The Cable Community Farm is delighted to announce the 2017 Vegetable of the Year…PEAS! Uniting the community around growing a single vegetable is one way to boost community health because it encourages people to share growing tips, recipes, and enthusiasm about growing food. Ultimately, encouraging people to grow some of their own food leads to a more resilient and inclusive food system.
Peas are nutritious, versatile, and easy to grow in our northern climate. Green peas also stand out as an environmentally friendly vegetable because they belong to a category of crops that “fix” nitrogen from the air and convert it to a usable form of nitrogen in the soil, reducing the need to add fertilizer. Peas are extremely low in fat, high in nutrients and fiber, loaded with antioxidants, and delicious. In addition, “pea shoots”, which are the tiny plants that will eventually become the vines, can be eaten in their immature form and are often used in upscale restaurants in salads and sandwiches.
The Cable Community Farm is grateful for the support of the Local Business Heroes, who provided the financial resources for the Vegetable of the Year campaign. This year’s sponsors include Northern Native Plantscapes, Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, S. Qualey Studio, Brick House Café, King Realty, Rondeau’s Shopping Center, Cable Natural History Museum, Northland Lawn Sport and Equipment, Redbery Books, and Cable Chiropractic Clinic. All of these businesses are committed to promoting healthy eating and local food production in our community.
As part of the Vegetable of the Year campaign, the Cable Community Farm will be distributing packets of pea seeds, along with planting, harvesting, and preparing instructions, throughout the community. Free packets of seed will be available at local businesses and will be given to all of the elementary students at the Drummond Area School District.
As she has each year, Mimi Crandall, a local artist who is part of the Leadership Team at the Cable Community Farm, created a beautiful watercolor rendition of “English Peas” to be used in the promotional material for the campaign.
We are pleased to announce our series of mini-workshops for 2016: Backyard Farming! Each mini-workshop will feature a “community expert” sharing information that you can use in your own backyard and will incorporate hands-on activities to help you learn how to use your new skills. The series is appropriate for all ages and experience levels and will be offered free of charge. Refreshments provided.
