Summer 2014 Visit to Wormfarm

I visited Wormfarm for the first time since January with Jami, a friend and fellow artist-in-residence from last summer. It was a short visit but we got to say hello to Jay and Donna, and meet Lawton, a musician and current artist-in-residence, as well as this years Residency Manager, Loey, a flower essence therapist.

The Magical Barn-my home.

The swallow painting Pilar made last year. I thought it was fitting to photograph Pilar's favorite kitty, Jem under her work.

Dear Crookshanks.

I somehow forgot what a great friend he was to me last summer but he made sure I remembered.

Honey, lookin' a mess. I think she was molting.

Little Relly Belly (the black one) always looking so startled.

Dino.

Sunbathing!

This guy...Turkey the rooster was killed and eaten while this rooster remains...

We worked in the garden in the morning like old times.

Wormfarm from across the neighbors corn field.

Jami and Trouser.

Jami and I went foraging for black caps.

We visited Orange Cat Community Farm to see our friends, Laura, Katie and Little Anne (pictured above) and made delicious pizza with fresh ingredients from the farm!

Jami and I spent the night staring at the stars (and lighting sparklers with Lawton) and the day soaking up the sun (and meditating with Loey).

I am a Fartist. A farmer/artist. My friend, Nick gave me the title!

In the garden where we got our hands dirty every day last summer.

I was sent home with these beauties! I have only had one dozen eggs since I left Wormfarm last October. I don't see the point of eating eggs if they don't taste like these.

But not really...

Straw Hats, Black Caps and Chicken Cards

Group photo of the straw hat wearing artist farmers.  Eleanor, myself and Naomi.

Then Crook came along.  He is a cuddly one!

I went foraging for blackberries for 2 and a 1/2 hours.  I was covered head to toe to avoid being eaten alive by mosquitos.  I was dripping sweat and my hands and arms have many scrapes from the brambles but it was worth it!

Three pounds of blackberries!

And I made Wild Blackberry Jam! A couple weeks ago I made Rhubarb with Rosemary and Honey Jam and it was incredible.

I love searching through the garden to figure out what to make for dinner.  There are so many veggies growing now!

I have been making chicken business cards.

Saying Goodbye to Honey

Honey and I had a talk.  We agreed we will miss each other something awful.  I will miss her plumpness and she will miss my apple cores.

I hope to finish the 4th chicken tonight.  

I went black cap picking again.  This is my stained hand.  I hope to make blackberry jam when I get back home.

My sister comes tomorrow to spend the day at Wormfarm, then the next morning we leave.  I am excited to go home but at the same time, I don't like the thought of leaving here.  It is bittersweet.  But there are a lot more places to experience!

Black Caps and Garlic Scapes!

Jeff and I picked a bunch of black caps yesterday.  They grow all over in random places and are actually wild blackberries.  I found those pink flowers while we were looking for the berries.  They smell so wonderful!!!

This is what they look like when we find them.  They are ripe once they are dark purple.  I put them on my oatmeal today with some brown sugar!

Garlic scapes are the swirly things growing from the middle of the garlic.  They are actually a flower but you have to cut it off so all the nutrients goes to the garlic bulb and not the flower.  Anyways, garlic scapes taste super good, like garlic but a bit more subtle.  You can chop them up and put them in a salad or saute them.  Laura said she pickled them last year.  They are only around once a year and you will only find them at your local farmers market.  We harvested a ton of them today!

A garlic scape cut from the garlic.

The black caps were all along the outside of the trees.  It is so open and beautiful out here!