From Romeo to Roscoe: Names on the Farm
When I first started working at Red Dog, one thing I did not expect was all of the names I would have to learn. Now, I’m not just talking about the names of my coworkers (though there were about 15 folks working on my first day, and learning their names was definitely a challenge), I’m talking about their radio handles, the names of different crop varieties, field names, greenhouse names and truck names. To say I was overwhelmed on day one would be an understatement. How on earth was I supposed to learn all these different names?! I started...
read moreFarm Clothes
There’s a painting called American Gothic by Grant Wood that depicts a man and woman in practical clothing on a farm. It has been inspirational as a slice of life, a piece of art that makes life look pretty predictable in the setting of a farm. Now, I am not sure where the artist was from, but out on the Olympic Peninsula, the weather demands a lot of the clothes that the Red Dog crew wears. Let’s talk about it. In the spring, the crew can go in and out of the greenhouses, along with facing the outdoor changing weather...
read morePoems Grown in the Fields
RaabAs daylight stretchesin comes an awakeningerupting new growth A flower’s missionsending bright stalks to the skyand just before bloomWe free them from timesweet, tender from stem to leafa farmer’s haven Crane Wings spread wide and liftover a vast flooded fieldsunlight reflectingOff water, blindingthe farmer driving the trucktoward distant cornersShe doesn’t see ittwo loose feet floating belowthe bird as it lands Tulips Bright green trianglesrippling and stretching skywardescape the earth first Leading the way forheaven’s...
read moreAn Exciting Start to the Season!
Welcome to Red Dog Farm’s 2024 CSA Program! Thank you for your support this season and trust in us to grow you some stellar vegetables, tulips and berries to nourish you, your family and friends. Here on the farm, we are so excited about this season. As the crew harvested today, we all commented that this is one of nicest first shares we can remember. Lucky you! Thanks to our greenhouses and hard-working crew, we are so pleased to have so many fresh greens for you so early. This past winter brought us the second-lowest temperature I’ve...
read moreThank You for a Wonderful Farming Year!
It’s hard to believe another season has come to an end already! This year concludes Red Dog Farm’s 16th season. You’d think that after 16 years, we would have figured out just about everything there is to know about growing and selling produce, but alas there are always more lessons to learn, trials to undertake and new projects to begin!This year felt like a big learning year for me and the farm. I’m tired and ready for rest now, but already there is a spark of energy to take the lessons learned this season and apply them to making...
read moreGear for a More Pleasant December
The crew comes from a diverse background with varied amounts of experience working outdoors. With the winter rain in the forecast, we should all remember the motto of “no bad weather, just bad gear.”To start from the ground up, one would be wise to get a pair of rubber boots and a couple layers of socks. Hiking boots don’t usually come up high enough, and they can be hard to clean. A basic rubber boot can get a daily or weekly washing, and won’t cost too much either. As for socks, I prefer wool under a cheap cotton sock. Cotton...
read moreHarvest Moon Kale Caesar Salad
Frost covers the grass and fields and fog lays heavy in the valley on this brisk morning. Lately these farm days have felt like a window to what this winter will bring, as it lays right around the corner. And with the frost also comes the time for big shifts on the farm as we have less to harvest from the fields and more to pack from our stored crops. Standing in the center of our packshed this morning you can see all the various root vegetables, squash, and currently an abundance of fennel all being processed and looked over before getting...
read moreA Day in the Life
When people come up to us at the farmers market or when I tell someone I’m a “farmer,” they often ask, “What does that mean? Like, what do you do?” I understand this question. It’s the same thing I’m wondering when someone tells me they have a tech or finance job. Because my answer is usually “we do all of the farm work,” I thought I might take the time to shed some light on what we (the general farm crew) actually do here. The thing is, it changes a lot. In the early springtime, we are doing a ton of seeding: shoving a bunch of...
read moreLessons from Winter Plants
As the winter sun grows increasingly meager into November, so does our crop diversity here at the farm. Beds of cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts have given all they can and are turned over to cover crop to replenish the fertility of the soil. This grassy mixture of oats, triticale, vetch, and crimson clover sways across the fields like a green sea as the warmth and light dwindle.Some of the plants start to bolt, moving into their next life cycle, redistributing their energy away from the leaves and roots to produce seeds and a...
read moreChange of Seasons
Last week, a heavy frost covered the Chimacum Valley. It was a sight to behold, with bushes and grasses in an early morning white. This of course meant that there were things for the farmers to attend to and navigate as the proof of a change of seasons greeted the morning commuters.The first thing was that some of the harvests had to be adjusted so as to let leafy greens thaw out. Instead, produce that was normally harvested in the afternoon, such as beets, got a morning visit from our hard-working (and a bit chilly) crew. The beet...
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