Does Starbucks Deliver?

No flood waters on our property. Whew! Lots of standing rain water and we aren't able to make a Starbucks run to Stanwood. (Nor was Doug able to get out for work.) But we're good! We took this picture this morning from the living room window looking northwest. The picture below was taken from upstairs using a zoom. Also looking northwest. While it appears that the flood waters are up against the homes in the background, the water is in the nearby pastures and seems to be receding pretty quickly.

Since these pictures were taken, the sun has come out and our biggest worry is to get motivated to do something other than stare out the windows. Roads should be passable later this afternoon. We can then stop trying to figure out a way to get to Starbucks, i.e. hitch hike a ride on the Burlington Northern Truck that was seen driving up and down checking the railroad tracks, wondering whether or not a bicycle would get through flood waters easier than a car, or break out a VIA and call it good! (No, we don't have stock in Starbucks ... yet! LOL) Make it a great day and thank you for your thoughts and kind words. Not to worry, we and all of our livestock are a-okay. XXOO

Hare's to you!

This is Moby, a gift, and one of seven bunnies. He is very adaptable and didn't seem to mind one bit being posed for this Christmas card picture. And, yes, we did reward his good behavior with most excellent treats!

This picture was taken through the kitchen window. You can see all of the projects that we're working on ... or will be this spring! We didn't quite get six inches of snow, but it was close! Doug went to work one day when it was 12 degrees! BRRRRRR!!!! Those "...teen" temps revives renewed appreciation for those of you who live in Montana, or Calgary, AB! (Or any of the Northern Tier areas for that matter!) Break out the woolies and enjoy your day!

What Happens When the Earthworm Crosses the Road?

It makes a profile that looks like a twig or in some cases a branch. Interesting. It took a few winter storms for one of us to actually get out of the car and take a look at the "twigs." We don't have a lot of trees around us, so it was a mystery where the "twigs" were coming from. Not twigs ... Just for perspective, the coin ... seriously, is a quarter. So, what's amazing about the earthworm, is the shear numbers of them. The OTHER thing that is so amazing is that once in a while ... Grand Poppa goes on vacation.

This guy did NOT want his picture taken, and was very motivated to get away from the camera. It surprised me how fast he could move. Very camera shy!

This actually isn't the biggest earth worm that we have seen. Hopefully, this winter, we can get a picture of GREAT Grand Poppa ... (or GREAT Grand Momma? I can't tell.)

It's nice to know they're out there working away improving the soil in such huge numbers! It must be a family trait ... NONE of them would smile for the camera! Make it a great day!

So, What Will Happen to All Those Veggies?

So, what will happen to all those veggies, you ask? Well, shares will be sold through CSA (Community Supported Agrigulture) and our CSA customers will have the choice of having their certified organic vegetables delivered to them OR they may pick up their produce here on the farm.

However, we are adding another element ... a beautiful, well-built, take us serious, produce stand. We decided to add the produce stand so that more families will have access to high quality, healthy food at affordable prices.

Built by Brandon, Doug put skids under it and arranged to have a tow truck company come out and move it. Why didn't we build it on the site? Oh, because we thought we should move it away from the road in the winter, so people wouldn't expect it to be open. But then, it ended up being too heavy to be portable. So ...

Wa La! Isn't it cute? After all that hard work, it looks like this produce stand has been there for years! The idea is for it to be as self-servicing as possible. When we're open, people will be able to drive up, park in front of it, look in through the front opening. If they see something that they want, they can step inside, pack up their produce, weigh it, and pay for it all through an honor system.

We still have some more finish work to do on it, i.e. sealing it up, painting, laying flooring, decorating, etc. ... yay for winter!

We'll announce in the spring dates and hours of operation.

Oh, don't you just love it when dreams (goals) come true!

So much for taking a winter break! LOL

New for 2011 Season!

This picture was taken from our second floor. If you look toward the horizon on the far right (north) was our 2010 garden. The hoop house with the green peppers in it is still standing. The two brown areas to the left (south) of our 2010 garden are our expansion areas.

Center garden has about 300 bales of grass hay around it. The grass hay will be hand spread over our "trashings" (not real trash, just aged dead weeds, vegetable trimmings, etc. We don't call it compost because the "trash" isn't being regularly turned or held at required temperatures for three or more days.) and of course, alpaca manure. This will sit until spring, minimum of six months, if not more. Then, in the spring, weather dependent, it will be turned under and the area will be prepared for planting.

The far left (southern most) garden was spread with aged cow manure, and it also will sit undisturbed through the winter.

So, we have three 70x260 foot areas! Yay! What fun will that be????? And, you ask, what will happen with all those veggies? Wa La! Coming soon, to a farm near you ... a Produce Stand!

Make it a great day! And stay warm and cozy!

2010 Season Ends

Dear Diary:

October 16 - Frost

October 17 - Frost

October 19 - Assess Frost Damage

October 20 - End 2010 Season

Whoa! That was fast! All of our veggies were slowing down, and we were pretty well running out of our staples, carrots, green beans, etc. We were hoping to squeeze ONE more week of deliveries out of the garden. But the quality as well as the volume dropped off just as fast, and the frost put the BIG SKIDS on ALL of our crops, particularly our warm weather crops. As quickly as our spinach popped out of the ground, we were sure that there would be several harvests, we did have one small harvest. As for the corn, even though the silk was dry and brown, the kernels inside didn't form very well and therefore didn't ripen.

Our growing "pains" (snigger, pun intended) were weather related. For instance, we had our tomatoes covered, in a hoop house, with the ends open. (I in my ball cap, dreaming of beautiful, sweet, juicy tomatoes.) Then BAM! A couple of days of warm weather and high humidity was all it took for the wilt to set in. Within a few days the entire crop was infected. Yes, I did grab about 14 green tomatoes off the vines (what I could carry at one time) and put them in the greenhouse to ripen. They did ripen, and they didn't have much flavor, similar to cardboard. (And, yes, when I was a curious kid, I did chew on a corner of some cardboard. No flavor and salt wouldn't have helped it.)

We'll keep posting throughout the winter. We do have some exciting plans for next year that we want to share with you. i.e. garden area expansion, produce stand, etc.

(This picture is what we think may be a "hybrid" between a dog and a coyote. The picture was taken through our bathroom window a couple of weeks ago.) Happy trails! XXOO

Got Spinach?

This is just too cool! In the foreground is spinach and in the background (at the top of the raised bed) is a variety of choi. You would NOT have believed how quickly the seeds popped out of the ground ... it was within a few days of planting it! Now that's exciting! We're still waiting for several varieties of leaf lettuce, which was planted on the very same day, in another bed to show itself. May have to replant that.

The corn is trying to ripen. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. If we could just get a few really nice warm days, we MIGHT be in business! In the foreground, the zucchini, and other summer squashes are still producing. Slowly and steadily! (And, uh, yes, that is fog in the background. On the news yesterday the warning for Stanwood was "ZERO visibility due to fog.")

This year's harvest, despite all of the whining, netted approximately 2,000 lbs in a nice variety of vegetables! We've had years where we've had twice that ... but we are thankful for what we did harvest this year ... it has been tough on every farmer we've talked to.

So the season is winding down ... whether it winds down slowly and we are able to harvest corn, and the newly planted spinach and choi ... or it drops off fast ... we'll just have to wait and see what mom nature has in store. Which is half the fun of gardening, isn't it? Anyway, like I always say: "There's always next year!" And, THAT, my friends is another chapter! Make it a great day!