The Great Falls Farmers Market will focus on good hunting practices over the next two weeks, culminating in a presentation of the health benefits of venison, with a cook off and tasting on Saturday, April 25.
Great Falls is just coming out of a colder than usual winter, with lower temperatures for longer, and more snow than expected, which discouraged many people from going outdoors altogether – (unless to spend more time at the ski slopes). Recognizing that California, the origin of one-third of the vegetables and two-thirds of the fruits and nuts of our nation, is experiencing their most severe drought in thousands of years, with less than one year of water supply available for its entire population and agriculture, it is good to take a look at our local situation for clues about how to effectively “steward” our resources so as to provision for our community’s nutritional well-being over a longer-term, multi-year horizon.
A LOOK BACK – PRE-1900’s: Back in 1987, members of The Great Falls Historical Society researched culinary styles (what people ate) and how food was prepared, gathering customs, practices, and recipes that all dated pre-1900. (The resulting book, “How to Cure a Thousand Pounds of Ham and Other Receipts” (GFHS, 1987) is available for purchase at the GFHS tent at the farmers market.) Local residents managed their food supply at a time when there was no gas or electric for stoves, refrigeration, or lighting, and no mechanical means of transportation - just horses and horse-drawn carriages. In the absence of grocery stores, here is how they managed their supply of food…
*The Main Dish -- Great Falls residents obtained their main dish by hunting right outside the kitchen door: Wild game - whether deer, rabbit, squirrel, duck, pheasant, foul, wild turkey, snowbirds, squabs, partridges, rabbit, hares, or muskrat -was readily available for the taking – only some hunting skills were needed. The main challenge was to clean and preserve the game immediately upon taking. Farmers could also look to pigs, cows and chicken as sources of sustenance. Locals also enjoyed fishing, whether in the river, or nearby ocean. Recipes can be found for shad, salmon pie, rockfish, oyster, and halibut.
*Soups -- The local school lunch was a bowl of soup. The recipe book stresses the importance of working from some good animal bones as the base of the soup broth. Nothing was wasted. Recipes include a Victoria soup made of knuckle of veal, onion, barley, carrot, and milk; a Vegetable soup that includes lemon, 6 ear corn, tomatoes, beans, Irish potatoes, herbs, salt, and two pounds of either fresh beef, chicken or a ham bone; Gumbo soup, made of fried chicken, onion, okra, and parsley; or Brunswick Stew made of two squirrels, parsley, potatoes, tomatoes, corn on cob, and lima beans.
STEWARDSHIP: The difference between a hunter and a farmer is that the hunter gets to know the animal through the pursuit – their habitat, rutting behavior, vegetation, what they eat, where they hide, etc. -- whereas the farmer gets to know the personality of the animal through its care and daily feeding. Nevertheless, there are stewardship issues: Wildlife Management issues a permit to the hunter, informing the hunter of which part of a herd they are permitted to take out – bucks or does, how many, which time of the year. The Farmer feeds and tends the animal over its lifespan and develops a fond connection to the animal, but then must make the call of when to take the animal so as to ensure it is at the prime of its life, before old age and disease sets in. The farmer makes these difficult decisions, keeping the wellbeing of the entire farm in perspective. If you would like to discuss this further, Craig Hagaman of High View Farm, a farmers-market vendor, is expert at both animal husbandry and hunting and would love to discuss this with you.
What do we need to do to sustain the beautiful nature around us? What can we do to avoid the drought conditions experienced in the western states? We need to protect our tree cover, secure the understory of our forests to ensure that the forest will regenerate itself. We need our wildlife to thrive. However, we must also take steps to keep all aspects of our natural habitat in balance. Can we grow vegetables and fruits, and still provide the foliage that our wildlife need to thrive during the winter months? Can we cull the overpopulated deer herd without overdoing it - exceeding the limits of good balance? Can we manage our septic systems in ways that nourish the earth? Can we limit our fertilizers and pesticides, making our town a haven for the honeybee and butterfly?
We share an environment that is lovely, thriving, and has the potential to feed our community sustainably over the long term, provided that we manage our environment sustainably: use effective wildlife management, soil and water runoff management, septic testing and well-water quality management practices as well as by avoiding the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
It would be great if everyone in Great Falls had a small vegetable garden, some fruit trees, and knowledge of fermentation, preserving and pickling techniques, etc. Let’s work on extending this summer and autumn harvest well into winter, so that the next time you feel that it is too cold to go outside, you feel that everything you need is stored well for the winter.
The Great Falls Farmers Market will focus on good hunting practices over the next two weeks, culminating in a presentation of the health benefits of venison, with a cook off and tasting on Saturday, April 25. The event is free of charge and everyone is invited to attend.