Announcements & Upcoming Farm Events
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Centennial Farm hours and closures:
Feb. 1-16: Open Monday-Friday, 1 - 4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Feb. 17: Closed
Feb. 18-29: Open Monday-Friday, 1 - 4 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
February Discovery Days:
Feb. 12: 9 a.m. - noon
*Hours and days are subject to change without notice. For up-to-date info, visit
ocfair.com/farm.
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OC Fair & Event Center February Events
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For a complete list of upcoming events at OC Fair & Event Center, visit
ocfair.com/events
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Virulent Newcastle Disease (VND)
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Due to the continued outbreak of Virulent Newcastle
Disease (VND) and the State Veterinarian-imposed
quarantine in specified areas, Centennial Farm will not
have chicks available for school tours until further notice.
For information and updates about Virulent Newcastle
Disease, please visit the California Department of Food
& Agriculture website:
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We would like to wish the following docents and staff a very happy birthday, and thank them for all they do here at the Farm!
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February
Bob P. 2/3
Norma Y. 2/8
Grant L. 2/11
Joshua M. 2/12
Tom D. 2/19
Pam W. 2/19
Adam W. 2/19
Kathe S. 2/21
Nancy T. 2/21
Jessica P. 2/22
Mohamed E. 2/24
Beverly P. 2/24
Rosemary R. 2/25
Madison W. 2/27
Bill H. 2/28
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March
Homa S. 3/1
Patti S. 3/2
Valerie S. 3/4
Dave L. 3/6
Flo V. 3/12
Lindsey K. 3/13
Joan W. 3/15
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To inquire about becoming a docent, please call the Centennial Farm office at (714) 708-1619 or email
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Volunteer at Centennial Farm!
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Help Us
Recruit
Centennial Farm is responsible for educating
more than 60,000 students each year on the importance agriculture plays in our daily lives. The 2019-2020 tour season is in full swing.
We hope that you will continue to spread the word about volunteer opportunities.
Special buttons, shown here, were created for Centennial Farm volunteers and staff to wear proudly!
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Remembering Buck Wall
Friends and family at Centennial Farm mourn the loss of one of our docents, Buck Wall, who passed on January 7th. Buck was a dedicated member of our Docent program for 17 years. Buck will be missed dearly, but it is important to remember the joy he brought to other volunteers, staff, countless children, and other visitors at Centennial Farm.
In honor of Buck, we wanted to share his information from when he was featured in a previous Farmhouse Fodder (July 2012).
A Celebration of Life for Buck will be held from 1-3 pm on Saturday, February 22nd, at the Wall Residence located at 9720 El Portal Cir, Fountain Valley, CA.
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Name:
Buck Wall
Years of Service at Centennial Farm:
17
Grew up in:
Chicago’s North Side and Western Suburb.
When I was a child
, I wanted to be a Grown-Up “when I grew up.”
I have three children.
Favorite Food:
My favorite food is hamburgers and baked beans.
Favorite Fair Food:
My favorite fair food is BBQ beef.
Before becoming a farmer, I
was lost, pining for lost jobs; designing conveyor systems.
My greatest accomplishment is
being the best dad my kids ever had.
The best advice I have ever received is:
“don’t smoke” and “start your own company.”
More than anything, I love to
take driving trips with Cheri.
My most life changing experience
was moving the family to California.
I wish I could
do it over again — what fun!
I hope
I see my kids happy and be with Cheri forever.
My favorite film is
“Somewhere in Time.”
If I wrote a book,
it would be called
Growing Up Buck and it would be about a boy from birth to age 16 (all fiction).
My fondest memory is
holding 2 girls and a boy for the first time.
My favorite place at the farm is
the whole farm! I have no favorite.
I am happiest when
I am sharing experiences with Cheri.
The most entertaining question I’ve heard while giving a tour is:
when asked “Where does the water come from?” a child answered “The toilet!”
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What do farmers use dogs for?
A. Herding
B. Companion Animal
C. Protection
D. Playmate
Check the next issue of the
Farmhouse Fodder
for the answer!
Last Week's Farm Smarts
Chickens have a varied diet and are considered omnivores. Their main diet consists of a mash made up of corn and other grains in addition to other vitamins and minerals the chickens need. They will also scratch the ground looking for insects, seeds, grains, and many other foods. However, chickens only have a beak and no teeth. What part of the stomach contains tiny rocks and helps to grind up the chicken's food?
Gizzard
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Visit
smile.amazon.com and set Centennial Farm Foundation as your charity. A percentage of your Amazon purchases will benefit the foundation!
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The Culinary Corner
with Pamela Wnuck, OC Fair's Culinary Arts Supervisor
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Hi Foodie Neighbors,
I’m
Pamela, and I’d like to thank you for reading the Culinary Corner. I have a passion for flavor, cooking with the seasons, baking and chocolate. Here you will find delicious
and healthy recipes that are mostly easy to prepare and definitely easy to eat. Cookies and chocolate included.
If you see me out in the world, please say hello and let me know what you think. The pleasure will be all mine.
To kick off the New Year, I attended a luncheon hosted by Melissa’s Produce. I had the honor of meeting best-selling author Patricia Greenberg, who is a nutritionist, chef and fitness expert. Patricia was debuting her latest book
Eat Well, Live Well, Age Well. From the physiology of aging to eating well to fitness, managing stress, and even guidance on making late stage arrangements, this book shows us how to age well while living our best lives.
Patricia Greenberg has 30 years of experience as a certified nutritionist, chef and wellness educator, and runs The Fitness Gourmet, a wellness consulting firm that teaches seminars nationwide. Some of Patricia’s accomplishments include completing 20 marathons and 115 half marathons, starting at the age of 35 and still going strong.
The luncheon menu showcased recipes that nourish and were sourced from Greenberg’s previous cookbooks and her website, in support of promoting her newest book that acts as a guide to thriving during your later years. This book isn’t just for those over the age of 50, though; younger readers can also apply this information while taking care of older generations.
Follow Patricia on Instagram and Facebook @TheFitnessGourmet
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About Melissa’s Produce
Melissa’s Produce is the leading U.S. variety distributor of specialty and organic fresh produce.
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FENNEL BULB
Fennel is a versatile vegetable that plays an important role in Italian, French and Southeast Asian cuisines. Fennel's aromatic taste is very reminiscent of licorice and anise. Fennel is often mistakenly referred to as anise in the marketplace. Bulbs can be braised, sautéed or steamed and are most often paired with seafood, especially scallops and salmon.
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The Fitness Gourmet’s Fennel Salad with Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
Serves 6
Dressing Ingredients:
10 ounces green peas, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh mint
6 leaves fresh basil, chopped
salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
In a food processor or blender, puree peas, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, mint, basil, salt and pepper. Chill.
Salad Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
4 scallions, white and tender green parts, chopped
2 cups shredded carrots
1 pound mixed salad greens, washed and dried
Directions:
Combine fennel, cucumber, scallions, carrots and greens. Pour dressing over and toss lightly. Serve immediately.
COOK’S NOTES:
- May be served as a side dish.
- Serve with pita bread or eat it as is.
- Makes a great leftover.
- Recipe can be doubled and tripled for a crowd.
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COSTA AZUL HOT SAUCE
My obsession is to kick up this fennel salad with a drizzle of Costa Azul sriracha. Costa Azul makes it into two out of three of my daily meals. I LOOOOVE the stuff. If you have never had it, you must give it a try.
Costa Azul is a hot sauce made from red jalapeños. The red jalapeño pepper is simply a green jalapeño that has been left on the vine to mature. During that ripening process the jalapeño changes color from green to red. The additional ripening means more capsaicin have had time to develop in the pepper itself; capsaicin is what gives hot peppers their spiciness. The green jalapeño has a fresh, crisp taste, while a red jalapeño is sweeter with slightly more heat. Red jalapeños are preferred in hot sauces. In fact, Sriracha Hot Sauce, one of the most famous hot sauces in the world, uses red jalapeños as its base ingredient. The difference with Costa Azul Hot Sauce is that it has a slightly sweeter taste and contains no vinegar like classic Sriracha.
Costa Azul Hot Sauce
can be found at
melissas.com
or you can order by calling Melissa's Mail Order Department at 1- 800-588-0151. Coming soon to a supermarket near you!
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MINI CUCUMBERS
Mini cucumbers have a thin skin which does not require peeling. They are available year-round out of California and are "burp-less" cucumbers that are practically seedless.
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PEELED GARLIC
As a member of the lily family and a cousin to leeks, chives, onions and shallots, garlic has long been considered an essential culinary ingredient. Crushing, chopping, pressing or pureeing releases more of garlic's essential oils and provides an intense, more pronounced flavor. Melissa’s peeled garlic is available in convenient four-packs to ensure complete freshness. Ready to chop or use whole, Melissa’s re-sealable package contains the equivalent of four bulbs of garlic.
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The Centennial Farm garden class series promotes agriculture education and offers topics ranging from growing vegetables in the winter to raising chickens.
Classes offered this month:
February 1, 10 a.m. - Composting 101
February 8, 10 a.m. - Back to Basics: How to make a simple Flower Arrangement
February 15, 10 a.m. - How to Graft
February 22, 10 a.m. - Seed Starting
February 29, 10 a.m. - Homegrown Tomatoes
To be put on the Farm & Garden class email list, please email
[email protected]
and let us know you'd like to be added.
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STAY CONNECTED WITH THE FARM
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