ON THE FARMJamruary continues at the Ehler Rd farm stand. There's a cash box for five dollar jams and other items in the yellow stand. Books, seeds, etc. on the right are free to take. _____Rod's HouseThis week we took trays of homemade macaroni and cheese, Nona's dinner rolls with butter and strawberry & chamomile jam, a neighbor donated ham and an array of yummy baked goods from the fantastic folks at Little Bake Shop. We also threw in a few other things including educational materials in English and Spanish,

ON THE FARMAnd just like that, it's planting time again! We start with slow growing seeds like onions and celery, and perennials that like a cooling period. We're also pulling out seeds that want to be started "as soon as the ground can be worked." This year we're offering seeds in our shop, too--varieties that have consistently done well in our climate. First up are leeks, hulless black barley (pictured above) and a special short season watermelon called Cream of Saskatchewan, introduced to us by Farmer Wren. Jamruary Continues--All Jams

ON THE FARMHappy Jam-ruary! We've emptied our shelves of jams over the holidays, and now we start powering through last year's harvest to make room this year's. New varieties include Blueberry & Black Currant and Strawberry & Chamomile.Jams are just $5 each for the first two weeks of this month.Rod's HouseThis week we served up apple and strawberry rhubarb turnovers with Nona's Everything But the Bagel bread and two trays of ham, rice and broccoli casserole. Just 12 weeks of Tuesday deliveries left this season. If you'd like to contribute

ON THE FARMIn the shop this week we're spotlighting our new Human Rights stickers. Sport one with pride to show the world who you are, and what you're about. Together WE can be the catalyst for local conversations about human rights.We grew oyster mushrooms this year, and to make them friendlier for folks who "don't like mushrooms," I dried and powdered them. This week they went into all sorts of gravies and sauces, including two big trays of beef stroganoff for Rod's House. Nona made homemade rolls to accompany, and

ON THE FARMI've been making all manner of gifty items this week, including alpaca fiber dryer balls and our new Mudhoney soap with local clay and local honey. I make hot process soap in the crock pot. It takes an hour. Here's the recipe I use:(***If you've never made soap before and are about to try, please check out this detailed article .)2.4 oz castor oil7.6 oz olive oil20 oz coconut oil9 oz distilled water4.8 oz lye +1 TBSP local clay1 TBSP local honeyClay and honey hydrate and soothe the

On the FarmHyssop (left) is a drought hardy member of the mint family. It has a beloved spot in our Bees & Teas garden.I'm currently processing our farm grown hyssop. After I strip the dried material from the stems, it goes into our some of our winter favorites: lavender, hyssop and oolong tea; elecampane, mullein and hyssop honey; and our herbal bath teas. We also offer it dried by the ounce for use in your own herbal projects. And two essential resources are now available in our store:Wheaton Labs Permaculture