Saturday, November 7, 2009

Thanksgiving Early

Today was a special day. One for which I have been preparing for some time. Living on a small farm is about getting intimate with the Earth. To build a connection. Or rather to live the connection to the Earth explicitly. Modern life has in many ways removed us from a basic truth, that we are bound to her. Our life comes from her soil, and from her water, and from her air. Modern life brings us food in a store, water in plastic bottles, and yes, I have even seen "oxygen bars" in the city where air comes in cans too. This world is an illusion. It is not real.

Meet Hec-ace. He is in the photo to the right. Hec-ace blessed our farm today with a visit. When he arrived, he said I was blessed for I was living a dream. I agree. And in some ways, the modern life is the real dream, and this is reality. Where life and strength come from the Earth, not from a plastic box.

Hec-ace (which means Mountain Lion) came today to bless the farm and the people here with a saging ceremony. Just, as he describes, to say "Thank you" to the Earth and the people for giving us the gifts that we need to live. He burned sage, and purified everyone, because as he says, you cannot purify if you are not pure yourself. And then he said his thank you. We turned to the East, and thanked the rising sun on which Life depends. We followed to the South, and to the West, and finally the North expressing thanks for all the things we often take for granted: the water we must have to drink and for our crops, and the air, and the birds, and yes, the insects. They are all part of the system that brings us strength.

The ceremony reaffirms my commitment to using the land naturally, without chemicals and without pesticides. To respect the systems that have been here a thousand years before my short life, and will be here a thousand more after I leave. To draw strength from the land and take care of it, but not to exploit it. I like to think of it as living like the honey bee: to take what is needed, harm nothing, and leave the world better than before.

Responding to Hec-ace's words, the winter fava I planted a few weeks ago sprout tall now. Well, his words, and the light rain we had just last night. But that is what he said. Just as the Rolling Stones sing: you get what you need. We needed rain. This is true with faith.

Today I was doubly blessed. For after the blessing, there was a Holiday Faire amongst the olive trees in a grove on Carmel Valley Road. It was a wonderful event. What better life than to share the produce of the Earth with people who are happy?

Today, people celebrated. Us on Lavender Hill, and people in the olive groves. They enjoyed some lavender bread samples I had made earlier this morning. They enjoyed our essential oils grown and distilled right here on the farm. And they enjoyed our soaps. Interestingly today, they especially enjoyed our massage oil. A coconut oil base mixed with Carmel Lavender essential oil.

The perfect antidote for the tensions of our modern world.

Peace to you all this season.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Another Day in Life

Here is a little photo journal of today. Just one day in life on Lavender Hill.

7:00am - Time to rise. Days starting a bit later now. Day breaks around 7ish. Today after my morning tea, I was looking at all those zucchini that on the table and thought I would make a nice zucchini bread. So before I started my outdoor work, I mixed up some bread dough and got that into the oven. For the rest of the day, the house smelled like baking cinnamon. Mmmm.

8:00 - Outside making the rounds. First stop was the Chicken coop. I need to let the little ladies out into the run so they can pick at the ground. Every evening they get locked up in the coop for their own protection. We have had fox and skunk making the rounds lately and I don't want any "encounters". So when dusk falls, and the hens go inside to roost, I close the door.

Here in the picture, is one of the Araucana hens making her way down the gangway to the tractor run.

Next stop was the vegetable garden. I wanted to check on the veggies. Figure out "what's for dinner" tonight! Lots of summer veggies still in production. I hope it lasts though. Last year we didn't have a freeze until late November. However last night got down to 37. Burrr. We'll see how much longer we can go w/o a frost.

This vegetable collage shows some of the delicious food growing. Wonderful zucchini (we saw some of her sisters in the previous photos of the bread!), peppers, tomatoes, and pumpkin. You can see the photo of the grapes that the birds have ruined them. The peck them, and then they shrivel up into raisins. These are Cabernet grapes, so lots of seeds. You know I just had an idea while writing. The Chickens absolutely LOVE grapes. I wonder how they would like picking at these shriveled vines? Tomorrow I will harvest and throw into the coop. We'll see if they like these!

Looking at the mercury, I am a bit sorrowful to think that soon the summer produce will be gone. But every season brings rebirth. These last few weeks I have been working on my winter garden. It will begin as summer dies. I took a looksy. Not much going on yet. Just planted recently. Wanted to make sure the ground was damp and it didn't require irrigation. All was well. The weather has cooled down quite a bit these last few days, so the water it got a few days ago. If I can get a few more days without frost, perhaps the new spouts will be present to console me as the summer crops wither.

After surveying the vegetable garden, it was time to do a walkabout in the lavender fields. I had just irrigated the day before. Unfortunately I found one of the irrigation lines chewed clean through. Judging by the looks of the scat nearby, it was probably the skunk that has been hanging around lately. It was a simple fix, but the ground looked pretty damp. Those plants got a good watering that day I can tell you.

10:00am - I started working on a new field. This is a protected field that will be fenced in from deer and other critters. A safe place to grow crops like basil and other aromatics that need protection from munching deer. This soil is going to need a LOT of work though. It hasn't supported much more than weeds until now. It is very fine and hard. I'm thinking about growing a season or two of cover to build it up before I plant. We'll see. The field is a bit sloping. A bit precarious for the tractor. A little light shaping mades it a bit safer for working.

2:00 - Once the ground work was done, I started surveying the surrounding trees. Some of them could use some trimming. So I spent the rest of the afternoon trimming and clearing away the brush piles. Trimming trees is heavy work. That part I don't mind. But I don't particularly relish climbing. There is nothing like hugging a branch 20 feet above the ground with a running chain saw to make Mr. Newton and his musings seem relevant. I guess that's what you would call a real "tree hugger" !?

7:00 - I quit a bit early today. Had to get ready to head up to Santa Cruz. My neighbor and good friend Kelly is in radio. That's Kelly there at her control console. Today I was invited on her KUSP radio show Talk of the Bay to discuss genetically modified foods, or GMO. Click here to listend to the show.


I am working with a local group called GMO Free Monterey County. We are working to educate people about potential human and environmental health risks of GMO. You can find out more about this effort at http://www.gmofreemontereycounty.org/. There is a petition asking for a moratorium of GMO crops in Monterey County until adequate safegards and regulations can be established. Please sign the petition here. Hopefully the show will be posted on the website shortly if you wish to listen.

Ahh, time for sleep now.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Trip to the Village Blacksmith

Well, it's time to overcome those "technical difficulties" and get this chicken buggy moving again. If you recall from the last article, the Eagle was grounded after her maiden voyage. Well those chickens have completely pulverized every last weed underneath the tractor in about three days. It's time to move the tractor down a length, but we're going to have to get those difficulties resolved first.

We actually had two difficulties, one with the coop, and the other with the tractor. Both were going to require metal work. As I don't have the equipment for that on the farm, I needed to pack up the broken parts in the truck, and head on down to the village blacksmith. Well, I guess Bob is a black smith. The sign says Live Oak Forge. Bob makes some pretty amazing stuff. His shop is full of cool little forged pieces of metal from fire irons with dragon faces, to metal signs, fire place screens with spider webs and weeds. The last time I was in there he was making an amazing iron gate with a sunburst, white oak leaves and acorns. This thing was a true work of art. I like to joke that the stuff I bring him is like asking Picasso to paint your bath room. Oh well, he helps me out! :) And I appreciate that.

On the tractor, the wheels deploy by pulling a lever that rotates the wheel forks down, lifting the tractor off the ground. That tractor is heavy, and there is a lot of force acting on the cam and the lever hub. While positioning the tractor, the force was apparently just too great, shearing the lever shaft right where the bolt attached it to the cam. CRASH! The whole thing came down with a bang snapping one of the 2x6 beams right in half.

The lever shaft needed to be redesigned with solid tool steel instead of the drilled hollow pipe that sheared. Here you can see a photo to the right of the new design. Now THAT ain't going anywhere. The bolt will shear before that goes! We even made up another lever for the other side to take the stress off the one side during transit.

On the coop, the tongue that attaches to the tractor bent. It was a case of a very heavy coop, and a trailer frame from China. It was supposed to handle up to 1475 lbs. Well, you know what they say, you get what you pay for. Well in this case what I got was a broken chicken coop. The metal just folded right in half, and the front end of the coop was dragging on the ground. If you look closely in the picture from the previous article, you can see the front of the coop jacked up on jack stands.

After straightening out the metal frame, we welded a 12foot piece of 2x2 steel 1/4" thick right down the middle. I can attach this to the entire underside of the coop carriage. This way the stress will be distributed better and hopefully solve this problem once and for all. It will be nice to get that coop moving again. You can see the newly fixed part ready for installation in the photo on the right.

Hopefully this weekend I can get these new pieces installed and move the coop and tractor down a length. I'm sure the chickens would love to start pecking at some new dirt. But right now, they seem content to dig holes and take the occasional dirt bath.

And if you need any amazing metal work done, go visit Bob at Live Oak Forge!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Chickens Have Landed

First, there is the romantic dream. When I thought about bringing chickens onto the farm, I had the idyllic image of flocks of feathered hens running around the yard, bringing life, happiness, and occasionally comedic relief.

But I wasn't completely naive. Everyone I know out here that have chickens have lost chickens. I know there are "bad guys" out there. Predators. Those who would see the new arrivals as the inauguration of the new neighborhood diner. So I enclosed the soon-to-be barnyard with fencing capable of keeping dogs, coyotes, and other predators at bay. Perhaps from time to time I might have to deal with a thief. But the other 364 days of the year would be bliss.

My naivete would last less than 24 hours after the baby chix arrived. Then, during broad daylight, and every day and night afterwards I saw them. The fox. Like a bad cartoon. The 6ft wire mesh fence isn't going to keep those guys out. Nor the skunks. Alright. Nice to meet you Mr. Reality. Time for Plan 9: the chicken tractor.

First I built the mobile coop. A veritable fortress on wheels. I don't know how many of you remember Super Chicken, but this vessel puts the Super Coop to shame. It has a double wire bottom, so the precious chicken poop can drop right onto the ground. The double wire is to prevent the nasties from eating the little chicken toes that protrude through the wire. Concerned about the wire on the little feet, I made 2x4 pathways so that the chickens (and I) can navigate the coop and hangout w/o having to always walk on wire. Built in nesting boxes with side access shutters allow easy egg removal w/o having to go into the coop and play "Who's Your Daddy" with Mr. Rooster.

But Alas, chickens love getting down and dirty. I would put some of them in a wire bottom dog kennel right on the ground and they would pick and dig and bathe in that dirt. If chix could smile, they'd be grinning ear to ear ever time I let them contact Mother Earth. So that's when the mobile tractor attachment was born. To the right is a photo of the partially constructed tractor with the wheels deployed. The wheels raise the coop off the ground so that it can be maneuvered into place, and then the wheels lower resting the tractor onto the ground providing a protective daytime pen or chicken park.

As usual, it took me way longer to build than I thought, including some welding and metal fabrication lessons from the local blacksmith. Sigh, my initial wooden landing gear would not bear the weight. But this week I finally "got'er done" as Larry would say, and positioned the coop and the tractor side by side in a virgin field. Note the three ports on the tractor. These align with corresponding ports on the coop and are connected with a protected gangway.


DAY 1: the chickens were... well CHICKEN. Man, what worry warts. I would open the coop, grab a hen and put her in into the tractor, and she would panic and run right back into the coop. Some of the chickens would get topside where there is a window and look down nervously at their new park. But nary a venture. Finally, one brave barred rock, Nelle Armstrong, the adventurer braved the gangway, and under her own chicken power, jumped down into the tall weeds under the tractor. Here I caught this historic event. One small leap for chicken, one sigh of relief for the man.

DAY 2: A few more ventured out. Up to a quarter of the flock could be seen in the tractor at any time during the day. In the evening, they all went back into the coop, though one fat hen clogged up the door, and two smaller hens were stuck roosting on the gangway. In the evening I gave them a gentle nudge and they got the courage to push their way past fattie and get inside before I locked them up safe.

DAY 3: Still about a quarter of the flock. The auracana's and barred rocks seem to favor outside the most. Occasionally a RI Red or a Buff Orpington would come out, pick around, and return to the coop. Amazingly in three days, they have reduced that weed filled space to COMPLETE RUBBLE. Bare dirt! Time to move the coop and tractor down a bit :)

TO BE CONTINUED: Well, unfortunately I can't move the coop and tractor right now :( during their maiden voyages, each experienced some "technical difficulties" which are going to require a few more lessons from the blacksmith. Oh well, at least the chickens are on the ground where they are happy until I get those parts welded back up again. The remaining weeds will have to wait.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

New Hand Lotion

Yesterday I worked on labeling hand lotion. This is a new product for Carmel Lavender. Many of you have asked for a lotion in a pump. I was able to mix up a batch last week and bottle it. They just needed labels before releasing. Of course, each and every label is hand stamped, and bears the seal carved for me by that craftsman in Shanghi (see August article: Hand-crafted Seals and Hand-stamped Labels).

The lotion is an Aloe Vera base scented with a lavender I distilled last December (see December 2008 article: Winter Oil). It is from Provence lavender, and adds a very nice scent. During testing, one customer said that she would use it on her hands in the evening so she could smell the lavender all night. That should help with sleep too.

They are bottled in 4 oz blue cobalt class bottles with a black pump.

If you would like to try my new Carmel Lavender hand lotion, send me a note. The price is $11. If you live locally on the Monterey Peninsula, send me your order before the end of the month and I can arrange to bring it to town for you, and I'll even give you 20% off.

Monday, September 21, 2009

How's Chix?

They're all doing well. You can see however they aren't really chicks any more. They have actually grown quite large. And the different colors are quite beautiful. Not as large as some of the the Cornish X Chickenzillas I wound up with by mistake, but that is another story....

Still no eggs, and I don't expect eggs for another couple of months. I have heard from some of you about interest in CSA shares. As soon as they start producing, I'll get that going. If you do have interest, send me a note.

Interesting little note, if you crow like rooster, they all simultaneously shake their heads and ruffle their neck feathers. It is actually quite entertaining to watch all forty of them shake their head at the exact same time like that. Of course, you have to learn to crow like a rooster if you want to indulge! I wonder which the oak trees find more amusing, the chickens or the farmer? :)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Travel Well Joyous Heart

Today the farm embraces a major transition. My daughter leaves the farm to go overseas to study. We will miss her here but I hope that she takes a piece of Lavender Hill with her on her journey. With joy, I send her off with this thought:

Travel Well Joyous Heart
by John Russo

Joy does travel
In the Heart
Set aloft for adventure.

Preparations
Voyage far
The Trip and Journey come now.

Travel days end
Journey more
A lifetime, remember well.

The plane of Youth
Turns the World
Under its wings the future.

Passangers sing
Laughter, Hope, Joy
All that promise Tomorrow

A better way
Than those songs
Sung yesterday by the source.

New Lady soon
To return
Her I welcome home today.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Reducing Plastics Use on the Farm

I like to consider the footprint I leave in every aspect of farming. One particular issue I keep a close watch on, is my use of plastics. Plastics and agriculture have in many ways become integrated with each other. Plastic mulch, plastic drip lines, feed buckets, containers. It all adds up. Where ever I can, I try to use alternatives, even if the cost is higher.

In my packaging, I make sure to use glass or metal bottles for my essential oils and hydrosols. However, when distilling, I have the problem of where to store the gallons of hydrosol I produce before bottling. For the oil, I use bulk glass bottles. But I must admit, in addition to glass carboys, I have used plastic buckets for the hydrosol. But I decided last year to stop that practise. I acquired a 55 gallon stainless steel drum from a local wine maker. It has been sitting outside, next to the distillery for about 6 months. Preparing for a distillation job next week, I noticed I was out of plastic buckets. Now is the time to make the transition.

One of the reasons the barrel has sat for 6 months, is because I needed a way to fill and empty the hydrosol once it is in the barrel. Completely full, it will be quite heavy. I had planned to rig it up with some stainless spigots and a sight tube, but the additional cost was discouraging.
So I came up with a rolling stand idea. I would make a wooden stand to hold the barrel horizontal, and I would put wheels on the top of the stand, in contact with the cylindrical barrel. Then I could fill from the middle port used in wine making, and when I wanted to take some of the hydrosol, I could simply roll the barrel over and pour out what I needed.
So I built this simple stand. To the right is a picture of the partially assembled stand. The picture at the top shows the barrel mounted on the fully completed stand. I washed out the barrel, and rolled it in the sun to dry out.
I am looking forward to my next distilling run, and placing the fresh hydrosol into the stainless drum, rather than those plastic buckets. Plastic, yuck! And maybe someday, I will find an alternative to those plastic drip lines.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Pheromones and a Wild Bee Swarm

Over the last few months, while preparing my blog, I have often regretted being constrained to still and silent pictures. The farm is such a sensual experience. There are sights, sounds, smells. And yes, tastes too. All of this makes life here special. Dimensions that can not be completely shared through words and still pictures.



I got an el cheapo video camera the other day. I wanted to experiment with moving pictures on the farm. I feel they could help tell the a rich story. So today, I took the camera out with the intent to film my experiences working my bee hives. I took the camera, suited up, and headed out to open a hive up and film the experience.

Halfway to the hive, I noticed something special. A wild bee swarm! Now I had just written about a wild swarm this month. Well, apparently they were not happy with the location I had put them. Fair enough. They are wild and have a mind of their own. In fact, they had come to almost the same spot where I caught them the last time, just one tree over. This is an opportunity for me and my new camera. I can now hive the swarm, and catch it all on camera!

This first video is some footage of me standing in the swarm. While I was watching them, I was happy that the bees are so healthy this year, and thinking about what a difficult year it was last summer. The fire and smoke from the Basin Complex really caused hardships for the bees. But this year, they seem to be flourishing, and for this I am grateful. But I couldn't help also thinking about the things we Man do that also make the lives of bees so difficult.

In this video, aside from just delighting in the swarm, I talk a bit about insect pheromones, how they use them to communicate, pesticides, and new pheromone based pesticides. Please watch this first attempt to film life on the farm, and let me know what you think!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Terra Cotta Diffusers You Can Wear

If you have noticed, in many of the photos of me, I am wearing a pendant around my neck. This is more than jewelry, this pendant is a wearable lavender essential oil diffuser.

I often get asked how to use essential oil. Where the uses are virtually limitless. But one of the most important uses of lavender essential oil is to bring balance to our lives.

Lavender brings calm. It eases anxiety. And in this modern world with our modern problems, serenity and relaxation are precious commodities. Really, I wear lavender scent for my well-being and my health.

Of course you can just dab it on your skin, but the terra cotta diffuser is a much better means of releasing the scent during the day. There are different designs, from hearts to moon goddesses, to flowers, to mine which is the kokopeli man. I usually put a drop or two of oil once or twice a day. There are about a 100 drops in a 5ml vial, so depending on personal preference, one 5 ml vial will last 50 to 100 days. For the price of $10, that's about 10 cents a day. Not bad for much needed balance in our lives. Certainly cheaper than western medicine.

If you would like to try a terra cotta pendant, we can set you up with a gift pack, which includes a vial of essential oil and a pendant for only $20. Just send me a note via our contact page, and I can let you know which pendant designs we have available.

Peace.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Hand-crafted Seals and Hand-stamped Labels

I made a decision in the beginning to farm my lavender with my own hands. I felt it was important to carry this philosophy all the way through the product. This means the packaging too.

As a result, I vowed not to use computers or computer printers to generate the labels for my products. Therefore each and every product bears a label that has been meticulously hand crafted and stamped.

In the photo to the right, you can see the block printing in progress. The blocks are redwood blocks that I milled from wood I had laying around the farm. Then I hand carved the Carmel Lavender name into them. I use several blocks to print background patterns, then the label on each and every label. Die punches are used to punch each tag from the paper strips.
Many of the products also bear the Carmel Lavender seal. This seal was created for me by hand by an artisan I met while traveling in China. Before my trip, I had been talking with a friend of mine, Susan, about block printing. My wood carving skill lacked precision to realize the ideas I had for the essential oils, which are small vials with not much area for carving. She suggested on my trip to try to find a "chop" carver who could do this for me. For those who do not know what "chops" are, they are the seals used to stamp signatures in China. There are many carvers there. So she recommended to draw my design and then talk to the carvers and find one who could do it.

I designed the seal on the plane over. I went to every chop carver from Bejing to Shanghi, showing them my design and asking if they could do it. No, it was too complicated they told me. Finally, I was about to give up, and our last stop in Shanghi, I found myself in front of the City Buddhist temple. There was a chop carver just outside the temple. I showed him my design, and he said he could do it.

It took him hours. I waited, watched, visited the temple, watched some more. Walked the streets of Shanghi, came back and watched some more. He worked so diligently. At last he was done. He took out his own book of all the chops he had designed, and stamped it. Carmel Lavender is now in his book. He showed it to me. Ahhh, Perfect. Now each and every bottle of lavender oil from my farm bears the seal that he carved for me by hand. Just as I farm.
Many have told me that this is too much work. But I feel that the energy in every aspect of the product must be consistent. Must reinforce what it is about. This is not just a commercial enterprise. It is a passion. And that passion is carried in every drop of oil, and every mark of ink on every bottle. That is how it has to be.
If you would like to own a 5ml work of art, you can order from our On-line Lavender Shoppe.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Fiesta Time

We recently attended the local Carmel Valley Fiesta. This is a wonderful community event. It includes a parade down Carmel Valley Road, music, games, a classic car show, a dog show, and general fun in the Carmel Valley sun!

This year, Carmel Lavender was there with our natural lavender products.

Special for the show, we had a couple of new products. The first was a massage oil. I worked with a local massage therapist of 25 years and neighbor to formulate the oil which uses a coconut oil base and our very own Carmel Lavender essential oil. It was quite popular at the fiesta.

We also had fizzy bath salts. drop one of these tablets shaped like sea animals into your bath, and it releases the salts and Carmel Lavender right into the water, like a big seltzer tablet!

We of course had our essential oils, hydosols, and even some terra cotta diffuser pendants that can be anointed with lavender oil, and worn around the neck for 24 hour calm.

If you would like to try or treat a spouse or significant other to a Carmel Lavender massage, contact us, we still have a few bottles left and we can arrange to have a bottle delivered to you. They are 8 oz pump bottles. Nothing is more relaxing than lavender other than a lavender massage that is!

There are also a few bath salts. They are packaged in a sachet bag with loose lavender buds, and make a great gift.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Harvest Interrupted by Swarm of Wild Bees

We interrupt the previously scheduled updates on oil harvest to bring you this special announcement. This evening as I was checking on the chickens one last time for the night, I hear a sound. A humming sound. I didn't have any equipment running, so I started across the yard to see what it was. About 100 yards away I found the source of the sound. A wild swarm of bees! Lucky day!

If you read my previous wild swarm post back in April, Catching a Swarm of Wild Bees, then you know about my previous attempt to capture a swarm earlier this year. Well in 2009, opportunity knocks...twice.

Okay, it was late, 7:30pm. The swarm is settling down quickly. and forming a tight little ball. I suited up, but now what?

Well, unlike in April, this swarm settled right near the house, on flat ground, and only about 6 feet up. I can reach that with a chair! So I grabed a box to put them in. I wasn't going to make the same mistake as last time, and drop them into a hive in the wrong spot!

Then I climbed up on a chair with my box and proceeded to knock the bees into it.

Since I could easily reach the branch, I quickly tried to brush some of the remaining bees into the box. Then I closed it up.

I waited for 10 minutes. A smaller ball formed again back up in the tree. But quite a few bees were now circling the box too. I think I had it. But I got another box and brused the remaining bees into the second box. Then I headed off to the new hive location.

I started five new hives this year. But one of the hives, the queen failed. I attempted to split another hive to restart the colony, but I was unsuccessful. But I happened to have a hive all set up with noone home! So I dumped the swarm into the new home.

Darkness was falling now. So I closed everything up and headed back to the house. I will check in the morning and see if the branch is clean and the hive is buzzin. I laughed a little to myself. Ten years ago a swarm paid us a visit. I ran into the house until they passed. Now I'm chasing them around the yard with boxes trying to make them my friends. How time changes us, no? You know, even if the hive is empty tomorrow morning, swarming bees mean colonies are growing. This is the way they reproduce. Maybe that means we are starting to see a comeback?

I sure hope so. I am happy to see the life flourish where I live.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Oil Harvest Continues

The distillery runs all day. Here to the right, see the steamed lavender, depleted of color and the sweet smelling oil.

The gasket patches made a few days ago are still holding.

During the distillation, I monitor the oil production until the output tapers off, I decide when to call the run. Don't call it too early, or the oil yield is lower, don't call too late, or the scent is affected and the oil smells "burnt". As each distillation run wraps up, new lavender is brought freshly from the field to load the basket. And a new run is started.

Spent lavender is dumped from the basket. It will be hauled to a field to dry. The dry spent lavender straw is actually a fairly stiff straw.

Did you know that the Roman emperor Nero wrote about medicinal properties of Lavender 2000 years ago? Did you know that the Greek philosopher Diogenes recommended rubbing it on the feet so that the whole body would benefit? Read about the history of lavender through the ages here.

If you would like to purchase our Tassajara lavender essential oil, please contact us! We can arrange a delivery. It is a wonderful oil for relaxation, to scent the home or car, and many other healthy uses.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Oil Harvest Begins

The lavender oil harvest begins. It is time. Scythes swinging, the lavender buds are brought in from the field to the farm distillery where the precious oil will be extracted.

In the photo to the right, you can see the large basket being removed from the boiler upon completion of a distillation run. You can see the lavender scented steam raising from the top of the hot pot.

Lavender buds are placed into the basket and the basket into the boiler. Steam removes the sweet essential oils. As the steam flows into the essencier, the device that separates the oil from the distilled hydrosol, you can smell the lavender across the entire farm.

This is truly one of the most enjoyable times for a lavender farmer. Nothing beats the excitement of watching the golden lavender oil erupting from the condensed water and cascading into the bottle.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Preparing for Harvest

It's August. Time for the Lavender oil harvest. But before we can begin to harvest oil, we must make sure all of the preparations have been made. This means ensuring all of the harvest equipment is in good order and the harvest supplies are plentiful.

When harvesting bunches, it is important to have enough bunch ties. These are the ties I use to collect and hang bunches for drying. I use only natural twine. Here to the right is a sample. It consists of a big loop shown at the stop, which is tied with a slip knot. The bunches are inserted into this loop, then the end is cinched taught around the bunch. At the tip is a fixed loop so the bunches can be hung in the drying shed if necessary. I reuse the old bunch ties from last year. However, as the crop is growing, it is important to make new ties each year to ensure there is enough.

This year, inspecting the distillery, there were a couple of minor repairs needed before the harvest began. The most important repair was to the gasket that seals the basket in the boiler. It had separated at the seams and was allowing steam to come out through the cracks rather than being forced into the condenser.

I ordered a replacement gasket, but it did not arrive in time, therefore I needed to make some field repairs to get the distillery online for harvest. After a couple of attempts just to bond the seams together, it was clear that the surface area for the bond was not adequate for a strong joint. So I used the olde fashioned way: needle and thread. I sewed up the rubber seams using a hook needle and some strong thread.

There was still a gap however. This needed to be sealed with some high-temperature gasket material. In the photo to the right, you can see the finished repair.

In addition there were a few minor problems with the ignition system of the distillery. A metal deflector had broken during adjustment. After a few different modifications, I managed to get the ignitor to light the pilot automatically, and the unit was ready to begin distilling.

Scythe sharpened, all is ready for harvest!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Bonny Doon Fire Sunset in Tassajara

We had a beautiful sunset yesterday over the lavender. Blood red. An erie reminder of the Basin Complex fires last year in the Los Padres National Forest that spread ash over our entire farm for nearly 6 weeks, ruined our first culinary crop, and killed a number of my newer bee hives.

This time, the haze responsible for the beauty was not a nearby threat, but rather, it is coming form 80 miles to the north, the fire in the Santa Cruz mountains near Bonny Doon.

They too had a fire last year, and while we are quite safe here in Tassajara from this blaze, as I watched the brilliant red splendor, I couldn't help but think about the poor folks up north, and what they must be going though. Again. They grow lavender up there too. And the sky shows we are all connected, even when separated by almost a hundred miles.

I wish a speedy containment to the blaze up there, and my heart goes out to all of the residents that might be in harms way. May you all be safe.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Lavender Bunch Harvest

A lot has happened on the farm since building the Ark. Chickens, lavender, and bees have consumed the hours of the days between my last post and today. Over the next few days, I attempt to make up for lost time, and recount some of the tasks that define daily life this summer.

In mid July, the angustifolia was ready for harvest. I grow angustifolia primarily as a culinary spice crop. It has a much deeper purple color that is beautiful on food, and in spice jars. It also has a very sophisticated scent and flavor. Much less camphorous than other lavender varieties. These qualities make it most suitable for food.

I work in a producer Co-op with several other farmers in the area. We share the responsibilities of managing distribution of production shares to Co-op subscribers. You can find more information about the Carmel Valley Co-op at our website at www.carmelvalleycoop.org. In July, it was my responsibility to provide fresh lavender bunches to include in the weekly distribution. I chose the Angustifolia, because the deep purple color made quite a striking bouquet.

In the photo, I am holding a bucket of Angustifolia from the bunch harvest. I love this time on the farm, because the lavender is most beautiful. It seems to pass so quickly. It is now August, and all of the lavender has now been cut. The green little "pillows" are still beautiful, but it is not the same. I guess the ephemeral nature of the seasons makes the magic.

If you are interested in culinary lavender, just let me know. You can contact me at http://www.carmellavender.com/contacts.htm and I can arrange a delivery. My culinary lavender will also soon be carried at Sun River in the Carmel Valley Village along with my Carmel Lavender essential oils and other lavender products.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Building an Ark

Once upon a time, Humankind lost our way. History repeats.

The story goes that Man strayed so far from his intended path, that the biggest "do over" in history was necessary to right him. In one story, the Ark became the vessel that held the genetic material to repopulate the Earth. Hmmm....

It is hard to look at modern Agriculture and not wonder if such a monumental "do over" is again necessary to right that which has been defiled. I apologize for such harsh words, but our industrial food system is nothing less than an abomination of Nature. A complete redo is necessary to fix such a catastrophic mess the industrial machine has made of it. If you have not seen Food, Inc., then you need to. See the Food, Inc. website at http://www.foodincmovie.com/. Factory farming of everything from chickens to pigs to corn and soy have taken the soul out of the most spiritual connection a organism of this planet can experience, the act of eating. And now genetic tampering and patenting of the blueprints of life threaten to ruin the gift of life for future generations (Sign the petition to establish Monterey County as a GMO Free Zone at http://www.gmofreemontereycounty.org/).

On the foundation of such chaos, I have undertaken to begin rasing food. Though my primary crop has been lavender, I have been working with the home garden for a number of years. This year however, I am expanding to include chickens. Part of a journey to connect with food beyond gazing lifelessly at a carton of eggs in the sterile refrigerator of a corporate supermarket. To do this, you must know the soul of the organism that gives you life. You must respect it as a living being. You must care for it. Our modern corporate industrial agriculture is anything but respect for life. It is time to change that.

Here I hold a member of my new flock. She is a Barred Rock chicken. These are some of my favorites. They are very curious birds. I have other types, but these little gals are amongst my favorites. They approach me and offer only a token complaint when I pick them up. They are not as flighty as some of the other breeds of chicken. They don't bully their way to the feed dish. They seem to trust me, that I will ensure they get the food they need. They are not dominated by fear, and rather have a healthy curiosity for life.

When I thought about building a coop for my new chickens, symbolically it was a monumental departure. Leave the industrial food system behind, and begin a new food future. From the ground up. Though storm clouds may not fill the sky, they fill the future of food here on tiny planet Earth. The raindrops are each act of human folly. When we think we know better than nature. When I thought about building a new home for these gals, the image of the Ark popped into my mind.

To the right is a filmstrip of the construction. I started with a trailer base and an open bottom. The idea here is that the manure is able to fall directly onto the ground, and the Ark can be then moved to a new location. The manure can be disked into the soil upon which I can plant new food.

I constructed the walls from standard 2x4 studs. Then fastened them onto the open-bottom foundation. Though conceptually the design imitates the Ark of the legends, it has a practical purpose. The large central hallway allows for easy entrance without stuping. The lower sides can enclose and shelter the nesting boxes. Access panels allow egg gathering w/o entry into the coop (a definite plus, if you've ever been inside a chicken coop, you know why!).

I roofed th coup with corrugated metal panels, which are economical, and light weight. The siding is of inexpensive plywood, which will be painted on the outside for protection against the elements, but left natural on the inside.

A door is placed on each end for easy access. The top tower has wire mesh for ventilation. Cool air can be drawn through the open wire floor, and vent out through the top on hot days. For winter, I'm thinking I can construct shutters for the top openings to provide additional shelter and protection during cold months.

Inside, on each side, there is a battery of nesting boxes for the little ladies to do their business. Here you can see an interior view, the nesting boxes on each side, the open wire floor, the "windows" at the top, and the open door at the far end. Cozy?

Well, the new hens seem to think so. They watched me from the window of their temporary shelter as I worked. Today they keep me company, and I feed them. And tomorrow, they will give me fresh eggs to eat. They are looking forward to moving into their new Ark. Maybe a day or so more and the new home should be ready. I just need to finish the doors, and put a second layer of wire on the bottom to keep predators from reaching their little feet.

I'm as anxious as they are for them to move in!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

*THAT* Suhn... is a ground squirrel.

The most feared, destructive, nastiest varmint in Cachagua... the ground squirrel! A few years ago, I had successfully relocated a family of ground squirrels from the farm. After a couple of years squirrel free farming, they came back!


These are the toughest creatures in Cachagua. Don't let the cute, fuzzy, cuddly exterior fool you. They are pure evil. Be careful not to look directly into their eyes either. They can cast a hypnotic spell on anyone that makes eye contact, causing you to fall prey to their telepathic commands. When handling this one, I needed to wear special reflective goggles to keep his mind control powers from forcing me to release him.

Skeptical, are you? Well, here is a fact I bet you didn't know. The hardest material known to man is not the diamond, as is commonly thought. It is the summertime clay soil out here in Cachagua. A 50 lb digging bar will bounce right off the surface in July. There is nothing known to man harder than Cachagua clay. Take a look at this shot of an auger I use to drill holes into the earth. The highlighted spot shows a hardened steel tooth worn round. It used to look like the other one just below it. Cachagua clay made quick work. This is probably only after about 30 or so holes. The bit at the bottom has tungsten carbide teeth, and even it is showing signs of wear.
Well, a ground squirrel can cut through Cachagua Clay like scooping warm butter. With his BARE HANDS!
Originally a military genetic experiment gone awry, the first ground squirrels were engineered by military scientists to tunnel behind enemy lines while withstanding shelling and avoiding land mines. But the scientists used ordinary Cachagua tree squirrels as a base, and their Cachagua temperament turned to be too independent and ornery to make good subjects. They used their mind control powers to escape from the lab, and have been plaguing farmers since.

To the right, you can see a photo of the caverns and system of tunnels this one has been developing at my farm. For scale, the tree trunk you see is a 50 foot old white oak. If you were to try to walk here, you could fall through. This one has been trying to sink a large propane tank on the property. Neighbors have reported sheds and houses sinking into the earth due to these unassuming critters. Once they get into the fields, forgettabotit!

A new 2009 relocation program has begun. Only "residents" close to structures and the fields are participants in the program. The squirrel you saw at the top is the second "volunteer" this year. He will be moved to what is officially known as Area 42. Or what we here on the farm like to call: Squirrelville. The exact coordinates of Squirrelville must be kept top secret. This is necessary in order to avoid mass community protest and plummeting property prices in a 100 mile radius. Be it to say however, each "participant" is guaranteed a natural habitat, and plenty of clay and granite to cut. This one was released and last seen digging through a pure granite rock face, looking forward to a long happy natural life.... somewhere away from my crop! :)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

A Solstice Panopoly

Today I thought how impossible it is to be bored. Happily, no matter how much you do, there is always more to be done. And even more wonderfully, each has its own challenge, its own skill. There is a rhythm, but life is never monotonous or dull.

Remember the fence from the Magic Kingdom article in April? Well, I keep making progress on it. In April, I was fencing through the meadows. In June, I am fencing through the forest. The hope is to create a nice protected area for goats and chickens to range. Protected from the numerous predators that haunt these hills. In the last few weeks I have seen skunks, bobcats, fox, and my neighbor warned me the other day that he saw a mountain lion at the bottom of my drive. Yikes! It's been a few years since I've seen a lion, but they are out there. And if he saw one, well then he's around. The fence won't keep the lions or the cats out. But I am hoping the fox and coyotes are a different story. We'll see. What do they say? Nature finds a way.

The terrain is much more rugged where I am working now. I cannot get equipment in as easily, so much of the work needs to be done by hand. The problem is, the fence wire spools are about 450 pounds! Too heavy for my old back to move. So I had to rig up a spool to move and unwind the fencing wire. It's crude, an old peeler core post and some heavy chain. But it does the job.

Fencing is not the only job to do. A few weeks ago, I found that I needed a place to keep the new baby chicks warm. Unless I wanted them in the house that is! Indoor space is such a premium around here. So I had to build some. I took a few days and build this shed. It will serve nicely to keep the new babies warm during the cold nights. I picked up that nice paned door and window from the local dump. A little trimming was all it needed to add some charm to the new space. Not a bad little home for the new chicks. when they get big enough to move out to the coop, then this will serve nicely as a store room or workshop. We can always use more space.

The chicks, incidentally, are doing quite nicely. They are growing FAST. Check this one out roosting on top of her feeder. You can see they are already starting to get their wing and tail feathers. They are actually quite fun to watch. When you pick them up, they seem quite perturbed. They run away, and when you finally get one, she screams "let me down! let me down!" of course, when you let her down, they all line up to take turns at getting picked up. It is quite entertaining, for the chicks and for us too :)

The home garden continues to grow as well. Last year, a friend gave me some tomato seeds. I planted those, and had delicious tomatoes all summer. Well I saved some seeds from the best tomatoes, and those are doing well this year. They aren't fruiting yet, but you can see, they are growing quite well. I have them planted in raised beds as you see. Last year, I only had one. And it was old. The gopher found his way through the rotten wire, and reaped havoc until I caught him. This year we refurbished the old bed and built a few more. I have three beds now. I cannot wait to start eating those home grown juicy tomatoes.

The tomatoes seem to be growing rapidly. I have a few grape vines too, and they seem to be doing well. The basil this year seems slow to start. Last year the basil grew so well. Hopefully I'll get some good basil. They grew a lot this week, so I look forward to the trend continuing.

My peppers are under assault by earwigs. Nasty little bugs. I set some traps for them. Simple devices and 100% natural. A can with some holes on the side with water, a dash of olive oil, and some fruit for bait. If I can keep the earwigs away, maybe the plants can get critical mass and take off.

The fruit trees are also starting to bear ... yes you guessed it, fruit! Check out these blushing little beauties! Got a handful of apricots (and I mean a handful) too. This is only the third year for these trees. So they should keep growing every year. I noticed the earwigs are into the almond trees too. Amazing how much damage those critters can do to a tree. Better set a trap under the almond as well as in the peppers.

This Saturday was also the Cachagua Country Fair. It's a nice community event. Games for the kids. Nice music. Neighbors and friends. This year, Carmel Lavender was there together with Tassajara Natural soaps and lotions. There was quite a bit of interest from folks. A very nice day in June. We spent solstice with some neighbors and friends at a BBQ at Susan's house. Joe played the flute, Jerry had his harmonica, and we all banged drums and rattles. What an act!