honey!!

 

It's honey collecting time! Laura came out today to help me gather the honey harvest - we only collected one of the three hives this year hoping to get the other two really strong with one more season before we 'steal' from them. 

The bees were very calm today and Laura and I had a really nice time bringing in the honey and crunching it down into jars for straining. We took one of four boxes on the hive we gathered  -  so crossing fingers we left enough honey for them to get through winter.  

Thank you Laura - for all your wisdom, time, expertise and friendship!! 

(if anyone wants to know more about Laura - she hires out her services for beekeeping and hive building as she is available - but she's in high demand - this is her blog)

 

Laura and I are in process on looking at bringing a fourth hive into the system : ) -- the hive came to the farm today from Laura's house thanks to Laura and Davey! We'll be doing some retrofitting painting and fencing it off once we find it's new spot on the farm and then next spring hopefully get a fourth swarm to make it home. You can count on photos! 

I would LOVE to be able to someday be able to gather 3 - 4 gallons a year for our household  -- this will give us enough for us and some to share ... the honey has defiantly helped brian's alergies and I jsut love the taste of natural raw honey that get's a diverse diet.

I love having the bees on the farm and feel lucky that they are thriving here. 

thank you Joseph

 

My brother Joseph took some very nice photos at the farm last week...  

an open letter to wine bloggers past and present

Dear Wine bloggers - Wow what a career you've all picked high points for cool low points for ROI... Just like everyone else I can't cut you a check either but what I can offer you my deep gratitude and loyalty... Since I am typing to you past and present .. past bloggers who have visited the farm and tasted our wines and written wonderful missives about us, the wine and the farm. - THANK YOU! You have been and contunie to be an important part of our growing business and it counts it really does... you truly help us get the word out and sell our wine. 

To future bloggers specifically you all visiting PDX for the conference - I suck ... yup that's the best I can do ... I had great plans to orginize a winemaker dinner at the farm invite fist fulls of you all and cook food we raise here on the farm and blow your minds with my husbands amazing cooking and his beautiful wines... and what did I do ?? ...humm shit I have no idea where the time went... feeding animals, drawing winelabels, weeding the garden, watering,, checking face book you know the list...  so please accapt my apologies and invitation to call me up and come out to the farm to taste wine and scratch the goat this weekend (she loves to be scratched right under her horns) -

We'll see you all Thursday when we come it to the city to see you all.. cheers - over-committed winemakers wife...

summertime

with gratitude

ronnie and his mom

Today was Ronnie's last day - it was fast and peaceful - beautiful in it's own way he was resting under the pear tree chewing his breakfast there was a soft breeze and he barely looked up to see who was visiting him. - Thank you Ronnie for your beautiful self given to sustain us. I'm grateful for your life that you have brought to our farm. I raise my glass to our first calf in all the joy of the first big table farm birth and the last peaceful breath under a tree about 30 feet from where he was born.

Food, Wine and the farm

 

We had an amazing 'day at the farm' with our friends from Atlanta -  Brunch, Hanging on the Farm, Wine tasting and Dinner - doesn't get any better

 

 

 

Brian made some beautiful eggs Benedict complete with our farm eggs and btf ham and home made English muffins!!  

 

 The wine tasting was super fun we tasted multiple producers on each of our vineyard designate wines - I loved tasting what different winemakers did with the same fruit...

there was egg gathering and cherry picking... it's important to make ones guests work for their supper...

 can't have a summer party with out hand cranking ice cream!