the farm seems to get both busier and more fun by the minute. yesterday we hosted our dear friend kelly, who lent a gracious, tender, and efficient hand, and reminded me of yet another vital avenue of community support. the last week has been spent doing lots of research into the nuts and bolts of starting a small farm. the hours dedicated to internet research, phone calls, and ideas have been both challenging and affirming, as i come to realize what a small and strong source of support local farmers, distributors, customers, and families of friends are to small farmers. this week has run the gamut of emotions for me, as i have both thrown my hands up in sheer overwhelmed frustration, and jumped for joy over the prospect of serving our community. brian stopped me yesterday in the field as we surveyed our little toddler crops, and said “look at this. this is it. we aren’t just playing at farming anymore. this is a dream, and i want to do this as long as i possibly can.” and he’s right. what began as his dream has become our dream, and what was once our dream is now our reality.
-james
Yesterday James and I spent time hanging with Seth at his family owned architectural reclamation store, Aurora Mills. The shop is a magical place filled with antique architectural gems. It is a veritable goldmine for the restoration-minded. We stumbled upon a stockpile of berry bins from an old farm in Hubbard. Each bin came with individual veneer baskets, hand-stapled in the 60s and 70s by the farmer’s daughters. We left with new friends, a slice of Oregon’s rich farm history, resolution to the produce box dilemma, and are now one step closer to making this amazing dream a reality.
today i am home and brian is on the farm. we spent a bit of the morning taking pictures and sharing our ideas with each other from afar. we have finally started writing things down, as our ideas grow exponentially everyday. at times we have to laugh and throw our hands up as our romantics’ hearts take charge of our daily inspirations. the ideas below include little handmade stakes like the ones brian loves at luscher farm, the start of some (very) rudimentary drawings for a roaming, roadside farmer’s market, and business cards that we have been thinking of making ourselves.
we have received wonderful ideas and feedback from our talented and creative friends, and would love much more. part of what we would like to create with the farm is a feeling of community which only comes with the creative input and advice of the people dear to us. if you have any ideas that you would like to share, take a picture, send a message, or just whisper in our ears!
heartjames
After a long hard winter it seems that spring has finally come.
You may be thinking, “Come on Brian, spring officially started on March 20th!” but being born and raised in Portland, I have learned much about Oregon’s spring antics. The uncanny week of sunshine in late February that hints at summer and speaks of early spring romance quickly dissipates with the advent of what seems to be months of rain. Oregon’s fickle spring weather can challenge even the stoutest of heart. But today, I officially declare that spring has arrived! And to no surprise, the garden centers are as busy as the first spring honey bees, and everyone, adorned in only the most stylish of rain boots, has begun to turn over sod in preparation of urban food gardens. Sigh… the Portland that I love has begun to shine. Although, as the new farmer is quick realize, it is with this sunshine that one must bear the great responsibility of making things grow. Our little farm has become a mad house, as James and I plant and transplant feverishly; onions, beets, carrots, mesculin, spinach, radishes, kale, mustard, oh my!
We love company, if any of you all care to come share in our unique, (albeit dorky), brand of spring antics.
yesterday we began planting outside, and had some very curious neighbors watching us work.
the lettuces, kale, and chard were bursting out of their pots in anticipation of the transition to the earth.
and our first tomato plant, dickens, got to test his tough outside.
this morning began with our first session of our new organic gardening certification class, put together by osu. we got to dork out about tools with a local toolmaker bob denman, of red pig tools, get acquainted with oregon tilth, and then cut out of class a bit early to give the babies some air.
today continued with a trip to the local rural grange hall for a book sale, and to smith berry barn for marionberry milkshakes (in the interest of community building, of course).
discussions about a csa have again arisen, with the promise from brian’s friend elliot that he will be the first on board should we decide to start a csa. the thought is admittedly appealing, as producing enough food in our first season to fill restaurant orders with any level of consistency has become a very daunting thought.
ideas are blossoming like wildflowers and our excitement is palpable.
we have also given consideration to a roaming farmers’ market, moving from neighborhood to neighborhood, with updates here about where we’ll be each day/week, to sell our produce. one thought that is especially appealing is to travel to lower income neighborhoods to sell our produce at a discounted rate to folks who wouldn’t normally have access to healthy, organic food.
your thoughts and suggestions on this matter will be welcomed, with alacrity.
-james
yesterday brian and i began construction on a little hoophouse. guided by the advice of our friend jose, pictures of hoophouses we found on the internet, (thanks mostly to wealth underground for the inspiration), and our collective tenacity to work through problems that arose (read: miscalculations, obstinance, wind!!, and tender hearts), we emerged victorious.
and we even saved a little time after ezra and rachel came to play to chronicle the dorky process.
-james
The first of our babies are ready to be transplanted.
this endeavor has been immensely enriching during my short time with brian on the farm. i feel blessed everyday to share in this experience with him. and although most days i scratch my head in bewilderment over why he has chosen me, a partner with no growing experience, i embrace each new day spent on the farm with joyful enthusiasm and a growing desire to learn. there is no better partner than brian, and nobody i would rather jump into the abyss with than him. his lust for life and alacritous willingness to take on projects of monumental proportions makes him just the person i want to share this life with.
Meet the love of my life. The woman who continues to teach me to be a better person day by day and the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with. Her name is James. James works at the top end of the restaurant world and is working with me on the Farm whenever she has a second to spare. James and I live in a cute little house in Northeast Portland near the likes of Tabla, Ken’s Artisan Pizza, Navarre, Laurelhurst Market, Dove Vivi, Bamboo, Screen Door, and Heart (for the best coffee in town). We love our little nest. Anyway I wanted to introduce James because she will be taking over the blog, seeing how I have never developed a particular affinity for it. Here are a few pictures of James on the Farm.
I would to take a moment to introduce you all (or at least the one person who has looked at my blog in the past few months) to my new farm truck. It is a 1970 Ford F250. I call her the Admiral, after Admiral Adama from Battle Star Galatica.
The old Truck on Workiings Hands Farm in January of 2010.
As you can see the farm is beginning to take shape. So far it has about 100 3×50 beds separated by a 2 foot grass walk ways. I am trying to design it to resemble a large european style poteger garden.
Here’s a couple pictures of my farm truck. It is a 1962 Ford F-100. I found it on Craig’s List for a fist full of dollars. My papa and I have spent the last week trying to get it running. 
When my papa was a ski bum he used to have a truck like this. He called it the Aqua Lung, after a song by Jethro Tull about a creepy old man who used to hang out in parks and stare at girls. I guess the 70’s were a different sort of time.
These are a few photos from my first day on my new farm. The next step is to turn this pasture in to a functioning vegetable farm.
I went to visit an old friend in the bay area. We made a delightful meal full of fresh nutritious food from the Berkley farmers Market. I will miss spring…
working hands farm 