24 weeks-6 months

Baby Finn is now viable if born, yay! 6 months and how fitting that he is the length of sweet corn being we have been harvesting loads of it🌽 😊. So far, so good still. I continue to feel great with almost no heart burn(a real record for me at this stage of the pregnancy). My only complaint currently is sciatica. I'm pretty achy in the tailbone, but I am still working out hard and farming regardless. The show must go on! Blood sugar creeped up on me over the past few weeks so I am at a nearly full paleo diet again. This is pretty standard for me during pregnancy so I wasn't surprised. As long as I'm eating right, I feel fabulous. Here's to another month in the making, may I be blessed with another 4 weeks no heartburn! Haha #itsthelittlethings #6monthswithbabyFinnley #hestillneedsamiddlename #24weeks

8-24-17

Rounding out our second full week of homeschool tomorrow for the year and it is going really smooth. We had a couple of curriculum kinks to work out, but all in all it has been a great start to the school year. The Timberdoodle curriculum is awesome! I cannot speak highly enough about Math U See for the little ones and Teaching Textbooks for the older ones. GREAT math curriculum this year. We are very happy!

Epic Eclipse Harvest

We are lucky enough to live directly in the path of totality for the August 2017 eclipse. We weren't overly hyped about this event as we had no idea just how COOL it would turn out to be. We went out to harvest as we would any other Monday, although we were equipped with our eclipse glasses, and boom the harvest turned epic. We started feeding off the energy of our campers all standing in our fields with telescopes and whatnot, ready to enjoy and slowly we watched the moon passing over the sun. Before it was over with, the corn harvest was at a stand still as we stood in awe. It grew dark and cold. We actually watched daisies closing around us. It was a supernatural experience, one for the records. I am so glad I got to experience it with my family. It will be a harvest to remember.  

Food Preserving and Fermenting

Sweet and dill pickles, cowboy candy(pickled sweet jalapenos), Fermented salsa, fermented carrots and onions

Traditional sauerkraut and hot pink spicy garlic sauerkraut!

Finally made my own sourdough starter from scratch and getting back to baking sourdough breads

8 qt crockpot full of the harvest that we turned into summer tomato sauce we froze.

Paleo chocolate chip zucchini muffins......to die for! 

Keeping super busy these days trying to use and preserve all that we can from the fields :)

Homeschool Prep

With piles of curriculum from our charter stacking in my office, I knew it was time to make a change. Our play room has been filthy, cluttered and quite frankly, only my last nerve. I decided to move special toys to the kids rooms and toss the rest and completely dismantle the play room, making way for an organized area to hold all our homeschool curriculum and things. Here are the before and after pictures, but the homeschool organizing space isn't complete, it's in need of some photos and other things on the walls. It's a good start to a big change though.

School will started Tuesday this week for the youngest 5(older ones start in a couple weeks), the kids were just dying to start. Their Timberdoodle curriculum contains more fun than one can imagine and they are anxious to do it all! I plan diary blog our year here. Subscribe to this blog for updates!

Before

After

Baby Finnley

It's been a bit since I updated. We are now 23 weeks and he he is as wiggly as they come. So far, he looks to be a bit on the big side, though not huge. He was 60% for weight at our 20 weeks ultrasound, weighing a whopping 11.7 ounces. So far I feel great, hardly remember I am pregnant most days as I just have a little belly, no other real notable symptoms other than extreme nesting. I haven't felt these surges of cleaning energy in years. My family thanks me for it, the fields, greenhouse, property, yards, and inside the house are all becoming organized and functional because my brain can't stand anything less!

Farm Updates

The farm is in full, crazy summer gear. Produce is cranking along with the beautiful sunshine. Tomatoes are within reach dear friends!!! SO SO close! Hoping within 10-14 days they will enter shares. Peppers look to be about 3 weeks off. Eggplants maybe a month. Corn is almost waist high so its coming along nicely. Lots of great things on the horizon. This is shaping up to be a great season. We are so happy after such a wet, cold start. It humbles us and reminds us that amazing things come when we are patient and keep our noses to the grindstone pressing on through all the challenges. Last year it was gophers, this season.......weather. It will always be something, but us farmers are learning with each passing season to be more resilient.  

Join us eating the rainbow to vibrant health for our Organic Summer 2 CSA!! Limited spots available, reserve your organic weekly veggies at the link below! Share with your friends! GREAT price for delicious, seasonal, local veggies!! This season runs July 22-Sept 23rd:) We accept SNAP and Albany Farmer's market pick up will match your SNAP money up to $10, which covers HALF your share if you are picking up a small!!!!! AMAZING deal. http://www.bearbranchfarms.com/Summer-csa Our current customers are already boasting "accidentally losing 12 lbs since CSA started," "My digestion is improved and I am regular," "I have lost so many inches since eating all these veggies," and "My energy is improved from all the juicing we are doing, I feel amazing." Our customers are thrilled and we are right alongside them feeling the wellness. It takes a lot of strength and energy being 4 months pregnant and running a full CSA with Farmer's Market. These veggies truly power me through each and every day! We literally only have  a couple of spots for summer 2 so if you are interested, sign up quick!  

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Some of our harvesting so far!

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We will have eggs at all our drops if you decide to join. They are not certified organic like our veggies, but they are fed mostly our veggies and given some commercial feed to keep them laying well. $4 a dozen. This is entirely our son Everett's business. He runs everything chicken related from feeding, watering, collecting and cleaning eggs to selling :) He keeps a great little flock of healthy girls.

 

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Another thing, I will bring a handful of these awesome CSA boxes to each drop in case anyone is interested. They will be available for purchase for a modest $8. They are taking up space and we thought many of you may like them as they make veggie transport super easy, they fold closed with handles and fold flat for easy storage when not in use. Super easy to clean. They are used, but in pretty good shape with many years use left on them. :) 

Market this week:)

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In some previous shares from this season thus far:

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Some farm Recipes: 

• Turnips- This is an easy go to turnip recipe that even kids will love. Be careful not to overcook. http://www.marthastewart.com/326623/roasted-turnips-with-parmesan
• Radish-They have taken on a little heat so they are EXTREMELY tasty in tacos now! We also enjoy them roasted. 
• Basil-Bruschetta! our absolute summer fav!!
• http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bruschetta_with_tomato_and_basil/
• Summer squash- This is a new one from this year's customer. Grilling with feta, who would have thought it, but we tried it and it delivered!!http://www.pickyourown.org/grilled_summer_squash.htm
• Cabbage- For veg option, you can sub out the chicken for tofu or garbanzo beans! http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/251434/peanut-chicken-cabbage-wraps/

Some extra pics

Farm afternoon with Popsicles and their fav dog!

​Field breakfast

​Beautiful beets

​June 30th Tomatoes

Jefferson food pantry drop off

Kenna helping harvest a yummy patty pan squash!

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We thank all of you who made it to the end of this LONG farm update haha!  We are blessed to grow veggies for an amazing community. It is a gift. Eat well my friends!  

Click here to join our Summer 2 CSA. http://www.bearbranchfarms.com/Summer-csa