"It's the Final Countdown"

Do-do-do-doo....do-do-do-do-do. I think that song may be stuck in my head for the rest of the week now....it's pretty catchy! So, this is my last week here - I leave on Sunday. As much as I've enjoyed this experience, it hasn't been without its challenges and I am so excited to get back home. I expected the physical challenge of farming, especially with the pregnancy, and yeah, it turned out to be the most physically demanding work I have ever done. I didn't, however, expect the social challenges. It's just like any other work environment - people with different personalities, knowledge and power. I've learned that it's not the best idea to live with the people you work with or work for (the time apart is important!) because it just adds more challenges to the working relationship. I've learned that clarifying expectations in the beginning of anything is crucial to smooth operations. I've realized just how important it is to talk out frustrations/concerns as they happen, and not letting them fester. It's very hard to approach the people who are the source of your frustration, but it feels so much better to get it out in the open and also to understand where each other is coming from. Patience is truly a virtue, and it's something I am continually working on. But I also believe that standing up for yourself is so important if others fail to show respect. I had to do that today, and it was terrifying to bring up, extremely poorly received and thus left me feeling crappy yet strong for sticking up for myself. Bleh. Did I mention I was excited to go home this weekend? :)

It has been interesting to view a farm-to-table operation from a farmer's perspective. I've seen what works, and what doesn't work in providing food to the restaurant. Communication between chef and farm manager has to be open and continuous in order for this to work. They both have to be on the same page with a thorough understanding of the goals in order for the operation to, well, operate. This season was a new venture for the chef, and for the farm manager. That's not to say they've never cooked or grown food, but never worked as a head chef and farm manager in a farm-to-table business before. Next season should go more smoothly, after some bugs have been worked out. This year worked alright, but would have been easier if goals were clarified and in fact mentioned at all (from the chef). In all fairness, this farm-to-table arrangement isn't as easy as it may seem. You have to wonder, does the chef determine what gets planted or does the the farmer inform the chef what is ready for harvest? It's a tough balance, unless you have a staff of creative, flexible, understanding, patient people! :)

Our tomato plants in the greenhouse are finally starting to ripen. We have over 20 varieties, and I'm excited to try them all. So far my favorite is "Sungold" which is a tangerine-orange colored cherry tomato. Very sweet and sooo good. Definitely a variety I hope to grow back home. This week are also harvesting gooseberries, currants, the last of the raspberries, blackberries, thimbleberries, rhubarb, beets, summer squash, carrots, basil, edible flowers, turnips, radishes, kale, small onions, bell peppers, sorrell, and some edible weeds (lambs quarters/goosefoot and chickweed). Today I seeded basil, borage, lovage and cilantro which will sit in the greenhouse (like all new seed trays) until big enough to handle the elements outside. We transplanted cucumbers and melons inside the greenhouse, and fennel and celeriac (celery root) outside. I'm curious as to how the melons will do considering the relatively small space they were planted in. We also pruned and trellised tomato plants, and weeded a bunch. Busy day!

Flowers on the farm

Beautiful flowers are blooming everywhere. Makes for a very pretty work environment :)

flowers

The circle of life

Life cycles haven't been more apparent to me than right here on the farm. You see life everywhere, but also death. Living in the city certainly puts certain things at a distance - especially where our food comes from, what goes into growing it, what suffers and what benefits. Here, it's all right in front of you, and you have to deal with it, not someone else. As I would expect, we have plants that don't make it. I'm used to that living in the AZ heat! Hard as hell to keep things alive during the summer (but with things I've learned lately, I think i'll fare better next summer). But what I didn't foresee were the animal deaths. We ended up with 5 roosters in our young flock of laying hens. Well, we have no need for them. They were great as "packing peanuts" for the hens during shipping, had great appetites for slugs, and were convenient back-up alarm clocks in case our electrical ones broke. Once it got to the point that they were constantly trying to mate with the hens (who would always squawk loudly in protest - I don't blame them, it looked a bit violent!) it was time to send them to "the great open pastures in the sky." We put them in individual holding pens until the big moment. The farm owner, two farmers, and one neighbor all helped to kill and process the roosters. I happened to be off that day, and frankly wasn't up for it. I know I couldn't stomach participating, but I want to at least observe and see how I do. In August, the current laying hens that are no longer laying will be slaughtered. I plan to be there for that. I may try to participate, we'll see! Anyway, the roosters' organs were inspected by the owner, and deemed healthy. Not sure if this was out of curiosity or to determine whether they could be eaten. There were three kept for the farmers to eat, along with some organs - hearts, livers and gizzards. Nothing went to waste. The feet were boiled for stock, and anything not consumed was put into the compost pile. Yesterday, we brined the meat, and cooked them in this "egg" grill thingy - how apropos, haha...or strange? They had great flavor, but kind of chewy. It's funny...normally I prefer to eat pasture raised chicken and beef - healthier for the animal, human and Earth. But this time, with the roosters we raised on the farm, I felt a little uncomfortable eating them. I know exactly where they came from, what they ate, how they spent their days, and that they were humanely treated...but I still felt a little creeped out eating them. I suppose it has something to do with the fact that I knew them when they were alive - kind of like pets. It definitely would be easier to be a vegetarian if I was around the animals all the time like I am now. Much harder to eat them when you knew them before as living creatures. Talk about gaining a whole new perspective!

Not only were the deaths of the roosters difficult to face, but random chicken deaths have been much worse. We've had two die recently, and we can't always be sure of the cause. One of the young hens was found in the morning, after uncovering the tarp that protects their coop at night. No apparent reason - no cuts or bleeding. I was the unlucky one to find her, and no other farmers were out on the farm yet. I am pretty squeamish when it comes to dead animals, but I had to get her out of the coop. I had to talk myself into it, repeating "it's just organic matter, just a chicken, it's not gross, just organic matter..." while reaching in, picking her up by the neck and trying not to look directly at her. I immediately set her down on the ground, and tried to gain my composure. I am such a wimp, haha! I looked around, hopeful that another farmer would be walking up at any moment. No such luck. I couldn't leave her there on the ground either. I grabbed a nearby bucket, did my mantra, and placed her in the bucket. That way I could carry her to the other side of the farm without touching the little lifeless body. Thankfully the farm manager took it from there, burying the chicken in a sawdust pile. That was a rough morning for me! After that, I realized two things: when it comes down to it, I may be capable of doing more than I think I can; and I am not cut out for real farm work that requires dealing with dead animals! :)

RANDOM HAPPENINGS AROUND THE FARM:

The swarm of bees have visited the farm two more times now. I guess they still haven't found the right spot for their hive. I think that some of our bees must be part of that swarm because we have less bees in our hives than before. Not sure what is going on, and no one else seems to either! It is a learning experience. The farmer who was managing the bee hive left about a month ago, so now it's up to us to figure it all out!

The deer are pretty clever about sneaking through our fencing. We continue to see evidence of their presence, aka:poo, but don't always see them actually within the farm. Part of the fence was patched up with chicken fencing today, but we used all we had and it isn't enough. Unfortunately, due to budget restraints, we are limited to what we have on hand - which is plastic deer fencing. Sounds perfect, right? It isn't called "deer fencing" for nothing, however....the deer must be in cahoots with the bunnies because they both have this all figured out. The bunnies chew holes in the plastic fencing, the deer somehow see these holes and push through them which rips into a bigger hole. How do I know this? I saw a deer in action! The pesky deer crouched near the ground, where the hole was, and pushed its way right through. I walked toward the deer, and it found another hole to exit through. At least I could see where they were getting in and out! Still waiting for our "Elmer Fudd" to reduce the bunny population, and now deer too. I don't want to be around for any of that! :(

Things we are harvesting: raspberries, salmonberries, thimbleberries, currants, gooseberries, strawberries, radishes, turnips, beets, arugula, lettuce, onions, kale, chard, peas (shelling, snow, sugar snap) edible flowers (nasturtiums, violas, arugula, borage, thyme, calendula, lemon verbena) herbs, kohlrabi and summer squash.

Lots of plants are flowering right now, and the farm is beautiful! I will add more pictures soon, but we have roses, nasturtium, violas (johnny-jump-ups), snapdragons, stattice, sunflowers, calendula, gerbera daisies, peonies, lupine, bleeding hearts, poppies, amaranthus, zinnia, strawflower, and other varieties that I can't remember! It's so nice to see all the color everyday :)

Summer is here!

...and I am working on a true "farmer's tan!" Well, not really "working" on one, I just forgot to put sunscreen on this morning and you can clearly see where my T-shirt sleeves end and where I wear my watch.

It is now starting to get warm enough to wear t-shirts, wide-brimmed hats and lots of sunscreen. Not sure what the temp is, but it feels like 80's. I think I may have even gotten a bit of heat rash today. Ugh. Adding heat to my workday has just made it that much more exhausting! I hope I can make it until mid-August with the heat, back pain, and pregnancy working against me! I really do enjoy the work, I just wish my body could keep up with me. Hmm, never really thought about me ever saying that kind of phrase! I still feel too young to have such physical ailments, but I suppose that's what computer work, carrying a base drum for 5 years, and just growing older will do to ya.

I might think about starting earlier when it's cooler, and take breaks besides just a lunch. That is definitely one thing I like about this type of work. There is a lot less structure as far as workday and workweek. If I want to take a long lunch, no prob, I just work later to compensate. I can take breaks whenever, run up to the house to get a snack, make a phone call/text, wear anything I want, make-up & hairdos are pointless, pick & choose what I do each day (more or less), start/end times are flexible and so are days off. I much prefer having some control over my daily schedule, so that has been nice!

RANDOM HAPPENINGS AROUND THE FARM....

Two swarms of bees have flown over the farm in the past week. Likely the same group of bees I'm guessing. It was quite freaky to see thousands of bees just above our heads, and not knowing what they were going to do. Luckily they just moved into the nearby trees, looking for a new spot for a hive. I have no idea if I am allergic to bees, never been stung, and I don't want to find out while I'm pregnant!

While harvesting nasturtium leaves today, I was stung by a nettle plant. I usually do things with gloves on, but harvesting these small leaves requires delicate handling so, no gloves. There were so many weeds around the nasturtiums that I just didn't see the nettle hiding there. I have to say they are EVIL plants. I may have mentioned them in a previous post, but that is what the farm is named after. Stinging nettles are plants that look a bit like blackberry bushes, complete with tiny hairs/thorns that release a chemical when you touch them. It immediately stings like the dickens, like fire, and doesn't go away for about 24 hours. Luckily the intensity decreases, but the skin is still tender and tingly. Water makes the sensation worse, but I have found that my anti-itch cream helps a little. I think this has been my 4th time being stung so far. SO glad we don't have these in AZ (but I guess we have other things to worry about, like scorpions!)

I had to chase a deer out of the garden yesterday. They sure are cute, but would totally destroy our garden if they had the chance. A section of our deer fencing was accidentally torn down by Jasmine, our anxious, scared-of-the-fireworks farm dog. One deer wasted no time jumping through the hole. I opened all three gates nice and wide, but of course the deer panicked and jumped into the in-tact fencing quite a few times. It took two of us to herd the deer in the right direction, but it finally ran through the open gates.

Our two coops of young chickens are not all hens, apparently. There is definitely a rooster in each coop, but may be two in each. The second ones are starting to look like roosters (big comb on top of the head, long shiny colorful feathers, and larger size) but haven't started to crow yet. The coops aren't next to each other, and the roosters crow back and forth to one another. I joke that one is still going through puberty because his "voice" falters at the end and he doesn't quite have it yet. I wonder if they are bragging to each other about how pretty all their hens are :) So, the poor roosters have no place on our farm (we need laying hens, aka: eggs) and will get "the ax" quite soon. They are harassing the hens trying to mate, and the poor hens squawk loudly in protest. I can see why - the rooster grabs her neck with his beak! It looks kind of scary, poor girls! The other day I heard someone say that the boys are "packing peanuts," haha, because no one really needs the roosters (the chicks arrive by mail in large boxes).

Not sure what has changed recently, but we are getting invaded by so many bunnies! Again, I thought they were so adorable when I first got here. They are still cute, but now I see them as a pest that can destroy all our hard work. We check the fences to ensure that there aren't any gaps, but the bunnies chew right through the plastic deer fencing. Luckily, we have our own Elmer Fudd to hunt down those "wascally wabbits." I'm ok with reducing the bunny population (lord knows they will replenish before we know it!) as long as I am not there to witness it or the processing of them (Elmer Fudd plans to eat them. Waste not...) I might even be brave enough to try some bunny soup, we'll see!

Alrighty, off to relax my sore muscles. Hope everyone has a great week! Stay cool out there my fellow Arizonians!

Jen

On the Farm Again....

So I was off for nearly two weeks and my muscles are are on fire after my third day back. I'm out of my routine I guess! I had to fly back to AZ for my Nana's funeral, which was a hard time, but spending time with family was very healing. After that I headed to Missoula, MT for my cousin's wedding. It was beautiful and fun. Tuesday this week it was back to farming for me. I am trying to work 8 hours as often as I can (the farm requires me to work 6hrs/day, but my degree requires more) but the work is really taking a toll on my body. I am noticing that the slight pregnancy weight gain is affecting my balance, and causing more aches and pains beyond the usual back pain I have. I am keeping up with stretching at the end of the day, but the burning in my shoulder blades persists. Ugh. It's discouraging to feel so run down but at least I am enjoying the actual work I'm doing...so that keeps me going :)

So I was asked, "What's a typical day like for you?" Hmmm, my days are different all the time, but typical daily duties are caring for the chickens, watering, weeding, seeding/planting/transplanting and collecting eggs. The watering and chicken duties are rotated every week between the three farmers. Harvesting is done every Wednesday and Friday, and we sell produce at the farmer's market on Saturdays. My day today began with caring for the chickens: food, fresh water, moving the chick coops to new patches of grass, and collecting eggs. I then repaired a hole in one of the chicken coops (I saw the chickens poking their head through it to get more grass - I was afraid they might get stuck!). After that I planted some dill seedlings in the ground, helped Anna rake in some grass seeds, weeded/hoed the asparagus field and amaranth (flower) rows, harvested salmon berries (on another part of the island) and captured two escapee chickens. As frustrating as it can be to catch a freaked-out fowl, I really enjoy holding them. There's something pretty charming about these chickens...sounds funny, but they really are cute & entertaining :)

More pics coming soon! :)

New Photos!

A random assortment of photos from the last week.

Wow, I think I'm a bit overdue for a blog. I can't really say that I've been busy :) I farm during the day, and then? Not much. I don't have a car, everything is too far away to walk to (except the beach!) and no friends to hang with. So my evenings are usually spend chatting on the phone with my hubby or parents, reading, on the computer, watching shows on Hulu, and of course making food (no such thing as ordering take-out here or fast-food, which is great!). In the past week, however, I have been lucky enough to do three really fun things. All four of us farmers traveled to Bellingham for a Thai dinner (soooo good!) and movie (Bridesmaids - fun-ny!). We also made a quick stop at the co-op for some groceries. It was a great night, though definitely a treat. Even with my student discount, the movie ticket, small popcorn and small soda was nearly $20! Ouch. Totally worth it though. I needed a night out doing something different - and normal, ha! Last Sunday was a Studio Art Tour here on the island. Artists, wineries, gardeners, etc were all open special hours for the tour. We visited a wine shop and chatted up the owner while tasting 3 wines - well, I smelled them while the others tasted! We also visited Tree Frog Farm that is a garden and sanctuary. Such a cool place! Lastly we visited Sculpture Woods, the home/art studio of Ann Morris. It was a gorgeous property, with tall pines that often created a magical ambiance (see photo above). Her bronze sculptures were scattered around the property, along trails. It was so interesting! The third fun thing I did was attend a 40th birthday party, for someone I hadn't met before, haha. The other farmers were invited, and invited me too. It was great! The party was outside on a big grassy area surrounded by pine trees and a cattle grazing area. There was a live band, food, drinks, campfires, and lots of people. It was a great atomosphere, especially since we could see a bit of the ocean through the trees. Even after it was dark (about 10 pm! still getting used to that) it was beautiful with the crescent moon and stars galore. The campfires were still blazing, rope lights surrounded the dancefloor, and the one portable heater provided much-needed warmth! I found it funny that this is June, and we're huddling around a heater outside. AZ peeps would think we're crazy :)

So the farm is doing well. Thankfully the warm, sunny days are more frequent, which means we can see more growth happening. We are able to till more ground and plant seedlings from the greenhouse in the beds outside. In the greenhouses we have warm-weather plants like basil, tomatoes, and bell peppers. We also have peas, chard, kale, broccoli, beets, cabbage, and turnips all planted in the ground, and many seeded trays/seedlings on heated tables to encourage faster germination & growth. Now that the weather is warming up, the greenhouses can get over 100 degrees! And I thought I left AZ ;)

We are still battling pests, and have implemented a few strategies. In the greenhouse we have released ladybugs to fight aphids, and have hung sticky panels to trap aphids and other insects. Outside, we have ladybugs, copper borders to repel slugs, thin coverings (Remay) over susceptible plants, and have sprayed a naturally occurring soil bacterium on our gooseberries & currants to battle the sawfly larvae that are demolishing the leaves. It's tough not to get discouraged when pests start to settle in. Especially when everything that we supply to the Inn has to be in pristine condition - aka: no blemishes, no holes, no malformations, nothing short of perfect. Hard to find when all the living creatures around us want to eat the same food! We do what we can :)

I've taken more pictures, and videos for your viewing pleasure. Link to follow!

Hope everyone is well! Miss you all!