It's funny, given how busy I am...

...how little I have had to say here.

Life progresses apace, friends and loved ones. I started a new job last week, harvesting two days a week at Red Dog, which is just around the corner from Solstice. That's right, boys and girls, I'm now getting paid for to do that which I've been doing for free. Part of the time, at least. It's a really cool operation, Karyn and her crew grow really beautiful and delicious produce, and they have quality control standards as high as I've ever seen. I'm learning a lot, just being around her and her crew(even though I spend most of my time picking strawberries). She runs a really successful operation, and it's great to see someone my age making her farm work, and still managing to treat everyone involved fairly. Cool stuff.

At Solstice we've pretty much finished planting the garden, and although I'm continuing to put fall and winter crops in anywhere I can find some empty row space, we've reached the point where we're mostly going to be maintaining what we've already done in the coming months.

We had to put down one of our pigs, Shorty, he was sick with an infection of some sort, and none of the treatments we tried managed to get him healthy again. It's sad, but it's also a fact of nature that not every animal makes it to maturity.

The goats are doing well, and This Goat and That Goat are getting quite fat. It's almost time for them to be weaned, and we're all pretty excited at the prospect of no longer having to bottle feed every day.

The new interns have integrated into the community at large, and we're all getting along well. We're learning a lot, and working hard, and even managing to have a lot of fun in our spare time. Not that I've got a whole lot of that with the new gig on top of all the work I was doing before. Recent classes have included climate variability and food security and soil science. This month we've got classes on fiber(wool FTW) and at the end of the month we're taking a class of pickles and jams from a master preserver.

I've been baking always, as is usual, and with a new group of coworkers to endear myself to I've been pulling out all my best treats. On the savory front I've made rabbit confit, from one of the other interns, Tassie's bunnies, which were her independent learning project; I also just finished cooking up a bunch of corned lamb's tongues. I think we've had a potluck at least every other week all season long.

As much as I love watching the food in the garden grow I was reminded how satisfying I find working with the animals the other morning when we treated the new lamb's hooves, and wormed them, prior to separating them from their mothers for weaning. I spent the morning kneeling in poop, and administering shots, and squirting wormer down the mouths of calm and accepting animals, and it was a joyous way to spend a day.

The newest batch of layers, Rhode Island Reds, are maturing quickly, and are starting to look like little chickens instead of like tiny feathered dinosaurs. Olivia, at Spring Rain is raising turkeys for her independent project, and if you've ever thought baby chicks are cute it's only because you haven't seen baby turkeys.

Not sure how much else I have to share. I'm still writing, and still knitting(working on three projects right now), and I've actually been working on a hide from the last slaughter. Kay at Spring Rain has been learning to cure hides, and tan leather just as a personal interest, and one of the things that all of the interns are really excited to be able to do is share our knowledge and our passions with one another. What could be better than that? Bread baking classes anyone?

What was that? You want some pictures? I guess I'll see what I can come up with.

Asparagus, garlic scapes, salad greens and a fried egg? Don't mind if I do:



Asparagus Volunteers:

Dilly scapes, first pickles of the year:



Sheep at sunset:

My lettuce, and potato bins in the background, and a preview of the intern row on the garden(these pics taken a few weeks ago, I'll get some updated shots with stuff actually growing for next time):


Last knitting project? First pair of socks...guys let me tell you if you ever have the chance to rock a pair of handmade wool socks, I reccomend it unreservedly:
Hope y'all found something to enjoy in that. I enjoyed sitting and writing it; since it gave me a chance to reflect on the last few weeks, and to think of you all. Working on having my bike sent out here, so I have an alternative to driving the beast of the van. Thinking ahead to what i might do next. Not coming up with any definite answers, but I definitely have some tentative plans. I've got a pretty big birthday coming up, and the thought of it is both exciting and not really. I've been claiming thirty within days of turning twenty nine, but the reality of it is another thing. I look forward to the day, and I look forward to the day when I next get to see you all, so I can tell you how much you all mean to me in person, instead of as a group by way of a blog entry.

Love you guys, hope you're enjoying life as much as I am, and are keeping busy and productive and are making new friends and learning a lot. I know I am, and it makes all the difference in the world.

It's been so long,

but I promise I'll try harder to keep you all updated in the coming season, and given that our last Ewe(sorry Rachel) gave birth yesterday at ten in the evening, things might be slightly calmer in the coming weeks. Probably not really, though. My schedule involves two full days of farm work a week, and a day of classes and chores. It really is great because I'm allowed plenty of time to work on my own projects. Linda is free with the scrap wood, and her tools and her expertise so I've been doing some building, and anticipate doing much more over the course of the summer. So far I've built some bins for planting potatoes, our new beehive(painted to match the farmhouse in a lovely shade of light green with dark green trim[not even joking]), and just yesterday Linda, Jen, and I finished planking out the bridge over the pond.

Potato Bins:


Bridge Pics:

Our new beehive, which has since been loaded with a queen and her drones:

A little recap, because I'm not sure what we've been over, and what I've forgotten to share. I've learned some really cool things during my weekly field classes. We started out doing Ag building with Linda, and we've all been really excited by any projects we can think of since then. We visited Dick Schneider at RainCoast Farm, who grows tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers, in an attempt to find what varieties work best for the climate here in Jefferson county. He's a really cool guy, with a beautiful experimental farm, and some of the most attractive Ag buildings I've ever seen. He donates all the food he grows in his gardens to the local food banks, and supplies starts for anyone who wants them(obviously farming is not a way for him to make money, but a way for him to give to the community he is so deeply involved with). He taught us about seed germination and transplants. Unfortunately I forgot my camera and so failed to get any pictures of his operation, but I'll be sure to get some next time I'm there.

We also took a trip to Oatsplanter, where we met Steve Habersetzer who grows seed which is adapted to thrive in our microclimate, and who has a totally different sort of operation from any I've been on before. He's an accomplished word worker, and has built all of the buildings on his farm(a recurring theme around these parts), and the crafstman ship is impeccable. He and his partner farm using as little in the way of gasoline powered machinery as they're able(he showed us his scythe), and his style of building beds using copious amounts of compost and windrows of weeds from the garden was really fascinating. He made us a lunch of produce from the farm, and we helped him plant his greenhouse with chili peppers some of which he'll harvest for seed late this year.

Some pictures, including his kitchen, and the gypsy wagon he built over a decade ago:


Olivia, Tassie, Kay and Steve in the greenhouse, which felt more outdoors than any I've ever been in, although I'm sure that makes no sense:

This, like all the farms we've been to, is a beautiful and happy and exciting place to spend time. Truly inspirational.

This past week we went to Mystery Bay, on Marrowstone Island, where they keep goats and make chevre and ricotta. It was a fine day, which I also failed to take many pictures of, but you can check these ones out, at least:(a collection of the photos from my phone...I hope). It was another example of a place where people have made a life for themselves, doing something they love in a way that enriches not only themselves but the community around them. Scott and Rachel have ten goats they milk, and another ten baby girls born this year. They practice very careful pasture rotation using movable electric fencing, and in addition to the goats they have fruit and nut trees all over their property, and garden where they grow food for themselves. Within ten minutes of our arrival all of the FIELDies were echoing my sentiments, I want a goat(or ten). So, Miguel, when you're ready to take up cheese making; I'll be ready. We helped out by cleaning out a winters worth of hay and poo, and in return received a thorough tour, and an afternoon in the sun by the wood-fired oven eating homemade pizza, I made a couple with rhubarb compote and their chevre and ricotta which were delicious, and we got to pick their brains on everything from the logistics of a dairy operation, on whether to milk through the winter(they don't), and how to be able to afford to purchase a farm(deal directly with the seller, rather than the bank). It was yet another unbelievably beautiful day(the first truly hot sunny spring day we've had, really). Kay even jumped in the pond. If I have a chance to visit them again, I'll bring the camera along so you can see what I'm talking about.

Each and every farm we visit just gets me more and more excited to find a piece of land and see what I can do with it. If you want a more in depth explanation of what my hopes and dreams are in that regard, take me out for a drink and I'll promise to get all excited and spew idea after idea.

More pics of the farm, and some of the things I've been spending my spare time on:


Bouncy, and bottle, babies,:
Radishes, French and Japanese:
Our garlic crop:

Asparagus(oh yeah, it is springtime):

My llama nemesis(not really, I actually really want the llamas to like me and think I'm cool, but they just ignore me, and then escape, and have to be herded back into the pasture...jerks):

Some pics of my knitting:
A shawl for Mindy:

A hat for mom:
Matt's hat, inspired by the Seattle public library:

Our newest livestock on the farm, a dozen weaner pigs:


Another fun project, helping the conservation district with fish counts, to see the efficacy of the CREP program. Which is designed to help restore the salmon runs. This is especially appealing to my inner five year old boy scout/scientist:

What's that? A baby coho salmon:
This last weekend we had a going away party for my friend Maggie, who has been a huge inspiration to me since I came to the maritime northwest, and I'll be forever greatful for the role she played in bringing me out here, and making me a part of the community once I arrived. Thanks Maggie, good luck on your journey, which I look forward to hearing all about, if you can ever find yourself an internet connection. Her journey makes mine seem tame by comparison, she's off for three months in Madagascar then Malaysia and Thailand, and who knows where after that. I'm really excited for her.

I'm really excited for me, too. I've been in Washington for a year now, and while I'm not certain if this is where I'll stay, it has been a wholly fulfilling time, and I look forward to what the future holds.

So that's a brief summary of the first month plus of my time at Solstice farm, I hope you've enjoyed hearing of my adventures, as benign as they might have been.In addition to the farm work I've been writing everyday(still), and participating in a discussion group about food issues, I know, who would have thought a Strich interested in talking about food? With food in mind I leave you a parting pic, hot salad of pea shoots from Midori Farms, Purple potatoes from Dharma Ridge, jerusalem artichokes from Colinwood, leeks from Red Dog and lettuce from Johnston Farms. MMmmm, wish you were here to share:

I am in a special place, boys and girls,...

and I'm going to have a hard time talking about it, without sounding like a giddy school girl. I'm into my second week of work and learning at Solstice farms, and each and every day I take a moment in the morning to appreciate just how lucky I am to be here. The entire valley is beautiful, and neighbors another pair just as pretty(almost). I haven't been here for long enough to really get a feel for the community at large, but I'm getting to know the farm folk already, and I think I'm going to fit in just fine. I've met my fellow FIELD interns, who, at least for the spring session, all work down the road at Spring Rain Farm and Orchard with John Bellow and his partner Roxanne, who are great people. I'm sure you'll be hearing all about these folks in the coming months, but now for strictly introductory purposes; there's Kay and Tassie and Olivia, not to mention a stream of WWWOOFers to get to know.

On my farm are Jim and Linda, of course, two of the finest people I've met in a very long time, I am certain to learn so much from them, and not just about farming(and business, Jim). Also on the farm are Kate and Jen, who've been on the farm since last year, and have been quite generous with their knowledge, and their space. I'm sure we're all in for a great year.

I've tried to sit down and write this blog entry a couple of times ove rthe past week, but have been foiled by losing my camera, and other things taking up more of my time than I'd anticipated.

In addition to doing farm work, and reading, and knitting, I took the time, this past Saturday to bake four hundred rolls for Sarah Johnston's wedding. It was great to see Kelly and Christie, Nick and Sarah again, and it was really cool to have the chance to bake on such a massive scale, which I've never done before. Eight bags of flour, and sixty pounds of dough, and eleven hours of shaping and baking later, and the evening was a great success. I wish Sarah and Jordan the best of luck, and I can't wait to have the chance to go by the farm and see all of Kelly and Christie's hard work.

I've only had a little time to spend back in Port Angeles, but I'm sure I'll be returning to spend time with all of my friends, and especially to see Maggie as much as possible, before she leaves at the end of April for her big journey around the world. I think if I weren't in place that's so perfect for me, I might be jealous, but I really can't imagine being anywhere else at this point in my life.

Some pictures of the farm, to help you all imagine where I'll be, and what I'll be seeing. Don't be fooled by the gray misty nature of these photos, It was sunny for the entire first week I was on the farm, and while I'm sure the spring will be plenty wet, I know the summer will come, and with it blue skies and sunshine.

Views of the farm and the pasture:



Our neighbors the bison(buffalo? I really have no idea, I should ask):


This is Megan the Wonder Dog. She really is a wonder. What a pleasure she is to work with(I'll try and get some pics where she isn't quite so rained upon for my next entry):

Llama and chickens:

And I can't forget the sheep. This is mama Mocha:

And some young guys:

I'm really enjoying getting to know the sheep, and learning to understand the vagaries of working with an animal that needs more attention than the pigs I worked with last year did. It's lambing season, and none of our pregnant mothers have dropped yet, but we have a couple who could deliver any day now, and we've begun 3am rounds, on rotation taking turns to see if the lambs have come yet.

It may sound perverse, but after I spent my time checking up on our ladies at three o clock this morning, I couldn't get back to bed, because I was so excited about all of the prospects for the coming season. I have yet to decide with Jim and Linda what my independent learning project will be, but I have a couple of ideas that I'm really excited about.

So far on the farm I've had the chance to do a lot of pruning, of the trees around the pond. I helped install a couple of massive boards which will become the basis of a bridge across the pond. Jen and I uncovered eight rows of asparagus, and we've done a little bit of weeding(believe it or not). On my first work day, last week, I washed forty dozen(five hundred, if you don't want to do the math) eggs.

Last week for our day of FIELD education, Linda taught us our first day of Ag building. We framed out the floor and walls, and built a couple of trusses to do the roof, for a tool shed we're going to install at the elementary school in Quilcene. They have a really incredible school garden program, which we're all too happy to help. It was really a great chance to see how much we're capable of doing, and it was really empowering to learn how much you can do with some basic skills.

I'm getting settled in quite happily, and I'm learning a lot, and I'm really quite happy. I know that I'm in for quite an exciting couple of months, with baby lambs, and piglets, and new chicks coming soon. A beehive to install, and once it's time, Jen, Kate and I will have a bed in the garden to do with as we please. There's a regular knitting circle on the farm, not to mention, plenty of singing and music making. I'll be getting to know the other interns better, not to mention getting to spend plenty of quality time with the farm folk, I already think of as my own. I have a cinnamon roll recipe to develop, and there will time for cooking and eating together, for high tea in the afternoons(doesn't that sound like a remarkably sensible and civilized thing to do? It does to me, too). Wendell Berry is coming to Seattle in May, and Mother Earth News is having a big festival in Puyallap in June. This is going to be an exciting time for me, and although I'm going to be plenty busy, I'lll do my best to keep y'all updated about life on the farm.

Remember, feel free to leave questions in the comments, or to e-mail or text me. I love you all, family and friends. Some of you have knitted goods coming your way in the near future, and I expect to get some pictures of people sporting their hats and shawls when you get them. I'll update again as soon as I've got some new pictures, and some more exciting news of my day-to-day adventures on Solstice Farm.