Fall on the Farm!

Fall on the Farm? by Jeana Steiner

Fall on the Farm…

The grapes are harvested, fermentations are wrapping up and the Pumpkin Patch is in full swing. Fall on the farm is our busiest season. I consider it a marathon and we are 2/3^rd the way. Brontë has been busy labeling and making sure the dahlias are all tagged appropriately as we prepare for our first frost. The dahlias are still in full bloom and the Fall season is truly my favorite in the garden. The beautiful days we’ve been having, and the fall colors are starting to appear on the trees make it a magical time on the farm.   Here in the Chelan Valley, our first frost generally occurs the 2^nd week of October, so we want to make sure everything is labeled correctly as we know winter is on its way.   Coming up in the next few weeks will be planting tulips, cutting and digging out the dahlias and putting them away for winter, taking down all the netting on the grapes, building a sheep barn (Chad’s project) and winterizing the irrigation. Every year- we find ourselves learning more about farming and how to do things more efficiently. 

The tulips from Holland arrived! Normally I make the drive to a farm back where we grew up in Sumner, but with Chad full time on the farm- he was able to make the trip this year. Plus he purchased a sheep trailer from a friend so it was a productive trip.  

We have a wonderful selection of specialty tulips for sale. New varieties are available this year which we are excited to share with all our flower lovers out there. These not only make wonderful spring beauties in your garden- they make nice gifts too. It’s the time to start thinking about getting them planted. Next week, I’ll be rototilling the field and we’ll begin planting the tulips. If you are interested in planting some at your house- check out this link  Tulip Bulb Sale. We’re happy to get them ready for you to pick up at the farm or we are happy to ship too.  

An activity that we have been doing for the first time is harvesting honey. The boys put their earnings from their lavender sales together and purchased a Flowhive and bee suits to offer farm fresh honey. Craig, a local beekeeper found a swarm of bees this spring and helped the boys put it into the Flowhive. We brought the hive to the farm early spring and as a summer project the boys worked with our dear friend and artist, Nicky Allison to create a label for their honey. The boys each had a part in making the label. Carston did the writing, Jackson drew the bees and Owen made the flowers and honeycomb.  

They had the opportunity to harvest honey a few weeks ago.  What a cool experience to see. Craig has been instrumental in their learning. Thanks Craig!! Last week Craig, Chad and Jackson built a platform and winterized the hive for the bees. Not only has it been a fun learning experience, local honey is a natural remedy for seasonal allergies too.  Jackson suffers from cottonwood and maple allergies and his love for soccer also comes with a constant runny nose. Enjoying honey toast has become a regular morning activity so we are hopeful their farm fresh honey will help his allergies too.

Fall on the farm is full of fun activities. Thank you to everyone who came to experience Tophouse The Band last weekend.  Such a amazing weekend and talented musicians.  In case you haven’t been able to visit the farm this fall- here are some pictures of what we’ve been up to. Blessings to you all. Safe harvests and make it a good day!

Cheers,