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!