They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
Monday the 31st was our first big tomato harvest, and our last big bean harvest. Winnie helps pick beans, and conversates the whole time. "Daddy, why are you so tall?" "Because I started growing before you." "Daddy, what number are you old?" "I am 41." "Daddy, you are going to die." Pauses thoughtfully. "You are… Continue reading First Big Tomato Harvest
Last Saturday was a 4H canning day. Kathleen is the canning instructor for one of the local 4H clubs, and one of our friends is the canning instructor for another local club. A few times a year they get together to do a multi-club canning day, teaching the kids how to can jams and jellies,… Continue reading Raspberries and Rhubarb and Canning, Oh My!
Which means we will be drowning in blackberries for the next month or so. The first pick is always the best quality. The thornless blackberries in the old orchard are quite large, especially compared to the himalayan blackberries that grow wild, though to my mind the flavor is not quite so fine and they definitely… Continue reading Blackberries are on
"Ryan, what are you doing?" "I am admiring my turnip." I mean, come on! That's the prettiest turnip I have ever grown! I think I am going to put that turnip and some lamb meat into a hand pie, with gravy!
Our third annual ciderfest is fast approaching. The date is set for October 18th. Let the annual apple scrounge begin! This is the time of year that we jump on facebook or reach out to neighbors with apple trees and collect apples all over the neighborhood. This load came all from one tree: And filled… Continue reading Fall Harvesting, Apples, Grapes, Cannellinis,
If only more people understood. If only I understood. This is what Traherne was on about. I complain about not having time to get into the garden as much as I would like, and sure, there are a lot of tasks that ought to be done, for productivity and for beauty, but honestly... It still… Continue reading God Provides
Last Saturday, (that is last Saturday but one by the time you read this, a.ka. the 16th) we processed most of the tomatoes that we had harvested the previous Thursday, ahead of the rain storm. On the right are the ripest ones, mostly Heirloom Marriage and on the left are the less ripe, mainly Cuore… Continue reading Canning Tomatoes
Daddy: "Ellie, do you want a job that involves sitting in the shade?" Ellie: "Sure!" Daddy: "We need to cut the blossoms off these chamomile plants." Ellie: "I'll use my knife." If you are wondering where our seven-year-old got a knife, she made it herself. It's a stick she sharpened on Daddy's grinding wheel. She… Continue reading Saturday fun
This was the first year we have gotten a decent crop of elderberries from the farm. So far we have only been harvesting from the black elder shrub, and have already gotten a huge haul. These are the elderberries we pruned back to the stump in early 2024. They grew out shoots in 2024, and… Continue reading Elderberries.
It does not often rain during the summer in Western Washington. This is one of the biggest challenges of farm management in the PNW, the 60-90 days of drought that we get every single summer. However, last week we had rain forecast for Friday, and not just a little drizzle, but a good inch of… Continue reading Prepping for Rain
