I’m a first-generation farmer but have been at the game for 2+ decades, and I am still learning new things. Thanks to changes in climate, we are now able to grow a greater variety of warmer weather crops, but it has also allowed a new variety of pests to move further north. We have four major pests that I pay attention to. And, no, slugs are not one of […]
This past week we planted more lettuces, cucumbers, zucchini, onions and lots of pumpkins and winter squash, and 1000 +/- tomatoes plants in the field and in the greenhouse. So to date, we have garlic, onions, radishes, cabbages, broccoli, kohlrabi, beets, beans, peas, cucumbers, winter and summer squash, and tomatoes all planted. And we are […]
In a bygone era, when a community was just beginning to form, the fabric of society was more intertwined by rivers, forests, and land and natural resources were the bedrock of a community. We are blessed to have the Skagit, Stillaguamish and Snohomish watersheds that tie us together. We live in a farmhouse that was […]
We planted beans a few weeks back when the weather was unseasonably warm. I knew it was early and slightly risky. The reason it was risky is because we usually plant our first planting of beans in mid to late May when it’s predictably warmer and then every few weeks after that. But I could hardly wait with that […]
Early on in my farming adventure, or should I say career change with a huge learning curve, I learned that plants need a job. Nothing I have ever attempted has been as hard as farming. Even the simplest task of transplanting a little lettuce or cabbage start can go sideways. Is the ground temperature warm […]
Tristan and I are grateful to get to live and work at such a beautiful place. 18 years ago we were looking for a place that we could live, farm, and run the business. Farm ground was the first priority because that’s the one thing that can’t really be changed or remodeled. When we stumbled […]
Last week I mused that farming starts when we begin to rototill our fields. Of course, there is way more going on before any dirt is rototilled. Sometimes farming happens the season before like garlic or berries or pruning. Farming is a catch all term. What does it mean to farm? Is planning farming??? Is […]
Our team is finally “farming”! We have been out in the field, greenhouses, and in the barn preparing starts. But to me I think farming really starts with the first time a rototiller gets hooked up and turns the earth. That happened last week. The first passes with the rototiller are shallow and designed to incorporate the […]
We have been delivering produce for 23 years, 52 weeks a year. I am not sure what sounds more impressive that we have been serving local families since 1998, or for the last 23 years or 276 months or 1200 weeks! But, WOW, it’s fun to look back and reminisce. When Joelle and I started […]
Spring is always welcomed and so is its mix of rain, sunshine, cloudy and warm and frosty moments. This time of year, and in years gone by, you had to keep jumper cables nearby! Inevitably you would leave the house when it is dark and arrive at work when it is light and forget to […]
Last week I shared about why and how we transplant. I grimaced when I shared how an overly warm spring day could wipe out weeks of work by cooking small transplants and or how a slug can eat their way through hundreds of transplants in an evening. You can read it on our blog if […]
What’s happening might be tied to increasing day length, or how the birds are starting to gather in bigger flocks before they migrate elsewhere. It could be the color of the grass and how it’s starting to grow. It is probably all of the above. But I can hardly wait to get out and work […]
It doesn’t appear to matter much who is in control of the White House or Congress when it comes to the USDA Secretary. Back for round 2 is Tom Vislack who served under the Obama administration and is every bit the underling for the Genetically Modified (GMO) or Genetically Engineered (GE) community. One would somewhat […]
There is so much great citrus available right now! The grapefruit from Texas Reds to Melo Gold to Pomelo’s are crazy good. And the tangerine world is similar with Tangelos, Clementine’s and Blood oranges. Every season is unique and during this season it is Citrus’s time to shine! On the farm, John and I are busy finishing […]
Each day there’s a new opportunity to pursue healthy choices! But what is a healthy choice? That’s not an easy, one size fits all, answer! When we’re presented with a choice that affects the health of our body, mind, spirit, or environment, and we choose the greater good, we’re making a healthy choice! I love […]
Whenever, I say, “It is Kale time” I immediately follow up with “It’s signing time with Alex and Leah”. Fairly random, but when our children were younger, they watched that show a ton and 3 of my daughters can communicate in ASL fairly well. Check them out on YouTube. 😊 We are harvesting our Red […]
I am so excited about our box of good and the box of good community. It is such a privilege to serve your families. Last week we started hearing from many of you ordering Boxes of Good for families that you personally know and are struggling financially. The stories are touching and the gifts are […]
