Sunday, July 11, 2010

Little Chickies AND Ducklings!!!

We had some surprises on the farm this week. Not only did the weather hit about 90 degrees after a ceremonial Northwest rain during the 4th of July fireworks, but ducklings and baby chicks hatched!!!

Annie came across the chicken sitting on her nest in the tayeberries a few weeks back while she was weeding. We thought she was just brooding on unfertilized eggs; didn't think anything would come of it. In fact, I think we all completely forgot about it!! Then two days ago when Annie went to go check on the chickens midday, there were 11 chicks lined up with the momma hen trying to get inside the pasture with all the other hens!! Annie rounded them right up. It only took a handful of grain to take the momma hen's attention away from her chicks. You would think she'd be a bit more attentive to her babies, BUT food comes first!!! Now they are in our nursery pen inside the chicken coup, safe from any predators... especially those damn ravens. If you thought chickens were messy, you've never seen baby chicks!!! The water tray and feeder need cleaning constantly. Can't wait 'til they grow up and clean up after themselves..... YEAH RIGHT!! They get better services than our paying guests!!! An all inclusive package indeed!!!

A few days earlier, underneath the Chickebago (our reinvented camper trailer chicken coup), four ducklings hatched. Unfortunately, one did not make it through the night. The cute little critters are in another nursery pen in the new chicken coup. They're already growing up fast and learning quickly from their mommy. We've got a little pool for them to start splashing in and in this heat it's hard to keep them out!!! The ducklings are a mix. About 5 or 6 years ago we bought two breeds. You'd have to ask Shana the names. I think one was Peking (yes... the one you find on the menu at Asian restaurants, but not our intention!!). The other had a tuft on its head. Over the years they've bred with each other and the occasional Mallard whose flown through. So now, as you can imagine, they are all mixed markings!! Some colorful flare and quacks for the barnyard. We're still waiting to see what the deal is with Meredith, one of our geese. She's been guarding her nest furiously as have her male geese companions. However, we don't know if she's actually got an egg under her. Shana ventured in and fished around and didn't feel anything. Fingers crossed we'll get some goslings, but time is running out.

Now... its too early to tell, but we are really hoping for some hens and female ducks out of this batch!! Too many roosters and males on a farm is just trouble and there ain't no two ways around it!! Our group of surprise summer chicks from last year had 7 roosters to 3 hens!!! So much for a 50/50 chance and ratio. This year we're feeling lucky about our chances and that the numbers will swing in our favor Otherwise... it's the Little Mr. Big's (Mr. Big is our rooster) that will be making our dogs some very happy puppies. Don't get the wrong idea!! It's life on the farm. Our chickens have got the best life and any little rooster is no different. 17 acres of pasture to range, custom milled board and batten fir chicken coup, bugs to eat, water to bathe in, dust to ruffle in, you name it. I recently finished Micheal Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and how he overcomes killing your food and coming to terms with life and death on a farm is so interesting. Reading a Bay Area urbanite's in depth account of the experience gives a whole new perspective. Again, let me assure you, rooster or no rooster.... we LOVE all of our chickens!! Now.... back to work or rather SLEEP!! Its 2 AM!!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Animals are Our Family

Its been a very taxing week emotionally here on the farm. Other than being just super busy with vacation guests over the 4th of July weekend and kicking off of the summer season, we got terrible news on the farm. One of our Tennessee Walking Horses, Strider, is holding on to his life. The vet came out last Thursday and handed us the heavy news. Strider has a 50/50 chance at beating his fight with a severe laminitic episode that began about 3 weeks ago. Laminits is a hoof disease that effects cattle and horses. We thought we caught it early enough and took him off the pasture, but Strider kept declining. Even the vet was surprised with Strider's severe condition and his physical reaction.

Right now Strider is on a 6" bed of sand, getting constant attention from us and all his medications. We are just hoping for the best. He doesn't seem as depressed anymore, which is a great sign. However, only time will tell and its so difficult to see him in such pain and discomfort. He's an older horse at 23 and this is his first case of laminitis. We've had Strider for 13 years and only hope he'll be with us for another 10.

It is really bringing to light what defines a farm. I am beginning to think you can't have a "real" farm without animals (no, a few backyard chickens don't count). There is something more to farming than riding around in a tractor, tilling rows, and pulling weeds form crops. That's just an excessively large scale garden and of course that is grueling work. But just recount Old MacDonald's menagerie to literally hear whats on a "real" farm. The sounds, smells, and gifts they offer. The emotional and physical pain and joy you share with animals is priceless, especially horses. There really is an indescribably bond. The communication and connection is truly deep. Not something you can pick up with rows of potatoes or beets, which don't make any sounds at all.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Adeline's Suites: The Rock Rose

It's finally upon us whether we're ready or not. The Rock Rose, our second suite in Adeline's Farmhouse, is "complete." Nothing is every really complete though!!! Always room for some transformations or maybe a small shift. You can never plan the exact program, only guide it. You wouldn't want something to be too rigid that it couldn't change over time. That was something I learned while study landscape architecture.

The suite is full of artistic craftsman ship and materials with hidden secrets and stories. Its an amazing feeling to see it come together; weaving together all the elements. I could have banged it out much quicker. Some of my friends rag on me for taking too long, but why rush it? Why stamp out a Home Depot replica? NO!!!! Not here!! Not on this farm!! Everything is boutique and unique!!

We haven't taken any photos yet, so bear with us. I promise it is beautiful though. I built it with so much of my love!!! Its rented tomorrow, and honestly we'll be working till the last minute, getting the silverware organized, lamp shades dusted, etc... It's like cramming for a test. Then it'll be five days before we can get back in there to make any minor tweaks. Not until it the first rental is over will we know if there are any quirks!! Someone has to give it a test drive. Regardless, I'll get some photos up in about a week.

So I now have finished the first two, with three more to go before Adeline's can finally be at peace on the farm and begin its journey into rough luxury. I'm glad its taking this long, although it's been quite painful, too painful at times. But now I am narrowing my vision, refining my ideas, and collecting my thoughts. I will get to see how these two suites fare throughout the summer and can learn from my mistakes in their design. The next three will be just as eclectic and stylistic as the first two. But I have a feeling I will try to take them even further!! I don't want Sleeping Sea and Once In A Blue Moon Farm to be mistaken for anywhere else!!!

Walking the Orchard

Well it's been two weeks now since I did a thorough walk in the upper and lower orchards. The weather is still not quite summer yet. Temperatures are hanging in the mid-sixties, definitely a good 20 degrees cooler than June last year. We had our bumper apricot and fig year with that heat. Even got the fuzzy kiwi to ripen!! Hopefully the temperatures will pick up. This partly cloudy wet cool spring could set us back.

Had a bit of a scare. The lower orchard was hit really hard with peach leaf curl AGAIN (damn weather is perfect for it)!! But we've layered some fresh chicken and llama/alpaca manure on the the infected trees to help stimulate some new leaf shoots and keep the nutrient levels up while the tree is stressing. It did reduce the fruit setting on those trees. Hopefully the peach and nectarines in the upper orchard will make up for it. They look healthier than the Green Giant himself.

The thinning is done and done. Took two days or so, but it really gave me a chance to examine each tree. Found some powdery mildew on most of the apples (even though I sprayed lime sulfur... bad timing again???) I still would like to number each tree to track its production and health over the years. I do have an orchard map, but that only shows me what variety each tree is.

We're keeping the tent caterpillars under control. A walk every evening to snip out any little buggers trying to weave a nest.

Oh by the way.....the cherries are blushing!!!! I tried one the other day just for kicks; trying to beat the birds. Not there yet. Not even close enough. Give it another week or two and the race against the ravens and robins will be on!!! Summer fruit is ready to break down the door!!! Bring on the heat!!

It's just almost July, but its time for us to pick out our fruit trees for next year and make the order. We'll let you know what's in store. You can never have too many trees. Those trees will be setting fruit for the next 80 years or so for generations to enjoy. I guess my grandkids will be way too spoiled!!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Raven, Raven, On the Rail

We are being attacked by ravens!!!!! Is this what Alfred Hitchcock meant? Every day there are 7 or 8 Ravens hovering, perching and making their atrocious noises over our chicken pasture. Last week they killed a hen. We've also seen them walk out of the coup with egg in claw. This is terrible, really terrible. The noises are horrible. They are so clever and quick. I've been shooting rounds into the air to scare them off. Our presence is our only defense right now. When will this pass??!! It's never been this bad before!!

Sticks of Rhubarb

It seems like we never get the time to type anything on this at all!! So much to do here on the farm and the other properties, but somethings just became easier. We have a wonderful new intern for the summer, Annie. She just graduated from Lewis and Clark and was in search of a little adventure in the Pacific Northwest. The warnings of hard work and long days could not sway her from coming!! Now our gardens have a new hand to deal with as Annie is attacking the weeds with a burning furor!!!

Its been lesson after lesson with the orchards. Trying to make things work that other people see as just impossible. Its worth the strains and pains for a warm sweet summer fruit picked in the mid afternoon.

The fruit settings are looking good, but the Asian Pears didn't put out much this year. Going to be thinning the rest of this month. It's hard to devote time to the orchard for non essential things, when it makes literally no money. But we love it and we know other people love our fruit. Still just not sure why small local farmers growing lettuce can do better financially than those growing fruit. Lettuce is going for around $10/lbs here!!! The investment into a tree is vastly different than just doing row crops. The ecological benefits of the tree are much larger than the fruits it provide. From the birds to the shade to the carbon sequestering and more.

Another two apricots died. That leaves us with just 9 trees and only 5 healthy trees out of the 14 originally planted. I think I know where things went wrong. All with pruning and planting. Next winter I am going to be putting in another 10 and see where that gets me. We also moved a fig that took a heavy beating this winter in a storm. Its still alive, but didn't put out any new growth this year. As for the peaches and nectarines, some issues came up as well. The curl this year was atrocious due to all the spring rains. Plus, I am certain I sprayed too late this year. I've read you can spray in late autumn or mid winter. I have always opted for mid winter, just because less is going on here on the farm so time is easier to come by. However, I think the autumn spray is essential and has a better return.

More for next time.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Busy Bees?? You Mean Busy Chickens.


The flies are buzzing around. Bees are working hard. But it's our chickens that are truly busy. They are more efficient than any Toyota or Ford assembly line!! Not only are the eggs stacking up, but the girls are hard at work eating the bugs and turning the compost. We owe them so much more than we can ever imagine. Yeah sure.... our yogurt based pancakes wouldn't be the same without their rich yellow eggs, but the farm would just be a vacant lot without them. They eat our waste, produce our "fertilizer", work our compost, manage our pastures, keep our guests of all ages filled with joy, and the list goes on and on. If only they could take reservations and update our websites!!

And then there is Cortez. He is not so busy.