign. They were serving a party "Kobe beef sliders", but these were actually pre-formed, industrial beef from a large foodservice warehouse. YUCK! This campany promotes themselves as organic and local and all the buzz, but time and time again, they just buy inferior product from mass distributors. WHY? Because it's cheap and easy. When you're busy with lots of marketing and drumming up business to support your bling, not much money or time leftover for the food. SO The company with the snazziest website is not necessarily the company with the best food.

Stayin' Alive

2008-09-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

Time to shift gears. I have a great photo in the camera, but can't find the connector cable to upload it. Anyway, we're figuring out how GreenGo can pay its own bills through the winter without markets. Dylan is painting and landscaping and catering. Heidi is waitressing more and looking for a "fuller time" job. Cypress is begging to go to school.
August was a terrible financial month for us..Money sucking Pioneer Days, Rainy weather, Late tax payment, Lame sales at Lake Forest due to a "Wal Mart" style food vendor.
YAAAARGH! On one hand, it's tempting to say, "well, clearly people will pay to eat industrial food, let's just buy the cheap stuff and make a big profit." But then we would not be doing the rigt thing.
I guess we need to accept that we can not make a living selling really good food at Farmer's Markets. Tough to swallow, but That's the bottom line.
So, we'll wrap it up, consider it a good education and social experiment, move on to catering, pay our debt and work smarter towards our next venture.

The Right Festival

2008-09-02T11:24:00.001-07:00

We sure enjoyed the Blues for Food Fest this weekend. After the dismal loss at Lake City, we thought festivals would NOT be for us, but we did this one as it was a benefit for P-Patch, and we figured it would be our target demographic. Great music, great people, a fabulous setting at Magnuson Park's P-Patch. A lot of people worked very hard on this wonderful event for a great cause. Special thanks to Deb Rock and Cholo Willsin.

For Peas' Sake!

2008-09-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

This cool, wet August weather had one benefit to our victory garden....more Peas! Here in late August, we were still harvesting big fat sweet snap peas! Our cherry tomatoes are ripening, our sunflowers are opening beautifully, we've got lots of nice herbs, a few pumpkins getting fat and beginning to ripen. Our victory garden has been a great success, now we are making plans to begin potting up the things we want to keep, ripping out the rest, and spreading all that rich garden soil around to plant wretched grass for our landlord. How can anyone think that plastic wrapped "food" from who knows where in the grocery store is preferable to growing your own real food? Grumble grumble sigh.
Anyway, the preparations begin to move to our own little slice of the American dream. Don't know where or how or when, just gotta believe and be open and ready, and I know for certain, the only grassy "lawn" we'll be maintaining will be for our animals to graze.

Visiting Tonnemakers Farm

2008-08-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful visit to this organic small family farm in Royal City, WA. We've been buying Melons and other goodies from Tonnemakers, and when employed by a CSA program we used their produce. A beautiful oasis in the desert. Maxine runs the farmstand and she is such a warm WOW kind of lady! She gave us lots of delicious samples and a huge dose of inspiration.
Curt and Cole are brothers who run the farm, you'll see Curt regularly at Seattle Markets. We appreciate them taking time to chat with us. Nice guys who believe in what they are doing. They began working on the farm when it was their grandparents' homestead.
A couple goats, a couple horses, a bunch of chickens, lots of kittens all add to the mix of joyous characters. Wandering back into the fields to enjoy the plants and animals truly brings a sense of peace and hope.
It's about 140 miles south east of Seattle, close to great recreation at the Potholes Reservoir. Wildlife refuge, golf, camping, FARMS. A fabulous late summer getaway.
Thanks Tonnemakers Crew!

It's good to work for the King

2008-08-20T11:47:00.001-07:00

We have been fortunate to work for Tom Douglas restaurants for the past few years. We still work there when we have down times from GreenGo. There are lots of perks to this company, this weekend was the company party, dubbed "Beast Feast" at Tom And Jackie's farm in Prosser. They are very generous people and gracious hosts. We had lots of fun, Tom threw down a huge feast. We camped. The following morning, I reported to breakfast duty in the kitchen, and got to have some special time with Tom and Jackie. I got to cut cantaloupes while Tom whisked his delicious bacon gravy and Jackie whipped up fabulous biscuits. Unfortunately, I was tired and not yet caffeinated, so my conversation skills were not too sharp, but looking back, I am so lucky! I got to stand and cut cantaloupe beside restauranteur extrordinaire, James Beard award recipient, and Iron Chef Winner Tom Douglas, in his kitchen. 6 years ago, it was a big thrill just to see the man in public, or even, gasp, have him come into the restaurant I was working in! We are fortunate to be surrounded and supported by great people.
Thanks Tom and Jackie!

Goin' to the East-side

2008-08-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

East side of the state, the sunnier, hotter side. The smell of hot Pine trees is so intoxicating. We have been working the hardest EVER in our lives and a brief (48 hour) Sabbatical is necessary. We plan to visit at least 3 farms, a couple wineries, camp under the starry desert sky and step away from the monster.
We'll return to Columbia City rejuvenated by Wednesday. Living the further mucking dream!

Congratulations Lindsey and Pat!

2008-08-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

An AA-Ha Moment! August 9, our friends got married and we got to cook for the after-party. It was a super-fun backyard party. While preparing for the job, and working the party, we realized that THIS is what we are supposed to be doing. We've each done a gazillion catering jobs for various companies, but when it's your own food and set-up, it's so much better! We prepared the food with love and pride. A co-worker invited me to come cut beautiful flowers from his yard, which I did, and thoroughly enjoyed arranging them in several fun ways. There were really great guests who made us feel that warm fuzzy sense of community.
So now we have a better idea of direction....we need to stay in Washington because this is where we have connections and community. We need to do catering because we know how, we like it, and there's less risk since the food is already paid for. There's also so much room for fun and creativity and combining our many skills to make a profit.
So here is our prayer to the universe...A very small kitchen of our own where we can do small eat-in and take-out, along with catering prep. We would also like to use this kitchen as a community gathering place, think canning or pickling parties, kids cookie parties, jack-o-lantern carving parties. We also need a home where we can grow lots of food, including chickens and rabbits. Ideally very close to where we will work, or longer distance if easily commuted with transit and bike.
So congratulations Lindsey and Pat, Thanks for the best night of work ever, and helping us find our way!

Now that we found Love, what are we gonna do with i-i-i-t?

2008-08-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here we are, summer at the peak of productivity, our fledgeling business supporting itself, and the markets will end in about 10 weeks. We are spun in every direction trying to figure out what the next smart move should be. The biggest lesson we learned last weekend, was that a mobile kitchen for festivals would NOT be a smart move. Sooo.....
Do we get a storefront to do small-time take-out and catering while we practice small agriculture on a large suburban lot?
Do we go farm a friend's land in Washington wine country and do catering for wineries while we grow food for restaurants and ourselves?
Do we mothball GreenGo Food and go back to working "McJobs" while we figure out what to do in the spring?
I keep talking to friends and acquaintances who share our vision of a farm and sustainable food-based community, several people seem very enthusiastic and even motivated, but enthusiasm doesn't buy land or equipment or seeds.......
We're open to whatever guidance comes our way...

A Painfull Lesson

2008-08-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Lesson: Average Joe America does not care! Does not care about the atrocities of industrial agriculture, meat processing, environmental devastation, or the list goes on and on..... They just want to feed their faces with greasy, crappy food.
The Teacher: Lake City Pioneer Days. Yup, we were warned, but we thought, "It's our neighborhood, our community, we do well at Lake City Farmer's Market. Our friendly banker said it would be great. It's a calculated risk, which every entrepreneur must be willing to take."
The Loss: Somewhere around $1,000. (Health permit-$226, Stall Fee-$150, Babysitter all day-$120, Help-$45, Lots of our labor, and food)
This was a very sad wake-up call. Our great Farmer's Market Customers are apparently the exception rather than a norm. Even with all the mainstream "Green" drum-beating, people still aren't making any real changes. They wanted nasty industrial burgers from the trailer 3 stalls down. (Which we had no idea would be there, the chamber of commerce organizer did not have the decency to tell us, despite knowing the gamble we were taking and being familiar with our product) They wanted yucky smelling chicken and rice bowls with mass-produced MSG sauces from 5 gallon buckets.
We will shut down GreenGo Food before we will serve thoughtless, industrial, cheap food. It's wrong on so many levels. We are operating a values-driven business. Will we make it? We're not sure.

Plenty

2008-07-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

An action-packed week in GreenGo Land. We looked at our dream farm in Enumclaw, it is a sweet, huge 1902 farm house with a green house and perfect set-up for animals and a sustainable little farm. Also a perfect room adjacent to the green house for a kitchen. As of this moment, we can't swing it. BUT, we are building momentum...
Sunday, after market, we did a guest cooking demo. with Alisa Smith & J.B. Mackinnon, the authors of the book Plenty. We really enjoyed the book and the opportunity to spontaneously whip up some simple, local good food.
We are excited to be serving herbs and flowers from our garden in the markets this week! Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender, chives, Nasturtiums, mint, Bachelor Buttons, Dill....
COLUMBIA CITY and NFMA, we really, really, really appreciate you! This week again the peeps in Columbia City blew us away with super support! We really would not be making this fledgling business fly without you! To the hard-working market managers who Make the markets happen, thank you for being organized and promoting the markets. Thanks farmers and co-vendors for providing great food!

Weekly Rhythm of cheese

2008-07-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

Each market has some of my favorite cheese. Cheese is comfort for me. These are my precious treats that I savor all week long with seeded baguette and fresh goodies from the garden. Wednesday we look forward to chevre and spring cheese from Pt. Madison. Thurs. is so exciting because we get Seastack from our stall neighbors at Mt. Townsend. Thanks Cheese makers!
An ultra special thanks to Rick and Lora Lea of Quillisascut cheese andQuillisascut school of the Domestic Arts. (Farm School) We've had the good fortune of attending classes with them, hanging out with the goats and experiencing great shifts of perspective and awareness . I'd love to tell you about how your life will never be the same, but I'll just say You should go there. Go milk goats and make cheese, harvest dinner, learn to preserve produce like people have since the beginning, discover a new respect for ...Everything.

What keeps us going

2008-07-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

We have so many blessings...we are grateful for all of them. When we struggle, we need to remind ourselves that "Pain is weakness leaving the body"
Here are a few great things from the past week..
1.Rebekah Denn from the PI gave us a super shout out which we didn't even see until someone pointed it out to us! Thanks Rebekah!
2.Stevens Hospital has given us financial assistance for 2 ER visits which were big heavy bills looming over us! Thanks to the good folks at Stevens!
3.The great folks in Columbia City supported us in a huge way yesterday, and now we will make our rent! Thanks Columbia City!
4.Dylan's mom has saved strawberry plants for many years, and we have moved them several times and they are very hardy, great producers. Last night after the rain, I "had" to go harvest berries so they didn't get ruined. Our dog loves the rejects. Thanks MaryDell and old strawberry plants!

It ain't easy

2008-06-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

I've often wondered why any respectable culinary professional would buy food from "Big generic foodservice supplier x,y, or z". We have so many great local producers here in the Seattle area.
The answer I've realized, is simple....It's fast and easy.
We spend many hours hunting down the finest local goods from our small local farmers. During our Sunday market we take time from our stand to look around and see what looks good and affordable, and we brainstorm a sauce for the upcoming week. Then we go around and get 10 pounds of Zucchini from Bautista and line up 6 pounds of greens from Growing WA, some onions here, snap peas there. Then we order buns from 2 different bakeries, we buy cheddar cheese retail for our burgers because we insist that it be local and hormone-free....... In short, we seem to be lacking in efficiency, but we're working on it, and we're doing what we feel is the right thing. It feels really good to spread love around to lots of small people doing good work.
But then we see that lots of people don't care, they're happy to gobble nasty preserved, processed, factory farmed particle meat hot dogs from who knows where, and I wonder, "Is it worth it? or are we just deluding ourselves and making things harder than necessary?"

Let's talk business

2008-06-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here we are, summer's finally here, the markets are rocking, we're loving feeding the same great customers each week at the markets. We're always tweaking things and testing new things and getting great ideas from our market peeps. We're also getting serious about our growth to a "farmy" place where we grow the food we cook/serve at the markets.
This fall, we are striving to purchase a property for farming and a commercial kitchen, and a teaching event retreat/camp. We're talking to all sorts of people and hoping to make the right connections to make it happen. Ideally we would like to be within 2 hours or Seattle or Portland. 2-5 acres, agricultural and small commercial zoning. A modest livable house, a decent shop to convert to a kitchen.

Summer Time....

2008-06-21T20:38:00.001-07:00

Summer in the Northwest, how I love thee! Let me count the ways!

Solstice Time!

2008-06-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here we are, the "sunniest" time of the year. We're loving the long Northwest twilight, and hoping the sun's strong energy lights the path for us. Each year this is a bittersweet time, permeated with light and hope. But we also know that from here on out, we're losing precious minutes of daylight again. Sigh. Saturday will be our 4th annual Fremont Solstice Parade as a family. Hopefully our last Solstice as city dwellers.

Father's Day Fun

2008-06-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday, June 15 is Father's Day, and the super ensemble, VamoLa will be performing at the Lake Forest Park Farmer's Market! This is gonna be so awesome! I have seen VamoLa perform several times, most recently a kick-ass show at Folklife. They consist of an amazing drum line, and a few smoking hot ladies dancing sexy Samba in Carnival-style costumes. A day at the market, yummy local food, hot drum and dance. YEAH BABY! This is a dream come true!

More Gardens Please!

2008-05-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Here are the men-folk building a couple new beds. We asked our landlord if we could turn the front yard into a big garden.....he said he'd have to think about it, we haven't heard back. They're pretty specific about lawn mowing, edging, etc. So we're building a few raised beds in the front. We'll put our real pretty stuff like flowers and tomatoes out there. These should be inoffensive.
Sometimes it seems like people are becoming generally more aware and concerned about environmental issues. But then we encounter folks without the slightest awareness of waste or impact and feel like our baby steps are being undone constantly.
We'll just keep planting the Victory Garden and serving good food from good farms...

We love Lake Forest Park!

2008-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was the opener for LFP and it was fun! So far, this was our best market! I mean best overall experience. The people were very receptive, glad to see us, enjoyed our food. Not having to off-load our van and drag heavy equipment is a huge bonus! The health department finally came to inspect us; we nailed it, 100% Yeah baby!
No real direct competition for us here. We love our friends at Patty Pan, Growing WA, Anita's, but oh the joy of an unsaturated market!
We're thinking we will drop U-district and pick up Juanita Beach on Friday nights. Summer Sunsets on Lake Washington while serving good food to the people sounds great! Then, our Saturdays will be free for picking up private events, or having Family day at Carkeek park.

Columbia City Opener

2008-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

Our first day at Columbia City was great fun! This used to be our neighborhood, and this was the first Farmer's Market we ever shopped. It was here that I started my quesadillas in the park ritual, which led to being a market groupie, and led to... well...living the f***ing dream, baby!

What to serve?

2008-04-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Lots of lovely spring greens coming. But what's good for a hearty sauce for polenta cakes? Peas and asparagus would be nice, but they're still from California, and quite expensive organic. I guess maybe one more round of Caballero cake. A burger sounds good for Columbia City. hmmm Can we afford to sell an organic burger for $8, and will people buy it for that price? Let's try and see. Local, 100% grass-fed, certified Organic beef from Skagit River Ranch anyone?

Tender lettuces survive

2008-04-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our tender seedlings were just sprouting when last week's hail battered us. But simple fabric saved our new Nasturtiums, lettuce and cilantro. We are so excited to use edible flowers and herbs grown organically ourselves!

Snow, sleet, hail, fun at the market!

2008-04-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Our second market day was unseasonably cold for April, but we had more customers than the previous week. We were concerned for our new plantings in the garden.

Cypress gets to shop for foodservice supplies

2008-04-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

As we scramble to assemble the last necessary hotel pans and stock pots, I find myself (a petite woman) juggling my 3 year old, shopping lists, and a cart full of aluminum and stainless steel commercial equipment. My son Cypress is always a good trooper, he's always happy to contribute his picks to the cart......tongs, lots of tongs, many colored, every size, big funnels, small funnels, ice scoopers, pot lids...... It's proven a great exercise in patience and restraint.
I'm sorry to Wade at Rockridge Orchards who's always so patient, despite Cypress trying to double dip in the honey sample, then knocking the cup of sample sticks over. I guess he's just made himself too much "at home" at the Farmer's Markets.

Thoughtful sourcing

2008-04-05T12:46:00.000-07:00

We're facing some very big challenges and decisions as we try to source ethically and locally. Something as simple as buying a bag of dried beans takes several days as we try to figure out how to provide organic and still make a profit. We've been unable to find any local wholesaler who provides organic bulk beans. Organics from Idaho prove too expensive after outrageous shipping and handling. So we've found organic beans from California which are slightly more affordable.
Here in the Northwest, this seems like the bleakest time for local food. Spring is here, warm weather is near, but all we've got are greens, roots, and cold stored apples. So we look forward to summer when we estimate about 95% Washington grown produce!

Getting Closer...

2008-04-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

We are soo close to our first market day, and only 3 days and a wake up until we have our Monday feed. We are charged and ready to go, we just have to wait now. Sometimes the hardest part is waiting to GO.

Pushing for GreenGo

2008-02-23T21:05:00.000-08:00

Trying to start a business with good ethics. Fast Food with a conscience...Getting closer. Baby steps