Raspberry season is upon us. We just opened our u-pick raspberry fields and the berries look and taste great. Last winter we pruned back our blueberries and it has paid off with bigger plumper berries. The season on both of these berries is just beginning and should last for most of July. Sorry marionberry and boysenberry lovers, these berries aren't quite ripe. The best picking on all of our berries is always mid-week, when the plants have recovered from our busy weekends of u-pickers. We're open until sunset, so bring out a picnic and spend a magical evening picking berries and picnicking under our 100-year-old oak tree.
The farm is open for business and we're working hard trying to complete all of our plowing and planting. Check out our roaming chickens and Matilda the pig. It's all part of summer on the farm.
Visit the farm and you'll find a farm store, canning supplies, farm animals and the freshest local produce around. Phil's grill is now open on weekends serving up great farm fare and BBQ. Sign up for our newsletter mailing list (below) and be the first to hear about the latest from the farm.
Thursday Music Update News about our Farm Stand Permit Application
People keep asking us if we're having our harvest celebrations and music on Thursday nights again this summer. We are currently in the process of updating our existing Farm Stand Permit with Multnomah County. It's a very involved process and, if our application is approved, these and other similar programs will continue. There is also a chance that our application will be denied and there will be no Thursday evening music this summer. We expect a decision from the county on July 6th or 7th and will post the decision here as soon as we know.
Please feel free to e-mail Farmer Don if you have any questions or concerns about our application. Our goal is to continue to provide the public with a unique farm experience while remaining stewards of the land and good neighbors to the residents of the island.
A Word About Weddings
We are in the process of updating our Farm Stand permit with the county to include weddings. Until there is a decision on our application (which we expect in late June) we are no longer taking any reservations for weddings. If you are interested in being contacted once we hear from the county, please sign up for our e-mail newsletter below and click the "weddings" box during the sign up. We will contact you about future dates (including 2010) once we hear from the county. We apologize that because we are currently in the middle of the application process, we are not able to discuss potential pricing or dates at this time.
Under an agreement with the county, we are allowed to proceed with 24 weddings we had already booked for this summer when the permit process began.
Visit Farmer Don's blog and follow his farming adventure with daily updates on life on the farm. Have a comment or question? E-mail Farmer Don now. See you soon.... (Farmer Don is super-busy working the farm and it could take a few days for him to get back to you. Please call the store at 503-621-3489 for faster service)
