So...I eat all day long, and I think all day long too. I would like to decrease one of those to a little less time of the day spent doing it... for just a little bit, just a break, and I will give you a hint it is not eating. I need a break from thinking!
After having completed the book Coming Home to Eat, and while reading as well, I have thought even more about what I eat, it's relation to the land and the people that got it to me etc. I considered myself a conscious consumer and eater before the book and now it has given me even more to consider, which is great, I want to be the best I can be, yeah that sounds cheezy but I mean it.
I have know for awhile that we have a great onion farm just outside of town, and you know what I want to tell you that you can buy those very onions in your local Raley's. They are delicious, if you like onions, and it feels great to buy what you know came from only a few miles away.
You may have noticed that I have not said where they come from exactly because I always get Lovelock and Loyalton mixed up and I can't remember the brand name for the onions, even after a superficial google search I could not resolve the issue. Nevertheless, I have some onion info for you.
They are in season right now, as is garlic, YUM! So get it soon, cuz the season won't last forever.
General Information
The nutritional value of both onions and garlic is low. They contain some carbohydrates and potassium, but very
little vitamins. Most of the nutrition is in the leaves that are used as green onions or chives. Both are believed to
have positive health benefits by some cultures. The odor of garlic is an organic sulfur compound that has strong
antibacterial properties.
Geothermal dehydration plants are located in Nevada. They dry onions and garlic to
make flakes and powder.
NEVADA ONIONS (Allium cepa)
In 2001, Nevada had the single largest fresh-white onion farm in the nation. White onions thrive in Nevada
because of our dry climate. This results in less of a disease problem than in wetter states.
Nevada’s fresh onions are shipped internationally to Mexico and to Quebec Province in
Canada. In the United States, fresh onions go as far away as New York, Florida and Texas.
However, not many go the northeast because a lot of onions are grown there. To the right is an
onion just prior to harvest. Note that most of the onion is above ground.
White onions and red onions will grow about 1,300 of the 50-lbs. sacks (65,000 lbs. or 32.5
tons) per acre. Yellow onions will grow about 1,600 of the 50-lb. bags (80,000 lbs. or 40 tons)
per acre. Onions grown to be dehydrated produce less per acre because they are small, dry onions.
Early settlers and Native Americans used Nevada’s native wild onion. This onion has narrow leaves that grow in a
circle. They do not look like a cultivated onion plant.
This information and the photo came from this site http://www.nvaitc.org/onions.pdf
OK, never mind the photo would not save to the blog, you can imagine what it may look like though. Picture a bunch of golden onions basking in the sun in a large open field, blue skies...
I have spent some time studying herbalism and natural healing as well as the harvesting of native wild foods and actually have eaten a lot of wild onions that grow in the hillsides around town. I have been wanting to get out and do some harvesting soon as they are in season, but have been really busy, I know none of you in class can relate.
I will try to get out soon and bring some wild onions back to class to share.
For now if you haven't already you should check out the Great Basin Food Co-op website that is posted in a past blog, easy to find don't fret.
The Cafe and Diner "Brownies"
This is one of the 3 remaining original places of business that Yuma has to offer today. All the other oldies have been crowded out and out-competed by the big box stores and chain restaurants.
Local Folk, Local hang-out, for the more seasoned crowd that is.
This is Bobby Brooks owner of the great cafe and diner that we spent many hours drinking coffee and charming older gentlemen
Agriculture field, one of many
Yuma got it's start as an ag-town, now it is a subject of sprawl and risks losing a lot of fertile land to development.
You don't see decks like this anymore, and sadly you may not in Yuma for much longer either.
Wood deck, the picture really should be rotated to the right, that is how I like to see it anyway, so go ahead and give it the ol' head tilt.
Yuma sunset, time for the bar, I mean more field work
"The Spot", Historic downtown Yuma
We really did get a lot of field work done here, I will prove it to you later.
2 comments:
I got a bit lost about what to comment where, but this is great, and the images are spectacular. Although the cactus looks really really painful! I've enjoyed your blog entries; good ideas and some even better images. Sorry about the various misadventures you've experienced of late; there's nothing that makes all that easier, but if it's any consolation, such things do happen to all of us, unless we're so removed from family that we don't give a toss for what they're doing, and that's clearly not the case.
Went back to check and see what else you added to finish up -- it's been a nice run, and you've gotten some reasonably memorable stuff in here (esp. this last entry). It's good to see that developing. Don't give up!
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