A Growing Maturity (week 13)

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Howdy Friends & Farm-ily,

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These days it’s certainly the height of summer with a taste of Fall… meaning summer harvesting is in full swing and the last of the Fall crops will be planted during the course of the next two weeks.  We’re seeing green as we moved all our transplants from the greenhouse to the shade of the barn in preparation for all the HOT weather.  We look forward to planting everything when we can and are really hoping the forecast rings true with some rain headed our way on Wednesday.

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In the height of summer the harvest days are longer (lots of heavier and more tedious items that take longer to harvest) and the last successions of crops get planted in the ground… all to be done in the dead heat of the day.  August always has us anticipating September when most everything is planted and things start to tidy up a bit and you’ll see your farmers more often 🙂  For now, send your best farming thoughts our way as these next few weeks will be a big final planting push for your farmers!

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Photo credit: Meaghin Kennedy, These Salty Oats

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In the midst of the height of the summer season, our dear sweet Ellie girl gave birth to a sweet chocolate brown bull angus/jersey calf.  It’s been incredible having a new babe on the farm but as farming often does it has come with it’s own set of challenges (farming really has the steepest learning curves.. reading this old blog post of when Maribelle was born reminds us that you can never be too sure about anything..)  Due to Ellie’s older age and genetics she’s had a tougher go-around with the milking.  Ellie is suffering from Edema (water retention in the utter) which has made it difficult to milk and for Ellie to get around as well as a too far gone ligament in her utter that makes it hang far too low and the teats too wide.  We’ve made accommodations though (milking one side at a time), milking several times a day (to help with the edema), and treating some of Ellie’s ailments with homeopathic remedies.

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Photo credit: Meaghin Kennedy, These Salty Oats

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She’s one tough cookie though and so is her little man.  He’s been helping mama along and is healthy and active and we’ve been doing our best to aid in relief and the health of our sweet mama cow.  It’s been so lovely to see them together in the pasture roaming freely about and gambling along.  Send both these incredible creatures your love and to your farmers too as we take heed milking our sweet girl morning, noon and night….

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A Growing Maturity.  Meaghin of These Salty Oats has done it again… she has a gift for capturing words and images that ring true to how it is perceived in real time.  After the first article Meaghin wrote about us (Cultivating Community) we truly felt understood, listened to and even received insightful feedback and reassurance.  Meaghin knows her stuff and she should as she’s done many interviews around food culture with farmers, tea makers, beekeepers, activists (to name a few)  to her own adventures in the kitchen and in the dirt at her home in Portland proper.

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Photo credit: Meaghin Kennedy, These Salty Oats

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When Meaghin contacted us about doing a follow-up article we were pumped but also wondered if anything had changed.  Sure, we moved to our new property and have been busy building infrastructure and the land, taking on new livestock and increasing our membership to 85 shares.  But, had we changed?  We still believed in everything that this farm was built upon as much as we did before and after these two farmers met (after all, it’s what brought us together).  And it felt like that foundation was even stronger coming into the 2014 season.

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With the repetition of thoughts, passions and daily chores you sometimes fail to realize all the little things that add up over time to bring confidence and maturity to everything that you do.  Looking at things, I mean really looking as if under a magnifying glass is now something we do without a second thought.  It enables us to see ourselves clearly, the health of our plants, animals, ourselves and even our members.  We always strive to grow better and we feel honored that we’ll have the next 20+ years to do just that…

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Photo credit: Meaghin Kennedy, These Salty Oats

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So, as we sat and read the article over the weekend we were overcome with emotion and joy.  Meaghin did it again.. we felt understood and felt like we have grown a lot (as people and farmers) this past year.  We also gained a bit of outside perspective.  With farming you spend a great deal of time talking to yourself and your partner (and the animals too) that it’s important to check in with others to be reminded of where you are and what you’re doing when you feel most like yourself.  To make sure those inner thoughts and productivity are still working together harmoniously.. that the heart, sweat, tears and love are there and the driving force of the things that you do.  We don’t claim to know much and as we grow older we know less and less all the time.. but we do know that we love this life and farming teaches us so much about the sweetness, the hope, the productivity and the tough stuff too in this all too short but very sweet life.

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We invite you to check out the article and to learn a little bit more about your farmers… click here to read the article written by Meaghin Kennedy : A Growing Maturity.

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Photo credit: Meaghin Kennedy, These Salty Oats

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Potatoes.  Due to last weekend’s potato harvest postponement we will now be harvesting potatoes this Saturday and invite those who like to get their hands dirty to come out to the farm and lend a hand.  Come out for an hour or stay a few – we appreciate any help we can get.   Send us an email for the details and if you’re thinking about joining us!

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Remember your crates, berry hallocks, rubber bands etc!  We’re almost half way through the CSA and want to keep the spirit alive!  Yeah, summer!    *due to the heat and long days ahead your farmers will most likely be taking respite during the hours of 4-5pm.  Send that rain your farmers way!*

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Photo credit: Meaghin Kennedy, These Salty Oats

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Thanks as always for all your support and encouragement!

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All our best,

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts