The harvest has begun. Only somewhere around 3,000 more stools to go.
All of the willow here is harvested with hand pruners, bundled by variety, then sorted over the lambing season into sizes for you!
Willow harvest is a time intensive and labor heavy task that brings gratitude to my heart.
#hedgerowwillowsflockandfarm
#hedgerowwillows #basketrywillow #washingtonwillows #willowbasketryfarm #coppicing #willowcuttings #willowweaving #willowfarmer #willowwork #femalefarmer #localartisans #whatcomfarmtour #whatcomweavers
My autumn event haf to be cancelled due to flooding, but the flood has gifted me an unexpected joy!
Hey folks, sad announcement.... We are canceling the Autumn festival. The road out to the sheep is currently underwater and who knows when it's going to abate.
If we end up at any craft fairs I'll let you know where!
I know that many of you are looking forward to coming out and meeting the sheep and getting to know a little bit about the farm.
Pacific Northwest weather at a little bit of a different plan.
While doing chores I took an apple from our tree out back and had a snack. Annabelle started bleeting at me from the other side of the fence.
I walked on over and went in to give her some pets. She didn't want pets. She wanted my apple.
She's not even a little bit sorry that she ate the whole thing.
#hedgerowwillowsflockandfarm #finnsheepdairy #finnsheep #lovesthislife
Next Saturday, September 14th we’ll open our gates to visitors from 10am-4pm for this fun, free, and family-friendly event. Come visit Hedgerow Willows flock & farm for sheep shearing and willow weaving demos. Register for free here at the link in our bio. We can’t wait to see you!
@eatlocalfirstnw @Northwestshepardess @revivalcofeeco @moonandflowerart @revival_coffeeco @b.inthestudio
#EatLocalFirst #EatLocalMonth2024 #FarmTour #eatlocalfirstnw #finnsheep #friendlysheep #dairysheep #farmstead #microfarm #femalefarmer #firstgenerationfarmer #locethislife #finnsheepdairy #willowfarm #willowbasketryfarm #basketrywillow #farmevents #agritourisim #growthgoals #eatlocal #livelocal #growlocal #localart #hedgerowwillowsflockandfarm #willowgrower
"Green Edna" swaying in the wind as the storm clouds build. I love the resilience of Willow. Where some of the trees flushed with water are snapping and cracking in these summer breezes, willow rejoices in the dance.
'Green Edna' will be available for cutting presales in November on the website.
Green Edna grows slender, pale green, flexible rods with good tension and almost no branching. When soaked for weaving, it dries into a subtle light green color, making it a wonderful addition to your baskets. Green Edna looks a lot like 'streamco' but it weaves with less tension.
As use in your landscaping, Green Edna will grow to a medium large shrub if not copped annually. Allow "Green Edna" to grow for 2 to 3 years and you can harvest the bark for weaving.
#GreenEdna #basketrywillow #salixpurpurea #willowcuttings #willowweaving #hedgerowwillowsflockandfarm #willowfarm #willowgrower #farmgoals #localfarm #localart #pnwfarms #nanofarm
Join us today at the Lynden Farmers market and pick up your Farm fresh produce, eggs, and local meats.
#lyndenfarmersmarket #lyndenwa #eatlocalwa #hedgerowwillowsflockandfarm #willowweaver #localfarm #localart #freshchickeneggs #willowgrower #lovethelifeyoulive
When you put your face in a bucket of snacks and get caught.
I spent the morning hanging out with my sheep and this is Anastasia. She has come a long way since she was born back in February. 3 months ago. You could barely get close to her. Now she'll come over with any of her problems. Whether it's something like a blackberry bramble stuck to her wool that she wants out or a bucket stuck on her face, she'll walk over and ask for help.
I love this little sheepy.
Come out to the Lynden Farmers Market and pick up your groceries for the week. So many amazing vendors!
Beef from @faircowspathfarm
Fresh from the sea @lummiseafoodmarket
Duck and Chicken Eggs from us! #hedgerowwillowsflockandfarm
Microgreens from @twinleaf.farm
And all the local veggies! 5 Elements Harvest and @c.and.d.floral.and.produce !
#localfarm #lyndenfarmersmarket #freshfood #eatlocalwa #eatlocalwhatcomcounty #farmersmarket
An evening of bribing my sheep to be friendly. For the most part they're all fairly friendly, but in the evening I bring a bucket of grain out to my use and give them all some attention. And if they want the special grain, not just the alfalfa, they have to come to my lap and allow themselves to be packed. Bessie has decided that my brain is not worth pets, so instead she just eats alfalfa pellets in the evening. I really enjoy spending time with my sheep though and I hope that you guys will come out and meet them on the farm someday.
I am working on and practicing my Farmers market setup.
How does it pack in my car?
How long does it take to set up and take down?
Where does everything fit?
How does it hold up in the wind?.
These are all questions that I'd rather not learn on the fly at the market.
So I spend my afternoons practicing. Once I get the table set up right then it's on to placing product and display stands.
I feel a little bit eclectic in my life and it really shows in my Market Booth.
Our primary sales product is Willow and its baskets and I also make herbal teas, to sell farm fresh eggs, and I will have some limited produce.
The unseen "work" of farming. Hours of toiling and consideration and agonizing.
What is your unseen work?
