Greetings!
Hello and welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead blog page! I am so happy you are here, following along with us through our Homesteading and farming experience.
Over the past few months, we went through a bit of a stagnant phase where not too much was happening in our little part of the world, and I myself, sometimes lose my morale to conjure up new ideas during the darker, colder seasons of life.
But then, February came and went in such a flash, that it was enough to jolt awake my drowsy spirit!
Go ahead, admit it, we've all been low at some point over these past few years. Life has been less than normal. Now though, there is no normal and that's actually a good thing because it leaves the future wide open for each of us, so we can go in any direction we want!
Once I caught up to the fact that we are indeed in the month of March, in the year 2023, I got a new sense of energy and inspiration, and then all of a sudden, bam! I realized just how much we have actually accomplished in the past, short, and ferociously quick month of February, and how much we have to look forward to ahead.
With that said, if you are new here, welcome! Here is a link to a quick introduction about us at 3 Corners Farm and Homestead, what we do, and what makes us unique.
There is a lot of information in this blog post, so sit back, relax, and let's get started with the details.
First Up, the Farming Business and Growth
In our last blog entry, I shared that we were waiting to hear news of whether or not Travis received a grant from the Oregon Food Bank. It turned out, he did not get that grant, however, he did receive pre-payment from the Columbia Gorge Food Bank for about 350 pounds of greens, so that's pretty exciting news! What a blessing to be a part of feeding people good, healthy, straight-from-the-earth foods.
This week, Travis will be busy finishing up some inside tasks before heading outside to start the growing season with gusto. Before he can do that, he is participating in training through the Oregon Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program (ODA). This is required of him because of the amount that we are now selling. Our 3 Corners Farm business has steadily grown so this training is a requirement, and is part of us becoming a bigger farm. This takes us to the next level! The next step, I believe, will be having an inspection from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will most likely be out another year at least, at which time I will be able to share more about it and the process as we go along.
For now, we are focused on where we are at in our business today, and what needs to be done currently. We are both itching to get our hands in the dirt and get things growing! From plant starters to flowerbeds, to building hoop houses if we can, there is a lot to do in this month of March.
Another good update to share is that we finally have purchased a small Kubota tractor, which may not seem like much to some, but it is a huge deal for us! It's a dream come true and will help us significantly in our daily lives. It has made it easier to plow the driveway when it snows, and Travis has already managed to scoop fermented manure from our huge pasture pile and spread it out over the garden beds.
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| Kubota Tractor |
Can you imagine doing that with shovels and back labor?
Well, imagine it no more!
If you are not living on a farm or Homestead with horses and other farm animals, and you don't have a large manure pile, you may not be able to fully comprehend my inner thrill at this change, but if you know...you know, haha!
I am looking so forward to mowing the weeds in the pasture this year. What a huge relief that will be for all of us, including the animals! I noticed that one of our neighbors also recently added a tractor to their home and land. With all the unpredictable weather from season to season these days, we (farmers and anyone living outside city limits) are needing to tend ever more carefully to the land.
Farming Goals
We are still planning on moving forward with hydroponics farming, but that will likely be a ways out so we don't fall behind with what needs doing now. In the meantime, we will continue to study, research, and learn as much as we can about it.
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| Freight Farms |
I agree with Travis who said, "I have spent a lot of time searching for information on how to get started with hydroponics, but other than shipping containers already made to deliver with one solid cost, there is hardly any information available on how to build one."
We hope to be able to start farming with hydroponics, while documenting and sharing it as we go, to sort of pave the way for other people interested in this farming technique. After all, it will most likely be the way of farming in the future because it keeps produce protected from the elements and uses much less water.
We are living in interesting times and must be able to adapt and help each other. This would be such a great way for us, at 3 Corners Farm, to do both!
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| www.shippingandfreightresource.com |
Homestead Critters and Creatures
While Travis is busy with his endeavors of farming, planting, etc., the critters and creatures are taken care of by me, and this is the spot where I thrive!
We have a senior horse, a mini horse, 2 goats, chickens, dogs, cats, and a rabbit. Some of them have jobs here on our small farm. Some of them are former rescues taken in by us, and some are just pets. I love all animals and will be adding the "Animal Information Board" back out to the front of our Homestead this spring for people passing by to read about the animals and hear their stories.
Over the past few years, I have mulled over a few critter and creature ideas to introduce, or re-introduce, to our Homestead. We have a little bit of extra land available so it only makes sense to put it to use either for animals in need of homes or for some that can benefit us.
-At first, when we bought this property in 2019, I was hoping to open a small animal rescue/sanctuary, but I quickly learned that it would require more funding than I can commit to while helping to get the farming business off the ground. Plus, after working in animal rescue for over a decade, sometimes full-time, and other times on the side of life, we still have a handful of remaining pets in our care who are living out their senior years with us, like the horse and the dogs. Their care is expensive, especially during these trying times, and I feel we need to focus on seeing them through to the end, with compassion, comfort, and love.
Looking ahead, I will jump back into animal fostering when our daily life can commit to it, and you will get to fall in love with all the beloved animals I share stories and images about.
- Back in 2015, we rented a house on an old ranch where we were able to learn and start doing a lot of what brought us here, to our own farming business and Homestead.
When we lived on that ranch, we had a milking goat. She was a black and white Nubian goat named Kricket. We would have continued with the milking goat endeavor, but the property went up for sale and we had to move on.
Milking takes time and commitment but the results are so gratifying! I am not saying I will never milk again, but I decided this is more than I can take on at this moment too, so...that leads me to...
- Honey bees! Ding, ding, ding, I think we have a winner! My goal is to get some honey bees on our Homestead this year. Whether that consists of someone else placing their hives on our farm, or whether I can afford to get started with my own hive or two, I am ready to make this happen.
There doesn't seem to be a shortage of natural honey in our area, which I am grateful for because we consume a lot of honey in our household, but I have noticed that our farm and surrounding area are lacking honey bees to naturally pollinate. Honey bee hives would be a great addition that will have many benefits.
Other-That's All I've Got for This Header-Other
I am just going to make a list here because it's all a bit scattered in my brain and I am unable to sort it all out.
1. Our son Blake is seventeen, and while a little behind, he has been learning to drive. All of a sudden bless his heart, he wants to go everywhere, all the time! Hee. That means one of us, (Travis or myself) riding along with him up and down the hill, multiple times a week.
In his defense though, he's a great kid, and because Covid hit during his freshman year, it caused such a stir and mass amounts of stress all throughout his high school years. Now that he has worked hard to catch up on his credits and graduate on time, he has the time and ability to get out and socialize, which he didn't get much of over the past few years.
So wish us luck that he gets his license in the next few months. We are ALL ready!
2. Our daughter has the honor of being the lead role in a musical for youths. She will be acting as Dorothy in, "The Wizard of Oz."
That has required even more trips up and down the hill to town and back, but her performance is coming up this weekend and we are thrilled for her and her creative talent!
3. Finally, I can share one final thing and that is that I sent my first chapter book, The Glory House, off to some family, friends, and critics to read so they can give me feedback and reviews that I will use on my landing page, which I will share the link to soon.
And phew! That's a wrap for today!
I thank you dearly if you made it in reading this blog post to the end. You have grit and I admire that!
May you all stay well in this month of March. Enjoy your loved ones and the upcoming spring equinox. We send our love and blessings to be shared in abundance with you all!
Until next month, take care and be blessed,
Amy E. Darr
3 Corners Farm
Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.
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