Our Journey
(farm journal)
(farm journal)
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January 19, 2010- Looking back at 2009 I would say it was the one of the greatest challenges. There is no
way to go into all the details of the past year, but it was very very hard. We had constant setbacks and
challenges, some we could have prevented, some we could not. The worst was the drought... 2 months with no
rainfall, and a week of temperatures over 100 degrees. The hottest we measured on farm was over 114 degrees,
all time record breaking by a lot. During this time we struggled to keep the plants alive, with a wimpy well
pump and 2 little garden hoses trying to water 5 acres. We got severely behind on our planting for fall and
winter, and are really struggling now as a result. We installed a much larger, more powerful well pump this fall
so we are all set up for next year. We already have crops wintering over, and hope to be back at open markets
by March. Look forward to seeing everyone again :)
July 2, '09- Wow... it's been a while. I have only been inside a handful of hours over the past few months. It
is amazing the transformation that has occurred here on our new farm this season. It is always easier to
envision what needs to be done, than the actual physicality of it though. I don't know that I have ever worked
harder or more hours in my life. When we step back and see all the plants growing, and the tomatoes blushing,
it is pretty fulfilling. My biggest lesson this season... Challenges and obstacles will always be abundant
(particularly with farming), no matter how much you know or how many seasons you have been through curve
balls are constantly being thrown. The key is to move through each one quickly and relentlessly, refocusing on
what needs to be done and plugging away at it as if there wasn't anything distracting you at all.
March 30,'09- The past month has been one of building, houses for the animals, fences for the animals, framing
and tables for the greenhouse, etc. It has rained almost every day this month, and that has prevented working
with the soil. Until we can get things in the ground it feels that we are just playing a waiting game. At least we
have gotten a lot of other stuff done with our time.
We had a wonderful farm blessing on the 20th, it was really encouraging and fun to have people visit. We tend
to become a bit isolated and lonely out here working all the time and not socializing much. Thanks so much to
those of you who attended.
March 6, '09- I finally feel as if things are coming together. We are planting in the field for the first time on
our new land today! An exciting time for us each year is beginning the planting season. We have had a lot of
rains which has kept the soil wet and delayed us a bit, but today is the day. We will be planting garlic, onions,
and strawberries. If all goes well we will also be planting a new Apricot, Peach and Cherry tree to add to our
mature orchard. The cow escaped her pen today, Gabrielle and I did things the wrong way... and ended up
with a tangled mess of electric fencing which took hours to untangle... lesson here- taking a few more minutes
to make sure you are doing things in an organized fashion can save hours fixing the mess :) Our cow likes the
fresh grass from our lawn better than the pasture grass, so we moved her pen to the front for the next few
days. Her pen is mobile, so she has fresh pasture every few days.
Our Winter '08-'09-This past winter has been a test of perseverance, passion for what we are doing, and
emotional stamina. For those who don’t know, this past year we were leasing land in the South Prairie area
from Gus and Maureen Soler, absolutely wonderful people who gave us the opportunity to farm their land
which was setting on the market, either until we could buy it, or until it sold.
The Solers were extremely supportive, helpful, and gave us an opportunity that was an amazing gift. They
shared their greenhouses, tools, equipment, and knowledge. They also provided us with a milk cow, time,
manure, and countless other things so we could get up and running. It was a bit more property than we needed
(78 acres on the market for 1.1million) and the likelihood of us being able to purchase it was slim, but the
opportunity to start farming with no significant credit, down payment, operating loans, or upfront capitol of
any kind was just what we needed to get ourselves going- even if it wasn’t long term. They leased us the land
for a very reasonable rate and loved to see their land having new life. Thanks to this opportunity we were able
to build a market presence and a 25 share CSA. We are infinitely grateful to all of you who joined our CSA last
year for our very first season. Without your support we would not be here now.
We got to the point where we just about comfortable supporting ourselves through farming... starting with
nothing... in one year. All last year we were not living on the farm. We were commuting (with a family of
seven) to the farm twenty plus minutes away, from a housing development where we lived in Bonney Lake.
Needless to say we were almost never home. Our newborn and 2 year old were being raised in the field, a
wonderful way to be raised as they really didn’t seem to mind, but it was challenging as a parent.
Gus became skeptical that he could sell the land, and started entertaining ideas of how we could purchase the
land, even if parcel by parcel. He was also trying to find a way for us to move onto the land. It was obvious
that living and farming usually need to occur in the same place. Last fall we were getting to the point that a
contract securing our place on the land was imminent, when an outside offer was made on the land that Gus
couldn’t refuse. We agreed that it would probably be his best decision to accept the offer, though this created a
question as to what we were going to do. We contacted PCC Farmland trust as they were working on a project
nearby with a plot that was just about perfect for us. After many business plans, credit submissions, letters,
meetings, resubmissions, etc. it became clear that we would not be able to move forward on that property. We
were 1 year short of meeting the qualifications to have our loan underwritten. This was a qualification that
wasn’t negotiable. Our hearts were crushed, but through all this we kept doing markets and continuing our
CSA as long as possible, having faith that if we continued moving forward something would shift and open up
for us. We looked at many properties, talked to more people, the credit markets were dried up (this was last
September/October), and we were stuck looking for another lease or owner financing. Our life consisted of
farming and searching for a new farm. We were just about at the end of our rope (physically, emotionally, and
spiritually) when we decided to broaden our search and check out a property that was a little further south
than we had previously looked.
It was the one.
It was a perfect house for our family with plenty of space for all of us. It had a wonderful shop which met our
needs, a chicken coop, mature orchard, field for planting, and lined with fir trees all around. It was the most
affordable place we had looked at, and we bonded immediately with the previous owner. We found our
home/farm. My grandparents extended their hand to help us make the transition, and get some of the needed
items for the farm (tiller, greenhouse cover, tools, and auto repairs), Jahn and Eric got a seasonal job to help us
get through the winter so we could survive until the next market/CSA season, and we started to move forward.
The Solers were allowing us to keep our over wintered crops in the field until early spring (when they are set
to transfer their property to the new owners) and we still had a lot of crops we were harvesting and storing for
our winter CSA and Markets. We signed contracts, secured our new property, and started the move when the
bombs started dropping.
Snow, snow, snow! The guys were out of work for weeks, the move was not moving as we were snowed in.
Much of our crops were lost, since we were not able to get them out of the field in time. Then the freezes
came. The temperature dipped low enough that all of our crops in storage were lost- 2 plus tons of Winter
Squash and everything else we were storing was gone. We didn’t have adequate facilities to protect them from
record cold temperatures. Then the floods came. Orting and South Prairie were among the worst hit areas by
the floods this winter. Most of Orting and South Prairie were under evacuation, Gus and Maureen weren’t
able to evacuate their farm, the waters rose so quickly. Their farm (the one we were leasing) was one of the
very worst hit. Gus was able to drive one of his tractors from the barn with a pallet on the front, to rescue
Maureen and the dogs from the house and transport them to higher ground (the barn) for the night. Their farm
was in shambles, fences were downed, greenhouses completely flooded. Trees, muck and mud deposited all
over the fields... the fields in which our over wintering crops were then destroyed. Acres of crops we were
hoping to have for early market season were gone. Luckily, a bunch of volunteers and donors scheduled a huge
work party with bulldozers and excavators to remove the debris from the fields and clean up the place a bit. It
was great to see the community come together to do what they could to repair what could be repaired. All our
crops were lost, but we were already somewhat emotionally removed from that land. We were home, on our
new farm, planning for our future. What was lost was lost, and we are grateful for the opportunity we have to
rebuild. We are thankful that our new farm did not flood. We are also thankful that we didn’t buy Gus and
Maureene’s farm, had we planned on staying there these floods would be immensely more devastating.
We persevered, and finally have our own land. Vegetables are started in our greenhouses, as well as flowers
and herbs. We have a mature orchard now and will be including a significant supply of fruit in our CSA shares,
something missing last year. Our chickens are starting to lay, our cow (personal milk supply only) is about to
give birth, and the goats have been frolicking in the field with the children. We are excited and looking forward
to the upcoming season and intend on continuing our CSA year round from this season on. We are thankful for
your continued support. Each season brings learning and growth, and we would love to share this journey with
you. Our CSA is set to begin sometime between May 1 and June 1 (weather dependent). We will keep
everyone informed as to the official start date as the time approaches and crops grow. We hope to see you at
our Farm Blessing this Equinox (March 20, 2009).
way to go into all the details of the past year, but it was very very hard. We had constant setbacks and
challenges, some we could have prevented, some we could not. The worst was the drought... 2 months with no
rainfall, and a week of temperatures over 100 degrees. The hottest we measured on farm was over 114 degrees,
all time record breaking by a lot. During this time we struggled to keep the plants alive, with a wimpy well
pump and 2 little garden hoses trying to water 5 acres. We got severely behind on our planting for fall and
winter, and are really struggling now as a result. We installed a much larger, more powerful well pump this fall
so we are all set up for next year. We already have crops wintering over, and hope to be back at open markets
by March. Look forward to seeing everyone again :)
July 2, '09- Wow... it's been a while. I have only been inside a handful of hours over the past few months. It
is amazing the transformation that has occurred here on our new farm this season. It is always easier to
envision what needs to be done, than the actual physicality of it though. I don't know that I have ever worked
harder or more hours in my life. When we step back and see all the plants growing, and the tomatoes blushing,
it is pretty fulfilling. My biggest lesson this season... Challenges and obstacles will always be abundant
(particularly with farming), no matter how much you know or how many seasons you have been through curve
balls are constantly being thrown. The key is to move through each one quickly and relentlessly, refocusing on
what needs to be done and plugging away at it as if there wasn't anything distracting you at all.
March 30,'09- The past month has been one of building, houses for the animals, fences for the animals, framing
and tables for the greenhouse, etc. It has rained almost every day this month, and that has prevented working
with the soil. Until we can get things in the ground it feels that we are just playing a waiting game. At least we
have gotten a lot of other stuff done with our time.
We had a wonderful farm blessing on the 20th, it was really encouraging and fun to have people visit. We tend
to become a bit isolated and lonely out here working all the time and not socializing much. Thanks so much to
those of you who attended.
March 6, '09- I finally feel as if things are coming together. We are planting in the field for the first time on
our new land today! An exciting time for us each year is beginning the planting season. We have had a lot of
rains which has kept the soil wet and delayed us a bit, but today is the day. We will be planting garlic, onions,
and strawberries. If all goes well we will also be planting a new Apricot, Peach and Cherry tree to add to our
mature orchard. The cow escaped her pen today, Gabrielle and I did things the wrong way... and ended up
with a tangled mess of electric fencing which took hours to untangle... lesson here- taking a few more minutes
to make sure you are doing things in an organized fashion can save hours fixing the mess :) Our cow likes the
fresh grass from our lawn better than the pasture grass, so we moved her pen to the front for the next few
days. Her pen is mobile, so she has fresh pasture every few days.
Our Winter '08-'09-This past winter has been a test of perseverance, passion for what we are doing, and
emotional stamina. For those who don’t know, this past year we were leasing land in the South Prairie area
from Gus and Maureen Soler, absolutely wonderful people who gave us the opportunity to farm their land
which was setting on the market, either until we could buy it, or until it sold.
The Solers were extremely supportive, helpful, and gave us an opportunity that was an amazing gift. They
shared their greenhouses, tools, equipment, and knowledge. They also provided us with a milk cow, time,
manure, and countless other things so we could get up and running. It was a bit more property than we needed
(78 acres on the market for 1.1million) and the likelihood of us being able to purchase it was slim, but the
opportunity to start farming with no significant credit, down payment, operating loans, or upfront capitol of
any kind was just what we needed to get ourselves going- even if it wasn’t long term. They leased us the land
for a very reasonable rate and loved to see their land having new life. Thanks to this opportunity we were able
to build a market presence and a 25 share CSA. We are infinitely grateful to all of you who joined our CSA last
year for our very first season. Without your support we would not be here now.
We got to the point where we just about comfortable supporting ourselves through farming... starting with
nothing... in one year. All last year we were not living on the farm. We were commuting (with a family of
seven) to the farm twenty plus minutes away, from a housing development where we lived in Bonney Lake.
Needless to say we were almost never home. Our newborn and 2 year old were being raised in the field, a
wonderful way to be raised as they really didn’t seem to mind, but it was challenging as a parent.
Gus became skeptical that he could sell the land, and started entertaining ideas of how we could purchase the
land, even if parcel by parcel. He was also trying to find a way for us to move onto the land. It was obvious
that living and farming usually need to occur in the same place. Last fall we were getting to the point that a
contract securing our place on the land was imminent, when an outside offer was made on the land that Gus
couldn’t refuse. We agreed that it would probably be his best decision to accept the offer, though this created a
question as to what we were going to do. We contacted PCC Farmland trust as they were working on a project
nearby with a plot that was just about perfect for us. After many business plans, credit submissions, letters,
meetings, resubmissions, etc. it became clear that we would not be able to move forward on that property. We
were 1 year short of meeting the qualifications to have our loan underwritten. This was a qualification that
wasn’t negotiable. Our hearts were crushed, but through all this we kept doing markets and continuing our
CSA as long as possible, having faith that if we continued moving forward something would shift and open up
for us. We looked at many properties, talked to more people, the credit markets were dried up (this was last
September/October), and we were stuck looking for another lease or owner financing. Our life consisted of
farming and searching for a new farm. We were just about at the end of our rope (physically, emotionally, and
spiritually) when we decided to broaden our search and check out a property that was a little further south
than we had previously looked.
It was the one.
It was a perfect house for our family with plenty of space for all of us. It had a wonderful shop which met our
needs, a chicken coop, mature orchard, field for planting, and lined with fir trees all around. It was the most
affordable place we had looked at, and we bonded immediately with the previous owner. We found our
home/farm. My grandparents extended their hand to help us make the transition, and get some of the needed
items for the farm (tiller, greenhouse cover, tools, and auto repairs), Jahn and Eric got a seasonal job to help us
get through the winter so we could survive until the next market/CSA season, and we started to move forward.
The Solers were allowing us to keep our over wintered crops in the field until early spring (when they are set
to transfer their property to the new owners) and we still had a lot of crops we were harvesting and storing for
our winter CSA and Markets. We signed contracts, secured our new property, and started the move when the
bombs started dropping.
Snow, snow, snow! The guys were out of work for weeks, the move was not moving as we were snowed in.
Much of our crops were lost, since we were not able to get them out of the field in time. Then the freezes
came. The temperature dipped low enough that all of our crops in storage were lost- 2 plus tons of Winter
Squash and everything else we were storing was gone. We didn’t have adequate facilities to protect them from
record cold temperatures. Then the floods came. Orting and South Prairie were among the worst hit areas by
the floods this winter. Most of Orting and South Prairie were under evacuation, Gus and Maureen weren’t
able to evacuate their farm, the waters rose so quickly. Their farm (the one we were leasing) was one of the
very worst hit. Gus was able to drive one of his tractors from the barn with a pallet on the front, to rescue
Maureen and the dogs from the house and transport them to higher ground (the barn) for the night. Their farm
was in shambles, fences were downed, greenhouses completely flooded. Trees, muck and mud deposited all
over the fields... the fields in which our over wintering crops were then destroyed. Acres of crops we were
hoping to have for early market season were gone. Luckily, a bunch of volunteers and donors scheduled a huge
work party with bulldozers and excavators to remove the debris from the fields and clean up the place a bit. It
was great to see the community come together to do what they could to repair what could be repaired. All our
crops were lost, but we were already somewhat emotionally removed from that land. We were home, on our
new farm, planning for our future. What was lost was lost, and we are grateful for the opportunity we have to
rebuild. We are thankful that our new farm did not flood. We are also thankful that we didn’t buy Gus and
Maureene’s farm, had we planned on staying there these floods would be immensely more devastating.
We persevered, and finally have our own land. Vegetables are started in our greenhouses, as well as flowers
and herbs. We have a mature orchard now and will be including a significant supply of fruit in our CSA shares,
something missing last year. Our chickens are starting to lay, our cow (personal milk supply only) is about to
give birth, and the goats have been frolicking in the field with the children. We are excited and looking forward
to the upcoming season and intend on continuing our CSA year round from this season on. We are thankful for
your continued support. Each season brings learning and growth, and we would love to share this journey with
you. Our CSA is set to begin sometime between May 1 and June 1 (weather dependent). We will keep
everyone informed as to the official start date as the time approaches and crops grow. We hope to see you at
our Farm Blessing this Equinox (March 20, 2009).
