Winter Subscriptions Available NOW!

From our Farm to Your Pantry...

A Four Month Subscription

to wholesome & delicious, organically grown, family farmed

Spring & Summer treats during the Winter Months

for your and yours!

While many people enjoy the fruits of the abundant 

land we live in...not all of us have the time necessary 

to preserve the bounty!  

Esperanza Farm Winter Subscription

$350

November - February

-------------------

(1)

Once a Month Pick-Up!

(These items are "non-perishable," so you can come by just once a month

and pick up your goodies!)

(2)

Surprises in every box!

(Every month you'll get a different flavor of:  tea, fruit leather (perfect for kid's lunches), 4 jars of jam, apple pie mix, and 4 jars of frozen berries - perfect for yogurt, smoothies, pie,

on ice cream, in oatmeal...and more!)

We're taking Subscriptions NOW! 
(Early Sign Ups Allow More to Join)

Contact March Twisdale
Phone:  473-1643 
Email:  Esperanzavashon@gmail.com

Lights of Springtime

OUR LIGHTS OF SEEDLING SPRING!

This is one of those frames that comes with a large plastic cover - for outdoor greenhousing.

We find that it grows mold when used that way - we never use the plastic.

The metal tray under the whole thing is a blessing - keeping our wood flooring safe and dry.

That's one of those oil spill catching things they sell at car supply stores.

Our seeds LOVE living in a south facing window with no shade trees around the house.

These lights are special - ask at the store which will work for plants - and we've got them mounted on 

long pieces of wood which then have screws for the chains to go around.

This system allows extremely quick and easy lowering or raising of the lights - CRUCIAL!

To really get good effect, you need the lights no more than 2 inches from the top leaves

of the plant.  It takes a bit of organizing, but it's worth it.

Some things to keep in mind:

(1)

You want to plant seeds in waterproof trays that will all grow to about the same height.

If I put tomatoes (tall) and basil (short) in the same tray - then you see the trouble with the lights, right?

(2)

The heat of your home is getting a "second use" by keeping the seeds warm!

(3)

Seedlings take some time (not much) but they save tons of money!

Just our tomato plants alone, when ready to go into the garden, would have cost us $200 

if we bought them from someone else!  AND we got to choose our own varieties.

We'll talk more about this in the early Winter!

Happy Summer for now...

Cultivate a Seed Bank you'll LOVE eating!

Do you pull up all of your carrots?

Do you yank out those darn lettuces once they bolt and turn bitter?

Do you spend time "weeding" out old plants that are going to seed?

STOP!

Have you heard of the advice to continually sow successive generations of plants?

This lengthens your harvest period and increases your yield, right?

WOULD YOU LIKE THE PLANTS TO DO THIS FOR YOU?

If you say YES, then do what we do!

Leave in several of each plant variety...and let them go to seed!  Once plants

have established themselves "wildly" in your garden, THEY will naturally offer

up several "crops" per season...all on their own!

Right now we have the following, and you can too, after one year of "letting them bolt!"

(1)

We have Strawberries full of ripe berries AND new plants 

just getting started (with everything in between).

(2)

We have fully ripened chamomile AND new babies just a few inches tall.

(3)

Some of our "wild" lettuces went to seed back in early April,

some are going to seed now, some are about to go to seed, 

and a ton are babies or just perfect for the salad!

(4)

We have parsnips almost in seed,

parsnips that are almost ready to harvest,

and some that are just getting started.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

AN OVERLY CLEANED UP GARDEN IS A LOT OF WORK

& NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST FOOD PRODUCER!

LET THEM GO TO SEED!

Slugs...Slugs! SLUGS!

Am I worried?

Actually...no.

We've done the same thing year after year, home 

after home, from California to Washington!

And it works.

It's called The Slug Boat, and it will:

SAVE TIME

SAVE MONEY

SAVE YOUR PLANTS

and all with

Zero Animal Cruelty!

As you can see, we've used a pair of kitchen tongs to gather a group of European Slugs (we never get the banana slugs in the garden).

Three weeks ago - Slug Hunt #1 - 112 slugs relocated (1 hour)

Two weeks ago - Slug Hunt #2 - 54 slugs relocated (1 hour)

One week ago - Slug Hunt #3 - 27 slugs relocated (30 min.)

Two hours ago - Slug Hunt #4 - 15 slugs relocated (15 min.)

It takes 1 month of regular slug "hunting" and next year will see AT LEAST a 50% drop in numbers, and so on each year.  

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL HUNT, 

you simply take a walk to a nearby open space or empty grassy lot and relocate those slimy yet gentle creatures!

**Timing is everything - head out around 8pm, 7am, or in the rain!**

HAPPY HUNTING!

Harvest on purpose - weed by accident!

This is where one of our grapevines lives.

When we gathered soil from our garden (in the Winter) to prepare the wine barrel

for the vines, we brought along the "seed bank" that our garden currently has.

While I did plant strawberries on purpose as a cover crop, I clearly didn't need to.

All that you see (lettuces, herbs, even parsnips) are volunteers.

Every day (for health and for savings) I wander my garden in search of salad.

I've noticed that, in past years when I sometimes forgot to eat what I grew, I would have

to PLAN to weed.  They would get so bad, I'd spend a long afternoon on the job.

This year, as our need to eat out of the garden is greater, I'm finding that I naturally

see and yank out weeds as I'm gathering my family's salad.  I haven't 

had to set aside time to weed more than once this whole Spring!!!

So, my advice on this is two-fold:

(1)

Let your good plants go to seed and build a "seed bank" that you LOVE!

(2)

Eat what you grow as often as possible - and the weeding will happen almost by accident!

Happy Spring and Salads, everyone!

Strawberry Season Begins!

This is from our first harvest - 247 berries!

(1)

We baked a homemade cake and whipped up some cream

to go with these beauties...

(2)

I grabbed a lime, a little agave nectar, and some berries for

Strawberry Lime-aid!

(3)

In anticipation of my Low-Sugar Jam Class, I made up four jars

as taste comparisons!  Our recipe used 1 and 2/3 pounds of berries

with 3 tbsp of regular white sugar...the "normal" canning recipe calls for

(brace yourself)

5 cups of berries and 6 cups of sugar!!!!

Can you believe it?

We're counting berries for an annual total - additional harvests, so far,

have brought our total to 331 strawberries! 

WE SHOULD CALL EARLY JUNE BERRYDAZE!

Gather often and weeding is a breeze...

Just a quick "ah hah" moment I had yesterday.

We've really done well with "eating" out of the garden this year.

Some years I feel like I've grown a bunch but forgotten to actually eat the stuff!

You know, bolted lettuce you never got to, flowering broccoli heads, over-ripe 

and dried out radishes, and berries on the ground (rather than in your mouth)!

Well, this year we are in a financial pinch and I am so very, very happy to 

take a walk in my garden and come back with 1/2 or more of dinner for my family!

While enjoying this new and better use of my garden, 

I'm also noticing that when I'm gathering greens, it's just so peaceful and easy

to pull up this or that weed that is poking it's head up.

It came to me that a truly functional garden

is one that you eat out of frequently.  I like this much more than 

being a weekend warrior with a garden that looks great on Sunday

evening but then looks terribly weedy again on Saturday morning!

So, this posting is to encourage us all to spend more time eating what we grow

and enjoying the "gather" moment as a time of "escape" from the busyness 

of life...plus, I bet you'll notice that there are a lot less weeds on Saturday morning!

Happy Gathering!