Look! Your technologically challenged farmer is on Facebook!! We'll post updates and random silly information there as well as here.



Be a fan!

This week is the delivery for our January share! We're pleased to have a selection of veggies from the farm despite the ridiculous temperatures we had in December. We also have a few bonus items: locally roasted organically grown coffee from Santa Lucia, and amazing local Pecorino from Black Sheep Creamery. Yum!

Photos from the Beach!

We were thrilled to have a few hours of gorgeous sunny weather every day we were there.

Back to work now!

Seed order completed, it's off to the beach!

After several days of wading through knee-high piles of seed catalogs, we finally completed the Summer 2010 seed order. Boistfort Valley Farm will once again plan and plant for another (hopefully) glorious season of vegetables.

And now, with the hard work of the seed ordering behind us, we retire to our favorite secluded beach spot for a couple days of r&r. Soon enough, we'll be glued to the farm, and unable to take a few days off. we're enjoying ourselves thoroughly.

Deep mud, good times

Greetings from the Boistfort Valley! We have kept quite busy with our Autumn weekly shares and our local orders, despite the nasty weather.

We are excited to offer an extensive Winter program this season-
it's a benefit to us, our employees, and hopefully to all of you! Despite the rain, we have a decent climate for some year-round production, or at least, the Winter won't kill most our our beautiful, hardy vegetables.

Thanks to so many of you who have joined us for the Winter CSA! It's nice to not have to say goodbye to all of you for the soggy season. We anticipate attending the Ballard Sunday Market until mid-December, then it's anyone's guess-we'll be saving our best produce for our members.

As a side note: I want to invite you, if you aren't familiar, to check out Mike's blog as well: http://www.boistfortvalleyfarm.blogspot.com/
He has been recording our on-farm projects, our most recent of which is the tree planting that I talked up in the farm notes. We've loved working with all the kids who have come out to help us plant trees and prune artichokes.

Saturday's planting crew, taking a break in the greenhouse

Can i let you in on something?

we're tired. this whole farming thing is hard work. i know it seems idyllic from the outside--beautiful things growing all around you, great food and amazing people committed to the growing and eating of real food with real nutrients...but sometimes we wonder what it would be like to just have jobs. Jobs where we could be done at the end of the day. Jobs where we wouldn't be up half the night thinking about how to get everything done, or how on earth to pay for it, or how to just keep going.

But then we look at each other, and say, "who would hire YOU?" and laugh. We've probably been doing this too long. and farming gets under your skin. you become attached to the miracle of it all, to the idea that you could possibly grow something, that could nourish someone, that could be enjoyed and even celebrated as the life-giving force that it is. you get attached to your wonderful members, and customers, and their children, whom you've seen growing up for years on your very own vegetables. and it makes you feel like your life is worth it.

in short, we keep doing it because we love all of you. we love what we do. and we know that you love what we do. and in our most exhausted, frustrated moments, its you that we think of.

Thank you.

Hello, from the other side of chaos

For those of you who wonder where i've been, there's no short answer. the chaos of the day-to-day here at the farm doesn't allow me much time for thoughtful reflection, except, perhaps, when i'm driving our delivery truck back from a long, unexpected trip to Seattle.

So much has been happening here on the farm, my apologies for not keeping up! I have opened up the blog for our employees to contribute, but so far, no takers. Perhaps once we slow down a bit more the prose will pour from them.

A quick review, with most recent events first, will at least get you caught up.

This year's Barn Stomp was amazing! With a vegetable-rich menu from Art of the Table, Dustin drew a crowd. People are still stopping me to complement the food.




Dustin, Phil and Laurie started in our farm kitchen on Thursday afternoon, trimming, peeling, sauteing, and filling our house with the most heavenly scents. It was nearly impossible to keep from lingering in the doorway, seeing what they were up to. I suddenly became aware of the perspective of my ever-present, ever-hungry labrador, Ed, who tries hard not to look like he's begging for a taste.

The pigs arrived on Friday morning, and Dustin, Phil and Tom (our gracious neighbor, who raised the pigs on his farm) dressed them and prepared them for the rotisserie.

Saturday brought it all together, with the complete menu:


Caramelized Onion Toasts

Tomato, Cucumber and Basil Salad with Black Sheep Creamery Ricotta

Corn, Chanterelles, Green Beans & Chard with Hazelnuts

Fingerling potatoes with Garlic, Shallot & Lemon

Grilled Zucchini with Leek Vinaigrette

Boistfort Valley Farm slaw

Local Coho Salmon on the Grill

Spit Roasted Pig

Carrot Cake with Goat Cheese Frosting




We topped off all the great food with live music: three local Bluegrassy bands kept the beat and escorted us into the evening:

Pickled Okra

The Blackberry Bushes

The Tilted Stilts



As the music started, the Blackberry Bushes had everyone's toes tapping, even with full plates on their laps.




Natalina couldn't get enough, and when I jokingly said that we should do this every night, she emphatically responded "YEAH!"