Sweet Face At The Farm

I just couldn't help but want to take this little princesses picture - so I asked the mom for permission and to share it with our farm news readers.

She liked her apple!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Wednesdays are always a high light of my week. Early in the morning, around 7 a.m. the cars start rolling in and the rock star women begin to gather finding gloves, shovels, seeds, buckets, stapler guns, wheel barrows, scissors, fertilizer and just about anything else that is needed to make the morning successful in the eyes of a farmer.

And yet, success is a group of women unknown to each other who show up because they dare to and because the care to - to lend a hand and help a little urban (some say suburban) farm (seeking to be self sustaining) in the middle of Scottsdale - grow and connect to its community through good, organic food.

Days like today cause me to stand back and look up and give thanks to some One higher than myself - mainly because I'm in awe of the Providential drawing of these women to this farm and to what they mean to me.  It's in this rare and sacred place that I am learning to love and care deeply for - women who I have invited into my life and they me into theirs and they into each others.  It's more than an inner delight to see them laughing and knowing and chatting and caring and crying and opening up their own souls to each other. . .

. . . much more.

Farm Life - You Get My Drift

Two points if you figure out which pictures come first!  But the real point is - get your little ones in the dirt, the water and give them a pack of seeds.  The Simple Farm sells seeds and starts!

Al-Fresco

I think it's time for a little Al-Fresco {in the open air} at the farm served up 

with the farm's special buttermilk peach pancakes with a pad of butter and hot real maple syrup, 

two over easy farm fresh eggs on the side, 

a cup of French press coffee with heavy cream and 

and a little glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. 

I think that'd be just about perfect! What do you think? 

Apples and Peaches are Ripening At The Simple Farm . . .

. . . and besides our excitement of new triplet bucklings to care for and getting a new supply of fresh (raw) goats milk,  I'm looking forward to making a few peach and apple pies.  I've already made jars of confiture de peches {peach jam} for our market store.

Our farm has four kinds of peach trees and two kinds of apple - Anna and my fall favorite - Fugi.

What's growing at your urban farm?

Introducing Cheese Chick and Pholia Farms

The day Christine Hyatt of Cheese Chick came to visit The Simple Farm turned a good day into a fabulous one. We felt quite honored that this fellow cheese lover would take the time out of her busy filming schedule to stop by and say hello.  You see, Christine, travels the country in search of artisan cheese making farms and dairies, films their story and then presents it on her blog so people like you and me can meet them and hopefully have a better understanding what actually goes {hard work} into the cheese we love.

Today, I'd like you to meet Gianaclis Caldwell and her husband Vern own Pholia Farms in Rogue River, Oregon. This great video clip has been done, by - of course - Christine Hyatt!  Thanks Christine for such great work!

Music On The Farm - Michael and His Granddaughter

This rendition won a contest for two tickets to see Beauty and the Beast.  Videography by our son in law.

Hope Springs

Observation is a must on a farm. One must learn to listen and watch.  Today we saw.

I had to stop my present joy of planting heirloom tomatoes just to show you a future joy. Peaches.

And, as a farm couple - the joy and hope doubles when you share it together.

The End. . . (for now)

Sweet December Love . . .

. . . that my love brought home for me . . . just because.

The Frost Has Caused Loss, but . . .

. . .  I'm no longer going to stay bummed . . cause it's time to . . .

. . . decorate the farm house for Christmas.

Yesterday morning Michael and I went out to do our traditional walk around to inspect the farm gardens.  Thursday evening the valley had a frost warning and we dug out the old frost cloth to cover what needed covering.  

The morning walk around turned out to be pretty discouraging for us.  I cried looking looking at the loss.

Hard work and care to cover tomatoes, herbs and other vegetables failed us.  Our frost cloth was to light for the temperatures and we sustained loss to many tomatoes, beans and all our my flowers.  I think what was so tough for me were the tomatoes - many plants were loaded with small tomatoes that regular customers and one special chef have been waiting for.

So, such is life on the farm. I know it will all come back - in time.

On a happier note, while Michael plowed new ground, I worked some magic with the hula hoe and noticed the leeks have finally popped up along our west wall midst sunflowers and beets.