two new employees of Big Table Farm

remember that post about our fabulous friends the Abneys in Atlanta.. well I'd like to introduce you to Big Table Farm's first full time sales staff in the south!! ... Ellie and Daisy





they'll be working for straight kibble commission on sales, with long term affection insurance and snack benefits. There will be no employment contract as there loyalty in with out question.

bees and butter

my beautiful new hive to ad to the garden (design and build by the lovely laura)!! put your order in now for next year!!)-- now to see if the other hive splits and makes two!! so exciting!!!

last years hive (another one build by laura) is BUZZING : ) if all goes according to plan which is really my LAST expectation as that never happens on a farm the old hive which is thriving will swarm this spring and 1/2 the hive will stay home and grow and the the other half will look for and find this new home laura built!... we put it were I have seen swarms the last two years as they really try to build hives in my house : ) voila two hives from one : ) ...I'll keep you posted...

Had to show you the color of the butter I made from my raw milk farmers grass fed cows -- who's milk and cream I LOVE!!! ... : )

just for fun

a video clip of the plowing!

video of a false start : )

and one of me blathering

it's feeling like spring

we are starting to see some very sunny days and the other day I went out side at lunch time and every one soaking in spring...













eggs are in PLENTY!!




the broilers are chirping away - come July there gonna be YUMMY!!


all the pasture is looking the best it's ever looked - so exciting to see it getting better each year!


I'm still waiting for the fruit trees any minute now they will be exploding...


the bees are flying and collecting pollen as fast as they can...






and mr. big paws is growing up fast and bigger than his mom already...



happy spring!!

Blissed out

I'm pretty blissed out this morning -- the boys and I and my big old family of friends and fellow horse farmers were all out yesterday in McMinnville together it was such a great day... The event it's self was very successful we had about 1500 visitors come and watch the plowing competition and enjoy this day of celebrating old time farming! Big Thanks to the McMinnville News register article and the video and article by Torsten Kjellstrand, The Oregonian they both really helped promote the event!!

In gratitude and memory -

So there was a moment during the event when I was just standing there letting the horses rest and I looked around me. Friends standing in witness grinning and sharing... and standing next to me was Laura, Julia and Sarah -- these women have all been part of this journey each in her own way. I looked down the long row of horse farmers who I now know and call friends with their teams all at different stages of plowing there plots ... it was a stunning site all those gorgeous animals working - time literally did stand still. In the distance at the other end of the field was Duane my mentor and adopted family - he was working his team expertly down the row I was so grateful and proud of all the work and growth that he has walked with me through.This is 3 years ago at this same place - to my right was Lisa Hube a horse farmer who is now a friend she is a woman I would like to emulate in so many ways - she was helping one of her 'students' plow and was there if I needed her... but for reasons I won't take any credit for... all she did all day was look over at me ans smile broadly! My day was also punctuated by several old timers, who were not plowing, coming over to give me pearls of wisdom... subtleties of finishing your rows, turning your plow and fine adjustments all helping me to take this to the next level of art - It was a truly special day - yesterday as I worked with my horses we were a team there was one mind working between the three of us.... so many times that day I caught a gimps of what can be - not one of us broke a sweat and all three of us finished the day happy. So after a long journey of heart break, hard work, ER visits, casts, and literally being dragged through the mud I felt like it was all completely worth it and I felt so honored to be knitted into this community -- I truly felt like I was not me alone accomplishing a 'thing' It was all of us together weaving a living story.



The Oregonian

This coming weekend!

(Duane and his beautiful team - photo thanks to jess)

This Saturday come see some horse plowing in McMinnville!

Saturday, April 9, at the Yamhill Valley Heritage Center - from 10:30am – 3:00 pm, with a parade of teams at 2:00 pm. Cost is $3 per person, free for kids 12 and under. 11275 SW Durham Ln., (corner of Hwy 18 and Durham Ln.), just west of McMinnville. www.yamhillcountyhistory.org Bring the family and come on out!


(thanks for the photo jess)

So Saturday I took my boys over to duane's house to get ready for this coming weekend and try out my new plow - and let's just say I felt far less than ready for lots of reasons that would take way to long to explain here ... but we'll just have a go at it and just have fun -- so this coming Saturday I'll be at the Yamhill County History Museum with about 18 other teams in a plowing competition. In addition to watching the draft horses work the ground, there will be sawmill, blacksmith and horseshoeing demonstrations, pioneer kids’ activities, music, food and lots of old tractors on display... should be a very fun day





in the mean time around the farm it sure is looking like spring.. the grass is going bananas! Freddie is doing well and the daffodils are out in full force - which is so very nice...





Last but not least my washer stopped working last week right after we got home (when of course I had lots of laundry to do) and my handy husband took a look at it for me and found the culprit all these things where lodged int he drain... uhhh mummm -- well ... I guess I need to be better about emptying pockets before i chuck things in..



thankfully it's back up and running... so most items where easily identified but there was one that was a bit of a mystery I'm pretty sure I figured out what it is and I even think I know who owns it ...

but I'd like to make a bit of a game out of it with the winner getting a bottle of Big Table Farm wine - so your job is to identify the object below in the comments ...
(hint --you can see the scale of it above it's in the upper top left side of the plate)

look over there >>>

see there on the right and down a bit -- in that little flicker slide show I FINALLY updated the current paintigns I have available in my studio - and took down the ones that are sold ... wow almost on top of things -- cheers and thanks for looking...