There has been a lot of news surrounding the honey bees and butterflies in the agricultural world. Large multi-national companies are spending/investing big dollars into research to figure out why these two insects, primarily honey bees, are dying in droves. Honey bees are best known for their honey, but their pollination services are the most […]
Every crop needs a few necessities to get off to a good start. Soil: it holds the nutrients like Phosphorus, Manganese, Magnesium, Nitrogen, Boron, Calcium, etc. Soil critters: microbes, fungi, earth worms, beetles, spiders, bees and other creeping, sliming and crawling critter that digest decaying matter or breakdown minerals so the plant can utilize the […]
Cows are happiest when they are knee deep in the green grass. Here’s a video update of the Klesick Family Farm cows in April, 2014.
When it comes to greenhouses, I am a newcomer. For years, I have eschewed the technology, but after a spring like this, “I am a believer!” We have taken a beating from the weather this spring and our planting windows have shrunk considerably. I know I have a relatively short memory (comes with age), but […]
I have been thinking about the act of giving. Giving is an opportunity to participate in making some thing, some place or some one’s circumstances better than could be accomplished by itself. Giving requires sacrifice, a lot or a little, but you have to be willing to deny yourself something in order to give. This […]
This week, it looks like we are going to have a decent stretch of good weather and every farmer is going to be hard at it working the ground. As much I try every year to get ahead of or prepare for the farm season, I never feel that I am quite ready for it […]
My family is from the Oso community. My cousins have been among the many volunteers on the ground doing an amazing work. Being “locals,” their understanding of the area has been absolutely critical to the relief efforts. Their knowledge of the location and usability of back roads, the location of heavy equipment and where to […]
I often quote to myself (and to others) that simple prayer by Francis of Assisi, “Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” As the farm season starts to unfold, there are bound to be […]
I often quote to myself and to others that simple prayer by Francis of Assisi, God, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. In light of the recent mudslide tragedy in Oso, we are remembering those […]
The time has come. All winter long I wander around doing this and doing that almost aimlessly, but not quite. During the winter, our family tends to rest and recuperate from the previous farm season. (We even went to Disneyland for the first time in 23 years, which was not restful, but it was fun.) […]
In a far away land, there lived a fisherman who fished and fished and fished. The salmon he caught were sold at the marketplace. He was an early rising and hard working fisherman who had learned the habits of the fish. He understood their cycles and seasons, like when they would return to spawn. He […]
We’ve renewed our Salmon-Safe Certification! This means that Klesick is: Maintaining a buffer of trees and vegetation along the stream banks Controlling erosion by cover cropping bare soil Improving the passage for migrating fish Applying natural methods to control weeds and farm pests Using efficient and non-wasteful irrigation practices Protecting wetlands, woodlands, and other natural […]
What’s the rub when it comes to GMO free and organic? Understanding where the organic and GMO free movements connect and do not connect can create some friction or rub some people the wrong way. I would like to tackle the organic, GMO free definitions. This opinion is my own, shaped by 20 years in […]
