Teamwork

They call it a team for a reason -- this morning I went over to Duane's to work with the boys we are getting to the end of their time there and they will be coming home in the next few days - So I went over early this morning to clean their stall and was half waiting for the weather to clear - at some point it was 'clear' that working with the boys was more important than staying dry... so Duane and I harnessed - there was very little talking now having worked with under his tutelage for quite while both with his horses and mine. I hooked up the boys and as we headed down the gravel road the rain started and then after a little bit it started to hail - hail that was small enough it simply dried out the rain for a bit - I was grinning and more content than I can say. We continued on and went to the end fo the road, turned around and started heading back. It was then that I felt a deep connection with these two horses like I hadn't felt before we were all working together the three of us each so different but working in concert - 'special' is the only word I can use to try to explain the experience - I started to cry with happiness and pleasure it was raining and I was crying... driving the horses down the sweet wet gravel drive all of us listening to eachother woven together. Now I understand why they call it a team.

Wine this weekend!!

Come on out and taste our wine at Press wine bar in Dundee -
We'll be pouring our syrah and both pinots - 11-4pm Sat and Sun.

http://www.innatredhills.com/press_wine_bar.html

1410 N. Hwy 99W
Dundee, Oregon 97115
Press, A Wine Bar: 503-538-7989

Some great beef

We had a great meal at Ned Lud tonight hosted by Slow Food - It featured the beef prepared a number of ways by the genius of Jason and Ben - nice work gentleman - I got to meet some pretty awesome women ranchers from eastern OR check out there ranches and if you are local to portland you may want to give there beef a try it's pretty freggin good and they are all doing grass fed and finished beef and on farm slaughter!! nice work ladies...

Cory Carman of carman ranch
Liza Jane of 6ranch
and Jill McClaran of Mcclaran Ranch



Liza Jane's cattle

Thanks!!

Big thanks going out to CORK - they did a very nice tasting this past fri with our pinot --

With examples from Germany, France and yes, Oregon Cameron, Big Table Farm and Grochau, Soter and Bergström -- 7 wines and this is the buzz out on the blog world as a result!! : ) THANKS Bernard and Eva@ portlandoregonblog

http://www.portlandoregonwine.com/2009/11/wine-review-2008-big-table-farm-pinot.html

fall color

Thanks to our friend matt here are some beautiful photos of the day our Riesling was picked!










This is the Brooks Vineyard - Eola Hilla
Planted: 1973 - Riesling

another - good weekend!

With the help of Katie we got our Pigs and goats moved so they are happily munching on new pasture - Thanks Katie we always enjoy our time with you it's makes it more fun than work when you come around! I of course went over to Dunes this weekend - I was able to get over there several times this week and drive the boys .. This was thanks to another Sara who gave her time to come be a second person on hand with the horses as Brian asked me for safety to not drive alone - and Sara knows Huston from before I even owned him and is a horse woman in her own right... so then Saturday under Duane's steady hand we hit a number of new miles stones - we switched sides on the boys which seems simple but defiantly challenges them in news ways, we took off the butt rope which is a kind of training tire for me, crossed a bridge over a stream with out railings and drum role took them off the training tire and hooked them on their first implement! it's was so fun - Sarah Drove her team she's going to take the to plowing and I drove the boys both of us with harrow and we harrowed the back field at dunaes it was really peaceful being out there with the boys they where just awsome and worked hard and had a few distractions and chalanges but met each one - I feel very lucky once again to have these great horses and Duane and Sarah to work with...





what a community! brings home that we are nothing by our selves...

what a great opportunity!!

what a great opportunity!! I got to be on KBOO radio show -

Portland area farmer Clare Carver (Big Table Farm in Gaston) returns to Locus Focus for a chat with Joel Salatin, farmer, food choice advocate and dream-doer, who runs Polyface Farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. We'll discuss the sustainable agricultural methods they practice, based on polyculture and the interweaving roles of farm animals and crops.

I had a ton of fun doing this show thank you Barbara and KBOO!!

Click here to get the pod cast!

http://www.kboo.org/node/17574

other than horses

There has been lots going on on the farm and winery other than me driving horses - although that being said I went over to dunes tonight and drove my team with out Duane there - it was pretty exciting to drive my boys just them and me...

sooo in other news harvest is pretty much done - we got the last grapes in last week - Riesling!! yes white wine - came via our buddy Matt who delivered it in yet another cool winery truck : ) should be some great Riesling!! more on that as it progresses!!






thank goodness Brian got his first two days 'off' this week so of course he moved animal housing and generally worked around the farm... it's nice to see him and I really look forward to things getting back to norma (whatever that is) around here --

Starting on Tuesday where lucky enough to have two woofer's Elexis and Jaxon who are working there way down the west coast came to work on Big Table farm for 5 dyas - they've brought great energy and have really helped us get through lots of fall chores... like harvesting the rest of the fall potatoes before the rain really starts in full swing...





there is still a bit of canning to do but the lion's share is DONE!!!



The pigs are growing and happy and even better today thanks to Gales Medow farm bringing over 100's of #'s of pumkins gleaned from there place - the pigs where very excited for them! : )





this last photo is of the elk - about a mile form our place... pretty magical : )

right here this is it

There is no past there is no future - it doesn't exist... it only exists in our minds .... so don't concern your self with it... easy to say hard to live - This is a lose application of most eastern philosophys that de-emphasizes theoretical knowledge in favor of direct, experiential realization. In other words get out of your head and put your energy and heart into what you are doing thinking and feeling in that moment... Or in Duane's words (my very own Buddhist monk with a handlebar mustache) "clare you where not here tonight when you drove your boys they where there for you but I don't know where you where... when you drive horses you can't be thinking about that fight you had with your sweetie or what you have to do tomorrow you have to just drive horses" ...in reference to himself "when I come home from work this is my time I just drive horses" I asked duane the other day why he was always in such a damn good mood this might just be a window ... ahhh he's been "meditating" for years he just happens to do it with two pieces of leather in his hands and a couple thousand pounds of equine in front of him. So my lesson yesterday didn't really have to do with how I hold the lines (although we did make some refinemtns there) it was about being right there clearing your mind and paying 100% attention with head and heart to what you are doing... - ok lucky for me I get to do it again this afternoon... and if I get really good maybe even try to put that into my day when I'm not driving horses... what a gift -

nothing more needs to be said -

a dream come true - Thanks Duane !!
we're on the road now it's just putting in the driving time!! for the boys and for me!!