Peace of the Earth Farm

New Website!

2012-01-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

We're very excited to announce the launching of our brand new website: peaceoftheearthfarms.com

Our website was designed by the very talented Erin at Erin Morton Creative. If you have website needs, give her a buzz!

2012 Kickstarter Fundraiser- Soil Rehab and Farm Stand Infrastructure Project

2012-01-30T13:29:00.000-08:00

Please check out our kickstarter campaign and consider pledging your support! The purpose of this campaign is to raise money for some much needed projects on the farm. Your pledge of support will only be charged if we meet our goal of $12,000 by March 3rd.

Primarily these funds will help us, 1- organically rehabilitate our soil; 2-purchase infrastructure for a self serve farm stand; and 3- purchase a deer fence for the farm. Our campaign fundraising goal will help us acquire the bare minimum for these projects and will specifically help us acquire: well composted manure, organic lime soil amendment, soil testing, organic cover crop seeds, a small walk-in refrigerator, sliding glass door refrigeration unit, and mesh wire electric livestock fencing. If we raise more than expected with this campaign we will use the funds to purchase higher quality materials for these projects as well as other projects on the farm. Thanks in advance and please spread the word!

Check here to check out the campaign and pledge your support!

Upcoming Workshops

2011-08-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Howdy Farmy Folks!! We've decided to offer a couple workshops this fall. These two workshops are hopefully the first of many workshops that will be offered through POTE farm. Please send us an email (peaceoftheearthfarm@gmail.com) if you are interested in either one of these workshops:

*Garlic Workshop- Sunday October 2nd, 2-4 PM at our "Nettles" Location

**Fiber Spinning Workshop- Sunday November 13th, from 2-4

*The Garlic Workshop will teach you everything from A-Z about growing garlic here in the northwest including hands on experience preparing garlic for planting and putting it in the earth. This workshop will also include 1 pound of locally grown, certified organic seed garlic. Cost for this workshop is $20 per student.

**The Fiber spinning workshop will cover all the basics of spinning wool with both a spindle and a spinning wheel. This workshop will also cover how to prep wool for spinning as well as how to ready the spun yarn for knitting. It will also include your very own spindle as well as a little bit of starter wool to take home for practice. Cost for this workshop is $30

We hope you can join us!

Natural Bee Keeping at POTE

2011-05-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

One of our recent additions to POTE farm has been natural bee keeping. Since everything we do on our farm falls within organic standards it just seems to make sense that our bees would be natural too. Natural bee keeping is about learning to mimic what bees would naturally do. Natural bee keeping promotes stronger hives and healthier bees, which in turn will produce healthier and more resistant stock. This process involves changing the intent of the beekeeper from that of an exploiter and extractor, to that of a passive observer and steward.

Honey bees are used almost exclusively to pollinate some our most important crops and today's agricultural system relies heavily on honey bees and their services. In fact, honey bees are responsible for pollinating 80% of all insect pollinated plants. Honey bees are are often shipped long distances and exposed to many unnatural conditions which could lead to many serious health problems. Many people believe that these stresses have lead to severe decreases in healthy strains of honey bee populations. A healthy honey bee hive should posses strong disease resistance and natural coping skills to deal with pathogens and parasites. However, today's honey bees are often too stressed and weak to fight off pathogens and other threats to hive health. Although no one knows for certain, many believe that these stresses could be a leading contribution to the increased incidence of "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD).

Resistant strains that are fully capable of managing their own hive and coping with disease and other issues are hard to come by. Many problems with pathogens and parasites could arise in hives simply because bee strains today are very weak. However, no better time has existed to start strengthening and selecting for strong and resistant honeybees. Natural bee keeping is one way to strengthen and build stronger strains of honey bees.

The main areas of natural beekeeping involve allowing the bees to build a natural comb instead of synthetic comb and eliminating the use of chemical treatments. Natural bee keeping also involves passive observation and reducing the amount of times the bee keeper opens the hive. Many natural bee keepers will only take honey in the spring or when there is an obvious excess in the late summer (or not at all). Feeding the bees should only be done in dire situations and natural sources of feed, such as frames of honey, is recommended. Additionally, switching to a "Warre", "Top Bar" or other natural hive instead of the Langstroth is advisable. Catching swarms, cultivating resistant stock and supporting the cultivation of untreated bees is also a big part of natural bee keeping. And finally, the natural bee keeper is always looking for ways to provide and encourage bee friendly, organic, habitat.

You might be wondering how the natural bee keeper deals with those infamous pests such as mites. Keeping the hive as healthy as possible is the first course of action because a healthy hive is less susceptible to any disease. Additionally, it is important to keep the hive properly vented and include a 1/8" screen bottom. A properly vented hive encourages healthier bees and bees will often clean each other and remove mites. If the hive has a screen bottom, the mites fall through this layer and mites can be significantly reduced in the hive. Also, essential oils such as peppermint and lavender have been shown to repel many pests including mites in bee hives. Lastly, encouraging bees to clean each other regularly by dusting the bees with organic powdered sugar is very important. One bee keeper I know dusts her bees 2 to 3 times a year with powdered sugar to help keep the bees clean and free of mites. Just like with any pest, when the mites are chemically treated, the weakest ones are quickly and easily killed off. The mites that remain to breed are those that are stronger and more resistant to the treatment. Over time, all the mites become resistant to the treatment and this leaves the bee keeper trying out newer chemicals, trying to stay one step ahead of the resistance. This is a process that makes chemical companies very rich often makes pest problems worse. Furthermore, these chemicals could be very dangerous to the bees, the bee keeper, pets, children and anyone else that might come in contact with them. We strongly discourage the use of chemical treatments for mites and encourage bee keepers everywhere to try more natural methods of treatment.

This year we decided to go with a Warre hive for our new package of bees. One of the main benefits of the Warre hive is it allows the bees to build comb from the top down. If bees where building their colony, say in a hollow tree, they would also build their hive form the top down. This helps take advantage of the natural flow of air. Heat rises and helps the keeps air flowing and the bees warmer. Although we were unsuccessful in finding a bee package that came from local and natural sources, we're confident that our bees can thrive in natural conditions hence forth. We'll also be keeping an eye out for swarms in our areas. We've had the bees about two months and they've already filled almost two boxes full of natural comb and are laying brood like crazy. Here are a few pictures of the bee installation and their new hive. We are fairly new to bee keeping and we are very excited to be learning about honey bees on our farm.

Setting the frames in place before installation. You'll notice that we start our frames with just a small strip of organic bees wax. This helps the bees get started but does not control the size of the comb. I've always heard that a synthetic comb helps the bees pull out the comb faster. However, now that I've seen how fast they built these combs, I now know that was a myth. In fact, it seemed like the bees built their own comb faster without the synthetic frame to guide them. Go figure, nature know best, again!

Our bee package, they are so ready to get out of there!!

Setting the frames in place, after the installation of the bees:

All Done, putting the lid on!

This is the Warre Hive in it's full glory. We started off with just one box and we'll keep adding more boxes on the bottom as the hive grows. If we were going to take honey next spring, we would take the top box off.

Shiitake Mushroom Logs

2011-04-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Hello folks, I just thought I would post some pictures of our recent addition of Shiitake Mushroom logs. If all goes well, we should have some delicious mushrooms to eat this time next year. We purchased our plugs from Uprising Seeds. You can also find plug spawn from Fungi Perfecti. This time we used maple logs, some of which were down only about 5 weeks, others were down since last December-ish. It's important to use logs that are not too old (one to two months seems perfect), because other fungus might have already inoculated the logs from the natural environment. We took a chance with the older logs, which had been down for about 4 months or so, we'll see what happens. Just about any hard wood can be used for this purpose, as long as the logs are not too large and have not been down more than a few months. We sealed our plugs in with a cheese wax purchased from Fungi Perfecti. You can also use bees wax. Wax seals and protects the plug spawn, helping to insure that the shiitake spawn properly inoculates the log and does not get contaminated. We put these plugs in at the beginning of March. This process was beyond easy and came with detailed instructions. Happy and long lasting mushroom logs are just a few hours of easy labor away!

The Basics:

Drilling holes in the maple logs with 5/16" drill bit:

Here's Kat hammering in some plugs:

Kat sealing the logs with cheese wax (you can also use bees wax):

Presto!! Be sure to keep logs in a damp and shaded area:

A new farm season begins!

2011-03-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

In the yonder days of February and January, Peace of the Earth Farm lie snuggled deep in the frigid earth, waiting for it's caretakers to return. Although we sowed a few seeds here and there in anticipation of warmer days, the bulk of our seeding has just begun. March saw the return of our seeding greenhouse, a wwoofer from yester-year, the smell of fresh handmade potting soil, and eager new volunteers all arriving from far off places to help us make the season the best season for POTE farm yet. This year our volunteer crew consists of Daniel, Katie, Kat, Chris and Jeff. Daniel is joining us for a second season, this year acting as our assitant manager, or he isists I call him: "the assistant to the manager". I can assure you that Daniel is so talented, he's both. Katie is Daniel's girl friend and she will be our administrative assistant, handling phone calls, research, and the newsletters (and maybe swinging a hammer from time to time when we need her to). Kat, Chris and Jeff are all new to POTE farm and came to us from the organization "World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms" or WWOOF for short. We are looking forward to getting to know these generous souls as we work and learn together all season long. Here's to a fruitful season!

The Crew from Left to right: Hillary, Jeff, Brian, Daniel, Kat, Chris. Katie will be joining us soon!

Burnt Ridge: A nursery worth supporting...

2011-01-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

If you've been searching fruitlessly for a nursery that's worth a darn, search no more. Burnt Ridge Nursery is my pick for the best of the best for everything from blueberry bushes to strawberries to kiwis to nut trees. I had the opportunity to visit this nursery a couple years ago and get a tour by the owner Michael Dolan. This nursery, which has been in business 31 years, is both eco-friendly as well as beautiful. It is run by the thoughtful care a staff and owner that care as much about the environment and genetic diversity as they do about their customers. In fact, they have worked tirelessly to help preserve many hard to find varieties of vines, trees and shrubs that produce edible fruit and nuts. Enlist their help to add an edible landscape to your home, school or community. Their prices are affordable and their products are top notch quality. Also, their expertise about what will and what won't grow well in the Pacific Northwest is superior. Check them out online or give them a call:

www.burntridgenursery.com
360-985-2873

2010 in Pictures

2011-01-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hello Folks,

Since this is the quiet season for a farmer, I finally have some time to post some of our favorite pictures from 2010. We had too many photos to share here but please enjoy this small selection:

This was one of our first trays of seedlings, Early March 2010, broccoli:

5am sunrise at the farm. Spring time saw many early days for this farmer:

Spring time 2010 in our hoophouse, lot's of seedlings

This year we decided to lease some additional land. We call our original location "Heritage" and this new plot "Nettles". Here it is in May before we tilled.

Garlic Scapes and a wee bit of basil, Early July 2010

A few members of work trade crew, from left to right, Jessica, Natasha, and Daniel. Natasha, an artist and good worker, contributed about a month to the farm in June and July. Jessica, originally from Minnesota, stayed for about 3 weeks and filled all of us with a positive attitude and a strong back to go with it (did I mention she is also probably one of the most well read people I've ever met, well, she is). Daniel, a Georgia boy, will be returning with his girlfriend for another season of farm work. This year year, Daniel will be my assistant manager of the farm.

Breezy, another member of our work trade Crew. Breezy worked with us for nearly the entire growing season and we owe her quite a bit for her tireless efforts on the farm. Here she is with some freshly harvest garlic.

Our first CSA boxes of the season, early July. In case you've forgotten, here's evidence that June 2010 was the coldest on record. Almost everything in the box should have been harvested a month prior, however due to the cold temps, rain and lack of sunshine, it was not ready for harvest until July. Likewise, all those July type vegetables were a month behind too. No squash, tomatoes, or cucumbers yet! Even flower bouquets were very challenging at this point.

Our main growing plot over at the "Nettles" location. I think this was the end of July.

A happy farmer and her harvest

Some baby squash with their blossoms, destined for Brix 25 restaurant, August 2010

"Nettles" Farm location in late August 2010

"Nettles" Farm location in late August 2010

"Nettles" Farm location in late August 2010

Tomatoes at harvest time, early September 2010

Packing CSA Boxes in September 2010, photo courtesy of Josh Sitter

A view from the perennial garden at the "Nettles" farm location, Mid September 2010. On the left you'll see feverfew (white blossoms) which is great for migraines, and a floral variety of sage (purple). There is also some evening primrose peeking (yellow flowers). Evening primrose is good for treating whooping cough. Photo courtesy of Josh Sitter

"Heritage" Farm location, Mid September 2010, photo courtesy of Josh Sitter

POTE farm, photo courtesy of Josh Sitter

This year we were fortunate enough to be honored with a "Dinner in the Field" from a local restaurant, Brix 25 in Gig Harbor. The owners Thad and Katie, have been buying fresh tomatoes, greens, potatoes and other tasty morsels from us since 2009. This year, they pulled of one of the most memorable evenings of my life by hosting a gourmet 5 course meal on the farm. The meal consisted of local ingredients including fresh produce from our own farm. About 30 guests attended and it was a delicious success.

Brian and I were able to give a quick farm tour before the "Dinner in the Field"

Josh was one of our most memorable work traders. He stayed with us only a few weeks but made quite an impression on us. Josh, a photo journalist by trade, is currently writing two travel guides, one on hitch hiking and one on WWOOF-ing (That's "World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms"). We wish him the best of luck as he hitch hikes down to South America and back over the next couple years! PS- he's also a fantastic chef.

Carmit and her Son Christopher work traded with us at the end of the season. They helped put our farm to sleep and get it ready for a long winter. They are currently "WWoofing" together in Pennsylvania.

This year we opened a small weekly farm stand in Rosedale. It was never a big money generator, nor was it really supposed to be. It was simply our attempt to let let the locals know we existed and that they should start to see more of our produce in the community. We met some wonderful people, including my favorite customer, Roxi, who bought some of our giant zucchini squash for her special Zucchini bread. This is the Farm stand in Mid September 2010

Inside the tomato hoop house Late September 2010, photo courtesy of Josh Sitter

Ending on a sunny note....
This photo courtesy of Josh Sitter, September 2010

POTE Farm Press

2010-12-30T13:12:00.001-08:00

Howdy farmy folks. This article came out a while ago but I never posted a link. It originally came out in Gig Harbor Life Weekly.
Click here to view the article, in case you missed it.

My PIcks for Seed Companies

2010-11-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

A lot of people ask me where they can get heirloom seeds. I've decided to post a short list of who I buy from and why. Before I do, here's a little quote from Suzannne Ashworth's book, Seed to Seed...this book is a must have for any farmer or home gardener:

"The seed that gardeners hold in their hands at planting time are living links in an unbroken chain reaching back into antiquity. Today's gardeners cannot possibly comprehend the amount of history contained in their seeds, both what has come before and what may potentially come after their brief involvement".

One last word, before you go thinking that heirloom seeds are not important, or before you decide that seed is seed, before you make up your mind not to care where you get your seed from, and before you decide that $3 is way too much to pay for 25 seeds, please remember that hundreds of generations and thousands of years of heritage are contained in a single seed. People have literally starved to death protecting seeds, people have been imprisoned for their work to save seed, and many many varieties and genetic diversity are lost in this age of cheap seed from giant distributors. Today, most of the world's seed in now distributed by only a small handful of giant corporations. Most of the time these big seed company's biggest concern is storage life and a plant's shipability (not to mention making giant profits). Nutrition, flavor, local growing ability, or genetic diversity are typically of little or no concern to large seed companies. Please consider supporting your local smaller seed companies. Here are a few that I look to for my seed needs. I encourage you to save your own seed according to the methods described in Suzanne Ashworth's book as well as purchase from your own local seed companies.

In order of my personal priority:

**Uprising Seeds, located in Bellingham Washington: uprisingorganics.com
Uprising is a small family owned and operated seed company that grows 100% certified organic seeds almost entirely at their own small farm in Bellingham, Washington. What they don't personally grow is grown nearby on small farms in Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho. They have an emphasis on heirloom varieties and try to keep varieties alive that grow well in the Pacific North West.

**Wild Garden Seeds, Located in Philomath, Oregon: Wildgardenseeds.com
Wild Garden Seeds is another family owned and opperated seed company that grows most of their own 100% orgnaic seeds at their own home farm. They have exceptional lettuce and pepper seeds, as well some hard find heirlooms varieties of other vegetables.

**High Mowing Seed, Locaed in Wolcott, Vermont: highmowingseedseeds.com
High mowing is a larger seed company but I've included it here because it's a wonderful go to source for 100% organic seed with an heirloom influence. With 450 varieties of heirloom seed, I find that they have almost anything I need. Also, a lot of their seed is still grown on their own 40 acre farm, which is quite remarkable in this day of giant seed companies. The company is still family owned and is operated in ways that matche up with our own farming philosophy of building an ecosystem on the farm.

**Heirloom Seeds: heirloomseeds.com
This is a company composed of many farmers and gardeners who simply want to sell and preserve heirloom seeds. They have a lot of seed varieties that I've never seen anywhere else.

**The Sustainable seed company: sustainableseedco.com
I'm fairly new to this company but so far I've really enjoyed the seeds I've gotten form them. They grow all their seeds and don't import seeds form any where. They are also all heirloom.

Garlic Harvest!

2010-07-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

Last fall we planted about 25 pounds of hard and soft neck garlic and this last week we were able to harvest hundreds of garlic bulbs. Here's a hearty thank you to all our volunteers, Breezy, Daniel and Natasha (as well as Jessica and Erin), who helped make this fabulous harvest possible. Please enjoy the photos. Peace!!

Some of the garlic hanging to dry (thanks Natasha for this photo)

The garlic goodness from below

The Crew doing some of the harvest

Farm Hand Breezy with garlic goodness

Farm Hand Daniel tying up Garlic to be dried.

2010 Summer Vegetable CSA Begins!

2010-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Last week we begun our 12 week Summer Vegetable CSA program. Thanks to the help of our Volunteers, Breezy, Daniel, Natasha, Jessica, and Erin, our program began deliciously and beautifully. Just see for your self:

A portion of the delectable harvest:

One of our customer's CSA boxes:

Three of our Volunteers with Farmy-Flare: From left to right, Jessica, Natasha and Daniel.

May 2010 Photos

2010-05-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent picture of the happenings on the farm, enjoy.

Sage:

Kale goodness:

Fararo Cabbage

Prize Choy, an Asian Green

Echinacea and a Bumbly friend

In the Hoop House

Garlic and some Sweet Flowering kale

In the Green House

Lettuce and other green goodness

Spinach

Sunrise on the Farm, 5am

Nettles Farm, site of our farm expansion

Wish List April 2010

2010-04-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks! A few people have asked me if they could donate items to the farm and I thought it might be a good idea to post an official "wish list" every now and then to help those people out. Of course any contribution is greatly appreciated, but we thought you at home might appreciate a little direction when you gather up items after your spring cleaning.

We are currently looking for:
* Scrap wood such as untreated 2x4's or 4x4's
* wooden pallets
* Nails and screws
* 4" garden pots (or other sizes)
* Hand tools such as shovels, hoes, rakes, pliers, screw drivers etc.
* T-posts
* Buckets
* Hinges and hooks

If you find yourself with a surplus of any of these items, or if you have something else you think we might be able to use, feel free to send me an email and let me know (peaceoftheearthfarm@gmail.com).

Some Recent Photos

2010-02-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

Brian has been working hard on the barn and he's made some amazing progress. We were able to acquire some affordable seconds of cedar tongue and groove and Brian has lined all the walls and ceilings with this wonderful wood.

I've been working to get the farm ready for spring by building a simple green house for starts. I built this small 10' by 10' green house out of scrap wood and a double layer of scrap 6 mil green house plastic. This green house design is so simple and very affordable and it can be made any length from as small as 10 feet to 100. When I put my next one up in the spring, I'll be posting a step by step instruction of how to build a similar structure.

All the tables in the greenhouse are made from scrap wood from pallets and construction sites. I'll be building some more tables over the next couple weeks and I'll post a step by step instruction of how to make a sturdy work space out of pallets and scrap wood. With a keen eye, pallets and scrap plywood can easily be found for free and many store fronts, construction sites and neighbors would gladly have you take them away. You can also make fences, sheds, and other useful structures with these sturdy gifts.

If you had any doubt of the power of compost, check out the before and after of this compost pile (and the Sweet Kellie standing by). This compost pile is only few months old and the process is even faster in the spring, summer and fall...go compost!!

Before:

After:

Lastly, here are a few things that are growing on the farm at the moment:

some kale and prize choy that survived the winter:

Here's one of the varieties of Garlic we seeded last fall

The fruit trees are all budding!

Thanks for checking in!

Peace,
Hillary

Mini-barn Progress

2010-02-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

The mini-barn is coming along. So far, I have all the utilities in and have achieved much headway on the cedar planking that will be used to cover the walls. The rain has been putting a damper (no pun intended) on the progress, but I set up a large tent to keep the power tools out of the seasonal downpour. However, while I was working yesterday, a huge gust came during one of the storms and launched my tent about 50 feet into the adjacent pasture and mud. All I could do was duck and cover and hope for the best. The best did not occur. The tent is now a muddy wreck of twisted metal and canvas. Oh well, at least I didn't get my head split open. All issues aside, the walls look great. Electric seems to be working like a champ-I was concerned that the breaker wouldn't handle the load, but I have been running 5 lights, 2 fans, an air compressor and a power saw all at the same time. Seems ok. The lights flicker a bit when the compressor kicks in, but that is to be expected. Once I finish the paneling, I will do the floors, make the countertops and move on to the deck. Wish me luck (I need lots of it because I am a very unskilled carpenter!)

Brian

From Barn to Home

2010-01-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

There might not be much growing in January here on the farm but that doesn't mean we are found without project to work on. During these winter months it's all about planning, planning and more planning. We have been using this time of year to finalize our growing schedule, get out seed in order, make sure all our equipment is adequate and fixing up our newest addition to the farm; a barn/living space. We bought this mini barn from a some folks in Lake Stevens and are currently in the process of converting it into a living space. This barn will have a loft, a small kitchen, a small bathroom and a sitting area. Check back soon for more pictures and information.

Join one of our CSA Programs Today!

2009-11-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

What is Community Supported Agriculture?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between community members and farmers in which community members share in the benefits and risks of the growing season. In this partnership, customer's prepay for a share of production, usually provided in weekly installments for a set amount of weeks. These shares provide an early season source of income for the farm, allowing the farmer to purchase supplies and get the growing season started on a firm foundation. In return, the farmer distributes the bounty of food and flowers that follows later in the growing season to all the CSA members. As a result, CSA programs typically amount to much more than a simple exchange of money and goods, a community is built. A CSA is a wonderful way to support your local farmers as well as supply your family with the freshest and most healthy food available.

We have 4 CSA programs to choose from:

Summer Vegetable CSA- 12 installments, delivered weekly, $360 ($30/per installment), Mid June to Mid September

With enough vegetables to feed 2 to 4 adults, this CSA is a wonderful way to get more vegetables for your buck! Each week you will receive a box of vegetables as well as a small bouquet of flowers. Each week will vary in content as more vegetables come to delicious fruition.

Start (transplant) CSA- 6 installments of starts, delivered about every two weeks, mid May through early August, $150 ($25/per installment)

From arugula to zinnias, we'll provide all the starts you'll need for a wonderful summer and fall garden. Each installment, which will contain a mixture of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, will be timed to promote the best success of a particular plant. We'll take you from the first plantings of the spring right on through the summer for a successful fall and winter garden.

Flower CSA- 12 installments, delivered weekly, $120 ($10/per installment), mid June through mid September

We all need some color in our lives. Enjoy a lovely medium sized arrangement of flowers brought right to your door each week. Include this CSA with the Start CSA and receive $20 off!

Farm Dollar CSA- You Choose the Amount

Farm dollars are designed for those who like the idea of the CSA but enjoy more choices. Here's how it works: buy the farm dollars in May and exchange for farm goodness later in the growing season. Exchange at our farm stand or simply arrange for a delivery by email or phone. Choose from any available starts, vegetables or flowers!

We are now taking applications for next year's CSA programs. Since we only have a limited amount of spots we will need to have our customers fill out an initial application. Please email us at peaceoftheearthfarm@gmail.com and we'll send you an application. If we have space and we can accomodate you we will send you a CSA agreement and your spot will be reserved for next year's farm goodness.

Garlic Love

2009-10-28T19:09:00.001-07:00

It's time to plant Garlic here in the Pacific Northwest. No matter what your abilities are as a gardener, everyone can plant successful garlic!

Garlic 101
There are 2 main types of garlic, hard neck and soft neck. Soft neck varieties are the kind most commonly found in grocery stores because their shelf life is significantly longer than hard neck varieties. In fact, if dried and stored properly, soft necks can last all winter and spring long. Hard neck varieties tend to have a stronger flavor than soft necks but are best fresh or consumed within a few months of harvest. Hard necks generally produce one row of large cloves around a center stem (fig 1). This stem will produce an edible flower called a scape in the late spring (fig 2). This scape should be pulled out when it starts to curve all the way around. Pulling the scape prevents the garlic from going to seed. If this scape is not pulled out, then the clove will not develop into a full bulb of garlic and it will put all its energy into making it's flower and subsequent seeds. These scapes are a real treat and can be eaten raw like chives, cooked in a stir fry, or my personal favorite, all grilled up on the barbecue. They have a that wonderful garlic flavor and are a bit spicy! Soft neck varieties typically have several rows of cloves (fig 3). The cloves on the outside are about medium sized and get smaller and smaller towards the center. Soft neck varieties (in all but a few cases) do not have a scape and therefore have a less rigid neck. This makes them the ideal varieties for one of my favorite late summer activities: garlic braiding. Garlic braids make excellent holiday gifts because they are both edible and beautiful. You'll be able to purchase garlic braids next summer and fall here at the farm. I like to weave in dried flowers and even cayenne peppers for some extra color and flavor.

Fig 1: the Inside of Hardneck Garlic:

Fig. 2: Garlic Scape

Fig 3: The Inside of Soft Neck Garlic

Garlic Planting:
In the fall, usually late October or even November is the right time to plant garlic in the Pacific Northwest. If you plant a clove of garlic in the fall, by summer you will have a whole bulb of garlic. Plant cloves about 4 to 6 inches apart about 1 to 4 inches deep. Cover with a mulch such as straw to help insulate and protect garlic as it rests during the winter. Planting in a fall is important because garlic needs the cold winter months for proper growth. However in very cold climates make sure you plant 4 to 6 weeks before the ground has a hard freeze to help establish a root system. When you buy seed garlic it usually comes in a bulb. Crack open bulbs and separate cloves very carefully. Try not to bruise or scrape the tissue of the clove because this will increase the chance of the clove getting infected with a fungus or other unwanted disease. You do not need to fully peel the garlic clove, just separate them from one another. Bulbs should be broken only a day or two before planting. There is a direct correlation between the size of the clove and the size of the bulb. Small cloves make smaller bulbs, bigger cloves makes bigger bulbs. Therefore most gardeners and farmers only plant the largest cloves and save the rest for cooking or give them to kids or neighbors to plant. Also pay special attention to the orientation of the clove. Make sure you put the basil end down, this is where the roots will grow from (fig 4). One last note, garlic is very susceptible to disease and should never be planted in the same place two years in a row. Rotate the place where you grow garlic and pay special attention to the bulbs you buy for seed. Be wary of planting grocery store garlic or garlic from neighbors or even local farmers. Once you get white rot, which is a common garlic fungus, it's in the soil pretty much for good. Also remember that, good fresh healthy garlic is always very hard. If your seed garlic is soft in any spot don't plant it. In fact, it's probably a good idea to dispose of the clove and even the whole bulb and then wash your hands before touching the rest of the garlic.

Fig 4: This is the orientation that the clove should be in for planting

Spring Maintenance:
Garlic should be sown in well drained moist soil and mulched with straw or another mulch to help retain soil moister. Water if necessary in May and June however cut off water in June to help aid in the drying out process. Fertilize the garlic in February and then again in April but not again. Fertilizing after this point will cause plant to put out more green above ground growth and we want the plant to focus on its bulb. I recommend using an organic liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion or worm casting compost tea with some kelp meal. Sorry but I can never recommend chemical fertilizers for anything because I believe they are not healthy for humans, plants, animals or the earth! Pull back the straw mulch a couple times in the spring to weed and then put back mulch. Remember to pull those scapes from the hard neck varieties when they are all curled around. Harvest garlic when there are 2 to 3 mature scales surrounding the bulb, probably June or July. The above ground leafy growth can also be eaten like a you would a leek. To dry, bunch up 6 to 10 bulbs by their leaves and hang in cool dry place away from direct sun light. Once the garlic is dried (in a bout 2 to 4 weeks). Store at 50 degrees with humidity at 50% to 65%. This will help keep the garlic fresh and keep it form sprouting.

Finding Seed Garlic
Right now you can get some lovely soft neck garlic from my favorite seed company "Uprising Seeds". This is a local Washington company that grows and sells organic seeds. They are located in Bellingham, Washington and grow almost all of their own seed, the remaining bit of seed they distribute was grown by other Washington farmers. They have an emphasis on heirloom varieties are 100% organic and they just plain rock in terms of service and their love of the earth, this is a great company to support. Find them at http://uprisingorganics.com/
Some other good sources for seed garlic are High Mowing Seeds, Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, Territorial Seeds, and Fillery.

Good luck... now... go plant that Garlic!!

Fall Greetings!

2009-10-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

Howdy Everyone! Wow what a great farm season we have had. We are now turning our attention to next year and beyond. With that in mind, we have been planning for next year's cultivation and in particular cover crop and compost. Fall is a great time to compost and anyone can do it. The most simple compost pile is just a pile of dry leaves with some weeds or food scraps. However, you can also layer the pile in such a way as to encourage more rapid decomposition and the proper nutrient levels. Adding manure or worms can be helpful for added fertility as well. Turn your pile often, up to once or twice a week to be sure it's getting enough air and check that the pile is neither too wet or too dry. Feel free to email us with specific composting questions. And hey, check out my farmy friend, Kellie stand next to one of our recent piles:

We decided to sow a vetch and rye mix to our acre for next year's production. The rye will help suppress weeds and add to the organic material in the soil and the vetch with add valuable nitrogen to the soil. Just take a look at this beautiful organic cover crop seed:

Sign Up Now for Next Year's CSA Programs!

2009-09-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

We are now taking applications for next year's CSA programs. Since we only have a limited amount of spots we will need to have our customers fill out an initial application. Please email us at peaceoftheearthfarm@gmail.com and we'll send you an application. If we have space and we can accomodate you we will send you a CSA agreement and your spot will be reserved for next year's farm goodness.

We have decided to offer serveal different options for next year's CSA. Now we have 4 CSA programs to choose from:

Summer Vegetable CSA- 12 installments, delivered weekly, $360 ($30/per installment), Mid June to Mid September

With enough vegetables to feed 2 to 4 adults, this CSA is a wonderful way to get more vegetables for your buck! Each week you will receive a box of vegetables as well as a small bouquet of flowers. Each week will vary in content as more vegetables come to delicious fruition.

Start (transplant) CSA- 6 installments of starts, delivered about every two weeks, mid May through early August, $150 ($25/per installment)

From arugula to zinnias, we'll provide all the starts you'll need for a wonderful summer and fall garden. Each installment, which will contain a mixture of vegetables, herbs, and flowers, will be timed to promote the best success of a particular plant. We'll take you from the first plantings of the spring right on through the summer for a successful fall and winter garden.

Flower CSA- 12 installments, delivered weekly, $120 ($10/per installment), mid June through mid September

We all need some color in our lives. Enjoy a lovely medium sized arrangement of flowers brought right to your door each week. Include this CSA with the Start CSA and receive $20 off!

Farm Dollar CSA- You Choose the Amount

Farm dollars are designed for those who like the idea of the CSA but enjoy more choices. Here's how it works: buy the farm dollars in May and exchange for farm goodness later in the growing season. Exchange at our farm stand or simply arrange for a delivery by email or phone. Choose from any available starts, vegetables or flowers!

Reading List

2009-09-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello,

Sometimes, the perfect book makes all the difference in the world. Most people know about Michael Pollen's, The Omnivore's Dilemma, but there's a whole host of other books that I think are very useful to the average person with regard to food. I thought I would put together a list of some of my favorite books that have to do with farming and the the topics surrounding the food we eat. This is by no means a complete list of all the books you should read to inspire and teach you with regard to the food system, but it is a great place to start. there are stars next to the books that will no doubt change your life. In no particular order:

The Farm as a Natural Habitat; Reconnecting Food Systems with Ecosystems. Jackson 2002

*Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Kingsolver. 2007

*From the Ground Up; Rethinking Industrial Agriculture. Norberg-Hodge 1993, 2001

Local Harvest; Delicious Ways to Save the Planet. Selincourt. 1997

**Agri-culture; Reconnecting People, Land and Nature. Pretty 2002

The New Organic Grower. Coleman. 1995

**The War on Bugs. Allen 2008

Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning. Madison. 1999

Seed to Seed; Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners. Ashworth 2002

*The Unsettling of America; Culture and Agriculture. Berry, 1977.

Carrots Love Tomatoes and Roses Love Garlic. Riotte. 2004

*A Sand County Almanac. Leopold. 1949

**Eat Here: Reclaiming Local Pleasures from a Global Supermarket. Halweil. 2004

Hillary

2009-08-22T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! This is Brian. Typically, Hillary is the blogger, but I wanted to say something today about her and can't really ask her to write it herself....

I just wanted to share with everyone the talents of their local organic farmer. Sure, I help out every once in awhile, but Hillary is out there every single day (no matter if it is pouring down with rain or 100 degrees outside). She diligently weeds, prunes, digs, plants, seeds, hauls, designs, harvests, etc. She always has her black farm book that she furiously scribbles in so she can record every last detail of her beloved plants. She is a stickler for correcting any mistakes she may have made, so you can be guaranteed you won't see the same mistake twice. Her knowledge in all things farming completely amazes me. This is especially impressive when one realizes she has only had a little over a year in training and experience. She has had a few ups and downs and resounding disappointments (by her own calculation), but she presses on and vows to improve. I have no doubt she will.

She so much wants to grow our little operation and share her harvest with as many people as possible. We are still trying to figure out what is going to happen next year, but we hope you all join us in this awesome community endeavor.

Now, on to more pressing matters...Our corn is just about tapped out. We suspect we had a few unauthorized harvests which is very frustrating. I wish I could blame it on deer, but I suspect a two-legged marauder had something to do with it. We didn't have much to begin with. As we value diversity in our crop selection, we wanted to put in as many different types and varieties. This helps create a bio-diverse environment and pest control naturally occurs in this setting. Therefore, we sacrificed large amounts of corn for variety. So, as ten ears of corn disappear overnight, this puts a damper on our ability to put corn in the CSA boxes every week. Lessons just keep popping up all over the place!

So, to summarize...my wife is awesome and our corn is gone. Thanks for the support, everyone!

Brian

Local Goodness

2009-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

When we first set out to start a farm our goal was to cultivate an extremely diverse farm environment. We didn't just want to grow lots of food, we wanted to grow lots of kinds of food too. Furthermore, we wanted to be diverse with what we would do with the food and flowers we would grow. CSA, Farmers' Markets, Restaurant sales and even homesteading are all on our agenda. We are happy to report that this year we were successful in both CSA (check out a picture of one of our most recent CSA boxes below) and some restaurant sales (look for our tomatoes at Brix 25 on Pioneer Way in Gig Harbor starting as soon as this weekend, www.harborbrix.com).

If all goes well, in the coming years, Peace of the Earth Farm will expand our CSA, start selling to local Farmers' Markets, increase our contribution to Brix 25 and possibly other local restaurants, and grow significantly more of the food our own family will consume. However, diversity is not enough if we do it alone. A strong community is very important to us and we hope our farm can help build relations ships right here in Gig Harbor and Rosedale. In the coming years we hope to have farm tours and workshops to help educate others who desire to learn more about local food as well as grow some of their own at home. Thanks again for all those who are helping to get us started! Peace!

Keeping the wonder alive....

2009-07-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share a passage from John Steinbeck's, The Grapes of Wrath:

"And when the horse stops work and goes into the barn there is life and a vitality left, there is breathing and a warmth, and feet shift on the straw, and the jaws clamp on the hay, and the ears and eyes are alive. There is a warmth of life in the barn, and the heat and smell of life. But when the motor of a tractor stops, it is as dead as the ore it came from. The heat goes out of it like the living heat that leaves a corpse. The corrugated iron doors are closed and the tractor man drives home to town, perhaps 20 miles away, and he need not come back for weeks or months, for the tractor is dead. And this is easy and efficient. So easy that the wonder goes out of the work, so efficient that the wonder goes out of the land and the working of it, and with the wonder the deep understanding and the relation".

We understand that our small little farm is not so efficient, and not so easy, but it is filled with wonder...a wonder we feel privileged to experience and share with our community. Thanks for being part of this with us, let's keep the wonder of the food, of the land, of the living breathing life that interacts with it, alive.

peace,
Hillary

An Incredible Organization

2009-07-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

Hello Peace of the Earth family! Hillary and I met a neighbor of ours a few weeks back and he shared with us some amazing things he is doing in Central America. Michael has created a blog about his efforts and the struggles of the Guatemalan people. You can find the blog at:

http://therippleeffectinc.blogspot.com/

Support Michael and his incredible organization.

Brian

First CSA Boxes Successfully Delivered!

2009-07-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who help Peace of the Earth get started in our pilot year. I just delivered our first 3 CSA boxes ever for the farm. What a good feeling it is :)

A quick correction:

2009-07-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I just realized that I called the "guard" leaf on my tomato trellising blog the "ground". Guard I believe is the correct term and not ground. I got in the habit once of calling it the ground and you know how habits are. Also, figure two is pretty much how the plant should look when you're done pruning... the light grayish leaves in the figure represent what will be cut. In reality you'll most likely cut A LOT more leaves then that. I simplified it for the figure so it would be more clear.

Tomato Trellising and Pruning

2009-07-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

It seems like everyone has their own way of pruning and trellising tomatoes and of course everyone claims to have the best method. Well, I don't want to claim that this is is the best method but it is what I have been taught and It seems to work pretty well. This is the method that Steve Solomon, author of many gardening books, most notably Gardening West of the Cascades, uses as well as The Evergreen State College Organic Farm where I studied sustainable agriculture.

When pruning a plant you may have to give yourself a pep talk before you begin. You might be worried you'll cut too much or cut the wrong thing. Tomatoes are pretty good at recovering if you cut too much or cut in the wrong place and secondly, most people actually cut too little when pruning. You may find it difficult to bring to yourself to cut large portions of the plant but try and remember that this will help the plant thrive. We prune because it helps focus the plant so it can get to the business of making the fruit as big and delicious as possible. If we don't prune, the plant will keep setting out as much leafy growth and fruit as possible....you'll get more growth and more fruit, but the flavor and size of the tomatoes will not be as desirable. Furthermore, your plant will be more susceptible to disease if your don't prune because of overcrowding of the leaves. Pruning gets the leaves and fruit up off the soil, and promotes better air circulation, both of which can help against disease.

Begin by first understanding the tomato plant's anatomy. In it's most basic state you have three main parts: the stem, the ground and the leader. The ground comes out of the main stem and the leader is right above the ground (figure 1).

Figure 1 (remember to clock on the photo for the full image)

Once you understand the anatomy it is now time to do some cutting. I like to start by cleaning house. The first thing I do is cut all the suckers that start to sprout at the base of the plant. Next cut the grounds and leaders toward the bottom of the plant. You don't want a single leave touching the soil. You may need to cut off leaves as far up as 12 inches up the stem. When pruning with this method it is recommended to prune the plant down to two leaders. While you are doing these initial cuttings start trying to determine where the primary leader is, and which leader you will choose for the secondary leader (figure 2). I usually choose a leader that is fairly hardy, one that already has fruit or flowers forming, and one that is about 12 to 18 inches from the soil. I like to mentally choose a few potential candidates for the secondary leader and hold off on cutting those until I know for sure which one I'll leave. Most of the leaders will be fairly small and can easily be pinched off with your fingers, others might need a snip from some siccors.

Figure 2 (remember to click on the photo for the full image)

Of course it's usually never as perfect as figure 2 but you might be surprised at how similar your plant may look to figure 2 after you're done cutting back all the leaders.

Now it's is time to trellis the tomato plant. We use a string method. Most people try to prop the plant up using stakes or cages in an effort to combat the plants desire to follow the laws of gravity. In my opinion this is a fool hardy goal as gravity will always win and you will create a lot more work for yourself as the tomatoes get bigger and heavier. Many people are very attached to their stakes and cages and refuse to give them up, however, I implore you to try out the string method because most people find it requires a lot less maitence as the season goes on.

First drive large posts (at least 6 feet) into the ground at both end of your tomato row. Then string either wire or hardy bailing twine from one post to the other (see photo below). Then hang two pieces of bailing twine down for each tomato plant. Tie both strings to the bottom of the plant and then gently guide the plant around the strings. When you get the point when your primary leader goes one way and your secondary leader goes the other, guide one string with the primary leader and one string to the secondary leader (figure 2). Make sure the strings are fairly taught so the plant is held up. This method uses gravity to it's advantage because the plants just hang there comfortable. The tomato plant might need a little help around the twine as it grows larger, but this maintenance is fairly easy and only takes a few seconds on each plant. While you do this maintenance you should also take a few seconds to pinch off any leaders that may have started to grow since you pruned.

One more note about pruning: Sometimes people will leave more than two leaders early in the fruiting season. This is because you can let these additional leaders fruit once before you prune them off. It just depends on how much maintenance you want to put into the plant and how much fruit you need to get off of it. Good luck and happy trellising and pruning!

Early July Photos

2009-07-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hello all! We hope you'll enjoy these recent pictures of the farm. Remember to click on the photo for the entire image :)

We are about two thirds of the way through with our tomato trellising....a bit behind schedule but we'll get there. We are hoping to have our first ripe tomatoes by next week which should make our CSA customers very happy. If tomatoes don't make into this week's box they are sure to make it into the next week's. The beans we planted two weeks are ago are doing very well and the kohlrabi bulbs are starting to form. We just thinned our first succession of carrots and the beets are now about the size of a golf ball. All of the squash plants seem to be flourishing and you can almost watch it grown right before your eyes. The flowers are all starting to bloom just in time to make our first bouquets this week for our CSA customers. Corn is about waist high!

peace!

We are starting a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program!

2009-07-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

We are looking for 2 to 4 local families or individuals to join our brand new Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA). A CSA is a partnership between you and your farmer in which you receive a box of freshly harvested food and flowers every week for a set amount of weeks. A CSA is a wonderful way to support your local farmers as well as supply your family with the freshest and most healthy food available.

If you have been following this blog then you know that our farm values fresh food, high crop diversity, community interaction, health of the "agro-ecosystem" as well as sustainable and organic methods of farming. If you value these things as well, perhaps this CSA is for you.

Here's how it works:
Since this is our first year as an official farm we are offering our CSA at a discounted price. Most CSA programs range from about $25 to $50 a week. We are offering our CSA for $20 a week for our first year mainly because we realize that as we fine tune the process there could be a few bumps in the road. CSA programs can range from 8 to 24 weeks, or even year round. We will start our first CSA program off with a 12 week, prepaid, program ($240). Our CSA will start the week of July 13th, and run through the week of September 28th. Each week you will pick up a box of freshly harvested food and a flower bouquet right from the farm. Each box will contain enough vegetables for about 2 to 4 adults and a freshly picked bouquet of flowers. Depending on what is ready to be harvested a box might contain a mixture of lettuce, beets, carrots, kale, swiss chard, onions, kohlrabi, broccoli, corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, basil, and/or apples.

In the coming years we plan to become organically certified, expand the farm and include a lot more variety including more fruits, and possibly eggs, milk, cheese and meat. Believe it or not, if you choose to take part in this CSA program, you will be part of that because you are helping us build the foundation of our farm. Our most important shares will be our first shares. We want you to know that as one of our first CSA customers you are truly helping to ensure the success of your local farmers. Things might not be perfect however, and we want to make sure you understand fully what a CSA truly means. The most important aspect of a CSA is the word community; we will help each other!

Since this is our first year, we only have enough food to support 2 to 4 CSA shares so please contact us as soon as possible to ensure your spot. We also want to make sure that since we are embarking on a partnership that we are a good fit for each other. Please contact us with a few sentences about your interest in sustainable agriculture, fresh healthy foods, and your feelings about having a CSA in your community.

Please contact us via email at peaceoftheearthfarm@gmail.com if you are interested.

Farm Update

2009-06-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Brian and I just got back last night from a trip to visit some family in California. Leaving the farm for even a few days in the summer can be a very difficult mental struggle for any grower but we got through it. The farm looks great, baring some much needed labor in certain areas. We still need to finish trellising tomatoes and it is definitely time to do a good weeding throughout. It's amazing how much has changed in a just a few days. I think the corn grew almost a foot since last Thursday and the pole beans we planted last week with the corn have germinated and have their first true leaves. We are trying pole beans with corn because have heard from a couple sources (my grandmother, Joyce, for one), that this can be a great alternative to growing them on plain poles. The beans use the corn as a pole and in exchange furnish the corn with it's fixed nitrogen. We will give an update as to how well this worked once the beans get established. The squash too has grown quite a bit, almost doubling in size just in a few days and the flowers are starting to bloom like crazy, especially the Zinnias. The onions are growing well and we should have a harvest of at least our chipollini variety, Borretanna, in a few weeks. We'll give a photo update of all the goodness soon.

peace,
Hillary

Island Provisions Blog is born!!

2009-06-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hillary also has a business sewing vegan, handmade, wonderful goodness. Her blog can be found at islandprovisions.blogspot.com. Her storefront is found at islandprovisions1.etsy.com. Enjoy! Brian

Recent Pictures of Farm Goodness

2009-06-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hi There farm lovers,

Here are a few pictures that were taken on the farm yesterday. Corn knee high by the fourth of July? Yes please. We prepared two new beds that will be filled with the next succession of beets, carrots, broccoli, kohlrabi, lettuce, a few more flowers, more squash, and herbs. Enjoy :)

A Hard Day's Work

2009-06-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

We went out to the farm today and got some good work done. First, Hillary used our small scythe to cut down the cover crop we had sewn in the remaining unplanted area. We then "forked" the soil to break it up and get it ready for the small tiller. I spent quite a bit of time using the tiller today. The remaining grass and weeds that I was trying to till through kept getting wrapped up in the blades. It was quite a pain to keep pulling soil and grass out of the machine. We finally got through it, but not without a horrible casualty...

What I thought was an enormous weed was actually a sunflower. Hillary watched in horror across the field as I drove over the sunflower with the tiller not once, but three times. Needless to say, Hillary was not happy with me. She eventually forgave me, but the sunflower isn't going to recover.

I cut a trench and buried our main line for irrigation that ran across the field. A mower is coming through and I sure didn't want the main line to get cut into a million little pieces. The drip tape has been working out for us very well and we need to ensure that our set-up stays safe from the angry blades of the John Deere.

Finally, we laid some more drip tape in the fields for our new seeds (beans). It was a good days' work on the farm. Maddy spent her time out there playing in the mud. She eventually stripped down to her skivvies and smeared mud al over herself in homage to Lord of the Flies...such an awesome little kid.

I took a bunch of picture today and will post them tomorrow. The corn looks great and we want to share. Tomatoes all have fruit on them. Beets, carrots, onions and lettuce look incredible. I hope some of you can share in our harvest!

Brian

Press Release - I published this tonight.

2009-06-20T18:49:00.000-07:00

Tiny Farm has Big Dreams

You can't see it from the road. As a matter of fact, you can't see much from the road; the trees stand shoulder to shoulder providing only a glimpse of the fertile land that lies in the valley below. On the rocky, log strewn beaches of the Puget Sound only a moment before, a quick jog in the road dives into an enchanting evergreen forest speckled with modest houses and family farms just beyond the tree line. A beat-up mailbox and a gaggle of free-range chickens mark the turn to a place where seeds and dreams are being sewn.

Sun-drenched on beautiful Pacific Northwest Summer days, Peace of the Earth Farm is budding with life sustained by rich soil and cooling periodic rains. In an age where agriculture ranks far behind computers and sporting events in the average American's vast list of interests, Hillary and Brian Bergren have sought to pursue a simple and sustainable way of life. Hillary studied sustainable agriculture at The Evergreen State College under the watchful eye of some of the finest farmers in the state of Washington. The techniques and lessons she learned are now applied to the Peace of the Earth crops which include a variety of tomatoes grown in both full sun and hoop houses. Corn, onions, basil, lettuce, cut flowers, kale, artichokes, beets, carrots and swiss chard also make grand appearances. Hillary and Brian try to put as many varieties into the ground as possible to promote biodiversity and a healthy agro-ecosystem. A mature fruit orchard and a vineyard also contribute to this pursuit.

While not certified USDA Organic, Peace of the Earth Farm is 100% pesticide free and adheres to the the organic standards set forth by the agency. When the minimum time period has passed (land must be used in an organic manner for a specific number of years), the Bergren family plans to submit an application for certification. Until then, the local community will come to understand that an organic label in a sterile grocery store is not a recipe for nutrition. Local, freshly picked, sustainably grown and harvested produce is healthier on so many levels. Of note, the community is healthier when local businesses are supported and hometown dollars go back into the hometown. In these times of economic uncertainty, it is important to encourage and support those who enrich the community with unique talents, services and abilities.

One way the community of Gig Harbor, Washington can support Peace of the Earth Farm is to become shareholders in the community supported agriculture program (CSA) launching in May of 2010. The purchase of a share will result in a gorgeous box of sustainably grown produce and flowers delivered direct to the members. Knowing that the food on the table at night was picked that morning by a local couple trying to do their part to save the world will be very satisfying to those who take part in the CSA. Also, people all over the world can support the farm by visiting the “Farm Blog” at http://tubbergren.blogspot.com.

As you read about this tiny farm that will soon expand to 2 acres of pasture land, imagine a family with their hands in the dirt, smiles on their faces and so many dreams to sow before the sun goes down.
# # #

About Peace of the Earth Farm: POTE Farm is a small-scale, sustainable farm in Gig Harbor, Washington. Brian and Hillary Bergren are the stewards of the farm and hope to expand into adjacent acreage and begin a community supported agriculture program in the next few years.

Eat your Greens??

2009-06-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Care to have a little snack before your beets are fully developed? The beet greens are delicious this time of year. As you are thinning your beets, don't just throw the tops away...what a waste! The little beets are the perfect size for pickling and are especially tender and delicious. The tops are great in a mixed green salad or as a substitute for boring old lettuce. Eat you greens!

Going out to the farm today and taking some friends. We love sharing our farm. Holler if you are in Gig Harbor and want to check it out.

Brian

Shop Small for Heirloom Seeds

2009-06-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

Looking for great varieties of heirloom seeds...guess what? you probably won't find them in the stores....go to the source, the farmers! Just in case you don't know any farmers you can get started on Etsy.com

Check out this treasury page for a hand full of shops who sell seeds to get started:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=65220

This page expires tonight at about 11:30 eastern time so if you're reading this after Thursday June 18th, try going to Etsy.com and searching for "heirloom seeds". You'll be buying a product that tastes better, is better for the diversity of our farms, and supports small scale farming operations and small business owners...go on now, get to it!

Ads and their benefit

2009-06-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ads support this blog. Revenue goes directly to the farm. Brian

A little history...

2009-06-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Brian is an officer in the USAF and goes by the callsign "tub"; hence, the name of the blog page tubbergren.blogspot.com.

Hillary has been studying sustainable agriculture at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA.

We have a4 year old daughter named Madeline who goes by the nickname "Maddy"

About 6 months ago, some personal friends of ours Jon and Pat Lantz offered up their property in Rosedale, Washington. They wanted someone to use the property and knew we had an interest in agriculture.

We jumped at the chance! We are starting off small, but plan to expand to the surrounding acreage in the coming years. We are going to start a CSA and invite the community to purchase shares of the farm. For their investment, shareholders will receive boxes of produce weekly.

We can't wait to expand the farm and bring our fresh, organic produce to Gig Harbor and surrounding communities. Your visits to this site and interest in advertisers will generate dollars that will go right back into the farm. We really appreciate the support!

Please visit often and follow our progress. We want the farm to become a part of the community and your support will make that a reality.

Thanks for supporting Peace of the Earth Organic Farm...

Brian

Press Release

2009-06-16T20:39:00.001-07:00

I just submitted a press release to try to generate more traffic for this blog. The release can be found at:

http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200906/1245209908.html' target='_blank'>Press Release: Small-scale, Sustainable Farm Blog Launches

Read and Enjoy!

Brian

Farm update

2009-06-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Today was a typical day on the farm and I thought it would be good to share with you what I did.

First, I took a farm walk. Going on a farm walk at the start and finish of each day is extremely important, no matter how small or large the farm is. This daily contact with each facet of the farm helps me stay connected to the crops and what is going on around them. As I walk, I look at the general health of the plants, take note of any weeding that needs to be done, put my hand a few inches in the soil to check moisture and also I take a very close inspection of at least one plant of each variety and crop. This last step is very important, especially for organic and natural farmers. I need to know exactly what is going on with the plants. If there is insect or other animal damage, the type of damage can tell me a lot. For instance, tiny, very uniform holes that resemble "BB gun" holes are probably flea beetles. I might also see the actual insect pest, such as aphids. If I know early enough what the insect problem is, I can more easily come up with a prevention solution. Remember that with organic and natural farming, prevention is key. Also, when I find a "pest", I should not just assume that there is an outbreak. If I look closer, I might also see the pest's predator, such as lace wings or lady bug larvae. All farmers and gardeners should have at least a basic understanding of common pests and their predators. A good book on the subject: "Biodiversity and Pest Management in Agroecosystems" by Miguel Altieri. On my farm walks I also like to do some observation of the local wildlife....the pollinators, the ground life, the birds, the non-cultivated plants, etc, etc, etc... this is all part of the farm habitat, or as Miguel Altieri calls it, the agroecosystem, and I want to help keep it healthy. Today everything looked great; no major issues to report.

I then started pruning and trellising some tomatoes. We use the string method for trellising and I'll post a blog soon with pictures and step by step instructions on how to trellis with this method and show how we prune (it seems everyone does this differently, but I'll share what I have learned).

Next, I did some transplanting. I transplanted two month old peppers (cayenne- "long thin ring of fire", bells-"gold Marconi", and a Habenero variety), egg plants ("oriental express"), more basil ("aroma"), kholrabi ("korridor"), arugula ("astro"), some herbs (including skullcap, vervain, and sage), and flowers ("bells of ireland", echinacea, and delphinium). I made sure to water in all the new plants.

Lastly I weeded around some borage, nigella ("love in a mist" best name ever for a flower), sage, butterfly weed, and echinacea.

Tips about Basil

2009-06-15T16:47:00.001-07:00

Hillary taught me a few things about Basil yesterday and I want to share them.

First of all, basil and tomatoes compliment each other quite nicely. Plant basil along the base of your tomatoes (about a foot away) and you have just tried "companion planting". Some people find this to be more fiction than fact, but a lot of people have success.

You need to prune the basil early in the growing process. Pull off the sad leaves around the base. Also, pinch off at least the top two leaves. This will promote growth of new leaves and help the plant grow more "bushy". If you don't do this, the plant will only get taller, but will not have new growth. Then, it will go to seed much too early. If it looks like the plant is healthy, take off the next set of leaves as well. If it is a sickly little bugger, it is best just to pinch off the very top. In a few weeks, after the shoots on the side have grown, you should pinch the tops off the side shoots.

We made a pesto pizza last night with the basil from the farm. Delicious.

A bunch of pictures from our day on the farm -- First Harvest!!

2009-06-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

The following pictures were all taken today. As you can see, the farm is coming along. However, we did find that a few of our tomatoes had been nibbled on by a sneaky raccoon or a devious deer. All part of being farmers, I suppose. We plan to put a deer fence up soon; we will acquire some old fish nets from our local fishermen and string them between tall posts. Hopefully, that will at least keep the deer out. Not much we can do about raccoons. Anyone have any ideas?

These pictures show the various crops we are growing. Also, the hoop house can be seen. We will provide a more detailed description of how we fashioned the hoop house in a future blog. We finally harvested some lettuce today and shared the heads with our friends in the neighborhood. We made a delicious salad with our head. The leaves were so crisp and fresh...nothing like fresh lettuce just pulled from the ground. Please enjoy the photos and let us know if you have any questions or want to share some comments.

Some of the images have been cropped. If you want to see the whole image, just click on it! Another window will open in Photobucket.

2009-06-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

Here are a few pictures of the farm. These were taken a couple months ago (April or early May). We thought you all might enjoy some pictures of the place at the beginning of the season. Things are in full swing now...more pictures will soon be posted of the progress. The pictures include the small garden area, the old milk house, the perennial area, the orchard and the old barn is in there somewhere.

Enjoy!

Determined a "theme" for this blog

2009-06-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

After many nights of trying to figure out just what I was going to write about and invite the world to read, I finally figured it out today. I had to ask myself a question..."What can I put out to the World that is actually interesting?" Well, Hillary (my wife) and I decided a few weeks ago that we were going to try our hands at organic, sustainable, small scale farming. Over the course of the life of this little farm, which is yet to be named, I will fill you in on all the happenings, provide lessons learned and give helpful tips that Hillary imparts on me. Hillary is the expert of this operation--she studied sustainable agriculture at Evergreen State College under the tutelage of some incredible people. I am the braun, but am completely happy in my role. I'm learning.

First Blog

2009-06-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

This is my very first blog. It is late on a Thursday and I should be in bed. Instead, I am blogging and watching mindless television. Wish me luck on my blogging adventures. Tub