From the farm!

October 16, 2020/Hollyhock Farm

The growing season is ending quickly and chasing us indoors! Productivity in the market garden has slowed to a halt, which means it’s time to close up shop. The final Duvall Farmer’s Market happened yesterday afternoon, and Phil and I had a celebratory toast to another great market season at Valley House Brewery afterwards. We loved the new market location at Taylor Landing park in Duvall and look forward to doing it again next year!

Meanwhile our farm shop is wrapping up as well this weekend. Saturday October 17th and Sunday, October 18th will be our final regular farm shop weekend for 2020. Meat can still be purchased at the farm by appointment anytime! I will be posting updates when we have new items coming in.

Responsible pasture management for animals on pasture in Western Washington (and most other places!) works in this way: Our animals are out on pastures full time from March-November. Towards the end of November, all the grass growth has slowed and the rains are picking up – keeping animal pressure on the field at this time puts the grass root systems on the fields at risk to be destroyed, which means less healthy growth next spring! Around the end of November we do our big cull and process all the spring lambs, planned muttons, and any goats that are market ready. What we have remaining is our breeding stock. The breeding stock from the herd moves into our open air barn where we have a deep bedding system for them to stay warm and dry on all winter. They are released into a smaller “sacrifice area” (which is just a field on the farm that where we don’t worry about root systems as much) during the day, and closed into their barn stall at night.

For our poultry we do something similar: We do our laying hen cull in the fall, and then park the chicken wagons in a winter pen. The breeding geese and breeding turkeys go into their winter housing and pen, and everyone stays dry and happy. Except for the ones who choose to stand out in the rain, and there are always a few of those!

Here are some upcoming dates:

Final 2020 farm shop hours – Saturday, October 17th and Sunday, October 18th, 8-5PM. Greens, some eggs, garlic, radish, chicken.

Stew hens – Tuesday, October 20th 2-5PM, Wednesday, October 21th 2-5PM ($15 each).

Turkey – Sold out!

Lamb – Frozen cuts available November 22nd until we sell out!

Goose – 13 available at the beginning of December.