Embracing the Change of Seasons
A few years ago, I began farming simply because I love veggies (yes, my go to midnight snack is and will forever be kale sauteed in sesame oil). And besides, who doesn’t love a good daily workout and getting a little dirty under the sun as your job? Boy, was I naïve.I started very late this season at Red Dog Farm, in the beginning of September. I jumped into a very capable, hardworking team of farmers. I marveled at the fantastic conversations to be had while harvesting radishes, the excitement over playing squash ball as we made a game out...
read moreA New Farmstand Brings New Offerings
One of the farm’s biggest accomplishments this year was planning, constructing and building a new farmstand. It was a long time in the making, made possible by a grant from the WSDA, and was intentionally designed to fit the farm’s needs and our offerings to the public. For example, we made a bigger space that could accommodate more cooler & freezer space, allowing us to have the space for all our produce in peak season and to offer products well into our off-season and preserve perfectly good veggies. Additionally, as you may know, we...
read moreThe Spookiest Costumes
Happy November from the Red Dog crew! This Halloween we continued the Red Dog tradition of a group-themed costume, and we dressed as the spookiest thing we could think of…corporate office workers! As we gathered last Friday, we cheered as everyone clocked in, showing off their collared shirts and ties, undaunted by the cold and rain. Costume highlights included Flynn’s HR microphone headset, Hannah’s intern blazer, and Sky’s CEO suit.“Packshed department to harvest department, did you get the memo about the spinach deliverables?”...
read moreSome Squash-y Haikus
Fall has officially fallen! It seems like it happened so fast on the farm. Frosty mornings, misty days, puddles, and mud all around. Personally, I love it! And it’s made even better by the fact that this season brings some of my favorite comfort foods to go home and warm up with. I’ve been making squash everything: soups, stews, curries, salads, stuffed, roasted, mashed you name it! On that note, here are some squash-y haikus introducing some of this season’s Red Dog squash along with some of my favorite ways to eat them. Sweet...
read morePumped for Pumpkin Season!
We’re now well into October, which means that for many, including those of us on the farm, it’s all about pumpkins. Specifically, jack-o’-lantern pumpkins, which are the classic bright orange ones you’re probably seeing aglow on porches right about now.Did you know that for the first time ever, Red Dog is growing big, beautiful jack-o’-lantern pumpkins? Not only are we upping our seasonal spirit by doing so, but also providing you and others the opportunity to source this year’s most fun and festive decoration from your nearby local farm.And...
read moreSquash Ball
parallel linesrunningtoward a distant treeline,a smattering of headsstippling the rows,bobbing this wayand that,crunching swishing tramplingthrough crisped leavesthat crumbleinto ash.brittle hollow stalkspop when stompedwith a noise likea drophitting waterin a bucket.the snip of clippers,the thump oftossed squashbeds leveled,gourds mounding,piles rising.humansracing the sunto the end of the day,its exitbeneath the horizonpulling the frostin its wake.~Hailey
read moreSquash Ball Season!
With the transition into the fall season solidly behind us and the “Spooky Season” right ahead, autumn has given us a warm welcome. And with this new season, we’ve officially started one of the most beloved activities to those of us who work at Red Dog: squash harvest. Not only are we excited for the many beautiful types of squash that we now have in our farmstand and market booths (including crowd favorites like delicatas, butternuts, and red kuris, to lesser known delicacies like the odd-shaped buttercups and the ghostly blue hubbards), but...
read moreJack-o-Lanterns and Gourds and Pies, Oh My!
Summer: It clung to the air, wrapped around Jefferson County’s shoulders like a wool shawl on a sunny morning, to the point that even the most diehard sun-baskers among us could not help but think that maybe a little rain would be nice. And, as if heeding the call of the falling leaves, summer has finally succumbed to the inevitable: the changing of the seasons, bringing with it not just the rain, but the fires to our hearths, the mudboots to our chilly little feet, and yes, pumpkins, the quintessential gourd of autumn.Entangled in our...
read moreGourds for the Birds
Thanks to Rod Just Realtor for the photo of Paige with two daikon radishes! It’s official, Fall is in and Summer is out. As we enter the Fall Equinox, it’s time to harvest some gourds! You may remember from last Fall all the tasty edible squash that we had, from red kuri to delicata, but we have a fun new selection this season: ornamental gourds. Although you may not be able to make a soup with them, you’re able to feed your soul by admiring the whimsical beauty of ornamental gourds. This past week was our first harvest of them, and it was...
read moreFive Haikus for small, flying, departing neighbors
Thanks to Rod Just Realtor for the photo! When are you coming?Can we expect you by May?Your call, Spring laughter Now, suddenly, nowDifferent cloud in gray skyParticulate joy Azure wings at dawnBreath of dew made gold and quickRise and chase the day Ruts bear mud for homeTight corners, new blue babiesRemember first home And wheel south once moreCarry these warm days awayReturn bright and sharp ~Solomon
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