Hi, July! The Latest News and Notes from Farm & Larder and Bella Luna Farms

Whew: Those last few days of record-breaking heat to end June have (thankfully!) transitioned into more normal summer temperatures this week as we gladly welcome the month of July. Everything seems to be in full summer bloom here at the farm, bursting to life in vibrant color, and keeping us busy watering, weeding, and harvesting from dawn to dusk.

The bold and beautiful tiger lilies that grow near the house have just begun to bloom, and during the warm afternoons, the goats are often spotted resting and ruminating in the sunshine. (They keep this up until the evening hours when things start to look a little livelier out there when fresh hay for dinner arrives in the barn.)

Summer chores continue in the gardens, where we marvel at the growth of the beans, peas and cucumbers that climb their trellises by inches each day. Apples, plums and pears are developing on the trees and the Montmorency pie cherries will be harvested this week! We also are eagerly anticipating the first crop of fresh, juicy Tulameen raspberries that are just now starting to ripen. Some of these tart-sweet berries will be destined for a summer fruit crisp or for snacking, but a good portion are always set aside to use in our favorite fresh raspberry jam.

The honey bees are also loving the pleasant afternoons and buzz busily amongst the many varieties of blossoms, working hard collecting pollen and nectar; the blackberry flowers are a special favorite for them, being one of the honeybee’s main food sources here in the Pacific Northwest.

As life inches more towards normalcy, weddings are again taking place and we have also begun to plan to host classes and workshops here at the farm once again. To help with this, we are looking to add a few special staffers to help us rejuvenate our lineup of classes and to help maintain the two-acre cut flower garden next to our hoophouse we planted last year. Here, we grow many of our favorite flowers such as dahlias, phlox, cosmos, sunflowers and more. (If you or someone you know would be a great fit to join our team, please reach out to us! Full details will be posted soon on our websites as well.)

We hope you enjoyed a safe and happy 4th of July, and that we see you here (in person!) again soon in the coming months!

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farm & garden notes
hi, march

workshops & events
new classes!

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