Wednesday, December 28, 2016

What a long, strange year it's been.

Dear 2016,
Remember that time in July when Patrick and I got the call that the Subaru's engine needed to be completely rebuilt (also known as the icing on the craptastic cake that was the first half of you), and I shook my fist at the sky and shouted, "What else ya got for us, 2016?!"

Man, did you ever deliver...

There's not much to say about you that hasn't already been said, 2016. But between your numerous punches, you gave us here at Slowly Global some wonderful gifts too.

Like that month on Orcas Island, and our subsequent road trip down the coast where we relived fond memories from April 2013 and got to explore Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park. That was pretty great.

Turtleback Mountain - Orcas Island

Hoh Rain Forest Hall of Moss - Olympic National Park

Olympic National Forest (day one-zero-four-four)

Cape Disappointment State Park - WA

The 2016 farm internship you gave us didn't exactly go as planned, but we still learned a lot about farming, the Rogue Valley, and ourselves during those 10 weeks. (We even got a weekend on the Eastern Rogue-Umpqua Scenic Byway - new territory to both of us.)

most important lesson: no onions on our future farm!
 
iconic Toketee Falls - check!

Besides, if that farm internship had worked out, we wouldn't have been able to help our parents relocate and settle into their new homes, enjoy extended time with family and friends on both coasts, spend a week on Steens Mountain and in the surrounding areas, and take a quick trip to Portland to see the man who started it all five years ago. So thanks for all of that.

Rocky Mount, NC

Eugene, OR

Kiger Gorge - Steens Mountain

Clear Lake - Sisters, OR

Frank Turner's mosh pit at the Oregon Zoo

Your latest gift of this extended Coos Bay housesit has turned out better than we expected. We're appreciative of our jobs and the new friends we've made. We're also enjoying the natural beauty of Coos County and the quirky little pockets of culture we run across from time to time.

our backyard for the winter

And let's not forget the beer, 2016. Good job on the beer.

the northwest is the best

Between your punches and your gifts, 2016, you've really given us a lot to think about. We've gone around and around about where we go from here, and it's still anyone's guess... But as a wise man once said, as long as we've got a place to sleep, clothes on our backs, and some food to eat, we can't ask for anything more.

Onward,
J&P

Friday, October 7, 2016

Friday five: before and after.

I have this obsession with taking "before" and "after" photos during our WWOOF gigs. It's so gratifying for me to see concrete evidence of my manual labor. I just don't get that kind of satisfaction from an office job, no matter how rewarding the organization...

It's also fun to take time-lapse photos in the garden. Pretty amazing how quickly seeds become giant plants!

I never did anything with the before/after photos, though, so I figured it was high time to change that! Here are five sequences from our Myrtle Point, OR WWOOF experience...

 broccoli - week one

broccoli - week four

brassica beds - before planting

brassica beds - after planting

fava bed - before clearing

fava bed - after clearing
(I had some help with this one!)

barley rows - before clearing

barley rows - after clearing 
(I had some help with this one too!)

And finally, not related to my manual labor but definitely related to how fast things grow...

 Ravi, week one

Ravi, week four

You're welcome. :)

Friday, September 23, 2016

Local WWOOFing near Myrtle Point, Oregon.

I had this idea to do a Friday Five featuring five things we learned during our recent WWOOF gig near Myrtle Point, Oregon. As I sat down to make the list, though, I realized that five things wouldn't cut it - even with 16 farms and homesteads already under our belts, we still learned a surprising number of new things during our 5-week stay at this beautiful garden and orchard!

the garden

the orchard

For example, we learned how to harvest watercress, lemon verbena, and chamomile.

watercress: cut the tips for salads, 
then give it all a good haircut to promote growth

lemon verbena: three leaves per leaf cluster -
pick two to dehydrate for tea, leave the third leaf

As for chamomile... It's complicated. Next time I see you, I'll explain.

We learned that edible flowers like calendula, nasturtium, and borage make a good salad great.

almost too pretty to eat... almost

We learned about the espalier method of fruit tree training, which saves space, is much easier to manage, and (if done corrrectly) should result in a better harvest yield year-to-year.

espalier: French for Italian for
"something to rest the shoulder against"

We learned new methods of composting and mulching, including scattering coffee grounds around roses and blueberries; improving orchards with taproot plants that are cultivated as mulch for trees; and using biochar as a soil amendment.

chicory feeding the trees

charcoal goodness

Oh, and we learned how biochar is made - in fact, we saw it firsthand!

fire in the hole

I learned how to drive a Mule (correctly) and use a riding lawnmower... both of which rank right up there with leafblowing and weed-whacking in my book. But thanks to my Mule training, I finally understand differential locking. So there's that.

We learned that it's okay to plant cover crops with vegetable crops.

pak choy, meet buckwheat and barley

I learned how to can peaches and pears...

pie coming soon

... and I finally, FINALLY got some practice making cheese - in this case, chevre made from raw cow's milk and kefir grains.

recipe here - who knew it was so easy?

They also make their own brie, gorgonzola, feta, parmesan, and cheddar. And they make their own butter, buttermilk, yogurt, and of course kefir. And a whole lot of other things. (Like bread. Lots and lots of bread. Which we did not enjoy one bit.)

We learned that you CAN grow kiwi in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe bananas too - the jury is still out on that one...

really, coastal Southern Oregon? really?

We learned that bugs are doing their part to keep Oregon weird.

banded alder borer,
our first cabin visitor

"black and yellow garden spider"
(dear bug namers, could you be a little more original?)

We learned that there really is something to herbal remedies. One of the daily routines was "infusion" tea, which supposedly reduces allergies and respiratory issues, and also improves skin, hair, and general health. 

dandelion root, oat straw, and nettle, soaked overnight

Daily gardening and living in a cabin with a wood stove can sometimes lead to a stuffy nose. We definitely noticed a breathing improvement on the days we drank our "infusion," so we're continuing the practice at our coastal housesit. I also learned the hard way, that arnica salve helps to reduce swelling and pain in tweaked tendons. (And I learned not to cut buckwheat with scissors. Ouch.)

We learned that small towns kinda rock.

3rd annual GOATZILLA!
(and the crowd goes wild)

70th annual Bandon Cranberry Festival

Coquille Valley Seed Community's annual tomato tasting

We learned that kittens are AH-DOR-AH-ABLE.

Shaam

Pepper & Ravi

You knew that already, though.

We learned that army mobile units make pretty good cabins for WWOOFers.

shack #1

shack #2

But the most important thing we learned, we actually re-learned. See, we specifically chose this WWOOF experience because of the intentional community aspect. This is definitely something we want to explore as we think about our farm future - assuming you find the right mix of people, it's a great way to share the burdens of cost and labor, and there is much to be said for being surrounded by "your people." (There is also much to be said when things don't go as planned and you find yourself not surrounded by "your people." Exhibit A: Slowly Global's Farm Internship 2016.)

During this WWOOF stint, we spent five weeks with 11 friends who, over the past 25(ish) years, have created a shared space, a shared business, and a shared life together. The only way for this to be successful is to set aside egos, actively listen, and make time for each other. Common sense for any relationship - friends, family, significant other, business partner - right? Well, after the stressful year we'd had to date, let's just say that we really needed this reminder for us. And surely it will pay off if we do go the communal farm route.

This was our first local WWOOF gig, and now that we're housesitting 20 miles away over the winter, we're happy to say that we're walking away without actually walking away. In addition to introducing us to numerous people in the community, our new friends have hired Patrick at their business. I'll be visiting the garden now and then, and we both look forward to continuing to socialize in the coming months. It's pretty unusual to be able to move into a new community having already made a solid group of friends, and we're really grateful that these folks opened their doors and their lives to us.

But first things first! Our Coos Bay housesit runs through February, which gives us just enough time to save up some money, figure out Operation Five Year Plan (catchy acronym pending), and set it in motion... Stay tuned - we may be standing still, but exciting things are coming soon!

in the meantime, can't complain about our new backyard playground...

Sunday, July 31, 2016

ExplOregon, June 2016 edition, part three.

After three days in Steens Mountain and two days exploring five geologic wonders (among other things) in Lake County, Oregon, family duties called and it was time to meander back to Eugene.

We considered trying our luck at Paradise Campground again, but a quick check showed that almost all the sites were reserved that night so we opted for Coldwater Cove Campground instead. Sometimes no planning really does pay off...

campsite #1 for the win

Our site was surrounded by Douglas-fir pines and steep hills on either side. Hummingbirds buzzed around the flowers all afternoon; bats swooped around the trees all evening. A funny little chipmunk kept us entertained.

OH HAI!

And? There was no generator running all night (we didn't even hear any of our neighbors)... Thank you, Universe.

There's a ~5-mile easy loop that circles Clear Lake. The trail goes from the campground through lava fields and pine forests, and offers stunning views of the lake.

 open to hikers and bikers - watch out!

about a mile of this, then forest the rest of the way

 the little boy caught his first fish!

 {hearting} Oregon right about now

snoozin'

 Washington lilies...

 ... and tiger lilies...

... and Alaskan bunchberry, oh my

 to the west
 
no filter...

... yes, the water really is that color

Many more photos start here. I cannot recommend this loop enough! If you're not up for the walk, you can rent kayaks and canoes from Clear Lake Resort. No engines are allowed on the lake so the walk/row is quite peaceful.

Leftover soup and salad after that five-mile walk didn't really cut it for dinner...

 bottom of the barrel... er, cooler

... so the next morning, we treated ourselves to a breakfast of champions at Clear Lake Resort. 

never. eating. again.

Coldwater Cove and Clear Lake were the perfect ending to our trip. Deserts and hot springs and arid flatlands with geologic wonders are fun and all, but walking (and sleeping) among those tall pines, with that crisp, cool air all around us and that glacial lake just a few hundred feet away, we felt like we were home again.

And now, if you'll excuse us...

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