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

Spring is coming: After a gray, cold, and wet February, we are greeting the arrival of March with extra enthusiasm this year as we hope it will soon bring more encouraging glimpses of spring-like weather with the first official day of the season just around the corner. The pop weed in the garden has certainly woken up despite the cold, providing fresh greens for the hens to enjoy!

Plans for spring are picking up and we are excited to announce that we have an expansive roster of Classes on the Farm workshops planned for you this season! The months of March and April will include the following highlights:

TRUFFLE EXTRAVAGANZA (March 23rd):
Sunny Diaz of Cascadia Truffles and Stella, her truffle hunting Lagotto Romagnolo dog, will demonstrate how to search for truffles in the wild; the hunt will be followed by a stunning meal centered around this distinctive ingredient.

FRENCH SPRING SUPPER(April 14th):
Former Sitka & Spruce Chef Danny Conkling explores the beautiful bounty of spring through a classic French supper during this one-of-a-kind cooking class.

THE ART OF BUTTERMAKING (April 20th):
Back by popular demand, professional cheese and buttermaker Meghan McKenna teaches us how to make glorious cultured butter at home.

SOULFUL FLAVORS OF THE SOUTH (April 21st):
Chef Matt Lewis of Where Ya At Matt? Fame will guide us through an exploration of classic New Orleans recipes, including gumbo with a Northwest twist, and freshly-made beignets!

CREATE YOUR OWN BOTANICAL JEWELRY (April 27th):
Learn how to make beautiful botanical jewelry! Join expert gardener designer and garden coach Susan Papanikolas for this dreamy workshop and learn what plants work well for these stunning adornments.

Full details and registration information can be found on our Classes on the Farm site; check your calendars and reserve your spot; we’d love to have you join us! (Keep your eyes peeled as well: May classes will be posted soon!)

In between preparing and planning for these curated classes, we’ve been spending more and more time out of doors, as are our resident animals. The chickens are busy daily scratching for bugs in their outdoor enclosure and the ‘girls’ and the donkey are starting to shed their thick winter undercoats in favor of a sleek new look. Each day we keep an eye out for the postman: Seeds continue to arrive daily, including lots of new varieties we are excited to try. Strawberry, onion and asparagus plants are on their way, as well as seed potatoes and artichoke starts, and the kale, broccoli, and cauliflower seeds are just starting to emerge in the hoophouse. Later this month the spring peas and onions will be planted outdoors under row covers, and we hope to begin harvesting our first crops of flavorful baby spring greens from the hoop house by the end of the month. (Fingers crossed!)

As the days continue to lengthen, we look forward to saying good-bye to winter and hello to spring and all the fresh and bright flavors it provides; we hope to host you here soon!