i am a farmer, which means that besides an implicit expectation that i know how to make things grow, i am also expected to be able to build shit. fences, sheds, shelves, greenhouses, work-tables, irrigation systems, and of course, the perfectly shaped garden bed. i have never been a confident carpenter. i was not a… continue reading.
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what the possum and the owl already know
we farmers try so hard, we want to be a thing of virtue, proud and free we grow our food and make compost of self-sufficiency we boast but when the season comes to close a panic starts, and worry grows “it’s fall,” we exclaim, “i need to know just what and why and where to… continue reading.
freeze-dried fruit: a blessing and a miracle
this past week i was in the sierras, backpacking with my sweetheart and a handful of dear friends in the mountains just north of yosemite. we hiked way further then we initially had intended, but it was well worth it. shooting stars, quiet lakes, sunsets from the tops of peaks, thunderstorms, camp fires, and always… continue reading.
Oh the Places We Will Swim
right now there is a baby who is very much resisting entering this world. she/he is comfortable where she/he is, being carried around in a floating belly-world, hearing the faint sounds of goats bleating and farmers talking and doggies barking. and yet it’s time, and we here on the farm are all pins and needles… continue reading.
a succulent sunday
the thunderclouds are building today the madrone trees dropping their crackling leaves so that it feels like fall and not summer rain drops wake my dog his speckled paws outstretched he looks up, looks at me, briefly lays his head back upon the boards. wind scatters the canopy falling needles, leaves, droplets i can… continue reading.
Can You Smell the Sweet Peas on Your Computer?
i have this distinct memory from years ago when my little sister was super little, maybe four or five. we were poking around in the woods, picking blackberries, and i was telling her about this thing called “backpacking.” how you get to go hike up beautiful peaks, into remote deserts, through ancient forests, and sleep… continue reading.
The Buddha’s Real Sport
i’ve been climbing a lot lately. rock climbing that is. which is strange, given that the months of april thru october don’t really provide farmers with a lot of disposable time. and with most of my monday thru friday taken up on the farm, my weekend hours have become these precious little morsels of freedom… continue reading.
Joie de Vivre
i haven’t been writing lately. i have the regular surplus of seasonal excuses – the greenhouse is full, the irrigation needs to be set up, the salad mix is overdue for a weeding. i come home tired. i wake up groggy. i work all day in between. it’s not as if i am feeling overly… continue reading.
A Bluebird in Love
there is a unique bird at the farm. it’s spring, as we all know, and it being spring this is the time for courtship and mating, showing off and chirping, displays of friskiness and feather fluffing, prowess and plumage (i’m still talking about birds here). but this fellow, a brilliant little bluebird, is different than… continue reading.
An Almost April Update
spring is in the air, and the farm is back up and running. the seedlings in the greenhouse look amazing. vibrant, fast-growing, green – a definite improvement over lasts years struggles. in the ground we’ve already got carrots, beets, snap peas, and two rounds of salad mix up and weeded. the resident hawk is back,… continue reading.
