We just picked 50 lb of Gamay grapes. The Pinot noir grapes will be ready next week. Now if we just had a stemmer crusher machine.
A good year for gapes.
Farmstand Fun
Oh-oh, looks like it is time to restock the farmstand! As word gets around, sales at our self-serve farmstand is becoming pretty substantial. No worries! We are presently harvesting about 40 lbs of tomatoes, 20 lbs of summer squash, and 100 lbs of cucumbers daily so there is no chance we will run out.
Farmstand customers – please take note: There is a box to accept cash payments, and posted QR codes for payment by Zelle, Paypal, or Venmo. If farmer Mark happens to be nearby when you visit, payment by credit card is also an option. If you anticipate making a large purchase, text us at 425-268-2198 so we can harvest precisely what you need exactly when you need it.
High &Dry Farmstand is at 32814 120th St. SE, Sultan, WA 98294
Farming Software – Organic Farmer 4.0
Maintaining organic certification requires keeping complete, extensive and detailed records about all aspects of farm work, and requires keeping copies of receipts for all purchases of seeds, fertilizers, etc. Even market gardeners that do not seek organic certification must maintain extensive records to be compliant with food safety laws as codified in the FSMA. As I am an intrinsically disorganized person, I have created a relational database to facilitate keeping and maintaining the required records. The database is now on its third iteration of improvement. The beauty of the database is that it runs in the cloud on Airtable, which allows access by smartphone from the field, as well as via web browser from a laptop or desktop computer.
Annual recertification of an organic farm requires an inspection that typically takes two to three hours, with most of this time devoted to auditing farm records. During High & Dry Farm’s most recent certification inspection, Airtable allowed me to power through the audit, which was completed within one hour, with no significant issues reported.
We am now making this database system, Organic Farmer 4.0, available to farmers completely without charge. Sign up for a free Airtable account here. Once you have signed up, download a copy of the Organic Farmer 4.0 database to your Airtable account here. Detailed instructions for use of Organic Farmer 4.0 can be found here.
High Tunnel Progress
After some thought we decided to build our new high tunnel with 4′ hoop spacing, instead of 5′, for added strength, so the planned dimensions are now 30′ x 96′. A big unexpected roadblock is that we cannot perform site leveling or post installation until an archaeologist assesses the site, and NRCS has no idea when the archaeologist can visit, as they employ only one to cover the whole state. WTF?
The hoophouse kit arrived on June 5. 7000 lbs of steel. Today we are in the middle of assembling 25 hoops with trusses. The hoops weigh about 200 lbs each, so muscling them around in 85 degree heat ain’t a lot of fun. We are a little more than half done.
- Updated progress report
- Grant contract signed -Done
- Rototill site – Done
- Fed approval of contract – Done
- Set position of 4 corner posts and check for square – Done
- Order high tunnel kit from Oregon Valley Greenhouse – Done
- Site visit by archeologist and NCRS Cultural Resources approval – Sept.5 Done
- Preassemble bow assemblies – Done.
- Rent stump grinder to remove 3 stumps – Done
- Roughly level site (1.5% grade allowed) and sculp drainage channels along sides – Done
- Set 4 corner posts – Done
- Set side posts – Done
- Mount bows – Done
- Install diagonal bracing on sides – Done
- Install three longitudinal purlins – Done
- Construct endwall frame – Done
- Mount endwall door frames – Done
- Attach baseboards and hip boards – Done
- Attach wigglewire channel – Done
- Mount poly skin – Done
- Install side roll-up devices – Done
- Install perimeter landscape fabric – Done
- Job Complete Oct. 20
Infrastructure
Making progress. The site has been leveled and forms put into place to pour a concrete foundation. Our trusty farm truck has hauled big loads of construction materials. The base and 4 walls for the walk-in cooler have been constructed and await assembling on the concrete foundation when it is complete.
Launching our Farmstand
Fresh vegetables are now available from High & Dry Farm’s new farmstand. Vegetables should be pre-ordered, with payment by credit card here, and then picked up the following day at our farmstand at
32814 120th St. SE, Sultan, WA 98294
Foraging
I can’t decide whether foraging food or growing food is more satisfying. Our horse pastures sprout meadow mushrooms this time of year, and this year the crop has been huuuuuuge.
A few of these will become a side-dish for steak tonight. The rest go into our dehydrator.
Before and after
Before 
After 
8″ tall!
Farming Aptitude Test
Multiple choice (chose all correct answers).
You need to remove this 100′ row of exhausted summer squash plants to plant a fall crop of radishes and salad greens. To accomplish this task you will need:
- A stout pair of gloves
- A cool cloudy day
- A helicopter with grappling cable
- Patience
Hoophouse Sunrise
We are past the winter solstice. As the days grow longer the growth of the young arugula, spinach and lettuce in High & Dry Farm’s hoop houses speeds up. Spring is still far off, but we can dream.