Tweet
Do you need an internship?
We offer internships for current students: Check it out on our Learning Opportunities page. All the details are in the flyer, also available here:
2016 Internship Flier
Our Internship structure is very fluid so that it may be fitted to the individual student's needs and goals. You may request a whole farm internship or a focused one on Vegetables or Livestock.
General schedule:
Vegetables: 1 harvest day (Mon/Tues or Friday), 1 Market day (Wed. or Sat.), and 1 general work day. Minimum 20 hours per week, unpaid. Hours beyond 20 will be paid but are not guaranteed.
Livestock: 1 Market day (Wed. or Sat.), 1-2 general work days. 16-20 hours per week, unpaid. Hours beyond 20 will be paid but may not be livestock related.
Whole Farm: Same as vegetable requirement.
To apply, we request that you send us an updated resume and cover letter detailing your goals and how you think our internship could contribute to attaining that goal.
Do you need employment?
We will be hiring part time laborers for vegetables and possibly for ad-hoc livestock fencing work from May through October.
To apply for employment opportunities send us your updated resume and cover letter. We want to know your employment needs and how you think employment with Omache Farm can further your goals.
Never written a resume or cover letter? WSU Students can head over to the Academic Success and Career center on campus for assistance. We are not as familiar with UI's resources but are certain they have something similar.
Requirements:
*Hours, especially harvest, will be early.
*You will need reliable transportation to our farm which is about 10 miles south of Pullman and just 11.7 miles from Beasley coliseum.
*You will be working daily with your hands and back. Must be able to routinely lift and carry 50 lbs
*NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED - be willing to learn!
Showing posts with label farming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farming. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Friday, February 21, 2014
NOW it's spring on the palouse
Tweet
There are two things on our farm on the palouse that signify spring is here. The first is the winds. They are always blowing... hard. they usually start in mid February and blow most of the way through March. The upside is that it starts being sunnier here when all the clouds get blown right past you. This morning dawned partly cloudy and surprisingly only mildly windy. Today was the first day that the sun peeked above the hills before HannaMae's bus arrived.
The second thing that signifies spring on the palouse is restless sheep.
Makes sense, right? No more snow covering the ground and things are starting to warm up and grow fresh green grass. WAAAAAY better than all that dusty dry straw they've been eating all winter. Grass, oat or alfalfa, it doesn't matter how much they've been spoiled or not because the fresh green stuff is always better than any type of hay.
The ramboulliets apparently just whine. Baa, Baa, Baa.
The Jacobs are too smart for that. They have learned that sometimes the people hide the good grass outside the fences. ometimes next to the red barn, sometimes over past the gardens. Sometimes the people even hide the grass up the road by Betty's house. The Jacobs have also learned that barbed wire, especially ancient falling down fence, doesn't hurt. Those fences are really more of a suggestion than a rule.
The main reason those fences never have been fixed is because they are on the border with a grain field which happens to be uphill. Those particular neighbors are better than others about plowing more soil downhill on top of the fence but there's still a nice cliff between the edge of their field and the old fence. We are working with our landlord to be allowed to build a new fence for that section on top of the field. We just only have room for so many projects each year.
That all aside, the Jacobs or rather a few particular escape artists, have figured out the easiest sections to climb through. The easiest fix? grab one of our small panel sections, climb the pasture hillside, attach the panel section over the wooly area of fence.
The hard part is to then go find the adventuresome sheep and convince them they need to go home. The first part of spring is easy: there isn't really much grass to argue over. Give it a few weeks and the sheep probably won't believe me anymore...
There are two things on our farm on the palouse that signify spring is here. The first is the winds. They are always blowing... hard. they usually start in mid February and blow most of the way through March. The upside is that it starts being sunnier here when all the clouds get blown right past you. This morning dawned partly cloudy and surprisingly only mildly windy. Today was the first day that the sun peeked above the hills before HannaMae's bus arrived.
The second thing that signifies spring on the palouse is restless sheep.
Makes sense, right? No more snow covering the ground and things are starting to warm up and grow fresh green grass. WAAAAAY better than all that dusty dry straw they've been eating all winter. Grass, oat or alfalfa, it doesn't matter how much they've been spoiled or not because the fresh green stuff is always better than any type of hay.
The ramboulliets apparently just whine. Baa, Baa, Baa.
The Jacobs are too smart for that. They have learned that sometimes the people hide the good grass outside the fences. ometimes next to the red barn, sometimes over past the gardens. Sometimes the people even hide the grass up the road by Betty's house. The Jacobs have also learned that barbed wire, especially ancient falling down fence, doesn't hurt. Those fences are really more of a suggestion than a rule.
The main reason those fences never have been fixed is because they are on the border with a grain field which happens to be uphill. Those particular neighbors are better than others about plowing more soil downhill on top of the fence but there's still a nice cliff between the edge of their field and the old fence. We are working with our landlord to be allowed to build a new fence for that section on top of the field. We just only have room for so many projects each year.
That all aside, the Jacobs or rather a few particular escape artists, have figured out the easiest sections to climb through. The easiest fix? grab one of our small panel sections, climb the pasture hillside, attach the panel section over the wooly area of fence.
The hard part is to then go find the adventuresome sheep and convince them they need to go home. The first part of spring is easy: there isn't really much grass to argue over. Give it a few weeks and the sheep probably won't believe me anymore...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Pork Extras!
Tweet
All those parts of the pig that aren't typically found in your grocers meat case anymore. Whatever should you do with them? We have some of them in abundance and would love to share some of the things we have done or have been told about (with some basic research on our part to verify those things of course!)
Pork Bones
The neck bones, because they have already been cut in half, add a wonderful gelatinous factor when making things like baked beans, gravy, and spaghetti sauce. (I hate having my sauce run all over the plate!) I've also seen recipes that will roast or bake the neck bones much like one would for a rack of ribs and to serve it with cabbage (roasted or perhaps with our Colcannon Recipe?). You could also make pork stock. Not to be too simple or anything.
Other bones may be used to make stock as well but if pork stock isn't your thing, perhaps you have a dog or a friend with a dog who would love to have those bones!
http://www.k9natural.com/learning-center/raw-meaty-bones
This page has great info on feeding your dog bones in general and the best way to do it for the health and safety of your dog i.e. RAW ONLY. Do NOT give your dog any bones that have been cooked. It changes the way that a bone breaks (splinters!). Watch your dog with this new food for them to make sure they don't try and do something silly like swallow it whole or in ridiculously large hunks.
Pork Fat and Leaf Lard
We get the extra fat trimmings and leaf lard back from the processor in it's natural state, neatly packaged of course. Using fats from animals on a more natural diet has all sorts of benefits. One of the biggest differences is in the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA).
http://flyinghfarm.blogspot.com/2010/03/pastured-pork-produces-perfect-lard.html
This site has a wonderful and in-depth explanation and some comparisons with other fats and oils as well.
Long story short, Lard is good for you. Not to mention the pie crusts made with lard are so flaky that they might as well float away. Lard is a healthy and natural food that we should be consuming again. The ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids is much more appropriate from a pastured pig than from a confinement hog, especially when they are eating more roots and greens. Our pigs aren't quite there yet but there is a noticeable difference in their lard because they do eat some grasses and roots and the quality of their grain feed is much higher than the corn and soy diets fed in confinement operations.
How to Render Lard
The above website is another blog but the one that I followed the first time I rendered some of our own lard. It works and she has some beautiful photos illustrating the instructions. And you can put the initial cracklins back in to render a little more and then have a super yummy snack! I hear that cornbread with cracklins baked inside is amazing as well!
You can render the backfat as well. (point also mentioned in the above link). However you will want to reserve it for cooking when you don't mind or want a bit of a porky flavor. When we cook our bacon, I save the fat from the pan to grease the pan just before I do eggs or in other ways where I'd like a bacon-y flavor as well.
There are many ways humans have found to utilize 100% of an animal besides those oh-so-wonderful loin roasts or pork chops or bacon. Part of the reason is practical. Humans need the nutrients that come from some of those parts. Also, one does not have to dispose of much of an animal when one finds ways to consume all of it. Another part of the reason for utilizing the whole animal can be spiritual in a way. The pig spent the time creating all those things, why waste what Mother Nature has provided?
All those parts of the pig that aren't typically found in your grocers meat case anymore. Whatever should you do with them? We have some of them in abundance and would love to share some of the things we have done or have been told about (with some basic research on our part to verify those things of course!)
Pork Bones
The neck bones, because they have already been cut in half, add a wonderful gelatinous factor when making things like baked beans, gravy, and spaghetti sauce. (I hate having my sauce run all over the plate!) I've also seen recipes that will roast or bake the neck bones much like one would for a rack of ribs and to serve it with cabbage (roasted or perhaps with our Colcannon Recipe?). You could also make pork stock. Not to be too simple or anything.
Other bones may be used to make stock as well but if pork stock isn't your thing, perhaps you have a dog or a friend with a dog who would love to have those bones!
http://www.k9natural.com/learning-center/raw-meaty-bones
This page has great info on feeding your dog bones in general and the best way to do it for the health and safety of your dog i.e. RAW ONLY. Do NOT give your dog any bones that have been cooked. It changes the way that a bone breaks (splinters!). Watch your dog with this new food for them to make sure they don't try and do something silly like swallow it whole or in ridiculously large hunks.
Pork Fat and Leaf Lard
We get the extra fat trimmings and leaf lard back from the processor in it's natural state, neatly packaged of course. Using fats from animals on a more natural diet has all sorts of benefits. One of the biggest differences is in the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA).
http://flyinghfarm.blogspot.com/2010/03/pastured-pork-produces-perfect-lard.html
This site has a wonderful and in-depth explanation and some comparisons with other fats and oils as well.
Long story short, Lard is good for you. Not to mention the pie crusts made with lard are so flaky that they might as well float away. Lard is a healthy and natural food that we should be consuming again. The ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids is much more appropriate from a pastured pig than from a confinement hog, especially when they are eating more roots and greens. Our pigs aren't quite there yet but there is a noticeable difference in their lard because they do eat some grasses and roots and the quality of their grain feed is much higher than the corn and soy diets fed in confinement operations.
How to Render Lard
The above website is another blog but the one that I followed the first time I rendered some of our own lard. It works and she has some beautiful photos illustrating the instructions. And you can put the initial cracklins back in to render a little more and then have a super yummy snack! I hear that cornbread with cracklins baked inside is amazing as well!
You can render the backfat as well. (point also mentioned in the above link). However you will want to reserve it for cooking when you don't mind or want a bit of a porky flavor. When we cook our bacon, I save the fat from the pan to grease the pan just before I do eggs or in other ways where I'd like a bacon-y flavor as well.
There are many ways humans have found to utilize 100% of an animal besides those oh-so-wonderful loin roasts or pork chops or bacon. Part of the reason is practical. Humans need the nutrients that come from some of those parts. Also, one does not have to dispose of much of an animal when one finds ways to consume all of it. Another part of the reason for utilizing the whole animal can be spiritual in a way. The pig spent the time creating all those things, why waste what Mother Nature has provided?
Friday, July 26, 2013
Ginger's Memoirs - The Stinky Hay
Tweet
One summer, Dad was out in the barn, cleaning out old hay from the upper level, tossing it into the wagon below to be carted off somewhere more useful. He’d dig his pitchfork into the hay and toss it over his shoulder and out the doors to land neatly in the wagon with the waiting horse team. It was calm and quiet. Just the “shick...schick...schick...” of the hay being picked up with the pitchfork. Suddenly, his pitchfork started to jump and shake in his hands of it’s own accord! Dad yelled and threw the fork away from himself into the piles of hay in the barn. As the fork went flying across the barn, a skunk fell out from between the tines! Dad wasted no time and jumped out the door and into the wagon below, startling the team who decided they were leaving too. After dad regained control of the horses, he turned back to look at the barn where he saw the skunk peering out the barn door watching the excitement he had caused.
One summer, Dad was out in the barn, cleaning out old hay from the upper level, tossing it into the wagon below to be carted off somewhere more useful. He’d dig his pitchfork into the hay and toss it over his shoulder and out the doors to land neatly in the wagon with the waiting horse team. It was calm and quiet. Just the “shick...schick...schick...” of the hay being picked up with the pitchfork. Suddenly, his pitchfork started to jump and shake in his hands of it’s own accord! Dad yelled and threw the fork away from himself into the piles of hay in the barn. As the fork went flying across the barn, a skunk fell out from between the tines! Dad wasted no time and jumped out the door and into the wagon below, startling the team who decided they were leaving too. After dad regained control of the horses, he turned back to look at the barn where he saw the skunk peering out the barn door watching the excitement he had caused.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Pastured Pork Cuts NOW AVAILABLE!
Tweet
Pork Chops
Loin Roasts
Shoulder Roasts
Spare Ribs
Country Style Ribs
Ground Pork
Old Fashioned Sausage
Good 'n' Sagey Sausage
Pork Fat
Leaf Lard
Soup Bones
All will be available at the Moscow Farmer's Market This Weekend!
8am-1pm Saturday
Main Street, Moscow, ID
Also available starting this week at the:
Tuesday Grower's Market
4-6:30pm
Moscow Food Co-op Parking Lot
Pullman Farmer's Market
3:30-6pm Wednesday
Spot Shop Parking Lot
Get there early for the best selection!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Ginger's Memoirs - Ringing Hogs
Tweet
Every year, Mom, Dad and I would
ring hogs before they went outside to the fields. The hogs were run through the chute, rings
put in their nose and castrated.
Needless to say, there was a lot of squealing in the barn on those
days! Mom’s job was to open the gate
from the chute so the hog could run out the shed and into the fields outside.
There was
on instance where Dad and I both turned around when we heard Mom
screaming. A hog had run between Mom’s
short legs and she was riding the animal!
The hog took her with on its mad dash down the chute and outside. Louder even than the hogs, she screamed the
whole way out!
Dad and I
nearly fell over we were laughing so hard.
Once she made her way back in to the gate at the head of the chute, she
laughed just as much as we were.
That is one
sight I’ll never forget. I’ll bet she
didn’t either!
Ethiopian Cabbage Dish
Tweet
Prep Time: 25 Minutes Cook
Time: 40 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour
5 Minutes
Servings: 5
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
4 carrots, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Directions:
1.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2.
Cook the carrots and onion in the hot oil about 5
minutes.
3.
Stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, and cabbage
and cook another 15 to 20 minutes.
4.
Add the potatoes; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and
cook until potatoes are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Ginger's Memoirs - The Jam
Tweet
The jams were thrown away.
My mother wanted to make jams and jellies for the
winter. So, she hooked up our Ford
Ferguson tractor to her small wagon and took off for the fence line where she’d
seen some wild grapes growing. She
loaded the wagon up and returned home to process the grapes. Making several jars of jam, she proudly
showed my dad her efforts. Dad started
to laugh. As soon as he managed to calm
down, he informed her that she had been picking poison ivy berries and had made
poison ivy jam!
My mother was in bed for a week with the worst case of
poison ivy the doctor had seen in a very long time. Since that incident, she developed an allergy
to poison ivy.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Baby lambs!
Tweet
Surprise Surprise! not one but TWO new little lambs on the 3rd and 4th of July!
Can you find them both?
YouTube video
Surprise Surprise! not one but TWO new little lambs on the 3rd and 4th of July!
Can you find them both?
YouTube video
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Seasonality
Tweet
Just this morning, while trellising tomatoes and cucumbers
in the hoophouse, Jason found the very first ripe cucumber! It was so amazingly juicy and cucumber-y and
amazing as it is, cool on the inside.
Just barely. We have a tradition
around here that I hope gets almost downright silly in future years. Whenever someone finds the first ripe
something that is best eaten fresh, like a tomato or cucumber, everyone gets to
share a piece. That includes the first
cherry tomato… yeah, go ahead and imagine that.
Now imagine that with employees someday… are you laughing yet? Yeah, me too.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Broccoli: The Other Parts...
Tweet
When one
consumes broccoli, one is only eating a small portion of the plant. The heads stand about two feet off the ground
and grow from the middle of large leaves.
I don’t know about you but I like to use as much of a plant as
possible. Sure, I've got chickens and
pigs and they love this kind of stuff but what is wrong with using as much of
the plant as possible most of the time?
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Introducing: Ronn & Ginger Parsley!
Tweet
We'd like to take a moment to introduce our new partners in farming.
Ronn & Ginger Parsley!
Ronn and Ginger are Jason's folks. Over the course of the last few years, Ronn and Ginger have spent an average of 63 days per year working on our farm in bits and pieces on one project or another. After being laid off last summer, Ronn decided he had had enough of the engineering and construction industry. After many long and involved talks, the four of us have decided to work together in partnership on Omache Farm.
So far, things are working out well. They have brought some new things to the table that are allowing us to take some larger steps in growth on the farm in order to become our main or only source of income for both families. I am sure you will take the time to get to know them and enjoy the new offerings they are helping to bring to market each week.
Full biographies follow below:
We'd like to take a moment to introduce our new partners in farming.
Ronn & Ginger Parsley!
Ronn and Ginger are Jason's folks. Over the course of the last few years, Ronn and Ginger have spent an average of 63 days per year working on our farm in bits and pieces on one project or another. After being laid off last summer, Ronn decided he had had enough of the engineering and construction industry. After many long and involved talks, the four of us have decided to work together in partnership on Omache Farm.
So far, things are working out well. They have brought some new things to the table that are allowing us to take some larger steps in growth on the farm in order to become our main or only source of income for both families. I am sure you will take the time to get to know them and enjoy the new offerings they are helping to bring to market each week.
Full biographies follow below:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
New Publicity!
Tweet
We're in the Newspaper!
The Whitman County Gazette did a feature article on us for their 2013 Agriculture Edition and sent us PDF copies of the pages for us to share with you!
You can check them out on our "Publicity & Press" page or by following this direct link to that same page: Publicity & Press
We're in the Newspaper!
The Whitman County Gazette did a feature article on us for their 2013 Agriculture Edition and sent us PDF copies of the pages for us to share with you!
You can check them out on our "Publicity & Press" page or by following this direct link to that same page: Publicity & Press
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
It's like herding... pigs!
Tweet
Spring around here is probably the most exciting and busy and stressful time of the year. Especially since we have extra projects beyond simply operating the farm because we are just starting out and growing. There are a lot of things that we have experience that is limited to the theoretical.
Spring around here is probably the most exciting and busy and stressful time of the year. Especially since we have extra projects beyond simply operating the farm because we are just starting out and growing. There are a lot of things that we have experience that is limited to the theoretical.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Feeling like a “Real” Farmer!
Jason answered an ad last week from someone liquidating an estate that included lots of farming equipment. Some of that equipment is small enough that the tractor we have access to can pull the tools! And, we got it all for incredible prices!
A two bottom plow (not that it will have a ton of uses) a set of discs, a feed trailer and lots of small bits and pieces essential to every farm.
Not only have we now made purchases of some “large” farm equipment, but we now have some items that are truly ours and not borrowed.
Both of us felt like we’d grown another notch. Even more so after reassembling the discs and playing with them a bit.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
A Pat on the Back...
...To Us!
We realized something the other day.
We took a WSU extension class in the spring of 2008 and a part of it was to write up a business plan. With no real clue as to where we would eventually end up or what exactly we would be growing, we were relatively accurate even with pretty ambitious goals!
As of this year, we've more or less reached all of our major 5-year goals. In five years!
One of our main goals included starting a 10-member CSA. This year, we can check that one off.
Another goal was to have a 20 ewe breeding flock of sheep. This year, we have 31 ewes we expect to drop lambs for us!
A third goal was to be selling at two farmer's markets. Now that we know what it really takes to be selling at just one local farmer's market, we may or may not reach that one this year, but probably next year. We are however looking at selling some specific produce to a couple restaurants and the Moscow Co-op.
Another goal was to purchase or lease a farm property. We leased our farm property at year three in 2010!
The last goal we wrote down was to begin utilizing draft power in year five. That won't be happening this year but I don't think we've yet ruled it out. As we gain a handle on what needs to happen day to day in the next couple years, we'll probably be more able to figure out how to do some or all of that work with draft power. I'm seeing things like cutting hay and pulling mobile livestock shelters from one paddock to the next for sure but who knows? maybe in the next ten or fifteen years we'll have several teams of Suffolk Punch horses doing everything from tilling and weeding veggies to baling hay to planting and harvesting grain and hauling wagons for hay rides for harvest festivals!
When we were writing all these ideas down to create a business plan so long ago, we had absolutely no idea that we would end up here on the palouse, potentially forever. We had no idea that our delusions of grandeur might not have been quite as delusional as originally thought. Although frankly, a flock of 150 or more Jacob ewes grazing across our hillsides might still be delusional. We'll have to pare it down to between 60 and 100 I think.
Now that we've arrived at our fictitious five year mark in relative truthfulness, we'll have to sit down and dream up the next five years... Any suggestions?
We realized something the other day.
We took a WSU extension class in the spring of 2008 and a part of it was to write up a business plan. With no real clue as to where we would eventually end up or what exactly we would be growing, we were relatively accurate even with pretty ambitious goals!
As of this year, we've more or less reached all of our major 5-year goals. In five years!
One of our main goals included starting a 10-member CSA. This year, we can check that one off.
Another goal was to have a 20 ewe breeding flock of sheep. This year, we have 31 ewes we expect to drop lambs for us!
A third goal was to be selling at two farmer's markets. Now that we know what it really takes to be selling at just one local farmer's market, we may or may not reach that one this year, but probably next year. We are however looking at selling some specific produce to a couple restaurants and the Moscow Co-op.
Another goal was to purchase or lease a farm property. We leased our farm property at year three in 2010!
The last goal we wrote down was to begin utilizing draft power in year five. That won't be happening this year but I don't think we've yet ruled it out. As we gain a handle on what needs to happen day to day in the next couple years, we'll probably be more able to figure out how to do some or all of that work with draft power. I'm seeing things like cutting hay and pulling mobile livestock shelters from one paddock to the next for sure but who knows? maybe in the next ten or fifteen years we'll have several teams of Suffolk Punch horses doing everything from tilling and weeding veggies to baling hay to planting and harvesting grain and hauling wagons for hay rides for harvest festivals!
When we were writing all these ideas down to create a business plan so long ago, we had absolutely no idea that we would end up here on the palouse, potentially forever. We had no idea that our delusions of grandeur might not have been quite as delusional as originally thought. Although frankly, a flock of 150 or more Jacob ewes grazing across our hillsides might still be delusional. We'll have to pare it down to between 60 and 100 I think.
Now that we've arrived at our fictitious five year mark in relative truthfulness, we'll have to sit down and dream up the next five years... Any suggestions?
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Farming with Kids
Having young children is a challenge. having multiple young children is more so. Anyone with multiple children within 2-3 years of age will remember those years before they began school well. Damage control is a very accurate concept. More so with some children than others, obviously. also more at some times than others. There are those days, many of which may fade into distant memory sadly, where your little ones are absolutely angelic. then there are days that make us wish there was such a thing as Toddler Boot Camp. hmm... A new reality TV show? I think SuperNanny may have already accomplished that.
Being farmers, our family and our children are faced with many special challenges and experiences. "Helping" takes on a whole new meaning each day. While most toddlers might be indoors learning letters and tracing shapes in a workbook or playing with pupets and blocks on nasty, confused spring days, HannaMae and Alethea get all bundled up in their winter clothes and go out to the farm with their Papa. They make dirt angels, dirt castles, go mud jumping, watch ants braving the cold air and help herd sheep (effectively even now that HannaMae can walk across a pasture!).
HannaMae has become a rather accomplished shepherd, Alli has begun to learn what the names of crops are and which plants are really weeds, mostly. Both girls must be plied with fresh kale and lettuce and carrots of their own to keep them out of the boxes of clean produce heading for market. And everyone has been learning to listen to directions when it's crunch time before market. Everyone is even learning to stay in our own space at the markets, especially at the Tuesday Grower's Market at the Moscow Food Coop, where market is in a parking lot with lots of cars going by.
Farming with young children especially, is a huge challenge. It is also one of the greatest joys I can imagine. The girls put on their cowgirl hats and are all dressed up in their cute go-to-market clothes and I can't imagine anything cuter. Watching our girls obsess over the latest ladybug and even simply playing quietly in the dirt is something I can't imagine living without. Their imaginations soar when they have little more to play with than a stick and lots of dirt. (okay, they have TONS of toys at the farm, most go un played with for weeks at a time!) Watching our girls sit on various trucks and push each other around is so cute.
Life is hard with lots of long hot days and not much more than a blanket and some shade to take a nap in, not like you need much more than that. Our girls are always absolutely filthy with all the dust and wash water they've been playing in. but when we finally get home at night, they sleep hard until it's time to get up and go do it all over again.
Being farmers, our family and our children are faced with many special challenges and experiences. "Helping" takes on a whole new meaning each day. While most toddlers might be indoors learning letters and tracing shapes in a workbook or playing with pupets and blocks on nasty, confused spring days, HannaMae and Alethea get all bundled up in their winter clothes and go out to the farm with their Papa. They make dirt angels, dirt castles, go mud jumping, watch ants braving the cold air and help herd sheep (effectively even now that HannaMae can walk across a pasture!).
HannaMae has become a rather accomplished shepherd, Alli has begun to learn what the names of crops are and which plants are really weeds, mostly. Both girls must be plied with fresh kale and lettuce and carrots of their own to keep them out of the boxes of clean produce heading for market. And everyone has been learning to listen to directions when it's crunch time before market. Everyone is even learning to stay in our own space at the markets, especially at the Tuesday Grower's Market at the Moscow Food Coop, where market is in a parking lot with lots of cars going by.
Farming with young children especially, is a huge challenge. It is also one of the greatest joys I can imagine. The girls put on their cowgirl hats and are all dressed up in their cute go-to-market clothes and I can't imagine anything cuter. Watching our girls obsess over the latest ladybug and even simply playing quietly in the dirt is something I can't imagine living without. Their imaginations soar when they have little more to play with than a stick and lots of dirt. (okay, they have TONS of toys at the farm, most go un played with for weeks at a time!) Watching our girls sit on various trucks and push each other around is so cute.
Life is hard with lots of long hot days and not much more than a blanket and some shade to take a nap in, not like you need much more than that. Our girls are always absolutely filthy with all the dust and wash water they've been playing in. but when we finally get home at night, they sleep hard until it's time to get up and go do it all over again.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)