LAMBING SEASON
Our ewes started lambing Wednesday, March 8th, with a big surprise! Marilyn had triplets. As our friend Mandy at Lum Farm said, “sheep can only really count to two”. Unfortunately, the little guy was not among those Marilyn counted, and is our very first bottle lamb. We named him Bhaltair (BAA-LTehR is a Scottish name which means Strong Fighter) AKA The Milk Pirate. He has had many adventures.
After finding him alone and hypothermic in the paddock, I called my sheep mentor Amy Lum, of Lum Farm. She came to our rescue, I took him to their farm and she helped me get the little guy back on track. After his long, warm soak in a sous vide bath of 102º to get his body temperature back up, he is doing great. Considering we’ve had sheep since 2019, we’ve been really lucky. The little guy is a gem.
As of this moment, half our ewes have had their babies and the rest of our VERY very pregnant girls are awaiting their lambs. All the fuzzy babies are incredibly adorable!
Oh, and sleep deprivation during our lambing season is definitely a thing! Joel and I are a bit groggy. I can only imagine what it’s like to have a larger flock than us, and I deeply empathize.
HELLO, SPRING!
The Spring Vernal Equinox is today, Monday, March 20, 2023!
What does that mean? Orcas Community Participatory Agriculture is about to start up for the season! If you’ve been sitting on the fence contemplating joining OCPA, do it! Here’s a little-known fact, your first month can be a trial period! If you need more info, you can talk to Caitlin, Laurie, or Patrick, the anchor farmers of OCPA, or with one of our seasoned participants and hear about their experience. To find out more, please check out their website and indicate your interest. We would LOVE more participants on the farm this season. Warm Valley Farm’s crew starts on April 1st, 9:00 am-12:00 pm. It’s sure to be a beautiful season
MOTHER’S DAY EVENT: May 10 - 13
We are super excited to be collaborating with Lisa Seehof for this event, we also plan to host some wonderful artists, from May 10th to the 13th. Join us for wonderful one-of-a-kind gifts, cut flowers, plants, plant starts for your mama, oh, and an extra dose of joy. We look forward to seeing you! More information coming in our next update.
WEDNESDAYS IN WARM VALLEY
The farmers market at Warm Valley Farm will run on Wednesdays from May 10th through October 4th from 3:00 pm-7:00 pm. We plan to start with a total of six to eight local vendors. We want to start with a smaller footprint and see how it grows.
If you or someone you know is interested in being a vendor, please let us know and we will send out an application. (The fee structure will help us cover the cost of the additional liability insurance, utilities, gravel for parking, and management time, and a portion will go towards the musician(s). we are especially looking for a baker, a fish or shellfish monger, plus more veggies, a few makers and artists, and a revolving slot for musicians every week.
BARN SWALLOW VINTAGE
We are now taking on a choice selection of consignment items (housewares, garden decorations, jewelry, and a few special clothing items). If you’ve stopped in for a visit, you know the vibe - vintage, quirky, wonderful, beautiful things. A place you can find the perfect one-of-a-kind Orcas Island keepsake, a wedding gift, cut flowers, and art. You can learn about the consignment process on our website.
OUR NEW BUILDING AND NURSERY
We are super fortunate to be gifted a “new to us” old building for the farm from generous local donors (thank you SO much). We just got the go-ahead from the Land Bank to move it to our place. AND, we could sure use your help!
The gifted building is a well-built shell with a lot of potential. The back side of the building needs to be sided, the eves and fascia board need replacing on the high side. We need to add a few operating windows, build an attached pergola, add some wider stairs, or a ramp, and the interior needs to be finished out with flooring, walls, and lights. If you’d like to contribute your labor and expertise or donate to the farm infrastructure cause, please let us know! We plan to hold fun classes, and events, and sell nursery products, tools, and plants. It will be wonderful to have an insulated, dry/warm addition to the farm.
HEARTH EVENT AREA
Slowly but surely we are prepping the Hearth for events! Joel has been working on a new fence that will keep the deer out, so we can landscape the area. Plant Oregon, which belongs to Joel’s cousin Dan, gifted us with a bunch of beautiful native plant stock. The space will be ready for some events this summer! We are hosting a farm-to-table dinner in collaboration with the San Juan Art Museum in August. More on that soon!
On the north side of the chimney, we will be building a cob pizza oven with our friend Learner in May. If you want to be part of the crew, let us know! We are also looking for some help to fortify the chimney with angle iron and strapping.
WEBSITE UPGRADE
We are updating our website! These improvements will help us sell directly from our site, add a calendar of upcoming events, and you’ll be able to book classes and experiences on Warm Valley Farm. There will be an area for Barn Swallow Vintage consignment, additional Wednesday’s Farmers Market details, as well as all the other info you’ve come to know. Please contact us if you’d like to teach or present a class with us this season. Happy Spring to all!
All the best, Annie & Joel