Ranch Newsletter | February 2024

Originally sent to subscribers on February 28th, 2024

Farm Update February/March

Every time I look at my calendar I'm shocked. Where did February go? I keep thinking it should be the middle of February still, but here we are about to enter March!

Craig and I took a vacation the first week of February. We went to Sayulita Mexico for 4 days and enjoyed the beach. When we got home we had a day to rest and recover from the traveling and we've been crazy busy since. Craig has had to travel a lot more than usual this month for his job, so he's only been home a couple of days here and there since we got back from vacation. Luckily, that's about to slow down a little for him. He's ready to be home for awhile.

Meanwhile, I started the USU Extension Master Gardner Program. I go to class once a week for 2.5 hours and have to do 40 hours of volunteer work, so I've been signing up for everything I can right now before all the snow melts up here in the valley and I need to get my own garden going.

I am loving this program! I got to help with the Ogden Seed Exchange this year, and I got to help The Family Support Center in Ogden draw up a plan and a budget for a grant they're applying for to put in a veggie garden for the kids they help. And I've discovered that I absolutely LOVE helping people plan out their space for a garden. So I'm currently in the process of figuring out how I can do more of that.

In March I get to learn about tapping maple trees and making syrup, I get to learn how to properly prune fruit trees while helping out an orchard, get gardens ready at the Ogden Botanical Gardens, and more. I am having so much fun, but I'm also learning a ton of stuff that is going to help on our ranch.

In CSA news... I only have 6 produce shares left for this year's CSA, so if you've been thinking about joining, don't wait too much longer! Most of the produce you get from our farm will be picked the very day you pick it up and we grow organically! We have already started a lot of seeds, but March will be the month we start the majority of seeds and I'm already trying to figure out where they're all going to go because my seed shelf is almost full.

Each box will contain 7-8 different items and will include:

2-3 staple items such as tomatoes, peppers, peas, squash, etc.

1-2 green such a lettuce, arugula, spinach, and celery.

1 allium such as garlic, onions, and leeks

1-2 root veggies

1 herb

For the full 12-week season it's $420 and you can pay in full, or weekly.

Or you can sign up for the bi-weekly option which is $210 and you can pay in full, or pay $70 monthly.

You can register by clicking HERE!

In goat news... I was able to draw blood for the goats about a week and a half ago and the great news is our herd is "clean", which means they are disease free. We do this test every year to ensure that that any babies born here will be born disease free, and when we sell the babies, the new owners will have proof that the babies they get from us aren't sick.

I also asked the lab that does the disease testing to do a pregnancy check on Honey so I could know for certain that I need to be around toward the end of May for any babies. That report came back positive. I don't know how many babies she will have, but babies are coming! Her due date is May 23rd.

In soap news: I have decided that any markets I participate in this year are going to be local markets only. I have applied, and been accepted to the monthly Sunday market that takes place at Eden Coffee & Cocoa, so as it warms up, be on the lookout for the dates I'll be there.

I've applied for the Historic Monastery Farmer's Market as well, but won't hear back on that for a little while yet. I will also probably partake in the Huntsville 4th of July events, and other one-off markets local to Ogden Valley this year.

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