Happy Easter — Season Two!

Easter marks one year since our first blog. It was fun to go back and read it. Not much has changed; each week is still two steps forward, one step back. We are still overwhelmed, still learning a ton and still having a blast!

Here are some highlights from the last few weeks:

We discovered TikTok. If you haven’t checked out our instagram, click here to see Rita racing around and Trooper and Mayday acting like goofballs.

Above are two new-to-us pieces of equipment: a flame weeder and a mechanical transplanter — and three if you count our new trailer!

Above are two new-to-us pieces of equipment: a flame weeder and a mechanical transplanter — and three if you count our new trailer!

We are making a number of investments to help us farm with regenerative practices. This includes:

  • Reducing tillage

  • Planting multi-variety cover crops

  • More companion planting. For example, tomato plants will be sandwiched between marigolds and basil plants to improve soil health. And hopefully the marigolds will also serve as a pest deterrent.

  • Using our animal waste to enrich the soil.

  • Introduce Bokashi composting all over the farm this season. Bokashi allows us to compost meat and other food wastes that do not do well in regular composing. The compost and compost tea it creates is another way we will be enriching our soil.

Alejandro using the small flame weeder in the Marionberry rows.

Alejandro using the small flame weeder in the Marionberry rows.

Testing out our new mechanical transplanter to plant bean starts.

Testing out our new mechanical transplanter to plant bean starts.

Our biggest purchase so far, other than buying the farm itself: our first new tractor. It was a huge decision and ultimately a huge game changer. Having a 4-wheel drive tractor allows us to get into the fields weeks earlier.

Our biggest purchase so far, other than buying the farm itself: our first new tractor. It was a huge decision and ultimately a huge game changer. Having a 4-wheel drive tractor allows us to get into the fields weeks earlier.

Day 3 of owning the new tractor, a discarded or lost knife in a field punctured the side wall of the front tire.

Day 3 of owning the new tractor, a discarded or lost knife in a field punctured the side wall of the front tire.

I had no idea how expensive one new tractor tire is.

I had no idea how expensive one new tractor tire is.

And it started hailing. Racing to get Rita, Mayday and Trooper back to their pen.

And it started hailing. Racing to get Rita, Mayday and Trooper back to their pen.

Last year we grew two grafted tomato plants. Their roots grew so long, and they produced beautiful fruit for an extended length of time, so this year we have more than 500 plants. Some we’ll plant and some we’ll sell when we open May 8th.

Last year we grew two grafted tomato plants. Their roots grew so long, and they produced beautiful fruit for an extended length of time, so this year we have more than 500 plants. Some we’ll plant and some we’ll sell when we open May 8th.

We needed to make room in the greenhouses, so we held a strawberry plant surplus sale last week. We advertised through our newsletter and sold-out pretty quickly. If you want to be on that list, you can sign up at the bottom of any page on our websi…

We needed to make room in the greenhouses, so we held a strawberry plant surplus sale last week. We advertised through our newsletter and sold-out pretty quickly. If you want to be on that list, you can sign up at the bottom of any page on our website (we try not to send too many throughout the year).

Thanks to everyone who came out to pick up their strawberry plants last weekend!

Thanks to everyone who came out to pick up their strawberry plants last weekend!

Enjoying the sun. Left to right: Baby Juniper, Blue, Rolo.

Enjoying the sun. Left to right: Baby Juniper, Blue, Rolo.

With all the beautiful sunshine the past few days, we’ve been able to work on the pigs’ pen. They spent the winter in the tractor barn, because their pen was too muddy. In addition to planting grass, Luis is adding their own pool.

With all the beautiful sunshine the past few days, we’ve been able to work on the pigs’ pen. They spent the winter in the tractor barn, because their pen was too muddy. In addition to planting grass, Luis is adding their own pool.

Jim and Luis in the pig pen.

Jim and Luis in the pig pen.

Cuauhtemoc demonstrates during the biochar workshop. Built properly there is barely the hint of smoke. Any smoke that was visible was sucked back into the fire.

Cuauhtemoc demonstrates during the biochar workshop. Built properly there is barely the hint of smoke. Any smoke that was visible was sucked back into the fire.

The highlight of the week was listening to Cuauhtemoc Villa teach how to burn and create biochar. Thanks to the Sauvie Island Center for putting on the biochar workshop yesterday. Cuauhtemoc demonstrated how to burn and create rich biochar that enriches the soil. Like Bokashi, there are so many ways to turn “waste” back into the ground.

The workshop, attended by nearly 50 people, was held back near the Grow Lunch Garden built by the Sauvie Island Center students and volunteers. Next, they’re beginning work on the First Foods Forest. The biochar from yesterday’s workshop will be turned back into the soil to enrich the area of the food forest.

Adding EM (effective microorganisms).

Adding EM (effective microorganisms).

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Before photo, to show the construction of the mounds. The largest pieces are inside, built to reach the highest temps.

Before photo, to show the construction of the mounds. The largest pieces are inside, built to reach the highest temps.

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