The following posts were taken from the website for Harms Vineyards and Lavender Fields, which we operated from 2010 until 2019. They offer a window into our lives on the farm and the ways the farm changed us. In 2018 we decided to end our lavender business but we continue to work with our land in ways that bring balance and health. Posts on this website will continue to follow our work.
Happy Accidents and Antioxidants
Sun kissed Fuyu persimmon Happy Accidents and Antioxidants You may not find this imperfect fruit in your grocery, but if you cannot find one like it, it is a shame! Those incidents that cause imperfections: intense sun, worms, drought, also cause a stress response in the fruit that develops antioxidants. Because we consumers want perfect fruit,… Read more »
Lavender Replant Timing
438 lavender plants, 1/3 of Lot Sophia Moon in an Air sign, perfect for aromatic plants such as lavender, and today we plant 430 lavender plants. It has taken several days to prepare the ground in hills with new irrigation. Our last (and first) planting lasted 14 years, so it is… Read more »
Silently Drawn into the Present
Silently Drawn into the Present A quote from Rumi arrives on the Internet this morning: Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray. The dappled shadows of the wind-whipped trees flash again and again on the wall this dawn and I think, yes, That. … Read more »
Rocu and his charges a few months ago. Photo by Art and Clarity. Another Crossing to the Beyond Each passing is a moment for pause, for gratitude. Animals visit us for such a short time and then they pass on. I always thought our llama Racu would live forever, but I was wrong. Our vet… Read more »
The grapes are in!
Wesley, Maggie, and discovered treat! We finished the harvest on Tuesday, and they were in good shape, even after the rain. Ramon is a excellent farmer and managed the leaf pulling well (so air gets in), but the biodynamic preparations also invited drying forces. We ended up averaging more that three tons per… Read more »
Light and Portals
Tomatilla in late afternoon. Biodynamics is one of the few disciplines that addresses the forces behind what we “see.” It requires more quiet to feel these forces, another consciousness even, balanced with reason. What is it about light that opens these portals? The late afternoon sun shining through the tomatilla skin… Read more »
Cows and Climate Change
Okay, these goats are trimming up the toyon, good for fire prevention, but it is important that they move on. Browsing goats need to be monitored so they do not deforest an area. Research shows that wise grazing of cattle (and other animals, including goats!) improves fertility of the soil while also sequestering carbon,… Read more »
Dawn, Late Summer
Pre-dawn across the valley Dawn, Late Summer Stags linger in the forest, racks high, crickets chirp until the frogs take over. Sometimes these dark hours coyotes erupt in yips and yaps. Never know whom to root for.
Grape Harvest, First Block
Picking is a workout! Grape Harvest, First Block Although the early morning sky at 5 a.m. was full of stars, by 7 a.m. the fog softened the heat of the past week, and the picking was cool. Two and a half tons per acre yield on the old… Read more »
Learn Biodynamic Practices at the National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, CA
Harvesting Biodynamic apples and Asian pears. Foods grown in rich soils have more nutrients. Learn Biodynamic Practices at the National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, CA This week our certifier Demeter and the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association will be sponsoring a 10,000 square foot exhibition… Read more »
© 2024 Patricia Damery.
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