Nursery and pasture

Before...

Our new 1/4 acre farm plot in Langley is part of the lower pasture that has been graciously donated to us by Chocolate Flower Farm.  Now that we have scheduled the pasture to be tilled, it is time to get ready to make babies...Plant babies!

Babies need a warm place to get their start, so we cleaned up an old Chocolate Flower Farm greenhouse that has sat unused for a few seasons. In the northwest a wild greenhouse becomes a weed jungle pretty quick.

...Later

There were blackberries going all over the place. Grass was growing along the entire inside edge, and bindweed (morning glory) was beginning to take over one whole side of the structure.  I lost count of the number of spiders I saw under all the pots and platforms.  It was not for the faint of heart.

The spiders were not the worst of it though, and we were lucky it is still winter.  Even in the middle of winter the wasps were beginning to stir inside the greenhouse.  We found dozens of yellow jackets just beginning to wake in the warming air of the sunny greenhouse.  Small dormant wasp nests were all over the place; in boxes, under tables and throughout seed trays.  Removing them made me feel like a one-man bomb squad as I carefully investigated each wasp infestation before gently carrying them outside.

Despite the hazards, we made quick work of the weeds and were able to begin organizing the jumbled interior.  Much organization remains, but after a day of work we can officially claim this greenhouse ready to nurse some baby plants!  It is not a moment too soon as we are finally getting the pasture opened up this weekend.  Very soon we will have baby plants going in the greenhouse, and a new tilled pasture ready for them when they grow up.

Flying Bear Farm's new digs - 1/4 acre of former horse pasture

 - Ben

The move to Whidbey Island

First Street in Downtown Langley, WA

Invoking the pioneering spirit of our ancestors, Melissa and I made the hop off the mainland to Whidbey
Island at the end of October 2013. We found a humble home in Langley, the 'Village By the Sea'.

 I will always think of the time I spent in Seattle fondly, and of course to Melissa it will always be her childhood home.  We will never really leave Seattle entirely, as we have a myriad of friends and favorite places to visit; not to mention the Seattle Sounders.  Still, it was time to make the bold move to pursue our mutual dream of establishing a homestead and farm.

Now that we've settled into our new lives in Langley and entered into the new year, we are forging ahead with our plans to make Flying Bear Farm into something that will nourish our family and enrich our new community.  Our search for a permanent home continues onward, but in the meantime we will take root on a 1/4 acre plot of land generously donated to us by the local Chocolate Flower Farm.`On this site we will grow flowers and produce for the Langley Farmers Market and for our wedding clients.

It will be an exciting and challenging season in our newly adopted home. We face a limited water supply on our plot that will require us to be creative with our irrigation system.  Balancing the day-to-day work at Useless Bay Coffee Co. while helping Melissa establish our business will also be interesting.  Even so I can't help but face these challenges with a great big smile.

 - Ben