Wisdom

"Everyday radiant well-being, in mind, body, and soul, is a function of everyday self-care. It's a prescription for life. It's a part of what you do, what you take into your body, and what you feed your mind. Radiant well-being is finding your joy in life. Exploring your passions. Getting up from your chair and moving your body. Wiggling. Eating good food. Playing hard and resting well. Putting your mind to work. Laughing. Whatever you choose to do, do it well, and do it joyously. There is no greater benefactor to well-being than the satisfaction of a well-lived life."
- Rosemary Gladstar

Salmon Spawning

We watched the salmon for hours when we were in Valdez. It's pretty incredible.

Yeah. Bears like salmon.

Glaciers are cool. (Get the pun??)

Worthington Glacier - 30 miles outside of Valdez, Alaska.

Walking on a glacier in flip flops is a bad idea. Even if they are Chacos and have Vibram soles. Just so you know for future reference.

Alaska Grown

Photos of our produce from the Wasilla Farmer's Market:

Onions and radishes.

CARROTS!

Peas and cabbage.

Beets, beans, and broccoli.

Turnips and kohlrabi.

Basil.

Yum. Celery!

Our food is naturally and biodynamically grown.

Nature Deficit Disorder

"Environmentalism needs to be focused not only on preserving nature but also on getting people into it. If we’re divorced from nature, then there’s simply no constituency for it. I also profoundly believe that a dose of nature is the best way to gain some perspective. You can think you’re God’s gift to the world, but you’ll still end up getting blisters on a hike if you’re not careful, or falling out of your raft in the rapids. Nature is very good at bringing us back to Earth. Let’s acknowledge that getting kids awed by nature is as important as getting them reading."
- Nicholas Kristof

Seriously.

CSA Photos

The potato bed!!

My spirit vegetable. Obviously.

Kate washing scallions.

The first baby heads of broccoli!!

Kohlrabi and carrots in the harvest shed.

Nicole bunching rainbow chard.

Everyone's Favorite Patriot

Sarah Palin speaking at the Governor's Picnic in Wasilla, Alaska.

Rallying the troops.

Notice her "Patriot" sweatshirt and evil grin.

Farm Fresh Veg!

A mound of rhubarb from the beginning of the season.

Working hard digging new beds at the beginning of June.

Baby heads of broccoli.

Jalapeño peppers growing in the hoop house.

Beautiful rainbow chard (with baby carrots and scallions in the background).

Basil plants in the glass house to sell at the Wasilla Farmer's Market.

A peaceful bee in the chive flowers.

A bathtub full of mesclun lettuce all ready to be spun with our giant salad spinner and bagged!

Kate at our CSA farm stand in Anchorage at APU.

So, you want to be a farmer?

YES.

Hiking and Outdoors-ing

We've been spending a lot of time exploring Alaska. Here's some pictures:

Hatcher's Pass


Hiking on snow in June in Hatcher's Pass


Wild Chocolate Lillies (my favorite!)


Yogis Practicing Warrior 3 Down by the Knik River


The Matanuska Glacier


Hiking Up Lazy Mountain


The Flag is the Summit of Lazy Mountain


The View from the Summit of Lazy Mountain


Jesse and Me on the summit of Lazy Mountain

First Harvest Day!

Monday was our first harvest day for this season's CSA. Since it is the beginning of the season, we harvested a bunch of greens. We had two different varieties of head lettuces, baby bok choi and three varieties of mustard greens. We harvested in the late morning and then we washed everything in big washtubs in our harvest shed. After everything was thoroughly rinsed, the head lettuces and baby bok choi air-dried on towels and we used a huge salad spinner to dry off the mustard greens. Then we weighed and bagged the greens in equal portions for our 40-share CSA.

What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a way to support local farmers, local food, and seasonal eating. When you buy a share in a CSA, the money you pay goes directly to the farmer and there are no middlemen between you and your veggies. In most CSAs, you pay up-front for the entire season and then recieve weekly boxes of fresh in-season produce that you pick up either from the farm or from a designated drop-off point. Usually there are different options that you can choose from: full share, half-share, and salad share. It is a great way to show that you care about small farmers and sustainable agriculture by directly supporting those that farm near you.

Check out localharvest.org to research CSAs near you!
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Our CSA Newsletter

Kate harvesting the baby bok choi

Me and Sonia harvesting mustard greens

Letting head lettuce air-dry

Mixing and washing mustard greens

Me and Sonia with bags of greens!

Farm Photos

The driveway up to the farm

The Farm House

The Yurt

Cows hanging out

Chickens and Ducks

Sleepy dog

Me and some planted raised beds

Lettuce to be harvested for the first CSA

SPROUTS!!

The Most Delicious Sandwich in the UNIVERSE (whole wheat bagel, roasted red pepper hummus, tomato, red onion, salt, pepper, non-dairy cream cheese, avocado, SPROUTS)