Farmstock celebrates farm and food

On the warm Labor Day weekend, Fred Johnson opened his Naselle farm for a celebration of farming, good food and music called Farmstock, as a fundraiser for KMUN Coast Radio.

Farmstock brought together regional farmers, musicians and those seeking to learn about farming. Experts offered talks on poultry farming, seed saving and living an off-the-grid lifestyle.

When Teed Prestegard of Cathlamet heard about Farmstock, he said, “I thought it was going to be like Woodstock. I know I wasn’t the only one who thought that.”

JoAnn Prestegard said, “I think everyone kept their clothes on.”

The couple came to listen to son Ray Prestegard perform and bought some of the plastic “earth box” planters that they’ve used for tomatoes for the past five years.

About 300 people visited over the two-day event, which culminated in a farm-to- table dinner Johnson prepared for 100 people.

The lack of fresh produce available to him as a chef working on Vashon Island led Johnson to buy a 70-acre farm in Naselle in 2003. Since then he’s been learning “how to grow” things and thinking about how to redesign the food system to get good food from growers, through processors and marketers to the consumer.

Johnson spoke to Tom Hartland, KMUN’s director of development in March and plans for the event began. Johnson sold food, but other proceeds went to the radio station.

Farmers and foodies set up tables in the shade of trees, selling home-made butter and showing various lavender products.

Brooke Duling brought kale and chard pesto from her Love Warrior Garden in Svensen, Ore.

Carol Carver and George Exum of Island’s End Farm on Puget Island brought produce and camped out. Carver lectured on year round gardening; Exum demonstrated how to make fruit wine and gave samples.

People listened to musicians including Kim Angeles and Josef Gualt, Anitize, Niall Carroll and Ray Prestegard and drank Fort George beer sitting in the sun.

Visitors wandered in the garden with rows of alligator kale and lettuce, others considered the rows of tomatoes in the hoop house.

Johnson has six heirloom varieties growing, so he can determine those that do well and those that customers prefer. He stayed busy cooking pizza and tempura Saturday.

On Sunday 100 people sat down to a meal of salmon—“perfectly cooked”--according to Carver, and braised green beans (flavored with garlic and peppers) with “flames going everywhere,” Exum said.

The meal included lemonade flavored with hibiscus, lavender or rosemary. A corn pudding (not dessert) had both Carver and Exum ecstatic.

Carver said, “Every single morsel was delicious.”

Johnson said his goal was for people to get together to think and enjoy each other’s company. Hartland hopes to draw even bigger name entertainment and more people next year.