Harlan, Oregon with it’s forested hills and vibrant green pastures is one of the prettier places on this earth. In the first half of the 20th century, this area was a major producer of angora (goat) mohair. Delbert Kessi was born and raised in this valley and has worked goats pretty much his whole life. […]
This spring, Henry agreed to pollinate at Radke’s Blueberries, hands down the best U-pick blueberry farm in the Corvallis area if not the entire world (read more about the place here). Blueberry growers generally contract with beekeepers to drop off two or more hives per acre during bloom time. Having honeybees on hand ensures widespread pollination […]
Have you seen that Portlandia clip where the über sensitive restaurant goers ask way too many questions about the origin of the chicken on the menu? It’s absurd, right? Except, as Rachel Prickett, owner of Provenance Farm, knows all too well, it’s not really that far from reality. She used to have her cell phone […]
Last week, I was hanging around kitchen at Gathering Together Farm, gossiping with my friend Ana the pastry chef while she stirred a pot of fruity danish filling. “I love quince,” she declared. I was surprised. I’d never heard someone proclaim their love for that particular maligned and obscure fruit before. I must confess that […]
It’s the peak of the season in my parents’ garden. My kids and I have the privilege of spending quite a lot of time basking in the autumn glow among the rows of corn and kale. I grew up in this garden, but it’s only now, as an adult, that I can really appreciate what […]
Rachel Prickett, co-owner of Provenance Farm along with her husband Keith, is a young, newish farmer, but what she lacks in experience, she makes up for in her steadfast care for her animals and the sweat equity she’s invested in the farm. For the last three years, the Pricketts have been raising thousands of pastured […]
I might be nuts, but I just picked 80 pounds of blueberries. My kids, my mom, and I went to Radke’s Blueberries (off of Highway 99 in South Corvallis) yesterday afternoon, and the picking was SO easy that I almost couldn’t stop myself. I got about 45 pounds in less than three hours. I woke […]
On a Sunday in late February, I joined my friends Carol and Stu in their morning cow-feeding ritual at their ranch, Hemphill Angus. I’ve written about Carol and Stu’s operation before, and I would encourage you to read this post and this post to learn more about their practices and philosophy when it comes to […]
Heath Ranch just north of Orland on Hwy. 99 is a certified-organic farm that produces many types of citrus and other fruits. It’s owned and operated by Ron and Melanie Heath, who are really nice folks. We’ve been stopping there annually for the […]
Rewind three weeks, before all the craziness in my Etsy shop due to the feature in Sunset Magazine. Way back to when we were on vacation in (sort of) sunny California…We stocked up at the Chico Farmers’ Market (which I wrote about in this post), and then we swung by a couple of our favorite […]