FARMBOAT NEWS BLOG

Recent studies claim that much of the fruit and vegetables sold today have far less nutrients than they did 50 years ago. Factory farming techniques focused on growth rate, appearance and size rather than nutrient density are blamed for the problem. Fast growing plants simply have less time to draw in nutrients from the soil according agricultural scientists. Continue reading →

Vegetable soup is an ageless tradition in virtually all tribes on earth. It was most certainly a standard fare in the galleys of the old paddle-wheeled steamboats that plied the rivers around the Puget Sound a century and a half ago. As the cargo from local farms varied throughout the season, so did the soup. Farm Boat Soup is about using what you have to create a melody of seasonal flavors. It’s really not the sort of thing you would find in a cookbook, but rather a philosophy–an expression of the moment. Farm Boat Soup can be thought of as a resourceful assembly of ingredients which embodies the pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading →

Come in out of the cold and rain and visit our floating market aboard the Virginia V at Lake Union Park!. We will be closed for Thanksgiving so stock up now!
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Seattle Mini-Ferry will be running a scheduled service from the Newton Street Landing (Terry Pettus Park) to the Farmboat Floating Market at Lake Union Park on Thursdays.
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Every Thursday from now until Dec 23rd (except for Thanksgiving Day) shoppers can enjoy the maritime ambiance and old world charm of a unique new market venue at south Lake Union. The first indoor floating market aboard the historic steamship Virginia V went off without a hitch Thursday, November 11th. Vendors set up their products on makeshift wooden crate tops and saw horses reminiscent of the early days when ships like the Virginia V delivered local farm goods to communities around Puget Sound. The cold Seattle rain could not deter the crowd of local shoppers who came by on a holiday stroll through Lake Union Park this Veteran’s day. 190 people were counted coming aboard the ship. Vendors displayed their offerings on the two interior decks of the old steamer while patrons wandered the decks and learned about local maritime heritage.
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We are heading into the dormant season for most local farm produce. When the ground freezes, it’s pretty much time to retire the mule to the barn and store the plow. With the exception of a few hearty slow growing plants like kale and chard, most of your nutritional local food will come from what was stored up for the dark winter months.
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It’s time once again for another floating market at Lake Union Park! This time, it is aboard an historic steamship. The Virginia V was originally built to transport farm produce from Vashon Island to the docks in Seattle and Tacoma. Continue reading →

According to the National Cancer Institute, not eating enough fruits and vegetables increases cancer risk. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Humans have been eating fruits and vegetables for millions of years. Our systems have evolved to depend on critical vitamins and nutrients delivered to our bodies through plant life. The symbiotic relationship that humans have had with plants through the millenniums has rapidly diminished in just a few decades–displaced by processed “filler” foods that provide an artificial means of pleasure and the illusion of fulfillment. Continue reading →

I was down at Fisherman’s Terminal the other day checking on our boats and I ran across a rather attractive young woman selling Albacore Tuna off a small commercial fishing boat named “Princess”. She explained that her and a girlfriend had caught the fish far off the Washington coast. Continue reading →

As I post this, It is hard to imagine that it is supposed to be a nice sunny day tomorrow like it has been for all our previous Floating Markets. But the weather report still hasn’t changed, it says tomorrow is going to be the only good day this week. So come on down for our last outdoor market for the season. (Don’t forget that we will be starting our indoor Winter Floating Market aboard the Virginia V on Thursdays starting November 11th). This will be your last chance to get some of the wonderful local fall crops you have been craving!
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