Oh, the adventures of farming in the Sonoran Desert.
While driving home from the Bisbee Farmers Market on Saturday unbeknowst to us a huge storm was building up in the mule mountains and to the north of our farm. While we were relaxing and enjoying the rest of the hot saturday afternoon we were startled by a sudden temperature drop and the sight of a “dust cloud” rolling our way. It covered the entire valley floor from the Chiricahuas to the Peloncios!!
As we all awoke this morning and started about our daily doings something was different. Abby was in labor!!!
She was making a lot of noise and panting and we all knew it was time.
Around 8:20am she birthed her two baby boys. A blue eyed buck and little boy version of Abby.
What beautiful new additions to this little farm.
Last night Jerry went out in the darkness of the evening and brought back the bees to our farm. These are the first five hives of ten we will be getting! We are excited to have them here on the farm to help pollinate our crops and produce delicious mesquite honey for us to eat. The honey produced here will also help build our immunity against seasonal allergies.
The Bisbee Farmer’s market has been a fun place to sell our produce. Everyone is so grateful for the produce we offer. We love to see the smiles on their faces, it makes it all worthwhile.
We sold beets, green onions, radishes, mixed lettuce, arugula and spinach.
The rains have been blessing our farm with much needed water. The beauty of the dark grey clouds which settle over our little valley soothe the souls of everyone. We don’t mind the little sprinkles which last for a few hours. They come in, dampen the soil and kiss the leaves of the plants with grace. However, not all storms bless us with such peaceful rain. Yesterday afternoon a massive monsoon cell swept up over the whole valley dropping at least 2 inches in 1 hour on our little homestead. The damage seemed massive and we thought all hope was lost in the back rows of the garden. The catch pond to the southwest of the property over flowed, but in the wrong direction. We had a flowing river right through the potato rows. Luckily when we awoke this morning most of the water had receded and the crops looked fine. Jerry was out all day on the land building up grades and redirecting the water flows. It’ll take more work, but for now the situation seems under control. 
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Sarah arrived on the farm today. She is originally from Colorado and has been living in Bisbee for a little while. Her intentions are to learn all she can about how to grow food and live sustainably. She will be helping Jerry in the garden in the morning and will come in the afternoons to help Jen with kids and “business” type stuff. We are very excited to have her with us and look forward to her growth on the land.
Hooray!! Abby, another Nigerian Dwarf Goat, arrived on the farm today. She is Dazzles baby from a few years back. Abby is pregnant with what we hope are twin doelings. She will be giving birth around the 20th of June. We eagerly await the arrival of the babies and look forward to the wonderful milk Abby will soon give us.
We began filling the pond near the house this weekend. We had let it dry up for a short time to take out all of the Cat Tails that covered it entirely and dig it a bit deeper. It has already begun to attract new and beautiful wildlife. The huge Willows trees have a new brilliance swaying above the water. The refreshing breeze flows over the water and cools us as we sit next to it. The pond is the water source now to many exquisite birds, owls, rabbits and quail. Even the bees come up for a drink. Plus the kids think it’s the greatest thing ever created!
Sweetie Pie, the little kitty we inherited, has given birth to three beautiful babies. This is the first live birth on the farm. A beautiful moment filled with only a tiny bit of stress. We look forward to many other births on this land.
