Shhhhhhh..

...this time of the morning right before the cars and trucks begin. quiet in my own little space..so peaceful and right. even though the padding of little feet has begun and i hear the faint notes of a glockenspiel being rung, i have not yet been found!
i wanted to write this before it faded into the soreness of my body from too much weeding and too little stretching...as i came into the fields monday i was greeted by a sound i have come to look forward to. a slight and quick toning, bursts of music. this day the eagles came from the river and forest to grace the skies above the farm and fields, looking for any little delicacy left over from haying. they were swooping and diving, carrying their treasures far afield to where i assume the nests are, cradled high above in the tallest trees. at one time we counted 5 which is not a crowd by any means but lovely to see, flying low and graceful. usually they are near the river where we have counted up to 100 in a slow and meandering boat ride. but there they are usually sitting in the trees and it is a rare treat to see them so active in flight. one sat in the sun(hooray for That(the sun)seldom seen event!), in a newly formed mound of hay for over an hour while i weeded green beans just a half acre or so away. it was as if it felt as i had felt this past weekend, a simple desire to lay in the sun and dry my bones out..as lately i have been feeling like a damp book with pages needing to be aired, and quick! anyway, it just sat quiet and unperturbed even as a small barn swallow dove and dove at it as if to remind it about the speed and agility even the smallest of us possess in light of the largeness of the world. as i finished this last long row i walked to get my camera so i could capture the event of an eagle sunning itself peacefully in a field of new hay.
you will not see that picture because off it flew as i came within yards of it but i am reminded that we all need to rest and enjoy the sun! simple.
so, go to it as that will be what i and my child will be doing on mamas day home from the farm.
off i go as i have been Found!

Happy Summer

we're still here just working like mad to keep up with everything! the bok choi is now flowering and the bees are flying about with their gloriously yellow, pollen laden little legs. the cascadia peas too are beginning to bloom. next to flower will be the chard and next the onions. the garlic is beginning to throw scapes. all plants and animals are stretching up towards the mysteriously absent sun.

all is well and all is yearning for the heat and sunshine. with solstice right around the corner, i feel it coming...

Happy Summer to you All!!



Ripe at the farm: turnips, radishes, salad mix, spinach , arugula, head lettuce, bok choi, kales-collard-chard, scallions

Rain~rain ~rain ~rain

looking back on last years first CSA box letter I noticed that we were Begging for rain, Begging for a respite from dragging hoses and other irrigation around the fields. That is very funny considering the Spring we have had. Today I almost lost a boot, more then once, because of the incredible amount of mud caked to the bottom and sides. Today we planted beautiful pepper starts, winter squash, and the last of our field tomatoes and held out on planting our eggplants and basil. We wished them well and hoped for sun and heat. But, an Eagle flew by.
The Mountains were quiet and magical in their foggy blanket.
Lush green glowed everywhere.
So looking forward to Epsom salts and a cup of tea we wiped the water from our eyes, disregarded the gleefully growing weeds and headed home.

June-uary

A new term coined at market today for the month that kicks off "summer" here in Western Washington. A solid 6 days of rain...highs rarely pushing past 60F...Hi, I have watermelons to put in the ground...a little help please? thanks.

Today felt like the beginning of summer at the market though. A degree of nerve and bustle we have not felt yet this season and an anticipation of things to come. At this point in the growing year I grow restless for that first zucchini (though still a couple weeks out). Lettuce, kale, chard, bok choi, rapini, arugula, spinach...we are four weeks deep into the farmers market season and I start to crave something, anything that is not...a...green...leaf. Yes, we have radishes and soon will pull turnips, scallions, and beets. There are roots, but for me it is the first zucchini, the first fruit, that heralds the transition to summer and all its bounty.

The kale seed crop is buzzing with bees (mostly bumble bees and a handful of masons, as there are no honey bee hives left on ours or our neighbors farm). With the cold spring and no hives I was worried about the lack of pollinators when it began to go. Now in full bloom it vibrates with the dance of bees drunk on nectar and weighed down with pollen. The Bok Choi is starting to throw its flowers to carry the torch once the kale fades to seed pods. Chard, carrots, and onions are all stretching out their arms to join the riot of flower and seed-making. Peas are inching their way up the trellises, Cascadias just beginning to reveal their first blooms.

...beginnings...

finally it has begun...the long awaited farm blog is up and running fueled by the sugary sweetness of a birthday week and upcoming first CSA pickup of the season. just as i am positive it will rain tomorrow, i know this will be all things; farm, seeds, family, thoughts, thoughts, thoughts on a staggering and brilliant amount of topics! for now i will keep it short and welcome you into this world. goodnight.