Small scale farming is full of challenges. Living in western Washington, weather is a huge one. With dark days, barrels of rain, and a fair amount of cold sprinkled with some snow and ice, one can’t produce year round without a vast amount of effort.
Read moreFall Has Forsaken Me
In a land and time far away, fall was my favorite season. Cooler weather, cozy clothes, the approaching holidays. Bryon and I opted to marry in October ten years ago, where burnt orange, home-grown pumpkins, and succulents in terra cotta featured prominently. We did most of the work ourselves in our backyard, and it was perfectly imperfect.
Then here we are today…
Read moreChicken Man
Back in the 90’s, I saw the Indigo Girls live several times. I knew and loved almost all of their songs, a glaring exception being one that they insisted on jamming out to for an extended version at every concert. I’m not sure exactly what it was about “Chicken Man” that rubbed me the wrong way. But fast forward a couple decades…
Read moreThe Quest for the Best Tomato
Maybe it started with visits to Vicksburg, where my Nana and I would gobble up tomatoes on Saltine’s and where I would drink her spaghetti sauce from a small mug, too impatient to wait for noodles. Flash forward a couple decades to my cramming far too many tomato plants into one raised bed...
Read moreTV Shows Sometimes Make Me Cry
We just finished watching an episode of Clarkson’s Farm from season 2. At one point, Bryon turned to me and asked if I was still congested from my taking-its-sweet-time-to-disappear cold. Yes, I am, but also, yes I did tear up over one particularly touching scene of a group of local farmers discussing how they can barely afford to farm.
Read moreAnother Year on the Farm
We moved to the Boistfort Valley in 2019, but 2022 marked our third full year on the farm, and perhaps our busiest to date.
Read moreThere Is a Season
This year fall held on as long as it could with warmish days and many plants eeking out every last possible fruit. I was able to pick tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant into late October, a first since we moved here. But now the rains have marched in and so has the cold, and as the calendar flipped to November, I realized we haven’t written in a while. We’ve had a lot going on, including changes here on the farm.
Read moreEating the Dream
So often farming is a crapshoot, a prayer, a plea for mercy. But sometimes the plan goes exactly as hoped. From the first time Bryon and I discussed the possibility of starting a small farm, I conjured up visions of dinners where we produced almost everything on the table.
Read moreStoring Summer’s Goodness
If you had observed me in the garden and row crop section over the last month or so, you might have dubbed me a stalker. I’ve been roaming the rows, peaking through leaves, examining fruit for growth and change in color, pruning lower branches and snipping excess flowers. Now my obsession has started to pay off, as we are finally(!) reaping the fruits of our labor.
Read moreThe Cycle of Life
Farm life is cyclical, filled with ups and downs. Some are planned, others take us by surprise. And some weeks are more of a roller coaster than others.
Read moreThe True Cost of Food
Certain topics are so important and wide-reaching that they make a writer feel like an ant staring up at a skyscraper. Which is why I have procrastinated on tackling the true cost of food.
Read moreCommunity Salad
I was over the proverbial moon to attend a recent cheese-making class followed by a decadent meal centered around cheese. Cheese is one of my favorite food groups, and Shona’s Food Company never disappoints. Plus, it was a chance to spend time with some lovely ladies. But what struck me most is how the experience embodied the sense of community.
Read moreFull Speed Ahead?
Living through only our third “spring” in Washington has convinced us that weather here is certifiably insane. Snow in mid April, followed by rain, more rain, some cold, and more rain throughout May. Pay no mind to my salivation and crazy eyes, I’m just chomping at the bit to nestle plants safely into the ground.
Read moreThe Hard Decisions
Let’s start with the obvious: farming is not easy. Sometimes the heartaches come from Mother Nature— weather or wildlife ruining a crop or killing an animal. But then there are times where we have to make difficult decisions of our own.
Read moreTo Market, To Market
While I didn’t grow up with farmers markets, I always appreciated their older cousin—the roadside produce stand.
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