For the love of the Land...
Evening rounds and this chicory dandelion bed just really caught my eye. I love the deep green of the dandelion contrasting with the poppies. But then again, I tend to suffer a springtime affliction in which my kitchen garden veggie rotation competes against my serious poppy obsession... #farmlife ๐คทโโ๏ธ
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#poppy #kitchengarden #farmtroubles #couldbeworse #dandelion #chicory #farmbeauty #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Gently wild, politely chaotic. Asks no permission, makes no apologies. Flits in and out of existence each year without much notice, or with adoration, or scorned. Yet still significant. Provider, change-maker, stalwart. Vetch was my 'gateway-plant'. Will forever be my muse. Move in the change you want to see. Maintain your resolve. It's always worth the effort. ๐ #listentothem #bethechange #persevere #vetch
Life goal: Cultivate an even more delish paw-paw and call it 'maw-maw'. Patent pending, y'all. ๐ Aren't these flowers real gems, though? #pawpaw #flowers #fruittree #farmbeauty #farmlife #springtime #yum
These are a few of my favorite things. ๐ Happy Equinox y'all! Here's to finding and appreciating balance in all that lies ahead.
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#gaillardia #mexicanblanket #poppies #indianpaintbrush #blueberries #texas #farm #yall #wildflowers #springtime #firstdayofspring #wildbeauty #notreadyforsummer #yikes
We're on fire now y'all!!! ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ฅ
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At long last the dragon fruit are in ground and trellised. Swipe to see the trellis construction process. The idea was to use farm scrap type materials, build for resiliency, and keep it practical. Our high tunnels wouldn't fit the traditional style trellises very easily (plus wood rots and has to be replaced over time), so I needed a new plan. When full grown and fruiting, these plants are quite large and heavy. I decided to use two cattle panels back to back to reinforce and provide extra structure and support. In between these panels is coco fiber. Dragon fruit produces not only ground, but aerial roots as well. The coco fiber will give the aerial roots something to grip and provide them with a larger feeding surface (we'll spray the fiber with compost tea or seaweed periodically). The pvc on top of the panels was cut with a router table and intended to pad and protect the arms of the plant from being sliced open. This project has been months in the making so I'm really excited to finally be moving into the production phase! We've got five different varietals, so plenty to play with in the kitchen! Do you grow dragon fruit? What's your favorite and how are you using it in the kitchen? I'll also post follow-ups and recipes from my journey with this beautiful beast, so stay tuned! ๐๐๐ #dragonfruit #trellis #diy #farmhack #farmlife #resilience #growstronger #tropical #subtropical #hightunnel #innovate #ilovemyjob #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Innovating new and resilient agriculture models? And then through these models teach others to empower themselves? Yup, #thisiswomenswork ๐Standing in our soon-to-be perennial high tunnel with my dragon babies and their brand new trellis I designed from old farm scraps, feeling grateful for all the women in and beyond my life who paved the way for me to be here today. I'm honored to work with an incredible team of both women and men who challenge and empower me everyday to dig deeper and root stronger. Thanks @blackwoodland and happy #internationalwomensday y'all ๐ #iwd2018 #ilooklikeafarmer #womenwhofarm #empower #resiliency #dragonfruit
Bill Wither's "lovely day" is stuck in my head on repeat. My irrigation gremlins have disappeared for the morning, it's a gorgeous 50ยฐ and sunny out, and these arugula blossoms are on point with their peanut-y-ness, so I'm going to go ahead and say yeah... it's gonna be a lovely day. ๐ #billwithers #lovelyday #farmlife #luckyme
Video for the serious pollen action taking place, but actually I ended up being mesmerized by the crazy landing tactics taking place. ๐ฎ๐ค#bees #buzz #buzzy #woah #loveyourbees #farmlife #springtime #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Me, most afternoons recently...
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#thestruggleisreal #gratuitousdogpics #cutiepie #noshame #dogstagram #life #doggo #puppers #farmlife
Dragon fruit feeling much better getting out of the greenhouse and into the perennial High Tunnel. After some serious pruning, they're putting on some beautiful new growth. Thank goodness for resilient plants. ๐ #dragonfruit #darkstar #resilience #perennial #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood
Even chives gotta express themselves. โ๏ธ#whatif #allchiveslookedlikethis #psychedelicchives #chiveon #surivors #bedifferent #expressyourself #professionalfarmer #lol
May not seem like much, but this is where I feel like I've been livin' all week y'all and it's been one hell of a week. But the good news is, we did it! Thanks to my awesome intern and co-workers, I finally patched allllllllllll the overhead PVC for our irrigation, got new plastic up, and set the beds for our first planting of the perennial tunnel... dragon fruit!!! ๐ Trellis building starts tomorrow, so stay tuned! #hightunnel #irrigation #perennials #dragonfruit #soyummy #regenerativeagriculture #resilience #gobigorgohome #texasfarm #southernfarmer #itscoldyall #inhempsteadatleast ๐ฑ
Hey you busy bees!!! This afternoon (3 PM!) my loveliest colleague @gnottigraves and I will be talking all things good and magical @blackwoodland ! Tune them dials to Houston's community radio station 90.1 KPFT (or stream it online) to hear all about our transition into a perennial farm and nonprofit on Eco-ology! ๐
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#communityradio #kpft #ecoology #houston #texas #farmlife #knowyourfarmer #knowyourfood #farmingispublicservice #farmstrong
God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.
These are the words we dimly hear:
You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.
Flare up like a flame
and make big shadows I can move in.
Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Donโt let yourself lose me.
Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.
Give me your hand.
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Rainer Maria Rilke
#beach #latergram #meditations #poetry #everydaylove #selfcare
Baby dragons ๐
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One of my favorite garden carrots. Maybe a new favorite for you too if you're coming out tomorrow for our Morning in the Country lunch @blackwoodland ๐!
#carrots #dragoncarrots #farmfresh #eattherainbow #texas #farm #southernfarmer
The deliciousness of patterns in nature. ๐
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Rapini is our current household favorite... tender with just a hint of spice... even little pupper Noelle can't resist these farm treats! I personally love them roasted, but they're also great raw in salads, as pizza toppings, in soups, and even as a surprise ingredient in pesto. #yum #rapini #farmfresh #simplefood #nourish #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Thinned out the rapini beds this morning, and looky what we found! Fungal hyphae all across and within the soil's surface... a very good indicator of healthy soil development over the last season. These guys are basically a nutrient super highway for our plants and also help maintain soil structure. No-till beds for the win y'all! #fungi #fungalhyphae #hyphae #soilmatters #soilfoodweb #notill #texas #farm #southernfarmer
Dispatches from the field...
The Farmer at Blackwood Land
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Community involvement is the foundation of every successful farm. Our volunteers are the life-blood of the farm's operations. They help out with everything from weeding to harvesting, packing CSA's, and working in the nursery. It's like taking your own private gardening or farming class!
To be sure, the production farm is located in Hempstead, TX, just an hour NW of Houston off Hwy 290. Volunteer mornings are typically hosted on Saturdays.
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I believe that we must consciously develop a greater sense of Universal Responsibility. We must learn to work not just for our own individual self, family, or nation but for the benefit of all mankind.