September had a theme on the homestead: Clearing.
We built a perimeter path going about 4 acres in length on the side we hadn’t cracked into. Trails were cut, dead alder was taken down.What started as a dead forest, dark as night and no way in, in 30 days now has sunlight pouring in, numerous trails and the feeling of life in it. It took a lot of time from other projects, but we needed to do it.
At the start of the month the strawberry plants were filling in nicely. The tomatoes in the second bed were doing relatively well still.
As the weather started to change I pulled the tomatoes out and brought in the harvest to process and finish ripening, if needed.
Evergreen Coastal Huckleberry season was busy most of the month. I put away quite a few in the freezer.
The lavender is still in bloom, and will till first freeze.
September is a good month for strawberries 🙂
With the crops done, I topped up the large container pots, and planted in all the starts of red and golden raspberries I had babied all summer. Next year they will grown into full size plants.
3 weeks into the month I planted another 8 strawberry plants, 4 varieties total.
With the forest being opened, the garter snakes have been very happy to sun on warm days.
Sunset over the Olympic Mountains.
In the 4th week I planted the first seeds in the ground, which was also 6 months of being here on the land. Next year’s garlic is in the ground.
And in the 4th weeks I set up another raised bed of strawberries, with 12 in the bed.
And on the last day of the month, I re-entered the world of selling at markets. I had missed doing this so much this past year! I was a vendor at the nearby Greenbank Farm’s Harvest Faire. We had a phenomenal windstorm a few hours in, but the sales were good and the customers great, so it was time well spent. I met some new people to collaborate with, and that alone was worth it.
October looms ahead. And I look forward to it!
~Sarah