Here is Helen, my MIL and the owner of the farm. She is turning 70 this Sat! She is amazing. Here is Eva, a friend who does flowers with Helen. Growing the flowers was my job for a few years. I did love it. But Jesse is not as happy at the farm as Gillen is and frankly, it is OK by me! I get to take pictures of the cosmos, zinnias, sunflowers, etc. and press them for cards and love them, without sweating over them all day. Helen also started and runs the whole chicken operation and her true calling is natural medicine. She's only 5 ft. tall but is an Austrian powerhouse of a woman.
Some of the hoop houses. They have enabled Nicolas to radically extend his spring and fall seasons and to grow much more in the winter.
Here is Jesse, surveying the land, having just wrangled a Rattler.
5 comments:
OMG, those hoop houses are to die for!
The size of your operation is awe-inspiring and makes my acreage and dreams of organic farming feel dinky in comparison. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm homesteading not making a living. ;)
Love the updates!
Danielle, you have accomplished sooo much in such a short amount of time. I am so impressed by your farm. I thought you were planning on farming for a living from how much you have already done. Though homesteading is probably more fun.
WOW! You have an incredible farm! Your MIL looks great I would never guess 70. And the flowers, how fun!
Well, homesteading is my goal--to feed my family sustainable, natural, soul-nourishing foods.
But, the kids and I have grand dreams of selling a bit to offset the costs of our homesteading adventure as well as to nurture our own sense of pride and meaningful contribution.
The hard part is navigating all the ins and outs of those possibilities--organic laws vs. certified naturally grown, niche markets, client bases, health codes, etc. Whew! Mind whirling! The government sure makes it difficult to have a little farm stand these days, never mind a gal making a wee bit o' egg money. ;)
Thank you for the kudos, though! You have no idea how inspiring your photos are! Jim couldn't wait to get out to weed his potato patch after seeing Nicolas's gorgeous, weed-free rows.
Danielle, I asked nicolas for his 2 cents and he thinks a CSA might be easier, depending on the neighborhood you're in and how much you're growing. But then he said, there are so many ways to go and so may factors so he can't begin to tell you what is right. He did say to please ask him if you have any questions. He is a mentor to several farmers.
And as for the weeds! The potatoes are easy to take care of with the tractor but you should see some of the rows of other crops in the summer, especially when there is actually some rain! It's been so dry. Also, N. has help. It became too much to tackle with just the family and not depending on me being there as a field worker has been great for my relationship with him and with his mother, I think. : )
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