02/26/2021
Here is an update on the farm. The reason we were not at many markets last summer is NOT that we were afraid of covid. We have been busy trying to remodel our house to get rid of mold. Our house is over 100 years old and has had leaky roofs in the past and improper ventilation. So basically, it's like tearing down an old house and building a new one little by little while still living in it. We are only part way done but already our health has improved. If you have unexplained autoimmune symptoms I highly recommend you check your home for mold. Several of our family members have been tested for Lymes and other auto immune diseases repeatedly since moving here ten years ago. Symptoms include migraines, joint pain, muscle aches and rashes. It wasn't until I had a very severe bout of inflammation a couple of years ago (with no help from doctors), that I finally went to a naturopath who said I had mold sickness. I had been sorting tomatoes in our second kitchen when it hit, which had lots of mold under the sink and also behind the cabinets. When we realized the scope of the project, we seriously considered tearing the whole house down and building a new one. That would have been simpler but too expensive (and where to live?). We really hated to give up our farm after 10 years of improving the soil and planting orchards, etc. But God is good. We managed to replace our almost 50 year old roof last fall with a new metal roof. We are hoping that logging our woods will provide funds for new siding that the house desperately needs.
The good news is that taking time off of market gardening has been an opportunity to reassess our goals. We have decided to get back to what we really love which is saving seed. Joanna started saving bean seed last year, and now has a couple dozen varieties. I experimented with some herbs, and greens, and einkorn (heirloom wheat) and we have been saving Oaxacan green dent corn for many years now. We are hoping to start an Etsey shop to sell seed this fall. Also hoping for a little relaxing family time between remodeling and gardening. We will try to update this page with gardening pictures from time to time. We probably won't be at market but will let you know when we have produce for sale if you want to come to the farm. We have scaled down our flock to make life easier but will still be taking orders for custom lamb available in September. Looking forward to spring and hope you are too. GOD bless.