3 Corners Farm And Homestead

Growing Hydroponic Salad Greens in the Columbia River Gorge

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 22:02:00 +0000

What We've Been Up To at 3 Corners Farm: Hydroponic Farming in the Columbia River Gorge

Greetings!

It has been a full two years since I last focused on writing a blog. I originally intended to step away only briefly, but life on the farm became wonderfully busy. Over the past couple of years, our farm has continued to grow, and keeping up with both supply and demand has required our full attention.

Rather than blogging, we spent our time refining our skills, improving our hydroponic systems, and learning how to produce the best quality greens possible. Now that things have settled into a steadier rhythm, I’m excited to return and share more about our hydroponic farm and the lifestyle that comes with it.

For those who are new here, welcome! I’d love to give you a glimpse into who we are, where we live, and what makes our small farm unique.

Hydroponic Farming at 3 Corners Farm

Our hydroponic farm is thriving! One of the most fun additions to the farm recently is the large mural painted across the front of our shipping container grow unit. The mural features Bigfoot enjoying a bowl of our salad greens, surrounded by scenes of the beautiful Columbia River Gorge.

Bigfoot Eating Lettuce

Local artist Denae Manion created this wonderful piece of art, which also includes views of Mount Adams, vineyards, running horses, forests, and a doe with her fawn. These images represent the natural beauty of the area we call home.

During spring and summer, we often see cyclists traveling through the area stop to admire the mural. It’s always fun watching people discover it as they pass by the farm.

Inside the shipping container, our hydroponic growing system produces approximately 160 pounds of fresh salad greens each week. After several years of growing this way, we’ve found a steady rhythm that works well for us. Like any type of farming, however, hydroponic growing comes with its own challenges.

Challenges of Hydroponic Farming

Farming is never perfect, and every season brings new lessons. Here are a few of the challenges we face on our hydroponic farm.

1. Fungus Gnats

Even though our system is indoors, pests can still find their way inside. Fungus gnats are tiny but can multiply quickly and cause problems for young plants.

To manage them, we regularly replace the black foam and cotton strips used in the panels and add food-grade hydrogen peroxide to the water tanks to eliminate gnat eggs. Travis is also exploring a new panel insert system that holds plants in small individual cups during growth.

This setup could reduce pest issues and improve water control. Once we have better photos and results from testing, I’ll share more details.

2. Cotton Strips and Foam Panel Issues

The cotton strips that wick water to the plants and the foam that holds them in place have begun to saturate more easily over time. This makes it difficult to regulate how much water each plant receives.

FAL Insert

Unfortunately, sourcing replacement materials has become increasingly difficult and expensive. The cup system we’re experimenting with might provide a better long-term solution, but as with many farm improvements, it comes with a high cost.

Farming often requires balancing investment, risk, and potential outcomes, which can sometimes feel stressful. Still, experimentation is part of innovation.

3. Supply Delays and Maintenance

Like many farms today, we occasionally deal with shipping delays for nutrients and specialized supplies needed for our hydroponic setup. Rising costs also add another layer of challenge.

We also keep a close eye on water emitters, which can sometimes become clogged. Monitoring and replacing them is tedious but necessary to keep the system running smoothly.

Travis reminds me often that challenges are simply part of farming—whether indoors or outdoors—and he is much better at rolling with those bumps in the road than I am!

My Role on the Farm

While Travis is truly the hydroponic grower extraordinaire, my strengths on the farm tend to shine behind the scenes and with caring for our animals.

I also love sharing our farming journey with others, because we learn so much from fellow farmers and homesteaders. Beyond growing greens for customers, we use them to feed our own family alongside produce from our home garden, filled with root vegetables and seasonal crops.

Cooking from scratch is something I deeply enjoy. I regularly make our own breads, pastries, peanut butter, jams, broths, soups, pasta, and more using ingredients grown right here on the farm.

Expanding Our Egg Production

Another exciting focus this year has been expanding our flock of chickens so we can sell farm-fresh eggs.

Chicken Eggs

Last summer we completed the certification process to sell eggs through stores, farmers' markets, and the Gorge Farmers' Collective. The hens are free-range during the day and safely housed at night.

For the first time in many years of raising chickens, we also have a friendly rooster, which means we can incubate eggs and hatch chicks naturally if we choose. Watching mother hens raise their chicks in a natural environment is always a joy.

Learning New Skills and Sharing the Farm Online

Recently, I’ve also begun returning to video creation. In the past, I found the process overwhelming, but after sitting down to try again, I realized much of what I learned before had stayed with me.

Taking time away from media allowed me to fully focus on farm life, settle into my role as a farmer’s wife, and simply catch my breath. Now I’m excited to begin sharing more videos about our hydroponic systems, farm animals, and daily life here at 3 Corners Farm.

Looking Ahead

There is so much more I look forward to sharing in future posts, including:

The arrival of our honey bees
Stories about our farm animals
More details about growing hydroponic salad greens
Expanding both indoor and outdoor growing

It feels wonderful to be back to blogging. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me, and I’m grateful for readers like you who enjoy following along on this journey.

Until next time, may we all move into spring with gratitude and positivity.

Warmly,

Amy E. Darr
3 Corners Farm
Mosier, Oregon, USA

~Here is a Glimpse Into Our Hydroponics Farming Journey for the Spring of 2024!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 03:21:00 +0000

Welcome to our farm and hydroponics journey, where every day brings new growth and endless possibilities! At 3 Corners HydroFarm LLC, we're dedicated to pioneering sustainable farming practices, exploring the intricate dance between technology and nature to cultivate nutritious produce year-round.

Let's dive in and begin with the fascinating things we've learned so far in this journey.

For those of you who are new to us, welcome! Feel free to visit our About Us page to quickly glimpse who we are, what we do, where we live, and what makes our farm business unique.

What We Have Been Growing and Doing

To recap a bit, we initially experienced significant success using our new hydroponics unit, producing a hundred pounds of lettuce when we first implemented this new system/unit. However, we encountered challenges along the way, resulting in a decrease to only 30 pounds per week. Through problem-solving and experimentation, we've successfully addressed these challenges and are now increasing our production once again. I will share more about the changes we made at the end of this blog.

For those of you unfamiliar with us, our specialty lies in growing salad mixes, though we've also introduced Radicchio and experimented with Romaine and Little Gem lettuce, along with various microgreens.

The seeds are all meticulously planted by our 15-year-old daughter, Megan, and nurtured in the nursery for three weeks before being transplanted to the wall panels of the hydroponics unit, housed within a shipping container. The growth period currently spans seven weeks from start to finish, with the greens flourishing in the panels for four weeks.

Trials involving radishes, microgreens, and other variations of greens will primarily be sold at the upcoming Farmer's Market in The Dalles Oregon, but the majority of our sales are catered to our main customer base of restaurants that require fresh greens in substantial quantities.

Freight Farm Nutrients

An Extra Fun Hydroponics Project

Exciting news! We've received approval to commission local artists to paint a mural across our shipping container, adding vibrancy to our farm and better integrating the hydroponics unit into our landscape. While we're not quite ready to reveal the images just yet, stay tuned to our future blogs for the big reveal! We anticipate the project to be completed by this summer, but there's still much preparation needed to welcome the professional painters and their equipment to our property. The grounds around the shipping container currently resemble a construction site as we continue our preparations.

As the earth gradually dries out after winter, we're gearing up to commence our clean-up efforts.

Garden Planting and Additional Hydroponics details

This spring, alongside our hydroponic farming endeavors, Travis is embarking on planting more salad mixes at a separate lot we lease in Odell, Oregon. While we can't yet quantify the additional produce yield from this venture, it promises to substantially boost our overall output. We just got that land prepped and weeded yesterday, and as I type this now, Travis is there planting at this very moment.

As I stated above, we've encountered some snags with our hydroponics system lately and now I would like to explain more of that outcome. After struggling to maintain a full healthy harvest, Travis reached out to experts from Freight Farms for assistance. Together, we identified and rectified issues such as imbalanced water levels, resulting in slower growth.

For those of you interested in learning about hydroponics farming more in-depth, you may find the following details interesting.

We have formerly been keeping the planted seedlings in the nursery area for three weeks but we've learned we can double our growth by only allowing the young plants two weeks. The baby plants have been growing so well that they are too large at the time of transplanting which causes them stress and they don't thrive during the wall panel growth phase.

The Nursery Table With Baby Plants Laid Out and Ready for Transplanting.

So now we will shorten the nursery phase by a week and the plants will get four weeks in the cultivation area where there are 15 plants per channel, with 45 plants per panel, and 22 panels per row.

This is an Image of the Cultivation Area.

Here are the changes we need to make to the water cycles:

For the cultivation area, we will change the water from dripping at five-minute intervals every 40 minutes to ten-minute intervals every 20 minutes.

For the nursery table, we will change the water cycle from eight hours to ten, which will lengthen the time between that dripping watering cycle.

The outcome is promising — not only can we grow more, but healthier produce at a steadier rate! Adjustments in the transplantation process and water cycles are underway, ensuring optimal growth conditions.

A Quick Animal Update

In other areas of our small farm, lovingly referred to as our Homestead, our dozen or so animals, ranging from horses and goats to dogs and cats, are thriving. However, our senior mare and one of our small dogs require medication for various health issues.

We completed the horse paddock platform that we were working on this past winter and we will continue to upgrade our property to ensure our animals' comfort.

Maintaining a diverse group of animals who need a forever home, despite health or behavioral issues, is an endeavor close to our hearts. They live out their days with us, receiving the care and love they deserve. Our small group of animals has become a local attraction, contributing to our farm's visibility within the community. We are grateful to have the addition of the hydroponics unit because it helps us maintain the funding for our special needs animals while also providing goodness to others. We are truly blessed.

So, Ta Ta For Now!

In our next blog, we'll share the impact of the changes we've implemented on our produce sales, updates on the Odell lot, and insights from the upcoming The Dalles Farmer's Market season.

And of course, don't miss the mural reveal!

Thank you for joining us on this journey of futuristic farming. May you embrace all the wonders this spring season has to offer, and may you be blessed!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

~Harvesting Hope: Our Hydroponic Homestead Journey Unveiled~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 23:23:00 +0000

Hello there, fellow green enthusiasts! Welcome to our homestead and the new hydroponics haven. Are you ready to embark on a winter journey into the world of green goodness?

For those new to our community, a warm welcome! Feel free to explore our "About Us" page to get to know who we are, what we do, and what sets us apart.

In our previous blog posts, we delved into the exciting realm of hydroponics, sharing our journey from conception to certification.

Hydroponics Is On Its Way!

Seeds of Change: Navigating Hydroponics on Our Homestead!

Now, let's catch up on our experiences so far.

Our Hydroponic Adventure Unveiled:

We kicked off in the last week of November with the transplanting of radishes, which served as our initial system test. Unfortunately, we encountered a hiccup with our pH sensor, leading to an overdose of pH Down and an untimely demise for the radishes. Quick to respond, Freight Farms sent us replacement pH sensors, resolving the issue promptly.

The Inaugural Planting of Salad:

Moving into December, we transplanted 990 seedlings onto the first panels, a routine we'll maintain weekly. Still, in the learning phase within our shipping container setup, we faced challenges like an HVAC unit glitch, which Travis skillfully resolved on Christmas morning, ensuring optimal conditions for our hydroponic unit.

Nursery Table

However, the initial hiccups affected the yields of our first two harvests. The extra heat and humidity stressed the plants, but with lessons learned, we're now adjusting water levels for more even lettuce growth. Despite these challenges, January 2nd marked a milestone with our first harvest of 100 pounds of salad mix. Better days are ahead!

First Salad Mix This Year

Homestead Happenings Beyond Hydroponics:

Amidst our hydroponic endeavors, we dealt with excessive mud due to fall rains, prompting us to create a platform for our horse and her friends. Thanks to generous donations of used railroad ties and mats, along with some hard work hauling river rock, we transformed their environment. We are forever grateful to the wonderful earth angels who helped us make this endeavor possible!

Here is Willow standing on her new platform to keep her hooves out of the mud while she eats.

In other news, we managed to get our new pup current on vaccinations, microchip, and spay. Our furry friends received a visit from the farrier, and a vet check ensured Willow, our old mare, is thriving after a bout of illness caused by moldy feed.

As we navigate these challenges, we remain thankful for your support and look forward to sharing more updates next season. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for real-time glimpses into our journey.

We are also happy to share that we are adding merchandise to our online store at 3CornersFarm.com.

Wishing you a joyful New Year filled with love and blessings,

Amy E. Darr 3 Corners Farm Mosier, Oregon, U.S.A.

~Seeds of Change: Navigating Hydroponics on Our Homestead!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Mon, 27 Nov 2023 18:46:00 +0000

Greetings to all our cherished readers, and a warm welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead page! We trust you are relishing the beauty of this fall season and enjoying a delightful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and loved ones.

For those joining us anew, we're thrilled to have you here. Feel free to explore our About Us page or delve into past blog posts to get acquainted with who we are, our pursuits, and our roots.

The Arrival of the Hydroponics Unit

Embarking on the innovative journey of hydroponics farming, we recently acquired a hydroponics unit cleverly housed within a shipping container, voyaging all the way from Boston. In our last blog post, we detailed the steps leading to this milestone, but there have been noteworthy developments since then.

The Arrival Odyssey

Securing the delivery of the shipping container across states presented its challenges, but the real trial awaited us at our homestead. A logistical hiccup unfolded as the local company tasked with the delivery lacked the requisite crane and equipment for the crucial task of moving the container to its designated spot.

Enter Travis, who, resourcefully, engaged Crestline, a local construction company equipped with an excavator. Despite a stressful delay with the semi-driver stuck in The Dalles, Oregon, relief arrived when the appropriate equipment materialized. The hydroponics unit now rests in our field, although its current appearance doesn't quite blend with the surroundings. Plans are afoot to paint it, potentially collaborating with local artists to add murals that harmonize with our natural setting—an exciting project slated for spring.

The container getting unloaded

Passing Inspection

A pivotal phase involved digging a 210-foot trench to house electrical lines connecting the unit to our main power source. Thanks to timely rain softening the ground, Travis wielded a shovel with bare hands to accomplish the task. The trench, 18 inches deep, set the stage for the next steps.

With an inspector's appointment secured, Travis hooked up electricity and conducted tests. Recently, a local inspector from the Wasco County Building Code Department gave the green light. With the trench covered, our focus shifts to cleaning up the grounds.

Getting the Nursery Set Up

In the interim, progress within the unit includes setting up the nursery and unpacking boxes of panels now adorning the interior. These panels form hallways along the container's length, serving as the growth medium for our produce.

Grow panels, unboxed

While a checklist remains for the unit's full functionality, the hum of the motor, illuminated lights, and overall progress bring satisfaction after a prolonged wait and a few unexpected challenges.

Planting Has Begun!

Excitement peaks as we officially commence planting. Three trays boast 288 seeds of salad mix, one tray features gem lettuce, and two trays of (French breakfast) radishes—equivalent to 250 radish heads. Aiming for 150 pounds of produce from this initial planting, we eagerly anticipate transitioning them to the panels and introducing new starts.

Observing the hydroponic unit's water efficiency is a source of enthusiasm! Requiring a mere five gallons daily stands in stark contrast to the thousands of gallons needed for traditional outdoor irrigation. This realization underscores the sustainability of our hydroponic approach.

First planting

Looking Ahead

Amidst farm work and tending to our homestead, all is well. Our family and animals thrive, and the Odell garden lot nears completion for fall and winter.

We invite you to join us in this learning experience. More insights into the seed planting process will follow once we gauge the outcome of our initial batches.

A heartfelt thank you for supporting us in this new endeavor! Stay tuned for the next update in about a month. Visit our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead channel on YouTube or our Facebook page to witness the hydroponics unit firsthand. Until then, savor the season, and have a splendid day!

Take care,

Amy E. Darr 3 Corners Farm Mosier, Oregon, USA

~Hydroponics Is On Its Way!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:54:00 +0000

Welcome to the 3 Corners Farm and Homestead page! We'd like to start by extending our heartfelt apologies to our loyal readers for our absence throughout the entire summer of 2023. As farmers, we found it necessary to take a break from writing to recharge. But we're back now and eager to share some exciting news about our recent endeavors!

For those of you who are new to us, we are a family of five residing in Oregon. In 2019, after a lot of hard work, including improving our credit scores and renovating our old 1920s craftsman house for sale, we acquired the small acreage we now call home. Since then, we've embarked on a farming journey, mastering the art of cultivating produce like kale, arugula, and various salad mixes. We've also delved into marketing our produce, obtaining licenses, achieving Certified Naturally Grown status, and participating in local farmer's markets. We've come a long way, and if you're curious to learn more about us, our About Us page provides a glimpse into who we are and what sets us apart. Feel free to explore our previous blog posts to catch up on our journey from the beginning to where we are today.

Now, let's recap our summer!

We've been diligently working each day, harvesting, washing, bagging, weighing, and labeling our produce, ensuring timely deliveries to our customers. Here's a list of our current customers for our greens:

1. Mosier Market (in our hometown)

2. Riverside restaurant in Hood River, OR.

3. Freebridge Brewing in The Dalles, OR.

4. Gorge Farmer Collective, serving the entire Columbia River Gorge, including the Washington side in White Salmon, WA.

Since we're not entirely sure where we left off regarding our farming progress and other updates, we'll start with July and compare our results to last year:

- In July 2022, we completed 336 pounds of greens in sales.

- In July 2023, we achieved 668 pounds of greens in sales.

- In August 2022, we completed 602 pounds of greens in sales.

- In August 2023, we reached an impressive 1268 pounds in greens sales.

We also welcomed a new customer this summer, Solstice WoodFire Pizza, through the Gorge Farmers Collective. They've been ordering 75 pounds of salad mix weekly since the first week of August.

Apart from our farming duties, we manage a small homestead farm with about a dozen animals, some of them seniors, that require daily care and feeding. Despite our busy schedule, we managed to squeeze in a few family getaways, enjoyed the Hood River County Fair, and spent quality time with friends.

Now, as we transition into the fall season, a new chapter awaits us. We're excited to announce a significant development in our journey:

Hydroponics!

We've achieved our goal of acquiring a shipping container for hydroponics, which will soon be delivered to our homestead. This achievement was made possible through the dedication of my husband, Travis. Here's a brief overview of the steps involved:

Freight Farm Shipping Container

On top of all the other daily work he has been doing, my husband Travis worked diligently behind the scenes to make this dream a reality. The steps he took in getting approved for this endeavor are as follows:

- Travis secured a loan, despite having less than three years of business experience, a challenging feat. Maintaining meticulous records of all business transactions and growth played a crucial role.

- We established a new farm entity, 3 Corners Hydrofarm, LLC, to distinguish our hydroponics venture from our existing farming business.

- Travis applied for a loan for the hydroponics container through a commercial bank, involving paperwork, business-related inquiries, and providing proof of our successful business track record.

As we navigate the logistics with banking and lenders, our next step is coordinating with Freight Farms to ensure the smooth delivery of the Greenery S, our vertical hydroponic farm container. This process entails creating a site map using a drone, identifying utility locations, and ensuring access to the container placement area.

Greenery S Freight Farms

While we've started preparing the designated area on our property, there's more work to be done. If all goes as planned, the hydroponics container will arrive before mid-October. Then, we'll embark on a new learning journey with the Farmhand software, which will help us produce an estimated two hundred and fifty pounds of salad mix weekly.

Prepping Pad

Hydroponics offers several advantages, including year-round farming, reduced water usage due to precise watering, and automated temperature control for optimal plant growth. It's a glimpse into the future of farming, allowing us to overcome inclement weather challenges.

We're excited to document this journey on YouTube and Facebook, so stay tuned for updates and links to our videos in future blog posts.

Currently, Travis farms 30 miles away on a separate lot with irrigation (which is leased), transporting the produce back to our homestead for processing. Soon, we'll be able to consolidate our efforts and skills, making our work more efficient. We're incredibly grateful for this opportunity and feel truly blessed.

So, there you have it! We've brought you up to speed on our latest developments. We look forward to sharing more updates soon. Until then, take care and savor the beauty of fall weather and all it has to offer.

Warm regards,

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon, U.S.A.

Celebrating Summer, 2023!

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Wed, 12 Jul 2023 19:23:00 +0000

Greetings! We at 3 Corners Farm hope you enjoyed a safe and happy 4th of July!

Section 4 of the Flag Code states:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

~Francis Bellamy (1855-1931)

While I was hanging freshly washed laundry on the line outside the morning of July 4th, I was blessed by witnessing the presence of the military jets flying overhead, on their way to fly over the parades happening throughout Oregon. They are always so powerful to witness from the sight of the jets to the loud vibrating and echoing sounds that they leave in their wake, and to the sheer strength that they represent. It almost brought tears to my eyes.

Our family did not attend the local parades this year. Still, we did enjoy a family barbecue together, for dinner. We also went to our local Fireworks show in the evening over the Columbia River. It was a simple celebration on a beloved Holiday, but most of all we were grateful that no large fires occurred as a result of fireworks.

Fireworks over the Columbia River in The Dalles Oregon.

So What's Up In Our Farming?

For those of you new to us, we are a family of five who live in the hills of Oregon above the mighty Columbia River in The Pacific Northwest. We run a small farming business concentrated on growing organic greens such as lettuce, kale, spinach, and salad mixes.

We use a separate, irrigated, rented lot of land to grow for our 3 Corners Farm Business, but we have our own growing gardens and produce on our small Homestead land of just under three acres. If you would like to learn more about who we are, what we do, and where we began in this experience, please feel free to visit us at our "About Us" page and enjoy reading through former blog posts to get a peek into our tiny house project, our rescue animals, our farming (including certifications, sales, and growth), and stories of us in general.

So far this year, we have had our ups and downs in sales, but mostly ups. The weather, of course, always plays the lead role in this act of farming and growing food from the earth.

Here is a bit of a comparison to show, though, that we have indeed worked hard and been blessed this year:

In June of 2022, we produced three hundred and thirty pounds of produce compared to this June of 2023, in which we produced eight hundred and ten pounds of produce. That's a whopping 480 pounds of growth! I know that my husband, Travis, had his sights set on even bigger numbers, but growth is growth, so we will call this a win. And besides that, I reminded him that the quality of his produce is tasty and top-notch. We receive many compliments on the good test and freshness of our produce and that encourages us every day.

Travis is selling his salad greens/produce to Mosier Market, Gorge Farmer Collective, Riverside Restaurant in Hood River, and Freebridge Brewing in The Dalles. Plus last month in June we did a three hundred and fifty-pound contract for the Columbia Gorge Food Bank. That one contract alone is almost as much as we produced and sold all of last June!

Columbia Gorge Food Bank delivery.

We are missing being at The Dalles Farmer's Market this year, but as you can tell, we do not have much left over to sell there, at least not enough to make it worth the extra work and time. We miss seeing the people there most of all, but we don't so much miss spending the week getting ready for the market and then hauling our booth, tills, ice buckets, etc., back and forth. It is nice having full Saturdays to ourselves this summer since that is the one day a week we give ourselves "off."

It has taken three years to work up to this point and we are still planning more future goals. We are especially excited to start farming using hydroponics. That is still a dream that we are working behind the scenes to make a reality and I will share more about that process as we "grow" along, haha!

Weather Happenings

It has been dry and windy recently, and with the arrival of the summer solstice, we got hot!

True to this time of year in modern times, there have been some wildfires burning in our surrounding areas, including the Tunnel Five Fire in Skamania Wa., located just across the river from Hood River, Or., (on the west side of us.) I believe the Tunnel Five Fire burned ten homes. What a tragedy! Before that, there was a fire in The Dalles, Or., (on the east side of us) which resulted in the loss of two homes, but thankfully no lives have been lost so far this fire season and I pray it stays that way!

There was also a bit of a scare near us just after the 4th. Three things occurred with that:

1. A lovely friend from down the hill called me early Thursday afternoon on July 6th, to tell me that she could see billowing smoke near us.

2. We were so relieved to learn that this new fire was actually burning further south than we had all thought and it was of no threat to us, however, it was still very concerning because other homes were being evacuated and wildlife was in danger.

3. Before our angst could grow any bigger, fire bosses were flying in the sky above our Homestead, and emergency fire vehicles were patrolling up and down the gravel road out front. They did a phenomenal job and managed to extinguish that fire within a few hours. Incredible!

Fire crews continue to watch for hot spots and they make rounds in our area regularly.

What an incredible purpose our emergency service crews have! I can't imagine not having them bravely swoop in and save the livelihoods (and lives) of so many. I am forever grateful to firefighters. I have such high respect for all emergency workers of any kind because they are always there for us in our most vulnerable times of need.

Other Homestead Happenings

Well, this part is much like everyone else experiences from time to time. You know, when all the major appliances in the house bite the dust at the same time? It seems like this always happens all at once.

First up, our washing machine broke. Not only that but since I am such a lover of the old ways, I have a 1940s Wringer Washer that I enjoy using for just such times as these. When the power goes out, or the washer breaks, I can hook up the wringer washer to a separate motor or generator, fill it with water and laundry soap, and push the knob that makes the machine agitate the clothes.

Maytag Wringer Washer that I bought at an auction for $40.00 several years ago.

I then drain the water out, run a hose over the laundry to rinse it, and I send the pieces of laundry through the wringer.

That old machine does a beautiful job! I can hang the clothes on the line (or pop them in the dryer) and they will come out as fresh and clean as ever. The only downside is that I need to be present in the process versus walking away and letting the machine do all of it, but when the laundry piles up, this old-school Wringer Washer gets the job done and I rather enjoy the process. It is very peaceful and gratifying.

All is right in my world when there is laundry drying on the line.

Guess what though? For the first time in years of owning the Wringer Washer, a part in it also stopped working! So now we found ourselves stuck with two out-of-order laundry machines.

We tried to fix the washer but it was to an avail. We ended up ordering a new (modern) machine through The Home Depot, and our laundry washing life is back to normal. We do still intend to order the part for the Wringer Washer because it still has so much life left in it, and what a neat piece of history it is!

That's not all though.

One morning I woke up and was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when I heard a weird "gurgling" noise.

Some red flags went up in the back of my mind but after I scouted around the house, I noticed nothing unusual so I went about my business and forgot about it. It wasn't until one of the kids told me a little while later that their toilet wouldn't flush... and that's when I knew we had a problem.

Ugh!

We had to call a plumbing company and our septic tank had to be pumped. It was another large (and smelly) unexpected cost, but we should have known it was time to check into that anyway.

And finally...

I decided that since we have had so many big expenses lately (including a vet visit for the horses back in May), it is time for me to bring in some more supplemental cash flow.

I wasn't sure exactly what to do, but I have noticed so many families looking for daycare in our local towns. I reached out to an acquaintance and offered to watch her little ones because she needed someone part-time, and that still left me time to help with farm work, so it's a win-win arrangement. I am watching her little guys for a few days a week and loving it!

Nothing brings me more joy than children. (And animals, of course.)

Busy, Busy, Busy

This is only a small written piece of our farm and life happenings in the past month or so. There is always so much more to share, but I must sign off now to get the horses ready for a farrier visit. I will be sure to include an animal update in next month's blog post.

Sometimes life throws us setbacks, but we are good at making homemade lemon juice out of sour lemons, so we are looking ahead to an exciting future! I hope you enjoy learning about our small farming lifestyle and journey with us.

May the rest of this summer bring blessings and love to you all,

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

~This May Has Been Our Best Start With Sales Ever!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 21:31:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead page! In case you are new here, welcome! We are a family of five who live in Oregon and I write this blog once a month to share our journey in small farming. If you would like to learn more about us, what we do, and what makes us unique, please visit our 'About Us" page.

With that said, it's harvest time again!

This means we have been blessedly busy. Not only is our middle son graduating high school, and our daughter graduating eighth grade, but the animals have been keeping us on our toes too. Added to harvest season, it's all been just enough work to be constant, but we get to experience so many good blessings along the way.

If you are reading this blog and hoping to one day start a business or small farm operation of your own, please know that it gets easier. The start-up is the hardest part, so just make a plan, and get out there and do it!

Without further ado, here is what we have been working on in the month of May this year...

Farming

Travis has been driving to Odell to harvest his salad greens from the leased one-acre lot there. He brings his load back to the Homestead where he washes them and our daughter (who has been homeschooling and wants to work to save up money) helps him in bagging and labeling them all. Each bag must be sorted through for any stray pieces of grass or such that need to be removed, then each bag must be weighed, and all must be counted and tallied up carefully before being stored in the walk-in freezer until delivery the next day.

This year Travis is selling his produce at local restaurants. These include Riverside in Hood River Oregon, Freebridge in the Dalles Oregon, and as a bonus, he sells some at Brenna's Mosier Market in our tiny town of Mosier, too.

Then there is the Gorge Farmer Collective Co-Op where he also sells once a week. Travis serves on their board to help the amazing team of dedicated food providers grow the co-op, to easily serve all those who love fresh, organic foods within the Columbia River Gorge area.

We will expand our 3 Corners Farm sales to include other restaurants and venues in the future, such as Cousins Restaurant in The Dalles to name one place, but we are working on growing more produce first now that our previous goal amount has been reached.

May this year was our best start with sales so far, and that is very exciting for us!

We harvested and sold three times the amount than at this time last year!

In May of 2022, we sold 68 pounds of produce.

In May of 2023, we sold 243 pounds.

What growth!

400 pounds would be a great goal for the month of May next year, especially for such a hard month because May is rather unpredictable. It can be a surprise as to what survives the cold or hot snaps that the beginning of the spring season can bring.

Our ultimate goal is to aim for selling 300 to 400 pounds a week, but time will tell how long it takes us to get there.

Weather

The beginning of May was wonderfully sunny and warm! Sometimes the heat can be hard on produce, but Travis is on leased land with irrigation so the weather has actually been great for the greens!

Now it has gotten cooler and windy, but the temperature still remains in the 70s which is perfect for what we are growing, and the cooldown came at just the right time... just when that heat was getting to be a little much.

(No surprise snow or hail storms this year so we're good, haha!)

Other Supplemental Income and Farm Happenings

Since we have decided not to attend the farmers market this year, I will have nowhere to sell my homemade loaves of bread unless I want to do home deliveries, and I just won't have the time to commit to that. So, I am considering expanding and selling alongside Travis's greens, but we need to look into a commercial kitchen for use.

I want to be able to sell a few basic loaves of bread in bulk. I have found that trying to keep up with too many varieties of baked goods is overwhelming with little revenue in the end, so I would prefer to stick to homemade loaves of breads which include white bread, cinnamon bread, banana breads, zucchini bread, and possibly wheat bread as well.

Homemade White Bread

And guess what? My latest book, "The Glory House" is finally published and ready for purchase, woohoo! Here is the link if you would like to give it a read. Now I need to get set up to sell my books locally and set them up as audiobooks. Once I accomplish these things, I will be ready to write more.

Farm Friends-The Animals

Here is one more final thought about our Homestead animal gang before I go.

We had a vet visit on May 16th for our two horses, mainly Willow who is 23 and struggling a bit right now. Here is what the vet touched upon:

Willow, Age 23

*Willow's teeth did not need any work done, but they are getting dull due to age. All we can do is start soaking forage in the form of alfalfa and timothy cubes, and upping the senior feed. Unfortunately, Willow does not eat the soaked forage well, so our senior feed expense is climbing.

*Willow's stomach ulcers still have not calmed down, which makes it harder to keep her at a good weight and not too thin. I am giving her another round of the medicated ulcer treatment from the vet but I fear she can not take it long-term. There is a supplement for horse ulcers that we will look into next.

*Willow now has swelling in all her ankle joints, which has been new this year. Previously, she only had mild swelling in one fetlock periodically, but age-related arthritis is catching up with her. She was given her first injection to help with inflammation and swelling and we can repeat that every 6 to 8 weeks.

*And finally, we made it down to Willow's hooves. As I've shared before, Willow has inner hoof damage from founder before we took her in and she also has extremely flat hooves. We have been able to maintain her comfortably so far, however, now the vet is recommending a new kind of horseshoe that is plastic in nature, to get her sensitive soles up off the ground. These can be glued or nailed on her front hooves just like regular horseshoes but will allow her joints more flexibility.

So... we will be looking into that as well. Phew! Seniors are so much work and expense but also so incredibly special and worth it all.

Joe Joe the mini horse is good! So much so that the vet barely even had to look at him, (he's such a good boy), and all the other animals are doing well.

Other than that, I added information to our visitor's board out front again so that anyone in our neighborhood who wants to follow along in the animals' care and hear their stories, can enjoy them right along with us.

And that's a wrap!

Thanks for visiting our blog and be sure to soak in the loveliness of this spring season!

Before I go, our family would like to extend our congratulations to ALL graduating seniors this year. We are proud of you and excited for your future! The world needs you now more than ever.

Until next time, take care and be blessed,

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

~Here We Go A Harvesting Among The Earth So Green!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Thu, 04 May 2023 23:28:00 +0000

Greetings!

Hello, beautiful people of the world, and welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead page! I am a little late in getting this monthly blog post out due to such business, but I am feeling blessed and inspired!

To those of you who are new here, we welcome you! Feel free to check out our "About Us" page to learn more about who we are, what we do, and what makes us unique.

I have been reflecting a bit on how much we have accomplished since moving to this small acreage in 2019 and it blows my mind away! Sometimes, I feel we don't give ourselves enough credit because we are always so busy looking ahead that we forget to take in how far we've come and be able to just enjoy being where we are right now. It's a beautiful feeling knowing that our work has paid off because we have created the perfect life to match our love of animals, nature, and purely natural foods.

I will share some links to some of my previous blog posts here if you would like to learn more about the details of how we started this small farming endeavor and Homestead lifestyle.

A Deeper Look Into Our Homestead and Farming

Farm Happenings and Building Our Business

Current farming work

So, down the nitty gritty of the here and now!

Travis has pretty much spent all his time prepping and getting ready for planting, which has officially begun. He is gone from sun up til late afternoon and when he returns home, he goes straight to our Homestead garden and then works on other jobs around here. I feel like I hardly see him, but believe it or not, Travis is in his element this time of year! So far, he has planted three rows of salad mix, a row of Arugula, and a row of kale on the acre lot that he leases in Odell. Here at the Homestead, he has planted a bit more of a variety of things, especially root vegetables.

Travis cleaning garlic beds

He sells greens in bulk to restaurants and a local Co-op group because he can grow more in abundance that way while getting paid better with less work. His goals are to utilize land from others who have like-minded ideas and to not need to hire outside help, at least at this point in time. He grows various root vegetables here on the homestead for our use, but they are not usually sold because root vegetables require a lot of work with a small profit.

Our Farm produce is Certified Naturally Grown so it is all organic. If you would like to learn more about that, here is a link to Our Farming Business Growth And Certification that discusses it more in detail.

This month of May will be the beginning of harvesting season and planting, on repeat. So as far as farming information goes right now, that is the gist of it! Plant, harvest, repeat. Plant, harvest, repeat. In between is weeding and watering, and thankfully the Odell lot has irrigation rights, which is why he chose that location. An abundant water source is a must-have when growing produce in large quantities, especially in our rather dry climate.

April seemed a little slow to warm up and welcome us into spring, but now we are finally getting some agreeable weather for the produce to thrive! We even got up to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit last week, which was so wonderful! In the past few years, it seems there has been more cold than warmth in our area of the world so this warm-up is much appreciated.

Even just yesterday, we reached 80 degrees again and it was followed by an intense thunderstorm in the evening. Mother nature is just full of surprises and wonder!

Family

While Travis is contentedly busy getting his hands back in the dirt and gardening, I have been working behind the scenes as his support staff and glorified housewife, haha. I have been baking homemade loaves of bread and canning, especially my infamous "Dandelion Delight" as Travis calls it.

Homemade White Bread

Did you know that you can make jelly out of dandelions and it is the most delicious sweetness on earth! Especially when it's spread on homemade bread. It is also beneficial to the liver because dandelions give the liver a much-needed cleanse.

Dandelion's ready to make jelly

Dandelion Delight

I have various writing projects that I am working on too, and am hoping and praying that my new book "The Glory House" will finally be ready by next month!

Let's not forget that we have three kids and my attention there has gone mostly to our son Blake, who is 18. If you are also a parent, then you must surely understand how the needs of each child fluctuate, and we can only pray that they don't all need attention at the same time!

Not only has Travis been helping Blake with his "Wookie's Paintball" group, but I have been helping him with getting his driver's license. It has been a long and slow process because we have to travel out of our area to get it done, and I finally found a place that is not booked out for months. I do not understand why this has become an issue, but I am grateful to make the drive to Hermiston Oregon next Friday, where with a fee of $75.00, Blake can take the test and hopefully become a licensed driver so that I will no longer need to ghost ride with him everywhere he goes.

Blake is graduating in June and I have so many mixed emotions about it! I am excited for him and his future, but I am sad that my little boy is gone, replaced by a young man, but God Bless the middle child! He is probably the most flexible and outgoing of our three kids.

Plus, Travis's mother has moved closer, from Boarman Oregon to here, so we have been helping her get set up and established. Family is important and sometimes must come first.

Turning my attention to the animals

So...onto the animals!

The farrier is paying us a visit tomorrow to trim the hooves of Willow the horse, Joe Joe the mini, and Clover the goat if he has time to squeeze in a goat trimming. (We have another goat, Nugget, but he is young and not in need of a trim at this time).

I must say, even though we schedule regular trims, the horses have been able to eat some of the fresh, spring-green grass, and their hooves have grown at least twice as fast as normal! Willow is having a bit of a harder time getting around due to the extra growth, but we will soon have her back on track.

Willow is ready for the Farrier!

Once the farrier visit is complete, on Tuesday the vet is scheduled to come. Willow is 23 years old now and needs her teeth checked to make sure she can adequately chew hay and forage. She also has stomach ulcers that I have recently treated, again, but I would like the vet to follow up on that and know that it is cleared. She also has some swelling in her joints that may require X-rays in order to know how to treat it moving forward.

I will have the vet check Joe's teeth and his overall health too, but he seems to be doing well. He is now 22 years old, so not much younger than Willow, however, minis typically live roughly five to ten years longer than horses, so that makes him not quite as old as Willow.

I have been getting many requests from people to put the signage back out front on our property, next to the road where we have a 3 Corners Farm board that I used to share stories of the animals. People could stop to read the messages and follow along with their everyday life and silly stories. I stopped doing the board write-ups because I honestly didn't think many read the messages, and I also had to take Willow away from the road and place Joe's exercise run there. I decided to no longer offer treats for the animals because it was becoming too much in Willow's diet, and since getting Joe, I have discovered he is not the gentlest fellow at taking treats. I would not want a child or someone to be bit by him so I gave the board info a rest for a while.

Since so many really loved it, I am working on posting the picture and stories of each animal and sharing stories of their daily lives again. I will also add information about Travis's produce for sale because there are many who are into clean eating as much as we are, and much of those proceeds can go to the animals and Willow's special needs care needs. It's a win, win!

It takes a lot to type up the board information and have it laminated before taking it out to the road and stapling it onto the reader board, but I feel I have just enough time to accomplish it and be able to refresh it each week. It makes my heart happy to know that others love the animals and their stories as much as I do, and people also like to hear how they are cared for, and what care it requires to keep them at this safe sanctuary-type homestead with us.

Glorious Simple Living

While this all sounds like a lot, we love this lifestyle and feel so fortunate to live where we do and to live with the abundance and healing of nature. Taking in unwanted animals is one of our ways to give back to the world, and we thank those who have donated to them in the past. It is such a huge undertaking, but we have the space, knowledge, and ability to meet their needs every day so it just feels right!

To help myself live simply, and not get overwhelmed at times, here are the principles I live by:

a) Accumulate little

b) Eat simple foods

c) Dress simply

d) Live a simple, stress-free life (by doing what you love)

e) Let your life be your message

I hope these words of simplicity help others. We only need what we need. In this way, we can turn our time and attention to serving others.

I read the above steps a long time ago while listening to a self-help video on YouTube, and someone left these steps in the comments. I tried to go back and look in the comments section to find who wrote them to see if they had quoted anyone, but alas, it got lost in the shuffle somewhere. Thankfully I had written it down, as we writers so often do, and I have stored it in my heart and I put this wisdom to use every day since.

There is honestly more I could share here today, but I will be back as soon as I can with another blog update. Feel free to leave a comment about what you love hearing or learning from us! For example, here are some of the topics we share the most about:

-The tiny house project. (I still need to do another blog post and video update on that. I promise I will get to it!)

-The animals and/or rescue stories.

-The farming, and what about the farming such as the when, why, where, and how of planting, or the profit gained through small business farming.

-The future of hydroponics farming.

-As well as other topics like bread and jam recipes, canning recipes, or bees and making products from natural honey.

There are so many topics I am happy to share with anyone who is interested, and until next time, may you enjoy this spring season and be blessed.

Much love from,

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.

~Farming Stuff? Sure. But Some Tiny House News Too!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 19:51:00 +0000

Greetings

Hello to everyone! Can you believe it's April? How exciting!

If you are new to this blog, welcome! To learn more about us and what we do, here is a link to our "About Us" page, and we thank you for joining us in this storytelling journey of farm life and Homesteading!

I particularly love this month of April because not only does it include Easter, but we also have two birthdays in our family to celebrate this month for our sons. Trevor turns the big 21 (enter shocked face here), and our second son Blake will be turning 18, another big year to celebrate!

So, if you're reading this and you are local, hop into Mosier Market and give Trevor a good singing to of "Happy Birthday To You" for a jolly dose of embarrassing fun, haha! And perhaps, you might see another Darr boy, Blake, working there soon, too.

What's Up on The Farm Side of Life

This spring season has greeted us with interesting and somewhat moody weather. We have sometimes experienced a multitude of seasonal weather in one day! Snow, sleet, rain, wind, sun, cold temps, warmer temps...we've enjoyed it all back and forth. We are just waiting for the conditions to dry out again.

In the meantime, we have achieved some small successes and those add up to improvements over time, so I consider that a win.

*Travis used his new tractor to dig out the horse shelter and fix its uneven ground, and Willow appreciates that very much! He also used the tractor for a few other jobs such as making the path bigger to our wash station for produce, and moving manure around (because that's always fun and exciting) to aid in the composting process and add to the garden beds.

*Here on the Homestead, there is one box of produce planted so far, containing some greens and radishes. The Odell acre of land has one row of salad mix, Arugula, baby kale, and radishes each.

*A few hiccups along the way have been that the tiller stopped working for a while, but Travis was able to get a new part for it. Also, we arrived home from town the other night after a dinner out with family, to discover the next morning that my car's two right-side tires were completely flat. Travis is at Les Schwab, as I type this, getting a whole new set of tires put on.

That's rough! New tires are a huge expense but it is something we were going to get done this year anyway. A large piece of metal was found in each tire, and it remains a mystery as to how and where they got there, but it doesn't matter now. We will move on and be grateful to be able to get it taken care of.

Garlic that survived the winter.

*A bit of good news is at least some garlic made it through the winter and that makes me super happy, woo hoo! Last year was warmer so the garlic was so much taller than it is this year, but at least we have some. We'll take it!

An Auction Win for the Tiny House

In case you're wondering, no we did not put the tiny house up for auction. If we did, we would have announced it first, and one thing is for sure, it would sell for a mighty fine price!

Alas, Trevor is still happily and comfortably living in it, and with the help of his dad, he was able to bid at the Auction Sales Co on some cupboards and cabinets that are just the right size for what his little cabin needs.

We are assuming the cupboards came from a local hotel. We were able to go to the auction yard and do some measuring and inspect the cabinets to see that they are in good condition.

Travis followed and participated in the online bidding for Trevor while he was at work, and just when Travis was prepared to stop bidding because the price was climbing, Trevor won the bid right at the highest limit he was willing to pay.

What a score!

Cabinets from the auction yard.

There are nine cabinets of various shapes and sizes and this saves Trevor about $1500.00 compared to paying $120.00 for only one small cabinet through Home Depot. He would have never been able to get a whole bunch to choose from and use.

I am hoping to carve out time this month or next to make another tiny house blog of its own and do a tour/update video of what it looks like now since Trevor has been living there for a year come April 9th, his birthday (which falls right on Easter this year), so stay tuned for that. You will be able to see the before and after cabinet images.

Rolling Right Along

In other happenings, the book I have been working on now has a cover and is getting prepped for marketing.

For those of you interested, it is a story from a mother's perspective of her young family's time living in a haunted house.

It's definitely not my normal writing style or topic, however, I started this book a decade ago when my own kids were small, and I recently decided to pull it out from the shadows and make a go of it. My spirit feels lifted by accomplishing this old dream I set out to do years ago. I am finally taking a plunge into new territory with this book, as I am a creature who typically prefers to stay in my "safe zone" and not take risks, but life is short and I'm not getting any younger so, here I go!

It's never too late. My words of wisdom to everyone are, "Be creative and brave enough to take risks sometimes."

I have no idea if this book will be a success or not but I will share more information when it is ready, so that you may read "The Glory House" if you would like.

The last few odds and ends for us in our small part of the world is that the guys are back to playing paintball in the hills of Mosier and this makes me super happy for them, especially our son Blake, who has worked hard at getting this going, and he has put a lot of money into it so that his friends, family, and community members can have fun and fellowship together.

And that's a wrap! In order not to bore you too much in this month's reading, I will sign off now.

Until next month, take care of each other, enjoy all that this spring season has to offer, and be blessed!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

~Sunshiny Days Ahead on the Homestead~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Tue, 07 Mar 2023 19:23:00 +0000

Greetings!

Hello and welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead blog page! I am so happy you are here, following along with us through our Homesteading and farming experience.

Over the past few months, we went through a bit of a stagnant phase where not too much was happening in our little part of the world, and I myself, sometimes lose my morale to conjure up new ideas during the darker, colder seasons of life.

But then, February came and went in such a flash, that it was enough to jolt awake my drowsy spirit!

Go ahead, admit it, we've all been low at some point over these past few years. Life has been less than normal. Now though, there is no normal and that's actually a good thing because it leaves the future wide open for each of us, so we can go in any direction we want!

Once I caught up to the fact that we are indeed in the month of March, in the year 2023, I got a new sense of energy and inspiration, and then all of a sudden, bam! I realized just how much we have actually accomplished in the past, short, and ferociously quick month of February, and how much we have to look forward to ahead.

With that said, if you are new here, welcome! Here is a link to a quick introduction about us at 3 Corners Farm and Homestead, what we do, and what makes us unique.

There is a lot of information in this blog post, so sit back, relax, and let's get started with the details.

First Up, the Farming Business and Growth

In our last blog entry, I shared that we were waiting to hear news of whether or not Travis received a grant from the Oregon Food Bank. It turned out, he did not get that grant, however, he did receive pre-payment from the Columbia Gorge Food Bank for about 350 pounds of greens, so that's pretty exciting news! What a blessing to be a part of feeding people good, healthy, straight-from-the-earth foods.

This week, Travis will be busy finishing up some inside tasks before heading outside to start the growing season with gusto. Before he can do that, he is participating in training through the Oregon Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program (ODA). This is required of him because of the amount that we are now selling. Our 3 Corners Farm business has steadily grown so this training is a requirement, and is part of us becoming a bigger farm. This takes us to the next level! The next step, I believe, will be having an inspection from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will most likely be out another year at least, at which time I will be able to share more about it and the process as we go along.

For now, we are focused on where we are at in our business today, and what needs to be done currently. We are both itching to get our hands in the dirt and get things growing! From plant starters to flowerbeds, to building hoop houses if we can, there is a lot to do in this month of March.

Another good update to share is that we finally have purchased a small Kubota tractor, which may not seem like much to some, but it is a huge deal for us! It's a dream come true and will help us significantly in our daily lives. It has made it easier to plow the driveway when it snows, and Travis has already managed to scoop fermented manure from our huge pasture pile and spread it out over the garden beds.

Kubota Tractor

Can you imagine doing that with shovels and back labor?

Well, imagine it no more!

If you are not living on a farm or Homestead with horses and other farm animals, and you don't have a large manure pile, you may not be able to fully comprehend my inner thrill at this change, but if you know...you know, haha!

I am looking so forward to mowing the weeds in the pasture this year. What a huge relief that will be for all of us, including the animals! I noticed that one of our neighbors also recently added a tractor to their home and land. With all the unpredictable weather from season to season these days, we (farmers and anyone living outside city limits) are needing to tend ever more carefully to the land.

Farming Goals

We are still planning on moving forward with hydroponics farming, but that will likely be a ways out so we don't fall behind with what needs doing now. In the meantime, we will continue to study, research, and learn as much as we can about it.

Freight Farms

I agree with Travis who said, "I have spent a lot of time searching for information on how to get started with hydroponics, but other than shipping containers already made to deliver with one solid cost, there is hardly any information available on how to build one."

We hope to be able to start farming with hydroponics, while documenting and sharing it as we go, to sort of pave the way for other people interested in this farming technique. After all, it will most likely be the way of farming in the future because it keeps produce protected from the elements and uses much less water.

We are living in interesting times and must be able to adapt and help each other. This would be such a great way for us, at 3 Corners Farm, to do both!

www.shippingandfreightresource.com

Homestead Critters and Creatures

While Travis is busy with his endeavors of farming, planting, etc., the critters and creatures are taken care of by me, and this is the spot where I thrive!

We have a senior horse, a mini horse, 2 goats, chickens, dogs, cats, and a rabbit. Some of them have jobs here on our small farm. Some of them are former rescues taken in by us, and some are just pets. I love all animals and will be adding the "Animal Information Board" back out to the front of our Homestead this spring for people passing by to read about the animals and hear their stories.

Spring Clean Up on the Farm!

Over the past few years, I have mulled over a few critter and creature ideas to introduce, or re-introduce, to our Homestead. We have a little bit of extra land available so it only makes sense to put it to use either for animals in need of homes or for some that can benefit us.

-At first, when we bought this property in 2019, I was hoping to open a small animal rescue/sanctuary, but I quickly learned that it would require more funding than I can commit to while helping to get the farming business off the ground. Plus, after working in animal rescue for over a decade, sometimes full-time, and other times on the side of life, we still have a handful of remaining pets in our care who are living out their senior years with us, like the horse and the dogs. Their care is expensive, especially during these trying times, and I feel we need to focus on seeing them through to the end, with compassion, comfort, and love.

Looking ahead, I will jump back into animal fostering when our daily life can commit to it, and you will get to fall in love with all the beloved animals I share stories and images about.

- Back in 2015, we rented a house on an old ranch where we were able to learn and start doing a lot of what brought us here, to our own farming business and Homestead.

When we lived on that ranch, we had a milking goat. She was a black and white Nubian goat named Kricket. We would have continued with the milking goat endeavor, but the property went up for sale and we had to move on.

Milking takes time and commitment but the results are so gratifying! I am not saying I will never milk again, but I decided this is more than I can take on at this moment too, so...that leads me to...

- Honey bees! Ding, ding, ding, I think we have a winner! My goal is to get some honey bees on our Homestead this year. Whether that consists of someone else placing their hives on our farm, or whether I can afford to get started with my own hive or two, I am ready to make this happen.

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of natural honey in our area, which I am grateful for because we consume a lot of honey in our household, but I have noticed that our farm and surrounding area are lacking honey bees to naturally pollinate. Honey bee hives would be a great addition that will have many benefits.

Other-That's All I've Got for This Header-Other

I am just going to make a list here because it's all a bit scattered in my brain and I am unable to sort it all out.

1. Our son Blake is seventeen, and while a little behind, he has been learning to drive. All of a sudden bless his heart, he wants to go everywhere, all the time! Hee. That means one of us, (Travis or myself) riding along with him up and down the hill, multiple times a week.

In his defense though, he's a great kid, and because Covid hit during his freshman year, it caused such a stir and mass amounts of stress all throughout his high school years. Now that he has worked hard to catch up on his credits and graduate on time, he has the time and ability to get out and socialize, which he didn't get much of over the past few years.

So wish us luck that he gets his license in the next few months. We are ALL ready!

2. Our daughter has the honor of being the lead role in a musical for youths. She will be acting as Dorothy in, "The Wizard of Oz."

That has required even more trips up and down the hill to town and back, but her performance is coming up this weekend and we are thrilled for her and her creative talent!

3. Finally, I can share one final thing and that is that I sent my first chapter book, The Glory House, off to some family, friends, and critics to read so they can give me feedback and reviews that I will use on my landing page, which I will share the link to soon.

And phew! That's a wrap for today!

I thank you dearly if you made it in reading this blog post to the end. You have grit and I admire that!

May you all stay well in this month of March. Enjoy your loved ones and the upcoming spring equinox. We send our love and blessings to be shared in abundance with you all!

Until next month, take care and be blessed,

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

~Making Future Farming Plans and Keeping Up With The Animals~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 20:02:00 +0000

Welcome to 2023!

Are you ready for the future? Because we are!

Life on our little farm has been slow but busy at the same time. While nothing much has been happening other than getting through the cold weather, we have taken the extra downtime to delve into new ideas, research, and make plans to grow our small farming business into the future.

While we love living and using many old ways, we also want to be included, as technology takes hold of our current times. We feel the tech-savvy world will not slow down but will continue to change and grow into the future, so in this blog post, I will share some of our futuristic ideas about how we can take our knowledge from the past and the present, and combine it with new ideas to hopefully help us get ahead as we delve into this ever-changing world.

Farming for the future

First off I will share that during the past month, which blessed us with a small window of reprieve from snow and ice, Travis was able to finish installing the fence around the spot where he is going to build a high tunnel. This high tunnel (or small greenhouse) will be used to grow some greens, but it will also give us a chance to try our hand at growing more diverse vegetables that we can use on our Homestead. It will be nice to have our own supply and still be able to sell an abundance of produce to the community from our separate lot.

This picture was taken in January and shows that we had a reprieve from the snow and ice.

Now I will get into what's to come if all goes well.

-Travis recently applied for a grant from The Oregon Food Bank, to supply over a thousand pounds of greens to the Columbia Gorge Food Bank. We should be hearing from them in the next couple of days.

-We also have been looking into a system of farming called "Verticle Hydroponics." This system uses a 40-foot shipping container to grow to produce in. It would work well with the small amount of acreage we have, plus we would be able to grow all of our produce here, on the Homestead, and no longer need to travel to the Odell lot where there is irrigation.

-There are several bonuses to this hydroponics method:

1. We will need to hook electricity to it, but it will keep the produce inside at whatever temperature we set it to be at. It's a low-energy setup and does not require a lot of power.

2. It will require roughly two and a half gallons of water daily, which is very manageable for us.

3. It will grow an estimated 13,000 pounds of greens annually so Travis can supply local vendors and restaurants (and our community) year-round.

4. It will protect the produce from inclement weather and other elements of nature, while simultaneously allowing Travis to farm and do what he loves in less time.

-There is more knowledge to be gained about this new innovative way of farming, so we will share more as we go. If we decide to give this a go, it will still be a while out into the next couple of years for us. If you would like to learn more, here is a link to FarmBox Foods.

Now for a quick peek into our animal happenings and other Homestead activities

As I stated earlier, we were blessed with a good thaw out after December's deep freeze, before more snow and cold came.

January brought us visits from all the local wildlife! We have had deer peeking in our windows, hoping for a taste of any goods we are willing to share with them. We decided to lay some hay and alfalfa out in various places around the property, just to help see the deer through the month of January when there is not much forage readily available for them.

We had the farrier out to trim the horses' hooves and unfortunately, Willow (our senior mare) made the experience very difficult, but we got the job done. I have decided it is time to treat Willow for ulcers again. This ulcer issue has come and gone for her since adopting her in 2018 and seems to be occurring more often as she ages. It has been about a year since I've treated her for ulcers, so we will cross our fingers that the ulcer powder will make her more comfortable. The cost is $180.00 for a container, but when she gets relief, she is a much happier girl and that makes the cost all worth it.

Willow will be 23 years old next month.

At least we are all well (on the human side of us) and life has resumed more normally after the dark survival period that January often brings.

Looking Ahead

I'm excited about what's ahead, both for us on our little farm, and for the world. I believe there are many changes to come and while that can be challenging, it is also needed and necessary. So, we will keep learning all we can and I will share with you next month what we come up with. Spring is just around the corner, woo hoo!

Until my next blog post, take care and be blessed,

Amy E. Darr

3 corners Farm

Mosier, Or. USA

~3 Corners Farm Slid On Ice Right Into A New Year!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 22:15:00 +0000

"Be so busy loving your life that you have no time for hate, regret, or fear."

~Author Unknown~

This quote speaks to my heart! It describes perfectly how we have brought in the new year on our homestead and sums up exactly how we plan to live out our year here on 3 Corners Farm.

If you are new to us, our family of five lives on a small modern-day homestead in Oregon where we live out our dreams of running a micro-farm and existing as naturally as possible with nature. I love to share all the stories, details, and adventures of this lifestyle once a month through this blog, so I hope my readers enjoy tagging along with us throughout our journey.

December Challenges

Before I share what's coming up next for us, I will first catch you up on the December we had because it was a doozy of a month! It landed us smack dab into 2023 with a large dose of appreciation for our comforts and for each other.

First, we started December with snow and chilly temperatures, but nothing wild. Travis was able to have one good, cold but dry day, to install some of the ceiling in our eldest son's tiny house on the property. (Our son had to work so Travis decided to tackle as much as he could without him.)

Soon after that our second son and middle child Blake, was hit like a bash on the head with the flu! It was rough but he endured it like a storm and thankfully there were no complications for him. He was able to slowly recover after several days of high fevers and congestion.

When that hurdle was jumped, we landed our feet on a solid sheet of ice that appeared to me to have reached across the entire continent of North America, and then some! The temperatures plunged and remained at five degrees Fahrenheit with freezing rain falling from the sky.

Ice From the Sky Coated Everything.

The roads and freeways were shut down all around us and upon stepping outside, we learned how to ice skate, skid, slide, and slip our way around the farm.

As if we weren't already having enough fun tending to farm animals with freezing fingers and nose hairs, the power went out for five hours while we were sleeping during the first night of single-digit temperatures, which caused the well house pipes to freeze!

Thankfully the power returned by morning, but Travis now had to slowly warm up the pipes, and we had to make do without running water for a few days.

Stepping Back to the Old Ways

Now to be truthful, I love a good homesteading challenge! I was grateful for the work it takes to keep the fire burning and snow melting on the hot stove top for dishwashing. We are smart enough to always have a large stash of bottled water on the homestead for drinking and cooking, but if there is good clean snow outside, why not use it? Thank you, Mother Nature!

I have always had a fascination and love of the old ways. I love to read and glean ideas from books written by the Amish and many other classics that share how it is possible to live in harmony with nature as our ancestors did. It is a humbling and rewarding experience that always grounds me to live deeply, slowly, and with gratitude in each moment.

This was not the first time the power went out or the well was not working, and it probably is not going to be the last, so we always try to be prepared with everything from having adequate food storage, spare water, animal feed, and medications or other supplies. In the meantime, the temperatures were still in the single digits and there was practically a swarm of hummingbirds outside our windows, begging for mercy. Just filling, or thawing, and replacing their feeders of sugar water was a full-time job, not to mention keeping the outside animals consistently fed to keep them warm. We also left oat feed sprinkled around our property for the birds and local deer who were struggling in the frigid cold.

Brrr, So Cold!

Our hours and days were full, and it left no time for worry or stress. It brought me happiness to be able to meet everyone's needs, and when it grew dark, we enjoyed a little downtime before starting all over again with prayers that each of us would stay healthy and well to fulfill our roles in the rig amoral of chores on ice.

Merry Christmas!

Glory to God, we made it through the ice storm just in time to enjoy Christmas, and many thanks go out to Travis who got the water flowing again. What a gift! We are humbled and reminded not to take water for granted, or anything for that matter.

Buckets of Snow Melt on The Hot Stove Top.

Our Christmas was beautiful and simple. All three of our kids bought gifts for one another, and for Travis and me, which was very touching. Every single animal received a gift too. From molasses cookie pieces for the horses (their favorite treat), plus oats and alfalfa hay for all the pasture gang, to veggies and fruits for the chickens and the bunny, no one was left out. The dogs and cats had stockings with goodies, too, and then we feasted and rested to our hearts' content.

It would have been lovely to be able to spend time with some of our extended family members, but that is not always possible, so we reveled in the company of those under our roof. We played a few games, watched a few Christmas classics, and had a lot of laughs.

What more can anyone ever ask for?

Bringing In the New Year!

The week after Christmas brought forth more tolerable weather, with warmer temperatures. The sun even came out for part of a day and melted most of the ice! The temperatures made it back up into the 30s and life was settling down again.

On New Year’s Eve, we were exhausted but content.

Currently, our youngest, Megan, is having a turn with the flu so we're kind of put back in our place of being homebodies, but I am grateful at least that our kids had a few chances to enjoy movies and get-togethers with friends throughout everything.

Our animals are doing well. Willow, our old mare is overdue for hoof trimmings that had to be canceled due to the roads being treacherous, but the appointment is rescheduled so we will have her hooves back on track soon. Teddy, our old Labrador, ripped a nail off somehow while outside in the snow recently. I had to spray wound spay on it, dip it in corn starch to stop the bleeding, then I wrapped it in gauze and repeated this twice daily for three days. He is now on the mend. On a farm, even a small farm such as ours, sometimes you must learn how to be your own vet just for times such as these when the roads are impassable or receiving vet care may take too long.

Willow and Joe Joe

So... phew! We made it to, today. It's a whole new start, in a whole new year, and we are fortunate to be living in this lifetime and be a part of it all!

What's Next?

As soon as we are all well under our roof and get the chance to play a little catch-up, we will start prepping the new homestead greenhouse for planting and hopefully will do a few more touch-ups in the tiny house and our main house as well (since we are living with subflooring in the bedrooms right now.) Tis the season for indoor projects.

I will keep you posted!

So, until my next blog posting, be sure to, "Be so busy loving your life that you have no time for hate, regret, or fear."

Stay well and be blessed,

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier OR, U.S.A.

~November Blessings and Shifting Gears~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 21:22:00 +0000

Greetings!

Hello and welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead page! Here, I will share some of the details in growing our small market garden and where we are at in the process of continuing to improve our Homestead.

For those new to this blog, I will quickly mention that the market garden business is mostly run on a separate one acre parcel in a nearby town and is not owned by us, but we do wash and store the produce on our Homestead.

Our small house, and the property it sits on, was purchased by us in 2019. We added paddocks, a small hay barn, and shelters for the animals. We also have cleared some of the land, built a walk-in freezer, and we've made many home improvements. During all of this, we managed to help our son build a cabin (or a tiny house in other words) on our property as well.

So, here is the scoop on what we accomplished during the month of November, 2022.

Farming and Business

Thanks to my husband Travis, we renewed our certification in Certified Naturally Grown produce. This is required to be updated every year and has to have the correct paperwork. We must show which chemicals, if any, are used, which is pretty simple for us because we use no chemicals.

This process requires Travis to get an inspection of his growing property from an approved farmer. Then the inspection must be verified and approved. In return, Travis will be required at a later date, either to give an inspection to another farmer, or to be an observer for one on-line inspection where he needs to participate and ask questions.

It costs $204.00 a year ($17.00 per month) to maintain certification.

In other farm happenings, and back here on the Homestead, Travis managed to get the rest of the holes dug for the new garden posts before the ground froze over and hardened.

Weather and other Homestead Happenings

We ended November with high's in the 20's at night, and near 40's by day, however, our elevation is 1600 feet so when we drive down to town, it's a whole different story on weather there!

We currently have quite a bit of snow and are turning our attention to inside work projects.

1. Travis does on-line contracting work this time of year.

2. We are tearing out carpets and preparing to replace all the bedroom floors with wood by spring. (Yes, living with subflooring temporarily really motivates us to get the job done).

3. Aside from animal care, blogging, helping our youngest with oh-line school, and some home duties, I am waiting to hear back from a publisher about my second book.

4. We also are working on improving our YouTube channels, but are finding that to be very time consuming so it is a slow process.

5. And of course, we are getting ready for Christmas! We are relieved to have the majority of our shopping done, but have yet to decorate or get our tree.

The Animals and Tiny House Update

We added a full door and a gate to Joe's shelter and paddock. (He is our 19-year-old mini horse). We got it completed just before the snow and freezing wind arrived, phew! He will be so much more protected from the elements now, but we still have improvements to make for the horse and goats.

The animals have all they need, but we like to make upgrades every fall. I'm sure it will take a few more years to get things set up how we really want them, but we will continue to pluck away at projects when wood is available and affordable.

Onto the cabin, this past Saturday, while the weather was cold but dry, we tried to finally finish putting in the pine board ceiling throughout the tiny house. I had hoped that it would be done by now, but our son needs his Dad's help, and so far their work schedules are never matching up.

So...this means that Travis is having to work on it while Trevor is at his job, lucky guy!

Right now, the ceiling is partially in but there is still more work to do. Trevor needs to make a trip through the snow to Home Depot to get more boards. Below I have added a picture of what his cabin ceiling looked like before, so come back next month to see the completed project. (Hopefully).

Cabin/loft ceiling before adding pine boards

I will eventually do another add up of the costs on what Trevor has spent so far, to give others who are interested in tiny house living, an idea and a plan of what it entails.

He is loving his cabin so far! It has all he needs and then some. He is able to live comfortably and manages to be debt free while saving on the side, and...his cabin is simply adorable! (But don't tell him I said that, ha).

I will add the links of the previous tiny house cabin information below if you are interested to learn more about it.

That's a Wrap!

It is technically our slow season but it sure doesn't feel like it yet! With that said, we are all healthy and grateful to have the ability to accomplish so much together and our Thanksgiving was fabulous too!

Thanks again for visiting our page and following along in our farm and Homesteading journey. Until next month, take care, be blessed, and enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Or. U.S.A.

Tiny House links:

The Tiny House has Arrived

Tiny House Update

Where we are with the tiny house progress

Tiny House Winter Update

Weather and Tiny House Happenings

Tiny House updates its been awhile

~Our Farm Has Experienced Much Growth This Year!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 21:33:00 +0000

Greetings

Hello beautiful blog readers! Welcome to our 3 Corners Farm and Homestead monthly blog, where you can learn about what we do as farmers, what makes us different from others, and what our purpose is.

Our Recent Farm Happenings

If you are new here, we run a small market garden which focuses on growing organic leafy greens by utilizing recourses, such as land with water rights, from other farmers in exchange for produce, our teaching methods, and other trade offs.

Some farmers in our area are no longer working their fields, but if they do not utilize a said amount of their water per year, then they risk getting their water rights taken away. By allowing us and other small farmers like us, the use of their land and water, it ensures that they will not be at risk for losing the water which, lets face it, these days water is becoming more and more of a hot commodity. This method also continues providing needed and healthy food for distribution and consumption, and everyone wins!

In this blog I will be sharing what we have accomplished recently. For starters, we sold almost triple the amount of produce in October compared to this time last year!

-We sold $1,698 worth of produce in October 2021.

-We sold $4,272 worth of produce in October 2022.

How awesome is that? What a difference!

Plus, Travis has already planted a one-hundred-foot row of garlic on the one acre farm lot in Odell, in preparation for next year. Here on our Homestead, he has put in fence posts that will block off a future small greenhouse from our animals. We are not sure yet whether it will grow produce for purchase, or solely for us on the Homestead. It may depend on inspection and licensing but either way we will get plenty of use out of it!

This week was also our last harvest and delivery round for the year. It is bittersweet but we feel fortunate that we were able to still have produce up until this time due to the extra warm and mild October we were blessed with this year.

Our last produce haul of 2022.

Homestead Happenings

On the home front we are turning our attention to wood cutting, hauling, splitting, and stacking enough wood to see us through another winter. We were beginning to wonder if we should just buy cords of wood because our county (Wasco) remained on fire watch all the way up until just recently, preventing us from harvesting wood.

It is so comforting to have a nice stack of wood!

The weather finally turned and we got one night of freezing temps, accompanied by a bit of frost the next morning. Currently, we have been experiencing heavy rain and wind for the past 24 hours. Will we see snow here soon?

Possibly!

We also got stocked up on animal feeds including five bags of senior feed for Willow, as well as grass hay and alfalfa.

Filling in the gaps with as much hay and alfalfa as possible!

We have several senior souls on our little Homestead including Willow the horse, Teddy the Labrador, Cupcake the terrier mix, our super senior rabbit, and a few of our hens (Alice and Adeline) are getting up there in years, among other animals.

With these seniors and incoming cold temperatures brings forth medications for arthritis and hip dysplasia, as well as constant monitoring and care to ensure that all are comfortable, well, warm, and have a continuous supply of food. We have a multitude of special diets to keep track of and currently I feel it is the old dogs in the house that are requiring the most care of feedings, but that is subject to change at any time.

Old Man Teddy with his old bones surrounded in warmth and softness.

I believe these animals are what makes us unique because many of them are rescues that can no longer contribute or do a specific job for humans, other than share their sweet presence and companionship. Caring for them is a great cost to us but we will always do our best to give a handful of various unwanted animals a home for as long as we can.

Cost of feeds:

-Two tons alfalfa=$350.00 each plus gas to drive far to get it. (There is none available in our area).

-Three tons grass hay=$350.00 each

-Five bags senior feed=$165.00, plus will need more in a few months time. (Our senior mare can only have one specific type of this feed).

-Vitamins and minerals, supplements, and medications, plus other small animals feed and supplies=roughly $200.00 per month.

Not to mention farrier costs.

It is no easy feat to provide for these creatures! But it is our special way of giving back, and we are grateful to so many who have helped us provide for them along the way, through various past fundraisers and donations. We could not have given them this life otherwise. We are greatly blessed!

Tiny House Build and Other Updates

Other than that, I can say that we still have so much work ahead of us, from winterizing the Homestead, helping our son Trevor get his tiny house prepared for his first winter living in it, and we have a multitude of writing/video projects, and on-line work to do. Farming is only one of our jobs!

Trevor has been busy getting started on winterizing his tiny house by placing "skirting" around the bottom exterior of the cabin to ensure that no critters (like skunks) make a home beneath his feet. Plus the skirting will prevent the wind from blowing underneath his house, and that will hopefully help a bit with heating. He also put up a clear windbreaker on his porch, on the side where the wind blows straight at the house. The barrier protects sideways rain and snow from covering his porch at the entrance door.

Here you can see the clear plastic wind barrier for the tiny house porch, and you can see the skirting on the bottom of the cabin.

In this moment while typing to you all, it has begun to rain again and I am watching a flock of wild turkey out the kitchen window, with a lovely thick fog moving over the damp earth, and the fall colors are present everywhere! This scene confirms that regardless of the very sunny and warm October we had this year, the autumn season has officially arrived, and I love it!

So...I am going to sign off now and get back to work. I promise to enjoy every minute of it, and I will be back next month with another blog update. Until then, may you have a wonderful fall and Thanksgiving season with your loved ones.

Stay well and be blessed,

Amy E. Darr

3 corners Farm

Mosier, OR. USA

~Another Changing of the Seasons~Fall is Here!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 22:23:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to October!

Our Growing Farm Business

This season is full of beauty and business for us! Travis is currently prepping produce for one more final Saturday market at The Dalles Farmer's Market, and I am happily baking home made breads to my heart's content, to compliment Travis's produce and to ensure that people will want to return in the spring for more of our goodies.

Harvesting Arugula

Travis has expanded his selling of produce to include the Mosier Market and he sells once a week, in bulk, to a local restaurant. He also sells produce through the Gorge Farmer's Collective when he has enough to spare, but the restaurant will take everything we have so it's been a few weeks since he has had enough to go around. I guess he'll be planting even more next year!

When I say we have been busy, I am far from joking.

Recently Travis had a person from a publishing company reach out to him in regards of writing a book on farming. We are discussing this option, but guess who will be taking that project on? Yours truly, me, of course!

So...we will keep you posted on that. The book will be informational and share all the finer details of our small market garden/farming operation. We will be able to answer so many questions that are far too complex to get into through this blog.

Happenings on the Homestead

Fall is such a busy season on a Homestead, and it goes by quickly because we have so much to do!

Once the final Saturday market is wrapped up, we will be turning our attention to:

1. Finishing filling up the hay shed.

2. Planting a new garden on our property.

This is the spot of our future Homestead garden.

3. Cutting and stock piling firewood.

4. Canning as much as we can.

5. Working on the animal shelters because we like to build onto them and make improvements each year.

6. And finally, winterizing all that we can.

Our short fall days will be filled to the brim with good, hard work and activity, but also fun, food, and family. We are blessed to live this natural life and I pray we stay capable, healthy, and well to be able to continue this lifestyle for many years to come.

The weather in Our Neck of the Woods

The days are already shortening but are still hot and full of flies and other bug life. This year has been particularly bad with the flies, and it makes me wonder what is to come for winter because usually nature gives us a glimpse into what's ahead from Mother Nature if we truly pay attention to the critters and the creatures.

Beautiful Sunset over the Hood River

We really could use some rain, but mud is my least favorite issue to deal with on our little farm, so I am enjoying this sunny dryness to it's fullest while I can. Soon, the frost will come and the elk herds will be showing themselves. I hope to capture some images of them to share!

Other Happenings (Including Some Tiny House Update)

Yes, it has been one year since our son embarked on the adventure of building himself a tiny house, that he has been living in since April. It turned out better than we expected but there is still a list of projects to wrap up.

*Finish installing the ceiling panels.

*Add the oven hood/vent.

This wall space in the tiny house is where the range hood will be installed.

*Place bricks around the bottom exterior of the cabin.

*Custom build the kitchen drawers and cabinets.

We will have to find some time to help our son, and squeeze these cabin projects in if we can, not to mention we still have to replace our bedroom floor in the main house.

Our work is never done, but when we lay our heads down to sleep at night, we have so much peace knowing that we have put in a good day's work and what doesn't get done today will have its chance tomorrow.

We will make a blog entry and final video tour of the tiny house when it is completed, so watch for that if you would like to hear the final cost of the build and see how it turned it out, but the information does not stop there. There is much to tell about living in a tiny house, as well as sharing the cost of life while living in a tiny house. It continues to blow our minds!

As far as everything else in our little part of this world, all has been well other than I was sick for a few weeks at the end of September due to Covid. I persevered and am back to doing all the things I love with a lot more appreciation!

The Homestead animals are doing great. We have two super seniors, Willow the horse, and Teddy the Labrador, who are getting good food in the form of special diets and lots and lots of love! Every day with them is a gift.

There is always so much to share, but I will be back next month to update you all with more of our happenings.

Until then, take care of each other, stay well, and be blessed!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, OR U.S.A.

It's Time For An Update!

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 18:32:00 +0000

~Its Time For An Update!~

Hello and greetings to my cyber friends and family! My apologies that our blog has laid dormant for may months at times. I became frustrated from the unmanageable slow internet that we previously used. It took so much time to download simple pictures and/or images...precious time that I just didn't have.

But now, after two years of being on a waitlist...we finally have been hooked up with StarLink! It has opened up so much more internet ability for sharing our Homesteading and farming journey!

It also makes a huge difference in our day to day activities with on-line schooling for our 8th grader this year, and using the internet for our 3 Corners Farm business to film and keep track of business. I highly recommend StarLink to anyone who needs good quality internet for their home or business.

Our kids are joyous about no longer living in the stone ages, according to them. Hee.

So, with this move forward into the future of internet, I can now share more of what we have been accomplishing on the farm!

Farm Growth

In case you need a little re-cap of our small farm business, my husband Travis grows produce on a separate leased acre of land that has irrigation in the nearby rural town of Odell, which is in the outskirts of Hood River Oregon.

In the past few years he has been slowly and magically growing longer (100 foot) rows of greens such as Arugula, baby kale, spinach, spring mixed greens, and some various other vegetables to sell to local people and businesses.

Customers

We now have three main groups that we serve:

1. Local restaurants and stores. I believe this is Travis's ultimate goal, to get to the point of selling the majority of his greens to local food businesses because this cuts out much of the middle work for us. We can harvest, clean and bag in bulk, then deliver in one stop, a large quantity all at once.

2. The Gorge Farmers Collective. This is also another great service not only for Travis to sell his Certified Naturally Grown produce, but also for local families who can go on-line and choose from various farmers and products at the click of their fingertips, and pick it up in one location every Wednesday. This does require hauling produce and keeping it cold, as well as bagging in smaller quantities, so requires a bit more work on our end.

3. Farmer's Markets. We take our produce to the The Dalles Farmer's Market on Saturday's from 9:00 to 1:00. This is a great way to get out into the community and meet the people and answer their questions. We have been considering joining the Hood River Market as well, but have not yet found the time to do so. The bonus about the markets is that I can contribute with Homemade breads and hopefully coming soon, some more beeswax candles and other goodies such as jams and soaps.

Through much hard work we have multiplied our blessings since we started at the very beginning when the pandemic hit in 2020, and we had to rely on making deliveries to get us going.

Future Details

In upcoming blogs I will sit down and share more of the numbers involved such as how much of each crop we are growing currently, how much of it we lose to weather and pests, as well as how many pounds we sell per week, money generated and money spent, etc.

I will be sure to share more updates regarding our animals, but for now I am happy to share that currently our small herd (of old rescue horse, mini horse, and two goats) is doing well. We just purchased one ton of alfalfa, to add to the grass grass hay for Willow, to help get her through the upcoming winter. The prices for everything have gone up, and in some cases nearly doubled, but God is faithful and we have managed! For those of you who love the animals tales, I will bring you along with the adventures of our stories and care for them as the seasons change.

Also, our son Trevor has been living in his tiny house since April of this year and he is loving it! We still hope to get more finished on it this fall, which is sneaking up fast. We will finish putting in the wood ceiling, add a bathroom door, and custom build the kitchen cupboards and cabinets. At least for now it is fully functional and livable, plus we all needed the break from building projects to rest our backs and re-build some savings, but we will share the costs and further completions as we get back to work on it!

Stay Tuned

With our new found freedom to use the internet without interruptions or issues, I will have so much to share for the remainder of this year! Feel free to reach out to us at 3cornersfarm@gmail.com if there is something specific you would like to hear more about and we will be happy to add that in the upcoming blog posts.

I must get back to work now but I will be back with another blog post soon. Until then, take care and enjoy the rest of all that this beautiful summer season has to offer!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

~A Great Loss On The Homestead~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 21:45:00 +0000

Some sad news

On Sunday, June 12, at 9:45 a.m., we said good bye to our precious collie dog of 14 years, Babie.

Babie could relax even on subflooring!

We knew this time was coming, however that does not make it any easier. For me especially, this is a hard transition because for the last 14 years, Babie has been shadowing, at my feet, wherever my footsteps went. Collie's are very loyal to one person and I was blessed to be the one assigned by her for this important job since her first day with me in 2009. (She was 1 or 2 years old when we adopted her form our local shelter).

The first night without her by my bedside felt like a form of earthly torture to me, so the next night I placed Babie's purple collar in her usual sleeping spot, and though that may seem silly, it brought me comfort and I was able to sleep and make peace with her heavenly departure. Her final night was brutal and I promised her she would never have to endure such suffering again!

She had made it to morning even though at about 1:00 a.m. I awoke to her having labored breathing and shortly after, she suddenly lost all control of her bladder and bowels. This was distressing to Babie, who knew she could not make it outside, but I consoled her and she understood I was not mad or upset, that this was not her fault. I cried inside because I knew her internal organs and systems were in the process of starting to shut down, and all I could do was comfort Babie and be with her. I stole as many loves and kisses as I could and somehow I managed to remain calm and in control for her, speaking in a soft but cheerfully calming voice and doting on her every minute. We endured the night with as much grace and acceptance as we could, together.

I dutifully cleaned her messes and slept with her on the floor until the first light when I was able to contact an emergency vet. Babie was too weak by morning to walk so we moved her by carrying her in a blanket. After the kids each said their tearful but loving good bye's, and the other dogs were allowed to sniff noses with Babie one more time, she had one final car ride with the windows rolled down. Then several forehead kisses later, she peacefully made her journey across the rainbow bridge, of which has been very busy lately. She trusted me and was ready to let go.

Babie in spring of 2021

Grieving, adjusting, and moving forward knowing Babie had the best life with us!

Our family will now move on with an attitude of rejoicing so many incredible years of joy and love from Babie! She was so faithful and loyal (and serious) to the very end, and she deserves eternal bliss, especially since her last months were hard in her aged body regardless of any vet attention or medicine we provided.

Thankfully the kids are old enough to understand, and see, that it was Babie's time to go and now she is romping with her old pal, Dodger, in heaven. She is her formal youthful and healed self! Our other two dogs seem to understand the gravity of the situation and have since seemed a little lost without their matriarch dog, but they are doing okay. Animals have a deep knowing that far surpasses us humans. I believe they understand all that transpired, and they just have a way of accepting it as it is, without the need to change the process. Even when it comes to death, dogs continue to teach us so many valuable and wise life lessons.

Due to the messy nature of Babie's last night on earth (through no fault of her own!) we decided to rip out the master bedroom carpet and replace it as soon as we are able. Life moves forward and brings with it change. I will accept it and have no regrets.

In memory of Babie and all our farm pets who have gone before her

So this blog post goes out in memory of Babie and all our farm pets who have gone before her, and most of all, to those of you out there who are reading these words and understand what it is to love and lose a pet. They never get to stay with us long enough! I believe they cross our paths at designated times when we need them most. They share such enthusiasm for the simple things in life like care rides with the windows rolled down, chasing a butterfly, enjoying a warm day on the porch while bird watching, and sneaking bites from the kids of the best food humans have to offer. Dogs are the most noble teachers of unconditional love and how to live in the moment.

Next, I hope to share more happenings from our farming season, after giving ourselves some time to grieve and adjust to life without Babie here. Until then, remember to love each other and if you have an old faithful dog, please give them an extra special kiss and hug from me.

"I love you forever and always Babie. We will meet again."

Adopted May 10, 2009 - June 12, 2022

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.

~It's Been A Wild Ride!~

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Thu, 26 May 2022 18:45:00 +0000

Welcome to the craziness that has been our life

Greetings and welcome to our 3 Corners Farm blog! Have you noticed an absence of blog posts here lately? Well, I am about to fill you in on why that it is!

Spring is our most busy season, and thanks to the colder than usual weather thrown into the mix, along with some illness and every day life, I have been floundering like a fish out of water!

A farm call

First up, in late March we had a vet out to check up on our beautiful senior mare, Willow. I was concerned about her loosing weight and a few other things. It turned out that we ended up treating her for ulcers. This is not a terribly uncommon issue for some horses, but it is an unfortunate one because the ulcers often come back. The good news is that Willow's stomach appears to be more comfortable now. She is eating better and is on the mend. That is such a blessing!

Willow 22-year-old American Paint

Celebrations!

The next swing forward lurched us into April and that is the month we get to celebrate each of our boys turning another year older! Trevor is now 20-years-old and Blake is 17. Of course, Trevor wanted things for his tiny house and Blake got paintball stuff to use with his new paintball group. We enjoyed lots of home cooked foods and a bunch of goodies too. It's always nice to step back and revel in the small things that end up being so wonderful! An example of that is the every day grind of parenting that leads us, in a blink of our eyes, to witnessing our "babies" grow up. Life is a miracle not to be taken for granted and birthdays give us a full day out of every year to celebrate.

Gifts wrapped in red for my 2 Aries sons

Wild and wacky weather

During the whole month of April came surprises from Mother Nature. We endured sprinkles of snow, rain, wind and hail, and on April 11th (which was Blake's birthday) we were blessed with a dumping of snow (and no school)! Not only has this weird weather slowed our growing and farming season down, but it's just been so strange. I have lived in the great Columbia River Gorge my whole life and can't recall ever getting such an amount of snow in mid April!

Snow Storm of April 2022

A quick getaway

Ironically enough, earlier in the year, Travis and I booked a quick getaway for just the two of us to go to Sunriver Oregon for a weekend. We thought it would be the perfect time to visit in the spring, but just as the snow was letting up and melting off here at home, we found ourselves vacationing in a place getting more snow storms. Needless to say, we spent a lot of time in the hot tub because many of the places were shut down, and since by Oregon law, we were required to remove our snow tires by April 1st, we didn't feel like driving around too much. We stuck close to the condo. In the end it was enjoyable because there were other people to visit with who were either there for the skiing, or a getaway like us, and it was fun to talk with them about all kinds of things. Plus we also had the time to enjoy each other's company without constant work to plan out. The greatest bonus was that traveling to and from Sunriver was clear and sunny, haha! (Go figure). We were also super grateful to the kids who kept the home front going while we were away and they did a bang up job! That is no easy feat.

Some every day life

Naturally, we also have sporadically spent time gardening, tending to the animals, working on finishing up Trevor's tiny house (which is still not done yet), and helping Blake organize his paintball group, and M.J. with her on-line school work. We also got the goats' hooves trimmed and to sum that up...it was an adventure all in itself.

A mystery illness (not Covid related)

By the end of April, I must have overdone myself because I became ill. While Travis welcomed the month of May by building a newer, nicer, and bigger walk-in freezer, I greeted the new month from the couch or bed. After lots of fluids and a few visits to the doctor and a few simple tests, I managed to pull myself, slowly, back into life, just in time to wish our mini horse, Joe Joe, a happy 19th birthday, and our little goat, Nugget, a happy first year birthday.

A picture of Joe Joe out for a stroll

And here we are!

The weather has still been very unpredictable. Wet, soggy, rainy, windy, and then a sporadic day of warmth sprinkled in here or there, but spring is in the air and everywhere! The wild flowers are in beautiful full bloom, bringing with them plenty of seasonal allergies to go around. The flowers we planted on Mother's Day are growing and they look so lovely. The Odell garden, after a few setbacks, is producing and Travis is now selling fresh salad greens. Finally!

It's been a crazy and wild ride for us these past few months. I would love to add more pictures or a video to this blog, but we have also been managing with very little internet service for the past few months. Through it all, we remain humbled, grateful, and blessed to be living this beautiful life that we have created on our little patch of earth.

Oh! I forgot to mention that somewhere in the mix, I have started making all natural beeswax candles to compliment my home made breads and Travis's produce when we start selling at The Dalles Farmer's Market coming up here in the next few weeks.

A beautiful Beeswax candle with some Balsamroot

So...

Until next time, stay well, take care of each other, and may you all be blessed.

Amy E. darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

Tiny House Update~It's Been Awhile!

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 17:54:00 +0000

"The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less."

~Socrates

#Simplelionheartlife.com

Living large with less~Let's build a tiny house

Pic from the very beginning

Hello! A quick little note for any newcomers to our Farm and Homestead blog, this is an update about our 20-year-old son Trevor, who is building (including paying for) a tiny house on our property, and this blog is to update and share where we're at with this project, what has been accomplished so far, and the money spent.

When we embarked on this journey of encouraging and aiding our son in building himself a tiny house, never in our wildest dreams did we expect it to turn out so beautiful! Quite honestly, I am envious to never have been able to do this for myself when I was young.

Trevor will be starting his adult life with no debt, in a new cozy cabin that is nicer than our main house, and it will meet all of his needs. The bonus is that he has the world's most awesome parents to help make this goal a reality and allow him space on the Homestead to place it until he is ready to sell or move it. What a lucky guy!

So without further a-do, here we go!

Where we are at with this tiny house build

Building a house, even a tiny one, can get messy

Now, let's get into what has been accomplished since our last tiny house update from earlier this year on February 7, 2022. Here is a link to that blog if you would like to read it, Tiny House Major Update.

-Fairly recently, a trench was dug, the electricity and water were hooked up, and the trench (thankfully) is filled back in.

-All the drywall throughout the cabin was finally completed and the walls were textured and painted.

-The composting toilet arrived and is installed.

-I am not sure if I mentioned this already in previous blogs, but the wood floors are installed and they look lovely!

We did unfortunately have one snag in the road and that is that the water heater had an issue and ended up not working. Trevor had no choice but to order a different one, but the bright side is, that has been the only real struggle in all of this so far.

Here is Travis applying the wooden planks to the ceiling

What's next?

-There will be some finishing touches such as going over the paint one more time and getting the trim around the floors and windows done, plus some other small stuff both inside and out.

-The kitchen counter needs cut, customized, and set up to hold the mini stove and sink. Once that is complete (the guys are working on that at this very moment), we can decide how we would like to design some cupboards, drawers, and cabinets.

-Some of the wooden planks have been added to the ceiling in the bathroom, kitchen, and throughout the cabin's ceilings, but Trevor ran out of planks so needs to make a trip to Home Depot for the rest to be able to finish the job.

-The bathroom ceiling was coated several times with polyurethane. Travis (Dad) chose a water based polyurethane that is less toxic.

-Next up will be purchasing a sliding door kit from Home Depot to set up and use as the bathroom door, and Trevor is almost ready to move in so I think now is the time to think about how he wants to build a sturdy ladder to his sleeping loft.

New costs and total costs so far

This part is always overwhelming to me, so I am just going to list it as best I can.

-$71.99=paint and painting supplies

-$30.71=odds and ends such as an inside drywall corner tool and an 8 ft. taped cornerbead.

- $206.88=Formica countertop and 2x4's to make the countertop.

-$153.48=more odds and ends, some PEX piping, 3/4 inches 100 foot role-the supply water line to the tiny house.

-$361.10=knotty pine edge planks for the ceiling and some misc.

-$75.00=paint coating (the polyurethane).

-$70.00=ceiling fan with light.

$160.00=for the outside wiring.

-$249.00=for a new water heater.

and the big one...drum roll please...

-$1,069.00 for the high end composting toilet!

Phew! I think I got it all, plus or minus a few things. There has been many trips to Home Depot and many FedEx and UPS deliveries happening on our hill. We have even gotten to know some of the drivers well! We are saving all the receipts from beginning to end, and I plan on making a binder for Trevor's cabin, with all the receipts, blogs, and lots of pictures of this process from beginning to end. That way, if or when he ever decides to sell or part with it, the buyers will know exactly the worth and value in it.

The wood planks give this tiny house a nice modern cabin feel

Total cost altogether so far

$13,925.57!

Trevor told me as were going over all these costs, that the only things he has left to do are some trimming (which can be done when he is living in the cabin), finishing the kitchen countertop, and finish installing the wooden planks throughout to cover the ceilings. Then he will be ready to furnish and move in! (I reminded him he still needs a loft ladder, and a bathroom door would be nice, haha).

Needless to say, he is getting excited to move in and make it his own. He has worked hard on this tiny house/cabin and I think it will serve him well as he saves up his money again, concentrates on work life and/or life options, and enjoys a taste of being an independent young adult.

The skies the limit! Dream big and make it happen. Ask for help and God will provide it.

Below are some links to the tiny house videos we have made so far, and feel free to enjoy reading about all of our adventures in farming and Homesteading throughout our blog, by going to 3cornersfarm.com.

How To Build Tiny House part 1

Tiny House Part 2

Thanks for reading this update and may you all be happy, well, and blessed.

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.

Gardening, Weather, Tiny House Project, Family and Farm Animals, and a Rapidly Changing World

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 18:48:00 +0000

Hello beautiful people of the world! In today's blog I am going to share what our life on the Homestead has been like lately, and what we are working on at the farm. We are often pulled in many different directions and that is truly the case right now, but it certainly keeps things interesting so let's dive right in!

Anxious to get started on gardening!

For starters, Travis has been doing work on the side for a local company doing I.T. consulting work, but he is really itching to get his hands in the dirt! So far he has planted three rows of greens. One row is planted with Premium Green Mix. Then he has a row with Arugula and Kale in it, and a row of Allstar Salad Mix. Next up, he will work on getting a few more rows ready but I am not sure yet what he will be planting in those spaces. The rows are one hundred feet long each and produce roughly 50 pounds for the first cutting.

The Odell Lot

For anyone who may not be familiar with our works, my husband Travis started a market garden in 2020. He worked hard to obtain a certification for Naturally Grown Produce in the Columbia River Gorge. He is a master at producing food!

He always has been so it only seemed natural for him to share it with others.

In our little green house here at the Homestead we have multiple varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and some lettuce heads planted. Travis will be starting on building a new walk-in cooler and he also has plans to upgrade the wash line system. He wishes to build a larger greenhouse on this property at our Homefront, however, that project may need to wait until fall because there is just so much to do that we are forced to make project decisions based on what is most important at this time, to the least important. That seems to change weekly, if not daily.

A bonus is that the garlic made it through the winter so we are excited about that! We use garlic for many things and it always sells out during the market season.

Weather and water

We recently were doused with another few feet of snow. It was heavy, wet snow, and melted quickly. Now we are in the midst of a moist spell, with sporadic rain. The rain is great for the gardens but not so great for the pasture pets. There is much mud clinging to our boots and the smell in the field is not exactly fresh. The hooves are a mess, the floors are mess, and the dogs are a mess, but let's not under appreciate the fun of slipping and sliding in a bit of mud from time to time. Ha!

Oh the mud...but Joe sure is cute!

We will at least take advantage of this rain and soft ground to hopefully dig the trench for our son's tiny house to be hooked up to electricity and water as soon as we can. This is now the perfect time to do it!

I love this time of year because soon the annual wildflowers will bloom and the earth will be covered in bright green grass that reminds me of the hills of Ireland, or at least what I imagine Ireland to look like since I have never traveled there personally. (Goals.)

The green, fresh flower season will be fleeting as always, but so wonderful and hopeful as always too. Plus, we are thankful for the rain because the separate garden lot in Odell will not have irrigation until May 1st. I pray the soil until then will remain refreshed and the time will speed quickly by.

Tiny House

It is coming right along! I feel overwhelmed at times, but also as if we are in the home stretch at other times. Our son Trevor has one more grand purchase, and that is the composting toilet system. All the other main appliances have been purchased. Drywalling has been completed, there has been two layers of mudding put on the drywall, and now Travis is working on sanding it down while Trevor is sealing the windows with caulking and finishing up some other touches. Here is our latest tiny house video log update.

I must say...I LOVE it! This little house as far exceeded my expectations! (I can't speak for the guys though.) I knew it would be great because we had a pretty solid plan to begin with, but it is turning out to be so creative and unique. We tried to duplicate a model of a tiny house in Alaska that we had found on-line when we began this adventure back in the fall, but due to a few size differences of the main structures, and some difficulties in getting some of the appliances and supplies, it has not turned out the same but so much better instead! I will make a new blog soon on what we have accomplished since the last tiny house blog, and I will add further cost of supplies since then as well as total price spent so far. All of which has been paid for by our son.

I am so inspired by this that I hope we get to build another tiny house in the future! Whether it be for another one of our kids (I don't think the other two will follow suit however) or whether Travis and I build one for ourselves, I just really am in love with the idea of enjoying such a cute, small, functional space that offers cheap living or a perfectly comfortable work space. What more does anyone need? When life gets downsized to be so simple, small, and affordable, it opens up so many other doors, opportunities, and future endeavors while simultaneously offering a debt free life!

Our family unit and our little animal kingdom

I am happy to share that all of us under our roof are content and well, and I thank God every day that we are so blessed with good health. I am still part of a car pooling group that drives our teenage son Blake and a few of his friends back and forth to town for school, but other than the high price of gasoline these days, I am grateful for this car pooling group of wonderful families. It is nice to be "trapped" in a car with three fabulous and fun young people, hear what they have to say, and listen to their camaraderie with each other. There are a few fresh new drivers in the mix, but we still stick with the carpooling for reasons such as sharing vehicles with family members, some vehicles of which are in the shop or needing repairs, and one of the kids is very new to driving so still needs practice, but it's all good and we are blessed!

Next up, please pray for our mare Willow as a new vet is scheduled to visit this afternoon to work on her teeth and do some routine care. We need some rounds of vaccines and I need some vet advice on how to feed Willow as she ages because it is becoming more of a challenge with each passing season. Her Birthday is Thursday (St. Patrick's day) and she will be 22-years-old! She still has a lot of fire and spunk, and I just love her so much, along with her little gang of misfits, the mini horse, Joe, and the two goats, Clover and Nugget. We can't forget the group of three senior dogs and a sassy cat who live with us in our small house. The old dogs have needed some recent vet attention as well. Phew! I am so grateful to God and Travis, and all the people who have donated, for aiding me with the cost of these animals' special care diets and needs because I could never do it all alone, but these precious animal souls give me a reason to strive every single day!

Willow

I once had a dream to open a small animal rescue/sanctuary, but the reality of the expenses and work load of keeping senior sanctuary animals well is far too difficult at times, so I am happy to give the current ones in my care the absolute best of everything we have to offer them in their life with us, and just focus on keeping them well and comfortable.

A heartfelt realization

I have been chastising myself much lately because I haven't been feeling particularly motivated or inspired. I haven't kept up with the story board out front for visitors that love the animals. I haven't written many blogs. I have even stopped writing my next book even though I am so close to being finished, and I am not really baking home made breads or goods like I used to either.

I have just been focusing on family, animals, and every day life. I have been purging and deep cleaning, sometimes very random things such as cleaning the window blinds with a toothbrush or cleaning out the oven by hand. I am finding satisfaction in such simple yet time consuming jobs like I never have before, and I think it's from the gratification of seeing the significant before and after differences. It is so satisfying and at least I still feel I have a goal each morning when I wake up. The rest of the time has passed in a bit of a haze, with a pet of one kind or another constantly at my feet or by my side.

During this time of heart, home, and reflection I have come to realize that perhaps I am feeling the weight of the world right now like everyone else must be. It is all just too hard to ignore. I mentioned the price of fuel is so high, but also food and supplies can no longer be taken for granted. Plus there is no ignoring that the war with Ukraine has ramped up and so much is happening in the world, across the whole globe, that's it's all just so, "in your face" around every corner. I am comforted to know that my family is very fortunate, but this also saddens me so much for others who are suffering loss or struggling with financial strain or any other hardships.

This morning I took some time to re-fill the hummingbird feeders and sit on the porch where I enjoyed watching the zippy little sugar eaters for a time. If the birds can be joyous and active, lively and gay, then I have decided I can too! But I also must honor myself enough to know that we can not make a flower bloom when it is not ready, which is how I have felt for the past month or so. Self care is so important.

I simply refuse to accept that what I hear and see out in the world right now is all there is to come. I can not hole up in my cozy home forever so instead of worry and fear for the future, I choose happiness in the now, and to always look for the good and beauty of others, but I also choose right now to simply take one day at a time, in thankfulness for my life and loved ones, while we wait, wonder, and watch what will unfold in the world. And I truly look forward to spring.

So to all the beautiful people reading this today I say, "Thank you so much for following along with us and supporting our 3 Corners Farm journey! We love you all and we are so happy you are with us."

Until my next blog posting, stay well, take special care of yourselves and each other, and may you be blessed.

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.

Tiny House Major Update

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 21:34:00 +0000

I think we're pretty close to the halfway mark!

Hello fellow tiny house lovers! We have made some leaps and bounds here recently and the tiny house is definitely starting to come together. I have much to share in this blog so here we go!

Receipts

Here is a picture of the Home Depot receipts, with a few Sawyers Hardware ones mixed in. The piles are stapled together and from left to right, show how much Trevor has spent each month so far starting in October and ending where we are currently at in this month of February. December has the most receipts to date, but there are also on-line purchases not shown here.

Five months worth of receipts from October through February.

Since our last tiny house blog update, the recent purchases have been windows, one for the bathroom and a window for each loft. These came to a cost of $80.00 all together.

There were also some odds and ends such as a coarse DW screw ($26.97), a mandrel 3" DC wheel ($5.97), and a mandrel 3" disc cut off ($5.97). I hope I typed those right because I had to ask what they are and what they will be used for. I was told that the guys are going to take out the the 2 x 4 board that is hanging across the upper living area space because it was basically only used for transportation support. Now that there are walls and dry wall, those will add the extra support the tiny house will need if ever it is moved again, so the board across is no longer serving a purpose. Plus, Trevor would like that space open to make the small living area feel bigger, and also to possibly add a small ceiling fan for circulation later down the road, if he can.

The 2 x 4 that will come down to make the living area vaulted.

Some bigger costs

Trevor ordered his flooring from Home Depot and it is expected to arrive at the end of this month. He chose laminate wood flooring called, "Arden Blonde Hickory."

The flooring cost was $750.00. (Ouch! That was a big chunk for him.)

He ordered 274 feet and we will see if that's enough. It should be.

Trevor ordered the sink off of Amazon and it is made to fit an R.V. That cost was $95.00.

Now to update on the work recently done

-The water lines are set up, have been tested and are not leaking, but the water to the cabin is not hooked up yet. We still need a small pressure tank.

-The water lines were extended to the washing machine hook-up.

-More drywall was put up on the inner wall of the bathroom.

-The bathroom window was installed. (It still needs caulking and trim but it is in and looks great!)

The bathroom window is now in place.

Here is a video of doing the water pressure check in the tiny house.

What's next?

-Finishing up drywall in the bathroom.

-Installing a bathroom door.

-Finishing up the shower. (Still)

-Doing the tedious job of cutting the metal support pieces from the board across the living space and starting to put in the ceiling.

-To finish up the drywall by taping and filling the lines in.

Plans may change as we go, but we will just roll with it.

Total Cost So Far

Drum roll please...

Trevor has spent $1,674.00 since our last total cost update! Here is a break down of all these recent purchases;

$198.00 for more insulation

$84.00 additional drywall

$199.00 small water heater

$30.00 PEX pipes

$200.00 PEX pipe fittings and supplies

$80.00 three small windows

$38.91 odds and ends

$95.00 R.V. sized kitchen sink

$750.00 flooring

If you care to see the a list of supplies and costs from the beginning until now, please visit my blog post titled, "Where Are We With The Tiny House Project."

WOW!

Current total cost so far is $11,547.91. Keep in mind that the majority of this cost is in the purchase of the shed building which was $8,395.00. The rest has been appliances, flooring, electrical, tools and parts, the shower, sub flooring, drywall, and 2 x 4's.

And that's all I have to share for now. I feel the last final big expenses will be the commode and the range (or whatever Trevor settles on for that). The rest of the fixings will be smaller such as paint, more caulking, cabinets, hardware, etc. Just a lot of little stuff.

I hope you have enjoyed following along and reading this update. Stay tuned for more and until next time stay well, take care, and many blessings.

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

Weather And Tiny House Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 19:42:00 +0000

Baby It's Cold Outside!

In our part of the world, the weather has gone into a pretty deep freeze once again. We were enjoying daytime high's in the upper 30's and near 40 degrees Fahrenheit for awhile, but it is still winter after all.

Our area's weather was forecasting warmer temperatures that we never got, but for us, just traveling into town can make all the difference. Our hill's elevation is at 1600 feet, and it is normal for us to get heavy fog for days, which freezes the trees and ground. Although, in town, which is about 10 miles from us, downhill all the way, there is not even any snow left and it might be close to 10 degrees warmer.

We have lived up here since summer of 2019 and this difference in weather patterns and temperature still blows my mind!

Tiny House Tidbits

The kitchen sink arrived, woop woop! It is so tiny and cute, haha, but perfect for one person and completely functional. It is an R.V. sized kitchen sink and came with the faucets and all the attachments, which is awesome.

Today, Trevor and I are going to go out to his cabin and clean things up so there is more room to work in. Luckily, he has heat out there, which makes this a good day to be inside his little cabin because it is currently 28 degrees and breezy outside.

Right now, the bathroom is full of insulation, drywall, tools, parts, and who knows what else, so I will climb a ladder and put all that Trevor hands me, in the spare loft above the front porch. Hopefully I can organize it a bit. The remaining insulation will need to be bagged and stored in one of our property storage sheds, but then we will have the bath and kitchen wide open to work with.

I can't WAIT to see what the shower looks like once it is all fully installed. So exciting!

Trevor made a decision of what wood flooring he would like so maybe I can accompany him to purchase that while the price is still reasonable. We are concerned that the prices of wood and other things are going to explode again and it is very nerve wracking.

So, if we get the space cleared out, we will see if we have room or space somewhere around here to keep the flooring, and his plan is to start by laying some of the flooring down in his sleeping loft first. That way working up there will be easier because the guys won't get slivers from the sub flooring.

In Our Main House

Speaking of the tiny house and it's flooring reminds me that we have a project going on in the inside of our house too. We just bought trimming to go around the wood floors that we put in last year. It's not exciting, I know, but it is a small step that will make such a huge difference! There are so many improvements I want to make in our little home, and design ideas I have been dreaming up, but we also have the animal feed costs and other things to think about, so I will settle for the floor trimming for now and be grateful.

The rest will happen in it's own good time.

Ta Ta For Now

Well everyone, I hope you've enjoyed reading our weekly Homestead Happenings and I am eager to share more progress with the tiny house soon!

Until then, stay well, take care, and many blessings.

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

What's Happening On The Homestead This Week

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 19:22:00 +0000

This week on the Homestead...

Greetings fellow country living lovers and blog readers!

Our Animal Kingdom

This week I all of a sudden have a lot to write about and I'm not even sure where to begin, so first up is...Willow.

Willow is our senior horse. She is 21-years-old, which isn't a "super senior" but she is definitely getting up there in years.

Some horses Willow's age are still doing and looking pretty good, but that is not quite the case with our old girl. She had a pretty tumultuous life before we brought her home in 2018, and it still shows. My main concerns right now are her teeth and their ability to chew up and grind hay. She is struggling a bit with this but is also picky and sticking her nose up at any soaked or mashed feed I present to her, and yes, she gets senior feed to help compensate, but the forage is still the healthiest and best option. I also need to re-fill a prescription for arthritis pain because she seems sore at times and it makes my heart ache for her! Watching animals age is harder than witnessing aging humans because at least, we as people, can voice what ails us, unlike our beloved pet companions.

I am hoping to hold off until spring to have a vet out for a farm call, to attend to Willow, but also to the other animals at the same time. We need a round of check-ups, vaccinations, oral care, and diet discussions. Willow has dropped weight this winter and I don't want her weight to dip so low that it will be hard to get back up again. At the same time, she has that arthritis to think about and some hoof problems, so it is actually better to have her underweight than overweight in order to carry all her thousand plus pounds around. Still, there is a limit to being too thin.

I will go into detail more about Willow and the other animals as we continue into this year. Please just keep Willow in your prayers and send her some love. She is pretty special!

Our Human Inhabitants

In other Homestead happenings, our 16-year-old son, Blake, and Travis (Dad) are heading out the door as I type this, to go work on setting up an outdoor paintball course. One of the neighbors in our tiny town has offered Blake a space for him and his friends to play. (These particular neighbors I speak of are also fellow animals lovers and I love them so much!) Below are pictures of shelters the guys have set up to hide behind while in the midst of paintball battle.

I am so happy for Blake because this has always been his dream after spending much time in a local youth group and going to paintball camps, and visiting paintball facilities in the Vancouver/Portland area a few times over the years. Blake has been wanting to get a paintball course set up to enjoy closer to home and more often, especially being as how the past few years have been quite closed off and uneventful for him and some of his friends.

He is going to make a video of this endeavor and his love for paintball in a school assignment, and he is also going to create a business plan as he develops this, so that he can design his own paintball business in the future.

We live in a very rural area where there is not a lot of activities for the local youth, so this is not a bad idea. It can also be done with masks and social distancing, hah!

Travis and Trevor (age 19) have been working on Trevor's tiny house, or working in their other respective jobs. Travis does some on-line work for a company in Hood River Oregon during the farming "off season", and Trevor works at our little town's market.

Travis has also been taking some on-line classes to learn how to improve our 3 Corners Farm YouTube channel. One of our goals this year is to better our film making and editing skills, and to just get more information and scenes from our lifestyle out there for other people who want to learn and embark on their own farming or homesteading journey. If nothing else, people might be able to learn how to create their own food garden, bake some bread from scratch, or they might just love to watch the scenery clips from our beautiful area in the great Columbia River Gorge!

Our youngest family member, M.J., (age 13) has been keeping up well with on-line schooling through Oregon Connections Academy and has been spending some overnights with friends. Her/his life is pretty mellow right now, but in a good way. He/she is looking forward to spring and earning some money working for our farm.

Making Leaps and Bounds

That brings me to...me.

I published my first book on January 3, 2022, right at the New Year!

If I'm being honest, I'm a bit nervous at what readers will think of it. It is about our story, of how our family got to this little Homestead, but it mainly shares my perspective in how I coped with anxiety and depression through trying to work and survive when the kids were little. I also have a rare autoimmune disorder and I struggled with some addiction in the past.

The book is called, "The Power and Healing of Daily Routines by Amy E. Darr. It can be ordered through Amazon as an eBook or in paperback.

And yes, it mostly talks about routines, but that is how I learned to cope. I started with planning and committing to basic daily routines, and through trial and error, found what worked for me. It ended up changing my life! I would have a completely different outlook on life today (a much more challenging one) if I had made the choice to succumb to any of those past struggles. Instead, I became empowered by sticking to the daily 'actions' of routines that I could accomplish whether I was feeling sick, depressed, or overwhelmed.

The key word there is 'actions' because these routines encouraged me to get up and DO something to move forward and better my life and my families life. Even if the actions were small, menial, or repetitive, the effort started to slowly show up in very positive ways! It is also very grounding to work my way through these tasks and small accomplishments each day, which is greatly healing.

I will let you read the book if you would like to, and please, I would really love it if you can offer me feedback. I actually am a big fan of constructive criticism! How will I improve as a writer otherwise?

Feel free to email me at 3cornersfarm@gmail.com or look me up on Facebook under Amy (Gilkerson) Darr.

There is so much more I could share today, but since you are now somewhat caught up, I am going to sign off and get started on housework, animal care, some editing projects, and hopefully going for a walk with my mini pony, Joe.

I have a feeling things are about to ramp up for us if the weather continues to hold out so I'll be back next week to share more.

Until then, stay well, take care, and many blessings!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.

Tiny House In Winter Update

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Sat, 15 Jan 2022 21:03:00 +0000

A Quick Re-Cap

In my last tiny house blog I shared a few things that turned out differently. One was that we thought the insulation was going to be expensive, but what a surprise to us when it really wasn't too bad of a cost after all! When looking at insulation and cost on-line, there was no information on how much is provided in a package, so when Travis and Trevor (I know they're names are ridiculously similar...Travis is Dad, Trevor is son) went to Home Depot, they were shocked to see how much was in a package!

The cost was just under $99.00 per package of insulation with each containing 10 pieces that are 8 feet long. Trevor purchased two packs. This is quite close to being enough for the 10 x 20 foot space of Trevor's cabin, but we will know more on that as we go.

I also shared that the guys would be working on the bathroom next because they are hoping to get that done, but that is not the case. Not even close.

What HAS Been Done Recently

First of all, for those of you reading this who may not know us personally and where we live in Oregon, I will share that since before Christmastime, we have been dumped on with two feet of snow and ice so there was no working on the cabin during that three weeks. Trevor periodically went out to shovel around it but that was all.

We don't want to be drilling holes for plumbing and then leave it sitting in the melting snow or allow mice to get in, so the weather has slowed the progress down a bit. Also, we could not haul supplies as needed through the winter driving conditions.

Now that we have had some of the snow melt, the guys were able to get back at it and in a short amount of time, Travis installed some PEX piping for the shower plumbing, Trevor finished putting more insulation in, and they were able to go to Home Depot and purchase dry wall.

The drywall's cost was $14.00 each and Trevor bought six, each sheet 4ft. x 8ft. He will probably need 4 or 5 more sheets to finish, and the finishing part will require a lot more cutting, but we were able to cover some of the main walls.

They also purchased an electric tankless water heater, the smallest available, for $199.00 and got it set in it's place.

When it comes to the plumbing so far, Travis (Dad) said he has never used PEX pipes before but he likes them and they were purchased for $30.00. In Travis's words, "All the little chunks and little fittings are expensive at around $2.00 a pop, and the total cost for all of those needed to go with the PEX piping supplies for plumbing were about $200.00".

So...that part was expensive.

What's Next

Ok y'all, this is where my brain is starting to get overwhelmed with all that still needs to be done because we will need to dig a trench to our well house in order to set up electricity, but the weather may not allow for that for quite some time yet. Then the shower needs put in, the bathroom wall needs to go up, and the finishing touches of the insulation and dry wall still need done.

Keep in mind that Travis and Trevor do not have all the tools, that say...a contractor or builder would have, so a lot of this is done with simple, old tools, and because of the snow, the guys don't have the ability to work outside so must use the tiny house that they are working on as their work space. It gets cramped!

Seriously though, this bears repeating because what valuable lessons and life skills this is teaching Trevor! He is more willing to do the job right knowing that he is paying for it and this is his home-to-be for the future

(Maybe not forever, but it's a great start)!

I will wrap this blog post up now. In the next tiny house blog, I will share the cost of everything so far. We also made our first video log of this tiny house so if you would like to see it, you can go to our 3 Corners Farm YouTube channel.

Until next time, stay well, take care, and many blessings!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier Oregon, U.S.A.

Rising Up Into A New Year, Choosing Happiness Over Hardness

noreply@blogger.com (3 Corners Farm) — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 18:40:00 +0000

Hello fellow readers! What an interesting new year it has been so far. This will be a simple and quick little blog update because not much has been happening, but there are a few changes coming up like; Trevor has made quite a bit of progress in his tiny house, and we have been getting word of some family members experiencing ill health. There are some good changes occurring, but also some difficult times ahead. I might also be asking for support and prayers for our senior horse, Willow, but I need to know more first about her condition before I get too far ahead of myself. It could turn out to be nothing, but the harsh winter so far seems to be taking a bit of a toll on the poor girl regardless of all the special care we have tried to shower her with during the inclement weather.

Our senior mare, Willow, waiting out the winter.

On our little homestead here in Oregon, the only other news I have currently can be summed up in two words.

1. Snow

Good morning world and hello snow! This picture was taken Jan. 3, 2022.

2. Weather

That's it.

Shoveling, watching snow fall, admiring the quiet and beauty outside, drinking hot chocolate, sledding, snowballs, and more shoveling...It's been a beautiful pace.

We have been feeding and tending to our outside animals about every 4 hours, pretty much around the clock, including feeding some of our areas wildlife, such as deer and hummingbirds to name a few.

It has been a much needed, refreshing, and blessed break from the hectic last year. It gave me (us) time to absorb how fortunate we are, but also to respect that we have worked hard to gain our blessings and this life on a homestead surrounded by nature that we love so much!

The kids are bored right now, it's true, but they are well, healthy, fed, have all their needs met, and will certainly have unique memories to share from their youth. School has just started back up after Christmas break and from the time off for snow days, and spring will be here before we know it.

We were dumped on with snow from before Christmas, then surprised from Mother Nature with ice pellets and two more feet of snow. After that we experienced heavy chunks of ice seemingly falling from the sky! The melt off from weeks of teen digit temperatures and continuous ice and snow decided to make quite the dramatic exit from the heavily burdened trees all around us. It was a powerful part of nature to behold. We just finished hunkering down through wind gusts of up to 40 and 50 miles per hour, but the snow is melting, we can make a trip to town to re-stock up on things for both human and animals alike, and we are purely grateful! The small things seem so magnified now. I am going to style my hair and get dressed up just to go to town. Why? Because I can, Hah!

The ice was beautiful but hazardous when falling from the trees.

So...I will leave you now until my next blog post. Once again, and as always and forever, I send my blessings and love to you all. Stay well, take care of each other, and enjoy the season!

Amy E. Darr

3 Corners Farm

Mosier, Oregon U.S.A.