The weather has changed and it feels like Autumn. The air is still warm but the rains are back. These rains are different than our summer rains. The energy is different. The sky is grey yet it is not a depressing landscape.

As I walked along the forest edge this morning, I enjoyed the many different types of moss. I could almost hear their “Ahhh…” as they took in the cool moisture both in the soil and in the air. The birds were twittering loudly so I could tell that something was passing through on the bottom of our land.

Today I will be at the Snohomish Farmers Market doing a presentation on Food Preservation. Folks who are interested in buying their peaches, tomatoes, pears and such will have a chance to ask questions before they go home and can or dry them. My hope is that those who weren’t thinking of preserving some of the local harvest will be inspired and purchase produce from the farmers while the market is still open. There are only two more market days this year!

If you want to find out more about home food preservation, come on by the market demo booth. I’ll be there, just like every other year, giving advice and sowing folks some of the possibilities for eating local!

If you can’t come by the booth, you can subscribe to our newsletter to get lots of information on similar topics.

http://songcroft.com/index.php/the-songcroft-self-sufficiency-newsletter/

Summer has come and the sun is warming the land. The milk is flowing and the hens are laying. We have tomatoes and cukes on the vine, every berry one could imagine and greens a plenty. This is a time of abundance and joy.

As I sit with my morning cup of tea, the calendula flowers are bright and cheerful. The bees are foraging for nectar and there is a slight buzzing all around.

I am thankful for the beauty in my life and these simple moments when a cup of tea is my world.

High 77   Low 49  It is finally clear, blue and sunny!

Our young Buck Harpo and his sister Shug are for sale. If you are looking to increase your herd or want to start one, these two herbally raised Nubians are the way to go! Both have good form and come from very good milking stock. Born March 21, 2010. $100 Harpo/$150 Shug

Summer is here! The newest version of our newsetter is available. If you haven’t subscribed, now is a great time!

http://songcroft.com/index.php/the-songcroft-self-sufficiency-newsletter/

Farm Camp begins August 22nd. Register now to reserve your spot. http://songcroft.com/index.php/farm-camp/

The registration for the 2011 Self Sufficiency Apprenticeship Program is already starting to fill up. If you have been sitting on the fence, now is the time to register. We have filled up for the past two years in a row! http://songcroft.com/index.php/the-songcroft-school-of-self-sufficiency/

Yesterday we finally broke 75 degrees and it feels like summer is here. It was our seventh day this year without rain. Folks here are happy to see the sun out. It is suppose to be in the mid 90’s by tomorrow.

Although the sun’s arrival is definitely welcomed it will prove to make gardening a bit of a challenge in that a sudden change can be hard on plants. Growth has been slow at best this year. Corn in the valley is only about a foot tall and the farmers are frustrated. Our garden is no exception. The only things that have really enjoyed this long wet season with its deep chills have been the fava beans and weeds. They are about 5 feet tall.

When the weather switches rapidly from a cool damp stage to dry and in the mid 90’s, plants are going to bolt. This means they will think it is their last hoorah before fall and they will go to seed. They will no longer put their energy in to growing lush foliage or fruit but instead focus on sending seed out so that their genetic material will be around the next year.

This week will keep me busy weeding and trying to keep the seed I planted for fall and winter moist enough to germinate.

Also on my radar this week is making sure all of the animals have enough water. Sudden changes in weather can be hard on them too. The goats and rabbits have automatic waterers, which will be very helpful. They chickens will need to be checked on at least twice a day until I get their water system done (There is always something that needs do’in). The bees will also enjoy water set a bit closer to them as our creek will likely dry up this week.

Speaking of bees, I checked the new swarm today. The queen was present but she doesn’t seem to be laying much. It has only been a week so I will give her a bit more time to see if she starts laying better. There has to be enough workers and drones to keep the honey coming in so they set up enough to get them through winter. Otherwise, I will be feeding them in fall.

Okay, it’s time for me to get out there and get some work done. (The earlier in the day the better when it’s real hot.)

High  61    Low 49   Grey and overcast with showers on and off all day

I’m assuming you all have heard of rain gardens, cutting gardens, forest gardens, bog gardens and plenty of other types of gardens that follow a central theme or purpose.

Well, after all of the questions I have been getting form folks this year, I am proclaiming this the year of the slug garden.

Due to massive rains, the not so charming descendants from snails are abundant in the Pacific Northwest this year. To qualify my above statement, slugs can be charming and even downright pretty except when they are uninvited guests to my garden. By the way, some slugs aren’t bad but instead provide a much needed service. North Coast banana slugs, Ariolimax species, are a vital part of forest ecology, cleaning up debris and dispersing mushroom spores and native plant seeds. They are a valuable food source for the Pacific giant salamander.

But what about common garden slugs?

They wait in formation every night as we turn our backs and walk away to clean ourselves up after a hard days work planting and preening the rows. They chant songs of conquering the peas and lettuce and laugh in the face of our astonishment when we return in the morning to lacey leaved vegetables looking helpless and perhaps a little embarrassed.

Like it or not, this is the year of the slug. Consider it an opportunity to hone your skills at keeping these little creatures in check. After all, they are only trying to make a living.

If you want more information on slugs, check out this link http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/fs/fs277.pdf

High 56 Low 45

Wow, what a whirlwind of a week! We have been busy in all areas of life. Our teenager got her braces off. That was a major deal. Her smile is beautiful. Our son has had either a fishing pole or a bow in his hands at all moments of each day. His accuracy with a bow has jumped leaps and bounds and he has caught a lot more trout since opening day.  Brian has been busy making improvements to animal housing and I have been planting, transplanting, milking, making cheese and tending flocks.

Here we were up to our ears in chores so we did what any rational people would do. We ran away to the San Juan Islands and played on the beach.

We spent four days in the pouring down rain playing on the beach, playing canoe tag and visiting with friends. We ate chocolate cake and fresh lake trout. It was a great escape.

So now that we are back, we are back to work. Garden, barn, hive, coop, forest and browse areas all need my attention I will be back to it in the morning. Hopefully the rain subsides!

High 59    Low 40            Overcast morning with clear afternoon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xWHETBd8BA

SongCroft Spring Tour (click above to see the video)

Today was the first warm day in along time. I actually saw people in shorts and tank tops. With all of the hail and heavy rains of late, I think people were truly optimistic and taking whatever they could get.

It was a beautiful day to explore with my son Simon. Among other things, we went on a trillium hunt. We looked for the precious flowers that hide in the shadows of the forest. We found lots of them but were delighted with every one. Simon was pleased to bring to a secret place where fifteen bloomed together, all in different stages.

Simon and I explored the creek, looked for frogs and salamanders, discussed the lives of the arborial faeries that live in the massive cedars and hemlocks and watched a pileated woodpecker. We collected maple blossoms to add to our supper, a mediteranean quinoa dish, and told each other secrets.

Today was a day to slow down and enjoy the weather, my children and the arrival of Spring.

It was precious.

High 43 Low 35  (Heavy rains all day mixed with hail)

It’s been a windy and wet week. Twice I have been trying to get work done outside only to have a shower of hail come down on me like it was raining bb’s. That’s when it’s smart to wear a hat with a brim. Hail can hurt when it pings against your cheek.

We have peas and spinach started in the garden as well as quinoa, lettuce, leeks, garlic, onion, radishes and beets. I placed tunnels over them as protection because the hail has been the size of  small marbles. It’s hard to watch our vegetable garden be pummeled when things are just starting to come up.

There is celery, cauliflower, leeks, collards and kale still growing in the greenhouse from Winter. We have tomato, pepper, ground cherry, celery, basil, cucumber and basil seedlings in the house. We are running out of space so I’ll be getting them in pots later this week. Whatever can withstand the cold evenings will go in our unheated greenhouse.

Everyday, I look out the back doors that overlook the vegetable gardens. I long to be weeding with the sun on my back and the buzz of honeybees around me. But for now, I will sit in my chair, waiting for the weather to warm and our vegetable garden will be lonely.

Have you planted anything in your garden? Do you have seeds started?

Write a comment and tell us how things are going.

High 65 Low 43 Cool morning with warm afternoon. Sky was blue by noon.

I spent today puttering around on the land finishing lots of little things that needed to get done as well as taking care of a few larger things.

I moved all of the pullets to the big brooder. That means we now have nineteen pullets and five chicks. The chicks are still in the house. They have a small brooder box and a heat lamp. They were too young to join the rest in the large brooder since they have not feathered out yet and are still quite delicate. We will keep them inside for a couple more weeks. We have a hen sitting on a dozen eggs. We are hoping for success this time. We will be selling laying hens as well as eggs in a few months.

The ducklings spent the day in the new chicken tractor I finished. Brian gave them a seed tray as a splashing pool. It brought back memories of Sofie and Simon at two years old. They got in and out of the pool over-and-over again, splashing, laughing and having the time of their lives.

The goats went for a long walk with Sofia.  As the goats browsed, Sofia collected Balm of Gilead to make in to medicine later. I wonder what the goats think when we wild craft beside them?

Before coming in to make supper, I brought the laundry in off the clothesline and they smell fresh and crisp. It smelled much like my mood right now, optimistic and happy, with lots of energy. Just like Spring.

It’s early March and Seattle just got snow. It was just a light dusting but it was enough to make me worry about my peach and apricot trees which are in full bloom.

A hard freeze after the trees are in bloom can destroy all hope of those sweet succulent morsels ending up on our menu.

The past week has been a rush to get compost spread, livestock fencing up and other farm chores done. One bit of hard work was an accidental discovery: our nephew was digging in our yard and discovered a boulder which after six men and a few large poles (used for leverage) worked on getting it out of the ground, it became a nice addition to the landscape.

I also started more seed so that we can get an early start on the growing season. We have a nice set up for seed trays to germinate and then receive the light they need to thrive. Our tomato, pepper, and ground cherries have already got their true leaves and are doing well. Seeing them makes me long for warmer weather.

In the greenhouse and cloche there are beets, celery, lettuce, cauliflower, mustards, collard greens and radishes all ready for harvest. We took the bunny tractor out and turned the rest of the cover crop in to the soil but not before eating all we could. Check out our Facebook fan club page to see the conversation on chickweed. http://www.facebook.com/pages/SongCroft/232174564481?ref=sgm

We are getting lots of amazingly rich and butter duck eggs as well as chicken eggs with whites perfect for meringues. I was so inspired by the quality of our eggs that one of the recipes in the upcoming issue of the newsletter will have eggs as a main ingredient. If you subscribe, you’ll get a recipe for a rhubarb tart with a meringue top. This is one of my signature dishes. If you make it for a gathering, people will be amazed as it has a beautiful presentation as well as being incredibly delicious! You can tell them were you got the recipe. http://songcroft.com/index.php/the-songcroft-self-sufficiency-newsletter/

High 59              Low 34 The sky was clear blue.

The weather was at a record high for February in Western Washington. The warm air and the bright blue in the sky felt lovely. It was a perfect weekend for having the SongCroft Self-Sufficiency Skills School Classes.

The first year course participants were on the land on Saturday and the second year participants were on the land on Sunday. It was busy and fun.

The first year group spent the day learning about starting their own seeds. We discussed why they would want to start seeds of their own, different techniques for starting the seed and how they would transplant the seed. They planted their own seed trays to bring home and care for as well as potted up some seedlings I had started in advance. It was a very fun day. We had a good sized group but what warmed my heart the most was that my twelve-year-old daughter decided to join the class and start seeds for her own garden. She grows a small vegetable garden each year so learning to start her own seed will build upon those skills she is already cultivating. These skills are part of our legacy.

The second-year course participants, learned about setting fence posts, espalier trees and greenhouses. I demonstrated how to train young fruit tree branches to grow against a fence to create a two-dimensional tree and walked the land showing which wild greens were ready for harvest.

I feel fortunate to be in a place to share the things I know well with others. Life is very good.

Some of our course participants were interested in learning more about the world seed bank. Follow the link for more information.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/02/26/norway.seeds/index.html