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| Salmon Fishing in Florence |
Well, 2014 came and went. Welcome to 2015! You may be wondering where in the heck I went. Well, not far! I just started a new career which has dominated my life! I'm sure there are plenty of you out there that can relate to diving into a new career - Nothing Else Exists. Right?
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| Bottling honey in the Autumn |
The urban farm lives on and is steadily growing, some things by leaps and bounds, others almost at a snails pace, imperceptible to anyone but me, who is on constant vigil for the slightest centimeter of growth or the mounding of soil over a pushing stem emerging from the seed planted last fall. Our season here in the Pacific Northwest is early. While the rest of the country is still blanketed in feet of snow we are enjoying air filled with the scents of spring bloomers and fresh mown grass. Because of this, my olfactory bliss is cautioned by yellow flags of what-ifs.
Farmers are constantly weighing the What-ifs. What at one moment in the season is counted as a blessing can at another moment be counted as a curse. Early blooming of essential nectar and pollen sources for honey bees means an abrupt end to nourishment in Autumn when the Blackberry and Japanese knotweed end there blooming while cold weather is still months away and there are still thousands of mouths to feed within the colony. Natural method beekeeper's hopes are fixed on the ability of the bees to adapt and push out the drones before natural instincts might indicate those actions be taken.
What-if this is a drought year? It wouldn't be the first. I remember a drought year when every home owner had a brown lawn to conserve water. Many non-native trees, bushes, and plants died. With little snow fall we may be headed to this extreme this summer. I'm glad I'm prepared with 655 gallons of collected rain water stored in beautiful urn shaped barrels. My fruit, berries and vegetables will be fine, I'm prepared. On the other hand, if it IS a drought year there will be little nectar to sustain the pollinators in the blackberry blooms...
Today I opened one of my hives to discover ten bars of capped brood. This is phenomenal! In most years the queen would have just begun laying, maybe. There will be a full work force in this colony by the time the maples start blooming in a few days. For the first time I will harvest Big Leaf Maple honey! I am so jazzed about this! Also, I will get early pears this year as there are plenty of pollinators out perusing the blossoms.
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| Chocolate Souffle from our Eggs |
Earlier this winter we lost a hen to a predator. I can't say for certain but I am pretty sure it was the very large grey tom cat that can leap my 6 foot fence with little effort. The hen was only mauled. Any wild animal would have eaten her or dragged/flew her away. All I can say is I am so thankful for my husband who is a hunter and used to the reality of death. He disposed of her. The sad thing is that she had to be disposed of instead of used for sustenance. That may seem strange to some but farmers and hunters have respect for their food sources. They don't waste the life that was taken. Wasting equals disrespect. We have deterred the perpetrator with vigilance, cunning and a game camera. Because of this loss we decided to get two more hens to keep the egg production on track. They will be delivered in the next week via USPS. I would buy from our local grange but they do not offer pullets. I would get chicks if I had the time but in my world right now those poor little needy creatures would only suffer and possibly die. No thank you. Know your limits and act accordingly no matter how sweet those little fluff balls appear!
I have plans to lay another stone patio in the front and continue the side path to the back yard. As for construction, that's about it. My creeping raspberry (Rubus calycinoides) ground cover died out and only a few plants survived so I'll need to supplement that. Other plans include making another batch of wine since our 2012 vintage is about gone.
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| Our First Table Grapes |
With our farm entering its fourth season I'm encouraged by the ever increasing yield and the rhythm which we have fallen into. Like a heartbeat, seasons resound and fall silent. Within those seasons another heartbeat ready to be birthed, each season yielding its particular fruits. Those fruits marking our hearts and minds with pleasant memories which beckon us to continue the journey, tilling the soil, pruning the branches and caring for livestock.
May your life's rhythm be as pleasant...
Lydia