The Slog (winter csa week 2)

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This picture was taken after the first day of rain on Monday.  Paints a much more peaceful picture than Tuesday night’s torrential rain..

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,

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Wow! We hope you are all safe and dry this week. December started out extra cold and now ol’ el nino is throwing us some rain – and not just any rain – record breaking rain! With over 6 inches in the last 72 hours, our little ‘unnamed creek’ that runs through our riparian area has turned our pasture into a lake.

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This perennial creek runs down to the Tualatin River which borders the most western part of our farm. The Tualatin floods out annually but has yet to breach it’s banks. This flood is all from rain water. Our bottom land floods out annually but typically not until February. After a very dry year the cup seems to be filling up rather quickly!

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The lake was a touch unexpected and happened rather quickly. We spent the entirety of Monday moving animals and equipment to high ground. It was definitely a mad house for most of the day. Everything is safe and secure now but more record rainfall has fallen and is expected over the next couple days and we hope everyone is staying safe out there.

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Needless to say, it’s been a  Slog.  verb \ˈsläg\: To work diligently for long hours.  To make (one’s way) with a slow heavy pace against resistance.To strike with heavy blows.  A long exhausting march or hike.  A long session of hard work.

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You just never know what to expect when you wake up in the morning.   Especially when the water is rising so fast like that.  Farmer Brian even threw on his trusty old wetsuit at some point to retrieve a few things from an area that had flooded too quickly. His surfboard was waiting in the wings just in case – remnants from a “past life”… you just never know when it might come in handy.

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We’re keeping our chins up and hoping for the best.  It definitely felt good to have the cows all safe and sound in the barn, the goats in their dry hut, the chickens in the coop etc. The piggers were moved to higher ground and given giant beds of dry straw in their pig huts. They are such hardy creatures they barely seemed to notice the gusty winds, constant rain and MUD. They probably found us pretty entertaining frantically running laps in our head to toe rain gear over the past few days. Oy. (Or, Oink…)  And by the looks of it this morning, it looks like we might be moving everybody once again.

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We also had a few record breaking high temperatures as well – 60 degrees in December.  Needless to say it’s been a balmy slog out in the garden. Crazy.   Feels like ol’ mother nature it toying with our emotions.. just when we’re ready for cold and dry it’s sopping wet and warm. We shall see what the rest of the month will bring.. <fingers crossed for a drier weather stretch>

Keep the farm in your thoughts.  The rain continues to fall and the water continues to rise.  We are hoping for a break in weather so the lake can get a chance to recede a bit.  It’s already higher than we’ve ever experienced!  We’ll just continue to do the best we can in keeping all the critters and equipment safe.

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Before the weather came our way, we sat down and did some 2016 financial projections with our secret weapon… Papito (aka Brian’s dad). It doesn’t sound like fun but we absolutely love it! Our favorite quote from Brian’s papa, “if you torture the numbers they will confess” For the past 3 years Brian’s dad has been teaching us the mystical ways of excel and how to build sophisticated financial models for each of the farm’s profit centers. We love having him on our team and figuring out how to make the farm sustainable in the long run. Every year we get closer and we appreciate all the time he puts into helping us grow better. ‪#‎growingbetter ‪#‎familyfarming

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We’re just 3 weeks away from launching our 2016 CSA season on January 1st… so stay tuned!

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And just a reminder… to celebrate the holidays ahead we are offering 15% off all orders of our Pastured Pork Shares with the discount code STOCKTHELARDER.   Click the link to our Online Store to purchase.

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You will receive 15% off your pork order when you type in or copy/paste the discount code: STOCKTHELARDER during check out.  Discount code will be valid through January 1st.  Help us spread the good word and share the link with family and friends!  #buylocal #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood

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Be happy, be well and do your best to stay dry out there!

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with kind regards,

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Your Farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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