so much happening on the farm so little time to post!

First off thank you to all that have placed your orders for our fall wines! The 2010 wine release has been very successful and the wines have been very well received - If you haven't gotten yours yet drop us a line and we'll ship them off to you!







The garden has been great this year Brian has lead the charge with beautiful beans, winter greens, potatoes and root vegetables among other things... I grew the broccoli, tomatoes, onions and cabbage and herbs and a few other odds and ends...








The animals are all doing well on the fall pastures which are lush and green and full on a second crop of white clover... we have also integrated our goats in with the cows to create a 'flerd' (flock and heard) that cooperatively graze! : )

Brian smoked Don and man is he tasty ! all the fall pork and chicken is safely tucked in the freezer... which is COMPLETELY full so everything else that comes in needs to be dried or canned from here on out...





Hence lots of canning is happening... about 40 Quarts so far and still more tomatoes and apples to go! We're lucky in some ways the grape harvest is so late gives us a chance to fill the larder.








I picked up only a small portion of the apple harvest - more still to go it's a beautiful crop I'm hoping to can apple juice...





all the wood is all stacked!! which was done with a lot of help from Mila who is a lovely young German woman who is staying with us this fall she has been a HUGE help on the farm not to mention a real pleasure to share our days with...







finally some shots of Mr Levi who is growing up beautifully !!


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Till the next post happy fall!! cheers ...

Our story beautifully told!!!

Big thanks to Jeremy, Elaine, Joe and Jamin and Outstanding in the field - we are deeply grateful for your part in our story!

The final calf of spring !! and She's perfect

Josephine had her calf today and it's a little heifer and she is perfect, healthy and beautiful - we are thrilled to have a heifer and most especially by our favorite cow both for her confirmation and her fabulous disposition. Still working on her name it's gonna have to be a good one!! It's a good day!








Also my nephew Zander is out working with us on the farm for a bit. He's a great guy! : ) and the garden is finally gonna get in .. today was the spreading the last of the compost! yippie!!






Jesse, Haley's bull calf born just before memorial day, is doing great! more photos of him coming too!!

time away from the farm...

May turned out to be an unexpectedly busy month for me - I went to Ca to be with my friend June who at 88 passed away - June is a very special woman in my life - she was my adopted grandmother ... she was a strong, and straightforward woman who spoke her mind and often forgot the filter... she was a tough business woman and had a big soft heart I loved her and was honored to be at her side on her last days and moments on this planet.
I raise my martini to you June !


June at the top of the hill at Big Table Farm



Big Thanks to Julia for helping me at the plowing and for being so supportive and dealing with horses when we were done so I could get on the road to be with June... also thanks to Sarah and Laura for coming out and visiting the boys while I was in ca - what an amazing group of women in my life!!

In the mean time back at the farm spring was exploding all over the place!

I find myself behind once again on blogging ... but this girl said it's ok because I was busy scratching her... ...

Sooo I got home from the food justice conference re-energized by both the conference as well as the visits to my farmer friends - I got to see Lisa of Sweet Well Farm and got to see the farm and evening milking and share a meal at her table... I left with my arms full of her raw milk dairy products and humbled once again by a farmer - her hand made camembert was truly amazing!!! - I also had the honor and delight to visit my friends Tyler and Alecia at Afton field who graciously hosted me over night I got to wake up to a farm breakfast, good company and baby lambs which really can't be beat!


Lisa and one of her teams...


Tyler and Alicia






This is Vandana Shiva it was such an honor to meet her at the Food Justice conference.


I was graciously hosted by the confrence in this very nice hotel room.


It was pretty thrilling to see my painting projected and reproduced all over the conference : )


The art show at the conference was really well done and a terrific group of participating artists.







And last but not least the snow and levi looking very cute and kissing the cows instead of herding them... happy spring.. may it come soon...

a little help from friends!

So last week was a rough week I got very sick with the flu and felt like my world was crashing in around me between the puppies that have taken over my life and the farm chores that weren't getting done. Like animals needing fresh pasture and things being generally muddy and gray...

I started feeling better Friday afternoon and it was none to soon for brian ...
Then Saturday the sun came out like I haven't seen it in a long while !! it was fabulous !! So friday I was able to get my ponies in a new pasture although it did take about 6x's as long as it should have with still being a bit sick... then sat we got the chickens moved and the first pup (Rudy) went to his new home (a great home at that) so at this point things were definitely getting better!!!






Then sunday some friends show up and help us get the goats to a new pasture with lots of their favorite food blackberry! man are they happy now!! It's so nice to have new fresh enthusiastic help on the farm makes it not seem like such drudgery! so now all the animals are on new fresh pasture and we have one less puppy I'd say a great weekend!





I even got to work the boys with christina who helped my move the goats! Thanks guys! and here's to what looks like will be a dry week!! yippie... now to get the dude and lilli into good homes spread the word if you know of one!!