We've had an amazing late Spring, that is up 'til now.  Not that the future is interminably bleaky, it just looks that way on the NOAA weather website.  We've all been out in the garden taking full advantage of the weather up until now and have gotten most of the garden under control in terms of weeds, seeding, transplanting, and of course, making it bigger and better than last year.  Jason put it a big new garden patch and filled it up (almost) with potatoes, with a long row of hot peppers on the side.
Michael has been getting in touch with our farming friends east of the Cascades and it's been confirmed; Summer will happen, fruit will ripen, we will bring it west to fill our fruit stand for the 13th year with amazing Washington sunshine packed inside drippy, sweet berries, stone fruit, melons, pears and apples.
I've just finished moving this website from SFC, where it was born and lived for the last 1+ year, to Weebly where, as far as I can tell, it will live forever more.  It looks different, isn't as sophisticated as before; you can't send in order forms, per se, for your poultry or meat or csa membership or winter subscription, but you can still get those things ordered from the site via our contact form.
Iris continues her gardening education, becoming an ever more adept weeder, plus planting seed and helping to transplant "little baby plants" in her spare time.  She also knows how to manage the operating end of her shovel and rake to help sift soil and scoop up weeding piles for the compost.
Jen's busy season is on with her day job teaching the masses about the importance of environmental awareness for the health of our bodies and our planet, and how to make better decisions about the products we choose to buy for cleaning our homes, taking care of our bodies and managing our yards and gardens for weeds and pests.
Whew!  What a busy household!
Today we're stewing chicken and kidney beans on the woodstove for dinner and staying inside.  Thank You Gaia for the showers!

Jeannine

Posted 5/17/2012 1:44am by jen.

Here I am, publically marking the timing of the first tinges of overwhelm as they sneakily creep in.  Always hoping to postpone it but being caught up in its tendrils in random moments.  A quiet shower to realize how far behind on marketing we are, as May’s operations quickly surpass winter’s planning. 

This winter was filled with planning as we created a farm business plan for our farm.  This labor of love has been so much work and clocking in at 20 pages is an impressive road map for the farm and life we are creating.  I will share more of the specifics in the introduciton pages soon as I figure out how to paste it in there!

 I love May –Love it!  Coat-less and peeking over the edge of summer’s green hill.  It is always a wild ride around here!  Careening down that hill while Cramming in as much fun as possible.  The real challenge is making everything fun – digging in the new garden beds, planting tiny seeds of hope and faith, grateful to May’s sun for creating watering chores, barbecuing last summer’s bounty, eating the last of 2011’s preserves, beach combing, hot afternoons in the cool forest, sand box castles, bicycle/tricycle rides and honestly, the list of play and chores goes on and on.  This is May. Turkeys in the brooder, pigs and lambs ripening in the field and on the verge of hundreds of peeping chicks.  Fresh and fanciful salads lighten us all up as surely as the promise of summer lends its energy.  The sunshine is the anecdote to overwhelm.

 Welcome to another glorious farming season!