This is the best tasting crop, and it only lasts for only a few weeks! And we got them earlier than ever to boot! That incredible stretch in March is paying dividends now.   For some reason, I remember picking peas on June 11th in 1999 when our farm was located in Machias. That is the earliest we have ever harvested this […]

Soil is critical to human health! Healthy food comes from healthy soils, and a healthy citizenry comes from healthy food. That means the health of our citizens is tied directly back to the health of our soil.  And sadly, one doesn’t have to look very far from the farm to see that there is a burgeoning population of […]

This is the hardest time of the year for me as a farmer. We are primarily vegetable farmers but also grow some fruit and hay. Vegetables are incredibly slow growing in the spring, and then all of the sudden – BAM! A little heat and little water with increasing day length equals growth. This time […]

We are getting so close to the local season exploding! The next few months are going to roll in like morning fog, and then heat up like hot summer day. The rain last week has hydrated the crops and added moisture to the fields. The moisture is especially helpful this time of year for 2 […]

When I think about small things, I am thinking about the little decisions that can elevate a conversation to optimism or an argument. Or on the farm, getting ahead of the weather by a day or two can also have lasting impacts on the crops. Last week, we saw temperatures climb from the low 60s […]

When your world revolves around the farming calendar, some memories are forever with you. It was 1994 and I had begun my career in the produce business. That was a long time ago! During these early years, before Joelle and I started Klesick Farms, I worked in specialty produce in Portland Oregon. It was here that I met […]

Inevitably, we end up planting our 1st, 2nd, and possibly 3rd rotation of lettuce transplants all at once. This not a big deal, it just tends to stack up a lot of lettuce at one time. Thankfully, lettuce mostly matures at the same time. “Mostly” being the operative word.  All crops have a range of […]

Fitting in work here and there, we have been waiting. After such a great start to March, April showers have certainly put a damper on field work. It’s alright though, the fields were looking and feeling a little too dry for the start of the farm season. So, in many ways, I am grateful for the early […]

It is officially farm season. Normally our first crop of every season is chives. This year we had garlic greens and kale from our farm earlier than chives, but for me and my “biological farming” clock, harvesting chives is when I think farming has begun. This culinary delight has been gracing tables for 5000 years. […]

I am always in awe. We planted Super Sugar snap pea seeds two weeks ago and last Saturday, they emerged. The miracle reminds of a children’s book that we read to our kids. The book was called “Look What God Made.” Every page was filled with a natural wonder and the toddler exclaimed, “look what God made!” That deep […]

That’s it, but it sure feels like more. It is more…productive hours. Our bodies adjust to the extra energy coming from the increased day length and we get more done. Or different things done, anyway. Now is the time to banish social media, cable, and electronics, and embrace Spring. There is so much to do […]

This kind of weather really messes with the farming community. Fortunately, we had a plan to start the season, so we are able to take advantage of the heat wave. I will confess that I have an uneasy feeling about the Spring, I’m not sure if it is going to stay hot from here on […]

It is really hard to believe that our family has been serving our local community with organic goodness for that long. One crop of garlic leads to another and before you know it 21 years have snuck right up on us. Joelle and I have had the privilege of serving many of you for 2 decades. Some […]

The organic food movement is in transition again. It is always a challenge to stay current in a constantly changing environment. So many new fads, trends, and research reports. How does one settle in and choose a course? What we eat affects so much of our lives, and if the current health trendline continues, Americans are still choosing the […]

Winter is still hanging on in this part of the world, but for some crazy reason the lawn is “asking” to be mowed. Mowing the lawn is a sure sign that spring is on the way. Now all we have to do is determine if it is going to be a wet one, dry one, or a […]

We mostly grow crops outside of a greenhouse! Our greenhouses are more akin to propagation houses, especially this time of year. The first week of March is when we sow our first lettuce plants. We typically use what are called 128’s. 128 is an abbreviation for transplant trays that have 128 cells in a 10”x20” […]

I honestly can’t remember the exact date we had a snow storm that disabled the PNW. I do remember as a kid walking on Lake Stickney in the late 70’s. Even the Snohomish River froze over that year! But that was a snowy cold snap that lasted for days. This recent one was mostly cold, […]