Back By Popular Demand!!

What a gorgeous spring morning on the farm, ONCE IN A BLUE MOON FARM!! The cherry trees are in full blossom, as are the plum trees, peach and apricot trees too, service berry trees, and numerous magnolia trees. You really should come for a weekend visit in May!! Then again, June is still fresh with new growth too. June gives us lilac and wisteria bloom cascading down the brick walls.

We are mowing the orchards almost every 3 days since the grass is growing by the minute. The chickens are in heaven with all the sweet green grass clippings we line their coops with. They look like they are laying in their own Easter baskets!! They are giving us plenty of delicious eggs each day. The geese are laying too.
The goose egg is the size of 3 large duck eggs in one!! The geese are so protective of their nests.
We have to collect their eggs from the coop, when they are not looking, when they are ranging out in the fields. I feel like a thief doing this, but their eggs are great to bake with. We really do not need another baby goose this summer. We have 5 geese now, and this is perfect. Little Miss Sunshine was born last June 20, on the summer soltice, and she will remain the "baby" for some time now.

Back by POPULAR DEMAND is our original farm name! Coming soon to our web site will be Once In A Blue Moon Farm once again. We will be dropping "Sleeping Sea Farm" and using only the very popular and truly ONLY name for our farm: Once In A Blue Moon Farm. Our vacation rentals will continue with the name Sleeping Sea. You can choose to stay on our beach front, Abigail's Beach House, or next door to the farm with Turtleback Mountain views at Adeline's Country House (both these vacation homes on Orcas Island, and both with multiple housing options). Plus, can also choose to stay in a big family home in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island called the Maple Village House. Our web site will clarify all this.

Adeline's Country House is on the property next door to our farm with all the great farm and mountain views. This is a BRAND NEW rental with 5 units to choose from. It is truly a gorgeous country rental on Orcas Island, far from the summer crowds but close enough to the water (1 mile from Westsound and the famous cafe and deli there) 2 miles from all the services at the ferry landing, and 6 miles to the main village of Eastsound and Moran State Park further up the road. Come to Adelines and hike the new trails on Turtleback Mountain which you can see from the decks of Adeline's. Hike to the top of Turtleback to see the fantastic marine views and also see our large 35 acre farm nestled in neighboring Woollard Mountain. You will see how our farm is actually 500 feet elevated on a nice vantage point on Mt Woollard.

San Juan Island is a great place to visit!! Our Maple Village House is situated close to the big town on the harbor called Friday Harbor, but it is far enough up a hill too to get away from the maddening summer crowds. The Maple Village House is on a lovely gardened lot with mature cedar trees, plum trees and roses. Relax on the gorgeous wrap around decks leaning into the gardens. Take a hot tub too!! Listen to the song birds. Friday Harbor is at the ferry landing so you can actually walk on the ferry from Orcas Island or Ancortes, and walk up to the Maple Village House without your car. Or, take your bike if you travel light!

Thus, Once In A Blue Moon Farm, the orginal piece of heaven I started with, is now back as our mother ship once again. The title for the farm came to me, because acquiring this farm was a life long dream that happens only Once In A Blue Moon. I believe that when the moon is blue, you have to reach out and make your dream happen. This is what I did back in 1996.

So, come to Once In A Blue Moon Farm for tours, close encounters with horses and alpaca, chickens and sheep. Buy fresh farm eggs and produce. Add to your collection of homespun yarns from our Alpaca and Sheep. Meet with our college farm interns from all around the globe and stroll our many gardens and fruit orchards. Horse riding is available by appointment and only if the timing is right for us and if our horses want to take you riding. The horsees get a say in this experience too! (Horse riding outfits are available at a few other locations on Orcas Island and San Juan Island.)
Once In A Blue Moon Farm is also getting ready for our first new farm stand at the Saturday market fair in town throughout the summer. We will keep you posted about this exciting new booth which is scheduled to open in mid June and managed by a graduate student from Evergreen College in Olympia, WA.

Please be assured, we are keeping three small lodging units available at Once In A Blue Moon Farm for the serious farm enthusiasts. These are our 3 Carriage House units: The biggest is the Loft with the full kitchen, next is the Alpaca Cabin with the courtyard gardens and kitchenette, & the smallest unit is the Garden Room right next door to the Alpaca Cabin on the patio level. Rent the Garden Room as an additional bedroom and bathroom or singularly for a couple or a couple and child. It has two beds. Best of all, we do have the community kitchen in the Carriage Bldg, so no matter where you stay in the Carriage Bldg, you do have a full kitchen too! And of course, we are PET FRIENDLY. We believe that if you are severely allergic to dander, you will not be comfortable at a farm lodging anyway. So, if that is the case, do consider Abigail's Beach House Loft for a small complete unit with kitchenette that is pet free.

Yes, there will be a lodging experience that is just right for everyone, all under Sleeping Sea.
Once In A Blue Moon Farm is BACK!!!!! We love the name and this farm was the original seed of all that exists for Sleeping Sea today. And, this farm was one of the ORIGINAL seeds of all of Orcas Island. Farming began here and farming is continuing here at ONCE IN A BLUE MOON FARM. Come join us soon!!!

Happy Spring time. Play OUTDOORS!

Shana, founder

The Sun Is Out!

Today was 65 F and sunny and there is more sun on the way!! Absolutely incredible and essential after what seemed like a never ending winter pushing its way into spring.

We just had three wonderful families stay on the farm over the course of this week and we were sad to see them go. Especially Strider and Chewbacca the great danes!! Ana and Cortes, our dachshunds, still tried their hardest to show the farm belonged too only them, regardless that they could have been eaten in one bite! Hopefully everyone will come back and visit the farm again.

With the sun out, the buds are just beginning the break. We had our first plum blossoms this weekend!! The gardens are shaping up. Lots of soil to move and weeds to pull, but soon everything will be blooming!

(Here is our guest Liz holding McDreamy, one of our cuddly geese)





(Out on the water)