Winter on the Farm

Winter has come to the farm. The garden is sleeping under a blanket of snow. The pace has slowed down quite a bit. We are indoors a lot more now staying cozy by the fire and doing indoor projects, crafts and baking. We are enjoying the rest, the break while at the same time beginning to plan and look forward to next season with anticipation. The seed catalogs are starting to appear and we can't resist flipping through them and dreaming of spring. But for now we are content to wait, to plan, to work on the projects that need to be done in preparation. Spring will come soon enough with all the busyness that comes with it. For now I am grateful for the quite and the peace of this seson.

Honey Cough Syrup

Cold and cough season is fully upon us now, the days have become chillier and everyone at our house has caught a bit of a cold. Time to make some healthy, natural cough syrup. It is so easy to make, too! I made two different kinds; one is elderberry and the other is lemon ginger. I use honey as the base for both, it is naturally antibacterial and also feels soothing on the throat. Elderberries are great for your immune system and are excellent for coughs and colds. Ginger is also good for your throat and lemon has antibacterial properties as well. I also added a dash of cayenne to the lemon ginger syrup. Cayenne is good for your immune system and improves circulation. So here are the simple recipes.


Lemon-Ginger Cough Syrup

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
juice and zest of one lemon
1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
dash or two of cayenne

Elderberry Cough Syrup

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup elderberries(mine were frozen, we have elderberries growing wild abundantly around here, so I harvested some this past summer and froze them)


To make your syrup combine all ingredients from your chosen recipe in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Strain through a wire strainer into jars. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks, it should last for quite a long time. To use simply take a teaspoon at a time. Your kids will love it! Warning: do not give this to babies under 1 year old, the honey can contain botulism spores.

Simmer gently for about five minutes

Strain into a small jar

David Learns to Plant Garlic

As the season ends and winter approaches there is always a mad rush to get everything done before snow comes. One of the big projects to get done is planting the garlic. This year David was so interested in helping with the whole process. He helped us break the cloves apart in preparation for planting. Then Andrew gave him a lesson on how to plant garlic out in the garden. He explained to him which end of the clove goes down and which end goes up, he showed him how to find the marks in the soil from the bed marker, and how to plant each clove where the lines cross. David caught on really fast and enjoyed planting garlic so much. Every time we were ready to plant another bed he was ready to help.

Andrew cleans the garlic.

Garlic for planting.

Separated cloves, ready to plant.

Garlic cloves waiting to be pushed into the ground.

A clove in the ground.

David carrying the box of seed garlic up the bed.

Last of the Harvest

 Andrew bringing in the last of the cabbages.

 Some of the last leeks.

Andrew harvesting the last beets.

David in the Leaves

We had some gorgeous fall days in October during some of the last Farmers Markets. The Chewelah park was lovely with all the leaves floating down and carpeting the ground. All the market children were exuberantly playing in the leaves; tossing them an rolling in them. David had such a great time joining in. It was so cute that I couldn't resist snapping some pictures.

Harvest Season

It's that time of year again. That time when the evenings get dark earlier and the mornings have a chill in the air, while the days are still warm and sunny. The leaves are beginning to turn a golden shade. And the garden is winding down. It is the time of the harvest. I love this time of year. We are gathering the potatoes, onions, and squash in from the field. The dehydrator is running most of the time filled with tomatoes, pears, or onions. I canned 21 pints of salsa verde and the apple butter is cooked down and ready to can also. The pantry is filling up, all stocked for winter. Soon it will be time to get our firewood in. This time of year is busy and yet there of something slower about it,  something cozy, a hint of winter rest.

Of Babies, Autumn, and Farming

Things have been busy around the farm these days. We are in the peak of harvest and market season and on top of that we just added a new baby. He is such a sweet little guy and we all love him so much. He adds so much joy to our lives. He keeps mommy busy, cuddling him, nursing him, and changing him. And of course I love it! He loves it when daddy comes in from the garden and holds him and talks to him. He is becoming so alert; looking at faces and noticing voices. David is getting used to his new brother and even adjusting to sharing Mommy. He likes to hold him and kiss him and pick out his clothes :)

I have been mostly resting and recovering from the birth and enjoying my new baby. The last few days I have enjoyed getting back out into the garden a little bit. I wrap Matthew in his Moby wrap and pick a few tomatoes or I hold him on my lap while sorting cucumbers or weighing out beans. Today I enjoyed going back to the Chewelah market for the first time!

Andrew has been doing most of the farm work and all the markets by himself. And he is doing a fantastic job! The booth looked wonderful when I stopped by for a few minutes last week. We have been appreciating the help of my sister with much of the harvesting as well.

Around the farm fall crops are starting to come on. We harvested the first leeks this week and the pumpkins and winter squash are getting close. Andrew harvested most of the garlic and it is hanging in the barn at my parents place. Soon it will be time to harvest the potato crop.

There has been a chill in the air in the mornings and evenings lately. We even had a light frost last weekend. Autumn is definitely on its way. The hoophouses are all covered up again and some of the beans and cucumbers have floating row cover over them. I am looking forward to the autumn season ahead.