According to the latest map published by the U.S. Drought Monitor, all of California is now experiencing “severe” to “exceptional” drought conditions (click on http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?CA to view the map).  Those of us who live, farm and eat in Placer and Nevada Counties can be somewhat thankful – we're only living through “extreme” drought – folks in the San Joaquin Valley, southern Bay Area and Central Coast are dealing with an “exceptional” drought.  Farmers in these regions will get little – if any – surface irrigation water; many will try to survive by pumping groundwater.

The local outlook, while serious, is not quite so bleak.  The irrigation districts that serve most of the farms in Placer and Nevada Counties (the Nevada Irrigation District and the Placer County Water Agency) have asked customers to voluntarily cut back on water use by 15 percent.  Both agencies have indicated that they will be monitoring water use during the course of the summer – if customers haven't reduced water usage voluntarily, the irrigation season may end early (sometime in September, most likely – rather than the normal end date of October 15).

So what does all of this mean for local farmers – and local eaters?  Those of us with grazing livestock have already felt the impact - we've sold animals or purchased hay.  Most small-scale vegetable and fruit growers will probably be able to get by during this growing season.  Late summer will be the critical period – if July and August are exceptionally warm, a voluntary 15 percent reduction will be difficult to achieve.  If non-farm users of irrigation water don't cut back on their water use, the 15 percent reduction will be difficult to achieve.  An early end to the irrigation season could impact the availability of fall and winter vegetables especially.  Since fruit trees generally set their fruiting buds during the summer prior to the next year's bloom, the impacts of this summer's drought may not be evident until next summer.  Severe drought stress could impact tree fruit production for several years – we'll have to wait and see.  Those of us who enjoy local food may notice higher prices for our favorite fruits and vegetables at the farmers' markets and at places like the BriarPatch and Newcastle Produce – due simply to the laws of supply and demand.

What can we do about the drought?  Worrying about the weather won't make it rain – believe me, I've tried it!  We can save water, however, whether we're farmers or not!  At Flying Mule Farm, we've installed equipment on one of our leased properties that will allow us to more carefully monitor soil moisture.  This will allow us to irrigate only when the plants need water.  The same principle applies to watering landscaping and vegetable gardens – we can all be more judicious in the way we use water outdoors.  Here are a few tips we recently compiled for an event at Bell Hill Elementary in Grass Valley:

In Your Home

• Use only a full dishwasher and clothes washer – don't wash partial loads.
• Don't let the water run when washing, brushing your teeth or shaving – turn it off and on as needed.
• Take showers instead of baths – a 10 minute shower with a low-flow showerhead uses half the water of a regular bath.
• If your shower takes a while to warm up, place buckets in the shower to use for watering plants. Do the same for the kitchen faucet.
• Test for a leaking toilet by adding food coloring to the tank (not the bowl).  Without flushing, note if any color appears in the bowl after 30 minutes.
• Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily – don't use water for garbage!  Dispose of tissues, insects and similar waste in the trash rather than the toilet.
• Save the water from steaming or boiling vegetables for house plants, vegetable broth for soup, or stir-fry liquid.
• Use the sink basin or a wash tub for hand-washing dishes instead of free-flowing tap water.

 

In Your Yard and Garden

• Apply mulch to your garden and flower beds.  A 3-4” layer of mulch can reduce watering needs by as much as 50 percent.  Grass clippings, dry leaves, pine needles, straw and shredded bark can be used as mulch.
• The best time to water your garden is in the late evening and early morning.  Lower temperatures and limited wind will reduce water evaporation rates.
• Install a drip irrigation system.  Drip irrigation is much more efficient than overhead watering with sprinklers.
• Control weeds!  Weeds compete with vegetable and landscaping plants for water.
• Consider drought resistant landscaping and vegetable plants.  Contact your local UCCE Master Gardener for tips on varieties.
• Determine the amount of fruits and vegetables your family will use – don't waste your production!
• Monitor soil moisture to determine when your plants need watering.
• Check pipes, irrigation lines, valves and sprinkler heads for leaks.

For many of us, eating locally is a matter of taking personal responsibility for our health and for our community.  As part of this responsibility, we should also educate ourselves about water use and farming.  Check out this interesting article from Mother Jones: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/02/wheres-californias-water-going.  I also encourage you to check out Farmer and Rancher Voices from the Drought on Facebook (www.facebook.com/voicesfromthedrought).  Farmers and ranchers from throughout California have been posting information about how this historic drought is affecting their operations.

Remember – every drop of water counts in a year like this!

 

Dan Macon and his family operate Flying Mule Farm, a commercial sheep ranch, near Auburn, California.  Dan is also a program representative for UC Cooperative Extension's Eat Local Placer and Nevada project.

Have you ever made tabouli with sugar snap peas before?

Our spring vegetable tabouli is packed with vegetables, including sugar snap peas, radishes, and fresh green onions. The zesty lemon and olive oil dressing really compliments these fresh flavors. It may not be the traditional tabouli recipe, but it really showcases the local spring produce popping up at farmers' markets and grocery stores in Placer and Nevada counties.

I think you will find it to be delicious variation on a classic recipe! Try it today!

Spring Vegetable Tabouli

1 cup bulgur wheat

¼ cup olive oil

Zest and juice of 1½ lemons

1¼ cup boiling water

1 cup sugar snap peas, chopped

1 cup radishes, thinly sliced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

½ cup mint leaves, sliced into ribbons

½ cup Italian parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. ground cumin

Salt and black pepper to taste

 

In a large pot, combine bulgur, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and a pinch of salt. Pour over boiling water, stir to combine, and cover tightly. Let sit while you prepare the vegetables. After about 20-30 minutes, check that the bulgur has absorbed all the liquid. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and toss gently. Add cumin, and salt and black pepper to taste. Serves 4 to 6.

*Serving Suggestion: serve Tabouli over fresh arugula or other spring salad greens. Use about 1 cup of greens per serving.

Nutritional Information:

Snap peas (Pisum sativum) originated in Southwestern Asia. Today, there are more than 1,000 varieties of peas (not all edible)! Did you know that fried peas were sold like popcorn in Roman theatres? Snap peas and snow peas can be eaten raw or cooked. They are often used in salad or stir-fry or as an appetizer. One serving of raw sugar snap peas (1 cup, chopped) contains just 41 calories and supplies the following percentages of the USDA Daily Values:

o 3g of protein

o 98% of Vitamin C

o 21% of Vitamin A

o 11% of iron

I have finally gotten to the bottom of something that has been eating at me for a long time. Why don't more people like radishes? Let's face it, they're just not in the popular crowd and now I know why. Here goes: it's in the name. The vegetable is called rad-ish. Not rad (i.e., cool, desirable), but rad-ish (i.e., maybe cool? Kinda cool? Is somebody gonna vouch for that guy?).

My mission is to get you to see the attractiveness of this shy, introverted root. If the radish will not self promote, than I guess I will have to do it.

The first thing that you have to realize is how versatile the radish can be. It can be sliced, grated, chopped, quartered, and merely chomped. Radishes provide a zippy addition to a variety of dishes including salads, ‘slaws, kimchi, and appetizers, and they can even be used as garnishes and condiments. A popular Asian condiment is grated daikon radish, which is said to help aid digestion. Here's a radish recipe I LOVE!

Lightly Sautéed Radishes and Leeks Ingredients: 1 bunch radishes, 3 medium leeks, cleaned well and chopped ½ bunch green onions, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Tbsp. butter ½ cup chicken broth 2 tsp. lemon juice Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet until butter melts. Sautee green onions and radishes until onions are tender and radishes are crisp tender (about 5 minutes). In a small saucepan, cook leeks in chicken broth and lemon juice until tender (most of the broth will be absorbed). Add radishes and green onions to the pan and stir to meld flavors. Add salt and black pepper to taste and serve warm!

The spring is a wonderful time to visit the farmers market. After a winter menu of hearty greens, storage potatoes, and winter squash, the tender shoots and leaves of the spring farm are a welcome sight! One of the interesting crops that you can find at the market this time of year is garlic. It is not the papery husked, mature storage garlic that you will find but rather this same plant in its immature stages. You will find spring garlic available in two forms: as an entire plant sold as “green garlic” and the flower stalks of hardneck garlic, called “garlic scapes.” Both of these green, tender garlic options lend a bright flavor and zest to spring cooking.

Garlic, Allium sativum, a native central Asia, comes in two distinct types: hardneck and softneck. As its name implies, hardneck garlic has a tough, central flower stalk that emerges in the springtime. To ensure that all of the plant's resources stay in the underground garlic cloves, farmers harvest these flower stalks, also known as scapes. They are tender, juicy and full of a mildly sweet garlic flavor. Often mistaken for green beans, the slender scapes curl as they grown and can loop into a complete circle. They can be sauteed in butter, thrown on the grill with a little olive oil and salt, or, a favorite of mine, used to make a springtime pesto!

The entire plant of both hardneck and softneck garlic can be harvested in the spring. The immature plant will look similar to a leek or large green onion. The bulb may be starting to swell as the cloves within begin to store carbohydrates but the individual garlic cloves will not yet have segmented. The entire plant, from top to bottom, can be used.   Try them as a pizza topping, diced and sauteed, or as a delicious addition to a breakfast scramble.

After the springtime flush of green garlic and garlic scapes, storage garlic heads and cloves will be available in late summer. The plant must fully mature and begin to die before it is harvested, usually by the middle of July. Storage garlic is then cured- it is left to dry in a well-ventilated, dark location. A properly cured head of garlic will keep all through the winter, just long enough to flavor your dishes as you await the arrival of spring garlic!