MOTHER KNOWS BEST
Hello Chimacum Corner Community!
As the contemporary grunge band Blondshell puts it in their track “What’s Fair,” on the brand new album “If You Asked for a Picture”: “I know there’s nothing less perfect to a girl than a mom.” And so it is that we have arrived at that hallowed day when we honor and celebrate that most fundamental and core of relationships, between mother and child. We have some groovy gift ideas for ma all throughout the shop, whether they need a hanging basket for the porch, wine and chocolate for the pantry, fresh local tulip bouquets for the vase, or a bar of soap for the commode. The cheeriness of spring time and these glorious sunny clear days are a perfect occasion to take a break and create some memories with mom. After all, spending time with family is what it’s all about, right? Turnip thinks so.
LETTIN’ IT ALL HANG OUT
There is something nostalgic and reassuring about a hanging basket on the porch. Swaying gently in summer breezes, loaded with blooms, it’s a cheerful method to greet people on your porch. Fortunately for us in Chimacum, we have an ace operation with generations of experience creating hanging fuchsia baskets for our community. Egg and I Fuchsias is helmed by Doyle Yancey, but it is really a family affair, and we are proud of Westen, our fearless Produce Closer and Doyle’s stepson, for all the hard work he is putting into the greenhouse at Egg & I when he’s not loading up the front porch of the Corner with gorgeous produce. You have to see our selection of fuchsia varieties to believe it, and all varieties are grown from cuttings and pruned expertly over the course of the season. If you are interested in seeing the greenhouse and getting the full selection of fuchsias, stop by Egg & I Farm on Saturdays and Sundays, 9-5, while it is basket season. Load up your stoop with lantern-like blooms!
SMOKIN’ HERBS
Late spring is our peak moment for local herbs, when stem length is just right and growth is explosive. Our main three local herb providers are Chimalow Produce, Red Dog Farm, and Spring Rain Farm. The herb of the hour is definitely mint, of which Chimalow has a mega-abundance. Make some mojitos with mom featuring local mint this Sunday. If you’re cooking for mom as well, we have local oregano, thyme, sage, italian parsley, chives, and more, depending on weekly availability. Herbs are the subtle addition every dish/beverage needs. Get’em at the Corner!
TULIP MANIA
It has been a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes in the flower rack out front on the Produce Porch thus far this spring. Our chief local producer of tulips, Red Dog Farm, has not disappointed with a multitude of varieties all at a reasonable price point, given both the instability in the global flower market, and the often heinous up-charging that accompanies mom’s special day. We also have gorgeous bouquets from rising star Forest Elf Farm and long-time local legend Moonsnail Botanicals. Wouldn’t it be neat if Red Dog Farm revived the Semper Augustus tulip, known for being the most expensive bulb of the Dutch Tulip Bubble? The red flames on ivory petals would be very on brand. Spring bulb season is sweet and fleeting, so get mom the classic gift while still keeping it local!
MAD TEA PARTY
Move over, cardamom cake! The Corner Kitchen is rolling out their wonderfully delicious Hazelnut Orange Tea Cakes. They are a petite pound cake, small enough to take with you for a little treat anywhere. A luscious glaze and expertly slivered hazelnuts take this offering to the next level. This bright citrusy treat is a true spring delight. Scoop one up next time you are perusing the Pastry Case!
PINOTS AND PATIOS
For all the “cool moms” out there, it’s time to party, and for most cool moms, that means wine and chocolate. We couldn’t help but direct you to a few labels that would put the finishing touch on a Mother’s Day spread. For starters, there is the on-brand bottle label for Art & Science’s self-proclaimed “Radical Red Table Wine,” which is from Willamette and is a great sipper. Put a Beach Boys record on and add some glitter to the afternoon with “Pet Sounds,” a dainty Sparkling Rose from 2023 Pinot Noir grapes from Hollow Oak Acres in the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Finally, for a real neat glass, shout out to Puget Street Imports for bringing us a suite of natural wines from Miles Garrett Wines out of Humboldt County in CA. The Dragon Field Blend is a particular favorite, it’s got the funk! Garrett dry farms his grapes and also produces olives, practices cover cropping, and rotational grazing of the vineyard. Super low key, super high quality. On the chocolate side of the equation, a perennial staff favorite is the Cashew Butter and Vanilla Bean Dark Chocolate Bar from Hu Kitchen. We also have some great Alter Eco bars to try! Go cacao crazy with ma!
THINGS OF BEAUTY
If you want to treat your mom while supporting a “mama-owned” business, we have some quality deals on the Wild Carrot Herbals line in the lead-up to mom’s special day. Did you know that, though the company is now Oregon-based, the founder, Jody Berry, was a “Greener”? They run deep around these parts. Support your mom’s luscious locks with one of the “river series” of Wild Carrot’s shampoo bars. She will be impressed by the clarity of the “Mountain Cypress” body lotion, and her face will feel like a million bucks with some “love in a mist” facial toner.
And if you like to get your beauty products “From Here,” keep the mint train rolling from the kitchen to the powder room, with local mint-tinged beauty products like Nine Hills Farm Mojito Salt Scrub and Kodama Farm Peppermint Goat Milk Soap. These two farms are both hyperlocal, hyperintentional, grow nutrient-dense vegetables, and are comprised of very lovely humans (and critters, too!). Shop small and keep your money “in the family” so to speak this Mother’s Day.
Join WSU Extension Clallam/ Jefferson for their 3rd annual SPRING Fundraiser for the Olympic Peninsula Farm to Food Bank Fund! Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the most requested items at food banks and are essential to a well-balanced diet and improved health outcomes. Local peninsula farms are excellent suppliers for foodbanks as they can supply fresh, vibrant, and highly nutritious items. YOU can support these purchases through a donation to the Olympic Peninsula Farm to Food Bank Fund! All donations go to purchases of locally grown and raised veggies, fruits, and proteins. Fresh local food is distributed at food banks across Clallam and Jeferson counties. Along with supporting community health and food access, the Olympic Peninsula Farm to Food Bank Fund supports local agriculture, keeping dollars in our community and strengthening local food systems for all. Many local farms we buy crops from for our Produce Porch rely in part on contracts with the Farm to Food Bank Fund and other grant-based wholesaling to non-profit orgs, such as Stellar J Farm, Chimalow Produce, Space Twins Provisions, and more. In the spirit of spring, join WSU in supporting abundance in our communities!
Donations can be made here:
Olympic Peninsula Farm to Food Bank Fund | Clallam County | Washington State University
Need support with food access?
See the Clallam County Free Food list here: Clallam Free Food Resources - Google Docs
See the Jefferson County Free Food List here: Jefferson County Free Food Resource List- Google Doc
“It’s a season of change / and if you feel strange / it’s probably good.”—lyric from Arcade Fire’s newish single, “Year of the Snake”
