Order Up (week 15)

Posted on 26 Aug 2014

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“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams” – Thoreau

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Hello Friends & Farm-ily,

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‘Tis the last week of August.. where did the time go?! In the heat of the day it feels like summer but these crispier nights sure do feel like a change of season is on the horizon… The days are getting shorter and at 9:30pm – we find ourselves just coming in from direct seeding a few more beds for the day. It’s crazy how you go from hiding from the sun to chasing it as the days get shorter (every minute counts!) The past month had some long days in store for us so we’re ready for a change of pace.. but for now we’re enjoying these heavy, productive harvests and enjoying the fruits of our labor. (We have high hopes of beginning our potato harvest this week!) It’s a giving time after all the hard work and we enjoy sharing the grown with love bounty with all of you.

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The Return of the Crates. Thank you to everyone who brought back their WHF CSA crates last week! We have received half the missing crates which means we are halfway there! Thank you all for your understanding last week. It feels good to be a part of a community who is open and willing to help out .. “whatever is easier for you guys” was a phrase we heard from our CSA members often last week and we couldn’t feel better about your support.

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The warm colors of summer.. ’tis the season to soak in all that vitamin D! Baby Nugget was introduced to the herd and our barn is being swallowed by tomatoes!

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Market Style CSA. The verdict is in… members love the market style CSA! We have to admit it was absolutely beautiful to see all the produce laid out on the table awaiting our members to “eat with their eyes” and pick out the produce that best fit their households needs. It was also great to turn a potentially negative situation into a positive one and to try something new. In farming you don’t get too many opportunities to spontaneously try something new (it usually takes a whole season to see the results) but with the willingness of our members and your farmers we got to try something new and it was fun. We will be keeping on with the market style this week so remember to bring your bags (folks were averaging 3 bags total for all their summer goodies). We also saw folks bring laundry baskets, boxes, etc… to put their goods in. Whatever works best for you!

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Always chasing the sun this time of the year.. never enough time in the day it seems!

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It’s time to ‘order up’ at WHF! Everything on the farm is grown with love (and beyond organic methods) and we encourage all to inquire about our amazing goods that we offer at the farm… A lot of hard work and love have gone into producing these goods and we are so proud to offer the following products…

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Bulk tomatoes – you can never make enough salsa! Thank you all for your interest in our bulk tomatoes. The season continues so send us an email if you’re interested in picking up a bushel or two of tomatoes. Remember.. for the average quart of sauce it takes 3-7lbs of tomatoes so plan accordingly! A good canning tip would be to decide how many jars your household would eat in a 52 week span (there are 52 weeks in a year). This has worked for us in regards to the items we use most (i.e. salsa, sauce, soup etc) and a bit less for ketchup. Oh, the possibilities are endless…

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WHF Honey. We were able to get a honey harvest in this past weekend and we are happy to say that we will have WHF honey available for purchase. The girls have been hard at work this season and are more productive and thriving compared to our hives last year. Yahoo! Emails for details if you’d like to purchase honey!

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The herd has been busy maintaining the back 20 by the creek. It’s amazing what they’ve accomplished in the last week or so. It’s also amazing that the grass down there is still green. What a gift!

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WHF Pasture-Raised Pork. We are proud to offer our first taste of WHF pork. The taste is the truest representation of the glorious life they live on the farm as well as all the love and thoughtfulness it takes in raising them on pasture (with a supplemented diet of organic, certified non-gmo feed from Scratch & Peck). We will be selling our pasture raised pork in 10 lb shares (a mixed variety of individually wrapped cuts from a certified USDA facility).

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AGH are known for their incredible taste and were nominated for the Slow Food Ark of Taste, where it was readily accepted for it’s outstanding flavor, sustainable husbandry methods and important agricultural heritage. Email us for more information regarding our pasture-raised pork and we will get back to you by the end of the week!

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It may still be the height of summer in the garden but the seasons are a changing quickly…

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WHF Organic Pasture Raised Chicken. Time to make a deposit for our delicious pasture raised chicken! Orders will be ready for pick up the last week of September/first week of October. A $10 deposit per chicken will be due to reserve your order. This deposit will go towards the balance due upon pick up. We have a limited quantity and expect them to go fast! These are perfect for keeping in the freezer for a delicious Fall and Winter meal.

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For more information on the most delicious pasture raised chicken you can buy please visit our Organic Pasture Raised Chicken Page here. Please fill out the order form at the bottom of our Chicken Page to submit your order! Let us know how many you would like and what sizes are preferred (they range from 3.5-5.5lbs). Once we receive your order we will email you with confirmation by the end of the week.

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We hope everyone has a great week and a wonderful holiday weekend! See you all soon!

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We’re getting down to our last planting pushes! And broccoli/brassicas for days… Here we go week 15!

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with regards,

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Your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

Growing Better (week 14)

Posted on 19 Aug 2014

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“We walked always in beauty, it seemed to me. We walked and looked about, or stood and looked. Sometimes, less often, we would sit down. We did not often speak. The place spoke for us and was a kind of speech. We spoke to each other in the things we saw.” – Wendell Berry

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Hello Friends & Farm-ily,

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We hope you are all enjoying the last few weeks before school starts up again or enjoying a getaway or two while the weather is gorgeous! Can you believe we’re at the half way mark of this year’s CSA? It’s amazing how fast time flies (especially in the summer). We wait all winter to eat fresh fruits and veggies and then here we are… knee deep in the bountiful harvest of summer! It’s time to enjoy!

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The numbers are in… after 13 weeks of harvest for our 2014 CSA we have distributed (drum roll please…) 24,000lbs of produce! Which means we are on track for distributing close to 50,000lbs for the entire CSA season. The average box over the last 13 weeks has weighed 22lbs (with the summer boxes averaging around 25-30lbs.. soon to be more) which means that our CSAers have been paying $1.90 per pound of produce. An unbeatable price for fresh, picked that day, beyond organic practices, grown by farmers you know and trust!

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Pie pumpkins and corn have been spotted this past weekend in the garden…

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Each year we grow better. In 2012 we had 50 CSA shares and distributed 25,000lbs. In 2013 we had 75 CSA shares and distributed 36,000lbs and this year we have 85 shares (feeding aprox. 300 individuals) and at an estimated 50,000lbs of produce distributed it is undoubtedly our best year yet…

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We’re on a mission to grow the best possible produce for our community so that our community can live long, healthy, and productive lives and be productive members of society! So, thank you all for supporting our small farm whether it be your 1st or your 5^th season. We aim to grow better each year and love the highs, lows and everything in-between, every step of the way! Let us be thankful for the incredible bounty this season, the fine weather and the hardworking hands of two farmers that you have come to know and trust.

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Fall crops and summer crops all look amazing.. August is one powerhouse of a month on the farm…

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Keep chuggin’ along… The days may be getting shorter but the lists this time of year grow bigger each day. There are never enough hours but we are workin’ it as always.. with Fall on the horizon we know some respite will come. For now it’s seed and plant and weed and dig… feed and milk and water and cover… build and fix and service and maintain… can and store and harvest, harvest, pick… sort and pack and wash, wash, wash… never a dull moment here at the farm! Be sure to give your farmers a high five or some words of encouragement. We know it’s a busy time of the year for everyone! 🙂

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Bulk tomatoes – time to think about canning! Every year we set aside capital to invest in a garden in order to offer bulk sales of certain items. This portion of the garden is not funded by the CSA but generates its own capital for the following seasons investment. So… due to the amazingly hot and dry summer we’re having we currently have tomatoes available at a bulk price. Think canning…whole tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, roasted tomato sauce, sundried tomatoes, salsa, ketchup.. you name it! Tomatoes really are the best treat during the gray days of winter.. Email us for more information.

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Mama and baby have an amazing bond. Ellie’s calf is very healthy and thriving and Ellie is feeling much better these last few days. We’re always alert and aware of how our animals are doing. Even the slightest change and we’re there.

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Important change for pick up this week! We are operating with a major deficit of CSA crates (we’re missing close to 40 crates) and don’t have enough to pack all the CSA shares this week. So… without further ado, we will be changing up the CSA pick-up format until we get all of our crates back and do a much needed crate inventory.

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This coming week we will have our first “Market style CSA pick-up.” “What is that?,” you ask. The CSA drop will look like a typical farmers market stand and you get to pack your own share with the allotted amounts of vegetables written next to each varietal. It will be very user friendly and a fun change of pace due to the given situation.

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So, it’s important to bring back your crate(s) and 2-3 reusable bags to put your produce in. We appreciate your understanding and assistance. Let’s have fun with it!

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Our morning and evening ritual with the dogs and animals is a peaceful, enjoyable time to catch up, be in the moment and talk about what we’re having for supper..

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Enjoy the week and we will see you all soon!

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All the best,

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

A Growing Maturity (week 13)

Posted on 12 Aug 2014

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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

Planting Roots Together (week 12)

Posted on 5 Aug 2014

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Good mornin’ friends & farm-ily,

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Well, we did it! What a week/weekend it was… we made it through a succession of 90+ degree days and managed to pull off a beautiful farm wedding with the help of all our amazing family and friends. We thank you all for your well wishes and endless support. We’re so thrilled to be where we are – together – as hubby and wife.

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It was incredible to celebrate with friends and family on the days leading up to and at the wedding. The community that surrounds us is one that fills our World with love, kindness, and inspiration. We are absolutely amazed (and thankful) at what a group of very willing & motivated friends and family can accomplish when love is the driving force. The farm has never felt so full and warm. It truly feels more like home after so many familiar faces left an everlasting imprint on our hearts and in the dirt.

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After a week in the presence of those we love most we feel truly grateful and very ready (and in love) for this new adventure. Endless possibilities….

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Your farmers clean up nice. I don’t think we’ve ever felt so handsome. Thanks to Meaghin Kennedy of These Salty Oats for this beautiful picture!

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We will be back soon with our farm newsletter with lots of happy updates from the farm!

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Many Hands Make Light Work – Potato Dig. Nothin’ like a big potato harvest after your wedding (someone told me it’s not the 16th century and I don’t have to dig taters the day before my wedding ha!) We’re so excited to harvest these gorgeous gems. Please let us know if you are interested as we’ll begin (and hopefully finish) it all over the weekend and we’ll need helpin’ hands. We plan on harvesting potatoes starting on Friday or 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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Please remember to bring your crates this week. We look forward to seeing you all soon and enjoy the week!

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Your Farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

Gettin’ Hitched (week 11)

Posted on 29 Jul 2014

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Hey Friends & Farm-ily,

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We hope you all are enjoying this beautiful summer! As many of you know your farmers are gettin’ hitched this weekend which means that your farmers won’t be at your CSA pick ups this week. We will be harvesting some gorgeous CSA boxes for you all over the next few days and we are happy to say that our family will be lending that extra needed hand. Enjoy the glorious summer bounty and we’ll catch up with you all next week!

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Also of note: please bear with us as our computer crashed last week and we are depending on our smart phones to communicate with you all (i.e. newsletters, emails, recipe print outs etc). Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will back up and running in the next week or so.

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Please remember to bring your crates this week and any crates that may be hiding out in your homes as a handful are still missing.

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Many thanks and we’ll see you soon!

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

With A Little Help From My Friends (week 10)

Posted on 22 Jul 2014

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“Hello, sun in my face.
Hello, you who make the morning
and spread it over the fields
and into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light–
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.”

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– Mary Oliver, Why I Wake Early

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Hello Friends and Farm-ily,

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We have made it into the double digits.. here we are at Week 10. As the box transitions out of Spring and into Summer we can look back and appreciate all those luscious, mildly spicy greens, first roots plucked from the soil and the cool brassica crops like broccoli, romanesco and cauliflower. The carrots keep coming and the maters are ripening by the dozen each and everyday. The gods of cool weather are even blessing us with two days of 70 degrees (fingers crossed for a touch of rain, please) and we will relish in the mid week cooling off.

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In 9 weeks we’ve distributed 14,500lbs of produce to all of our members (and we haven’t even had our heavy end of summer/early fall CSA boxes yet)! Let us all be thankful for the bounty this year, the fertile soils of the Willamette Valley, and the farmers who love to toil the soil. ‘Tis a place of bounty and beauty where we can successfully grow a large array of produce that we should always be grateful for (we know we are).

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Friends have the magical ability to simultaneously ground us and lift us up when we need it. It’s the best.

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We had an amazing weekend with friends and farm-ily members who volunteered hours of their time to help these two farmers conquer a harvest of 12,000 onions (with 8 wonderful sets of hands) on Saturday as well as planting 3,200 ft of our Fall Crops with the help of two fellow friends and farmers on Sunday. It’s amazing all the motivation, support and encouragement that these people bring with them to the farm. The can do attitude even through the hottest of weather… no matter what the task it seems that these folks are always game. We appreciate it so much – without it we surely wouldn’t be as efficient or have as much fun or get the chance to listen or chat or discover something new about the folks who believe in this farm, these farmers and themselves. These moments – when shared – offer just the right amount of reflection, productivity and encouragement that make you feel good about where you’re at. It makes the trust you have in yourself, life, nature and other people that much stronger… which is oh-so-important especially when you work 100+ hours in the company of animals..

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Truly a great opportunity for dirty hands, clean hearts.

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Our Fall Bearing Raspberry Polana (usually ready in August) is almost ready to pick for members! Our goldens will be worth the wait as they should be ready in a week or two

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So a very big thank you to those that were able to come out and to those who were there in spirit! Your “likes” on facebook or kind emails detailing recipes you really enjoyed, produce that rocked your world, or thoughts of feeling hungry for knowledge, of eating well and contributing to your community means the most to us and motivates us to do better.

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We hope your food journeys are serving you all well as we make our way into Week 10 of the CSA…

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Training pups amongst the bees, trees, and flowers of summer… Oh, the many different hats you wear as a farmer!

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Please return any crates that you may have this week! We are starting the week over a dozen shy so remember to help out your farmers and return them this week.

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All the best to you and yours,

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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What the C Stands For (week 9)

Posted on 15 Jul 2014

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“When the community is connected to its soil the plants are not the only things to grow roots.” – Farmer B

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Hey Friends & Farm-ily,

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Whooie! What a weekend. Full of excitement, appreciation, long- hard working days and even some clouds (THANK GOODNESS) during the early part of the day on Sunday. We have been calling it “the best day of the summer!” A wonderfully cloudy start to our Sunday morning also meant a whole morning to harvest all our glorious garlic (with the help of a handful of friends and members) where it is currently curing in the barn loft. It feels so great to have the garlic out of the garden… this weekend we shall pull the storage onions…. all 6,000 ft of them (see below for more info on volunteering!)

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Our CSA Member Farm Day on Saturday was a big success and we have all our wonderful 2014 CSA members to thank. It’s truly great gift to share with everyone first hand what we do and believe in (especially since moving to our new farm full-time). A lot of forward momentum has happened over the last 20 months and it felt great to share it with our members. Since the Farm Day we’ve had some time for reflection and we wanted to share some of our thoughts.

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What the C stands for. The acronym is CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) but for your farmers that C can stand for so much more. It stands for commitment, as in the incredible commitment that our members make to support our small farm, to eat a healthy diet, to visit the farm once a week and greet your farmers and pickup a box packed full of veggies, to experiment with an open mind and try new recipes. And as you well know that commitment goes both ways, the commitment from the members to their farm and their farmers to their members. As your farmers, we are committed to excellence. To producing the most delicious and nutrient dense produce we can to meet your household’s needs. To hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards of organic food production. To ensure that the veggies are washed and packed at the CSA pick up every week three times a week without fail. (Did you know that in 5 years of business we have never missed a CSA drop?) And we are committed to growing better, not bigger.

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The C can stand for Culture, as in investing your dollars into a culture of food that is thoughtful and sustainable. A culture that teaches its young people to eat a balanced diet that gives a young person the best possible chance to succeed in this life. Whatever that c might stand for, for our CSA, the community is at its core.

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C is for Community. During Farm day this past weekend, we were overwhelmed with gratitude, inspiration and appreciation by the community that visited our farm. Many of our members (1/3 of our shares) braved the heat and were introduced to the vegetable garden, to the fall crops coming up in the propagation house, to the chickens, honey bees, cows and pigs. They learned about our rotational grazing methods and about our ethical standards of growing safe, nutritional and well loved/grown produce/fruits. They were able to chat about food, recipes and seasonal eating with their farmers and other members in the community. To top it off, everyone brought fantastic potluck dishes that were enjoyed amongst good company in our new shade structure. It was surely a great feeling looking around and seeing all the different people in the community being brought together by food….

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It’s a powerful reminder that food has brought so many people together over the centuries and it’s brought so many people together here on our farm over the past 5 years. Wherever you may be in your food journey there are kindred spirits here. Our farm is a place to discuss all sorts of things from seasonal eating to sustainable growing practices, to inspiration in the kitchen & new favorite foods and varietals or to changing lifestyles/habits – and feeling good about yourself – to be happy and productive members of society. All these things are part of it and we welcome you to share a little bit about your food journey over the next 20 weeks of the CSA. You are all doing a fantastic job and by doing so it’s the greatest motivation these two farmers could ever have.. here we go Week 9!

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Onion Harvest This Weekend! Many Hands, Make Light Work… This coming Saturday morning we will be harvesting our storage onions! We are hoping for 10 or so people to come and volunteer to get the job done. Please send us an email if you are interested in coming to help your farmers and we will let you know the details!

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WHF Organic Chicken. We have a handful of WHF pasture-raised chicken available for our members. Email us to make your order.

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Remember to bring back your crates, berry hallocks, rubberbands and egg boxes. Keep up the great job and we’ll see you all this week….

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Stay cool out there,

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Staying Cool (week 8)

Posted on 8 Jul 2014

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“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,
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We hope everyone had an excellent 4th of July weekend. We’re still feeling hot-hot-hot and hope everyone is staying cool out there! July has surely got your farmers scratching their heads with highs in the 90’s, humidity and lots of sun. We’ve been getting up before the sun to balance out the extreme mind melting heat come the 2-6pm hour range. It’s a hard balance to find with lots of Fall transplants needing to go in the ground but finding the time to do it to minimize stress on those little plants (and your farmers). Things just seem to take twice as long when the heat is oppressive like this. It’s got us wondering what August will bring…. we’re thinking lots of tomatoes!
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Farming Together. We’re doing our best to stay cool out there though – as best as we can. The cows have access to the barn, the turkeys have the trees, the chickens have the coop and the pigs have nice big wallows to cool off in. We’ve been checking all the waterers 2-3 times a day to make sure everyone is staying hydrated. It’s days like these (or, it’s that time of the season)where it’s a blessing to get a chance to sit down and reflect on the long days… and even better when you have someone right there with you to love and commiserate with. With each season we grow to love and trust one another even more than the season before. As the seasons pass we grow stronger together as a team and better within ourselves. We love farming and we love farming together.

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We welcome the quiet mornings and evening summer skies and the chance to check in with each other, to be still and to listen. We’ll remember these crazy summer days fondly in the dead of winter when all the canned goods are lined up on the shelf once again….. We hope that you all have been feelin’ the love (22+lb boxes last week!) and have been braving those kitchens and eating well since we saw you last. Keep those recipe suggestions coming. We love hearing what some of your favorite varietals have been so far this season… never cease to be inspired or to share the love with your farmers!

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Farm Day for CSA Members this Saturday (July 12th)! Farm tour will begin at 11am sharp and a potluck lunch at noon (12pm). Please bring a potluck dish, your own plates & forks & protective sunwear! Your farmers will be making a small presentation of sorts and there will be plenty of time for good conversation, good food & meeting fellow members in your community! If you haven’t RSVP’d please let us know if you’ll be attending. We look forward to seeing you there!

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WHF Organic Chicken. If you’ve confirmed your chicken orders they’ll be ready at this week’s drop. We’ll be available from 4-6pm for pick up. Send us an email if you’re interested in making an order!

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We hope everyone is doing well… see you soon! With our hearts full of love and our minds on motivation…. it’s back to the mind melting heat we go…

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Stay cool out there,

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Here We Grow (Week 7)

Posted on 1 Jul 2014

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The bees have been busy pollinating our raspberries and blackberries and the green fruit is as endless as the eye can see….

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– Hi Friends & Farm-ily, –

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It’s the 1^st of July and it’s feeling hot, hot, hot! Talk about a great growing season thus far… the tomatoes are all 4 ft tall and covered in fruit! The bell peppers, hot peppers and even the eggplants are on there way to producing which means the weekly shares will be changing in just a matter of time… green beans with flowers, cukes with baby fruit… it really is summer! Let us enjoy and relish in all the greens and last of the Spring crops as we won’t be seeing some of these until September! My-oh-my how time flies…. –

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There is just so much growing and happening on the farm these days it’s hard to keep up. I swear the corn has grown 2 inches in 2 days and the greens are ready to harvest in just 2 weeks time. When you’re growing produce in one season it’s almost as if you’ve put a magnifying glass on life as a whole. From the start to the beginning – full of purpose and vigor – these plants grow, produce and nourish until they decide it’s their time to make their seeds and turn it over to the next generation. We learn a lot from watching the plants grow, taking the time to hand weed, observe and get to know all of the 60 + varieties of veggies and fruits that we grow. –

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Summer crops are coming.. with all this hot/dry weather it may be sooner than later!

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– We can’t say enough how grateful we are to live in such a place where we can grow such variety and for the amazing community that supports this small little farm (just a little blip on the old map).. it’s just too cool. We hope you are all enjoying your weekly bounty and taking a moment to pause and be mindful of your own food journeys. Be happy and proud for you are eating the best possible food you can eat! Keep up all the great work and never cease to be inspired in the kitchen and when you need us – let us know – because we’re here to help along the way! –

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Catchin’ Up in 2014. Meaghin Kennedy of These Salty Oats will be stopping by this week to catch up with us and see how the year of our big transition- from the old farm to the new – is going. She wrote an article about us last year – Cultivating Food and Community (if you haven’t read it yet be sure to click on the link)– and did a beautiful job capturing the essence of our little CSA farm and is a truly gifted writer & photographer! Don’t be surprised if you see her wandering about at one of the CSA pick-ups this week… –

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The turkeys are growing up fast! Their funny antics, quirky turkey noises and sweet personalities make for such a fun addition to the farm-ily…

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– Farm Day. July 12th – Farm Day for CSA Members! Farm tour will begin at 11am and a potluck lunch at noon (12pm). Please bring a potluck dish, your own plates & forks & protective sunwear! Your farmers will be making a small presentation of sorts and there will be plenty of time for good conversation, good food & meeting fellow members in your community! Check your inboxes for an RSVP! –

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Volunteer Work Day. Many Hands, Make Light Work… It’s July which means in the next week or two we will be harvesting all our garlic and storage onions (all 6,000ft of them)! Please send us an email if you are interested in coming to help (it will be sweaty, hard work) and we will keep you updated with all the details! Here’s hoping for a few cloudy days in our future… –

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We’ve got the (flower) power! Thanks to all the hot/dry weather the flowers are beginning to pop a few weeks earlier than usual…

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– WHF Organic Pasture-Raised Chicken. Thank you to all those who have placed orders for our first batch of pasture-raised chicken. For those who have not yet placed an order, we have just a handful of fryers (whole chickens) left that will be available for purchase from 4-6pm during the weekly pick-ups this week and next. –

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Fun fact about pasture-raised chickens (brought to you by Greenbow Farm): that chickens raised on pasture have a higher amount of Omega 3 fatty acids compared to chickens raised in a factory farm that only eat grain. In addition chickens ( like ours) that are fed a soy free diet have an even higher amount (they have an Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio of 3:1 vs 8:1 that soy fed chickens have). According to the US National Library of medicine, “a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today’s Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects.” Yeah, for grass fed healthy producing fats!

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A sea of green has taken over the farm! This year we’ve grown our best onions to date… we can’t get over the size of some of our walla walla sweets…

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Final CSA Payments are due today! If your payment is still due please remember to drop it by the farm stand today (from 4-7pm). Send us an email if you have any questions! –

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Crates, Rubberbands, Egg Cartons, Berry Hallocks etc. It’s that time of the week to bring back your empty crate in exchange for a new one full of goodies. Thank you all in advance and we look forward to sharing Week 7’s bounty with you! – Be happy and well and we’ll see you all soon! –

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Taking a few minutes in the shade before we gear up for another round of evening chores..

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– Stay cool out there, –

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Your farmers –

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Jess & Brian –

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Two Farmers, One Farm (week 6)

Posted on 24 Jun 2014

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There’s nothing more relaxing than a freshly mowed & organized farm (Gloucester thinks it helps with hunting purposes…)

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Happy Solstice friends & farm-ily!

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The solstice has come and gone which means a few things on the farm…. we’ve been EXTRA productive with these long days (seriously, on top of seeding, weeding and planting like mad farmers, rotating all the animals etc Brian decided to mow the entire farm) and it also means that Farmer Jess is only 3 days away from turning 30 (cue in this song). 2014 is already shaping up to be a pretty darn good year for us and the farm….

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Two farmers, One farm. In 5 weeks of harvest we’ve distributed 6,800lbs of produce to our members! All of that produce has been grown thoughtfully and with love. Prepped, Seeded, transplanted, weeded & harvested by 2 sets of hands (yes, each and every berry was picked by farmer Jess or farmer Brian). That puts us on track to grow and distribute over 40,000lbs of produce this season. It’s a pretty amazing number and we look forward to seeing how much more we grow in the next 5-6 months. **Last year at this time we had distributed 2,100 lbs of produce to our members which means that the weather is working with us and your farmers are improving and learning from years past. This is our 5th season running the CSA and every year it just gets better and better.**

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The cutest cucumber, running melons and sweet fragrant basil.. must be summer after all…

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Each share has had a minimum of 10-12 items with a handful of new veggie varieties in the box each week! Although it was an unseasonably dry Spring it’s shaping up to be our most productive season yet. Of course, with every season that comes and goes your farmers are becoming better. With farming there can be a steep learning curve but we’ve learned to adopt this mantra – stop, look, go – that keeps us aware of the little things (the soil, the plants, the fruit, the bugs, you name it) and helps us to prioritize what’s next on the list and keeps us focused and productive. We believe in what we do (7 days a week, 24 hours a day) and love the way good food makes our community feel. By putting so much love into the soil, the farm, the animals and our members we all become more productive and it’s so important because as we all know.. time is short and life goes so quick!

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Thank you all for your appreciation, inspiration and general awesomeness. Our Tuesday morning harvest is always a good reminder that this is what we get to do everyday and that everyday is truly a gift! Here we go Week 6….

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Our old broken farm truck and an after evening walk puppy snuggle .. the right kind of balance..

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July 12^th – Farm Day for CSA Members! Yippee! This is a great opportunity for our CSA members to come out, see the farm, chat with their farmers and fellow CSA members as well as take a farm tour to see all our happy livestock! Come on out at 11 am on Saturday, July 12^th for a farm tour and potluck. Farm tour will begin at 11am and a potluck lunch at noon (12pm). Please bring a potluck dish, your own plates & forks & protective sunwear! Your farmers will be making a small presentation of sorts and there will be plenty of time for good conversation, good food & meeting fellow members in your community! There will be an RSVP to follow….

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Farm Goods for Sale!

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With all of our farm goods we believe in offering the best possible product to our members and community – a product that you simply can’t find in the store….

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Organic Pasture Raised Chicken Now Available! We’ve made some big farmer steps this season and we are happy and proud to say that we have Freedom Ranger Fryers available for purchase exclusively to our CSA members! Please check your email regarding purchasing information and order forms.

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Just about to pop – my volunteer sunflowers that I transplanted and those sweet little lost boys (Curly, Nibs, Tootles & Slightly)…

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Egg Shares Available! Our young layers are well on their way to being a productive part of the flock which means we have a handful of egg shares available for purchase. Egg shares are available on a first come, first serve basis which means the early bird gets the worm! These 14 week egg shares will start the week of July 1st until the week of September 29^th. A prorated cost of $105 for a single egg share or $210 for a double egg share. Please sign up and fill out the form on Our Egg Share Page and bring payment this week to begin pick up next week (the week of July 1^st)!

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Final CSA Payment due by July 1st. Final CSA payment is due by July 1^st (only a week away)! Please bring your check to the weekly CSA pick-up this week, or, if you prefer you can mail your check to our farm mailing address: 7705 SW River Rd. Hillsboro, OR 97123. There will be a CSA check jar by the sign-in sheet during the CSA pick-ups.

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From seed to field… transitions never stop… day to day, season to season.. we must enjoy each moment!

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And last but certainly not least… remember your crates! Thanks for all your returns last week.. sure makes it easier on your farmers when we have plenty of crates to start the week of with. Egg Cartons. Please only return our Working Hands Farm egg cartons.

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We look forward to see you all this week…

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With kindest 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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Sow it Begins (week 5)

Posted on 17 Jun 2014

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The freedom rangers have been such a joy to have on the farm. They are happy, active, healthy and a really cool looking fryer bird. We move them around the farm 2-3 times a day!

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Hello Friends & Farm-ily,

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We can’t believe how quickly the time passes between one harvest week and to another. We’ve been extra bee-zy this weekend as we’ve ceremoniously begun sowing seeds for our Fall succession of crops. Does anyone else think June is just flying by… ?

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Our very good friend and fellow farmer – Beth – made an appearance on Saturday and helped us weed, transplant, wash eggs & move our little turkeys out to pasture – we even got to socialize a little bit! It paved the way for some very productive farm-time but there is still much more to do. It’s looking like we may be seeding in the greenhouse this week during pick-ups in order to keep up with it all so if we don’t see ya this week that’s where we’ll be!

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Sowing in the greenhouse begins, the turkeys are out on pasture and the potato flowers are poppin’.

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Thankful for the clouds. Thank goodness for all the beautiful farming weather we’ve had this past week on our off-harvest days (cloudy & 60’s… just perfect for being out in the garden). Flowers are blooming everywhere making it incredibly easy to anticipate the summer goodies that are just around the corner.. Although we didn’t get as much rain as we had hoped last week we are thankful for the little rain we did receive. Our second successions of cucumbers, squash, beans and melons all rising up in the garden and are thankful too!

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The summer solstice, the longest day of the year, is just a few days away (on Saturday). We certainly feel all the energy as we’ve been up with the sun at 20 past 5 and heading in at sunset around 9. We’ve been getting better at taking breaks during the hottest times of the late afternoon/early evening to make dinner and get back out in the fields at 7 for a few hours. We call 7-9pm the “magic hours” here on the farm… from the low, glimmering sunlight to the cooler breeze – it’s just such a joy to be out in the garden. The animals love it too – they’re all out there filling their bellies – in the settling of the day – before perching or laying down for the night. On the farm, we’re all ready to hit the hay hard by the end of the evening.

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Lots of new veggies are ready for your boxes.. get ready!

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Thankful for our members. Have we mentioned how much we love our CSA members? Well, we really do! One of our fantastic members bought a share and is successfully eating it all on her own (you go girl!) She writes thoughtfully on her blog HELLOKIRST on how to.. Eat Yo Vegetables: A Guide to Your CSA Share. Get inspired and check it out. Tell us how it’s going in your own kitchen as we love hearing about your favorite recipes, ways to preserve the fresh bounty, etc each week. That’s what we’re here for!

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Missing Crates. At the end of last week we were short a dozen crates for this week’s harvest. Please remember to bring your crates! It’s always a good idea to keep a few bags in your car to transfer produce into in case your crate is forgotten (that way a crate is always being returned to the farm). A big thank you to those folks who were able to bring by your crates over the weekend. We really appreciate it!

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Tomatoes are coming and we can’t wait to have a radicchio salad in the next few weeks!

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Keep up the great work and stay inspired in the kitchen…. time to get back to some cow fencing before the sun goes down…. we’ll see you all soon!

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Our kindest 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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p.s. In honor of the Solstice we wanted to share one of our favorite “summer poems”….

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The Summer Day

by Mary Oliver

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Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean—
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down—
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

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Stop, Look and Grow (week 4)

Posted on 10 Jun 2014

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Sowing the seed, my hand is one with the earth. Wanting the seed to grow, my mind is one with the light. Hoeing the crop, my hands are one with the rain. Having cared for the plants, my mind is one with the air. Hungry and trusting, my mind is one with the earth. Eating the fruit, my body is one with the earth. – Wendell Berry

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,

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We’re a month into the CSA and we hope everyone is feeling lighter and brighter with all this farm fresh food. We certainly have been enjoying watching the garden grow and really take shape this season. We’re constantly amazed by farming.. that over 5 months ago – back in January – we began this season.. ordering seeds, planting the seeds etc and we are now reaping the rewards of all that energy, growth and time. It’s an amazing cycle that we are so happy to be a part of.

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Stop, look, grow. Farming is all about planting. From January until October we are planting. Planting, planting, planting (Farmer Brian knows I mean business whenever my farming notebook is out!) Most of our crops (from February – April) are started indoors in our propagation greenhouse. We seed in 50 cell trays and fill up the tables, then move to the floor until the greenhouse is overflowing with starts. Come early to mid-March we are able to till and transplant, transplant, transplant. This time of the year (May-September) we direct seed in the garden as well as start seeds in trays for our Fall crops. Always thinking 2-5 months ahead.. of course, every season is different (there are just too many seasonal/environmental factors that contribute) but over the past 5 years we’ve found a balance and a planting schedule that works for us. Lots of hard work, trust, paying close attention and taking risks have led to us feeling pretty confident about when and how to plant. It also helps that we make a pretty darn good team.

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Farming is a craft.. part intuition part passion part science. Each season we get one chance to grow most of our crops…such as Potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, Berries, Winter Squash, Sweet Corn etc. For others, we get 2-4 chances a season. Added up over a lifetime that’s about 30-40 chances to grow the best potatoes, tomatoes etc that you can grow which means make every season count! Farming is a way of life (24 hours a day) that is full of endless possibilities, yes, but is also full of opportunities that need to be seized and paid close attention to. Your “farm” and everything else are very much a reflection of you… which reminds me of the post I made on gratefulness (Gratitude on the Farm) this past Spring.. a great reminder during such a busy time!

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Over the last two weekends we’ve seeded beans, summer squash, cukes, melons, greens etc. They are all germinating well and loving this early summer weather. This week we’ll be seeding in our winter squash, corn & pumpkins. We’ve been catching up with the weeds, block by block and see a lot of healthy growth on all our plants. As we near the summer solstice, the plants really do thrive in the garden with all the extra sunshine. The bees have been busy in the garden too and there is an endless supply of wild blackberries for them to forage on around the perimeter of the farm (the highest nectar flow for local honey bees comes from the blackberries).

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Sun up to sun down. These longer days also mean longer hours for your farmers (don’t get us started on our to-do lists) and it feels incredible to check a few things off before the next thing sneaks on to the list… like putting the first lines on the tomato trellises or hilling the potatoes one last time. We are hoping for some rain (even just a little bit of moisture in the soil?) later this week to till up some space for new succession plantings (think: Fall) of carrots, parsnips, beets, etc. The farm is just brimming with goodness and we love it. It’s also been a very warm and very dry Spring this season. With all the sun and warmth it’s hard to find a balance when there’s so much physical labor to be done (not to mention all the water that needs to be hauled to thirsty animals). But we do what we can and enjoy the crisp, cloudy mornings until that hot afternoon sun makes way for a mid day respite.

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Flower Power. The onions are beginning to bulb out as well as the garlic. The potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers & tomatillos all have their first rounds of flowers as well as some fruit on the tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. The taste of sunshine in every bite..

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The dirty dozen. We read an article last week – that we wanted to share- highlighting the fruits and veggies found at the grocery store with the most pesticides (a single strawberry tested for 13 kinds of pesticides – yikes!) As CSA members, you know that it’s so important to know your farmers and to know your food. When buying in bulk, at the market or directly from a farm, be encouraged to ask the farmers about their growing practices (especially now that it’s veggie and fruit season) or to look for the organic label. Unfortunately, the labels at the grocery store (organic or conventional) don’t reveal all that much… but it’s important to be informed! We’re a no spray farm but not all farms are. Here’s the Environmental Working Group’s – Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. And the article that sums up the list of the dirty dozen fruits and veggies.

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Remember your crates this week (berry boxes and rubberbands too)! You guys have been doing a great job remembering! We will have some A LA CARTE EGGS available this week at the CSA pick-up. First come, first serve. They will be in a red cooler if we have any available! $7.50/dozen Please bring checks only.

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See you all soon!

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All the best,

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your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Striding Ahead (week 3)

Posted on 3 Jun 2014

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,

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Week 3 is here and everyone is getting into the groove of the CSA (including your farmers!) Making more home cooked meals, feeling more confident in the kitchen, being open to trying new veggies! We decided to keep the encouragement high with some helpful tips for CSA success. These aren’t all the ways to be successful as each person’s journey is there own but eating well, preparing food at home, being conscious of our own food journeys, and staying inspired and curious about nourishing ourselves, our families & friends is what it’s all about. If anything, reading through these should encourage and make you feel great about the choice to sign up for CSA and be a part of your local farm!

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Newsletter & Recipes. First and foremost, read the weekly newsletter and recipe print-out each week! There are lots of farm updates that you don’t want to miss out on.. as well as some tried and true recipes and suggestions from your farmers on how to prepare your weekly share. We love growing the food but it’s just as important to us that you are eating and preparing the food and therefore have a life changing and positive experience!

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Broccoli and lettuce and mix – oh my!

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Meal planning. This is a great way to utilize each week’s bounty. For those who have their meals planned each week you know that planning goes as follows, pick recipes, make a list, purchase groceries. That’s because we cook from the recipe, not from its ingredients. With CSA cooking the idea is to start planning your meals after you pick up your share. If meal planning seems overwhelming, start with just a few planned meals a week. This change in the process means cooking with what’s in season, and it’s a good habit to get into to eating better and feeling great.

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How to stride ahead. This is a great video showing the simplicity and ease of processing veggies when first bringing them home. Oh, the practical pleasures of eating.. of just how washing or soaking the greens, pre-roasting/cooking, & storing veggies can make for many more homemade meals in a busy week, increase the longevity of the produce and make cooking enjoyable (as it should be!)

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Our bagged greens should keep wonderfully during the week but it’s important to prep bunched greens and lettuce heads by washing, chopping and storing them in a tightly sealed container with a moist paper towel or try washing them wrapping them in a moist towel/paper towel and putting them in a bag. Otherwise the refrigerator has its way with them and sucks out all their moisture… leaving much to be desired. Take those tops off! Root veggies (beets, carrots etc) and other bulb veggies (radish, turnip, kohlrabi, onions, fennel etc) all have leafy greens attached. Make sure to cut the greens and store them separately so that they stop drawing moisture out of the veggie (if your carrots, radishes, beets etc get floppy.. now you know why).

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The bees are keepin’ beezy and the first flowers are blooming…

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Freezing and canning. Our Week 4 newsletter from last season is full of helpful information and places to start. Don’t forget that although you’re enjoying your veggies now there’s something satisfying about saving your extras for later in the year! We are on our last dozen jars of homemade tomato sauce and can’t express how lovely it is to pop open a jar of our summer tomatoes!

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Save those scraps! Save the stems from the kale, collards, chard, spinach, the thick stalks from the broccoli, the ends and peels of carrots, tops of peppers, radish stems etc… Wrap up the scraps as you accumulate them (a pyrex or a bag with a moist towel works) and stash them in the fridge. At the end of the week you can make a delicious stock. Some folks make a gallon sized bag of “stock items” and freeze it for later… Check out this helpful blog post with all the details!

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Our newbies this year… the cows and the piggers are happy, healthy and mowin’ up a storm… just something about all that Spring grass.

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Enjoy eating new vegetables! One of our greatest examples of this is the amount of people who grew up on boiled to death beets.. or worse, canned tasteless beets. When people try the beets from the farm in a new way (roasted, in a salad, as burgers or even in brownies) they change their minds and there are so many things that contribute to that. Mostly, it’s the openness of trying something new or trying something in a new way. Branch out and explore your palette and see what tastes great to you. You have your farmers to consult and a wealth of resources at your fingertips so don’t hesitate to be inspired!

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Get inspired by Seasonal Cookbooks & Recipe Blogs. Books, such as, An Everlasting Meal, Vegetable Literacy, From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce, Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse Vegetables, The Four Season Farm Gardener’s Cookbook, Simply in Season or The Flavor Bible . Blogs, such as, The Year In Food, Smitten Kitchen, Happy Yolks or any of the others listed in the week 3 newsletter from last season!

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Truffle is the best mama pig ever. Her little ones are not so little and are gettin’ ready to be weaned. Hard to believe they’ll be 8 weeks soon!

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Eating in season! We live in such a fertile part of the US and should relish in all the wonderful things that grow where we live. Waiting for those first seasonal crops can be hard after a winter of root veggies, brassicas, soups & bread but everything tastes that much sweeter (because it’s fresh, in season and grown just down the road in the dirt & in the open air!) It’s easy to enjoy the conveniences of the grocery store (that’s what it’s there for) but we tell ya that waiting all winter and spring for that first seasonal vine ripened tomato is the best thing for ya! -

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Getting your fridge ready for fresh goodies! Take the time the night before to make space for a new box of goodies, and to take inventory of any veggies that would love to be used up in a ‘end of the week’ stirfry, curry, soup, roasted veg, kale chips, smoothies, or green pesto! Making vegetable stock is always a happy solution for extra veggies – rough chop them, simmer them in a few quarts of water (a cup or two of veggies to one quart of water) for 30 – 40 minutes, and you have stock. Strain it, freeze it, and so versatile! Flavorful, rich in vitamins and minerals..

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We still can’t get the thought, “you only have 30 chances to grow potatoes” out of our heads… we love farming!

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More veggies, please. Add or double the amount of vegetables in your meals! See how many different vegetables you can pack in to what you’re already cooking.

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Eat or drink vegetables for breakfast! For breakfast try a simple sautee with greens & garlic, biscuits, with eggs, in a quiche or veggie pancakes. Drink your veggies! There are so many great veggie smoothies out there – whatever you have give it a go!

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As your CSA farmers, throughout the 28-week season we provide you with the most nutrient rich, organic, thoughtfully-grown–with-love, fresh picked & seasonal produce! We strive to…. grow produce according to the seasons and to the best of our abilities. To introduce you to new varieties of veggies & include delicious ways to prepare them! To encourage you to enjoy your time in the kitchen, be playful and to have fun. Each week that you pick up your crate full of bounty we pass the torch to you. We’re a part of each others food journey and we look forward to hearing week to week about what you’re cooking, what was eaten first and what you really enjoyed. It completes our food journey here on the farm to hear and see how the hard work is being utilized and enjoyed!

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Ahab and Una on their lunch break.. these workin’ dogs sure do enjoy a good nap in the shade…

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Remember your crates this week (berry boxes and rubberbands too)! We may have some A LA CARTE EGGS available this week at the CSA pick-up. First come, first serve. They will be in a red cooler if we have any available! $7.50/dozen Please bring checks only.

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See you soon!

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Our kindest regards,

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Busy as a Bee (Week 2)

Posted on 27 May 2014

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“There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things.” – Wendell Berry

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Hello Friends & Farm-ily,

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Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your enthusiasm and encouragement last week! After only a week of harvest we are feeling GREAT about all the hard work, thoughtfully built infrastructure, love and sweat that has been put into the dirt in preparation for feeding our awesome members. This is what it’s all about! We feel like the luckiest farmers ever and think our farm-ily is the bees knees.

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We are ready for Week 2 of harvest here at the farm and we are seeing RED (lots of it) – did somebody say strawberry season? Well, in case you didn’t hear… the season is here! And what crazy weather we’ve been having… not so much rain this Spring and lots of sun. We’re seeing flower buds on the peppers as well as our first tomatoes forming on the vine.. it’s true! And it’s only May 26^th? We’ll take it!

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The freedom rangers out on fresh pasture and red berries for days…

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The farm is looking great! All our fruits and veggies are growing, growing, growing and loving these longer days. We hope you’ve been enjoying the tender greens that only Spring brings. Your farmers have sure been eating a lot of fresh salads for breakfast (with a couple hardboiled eggs), lunch (as a side or right on a sandwich) and dinner (sometimes just a touch of olive oil, balsalmic vinegar, salt, pepper & parmesan will do the trick) with some of those delicious radishes too! YUM. We’ve been busy seeding in successional crops of greens, brassicas, melons, squash, cukes, beans etc.. with corn and winter squash on the horizon… (these farmers are already thinking Fall crops). This time of the year is amazing for planting/growing as things start growing like weeds (just so different from early Spring.. when you’re waiting, waiting, waiting, sooo patiently for things to sprout!) It’s amazing to think how many hours, days, love & light it takes to produce vegetables. From the seed starting process, to transplanting, weeding & tending, to harvesting.. it can be anywhere from 2-5 months before a veggie is brought to your home. What an incredible food journey!

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‘Tis the time of the season for Brassica crops.. beautiful kohlrabi and kale. The flea beetles have been doing their best at getting the first few bites of the leaves.. pesky little guys..

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Though it’s our busiest time of the year of the farm, these hardworking farmers have had an extra set of hands this past week – my amazing Dad! But – in reality – when my dad is around it’s like having a whole team of hardworking folks by your side! We’ve accomplished an incredible amount in the 7 days that he’s been here.. and the farm has never looked better! In the weeks leading up to his trip out here he was working real hard on finishing up all his lobster traps and getting his gear ready for the beginning of his lobster season back on Cape Cod. He put his stuff on pause to give us a hand and spend some quality time on the new farm – his first time out here – and it has been amazing having him here. We’re surely going to miss him…

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My dad is someone who knows a lot about all sorts of things… from gardening and beekeeping, to fishing and hunting, machinery and tools etc, he’s a pretty talented guy with a fine attention to detail and basic understanding of most things. It’s amazing that with almost all things he knows, he knows the most efficient way possible to get the job accomplished. He’s like the ultimate puzzle solver and I’ve never met anyone else quite like him. And for those who have had the chance to meet him.. I think they’d say the same. He also has endless energy and it’s easy for us to work the long hours (5:30 – 9) and have fun doing it. Sometimes I realize the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree…

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Gloucester follows us everywhere on the farm… even during egg collection. We’re not sure how we managed it but we hit the kitty jackpot upon taking him home!

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My dad and the tractor have been getting to know each other pretty well while he’s been here (after all.. we’re the young farmers who should be doing the heavy lifting!) and he’s managed to mow a good 20 acres + which hopefully means encouraging the grass to grow and outcompete any pesky weeds. Having a third person around the farm helps to move projects forward and to always have an extra set of hands to help if you need it. Plus, Brian and I both love being around my Dad. We learn so much from him and he’s funny to boot. He loves us and believes in us and it feels great having him here. Now we just have to get him to retire and make him the official grounds keeper at Working Hands Farm. (THANK YOU DAD for all your help!)

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Bees. One of my favorite moments of his visit was going through and inspecting /cleaning the hives. We added a second medium to all the hives as they already have one deep and one medium full of healthy brood and even capped honey! It was amazing. It helped that we started this year with equipment left over from last year’s hives with lots of happy built up comb to give these new bees a nice start as well as some saved honey frames for food. It also helps that we’ve had a very sunny Spring which has led to 9 thriving hives! My dad and I were in awe of how well all the hives were doing. The hive that survived the winter last year is going just as strong (if not stronger) than the new hives. The blackberries and raspberries are flowering and those little buggers couldn’t be happier…

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Poultry. After finding 8 little eggs a few days ago our little layers have been moved in with our big layers. So far, so good in the hen house… The freedom rangers are also moving up in the World and have happily relocated to their spacious moveable chateau. We’ve been enjoying the Freedom Rangers a lot and are very pleased with our experience thus far! The little turkeys are almost feathered-out and ready for their own brooder expansion in the coming week… they certainty have minds of their owns and are making trouble already. So far we’ve found 3 little turkeys upstairs in the barn. They jump from stair to stair and perch amongst the stored bee equipment.. we have to admit.. they are pretty darn cute.

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The first tomatoes are appearing… and are the best looking maters we’ve ever seen! The turkeys have won over our hearts the past month and can’t wait to see them out walking about..

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Cows & Pigs. The Angus herd has made friends with Ellie and Maribelle and are enjoying the sunny days in the never-ending pasture. They’ve been eating an incredible amount of Spring grass and are doing a great job maintaining our new pasture and there’s no better feeling than that. All the pigs are back at the beginning of their pasture rotation. So much lush, green grass! Those little American Guinea Hogs are just the coolest. Truffle and her little piglets have successfully been moved to fresh grass where they are now all enjoying the green stuff! As for our trio, they continue to grow at an exponential rate. They are fast and curious creatures who are getting more and more used to us all the time…

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A few reminders… please remember to bring back your empty crate this week in exchange for one full of fresh, delicious produce. Your farmers thank you in advance. If you are sharing a share and you are unable to coordinate returning your crate each week, the best way to ensure a crate is always being returned to the farm is to transfer your weekly share into a couple of reusable bags and to leave the crate at the CSA Pick-up. Also, any rubber bands or berry boxes may be returned as well!

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Artichokes and sweet potatoes… it’s gonna be a great season!

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The CSA recipe books were ordered last week and we expect them to arrive sometime this week. With the holiday (and them being such a small company) we imagine we won’t have them until later this week… but if they miraculously appear we’ll have them at the drop with folks names on them!

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Keep being awesome and stay inspired in the kitchen.. there are lots of new goodies on the horizon that we’re getting hungry for already…

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All the best and see you all this week,

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Your farmers

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Jess & Brian

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Dirty hands, clean hearts

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Let the Harvest Season Begin! (Week 1)

Posted on 19 May 2014

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,

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Let the 2014 harvest season begin! We are so happy and appreciative of all your support and encouragement over the last 5 months (since our 2014 season started). It’s been months in the making and we look forward to the season beginning and to celebrate with a bountiful harvest this week! Yeah!

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Flow of the CSA. Over the next few weeks we will all begin to get into the flow of pick ups, harvests, seasons, you name it. Spring is a great time to adapt-to and learn new habits, to eat seasonally and fresh. We remind you to be patient, to be excited and to enjoy it. There are so many decisions that one person must make everyday – a daunting task at times – revel in those food choices your farmers and the changing of the seasons are making for you each week. Get creative & be inspired. Ask questions & be open – you’ll be surprised what you might find as the season unfolds. Past members have suggested going to the grocery store after you have received your crate. It saves you trips and also may save you from going to the grocery every week (your farmers know that you always leave the grocery with way more than you intended) thus cutting down on food costs!

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Enjoy all the benefits of eating fresh (picked THAT morning), eating seasonally (sorry, no tomatoes in May), and local (your local farmer, Brian and I, need the support of our community)!

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Watching the garden grow in the last few weeks has been a joy. Lots of sun, longer days and warmer temps means happy, happy plants!–

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Farm Pick Up Time. Farm Pick Ups take place on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 4 – 7pm (please double check on your assigned day). It’s important to come between the pick up times (and not a minute before) as it’s just the two of us and we harvest everything fresh that morning so your farmer’s need the time to harvest, wash and pack all the CSA shares.

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Parking & Pick-Up Area. We have created a new parking area at the farm for a convenient and stress free pick-up (for those of you who are familiar with the old farm parking lot you will understand)! Park thoughtfully as folks tend to come in waves and the parking will fill up fast! Our hope is to build a more permanent lean-to structure but for now you will find your share under the white market tents next to our old farmhouse (between the beautiful black walnut and maple tree). We are breathing new life into a very old forgotten farm property so you will see it become more and more beautiful as the seasons and years go on… Thank you for growing with us and for being a part of this process!

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Farmer Brian has been dreaming up our herd since we first met. With the help of our family we have invested in a beautiful little herd of Angus of our own.

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The Pick-Up. All the crates are packed exactly the same & everyone should sign in before grabbing their crate. Your farmers will be available at pick ups from 4-5pm – this is a great time to catch up on the going-ons on the farm, share cooking tips, talk recipes, etc… basically chat about all things farm related. *After 5pm it’s back to the ol’ farmer to-do list, evening chores and eventually farmer dinner. Pick-Up is also a great opportunity to meet other members and share over the common bonds of food, health and community! If you are unable to come pick up your share from 4-7 on your assigned day, you can either arrange for a friend or family member to pick it up for you. If you cannot find anyone to pick-up the box on your behalf please give us 24hr notice (emails are best) so we don’t harvest the box for a no-show, your farmer’s least favorite thing. All unclaimed boxes will be donated to the pigs, cows and chickens after the CSA drop has finished.

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–We are busily finishing up the last of our crates, washing/packing area, new greenhouse you name it!

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CSA Crates. Our CSA crates are hand built (by your farmers) as the hope is to use them for years to come. We believe this to be a more sustainable practice as the alternative (cardboard, paper, plastic, etc) only last a year or two – not to mention we love the aesthetic and nostalgia it brings together with all the fresh bounty brimming over. It is an extra thing we do for the CSA and we love it. It’s very important to return them each week. It’s one of those things that makes a huge difference in efficiency as it’s just the two of us harvesting for 30 families everyday (if we don’t have enough crates there is nothing to put your produce in…) Past members suggest leaving it in the trunk of you car, on your door step or by your back door (so you remember to grab it.) It’s a small but very important role that you play in order to make this CSAflow smoothly! We thank you in advance for helping us in that regard.

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**For those folks who are splitting a share (picking up every other week)**…if you’re unable to coordinate returning your crate each week, the best way to ensure a crate is always being returned to the farm is to transfer your weekly share into a couple of reusable bags and to leave the crate at the CSA Pick-up.

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Get ready for lots of tender Spring greens! Oh-so-good!

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Egg cartons, Berry Boxes, Rubberbands etc. For all those who purchase egg shares (with the WHF label) please save up your egg cartons for us and return them. We also reuse all berry boxes (1/2 pints, pints, quarts) and rubberbands so you can return those as well. We are a thoughtful farm in terms of minimizing waste and reuse what we can!

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CSA Recipes. There will be 2-4 recipes included with each weekly share. These recipes have been tried and tested (and doubly approved by your farmers)! If you happen to try a different recipe with some of the veggies from the box feel free to send it out way so that we too can try it and share it with others! Check out the CSA Cookoff, Food Preservation Tips from your farmers, and some of our favorite food blogs for more ideas! CSA Recipe Book: For those of you who put in an order for the CSA Recipe book don’t forget to bring a check this week at pick-up! There will be a jar for checks by the sign-in.

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These little buggers are the newest members of the WHF crew. They’ve been busy mowing down blackberry and other invasives at the top of the property. Goats are so cool…

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Farm livestock. All of our members will have the opportunity to see/visit the livestock on our farm during our to-be-scheduled CSA Farm Day. Keep in mind that almost all of our livestock are kept inside of electrified fences so parents please keep a close eye on you children during this day. On a weekly basis, feel free to say hello to our wee farm greeters and blackberry management team – our goats – just don’t touch the fence as it’s hot!

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Volunteering, CSA Farm Day, Movie Nights, Newsletters etc. Throughout the season we offer opportunities to volunteer, enjoy a CSA Member Farm Day, summer movie nights etc all on the farm. Also, to keep our farm-ily connected to the farm, the seasons and what it takes to grow food locally we send a weekly farm newsletter so be sure to read the whole thing through! We post frequently on instagram & facebook to share in our day-to-day and to stay connected with people (as you can imagine we spend 99% of our time with 2-4 legged critters ha!) All of these opportunities are a great way to see the farm, chat with your farmers, meet other CSA members in the community and enjoy the seasons on the farm.

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Our fearless pups are learning their place on the farm as working dogs. Meanwhile, our freedom rangers are enjoying their new open space!

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Thank you again for all your support! It’s been a busy Spring and there is much anticipation to get this season started (WHOO HOO!) We have another exciting season ahead with over 60 different types of vegetables and several different varieties of each (it’s never a dull moment on the farm!) Enjoy the leafy greens and cool weather brassica crops that you will find in the first few week’s of the CSA (the Spring seasons natural cleanse… after a Winter full of root crops and heavier foods). As well as the sun sweetened strawberries whose season is never long enough (perhaps this is why we plant everbearing)! The greens will be tender, delicious and untouched by the heat that summer brings. Enjoy them while they are here! The bounty will continue to grow and grow and grow as we near the longer, warmer days of Summer! Thanks again for all your support and we look forward to sharing in the bounty with you this season.

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With kindest 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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p.s. If you see a guy with a big tempest of a beard be sure to say HELLO! My dad is visiting from the East Coast to help us out with a handful of projects. It’s his first time coming out since we started this new farm last Spring…. he’s the best!

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A Season of Endless Possibilities

Posted on 25 Apr 2014

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“Where are you, what are you doing, and who are you with when you most feel like yourself?”

– from one of our favorite posts by Happyolks

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Hello friends,

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April showers bring May flowers…. The past month has been one for the books. We’ve been graced with plenty of sunshine and warmer days mixed with Spring showers & cloud cover – perfect for transplanting and prepping the soil. The happy greenhouse starts are beginning to flourish outside in the soft, brownie mix like soil (soil that has been farmed for the last 130 + years) and we couldn’t be more excited! We love Spring in the Pacific Northwest!

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Everyday there’s just a bit more green and a whole lot of inspiration. Our days toiling the Earth may be growing longer – 7am-9pm, seven days a week – but we are more encouraged than ever. Our farm lists never get any smaller but we enjoy waking up with the sun, prioritizing the next things on the list and getting them done. So much food is currently growing outside with much more to be planted in the coming weeks (we’re talking our first tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, squash…. they’re coming!) The brassicas all love this weather (kale, collards, broccoli, romanesco, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower etc) as well as our first successions of carrots, beets, chard, mixed greens, lettuce… are you guys hungry yet? We know we are….

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The bees are back in town!

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This month we also welcomed new life onto the farm. Our dearest sow, Truffle, had a litter of 5 healthy piglets. She’s doing a great job being a second time mom and we couldn’t be more pleased. We love our little American Guinea Hogs and were pleased to see that they’ve moved from the Livestock Conservancy’s “critical list” to the “threatened list.” Our newest trio of pigs (large black/tamworth crosess) are still on the critical list but we aim to preserve & encourage species diversification from heritage breeds to heirloom seeds here on the farm.

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We also received 100 healthy and thriving Freedom Ranger broilers and with any luck they will be ready come the end of June. It will be our first experience with broilers but we look forward to offering a product that our members know and trust (ourselves included)! Lastly, we are so happy to have a flurry of honey bees back on the farm! After the up and down winter weather this year we only had 1 out of 7 of our hives survive. We recently picked up 8 new nucleus’ that are now happy and thriving in their new homes. There is nothing like the the buzzing of bees working beside you… we are just so happy to see them thriving again. It truly is the beginning of the season that holds the most possibilities…

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April is a month of plant, plant, plant & build, build, build, build!

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Spring is always a busy time on the farm and a great reminder that everything we do on our farm is done with the utmost love and appreciation for the environment and our community! Whether it’s growing and providing nutritious, safe, organically grown produce & berries for our CSA members or happy, healthy eggs for our Egg Share members or the other avenues that Brian & I are personally exploring on the farm (bees, animal husbandry, honey, meat, dairy etc) we do it all with love. Throughout the season we encourage and welcome you to ask us questions about anything that relates to the farm, food, food policy, nutrition, recipes, etc. These conversations are the connection that we have to each other and why you’ve joined the CSA and why we do what we do… so let’s get excited about food & farming together!

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The start of the CSA. So let’s get down to it… our projected start of the 2014 season is the week of May 20^th.As the seasons vary the CSA may begin up to two weeks before or after our estimated start date of Tuesday May 20th and continue on from that date for 28 weeks. We will keep everyone posted as we get closer! Our bodies and minds are eager to begin harvesting from the garden…

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Time to get ready for the CSA with a few recommendations from your farmers…

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Finding a quiet moment every once in a while to take it all in…

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Farmer Recipe Book recommendations:

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From Asparagus to Zucchini – This book is a great guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal produce just for CSA members. 420 original recipes written by farmers, members & cooks who love veggies in Wisconsin. **BULK BOOK PRICE: If more than 10 of our members are interested in purchasing this book we would be able to get a bulk price on them. $13/book + UPS ground shipping cost + $1 handling fee per order. Email if your interested and we’ll see if we get to 10 or more!**

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An Everlasting Meal – I love this book written by Tamar Adler. It breaks down cooking and preparing foods in the most simple and delicious of ways. Great recipes for using what you have, wherever you are. From how to properly boil foods to ‘suggestions for what to do when cooking seems like a chore, and strategies for preparing, storing, and transforming ingredients for a week’s worth of satisfying, delicious meals.’ Here’s a little video that reminds us of the practical pleasures of eating – of just how washing or soaking the greens, pre-roasting/cooking, & storing veggies can make for many more homemade meals in a busy week, increase the longevity of the produce and make cooking enjoyable (as it should be!)

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Vegetable Literacy – A beautiful cookbook written by Deborah Madison featuring over 300 vegetable recipes. “Destined to become the new standard reference for cooking vegetables, Vegetable Literacy shows cooks that, because of their shared characteristics, vegetables within the same family can be used interchangeably in cooking.” Fascinating and inspiring (both in written and visual form) for the cook in the family!

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The girls have been loving their luscious new pasture.. it’s so amazing to see cows out there everyday..

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Recipe Website Recommendation:

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CSA Cookoff – Get Farm Share Recipes – The CSA Cookoff is HOMEGROWN.org’s ongoing series devoted to putting their weekly farm share bounty to good use. Click on their photos for their weekly CSA recipes.

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Preservation! Check out our write-up on preservation ideas (and book recommendations) for all your extra weekly goodies and getting creative in the kitchen.

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Our recommended food blogs – Check out our write-up on some of our favorite food blogs. Also, be sure to check out one of our member’s blogs – Miss Kali Martin – who is the cook and creator of all this delicious at Bird is the Word.

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PIWe’ve decided that piglets are the most adorable baby animals on the planet (look at those wrinkles!)

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Farmer Documentary Recommendations:

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To Make A Farm – This one hits close to home. It was inspiring, heartwarming, hopeful and very real. A must watch! This doc explores the lives of 5 young farmers who have decided to become small-scale farmers. “exceptionally hopeful, giving us a close-range view of humanity along with a detailed portrayal of the nuts and bolts of agriculture.” The trailer can be found here… it’s available on Amazon, google play & itunes.

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Food, Inc. – This one is a few years old now but it’s one of our favorite food documentaries. This is a great example of why we do things the way we do and keep it small, safe and the best! Here’s the trailer and it’s available on Amazon, google play & itunes.

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More than Honey – These little honeybees are at the heart of our food system so why are they facing worldwide extinction? Beautifully filmed revealing a fascinating, complex world in crisis. Find the trailer here and it’s available on Amazon, google play & itunes.

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Chickens LOVE this time of the year.. they are just so darn productive! In a month’s time our immature layers will move into the Chateau!

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Quick Web Videos/Interviews:

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Author Jo Robinson in this interview on NPR ‘Eating On The Wild Side:’ A Field Guide To Nutritious Food. The book talks of how wild forage that our ancestors used to eat was more nutrient dense than the food we eat now – to “cultivate the wild plants that were the most pleasurable to eat.” More pleasurable generally meant less bitter and higher in sugar, starch or oil. It’s a great listen. She has some interesting facts too.. like how it takes 10 cups of iceberg lettuce to get the same amount of nutrients as ½ cup of loose leaf lettuce. Or, “compared with spinach, one of our present-day “superfoods,” wild dandelion leaves have eight times more antioxidant activity, two times more calcium, three more times vitamin A, and five times more vitamins K and E.” It’s why we grow the diverse crops that we do… and probably why you joined the CSA – for the diversity, to eat seasonally and to feed your body the best that you can.

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Birke Baehr: What’s Wrong With Our Food System – How can you not love this kid? 11 year old Birke explains what’s wrong with our food system and what we can do to help.

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Robyn O’Brien at TEDxAustin 2011 – Say no to GMOs! Just another reason why we do what we do…. she’s talkin’ kids, food allergies from GMOs, and why every other country bans the “food” that we consume in the U.S. here.

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Our pups are getting too big, too quick… farmer Brian is already on schedule for his 5 minute recharge nap after lunch.

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There are plenty more books, videos, documentaries etc that we could recommend but this is a great place to start! We are looking forward to the season ahead and sharing the bounty with you all. Thank you for your support, encouragement and positivity! All that energy gets stored up in us and inspires us to grow better, not bigger. You’ll be hearing from us soon.. until then keep root-ing on your farmers… it’s GO TIME!

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Kindest 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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p.s. You will find the biggest slideshow of images ever below…

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Forward March!

Posted on 12 Mar 2014

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“Why do farmers farm, given their economic adversities on top of the many frustrations and difficulties normal to farming? And always the answer is: “Love. They must do it for love.” Farmers farm for the love of farming. They love to watch and nurture the growth of plants. They love to live in the presence of animals. They love to work outdoors. They love the weather, maybe even when it is making them miserable. They love to live where they work and to work where they live. If the scale of their farming is small enough, they like to work in the company of their children and with the help of their children. They love the measure of independence that farm life can still provide. I have an idea that a lot of farmers have gone to a lot of trouble merely to be self-employed to live at least a part of their lives without a boss.” – Wendell Berry

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Hi Friends & Farm-ily,

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Forward March! March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb… and in the first week of March it has definitely felt like both (a rainstorm, some flooding, sun, clouds, light rain showers and warmth). With all the snow and rain in February our bottomland on the property flooded out into a glorious pond. A week ago the water level was already back to where it started and then another rainstorm came through at the end of last week – and it has risen again! We appreciate the water though as it is the perfect way to bring in March and celebrate the coming of Spring (not to mention all the beautiful minerals the flood brings to our farm from the coastal range). There is so much growth and green already around these parts…

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Many new things have been happening on the farm since our last update. We’ve been seeding like crazy and are pumped for the coming months and the glorious transformation of the farm. Seeds are sprouting in the greenhouse and we are just a few weeks away from planting them in the ground. For us, there’s nothing better than a greenhouse brimming with glorious & healthy seedlings. This week we are starting all our peppers and tomatoes as well as leafy greens, our second round of brassicas (cauliflowers, kohlrabi, cabbage) etc. Now is the time to spread the good word as we have less than 10 shares available for the 2014 season and are so excited for fresh vegetables and fruits! Help your farmers to grow better and spread the farm love!

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Also, just a friendly reminder that your first CSA payments are due by April 1^st. Please email us if you have any questions. Checks can be mailed to 7705 SW River Rd. Hillsboro, OR 97123 or if you would prefer to drop off your payment in person send us an email to arrange a time.

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Ahab our pup and Gloucester our barn cart..

Welcome to the farm-ily! We welcomed a few new (furry) members to the Working Hands Farm-ily last week. A very fuzzy pack mate for Una, little Ahab and our amazing new barn cat, Gloucester that we picked up from the amazing folks at Quail Run Creamery in Gaston (if you haven’t tried their little goat feta you are missing out!) Gloucester is already the best barn cat we could have asked for. He fancies his new life here on the farm and greets us each time we step into the barn. True to his nature – he is a great mouser and Ellie and Maribelle are big fans of him as well.

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Our little pup Ahab is a great pyrenees/maremma mix which means he’s a working dog through and though. Ahab and Una have been a great balance for each other. We’re excited to see how they learn and grow together as they teach these two farmers a thing or two. Raising pups takes a lot of hard work but they are eager to learn, discover and find their place here on the farm.

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They have such a sweet bond already…

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Greenhouse # 2. We’ve been busy putting up our second greenhouse – piece by piece – and have hopes of raising the bows later this week! We are just too excited about season extension here on the farm….

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Pasture, pasture, pasture. With all the rain and sun our pasture is really taking off! Last week we moved the pigs out to pasture and let us tell you, they are some real happy pigs. We’ve been rotating them around an area we had a hard time tilling up last Summer/Fall and are letting them plough it up and fertilize it for us. So far they’ve done a great job. The flooding has taken over their area a bit so we’ve had to improvise on our rotation but nonetheless they have been extremely adaptable and are meant for this kind of living! We’re hoping by the end of the month that the cows should be out on pasture too (it needs to dry out a little bit before we turn the heavier critters on it). We’ve been busy enclosing the main pasture fence and aren’t too far away from seeing the cows out there in the fresh grass and sunshine…

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Piggies on pasture.. what could be better?

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The chicken pasture is now enclosed with electric netting (to keep them safe from the many predators who enter the farm as well as making it highly moveable for your farmers). The girls love all the bugs and sprouts they are finding outside. We will over-seed their second pasture this week and rotate them between both pastures throughout the season.

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In just a few months time the younger laying hens will be ready to move into Chateau Poulet. Until then, we built a sweet little mobile chicken coop for them (also, in anticipation for our Freedom Ranger – meat birds – that will be arriving later this Spring). When the Freedom Rangers are old enough they will be out on pasture in their new cool pasture shelter. So far the little ones love their new little space and even after a few seasons of raising chicks – still can’t believe how quickly they grow! Also, we will have egg shares available to purchase for the upcoming season SOON!

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Not so baby chicks are moving on to greener pastures…

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Fresh, pasture-raised eggs! ‘Tis the time in the season to support the ladies of Chateau Poulet. With the longer days the hens are starting to lay again. If you are already signed up for the CSA and are interested in buying the best darn eggs this side of somewhere. Email us and we will put them in the cooler for you. All of our hens are fed an organic, corn/soy free, verified non-GMO diet and have access to pasture 24hrs a day. A quick tip-trip saver- our eggs are super fresh so buying several dozens at a time will keep longer and save you a weekly egg trip! Give the ladies some love!

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Volunteer Day – Strawberry Planting. Many Hands, Make Light Work… This week we will be receiving a large shipment of strawberry plants, which means we’ll be planting 10+ 100ft rows of strawberries this weekend (here’s hoping for dry weather)! Last year we planted a similar amount and it took us 2 full days with a dozen or so enthusiastic helping hands! Please send us an email if you are interested in coming to help and we will keep you updated towards the end of the week with all the details!

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The green garlic grows and the fencing continues..

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‘Tis the time of the season to send your farmers some love as we continue to seed, till up the first ground of the season, finish up the pasture fencing and construction of greenhouse #2, construct the new shade structure and pick up area for the CSA, lay irrigation for the vegetables etc etc… phew.. (we LOVE it!) Here we go! Bring on Spring!

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Enjoy that (almost) Spring sunshine,

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Your Farmers

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Gratitude on the Farm

Posted on 4 Mar 2014

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“And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our feet, and learn to be at home.” – Wendell Berry

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Life on the farm (and in general) is full of opportunities. Everyday that you wake up they are there – some of them may be routine, some of them may be new or scary, some may even be hard but if you look at them as opportunities you will always see the best in each situation and feel grateful for something.

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Growing up on a little homestead in Marstons Mills, Mass nature was always at the heart of the world around us. My parents were the greatest teachers and gave my sister and I a deep appreciation for the little things, the big things and the basic necessities of life.. to be self sufficient, to take care of yourself (emotionally, physically and spiritually), to appreciate the World around you and to be open to all possibilities. It’s no wonder that after college and a move out of the country that I would find myself reflecting on the importance of being connected to my community, nature and my surroundings. Being far away from that idyllic world I grew up in made me hungry for that connection to nature and community, and to that accomplished feeling of being self sufficient. It didn’t take very long before I was back in the states pursuing my love of all those things…

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Back in ’88…

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So, fast-forward a few years (8 to be exact) to where I followed my dream all the way across the country to Hillsboro, Oregon where I met someone just as crazy about this way of life as me.

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As CSA farmers – my partner and I – work for ourselves. Each day we have our routine chores (feed the cows, chickens, pigs, check on the seedlings, walk the dog, collect eggs, cook food etc), the unexpected opportunities that arise (frozen pipes, broken pipes, runaway pigs, wilting plants, floods, pests… you name it), and the goals we plan to accomplish for the week (the list is constantly growing and is always keeping us on our toes).

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The CSA is at the heart of our farm. The community, the support, the encouragement, the gratefulness all lend to balancing the hard work, long days and productive dedication with happiness, fulfillment and gratitude. We feel blessed and inspired all through the day. We get to grow food (healthy, nutritious and delicious food) for our local community and there’s nothing better than that.

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Maribelle, our sweet jersey calf in 2012…

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A lot of people say, “I can’t believe how hard you two work,” or “How do you keep up with it all?,” or even “Don’t work too much…” The funny thing is, it isn’t work to us it’s what we love to do. And it starts with seeing it (all of it) as opportunities for living healthy, happy and productive lives.

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We’ve adopted a philosophy over the past few years that sums it up in a nutshell (and is easy to remember throughout the day)… the trick is to say, “this is what I get to do today” not “what I have to do today.” Everything rides on those two verbs. No matter how long the list gets. Everyday is precious.

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Practicing gratitude is a way of life. It’s important because everyday that we wake up it’s not always the obvious things that we are grateful for on the farm. The unexpected things, the hard things, the things we don’t really want to do – those are the moments where being grateful teaches you to be grateful for all things. That through choosing to do the hard things you learn more about yourself. Whether it’s how you react to a stubborn animal, how to build something you’ve never built before, a confrontation or a hard decision to make, or the hardest of them all, believing in ones self… all things come back to becoming a better person and it’s easier to let things go and move on because there is always another opportunity waiting for you there to learn, improve, and make forward progress…

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Transplanting the third round of summer crops last season…

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Every time we grow a new plant or invest in a new animal, we read all the books, we get all the tools and materials that we need to care for that animal, or to grow that plant, and then slowly overtime we figure out what works and what doesn’t and at time’s it can be a steep learning curve. There’s a funny idea about farming that makes you believe you have to do everything yourself in order to have some semblance of control… but what time and trust and being in tune with nature and your senses tells you is just this… stop and look. Observe an animal, know this animal, understand it. Your senses are heightened when something is off and you notice those things more quickly and you are far more in tune that you ever imagined. Over time we learn what it is that the animal or plant needs to thrive. And sometimes the most surprising findings as a farmer are the things you learn about yourself along the way. This keeps everything moving forward in a positive way. When I stop and look each day it gives me a clear reflection of myself and all things (for better or for worse). Being open to those lessons that life has to teach you is the gift of gratitude. To keep a good perspective on all the things that we get to do and get to learn about (in this very short life!)

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Sometimes it’s hard because you work long days and you don’t always allow yourself to stop and look and appreciate. Some days it’s “go, go, go” but if you can sit at the end of the day and be grateful that’s important. I know this is something that I need to work on throughout the day. To stop and look. And go.

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The bounty and the beauty of the growing season…

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Nothing is final on the farm. Everything moves in a circle – just the like seasons… and it’s a great reminder that there is always another opportunity waiting for you. The more experience and knowledge that you have the more you grow, learn and work smarter.

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They say that happiness stems from gratefulness – it’s not the other way around. It’s not, ‘happiness makes you grateful,’ it’s when you are grateful, that you are happy. It means you are connected and open to all the opportunities that each day gives you.

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I have a partner who is pretty much the most – one of the most, maybe THE most – grateful person that I know and because of that he has no fear. We all have our harder days but he’s pretty much my biggest inspiration for practicing gratitude every day and for keeping a positive and healthy outlook on the world. Because of his outlook, all of the opportunities he’s had/taken, he’s met each one with vigor and excitement and he’s learned a lot. In my book that makes him incredibly successful. He enjoys each and every day. Which is really important because life, again, is too short.

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We all kind of start out that way – being kids we approach all things with “child-like wonder” which is kind of like being grateful for all opportunities.

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The bees have a lot to teach us as farmers… and it’s been one of our favorite projects yet!

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It’s hard to feel the highs without the lows and if you can keep it all in perspective I’d say each day is pretty darn good. It can start small too… my mom likes to tell the story of a friend who was in her 80’s-90’s and when she woke up and saw the ceiling in the morning she knew it was going to be a good day. Just goes to show… perspective is everything and on the farm there is always something to learn.

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Gratefulness has everything to do with it (i.e. living life happily!) The more you practice it the better you’re perspective and the more often you will be happy.. no matter what pops up in life. Seek out all the “opportunities” that come your way and see them through and you might be surprised with what you find…. happiness is just a ‘stop. look. go.’ away..

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Farmer Jess

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dirty hands, clean hearts

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Many thanks to my great friend – Danne – of 12 Months of Lent for inspiring this blog post and for motivating me to write more!

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Also, a big thank you to our community for all their help yesterday in our search for our smallest pup, Ahab! We are so thankful to the person that found him and turned him in to the local shelter. There was much practice of hope, positivity and of course, gratitude! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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In the meantime stay connected for all things farm.. at facebook & instagram.

A Winter’s Day

Posted on 10 Feb 2014

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“I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

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We took advantage of the down time to share a Winter’s Day with you all. We hope you are enjoying the snow, the quiet, the coziness & inspiration… you just never know what mother nature will bring so enjoy it while it’s here. A good friend wrote and asked, “is it really this idyllic?” and our response was.. “It is – although appropriately balanced with all the blood, sweat and tears.” About sums it up. Many thanks to you all for watching our little film! Drive safe out there.

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Our warmest regards,

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Jess & Brian

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dirty hands, clean hearts

February on the Farm

Posted on 5 Feb 2014

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One of our farm mottos…. The trick is to say, “this is what I get to do today” not “have to do today.”

Everything rides on those two verbs. No matter how long the list gets. Everyday is precious.

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Hello Friends & Farm-ily,

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Happy February! The month is off to a very frosty start but it looks as if the rains will return soon enough (fingers crossed)! Things have been moving right along on the new farm. We spent the weekend amongst great friends who helped us resurrect our greenhouse in hopes of starting our first seedlings next week! We’re getting closer and closer everyday and after 3 moves already it feels great to have a forever home for our greenhouse and a place to “put in our roots.”

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CSA Update. A big THANK YOU to all of you who have signed up for the CSA in the last month! There is no greater encouragement than having only a handful of shares available come the beginning of February. We are working hard to make 2014 the best season yet and we thank you all for your support, love and encouragement! So far we’ve been feeling the farm love and look forward to growing and providing for you all this year!

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Word of mouth. Also, a big thanks to all of you who have shared the CSA love with friends, community and family members. A majority of our new members have been led our way by you – our community – and word of mouth really is the best way to help us grow and sustain our small farm. There are only a dozen or so spots available so please encourage interested friends, family, neighbors & community in signing up for their CSA share – this small gesture goes a long way! Quick links to our 2014 CSA Season (the Who, What, Where, Why, When & How Much) & our 2014 Sign-Up Form.

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We also have a few cute February farm updates for you all…

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We welcomed a few new feathered and furry members to the farm last week… the newest layer chicks (a mix of pearl white leghorns, red stars, arucaunas & americaunas) to be added to the rest of the flock this Spring. They grow SO fast. In just a week’s time they already have their wing feathers and are trying out their hand at flying. After this week’s cold spell they will go to live in their fancy brooder in the chicken coop. They’ll be out on fresh pasture, laying eggs before we know it…. Check out this sweet little sneak ‘peep’ of the girls set to a little diddy by Pete Seeger.

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We also welcomed Una – our 3 month old Great Pyrenees/Anatolian cross to the farm. Her breed is also known as a “LGD” (Livestock Guardian Dog). They are incredibly smart and have been bred to be independent thinkers. They imprint/bond with the animals they live and grow up with and will protect those animals within their perimeters at all costs. They are also nocturnal and she will be our eyes and ears during the night – watching and listening for predators while we’re sleeping. There are plenty of coyotes on the new property and it seemed a very natural fit to have a guardian on the farm that is bred to protect. They are very cool farm dogs to say the least.

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So far she’s been a quick study (walking on a leash, commands – sit, come, lay down & stay are all under her belt) and we feel so lucky to welcome her to the farm-ily. It has been unbelievably good for us to learn to be ‘leaders of the pack’ – giving us confidence and understanding through this process and in all areas of our lives. Farming, animal husbandry, running a business, leading the “pack,” etc all teach us so much about ourselves… and if you are willing and eager you will learn so much and become a more positive and productive person. A big thanks to Cesar Millan & his dog whispering ways.. we love that guy. Here’s a little video of miss una being sweet.

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Ellie, Maribelle and the pigs are doing exceptionally well in the new barn. These sunny, warmer winter days have been a tease and we can’t wait to set everybody up outside come Spring. Ellie has been the most “interested” in the new pup. She was pretty fixated on her (in a very dominant way) and now that a week has gone by she seems less interested but still displaying some signs of fight (definitely not flight). We know with time Ellie will begin to accept her into our herd and farm-ily and will grow to tolerate the pup as she gets older (Maribelle seems to care less about the whole thing..) The piglets are continuing to grow oh-so-fast and we just love having them on the farm. Here’s a funny little Pigs n squash video. They aren’t so good at sharing…

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This month we will continue to move forward as we near the start of Spring and have officially declared February as “fence month.” We’re hoping to have our 3,000ft pasture fence finished come the start of March – the animals (pigs, cows, chickens etc) can’t wait to forage on their new pastures. We have officially sent in our seed orders for the 2014 season and can’t wait to get started in the greenhouse in the coming weeks… so many things to look forward to in just a matter of a few months time. Whoop whoop! And look.. we finally have barn doors!

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Farm Fresh Eggs Available. We have our organic (non-gmo, no soy, no corn) eggs available for purchase (at $7.50/dozen). Please send an email with your order/# of dozens as well as your preferred day/time for pick up and we will promptly respond with our availability!—

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Be well and keep warm out there! In the meantime, stay in touch with what your farmers are up to – on our facebook or instagram page. We look forward to seeing you all later this Spring! Until then.. enjoy the stillness and quiet that Winter brings.

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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

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