Life and death are intertwined on the farm. Regularly I witness the natural miracle of birth and death over and over again. A duckling emerges from its shell and is killed in 2 days. The garden grows and is killed by frost in a night and seasonally the entire landscape appears to die in the winter darkness and cold.

Death is not bad. It does not have to be scary and is  impossible to avoid in this life. The real tragedy is a life or death without dignity and honor.

In this season we honor all that has come before and our ancestors. We offer gratitude. In the process, we put our energy into our roots, transmuting the loss and storing for the birth that follows every season of death. Like the molting chickens, they look like they are sick, they stop laying and then regenerate for Spring egg abundance.

This year we lost one of our dear farm members, Martha Saches. You may remember Martha, our eldest member at 93, often sitting in the sun, conversing with the birds, washing eggs or snoozing in her chair on garden group and plork days.  Much personal gratitude to Martha for her continued reassurance that I could run a farm as a single woman.  As a fellow farmer from Maine until her 80s, Martha inspired all with every visit. Fly free Martha. You are in our hearts always.

Come learn or order stewing hens. All activities on the farm are conscious acts of homestead life and sustainability.

Click to learn more and order stewing hens.

The seasons of change, Spring and Fall, offer the best time for the schools to visit. Each year the kids teach me as I watch them learn and discover the natural world behind their food.

Sometimes the kids work on the farm too, like this group moving the rotational grazing fence as a team.

May, June, July and now August have been so full and spectacular. There are at least 5 posts missing from the blog that will come as soon as the growth slows, offerng more time for writing.

In the meantime, I wanted to post some summer beauty.

More to come soon…

See the bee kissing the earth mandala right as we finished completing it. A butterfly came and kissed the center as we took it down, symbolizing the continual transformation of the earth and all life.

This summer nine people from north and south county came together to share a meal on the farm auctioned off for the annual Mercy Mount Shasta Hospice Event.

The meal was served in sight of the flowing pasture, which was the primary offering on the table. The menu not only included raw garden “weeds” but also naturally processed perennial grasses in the form of meat, cheese, yogurt, eggs, and tea.

Using traditional Turkish techniques and recipes, chef, JT Beggs of Kin & Kitchen, visiting from New Mexico crafted a beautiful 4 course meal. Authentic touches like outdoor fire-pit roasted flat bread and chevron meat offered a special touch.

Huge gratitude for the visiting chef’s donation of time and craft to gift our local hospice program. The dinner was a great success and I don’t know if we will be able to top this donation. This next year the farm will offer a 2 night farm stay experience to the Mercy Mount Shasta Hospice Auction.