CSA Newsletter 6/12 – The Differences Between Fishing and Farming
I’m a relative newcomer to the farming industry, beginning just this year. Although I tell people all the time now that I’m a tulip farmer, it’s a lie — I’m the maintenance specialist. Previously I was a commercial fisherman in Alaska. Which is a lot like being a maintenance specialist because I spent most of my time fixing and making things between marathon sessions of fishing. Unlike commercial fishing, on the farm I never get seasick, I sleep at home at night, and generally the farm smells much fresher, often good. And I’m learning...
read moreCSA Newsletter 6/5 – Happy Plants, Happy Cats, Happy People
On the farm, we observe plants, interpreting what they need to help them thrive in their environment. If they require more water, we double water them. If they are more prone to pests, we cover them in remay (a light fabric that lets water and sunlight through) for a layer of protection. Then when I get home, I observe my cat, interpreting what she needs to help her thrive. Plants are kind of like cats. They both practice a somewhat routine schedule of watering and maintenance. They will let you know when they need water or food. They both...
read moreCSA Newsletter 5/29 – Growing Together
When you think of the stereotypical farmer, you might imagine someone who is quiet, peaceful, and spends a lot of time alone. They may be an introvert, or just antisocial, and prefer the company of plants to that of other people. But my experience working at Red Dog has been just the opposite. In fact, I came to the farm as a fairly quiet introvert, and have transformed into a boisterous extrovert. Being on farm crew means that you spend your entire day working with a group of people. We solve problems, communicate constantly, finish...
read moreCSA Newsletter 5/15 – Pretty Pictures
One neat thing about spending time on a farm like Red Dog is being surrounded by a diversity of beautiful produce. I love the textures of green savoy cabbage, romanesco, and lacinato kale. I love the brilliant colors of lettuces, tulips, and chards. I love the varied shapes of winter squash and the surprising shininess of Walla Walla onions. And I enjoy trying to take interesting pictures of all this beauty. Here are a few of the pictures I’ve taken over the last two months. I hope you enjoy them – but I hope you enjoy eating the veggies even...
read moreCSA Newsletter 5/8 – A Nest in the Arugula
Happy May, everyone! Here’s a story from the field. Last Friday, we were out harvesting some radishes. Now, this is a pretty enjoyable, pretty typical group activity to do around here. You look for the big ones and bunch them together, and someone runs them to the edge of the field to spray them off every dozen bunches or so. You get into a rhythm, finish your section, and then “leap-frog” to get around the person working in front of you in the bed. Every once in a while, you rub the dirt off a particularly round one and test it for quality....
read moreCSA Newsletter 5/2 – Community Grows Along with Spring
The end of April marks the end of my first month as a member of the Red Dog Farm field crew, and my first month farming in Washington. As a recent transplant from western Montana, this spring has been a time of discovery and learning for me. I find myself in several new communities at once: the Red Dog community, the larger local community of Port Townsend and the Quimper Peninsula, and the even larger natural community of plant and animal life that makes up the local ecosystem. I’ve been introduced to new crops I’ve never worked with before,...
read moreCSA Newsletter 4/24 – The Swallows of Spring
Living on the Olympic Peninsula, the arrival of springtime can feel like a very gradual process, almost sneaking up on you. The months of February, March and April generally show little differences in temperature and rainfall, yet there are subtle and not so subtle signs all around us. Just a few weeks ago, while picking tulips, a coworker rose from the ground and said, “Wait, when did the Trumpeter Swans leave, and how long have they been gone?” Just like that a bird that measures five feet in length and fills our valley from end to end...
read moreCSA Newsletter 4/17 – The Ephemeral Beauty of Tulips
It’s springtime at Red Dog! For me, springtime is filled with excitement and anticipation and working on the farm only highlights these emotions. It feels as though we get a front row seat to the changing of the seasons. It is important that we are ever-aware of the weather; the windows of dry sunshine and the pockets of precipitation, for field planning, greenhouse watering, and more. Springtime challenges us to emerge from our winter nest and begin the slow process of reintegrating back into the routine of working outside. It will never...
read moreCSA Newsletter 4/3 – Welcome to a New Season
Welcome to a new CSA season here at Red Dog Farm! For those who are long-time members- we’re so happy you’re continuing on! And for those new to our CSA, welcome! We hope everyone will be happy to join in on some delicious seasonal, farm eating! The season feels off to a strong start with these gorgeous sunny days and blue skies. Our fields are drying out fast and we are chasing the dry ground with plow and tiller to get our fields ready for crops. After the brutal late winter, we are ready for this sunny break! You may notice over the next...
read moreCSA Newsletter 12/19/18- The End Has Come
And here we are, at the end of the CSA season and the farm season; another cycle complete. It is always hard to imagine in the spring, when all our good plans are starting in motion, the greenhouse is full of tiny plants, the abundance of crops to come just a twinkle in our eyes, and a new crop of crew members enlisted and showing up week-by-week, that we will ever get to this point in late December. What a good season it has been! We had a great crew of people, growing food and learning together. This has been one of the most friendly farm...
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