We've Got Peaches and So Much More!

How could you ask for more?! Peaches, Nectarines, fresh Figs!!! Taste buds and scents are swirling every which way on this farm. The nectarines, were absolutely divine, very apt for a fruit named after the drink of the Greek gods. We have never tasted anything so sweet. We will be planting another few of these this Fall for sure.

Everyone still can't believe we did it!! That we grew stone fruits successfully west of the Cascades! But we can't take all of the credit, as this was a particularly dry spring and hot summer. Still, we put our hours in. Our final count of Apricots was around 250 lbs. We harvested about 75 lbs of Nectarines and another 180 lbs of Peaches. We still have Peaches left, but our Apricots and Nectarines are all sold out.

But what is stealing all the attention on the farm are our Figs. People and the local restaurants cannot get enough. We have Lattarula (Italian Honey Fig) and the Brown Turkey. Some of the best fresh eating figs you can find.

Now we are taking in our first early Apples. We have two varieties, Sunrise and Rosey Glow. Both are sweet eating apples. Pears are ready to turn and we are waiting just days for the last of our plums.

The "farmstand" on the farm has been somewhat successful. Much easier than going into town and dealing with the street vendor ordinance which is still in the works. It is an activity, an adventure to find and buy your fruit. Plus we leave the figs on the tree until purchased. Never ever refrigerated!! Can't beat that.

So don't forget to stop by and stay tuned for our Asian Pears, Quince, and Kiwi!!!

Lazy Days of Summer, I only wish!!

Do I wish I was sleeping on my raft, gently rocking, on a "sleeping sea?" Yes I do!! But, I am working as all farmers do in the summer months. I am harvesting apricots, drying apricots, eating apricots, selling apricots, feeding chickens over-ripe apricots and telling everyone how much we are proud of our APRICOTS!!! Can't you tell we are proud of our apricot bounty? It was a great season for our stone fruit. The peaches are almost ready and they are big fruit, bright red and just perfect in appearance in everyway. Our fruit are all natural, nothing on their pretty skins but the kiss of Orcas Island sunshine. Kiwi is turning softer each day. Strawberries are having their 2nd big performance, and they are just as delicious as they were in June! We are digging up elephant garlic, and soon will be harvesting a few varieties of red and yellow potatoes. The apples, pears and quince will be ready for harvest in a few more weeks. We are stuffing ourselves with farm fresh good "eats!"

Our customers are enjoying all three of our vacation properties, The Farm and The Beach House, both on Orcas Island, and the new Village House in Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island.
The Harbor Hideaway rental on San Juan Island has two popular homes to choose from.
The main rental home in Friday Harbor is called The Hammock House and is quite large. It has about 2000 sq feet of space. Two big bedrooms + a huge living room with vaulted ceiling, a large gourmet kitchen plus a big dining area. The best part is the big outdoor deck and the Hammock tied between two huge cedar trees. This main portion of the home sleeps 6 or 7 comfortably. . Add on the Bunk House and bring 2 more singles. Add on the Porch Suite, and add another couple. Add on the "hammock," and add the family dog! Can you picture your dog sleeping in a tree hammock?

The Porch Suite is very popular as a separate unit for couples and friends "get-aways." Reasonably priced, it is an artistic and bright bedroom suite, with queen bed, many windows, microwave and refrigerator, DVD player, a colorful tiled bathroom, and a big wrap around porch and deck with tables and chairs. Or, rent the Porch Suite along with the very large Hammock House, if you are bringing the whole family.


At the farm, we had to slow down the finish work of our new vacation home, "Adeline's" : 5 suites with mountain, water, and pasture views, all with private entrances from outdoor decks and patios. As with everything we do, all our creative expression and artistic input takes additional time and planning. Zach, who is the project manager for Adeline's, is installing tile mosaic pillars in the living spaces, and designing the patterns and colors for the bathroom tiles.
The suites are all works of art with many wood details and other special natural materials, much of which is restored and recycled.

Tune in tomorrow and I will be writing about our horses at Once In A Blue Moon Farm.
I will bring you news of our Alpaca and chickens too!

Thanks for reading the latest Blog, updating you about everything it seems, but the Hog.

Shana

Apricots, Apricots, Apricots!!!

Take a look at these delicious apricots!! They are ripening out in the sun, just waiting to be plucked from the trees. The dry hot summer has made this a terrific year for these trees. This is our biggest crop ever, some apricots are the size of apples!!! We harvested a couple flats this evening and there are plenty more on the way. You can find them for sale here at the farm and we'll be bringing some in to town.