Archive for the 'farming' Category

new digs

Published
by
Steve
on November 29, 2008
in Lifestyle, Miscellany and farming
. 0 Comments

I’m all settled in to Sun Island Farm and my new digs.

the container

The picture above is where I’m living. It’s a shipping container that has been converted to a house. It’s 40 feet long by 8 feet wide and aside from being super-cozy, it has a surprising amount of room! The inside is essentially divided into three parts: the kitchen, living area and bedroom. It was a refrigerated shipping container, so it is insulated and holds the heat produced by the small, plug-in radiator. Cooking anything on the gas stove heats the place up too. There’s a utility/bathroom built on to the side of the container. It’s got the hot-water heater, a shower, bathroom sink and built-in composting toilet. It’s awesome!

I’ve even got a land-line and DSL so I can keep on doing freelance design in my spare time! I’m really happy with the setup!

Work here is going well so far. We’ve started in on putting up a deer fence. The first run of posts have been hoisted after clearing quite a bit of blackberry and scotch broom infestation. I think we’ll get quite a lot done in the next two weeks as well, before I head to Florida for a couple of weeks.

I am enjoying working with Joe and Celina and am getting to know their kids and various family and friends. Their farm is a bit smaller than Plum Forest, and is a little closer to the scale I can see myself starting out with. There are several apple trees on the farm and we’ve been harvesting quite a few apples. We’re going to do another cider pressing here pretty soon. They’ve got barrels and barrels of apples they’ve been storing. I think I’m going to try and make some hard cider this year with some of the produce. It seems fairly simple and I’ve really started to enjoy drinking cider. It’s so much more simple than beer … it’s just apples!

Joe’s also got the tractor, a BCS 853, I’ve been dreaming about for the last year since I first learned about two-wheel tractors at Erik’s farm Ytre Lygra. So, I’ll get to have some hands-on experience with one before I consider buying it! Joe has some great implements for it as well - the 26″ tiller, chipper/shredder, mower and mini-trencher. I think he’s thinking about the rotary plow as well.

BCS 853 with rotary plow

Joe’s 853 has the diesel engine, which is what I was considering as well. Right now the battery for electric start is gone, but it is really quite easy to pull-start. Not having a front-end loader would be a sacrifice, but I’ll have to get some experience building and turning a compost pile without one to know whether it would truly be a necessity or not. A tractor with a front-end loader would be something I could probably borrow from a neighbor, ideally.

Buy Nothing …

I successfully avoided buying anything on my fourth annual celebration of buy nothing Friday. Which, after listening to the various podcasts and news reports about the economy, is apparently the wrong thing to do in a lot of people’s opinions. Go buy buy buy, consume and do your part for the economy! Pah! So many people are going to simply dig themselves into a deeper hole buying things for xmas. I wish everyone would just subscribe to this idea: Buy Nothing Christmas. As someone who “doesn’t celebrate” Christmas because of my beliefs, I don’t even look at it from a religious perspective, from how the holiday has been completely distorted. But, there’s a great movie out now, produced by “Super-size Me” star Morgan Spurlock. It’s called “What Would Jesus Buy?” Check it out! Then re-think your holiday shopping, and damn the economy! It needs to be fixed in different, more sustainable ways.

I say I successfully avoided buying anything, because I came very close! I really want to get a couple more pairs of Carhartt Double-Front work dungarees and I don’t have a tea kettle! But I think I’ll try to support a local business or two, even though I won’t get it “on sale” or at a “doorbuster” good price. It will be worth it!

Peter Schiff

One last thing while I’m at it: This past week, NPR’s Planet Money had a guest on - Peter Schiff. I was floored hearing what he has to say! Not that I am an economist in any way, shape or form, but at least two years ago I was predicting that the housing market bubble was going to burst within a year. I even suggested to a friend to hold off on buying a house (she didn’t listen to me) until next year.

I also started down the road I’m on because I believe the way most Americans live - in debt and consuming a ridiculous amount of material goods, wasting energy in the process while driving their vehicles commuting crazy distances and eating food from they don’t know or seem to care from how many thousand miles away it came … ok, I’ll stop … What I’m getting at is Peter Schiff predicted the economic crash years ago, and everyone was laughing at him. My agreement with him is kinda shaking me up a bit, because it is becoming obvious to me now that I am economically more Libertarian than I realized. I guess part of that is realizing it means. It certainly does not mean I’m a Ron Paul supporter, all of a sudden. The only reason I say this is because Schiff himself hovers around economic libertarianism. And, I agree with everything I’ve heard him say. Especially what he’s saying about the economic “bailout” …

Another good turkey day

I spent Thanksgiving this year again at Robert’s house. This year his awesome girlfriend Amy joined us. We had a Plum Forest Farm chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and pumpkin beer. I don’t have any pictures yet, and will post one or more when I do!

back from Bellingham

Published
by
Steve
on November 12, 2008
in Travel, Web and farming
. 0 Comments

So I went to Bellingham, Washington this past weekend for the Washington Tilth Producers annual conference. I also spent a couple days in and around Bellingham, checking out the area because I had never been there. My friend Marina says she really likes the city and especially likes the Fairhaven area, so I spent some time there on her recommendation.

beautiful morning

I was a horrible photographer this weekend, though. I didn’t take my camera to the conference at all. I wasn’t really sure what I’d do with it there. I went for a walk Monday in Bellingham and snapped a few shots along the way, but that was it. I didn’t get photos of either of my couchsurfing hosts or any of Fairhaven! Silly me. I’m not sure why. I just didn’t think about it … maybe it’s because I think I will go there again and spend more time there.

First domestic couchsurfin’

I couchsurfed the whole time I was in Bellingham. My first host, Jessica, wasn’t even there for two of the three nights I crashed at her place. So awesome! She just left me the key and I slept there after the conference. She got home on Sunday night and cooked me a really awesome pasta dish with some of the produce out of her own garden! Her gypsy peppers were better and redder than the ones we grew at Plum Forest!!! Then I surfed with Jim and Rick in Fairhaven on Monday night. Man I wish I had taken some pictures! Jim and Rick have a great house in a great location with an amazing garden! I also met their friend Mike, who was great company and my tour guide around Fairhaven. Both experiences were absolutely great. Just such amazing people couchsurfing hosts are!

Farming, farming, farming

The conference was pretty amazing. So much information. Too much information, really, as conferences usually are. It was awesome to be around so many like-minded people. Everyone I met was really easy to talk to - we all had so much in common!

Over the course of the conference, there were five workshop sessions. Each session had five different topics to choose from. It was so hard to choose! I was really happy with all my decisions except one. Here’s what I did:

  1. Nutrient Management and Soil Ecology
  2. Local Marketing: Two Multifaceted and Complimentary Business Strategies
  3. Greenhouse Propagation and Season Extension
  4. Pest Management of Slugs and Cabbage Maggots
  5. Efficient and Appropriate Use of Farm Equipment

The last one, #5 was completely mis-titled. The description says the presenter would “concentrate on those pieces that our operation uses the most and which are of greatest benefit to us.” Which he certainly did, but his presentation had absolutely nothing to do with the title of “Efficient and Appropriate Use of Farm Equipment.” It should have been titled: “What equipment Mike uses on his 35 acre farm and what he thinks of it.” To me it was especially inappropriate because one of the first things he told us is that they use a very traditional tillage method on their farm - meaning they run their tractors over the land many, many times plowing, discing, fertilizing, rotovating, cultivating, etc. etc. etc. when every piece of sustainable agriculture knowledge I’ve heard and read is for the most part against such tillage practices. Anyhow … it simply didn’t have one iota to do with what I’ve done or will do with farming.

That little rant aside, the conference was just awesome. I met so many folks, talked about so many different farms. Ate some good food, tried some great wine and got to meet people I’d heard of and conversed with over email, but had never met before. So great! I especially remember Autumn, whom I got to know through several conversations about farming and her farm in Oregon. She bought one of the herb pots I’d been eyeing on our dinner tables. I didn’t get out of my last session in time to buy one before they sold out! Thanks Autumn! You rock! These herb pots were on some tables through out the conference. They were 4 different kinds of herbs - in my case sage, rosemary, mint and thyme - in a terra cotta 6″ pot. After the conference was over, rather than throwing them out, they sold all the pots and leftover food that was unused.

Officially in business

The other big thing I did in the last couple weeks - I’m officially a sole proprietor doing business as Wilson’s DesignWorks! I took the plunge after I errantly forgot to ask a client to make the check payable to “Steve Wilson” and got a check made out to Wilson’s DesignWorks. That prompted me to take the step to make what looks and acts like a business into a business. I just hope it’s not going to cause me any heartburn … tax or headache-wise!!!

Moving on

I’m moving to Sun Island Farm this weekend to start work with them November 17. I’m really looking forward to it! I’ve got some heavy-duty Carhartt rain work wear now and am ready for the elements like I have never been.

I just wish I could get used to this time change!!! It is so darn dark at 4 pm! I’m tired and ready for bed by 8 pm!

and into November …

Published
by
Steve
on November 2, 2008
in Lifestyle and farming
. 0 Comments

Wow. Time flies. Rob mentioned to the whole family this past Friday that it was the last “official” day of my internship. October 31 got here so fast!

the colors of winter

Actually, this year it has flown less than ever. Farming is by far a different way to experience life and the passage of time. It seems like so long ago I was just starting at Plum Forest Farm and we were sowing seeds, preparing new beds and building the garden for the season. Seeing the plants grow from the tiniest seed, through transplanting, tending (weeding and weeding!) and then finally harvesting throughout the year is such a great experience. It totally brings you closer to what is real. I’m going to miss it! And, I’m forever changed by the experience here. Now we’re essentially tearing down the garden to retire it for winter. Removing irrigation systems, weed-barrier pathways, stakes, rocks - everything we need to do to be able to till large areas and sow cover crop seed.

So the deal for me over the next few months - I’ve accepted a winter internship at Sun Island Farm. I’ll be working with them to develop more of their infrastructure. They are a smaller and newer farm than Plum Forest, and they don’t have a farm stand, or a harvest shed, or an all-important deer fence. I’m really hoping that we get to some solar electric and hot-water system work, which is what Joe, the farmer (no pun intended or reference to “Joe the Plumber” - the fake talking head hired by the McCain camp) does in addition to farming. I really want to get involved in solar in a big way and become a proponent of that. It’s go to be part of a new economy going forward.

If it’s not clear to some, this means I’m staying on Vashon Island near Seattle, where I’ve been all year just about. I like it here. I’ll be on the island until April at this point, after which I’m not sure where life will take me. I’m just enjoying where I am for now.

The election

One of the biggest things on my mind lately is the election. I’ve already cast my vote for Obama, which I knew I would do months ago. I’ll stop short by saying here that I really can’t understand why anyone in their right mind would vote for McCain/Palin. It is so obvious to me that McCain/Palin are the absolute wrong leaders at this time for the USA. It fully and completely escapes all comprehension and reasoning of mine why I have people, whom I think of or thought of as friends, who are going to vote for McCain. I just … I don’t know. I can’t even begin to imagine what these people are thinkging, other than they have been made to be very, very fearful and afraid.

Me and farming (again)

I read back over what I wrote last time. I definitely love growing food, and without a doubt, if I casted any in my last post - my internship here at Plum Forest Farm is the best thing I’ve ever done with my life. Second only to taking a year off and traveling. It has changed the way I will live forever and is exactly, exactly, exactly what I wanted to do this year. It has been absolutely great and I wouldn’t trade the experience I’ve had here for anything.

cabbage selection

love and life

I continue to be a naive dufus when it comes to women. The good thing is I’ve never had such absolutely amazing women in my life. There are four women that I totally adore and would be lucky to end up with - I just need to figure out and/or find the guts to actually do something about one of them. Silly me. If it’s not obvious to anyone else, find a partner is one of if not the more important thing I think in my life. Now I just have to figure out how to not let it rule my thoughts and cloud my judgement, which it has a tendency to do. I just need to have fun with it, as a good friend has stated more than once. I get to focused on an end goal and I skip over where I am now and I need to enjoy now a bit more … we all do!